.--^%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%^--.
.--^%$$&&&                                          &&&$$%^--.
.-----%$&#                                          #&$%-----.
.--^%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%^--.
.....-^$&&                                          &&$^-.....
.--^%$&¶## IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,   ON  THE ##¶&$%^--.
.--^%$&¶## CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS...  WE TRUDGE ALONG ##¶&$%^--.
.--^%$&¶##   THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY  ##¶&$%^--.
....--%%&¶ 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, &&%-......
....-^$$¶¶ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING IS ¶¶$$^-....
.--^%$&¶## BURNING  WITH  A  DEEP   CRIMSON  FLAME, ##¶&$%^--.
.--^%$&¶##       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ##¶&$%^--.
.--^%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%^--.
.--^^^$$¶#                                          #¶$$^^^--.
.--^%$&&&&                                          &&&&$%^--.
.--^%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%^--.
....-^$&¶#                                          #¶&$^-....