@¨¨@@¨@@¨¨                                          ¨¨@@¨@¨¨¨¨
@¨@¨@@¨@¨@                                          ¨@¨@@@¨¨¨@
@@@@¨@@@@¨                                          @@@¨¨@¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@@¨¨¨@¨                                          ¨¨@¨@@¨@@@
¨¨@¨@¨¨@@@                                          ¨@@@¨@@¨¨@
¨@@@@¨@¨¨@ 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.       ¨@¨¨@@@¨@@
@@¨@@@@@@@                                          @@¨@¨¨@@¨@
¨@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨@@@¨@¨@@¨
@¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨@                                          @¨¨@@@@¨@¨
@@@¨¨¨¨¨@¨                                          @¨@¨¨¨@@@@
¨¨@¨¨¨¨@@¨                                          @@@¨¨@¨¨¨¨