¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
&&&¨¨¨&&&¨                                          ¨¨¨&&&&¨¨¨
¨&¨¨&¨¨&¨¨                                          &&¨¨&&¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
&&&&&&&&&&                                          ¨¨&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& 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.       ¨¨&&&&&&¨¨
&&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨&&&&¨¨&
&&&¨¨&&&&¨                                          &&¨¨&&¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨                                          &¨¨¨¨¨¨&&¨
¨¨¨&&¨¨¨¨&                                          ¨¨&&&&¨¨¨¨
&&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨                                          ¨¨¨&&¨¨&&&