.......--^                                          ^--.......
........--                                          --........
.........-                                          -.........
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.........-                                          -.........
........-- 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.       &*^--.....
....--^*&£                                          £&*^--....
...--^*&£#                                          #£&*^--...
..--^*&£##                                          ##£&*^--..
.--^*&£###                                          ###£&*^--.
..--^*&£##                                          ##£&*^--..