¨.=/†§@¶##                                          ##¶@§†/=.¨
¨.=/†§@¶##                                          ##¶@§†/=.¨
¨.=/†§¶###                                          ###¶§†/=.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨./§@                                          @§/.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.=/†§@¶##                                          ##¶@§†/=.¨
¨.=//††@¶¶ 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.       ##¶@§†/=.¨
¨.=/†§@¶##                                          ##¶@§†/=.¨
¨.=/†§@¶##                                          ##¶@§†/=.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=†@@                                          @@†=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.=/†§@¶##                                          ##¶@§†/=.¨
¨.=/†§@¶##                                          ##¶@§†/=.¨