§¨§§§¨§¨¨¨                                          §§¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§§§¨¨¨                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨§§§
§§§§¨§§¨§§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨¨§§¨§§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§§¨§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§§§¨§§§¨
¨§§§¨§§¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨
§¨¨§§¨§§¨¨ ^     ^     ^    ^    ^     ^     ^    ^ §¨¨§¨§¨§§¨
§¨§¨§§¨§¨¨ «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « §¨§§§§§¨§§
§§§§¨§§§¨§ ======================================== §§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨§§ 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.          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨
§¨¨§§§§§¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨§§¨
§¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨ ======================================== §§§§¨¨§¨§§
§§§¨¨¨§¨§¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  « ¨¨¨§¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§§§§§ ^     ^     ^    ^     ^    ^    ^     ^ ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§
¨§§¨§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨§§§§
§¨§§§¨¨¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§¨§§§¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§§¨§§§
§§§¨§¨§§§¨                                          §§§§¨§§¨¨§
¨¨§§§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨§§§                                          ¨¨§¨§§§§§¨