§¨§¨§¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§§§§§¨¨§¨¨                                          §¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨¨§§§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨§¨¨§§¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§§¨§§
¨§§¨§¨§§§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨§¨§¨§§¨§
§¨§§§§¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §§§§§§¨§§§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨§¨ ~    ~    ~    ~     ~     ~     ~     ~ ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨§§¨§§¨ -   -  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   - ¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§
§§¨§¨§§¨§¨ ======================================== ¨¨¨§§§§¨§§
¨§§§§¨§§§§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨¨
§¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨¨¨§§§¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§§§¨
§§§§§¨¨¨§§ ======================================== ¨¨§§¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§ -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -  - ¨§¨§§§¨§§§
¨¨¨§§¨§§§§ ~    ~    ~     ~     ~     ~    ~     ~ §§§¨¨§§¨¨§
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§§¨§¨¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§§§§§¨§
§¨¨§§§¨¨§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§¨§¨¨§¨§§§                                          §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
§§§¨§§§¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§
¨¨§§¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§¨§¨§§§¨¨                                          §¨¨§§§§§§¨