A/N: I lllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiivvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeee! Sorry that I took more than a year to get this started again. It's amazing what the summer after graduation can do for you. I solemnly promise to finish this story this time around. I have lots of opportunities to write this summer, and I'm going to take advantage of every single one of them. I hope that some of you are still reading. Again, I am VERY VERY sorry I've waited so long. But the wait will be no more:)

Howl's Moving Castle

Chapter 3: In Which Sophie Is Taken and No One Notices

Fish or…more fish? That was the question.

Sophie cocked her head to the side and tried to remember the difference between the large white fish the man was holding in his right hand and the large black fish that was in his left.

"Will you be buying with us today?" the fishmonger asked through his teeth. It was a marvel that his patience had held out this long. One more request for a clarification as to fish types from Sophie would cause him to close shop for the day.

Sophie smiled politely. "No, no thank you," she answered briskly and went on her way down the market strip, ignoring the agitated looks she was receiving from Kingsford's top fish seller. She had not meant to annoy the man, but the species of fish around there were very different from those near her native home, and she rarely shopped in Kingsford anyways.

With a straw basket hanging in the crook of her arm, Sophie reached with a free hand into her dress pocket and retrieved her weekly grocery list. Frowning, she noticed that she hadn't gotten very far despite nearly two hours of shopping. However, she had come into the unfamiliar market of her own accord, so she was determined to finish what she had started.

Hastily making her way past some of the more aggressive shop keepers, Sophie thought of what lay ahead of her that night. Whenever she thought about the Prince and the impending dinner at the palace, Sophie felt like a large weight had been viciously dropped on her stomach. She could not help it if she felt somewhat friendly towards the old Turniphead, but the Prince's new fully human form made her uncomfortable. She knew that Howl did not approve of the newcomer, despite his straight-faced formalities.

Finding herself in the center of the market, Sophie held her basket close and tried not to bump into the many people that were passing her left and right. The tents and displays in that area were much closer to the street than shops further down, and Sophie could barely get through the crowd without being shoved in the wrong direction.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped itself around her waist and a hand relieved her of her basket. Sophie looked up and was glad to see it was Howl and not a stranger looking to unload her rightful, albeit meager, hoard of groceries.

"Why Sophie, fancy meeting you here," Howl said with an innocent, mocked tone in his voice.

"I can carry the basket on my own, Howl," Sophie answered, trying to act put-off by his abrupt entrance.

Howl smiled playfully. "I don't doubt it. But I feel a certain obligation to be part of the endeavor since some of the groceries will be going towards my benefit," he said. "Besides, I find it is easier to shop if there are no lines."

And without another word between them, he lifted them both into the air. As soon as her stomach adjusted to the change in altitude, Sophie couldn't keep from smiling. Watching as the sights and sounds of the marketplace became further and further away, she could forget what was troubling her about later that night.

Sophie looked over at Howl and frowned as she saw the same expression that she remembered from the first time she had met him. It was the look that always came to his face whenever he took off into the air. It was confidence and fear and joy all mixed together, and the result made Sophie's clutch on Howl's hand shaky. Howl blinked and his face relaxed. Sophie continued to frown. She didn't like the way that his eyes glinted when he was flying.

They reminded her of a time when she had almost lost him to a glint like that.

"Sophie?"

Sophie shook such fears out of her thoughts and smiled again, although this time a little less enthusiastically.

"Yes Howl?"

"What are your plans for this afternoon?"

Sophie shook the now-battered grocery list in Howl's face. "Shopping, remember?" she said.

Howl made a face as the little paper brushed up against his skin. "Can't shopping wait?" he asked with a pout. "I was hoping that we could go somewhere else."

Sophie pulled the paper away and Howl shifted his hold on her as she moved back to her original position. "Where?" she asked curiously.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Howl opened the portal door and walked out in front of her into the bright valley carpeted in flowers. With a grand sweep of his hand, Sophie followed him in and the door closed silently behind them.

The strong wind that always accompanied the field rose to greet them, and Sophie found that she had to mind her skirt from blowing too wildly. Howl stood a little ways ahead of her, facing away from Sophie. His loose white shirt was whipping across his slim frame, and his eyes were focused on nothing in particular near the horizon.

After a moment or two of quiet contemplation of their surroundings, Howl turned around and motioned for Sophie to join him. Releasing her skirts, she gladly complied. His hand slipped into hers and they began to walk towards the cottage.

It came into view quickly, and Sophie pulled Howl over to the little lake that stood close to the little house. It was her favorite place within her favorite place. With a happy sigh, she found that she felt…right. For the first time since the Prince had come to the castle, she felt peaceful and justified despite the fact that on the other side of the door all her worries crowded against the wood, no doubt trying to push through.

Howl was still beside her, but he released his grip from her hand.

"I thought that this would be a good idea," he said, thoughtfully.

"A very good idea," Sophie affirmed.

"Sophie?"

"Yes?"

Howl looked stiff for a moment as he opened his mouth to say something. But the words failed to leave his lips.

"Never mind," he said hastily as he plucked a purple flower from around his feet and placed in Sophie short hair, above her ears. She was about to protest and demand that he tell her what he was going to say, but she glanced at his face and quickly decided against it.

Her gaze finally settled on the area where she had seen Howl in his memory: the day that he had given Calcifer his heart. She was glad that it was over, and that Calcifer was no longer an unwilling slave to Howl and his household, but a lingering question had settled in her mind ever since.

"Howl?" Sophie began hesitantly. Her love looked up at her encouragingly.

"Do you ever miss your childhood?"

As soon as the question left her lips, Sophie wished she could pull it back again. She had not touched forbidden ground, but the subject still carried great unspoken weight.

After a slow moments thought, Howl looked up into the puffy white clouds and sighed.

"I missed this place," he said finally. He turned around to face Sophie and continued. "You were the reason I thought to rediscover it." He paused to bend down and pick another violet, knowing that they were her favorite.

"There were a lot of things that I missed growing up. I experienced them, but they didn't leave a mark on me. Now that I have you to…" he paused with a grin. "…Inspire me, I don't think I'm missing a thing." He offered her the flower and she took it from him carefully and smiled.

"And, since you've started us on this wonderful conversational thread, do you, Sophie, miss your childhood?" he asked, sitting down in the soft, green grass.

Sophie followed suit and began to twist the small flower between her hands. "I don't think I can remember much of it anymore. Most of it is just a jumble of images and random bits of conversation. Time seems to want to take my memories away faster than I can make them!" she said with a small laugh.

Howl didn't laugh. "Maybe it was the curse," he said stiffly. Howl had always called her time under the Witch's enchantment "the curse" even though he knew the difference between a spell and a curse even better than she.

"No, I think it just comes with age," Sophie answered cheerfully. She stood up. "I'd like to stay much longer, but I think that it's time to go," she said, trying to gently remind him of their dinner plans.

"Ah, yes. We have somewhere to be this evening." Howl stood and waited for Sophie to make the first move towards the portal door. When she didn't move, he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Sophie cried, wrapping him in a backwards hug. "Don't be upset," she whispered. "It's just another dinner. You don't…have to go. If you don't want to…"

Howl shook his head, and his whole body shuddered with the effort. "No. I promised to go. Like you said, it's only one dinner," he turned around and put his arm around her shoulders.

"Besides," he said as they walked towards the door that lead them back to their castle, "It might even be a little fun."