.-«=†¤@###                                          ###@¤†=«-.
.-«=†¤@###                                          ###@¤†=«-.
.-«=†¤@###                                          ###@¤†=«-.
....-=†@@@                                          @@@†=-....
..---««†@#                                          #@†««---..
.-«=†¤#### 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.       @†«.......
.-«=†¤@###                                          ###@¤†=«-.
.-«=††¤¤¤@                                          @¤¤¤††=«-.
.-«=†¤@###                                          ###@¤†=«-.
.-«=†¤@###                                          ###@¤†=«-.
.....«==¤@                                          @¤==«.....