.::~===†@@                                          @@†===~::.
....:=@@@@                                          @@@@=:....
:~=†@@@###                                          ###@@@†=~:
.:~=†@@@##                                          ##@@@†=~:.
.:~=†@@@##                                          ##@@@†=~:.
......~=@@ 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.       ##@@@†=~:.
.:~=†@@@@@                                          @@@@@†=~:.
.:~=†††@@#                                          #@@†††=~:.
...::~††@@                                          @@††~::...
...~~~=††@                                          @††=~~~...
...:~†@@@@                                          @@@@†~:...