...&...&.. .....&&&&.
...&&..&&. .....&...&
&..&.&.&.& &....&&..&
.&.&&&&&&& .&...&.&.&
&&&&...... &&&..&&&&&
....&..... 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. &.&..&&...
&..&...... .&&&.&.&..
&&.&&..... .&..&&&&&.
&.&&.&.... .&&.&....&
.&&.&&&... &&.&&&...&
&&.&&..&.. &.&&..&..&