Chapter 2
The distant sound of laughter could be heard before the hunting party reined in their horses. It was early evening before Alexander and the others returned back to the camp. Hephaestion concealing his annoyance steps around the tents with a wide smile to greet the King.
"Well what did you bring us?" calls out Hephaestion, as he reaches out to take hold of Bucephalas' reins. "You have been out long enough I would expect nothing less than a large boar. I am starving."
"Had we left it to Seleucus we would be feasting on a single rabbit tonight. But Artemis shined upon us and directed Ptolemy and me to a small stream where he found these." proudly announces Alexander turning to nod behind him. Just then guards ride in pulling two horses with a deer strapped to each. Immediately several men grab hold of deer to make preparations for dinner.
Alexander leaps off his horse and steps forward to quickly embrace Hephaestion. He then scans the layout of the camp as he dusts off the dirt on his face and chiton. Straight away, Alexander notices his tent is located to the side of the camp.
"So is the location of my tent for reasons of security or privacy Hephaestion?" throwing a wicked grin, knowing the reason for the unusual set up, "I do hope it's for the later".
"I am dying of thirst" interrupts Seleucus as he walks up to place an arm around Hephaestion, slightly pushing Alexander aside. "Where have you placed my gear? I could use a bath too." raising his arm to take in his long nose. "Whoa.. I do need a bath!"
"Your tent is near the center. I saw a small pond near just beyond those trees," responds Hephaestion as he playfully shoves Seleucus away from him, "Several men have said it is a good place to bathe."
"Come Ptolemy let us bathe before dinner?" Seleucus steps back towards Hephaestion, "Ptolemy is a little raw today. It would appear Philotas pulled rank on him and got him sent out on this hunt. And now he is concerned that his Iris may be seeking comfort with Philotas."
"Iris? Who is Iris? What happened to Chara? Or was it Ismini?"
"It was Chara" chimes in Alexander, "Ptolemy just needs some wine. And he will fare better
once he has some food in his stomach." He then puts his hand through Hephaestion's arm leading him towards his tent, "Come let us inspect the work you have done here."
"I had expected you would. I had your page prepare your bath." raising a brow, "You smell too and.. keep .. your filthy .. hands to yourself!" Hephaestion fights insistently against the dirt covered hands tickling him at all sides.
"Well now that you are covered with dirt. I am sure there will be enough time before dinner for you to also bathe Phai."
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The hunting party sprawls out around the fire content from the evening's meal. Each man found comfort where they could near the fire or with a skin of wine. The only person out of place and on edge was Hephaestion, who was once again issuing instructions to the guards on duty. The General was keeping a close eye on the camp. He had ordered guards be strategically posted throughout the site and had issued strict orders of no heavy drinking after dinner. Though Hephaestion, took comfort that the main army was only 15 stadias away, as a precautionary measure, he had made arrangements with Philotas to meet up with them, on their return in two days. The only issue was informing Alexander of this arrangement.
"Come Hephaestion join me for a cup of wine" calls out Ioan as he watches in amusement to Hephaestion's anxiety and preoccupation for the security of the camp. He waves the general over, "We are safe tonight. My men have been posted. I have personally seen to it."
With a look of uncertainty, Hephaestion initially ignores Ioan's reassuring comment. "Come now Hephasetion, you fuss like a Mother Hen, all is well." Calls out Ioan again, "Would you feel better if I gathered the horses, tied them together and created a wall around the camp." Smiling at Ioan's ludicrous proposition, Hephaestion finally concedes and joins his friend on the log.
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Outside the parameters of the camp, within the darkness of the forest, four men lay quietly on their stomachs hidden among the tall bushes intensely watching and listening. Their hike up the steep hill had been more difficult than expected. The men had abandoned the horses at the bottom of the hill deciding the climb up the rocky hillside would draw less attention from the Macedonian guards on watch. Fortunately for them, the map of the site had proven to be accurate and valuable in describing the layout the camp and its surrounding area. The map had been provided by the very scout hired to lead the Macedonian's King during his hunt. The hired scout was one of them, Tellus, a fellow Greek mercenary under the command of the supreme commander of Darius' army, Memnon of Rhodes. With the nighttime sky cloaking their presence, the men relied upon the fullest of the moon to show them the activities taking place within the campsite.
