¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^- -^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^-^ ^-^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^-^§ §^-^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^-^§% ¨ ¨ ¨ %§^-^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^-^§%& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &%§^-^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^-^§%&# ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ #&%§^-^¨¨¨
¨¨^-^§%&## - - - - - - - - - - - ##&%§^-^¨¨
¨^-^§%&### ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###&%§^-^¨
¨¨^-^§%&## ##&%§^-^¨¨
¨¨¨^-^§%&# 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. #&%§^-^¨¨¨
¨¨^-^§%&## ##&%§^-^¨¨
¨^-^§%&### ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###&%§^-^¨
¨¨^-^§%&## - - - - - - - - - - - ##&%§^-^¨¨
¨¨¨^-^§%&# ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ #&%§^-^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^-^§%& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &%§^-^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^-^§% ¨ ¨ ¨ %§^-^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^-^§ §^-^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^-^ ^-^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^- -^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