@#$==¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨==$#@
##@@#=\=.¨                                          ¨.=\=#@@##
#==\===¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨===\==#
##==¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨==##
##@@#$=\=.                                          .=\=$#@@##
@@$\.¨¨¨¨¨ IN  THE   ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ¨¨¨¨¨.\$@@
#$\.¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨.=\==#
@#$=\\.¨¨¨ YOU    MUST    NOT    SPEND   AT    ALL. ¨¨¨.\\=$#@
@#$$\=.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.=\$$#@
#@@#$=\=.¨ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK  AUTUMN DAWN, ¨.=\=$#@@#
@##=\.¨¨¨¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY FOG...  SOMETHING  IS ¨¨¨¨.\=##@
#@@#$=\=.¨ BURNING   WITH  A  DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨.=\=$#@@#
#@@#$=\=.¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨.=\=$#@@#
##@@#$=\=¨                                          ¨=\=$#@@##
@@@#$=\=.¨                                          ¨.=\=$#@@@
@$$===.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.===$$@
#@@#$=\=.¨                                          ¨.=\=$#@@#
@@$\\=.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.=\\$@@