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