I do not own any of these characters they are all the propery of Dianna Wynne Jones!
Calcifer's Water Demons
Calcifer woke up, did a quick check on the castle and its occupants, and then reached for another log of wood to sleep on. Just as he was drifting off again, a slight movement upstairs caught his attention and he silently watched a tall lean figure floating down the stairs. Presumably the figure was floating so as not to wake the young woman sleeping underneath them. The wraith slipped past the hearth and threw a large kerosene fire starter to the fire demon and whispered,
"If you keep silent you'll get the whole box."
Calcifer merely glared balefully at the young wizard and began to chew reverently on the delicacy. Fire starters, having the same effect on fire demons as sugar has on toddlers, were usually forbidden within the castle. Then with a flash of a flamboyant purple and silver cloak the wizard was gone, out of the front door, and out of the fire demon's psychic reach.
Sophie awoke the next morning to find Calcifer spinning and dancing along the rafters, singeing the plants hanging from them, and leaving behind a thick trail off soot which spilled onto Sophie's pristine floor.
"Calcifer, what has gotten into you?" She demanded, and ducked hurriedly as he soared overhead.
The ball of sparks and flame simply cackled evilly, showing his fangs, before whizzing up the chimney and out of sight. Baffled, Sophie shook her head, then turning, clucked in anger as she noticed what an enormous mess the demon had managed to make. There was ash and soot all over the kitchen. She ran to the fireplace and yelled up the chimney, bursting with anger,
"And don't you dare think about coming back until you're ready to apologise!"
A few minutes later Markl, who had been woken by the commotion, dashed down the stairs and collided with Sophie's legs just as she was opening the cupboard.
"Grmph urg Sphgh," he mumbled as he gave Sophie her morning hug. Sophie laughed and pulled the young boy's head back slightly "Sorry what was that Markl?"
Markl grinned up at her and repeated himself this time without a mouthful of skirt.
"I said Good Morning Sophie" and then added "What's for breakfast?"
"I was just trying to decide that myself" she turned back to face the cupboard "would you mind stoking up the embers Calcifer left behind please?"
Markl turned to do as he was asked and frowned noticing the mess around the kitchen. Sophie had only had time to wipe down the surfaces and there was still black powder covering various areas of the kitchen. Noticing the boy's hesitation Sophie answered his silent question
"Who knows what it was but something got the wind up calcifer's tail this morning and he felt possessed to make this huge mess" Sophie huffed angrily "and now he has disappeared leaving me with this mess and nearly taking the rest of my hair with him."
Markl looked thoughtful for a second then shrugged and headed to the hearth to make a rarely called for natural fire. It wasn't until Sophie had finished making pancakes, and served them to an eagerly waiting Markl, Witch and Heen, that she noticed the absence of one of the "family" members. Usually the vain and flamboyant peacock would at least be in the bathroom by now. Heading up the stairs she made her way to Howl's door and knocked gently "Howl?" No Response. "Howl it's Sophie, breakfast is ready are you up?" Still getting no reply Sophie took a deep breath and opened the door.
Even after all they had been through together Sophie still felt a little uncomfortable in this room. It was just too intensely Howl, and as he was yet to clearly state his future intentions to Sophie, the slitherer outerer, she refused to allow herself outwardly to become too intimately attached to him. Inwardly however Sophie was afraid that Howl had owned her whole heart since he had helped a scared little mouse in the market place. But it would take an army of well trained elephants to drag it out of her; or, she admitted privately to herself, a well timed proposal. As she mulled over these things in her mind she pushed the portal inwards.
The room sparkled in a way that was dazzling to the senses at first until your eyes became used to it. Once her senses had adjusted Sophie realised that it was simply the sunlight streaming in the window reflecting off the millions of baubles and toys Howl had decorating his room. Sophie scanned the room looking for signs of life but only found a rumpled bed and a nightshirt crumpled on the floor as if its occupant had simply evaporated out of it.
"Now where have you gotten to" Sophie muttered to herself as she picked up the nightshirt and began to straighten the bed.
As she bent over to tuck the sheet a shiver ran down her spine causing the hairs on the back of her neck to rise. That only happened for one reason so slowly trying to act nonchalant Sophie straightened and turned expecting to find a figure lounging in the doorway. She was instead confronted with a chest covered in a flamboyant purple material trimmed with silver piping.
"You haven't been terrorising my spiders have you Miss Nose?"
Not one to be easily fazed Sophie simply looked up into the grinning face and grumbled in her best grandma voice
"Perhaps I wouldn't have to come up here and terrorise them if you were where you are supposed to be at breakfast time."
"Sophie don't be angry with me" he pouted, although it didn't quite get rid of the grin in the sapphire eyes he did look very repentant and Sophie felt herself soften slightly. However the curiosity that fuelled much of the trouble that Sophie ever found herself in wouldn't let Howl slither out with out explaining himself.
"Where have you been? What time did you leave? Why didn't you wake me to tell me you were leaving?"
Howl simply laughed at her onslaught,
"So many questions Miss Nose"
Then completely shattering all of Sophie's resolve to get answers he caught her chin on his finger and tilted her face so that he could brush his lips across hers in a fleeting tender kiss.
"Good morning Sophie it's nice to see you slept well, I'll meet you downstairs for pancakes"
Sophie watched him beat a hasty retreat from the room while letting the butterflies in her stomach settle. Then brushing her hands over the skirt of her dress she muttered to herself
"Slitherer Outerer, you could give lessons to a snake"
Then followed in the wizard's wake down to the kitchen.
Thenext chapter will be up asap thanks for reading i know it's just a little bit but there will be more
p.sThis is my first ever fic so please don't burn if you dont like it just don't read it, constuctive comments however are always appreciated
Thankyou Dizzybif