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BR2 / Warmth, cold and the way back

The Pale Redoubts

Warm rooms and cold chambers share the pale walls of the Redoubts. Through patient work, difficult pauses and choices made with others, Saevren learns how to carry more without losing his way. Beside him, Thoden grows to his height and begins to find a path of his own through the red depths.

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I · 00–R08

Warmth Between the Redoubts

Arrival, a warm meal and a room with space for two.

Pale tiered redoubts and enclosed bridges surrounded by red liquid bromine. — BR2-00
The Pale Redoubts
Pale redoubts rise in staggered tiers through the dense red bromine. Enclosed bridges connect their warm rooms, cold chambers and working courts. From this distance, the lamps reveal how much ordinary life the immense structures shelter.
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Saevren carries his luggage along a warm gallery with Thoden beside him. — BR2-R01
The Last Warm Lamps
The last warm lamps of the Blade Reaches fall behind them. Saevren carries the familiar bag and domed case, with Thoden keeping pace beside him. Their route will pass through the Resonant Wards before reaching the pale structures farther on.
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Saevren and Thoden enter an enclosed bridge overlooking the Pale Redoubts. — BR2-R02
The First Pale Span
Beyond the intervening passage, a protected span opens onto the Pale Redoubts. Their staggered masses seem to hold the red depths at a distance. Saevren and Thoden enter together, following a dry path through the surrounding liquid.
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Nerysse welcomes Saevren and Thoden through a doorway beside the busy warm hall. — BR2-R03
A Door Kept Warm
Nerysse opens a warm door and takes in the space that Thoden needs. Guests and kitchen workers continue their day around the newcomers. She leads them towards a room where both can settle before the work begins.
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Saevren stores his belongings in the lodging niche while Thoden explores his perch. — BR2-R04
The Sheltered Landing
The bag and closed case find their place in the entrance niche; the folded crossbow is put away. Thoden examines the support beside the protected patio. Saevren can finally set down what he has carried and look around their new room.
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Saevren sits at a table in the Warm Hall as Nerysse works and Thoden eats nearby. — BR2-R05
The Warm Hall
A simple meal gives the new surroundings a familiar rhythm. Nerysse moves between tables while Saevren eats, and Thoden has a bowl away from the passage. For a while, arrival requires nothing more than making room for one another.
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Mevrin shows Saevren the seams and lining of an insulated garment at a workshop bench. — BR2-R06
Threads for the Next Ascent
At the White Workshops, Mevrin opens an insulated layer to show its lining and seams. Saevren follows the places where cloth must allow a shoulder or hip to move. The borrowed garment will have to serve a body already accustomed to demanding work.
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Saevren files a bronze buckle while Mevrin holds its separate woven strap. — BR2-R07
A Buckle That Will Hold
A rough edge on a load buckle catches Saevren's attention. He takes a file to it while Mevrin holds the strap clear of the work. Before becoming a student again, he has found a small, useful task that his own hands know.
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Barefoot Saevren places his folded letter in a desk drawer as Thoden waits nearby. — BR2-R08
What He Has Not Sent
The letter he wrote in the Blade Reaches is still with him. Alone in the room, Saevren places it in the desk drawer before turning back to Thoden. It can wait there while they learn the habits of another place.
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II · R09–R15

The Weight He Can Sustain

Learning where a load settles, when to pause and how to begin again.

