,.«†^^^¤@@                                          @@¤^^^†«.,
,.«†^¤@@##                                          ##@@¤^†«.,
,,,,,,«^^@                                          @^^«,,,,,,
,.«†^¤@###                                          ###@¤^†«.,
,,,,,,,«^@                                          @^«,,,,,,,
,,,,,«^¤@@ 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.       @@¤¤^†««.,
,.«†^¤@@@#                                          #@@@¤^†«.,
,.«†^¤@@##                                          ##@@¤^†«.,
,.«†^¤@@##                                          ##@@¤^†«.,
,.«†^¤@@##                                          ##@@¤^†«.,
,,,,,,.†¤@                                          @¤†.,,,,,,