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