¤**~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~**¤
###¤$**~., ,.~**$¤###
###¤$**~., ,.~**$¤###
###¤$**~., ,.~**$¤###
#¤$*~~~,,, ,,,~~~*$¤#
###¤$**~., IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE ,.~**$¤###
#$*~.,,,,, CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG ,,,,,.~*$#
###¤$**~., THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY ,.~**$¤###
###¤$**~., SNOWED OVER, IN THE STILL HOURS SINCE ,.~**$¤###
¤***~~~~., 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 ,,,~****¤#
###¤$**~., BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, ,.~**$¤###
###¤$**~., UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. ,.~**$¤###
#$**~~,,,, ,,,,~~**$#
###¤$**~., ,.~**$¤###
###¤$**~., ,.~**$¤###
###¤$**~., ,.~**$¤###
####¤$*~., ,.~*$¤####