¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§¨¨¨§§§                                          §§¨¨§§§§§§
§§§¨¨§¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§§¨¨§§§§
§¨¨§§§§§§§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨¨¨§§§§§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§¨¨§§¨¨§§
¨§§¨¨§§§§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨ ,    ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     , §§§§§§§§§§
¨§§§§¨¨§¨¨ =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   = ¨§§§§§§§§¨
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨§§§§§§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨§§§§§                                          §¨¨§§§§¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨§§§¨ JUST  OFF THE COAST  TO  THE  BALTIC SEA ¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨   THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED    ¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨§§§§¨¨¨§ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN  THE ¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨   LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE  §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§   SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE    §§¨¨§§§§§§
§¨¨§§§§§¨¨ DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO  THE  MIDNIGHT-BLACK ¨¨¨¨¨§§§§§
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                  WATER.                  §§§§¨¨§§§§
¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨             ====§§§§§§§§====             §§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§§§§§§¨¨¨¨         ==§§                §§==         ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§§§§§¨¨§§§  =====§§   FAIRIES LIVE HERE.   §§=====  §§§§§§¨¨§§
§§§§¨¨¨¨§§         ==§§                §§==         ¨§§§§¨¨¨¨§
§§§¨¨§§¨¨¨             ====§§§§§§§§====             ¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§§¨¨¨ THEY  SPEAK  TO THE  SLOANE, CARESS  IT, §§§§§§§§§§
¨§¨¨§§¨¨§§ URGE IT TO  GROW  THICKER, TANGLED, WITH §§§§§§§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§ LONGER AND SHARPER THORNS. THEY  TELL IT §§§§§§§§¨¨
§§§§§§§§¨¨ TO  STAY JUST BELOW THE GRASS,  SO  THAT §§§§§§§¨¨§
§§§§§§§¨¨§ THE  ANIMALS  WHAT  COME  TO  DRINK  THE §§§§§§¨¨¨¨
¨§§§§§¨¨¨¨ WATER  CANNOT  SEE  IT BEFORE  IT  DRAWS §§§§§¨¨§§¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§§§ THEIR  BLOOD.  CLOSER  TO THE  POND, THE §§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§ SLOANE  CAN GROW  TALLER, BEING ABLE  TO §§§¨¨§§§§§
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§        HIDE ALSO IN THE JUNIPER.         ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§¨¨§§¨
¨¨§¨¨§§§§§ THE  FAIRIES  WILL BECKON THE ANIMALS TO ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨§§§§ PUSH  FORWARD, TELL  THEM  THAT  THEY'RE ¨¨¨§§§§§§§
¨¨§§§¨¨§§§ ALMOST  AT  THE  WATER,  THAT  THEY  MAY §§¨¨§§§§§§
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§ DRINK  SOON.  AND  THEY WILL TUG  ON THE §¨¨¨¨§§§§¨
§§¨¨¨§§¨¨§ SLOANE  TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨ DEEP.  WHEN THEY  FINALLY FIND  THE PATH ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨§§§§§ DOWN  BETWEEN THE  ROCKS, AWAY FROM  THE §§§§§§§§§§
§¨¨§¨¨§§§§ BUSHWORK  AND INTO  THE  CLEFT, THEY ARE §§§§§§§§§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨ BLEEDING  FROM  A  THOUSAND  WOUNDS.  AS ¨§§§§§§§§§
¨§§§§§¨¨¨¨ THEY DRINK  FROM  THE DARK WATER, IT  IS ¨¨§§§§§§§¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§§¨ IN  TURN  DRINKING  THE  ANIMALS  BLOOD. §¨¨§§§§§¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨§§§§§ THE CIRCLE  IS  COMPLETE,  THE  CONTRACT §§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§§§§¨¨§§§§ CARRIED  OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO §§¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§§§¨¨¨¨§§¨ FIND ITS OWN  WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§§
§§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨ DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS  WATER. THE FAIRIES §§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨          DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS.          §¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨§§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§§¨¨§§¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: §¨¨§¨¨§§§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
¨§§§§§§§§¨ ,     ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    , §§§§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨§§§§§§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§§§§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§§§§¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§§¨¨§§§§
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          §¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§§§§
§§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨§§§§§