“Ah, the call to arms of war…”

Howl gazed at the letter, the royal seal telling him exactly what the letter would contain. Again, war had been waged, and again, Suliman had demanded his request to join the armies, and again, take place in a never ending fight. The war had ended, when the prince was released, but now…

He smiled, the world was a pattern. Whenever one war had come to end, another had come to rise. What could he expect? Smiling, Howl gazed out the window of the castle, the grassy fields that he had chosen to reside in seemed so serene, on a lake, and just outside the village that Sophie had been raised within.

Normally, Howl would had taken the call, as that was his duty, despite the fact that he always ran away. A coward, indeed. He had always been known to be of that type…but now, he had a back bone. He would face the truth, and take the pain.

The call was mandatory, but Suliman had always been like this. And this time…

He took the paper in his hands, ripped it in two, and let it set aflame, within Calcifer’s hearth, “Meh.”

*

Howl’s Moving Castle is not owned by Nitemare Angel, but is based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones. =)