¨¨&&&¨¨&&& ¨&¨¨¨&&&&¨
¨¨&¨¨&¨&¨¨ &&&¨¨&¨¨¨&
&¨&&¨&&&&¨ &¨¨&¨&&¨¨&
¨&&¨&&¨¨¨& &&¨&&&¨&¨&
&&¨&&¨&¨¨& ¨¨&&¨¨&&&&
¨¨&&¨&&&¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&¨&¨&¨¨¨
¨¨&¨&&¨¨&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨&&&&&&¨¨
¨¨&&&¨&¨&¨ - - - - - - - - ¨&&¨¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨¨&&&&& « « « « « « « « « « « ¨&¨&¨¨¨¨&&
&¨&&¨&¨¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// &&&&&¨¨¨&¨
&&&¨&&&¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&&
¨¨¨&&¨¨&¨¨ 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. ¨&&&&¨¨¨&¨
&&&¨&¨&&&& &&¨¨¨&¨¨&&
¨¨¨&&&&¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨&¨¨&&¨&¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « &¨&&¨&¨&&&
&¨¨&&¨¨&&¨ - - - - - - - - ¨&&¨&&&&¨¨
&&¨&¨&¨&¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &&¨&&¨¨¨&¨
&¨&&&&&&&& ¨ ¨ ¨ &¨&&¨&¨¨&&
¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨&&¨&&&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨ &&¨&&¨¨&&&
&&&&&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨&&¨&¨&¨¨
&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨¨&¨&&&&&¨
&&¨¨¨&&¨¨¨ &¨&&&¨¨¨¨&