@@¨@@¨@¨@@                                          @¨@¨@¨@¨¨@
¨@@¨@@@@¨@                                          @@@@@@@¨@¨
@¨@@¨¨¨@@¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨
@@¨@¨¨@¨@@                                          ¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨@@
¨@@@¨@@@¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨@@¨@¨¨
@¨¨@@¨¨@¨@ 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.       ¨@@¨¨¨¨@@¨
¨¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨                                          @¨@¨¨¨@¨@¨
¨¨@@@@@@¨@                                          @@@¨¨@@@@¨
¨@¨¨¨¨¨@@@                                          ¨¨@¨@¨¨¨@¨
@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨                                          ¨@@@@¨¨@@¨
¨@¨¨¨@@¨¨¨                                          @¨¨¨@¨@¨@@