A/N: I do my best not to use different versions of the same name but occasionally I miss to check for uniformity. Thus, I noticed that in previous chapters I called Autariatae's chief/king both Pleuratos and Pleurias. Going forward only Pleurias will be used.

I realized that in order to keep my promise to update on regular basis, I will have to post shorter chapters. Still, I think it is better than to disappear for years or even months. Thank you for reading and commenting. It is truly appreciated.

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Late fall/beginning of winter 338 BC

Hephaistion felt awkward in the morning. What he thought was a simply honest warning in the evening seemed like a very presumptions behaviour the next day. However, Alexander didn't show any resentment or any other signs of something being wrong. To Hephaistion advantage, they didn't have much spare time left to idle thinking; the morning started early and the crossing took some time. A few inhabitants of the fort where they spent the previous night joined their small group of four travellers and now there were seven of them.

If before the crossing they travelled for a several days with the river to their left and never far from the view, now they left the river behind them and travelled north. The winter didn't arrive yet and their path lay through lofty hills with somewhat forested area. Deciduous trees were almost bare but the carpet of the golden leaves softly rustled under the hooves of their horses and rose in the whirlwind behind their small group.

As usual, they traveled for the bigger part of the day and camped when the dusk started to capture the earth. Everyone was busy with setting up the camp and preparing the food and while the Illyrians talked briefly between themselves and occasionally with Alexander, Hephaistion was mostly left alone which allowed him time to dwell on his spontaneous conversation with Alexander. He couldn't decide whether it was the right thing to do because though the prince didn't seem angry or unduly upset, their interactions seemed to stop.

After a few days of continuous travel north when the first stars started to appear on the yet semi dark sky they saw blinking lights ahead of them. After some time, when it was almost too dark to continue, the lights started to look more like torches and Hephaistion realized they covered quite an expansive area.

"Gaso says we can make it to the fort tonight," Alexander's voice made Hephaistion snap out of his reverie. "It is one of the Autariatae most southern strongholds; well, most southern since my father destroyed the others. It's seems like your wish came true and you're going to see at last some fearsome Illyrian warriors," there was a friendly tease in Alexander's voice.

When Hephaistion turned his head towards Alexander, he could distinguish an impish smile of the prince's face.

"Are you going to feed me to the lions right away?" Hephaistion tried to match Alexander's tone.

"I am not sure lions inhabit the lands so far north," Alexander tried to sound serious, "but I am equally sure this land doesn't lack its own predators, both four and two legged. Did you come to conclusion you deserve such a punishment?"

"I didn't mean to offend."

"I know," Alexander chuckled, "and I still love you."

Hephaistion sharply reined in his horse almost forcing him to buckle. Alexander merrily laughed, "I think this declaration is a worse punishment to you than being fed to the lions," and with those words he galloped his horse ahead.

Whether it was a big village or a small city, it was impossible to tell in the almost complete darkness. Many lights were already put out and streets virtually deserted. Alexander and Hephaistion were showed into some sort of a room. Dim, almost dying lights from a few torches allowed to distinguish elevated pallets for sleep along the uneven wall, a short bench and a crude chest.

"You stay here tonight, I hope you are not hungry," said one of the Illyrians in passable Macedonian, "I am not going to search for food now. Somebody will come for you tomorrow morning." With those words the door was closed and Alexander and Hephaistion were left alone.

The prince dutifully translated the message into the Greek. He was trying to teach his companion some Macedonian on their way but Hephaistion professed little desire and even less ability; he was too afraid to start speaking the language better that he was supposed to and preferred to show indifference and inability.

In the morning two guards came to take them to see king Pleurias. They were brought into a spacious room with a low ceiling and no visible windows. Still, it was rather bright from many torches and lamps, big and small, some simple and some quite sophisticated. The room was thickly packed with many men sitting around crude tables, eating, laughing and loudly talking. Alexander and Hephaistion almost immediately singled out Autariatae's king at the head of the table with his back to the wall. He was a big and evidently strong man in his 40-es with rather uncharacteristic dark blond hair among the mostly very dark haired compatriots. He wore a greyish woolen tunic decorated with patches of fox fur and some complicated metal knots and fibulas. The leather armbands were also embellished by stripes and lumps of metal probably symbolizing his authority or maybe emblems of his tribe.

Upon seeing the newcomers he stopped eating which served as a signal to others to abruptly end whatever they were doing and direct their glances at the two young men.

"So, the infamous prince Alexander," in the way of greeting uttered the king and allowed himself to lean back against the wall.

"King Pleurias," Alexander slightly nodded in greeting.

Autariatae's chief purposely screwed his eyes as if trying to see a tiny dot far away on the horizon and then gave a quick look over to Alexander. "You look puny and…. what's the word in your language… daintily." Then, assuming that not everybody among his warriors was as advanced in Macedonian as he was, he quickly translated to offensive phrase. Predictably, the translation drew a lot of laughs and spurred some offensive discussions about Alexander's looks among Pleurias' companions.

"I know my worth and I didn't come here to compete in fierceness of appearance," calmer than Hephaistion would have expected said Alexander.

"No?" there was an obvious mockery in Pleurias tone, "then why did you come here running with your tail between your legs? Did your father wound your sensitive ears with his drunken speeches? Did you run crying to your mama in the women's quarters?"

"I came here from king Alexander of Epirus," firmly said Alexander ignoring all the insults.

"King…," Pleurias laughed. "A puppet put on the throne by your father."

"If you consider him a puppet, why then did you send your envoys to him?"

"Is it what he told you?" Autariatae's king smirked, "he sent me a message beginning for help against your father! What? He didn't tell you that? You're his present to me because, well, he doesn't have much to offer. And who is that?" the king nodded in Hephaistion's direction, "a nursemaid to wipe your nose?"

