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