"Alright, but ye will stay behind me just in case." Stefan waited for her nod, pulled his sword and led her through the trees. The closer they got to the castle, the larger it looked until all three stories of the round structure were visible and Stefan stopped. Instead of normal windows, narrow slits, some vertical and some horizontal, were visible in the brown stone and it looked to be sturdy still, unlike some of the older abandoned structures he had seen in his country. The wooden door was the only thing he could see with any damage.
"They say the King o' Scotland once lived here."
"Why did he leave?"
"'Tis haunted."
Stefan smiled. "I am tempted to see this ghost."
"Nay, we must not."
"Frightened, wee bairn?"
"Aye."
Stefan laughed. "Wait here then, but I will see this ghost." He pushed through the last of the tall bushes and walked closer to the castle. He wondered for a moment why he had not seen the structure from afar, but then realized the stones in the structure matched the color of the hills perfectly and the windows were too small to give it away unless a man had a keen enough eye to spot them.
He put his sword away and this time when he took her hand, she did not remove it. It was worth being tricked, he thought, just to have her hand in his. Cautiously, he took hold of the aged leather strap and gently pulled until the door opened a crack. Then he slipped his hand in the crack and opened it wide.
A musty smell greeted them, but it soon dissipated and when he took a step inside and his eyes adjusted to the scant light from the doorway, he discovered the great hall lavishly furnished with a fine oak table and several chairs still intact. A thick layer of dust lay on the table together with wooden bowls containing dry contents that might have once been someone's evening meal.
Caked with dust as well, a once magnificent tapestry still hung on one wall, although a corner of it had come loose. A stone staircase led to the next level and he started toward it but Kannak held back. He squeezed her hand to reassure her. "I see no ghost here; we must go up to find it."
"But what if the stairs …" Suddenly, a low groaning sound filled the whole castle. Kannak gripped his hand, wrapped her other arm around his upper arm and then hid behind him. "'Tis the ghost. Come away, Stefan."
"Listen." He put his hand on her arm to comfort her and waited. He did not have to wait long. When the sound filled the castle again, he smiled. "'Tis a wind chamber."