§§§¨§§§¨§¨                                          §¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§§¨¨§§§                                          §§§¨¨§¨¨¨¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
§¨§§§§§§§¨                                          ¨§¨§§§¨§¨¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§§¨¨§§§¨
§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§¨¨§¨§¨¨§
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨§ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨§§§§¨§
§§§§¨§¨¨¨§ -     -     -    -     -    -     -    - §¨§§§¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§ ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨§¨§¨§§¨§§
§¨¨¨§§¨§§§                                          §§§§§§¨§§¨
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨ 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.          §¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨§§§§§§¨§                                          §§¨¨§¨§¨§§
§¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨§¨§§§§§¨
§§§§¨¨¨¨§¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §¨§§§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§ -     -    -     -     -    -    -     - ¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§§§¨§¨§
§§§¨§§§§§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨§§§§¨¨§                                          ¨§§§§¨§¨§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨¨¨§§§§§