#@§^=.....                                          .....=^§@#
@§^==.....                                          .....==^§@
@@¤§^~~...                                          ...~~^§¤@@
##@@¤§^=~.                                          .~=^§¤@@##
##@@¤§^=~.                                          .~=^§¤@@##
@@§^=..... 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.       .~=^§¤@@##
@@@§^~~...                                          ...~~^§@@@
@@@¤^^^=~.                                          .~=^^^¤@@@
@¤^^~.....                                          .....~^^¤@
##@@¤§^=~.                                          .~=^§¤@@##
##@@¤§^=~.                                          .~=^§¤@@##