¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§§§§¨§§¨§                                          §¨¨§§§§¨§§
§§¨¨¨§§¨§§                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨§§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨§§§§¨¨§¨§
¨§§§¨§§§¨§                                          §§¨¨¨§¨§§§
§§¨¨§§¨¨§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨§¨¨§§§¨¨
§¨§¨§¨§¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §¨§§¨§¨¨§¨
§§§§§§§§§§ ,    ,    ,     ,    ,     ,     ,     , §§§¨§§§¨§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « §¨¨§§¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨§¨§¨§¨§¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§§§§§§§§
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨§§§§§§¨¨
§¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§§¨§¨§¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: §¨§§¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨¨§§§§§¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   « §§§¨§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§ ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     ,    ,     , ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§§
§¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨
§§¨¨§¨§¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨¨§§¨§§§§
¨¨§¨§§§§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§§¨§§¨§§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨§
§¨§¨§§¨§§¨                                          §§§¨§¨§§¨§