Before the seasons change

It was an easy walk out to the near by gardens from the castle, her pace a calm stroll as she took Ciaran out for a walk through their nearby lands. The castle almost felt too quiet now that her family that had been staying with them had made their way back to Boreas, but in a way she was thankful for the break and the opportunity to spend more one-on-one time with her children. The first part of their lives had been full of so much turmoil that it was nice to be able to slow down and enjoy the last remnants of Auster's spring. The gardens were lush and full of green foliage, the leaves and grass slightly damp from a spring shower that had passed through earlier in the morning. She smiled as she glanced down at Ciaran when they reached an intersection in the garden's stone pathways. "Which way do you want to go?" she asked the dark, blue striped boy while she attempted to peek around the tall bushes to see if she could make out anything that might be in the path ahead. "Do you think left or right will be more interesting?"

"Briar Carpathius"