..~^*¤&### ###&¤*^~..
......~^*& &*^~......
.....^¤&## ##&¤^.....
..~^*¤&### ###&¤*^~..
....~^*¤¤# #¤¤*^~....
......^¤&& 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. ###&¤*^~..
..~^*¤&### ###&¤*^~..
..~^^^*&## ##&*^^^~..
..~^*¤¤¤¤# #¤¤¤¤*^~..
..~^*¤&### ###&¤*^~..
..~^*¤¤¤¤# #¤¤¤¤*^~..