.,=*@¤@### ###@¤@*=,.
.,~=****¤# #¤****=~,.
.,~=*@@### ###@@*=~,.
..,,,=**¤# #¤**=,,,..
.,~=*@¤@## ##@¤@*=~,.
.,~=*@@@@@ 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. ##@¤@*=~,.
....,~*¤@# #@¤*~,....
.,~=*@¤@## ##@¤@*=~,.
...,=****¤ ¤****=,...
.,~=*@@### ###@@*=~,.
.,~=*@@### ###@@*=~,.