###§%%=«-¨                                          ¨-«=%%§###
§%=--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--=%§
#§%=--¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨--=%§#
§%%%=«««-¨                                          ¨-«««=%%%§
§%%=«--¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨--«=%%§
###§%%=«-¨ 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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