Hephaistion's Homer
Author: Lysis/Selket – Revised March 2012 (Originally written 2006)
Summary: A story about birthdays, Hephaistion's sixteenth and Alexandros' fifteenth and the very special gifts they give one another. This is complete and utter fiction. In the course of this story, there will be (though not necessarily in the order set herein) some studying of boring architecture, lulling about like Athenian dandies in the sun, quoting of erotic Greek poetry, exchanging special gifts, some war stuff, death threats, dirty songs being sung, and, yes, even a little fooling around (in the erotic sense) on the part of certain parties involved.
Chapter One
*Alexandros visits Hephaistion who is recovering on his family's estate from a battle wound and brings a special birthday gift.
Into the morning calm of the stone laid courtyard came the sound of a horse, no, not one horse, but two. One moved faster, at a quicker pace almost as though to announce a race between the two. Hephaistion paused from his reading of Herodotus' description of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus to listen to the tattoo of the horses hoofs when he heard his name shouted.
"Zeus be praised!" He dropped the scroll happy to leave Herodotus to his legendary travels. Quickly he flung on his sandals laced them up and was gone from the room with only the smoke from the extinguished lamp as a sign he had ever been there.
"Alexandros! What do you here? I thought you back in Pella." Hephaistion limped briskly from under the freshly painted portico into the spacious courtyard. The day was warm and would soon turn hot; such were the days in Artemisios at father's estate in the eastern foothills of Mt. Vermion.
A good deal of Hephaistion's boyhood had been spent in the lush vineyards and deep, cool forests that covered the mountain. Often he would look out from a rise on his father's lands toward the mountain's snow capped heights. For three glorious days he and Alexandros had escaped further up in the thickly forested coverts when Alexandros was ten, and he eleven in hopes of evading Leonidas, kinsman to Alexandros' Mother and his repressive regime of tutors and training.
They had lived a glorious existence fishing from clear, sunny streams, hunting for their suppers. They took nightly shelter in a cave they discovered that had been abandoned by some animal, most likely a bear, as they discerned by its pug marks and dried dung. There they had amused themselves with lavish telling of the Akhilles, Herakles and Jason's mighty tales and acting out their favorite scenes from the Iliad. Akhilles had just slain the brave and proud Hektor, who lay with the bloody dust of Troy upon his noble brow when they were discovered by some hunters and dragged back to Pella. Alexandros, in a moment of doubt had left a letter for Hellanike, his childhood nurse, explaining where they had gone and why. She, knowing her former charge well, and though loving him dearly, had revealed the destination of the escapees. Yet they had borne their capture well and held their heads high and showed no contempt for their captors as they were taken back.
Hephaistion shook himself free of his memories and looked up to meet the steady, but concerned gaze of his dearest friend. Alexandros immediately flung himself from Boukephalas' back and was on his knees before Hephaistion examining the linen bandage on his left leg. "Joytoyou, Hephaistion, yourlimpisgettingbetter. Doesitpainyouless?" Alexandros paused for breath smiling a bit sheepishly and continued at a somewhat slower pace. "Ought you to be moving as quickly as that though? Let me check the bandages, I worry that your mother will not do it properly and…."
"Joy to you, Alexandros!" Laughing, Hephaistion pulled the smaller youth up and silenced his rapid rush of words with a kiss of greeting that was a bit longer than necessary. "'Tis the only way I know to silence you, well your mouth at least, as for your mind, 'tis still a mystery to me." He flung his arm around Alexandros' shoulder. "I am mending well, Alexandros, do not fret or mother me so. The one already is vexing enough. With you here, now I will be even better - but what do you here, aside from coming to check on my wound?"
Sweat stood out on Alexandros' smooth brow, he smelled of the warm wind, sweet grass, and the slight hint of lavender that Hephaistion knew was pressed crushed into his clothes chest by Lanike. This he knew as they had both caught her at it on a rare and recent visit to Mieza, and had teased her most cruelly. She had pretended to box Alexandros' ears for his "disrespectful" manner, but had ended up hugging him close as she had done for so many years when he was but a small boy. Hephaistion remembering the exchanged smiled. Yes, there had been a few, Lanike and old Lysimakhos who loved Alexandros unconditionally. Yes, they had reproached and punished him when he transgressed as children often do, sometimes willfully, knowing Alexandros, but always it had been with love, and they had never plagued him with their own troubles. This, Hephaistion knew, from his own mother's gentle care of him was the sign of true love; it sought nothing for itself, only pride and care for the beloved.
As he studied Alexandros, whose mantle was covered with a fine red dust and his golden hair streaked through as though Hephaestus had run a handful of scarlet fire from his forge through the thick curls Hephaistion was glad Alexandros had come from Pella to his father's country estates. Even though they would be back in Mieza in less than five days, their time apart had been a lifetime for Hephaistion.
"We are going riding, 'Tion. I have brought you a decent mount." Hephaistion's eyes widen in awe as studied the two horses before him. Alexandros naturally rode his oxhead, Bukephalus, and on a lead stood another horse, a beautiful snowy white stallion, that had a black streak along the right side of his cheek that ended up by the eye. Seeing Hephaistion it tossed its mane wildly, as though it had been cued and kicked out its back legs. Alexandros grinned widely watching the spirited animal's display.
""He is showing you what he can do. I thought you would deal well together."
"He's a wonder!" Hephaistion could only stare in awe at the handsome animal that seemed Bukephalus' equal in all ways. He ran his fingers along the horse's black nose and scratched behind its alert white ears. His reward was a long swipe across the face from a very wet tongue.
"I think he'll accept me." Hephaistion laughed, wiping his face as he patted the horse again.
"Of course he will. I told him to. He'll love you just as much as I do. Besides I could not miss your birthday, 'twould be remiss of me." Alexandros answered with a mischievous smile and happy chuckle which caused a lump to swell in Hephaistion's throat. No one could make his pulse jump the way the youth before him did. Let Alexandros stand before him, even clothed in the ragged chiton he once used to run about in, and even Apollo in all his brilliance was dimmed.
"So you love me?" Hephaistion teased his companion as he let his hand linger along the long, lean line of Alexandros' ribs and watched delightedly as Alexandros blushed and pretended to swat at a fly that was pestering the horses. Hephaistion began to lean into Alexandros, pinning him between Boukephalas and himself, intend on tickling him, when he heard the approach of quick footsteps and his father's smooth voice. He stole a quick look at his friend and could see that Alexandros has gone quite red. It only made Hephaistion smile more. He had a feeling this was going to be a very special visit.
To be continued….