Howl's Moving Castle Fanfic Chp. 3

"Howl," Sophie mumbled sleepily. Howl turned his head to look at her. He walked over and sat on the bed next to her. "No, Howl!" she began to curl her hands.
"Sophie, dear," Howl said, pushing her hair away from her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. Sophie didn't respond, she just began thrashing around, getting tangled in the covers. She's talking in her sleep, Howl thought restlessly.
"I love you… please, don't…" she whispered, begging someone somewhere for something. Howl saw tears forming under her lashes.
"Sophie, Sophie sweetheart! Wake up, it's just a nightmare!" he grabbed her arm trying to wake her, but she threw her other arm and hit him in the back of the head. "Ow!" he winced and grabbed her wrist. "Geez." He pinned her down and leaned in towards her. "Sophie!" he said loudly.
Her eyes flew open and she was staring into the most beautiful blue eyes in the world, but they were clouded with concern and fear.
"Howl.." she barely breathed. She laid there for a moment, and as soon as Howl released her arms, she threw them around his neck. "Oh, Howl, I… I'd thought you'd left and weren't coming back." she cried against his neck.
"Shh. It's okay dear. Shh." he soothed. He pulled them both into a sitting position and sat her in his lap. "I promised I wasn't leaving and I'd be here when you woke." he whispered in her ear, "didn't I?" She wrapped her arms tighter around him and nodded. She let out a shaky breathe and pulled back to look at Howl. She ran her fingers through his dark, silken hair. She had such a handsome husband. As she leaned in to kiss him, her stomach gave a loud growl. She giggled softly.
"I think being sick and crying didn't just tire me out. I'm starving!" She said as the hunger spread across her stomach.  Howl smiled and grabbed her hand.
"Well, come on; let's get something in that greedy stomach of yours."

Markl was downstairs trying to work on complicated looking spell when Sophie and Howl came down the stairs hand in hand.
"So, how long was I asleep?" Sophie asked as she sat down at the table.
"Three or four hours. It was quite a while." Markl answered as he sprinkled dust into a bright pink potion. The concoction hissed and turned deep blue. Sophie's eyes widen slightly at this news. Four hours, she thought. I've never slept for more than an hour when taking a nap, two at the most.
"That must be why I'm so hungry," she joked. She looked curiously at the potion Markl was stirring as Howl put a plate of bread and cheese in front of her. "What are you making Markl?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm just working on that transfiguration spell," he replied. He did a complicated motion in the air over the brew. It turned a pale yellow and began to bubble. Howl walked over and looked at the potion. He wafted the light smoke coming off it to his nose. He smiled.
"Here," Howl said. He scooped up a spoonful of glittering black powder and poured it in. He stirred it a bit and then filled a vial full of it. "Try this." Markl took the vial and poured it onto one of the logs by the fireplace. At first nothing happened, and then the liquid rapidly absorbed into the wood. The wooden log suddenly began sprouting orange fuzz, and then what seemed like growths all over its body. Then Sophie realized what they were. They were legs, a head, and a tail!
"It's a cat!" Sophie cried in amazement. "How'd you do that?" She looked at Markl as the transformed kitten got used to its newfound legs. Markl shrugged his shoulders a little and looked at Howl.
"You didn't put enough zalcone powder into the mixture," Howl said laughing. A look of wonder came over the eyes of his apprentice.
"Ohh, I see." he began writing things down feverishly on his notepad. Sophie rolled her eyes at the two of them and ambled over to the kitten. She picked it up gingerly and held it close to her.
"You're a cute little thing, aren't you?" she cooed sweetly. The little fuzz ball of a kitten began purring immediately. She scratched it behind the ears and turned to the boys.
"That thing's gonna be nothin' but trouble!" Calcifer said warningly from where he sat among his logs. Howl looked up from Markl's notes to watch Sophie. He smiled, seeing she was already extremely attached to the small animal.
"Do we have another member in our quickly growing family?" he asked with a light laugh.
"Can we keep him?" she asked with and irresistible smile and those big brown eyes. Howl just couldn't say no. He ran to her and picked up both her and the cat and spun them around.
"Of course we can!" he said smiling enthusiastically. He grabbed the cat from her and set it down. Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his. She stared into his deep, piercing blue eyes. They were so lovely.
"Thank you!" she giggled as he sat her back down on her toes. "She hugged him tight and said, "You don't have to stay home. I just… you know, I'd like to see you more often." Howl held her tighter. He felt bad, but now he knew what to do to make it up to her.
"I will. I'll be here more often. I swear," he kissed her cheek. She smiled and pulled back.
"I'd best start getting ready for supper." Sophie kissed his nose, then pulled herself away to make supper. Howl sighed and followed her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.
"I'm terribly sorry for the way I've been acting, but I must go out for just a little while to get something to make it up to you. I love you Mrs. Pendragon," he whispered and kissed her cheek. The name just sent chills up her spine. Howl smiled and walked to the door. "I'll be back soon," he said as her turned the knob, "I promise," he smiled as he opened the door. Sophie blew him a kiss. He caught it and walked out into the magnificent field of flowers that surrounded their lake. Sophie went and turned back to her work.
"He'll be back," Markl said unexpectedly. She turned to look at him. "When Master Howl makes a promise, he keeps it," Markl said still bent over his work. Sophie smiled.
