Serena's POV:

Darien was more or less milling around in one location as he tried to determine where I was. I could feel his frustration and I modulated my hum as I tried to figure out how to communicate where I was.

I looked around, but I had never seen such dense forest before. It was practically a wall of leaves and I had no clue how Saphira had managed to carry me into this tiny clearing. Dense leaves were not a reliable landmark... The sky also gave me no clues.

Saphira was a quiet and patient presence as I wrestled with my uncooperative magic. I let my hum die as I tried to think of another way. Whistling hadn't worked and I wasn't about to touch true song with something like this. That was just asking for trouble.

My magic was known to do some rather unpredictable things at times and I didn't want unpredictable while I was just testing things. I noticed that Darien's frustration was rapidly rising since he could no longer hear my 'call'.

I start humming faintly again, just to reassure him that I was fine. I was getting a bit frustrated as well, but by my lack of ability. This was like calling a taxi and telling them to come pick you up, and when they asked where you are, all you can say is, 'I have no idea and there are no addresses in sight. There is a cool looking tree on the corner though...'

Not helpful in the least.

What could I do? I had no idea where I was and asking Saphira would be cheating. I knew which direction Darien was in due to the soulbond's pull, but that was it. Wait a second... Could that work?

I may not know where I was, but I knew where I was in relation to Darien. My hum got louder as I concentrated on what I was picking up from the mate bond. I focused on trying to relay the pull's direction. It was quite different from trying to relay a physical direction.

I had no real way to judge the actual distance between us, but I knew he wasn't as far away as he had been the night I had been stuck in the ship's cargo hold. A smile crept onto my face as I sensed Darien starting to head directly towards me.

I grinned at Saphira, "I think I managed it." I was thrilled about finally figuring it out.

She looked intrigued and grinned in return before turning to watch the forest once more. Darien's path started to deviate a bit and I hummed again as I relayed the correction in direction. He immediately picked up speed and headed straight towards me once more.

Considering how long Saphira had carried me, Darien was closer than I had anticipated. He came into sight at an easy run, more relaxed this time than the last since he knew exactly where I was.

I started jogging towards Darien with a grin on my face, "I did it!"

His heartwarming smile alone was worth the test. He wrapped me in a hug before lifting my feet off the ground and spinning me around. I laughed in delight at his oddly playful manner.

He finally put my feet back on the ground as he gave me a gentle kiss, which I happily returned before leaning my head against his chest. I was relieved that I finally found a way to let Darien know where I was. I only wished I had discovered it earlier.

Darien spoke, "Feel like trying again?"

I raised my head and nodded.

I leaned on the porch railing and commented to Saphira, "I tried to keep my location out and only show the direction. I wonder if he will think he was mistaken."

This was our sixth attempt and I had been able to relay my direction without problems, regardless of how turned around I was. She was amused. "The other Dranek have scattered widely around the village, so their presence will not tip him off. I guess we will see."

An idea occurred to me and I skipped down the stairs. Saphira watched me and I grinned at her, "Let's go hide in the garden shed. I can't see him thinking to look there."

I started jogging around the house and Saphira easily caught up with me within seconds. "You want to hide in a garden shed?" She questioned me in amusement, as if to ensure that she had heard correctly.

I laughed, "Come on, haven't you ever played hide-and-go-seek before?"

"Not in a garden shed..." She murmured.

"Then we will just have to broaden your horizons!"

"You are aware that he will be able to hear the sound of our breathing, right?"

I groaned faintly at her logic. How could I have overlooked that? "I am not even sure how good his hearing is. I know he can hear my heartbeat in the next room if there isn't much noise, but that is about it... Do you think the sound of the leaves in the wind could cover it up?"

She shrugged, "I do not know." She thought for a moment before grinning, "The shed will probably be pretty stuffy in this heat, but we can hide behind it."

It was great to have a friend who was willing to help me tease Darien. I hadn't known Saphira for that long, but I already counted her as a friend. It had been a very long time since I had felt this care-free and open.

I sat down in the soft grass behind the shed and Saphira sat down beside me. There were a couple of trees nearby and the gentle breeze was creating a rustling noise. I was guessing that he wouldn't be able to hear us over the louder sounds.

Darien's path was starting to go astray, so, as I had previously, I hummed lightly while sharing the mate bond's pull. I very carefully tried to shield all other information, but I really had no clue what he was sensing. I was humming, not giving directions over a phone...

He corrected his course and started to get closer. I whispered, "He isn't that far away."

Saphira nodded silently. For some reason, I was almost giddy with excitement. This was almost like a game and it had been a very long time since I had done something like this.

I stilled as I heard the front door of the house open and close. In the forest, Darien merely had to find the Dranek guards and head to the center of their group to locate me. This time was different.

He wasn't inside long before coming out and continuing once more in the direction he had been going, possibly thinking that we had made him pass through the town on purpose.

I waited a few minutes before faintly humming as I informed Darien that I was now behind him. The bond let me know that he was once more getting closer. The bond was calm, so Darien wasn't agitated or frustrated. He knew I was close by and probably hiding.

I heard several other doors on other houses open and close as he did a quick check inside. Saphira had been correct, he must be listening for our breathing or heartbeats since he was only inside each place for a handful of seconds. It was also possible that he might be using his reading ability to see if anyone was within his range.

The bond's pull shifted as he started moving swiftly away from me. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion until I realized that he was circling the edge of the village. His current path meant that he would see us. If we tried to stand and sneak away, he would surely hear us.

I smiled ruefully as I realized that Darien's keen hearing made a fair game of hide-and-go-seek nearly impossible. Then again, it also meant that if I got lost, he would be able to find me once he was close enough to hear me if I called.

Darien came into sight as he jogged behind the neighboring houses, he spotted us almost instantly. I commented to Saphira, "We really needed a better hiding place..."

She tilted her head in consideration, "I do not think it would have helped. He knew our rough location, so he only needed to do a grid line search until he got close enough to hear us."

Once again, she was correct, and we both knew it. Darien slowed to a stop in front of where we still sat on the grass as he watched me with warm eyes. He teased me, "Hiding from your mate?"

I rose to my feet and knew he would be able to sense how much fun I had with our impromptu game. He came forward to wrap his arms around me and I whispered by his ear, "No, and I have no desire to truly hide from you, although I don't think it would be possible even if I tried."

In my mind, that was a plus. I would never be alone again because I knew Darien would never leave me.

"I would always come for you."

That was exactly what I hoped for. I never wanted to be separated from Darien and I knew he felt the same way. Love overflowed from my heart once more and Darien's breath wove through the hair on my head as he murmured, "I love you too."

"Even as I love you." I really had no words that could accurately describe my love. It was too vast to be contained by mere words. Words were unnecessary though, he could sense it.

A quick peek at Saphira showed that she had once more taken up the hobby of cloud watching.