.^~^%@¤###                                          ###¤@%^~^.
.^~^%@¤###                                          ###¤@%^~^.
.....^~%¤#                                          #¤%~^.....
....~%@@@#                                          #@@@%~....
.....^^~%¤                                          ¤%~^^.....
.^~^%@¤### 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.       ¤¤@@%~....
.....~%@##                                          ##@%~.....
.^~^%@¤###                                          ###¤@%^~^.
.^^%@¤####                                          ####¤@%^^.
.^~^%@¤###                                          ###¤@%^~^.
.^~^%@¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤@%^~^.