¨:~*=¤¤¶¶#                                          #¶¶¤¤=*~:¨
¨¨¨¨¨:~*=¤                                          ¤=*~:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~*=¤¤###                                          ###¤¤=*~:¨
¨:~*=¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤=*~:¨
:~*=¤¤¶###                                          ###¶¤¤=*~:
¨:~*=¤¤¶## 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.       ##¶¤¤=*~:¨
¨:~=¤¤¶###                                          ###¶¤¤=~:¨
¨¨:~~**=¤¤                                          ¤¤=**~~:¨¨
¨:~*=¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤=*~:¨
¨:~*=¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤=*~:¨
¨:~*=¤¤¶##                                          ##¶¤¤=*~:¨