¤=*«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«*=¤
=*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*=
*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*
=*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨.«*=¤¤£
¤¤=*«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«*=¤¤
¤=*«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«*=¤
=*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*=
*«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«*
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«