,,,,,,«†%@                                          @%†«,,,,,,
,:«=†%@###                                          ###@%†=«:,
,:«=†%@###                                          ###@%†=«:,
,,,,,«=%@#                                          #@%=«,,,,,
,,,,,:=%@#                                          #@%=:,,,,,
,,,,,,:=%# 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.       ###@%†=«:,
,:«=†%@###                                          ###@%†=«:,
,:«=†%@###                                          ###@%†=«:,
,:«=†%@###                                          ###@%†=«:,
,:«=†%@###                                          ###@%†=«:,
,:«=†%@###                                          ###@%†=«:,