"Are you awake?"
A sudden greeting came from the direction of the bonfire, startling Bartlett, who had just awakened from his sleep. He looked in the direction of the voice, but there was nothing by the fire.
Did the sound come from the flame? Bartlett was a bit confused. He glanced at the fire, the flames small and gentle, embers concealed beneath the burned-out firewood; with the wind, the embers flickered, nurturing the energy to burn fiercely again.
"It seems you're not." The flame spoke once more.
Am I still dreaming? No, that's impossible. The Adventurer's keen intuition had returned to him - this was his campsite for tonight, and he was awake.
Bartlett stood up and looked at the bonfire again.
No, there was something beside the fire after all - a short figure was hidden by the bonfire and its cooking pot. It was the dwarf Merrill.
"I'm awake, just a bit dizzy." Bartlett rubbed his head in response.
