#@%*--^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^--*%@#
##@¤%*/-^¨                                          ¨^-/*%¤@##
###@¤%*/-^                                          ^-/*%¤@###
###@¤%/-^¨                                          ¨^-/%¤@###
¤***///-^¨                                          ¨^-///***¤
##@¤%*/-^¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨^^-*%¤
#@%%%*/-^¨                                          ¨^-/*%%%@#
#¤*/--^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^--/*¤#
¤¤¤%*/^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^/*%¤¤¤
###@%*/-^¨                                          ¨^-/*%@###
###@¤%/-^¨                                          ¨^-/%¤@###