###@%=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=%@###
###@%=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=%@###
###@%=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=%@###
@%*,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,*%@
##@====¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨====@##
#@%%%=*=,¨ 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.       ¨¨¨==*%%@#
#@%***,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,***%@#
####%=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=%####
@%=***,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,***=%@
####@%*=,¨                                          ¨,=*%@####
##%%%=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=%%%##