¤*==-..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..-==*¤
#¤*====-.¨ ¨.-====*¤#
###¤§*=-.¨ ¨.-=*§¤###
####¤*=-.¨ ¨.-=*¤####
¤****=.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.=****¤
###¤§*=-.¨ 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. ¨.-=*§¤###
###¤§*=-.¨ ¨.-=*§¤###
####¤*=-.¨ ¨.-=*¤####
###¤§*=-.¨ ¨.-=*§¤###
###¤§*=-.¨ ¨.-=*§¤###
###¤§*=-.¨ ¨.-=*§¤###