¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§§§§§¨
§§§§§§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨§§§§§§§§§                                          ¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§§§§§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§§§§§§                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
§§¨¨§§§§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§§
§¨¨¨¨§§§§§ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨§§§§ ~     ~     ~    ~     ~    ~    ~     ~ ¨¨§§§§§§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨ «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   « ¨¨¨§§§§¨¨§
¨¨§§§§¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: §§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨§§§§¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: §§¨¨¨¨§§§§
§¨¨§§§§¨¨§ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   « §¨¨§§¨¨§§§
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨ ~    ~     ~    ~     ~     ~     ~    ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§§§§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§§§§§¨¨§§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          §§§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          §§§§¨¨§§§§
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§