@@@££*:~:.                                          .:~:*££@@@
@£*~::....                                          ....::~*£@
##@@£*:~:.                                          .:~:*£@@##
#@@@£*:~:.                                          .:~:*£@@@#
@@@@£*:~:.                                          .:~:*£@@@@
##@@@*:~:. 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.       .:~~~*£££@
@@*~:.....                                          .....:~*@@
##@@@£:~:.                                          .:~:£@@@##
@@@@£*:~:.                                          .:~:*£@@@@
#@@@£*:~:.                                          .:~:*£@@@#
@@@@£*:~:.                                          .:~:*£@@@@