Abditory

(n.) A safe repository for valuables; a hiding place
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Nobody's POV

Kosho had found you. It was unbelievable, really. He was always so loyal to Madam Suliman along with his 3 creepy blonde look-alikes. His top priority was always to serve Suliman and her studies. He carried you outside, past the royal guards. Kosho thought he could get away with this, but one stopped him.

"Ah, where are you off to? What's in your hand?" You bit your lip in fear.

"I found a rotting rodent. I thought I'd give it a proper burial." Everyone at the palace already knew that Kosho was fond of all animals, including critters and rodents. When the two of you were younger, he would show off his collection of bugs sometimes. The guard leaned forward with a suspicious look etched onto his face.

"Believe me, the sight is quite horrific." This made the guard lean back again.

"Don't take too long, young friend." Kosho bowed and left in a hurry. You weren't really able to see much, as he carefully had his hands wrapped around you. He hummed a relaxing melody, as he continued walking.

"Y/n. We're in a bustling street now. If I let you go now, you can blend in. Just try not to get squashed whilst you're still in your miniature state." As he opened his hands, you saw the many people walking around. Some people were loitering at stands and some were having a good time with their friends.

"Thank you Kosho." Your voice was squeaky and hard to hear, but magic made it loud enough for him to hear you perfectly. He moved closer to one of the many vendors and got down on his knees to let you down. Before you hid under the cloth of the stall, you looked back at your childhood friend. He was smiling at you. Returning the favor, you quickly ran away. In hopes, you'd be able to reach Howl in time. What if he had moved his castle? What if you were too late? When you felt your body start to grow, you jumped out of the current stand you were in, and into the crowd of people. There, you grew to your original size. A warm ray of sunshine washed over you. It felt like a hug. You eyed your surroundings, trying to find a way out of the crowd.

You weren't sure where to go. Howl's castle could be anywhere. You had been stuck in your room for days if not weeks. That's when you remembered. The castle had a magic door. Markl used it for their customers. Since you were in a crowded area, that would mean you were close to one of Markl's shops. You started asking around, to see if anyone knew what you were talking about. Luckily, a little boy led you to the shop since he had to get something for his mom. When you knocked on the door, you waited for someone to open it.

The door creaked open and you saw Sophie. As soon as she laid eyes on you, her appearance changed. She looked younger. Maybe your age? You were pulled in for a long and warm hug. Finally, you were safe again. After everything that just happened, you knew, there was no way of seeing the woman who raised you, without suffering the same fate. It pained you. It really did. However, you had to move on. Madam Suliman had kept you under her thumb for years.

"Y/n!" You froze as she said your real name. How did she know? That's when you saw a black haired, tall, and skinny guy walking down the wooden stairs behind Sophie. He flashed you a pensive smile before moving closer. Sophie pulled away, letting Howl embrace you. You couldn't exactly read his face. It looked like he had mixed emotions. You didn't blame him. After all, you had started to gain his trust. In the process, you betrayed him. Yet, you betrayed your own caretaker too. You had nowhere else to go. Howl was your last resort. Probably also your most preferred.

"I never got to really apologize. Everything is my fault." You sighed and bowed in respect. You were hoping he would forgive you, but you'd understand if he needed some time.

"Why are you apologizing?" Howl said with a calm voice. He sounded concerned. The exact opposite of hostile. You slowly looked up to meet his face. Tears were restricting your vision. You saw his blurry features. He cupped your cheeks as you fell into his body from exhaustion. You were relieved and anxious at the same time. Your lips trembled as he continued cupping your face, making you stare directly into his ocean-blue eyes.After seeing your face. He hugged you tightly to his chest.

"I'm sorry. I should've gotten to you sooner. I was a coward and I was running from my problems."He whispered. You were pressed against his chest, making you unable to speak a word. Howl's smell was that of hibiscus and lime grass. A hint of honey too.He loosened his hold on you, making you able to breathe properly again. For some reason, you couldn't bear to look at him. His face. His eyes.

"Madam Suliman scares me. I didn't want to admit it to myself. So I kept running. As much I possibly could." He said in a relaxed tone, but it sounded defeated.

"It's okay. Kosho helped me escape. The king was going to marry me off to a prince to stop this war." Howl tilted his head at the mention of Kosho. You forgot he had no idea who that was.

"Him and his brothers are Suliman's helpers. Servants, if you will." You pulled away from him completely, and looked at him.

"The blondes with the mid-length hair?" You nodded. As did he when he understood. You walked past him and up the wooden stairs. You were too tired for any sort of further interaction. Howl and Sophie followed behind you. Whilst you were talking to Howl, Sophie had prepared a nice berry tea. She added some honey in it before handing it to you. It smelled amazing. You were used to all the fancy meals back at the castle, but this was so much better. You truly felt like this was your abditory. Your home. A place you could feel safe in.

"Thank you for the tea, Sophie. You're kind." You smiled. She smiled back. You sipped it. The flavors were dancing on your tongue. Swirling around in every corner of your mouth. It tasted better than it smelled.

"Would you like me to leave, Y/n?" Howl asked, sitting on the side of your bed. Well... his bed. You shook your head gently. He stayed put.

"You know... I still remember my parents." There was a short pause before you continued.

"The last thing I remember is... my mother. She's sobbing. She tells me I'm going on an adventure. My father comforts her, as they send me away. Next thing I know, I'm getting trained by Suliman. Kosho and I become best friends. I live... like a princess. Whilst my parents are out there... struggling." Beads of liquid threatened to leave your eyes. Howl rubbed your hand against his in a soft motion.

"Wherever they may be, I'm sure your parents are doing well."

"Thank you for the reassurance. I feel better now... to a degree." You slurred, feeling the intense pull of your eyelids. They were struggling to stay open. Through small breaths, you finally lulled into a deep sleep.

Howl's POV.

I watched as Y/n fell asleep. Silently and skillfully, I got up and closed the door behind me. Sophie was downstairs conversing with Calcifer again. I had forgotten that she brought the witch of the waste with her. Luckily, she was asleep. I tried my hardest to stay calm in her presence. I didn't want to show any weakness towards her. Despite having run away in the past. I was done with that. Completely. I had something I wanted to protect. Something... I had to protect.

"Howl." Sophie came up behind me. I was preparing to go out for another tiresome fight. The ashes and the smoke never affected me much, but my bird-like form, certainly did. I turned around to face her.

"How is she? Is she hurt?" I shook my head lightly. I saw the instant relief on Sophie's face. I felt bad for her. The curse she was under... she must've been in lots of pain.

"Please, take care of Y/n whilst I'm gone." I spoke. She nodded and smiled.

"Stay safe out there." I walked towards the main door and set it to the black one. When I opened the door, Calcifer yelled,

"Don't do anything stupid!" I turned around and gave him a slight smirk, as I flew out the door. Ashes and smoke surrounding my being. I had to win. For her. For Y/n.

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Ty for all the support I've been getting so far! I've been really slow with updates but I'm going to update as much as possible.💞‼️

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