@&$^*«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«*^$&@
&$^*«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«*^$&
$^*«^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^«*^$
^*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*^
$^*«^¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨^«*^$
&$^*«^¨¨¨¨ IN   THE  ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ¨¨¨¨^«*^$&
@&$^*«^¨¨¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE  ALONG ¨¨¨^«*^$&@
#@&$^*«^¨¨  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   ¨¨^«*^$&@#
##@&$^*«^¨ SNOWED OVER, IN THE  STILL  HOURS  SINCE ¨^«*^$&@##
#@&$^*«^¨¨          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ¨¨^«*^$&@#
@&$^*«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«*^$&@
&$^*«^¨¨¨¨     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ¨¨¨¨^«*^$&
$^*«^¨¨¨¨¨ GROUND.  RIFLES ATTACHED  TO OUR  WRIST, ¨¨¨¨¨^«*^$
^*«^¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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, ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«*^
$^*«^¨¨¨¨¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING IS ¨¨¨¨¨^«*^$
&$^*«^¨¨¨¨ BURNING   WITH  A  DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨¨¨¨^«*^$&
@&$^*«^¨¨¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨¨¨^«*^$&@
#@&$^*«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«*^$&@#
##@&$^*«^¨                                          ¨^«*^$&@##
#@&$^*«^¨¨                                          ¨¨^«*^$&@#
@&$^*«^¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨^«*^$&@
&$^*«^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^«*^$&