Hello all,

Now I have almost caught up on you all ! Here is my entry for the letter J. Jun, my apologies for choosing Jaxartes, the same as you. And you did so very well with your entry !!! Since my entry covers events occurring after yours I hope that it adds to our combined efforts. It is somewhat of a sneak preview of a longer tale of Alexander's and the Macedonian's ordeals during the Scythian Campaign I and my Muses are working on. Alexander nearly lost his life during the pursuit of the enemy through the merciless desert. IMO, it was due to Hephaestion's ability to organize the campaign and the retreat that he was able to survive.

I must give a sincere warning. There is much angst and suffering in this short story, but I can promise that all will end up well in the longer tale that I am planning.

All the best wishes and hopefully good reading,

// NorthernLight

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J Is For Jaxartes

Hephaestion had always relied on the better judgment of Alexander. The young King had an infallible sense of foreseeing the best and most successful alternative.

Not this time.

They were surrounded by their faithful Macedonians and their Persian Allied. Even so Hephaestion felt as if he were all alone with his Dear One, all alone in their abject misery.

His worst nightmare had come true.

An enormous, hostile, glaring and hot orange red sun seared him with its merciless rays, pouring down from a cloudless sky. He sat in a dune of red hot sand with his Beautiful Golden One resting in his lap. Alexander was burning up from fever and white from loss of blood. His body was racked with cramps and unendurable pain. Hephaestion wanted to cry but his eyes were totally dry and sore from the merciless light and heat. A pack of hungry vultures gathered around them, soaring nearer all the time. They crooned anticipatively.

At this stage Hephaestion used to wake up from the nightmare. Alexander was always at his side, offering kind comfort and reassurance, telling him that nothing bad could happen to the Son of Ammon. They would always be together, always victorious and successful.

Aristander's prophecy of bad omens at the shore of the Jaxartes told another tale.

Now he had been proven right.

The Scythian Campaign had been successful at the beginning. After very hard fighting against the skilled, efficient and fast riding Enemy cavalry the Macedonians won a great victory over the Scythian horse riders at the shores of the river Jaxartes.

They should have been satisfied with that - but Alexander wanted a more decisive victory. Despite his severe injuries of late he ordered a swift pursuit after the Scythians, straight into the unknown realm of the hot and merciless desert.

All went well in the beginning. They had brought ample supplies with food and water bags. After a week they were becoming short of rations. Especially the lack of water was a dire emergency. The Macedonian Army and their hapless horses stumbled around in the sizzling orange red sand, in the heat from the burning sun. The Scythian Enemy were nowhere to be found, but the merciless heat, thirst and exhaustion was worse than mere human adversaries.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, appeared an oasis with the promising shade of dry leafed trees. Besides those trees was a pond with high tufts of dry, sharp grass around it. Alexander, his guards and his closest Companions pressed on, reaching it before all. The water looked fresh enough. It glittered and sparkled in the sun in a most alluring manner. Alexander leaped off his horse and threw himself on the hard, dry ground, proceeding to drink from the pond. Bucephalus was thirsty, too, and came close to the pond. Suddenly the black horse wrinkled his muzzle and refused to drink. He even sank his teeth into Alexander's Royal red cloak and tried to drag him away from the water.

Alexander was suffering greatly from the heat. His recent head and throat injuries had weakened him more than he wanted to admit. He still had great difficulties in thinking and talking. Thanks to Hephaestion's invaluable assistance he had been able to uphold his command and continue their campaign.

Now the merciless heat was taking its toll on him, exhausting even his golden energy and vitality. He was so very hot and thirsty and he needed water so badly. His head ached, his throat was utterly parched and his senses were quite bewildered.

Suddenly this enticing oasis appeared before his very eyes. Bucephalus took him there, swift as the wind. Wonder over all wonders! There was a sparkling pond, filled not with mere water. It shimmered before his sore and hurting eyes, rich, enticing and ruby red.

It was not water at all. It was wine!

Alexander could not resist it. He sank down into the razor sharp grass and started to gulp it down. It was simply delicious, the very best wine that he had ever drunk. He could feel Bucephalus nibble at his Royal red cloak, trying to drag him away from the pond. He lashed out at his horse, as if to shoo away a persistent gnat. The horse gave up a desperate neighing and stomped with his big hoof, making the sandy ground tremble.

"Bucephalus! I cannot understand why you do not like this wonderful pond. Look at it, it is filled with the most rich and delicious wine!"

The war horse shook his black head and mane, giving up another desperate neighing. Alexander returned to the enticing pond, indulging himself with the delicious wine.

When Hephaestion, Stefanos and Alexios arrived at the oasis they saw quite another picture. There were distinct traces of pollution in the pond. The water was not clear at all. It had an unhealthy brown and yellow colour and there was mud and algae floating around in it. Hephaestion was horrified and with eager help from Bucephalus he managed to drag Alexander away from the pond.

"Alexander! You cannot drink THAT!, "he exclaimed in an outrage. "It is not fit for drinking! I hope that you will not be taken ill from it."

He was to be proven wrong. That very night Alexander became desperately ill. His condition worsened during the following days. Still, he insisted on pursuing the Enemy through the merciless desert. Hephaestion could not persuade him to take some well needed rest. No, they all pressed on hard after the Scythians, finding nothing but sand, more sand, cragged rocks and merciless heat in a hostile wilderness.

There were some small ponds with stale water, but not enough for a large army with many men and horses.

On the third day Alexander collapsed and fell of Bucephalus. Hephaestion immediately leaped off Castor and knelt at his side. He found that the King was very pale and wan, totally exhausted from fever and dehydration, and he was barely breathing.

"How is he?, "Stefanos and Alexios worriedly asked as they dismounted and ran to their Dear Masters.

"He is very ill, burning up from fever and so very weakened. He will need fresh water soon, or else I fear that he will not make it, "Hephaestion desperately stated.

They all looked around. The landscape was very dry and desolate. The Macedonian army had never been in such hostile surroundings. All they could see was sand, dry grass, thorny bushes and sharp and rugged cliffs. Hephaestion sat down, taking Alexander in his lap, holding on to him for dear life. His breath rattled and stopped. Hephaestion had to shake him to get him to take some strained gasps from the stifling hot, sand filled air.

"We cannot remain like this, "Hephaestion stated. "Soon HE, and perhaps we all will perish. I must think of something!"

Hephaestion sat there, with his friend and King in a desperate condition, in this searing hot desert. The merciless sun burned his head and made thinking difficult. Glaring rays shimmered before his eyes, making him dizzy and confused. Despite all this, after an eternity of exhausting thoughts and calculations he came up with a possible solution. He gave his orders and then sat down to see to Alexander again.

All was now in the hands of the Gods and their most reliable Guards and Companions.

Hephaestion tenderly stroke Alexander's fewered brow, trying to offer some shade and comfort.

// "Oh, my Dear One, what a dreadful mess you have led us into, "he whispered to himself. "If we come out of this alive I will NEVER ever let you lure me into another desert again!" //

TBC in an upcoming fic, Into An Unknown Realm

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