#@#§£%/~~.                                          .~~/%£§#@#
#@#§£%/~~.                                          .~~/%£§#@#
§%/~~~~...                                          ...~~~~/%§
##@§£%/~~.                                          .~~/%£§@##
#§%/~.....                                          .....~/%§#
###§£%/~~. 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.       .....~%££#
§%/~......                                          ......~/%§
##@#§%/~~.                                          .~~/%§#@##
@#£%/~~~..                                          ..~~~/%£#@
###§£%/~~.                                          .~~/%£§###
#@#§£%/~~.                                          .~~/%£§#@#