###¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ##¨#¨###¨¨
¨##¨#¨##¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨¨##¨#
¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨##¨#¨##¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨##¨#¨##¨# 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.       ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨##¨#¨##¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨##¨#¨##¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#
¨##¨#¨##¨#                                          ¨#¨#¨#¨#¨#