**^=:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:=^**
*^=:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:=^*
^=:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:=^
=:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:=
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:
=:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:=
^=:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:=^
*^=:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:=^*