¨.-;**#### ####**;-.¨
¨¨¨¨¨--*## ##*--¨¨¨¨¨
¨.-;;***## ##***;;-.¨
¨.---***## ##***---.¨
¨.-;**#### ####**;-.¨
¨.-;**#### 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. #**;.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.-;**#### ####**;-.¨
¨.-;*****# #*****;-.¨
¨.-;**#### ####**;-.¨
¨¨¨...;*## ##*;...¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.;**# #**;.¨¨¨¨¨