The Reunion

By Lysis

(Copyright February 2015)

For all those who are as crazy about Hephaistion as Alexander. This is just before they go to study at Meiza with Aristotle. Alexander and Hephaistion meet after nearly a year's separation, but they have both changed and they are both aware of the scope of some of those changes.

Not Beta, all mistakes are mine.

He could not tell whether Apollo's chariot had come to earth and was blinding him. Alexander only knew his senses had been overcome and for a moment, it seemed the world would tilt beneath his feet.

The day was warm, hot even and he had run a long distance without stopping for even a drink. It was a test. Just lately, he had been challenging himself in these ways. How long he could run without stopping, eating or drinking and so on. It could be a trick of the eye and the heat…the mirage. However, as he neared the mirage he sensed sandalwood, horses and saw a spate of apples cores at a pair of sandaled feet. No, this being was real; he wasn't lost in his dreams again. The scent from the apples was all too real and made his mouth water.

Still…he scratched at his hair, releasing it from its tie, and stared up at the figure. The youth was a good head taller. And with Helios' rays directly behind him...? Perhaps it was due to the clout on the head during boxing with Kassandros, but he thought not.

He silenced himself for a moment to even his breathing and study the fig - Gods! By Apollo! The youth was holding his hand out toward him and in it lay the perfect apple, golden and ripe; he could smell its juices. His mouth longed to taste its sweetness, but he held back and swung his arm behind his back.

Dare he take it? Was this a trick of the gods? For this creature, this being could not be human - perhaps 'twas Apollo or Dionysos? In that case, he would take the apple and thank him well but be wary. Especially should it be Dionysos. He dare not anger the God, but he would not willingly fall into the God's ecstatic embrace either.

As his hand stretched outward, he chanced to look up into to the eyes, the wide, violet blue beguiling eyes.

His breath became harsher when that face, that perfect face widened with a smile. He knew only that his breath stilled in his mouth and his eyes knew now that beauty, the gift of Apollo had been exquisitely granted the youth before him. Aye, it was Apollo's beauty that this youth bore and proudly too. He knew him, or he thought had known him so well, but when had he changed so from the playmate of his childhood – from the boy, non he corrected silently, this was no boy, but a lovely, graceful youth.

He studied again the vision before him. Perhaps he was overwrought from his exercisions and the Cypriot was indeed testing him. Could not this be one of her tricks? Or that of her rainbow winged son, Eros? Eros, nai, Eros, truly that God must be at work here. For truly no human could be so beautiful without the touch of the god, that glamour upon their brow. Still the familiarity, the sense of knowledge nudged his blood.

This was the once boy who laughed with him as they had run through the army's camp, swam in Pella's sunlit streams and rivers and hunted Trojans through the tall treed forests around them. When had his companion changed to this, this Ganymede…this Hylas, this…Apollo?

"'Tis only an apple, Alexander, last I knew you were keen on them. I'll not tempt you as Aphrodite did Paris." The vision spoke. There was a hint of laughter in his voice.

Then with a bit of shock Alexander recalled, it had been some time, to him it seemed closer to an Olympiad ago when he had seen him last. Well, non, not quite a year, but when…how…? Then they had been little boys, now he was four months to his thirteenth birthday and knew as he quickly did the sum in his head that, Hephaistion son of Amyntor was nearing fourteen, for his birthday was – why 'twas this month, Artismosis! Ha, thought Alexander, shivering a little with excitement, he would celebrate it with him! The thought gave him great pleasure.

He smiled quickly his blue-grey eyes bright with joy and shy awe, not realizing Hephaistion had seen the smile. Alexander only saw that it was returned fully, and this gave his heart joy.

"Joy to you this fine day, son of Amyntor." Alexander gulped, shook his head as if to restore his vision, and strode forward holding out his hand as he approached Hephaistion. With a bit of a frown Alexander realized Hephaistion had grown considerably taller; and he sighed inwardly if only he would. He kept hoping his growth would come in, but he was still much too short to suit his desires. Hephaistion grinned back, his white teeth shining brilliantly in his sunkissed skin as he clasped Alexander's hand. Instantly both boys felt something, they knew this because they both confessed it to one another later. However, it didn't need more time to pass for Alexander to realize Hephaistion was someone special.

He recalled how he had spent several visits with him in Pella when he had been much younger, first a boy of seven, then ten and that long summer they had spent together. Since then there had been the months off and on when Hephaistion had come to Pella with his father or brothers. They had always been together then, but it had been close to a year since the last visit. Their letters in between, nai, there had been many, but a letter could not show the change in person that stood before him now.

"I…"

"Do you…" Hephaistion touched a lock of shining curl flowing over Alexander' shoulders. He turned quite red when he realized he was holding onto it, clutching it rather.

"Eat your apple, I know your penchant for them and pilfered it from the kitchens for you."

They both laughed suddenly at odds with the unexpected shyness that overcame them. "Joy to you, Alexander, son of Philippos." Hephaistion further surprised him by moving in to bestow a kiss of greeting upon Alexander's cheeks. "It pleases me much to see you again. And, I can see the gods have been generous with you." They settled on the grass a little under a tree and Alexander sighed contently as he bit into the wonderful fruit. "Ah, truly you are a messenger of the gods, to come bearing such a gift. Only Dionysos himself would know how much I love apples."

"Not only Dionysos!" Hephaistion snorted laughing, "Half the palace guard do as well. Recall you that time you ran away and I found you. I had a sack laden with a slab of cold deer meat thinking you would be starving and there you were surrounded by a little pile of apples and onions."

"Aye, many gave up their rations to feed me up. I've never forgot." He just grinned wider studying Hephaistion.

