¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