The Gardens

Castle de Stryke gardens were magnificent tp behold.

A place where one could get lost in his or her own thoughts.

Romance could be sparked on a quiet walk through cool green corridors.

Or enjoy a walk in the sun along the reflecting pool.

It had been a couple days, into the foreign conference.

Roth thought he'd clear his mind to take in a tranquil walk along the meandering garden path.
He gazed up at the sun, and decided he'd take a walk over to the Rose Garden.

There was a babbling stream with water running by, he decided to wash his face.

The Roses looked like the first Roses of the spring, they were in early bloom.
Roth leant over and smelled the Rose bud, he enjoyed the fine frangrance of the Red Roses.
There at the clearing stood a big oak tree, Roth, laid up against the tree trunk.
He started to doze off.

Roth awoken to his kilt been tugged, he rubbed his eyes......
For a brief second he saw a young woman, standing over him.
She looked beautiful she was holding a parchment in her hand.

"Thou come for me, my dearest Scot".
The apparition spoke and disappears.

Ock, that is some spirit in that one, Roth said.
Aye, I'm getting out of here before she comes back.

Having run quick to the armoury, young Seamus comes to the entryway to the castle gardens, bearing at his hip a finely crafted dark steel scimitar of moorish make. As he approaches he looks to see if the lady guest he is to walk with is still around.

Ghostwriter stood quietly looking around her as she waited for Seamus to return from whatever errand he had run to do, unsure what to expect. As she saw his approach she noted the sword at his hip with its curved blade and could not remember seeing it before. She guessed this was something he might use in his profession as a soldier.

You weren't gone too long afterall, she said smiling as Seamus neared.

Smiling a bit self-consciously, Seamus again offers a gentlemanly arm, and murmurs Eh, twas just a short trip down th' way. I wanted tae take up what was needed tae warrd yerserlf wie me ain hand. I dinnae think therre weel be need, but still tis a guid habit. Anyway, shall we, My Lady?

Ghost took Seamus' arm and looked in the direction they would walk before looking up at Seamus with a twinkle in her eyes.

Are there wild animals in the garden Sir? she asked jokingly, laughing softly before berating herself for jesting. Yes... yes a good habit indeed. Yes let's walk, Sir.

Arching a brow playfully, Seamus chuckles softly. Weel, th' place does abut on th' wilds, an' the hunting grounds, sae therre may well be. , he says slyly.

Seeing him arch his brow Ghost laughed softly with him as he chuckled. The Stryke estate seemed to be huge Ghost decided, her rush to arrive having made it impossible for her to see much of her surroundings. Gardens with wild animals she laughed again to herself at the image of Seamus fighting wild animals, and looked at him shyly, glad he could not hear her thoughts.

A large estate then... she said aloud looking round them. Hunting... so... she paused thinking then there could well be wild creatures about.

Still smiling, and chuckling a little, he continues Aye, hunting grounds. But seriously, tis mainly force of habit, being in an almost all military family. We lay the tools of our trade aside indoors, but mun feel rather undressed out of doors, wi'out them. An' this be a fine blade which I hae been promising Caiti I would st..err..claim, sae since we were coming outside, I went an' got it. His face colouring, just faintly, the young man murmurs An' I would nae ever dream of takin' a walk wie a nice lady, such as yerrsel' wi'out a means of defending yer honour should it be needful. Tha' be a purrely chivalric thing. Sae, shall we walk round th' arbor, or doon past the pools an' springs?

Ghost listened to Seamus as he spoke, his lilting accent a pleasure to hear. She could understand habit.

Jah forbid that you should be undressed out of doors, she said, then realising her words blushed and laughed nervously. I... err... I mean that you should feel thus.

Ghost took a deep breath to calm herself, feeling she was making a fool of herself, glancing at him as he continued to talk. She smiled at his chivalry.

The arbour sounds pleasant... pools and there are springs? she asked looking at him with interest.

Offering an arm one more, Seamus leads the way along the paths to an area where the trees grew close, and the very greenery seemed to take the place of the columns and walls, and artfully laid tiles and flagstones enclosed tiny pools made by the natural springs in the area. Aye, Lady. Arbors we hae, an' pools which are really springs, for this place is rich in water, an' nature. Passing one such tiny pool, he stops. Retrieving a tiny, hand carved figurine, seemingly of a faerie creature, he places the figurine gently in the pool, murmuring very softly, Ye Powers an' Airrts, behold. We dinna forget thy bounty. Looking quietly at his companion, he is silent, wondering what the lady will make of this place. However, the faintest of smiles indicates his own thoughts on such a display of riotous greenery and plant life.

Taking his arm Ghost walked along with Seamus along several paths to an area with walls and columns created with greenery, the symetrically laid tiles and flagstones pretty to her eye, but her attention going to the tiny pools. Ghost watched him take a figurine and placed it into the pool, murmuring to it softly. Ghost looked at the figurine, bending down to run the tips of her fingers lightly in the water, causing subtle ripples and smiled. Straightening up Ghost looked around at the area before turning to Seamus smiling.

It's beautiful here, very ordered, she said smiling. In my old garden... in the home I recently left... I had a river running through it, but fountains in another area. Now, my current home I have the sea nearby... a short walk away.

