¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :    :    :     :     :     :    :     : §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§ :     :     :    :    :    :     :     : ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