Odravel observes Saevren carrying a low practice load to one side. — BR2-R09
Where the Weight Settles
Odravel watches where the weight travels through Saevren's body. A raised shoulder and a slight lean reveal what the load has changed. His first correction concerns the support beneath Saevren's feet, before anything more is asked of him.
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Saevren moves a compact training block while maintaining his stance under Odravel's observation. — BR2-R10
A Smaller Movement
The task is small enough to expose every unnecessary movement. Saevren shifts the practice block while trying to keep his ribs and pelvis steady. Odravel lets him feel the difference between moving the object and following it with his whole body.
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Saevren pauses with a practice load beside a stair as Odravel offers a small correction. — BR2-R11
Breath Before the Step
Before the next step, he recovers the rhythm of his breathing. The load stays close as he tests the transfer from one foot to the other. Odravel's brief gesture gives him something precise to change before he climbs.
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Saevren rests on an intermediate stair landing with the load on the floor. — BR2-R12
The Load on the Landing
On the landing, Saevren lowers the load and lets his gaze fall. The next flight remains above him. Odravel waits at a distance, leaving room for a pause whose meaning Saevren has not yet decided.
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Saevren adjusts the grip beneath his practice load while Odravel indicates its support. — BR2-R13
He Changes the Carry
He looks again at the way the weight is carried. A different grip brings it closer, and a small adjustment changes what the next step will demand. His decision to continue becomes visible in the care of this preparation.
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Saevren sets down the completed training load as Mevrin collects the equipment. — BR2-R14
The Last Step of This Load
The last steps are slower, but the load arrives under control. Saevren lowers it onto the waiting surface while Mevrin resumes the ordinary work of collecting the equipment. Finishing leaves no need for ceremony, only a place to rest his hands.
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Saevren recovers with warm water and food while Nerysse and Thoden remain nearby. — BR2-R15
Warm Water, Quiet Hands
Warm water and a tray of food bring the day back within reach. Saevren lets his hands relax while Nerysse attends to the room. Thoden stays near him, content with the quiet that follows effort.
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III · R16–R22

The Pale Line Beyond

Cold chambers, a distant suture and the warmth of the return.

Lysenne welcomes Saevren at the entrance to the cold chambers of the Rime Halls. — BR2-R16
Cold Kept Within
Lysenne receives him beyond the vestibule of the Rime Halls. The change from the warm gallery is immediate: pale surfaces, contained cold and a different pace of attention. Saevren stops to understand the room before beginning.
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Saevren guides an arc of water while Lysenne cools the receiving area. — BR2-R17
Water Meets a Colder Surface
Saevren guides water from the vessel towards the receiving surface. Beside him, Lysenne cools the liquid and the air close to its path. They watch the flow change together, giving the response time to become clear.
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Saevren returns the guided water to its vessel beside Lysenne. — BR2-R18
Knowing When to Release
He releases the shape before it slips beyond his control. The water returns to the vessel as Lysenne brings her intervention to an end. Knowing how to stop becomes part of the work, with the same care as beginning.
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Varetha accompanies Saevren and Thoden across a protected civilian bridge. — BR2-R19
The Refuge Bridges
Varetha leads them along the refuge bridges, where supplies and pedestrians share a protected route. Beyond the passing workers, the gallery widens towards an observation space. Thoden stays close as a more distant boundary comes into view.
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Tiny figures in a protected overlook face the boundary between red bromine and endless icy tundra. — BR2-R20
The Pale Line Beyond
The suture places two immense exposures within a single view: Brakhal's red bromine and the icebound tundra of Iskareth. Neither side offers an obvious kindness. The nearby enclosure makes the distance visible, and the small figures within it seem quieter still.
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Saevren, Thoden and Varetha contemplate the suture from behind the protected enclosure. — BR2-R21
On This Side of the Glass
Saevren remains on the sheltered side with Thoden beside him. He studies the cold expanse beyond the bromine, then turns towards Varetha. There is time to look and to learn what preparation means before any journey across that boundary.
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Saevren helps carry a tray through the active kitchens and warm common hall. — BR2-R22
The Kitchens Still Work
Back in the Warm Hall, the kitchens are still at work. Saevren carries a tray through the familiar activity while Thoden waits nearby. The immense view beyond the redoubts gives way to food, hanging cloths and the tasks that keep a room welcoming.
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IV · R23–R30

A Presence Out of Sight

A growing companion learns to find a presence beyond sight.

