###*§†«-.. ..-«†§*###
##*§†«-... ...-«†§*##
#*§†«-.... ....-«†§*#
*§†«-..... .....-«†§*
§†«-...... ......-«†§
†«-....... 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. ..-«†§*###
####*§†«-. .-«†§*####
###*§†«-.. ..-«†§*###
##*§†«-... ...-«†§*##
#*§†«-.... ....-«†§*#
*§†«-..... .....-«†§*