@*=*,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,*=*@
@&=*=¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨=*=&@
@*==**,,¨¨                                          ¨¨,,**==*@
&====¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨====&
#@@&*=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=*&@@#
&&&===,,,¨ 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.       ¨,=*=*&&@@
#@@&*=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=*&@@#
@@@&*=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=*&@@@
@&&&*=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=*&&&@
#@@&*=*=,¨                                          ¨,=*=*&@@#
&&==,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,==&&