¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@                                          ¨¨@@@@@¨@¨
@@¨¨¨¨¨¨@@                                          ¨@¨¨¨¨@@@¨
¨@¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨                                          @@¨¨¨@¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨¨@@¨@                                          ¨@¨¨@@¨@¨@
¨@¨¨¨@¨@@¨                                          @@¨@¨@@@@¨
@@¨¨@@@¨@¨ 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.       ¨¨¨@¨¨@@¨@
¨¨¨@¨@¨@@@                                          ¨¨@@¨@¨@@@
¨¨@@@@@¨¨¨                                          ¨@¨@@@@¨¨@
¨@¨¨¨¨@¨¨@                                          @@@¨¨¨@¨@@
@@¨¨¨@@¨@¨                                          ¨¨@¨¨@@@¨@
¨@¨¨@¨@@@¨                                          ¨@@¨@¨¨@@¨