"Thank you, Markl," she turned to one of the cabinets and pulled out a pheasant she had bought from the market. "That makes me feel much better." she said softly as she began plucking the feathers off the bird to get it ready to cook.
"Ahh!! You stupid cat!" Markl yelled. Sophie jumped and turned immediately around to see the orange tabby was on the table knocking over potions and powders. Thankfully Markl had already stored away the transformation potion. There were suddenly miniature explosions coming from the table because of all the different brews mixing together. Sophie couldn't see through the thick, multicolored smoke.
"I knew that thing would be trouble!!" Cal called from the hearth. Sophie ignored him as she yelled for Markl.
"Markl!" Sophie nearly choked on all the dust in the cloud. "Markl!!" Sophie cried desperately. She stumbled through the smoke to the table and found him coughing violently. She picked him up with both arms and found her way back out. She heard the door open and Howl's cry of surprise.
"What the?!" she heard him yell; and then suddenly it was all gone. Every grain of dust, every trace of color. There was no evidence that Markl's ingredients had ever been disturbed. Sophie looked at him as he stood in the doorway. Sophie's mouth opened a little in surprise, because swirling in the air above Howl's palm was the cloud of swirling color. He murmured something unintelligible and the swirling clouds vaporized into thin air. "I think Markl would be disappointed if he lost all those ingredients. I'll sort them out later." Sophie stared mesmerized at his magic as he walked over to her. She suddenly remembered Markl and looked down at his limp form in her arms. He was breathing in a very rapid pattern, as if something was clogging his lungs and throat.
"Howl!" she said worriedly. "He was in the middle of all the powders and I don't know what he inhaled or what!" Howl leaned over him and put his right hand to the boy's chest and the other to his mouth. He slowly moved his right hand up towards his left, to Markl's mouth. Once his hands met, he raised them up simultaneously, and I all the powders that he had breathed in left him. He coughed violently for a moment and then went still again, breathing normally this time. "Will… will he be okay?" Sophie whispered staring down at his round, freckled face.
Ever since she had come to live with Howl and Markl, she had loved the nine year old like she would have one of her own children. She figured it was just because she had been an old woman at the time, but now that she was young again, her love for him only seemed to get stronger. She just felt like she had to keep him safe and she would do anything to protect him. She ran her fingers across his forehead and moved his hair a little. Howl smiled at the affection she showed the boy.
"Yes, he'll be fine," he said, "he just needs a little rest." He reached his arms out to take Markl, but Sophie pulled him closer.
"It's alright," she mumbled, "I can take him up." She moved him around so that his head was on her shoulder. Sophie made her way to the stairs, and she heard Howl following quietly behind. As she turned she caught sight of the cat lying on the table. "You might want to get rid of that." she nodded her head to the animal. Howl looked at the cat.
"Why?" he asked.
"It's what knocked everything over," she muttered. Comprehension dawned on her husband's face.
"Ah," he walked over and picked up the kitten. "You, my friend, may be just a bit too much trouble." He snapped his fingers and it turned immediately back into a log. He tossed it to an extremely pleased Cal.
"Mmm, not half bad," he said, gnawing on the wood, but couldn't you have left it as a cat?" Howl gave him a look and he shut up.
"We best get him upstairs to bed," Howl told Sophie. She made her way up the stairs and to Markl's room. Howl reached from behind and opened his door. They walked in and Sophie went and laid him on his bed. She pulled the covers up to his chin and moved his ginger hair away from his forehead again. She bent down and kissed his temple softly and turned around. She saw Howl staring at her curiously. She blushed furiously and looked down as she walked out the door. Howl followed her out and shut the door with a soft 'click'. Sophie was about to start down the stairs when she felt him grab her hand.
"Sophie," his sweet voice met her ears like a beating drum. She could feel her heart beat speed up. "Sophie, my sweet cariad. What's wrong?" he whispered. Sophie didn't know why, but suddenly her eyes were brimming with tears. She sniffed softly. She couldn't help it. She turned and met Howl's arms.
"Howl…" Sophie sobbed through her tears. Howl looked down at her surprised and then with worry. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her short gray hair gently and softly whispered soothing words in her ear.
When her crying finally subsided, Howl pulled back and cupped her face with his hands. He wiped away her tears with his thumbs and gave her a small smile.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" He asked gently. Sophie shook her head and wiped her eyes.
"I'll tell you later," she said grabbing one of his hands. He looked at her doubtfully.
"Sophie," he tried to protest.
"I promise!" she said. He gave her one last look that said "Yea you better," and then shook his head.
"Ok then," she smiled. She wrapped an arm around his waist and they walked down stairs. "So what would you like to do?" he asked sweetly as they walked onto the living room. She shrugged her shoulders.
"How is he?" Calcifer interrupted them. He looked at Sophie as if it were all her fault then glanced at Howl.
"He'll be fine Cal, he just needs to sleep." Howl replied. "Now, back to the subject at hand, what to do."
"Mmm, how about a stroll by the lake?" she said. Howl looked at her with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Sounds like a wonderful idea my dear." Howl smiled and walked Sophie to the door. "We'll be back soon Cal. If Markl wakes up before we get back, make him drink some water. Oh and Calcifer, don't let him do anything… rash, okay?"
"I'm not a babysitter!!" the demon called to them, but they barely heard him as they shut the door behind them.