¨¨¨¨¨¨^/$# #$/^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»/=$##@@ @@##$=/»^¨
¨¨^»///$#@ @#$///»^¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^^»=# #=»^^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^»==$## ##$==»^¨¨¨
¨^»/=$##@# IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE #@##$=/»^¨
¨^»/=$#### CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG ####$=/»^¨
¨^»/=$$$$# THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY #$$$$=/»^¨
¨^»/=$##@# SNOWED OVER, IN THE STILL HOURS SINCE #@##$=/»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨»==$# THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN. #$==»¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»/=$##@@ @@##$=/»^¨
¨^»/=$##@# BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING #@##$=/»^¨
¨^»/=$##@# GROUND. RIFLES ATTACHED TO OUR WRIST, #@##$=/»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨»//$# SHARING IN OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY HUSKY, #$//»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»»=# MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW... #=»»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»=# #=»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^»»=## THE FIRST FIVE SHOTS YOU CAN SPEND ##=»»^¨¨¨¨
¨^»/=##@## INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT DEAL NO ##@##=/»^¨
¨^^»»»/=$# LONG TIME DAMAGE TO THE SHOOTER. THE #$=/»»»^^¨
¨^»/=$###@ NEXT FIVE YOU MUST SPEND WISELY, THEY @###$=/»^¨
¨¨¨^^^//$# WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE #$//^^^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^»/$# YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. #$/»^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»/=$##@# #@##$=/»^¨
¨^»/=$#### WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ####$=/»^¨
¨¨¨^»=$$#@ IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS @#$$=»^¨¨¨
¨^»/=$##@# BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, #@##$=/»^¨
¨^»/=$##@@ UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. @@##$=/»^¨
¨¨^^»/$$## ##$$/»^^¨¨
¨¨^^^^//$# #$//^^^^¨¨
¨^»///$$#@ @#$$///»^¨
¨^»/=$#@## ##@#$=/»^¨
¨^»//==##@ @##==//»^¨