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