"Are you sure this is his camp?" whispers Cimon, a season dekarchos and second in command, "Do we now know what this Boy King looks like?"
"This is the place" annoyingly replies Icos, the captain and leader of the group, "There is Tellus giving us the signal" pointing towards a man inconspicuously removing his scarf appearing to shake off the dust. "Look Cimon, near the fire, it is Tellus telling us that Alexander is with them."
"Well where is this Boy," impatiently questions Cimon," Let us take a good look at him." Rising himself to his elbow as if get a better view of the campsite.
Pulling Cimon down roughly, he sternly responds, "We will take the whole lot if necessary!!", pointing out to the distant men as if counting each man out, "I see no more than 15 men. This Alexander is not very wise to have so little guards protecting him."
"What do you know of him??" inquires Cimon, "Did you not personally meet him at Halicarnassus?", as he tries to shift his legs now going numb from the cold. He was beginning to feel a strong sea breeze flow up his chiton towards his back.
"He has a golden mane of hair is all I remember and dark eyes." describes Icos calling into mind the young man he saw on horseback, riding atop his black beast adorned with a tall feathered lion helmet, pacing outside the city walls. Icos had watched helplessly as the Macedonian King aimed his catapults towards the walls of Halicarnassus, his home. Icos, the oldest of the hekatontarchès commandersmetthe young king, up close and personal, when he had been sent out to accompany Memnon to talk terms. The meeting was held after Alexander had sent word for a cease fire to build pyres for his dead men. The mercenary commander vividly recalls, as he watched the Macedonian King talking with Memnon, the boy's glaring dark eyes, coarse expression and the purple cloak adorned with the emblem of Medusa. The thought of these meaningless talks reignites his rage, realizing now that the cease fire had been a ploy by the Macedonian King to give him time to rebuild his catapults and regroup his men. At the end, after a long and arduous siege, it was Memnon who ordered they abandon the City.
Looking out in the camp, Icos wanted nothing more than to annihilate the "two horned one" for completely destroying his city. Turning to look at Cimon, he further informs, "I have heard he has a lover he keeps at his side. A tall young man with deep blue eyes. But I have been told he is not much of a warrior."
"His lover must be a eunuch like those kept in the harem" teases Cimon, "What do you know of him?"
"I do know him… and he is no eunuch." replies Icos without turning to a glance to Cimon. Icos, lays quietly thinking to himself, conjuring the image of Alexander's lover. He would never forget his face. It was during the talks between the King and Memnon did Icos first came to meet the young man, who stood observantly in the shadows of the tent. At the time, Icos had thought him to be fine-looking, even as the young man looked upon Memnon and his group with complete distain and hatred. Icos can still recall the cerulean blue eyes and the strong jaw line. Though Icos was with a wife, he could not deny the King's lover was attractive and he would never forget his face.
"Well just the same, your spies are not very useful with their information." Smirks Cimon, "There are at least 3 men I can see alone with golden hair."
"You find this lover…. You find the King." Counters Icos, as he starts to push himself back into the darkness of the bushes. "I have seen all I need to see. Come, let us go back and gather the newly arrived men. Your troops should be here now with fresh supplies." With a slap to the shoulder of his second in command, he instructs him to follow, "Soon enough Cimon you will come face to face with this Macedonian King. Have your men ready."
"Good! I look forward to finally meeting him," Spits out Cimon, as he stares once more at the men relaxing around the fire. He would soon come to meet this boy king and will find great pleasure in plunging his sword into Alexander's heart. Cimon had come to the Greek Coast for his revenge... for the death of his family in Thebes. He would give no quarter for his vengeance and resolved that Alexander would not step off this coastline. Again, Cimon spits out toward the camp and slowly moves back into the shadows of the tall bushes.
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Meanwhile back at camp,
"General Ptolemy is quite filled with his cups tonight", jokes Elias as he steps up to take a seat next his brother, who was sitting along side Hephaestion enjoying a skin of wine. "But I dare say he looks unhappy."
"He is sulking" laughs Hephaestion, "It would appear he is quite sore for having to leave his newest conquest back at the village."
