§¨¨¨§¨§¨§§                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§§
§¨¨§§§§§¨§                                          ¨§§§§§¨§¨¨
§¨§¨¨¨¨§§§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§§¨§
§§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨
¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§¨§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨§¨§§§§¨§
§¨§§§§§¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §§§§¨¨¨§§§
§§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨ .    .     .     .     .    .    .     . ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§§§§¨ ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨§§¨§§¨¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨§§ ======================================== ¨§¨§§¨§¨§§
¨§¨§§¨¨§¨¨                                          §§§¨§§§§¨¨
§§§¨§¨§§¨§ 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.          ¨§§§¨§§§§¨
¨¨¨§¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨¨§§¨¨¨§§
¨¨§§§§§¨§§ ======================================== §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §§§§§¨§§§§
§§¨¨¨§¨§¨§ .    .     .    .    .     .     .     . ¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§¨¨§§§§§§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨§§§§¨§§¨
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨§§¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§                                          §§¨¨§¨§§¨§
§¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨¨§§¨¨                                          §§§¨¨§§¨§§
¨§§§¨§¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§¨§§¨¨