,,,,:~\^$§ §$^\~:,,,,
,,,:~\^$§¶ ¶§$^\~:,,,
,,:~\^$§¶# #¶§$^\~:,,
,:~\^$§¶## ##¶§$^\~:,
,,:~\^$§¶# #¶§$^\~:,,
,,,:~\^$§¶ IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE ¶§$^\~:,,,
,,,,:~\^$§ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG §$^\~:,,,,
,,,,,:~\^$ 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. $^\~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~\^ ^\~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~\ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, \~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~\ BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, \~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~\^ UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ^\~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~\^$ $^\~:,,,,,
,,,,:~\^$§ §$^\~:,,,,
,,,:~\^$§¶ ¶§$^\~:,,,
,,:~\^$§¶# #¶§$^\~:,,
,:~\^$§¶## ##¶§$^\~:,