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