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