Hello all,
As my New Year's Gift to you all comes part three of this Illyrian venture. Alexander and Hephaestion are settling down in their new home with some trials and tribulations. They don't know that they have a most unusual Healer and Helper keeping watch over them.
All the best wishes and Season's Greetings to all,
// NorthernLight
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TEMPLATE:
Title: Illyrian Autumn (3 / WIP)
Author: NorthernLight
Category: Love/Friendship/Adventure story
Pairing: Alexander&Hephaestion
Date: November 2008
Feedback: Yes, , on and off list, as you please.
Archive: Yes, but please tell me first.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. This is for entertainment only, and for my deep interest in Alexander and Hephaestion, their times and great adventures.
Beta: Denise, but not this time. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year. Many thanks for interesting discussions and suggestions. You sure make my stories a far better read.
Summary: Alexander and Hephaestion experienced hard times during their Illyrian exile. There were some memorable moments, though.
Warnings: One OMC. Amanda is my alter ego, a wishful dream come true.
Author's note: I don't know much of Ancient Illyria. The Mountain Illyrians are a proud and stubborn people of my own invention. Elk and lynx are animals living in the North of Europe. I don't think that they lived in Ancient Greece or Illyria in Alexander's time, but I like them to be there all the same. :)
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Illyrian Autumn, Part Three
A Wood In Illyria, 338 BC
Late Sleepers
Next morning Amanda woke up very early. She had been sleeping very badly, having all kinds of nightmares about the strangers who had come to upset her calm and orderly life. She refreshed herself with cold mountain water, and then she ate some bread and apples with some herbal tea to go with it. After this frugal breakfast she armed herself with two well hidden knifes and her pouch with thorns before she went outdoors. Ptolema and the puppies followed her. They all went to a well hidden outlook behind some thorny rose hip bushes. There they sat down to take a close watch over their new neighbours.
All looked calm in the other cave's surroundings. The strangers were not visible, neither their horses.
// "Well, those Southerners are known to be very lazy and late sleepers, "she silently mused by herself, fearfully frowning. "Strange, though, they seemed most vigorous and diligent when they were taking their bath yesterday. Perhaps they are hiding inside the cave, planning all kinds of terrible misdeeds. " //
Amanda went to her chores, picking apples and rose hips and seeing to her many herbal remedies. She often had her ways near the hidden outlook. The strangers did not appear, but now the horses had come out and went around grazing on the grass and moss in the meadow. The big animals looked carefully around, it seemed that they had been trained to watch out for themselves and for all kinds of dangers.
Now Amanda was very worried. Why did the strangers not wake up and come out into the clearing? Were they perhaps actually planning something dangerous for her and her beloved Mountain Illyrians?
"Ptolema, we must go and see for ourselves what they are doing, "she told her faithful she dog. "You and the puppies will follow me, but you all must stay calm and silent. If there are six of us nothing dangerous can happen!"
The dogs nodded and off they went. They silently stalked their way to the other cave. No one was visible and nothing was heard in its surroundings. The horses whinnied softly when they passed. Amanda nodded friendly at them, making a sign that they would be well fed later on. She crept through the hidden tunnel towards the cave, looking carefully around. When she had come through she crept through the thorny tunnel that lead to the opening of the cave with great care, and with even greater curiosity. The dogs sneaked with her, as if stalking some very dangerous prey.
All six of them looked into the cave. Their curious eyes fell upon a most endearing sigh. The two young men were still sound asleep. They had made a makeshift bed from dry moss and sweet smelling hay on a Nature made stone bench. There they had wrapped themselves together into a warming wolf skin fur. The Golden One held on to his auburn haired friend in a most possessive manner. This one was moaning a bit in his sleep, and there was a strange blushing on his cheeks that made Amanda smile.
// Well, it seems that they are not planning anything harmful, at least not for now. They look so very sweet and handsome in their sleep, perhaps they are not as dangerous as I fear, "she reassuringly told herself. "They must have had a very long and strenuous journey, coming to this remote place all the way from the South. They need their rest. Let us not disturb them anymore. " //
She made a silent sign to her dogs and they withdrew to their daily chores. Soon the horses came to her, mumbling and grumbling, wanting a new ration. She gave them lots of apples and sweet smelling hay. They ate for a very long time. When they were finished they once more took the biggest and juiciest apples in their mouths, ready to bring them to their Dear Masters. The faithful animals looked around, seeing and smelling all the delicious foodstuffs Amanda had stored around and inside her cave. The auburn colored stallion persistently stomped the ground with his enormous right hoof.
"What do you mean by that, my equine friend?, " Amanda asked him.
Castor looked down towards the other cave, and now Bucephalus joined him with the stomping.
"Oh, now I understand. Your Masters must be very hungry, too. You are very good and faithful horses, indeed. I will see what I can do......"
Amanda brought some tasty mushrooms and carefully wrapped them into some big chestnut leaves. She also wrapped some sweet edible roots into the leaves.
"Here, here. You may carry these parcels together with the apples. There will be more waiting for you tomorrow, she kindly told the horses as she patted their great heads. "
Both horses nodded thankfully as they picked up her generous gifts and went down to the other cave. Amanda sat down on a sun warmed, mossy stone.
