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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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