CHAPTER 5: In Which Howl and Morgan Watch the Stars
The sky was clear and a light breeze blew as night covered the streets of Kingsbury. A tall, solitary figure could be seen slowly walking on the street and paused in front of the famed Wizard Pendragon's shop. Howl could hear laughing and cheerful singing drifting through the portal door as he walked closer to his Kingsbury shop. With a sigh, Howl opened the door and entered the castle.
Howl couldn't help but smile at the sight that greeted him as he walked in the room. Covered in cake frosting and frozen in place as if they were caught doing something wrong, Morgan was perched on Michael's shoulders giggling uncontrollably while spreading cake frosting all over the apprentice's hair and face, meanwhile Lettie seemed to have been struggling to reach Morgan to wipe off frosting from his hair and face while Heen was trying and failing to reach Morgan's chair to get a piece of fallen meat pie.
A moment of silence ensued in the room upon Howl's arrival, shortly broken by Morgan's giggle and babbling of "Da-da-da" while the toddler reached out for his father. "I hope I wasn't too late for the party.", Howl said, smiling, while lifting the bag of cakes and pies he was holding. "Justin had these made special from palace kitchens for Morgan's birthday celebration.", Howl explained.
Calcifer, who appeared to have frozen upside down while twirling in mid-air, was the first to regain his composure. "Of course not, we were just getting started!", replied the fire demon.
"Yes, absolutely, we haven't even blown the candle yet. Michael here had the most absurd idea of making Morgan's cake levitate and look where that got us.", Lettie said disapprovingly as she looked down on the mess of what seemed to be a Cesari's cake on the table.
"Well, I would have succeeded, had somebody not handed the baby to me as I was performing the spell.", Michael replied grudgingly at Lettie.
Before they started bickering again, Howl walked over and with a swipe of his hand cleaned the table top and placed the bag he was carrying on the table. "Well, it's a good thing we have another cake, then.", Howl said as Michael handed a laughing Morgan to his father. Michael and Lettie set the assorted cakes and pastries on the table while knocking each other's elbows and muttering under their breaths.
A glint of silver under Morgan's shirt caught Howl's eye as he sat the toddler on his lap. Howl reached for it and found a locket. Upon opening it, Howl felt his breath get caught in his throat as he saw Sophie's likeness imprinted on it. He could feel Lettie, Michael and Calcifer stare at him as he looked down at the open locket.
"I.. I just thought it would be a good idea for Morgan to have something to remind him of his mother..", Lettie said quietly.
Howl looked up at Lettie and smiled. "It's a beautiful and perfect gift. Thank you, Lettie.", Howl replied. Michael, Lettie and Calcifer all seemed to loosen up as Howl turned to Morgan and started bouncing the little boy to shrieks of laughter.
The celebration of Morgan's birthday turned out to be better than what Michael, Lettie and Calcifer expected, especially with Howl cheering up as the night went on. At a quarter past eight in the evening, while everyone was full and content with all the cakes and pies, Howl slowly stood up and bundled up Morgan in a thick blanket.
"I'm taking Morgan out for a walk. We shouldn't take too long, but in case we miss you before you go, Lettie, I just want to thank you for being here today for Morgan..and for your gift. I know Sophie would have been pleased.", Howl said with a smile. The wizard turned around and walked out silently through the portal door.
"Did he just..?", Michael asked disbelievingly.
"Yes, he just did.", Calcifer replied, looking at the portal door.
"What is it? What did he just do?", Lettie asked curiously.
"He just went out to the secret garden with Morgan.. He has never been out there since we lost Sophie.", Michael replied.
(-)
The cool, light breeze and the smell of earth and flowers greeted Howl and Morgan as the wizard stepped out of his castle. Howl closed his eyes and took a deep breath before walking further out into the meadow. No matter how many times he had rehearsed going out to this place in his mind, nothing could have prepared him for the onslaught of memories of past times. Tightening his embrace on Morgan, Howl carefully walked in front of the little cabin and sat down on the soft, damp grass, placing the toddler in his lap while looking up at the sky. It was a clear night with no moon in sight and hundreds of stars could be seen twinkling from galaxies far away.
Morgan peered up curiously at his father as he tried to reach up with his little hand to touch his face. Howl looked down at Morgan and marveled at how much of Sophie he could see in his child's eyes.
"This is where I first saw your mother, Morgan.", Howl said as he held Morgan's hand. "Down there, across the lake. It was on a night very much like this. I briefly saw her then but I knew immediately that she was special." Morgan looked up at his father and smiled, as though he could understand what his father was saying.
"But I was a coward, son.", continued Howl. "It would take me almost nine years before I mustered the courage to find her and reveal myself to her. I was lost in my vanity for a while and I sought the company of other women because I was afraid of being tied down, of what would happen if I found that girl by the lake. I was afraid of how she will change everything, and most of all, I was afraid of losing the magic I had worked for all those years. But Calcifer helped me realize that I am losing something so much more by not trying to find her - I was losing my happiness and myself."
Howl gently kissed the frown forming on Morgan's forehead as the child seemed to listen on to the wizard's confession. "And so I looked for her everywhere. And I found her in a little hat shop in Market Chipping. I decided to watch her from afar for a while, partly because I wanted to know what was special about her and partly because I was still afraid." Howl smiled as he remembered memories of the countless times he entered that hat shop in disguise to try and get a glimpse of Sophie.
"I did get the courage to meet her, eventually. And was I glad I had followed her that day because I'm afraid of what could've happened to her if I didn't.", Howl paused. "I still can't put into words how I felt when I first held her in my arms that day.. I guess you could say it felt like I was finally home.", Howl whispered.
Morgan giggled and squirmed on Howl's lap and finally settled on lying down with his head on the crook of Howl's arm. The wizard stared off into the distance and whispered softly, "What I wouldn't give to feel her in my arms again..".
Just then the wizard waved his hand and conjured an image of Sophie.
"This place is gorgeous, Howl! It's like a dream!", said Sophie's image from near the small lake. The image disappeared and reappeared walking slowly to the door of the cottage, wearing a simple white gown and clutching a bouquet of flowers. Howl fought back tears as he let himself watch the image of Sophie on their wedding day. The image of Sophie was smiling, with tears in her eyes, looking straight ahead to where Howl was on their wedding day. Morgan looked on at the image of his mother until it disappeared and reappeared to a spot beside them. This time, the image of Sophie was lying down on her back and was gently caressing her belly.
"Soon we are going to meet our child, Howl. I still can't believe it. I wonder if he will look like you, or me?", said the image of Sophie as she sat up. "Oh Morgan, dear, we can't wait to meet you.." Just then, the image of Sophie gasped and looked straight at Howl, saying, "He moved, Howl! Give me your hand and feel him!"
Howl reached his hand out as the image of Sophie disappeared into thin air. A tear fell down on Morgan's cheek as he looked up at his father's tear-stained face.
"He looks just like you, my love.", whispered the wizard as he looked up at the stars.
