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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. &.&.&&&.&&
.&.&.&&.&& &&&&..&&.&
&&&&&.&&.. ...&.&.&&&
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