Spinning Gold

Chapter 4: The Host of Hell

After some time I loosened my fingers (I had laced them together in an effort not to rip my hair out of my scalp) and undid the bun at the back of my neck, letting my hair hang down in lank sheets. I sighed and combed my fingers thru it, trying to think about my situation. Nothing. I couldn't think of one idea to get me out of this.

Sometime later I resigned myself to my death and started to sing an old folk song, the words weren't important, I was just going with the tune, saying anything that popped into my head. At some point I heard the sweet music of a flute accompanying me. I broke off and swirled, straining to make out where the music was coming from.

The music abruptly stopped when I had stopped my song.

"Who's there?" I said, deciding it best to call out. There was a slight laugh.

"Here, by the window!" a voice said. I swirled, my eyes finding the window and a little figure sitting on the sill.

"Who are you?" I demeaned, feeling my fingers shake.

They jumped down from the sill, moving into the circle of light provided by my one little candle. It was a short man in a black tunic, the waist bound with a scarlet leather belt with a giant silver buckle. On his feet he wore intricate scarlet silk slippers with silver tassels and his fingers adorned by rings on his head perched a little red cap, hiding his hair and picking up the dark coal of his eyes. I shivered, feeling as if someone had trailed their finger up my spine, I'd seen him before.

"'And sayeth unto his family, "I go to fight, to stand alone against all the host of hell," he experienced hell's wrath, succumbed to its flames and thus this warning unto ye "beware the host of hell."'" I stared at the little man as he pulled out a file and set to work on his nails.

"What?" was all I could think to say. He looked up at me, his eyes indifferent.

"Folk lore. You wouldn't understand…naturally." His voice was like honey.

"FolkLore? You mean like fairy tales?" I asked.

"No. I mean like myths and lore for the folk. The fair folk's bible!" he said, looking at me with utter contempt. I flinched back, slightly insulted.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. He looked up at me now, his eyes alighted with interest.

"Yes, indeed, well I came like the others came, to see if the rumor of the girl who can spin gold from wheat is true."

"Oh." I said, utterly disheartened. "It's not." I whispered. He looked at me with sympathy.

"Evil, money hungry father, poor innocent maiden, money hungry ruler, secret lover within the court who isn't who he claims, a task, price of death for failure… you'll do." He said, dislodging his cap and bowing at the waist, his dark eyes mocking. He fixed his cap back on and sat down, his little legs in front of him.

"Excuse me?" I stuttered. His eyes were on my thumb where I wore the sapphire ring I had gotten when I was six.

"I want that." He said pointing at it. I glanced at him again, flabbergasted. My mind was racing.

Fact: I was in a room, expected to transform the wheat into gold.

Fact: The little man seemed to know my situation.

Fact: He wanted my ring.

I stopped again, utterly confused.

Secret lover in the court who isn't who he claims to be? Now how the hell would he know about Eben?

And hell. The host of hell. What was that? Was he calling himself a demon? Did hell want to claim me as its own? Was I that bad for not speaking up? Not for selling out my father's lie?

I shook my self out of my thoughts, desperate to get out of situations.

"My ring?" I asked him. He nodded his head, his eyes greedy. "What will you give me in return?" I asked. He looked at me dumbfounded.

"Honestly? I'll spin this wheat into gold of course!" he said.

"Good first, then ring." I said. He grumbled but went to the loom, putting wheat on I listen to the whir whir of the wooden machine as he swiftly changed the wheat to gold.

"They'll have a name for this one day. Alchemy. People will try what I'm doing right now, they will fail, terribly, maybe even kill themselves with mercury. You never do know with mercury, tricky stuff. Drivers people bonkers." The little man said, his fingers moving nimbly, little gold straws falling as he finished spinning the wheat, getting another armful and loading it.

"You said will. So the future? How do you know that? It happens after our time." I said, looking at him, pulling my knees up to my chest, watching his fingers.

