¤*=~~..... .....~~=*¤
£¤*=~~.... ....~~=*¤£
@£¤*=~~... ...~~=*¤£@
#@£¤*=~~.. ..~~=*¤£@#
##@£¤*=~~. .~~=*¤£@##
#@£¤*=~~.. 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. ...~~=*¤£@
£¤*=~~.... ....~~=*¤£
¤*=~~..... .....~~=*¤
*=~~...... ......~~=*
=~~....... .......~~=
~~........ ........~~