&&¨¨&&¨&¨& &&&&&¨¨&&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&¨¨ &&&&&¨&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨&¨& ¨&&&&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&¨¨ &¨&&&¨&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨&¨& &¨¨&&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&¨¨ 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. &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&¨¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨&¨& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&¨¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨&¨& &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&¨¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