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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, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«%§
§$;««^^^¨¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨¨^^^««;$§
####§$%;^¨                                          ¨^;%$§####
###§$%;«^¨                                          ¨^«;%$§###
###§$%;«^¨                                          ¨^«;%$§###
§§%;;^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^;;%§§
###§$%;«^¨                                          ¨^«;%$§###