¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨
&&&&&&&&&¨                                          &&&&¨¨¨&&&
&&&&&&&&¨¨                                          &&&¨¨&¨¨&&
&&&&&&&¨¨¨                                          &&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&&&&&&¨¨&&                                          &¨¨&&&&&¨¨
¨&&&&¨¨¨¨& 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.       ¨&&¨¨¨¨&&&
&¨¨&&¨¨&&¨                                          ¨¨¨¨&&¨¨&&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          &&&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
¨&&&&&&&&¨                                          &&¨¨&&&&¨¨
¨¨&&&&&&¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨&&¨¨&
¨¨¨&&&&¨¨&                                          &&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