¨-~^*@## ##@#&*^~-¨
¨¨¨¨-^^&@@ @@&^^-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~*# ##&*~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨----~*# #*~----¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~*# #*~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-^*&@ 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. ##@#&*^~-¨
¨-~^*@## ##@#&*^~-¨
¨¨¨¨¨~*# ##&*~¨¨¨¨¨
¨-~^****## ##****^~-¨
¨-~^*@## ##@#&*^~-¨
¨¨¨¨-^*##@ @##*^-¨¨¨¨