&.&&&.&&&&                                          &&&.&&&&.&
&&..&&....                                          ..&&...&&.
.&.&.&...&                                          .&.&..&.&&
&&&&&&..&&                                          &&&&.&&&.&
.....&.&.&                                          ...&&..&&.
....&&&&&& 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.       ..&&..&&&.
..&.....&&                                          .&.&.&..&.
.&&....&..                                          &&&&&&.&&.
&.&...&&.&                                          .....&&.&.
&&&..&.&&&                                          ....&.&&&&
..&.&&&...                                          ...&&&....