@†-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-†@
@#@††**-,¨                                          ¨,-**††@#@
##@†**-,,¨                                          ¨,,-**†@##
@@@%†-,,,¨                                          ¨,,,-†%@@@
#%%*--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--*%%#
##@@%†*-,¨ 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.       ¨,-*††%@@#
#@#@%†*-,¨                                          ¨,-*†%@#@#
@@#@%†*-,¨                                          ¨,-*†%@#@@
##@@%†*-,¨                                          ¨,-*†%@@##
@@%%*,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,*%%@@
###@%†*-,¨                                          ¨,-*†%@###