#§=:~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~:=§#
§=~~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=§
§§§%%=:~~¨                                          ¨~~:=%%§§§
§§=~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=§§
###§%=:~~¨                                          ¨~~:=%§###
####§=:~~¨ 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.       ¨~~:=%####
###§%=:~~¨                                          ¨~~:=%§###
##%==::~~¨                                          ¨~~::==%##
#§%%:~~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~~:%%§#
#§%===:~~¨                                          ¨~~:===%§#
###§%=:~~¨                                          ¨~~:=%§###