.:~:=£§@##                                          ##@§£=:~:.
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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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