¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§§¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§§¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨ -     -     -     -    -    -     -    - ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨ »   »   »  »   »   »   »   »   »   »   » ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// §¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨ 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.          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨ »   »   »   »   »  »   »   »   »   »   » ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§ -     -     -     -    -    -    -     - §¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          §§¨¨¨§§§¨¨