Because some people are telling me they enjoy this story, I shall from here on coni. the story! :D I'm glad people actually like it!

So here you all are, chapter 2!
I DONT OWN ANYTHING OF HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE


Sophie stood there. Her mother...traded her own daughter to a wizard? Her first thoughts were that of disbelief. "Yeah, right. And I'm suppose to believe my very mother would do something like that?" A hint of doubt echoed in Sophie's quiet voice. Her heart started to beat fast once again as anger, fear, hopelessness all coursed through her veins.

Howl looked down at her sympathetically for only a moment, before his expression turned cold. The man reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of chard parchment paper, but before she could reach for it, an all to familiar voice rang from the back hallway.

"Sophie dear! Are you there? I heard a loud noise and I-" Her usually grand looking mother opened the door from the side hallway, looking rather battered, (then again it was 4 in the morning, but she still looked more rough then Sophie could ever recall seeing her) "thought we were being...robbed." Her bright blue eyes fell on the wizard. Her face, even colder than his, stared, not looking the least bit surprised.

"So we meet again, Ms. Hatter. Might I say you look as lively as ever?" Sophie heard a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but her mother seemed none the wiser.

"Oh, I hadn't realized you'd come so early...let alone without allowing me to tell her." Fanny's normally chipper voice now iced over with a certain dull tone that shocked Sophie.

"MOTHER! Please tell me this a joke?" Sophie almost pleaded as the wet cloth slipped from her hand. This...this can't be real?! Please just someone tell her that her life was not committed to this wizard!

Fanny couldn't bring herself to even look Sophie in the eyes, "No. It's not...Sophie, I..." But before she could finish, Sophie darted down the long hall way and outside.

"Please Howl...watch after her..I know you will." Fanny bit her lip and tears started to form.

"You have my word, but you must realize, she is mine now, Ms. Hatter." Howl said as he started for the door, "I am to do with her as I please, in exchange for your wealth and her safety." As he turned to leave, he seemed to remember something, "Oh yes, and that curse on you, that Mister Stiffe conjured up, please go get that checked out. It's a nasty one to break on its own. Usually ends in death."

Fanny nodded and Howl left out the same door Sophie had.

She couldn't stop the tears from falling as she sat under a large old tree, about a few blocks down from the hat shop. Why would her own mother do that to her? Sophie cried a little hard, realizing she was busting her hump for the failing hat shop, while her mother had all that money. Why would someone do that to her? To anyone! Sophie felt so blind sighted and stupid. And now her life was to be spent with some wizard while she had absolutely no say in the matter. There was no point in hiding either, wizards could track their prey so easily, specially if their souls were contracted to him.
There was so much Sophie wanted to do with her life, make it out on her own, get a better job, marry a nice man, have several children but now...Sophie was on her knees, she bent over and began to sob even harder, her hands covering her face. It was all gone, her life was gone.

A soft hand laid on her back. She didn't even have to look up to know where the comfort came from. It wasn't that of Howls, but of someone not with them anymore. And for a moment, everything felt alright. "Dad." She whispered before she heard the quiet foot steps coming up the street.
She sat up, wiped her tears away. With new found strength, she watched Howl come into focus until he stood in front of her.

"Why?" She asked sternly, but her voice faltering. She looked him dead in the face, her eyes still wet with tears.

He looked down at her, "Sophie...I'm a wizard. This is my job, my living. I did not choose what entailed in this contract. Your mother made the offer. And for good reason."
Howl sounded empathetic toward the quivering girl.

There is never a good reason to trade you daughter for wealth
, Sophie thought as she shivered a little from the cold. Her eyes were cast down. This is it. She had no other choice...not yet any how. Sophie quiet mulled the situation over in her head, in a surprisingly calm manner.. Maybe this isn't the end, after all I'm sure there is a way to escape, tons of spells out there. I won't let my mother sell MY very soul. Its my life, and I can take back control. Sophie began to calm herself down. She was after all a pretty smart girl, there is always away out...she hoped.

Howl, almost instinctively knowing what Sophie was thinking, offered his hand out to her, "Are you ready to go, Sophie?" He turned his head slightly and smiled.

