@&**~,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,~**&@
##@§&*^~,¨                                          ¨,~^*&§@##
§**~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~**§
##@§&*^~,¨                                          ¨,~^*&§@##
§*^~,,,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,,,~^*§
##@§&*^~,¨ 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.       ¨¨¨,^^&&@#
##@§&*^~,¨                                          ¨,~^*&§@##
@§***~~~,¨                                          ¨,~~~***§@
##@§&*^~,¨                                          ¨,~^*&§@##
@§**~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~**§@
@&*~~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~~*&@