¨,-\=*@@##                                          ##@@*=\-,¨
¨¨,,-\\*@#                                          #@*\\-,,¨¨
¨,-\*@@###                                          ###@@*\-,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,\*@                                          @*\,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-\=*@@@#                                          #@@@*=\-,¨
¨,-\=*@@@@ 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.       ##@@*=\-,¨
¨,-\=@@###                                          ###@@=\-,¨
¨¨¨¨,\\*@@                                          @@*\\,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-=**@                                          @**=-,¨¨¨¨
¨,-\=*@@##                                          ##@@*=\-,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-=*@                                          @*=-¨¨¨¨¨¨