¨¨¨§§§¨§¨§                                          §§§§¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨§¨¨§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨§
¨§§¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§¨¨§§§§
§¨§§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨§§§                                          §§§§§§¨¨§¨
¨§¨§§¨§¨¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§§
§§§¨§§§¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨§§¨¨ ~     ~    ~     ~     ~    ~     ~    ~ ¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§¨§¨¨ =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = ¨¨§§¨§§§§¨
§§§§§§§§¨¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          §§§¨§¨¨§§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ 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.          §§¨§§§¨§§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§§ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† §¨§¨§¨§¨¨§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨ =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   = §§§§§§§¨§§
¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨§ ~    ~     ~     ~    ~     ~     ~    ~ ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
§§¨§§¨§§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨
¨§§¨§§¨¨§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨§§§§¨§
§¨§§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§§
§§¨§§§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§
§¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨                                          §§§§§¨§¨§§
§§§¨¨¨§¨§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§§¨¨