Chapter 6
When Howl finally finished, our clothes looked newer and my special features were glamoured quite well. I chuckled as Sophie tugged on her hat, leaving Howl staring incredulously as he held out a slip of paper to give to the people at the palace.
"You're wearing that hat? After all that magic I used to make your dress pretty?" He asked her as she swiped the parchment from him, sliding it into her pocket.
"Take care of him, Markl," Sophie said sternly, taking her cane from the boy as she ignored the grown wizard. "Come on, Verity."
"Good luck," Calcifer called out to us and I grinned at my sisters back, then jumped when Howl floated quickly to my side, picking up my left hand and bringing it to him. My sister turned to watch with her fingers around the door handle as Howl slid a silver ring with small red jewels onto my ring finger.
He smiled at me then spoke softly. "This charm will guarantee your safe return," he said as I stared at the ring for another moment before turning to look at him. "Don't worry. I'll follow behind you two in disguise. Now. Off you go." He said, opening the door to let us out. The door closed behind us as both Sophie and I looked down at the glittering ring.
"Why do I feel like this is not going to work?" Sophie said and I turned to look at her with a scowl.
"Oh, so now you're having second thoughts!" I said, my expression shifting into a pout as Sophie looked at me amused. "I should have known Howl would do this to me. Dragging me into a situation with you as my guide," I muttered to myself, winking playfully to tell her I was only teasing. She lightly whacked me on the ankle with her cane before we set off, Sophie looking around every few minutes.
"What are you doing?" I asked her.
"I wonder what Howl disguised himself as. Surely not a crow." She said and I fought back a laugh. We passed a large, guarded statue in a large courtyard, pigeons flying around as people walked past.
"Can't be a pigeon, he's too flamboyant for that." She mused to herself, making me chuckle. Overhead, a man was driving an aircraft with a woman accompanying him, giggling.
"That could be him," we both said simultaneously, looking at each other knowingly.
"And here you thought Howl didn't like you that time." Sophie told me, nudging me in the side and gesturing to my ring. I blushed deeply.
"I was a cat the entire time. He doesn't even know me," I said, looking away.
"He knew you when he led us to the bakery." She said as we got closer to the royal palace.
"He was just saving a couple of damsels in distress while getting away from his own," I said offhandedly. She sighed and we continued our walk in silence, knowing I would never listen to her.
"Look how far we still have to go," she said as we entered the gates to the main section of Kingsbury. I tensed as I spotted a dog watching us where he sat. My cat instincts were still acting up. We continued on as the dog started to follow us and the hair on my neck bristled. Sophie and I glanced at each other suspiciously.
"Howl? You disguised yourself as an old dog?" Sophie asked the mutt.
"Soph, I don't think that's him," I tried to tell her as the dog coughed. She wasn't listening. I don't believe Howl would be so careless as to change into a cat's worst enemy. The entire rest of the walk I was tense, even more so when the Witch of the Waste came with her henchmen carrying her covered chair.
"Look who's here. The tacky little girls from the hat shop." The Witch sneered at us. "Looks like the little one already broke her curse, at least halfway, since I can see through the glamours on your ears and tail." I hissed at her.
"Thank you for handing my scorching love note to Howl," the Witch said to us as Sophie glanced back and forth from 'Howl' to the Witch. "How's he doing, by the way?"
"He's acting like a big baby. And he's working me to the bone as his cleaning lady." Sophie said.
"How delightful. And you, pretty?" She asked me. I scowled but it quickly turned into a grin, realizing I could take her down a peg or two.
"That cat curse was the best thing that ever happened to me. Howl let me laze about the house while Sophie did all the work. Nobody expects a cat to be able to do much," I said innocently. Sophie's lips twitched with amusement.
"So, tell me, what business do you two have here at the palace?" The witch finally asked, turning away from me with a huff.
"Job hunting. I'm sick of working for Howl. And now that Verity's human again, I couldn't just leave her with that wizard." Sophie replied simply. "And what about yourself?"
"I received a royal invitation. That idiot Suliman finally realized how much she needs my powers." The Witch of the Waste boasted, making me fume silently.
"If you're so great, why don't you break the spell you put on me?" Sophie asked angrily.
"I'm sorry, dear. My talent lies in casting spells, not breaking them. By, Granny, Kitty." She said with a grin before closing her curtains and her henchmen sped up.
