##@#&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&#@##
##@#&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&#@##
#&&%%%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%%%&&#
##@#&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&#@##
##&&&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&&&##
@@&;«-¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨«;&&@
##@#&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&#@##
##@#&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&#@##
##@#&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&#@##
##@#&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&#@##
###@&%;«-¨                                          ¨-«;%&@###