§%^«««~...                                          ...~«««^%§
###§$%^«~.                                          .~«^%$§###
###§$%^«~.                                          .~«^%$§###
§%««~.....                                          .....~««%§
####§%^«~.                                          .~«^%§####
###§$%^«~. IN   THE  ENDLESS  WINTER  DAY,  ON  THE .~«^%$§###
#§%^~..... 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 ....~~~^%§
##$$^««... WILL TAKE  DAYS TO  HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE ...««^$$##
###§$%^«~. YOU   MUST    NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. .~«^%$§###
§%%%«~....                                          ....~«%%%§
##$^««««~. WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK  AUTUMN DAWN, .~««««^$##
§§§$$%^«~. IN  THE BLUE-GRAY  FOG...  SOMETHING  IS .~«^%$$§§§
#§§$$%^«~. BURNING  WITH  A  DEEP  CRIMSON   FLAME, .~«^%$$§§#
###§$%^«~.       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       .~«^%$§###
#§§§$%^«~.                                          .~«^%$§§§#
##§%^«....                                          ....«^%§##
§§%«~.....                                          .....~«%§§
###§$%^«~.                                          .~«^%$§###
###§$%^«~.                                          .~«^%$§###