In Which Many Spiders Lurk

The first day the whole family was out on a visit to the other Royal Wizard and his family (Isobel had heard Sophie and Howl discussing this visit and how it would be good for Morgan to see his cousins, and for Sophie to see her sister and brother-in-law) Isobel decided to clean the bedrooms. Upon walking into Howl and Sophie's room Isobel almost collapsed in fear. Spiders have always been her deepest fear in life and now here she was in a room with a whole colony.

"I don't see how Sophie can live with these." Isobel groaned, "they're disgustingly foul creatures."

Isobel quickly swept the floors and used the broom to gather stray cobwebs.

"At least they're rather tidy. There's only a small amount of webs where they shouldn't be."

Isobel was about to open the window to shake out the rug under the desk chair when she saw children playing in the yard down below. She was quite puzzled by this because she had already seen the backyard and this definitely wasn't it. The castle's backyard had a brick wall in it and this yard wasn't like the one she saw at all. This yard was a short grassed area containing a metal structure with swings attached to it, and she had never seen these children before. Still, she tried the window but it wouldn't open no matter how hard she tried.

"Curious to have a window but to not let it open." She muttered as she took the rug to the library and shook it out that window onto the moors filled with flowers the castle wandered on.

Upon finishing the master bedroom she decided to clean the bathroom but found it spotless.

"Howl spends so much time in here you'd think it would be dirtier."

Isobel walked downstairs and placed the bucket she had brought up earlier back in the broom closet.

"Howl actually cleans the bathroom. That's a reason why he takes so long. He learned not to let it get dirty after Sophie taught him a lesson a few years back." Calcifer said from the fire place as he reached a fiery arm out to grab a log from the pile Sophie left, as she does whenever she goes out.

"Really? What else does he clean?" Isobel asked, intrigued.

"Nothing else really. Except for large magical messes. But Sophie helps when she can because in her eyes Howl can be as helpless as a child."

"And is he really?"

"No, he's quite capable he's just not motivated and he's extremely lazy."

"Oh. Is that why Sophie wanted me to come help clean?"

"I guess. Also the fact that she's going to be a lot busier with a new baby along with Morgan and Howl."

"Speaking of Morgan, how is he able to do magic at such a young age? I've never heard of magic coming to one so little."

"Well, both of his parents are magic users, and quite powerful ones at that. Also he was born while Sophie was under a spell so that could also be it. I don't know much about human babies so I'm not the right being to ask."

"Right then. Do you know how to tell if someone is magic?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"As a fire demon I just know. I don't understand the mechanics of it but there seems to be an aura or something about a magic user."

"Oh. What about Howl's spiders? So they have a use."

"You ask a lot of questions."

"I'm curious!"

"He says they're his friends and that's all I know. He probably uses spider products in spells or something."

"They're quite revolting."

"You'd better not let Howl hear you say that about his spiders." Calcifer said as he shifted in his logs slightly

"I don't care what he hears me say. They're disgusting creatures."

"Spiders think humans are disgusting, I guess the feeling is mutual."

"Do they understand what humans say?"

"Oh yes, especially Howl. Whenever he tells them something they listen and do as he commands. They're very obedient things."

"So if they were told to stay out of someone's sight would it work?"

Calcifer seemed to shrug flaming shoulders, "Probably."

"It's worth a shot." Isobel said as she trudged up the stairs to Howl and Sophie's bedroom.

Isobel peered in at the spiders and a small squeak escaped her throat.

"Maybe next time." She said sheepishly as she closed the door and rushed back downstairs.

"Afraid of the spiders, are we?" Calcifer said as he settled into his logs.

"Oh quiet, you." Isobel slumped down onto a chair and looked about the room.

"I'm not answering any more questions right now, I'd like to take a nap. So please, don't ask any."

"Do fire demons really need sleep?" Isobel said, genuinely interested.

There was no reply from Calcifer except for a few irritated pops.

"Fine then, I'm done for the day anyway. Tell Howl and Sophie that the bedrooms have been cleaned please."

"Fine" Calcifer's annoyed voice mumbled from the logs and a thin flame waved her off.

Isobel grabbed her various items and headed out the door, she was shocked that it lead out to an alley in Market Chipping.

"Calcifer! The door has changed!" Isobel shouted in alarm as she scurried back into the house.

"That's how it works. That's the back door from the flower shop. S&H Jenkins' shop to be precise."

"Jenkins? Who is Jenkins?"

"Howl has many names, Jenkins is one."

"So did Sophie take one of his names or all of them?"

"All of them of course."

"That does make sense for a witch and a wizard to do I suppose. So where is the shop entrance?"

"Through there." Calcifer extended a fiery arm and pointed to the hall Sophie and Howl sometimes disappeared into.

Isobel looked down the hall and saw a door with the top half partially open, through that she could indeed see a flower shop, it was closed at the moment but the flowers were gorgeous in their bases.

"Is there a way to go back to the mountain? My home is closer to that than Market Chipping."

"Turn the knob green down and you'll be where you need to be." Calcifer said as he settled back into his logs for his nap.

"Thank you Calcifer. Enjoy your nap."

"I will." He said, slightly mumbling.

Isobel turned the multicolor knob to green down and opened the door to the familiar hill she walked on daily and stepped out onto the grass before setting off for home.

"How curious, a house that moves but is still stationary in different places. Magic is quite an amazing thing to be able to do all of that!" Isobel thought to herself as she looked back at the towering castle looming up the hill.

AUTHORS NOTE:

Hello dear reader,

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-Screaming Peasants