¨§§§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨
¨§¨¨§¨§§¨§                                          §¨§§§§§§¨¨
¨§§¨§§§¨§§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨§§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§§
§§§§¨§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§¨
§¨¨¨§§§§§§ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§§
¨§¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨§§§§¨§¨
¨§§¨§§¨¨¨¨ .     .     .     .    .    .    .     . ¨§¨§¨¨¨§§§
§§¨§§¨§¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨§§§§¨¨§¨¨
§¨§§¨§§§¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// §§¨¨¨§¨§§¨
§§§¨§§¨¨§¨                                          ¨¨§¨¨§§§¨§
¨¨¨§§¨§¨§§ 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.          §¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨
¨§¨§§§¨§¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§§¨§¨§
§§§§¨¨§§§¨ //////////////////////////////////////// §§§¨§¨§§§§
¨¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§ ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨§§§§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§§¨§ .     .    .    .     .     .    .     . ¨¨¨§¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨§§¨¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨¨§¨§¨§¨§
§¨¨¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨§¨§§§§§§§
¨§¨¨§§§§§¨                                          §§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§§¨§¨¨¨¨§                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§§§¨¨¨§                                          §§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨
¨§§§¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨¨