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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... .~«;§*¤###
¤¤§;;;«~.. ..~«;;;§¤¤
¤****§;«~. 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. .~«;*¤####
###¤*§;«~. .~«;§*¤###
###¤*§;«~. .~«;§*¤###
¤**;;«~... ...~«;;**¤
¤**;«..... .....«;**¤
###¤*§;«~. .~«;§*¤###