¨¨.~~~§§##                                          ##§§~~~.¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.^§@#                                          #@§^.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨..~§§###                                          ###§§~..¨¨
¨.~^§@##@#                                          #@##@§^~.¨
¨.~^§@##@@                                          @@##@§^~.¨
¨.~^§@##@@ 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.       ##@§~~.¨¨¨
¨.~^§@##@#                                          #@##@§^~.¨
¨.~^§@##@#                                          #@##@§^~.¨
¨.~~^^^§##                                          ##§^^^~~.¨
¨.~^§@##@#                                          #@##@§^~.¨
¨.~^§##@##                                          ##@##§^~.¨