Saevren repeats a controlled balance exercise in the warm practice gallery. — BR2-R23
Practice Kept Between Days
Practice returns between meals and rest. The same short reaches now disturb his balance less, and Odravel's corrections grow smaller. Saevren repeats the movement with attention, finding steadiness in work that offers little spectacle.
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The larger Thoden stands beside Saevren while Nerysse assesses the patio space. — BR2-R24
Above the Old Perch
On the patio floor, the change is difficult to miss. Thoden's head rises much nearer Saevren's chest than before, and four folded wings need more space around them. Nerysse considers the room with the practical attention of someone already planning an adjustment.
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Saevren and Mevrin install a wider perch as Nerysse clears the patio entrance. — BR2-R25
Room for Four Wings
Mevrin and Saevren fit a broader support while Nerysse clears the approach. Thoden waits on the floor until the work is finished. The room keeps its familiar arrangement, but the space set aside for him begins to match his growing body.
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Thoden turns towards a side passage before Saevren becomes visible. — BR2-R26
A Turn Before the Footsteps
Saevren approaches by a passage hidden from the patio. Before he comes into view, Thoden lifts his head towards him. The movement is small and unprompted, a moment noticed amid the ordinary sounds of the lodging.
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Saevren sends a faint pulse from behind a partition while Thoden waits on a separate route. — BR2-R27
Two Paths Out of Sight
Varetha separates the two routes with an opaque partition. Out of Thoden's sight, Saevren chooses his path and briefly extends an arm. An almost imperceptible pulse passes from the gesture while the bird waits beyond the divide.
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Thoden chooses a branch of the protected passage and flies towards Saevren's faint signal. — BR2-R28
The Presence Beyond the Wall
At the branching passage, Thoden pauses and turns his head. The faint presence beyond the wall gives him a direction; he lifts into a short flight along the chosen branch. No hand points out the way.
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Thoden arrives beside Saevren after finding him beyond the wall, with Varetha observing. — BR2-R29
Found Without a Call
Thoden reaches the space where Saevren waits and settles close to him. Varetha watches the arrival. Saevren recognises the bird's response to that quiet pulse, and the discovery becomes something they can practise together.
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Thoden eats an additional portion while Saevren and Mevrin talk near Nerysse. — BR2-R30
More Than One Bowl
A larger bird needs more than the old portion. Thoden receives another serving while Saevren and Mevrin share an easy conversation. Nerysse keeps the meal moving around them, giving the day's discovery a thoroughly ordinary ending.
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V · R31–R38

Another Way to Remain

Changing the route, sharing the task and bringing the work to rest.

Varetha briefs Saevren and Mevrin beside laid-out shelter equipment. — BR2-R31
A Refuge Before the Trial
Before the trial, Varetha asks them to consider the return. Saevren and Mevrin lay out the borrowed layers, loads and shelter equipment, comparing the routes available to them. The task begins here, while there is still time to choose.
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Saevren and Mevrin assess an obstructed route with their shelter equipment. — BR2-R32
The Route That Will Not Serve
The direct route narrows beyond what their companion and equipment can use. Saevren tests the passage and stops to measure the problem again. A clear destination offers little help if the way there cannot carry everything that matters.
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Saevren dismantles the first shelter arrangement and gathers its borrowed fabric. — BR2-R33
He Takes the Shelter Down
He loosens the shelter he had begun to fasten and gathers the material back into his hands. From a distance, the retreat could look like the end of the attempt. Mevrin remains close while Saevren makes room for another choice.
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Saevren and Mevrin restart the transfer along a wider alternative route. — BR2-R34
The Longer Way Back
The longer branch offers enough width to work together. Saevren returns with a different plan and asks Mevrin for the support it needs. They begin again, carrying the same responsibility by a route that can serve it.
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Saevren and Mevrin arrange their equipment inside a refuge while Varetha observes. — BR2-R35
Room for Both of Them
They reach a refuge with room for both men and the equipment. Before resting, Saevren and Mevrin finish making the space usable. Varetha gives them time to complete the practical details that turn arrival into shelter.
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A localised covering of ice forms around Saevren's forearm during a session with Lysenne. — BR2-R36
Water Along a Narrow Edge
Under Lysenne's guidance, Saevren cools the air close to his own forearm. A limited covering of ice takes shape along it, held to one part of the body. He watches its edge carefully, learning how much of the action he can sustain.
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Saevren releases the ice from his forearm and relaxes his hand beside Lysenne. — BR2-R37
Enough to Bring It to Rest
He stops the formation and releases the ice deliberately. His hand relaxes as he checks the end of the action beside Lysenne. Bringing it to rest gives the lesson a clear boundary before he asks more of himself.
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Odravel observes Saevren testing his balance, with a strong compact core and developed legs. — BR2-R38
The Centre He Has Built
After repeated practice and recovery, the change in his centre has become visible. Odravel watches Saevren incline and regain his support, attending to what the strength allows him to do. The movement remains measured, without a display for anyone else.
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VI · R39–R46

