#..#.##.#.                                          ...#.#....
.#...##...                                          ......#...
..#..###..                                          .......#..
...#.#.##.                                          ........#.
.......###                                          #........#
#......#.# 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.       .###..#.##
#..#.##...                                          .#.##...##
##...###..                                          ...###..#.
###..#.##.                                          ...#.##...
#.##...###                                          .....###..
..###..#.#                                          .....#.##.