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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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¤¤%%==¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨==%%¤¤
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