Asher smiled, his eyes still closed and his breathing carefully modulated. The morning was so much more welcome to him than the cold of night. The fire had burned away during the darkness, but spring was fast approaching, and the days were far warmer now than a few weeks before.

After a time, he sat up, stretched to one side leisurely, and slid a hand across his face. He had some stubble growing: he might have to shave soon. Then he glanced over at the other bed, where his roommate was already awake. "Good morning," he said. Then he noted something was amiss in the room.

The parchment had been moved. Slightly, very slightly, but it had been rolled the opposite way last night, and now it wasn't. He smiled again. "I see you liked my story," he said, pointing to the scroll.