§§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨§¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§§§§
¨§§§¨¨§§§§                                          §§¨§§§¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§§§¨¨§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
§§¨¨¨§¨§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§§§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨¨§§§§§§ :    :     :    :     :    :     :     : ¨¨¨§§§¨§§§
§§¨§¨¨¨¨¨§ ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§§§§§§§¨
§¨§§¨¨§§¨¨ 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.          §§¨¨¨§§¨§¨
¨§¨§§¨§¨§§                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§§§§
§§§¨§§§§¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// §§¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨ ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨¨§§¨¨ :     :    :    :    :     :     :     : §¨§¨§§¨§§¨
§§§§¨§¨§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§§§¨§§¨§¨
¨¨¨§§§§§¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨§§¨§§§§
¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨§§§¨§¨¨§§
§¨§¨¨§§§¨§                                          §¨¨§§§¨§¨§
§§§¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §¨§¨¨§§§§¨
¨¨§§§¨§¨§§                                          §§§¨§¨¨¨§§