¨§¨§§§¨§¨¨                                          §§§§§¨¨¨§¨
¨§§§¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§
§§¨¨§¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§¨
§¨§¨§§§§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§§
¨§§§§¨¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨§§¨¨§§¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§§¨¨§§¨§§
§§¨§¨§¨§§¨ ^     ^     ^    ^     ^    ^     ^    ^ §§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§¨§§§§§§¨§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~ ¨¨§§§§§§¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨§¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨
§¨§§§¨¨¨§§ 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.          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨§§§§¨§¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §§¨¨§§¨§§§
§§§§¨¨¨§§§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~ §¨§¨§¨§§¨¨
§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨ ^    ^     ^    ^     ^     ^     ^    ^ ¨§§§§§§¨§¨
§§¨¨§§¨§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨§¨§¨§§¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§§§¨§§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨§§¨¨§¨§
§¨§§¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨§¨§§§
¨§§¨§¨¨§§§                                          §¨§¨§§§§¨¨
¨§¨§§§¨§¨¨                                          §§§§§¨¨¨§¨