The fresh kill played on everyone's minds as Alexander addressed them. Half of them had been trying to sleep those days' events away but Alexander awoke them, they all grumbled and muttered lowly. It wasn't a good time to discuss anything.

Hephaistion came out of the tent he was hiding in, since his confrontation with Cassander had diminished his spirits, he no longer wanted to look Alexander in his eye, Alexander had become increasingly estranged from everything, as this tale of the greater trip through the Hindu Kusch would surely rest sourly on the minds of his companions.

"We have traveled far enough!" one of the men yelled at Alexander, as the low and steady rumble of angry voices echoed like cheers in Alexander's ears. He wasn't hearing them at all; he just waved the thoughts that had plagued his own rest, and would join Bagoas for a drink and something to eat, clearly by passing both Roxane and Hephaistion who saw him do this, and said nothing.

Alexander could feel Hephaistion's gaze rest on him as he stroked Bagoas' hair adoringly. Each strand slipping through his fingers, as Bagoas would gently nibble Alexander's neck, delicate and soft. That's what Hephaistion used to do to Alexander before all this started; it made him feel sick as he turned away from his King, as Cassander looked directly at him.

"No…" Hephaistion thought despairingly and left, expecting his King to follow his lead. Alas, Alexander remained where he was, and as the night drew on Hephaistion went to his tent alone.

---

"Hindu Kusch? So he plans to go farther East? Does he forget that he just killed Parmenion's son?"

"We shall have to remind him" Cleitus told Cassander as he watched Cassander repeat his actions of walking backwards and forwards in front of him.

"The letter? You said you were writing a letter… what was it for?"

"Just in case our plan fails, we have Olympius to thank" Cleitus shrugged, " In case that is our plan does fail"

"Pinning it on the Kings mother? How original" Cassander smirked but it wasn't light hearted, it was rather menacing as Cleitus pressed his hands to his lips so the tips of his fingers made a triangle, he nodded.

"Well, they all ready suspected her of killing Philip, at least that'd buy us some time if we were caught"

"Being found out, being caught? What kind of game is this Cleitus? I want to kill the King of Greece not play a silly game" Cassander snapped, still angry about his fight with Hephaistion.

"Don't panic yet, Cassander" Cleitus told him, "He still has a long way to go, the Hindu Kusch… well I'm sure Philip would've known there are no paths through those mountains. Dead walking tracks to nowhere… the kind of thing Alexander didn't listen to Aristotle about"

"Killing more of his men? He is a fool for this East" Cassander muttered, as Cleitus smiled a little.

"Now come, don't frown about it. There is still plenty of opportunity to strike"

"I still want him" Cassander said suddenly turning to look at Cleitus in the eye,

"I still want Hephaistion to love me" he said softly, retracting his gaze to the vase in the corner as Cleitus dropped his hands and stared at the floor.

"Yes, I know" was all Cleitus could muster as Cassander finally wet the lamp that was flickering in the corner; Cleitus' eyes remained opened for most of the night, thinking of why it was so that Hephaistion was so damn important to the King and to Cassander. He was just a lowly whore.

Then it struck him harder than anything Cleitus had had before. Kill Hephaistion, Kill Alexander. It was that simple. Then his rightful place at the right hand side of the true Macedonian King would be his, he smiled at the thought and plotted it long into the night, Unaware at that same time Olympius was doing her own plotting to get rid of someone she didn't want hanging around anymore, the dreaded Atalus.

Like mother, like son.