¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨¨§§¨§¨§§
¨§¨¨¨§§¨§¨                                          §§¨§¨§§§§¨
¨§§¨¨§¨§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨¨§
§§¨§¨§§§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨§§§§¨¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§¨¨§§¨§
§¨§¨¨¨§¨§§ ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     ,     ,     , §¨§¨§¨§¨§§
¨§§§¨¨§§§¨ »   »  »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   » ¨§§§§§§§§¨
¨§¨¨§¨§¨¨§ **************************************** §§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§§§¨§§§§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§§ 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.          ¨§¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§§§¨§¨
¨§§¨¨¨¨§§¨ **************************************** §§¨§§¨¨§§§
§§¨§¨¨¨§¨§ »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »  »   » §¨§§¨§¨§¨¨
§¨§§§¨¨§§§ ,    ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     ,     , §§§¨§§§§§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§
¨¨¨§¨§§§§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§¨§¨§¨¨¨§
§¨¨§§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§§§§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§§¨¨¨§§§
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§§                                          §§§¨§¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨§§¨