##@#*%^=,¨                                          ¨,=^%*#@##
##*%%^=,¨¨                                          ¨¨,=^%%*##
#@##*%^=,¨                                          ¨,=^%*##@#
#@##*%^=,¨                                          ¨,=^%*##@#
#@##*%^=,¨                                          ¨,=^%*##@#
#@##*%^=,¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨=%**#@
@##**%^=,¨                                          ¨,=^%**##@
#%%=,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,=%%#
#@##*%^=,¨                                          ¨,=^%*##@#
#@##*%^=,¨                                          ¨,=^%*##@#
@#*%=¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨=%*#@