§*^-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-^*§
#@#§*%^»-¨                                          ¨-»^%*§#@#
§*^--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--^*§
###§*%^»-¨                                          ¨-»^%*§###
§§*^-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-^*§§
#@#§*%^»-¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨-^^%§
###§*%^»-¨                                          ¨-»^%*§###
§§§§*%^»-¨                                          ¨-»^%*§§§§
#@#§*%^»-¨                                          ¨-»^%*§#@#
#@#§*%^»-¨                                          ¨-»^%*§#@#
###§*%^»-¨                                          ¨-»^%*§###