§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§§§§¨¨
§§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          §§¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§¨§¨¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§§§¨¨¨§§
¨§§§¨§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨
¨§¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          §¨§§¨§§¨§§
§§§¨§¨¨§¨§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§¨§§¨§§¨
§¨¨§§§¨§§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨§¨§§¨§§¨§
¨§¨§¨¨§§¨¨ ,     ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    , ¨§§§¨§§¨§§
§§§§§¨§¨§¨ »   »   »   »  »   »   »   »   »   »   » ¨§¨¨§§¨§§¨
§¨¨¨¨§§§§§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§§§¨§§
§§§¨¨§§¨¨¨ 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.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§
§¨¨¨§§§¨§¨ »   »  »   »   »   »   »   »   »   »   » ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
§§¨¨§¨¨§§§ ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    , §¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
§¨§¨§§¨§¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨
§§§§§¨§§§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§§¨¨¨§§§§
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§                                          §§¨§¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§¨§                                          §¨§§§¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§§§                                          §§§¨¨§§¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§§§§¨¨