.~=^%¤§£##                                          ##£§¤%^=~.
..~=^%¤§£#                                          #£§¤%^=~..
...~=^%¤§£                                          £§¤%^=~...
....~=^%¤§                                          §¤%^=~....
.....~=^%¤                                          ¤%^=~.....
......~=^% 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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