¨##¨##¨##¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     ,    , ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨ »  »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   » ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ 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.          ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨ »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »  » ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,     ,    , ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨                                          ¨##¨#¨##¨#
¨##¨##¨##¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#