.....^//%#                                          #%//^.....
....^/^^&#                                          #&^^/^....
.^~/^%&###                                          ###&%^/~^.
.^~/^%&&&&                                          &&&&%^/~^.
......~^&&                                          &&^~......
.^~/^%&### 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.       ###&%^/~^.
.^~/^%&###                                          ###&%^/~^.
.^~/^%&###                                          ###&%^/~^.
.^~/^%%&##                                          ##&%%^/~^.
.^~/^%&###                                          ###&%^/~^.
.^~/^%####                                          ####%^/~^.