Hello all,

October is the month that Hephaestion met his sad and far too early death. Here, much belated, comes my tribute to him. I intend to use the beauty and colours of Autumn to describe his unique qualities.

My apologies for delay with Shattered Memories. The update is ready and will come next weekend.

All the best wishes, Read and enjoy,

/ NorthernLight

Colours of Autumn. A Tribute to Hephaestion

Ecbatana, 324 BC

Autumn. A time for rest and recuperation. Red, orange and yellow leaves fall from the trees and swirl around in the chilling winds. Alexander walks in the gardens of Ecbatana. There is no rest for him. His mind is constantly occupied with grief and sorrow. The chilling winds swirl around him and shower him with glowing autumn leaves. They form a multi coloured cloak, further adorned with a silvery rain. The raindrops form like glittering pearls over his broad shoulders. They mingle with his innumerable tears. The tears wash away the sore tenderness from his hurting eyes. They form into an opaque mirror and Alexander finds himself watching straight into a distant, happier past.

Illyria, 337 BC

Alexander barely ever overslept. This time he did. He was exhausted after a long night filled with pleasure and he yawned and stretched, barely wanting to get up from the makeshift fur and sheep fleece bed. He reached out with his right hand. The bed was empty!

Alexander wrapped himself into a wolf fur and rushed outside. He watched the landscape at the mountain slope of their friendly cave home. His eyes quickly met with a most enticing imagery. The trees were adorned with glorious autumn leaves in the most astounding and fiery colours. The oaks, chestnuts, hazels and birches were glowing golden, the maples and other oaks were flaming orange, red and crimson. The grass was glowing golden, too and the mosses formed emerald cushions around the stones. The firs, spruces and junipers stayed green all autumn and winter. Their needles were in all kinds of green, from emerald, dark green to light spring green in the new summer needles and sprigs.

Then another, even more enticing and beautiful sight met Alexander's eager eyes. Hephaestion was running towards the creek with its sparkling waters. He was wrapped into a white sheep fleece and his glossy auburn hair swirled around his broad shoulders like a gently warming cloak. Suddenly Alexander wasn't tired anymore. He found himself instantly filled with the most violent ardour and longing for his friend. It made him run after him down the mountain slope. They collided at the shore of the sparkling creek, shedding their warming furs and then embracing so violently that they were thrown off their feet, straight into the sparkling waters. There they tumbled around, playing and splashing for a very long time.

Their young ardour warmed them so that they did not notice that the waters of the creek were ice cold in their sparkling, glittery freshness. At long last they started to shiver. Alexander saw that his friend was blue all over. When he looked down at himself he found that his own ivory limbs were blue, too. They helped each other up from the creek. Then they ran around in the golden grass and tumbled into a heap of autumn leaves. They embraced and warmed themselves with their wolf fur and sheep fleece. Alexander looked down on Hephaestion as he lay sprawled into the autumn leaves. His friend was beautiful, alive and his forever.

Back to Ecbatana

A gush of ice cold wind and water splashed over Alexander, taking him back to the grim reality. He bowed his head, shivering in the evening gloom and darkness. The chilling rain had begun to freeze all over his shoulders, forming into a cloak of diamond hard ice. His faithful Guards were immensely worried over the state of their beloved King.

"Alexios, we must take him indoors, to warmth and shelter, "Stefanos said, with tears in his eyes.

"Yes, I know, but it is dangerous to approach him when he is like that. Let us do it together!"

Stefanos and Alexios went to Alexander. With great care and respect they got hold of him and gently talked to him.

"Sire. Alexander. You cannot stay out here in the dark of the night. It is very cold now with winter soon upon us. Let us take you indoors to some warmth and shelter. "

"Yes, my faithful friends, "Alexander answered "I will come with you, but I will never be able to feel warmth and shelter anymore, not when Hephaestion is not with me. "

The faithful Guards looked at each other with alarm oveh the King's shoulders. They knew and feared that their King could not go on much longer without his dearest friend.

Babylon, 323 BC

Now it was summer. The heat in the city of Babylon was simply stifling. The air did not move at all. The golden haired man in the finely adorned bad choked and gasped after air. Servants wafted immense fans made from ostrich feathers but they only managed to whip up the hot choking air together with stifling dust.

Stefanos and Alexios stood vigilantly watching. They heard the whispers, some filled with forlorn sadness, some with cruel anticipation.

King Alexander was dying.

He had been unable to go on without the General, the Chiliarch Hephaestion. The world would never be the same.

A gentle wind came, bringing fresh air and coolness on Alexander's feverish brow. He looked up. The hot and stifling Babylonian bedchamber was gone! In its place was a beautiful autumn day. High, clear air refreshed him. Azure blue skies domed over him. Autumn leaves swirled around, dancing in the wind that blew from the Illyrian mountains. The trees were flaming and golden. From a vault formed by two regal oaks an auburn haired man with beautiful blue eyes came walking towards him. As he came near he embraced Alexander, gently lifting him from the bed.

"My Golden One, it is time to come Home, "Hephaestion said, taking Alexander into his arms.

It was Autumn in Illyria and Alexander and Hephaestion were together again. Soon the Elysean Fields would welcome them forever.

The End