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