#§§%=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=%§§#
##¶§$%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%$§¶##
##¶§$%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%$§¶##
¶$=~~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~~=$¶
¶§%%=~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~=%%§¶
##¶§$%=«~¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS   WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ¨~«=%$§¶##
###§$%=«~¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS...  WE TRUDGE ALONG ¨~«=%$§###
#¶$%«~¨¨¨¨  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   ¨¨¨¨~«%$¶#
##¶§$%=«~¨ SNOWED  OVER, IN THE  STILL  HOURS SINCE ¨~«=%$§¶##
¶¶¶§$%=«~¨          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ¨~«=%$§¶¶¶
#¶$=«~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~«=$¶#
§§$=~¨¨¨¨¨     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ¨¨¨¨¨~=$§§
#¶$%«~¨¨¨¨ GROUND.  RIFLES  ATTACHED  TO OUR WRIST, ¨¨¨¨~«%$¶#
¶$==~~¨¨¨¨ SHARING IN  OUR BLOODSTREAM.  MY  HUSKY, ¨¨¨¨~~==$¶
##¶§$%=«~¨      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      ¨~«=%$§¶##
§%«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«%§
§§$$$%=«~¨ THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ¨~«=%$$$§§
§§$$%=~¨¨¨ INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT  BUT DEAL NO ¨¨¨~=%$$§§
###¶§%=«~¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%§#
##¶§$%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%$§¶##
###¶§$%=«~                                          ~«=%$§¶###
¶¶¶§$%=«~¨                                          ¨~«=%$§¶¶¶
¶§%«¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%§¶
#¶$=«¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨«=$¶#