"Someone's having a bad day," Solal observed as the racer fiddled with their board.
Ignoring the comment, Raider sat forward, his gaze locked on the small figure.
It was the first time Raider had shown a spark of interest in anything in weeks. The typically arrogant human had become even more cold and combative since Kira and Elena’s disappearance.
Where Graydon's oshota had earned the Tuann’s respect during the journey to Jettie, Raider could be said to have earned the Tuann's fear. He was the opponent no one wanted to deal with. Some of that came from his vicious way of fighting, the rest on the fact he could take an extreme amount of damage and keep going.
To everyone's surprise, he fit rather well among Graydon and Wren's oshota.
"What is it?" Graydon asked, picking up on his preoccupation.
Raider nodded at where the racer was attempting to make repairs to their board. "They're rather good."
"Why do you say that?" Wren asked, looking over to see what held Raider’s attention.
Raider didn't answer immediately, instead studying the racer more closely. His eyes narrowed. "Not many of today's waverunners know the technical side of their boards. They only care about going fast and performing cool stunts."
Wren frowned. "How short-sighted of them."
Raider made an expression like he agreed. "It's rare to see someone who can attempt repairs on the fly like this."
Even more so considering the pressure the individual had to be under.
"Could you do it?" Graydon asked.
A confidence that bordered on cocky chased across Raider's face before he shrugged. "Of course. All the Curs can. It's a training requirement."
"Could Kira?" Wren asked.
Raider paused. His gaze returned to the racer, a coldness to it.
Graydon guessed they had their answer.
Wren leaned forward, studying the racer with a renewed interest. If that really was Kira down there, she had a lot to answer for.
Wren hadn't been happy when he was informed of her departure. The only reason he hadn't gone after her immediately was an order from the Overlord. Otherwise, he'd have hunted her down.
Graydon considered the racer. The chances of it being Kira were astronomically small, but the woman had surprised him in the past.
"They're wearing a mask," Solal noted.
Raider shook his head. "That's not conclusive evidence. Many of the racers wear helmets."
Except those racers also wore armor, whereas the racer below was clad in a flimsy long-sleeved garment with the hood pulled up. Why would they go to the trouble of covering their face with a mask that would do nothing to protect their head in the event of a crash?
Graydon could think of one reason—to conceal their identity.
"Should we go and retrieve this racer?" Baran asked.
Graydon's oshota all perked up at the question.
Graydon hesitated, sharing in his oshota’s desire to do exactly that. He shook his head. "We don't have enough evidence. If we're wrong and Kira is anywhere on this planet and hears wind of it, she'll go to ground."
The woman was nothing if not stubborn in the pursuit of her goals.
Disappointment crossed Amila's face. Even Solal seemed put out at the suggestion.
"Isn't that interesting?" Raider said with a low whistle.
