&,&,&&,,,,                                          ,&,&&&,,&&
&&&&,&,,,&                                          &&&,,&,&,,
,,,&&&,,&,                                          ,,&,&&&&,&
,,&,,&,&&&                                          ,&&&,,,&&&
,&&,&&&,,,                                          &,,&,,&,,&
&,&&,,&,,& 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.       &,,&,&,&,,
,,&&,,&,,,                                          &,&&&&&&,&
,&,&,&&,,,                                          &&,,,,,&&&
&&&&&,&,,,                                          ,&,,,,&,,&
,,,,&&&,,&                                          &&,,,&&,&,
,,,&,,&,&,                                          ,&,,&,&&&,