##@#@%§*«^                                          ^«*§%@#@##
#@#@%§*«^¨                                          ¨^«*§%@#@#
##@#@%§*«^                                          ^«*§%@#@##
#@#@%§*«^¨                                          ¨^«*§%@#@#
##@#@%§*«^                                          ^«*§%@#@##
#@#@%§*«^¨ 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.       ^«*§%@#@##
#@#@%§*«^¨                                          ¨^«*§%@#@#
##@#@%§*«^                                          ^«*§%@#@##
#@#@%§*«^¨                                          ¨^«*§%@#@#
##@#@%§*«^                                          ^«*§%@#@##
#@#@%§*«^¨                                          ¨^«*§%@#@#