§¨¨§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨¨§§§
§¨§§§§§§§§                                          §§§¨§¨§¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨¨§
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          §§¨¨¨§§§§¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§¨§§¨¨§¨§
¨§¨¨§§¨¨§¨ ^    ^     ^    ^     ^     ^     ^    ^ ¨§§¨§¨§§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨§§§ ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §¨§§§§¨¨§¨
¨§§§§§§¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// §§¨¨¨§¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§¨¨§§§¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨§§¨§§ 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.          §§¨§§§¨¨¨§
§§§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨§§§§§§¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// §¨§¨§§¨§§§
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~ §§§§¨§§¨¨§
§§¨¨¨¨§§¨§ ^    ^     ^     ^     ^    ^     ^    ^ ¨¨¨§§¨§¨§§
¨§¨¨¨§¨§§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨§¨§§§§¨¨
§§¨¨§§§¨§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨§¨§¨¨§§§¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨§§¨§
§§§§¨§¨¨§¨                                          §¨§§¨§¨§§§
¨¨¨§§§¨§§§                                          §§¨§§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨                                          §¨§¨¨§§¨¨¨