AN: I've never written for Howl's Moving Castle before, so please be gentle. I'm not entirely certain if this is going to have more points from the Anime or from the Book, but who knows. It's AU, but have pity on me. Once again, this is a first time thing, and if it goes well, I'll continue it. If it doesn't...well, I'll probably just leave well enough alone.
Disclaimer: I dun own Howl, Sophie, or their castle. Please don't sue me, I have mouths to feed.
Mist and Mysteries
By: Chibi-no-Oneesan
Chapter Three
Upper Folding was a quaint town, only slightly smaller than Market Chipping. It wasn't too far away from the other town, and so he pursued women from both towns on a regular basis. Quite fortunate for him at this point, since Upper Folding was where Lettie Hatter was apprentice to Mrs. Fairfax. He walked down the drive, considering his plan for drawing information about 'Grandma' Sophie out of the unsuspecting young lady, humming merrily. He could see the older witch tending her lovely garden, a peaceful expression on her face.
"Why hello, Mrs. Fairfax, what a lovely day, wouldn't you say?" He asked in a jovial manner, raising his hand in a wave. He was unsurprised by the rather annoyed look he received. Of course, she would know why he was here, or at least she thought she did. She'd probably never know his real reason for coming up her drive. "Is Miss Lettie home?"
"Indeed, she is, Howl." The woman said, wearing a guarded expression. "For awhile there, I thought you'd forgotten about her. It's been awhile since you've come to visit." There was no mistaking the threat in that voice, no mistaking the way she now held the hoe she'd been using on the weeds.
He laughed a bit nervously. "I merely wish to speak to the lady for awhile."
There was the distinct sound resembling a snort from Mrs. Fairfax. "If that's what you call it..." She muttered, digging the hoe into the dirt with an exceptional amount of violence.
Howl almost flinched. Then, he caught sight of gold hair and grinned. "Why, hello, Lettie." He said, moving towards her, past the older witch giving her and her hoe a wide berth. "How are you today?"
Blue-green eyes turned towards him and now he could see more clearly the resemblance. Yes, at the very least, this girl was the sister of that meek little mouse he'd met in Wales. A fine, pale brown eyebrow arched at him from under the blond curls. Each curl was perfectly sculpted around that soft, heart-shaped face. The same wide spaced, almond shaped eyes. Her frame was slight, slender, much like her sister's. They were both attractive women.
"Hello, Howl." She said evenly.
Ah, there was the difference. She wasn't a thing like the little mouse he remembered, nor did she have the quick temper of the little old lady that now resided in his castle. "Would you like to take a walk?" He asked, gesturing towards a field a good distance from Mrs. Fairfax and her excellent hearing.
A small smile. Not a mouse's smile. A woman's smile. Idly, he wondered what his dragon of a cleaning lady would smile like. And if he could get her to smile like that. And he was already quite certain that he wanted to get her to smile. He didn't voice any of these thoughts aloud, instead, he offered his arm to the young woman and led her away from the house.
As they walked, Lettie began talking about nothing at all, the weather, how the garden was doing, her schooling, but not her family. Not yet.
Howl was a patient man, however, and he knew that eventually the subject would come up. This was why he'd enjoyed spending time with Lettie. The girl had a soothing presence. It turned out, he didn't have to wait as long as he'd thought. They stopped in a field littered with wildflowers and Lettie sat down amongst them, running her small hands over the flowers, picking a few choice specimens.
"Sophie and Martha would love it here..." She said softly, turning a flower in her hand as Howl sat beside her. She glanced towards him and smiled a bit. There was nothing expectant about that smile. It was honest, something that was rare from women here and almost non-existent in Wales.
He smiled as well. "Really?" Tell me about Sophie...he mentally asked, settling in for some details.
"Hm. Martha would love the open spaces. Plenty of room for her to run around, loads of interesting things to do, places to go. People to meet." She sniffed the flower. "She's a baker, you know? She works at Cesari's in Wales. Before I left, Sophie and I would go by once a week, on Tuesday's and pick up a cake or bread."
Howl remained silent, mentally making notes of the things she was telling him.
