%%^=,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,=^%%
%^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^%
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=
^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^
%^=,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=^%