###@%$:~^.                                          .^~:$%@###
@@§§%$:~^.                                          .^~:$%§§@@
§§%%:~^^..                                          ..^^~:%%§§
#@%$$$:~^.                                          .^~:$$$%@#
##@§%$:~^.                                          .^~:$%§@##
@%%$~^.... IN   THE  ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE ....^~$%%@
##@§%$:~^. CRYSTAL  WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG .^~:$%§@##
§$~^^.....   THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY  .....^^~$§
@§§§%$:~^. SNOWED  OVER, IN THE STILL  HOURS  SINCE .^~:$%§§§@
@§$$$:^...          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ...^:$$$§@
##@§%$:~^.                                          .^~:$%§@##
§$~^......     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ......^~$§
##@§%$:~^. GROUND. RIFLES  ATTACHED TO  OUR  WRIST, .^~:$%§@##
@%:~...... 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, .....^~:%§
##@§%$:~^.       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       .^~:$%§@##
@@@§%$:~^.                                          .^~:$%§@@@
§$$:~^^...                                          ...^^~:$$§
@%:~^.....                                          .....^~:%@
#§$~......                                          ......~$§#
###@%$:~^.                                          .^~:$%@###