#&†^~::¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨::~^†&#
#&%%%†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†%%%&#
####%†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†%####
##&†††^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†††&##
##%%^~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~^%%##
###&%†^~:¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨::~†&#
###&%†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†%&###
###&%†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†%&###
###&%†^~:¨                                          ¨:~^†%&###
#%%^^~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~^^%%#
#%^~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~^%#