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When Raider let out a shuddering breath and settled into peaceful sleep, Seth lay down on his own bedroll. His hand was still on Raider’s chest.
He left it there.
CHAPTER 13
RAIDER’S ARCANE EYE had locked on the oasis fifteen minutes ago, but he hadn’t said anything. He wanted to see Seth’s face when it came into sudden view. As Umae crested the last dune, Raider pulled her to a stop and waited.
“Oh gods,” Seth murmured in exhausted relief as his gelding drew alongside Umae.
Seth’s beard had grown in since they’d left Shalaa. Raider kind of missed seeing the delicious line of Seth’s jaw, but the beard gave him a rugged look that suited him just as well.
Raider, did not, however, like the over-brightness of his green eyes or the dark circles under them. Seth had scared him this morning when Raider had looked around to find him gone.
If not for his arcane eye, Raider might not have found him so quickly. He might not have found him at all.
That eye had paid for its pain today. Raider was forced to be grateful for it.
“Come on,” Raider rasped and urged Umae down the slope, sand spilling in their wake.
The oasis sparkled in the golden light of early evening, a paradise of green and blue, a promise of rest and renewal. It stretched through the valley like an island in the sea of sand.
A deep spring fed the main pool that was the heart of the place, but precious underground water supported the grass and scrub that would feed the horses. That underground water also fed the trees that would provide shade and fruit. There would be small game as well.
Raider led the way into the trees along the smoothest path to the water. He slid down from the saddle, gripping it for support, and watched Seth do the same.
The horses plunged their noses into the pool. Because the horses had gotten most of the water the alembic could produce, they were not as dehydrated as the Seth and Raider, so they got to drink their fill. The men would have to be more careful.
Seth dropped to his knees and scooped water into his mouth. Raider watched closely then kicked his boot.
“Enough,” he rasped. “You’ll be sick.”
Seth drew back reluctantly. “Damn it.”
“You need to eat. You need salt. Then you can have more water.”
Seth got to his feet with a grunt. “I know. I know that. You drink.”
After Raider had drunk a little and they’d filled their water skins, they led the horses to where they would make camp, unsaddled them, and turned them loose to graze.
While Raider dug up the dried meat from their provisions, he kept an eye on Seth. Seth was exhaustedly laying out the bedrolls, not even bothering with the tent. Finished, he sat with a thump beside Raider.
Raider handed him a piece of salty camel jerky and a water skin. Seth began to chew with the slow deliberation that said he didn’t feel hungry but knew he needed the food.
Raider did the same with his own portion, and they ate the last of their dates. They still had farro but were both too tired to cook the grain. When Seth stopped eating, Raider pushed one more piece of jerky at him and made him finish the water skin.
When they lay down on their bedrolls, Seth was out in seconds. Raider took a little longer.
The nightmares had been creeping in the last few days, taking advantage of his exhausted mind. Raider didn’t want to dream. He wanted peace. He wanted ease. He wanted to feel good.
He lay down beside Seth. It was hard to be that close and not reach out. Raider liked to touch and be touched. He laid his hand on his own chest, letting the weight of it soothe him, his body remembering something that his mind did not.
***
Raider reclined against the pool’s rocky ledge, sitting on a shelf of stone and letting the cool water dissolve the memory of several days of weariness and deprivation.
After a long night of rest, after food and plenty of water, he was feeling much more like himself.
He and Seth had both woken late. After eating, Seth had wandered off to check on the horses and to take a look at the oasis. There were no signs of other visitors, so Raider had let him go alone, opting to come here. He’d been here for quite some time now and had no interest in leaving.