"I think Sophie would just enjoy the peace. She'd find a quiet place and maybe a book. She always liked books, I can't remember ever seeing her without one tucked away in her dresses. Until papa died, then money was scarce, so we sold most of them to make rent." Sadness flickered in her eyes. "I rather miss them both."
He rest a comforting hand on her shoulder. "They're closer than you'd think." He said calmly. Yes, especially Sophie, who was probably terrorizing the occupants of his castle at this very moment.
She laughed softly. "But I can't see them every day like I used to." She twirled a daisy in her hand. "Martha had a temper. Quick to anger, we always said, but Sophie..." A broad grin. "If she got upset, you knew you were in trouble. There was just something about her anger..." She shook her head. "It was a living thing." She said finally, laughing. "And she had talent..."
Silence fell over them for awhile, and Howl watched the clouds moving overhead. For the first time, he was enjoying hearing someone talk about someone other than him. How odd.
"She would talk to things. Objects, I mean." She said softly, getting a far off look in her eyes. "Hats she was working on, a dress she made me...lots of things. And the things that she'd say...it was like whatever she spoke to took her literally and would do as they were told."
That startled Howl. He looked towards her and saw a contemplative look on her face.
"You know, Fanny always thought she was crazy. She would just tell Sophie that the hat's couldn't talk back and she should stop wasting her time." A deep frown turned her lips into a frown. "Until the day Sophie lost her temper with one that she couldn't get to do what she wanted. She exclaimed it was useless and would never sell, anyways."
"And?" He asked, leaning back on his elbows as he contemplated this new information.
"It didn't sell." She said quietly.
"Was it ugly, then?" He prompted further, his mind racing. He was definitely going to need another bath, later tonight. It sounded to him like she might have a special talent no one knew about. Possibly not even Sophie.
Lettie laughed. "Sophie doesn't make ugly hats. Her hats were some of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen, but..." Her brow creased. "It just didn't sell. People would look at it, admire it, but no one bought it." She went quiet for a bit. "Sophie never said that to another hat."
Ah, so she realized that she'd done something, but she didn't know what. Perhaps his little Sophie really did believe in magic. He would have paid anything to see her reaction when she realized she was an old lady.
Howl paused, his eyes widening. Lettie had sunk into silence, which was fine with him. His mind was too busy racing at what he'd just thought. His Sophie? Where the hell had that come from? Like he had or wanted any claim over that girl. He seemed to recall promising himself that he would purge her from his thoughts. Yet, she'd never left at all.
He could still pull the image of her soft, meek smile and the rosy color of her blush to his mind's eye easily.
He was jostled from his thoughts when Lettie leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thanks for listening, Howl. You're a great friend." She said softly.
Those words stilled him. He chuckled softly, shaking his head. A friend? There was a first. Lettie would have to be the first girl he'd ever met who had claimed him as a friend rather than a lover. And oddly, he didn't mind. It didn't wound his ego at all. "Let's get you back to Mrs. Fairfax, before she comes looking, wondering if I've made a meal out of your heart." He teased lightly, jumping to his feet and offering her a hand.
Lettie laughed, taking his hand and letting him pull her easily to her feet. "Why did you start that horrible rumor, anyways?"
"I like my privacy." He said easily.
"Obviously." She said, her tone slightly condescending.
He chuckled slightly. "Be careful, miss Lettie, or I might start to think you're jealous."
A snort escaped her. "Howl Jenkins, I'm not like those other girl's you've started your little flings with." She said bluntly and looked him dead in the eyes. "I'm not so stupid as to delude myself into thinking that you love me or I'll be the one to change your..."
"Philandering ways?" He offered.
"Precisely." She huffed. They walked in silence for awhile, the sun having already begun it's descent in the sky as they approached Mrs. Fairfax's home. Before they got close, Lettie stopped, turning towards him fully, a rather sad look on her face.
Howl saw the expression and his eyes widened. "Lettie...?" He asked softly.
She seemed to be struggling with something. Finally, she lifted her gaze, her expression now peaceful. "I hope, for your sake, you find someone that you can really care for, Howl." She said softly. "You're a good man, Howl; a good person. I hope you find someone you'd be willing to give your heart to."
