#@@§£*=~,.                                          .,~=*£§@@#
#@@§£*=~,.                                          .,~=*£§@@#
@§£=,,....                                          ....,,=£§@
§**~,,....                                          ....,,~**§
§§£=,.....                                          .....,=£§§
@§£*~~~... 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.       ...,,==££§
@@@§£*=~,.                                          .,~=*£§@@@
#@@§£*=~,.                                          .,~=*£§@@#
#@@§£*=~,.                                          .,~=*£§@@#
§£££===~,.                                          .,~===£££§
@§£=,.....                                          .....,=£§@