§¨¨¨§§¨§§§                                          §¨¨§§¨§¨¨§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨§                                          §¨§¨§§§¨§¨
§¨§§§¨§¨§§                                          §§§§¨¨§§§§
§§¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨§¨¨¨¨
¨§¨§¨¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨¨§
§§§§¨¨§§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨§¨¨¨§¨¨§§
¨¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ §§¨¨§§¨§¨¨
¨¨§§§§§§¨§ ,    ,    ,     ,     ,    ,     ,     , ¨§¨§¨§§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨§§¨ «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   « §§§§§¨¨§¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨§¨§§ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨¨§¨§ 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.          §§§¨¨§§§¨¨
§¨¨¨§¨§§§¨                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
§¨¨§§§¨¨§¨ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ¨§§§§¨§§§¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§§§ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   « §¨¨¨§§¨¨§§
§§§¨§§§¨¨§ ,    ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     ,     , §¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨
¨¨§§¨¨§¨§¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨§§§§§§¨§
¨§¨§¨§§§§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§¨¨¨¨¨§§§
§§§§§¨¨¨§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§§                                          §§¨¨¨§§¨§¨
¨¨¨§§¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨§¨§§§¨
¨¨§¨§§§¨¨¨                                          §§¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨§§§¨¨§¨¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨§¨§§¨