¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«*                                          *«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«                                          «,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,                                          ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,« 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.       &^*«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«*^&&                                          &&^*«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«*^&&#                                          #&&^*«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«*^&&##                                          ##&&^*«,¨¨
¨,«*^&&###                                          ###&&^*«,¨
¨¨,«*^&&##                                          ##&&^*«,¨¨