##@#*§;«^. .^«;§*#@##
#§§;;^^^^. .^^^^;;§§#
#@@#*§;«^. .^«;§*#@@#
#§§§;^.... ....^;§§§#
##@#*§;«^. .^«;§*#@##
###@#*§;«^ 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. .^«;§*#@##
@@***§;«^. .^«;§***@@
##@#*§;«^. .^«;§*#@##
@#§««^^... ...^^««§#@
@#**;^^^^. .^^^^;**#@
###@#*§;«^ ^«;§*#@###