@*†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†*@
#@*†=,,,,, ,,,,,=†*@#
@#@*†=,,,, ,,,,=†*@#@
#@#@*†=,,, ,,,=†*@#@#
##@#@*†=,, ,,=†*@#@##
#@#@*†=,,, 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. ,,,,=†*@#@
#@*†=,,,,, ,,,,,=†*@#
@*†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†*@
*†=,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,=†*
@*†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†*@
#@*†=,,,,, ,,,,,=†*@#