A small chill ran down her spine when she heard her name. For a moment she stared at the hand. This very offer was not of a wizard who wanted to harm her, of course he is not to be trusted. Feeling a ping of anger inside about the whole situation, Sophie brushed past Howl in a random direct, "Yes." She muttered.

A smile danced across his lips as the man grabbed her waist and with easy began to left her off the ground, "Good! I was hoping you'd say that! Such a good girl! And here I thought I'd have to force you." he teased.

As the two of them began to ascend off the ground, Sophie, for dear life, clenched tightly on the wizards chest. The air would have been cold and unforgiving had it not been for the warmth Howl gave off. Her eyes were closed tightly as she didn't care for heights, left alone flying!

In her time, it was normal for some wizards to show off their skills, only at shows. Any other time would have been illegal. But nevertheless, she's seen it all before, the flying stuff anyways. It was very common, but she never had ANY desire to practice any of the arts of magic She probably won't have been very good anyways...
Sophie couldn't help but to enjoy his slightly perfumed smell either. But she made she to not think to much on it, after all this man was taking her away from her home!

"Sophie, why don't you have a look? I promise its beautiful!" The wizard said almost excitedly, with one arm around Sophie's small waist, and the other resting at his side.

"I'm quite alright!" She said, burring her face deeper into his chest. But another thought crossed her mind, what if she could remember the trail back home? That would be very vital! Taking a deep breath, the brown haired girl quickly turned her head.
Her mouth fell open. They we're slightly above the clouds, the moon and the stars were so close she wanted to reach out and touch them. And they all were so bright! It was almost like day! Sophie couldn't believe how beautiful the sky was. It seems as if the night sky went on forever and that they walked on the very clouds beneath their feet. It was truly magical.

Soft lips came close to Sophie's ear, "I told you."

Sophie blushed and nodded a little, but before there was time to gander at the endless sky, they soon began to descent. That's when Sophie re-buried her face once again. This part wasn't so magical. She was never one for heights. She can feel her heart in her throat as they began to pick up speed, closer and closer to the ground. And before she knew it, she could her the sound of an old door open and close. Her feet landed gently on the ground

"Welcome, Ms. Sophie Hatter, to your new home." Howl cheered as he allowed his arm to still rest around Sophie's waist.
Home, Sophie remarked dully in her head as she looked up. Her mouth fell open again, but not in amazement of the beauty, but the horror of what laid in front of her. Cob webs, ashes, dirt, grime, bugs all infested this little room. What a mess! Sophie couldn't believe her eyes! The table to the right was no longer a table but a storage unit where it collected books and dust, the fireplace was so full of ash, you could barely see the glow of what little fire was there! There were stairs in the far back, covered with what appeared to be some slime and grit.

"Aw come now Sophie, this is another reason I need someone like you around. I barely have time to clean." Howl said as he walked walked over to the fire place and stoked the flames a bit, "There is also someone I'd like you to meet. Sophie, meet Calcifer." With gentle hands, howl reach over to the fireplace and grasped the little flame in his hand and presented it to Sophie.

Sophie was confused for a second before she saw two little eyes pop out from the flames.

"She will be staying with us for now on." Howl added.
Being respectful as she was raised (even in this horrible situation) Sophie bowed slightly, "Nice to meet you, little fire demon." She assumed that he was anyways.

"Hmm, that's some curse you got on you." The little fire remarked as he stared at Sophie, "And about time we got someone to clean up! That's what happens at this bachelor pad, no one ever cleans!" The fire fussed, his flames slightly raising to match his annoyance level.

The wizard set the fire back down into its old spot on the wood.

Sophie's heart began to sank. So this is what she was to do with her days? Clean some wizards dirty, infested house? She bit her bottom lip. No. I WILL find a way out! She exclaimed in her head.

"Sadly, I haven't any other rooms available Sophie, but there is a spare bed over here." He gestured toward a curtain underneath the stair case, he pulled it back to reveal a small little bed, step right under a large window, a curious place to put a bed.

"But what of my clothes and things? Are they to be left at my house? I certainly don't have anywhere to place them." She remarked quietly.
Knowing this question would arise, the blonde haired man smiled, "Worry about that tomorrow dear, its very late and I'm sure you'd like to retire, as would I." Howl softly grabbed Sophie's hand and lead her to the small bed, "Until tomorrow, Sophie. Sweet dreams." he pulled back the curtain and she could hear his footsteps travel up the stairs.

