The Moving Castle: Howl's Moving Castle

Chapter 4

After Delacy had finished eating her soup, that was when Markl took the bowl away from her and went downstairs to put it away. Sophie took this as the time to scold Delacy for the behaviour that she and Howl had shown when Delacy heard this. She couldn't help but laugh, a loud laugh that even scared Sophie. With alive eyes, Delacy smiled at Sophie, a kind and loving smile, she was thankful for the friendship she had formed with the woman.

"Thank you, Sophie." Delacy smiled at the woman.

"Whatever for?" Sophie questioned confused.

"For bringing joy into my miserable life, it's hard for me to find joy. Ever since I lost my magic." Murmured Delacy as she finished her sentence. Sitting down on the stool that Howl had used, Sophie looked at Delacy.

"How did you lose your powers?" Sophie asked.

"As you know, I was the King's beast. I was never beaten, I never lost. Not until that frightful night..." And so, Delacy told Sophie her story, and Sophie listened to every detail with a copious ear. Her expression would change constantly throughout the story. From understanding to sadness, fear, anger, pity and until finally it settled into anger.

"How- how could he do that!" Sophie roared when Delacy finished.

"It's wasn't his fault!" Delacy cried out immediately but stopped when she began to cough. Sophie immediately stretches out and held her until she stopped. Falling back into bed, Delacy held Sophie's hand. "When we go into our beast form, we don't only physically turn into a beast, our minds do too. If he was normal, he wouldn't even dare think of inflicting any pain on me, I know that!"

Sophie's eyes widen as she watched Delacy's hair begins to turn blonde as she spoke, but as soon as she saw it, it was gone. Blinking, Sophie shook her head, believing she was seeing things. When Markl entered asking what he should do with the shopping that he and Sophie had done that morning, Sophie allowed for all questions to leave her as she stood up from the stool. Turning to Delacy she waddled a finger in her direction.
"Now, don't you leave this bed!" And with that she left with Markl, leaving her alone.

Again, Delacy closed her eyes, and unlike the first time, no one came and disturbed her and so she fell asleep.

*****

When Sophie left Delacy, all the exhausting that she was hiding and after seeing the Witch of the West's men at Porthaven. She struggled to sit down on the chair in front of Calcifer, huffing as she did so. Markl who saw this, rushed to her side, grabbing her arm he eased Sophie into the chair.

"Is there anything I can do, Sophie?" He asked.

"A glass of water please, Markl," Sophie answered.

"Coming right up!" The boy chipped as he ran to the kitchen to get Sophie the glass of water.

But of course, Sophie couldn't have any piece in her old age. When a loud shrill squeal that made the castle's walls echo and rumbled. The bathroom door slammed open and Howl came running out, a towel was wrapped around his waist and his hands were buried in his -not blond- hair, his hair was bright orange. There was a pause and a pained grunt when Howl ran into a wall since he wasn't looking where he was going.

The ruckus woke Delacy from her slumber, blinking her eyes open as she tried to clear away the eye sleep from her eyes. Throwing the many blankets off her, she stumbled out of bed. She had just managed to see a blur of red and a almost naked Howl run passed her before disappearing around the corner. With a raised brow, Delacy followed Howl down the stairs.

"Sophie!" Howl screamed from the staircase banister. "You! - You sabotaged me! Look! Look at what you've done to me!" Pausing, Howl ran down the stairs, still clutching his now orange hair. "Look! Look at my hair! Look~" Walking down the stairs, Delacy stood there watched as Howl screamed at poor Sophie, while Markl hid behind her skirts.