Fallen Stars [Howl's Moving Castle Fanfiction]

Chapter Twelve - First Lesson, Cookies?

Chapter Twelve- First Lesson, Cookies?

"So... We've come to this..."

"It seems like it, doesn't it?"

"I bet you can't even make that cookie move an inch."

"How about this then?"

With a snap of my fingers, I did a swift movement and snatched the cookie from out of Markl's hand. The boy stared at me, then at the emptyness of his hand, then back at me once again. I smiled michievously at him, "Well who said I needed to move that cookie by magic?"

"Um... Didn't Howl say that?" Jacelyn interrupted, staring intensly at the cookies laying on the kitchen table. I gave Markl back his cookie, shrugging my shoulders sheepishly. "I rather just eat those cookies instead though..."

We all sat down by the pair of stairs surrounding the table, waiting for our teacher to arrive. To think that the lessons in magic starts this early, seven in the morning just at the first day, is a bit unexpected. On the other hand, I've always been awake at sun-raise because of the bakery, so this was a piece of cake pretty much. Though, we have waited for Howl to appear in almost an hour now, and it's not that much of a effort to just walk down the stairs from his bedroom...

I glanced at the cookies. "You don't think he forgot about us, right?" 

Markl shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "You can after all never know with a wizard like Howl, though most likely there's something more behind this, he'd usually only oversleep half an hour."

I rested my head in my hands. "So, what do you think he's up to now? Some trick? Is he testing us again?" 

Richard pinched the bridge of his nose at the questions, quietly sipping on his steaming tea. Markl tilted his head, mimicking Richards movements. "I wouldn't believe so, but it's possible, you should have seen the day I got accepted as the first apprentice of Howl. That day sure was something fully unexpected, to say the least."

Jacelyn smiled curiously and poked Markl's shoulder. "What might that have been? Did Howl want you to practice magic with cookies as well?" 

Markl glanced around at everyone in the room, hiding a glimpse of michieviousness in his brown eyes. "Would I tell you if that was the case? Hm, I have the right to keep secrets, though it's not like that's an actual secret," he said, "but I don't want to reveal a thing that similiar to this, after all, I've been his apprentice for a long time now." 

Jacelyn, Richard and I stared at him questiongly. "Why so secritive?" 

He shook his head while taking another sip of his tea. "Though, it had nothing to do with cookies. I bet that Howl only had this in mind because of how delicious those taste." Markl turned his gaze slightly to me, in a short bat an eye before returning to teacup. I glanced at the cookies placed on the huge plate on the table, feeling a small recemblence with them compared to the cookies at the bakery. A pang of emotions flew through me once I noted it, could it be the bakery's cookies? In that way, couldn't that confirm that Markl was the one who visited the bakery all those times? I sneaked a glance at him from the corner of my eye, curiously eyeing him. Once I get to test the cookies, I'd know if it is the ones my mom treasures. 

Jacelyn stared at the cookies with wide eyes. "Do you think Howl would mind if we tasted just a tiny little piece of them? Just so we'd know if they are as special as you say they are?"

Markl shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself, but I'd advice you not to."

Jacelyn observed the cookies and then gave a short look at Richard. Richard tilted his head, wrinkling his nose and quietly still drinking his share fair of tea. She sighed, putting her face down on the table lazily. "It's exhausting just sitting here and stare at sweets but not being allowed to eat it..."