// "Well, well. Since these young men have so very clever and faithful horses they cannot be all that bad. Animals are good judges of character, "Amanda mused to herself before she went back to her daily chores. //
Untimely Illness
When Alexander woke up the bright autumn sun shone straight into the cave. Its golden rays fell upon their makeshift bed, making the moss, hay and furs feel even softer and warmer. Hephaestion was resting on his arm, his auburn hair spread like a warming cloak all over his broad shoulders. It sparkled and shone in the autumn sun, tickling Alexander on his chest. He smiled, thankful to wake up with such a faithful and beautiful friend at his side.
"Oh, today we have overslept ourselves!, "Alexander called out as he gently pushed Hephaestion. "Wake up, Phai. There is much to do!"
His friend did not answer. Now he realized that Hephaestion was feverish. He was unnaturally hot and there was a red blush on his cheeks. He was sleeping so heavily that he did not wake up even when Alexander shook him more vigorously.
"Oh no! How are you?, "he worriedly asked. "You must not get ill, not now when we are all alone in this wilderness!"
"Alexander, why are you screaming and yelling so much? My head hurts, and my foot is throbbing so badly!"
Hephaestion was slowly waking up. He opened his bright blue eyes and looked at his friend as he tried to sit up. He was very weak and instantly fell back on their makeshift bed.
"No, do not try to get up, Phai, "Alexander carefully admonished him. "You are running a very high fever. Let me see to you properly. "
Alexander poured some cool water from the water skin and gave him to drink. Then he used the rest to give him a cold rub down. Hephaestion shivered under his well intended ministrations.
"No, don't do this to me! I am already freezing!"
Alexander put his index finger to his lips.
"Hush, hush, my dear one! You will feel much better when I am through with this. "
Alexander rubbed him down with some soft moss, and then he proceeded to see to his injured foot. It was no worse than yesterday, but no better either. The swelling was blue and tender, and Alexander took some of Queen Olympias' ointment in his palms and carefully anointed the foot and ankle.
"Ah, that is much better. Do not take your hands away, Alexander, "Hephaestion pleaded. "They feel so very warm and soothing. I can never get enough of them...."
Alexander smiled to his friend as he put on the splints and wrapped the foot into the dressings again. Then he wrapped him safely inside his wolf skin cloak and saw to it that he rested comfortably on their bed of moss and straw.
"There you are. Now you must stay in bed all day and let me take care of you. I will go and get some water and firewood, and then I will make a concoction to calm your fever and pain. It'll make you feel much better in no time!"
Hephaestion lay back with a sigh, looking at Alexander as he went away from the cave. He felt hot and weary and let himself drift into sleep as the Queen's ointment and the Prince's ministrations soothed the pain in his injured foot.
Alexander took two water skins and went down to the river. Suddenly he was aware of several curious eyes watching him. He looked up to the thorny rose hip bushes on the mountain slope.
There was a woman dressed in a green woolen tunic and cloak and soft dear skin trousers and boots. She sat on a stone surrounded by five curious small animals, two brown and three black. At her side was a big, black dog, looking like a fierce panther baring its fangs towards him. The woman had long shining, blond hair spilling down her back and shoulders, and she watched him with curious sparkling blue green eyes.
No ordinary woman could live all by herself in this remote wilderness! She must be a Forest Witch!
Alexander mumbled a charm against all Evilness. When he looked up once more the woman and her animals were gone.
// "It must have been an illusion, brought on by hunger and weariness, "Alexander mused to himself. " Women cannot live on their own in this harsh wilderness! And, our horses are grazing calmly in the clearing. If there had been something dangerous they should have warned me! //
Alexander went to the river and filled the water skins. He then gathered an ample supply of fire wood and made a fire inside the cave, careful to let the smoke find its way out. Then he produced some elderberries and willow bark and poured some water in a kettle. Soon the mixture was ready and he poured it into a clay bowl, letting it cool down a bit before he offered it to his friend. Hephaestion was tossing and turning in a fevered sleep. He barely woke up when Alexander cradled him in his strong left arm and put the bowl to his lips.
"Drink this, my friend. It will make you feel better. You simply MUST get better soon!"
Hephaestion drank from the bowl, and then fell asleep once more. Alexander drank some water before he lay down at his side, gently holding him in his arms as he wrapped them both in Queen Olympias' warm and generous wolf skin cloak. All day he was there for him, never leaving his side. Towards the evening Hephaestion was feeling better. The fever had broken and he was lucid once more. He tried to sit up and asked for some food.
"No, my friend. You will have to wait until tomorrow. All you can have is this calming concoction!"
Alexander put the kettle on the fire once more and made the herbal remedy. He fed it to Hephaestion, who drank and fell asleep once more.
Now the horses returned, bringing some strangely made leaf parcels on the floor of the cave. Alexander curiously examined the contents.
"Good horses, good horses. You have found so many fine mushrooms and sweet edible roots, and two fine apples today also. I just wonder, how can you be so clever as to wrap your findings into these fine chestnut leave parcels?"
Alexander felt his stomach grumble. He ate one apple, and then he boiled some roots and fried some of the mushrooms.
// Well, this was a fine and satisfying evening meal. I am not such a bad cook after all, "he mused to himself when he had eaten. "The food just doesn't taste as good as when Hephaestion does the cooking!"
He lay down at the side of his friend, gently preparing them for a good nights rest. Before he slowly drifted into sleep he felt curious eyes watching him from afar.
// We are all alone in this wilderness. We MUST be! There cannot be anyone living on this remote mountainside! There certainly are no Forest Witches!" //
TBC
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