..«^%¤@#@# #@#@¤%^«..
..«^%¤@#@# #@#@¤%^«..
.....««%¤@ @¤%««.....
......^%@# #@%^......
....«^%@@# #@@%^«....
..«^%¤@#@# 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. @@¤%«.....
..«^%¤@#@@ @@#@¤%^«..
..«^%¤@#@# #@#@¤%^«..
.....««%¤# #¤%««.....
..«^^^^¤¤# #¤¤^^^^«..
..«^%¤@### ###@¤%^«..