¶##@@$*~^¨                                          ¨^~*$@@##¶
¶@@$~^^^¨¨                                          ¨¨^^^~$@@¶
##¶#@$*~^¨                                          ¨^~*$@#¶##
##¶#@$*~^¨                                          ¨^~*$@#¶##
¶#$$*~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~*$$#¶
#@$~^^^¨¨¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS   WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ¨¨¨^^^~$@#
#$$$*^¨¨¨¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE  ALONG ¨¨¨¨^*$$$#
##@@*^^¨¨¨  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 ¨¨¨¨^*@@¶#
####@$*~^¨ LONG TIME  DAMAGE TO  THE  SHOOTER.  THE ¨^~*$@####
¶#@$$$*~^¨ NEXT FIVE YOU MUST  SPEND  WISELY,  THEY ¨^~*$$$@#¶
##¶#@$*~^¨ WILL  TAKE  DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE ¨^~*$@#¶##
###¶@$*~^¨ YOU    MUST   NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. ¨^~*$@¶###
####@$*~^¨                                          ¨^~*$@####
#$~~^^¨¨¨¨ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK  AUTUMN DAWN, ¨¨¨¨^^~~$#
##¶#@$*~^¨ IN THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING  IS ¨^~*$@#¶##
##$$~~^¨¨¨ BURNING  WITH  A   DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨¨¨^~~$$##
###@$~^¨¨¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨¨¨^~$@###
##¶#@$*~^¨                                          ¨^~*$@#¶##
##¶#@$*~^¨                                          ¨^~*$@#¶##
#$*^¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨^*$#
¶#$$*^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^*$$#¶
¶¶¶#@$*~^¨                                          ¨^~*$@#¶¶¶