“Flisety? Can you hear me?”

The sounds shuddered through her, vibrations that seemed to echo from the very earth itself. As they travelled up her paws, they formed into disconnected words, growing in clarity until she could just about hear fragments of a tone. The voice was laced with nervous excitement, and definitely belonged to Kalia.

“If you can hear me, speak into the band to reply. Though it doesn’t have to be into the band, exactly, just in the right direction so the enchantment can pick it up. As long as you speak aloud.”

Even through magic, Kalia still managed to ramble. Flisety smiled. She glanced back through the brambles, confirming that Edkar was still sitting nearby, and then hurriedly clambered along the back of the shelter and emerged the other side. She might still be within earshot of a couple of wolves playing in the street, but hopefully they wouldn’t look at her too strangely.

“Please tell me you can hear me, Flisety. I hope you’re not lost, or something. That would--”

“I can hear you, Kalia,” Flisety called, her snout tilted towards the band. A laugh slipped out before she could stop it.

A cheer vibrated through her paws. “That’s great! Anyway, this is my signal, if you haven’t guessed.”

“I like it,” Flisety said. “Is this using Jael’s magic again?”

There was a pause. “Sorry, I forgot you couldn’t see me nodding. Yes, the sound travels through the earth rather than through minds, so I didn’t need a Mystwylf Mindsharer.”

“Clever. So, how do I find you now?”

“Just feel for the band’s magic, and follow where it leads. It should be obvious once you get it.”

“Alright. Easy enough.” By now, reaching for her magic was second nature to Flisety. She tugged at the band with it, hoping that the touch of magic would awake some trail for her to follow. But nothing changed. All she achieved was rubbing the material against her leg.

Frowning in concentration, she lifted her paw and slipped the band off, the grasp of magic maintained so that it floated before her. She twirled it in the air, then gave it a harsh tug, frustration rising as a growl in her throat. Perhaps it wasn’t so easy.

With a sigh, she dropped it to the ground and pulled it back over her paw. Kalia hadn’t said anything about taking it off, so that probably wasn’t the solution. She tried again, feeling every part of its leathery pink surface, before finally giving her head a disappointed shake. Maybe it only worked for Kalia because she was a Powerplacer. Maybe a Mindmover couldn’t get such enchantments to work.

“I can’t feel anything,” she admitted to the band.

There was a brief silence before Kalia came through, her tone clearly heavier. “Told you it wouldn’t work.”

Opening her snout, Flisety made to say something reassuring, but she was interrupted by a thump from the other end. “It does work.” Mak’s voice, fiercer. “How are you feeling for it, Flisety?”

There seemed only one way, but she was hardly going to disregard Mak’s determination. “Like usual. By reaching out with my magic and--”

“Ah, that’s the problem.” Even in broken vibration, Mak’s smile leaked through the earth. “Ignore your own magic. Focus on the band itself, on the essence of Kalia and Jael’s magic.”

“Okay.” Relief settled within her. “Thanks, Mak.”

This time, she pushed her magic down. It instantly fought to rise up again, tingling in her claws. Her mind’s touch felt naked without it. Still, she battled with it, focusing on locating another magical feel, one foreign to her thoughts.

A thread of something tickled her consciousness, and she grasped for it, soon finding it was two threads intertwined. It was an odd sensation, but once she had it in her mind’s hold, the band’s magic felt impossible to miss.

She raised her head to the street ahead. The magic tugged at her, pulling her to take a step forward.

“I’ve got it,” she said. “I’m on my way, Kalia.”

Another cheer resonated through the band, enough to make Flisety laugh aloud. “Yes! See you soon!”

Wrapping her mind tightly around the melded magics, Flisety set off at a brisk pace. She barely had to think about her steps. Her paws felt light, almost as if she was gliding a little above the path rather than striding along it. Kalia had already made the journey for her, and all she had to do was follow.