This past Spring, in the month of May, the staff here at the estate requested a holiday away. Although I reference them as staff, they are in reality, good friends who share the same ideas and goals with me. I was happy to meet with Zyndal and Basio and discuss a possible journey for everyone. After consultation, Zyndal suggested the land of Chambria, known for it's beautiful lakes, mountains and forests. I presented this idea to the staff and they were ecstatic. Our journey would begin as soon as preparations were made.

Two days later, we were ready to begin. Leaving the house unguarded, except for the faithful dog, Mugsy, we all started down the winding drive and about twenty minutes later arrived at the Vortex of Images. I took out the small harp on it's silver chain from around my neck and gently plucked two of the strings. The winds began to increase while a mysterious vision appeared before us. With Basio in the lead, we each stepped cautiously into the circle of light.

Xanthe was next, followed by Caleshpa, Ryannus and then Alban. I went before Zyndal, and after coming through the circle created by the vortex, I noticed strange noises all around me. The rest of the group was standing there waiting for us with looks of alarm on their faces. This was supposed to be a holiday in a delightful vacation spot, but as I looked around, my heart sank. Zyndal was right behind me and he stopped in his tracks as he realized his mistake.

Instead of enjoying the beautiful vistas of mountains and valleys spread before us, we seemed to be standing in the middle of a mysterious, darkened garden. Twilight filled the sky above with the deep colors of purple and violet. Sounds of quiet little giggles surrounded us, while specks of blue light flickered among the leaves. Exotic vegetation clung to boulders of all sizes and the sounds of flowing water filled our ears. What was this magical place? We all looked to Zyndal for an explanation.

Zyndal has always been our faithful guide, although there have been a few hair-raising surprises. This seemed to be one of them. Expressing his own surprise, he asked us to wait while he checked our surroundings. He immediately disappeared into the darkness, his staff glowing with golden light. The darkness deepened as we awaited his return. The gentle laughter and the flickers of light continued around us with no explanation, but we felt no fear or anxiety. The rising moon revealed the outline of an ancient castle on a crag overhead. Torchlight spilled from several of the windows, but there was no sound from within.

Zyndal reappeared about fifteen minutes later with a smile of relief on his face. It seems that instead of delivering us to our planned destination, the vortex had inadvertently landed us in the south of Ireland. The castle of Blarney was overhead and we were in the gardens directly below it. We all enjoyed a chuckle at Zyndal's expense, but it was short lived as we were suddenly engulfed with a cloud of what seemed to be fireflies. They flew about as sparks in the wind and seemed to ask us to follow. The joyful music of a harp filled our ears and made us want to dance. Always ready for an adventure, we happily complied with their unspoken request.

The specks of light buzzed through the leaves as we made our way through the forest until we arrived at a wall of low hanging branches. These moved aside as we approached, revealing a spacious cavern that glowed with soft candle light. The harp that filled our hearing floated in the air above us, it's strings plucked by invisible hands. We felt welcomed in this enchanted glen and left all care behind.

I'm sure you can imagine the little elves and fairies that inhabited that magical garden dancing with us until the early dawn and our joy in their antics. The music track portrays our companionship and the enchantment spun around us on that most memorable evening..............Davutus