¨¨§¨§¨§§§§                                          §§§§¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨§§§§§¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§§§¨§§
§¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨¨§§¨
§§§§¨¨¨§§¨                                          ¨§§¨§§¨§¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨§¨§§¨§§§§
§¨¨¨§§¨§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨§§§¨§§¨¨¨
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §§¨¨§§¨§¨¨
§¨§¨§§§¨§¨ ~     ~    ~    ~     ~     ~    ~     ~ ¨¨§¨§¨§§§¨
§§§§§¨¨§§§ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ §¨§§§§§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨§§¨¨¨¨§¨§
§¨¨¨¨§§§§¨                                          §§¨§¨¨¨§§§
¨§¨¨¨§¨¨¨§ 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.          §¨§§¨¨¨¨§§
§¨§§¨¨§¨§¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨§¨§§§§ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨§¨§§§¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§§§¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~ §§§§¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨ ~     ~    ~     ~    ~     ~     ~    ~ ¨¨¨¨§¨§§§§
§¨¨§§¨¨§§¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨
§§¨§¨§¨§¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨§¨¨§¨¨
§¨§§§§§§§§                                          ¨§§¨§§¨§§¨
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨§§¨§§¨§
¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §§§§¨§§¨§§
§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§§¨§§¨
§§¨§¨§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨§