=;~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~;=
;~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~;
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~
;~^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^~;
=;~^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^~;=
%=;~^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^~;=%