###^**=¨¨¨ ¨¨¨=**^###
##^^=¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨=^^##
#$****.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.****$#
####$^*=.¨ ¨.=*^$####
####$^*=.¨ ¨.=*^$####
###^***=.¨ 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 ¨¨¨..=^###
####$^*=.¨ BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ¨.=*^$####
#$*..¨¨¨¨¨ UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ¨¨¨¨¨..*$#
####$^*=.¨ ¨.=*^$####
#####$*=.¨ ¨.=*$#####
####$^*=.¨ ¨.=*^$####
##^*=¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨=*^##
####$^*=.¨ ¨.=*^$####