#¶§%*^=~¨¨                                          ¨¨~=^*%§¶#
##¶§%*^=~¨                                          ¨~=^*%§¶##
#¶§%*^=~¨¨                                          ¨¨~=^*%§¶#
¶§%*^=~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~=^*%§¶
§%*^=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=^*%§
%*^=~¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨~=^*%§¶#
¶§%*^=~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~=^*%§¶
§%*^=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=^*%§
%*^=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=^*%
*^=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=^*
^=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=^