A Soldier's Duty – Thirty Four
Hephaistion thinks he on his way back to Pella, but he may be in for a surprise
As Helios' rose slowly in the dark Eastern skies, smoke from the kitchens circled in a pearly mist over the tall oaks surrounding his family home, and enticed Hephaistion with the scent of baking. Calling to his dogs who were fighting amongst themselves and rechecking the buck sprawled across his horse he breathed in the yeasty scent. His stomach growled as he thought of hearty barley bread, to be dipped in wine for a good breakfast. Alternatively, perhaps it would be pancakes topped with honey, cheese, and sesame. The pancakes especially when topped with honey and sesame were a favorite of his. Suddenly he felt ravenous and quickened his step through the leafy green rows of grape vines on his father's estates.
"You'd best hurry or they'll won't be a crumb left for you, Tion. Father and his men have beaten us back. I know 'tis hard, the lot of the lowest, but someone must do it, and it won't be me who goes hungry!" Laughing as they tried to trip one another up, Hephaistion and Amyantas fought all the way toward the great chamber in the hall where the men gathered to eat.
The women kept to their quarters in his father's house as did most Macedonian women. On feast days they could be seen serving the men with their own hands, but otherwise they disdained the company of the men. Even Alexander's mother, the Lady Olympias would not have joined the men. Knowing the Lady, Hephaistion reflected, she would refuse on principal and say she would sup with her god, Dionysius.
It was easy to see why there were times both Alexander and his father found themselves at odds with the Lady. His own Mother and sisters would never have made even the slightest gesture toward dining with the men in the great chamber, to she and the other ladies of his father's court, that was the province of flute girls and dancers. They would look down their elegant noses should anyone suggest they try. There were times his Mother would invite him to partake of a meal in the more intimate setting of her own salon. Those memories he treasured. There might be a flute or harp playing, but the ornament would be tasteful in such settings. He often wondered why it was the influence of women could effect a man so that he would set aside his ruder nature to willingly to partake in the company of women upon such occasions.
As he entered the large rectangular hall with its twelve green, blue and white columns that he used to imagine were stately trees when he was very small and could only peer inside, he noted it had been cleaned and swept clean of the last three days of feasting. Although thick pine boughs entwined with wool still garlanded the columns and hung from the doorways. Fresh rushes of crushed herbs and lavender were scattered upon the red tile floors and crunched delightfully underfoot releasing their sweet scents into the air. The room retained it's festive air. For three days running the men had celebrated the feast day of the youth Hylas, beloved by Herakles and a good deal of drinking, feasting and general mayhem had taken place. He also noticed much to his relief his father was not present. As he strode toward the couch he shared with Amyantas, he paused to gaze at one of the four large weavings which depicted the bounty of Demeter upon a feast table. The largest showed the hunt with a sun dappled buck with black antlers rich with moss standing proud amid a dark emerald forest. His true mother, who had died when he was three, had woven it. It was tradition to place a pinch of incense in the brazier before it to honor the memory of its creator.
To be continued...