Four Wings in the Red

A larger body, four working wings and the first journeys through bromine.

Saevren and Thoden stand at comparable head height on the same patio floor. — BR2-R39
At His Height
Standing on the same patio floor, they now meet at almost the same height. Saevren looks at the companion who once needed so little space beside him. Thoden holds still, close enough for the change to feel personal rather than distant.
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Saevren and Nerysse adapt Thoden's broad resting support in the protected patio. — BR2-R40
A Wider Place to Rest
The wider body needs a broader place to settle. Nerysse and Saevren adjust the patio support while Thoden folds his wings and lowers himself towards it. Inside, the human bed stays where it has always been.
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Thoden banks on four physical wings in a protected flight gallery as Saevren watches from a separate walkway. — BR2-R41
Four Wings, One Turn
Four wings change angle through a single turn. The larger forward pair sustains the movement while the second pair helps Thoden shape his course. Saevren watches from a separate passage, leaving the protected flight space entirely to the bird.
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Thoden approaches the dry bay's boundary within a faint protective field while Saevren stays inside. — BR2-R42
The Edge of the Dry Room
At the edge of the dry bay, Thoden's own protective outline becomes visible. The bromine beyond bends the light around the opening. Saevren remains inside, watching his companion approach a boundary he must cross for himself.
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Thoden flies through red liquid bromine inside a protective field that follows his four wings and tail. — BR2-R43
Into the Red Depths
Thoden moves out into the red liquid. A close, flexible field follows his body, four wings and long tail as the surrounding bromine gives way around it. His first journey beyond the bay is short, with the sheltered return still near.
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Thoden banks around an opaque buttress in the bromine, his protected four-winged body seen from behind. — BR2-R44
Beyond the Opaque Pillar
The buttress removes the sheltered bay from view. Thoden turns around its opaque mass, responding to the faint pulse renewed from within. His own wings carry the adjustment, bringing him towards the next face of the gallery.
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Thoden approaches a dry landing with feet extended while Saevren waits within the protected bay. — BR2-R45
The Landing He Finds
He finds the returning bay and sets his wings for the landing. Inside the protected space, Saevren waits with his arm extended. Thoden's feet reach towards dry support as the broad movement narrows into an arrival.
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Saevren rises with a tray beside the resting Thoden in the protected patio. — BR2-R46
Stillness After the Crossing
Back in the patio, the room fills with the quieter work of care. Saevren stays beside the resting bird, then rises with a tray. The steadiness practised in the halls now belongs to an ordinary movement at the end of the day.
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VII · R47–R53

The Choice He Keeps

An exhausted approach gives way to a choice that brings both companions home.

