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&%/~^.....                                          .....^~/%&
£&%/~^.... 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...      .......^~/
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/~^....... 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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