§§*†=~....                                          ....~=†*§§
§§§††««~~.                                          .~~««††§§§
###§*†=«~.                                          .~«=†*§###
#££§*†=«~.                                          .~«=†*§££#
£££§*†=«~.                                          .~«=†*§£££
##£§*†=«~. 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.       .~«=†*§£##
£*†=~.....                                          .....~=†*£
§*†«~.....                                          .....~«†*§
#££§*†=«~.                                          .~«=†*§££#
§*†=««~~..                                          ..~~««=†*§
§§*===~...                                          ...~===*§§