###¤$%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%$¤###
#¤¤%/:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:/%¤¤#
#$//:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨://$#
###¤$%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER   DAY,  ON  THE ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS...  WE TRUDGE ALONG ¨:~/%$¤###
####$%/~:¨  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   ¨:~/%$####
###¤$%/~:¨ SNOWED  OVER, IN THE  STILL  HOURS SINCE ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ¨:~/%$¤###
####¤%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%¤####
¤¤$%%~~::¨     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ¨::~~%%$¤¤
###¤$%/~:¨ GROUND.  RIFLES  ATTACHED  TO OUR WRIST, ¨:~/%$¤###
¤¤¤¤$%/~:¨ SHARING  IN OUR BLOODSTREAM.  MY  HUSKY, ¨:~/%$¤¤¤¤
¤%%%//~¨¨¨      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 ¨¨¨¨:::/%¤
###¤$%/~:¨ WILL TAKE  DAYS TO HEAL.  THE FINAL FIVE ¨:~/%$¤###
¤$/~::¨¨¨¨ YOU    MUST   NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. ¨¨¨¨::~/$¤
###¤$%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨ WEEKS  EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING IS ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨ BURNING  WITH  A  DEEP  CRIMSON   FLAME, ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨:~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~:¨                                          ¨:~/%$¤###
¤%/~:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:~/%¤
¤$/:::¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:::/$¤
#$%//~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~//%$#
##$%~:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:~%$##