¤*^,,..... .....,,^*¤
¤§*^~~.... ....~~^*§¤
###¤§*^~,. .,~^*§¤###
#¤*~...... ......~*¤#
###¤§*^~,. .,~^*§¤###
#§*~,..... 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. ....~~~*¤¤
##§^^,,,.. ..,,,^^§##
¤¤§*^^~~,. .,~~^^*§¤¤
###¤§*^~,. .,~^*§¤###
###¤§*^~,. .,~^*§¤###
###¤§*^~,. .,~^*§¤###