The young man laughed. "Why do you say that? Come on, sit down. Aldis outdid himself today, which means it's almost edible. Hey, is your hair a bit longer?"
I did not reply as I sat down on a crate beside the fire. Even if I wanted to reply, I could not tell the previous length of my hair; everything seemed so blurry, but the warmth of the flames felt good against my face.
The young man, whose name I thought was Bari, maybe, handed me a bowl of porridge, and I took it. The smell was not unpleasant, and I ate a few spoonfuls. It was bland, but it was warm.
A girl with dark hair and steady eyes sat across from me. She was watching me with an expression I could not read. "Elric," she said. "You look pale. Are you feeling well?"
I shook my head. "I have a headache. I don't remember... I don't remember a lot, actually."
The girl's expression flickered, but she did not say anything. She just nodded, as if she understood something I did not.
