.@...@@.@@ .@.@.@..@@
@@..@.@@.@ @@@@@@.@.@
.@.@@@.@@@ .....@@@@.
@@@..@@..@ ....@...@.
..@.@.@.@. ...@@..@@@
.@@@@@@@@. 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. .@@.@.@@@.
.@@..@@.@. @.@@@@..@@
@.@.@.@@@@ @@...@.@.@
@@@@@@.... .@..@@@@@.
.....@...@ @@.@....@@
....@@..@@ .@@@...@.@