"Now, just wait a minute!" Sophie said, trying to hobble faster as she waved her cane in the air after the Witch. "You get back here right now!" She turned to look at the dog at her feet. "If I didn't have you to worry about, I would have clobbered her." I sighed, rolling my eyes as we got closer to the castle gates. I snickered when the Witch of the Waste's henchmen melted and she was forced to walk up the stairs by herself.
'Howl' wheezed as we stepped through the gates, wary of all the guards stationed around the place. "Come on, Verity, Howl. We can do this, just act natural." Sophie advised us as she started up the stairs. I hung back on the first step, noticing how the dog was unable to get up. I bent down to pick it up, forgoing my instincts, but it growled at me and backed away. Looks like he couldn't forget his. Sophie walked back down and picked the dog up, nodding at my apologetic glance as she struggled to carry it up the stairs. We were going faster than the Witch was though.
I stayed beside my sister, making sure she wouldn't fall back due to the extra weight. "Howl, why are you so heavy?" She asked the dog and I rolled my eyes once again.
"Wait. Help. I can't make it," the Witch of the Waste pleaded, already covered with her own sweat.
"What'd you say?" Sophie asked, sweat starting to grow on her brow. "You suddenly remembered how to break the spell you put on me?" She asked, pausing to look back for an answer as she breathed heavily.
"I told you. I don't know how," she groaned.
"Then start studying," Sophie returned and continued back up the stairs with my hand on her elbow. A few steps later, she sat the dog down, saying she had to rest a bit. She turned back to look at the Witch who was still struggling a number of stairs down from us. I looked at the dog closely for any hint of Howl, but there was none and I was positive it wasn't the annoying wizard. After their short conversation, she picked up the dog again and we continued up the many stairs.
When we finally got to the top, a page walked over to us as soon as Sophie placed the dog down on its back, letting it roll over onto its paws as she gasped for breath. "Honored guests, please follow me," the man said.
"You should go help her get up these stairs." Sophie told him as we heard the Witch's groans and moans echo loudly up to us.
"I am strictly forbidden to offer such assistance." He said curtsying mockingly. I didn't care much for the Witch of the Waste. She was fat, rude, and after my Howl, my cat brain deducted. I paused, rethinking that last thought. My Howl? When did I start to think of him like that? I glanced down at the ring resting innocently on my finger and blushed once more as Sophie encouraged the Witch.
I sighed when she finally made it to the top stair. "Just shut up!" She spat at my sister, making my hackles raise.
"Oh, what happened to you? You look so much older," I stated in mock concern, grinning when the hunched and sweat-drenched witch scowled at me.
"See if I don't put another curse on you, girl," she hissed and Sophie grabbed my arm and led me ahead before I could snap back at her.
"Mrs. Pendragon, Mrs. Pendragon and the Witch of the Waste!" One of the servants announced as we walked through the large, ornate halls.
"Pull yourself together. Isn't this what you've been waiting for?" Sophie told the Witch of the Waste, giving the lady her cane to help her along. They echoed our titles down the line as we all walked side by side with the dog at my left. I held back the urge to kick it away, knowing I would regret it if it actually turned out to be Howl.
"Your name is Pendragon? Why does that name sound so familiar?" The witch asked the both of us and we both paled, thankful the witch hardly had enough energy to walk much less look at us.
"That was the name of our tacky hat shop, don't you remember?" I snipped at her and Sophie looked at me gratefully, letting out a silent sigh of relief.
"Is that what it was?" She asked rhetorically. A man told us to wait inside a room with large unopened curtains, a single chair, and candles all around. They closed the door behind us and the Witch of the Waste gasped, claiming the chair her own and racing to it with a quick bout of energy.
The dog wandered off in a different direction and I tugged at Sophie's skirt, pulling her after me as I followed the mutt. I was getting a bad feeling being in this room. The wall suddenly slid open and a boy stood there, bowing before politely directing us inside. We followed him down a long, dark hallway until we came to an open greenhouse. Four men in suits were talking to an older lady in a wheelchair, thanking her with a bow before they left and calling her Madame Suliman.
The boy walked over to the staff-holding lady and whispered in her ear before jotting something down on parchment on her other side. Then she turned to us, smiling genially.
"So, you are Howl's mother and wife, are you?" She asked us, smiling wider when we nodded and Sophie confirmed verbally. "You must be tired. Please have a seat." She said, motioning to the two chairs across from her. I took the one closer to the window with my thanks. "I am Madame Suliman, His Majesty's head sorceress." Sophie suddenly gasped, looking down at the floor as I followed her gaze. There was the mutt that had left us behind.
