,,,,«««=$@ @$=«««,,,,
,,,,,«==@@ @@==«,,,,,
,~«:=$@@@# #@@@$=:«~,
,,,,,~«:=@ @=:«~,,,,,
,~«:=$@@@# #@@@$=:«~,
,~~««:==@@ 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 @@=«~,,,,,
,,,,,,«:$@ YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. @$:«,,,,,,
,,,«:==@@@ @@@==:«,,,
,~«:=$@@@# WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, #@@@$=:«~,
,~«:=$@@@# IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS #@@@$=:«~,
,~«:=$@@@# BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, #@@@$=:«~,
,~«:=$@@## UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ##@@$=:«~,
,~«:$@@@## ##@@@$:«~,
,~«:=$@@@# #@@@$=:«~,
,~«:=$@@@@ @@@@$=:«~,
,,,,,«:$@@ @@$:«,,,,,
,~«:=$@@## ##@@$=:«~,