###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER   DAY,  ON  THE ¨,=*†$¤###
#¤†**,¨¨¨¨ 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, ¨,=**†††¤#
###¤$†*=,¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG... SOMETHING  IS ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨ BURNING  WITH  A  DEEP   CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨,=*†$¤###
##¤¤$†*=,¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨,=*†$¤¤##
###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
###¤$†*=,¨                                          ¨,=*†$¤###
¤¤¤$†*==,¨                                          ¨,==*†$¤¤¤