#####^†~.¨ ¨.~†^#####
####^†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†^####
###^†~.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.~†^###
##^†~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~†^##
#^†~.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.~†^#
^†~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨.~†^#
##^†~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~†^##
###^†~.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.~†^###
####^†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†^####
#####^†~.¨ ¨.~†^#####
####^†~.¨¨ ¨¨.~†^####