His gaze softened and he cupped her face gently. "You're a nice girl, Lettie." He said softly, leaning down and pressing a soft kiss against her forehead. "But I don't have a heart to give." He withdrew and released her, backing away a step. "Go on, I think I hear Mrs. Fairfax searching for her largest skillet." He teased lightly, standing still.
Lettie gave him a concerned glance, then headed back to the house, leaving him standing alone on the field. He watched her go, and when she disappeared into the back door, he turned his face into the slight breeze. He wondered if she was even aware of the power she'd used when she'd spoken those words to him. Just the faintest magic embedded into the words, turning the statement into something more. It was subtle, incredibly subtle. Words and emotion laced with enough intention that magic leaked from behind the barriers and turned it into a spell.
He turned his head and saw his castle looming against the darkening sky. Now, what to do about the curse on that little mouse...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The room was at least somewhat presentable.
Sophie collapsed into a chair, understanding what the elderly spoke of when they talked about arthritic joints and pain that wouldn't disappear. It was only those two things that made her stop. She sat in front of Calcifer's roaring fire and rubbed her ancient hands together. "What a way to spend the day." She said softly. "I'll be glad when this is done..."
"The cleaning or the curse?" Calcifer quipped. More of her untidy hair had fallen out of it's braid, the silver framing her face like green mist as it reflected the color of his fire. She actually looked older than when she'd come wandering in the night before.
She gave him a tired smile. It barely wavered the illusion. "Both, actually." She mumbled softly.
"But if your curse was broken, you could just leave." He pointed out.
Sophie didn't answer, and for awhile, Calcifer thought she had fallen asleep. He glanced at her face and saw her staring out the window looking over Kingsbury. "I would still have to help you break the contract." She pointed out, not looking at him. "But regardless, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell him about my curse." She looked towards the fire demon, smiling faintly. "I wouldn't want my heart eaten." She glanced towards the door.
Calcifer couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. "I wasn't planning to tell him a damn thing..." He mumbled. "Believe it or not, Howl has more to fear from you than you do from him."
She looked towards him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh?"
He noticed the baffled expression on her face and he frowned. "He's not used to being told 'No'."
She laughed, her face lighting up. In that instant, she went from Grandma Sophie to just Sophie. But she couldn't know that. She wasn't looking at a mirror. Calcifer, however saw it plain as day. Her hair darkened from the Silver to a ginger color, the lines disappeared and her face glowed with delight. When her laughter finally died down, the illusion wavered back into place. "You are a great friend, Calcifer." She said softly, leaning forward and placing a small kiss just above the flames on his forehead.
Calcifer blushed, then, felt something wash over him. Magic. Coming from Sophie. His eyes snapped wide and he looked towards her, seeing her rubbing her hands as though they ached. That tired expression was back on her face, and she seemed to be aching something fierce. "Maybe Howl can do something for the pain when he returns..." Calcifer said quietly. "I'll ask him."
Moments later, Michael rushed through the door, his face flushed slightly. "Is Howl back yet?"
"No." Sophie said calmly. She flexed her hands, wincing. Mentally, however, she was considering what she should clean next. When she looked up at Michael, she saw somewhat familiar looking prints on his face and she arched an eyebrow. Yes, on his lips, all over his face, his neck, and a bit on his collar. Lipstick smears. The color reminded her of the one that Martha always wore. "Been busy?"
He flushed dark. "I'm gonna go borrow the bathroom before Howl gets back."
"Leave the shirt." She said, smiling faintly.
He blinked. "What? Why?"
She pointed to his collar. "See for yourself."
He looked down and turned about three different shades of red all at once. "Ack!" He peeled the shirt off and handed it to her quickly, then took off up the stairs two at a time.
Sophie shook her head, taking a recently cleaned rag and soaked it alcohol. While she head the water turn off and the sounds of muttering and someone scrubbing off the make-up, she blotted the cloth gently against the fabric, watching as the lipstick stain disappeared. She folded the shirt neatly and set it on the table. She had just finished when Howl entered.
He paused at the doorway, glancing around. "Seems someone's been busy." He said, stepping over the threshold and saw Sophie moving to the chair that sat beside the fire. Her expression was one that startled him, she looked like she was in pain.
