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