.^=\%§§@##                                          ##@§§%\=^.
.^^^==%%%§                                          §%%%==^^^.
....^\%§§§                                          §§§%\^....
....^=\§§§                                          §§§\=^....
......^\§@                                          @§\^......
.^=\%§§@## 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.       §§\\=^....
......^\§§                                          §§\^......
.....^\%§@                                          @§%\^.....
.^=\\\\§§§                                          §§§\\\\=^.
.^=\%§§@##                                          ##@§§%\=^.
......=%§#                                          #§%=......