A/N: Hey guys! I apologize for the long wait… most of my stories are on hiatus at this point in time. But I am working a lot on my two Hunger Games stories, Gone and The Worst Moments. I don't own SotL, sadly.

Daine laughed. She was finding more and more ways to communicate with Kitten- not all of them verbal. Soon, it seemed as though she had known the young dragon her whole life.

A loud knocking startled her up off the floor. "Hold on a moment," she called, realizing she wasn't very dressed. She quickly threw on some worn work breeches and a clean shirt and yelled, "You can come in now!"

Numair entered the room. "Magelet, have you been awake the whole night?"

Daine furrowed her eyebrows. "I guess I have," she replied. "But look who I met!" she pointed to Kitten.

Numair gaped as Kitten sang a little trill. "That's her way of saying hello," Daine explained. "I don't speak dragon, but she's very good at communicating."

Numair regained his composure. "Little dragon, would you like to join us for meditating?"

Kitten thought for a moment before trilling a note that went from high to low.

"She says yes, but she has a name. Kitten." Daine grinned.

"Very well, then. Kitten, follow me. Daine, we're going to try meditating outside." Numair commanded.

Daine shrugged and said to Kitten, "Come on; you're going to love the gardens." The young dragon spread her wings; "Oh, you can't fly there if you don't know where you're going!" Daine scolded playfully.

Kitten sheepishly refolded her wings and started waddling towards Numair. Daine ran to catch up and asked, "Can we go to the gardens?"

Numair nodded. "We're going to a quieter part, though."

Daine and Kitten followed obediently, into a large glass dome. There they found Numair walking towards an array of plants in sandy soil. "Desert?" Daine wondered aloud. "Why desert?"

Numair smiled. "Because the desert shows that if you work hard enough, you can survive in even the harshest of conditions."

Kitten sang a little melody that Daine recognized as a question. "Kitten wants to know why we have to endure this heat," Daine translated.

Numair smirked at this. "Why, to show you how to concentrate under difficulties, of course!"

Daine groaned; Kitten, thankfully, refrained from doing so. The latter would have caused a small flame, therefore raising the temperature and scorching many of the plants, which would have made Janel angry.

Numair closed his eyes. "Deep breaths. Meditate." His breathing became even and slowed to a point Daine was slightly scared for his life. However, she kept her own breathing under check, and was soon in a trance-like state. Nothing disturbed her; she disturbed nothing.

Animals from all around flocked to her. Spiny lizards crawled onto her shoulders; insects surrounded her crossed legs; a small fox settled into her lap. Still Daine did not move, unaware of all this. Her mind flickered between the mortal world and… was that what she thought it was? The Realm of the Gods had a gate, and it was swinging open to her.

Daine was about to step through when a small snake stopped her. "Be warned, child," it hissed sweetly, making Daine wary. "If you cross through, you may not be able to return. Cross without a guide, and you will not return, be certain of it. Choose carefully."

Daine looked uncertainly from the heavenly forests ahead back to the desert below. A badger, larger than the snake, came from- not from the forests, and not the desert. It had appeared out of nowhere. It roared at the snake and swatted it away. "Now is not the time, Daine," it said gently. "Go back to your friends."

Daine nodded slowly and floated back to the desert, back into her body. She woke to a loud screech.

Varice was shrieking, pointing at the animals surrounding Daine, while Numair was trying to explain something to her. Daine blinked sleepily and whispered to the animals, "You have to go now, okay?"

The animals shrugged and leaped of her lap. They all avoided Varice; Dain swore she saw the fox shoot the lady an evil glare, and Varice gave just as mean a look back. "What are you doing?" Varice demanded.

Daine blushed. "I was meditating, and the animals gathered," she explained. "That doesn't usually happen, though."

Numair looked thoughtful. "Magelet, where were you? We couldn't wake you."

Daine thought back to the gate. "I'll tell you later." When Varice isn't around.

Varice snorted, something most unladylike. "You'll tell us now, thank you very much."

Numair shot a warning look at Varice. "Varice, this isn't your land. You are a guest of the king here, and I would not abuse your stay."

Varice seemed to calm down. "Very well. Daine, will you please tell us at this moment in time?"

Daine seemed to consider this for a moment. "With all due respect, Lady Varice, I'd prefer to tell Numair at a different time. I'm not exactly sure what you have to do with this."

Varice folded her arms defiantly. "All right. Numair, come with me." Without further ado, she dragged him off.

Daine sighed and watched Kitten, flying around the greenhouse. So peaceful. If only Daine could be like her.