Maeve continued along the small village, towards where her own family resided. She slipped into the home and exhaled, heavily.

    Richard Henry wanted her for a job… This had to be a joke, right? The Buckley family was so often overlooked that it would've had to be. To Maeve, there was no way it wasn't.

      She ran her hands over her face as she contemplated her options.

      “Oh, no,” a voice began to ring out. “...You look quite stressed.”

      “Nora…” Maeve pulled her hands away and let them fall back down. “...is it that obvious?”

      Her younger sister, Eleanor, nodded. “Yes. You're decently pale. …You're doing that thing you only do when you're stressed out… Hands over your face, blocking out the rest of the world around you. …which isn't a very effective way to solve your problems, you know, dear sister.”

     Maeve sighed at Nora's words. “Yeah, I know. When I do that, I'm just ignoring everything else around me.” She paused. “...I don't know what to do.”

    Nora raised an eyebrow, accessing her tone and posture. “...You're a tad bit nervous about something. Someone offered you a chance… What for, I do not know, but—-” She pushed forward. “...You think what ever offer was made to you is a joke… A cruel one, I'm guessing.”

    Maeve nodded. “Reverend Henry wants me to find Aelod.”

     “Your best friend Aelod?” Nora paused. “Yes, I can see how this offer would be tempting.” She wetted her lips. “...But, it is peculiar to say the least that Lord Henry would offer this to you.”

     “I want to say yes,” Maeve confessed to her younger sister. “...Aelod is like a brother to me. …He means a lot.”

     Nora nodded. “...Aelod is a like a brother to us both. But do you seriously want to risk this all being some way to embarrass our family more?”

    Maeve paused, debating on whether or not to say any more—-finally, she decided to continue speaking. “It's not just the embarrassment I'm worried about.”

    “Oh?” Nora began in response. “...then what else is it that you fear, dear sister?”

     Maeve exhaled the little bit of breath she didn't even know she was holding in. “It's about finding Aelod… and bringing him back.”

     “...what about it?” Her sister questioned.

     Maeve said, “Well, besides the fact Richard does not truly care about Aelod’s well being and only cares for the sake of his reputation, I just—-” She stopped for a moment before continuing. “I just fear that I might find him too fast.”

    “And what ever is the problem with that? If you find him quickly and this is not a joke, then Lord Henry will applaud your work. Maybe even reward you too,” Nora said.

     Maeve rubbed her arm, nervously. “If I do it too quickly, Reverend Henry might start to look into it… My success. It may raise certain suspicions.”

     Nora’s mouth made quick ‘o’ shape as she realized what her older sister was aluding to. “You're afraid he'll find out you're a witch. …that they all will.”

    Maeve nodded. “Precisely.”

    Nora inhaled. “Yes… Punishments are bound to be severe if they do catch wind of it. …Hanging, perhaps… Considering that we're not in the Old World anymore, I doubt there will be a chance to be tied to a pyre.” She paused. “It’s closer to something like… Tied to a chair, thrown into a lake… just to see if you float.”

    Maeve swallowed, slowly. “That's exactly what I'm afraid of. But if I say no, who knows how Lord Henry will respond.”

    Nora sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It definitely seems like a ‘damned if you, damned if you don't’ type of situation.”

     “See my dilemma?”

      Nora nodded, eyes pinched closed. “Yes, I do.” She pulled her hand away, opening her eyes once more. “...But I'm sure if you do accept the job, you'll figure out a way not to do it in less than a day.”

    “You want me to slow down?” Maeve asked with a raised eyebrow.

    Nora nodded. “Slow down. Talk to locals. …Cover your tracks. Get some help. Make it seem like you didn't use some sort of locator spell or something.”

    “That's—-” Maeve began. “Not how that works.”

     Nora ignored that comment of her sister’s. “Better yet, don't use magic at all.”

     “Don't use my magic? You serious?”

     “Yes, I am,” Nora huffed. “Just rely on your senses, okay? I'm sure you can find him without the use of the untapped arcane.”

     Maeve sighed. “You're right…” She inhaled. “Thank you for that.” She turned away. “Guess it's time to tell Lord Henry I'm accepting the job after all.”