After what felt like hours, Sophie hadn't made any progress. The sun was still high, she reckoned it was near noon, but she seemed to stay in the same place, no matter how far she walked.
Stopping to rest, she nearly cried out in frustration. Closing her eyes against the vivid sun, she felt a strong breeze. She opened her eyes and all was still.
Closing her eyes once more, she shakily got to her feet. She felt the breeze again, as though it were guiding her forward.
'What a sight I must be,' she thought to herself. Hands outstretched, hair and clothing blown by the wind, she was not wrong to think herself odd-looking.
After a hundred or so paces, the wind stopped. Sophie opened her eyes and looked around.
She was only a handful of yards from the center. On the ground before her was a large, grey beast.
Curled, she could see it rippling with breath, deep in sleep.
She made her way slowly around it, silently praying it stay asleep.
The beast's eyes opened, green and bright. It had the vertical pupils she'd seen on house cats, but as it yawned, she saw a sinister grin of sharp, stiletto teeth.
"Where are we going on today?"
She was a bit surprised it could talk, but she felt oddly unafraid.
"If we solve Task's riddles we get to pass by. If we solve it fast, Task will carry us to the center and out again."
"You are Task?"
"Yes, this is Task."
"How many riddles do I need to solve?"
"Task has three."
"Alright. What's the first riddle?"
"The one who
makes it sells it.
The one who buys it doesn't use it.
The one
who's using it doesn't know he's using it."
"The one who buys it doesn't use it?"
Sophie thought hard to herself. If she didn't answer the riddles correctly, she was afraid she might be eaten.
"The one who's using it…dead." She heard that smoky voice once more. She was sure she hadn't imagined it.
She smiled, suddenly knowing, "It's a coffin, isn't it, Task?"
"We are smarter than Task would think."
"We'll see. Can I hear the second one?"
"Once I was
water, full of scaly fish;
but,
by a new decision, Fate has changed my
nature:
having suffered fiery
pangs, I now gleam white, like ashes or bright
snow."
"Hm, so you burned, but you were water, and white…what's white?"
"Remember…boiling water, when it boiled what was left?" the same voice spoke.
It frightened Sophie, for she knew not why it was helping, and Howl had well taught her to question gifts given freely by magic folk.
But Sophie did remember, boiled seawater left behind a snow-white residue, "It's salt. It must be."
"Task likes us. Task won't kill, even if we answer the last wrongly."
"Thank you, Task. I like you too."
Task smiled and then spoke, "At night they come without being fetched and by day they are lost without being stolen."
"I want to say dreams, but I feel that's too easy. But," she paused. Biting her lip, she hated that she was stalling, waiting for the voice again.
"You know this one."
"No," she whispered. "I don't."
"Heart," it said, smoky and cold. "Heart is what? It howls for you."
"Stars, Task," tears in her eye, Sophie said. "The stars!"
"Task is carrying you now."
Uncurled from the ground, Task was shorter than a horse, but lankier and feline. He bent, allowing Sophie to climb to his back. There was little to hold, though Sophie found the short ride to the center enjoyable and well balanced. Task was a kind beast, fangs, claws and all.
Task stopped two paces from the direct center. He bowed, letting Sophie touch the ground.
"Task wish us luck. Task hopes all goes well."
He seemed frightened, but still, Sophie had come so far, hadn't she? Why stop now? She waited until Task had disappeared, running fast back to his furrow, to walk those last two paces.
She whistled to herself, taking first one step and then another. She was in the direct center of the burned out crater.
At first, she felt nothing. Sighing, she began to silently scold herself for being so silly. But then, she felt a sudden rush of energy, a burning almost, and an overpowering smell of smoke.
The air around her grew hazy; she could barely see a foot in front of her face.
Scared, she stood very still, waiting for the air to clear and preparing to run once it had.
Around her, the darkness gathered. She whispered Howl's name and held back tears. What was happening?
"Sophie is your name?"
"That voice. You're the voice from before."
"Yes, I am."
"But who are you? Are you going to hurt me?"
"No. I had not planned on harming you. I only must ask, are you ready?"
"Ready?"
"For the rest of your journey?"
"I need to find the Beauty Witch. I must."
The earth seemed to sigh.
"Are you sure?"
"As sure as my heart beats. As sure as the wind blows, and fire burns. Let me pass!" Where had that come from? She sounded like Task!
"As you will it, Sophie."
The sun came out once more. Sophie didn't see anyone, demon or otherwise, in the area.