¨¨§§§§§¨§¨                                          §§¨§§§§¨¨§
§¨§¨¨¨¨§§§                                          §¨§§¨¨¨§¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨§§§
§§¨¨§¨¨§§¨                                          §§¨§§§¨§¨¨
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨¨§§§¨
§§§§§¨§§§§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§¨§¨§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ §§¨§§§§§¨§
§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨ .    .    .     .     .     .    .     . §¨§§¨¨¨¨§§
¨§¨¨¨§§§§¨ =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   = §§§¨§¨¨¨§¨
¨§§¨¨§¨¨¨§ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† §¨¨§§§¨¨§§
§§¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          §§¨§¨¨§¨§¨
§¨§§§§¨§¨§ 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.          ¨¨§¨¨§§§§§
§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§                                          §¨§§¨§¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨§§¨§¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† §§§¨§§§¨¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§§§ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  = §¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨
§§§§¨§§§¨¨ .     .     .    .     .    .    .     . §§¨§¨§¨§§¨
§¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨§§§§§§¨§
¨§¨¨§¨§¨§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§§¨§§§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨§§¨¨¨§§
¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          §§¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨§§§§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨§§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