@¤§;--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--;§¤@
##§;-----¨                                          ¨-----;§##
#¤¤%-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-%¤¤#
#@#¤§%;--¨                                          ¨--;%§¤#@#
#§;;;-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-;;;§#
#§;---¨¨¨¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS   WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ¨¨¨¨---;§#
#@#¤§%;--¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE  TRUDGE ALONG ¨--;%§¤#@#
¤§;----¨¨¨  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   ¨¨¨----;§¤
#§;--¨¨¨¨¨ SNOWED  OVER,  IN THE  STILL HOURS SINCE ¨¨¨¨¨--;§#
@¤¤§%%;--¨          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ¨--;%%§¤¤@
¤¤§;--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--;§¤¤
#¤%%-¨¨¨¨¨     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ¨¨¨¨¨-%%¤#
@#§§%%;--¨ GROUND. RIFLES  ATTACHED  TO OUR  WRIST, ¨--;%%§§#@
¤%-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ SHARING IN  OUR  BLOODSTREAM. MY  HUSKY, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-%¤
@@#¤§%;--¨      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      ¨--;%§¤#@@
#@#¤§%;--¨                                          ¨--;%§¤#@#
@@#¤§%;--¨ THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ¨--;%§¤#@@
#§§§§%;--¨ INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT  DEAL NO ¨--;%§§§§#
#§;-¨¨¨¨¨¨ LONG  TIME  DAMAGE TO THE  SHOOTER.  THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨-;§#
¤§;--¨¨¨¨¨ NEXT  FIVE  YOU MUST SPEND WISELY,  THEY ¨¨¨¨¨--;§¤
@@#¤§%;--¨ WILL  TAKE DAYS  TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE ¨--;%§¤#@@
¤¤§%;-¨¨¨¨ YOU   MUST    NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. ¨¨¨¨-;%§¤¤
#@#¤§%;--¨                                          ¨--;%§¤#@#
@¤%---¨¨¨¨ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE  WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ¨¨¨¨---%¤@
@¤%;-¨¨¨¨¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG... SOMETHING  IS ¨¨¨¨¨-;%¤@
#@#¤§%;--¨ BURNING  WITH  A  DEEP   CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨--;%§¤#@#
¤¤¤§;-¨¨¨¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨¨¨¨-;§¤¤¤
##@#¤§%;--                                          --;%§¤#@##
#@#¤§%;--¨                                          ¨--;%§¤#@#
#@#¤§%;--¨                                          ¨--;%§¤#@#
@#¤§;-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-;§¤#@
¤¤%-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-%¤¤