¨-=**%#@## ##@#%**=-¨
¨¨---=***# #***=---¨¨
¨¨--=**%%# #%%**=--¨¨
¨¨¨¨---=*# #*=---¨¨¨¨
¨-=***%### ###%***=-¨
¨-=**%%%%# 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. ###%***=-¨
¨-=**%#@## ##@#%**=-¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-**# #**-¨¨¨¨¨¨
-=**%#@### ###@#%**=-
¨-=**%#@## ##@#%**=-¨
¨-=**%##@# #@##%**=-¨