Chapter 2: New Pet
The usual thundering of the water through the pipes of the castle could be heard through the bathroom wall, and the familiar fog of steam floated down from upstairs. Markl burst down from the second floor. "Sophie, it's ALIVE!!!" He panted and pointed upstairs. "What is it Markl?" She asked, bewildered. "There's this THING in Howl's room…and it's…alive." Sophie, once again shook her head. Anything alive in Howl's room couldn't possibly be a good thing. "Alright Markl, let's go have a look…" She stood up and followed him up the stairs. Howl's door stood at the end of the hallway. She carefully turned the knob and ventured into it.
The room she entered was overly-decorated with gems and jewels of every kind, not to mention all kinds of knick-knacks. Clothes hung over chairs and some from the rafters above them. What a slob… She thought, glancing around disgusted. How can anyone live in this mess? Then her eyes fell upon a large bundle of cloth on Howl's king-sized bed. She stepped towards it and Markl let out a squeak. "That's it…" He mumbled and backed away, muttering. Sophie leaned over and tugged at the fabric. The bundle groaned and flinched away from her touch. "HOWL!!" She screamed. "HOWL, GET OVER HERE THIS INSTANT!" She screeched, backing up against the dresser. Howl burst into the room, face flushed, hair wild, and dripping wet. "What's going on Sophie?" He asked breathlessly. "It-it moved." She stammered and pointed to the bundle of cloth on the bed, not taking her eyes off it. A suppressed giggle escaped fro Markl. That turned into uncontrolled laughter. Sophie glanced over at him, who was now laughing so hard he was choking, pointing in Howl's direction. "Markl, what on Earth..." She stopped in mid-sentence as she glanced at Howl. She screamed and he jumped back, finally realizing he was naked. Grabbing a pillow, he vainly tried to cover himself while Sophie buried her face in her hands and Markl fell to the floor, gasping for air between bouts of laughter.
When everyone had calmed down and Howl had gotten dressed, Howl explained the situation. "She is the daughter of a dear friend of mine, whom has recently passed away," this earned a forced sniffle and a choke from Howl, "And he asked me if I would care for her." He sniffled again and pushed out his chest, hoping this would make him look nobler, but seeing that this had failed, he leaned back in his chair and said, "So be the friend that I am, I couldn't refuse." Sophie, as well as Markl and Calcifer simply ignored him. Seeing that his 'I'm the oh-so-good citizen' view didn't impress them, he decided to move on. "Anyway, I am going into town today so, Sophie, will you look after the castle and shop today?" He asked sweetly, laying his head gently on her shoulder (Aww.). Sophie sighed. "That can be arranged." She replied stiffly. With that, Howl jumped up and left with a click of the front door.
Sophie had been working in the shop when she heard a soft whining coming from inside the castle. She excused herself to see what the matter was. She stepped into the kitchen and found herself staring face to face with what looked like a dog. Large, tawny eyes stared at her and a long bushy tail wagged slightly. Sophie reached forward and was about to pet it, when Howl burst into the room, looking very proud of himself. His sudden movement made Sophie and a concerned look crossed Howl face. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to surprise you." He told her gently. "Who is this?" Sophie asked. "That is Fómhar, our new pet." Sophie glanced back at the dog, and for some reason, knew that there was something else Howl refused to tell her.