##¶&$=/-~. .~-/=$&¶##
##¶&$=/-~. .~-/=$&¶##
#&&==-.... ....-==&
¶¶¶&$=/-~. .~-/=$&¶¶¶
#&&$/-.... ....-/$&
&$$/~..... IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE .....~/$$&
&&=/~~~... 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, ....~/===&
#&&&$=/-~. IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS .~-/=$&&
¶$==/-~... BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ...~-/==$¶
&$/-~..... UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. .....~-/$&
##¶&$=/-~. .~-/=$&¶##
&$///-~... ...~-///$&
##¶&$=/-~. .~-/=$&¶##
##¶&$=/-~. .~-/=$&¶##
&===/-~... ...~-/===&