...&&.&.&. .&&.&&&.&&
&..&.&&&&& &&.&&..&&.
&&.&&&.... &.&&.&.&.&
..&&..&... &&&.&&&&&&
&.&.&.&&.. ...&&.....
&&&&&&&.&. 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. .&.&...&.&
.&&&.....& .&&&&..&&&
&&..&....& .&...&.&..
&.&.&&...& .&&..&&&&.
&&&&&.&..& &&.&.&...&
.....&&&.& ..&&&&&..&