##@&@%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%@&@##
@&@@%/..¨¨                                          ¨¨../%@@&@
##@&@%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%@&@##
#&@@%%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%%@@&#
@&&&@%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%@&&&@
&@@/.¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨.»///@&#
#@&&@%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%@&&@#
##@&@%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%@&@##
@@&&@%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%@&&@@
##@&@%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%@&@##
#@@&@%/».¨                                          ¨.»/%@&@@#