"That's not your dog, is it?" Sophie asked the lady.
"His name is Heen. He's my errand dog. I had him escort the both of you here." She answered and I hid a grin by glancing around at the variety of plants around the room. I had told Sophie. "I take it Howl won't be joining us? It would have been so nice to catch up. I didn't even know he had finally taken a wife," she said looking to me. I smiled back at her, thinking she wasn't so bad. What had Howl been afraid of? Sophie nodded at her, sitting up straighter to answer her question.
"He's such a lazy son, he sent us instead. I'm afraid the king would find him completely useless." Sophie said with a sad shake of her head. Madam Suliman frowned, shifting to rest her chin on her knuckles.
"I am very sorry to hear that. Howl was the last apprentice I ever took on. I've never seen such a gifted student. Or with such nice taste. You, Mrs. Howl Pendragon, prove that." She said, looking to me once more with Sophie's gaze following, which quickly widened in horror. I felt my tail twitch and gasped, looking up to Madame Suliman with fear in my bright blue-green orbs. "To be able to turn such a curse back, even partially, takes a fair bit of magic. Congratulations." I nodded my head hesitantly in thanks. She smiled at the two of us, then got back to her original speech. "I was so thrilled to have finally found someone talented enough to replace me. Then, one day, his heart was stolen by a demon."
My eyes widened in horror, finally piecing together another large part of the contract Calcifer was under as I remembered the Witch of the Waste's scorch marks. I glanced at Sophie, wondering if she had picked it up, then tuned back into Madame Suliman when I realized she hadn't. "He never returned to complete his apprenticeship. And from that day forward, he has been using his magic for entirely selfish reasons." She said, pausing to let it sink in. "Mesdames Pendragon." She said, leaning forward.
"Yes?" We asked her.
"That boy is extremely dangerous. His powers are far too great for someone without a heart. If he stays selfish, I'm afraid he'll end up just like the Witch of the Waste." She said as I blinked at her confused. "Send her in," the sorceress ordered. The boy that led us inside pushed a cart towards us. I paled in horror at what they had done to her. She was old and gray and curled in a ball with her clothes draped around her.
"What on earth happened to you?" Sophie asked as the Witch was stopped beside her.
"I just restored her to the age she actually is. All her powers are gone now." Madame Suliman stated as if it was nothing at all. I imagined Howl in the Witch's place and tears of anger pooled in my eyes as I clenched my fists to keep from yelling at the royal witch. "Once, she, too, was a magnificent sorcerer with so much promise. But then she fell prey to a demon of greed who slowly consumed her, body and soul. Our kingdom can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to these disreputable witches and wizards. If Howl reports to me and vows to use his magic to serve the kingdom, I will show him how to break from his demon. If not, I'll strip him of all his powers. Just like her."
I stood suddenly, making all three humans and one dog look up at me. "I have heard enough! Now I understand why Howl was so concerned about coming to see you. It's a trap! You bring the witches and wizards here with an invitation from the king and if they don't agree with your views or agree to fight in the war, you steal away their powers without a second thought. Howl could never be so heartless. He may be selfish and cowardly at times, and hard to understand, but he is a much better wizard than you, who claim to be doing the right thing. His intentions are good. He only wants to be free. Howl will never come here. He doesn't need your help nor want it. He can fix his problem with his demon on his own. I'm positive he can." I said with a smile. As long as I'm able to help, I silently tagged on to the end.
"Now I understand. You truly love Howl, don't you?" Madame Suliman said with a smile. The Witch of the Waste gasped at this and I saw her reach up to tug at the skirt of Sophie's dress as she stood to lead me back to my seat.
"Howl? Did you say that Howl's coming?" The witch asked, tears pooling in her eyes as drool fell from her mouth. "I want his heart, his heart belongs to me!" She sobbed, falling out of her cart, and I looked at her disgusted. Sophie, the ever kind twin, reached down to comfort her.
"Stop that, just calm down. Howl is not coming here, ok?" She told the witch.
"Oh, I think he will," Madame Suliman said as an aircraft landed outside the greenhouse. "I now know his weakness, Mrs. Pendragon," she said mockingly, looking at me as I growled quietly, tail puffing up with anger. The boy that led us in opened the door for the redheaded man and my nose and ears twitched at the familiar scent while my tail's fur laid flat again. Howl. So this was his disguise.
