@=†=.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.=†=@
=†=.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†=
†=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=†
=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨.=†=@&@
#@&@=†=.¨¨                                          ¨¨.=†=@&@#
##@&@=†=.¨                                          ¨.=†=@&@##
#@&@=†=.¨¨                                          ¨¨.=†=@&@#
@&@=†=.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.=†=@&@
&@=†=.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.=†=@&