§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§ ,     ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     ,     , ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨ **************************************** §§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨ **************************************** §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨ ,    ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     ,     , ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