Sorry it took so long again but fanfiction punished me again for some stupid reason and I couldn't post for several days.
Thanks you for your lovely reviews.
Shioban: Yeah, I wanted Cleitus to stick up for his Queen. I didn't really want to kill him but I had to keep some parts of Alexander's life in my story...
Mara: Thank you, you are always so sweet. I always await your review :)
XZanayu: Yeah, I know but I had to keep some historical facts in my story after all. Hope you like this chapter better.
Chapter 19: India And Back
In the days that followed, Alexander was barely seen or heard from because he had hidden himself away, the only person that was allowed to enter was Hephaistion. Everyone knew Alexander had too much too drink that night and he regretted killing Cleitus even though they love him dearly, they hoped the act opened Alexander's eyes and decided to go home.
Hephaistion sighed as he watched Alexander moaning and crying in his sleep, it had been 4 days already and there was no sign of improvement. He truly didn't know what to say or do anymore and hoped his presence was enough, suddenly he was startled by a noise,
"Let me in, I'm the Queen." Recognizing Roxane's voice Hephaistion left the inner sanction of the tent and came face to face with an angry Roxane,
"I want to see him. I have waited 4 days."
"He says none, especially you…" said Hephaistion patiently,
"I'm the Queen and he needs me…"
"You are not Queen and never will be! And he doesn't need you…" said Hephaistion getting angry,
"And he needs you?" Hephaistion just smiled, gesturing with his head to some nearby guard who escorted her away. He shook his head and headed back to Alexander, when he walked he saw him sitting up holding a scroll looking very pale,
"Am I really so arrogant, that I forgot who we are and where we came from?" asked Alexander with a tiny voice as Hephaistion sat in front of him,
"Sometimes…." Answered Hephaistion honestly, "But you are King and sometimes it is necessary…"
"So Cleitus spoke the truth?" gasped Alexander, "I failed utterly… I failed my father, my wife and children, my army… even you…."
"You did not fail Alexander. We understand the decisions you make, we are all prepared to make sacrifices so you can go on. We love you Alexander and we will stay by your side, no matter how far you go, what you say or what you do." Said Hephaistion while he stroked a trembling Alexander's hair.
No one beside Alexander and Hephaistion knew what was said in that tent but soon Alexander regained his strength and peace of mind and decided to go forward, towards India.
The army went with him, again they marched for months and months, in terrains they had never seen before meeting and killing animals and tribes they had never heard of before. This did not bother them too much, but the constant rain had a negative effect on the troops. For they saw their comrades in arms die of new diseases, typhus, diareah, flu, they were bitten by snakes whose venom was so strong they died almost instantly, others were killed by the constant battles they were in. Soon they had more then enough.
One day when Alexander asked them to go on for one more month, he encountered something he had never heard before after he gave his speech about the wonderful riches and beautiful promises: silence. Alexander locked eyes with Hephaistion, who stood nearby, in shock but soon recovered,
"Don't tell me… you men afraid?" he looked at all the battleharded faces in shock,
"We heard, they have these great animals which crush anything they walk on, my king" came a voice from somewhere in the crowd,
"My soldiers, my brave soldiers, we have faced more harder challenges then this and we all prevailed, why should this one scare you away?" When no one answered Alexander just paced up and down until a General by the name of Craterus stepped forwards,
"Craterus, my dear Craterus. You have every right to speak…"
"My king. My men are tired, they want to go home. They have face many battles and hardships over the last 7 years…" said Craterus standing on a rock so everyone could see them,
"Have I not faced them with you?" yelled Alexander,
"Aye, you have my king and we love you for it. We followed you everywhere you've taken us and some of us died for you. We have crossed unknown lands and some of us will never leave them. We have been gone too long from home. We just want to see our wives and children again before we die…" the whole army began shouting and banging their swords on their shields, Alexander motioned for them to be quiet and Hephaistion could see he suffered because of all this,
"You are right! I have been neglegtive to you men…" at this everyone looked shocked, hope filling their eyes, even Hephaistion's, "You shall receive compensation for every year you have served me, and you shall go home rich and see your wives and children again." Everyone smiled at this but suddenly Alexander's tone changed and Hephaistion turned around not wanting to see the hate on the soldiers faces,
"You shall live happy and rich. You shall grow old. You shall be honoured as kings. But when time passes and the memory of your glory deeds fade, they will all remember: YOU LEFT YOUR KING IN ASIA!" he yelled pointing his finger at his soldiers, "You can all go home, I will continue forward with my Asians!" most of the army looked shocked and bowed their heads in shame, but suddenly voices began yelling at Alexander,
"We're tired, we want to go home."
"Fight your own battles."
"False King!"
"Who said that? Come forward!" yelled Alexander looking in the crowd, suddenly a carcass of a dead animal was thrown, barely missing him, this made him furious and he ran in the crowd followed by his companions, grabbing several men he ordered their execution: dead by stoning.
Hephaistion knew this act might seem cruel but to his eyes, Alexander did nothing more then what any other king or leader would have done. But he noticed for the first time that Alexander was no longer loved by all.
They continued forward and decided to fight their last great battle right there in the Indian woods. Alexander had explained his tactics and even though the army was scared they all obeyed him. The soldiers were to attack first and stood ready in formation while Alexander and his companions, who were on horseback waited by a nearby river.
Soon, sounds of battle reached Alexander ears and he moved forwards yelling,
"Come Macedonians, ride!"
Suddenly all the horses stopped as they saw the big grey beasts they heard so much about, they were indeed impressive and many of the Indians were on top of them shooting arrows. Observing the battle, Alexander noticed his ranks showed gaps and the men were running, he ordered them back but knew he had to make an example. He ordered someone to get Hephaistion with the reserves and charged forward,
"Macedonians! Why do you run? Come fight!" as he moved closer, swinging his sword left and right killing Indians as he went. Seeing their king fighting the soldiers soon followed his example. When Hephaistion arrived he looked at the battle shocked at the pure butchery that was going on, seeing Alexander he yelled his name knowing he could not hear him in any case,
"Alexander!"
