¨~=†%*¤@##                                          ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨=%¤                                          ¤%=¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=†%*¤@##                                          ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨¨¨==†***@                                          @***†==¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~††*@                                          @*††~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨=%*¤@# 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.       ¤*%†=~¨¨¨¨
¨~=†%*¤@##                                          ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨~=†%*¤@##                                          ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨~=†%*¤@##                                          ##@¤*%†=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~†%¤                                          ¤%†~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=%¤¤                                          ¤¤%=~~¨¨¨¨