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“Scolding you? About what?”
“About you.”
“About me?”
Raider replied with a wry, “Oh, yes. And I don’t agree with her completely, but she made me realize something. Since you’re here, I might as well say it.”
“Okay.”
The way Raider’s eyes flicked briefly to Seth told him that Raider had heard the wariness in his tone. Then Raider studied the rug in front of him as he spoke.
“The thing is, I don’t want to cause you pain, but I don’t like avoiding you either. I think I’ve been doing that. No—” Raider shook his head. “I know I have. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Fuck. That wasn’t what Seth had expected, and it forced him to be honest.
“Well, I’ve been doing it too, and it’s not your fault, it’s mine. I’ve been … pushy. With my questions. I’m sorry. You’re right that it’s not my business. I don’t know why it feels like it is.”
Raider shrugged that away. “It’s in your nature to investigate. We all act according to our natures. I would like to point out, however, that I know even less about you than you know about me.”
When Seth blinked, Raider asked incredulously, “Did you not realize that?”
“No, I most certainly did not realize that.” And shit, it was true. Seth had revealed almost nothing about himself and had thought nothing of it.
“So,” Raider said, “did you need me?”
Yes. Seth barely trapped the word behind his teeth.
“No,” Seth said. “I just wanted to check on you.”
It was partly true. He’d been glad to have an excuse to seek Raider out, had been wanting to for days, but there was a reason he’d come looking for him. He decided not to reveal it.
He didn’t want Raider slogging through the sand after his runaway horse. He wanted Raider to stay here and rest and not be in pain.
Seth would deal with that mare himself.
***
Seth was almost back to the encampment with Umae when Raider came trudging out across the sand to meet him. Raider was fully dressed in his dark blue shalvar pants and red kaftan with its gold trim, his darker red kaffiyeh hooding his head. The sun was indeed brutal. If not for the cooling properties of the arcane fabric he wore, Seth would be dropping from the heat, even with his white kaftan shielding his skin.
“This is why you came to find me,” Raider accused as soon as he was within speaking distance. “Why didn’t you say?”
“I figured I could catch her once Fahet got that horrid stallion under control.”
“You’re not responsible for her. Come here, demon.” Raider held out his hand for the rope, which Seth handed over. Raider spent a long moment looping the rope in his hands. “Thank you for catching her.”
“She could be in foal.”
Raider’s grin flashed, and he patted the mare’s arched, coppery neck, deftly deflecting her attempted nip. “I hope you enjoyed yourself, my dear. You certainly caused plenty of trouble.”
“It wasn’t just her,” Seth pointed out as they started walking back to the caravan.
“Did they destroy anything?”
“They ran through Chief Karek’s tent.”
Raider winced. “Anybody hurt?”
“No. Who told you?”
