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