¨§¨¨§§§§§¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨§¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨§§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨§¨§§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨¨§
§§¨§§§§¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§§§§¨¨§¨
¨§§¨¨¨§¨§¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨¨¨§¨§§§
§¨§¨¨§§§§§ :     :    :    :     :     :    :     : §¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§§§¨§¨¨¨¨§ =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = §¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §¨§§¨§§§§§
¨§¨¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨§§¨¨¨¨§
§§¨§§¨§¨§§ 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.          §¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §¨§§§§¨¨¨§
§§§¨§¨¨§¨§ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   = §§¨¨¨§¨¨§§
¨¨§§§¨§§§§ :     :     :     :     :    :    :    : ¨§¨¨§§¨§¨¨
¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§¨§¨§§§¨¨
§§¨§¨§¨¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨§§§§§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨§¨§§¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨§§§¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§§§§§                                          §¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨§¨§¨¨§
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨§¨