#@#@%§;«^.                                          .^«;§%@#@#
##@#@%;«^.                                          .^«;%@#@##
@%§«......                                          ......«§%@
#@#@%§;«^.                                          .^«;§%@#@#
#%;«^^....                                          ....^^«;%#
@@§«...... 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.       .^«;§%@@@@
#@#@%§;«^.                                          .^«;§%@#@#
##@§««....                                          ....««§@##
##%%%§;«^.                                          .^«;§%%%##
###@%§;«^.                                          .^«;§%@###
@#@@%§;«^.                                          .^«;§%@@#@