"I don't know, I'm guessing. But, I know these things." He said, stopping briefly to tap his nose.

"Tell me, what is your name?" I asked him. His eyes looked to me and he grinned evilly.

"Powerful thing that is- a name. I go by Spinner. Not my true name, but then we don't all know our true names, do we Lady Aya?" he asked me with a wink. I flinched, ignoring how much he seemed to know about me.

"The court thing- a secret lover. He's not my lover. I just happen to realty like him and he badgers me for kisses, that's all it is." I said, twiddling my thumbs.

"Ironically you've managed to make a comment within our topic. True names like I was saying. Your name is Aya Rose Banks. However if I were to say: Aya Rose Banks, do a cartwheel." He stopped looking at me, I looked back incredulous.

"Why?" I demeaned.

"Exactly. You didn't do what I commanded, therefore its not your true name. You probably don't know it; I could guess it if you wish for me to, wouldn't be awfully hard to do. And this Eben of yours. What's his last name? Or he never gave you one? Don't answer; all you know of him is the noble Eben. Lord Eben. Why is he even interested in you? A low little village girl? Why capture your heart, and give you his when you already had another's. a more suitable man for one of your station?"

He knew my weaknesses, my doubt, my lowest self. He knew my demons and was using them against me. The host of hell indeed.

"Your true name would be something along the lines of Mourning Dove Rose. Now that I've said it I'm curious. Mourning Dove Rose, stand up." He said, his voice commanding. It felt like string were attached to my body and I was jerked up into a standing position. He looked at me briefly in surprise.

"Go ahead and sit." I sat, because I wanted to. "I was right, that's a weakness indeed highness, keep it close to your heart, don't tell anyone. True names, yes, dangerous things indeed aren't they?" he asked me. Is aid nothing, biting my lips, watching his fingers. Eventually I had to help him, bring armfuls of hay closer. I did this task in silence he would whistle occasionally, look to me to join in, I said nothing, thinking over what he had told me.

"I could make you sing." He said at one point "But I won't." He eventually finished and the floor was littered with fine gold straws that caught the scarlet light of dawn. There was a knock on the door.

"That's my cue." He said, shaking my hand and slipping off the ring in the process, he winked and disappeared thru the window just as the door opened to reveal Eben standing there, looking a little sleep deprived and tense. No one else was with him and he let out a breath when he saw the straw, his green eyes widening.

"My God, Aya." He whispered, looking at the gold.

I smiled sheepishly as he walked toward me, looking at me as if I was some awe inspiring being. His arm reached out and his fingers brushed my cheek. My fingers encircled his wrist and I laid his palm to my cheek.

"I'm real." I said, letting my hand fall. His other hand came to cup my other cheek and he held me as if I were a delicate star. His eyes were filled with wonderment.

"How?" he whispered. I smiled.

"'All the host of hell created havoc upon the earth. One of the host of hell exchanged life for silver and stone'" I said. He raised an eyebrow.

"Where's that quote from?" he asked me. Myself. That's what I should have said. But I just shrugged and smiled up at him. He smiled down at me his mouth curving into a tender curl, his hair falling into his eyes he gently kissed my forehead and put my arm thru his.

"Breakfast awaits us." He said with a small smile. I said nothing, moving with him out into the hallway. I stopped when he had reached a courtyard, looking up at him a sudden thought popping the numb bubble encasing my mind.

"Aya?" he asked me. I studied him carefully, assessing his eyes.

"You kissed me." I said, hearing the wonder in my tone. His cheeks turned slowly red.

"Um. Yes." He muttered, not looking at me. I stepped closer, placing my hand to his cheek.

"I didn't mind," I whispered, he looked at me, still a bit flushed, the sunlight catching his hair turning the edges white and making the illusion of an angle. He gently pressed his lips to mine again.

"Good."

A/N- short and delayed, yes I know! I'm sorry! I'm trying!