Howl and the Soulmate Stone

Part Six : Finding Sophie (or) The Witch's New Apprentice

They had been riding for at least another hour when the two boys made it to the same section of woods as the cabin. "Hey- just out of curiosity," Howl said eventually. He looked at the back of Justin's head skeptically.

"Yes?" the boy replied simply. "What is it, Howl?" Please don't let it be more complaining...

"Why did you decide to join me? Share your food with me? You could have simply abandoned me back there when you had my ring and you most certainly could have kept the food to eat yourself later," he pointed out.

Justin didn't answer right away. "Well... I-" He never got to finish his sentence because at that moment the outline of a house appeared through the thick pine trees. The faint smell of smoke and pine needles filled the air.

"Ah, we're here," he said, pulling Sir Barnaby to a halt just inside the ring of trees.

"SOPHIE MY LOVE MY BEAUTIFUL LOVE I AM HERE TO SAVE YOU!" Howl cried, leaping dramatically from the horse and falling flat on his face. "Ow!"

Justin laughed uncontrollably but when he was safely on the ground beside him he offered his hand to the magician. "Here," he said grandly.

Howl looked up with a dark gaze. "As if I would ever think to accept help from a Turnip like you! You'd probably trip me on the way up and get even more dirt in my beautiful hair."

"You are very overdramatic for a magician who can't even stop someone from kidnapping his 'beautiful love' from his own house!" Justin muttered in reply, retracting his hand. Howl started to stand up and the prince stuck his foot out.

The magician toppled over again and Justin's face split into a grin. "And I didn't even need to help you up to trip you," he commented, gliding away towards the cottage.

Howl scowled, but found he could do nothing but brush himself off and follow Justin. Sir Barnaby let out a snort from his place tethered to a nearby tree and Howl quickened his pace dramatically.

As he came up to the porch, Justin rapped smartly on the door. "Hello? Is anyone here?" he called.

"SOPHIE MY DARLING ARE YOU WITHIN THIS HOUSE?" Howl shouted, trying to force his way past Justin's restraining arm and into the cottage uninvited.

For a long moment there was no sound. Then there came the muffled sound of voices through the open window of the cottage.

"Oh! Howl! Is it really him?- Wait- let go of me, what are you doing?" It was Sophie's voice, high and concerned.

"Hey! Stop that." Neither Howl nor the Prince could identify who this was but they strained to listen anyway.

Then, a cooler, more arrogant voice that definitly belonged to the witch. "Why should it matter? The boy doesn't love you! No one who loved you would treat you as he did- you were his own personal servant, nothing more! Tell me, what did you have to gain? Hidden away from the world and doing nothing to better yourself?"

Howl's mouth fell open in shock as Justin turned towards him with a frown on his face. "Lies!" the wizard exclaimed, but Sophie was speaking before he could defend himself further.

"I... I mean... I love him."

"Well I'm sure you believe that to be true you ignorant child, but think of how much you could achieve with the aid of magic! As my apprentice you could be excellent, a protege, a star! I could make you a witch, even in this shack!"

There was an offended humpf of annoyance. "That's my house you're talking about!"

Howl looked betrayed as the silence from within the cottage lengthened. Justin knocked again on the door.

"Well... I suppose you are right, if you wouldn't mind, Ursula?"

"For you, not at all. Although that witch of yours we might have to have a chat about."

"WHY I NEVER-!"

Before a fight could escalate the door was opened and in the entrance were the three women. "Oh, Howl, Justin, how lovely!" Sophie exclaimed, looking as though she meant to fling herself into their arms but thought better of it at the last second.

"Sophie my love, are you alright? We have come to rescue you from the clutches of the witch!" Howl exclaimed, shooting a dark look at the Witch of the Waste.

The girl hesitated and looked back over her shoulder. "Why yes, I am quite fine, actually. Look I'm very pleased that the two of you came to see me and oh, Justin I'm sorry I could not attend our meeting, but it is truly lovely to see you again!"

"And you, of course," Justin replied politely. "Pardon me, but I don't believe we've met." This was directed at the girl standing slightly behind Sophie, her hair dark and her eyes curious.

The girl looked up, surprised, then offered a strained smile. "I'm Ursula. This is my house... I'm not entirely sure how I ended up within the thick of this mess to be honest."

"I see..."

"Sophie, come with us! You and I can take Sir Barnaby and leave Turnip here with this evil witch and never come back! I can ride us into the sunset!" Howl shouted, causing Justin to look at him with a raised eyebrow, knowing perfectly well that Howl could not rise Sir Barnaby anywhere, let alone that it was not at all near sunset.

The witch drew herself up, pushing Ursula out of the way. "She's is not going anywhere," she snarled. "Sophie is-"

"You are letting her convince you of these lies? She is lying to you Sophie! I never did anything but love you, even when you were old and ugly-" Howl, not seeming to catch to catch on to the horrified looks of everyone around him, continued. "And besides, I am the greatest magical person, not this fool! I could teach you magic if you really wished to learn it."

Sophie looked disgusted and she clearly was not alone.

"Look, Howl. Thank you for everything you have done for me, but I'm leaving. I'm studying with to be the Witch's apprentice now. Please... just go. Come back when you're ready to apologise."

The white haired girl slammed the door in their faces.

Both boys stared at the wood in shock, then Justin shrugged and sighed. "If that is what she wants I will respect her. What I said was right, hearts do change."

He turned in surprise as he heard Howl begin to sob and watched as the famous wizard threw himself on the ground and curled into a ball. "SOPHIE WHYYYY!?" he wailed.

Justin opened and closed his mouth and came up empty. "Howl, perhaps you should stop that, Sophie is not going to like you any better if she has to listen to your pathetic gravelling," he pointed out.

Howl looked up, tears streaming down his face, and surprisingly, Justin felt a twist of sympathy. It surprised him so much that he took a moment to check himself. When he was sure that's indeed what he was feeling he grudgingly grabbed Howl's arm and pulled him to his feet.

"No," Howl moaned. "She can't leave me!"

Through the open window the prince heard the Witch say: "well that's pathetic," and was glad Howl didn't hear over the sound of his own crying.

"You cannot stay here, Sophie will just believe you to be weak," he persuaded, pushing the wizard in the direction of Sir Barnaby. "You can join me at my castle like you were planning on doing already and we can wait together there until we can visit our damsel again."

Justin wasn't sure why he would ever want to take Howl back to his kingdom with him, the Witch hadn't been wrong when she called his behavior pathetic. And yet he felt he couldn't leave the wizard here in this state. Besides, if they waited together Howl could not go without him and they would again see Sophie at the same time.

"Alright, climb up behind me, if you can."

"Course I can," Howl sniffled angrily through his tears. Despite this proclamation it took him three tries to mount the horse.

Justin rolled his eyes but he allowed the sobbing boy to hold his waist, a little less gently than last time but that might have just been because he was so distraught.

Sir Barnaby neighed and Justin kicked his heels and they were off again heading back through the woods.