.&.&.&...& ...&.&&&&.
&&&&&&..&. ..&&&...&.
.....&.&&. .&..&..&&&
....&&&.&& &&.&&.&..&
...&..&&.& .&&.&&&.&&
..&&.&.&&& 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. &.&.&&&.&.
&..&&.&... &&&&..&&&&
&.&.&&&... ...&.&....
&&&&..&... ..&&&&...&
...&.&&... .&...&..&.
..&&&.&..& &&..&&.&&.