He glanced towards the fire demon, who was looking at her in concern. Then, the green eyes turned towards him and he arched an eyebrow.
Calcifer took a deep breath and started ranting. There was little heat in it, but it warmed his heart to hear it. "Howl! She's been moving around like a little tornado! She's going to put me out with all the moving she's doing!" The demon said waving his hands. "Do something!"
Sophie looked towards him, her face holding none of the shock it had when he'd entered this morning. She wasn't surprised to see him. "Good Evening, wizard Howl." She said in a neutral voice. She watched him glance around and started getting up. "I was thinking about making dinner-" Her eyes widened and a yelp escaped her lips when the hair pushed against the back of her knees, sending her back onto her backside.
"Sit down, Dragon-Lady." He teased lightly. "You've obviously worked yourself so hard you can scarcely move." He found one of the freshly cleaned skillets and a packet of ham from the basket on the table. He also took note that there was a round of cheese and fresh loaf of bread sitting on it as well. Someone certainly was a busy little bee while he was gone. "Has Michael returned from wooing his lady?"
Calcifer snorted. "Covered in lipstick, he was. Whoever that girl is, he's got his hands full."
"Indeed." Howl agreed, glancing towards Sophie, who had slumped in her hair, one arm on the fireplace, cheek on her hand. The illusion wavered massively as she slept, he noticed. Yet, for him, it was like trying to look at someone through a dense fog. He still couldn't get past it.
"Howl...couldn't you do something for her? She's in a lot of pain." Calcifer said quietly. He saw the faint amusement in Howl's eyes and managed to keep his cheeks from turning red.
"Indeed. But why would a curse make her hurt..." He mused aloud.
Calcifer stared in dumb shock at the wizard, who was looking at him knowingly. Well, in his defense, he hadn't told the lecher. "So you know." He said blandly. "How long?" The demon asked, pretending like it didn't matter.
"This morning." Howl said calmly. He smiled gently at the fire demon. "You can relax, Calcifer. I'm not interested in eating her heart. I would likely choke me with it's goodness, anyways." He walked over and gently pushed a few strands of hair from her face, putting a little power into the stroke. It ought to have wiped the curse away easily, but the elderly face remained. He hummed quietly. Interesting. "That should take care of her pain, but don't complain if she terrorizes you tomorrow."
Calcifer blushed, snorting. "Right. You're the one that should worry. She's going to get to your room eventually and she'll probably find that stash of porn you keep under your bed."
Howl smirked. It was an old joke. "Now Calcifer, you know that's not mine." He said, then turned back to preparing the simple meal.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
While she slept, Sophie dreamed.
She dreamed of her sisters, Lettie and Martha coming to the castle. Michael was there. Howl was not. Calcifer seemed tense. "Calcifer, are you alright?" She asked softly, reaching towards him.
A hand wrapped around something at Calcifer's feet, and she could see an expression of pain on the fire demon's face. A cry of pain came from the doorway and she turned, seeing Howl fall to the floor. She looked towards the person who held Calcifer and realized idly that what was happening in the dream was important. It was a woman, but at the same time, not. She realized the woman's hair had turned to flames and saw that what was clutched in the woman's hand was a heart.
Howl's heart.
She wasn't sure why she knew that, but she knew it was important to get that heart away from her. Otherwise, Howl and Calcifer would die.
She lunged towards the woman, her hands twisted into claws...
And Sophie fell out of the chair.
Calcifer snorted in his sleep, almost startling awake. Then, he settled back down, mumbling something about saucepans and not meaning to singe Howl's suit.
Sophie took a steadying breath, trying to remember the dream. But like always, holding a dream was like trying to catch water in a rusty pail. The more you try to hold, the faster it slips away. She sat slowly, and something slid from her shoulders, puddling beside her. She blinked, sitting fully and looking at what sat beside her. She was startled to find that it was a blanket.
Her brow creased and she touched the soft wool with a wrinkled hand. Who would have done such a thing?
She didn't remember falling asleep, but she was reasonably sure she hadn't eaten dinner before hand. Hunger gnawed at her stomach and she sighed softly. She eased off the floor, suspecting that her muscles would scream in protest, and was more than mildly surprised to find that her aches had eased dramatically. A quick glance at the window told her that dawn was approaching slowly, so she moved about quietly, slicing a thick slab of bread and a few thinner slices of cheese. She nibbled the meal and stared out the window, watching the sun rise over the hills.
