##@@$%^-.¨ ¨.-^%$@@##
@###$%^-.¨ ¨.-^%$###@
#@@#$%^-.¨ ¨.-^%$#@@#
#@@#$%^-.¨ ¨.-^%$#@@#
@##%-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-%##@
@#$%%%^-.¨ IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE ¨.-^%%%$#@
@#%^--.¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨.^%#@
@@@#$%^-.¨ INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT DEAL NO ¨.-^%$#@@@
##@#$%^-.¨ LONG TIME DAMAGE TO THE SHOOTER. THE ¨.-^%$#@##
#@@#$%^-.¨ NEXT FIVE YOU MUST SPEND WISELY, THEY ¨.-^%$#@@#
@@@#$%^-.¨ WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE ¨.-^%$#@@@
#$%-¨¨¨¨¨¨ YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. ¨¨¨¨¨¨-%$#
#@@#$%^-.¨ ¨.-^%$#@@#
#@@#$%^-.¨ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ¨.-^%$#@@#
##$^..¨¨¨¨ IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS ¨¨¨¨..^$##
@#$%%%^-.¨ BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ¨.-^%%%$#@
@$$^^^^-.¨ UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ¨.-^^^^$$@
#$$^-.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.-^$$#
#$%%%-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-%%%$#
@@#%%-.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.-%%#@@
@#%^.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.^%#@
@@@#$%^-.¨ ¨.-^%$#@@@