%%†~^..... .....^~†%%
£%%†~^.... ....^~†%%£
££%%†~^... ...^~†%%££
#££%%†~^.. ..^~†%%££#
##££%%†~^. .^~†%%££##
#££%%†~^.. 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. ...^~†%%££
#££%%†~^.. ..^~†%%££#
##££%%†~^. .^~†%%££##
#££%%†~^.. ..^~†%%££#
££%%†~^... ...^~†%%££
£%%†~^.... ....^~†%%£