This place was very different than Wales. Magic was so commonplace. It was like stepping out of reality and into a fairy tale. Here she sat in a castle, a real, honest to god castle. And not just any castle. A moving castle. If she ever penned down the events that went on here, she'd have a best selling children's story on her hands.
Funny how growing old can cause such changes in one's life.
She was living in a castle, with a wizard who ate hearts, his apprentice, and a fire demon. And oddly enough, she felt less threatened in the company of these three males than she did in her own apartment. It was as though she'd stepped out of a terrible reality and into a beautiful fantasy. A fantasy where there was no danger.
No physical danger, anyways. She frowned, considering her dream. Mental danger however might well be another story. Especially since her heart did a little flip whenever she noticed Howl in the room. Especially since it took a great deal of control to keep from yelling at him for...something. She wasn't even really sure most of the time why she wanted to yell at him. Yet, more often than not, she felt the urge to tell him that everything was his fault: Why she was like this, why she was so far from home.
But really, could she blame him for anything?
Sure, he may eat hearts, but he hadn't tried to eat hers when he left her on that rooftop. In fact, he'd been very kind, charming even. It wasn't often that someone tried charm on her. He'd given her a few moments where she felt like she hadn't a care in the world, and then he'd left.
Idly, she wondered if being in love would feel like that as well.
She nibbled her cheese sandwich, huffing slightly. What on earth was she thinking about love for? No one would fall in love with a woman old enough to be their grandmother. What she really should do is lump his lazy, pushy, rude backside into the same pot as Calcifer.
A friend.
She smiled slightly, then dashed that thought as well. She might be able to be friends with Michael, but Howl would never let someone get that close to his heart. And love? Never. That thought saddened her a bit. Maybe she was reading too far into someone she barely knew, but Howl seemed to be good at heart. And everyone should be loved by someone.
But Howl would likely never really taste love.
Rather like herself.
Not that she didn't love anyone. She loved and was loved by her sisters. Her father loved her and her step mother had a kind of affection for her as well, but she wasn't talking about familial love. That kind of love is obligatory. You have to love them because they're your family.
She was talking about a true love.
The kind where you close your eyes and let go and let yourself fall, not knowing if the other person would catch you or not-
"You're up awfully early, Sophie."
The sound of Howl's voice made her jump clear out of her skin and she looked towards him, feeling almost guilty. "Good morning." She said quietly. She didn't want to disturb Calcifer's sleep. She turned back, watching the window, trying to ignore the fact that the wizard was watching her quite intently. She didn't want to blush, but she could feel one rising to her cheeks regardless. It wasn't her fault.
He was an attractive man.
"You seem to have settled well."
"Well enough." She answered, taking another bite of her sandwich. Being near him made her feel somehow older, less attractive. Like the world was taking a break on her shoulders. "Calcifer and Michael are nice enough." She purposely didn't add him into the equation.
There was a long pause. It would appear he had noticed the lack of himself mentioned and was waiting for her to say her impressions of him. When she refused to continue, he did. "You also seem rather determined to terrorize the occupants of this house until it is up to your..." He made a big show of looking at all the now dust free surfaces. "Rather high standards."
She made a quarter turn, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes. She was not amused. In fact, she was pretty sure a slight frown was turning down the corners of her lips.
He stared around the room, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Where on earth did you get the hot water to do all those dishes anyways?"
"Calcifer heated it for me." She said pointedly.
"Rather obedient of him." He said in amusement.
She huffed, finally standing. "I actually asked him. You should try it sometime." She went to the cabinet she'd stored the pans in and threw the handle, filling it with cold water. She needed tea. Chamomile or Lavender to soothe her nerves, which were already jumping like crazy due to his close proximity to her in the room. When the pot was filled with cold water, she walked over to Calcifer. "Sorry, Calcifer." She said, waking him gently. "I wanted to make some tea..."
He mumbled something and lowered his head, letting her set the pot easily down on him.