Ghost looked at the well ordered greenery, comparing it with the more natural greenery in her garden, the more natural look, but not untidy.

I like to be outdoors, Ghost said smiling. What about you, Sir?

Features softening into a rare, and genuine, smile, Seamus nods. Aye, Lass. I might wish, perhaps, fer a muir unstructured example of nature. A wild grove or dell, mayhaps. But outside is outside, an' therre be noo shame in seeing nature placing hersel' over top of what man hae made. If it be nae too strange, I truly enjoy finding such places of nature as migh' be attributed tae the Old Ways. Seems tae me tha' in such places, though one find a veritable riot of growth, it still is ordered in its ain way.

Ghost nodded her agreement to what Seamus said. I have my own orchard, not an arranged one, with trees in lines, but one where its more natural... in the centre of this is a clearing... a favourite spot of mine, Ghost said visualising the area at the back of the rest of her garden, picturing the meadow that in spring was a mass of purple as spring crocuses flowered. Looking back at Seamus, dragging her mind to the here and now Ghost smiled, feeling relaxed.

I have always been drawn to water... ponds, rivers, lakes, she said quietly. I love to walk in my garden, and now with moving back to my old home I shall have the beach at Holywell to walk on.

Nodding quietly, Seamus watches the greenery for a moment, then says Aye. Tae each an element, or aspect. Then, archly Noo, if yer after lookin' th' other way, ye'd come tae th' groves an' stones. I met a standin' stone, away oop in Cumberland, once. Strangely enow, I swear the stone was singing. After I looked carefully, I found it werre actually in the center of a ring of stones, an' harrd beside, just across th' ridge top werre a grove of great old oaks, wie a wee tiny spring in the midst. Needless tae say, tis a favourite ha'nt of mine, when I be hame.

Ghost listened to Seamus, picturing what he described in her mind's eye. It sounds like heaven, she said softly. Where is it you call home? she asked smiling, curious.

Still in his reverie somewhat, Seamus looks at the lady for a moment before realizing what she has asked. Weel, I werre borrn sommat east an' sou'east of Dumfries, but I came south tae become squire tae me cousin, sae now I make home in Keswick, Cumbria. She be a braw land, an' still half wild or muir. All hills an' ridges an' rocks an' trees an' wild waters, don't ye know.

I've never been past Lancaster... was going to go further north but things pulled me south again, Ghost said, thinking of her plans to head to Scotland. I have been told its beautiful up there, in a wild way. A memory stirred of a previous conversation and she smiled recalling the detail she had been given.

I guess that without seeing it... she started to say, but stopping to ask. Is it very secluded there?

Seamus takes a long moment to picture his home in his mind. He purses his mouth slightly as he thinks, then says It is well peopled, yet there are many places where one can find tracts that are still fully wild. Surrely, we hae our farms an' industries, an' towns. But th' majority of the land isnae right for farming, sae folk let it be. Thus man's impact is muir like unto clearings in a grreat rocky woodland, libarally cut through wie rivers an' such.

Ghost listened as Seamus spoke, trying to imagine it. She smiled and glanced round where they were and looking up at him said... Nothing like here then with the well pruned plants, the tidy pathways...

Pausing she wondered what other areas were to be found in Caitlin and Baldar's gardens. She imagined they were all tidy and ordered, and yet despite this would be beautiful like the area in which they stood now.

What's your favourite place when you come here? she asked meaning the estate as a whole. Oh but thats very nosy of me... I ramble it seems.

At her comment on nosiness, Seamus is unable to refrain from snickering. Ach, Lass. Ye dinna even see the hunting grrounds yet. Once we gie outside th' garden walls, therre be nae order, only nature. An' trees an' critters abound, from hare tae great stags an' other such. Even wild kine, so I hear. Who knows wha' live oot therre, for we dinna wall it in. As tae yer question, I mun say, I am torrn twixt all of't for I am nae herre enough fer gettin' truly attached, frankly. We all spend far too much time on duty, an' I've spent muir time oop Keswick, than I did herre. I like the gardens as a whole, an' the hunting reserrve, naturally, yet also the tower an' the kitchen an' the armoury. I dinna really know how to say it. An' I dinnae think ye're being nosy. A curious lady is a braw lovely lass. At least tae me, if a mon might be soo bold.

Ghost blushes as he snickers at her and listens as he speaks, watching his facial expressions, listening to his words. Ghost smiled as he told her he did not think her nosy, but a curious lady. Thank you, Sir, she said quietly, looking at him shyly almost. No, I don't think you bold, anymore than you think me nosy. I have this bad habit of asking questions, but without doing so I would therefore be ignorant.

Though you're here not too often you are at home here, even if Marie chases you out of her kitchen, Ghost continued, laughing softly, remembering what had been said earlier. Outside of the garden walls is the hunting reserve, to which I guess you enjoy very much? You like to hunt... and ride? she asked.

I've never hunted, as I am sure you can tell, Ghost said blushing at the silliness of her question about riding. Yes, can see far more of nature from the ground than raised on a horse. Surprises? she asked raising an eye brow at him and suppressing a laugh, but her eyes sparkling in amusement.