Sophie stared.
"Uhhh…"
Arina glared. "Why did you follow me? Why! You're working for him aren't you?"
The children gripped their mother's skirts. Natalie asked breathlessly, "Momma, did he find us? I don't wanna be caught! I don't wanna!"
Arina bent to comfort her little girl, "I know, honey, but if he wants to find us, then he will find us. There's nothing that your Momma can do to stop him, his magic is stronger than mine. See how her hair is silver like that? It's probably because of him you know how fond he is of appearance-altering magic. No doubt it's his doing." She turned to Sophie, "So when are you planning to take us to him?"
Sophie was completely lost, "Take you to who?"
Arina's head snapped up and she glared harder at the girl, "To Howl, of course. Who else would search us out?"
"But why would Howl look for you? You're just a common witch, why would he want to find you? Before I met him he always hid out from everyone looking for him. Now he doesn't hide so much…" she looked slightly perturbed.
"What do you mean? He's always been a coward…always. I've known him longer than his instructor…why would he suddenly change his ways?"
Sophie smiled gently, "A heart is a heavy burden."
Arina blinked. What? 'A heart is a heavy burden'? What's that supposed to mean?
Natalie looked at the girl still standing in their doorway, "You know what Momma? She has the gift. The thingey that you said the boy who followed you that one time had, 'member, Momma?"
The woman knelt between her children and held them to her, "Why did you follow me if not to take me to Howl? I'm sure that he'd like to find me again, the egoistical prick."
The children gasped, "Bad word, Momma."
Arina made the catholic cross over her chest and said, "Lord, forgive me."
She stretched and stood. "Well, as long as you're here, you may as well have something to drink. Don't worry, I'll go with you to Howl. I've wanted to find him again anyways, I've just been afraid that he'd want to get rid of me seeing as I know his true name…"
"You mean Howl's not his true name?" Sophie was confused. This seemed to be happening all together too often for her taste.
"No, no, his true name is hidden, probably even from himself now so that even if an enemy asked about it he'd be able to tell them truthfully that he didn't know what it is."
"Ah…I suppose that makes sense then."
Arina led the way into the small kitchen and waved a hand at the basket of potatoes, levitating it to follow her. "Come on in, child, and have a cup of tea."
Sophie followed cautiously, "I'm not a child, and you're no old maid yourself, why do you call me that?"
"I call you that simply because I know that you're a great deal younger than I am, remember that Howl pursued the Witch of the Wastes before she was banished, and she was banished fifty years ago. He and I parted ways before he ever met her. My children were born long after that." Arina glanced back at the girl with a gleam in her eyes.
"Who is their father?" Sophie asked, curious.
"I don't think that I should be telling you that just yet. However, if you ask me later, I might be a little more inclined to answer that particular question." She handed the silver-haired girl a steaming mug of tea.
Sophie took a sip of the brown liquid, "It looks like it should scald my tongue, yet it's pleasantly hot. Do you have a fire demon to heat things for you too?"
Arina chuckled lightly, "No, I don't have a fire demon, though Calcifer was always fond of me. I would never want to get myself into an agreement with a demon, even one as friendly as he is. I've had my share of demons and Sorcerers, and believe me, Suliman is one bad Sorceress, and Calcifer is a good demon."
"You really knew all of them so long ago?" Sophie sat on one of the mismatched stools around the kitchen table. "What was it like to live with Howl after he gave his heart to Calcifer? Was he changed by it? How did he make the magic of the permanent portal that's in the door? And why doesn't the door glow like most other magical items?"
Arina smiled gently and set herself for a long explanation.
Well, dear readers, and the two reviewers that I have right now, I'm so sorry that I've neglected this story for so long. I got strep throat last weekend, and was sick the whole time. Before that I had preparations for Lip-Sync and Talent show, the second of which I was unable to participate in because of said illness…
Anyways, I hope you can forgive me and this double-length update is for that time on hiatus…
I'll try to make all of my future updates at least two pages and hopefully they will become progressively longer so you can read more of this stuff that pours from my mind and through my fingertips onto the keyboard.
Well, now my time here is up, so I'll see you on the flipside…
Starlett
