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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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