##@&¤^*~.. ..~*^¤&@##
&^^~...... ......~^^&
@¤^^^*.... ....*^^^¤@
##@&¤^*~.. ..~*^¤&@##
##@&¤^*~.. ..~*^¤&@##
@&^***~~.. 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. ..~*^¤&@##
&&¤¤¤^*~.. ..~*^¤¤¤&&
&&^***~... ...~***^&&
@&^*...... ......*^&@
&&¤¤*~~... ...~~*¤¤&&
##@&¤^*~.. ..~*^¤&@##