#$:::.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.:::$#
#§§§$§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§$§§§#
§§§§:::=.¨                                          ¨.=:::§§§§
##@#$§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§$#@##
§$$$§§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§§$$$§
§§$::=¨¨¨¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS   WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ¨¨¨¨=::$§§
#@#§$§:=.¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE  ALONG ¨.=:§$§#@#
@§§§$§:=.¨  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   ¨.=:§$§§§@
§§=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨..===§§§#
@§§:.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.:§§@
@§§§$§:=.¨ WEEKS  EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ¨.=:§$§§§@
#@#§$§:=.¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING IS ¨.=:§$§#@#
#§$$$§:=.¨ BURNING  WITH  A   DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨.=:§$$$§#
@§$$§:.¨¨¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨¨¨.:§$$§@
#@#§$§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§$§#@#
§§:=..¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨..=:§§
#@#§$§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§$§#@#
#@#§$§:=.¨                                          ¨.=:§$§#@#
#§§§::=..¨                                          ¨..=::§§§#