"You are only a head shorter than I," Hephaistion's voice was warm and full of welcome and Alexander felt the turmoil within himself melt away as though a fire had suddenly warmed a cold, stone room. There was also the slightest hint of teasing in the familiar tenor that now was tilting even deeper, toward a velvety bass, and Alexander could sense the tenseness, which teased against the corners of Hephaistion's mouth before it smoothed again.

It seemed all he was doing was smiling like some idiot, he suddenly thought to himself, but he could not help it, something about Hephaistion that calmed him. Something in his beauty awed him and something about his friendliness told him he was liked for himself, as Alexander, not as the son of the Makedonian's war leader and Basileus, but Alexander, a boy just like himself. He knew, without knowing quite how or why that Hephaistion was someone who would never be replaced in his heart, he would hold a special place there, and no one else would ever fill it.

This was his Hephaistion. He paused for a moment thinking on that, his Hephaistion, a special friend, separate and above all the others, because he, Hephaistion, Alexander knew truly enjoyed his company; the silliness of the boy who played with tin soldiers and ran with his dogs through the deep woods, pretending to look for lions to hunt. Hephaistion had not taunted him, as Philotas had, when he told him he believed the god had spoken to him when he had been alone one morning, quietly sitting on a rocky promontory that overlooked Pella's lagoon and had been praying to the gods for a sign of his destiny. No, Hephaistion had listened carefully, solemnly and shook his burnished head of curls acknowledging first his gratitude and appreciation that Alexander had chosen to share his secret with him and then he had told him he believed that the gods must have chosen him, Alexander, for something special, their sign of appearing to him was indeed an omen. They did not do so to everyone.

He had found a pure white rabbit in the woods with this boy. It had been a gift to them, to celebrate their new friendship from the god, Dionysos. That had been when he was but six and Hephaistion little more than seven when they met for the first time. He recalled then Hephaistion's father, Amyntor, had brought his son to Pella for an audience with his father. Alexander recalled still how he had watched the other boy, already so confident and tall; even then, walk with awe in his blue eyes as he had followed his father into the audience hall to greet their king.

Hephaistion was the one who had rescued him from a lashing from Leonidas' cane, that summer when he was ten. Alexander' smiled easily now recalling how they had thrashed one another, wrestling in the stables, each giving as good as they got.

"Ah, so you recall the beating I gave you?" Hephaistion's eyes bright with teasing, his lips pursing, he looked to burst out laughing any moment.

Alexander raised his golden brows, "Beating you gave me? You, son of Amyntor, who squealed like a girl and cried to Medusa for help?" By now they both were laughing so hard they fell upon the soft green lawn behind them.

Alexander slugged Hephaistion for good measure, but drew not a sound, but a smile in return. Hephaistion caught Alexander' arm up in his.

"Scars already, what caused this one? I've heard that you've already been fighting on the border with your father, against the Thracians."

"Envious?" Alexander smiled, though Hephaistion had a few that look intriguing, and he noted the red sword belt trimmed with foxtails.

"Non, mine are better! The Illyrians are better fighters." Hephaistion roared and they fell back wrestling and roaring oaths at one another.

"It is good to see you again," Alexander said when they came up for air, his face red from their exertions. "I cannot beat you, I can see that.

"Good, there are some things, a prince should always strive for, yet never achieve." Hephaistion smiled and then burst aloud in laughter.

Alexander eyed his companion whose face had suddenly turned red like the fresh strawberries starting to ripen in the fields and returned his smile, but hid his face, a little as he studied Hephaistion's handsome boldness. "And, you, son of Amyntor, You are ready for what is before us? To study with Aristotle. I am anxious, my mind soars thinking on it, and what more we will learn of war. We have just begun." He nodded fingering the fluffy foxtails.

"The Illyrians?"

Hephaistion grinned nodding with pride as he unsheathed his sword, which gleamed like fine silver in Helios' light. "Two months after I turned thirteen. And you?"

Alexander grinned and lifted his right arm running his fingers down the long scar on his forearm, which ran like a seam along the sun-browned skin. "Six months past, when I took this. All infantry work that time, but the next was cavalry. 'Tis where my heart lies, the cavalry. A good horse is all I'm wanting."

"Aye, one would need such, a string of them." He turned toward the two horses tethered to a bush. "They'll do, but I too wish for my Pegasus."

Alexander's eyes glowed and he lay back letting Helios warmth make him lazy. "Ah, 'tis all good, do you not feel it, Hephaistion? My spirits are impatient, and I try to give apology when I am forward with my Mother or Father, but Gods Hephaistion, I cannot wait!" He burst out laughing.

Hephaistion wiggling his feet nibbled an apple and laughed in joy. "I feel it too. Like you, my blood is restless. Fighting the Illyrians… Gods, Alexander! The first time, indeed I felt Phobos beside me. I'll not deny it. His breath brushed me hard, and my hand faltered when I raised my sword that first time, but then I thought of you and our talks, and Akhillies and Patroklos, and was not longer afraid." He clasped Alexander's hand in his. "'Twould be a joy to fight beside you."

"Aye, indeed." Alexander's eyes shone with gladness. "I would not go to war without you now. I know that my heart soars at the thought of what lies before us. Where our dreams will take us, I cannot say… I hope to glory! As for the rest…well only the gods know." He rose upon one arm studying Hephaistion seriously, his eyes alight with a fervor Hephaistion had never seen before but felt himself compelled as the hand of God pushed him irrevocably forward. "A journey lies before us will you take it with me?"

Hephaistion grinned in relief knowing the prayer in his heart had been answered, "I would not let you begin it without me."

END