¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨                                          §§§§¨§§¨¨§
§§¨¨¨§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨§§¨§¨§§
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§§§§¨¨
§§¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§§¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨§§¨§
§¨§§§¨§¨§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨§§¨§¨§§§
§§¨¨§§§§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§¨§§§§¨¨¨
¨§¨§¨¨¨§§§ ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     , ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨§
§§§§¨¨§¨¨§ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §¨§¨¨§§¨§§
¨¨¨§¨§§¨§§ //////////////////////////////////////// §§§¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨§§¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨§¨¨
¨§¨¨§§¨§§¨ 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.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨§¨ ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§§§§ ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     ,    , ¨¨¨§§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§¨§¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§¨§§§¨¨§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§¨¨§§¨¨¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§§¨§¨                                          §§§§§§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨§
§¨§§§§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