When Alexander woke the next morning, it was first to surprise at his surroundings and then to fear that Hephaistion might have been taken while he slept. He sat up, to find that Hephaistion still slept, then he saw a figure standing in the doorway and automatically reached for a dagger, only to realise he was unarmed.
It was Grayroc. He stepped forward and spoke, while Alexander stood up and watched his progress across the room, tried to judge his tone by the look upon his face and could only guess that he spoke with disdain. He looked to Hephaistion, wishing he were well enough to translate what Grayroc was saying.
Grayroc waited for Alexander's reply, when it did not come, he spoke louder as if he could make Alexander understand that way.
Shanna appeared and spoke to Grayroc, who laughed at Alexander, then pointed to Hephaistion, lifting his hand to signal that it was Hephaistion who spoke their language.
Alexander nodded. Shanna had gone over to Hephaistion, she reached to touch his face and murmured something to him.
Grayroc went over to a window that Alexander had not noticed. He unbarred it and pushed back wooden shutters to let morning light and cold air stream into the room. As he did this he cursed and Shanna turned and spoke just as harshly to him.
Talis only echoed her words when he walked into the room carrying a bowl of warm water. Grayroc stood defeated and closed the window, he spoke loudly, mentioned his father's name, then ignored by both Talis and his sister he stormed out of the room, glaring at Alexander as he walked by.
Alexander shook his head. If he had been handed the chance to prove himself by his father's murder, then he would take it, not act like a spoilt child who should be given the world.
Talis went over to Hephaistion and dropped down on to the side of the bed. He gave Hephaistion's face a gentle tap. "Ey!" he snapped, then slapped Hephaistion's face a little harder, forcing the blue eyes to open. Then, as he had done the day before he studied Hephaistion's face, before reaching for the bandage and pulling it off. He signalled for Alexander to come over, and held the hand open so that he could see the pus coming from the wound, but he grinned as if this were a good thing.
Hephaistion was drifting back into sleep, but Talis would not allow it. "Ey," he called again and tapped Hephaistion's face once more, before lifting up the bowl of water and placing Hephaistion's hand in it.
Hephaistion's eyes went to shut, once more, but flickered open and sought Alexander. "Don't let him keep hitting me," Hephaistion complained.
"Then stay awake," Alexander grinned, buoyed up by Talis' mood on seeing the wound. "How do you feel?"
"Tired," Hephaistion replied. "Hot," he added, as an afterthought. He closed his eyes and then forced them open, looking at Talis as if considering how close he might have come to being slapped again. "He is like Ajax," he said.
"How far did you push the blade in to him?" Alexander asked. "I hope he has been killed by the poison he put on his own dagger."
Hephaistion smiled, then turned to watch as Talis lifted his hand from the water, then called for a woman who had come in with a fresh poultice and a bowl of broth. He took the poultice from her and tied it firmly to Hephaistion's hand. Talis turned then to lift Hephaistion against his chest, propping him upright, while he took the bowl of broth from the woman and held it to Hephaistion's lips.
Hephaistion was reluctant to drink the broth down, but with Talis practically forcing the bowl against his lips, he had no choice. Once he started drinking it, Talis did not pull the bowl away until the contents were gone. He dropped the empty bowl to the floor and then began to rub a slow circle, along Hephaistion's chest, down to his stomach, then back up to his chest, then repeated the action.
"My father used to do this whenever my stomach pained me," Hephaistion said, but was then shushed by Talis.
"You need strength to fight the poison," replied Alexander.
Hephaistion shivered and rested his head back against Talis' shoulder, while he struggled to beat back the nausea he was feeling. He studied the roof, noting how it had been constructed and what materials had been used to line it. Simple straw and mud, baked by the warmth of the room. Thinking too hard on the construction made him feel nauseous again so he sought Alexander.
Brandor appeared with a bowl of stew and handed it to Alexander. He spoke to Talis, then pointed to Alexander.
"Talis says I have a fifty-fifty chance of surviving," Hephaistion translated, before being shushed by Talis again. He smiled at Alexander, and then his eyes closed, stealing a few seconds of rest.
But Talis seemed keen for Hephaistion to sleep now, and lowered him gently down to the pillow, still rubbing soothing circles, until he was sure that Hephaistion was asleep.
Brandor fetched Alexander's boots and handed him a long fur cloak, before signalling he should follow. Thinking that Hephaistion appeared a little better, that he might only be gone while he slept, he followed him outside.