"Your Majesty." Madame Suliman greeted.
"As you were," he said, moving to stand in front of her with a hand behind his back. "So, then, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, thank you," she said, bowing her head.
"Thought I'd drop by, rather than sit through a dull war meeting." He said with a small laugh.
"What an honor," Madame Suliman said as the 'king' turned to us.
"Who are your guests?"
"This is Howl's mother and his wife, Mesdames Pendragon." I saw the king's blue eyes light up on me when the sorceress spoke my title, walking closer to us. Sophie and I curtsied as the king folded both arms behind his back.
"Thanks for coming. But I've decided not to use magic to win this war. We have tried using Madame Suliman's magic to shield our palace from the enemy's bombs, but the bombs fall on civilian homes instead. That's the problem with magic. Right, Suliman?" He turned to ask her as I bit my lip to not laugh.
"You're so eloquent today, Your Majesty." She commented, just as the actual king walked in the room, waving a sheet of paper.
"Suliman!" Sophie gasped, looking between the two as she finally discovered what had happened. "I've got a new battle plan. This time we're going to beat them to a pulp." Ge told her. I scowled in disgust. A king happy for war, just like a child with a new toy. How sickening. The king looked up at Howl in disguise and started laughing. "Suliman, that's the best double you've made of me yet. Ha! Keep up the good work," he said cheerfully before walking out again.
"Your Majesty," Madame Suliman said, bowing her head once again. We all stood in silence -with the exception of Suliman and the Witch of the Waste- until Madame Suliman spoke up again, sure the king was gone. "So nice to see you again, Howl."
"You're looking well, Madame Suliman." He said in his regular voice, bowing.
"Rather weak disguise. Didn't I teach you better?" She said with a smile.
"I'm not trying to outwit you." He said, clutching me and Sophie around our shoulders back to his normal self, though the outfit was still on. "I kept my oath, I reported when summoned. Now Mother, Mrs. Pendragon, and I will go." He said with a smirk.
"I'm afraid not." Madame Suliman hummed as she tapped her staff on the bottom her wheelchair. A hole revealing the starry sky opened up for only a moment before she went wheeling back and a wave crashed over us. Howl held us closely to him as the water turned into air. I looked across, not daring to look down, to see only land far below us.
"Now whatever you do, don't look down." Howl warned the both of us. I stood still, tempted to bury my face in his chest, but if I were to look up later, I would probably look down as well.
"It's time to show your mother and wife what you really are, Howl," Madame taunted as shooting stars burst around us. I looked up at Howl, seeing his eyes grow panicked while his grin was frozen on his face. The stars gathered in a ring around us, holding hands with each other and singing a rather annoying tune. Howl started breathing heavily and his arm around me started to twitch and morph into black claws and feathers. I heard Sophie gasp and looked at my sister before turning my gaze up to Howl. His teeth shaped into fangs and his black hair became feathers that quickly spread downward. Large black wings emerged from his back as he groaned in pain. His boots burst into feathered talons as well and I watched as Madame Suliman floated closer, holding her staff like a spear.
"Howl!" I yelled out fearfully. "No, it's a trap!" I told him as he tried to get closer to her. I bit his pointed ear sharply with my own pointed teeth, making him yelp just as Sophie covered his face. He suddenly flew upwards as Madame Suliman threw her staff slash spear, getting Sophie's hat instead. The shadows of the stars followed us up the night sky until Howl broke through a small section of the greenhouse's roof. His wings disappeared as he floated us down to the small plane he had and I clutched onto his green uniform, cussing loudly when my human hands suddenly became cat paws again.
"Why does this have to happen now!?" I asked myself as Howl chuckled, taking the wheel as I jumped into Sophie's lap.
"Hold on," Howl directed as we took off. I hissed at the mutt, Heen, who flew onto the plane using his ears and into the Witch of the Waste's lap. "Sophie, sit up here." Howl told us as he stood beside the front seat. I clutched onto her dress as she carefully maneuvered her way up to the open seat, back arched and frozen in fear. "Did you have to bring those two with you?" He asked my sister, winking down at me.
"I can't believe you work for Suliman." She groused at Heen. "I guess it's too late to toss him."
"And the Witch of the Waste?" I asked her with narrowed eyed. She just cocked an eyebrow at me disapprovingly, so I quietened down.
