§*\~^,,,,, ,,,,,^~\*§
§¤¤¤\^,,,, ,,,,^\¤¤¤§
###§¤*\~^, ,^~\*¤§###
#§§¤*\^^,, ,,^^\*¤§§#
###§¤*\~^, ,^~\*¤§###
###§¤*\~^, 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. ,,,,~\*§§#
###§¤*\~^, ,^~\*¤§###
###§¤*\~^, ,^~\*¤§###
###§¤*\~^, ,^~\*¤§###
###§¤*\~^, ,^~\*¤§###
##¤\^^,,,, ,,,,^^\¤##