##**§§=-,¨                                          ¨,-=§§**##
###&*§=-,¨                                          ¨,-=§*&###
##&§§=-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-=§§&##
&§=,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,=§&
#&&*§§=-,¨                                          ¨,-=§§*&&#
&&&§§§=-,¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨-§&#
#&*§=-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-=§*&#
###&*§=-,¨                                          ¨,-=§*&###
###&*§=-,¨                                          ¨,-=§*&###
###&*§=-,¨                                          ¨,-=§*&###
###&*§=-,¨                                          ¨,-=§*&###