"Sophie. Take the wheel." Howl said and I started laughing loud as Sophie sputtered. We soon realized, as he looked at us confused, that he was serious.
"What? Howl! She'll get us all killed!" I yelled at him, ignoring my sister's offended but agreeing grunt.
"I can't fly, are you kidding?" Sophie said.
"They're gaining on us," he said as all three of us looked back at the many planes chasing after us. "I'll distract them, then you can fly this thing back to my castle in the Wastes."
"How? I don't know the way," she asked him. I gasped, holding out my paw where the ring had attached like a bracelet. Howl nodded at me.
"Don't worry. That ring I gave Verity will guide you back home. All you have to do is summon Calcifer with your heart," he told me, still not letting go of the wheel. I mustered up all my feelings for my friend Calcifer and my jaw dropped when a red line appeared from it.
"It's glowing!" Sophie said surprised.
"Just keep following that light and you should be there before dark."
"Sophie, as much as I don't want to say this, take the wheel!" I said, hearing her gulp.
"I can't do this," she snapped at him. "Why did you make us come here if you were coming yourself?" She asked him.
"Knowing you two would be there gave me the courage to show up," he admitted, bending down closer. "That woman terrifies me, I can't face her on my own."
"And Sophie would have ranted for about an hour and a half if you hadn't." I told him and he nodded with a shrug. We all have heard her rants before. "You saved me, Verity, Sophie. I was in big trouble back there. Though, Verity, you probably didn't need to bite me that hard." He said with a wince as I laughed. Then he let go of the wheel.
"Oh! Don't let go!" She said as the plane spun. I clawed into Howl's pants to stay on, as he was having no trouble, and buried my face into the fabric. She spun the wheel wildly but hit a bell tower anyway.
"Wow. You're good." He complimented her.
"Are you nuts?" Both Sophie and I asked him.
"We've got a good lead now. I can give you five minutes of invisibility, so use it wisely," he told Sophie, prying me off his leg and placing me in Sophie's lap. She was getting the hang of flying, so I lifted up my paw while keeping the others caught in her dress. Howl waved his arm over us and I yowled when she started turning again.
"Howl!" Both of us yelled after him, but he only saluted and shouted a 'Good luck!' back. She pulled back the wheel, barely missing running us into a tree as we settled back on course. We flew for a long time, through the rain, but I had to stay in sight so Sophie could see the ring. She noticed our hometown and pointed it out to me happily. I joined her in her joy, but for a different reason. We were close to the Wastes where the castle was, so I could get dry again! Thankfully the rain stopped as soon as we entered the Wastes.
I gasped a laugh as the castle sat on a hill, waiting for us. Markl called out for us, waving rapidly from the balcony of the castle.
"Markl, help me! How am I supposed to land this thing?" I sighed and tensed up, preparing for a rough landing as the castle literally swallowed us. I heard Calcifer shriek as I limped out of the rubble with my head and tail in the air.
"Sophie should not be allowed to drive anymore," I harrumphed, wincing when my hurt leg slipped on a slab of jagged rock.
"Verity? Are you okay?" Calcifer asked as I jumped up on the hearth, almost tripping.
"I'll be fine." I muttered, stretching out my leg as Markl ran around, trying to find Sophie. She slid down the rubble, wheel still in hand as she assured him that she was fine, then she hugged him and tossed the wheel behind her.
"I missed you!" He told her.
"I missed you too. Thanks for coming to meet us," she said softly. They soon broke apart and she gasped, looking to me. "Verity, what happened!?"
"I twisted my leg when it got caught in some stone. It'll be fine." I said, then whimpered when Heen nudged it. Damn dog! My sister sighed and wrapped my foreleg tightly with some spare bandages, the same arm that had the ring. She made a bed out of blankets for me as we all fell asleep somewhere in the room, except for Markl who had a room upstairs. He had taken the dog with him, thankfully, knowing I probably wouldn't want to be around it when I woke up. Smart kid. Well, I guess that all there was left to do was wait for Howl to get back, I thought to myself as I drifted off to sleep.
A/N: Sorry I updated this so late! I had a lot going on last week. Several college tours and the play I was in was performed last Thursday and Friday, and the entire week we had to stay after school to practice. The first night was ehh...kinda iffy, but the second night was awesome! So glad I got through it! Just for you guys, I'm gonna update another chapter to make up for last week. (Even though this one is my longest chapter)
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, added this to favorites, or followed it! Love you guys!