#@¤&%/«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«/%&¤@#
@¤&%/«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«/%&¤@
¤&%/«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«/%&¤
@¤&%/«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«/%&¤@
#@¤&%/«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«/%&¤@#
##@¤&%/«.¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨.«/%&¤
@¤&%/«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«/%&¤@
#@¤&%/«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«/%&¤@#
##@¤&%/«.¨                                          ¨.«/%&¤@##
#@¤&%/«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«/%&¤@#
@¤&%/«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«/%&¤@