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