¨^-=*%#@@@                                          @@@#%*=-^¨
¨^-=*%#@@#                                          #@@#%*=-^¨
¨^-=*%%%@@                                          @@%%%*=-^¨
¨^-----*#@                                          @#*-----^¨
¨^-==**%##                                          ##%**==-^¨
¨-=*%#@@## 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.       @@%**==-^¨
¨^-==**#@@                                          @@#**==-^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=%@                                          @%=-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^-=*%#@##                                          ##@#%*=-^¨
¨^-=*%%###                                          ###%%*=-^¨
¨^-=%#@@##                                          ##@@#%=-^¨