#@^«««¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«««^@#
#@#§@=^«,¨                                          ¨,«^=@§#@#
##@#§@=^,¨                                          ¨,^=@§#@##
@§@^^«,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,«^^@§@
§=«,,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,,«=§
@#§@==^«,¨ 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.       ¨,«^=@§@##
§=«,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«=§
#@^«,,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,,«^@#
@§§@=«¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨«=@§§@
#@#§@=^«,¨                                          ¨,«^=@§#@#
##@§@=^«,¨                                          ¨,«^=@§@##