##@#@*=~.¨ ¨.~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~.¨¨ ¨¨.~=*@#@#
##@#@*=~.¨ ¨.~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~.¨¨ ¨¨.~=*@#@#
##@#@*=~.¨ ¨.~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~.¨¨ 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. ¨.~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~.¨¨ ¨¨.~=*@#@#
##@#@*=~.¨ ¨.~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~.¨¨ ¨¨.~=*@#@#
##@#@*=~.¨ ¨.~=*@#@##
#@#@*=~.¨¨ ¨¨.~=*@#@#