"Impressive." That damnable amused tone was still lacing his voice. It made her want to throttle him. "You certainly catch more bees with honey, don't you, Sophie? Perhaps I should talk to you when I want water for my baths."
She whirled on him. "Calcifer is as much a person as you or Michael." She growled at him. "And you treat him like a beast of burden. At least he behaves as though he has a heart, unlike you, who wouldn't know kindness if it slapped you in the face!"
Howl stared at her through gradually widening eyes. Then, his brow creased in irritation. Yes, he preferred the mouse, he decided, then stood up. "Are you saying I'm heartless?" He snapped, not noting the irony in his question until Calcifer piped up from the fireplace.
"Yes, and from where I'm sitting, so is Sophie, since she woke me and your yelling has woken Michael from the sound of his cursing..." The fire demon muttered sleepily.
True enough, Michael came down seconds later, finding himself staring at two seething people, who were glaring at each other with enough hate that it had to be labeled a kind of violent affection.
"If you actually had one of your own, would you need to eat the hearts of other people?!" Sophie yelled at Howl, whose face was livid with fury. "All you ever do is run around all day and make other people do work while you primp in that disgusting bathroom! When was the last time you actually did an ounce of honest work?!"
Michael had the distinct impression that Sophie did not realize that the face she was displaying right then was not old at all. It was young and fresh and furious. And familiar. Good lord. "You know, miss Sophie, that whole eating hearts thing...is just a bunch of crap." He said, walking down the stairs, interrupting Howl who was about to live up to his name and start screaming the turrets down around them. "We started it to keep people from nosing around the castle."
Sophie stared at him as he walked between them, then looked to Calcifer, who was looking away guiltily, and Howl, who was still wearing that furious expression. "So...you don't actually eat hearts?"
"No, he just breaks a lot of them." Calcifer said a bit nastily. Then he cursed. "Sorry, Howl." He said, glancing towards his friend.
Howl looked at each of them, his eyes lingering on Sophie's rapidly aging face. Yes, for a short while, she'd been young again. And there was no mistaking that face. It took several deep, cleansing breaths to calm down enough that he wouldn't cast something potentially dangerous. "You can stay and clean to your little hearts content, Miss Sophie. Just stay out of the yard and my room and there will be no problems. And don't kill any of the spiders." He said then looked at Calcifer. "Heat some water for my bath." He didn't soften it into a request. He wasn't feeling very generous at the moment. In fact, once he had finished, he started walking up the stairs, ignoring the sounds of the fire demon moaning in the fireplace.
If he could make enough water that Sophie could clean, the little backstabber could damn well fill a bathtub.
Meanwhile, Sophie looked towards Michael, immediately feeling guilty. "I'm very sorry. We didn't mean to wake you..."
"Water's hot." Calcifer warned.
She automatically pulled it off Calcifer's head and found one of the brews laying around for headaches and poured it into the cup, then topped off with water. Lavender floated up to her and she relaxed a little. She would have to apologize to Howl later. She couldn't understand why she'd gotten so angry, but there was something about him that pushed all of her buttons at once.
Maybe it was that voice, or the charm, or even the fact that he didn't seem to realize who she was.
But she found that she could rarely look him in the face without feeling something strange inside her. She desperately wanted to see her sister, but they wouldn't know it was her while she looked like this. She needed desperately to speak to someone who would understand, would help translate these turbulent feelings inside her.
She sighed softly, and lifted her tea to take a sip. Immediately, she gagged and looked suspiciously into the pot and the cup. With a sigh, she poured both down the sink. Sometimes, it just didn't pay to fall out of your chair in the morning...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
AN: Wow...so, another chapter gone. I really wasn't planning that fight between Sophie and Howl. It just sort of happened organically. Anyways, a little shout out to those who have reviewed...
Skia-Thankies for being my first reviewer under this name. I sent you a message with the other name in it. Yeah, Castle in the Sky is Diana Wynn Jones sequel to Howl's Moving Castle. I haven't read it yet, and only recently learned it existed (God Bless Wilkipedia, it has wonderful information).
Serenamoonrose-Thankies for the review, and here's another chapter.
Laurashrub-Thankies for the review, and for my very first death threat. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint!