a last job

[asakiyume]

I was retired, but when the Queen of Faery comes with a request, you listen.

"I have a little job I need you to do. It requires cold iron--and lead. I'll pay you well."

Now I didn't want to get wrapped up in that line of work again, but she's a hard creature to say no to, so I agreed. My only stipulation: payment in cash, up front.

"But of course," she smiled.

And left me two gold coins, a king's ransom in today's world.

Comments

[missroserose]

🧚💕

[asakiyume]

🍁🍁💛

[mallorys_camera]

Nice!!! ❤️

(Though, of course, I want the microfiction to be a longer fiction, so I'm now fretting over, What's the job? 😀

[asakiyume]

I'm thinking it's an assassination, but maybe we could ratchet it down to a mere menacing!

[sovay]

And left me two gold coins, a king's ransom in today's world.

Looks worth the pay to me.

[asakiyume]

Fairer currency than anything held in bank vaults.

[summersgate]

Sweet :-)

[asakiyume]

^_^

Very pleased you liked it!

[sartorias]

And shall you ransom a king? If so, king of what?

[asakiyume]

No--after finishing my job, I might just need to spend some time on the other side of the twilight border. I'll take my payment with me to spend there.

[ellenmillion]

<3 <3 <3 <3

[asakiyume]

😘

[minoanmiss]

makes happy squeaky noises

[asakiyume]

^__^

[amaebi]

"I shoulda remember: you don't leave fairy pay out overnight. *sigh*"

[asakiyume]

Best spend it right away and then leave town before morning dawns ;-)

[amaebi]

And yet there's a dilemma-- the fairies notoriously love fair dealings!

BTW: Did you have to resist the temptation to say "cold iron and hot lead"? And if so, why resist?

[asakiyume]

I did think of that but only later! Only when I realized my intention might not have been clear as written and started thinking of how I could make it clearer. I do like that contrast, cold iron and hot lead ;-)

ETA: might revise it that way ... not here but in my own file

[anna_wing]

Brilliant!

[asakiyume]

:D I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[smokingboot]

Well you see, had you not sat in the chair you'd not have got her request. She knows you are of the right kind and there's more to come ❤️

[asakiyume]

Aye, you are RIGHT!

[light_of_summer]

This story makes me shiver with apprehension—it brings up mental associations with The Master and Margarita and Tam Lin and the custom of two coins for the ferryman...

(Well done!)

[asakiyume]

Lovely version of Tam Lin! Seems to be of the same lineage as the version Anne Briggs sings.

Glad the story made you shiver a little ;-)

[light_of_summer]

I'm glad you enjoyed Holly's singing! I knew her slightly, back in the 1980s, and heard her in concert at least a couple of times. I think her version of Tam Lin is probably from Frankie Armstrong, but the Anne Briggs version seems very close!