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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... ......^=;*
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¶£*;=^.... 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. ...^=;*£¶#
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£*;=^..... 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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