§§¨§§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§§§§§¨§¨¨
§¨§§¨§¨§§§                                          §§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
§§§¨§§§§¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨                                          §§§§¨¨§§¨§
§¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨¨§¨§¨§§
¨§¨§§§§¨§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨§§§§§¨
¨§§§¨¨¨§§§ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §§§¨§¨¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨ .    .     .    .     .    .     .     . ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨§
¨¨§¨§§¨§§¨ =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   = ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§
§¨§§§¨§§¨§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §¨¨§§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨¨§§¨§§                                          ¨§¨§¨§§¨§§
§§¨§¨§¨§§¨ 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.          ¨¨§§¨¨§§§¨
¨§§§§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
§§¨¨¨§§¨§§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §§§§§§§§¨§
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§¨ =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   =   = ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§¨§§¨§§§¨§ .    .     .    .     .    .     .     . ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨§§¨¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§¨§¨§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§¨§§§§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§¨§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          §¨§¨§¨¨¨§§
¨¨§§§¨§§¨¨                                          §§§§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨§¨¨§§¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§