&^†~^.....                                          .....^~†^&
^†~^......                                          ......^~†^
†~^.......                                          .......^~†
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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.       .......^~†
^†~^......                                          ......^~†^
&^†~^.....                                          .....^~†^&
&&^†~^....                                          ....^~†^&&
£&&^†~^...                                          ...^~†^&&£
#£&&^†~^..                                          ..^~†^&&£#