¨¨§§§¨§¨§§                                          ¨§§§¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          §¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨
§§¨§¨¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§§¨¨§¨§¨
¨§§§¨¨§§§¨                                          §§¨§¨§§§§§
§¨¨§¨§¨¨§§                                          ¨§§§§¨¨¨¨§
§¨§§§§¨§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨
§§¨¨¨§§§¨§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨§§¨¨§§§
¨§¨¨§¨¨§§§ .    .     .    .     .    .     .     . §¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨
§§¨§§¨§¨¨¨ -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -  - §§§§§§§¨¨¨
¨§§¨§§§¨¨¨ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
§¨§§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨§§
§§¨§¨§§¨§§ 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.          ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨§§§¨§§§§¨                                          ¨§§§¨§¨¨¨§
§¨¨§§¨¨¨§§ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† §¨¨§§§¨¨§§
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§ -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   - §¨§¨¨§¨§¨¨
§§§§§¨§§§¨ .     .     .    .     .     .    .    . §§§¨§§§§¨§
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§¨¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨§¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨§§§§§§§¨                                          §§§§¨§§§§¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§§¨
¨§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§§§§¨§¨§§
§§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§§¨§