Frieda awoke with an itch under her skin.

It wasn’t too unpleasant but it left her with a frown, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to deal with it.

She could feel the magick in the air and if she looked just right, out of the very corner of her eye, she could see it.

Green strands of magick floated through the air, caressing the town of Elswyth and the people within it.

Two thick strands had woven themselves against her wrists, a gasp escaping her mouth as a third made its way in to her heart.

“Oi! Frieda! You in there!” Leta’s voice echoed from downstairs.

“I am.” Frieda said, blinking slowly as the magick vanished from sight. She could still feel it against her skin.

“Did you feel that?” her sister demanded as she stomped into the room, swinging the door open with a crash.

“Protective magick.” Said Frieda.

“Druidic magick.” Corrected Leta. “What exactly did the Guardian tell you?”

“Uh… that we could take refuge in Aiyanna of the Four if anything happened to Elswyth? Oh, and, um, that is was only as long as Elswyth was under the uh, house of Joy.” Frieda shrunk away, her voice dropping, at the look on her sister’s face.

“Dagna and Varian.” Cursed Leta. “Why didn’t you warn us!”

“I told dad!”

“Not good enough! The Guardian wove a Corran blessed protection! Bound to us!” Leta shouted frantically. “We’re not ready for this! Gods above, I have so much work to do!”

She dropped to the floor with a moan.

Frieda stayed where she was, unsure exactly of what her sister wanted her to do about it.

“It’s fine.” Leta said, more to herself than Frieda. “It’s fine. Everything’s fine.”

A knock on the front door startled the both of them.

“Ah, come in?” Frieda called down.

It was Ellery and Bliss, entering with identical frowns.

“We’ll take her.” Bliss said with a sigh, lifting up their third.

“Try and keep us all in the loop next time, sis.” Ellery said. “I don’t think Leta can take much more stress.”

She always used to wonder why people considered the eldest of the Joy siblings cowards. The triplets were the most terrifying people that Frieda had ever met.