Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of these characters except for Snake Sword and this story.

Howl, Sophie, Calcifer and Michael all belongs to Diana Wynne Jones and Miyazaki.

Chapter 1 in which all the problems begin.

It was a snowy day in Ingary, the land of the wizards. Sophie was cleaning the moving castle like she always did. Howl was upstairs in bed. He had caught a cold for the third time this month!

"Sophie!" He shouted. "Could you bring me some food, I'm starving!"

It was always like this when he was ill. Howl was always like a crybaby, Sophie thought. If Sophie and Howl didn't meet, then he had to get up from his bed and cooked lunch himself or maybe bossed Michael, his student to cook. The wizard was often busy and he was avoiding Sophie all the time. He didn't talk to her at all and that made Sophie really sad. Tears were streaming down from her cheeks. She wasn't important to Howl, she was only his hardworking maid who served him all the time and that was it. But why did she care about him? Why? He was vain, selfish wizard with no courage. Sophie knows many bad things about him, but still…he could be very kind and gentle sometimes and the way he looks, he was just…beautiful.

The eighteen year old girl was crying. She was so tired; she worked all the night and took care of the wizard, to make sure that he was ok. She knew in her heart that she loved him and that she will do anything for him. But now Sophie knew that she couldn't do that anymore, because she needs to be happy like everyone else. Her mother told her that before she died.

"SOPHIE!" the wizard shouted even louder than before. "I'm very ill; I will probably die if you don't feed me!"

"I'm coming!" she shouted back. She took a tray and put the spoon and the plate of chicken soup on it. Sophie had still tears in her eyes and the firedemon Calcifer, who was in the fireplace, noticed it.

"Sophie, are you all right?" He asked.

"Oh, don't worry about me", she said. "I was cutting onion before; it's because of that I cried. The smell is so strong, you know."

"But I didn't see that you were cutting onion before", he respond.

Sophie didn't say anything. Her face darkened and she started to walk upstairs with the tray.

"Sophie, I'm glad that you came at all" Howl said with a grin in his face.

"Here you are", she said and put the tray on his knees. She was not in mood to smile at him.

"Sophie, my dear, you look terrible", Howl said. "Did you sleep at all today?"

"Why would you care?" She shouted. "The only person you care about is yourself!"

"Stop yelling at me, he said. I'm ill, you know". He was scared; Sophie saw it in his blue eyes.

"I don't care if you are ill or not, because you never thank me for taking care of you!" "You don't even talk to me anymore"!" Maybe I should just leave this place, because I don't belong here".

Sophie runs out from the wizard's room and down from the stairs.

"Sophie, wait!" Howl said, but it was too late, because Sophie had already taken her coat and was in her way to go out.

"Sophie, where are you going?" Calcifer asked.

"I'm going out to the town," she said." I need to think."

"Will you ever come back?"

"Of course I will", Sophie respond. But she lied, because she will never come back.

Howl's POV

I didn't mean to hurt her which is the last thing I wish in this world. Girls are so strange sometimes. I hope that she will come back soon, because I really care about her. She is so stubborn and sweet.

Howl was sad.

I hope that she will forgive me…

Please review, but only constructive critic. I know that this chapter was short, but I prefer many chapters that are short, than a few chapters that are very long.

I will put in the next chapter right after this one…