####§&*~,.                                          .,~*&§####
#§&*,,....                                          ....,,*&§#
#§^**~....                                          ....~**^§#
##§§&^*~,.                                          .,~*^&§§##
###§&^*~,.                                          .,~*^&§###
##&&*,.... 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.       .,~*^&§###
###§&^*~,.                                          .,~*^&§###
##&^*,,...                                          ...,,*^&##
###§&^*~,.                                          .,~*^&§###
###§&^*~,.                                          .,~*^&§###
###§&^*~,.                                          .,~*^&§###