####@*=».¨                                          ¨.»=*@####
###@*=».¨¨                                          ¨¨.»=*@###
##@*=».¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.»=*@##
#@*=».¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.»=*@#
##@*=».¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.»=*@##
###@*=».¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨.»=*@##
#@*=».¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.»=*@#
##@*=».¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.»=*@##
###@*=».¨¨                                          ¨¨.»=*@###
####@*=».¨                                          ¨.»=*@####
###@*=».¨¨                                          ¨¨.»=*@###