Varetha and Odravel brief Saevren and Mevrin beside equipment for an integrated shelter trial. — BR2-R47
What the Trial Will Ask
Varetha and Odravel bring the separate lessons into one task. With Mevrin, Saevren studies the shelter equipment and the rising route ahead. The attempt will be finished only when companion and load have both returned to a place of rest.
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Saevren and Mevrin ascend with distributed loads under supervision on a controlled cold route. — BR2-R48
A Steady Line Under Load
The climb begins with the load shared and the cold kept under supervision. Saevren must use what he has learned without losing the placement of his feet or the work of his companion. Every part of the ascent depends on the others.
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Saevren sits with his gaze lowered and a loose strap beside Mevrin and the supported load. — BR2-R49
The Moment He Lets Go
The strap slips from his hand onto the bench. Saevren sits with his head lowered, and Mevrin waits safely beside him. Pulling harder has brought them as far as it can; for a moment, Saevren has no next movement ready.
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Seated Saevren looks up with concern during a conversation with Odravel, Varetha and Mevrin. — BR2-R50
The Question That Keeps Him There
He raises his eyes and asks about the support available to them. Fatigue remains in his face, along with the care that keeps him from leaving the task unfinished. A useful answer gives him something concrete to try.
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Saevren and Mevrin stand with their loads held close, preparing to move together. — BR2-R51
The Weight Finds Its Place
The weight comes closer to his centre, and the next steps become possible. Saevren rises and coordinates the movement with Mevrin. He carries the effort differently now, keeping enough attention for the person who must arrive with him.
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Saevren and Mevrin settle the carried equipment inside the final refuge. — BR2-R52
Both Across the Threshold
Both men reach the final refuge, and the equipment is placed where it can rest securely. Saevren finishes the last fastening before allowing himself to stop. The result is a sheltered space with room for everyone the task began with.
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Saevren discusses the completed trial with Mevrin and his teachers in a warm room. — BR2-R53
A Choice Worth Keeping
On a warm bench, they return to the choices made during the trial. Saevren listens, then speaks about what he changed. His wish to become a guardian remains, now informed by an effort he could finish only after reconsidering it.
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VIII · R54–R59

Beyond the Sheltered Glass

Two writings kept together, borrowed things returned and separate paths onward.

Barefoot Saevren writes at the desk while his folded earlier letter rests nearby and Thoden lies in the patio. — BR2-R54
What He Writes of the Redoubts
At the left-hand desk, Saevren writes about the Redoubts on a new sheet. His earlier letter lies folded beside him, and Thoden rests in the protected patio. The room is quiet enough for him to decide what he wants to keep in words.
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Saevren packs his two folded writings among the clothes in his leather bag as Thoden watches. — BR2-R55
Two Pages Kept Together
He folds the new sheet together with the letter from the Blade Reaches and places both among the clothes in his original bag. Thoden watches from the patio threshold. The two writings will travel with him, still in his own keeping.
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Saevren rests at the bed's edge in charcoal shorts while the large Thoden settles in the adjacent patio. — BR2-R56
A Quiet Room, a Larger Shadow
Saevren sits at the edge of the bed while Thoden settles on the broad patio support. Their belongings are already put away. The familiar room holds a much larger shadow now, and one last quiet interval before departure.
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Saevren and Mevrin return borrowed training loads, straps and an insulated garment at the workshop bench. — BR2-R57
What Goes Back to the Workshops
At the White Workshops, he returns the borrowed loads, straps and insulated garment with Mevrin. Their conversation continues beside the working bench. The things that served the lessons stay here, ready for another person's use.
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Nerysse and Varetha farewell Saevren with his luggage as the large Thoden waits on the departure platform. — BR2-R58
The Way Toward the Crucibles
Nerysse says farewell at the sheltered exit, with Varetha beside her and the next route ahead. Saevren carries his own luggage once more. On the broad platform, Thoden waits at his full height, ready to make the journey by his own means.
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Saevren walks behind a magical gallery barrier as Thoden flies separately through bromine beyond an opaque buttress. — BR2-R59
He Finds His Own Way
The gallery keeps Saevren and his luggage dry while Thoden flies through the bromine outside. When the buttress hides them from one another, Saevren gives a brief, quiet pulse. Thoden finds the direction and turns for himself, carrying their journey onward on four wings.
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