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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. ..........
.......### .########.
######..## ..######..
.####..... #..####...
..##..#### ....##..##
.......##. .##.......