@#$===:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:===$#@
@#$**==~:¨                                          ¨:~==**$#@
#$***=:¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨:=***$#
@#*===~~:¨                                          ¨:~~===*#@
@#*~~:¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨:~~*#@
#@##$*=~:¨ IN   THE  ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ¨:~=*$##@#
#@##$*=~:¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS...  WE TRUDGE ALONG ¨:~=*$##@#
####$*=~:¨  THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY   ¨:~=*$####
#**====~:¨ 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...      ¨:~=====*#
####$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$####
#@##$*=~:¨ THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ¨:~=*$##@#
@@##$*=~:¨ INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT DEAL  NO ¨:~=*$##@@
#$$$=~:¨¨¨ LONG TIME  DAMAGE TO  THE  SHOOTER.  THE ¨¨¨:~=$$$#
#@##$*=~:¨ NEXT  FIVE YOU  MUST  SPEND WISELY, THEY ¨:~=*$##@#
####$*=~:¨ WILL TAKE  DAYS TO HEAL.  THE FINAL FIVE ¨:~=*$####
##@##$*~:¨ YOU   MUST    NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. ¨:~*$##@##
##*=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=*##
#@##$*=~:¨ WEEKS  EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ¨:~=*$##@#
#$=::¨¨¨¨¨ IN  THE BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING  IS ¨¨¨¨¨::=$#
##$$=~~~:¨ BURNING  WITH  A   DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨:~~~=$$##
##@#$*=~:¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨:~=*$#@##
####$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$####
##$$*~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~*$$##
#*~:¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨:~*#
#@##$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$##@#
##@#$*=~:¨                                          ¨:~=*$#@##