"This is Theseus, he came with me from the city of Chalcis," non-committedly said Alexander.

"Whatever you say, boy," dismissingly commented Pleurias. "So, what do you want from me? Help to overthrow your father and install you on the Macedonian throne?"

"I don't think you're capable of doing it," haughtily announced Alexander. Hephaistion was itching to remind Alexander to thread carefully but he wasn't supposed to understand Macedonian so he tried to keep face expression neutral, as one supposed to behave when he doesn't understand the meaning of the conversation hold in an unfamiliar language.

Not wishing to give Pleurias another excuse to insult him, Alexander continued, "Whatever game you and my uncle are playing, I am here to help you with it, nothing more, nothing less. As you're aware, I have some spare time on my hands."

"Don't take it into your head that you're here as an all-important envoy or somebody of the high statute. You're just an inconvenience and only going to be kept alive as long as I think you might be of some use. I am not even sure what use it is; at best, sending your head on a stake to Macedon to annoy your father. Or maybe to delight him. Now, go back to your room to sob until I find something useful for you to do." Pleurias waved dismissively and both Alexander and Hephaistion were taken back by the same guards that brought them in.

Back in their room, Alexander repeated their conversation to Hephaistion in Greek. Being prepared to hear what he already knew, Hephaistion asked Alexander after the prince went silent, "So, what do you make of this conversation?"

Alexander shrugged his shoulders, "he'll keep us alive for now. Despite all his insults and bragging, he knows he can use me and I am worth more alive than dead. I am more concerned about you. I shouldn't have brought you here."

"I insisted on tagging along, remember? How soon do you think he knew about your flight from Pella?"

"Certainly before we showed up on his doorstep. If we're allowed outside, I think we should plan your escape."

"No. Even if me saying that I am not going to leave you alone here is not enough, it is useless. I don't know the language, I don't know the territory and the winter is coming. I will never make it far enough and you know that. However, if we're to escape together, it's a different matter because we'd have a better chance. Why are you shaking your head? You don't agree?"

"I don't surrender that easily to circumstances. I think it's better to stay and see. We can still reconnaissance. Learn more about their habits, the people around Pleurias, find out if he has any malcontents. Well, I am sure he has, not everybody was happy when he lost so much territory to my father."

True enough, Pleurias didn't send anybody to take his hostages' lives. They were even allowed out of their room and could move within the premises of this rather big settlement quite freely. Hephaistion and Alexander knew they have been watched but they didn't exhibit any suspicious behavior or made any attempts to run away, so they were left alone. Either by genuine lack of curiosity or because they were warned against it, none of the Illyrians living in the village tried to initiate any sort of contact and when approached by Alexander most pretended that they didn't speak any Macedonian. The simple Illyrian that Alexander spoke and that Hephaistion also started to pick up could only be used for the basic conversations but it seems that locals weren't interested in this idle activity.

Then, some three weeks after their arrival, they were taken to see the Pleurias again.

"I am going to give you two the opportunity to stretch your legs," announced the king as if they were best of friends. "I am in the mood to raid, eh, one of my neighbours and at the same time to see your so called fighting abilities. If you're up to the challenge, of course. Maybe you get killed in the process and I won't need to bother to do it myself."

"We're happy to join you," Alexander answered without hesitation. "When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Somebody will come to fetch you from your rooms. Be ready."

Ooooooooo

"Don't you think we are travelling too far for a simple raid?" asked Hephaistion vigorously rubbing his palms one against the other trying to get warmer.

"It's been just five days," nonchalantly responded Alexander. "This land is wild and settlements are far and few in between."

"Do you have any idea where we are going?"

"Not a clue."

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Not much. It doesn't seem that Pleurias or any of his men lost. Besides, they sent scouts in different directions all the time. Did you notice?"

"Yes. I wonder why?"

"Probably to make sure that whatever we're raiding is still there. And also to make sure nobody fells upon us unexpectedly. Illyrians may be inferior to Macedonians in the open battle warfare but we can still learn a lot from them, how they fight, what are their methods, how they conduct reconnaissance, things like that. One day it can come handy."

"Of course. But I don't like cold dark forests."

"Ah, I forgot you're a southerner. Still, I hope we're out of here before the snow falls and stays on the ground. With snow on the ground it is harder to remain unnoticed."

Alexander was granted his wish, for the next three days, though it became progressively colder, the snow didn't fell though the heavy grey clouds indicated it can happen any moment.

"Don't get too comfortable for the night," said Gaso, the Illyrian that accompanied them from the now far away Passaron. "Scouts are about to return and if everything goes as planned, we attack tonight."

"During the night?" asked Alexander in surprise.

"When the night is about to end, at dawn."

"Whom are we attacking?" asked Alexander trying to get some information. All his previous questions on the matter went unanswered.

"There is a small Dardanian village not far from here. We're going to storm it, take some prisoners, kill the rest."

"Why it's important?"

"The village? Not important," scowled Gaso.

"Somebody inside the village?"

"Maybe," Illyrian shrugged his shoulders. "I already told you more than necessary. And don't worry, there are no Macedonians there so you won't be killing your compatriots."

"Wouldn't the Dardanian king…..," started Alexander.

"Old Bardylis is dead, didn't you hear? Died from the wounds he got in the battle with your father. It's a surprise he even lasted that long."

"Who is the king now? His son Cleitos?"

"Not yet," Gaso shook his head. "He has a few competitors."

"So, are we helping Cleitos or his competitors?"

"Neither. None of your business, actually. Anyway, I don't have time to answer your questions. I might be able to catch a few moments of sleep before we attack. I suggest you and your friend do the same."