##¶@%*†=,¨                                          ¨,=†*%@¶##
#¶@%*†=,¨¨                                          ¨¨,=†*%@¶#
¶@%*†=,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,=†*%@¶
@%*†=,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,=†*%@
%*†=,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,=†*%
@%*†=,¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨,=†*%@¶
@%*†=,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,=†*%@
%*†=,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,=†*%
@%*†=,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,=†*%@
¶@%*†=,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,=†*%@¶
#¶@%*†=,¨¨                                          ¨¨,=†*%@¶#