.....^=%¤@                                          @¤%=^.....
...^^;¤§§§                                          §§§¤;^^...
.^=;%¤§@##                                          ##@§¤%;=^.
....^=;%§#                                          #§%;=^....
...^;;%¤@@                                          @@¤%;;^...
.^=;%¤§@## 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.       ##@§¤%;=^.
...^;;;¤¤§                                          §¤¤;;;^...
....^=;%§§                                          §§%;=^....
.^=;%¤§@##                                          ##@§¤%;=^.
.......=%§                                          §%=.......
..^==%%§§@                                          @§§%%==^..