§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
§§§§§§§¨¨§                                          ¨§§§§§¨¨¨§
§§§§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨§§§§¨¨§§¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§§§§§
¨¨¨¨¨§§§§§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §§§§¨¨§§§¨
§§§§¨¨§§§§ -    -    -     -     -    -     -     - §§§¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§§ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ §¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§§§§¨¨ 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.          ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§§
§§§§§¨¨§§§                                          §¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§
§§§§¨¨¨¨§§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§§¨¨§§¨¨§ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨¨¨§§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ -     -     -    -    -     -    -     - §§§§¨¨§§¨¨
§§§§§§§§§§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§§§§§§§§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨¨§§§§¨¨
¨§§§§§§§§§                                          ¨§§¨¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§§§§§§                                          ¨§§§§§§¨¨¨
§§¨¨§§§§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨§§
§¨¨¨¨§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§