#&^-...... ......-^&#
¤*^^--.... ....--^^*¤
¤¤¤¤&*^-:. .:-^*&¤¤¤¤
#¤&&&*^-:. .:-^*&&&¤#
¤¤&&*--::. .::--*&&¤¤
###¤&*^-:. 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. .:-^*&¤###
¤&*^--.... ....--^*&¤
#¤¤&*^^-:. .:-^^*&¤¤#
##&&^-:... ...:-^&&##
###¤&*^-:. .:-^*&¤###
###¤&*^-:. .:-^*&¤###