@££@^:....                                          ....:^@££@
£§~.......                                          .......~§£
££££@§^~:.                                          .:~^§@££££
#£££@§^~:.                                          .:~^§@£££#
##@£@§^~:.                                          .:~^§@£@##
£@§^~:.... 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.       .:~^§§§@@@
##@£@§^~:.                                          .:~^§@£@##
###@£@^~:.                                          .:~^@£@###
##@£@§^~:.                                          .:~^§@£@##
££§~::....                                          ....::~§££
£§~.......                                          .......~§£