§§¨§§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§
§¨§¨§¨¨§§§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§§§§§¨§¨¨                                          §§§¨§§¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨¨§§¨§§§§
¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§¨¨§§¨§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §§§§§§¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§§ :    :     :    :     :     :    :     : §¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§§§§§§§¨ =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   = §§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §¨§¨¨¨§§¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §§§§¨¨§¨§§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§ 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.          §§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨§§§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨¨§§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§§§§¨§§¨§¨ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   = ¨§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨
§¨¨¨§§¨§§§ :     :     :    :    :    :     :     : ¨§§¨§§§§¨¨
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
§¨§¨§§§¨§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨§§¨§¨¨§§
¨§§§§¨¨§§§                                          ¨§§¨§§§¨§¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§§¨¨§§§
§§§¨¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§§¨§¨§¨¨
§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§§§§§¨
§§¨§§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§