##@¤¤%†~:,                                          ,:~†%¤¤@##
#@@¤¤%†~:,                                          ,:~†%¤¤@@#
##@¤¤%†~:,                                          ,:~†%¤¤@##
¤¤%†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†%¤¤
@@@¤¤%†~:,                                          ,:~†%¤¤@@@
##@¤¤%†~:, 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.       ,:~†%¤¤@##
##@¤¤%†~:,                                          ,:~†%¤¤@##
@¤¤¤†::,,,                                          ,,,::†¤¤¤@
¤¤††:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:††¤¤
##@¤¤%†~:,                                          ,:~†%¤¤@##
@@¤¤%††~:,                                          ,:~††%¤¤@@