§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨¨§¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§ -     -     -    -    -    -     -     - ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~ ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~ ¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨ -    -     -    -     -    -     -     - ¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