[Howl's Moving Castle] - Surprise, Surprise!
“Master Howl?”
Whenever Markl just barely peeks his face through a crack in the door, Howl knows that something is wrong. Last time it was that a few spiders had gotten afoul of the invisible spell on the table and erupted into pink flames with heart-shaped puffs of smoke rising from them. Howl hoped that it was nothing like the last time.
“Yes, Markl?”
“Um… There’s a problem… with a spell. Would you come take a look?"
Howl closed his book and stood with a sigh. Why must he always be in such high demand?
“Of course. Let’s go see.”
Markl seemed anxious about something, but Howl had long since learned that Markl was prone to become anxious about anything he had to ask his master about, even though there was usually no cause for concern. The boy had quite a natural talent for magic.
“I’ll go get it. It’s in the kitchen.” Markl stopped and grinned nervously over his shoulder at Howl. “Just wait here a second?”
Howl raised a brow at his apprentice.
“You were practicing magic in the kitchen?”
”Um… it’s not exactly magic…. I’ll be right back.” Markl vanished into the kitchen.
Howl eyed the still-swinging door and then turned to look at Calcifer.
“Should I be afraid?”
“Only if you don’t like fire.”
“If I didn’t like fire, I wouldn’t keep you here.” Howl grinned.
“Haha, very funny. Like you have a choice. You deserve it if you get burned on this one, wise guy.” Calcifer huffed up and crackled a bit out of indignation.
The wizard smiled and opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Markl returning from the kitchen.
The boy bore a platter (miraculously clean) with a messily-iced cake atop it. The icing was pink and lumpy, too thick in some places and far too thin in others. In light blue icing on top was a carefully worded message: “Happy Birthday, Master Howl!”
Howl blinked. And then blinked again.
“A… birthday cake?”
“Calcifer helped me make it.” Markl’s ears turned a rosy shade of mauve. “I iced it myself. You’ve been working a lot, so we were worried that you may forget that today’s your birthday!”
Howl was mystified. Had he really forgotten his own birthday? Surely not. He glanced over at the calendar on the wall (it was three years out of date) and somehow realized that yes, he actually had forgotten! How was that even possible?
But meanwhile, Calcifer was loudly denying that he had anything to do with making a cake and Markl was still looking up at Howl anxiously, waiting for approval. Howl smiled and took the cake from Markl.
“It looks great. Why don’t you find some non-rusty spoons and find those old sparkler spells while you’re at it? If we’re going to have a party, let’s make this a party.”
The look of joy on Markl’s face as he rushed off was the best present of all.
Whenever Markl just barely peeks his face through a crack in the door, Howl knows that something is wrong. Last time it was that a few spiders had gotten afoul of the invisible spell on the table and erupted into pink flames with heart-shaped puffs of smoke rising from them. Howl hoped that it was nothing like the last time.
“Yes, Markl?”
“Um… There’s a problem… with a spell. Would you come take a look?"
Howl closed his book and stood with a sigh. Why must he always be in such high demand?
“Of course. Let’s go see.”
Markl seemed anxious about something, but Howl had long since learned that Markl was prone to become anxious about anything he had to ask his master about, even though there was usually no cause for concern. The boy had quite a natural talent for magic.
“I’ll go get it. It’s in the kitchen.” Markl stopped and grinned nervously over his shoulder at Howl. “Just wait here a second?”
Howl raised a brow at his apprentice.
“You were practicing magic in the kitchen?”
”Um… it’s not exactly magic…. I’ll be right back.” Markl vanished into the kitchen.
Howl eyed the still-swinging door and then turned to look at Calcifer.
“Should I be afraid?”
“Only if you don’t like fire.”
“If I didn’t like fire, I wouldn’t keep you here.” Howl grinned.
“Haha, very funny. Like you have a choice. You deserve it if you get burned on this one, wise guy.” Calcifer huffed up and crackled a bit out of indignation.
The wizard smiled and opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Markl returning from the kitchen.
The boy bore a platter (miraculously clean) with a messily-iced cake atop it. The icing was pink and lumpy, too thick in some places and far too thin in others. In light blue icing on top was a carefully worded message: “Happy Birthday, Master Howl!”
Howl blinked. And then blinked again.
“A… birthday cake?”
“Calcifer helped me make it.” Markl’s ears turned a rosy shade of mauve. “I iced it myself. You’ve been working a lot, so we were worried that you may forget that today’s your birthday!”
Howl was mystified. Had he really forgotten his own birthday? Surely not. He glanced over at the calendar on the wall (it was three years out of date) and somehow realized that yes, he actually had forgotten! How was that even possible?
But meanwhile, Calcifer was loudly denying that he had anything to do with making a cake and Markl was still looking up at Howl anxiously, waiting for approval. Howl smiled and took the cake from Markl.
“It looks great. Why don’t you find some non-rusty spoons and find those old sparkler spells while you’re at it? If we’re going to have a party, let’s make this a party.”
The look of joy on Markl’s face as he rushed off was the best present of all.