Everyone looked on as Alexander suddenly came face to face with the leader of this tribe on top of the elephant. Both Bucephalas and the elephant stood on their hind legs trying to protect their masters. Suddenly several arrows were fired and Hephaistion watched it move like in slow-motion as the first one pierced Alexander horse and the second one pierced Alexander chest with such a force he fell of his horse and hit the ground hard.
"The King is down!" yelled Ptolemy, who stood next to Hephaistion, this shook him awake and he yelled,
'"To The King!" they all charged to Alexander hoping he was still alive. All the soldiers, who had all seen Alexander's bravery started to fight with a second breath. Soon Hephaistion and the other companions surrounded Alexander and protected him. Soon, the Indian retreated and they won the battle.
Alexander saw red as he felt hands move over his body. Suddenly he was lifted in the air, after being placed on his shield and gasped. He tried to look around and saw Hephaistion bleeding on the ground as he stroked Alexander's dying horse. The horse he had since he was a young boy, locking eyes with Hephaistion he suddenly felt emotionless and looked away.
Many were killed that day and many more were wounded. Including the king, he received an arrow to his chest and it had lodged under his collarbone. It took a great deal of time and pain to remove it. Philip, Alexander personal doctor, noticed the arrow had pierced his long as well and blood was filling his chest so he decided to place a drain. Alexander had a fever for many days and came close to death several times, many thought he would not make it and some of them already thought him dead.
Not many people were allowed to visit Alexander, in fact only Philip and his understudies were allowed to enter,to preventinfections. It frustrated Hephaistion, who had a great wound on his right leg, to no end. Two weeks later however a stumbling and very place Alexander stepped out of his tent, supported by a cane and the doctor. Everyone looked at him and sighed in relieve, glad their king had lived. Alexander croaked a sentence so silently the soldiers looked on shocked,
"We're going home…." Alexander locked eyes with Hephaistion, who nodded smiling widely, and when Alexander repeated that they were indeed going home the soldiers cheered and partied well into the night. No one but Hephaistion knew how much it hurt Alexander to say this, both emotionally and physically, and his heart went out for him.
Weeks later, when Alexander was strong enough to travel, they set of again. Alexander suddenly wanting to be home as quickly as possible decided to take the shortest road available: through the desert. However, he did not expect they were no wells and therefore no water. Soon, water was rationed, as was the food. They marched at night when it was cooler and tried to sleep during the days, but it was often too hot to do so. At the beginning men who fell behind were picked up and men who died were buried, but this too cost them too much energy and Alexander ordered to leave any men who fell behind to leave behind, dead or alive.
Hephaistion watched Alexander as a hawk, he watched as Alexander struggled with each breath but still rode at the head of the column each night, inspected his troopsduring the day and denied any water as long as his soldiers didn't have any either.
"Alexander…" said Hephaistion as he entered his beloved's tent one evening,
"Hephaistion, I am glad to see you, are you alright?" asked Alexander as he chewed a stale piece of bread,
"Shouldn't I be asking you this? I know you are in pain Alexander, I wish you would rest some more."
"The king should rest while his troops cannot? No Hephaistion, I cannot do that."
"I know…." Sighed Hephaistion well knowing this little fact; "I wish you would though…"
"You worry too much…" muttered Alexander,
"And you too little…" snorted Hephaistion,
"A fine pair we make…" and they smiled at each other. Then Alexander took a scroll and held it to his heart, Hephaistion recognized it as the one Eudora sent,
"I wonder if she will be happy to see us." Hephaistion didn't need to ask who 'she' was, "I wonder if she changed much, by Zeus, the children must be big by now, how old are they?" laughed Alexander remembering the little toddler he left behind,
"Almost 9 and 4 I believe…" answered Hephaistion,
"Has it really been that long?" asked Alexander and Hephaistion could do nothing more then nod his head, Alexander sighed and closed his eyes,
"I wonder if I am welcome anymore. I have not received any letters for months now." Hephaistion stayed silent remembering the last letter he received,
Eudora to her beloved Hephaistion, hail!
Word still reaches me of your great victories and plans to move forward. Sometimes messages come with different contents of the same events and I do not know what to believe anymore. I fear I grow bitter eachday you are gone and I miss you two terribly. Sometimes I wonder if Alexander remembers he has a wife and children and thinks about us.
I think about you two often, I am reminded of you each day trough our children. Ureaus, who is growing strong and looks more like his father each day begins to question his memory of his father and our little girls, who have heard every tale about your quest are beginning to believe you are not real. I do not know how to react when they do, for I begin to forget what it was like when we were all together.
When I find my mind wandering towards despair and loneliness I pick up my training again, teaching Uraeus when he has the time. I hope you will return soon for I do not know how much longer I can stand the lonely nights and crying myself to sleep.
I hope you are well!
Come home soon!
Hephaistion never told Alexander about this letter for he received it soon after Cleitus' death and did not want to burden Alexander any further.
"I'm sure she misses and loves you Alexander. So do the children. They will be happy to see you. You know how messages get lost sometimes and we are a long way from home after all…"
Alexander nodded excepting Hephaistion's explanation,
"You always know what to say, my Patroclus." And kissed Hephaistion sweetly on the lips,
"My Achilles…." Sighed Hephaistion when they parted and hugged each other close.
They marched for many more weeks, losing many in de desert but soon they found themselves on familiar ground… they were home.
Ack! Seems I don't like any chapter I write anymore….