Howl was watching her again. He wasn’t being open about it, just casually watching her behind the black hair that fell in his face, an advantage to wearing it long. But he was still watching her and observing the differences in her as the days went by.

It had been about five months since the curses on both Howl and Sophie had been broken and he had learned that the most important thing to him was his family which also included a spunky fire-demon and his young apprentice. The aged Witch of the Waste was a reluctant part after being stripped of her powers by Madam Suliman, and while her mind was occasionally as sharp as it once had been, she was nothing more than an old, helpless woman.

At least Howl had thought that before starting to notice a few differences about the Witch. The wrinkles on her face were slowly fading and her clothes were starting to fit a bit looser on her now while her hair was growing out once more. A quiet conference with Calcifer one night when everyone but them had been asleep confirmed what he was seeing.

The Witch was getting her powers back.

Somehow, she had managed to break the binding that Suliman had placed on her, and Calcifer speculated that it might have been about the same time the Greed Demon’s curse on the Witch had broken as well. When the Witch had unselfishly given Sophie the one thing the Witch had coveted above everything else. Howl’s heart.

Most people would call Howl a shallow and dangerous man, an image he had cultivated for many years along with an air of mystery and beauty, but to be able to play the roles he had created and still stay one step ahead of the opposition, he had to be fairly observant and possess a quick-silver mind.

So for now, he would bide his time and wait to see if the Witch would return to her former practices or if this time had changed her. If the Witch tried to harm any of his family, then Howl and Calcifer would deal with her. If not and she returned to her former age and power, then he’d point her at that Prince Turnip who had his eyes set on Howl’s Sophie.

Until then, he would wait. And watch.

The End.