¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨§¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §§¨¨§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§§§¨                                          §§§¨¨§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§¨§§¨¨§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨ ,     ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     ,     , ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§§§¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨¨¨§§§ 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.          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨ **************************************** ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨ ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§ ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     , §§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨
§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨§§¨