....«*&&&¶                                          ¶&&&*«....
..«*†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†*«..
..«*†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†*«..
..«*†&&&¶¶                                          ¶¶&&&†*«..
..«*†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†*«..
..«*†&&¶## 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.       ##¶&&†*«..
......*†&&                                          &&†*......
..«*†&¶###                                          ###¶&†*«..
..«*†&&¶##                                          ##¶&&†*«..
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..«**††††&                                          &††††**«..