##@¤%$^-~. .~-^$%¤@##
#@¤%$^-~.. ..~-^$%¤@#
@¤%$^-~... ...~-^$%¤@
¤%$^-~.... ....~-^$%¤
%$^-~..... .....~-^$%
¤%$^-~.... IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE ....~-^$%¤
@¤%$^-~... CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG ...~-^$%¤@
#@¤%$^-~.. THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY ..~-^$%¤@#
##@¤%$^-~. SNOWED OVER, IN THE STILL HOURS SINCE .~-^$%¤@##
#@¤%$^-~.. THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN. ..~-^$%¤@#
@¤%$^-~... ...~-^$%¤@
¤%$^-~.... BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING ....~-^$%¤
%$^-~..... GROUND. RIFLES ATTACHED TO OUR WRIST, .....~-^$%
¤%$^-~.... SHARING IN OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY HUSKY, ....~-^$%¤
@¤%$^-~... MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW... ...~-^$%¤@
#@¤%$^-~.. ..~-^$%¤@#
##@¤%$^-~. THE FIRST FIVE SHOTS YOU CAN SPEND .~-^$%¤@##
#@¤%$^-~.. INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT DEAL NO ..~-^$%¤@#
@¤%$^-~... LONG TIME DAMAGE TO THE SHOOTER. THE ...~-^$%¤@
¤%$^-~.... NEXT FIVE YOU MUST SPEND WISELY, THEY ....~-^$%¤
%$^-~..... WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE .....~-^$%
¤%$^-~.... YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. ....~-^$%¤
@¤%$^-~... ...~-^$%¤@
#@¤%$^-~.. WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ..~-^$%¤@#
##@¤%$^-~. IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS .~-^$%¤@##
#@¤%$^-~.. BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ..~-^$%¤@#
@¤%$^-~... UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ...~-^$%¤@
¤%$^-~.... ....~-^$%¤
%$^-~..... .....~-^$%
¤%$^-~.... ....~-^$%¤
@¤%$^-~... ...~-^$%¤@
#@¤%$^-~.. ..~-^$%¤@#