"Ptolemy falls in love with a new woman in every town we enter" boisterously responds Ioan, "I believe he has become a father at least four times over. Isnt that true Ptolemy?" as Ioan steps off the log to walk over to comfort his friend. "Come let us drink to your soon to be new wife".
"And what of you Elias? Is there someone waiting for you back in town?" laughs Hephaestion, "Are you as much a flirt as your brother?" watching Ioan sit upon Ptolemy's lap trying to kiss him on the cheek.
Before Elias is able to respond, Thonas strides over shoving Elias into Hephaestion, "He is saving himself!"
Elias swiftly flushes red as he turns to see Hephaestion smiling with a look of amusement and bewilderment. "No I mean, I am no virgin, I have been with others" rambling on trying to find some convincing explanation, as he feels the sweat roll down his forehead, "I just haven't met anyone… yet worth getting….serious with. I have but…"
"How old are you Elias?" cuts in the general.
"I will soon see my 20th summer sir."
"Ptolemy is almost twice your age" explains Hephaestion as he takes a swig of his wine, nodding towards his companion, "At 19, Ptolemy was already a cavalry man for King Philip. He knows nothing but the life of an army, though he would argue that he is more of a man of philosophy than war. Somewhat of a lover than a fighter" chuckles Hephaestion calling into mind Ptolemy's motto for his way of life. Hephaestion then turns to look at Elias with a softened expression, "What I say is… when you find that one… you will know."
"And you is there no love in your life sir?, questions Elias, staring in quizzically at the general knowing that Hephaestion was only three summers older than him.
"Me?" pauses Hephaestion as if contemplating on whether he would respond to such a personal question. Yet he felt it compelled to answer the question since he had been the one who had opened up the subject matter.
The general takes a mouthful of wine and leans forward with his arms to his knees, "Have you ever been in the presence of a God?" Elias shifts his eyes back to the side staring longingly a Hephaestion's profile watching as the fire dance into his blue eyes and the glow of the moonlight shining from behind him. Elias would agree, he had been in the presence of a god.
"I have some time ago" looking towards the group of men laughing across from them, "and once you have" whispers Hephaestion, "then come to love the god, all others fail in comparison." Without any further hesitation, he explains, "As a youth, I once met a boy so filled with ambition, drive and adventure. He was… is so beautiful, a pit-bull of fire. So you can imagine loving such a boy was no easy task."
"And what became of him, this boy from your youth" smartly inquires Thonas, feeling brave after filling himself with another cup of wine. "Where is he now?"
"He is now a man … a fierce warrior who fights in the front line of this army." Proudly responds Hephaestion, "To see him in battle is to behold the presence of Ares among us mere mortals."
"Are you still lovers?" whisper Elias unable to stop himself from speaking his thoughts out loud, "I mean… are you with him even now." Turning to look at the general who was mindlessly caressing a blue stone clasped to a leather rope wrapped around his neck.
"I have said too much" smiles Hephaestion, as he studiously avoid making any further eye contact with Elias, and raises his cup to take another sip of his wine gazing across the campfire. Casually, Elias follows the direction of the general's stare as it settles upon the King, who was sitting with the other companions. As he watches the King enjoy a joke with Seleucus, Elias takes notice of a glistening blue stone, similar to Hephaestion's, hanging around his neck. The young recruit looks back to the general pondering upon the nature of the love he felt to the King. Was Alexander the boy as mentioned by Hephaestion? Were they in fact lovers? Elias shakes away any further thoughts on the subject, convincing himself that they were both men now, beyond the adolescent love they may have shared as boys. But his doubts on the matter begin to fade, as he watches the King look up, a blazed with passion in his eyes as he throws a tender smile at Hephaestion. The general blushes at the sudden attention, but as the King waves him over, the general at once complies, and steps up to walk away. Elias watches as the King gives a wide grin, and moves aside to give Hephaestion room on his log. Without any further regards to those around, the King and the general sit heads together sharing a private conversation. Suddenly feeling that he was intruding on a private moment, Elias turns his attention to Thonas rising up the subject of tomorrow's hunt, finally now realizing that Hephaestion belonged to the King.
TBC
