§¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨§§§§¨§¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§
§§¨¨¨§§§§§                                          §¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨§§§§§§§
§§¨§§¨¨¨§§                                          §¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨§¨¨§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§¨§§§¨§§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨
§§¨¨§§¨§¨§ ,    ,     ,    ,     ,     ,    ,     , ¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§
¨§¨§¨§§§§¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   « §¨§¨¨§§§¨¨
§§§§§¨¨¨§§ ======================================== §§§¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨§§¨§
¨¨¨§§¨§§¨¨ 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.          ¨§¨§§§§§§¨
§¨§§¨¨§§¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨ ======================================== ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§§
¨§§§§§§§¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   « ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     , §¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§§¨§¨§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨§§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨§§§§§¨§¨
§¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§
§¨¨§¨¨§¨§§                                          §§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨§
§§¨§§¨¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§§¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§§§§§¨§§§