She attempted to take everything in, but it being so late, and so many things going on, Sophie didn't have the will or the strength to right now. So very reluctantly, she pulled off her brown boots and left them by the bed. Next came her dark blue, almost gray dress (lucky for Sophie she wore an under slip). She crawled into the thick covers and before she could think about what was going on, she drifted right off into a dreamless night.


"Why would you do that Howl?! Last thing we need is a young useless girl around here!" the sound of Calcifer's voice cut threw the darkness of Sophie's sleep.

"Do you know what would have happened to her had I left her there?" Howl's voice seemed a little hoarse, almost bitter.

"Why should you care? She just a random girl!" he exclaimed loudly, all the while Sophie was unable to move, almost half asleep and awake. Perhaps a dream.

"...She could be the one whom is powerful enough to save us. I couldn't let a chance like that rot away at some hat shop where her mother's owner was going to enslave her as well."


Sophie's shot open, and to her surprise, sunlight peered through the window, illuminating the tiny bed she laid on.
In most novels, this would be the time where everyone thinks, "Oh this whole thing was a dream!", but Sophie knew better. This was all very real...but what of her dream? Powerful? Enslaved to Stiffe? Was that all true? She was already enslaved to Howl, what better is that?
She rubbed the tiredness away from her eyes, as she sat up and began to get dress. What was she to do today? Her first day as a cleaning lady...Sophie frowned. She opened the curtain to be greeted by an empty, dirty, smelly room.

"Good afternoon, Sunshine." Mocked the fire in a dull tone.

"Where is Howl?" Sophie questioned.

"Dunno, out somewhere doing something." he remarked as his flames began to engulf a piece of wood, "Though he did request you to tidy this place up a bit, for his sake." The flamed grinned.

For his sake?! Sophie scolded but realized there wasn't much at this point she could do for herself, to help escape. Maybe she'll find a book as she cleans?
"And what of my things?" She questioned back at him.

"Most likely will arrive here later on tonight."

Sigh, Sophie gave in.
But just as she was about to start cleaning, the front door of the room slammed open to revel a very bloody, bruised and ragged Howl. His blond hair now coated with red, his crystal blue eyes hollow.

"Oh man, Howl, what happened?!" The fire questioned in concern.
He remained silent as he stumbled forward.
Sophie looked shocked but her sense to help kicked in and she rushed to his side. Blood began to soak her threw his shirt to her dress. Quickly, she sat his down on a chair and rushed back to her bed, retrieving the blanket.

"He tried to come here..." Howl spoke softly as Sophie began to lay him down on the thick comforter now placed in the floor.

"Calcifer, I need to stop the bleeding!" Sophie panicked as she saw more blood seep through his white shirt. Without thinking, Sophie ripped off Howl's shirt to reveal a horrible gash in his side.

"Sophie...he's after you." Howl's hand reached up, with much difficulty, and caressed her face, causing her to blush horribly, "I won't let him take you." Howl's eyes began to close as he passed out.

"Sophie! I need you to grab me and bring me to Howl!" The flame fussed.
Without needing to be told twice, she grabbed the log in which he sat and carried it back to Howl. When Calcifer touched the wizards skin, he began to glow a bright blue color. To her amazement, the wound started to heal up.

"Sophie...you know what this means?" the flame asked.
Sophie shook her head. She didn't understand half the stuff that's been happening to her.

"It means we have to connect you and Howl together permanently otherwise this other wizard will get you."

"Who ELES is trying to take me? I'm confused!" Sophie explained out of frustration...unless, "...What I heard last night, wasn't a dream was it?"

"The reason your mother made the contract with Howl was to save your life from Stiffe, whom already enslaved your mother. To save you, she had to give you to Howl..."
Sophie swallowed...her mother wasn't being selfish or terrible...she was saving her. A thousand thoughts raced threw her head once again.

"And to make sure he doesn't try to take you, we have to permanently bind you with Howl."

"How?" Sophie asked as she continued to watch the wound heal.

"Well..."


Well PLEASE let me know what you think! Do you like where this is going? Curious about how they will bond? Will you conin. reading?
Read & Review! :) -Rena