.^=^†*¤###                                          ###¤*†^=^.
.^=^†*¤###                                          ###¤*†^=^.
.......=†¤                                          ¤†=.......
...==^^^*¤                                          ¤*^^^==...
.^=^†*¤###                                          ###¤*†^=^.
.^=^†**¤¤# 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.       ¤*†==^....
.^=^†*¤###                                          ###¤*†^=^.
.^=^†*¤###                                          ###¤*†^=^.
.....===†¤                                          ¤†===.....
.^=^†*¤###                                          ###¤*†^=^.
.^=^†*¤###                                          ###¤*†^=^.