¨.~^$@§#@# #@#§@$^~.¨
¨.~^$@§#@# #@#§@$^~.¨
¨.~^$@§#@# #@#§@$^~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.^$$§ §$$^.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~^$@§#@# #@#§@$^~.¨
¨.~^$@§#@@ IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE @@#§@$^~.¨
¨¨.~~~$$§§ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG §§$$~~~.¨¨
¨¨¨¨...^@# 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. #@^.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~^$@§#@@ @@#§@$^~.¨
¨.~^$$@§#@ WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, @#§@$$^~.¨
¨¨¨¨.~$$$§ IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS §$$$~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~$@# BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, #@$~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~^$@§#@# UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. #@#§@$^~.¨
¨.~~^$$@#@ @#@$$^~~.¨
¨.~^$§#@## ##@#§$^~.¨
¨.~^$@§#@# #@#§@$^~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~$§ §$~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~^$@§#@# #@#§@$^~.¨