"There is not so much meat left," Hephaistion reported, carrying two wooden bowls of broth over, and some bread. "We should go hunting soon."

Alexander nodded in agreement, breaking off a piece of bread and dipping it in the broth, before eating it.

Hephaistion studied Alexander, for a moment. "Their hand-to-hand combat has improved…a lot. They even fight, well enough, seated on a horse," he added.

Shaking his head, Alexander looked at his broth, then to Hephaistion. "It's a simple enough thing to encircle a village and to anticipate when to attack, to watch the other men, leave no gaps…"

"Not to the Therici. This is new to them." He sighed and reached for Alexander's hand. "Perhaps, tomorrow will be a better day."

Brandor came over to them, and Hephaistion released his love's hand and began to eat his broth, listening while Brandor spoke to him. Hephaistion nodded his head, then without translating agreed to what Brandor had said. Alexander knew enough of the language now, to know he had.

Brandor looked over to Shanna, smiling to see her gazing on him. He was carrying himself differently these days, acting every inch the chief-in-waiting, as if he was now aware of his destiny. He patted Hephaistion's shoulder and then made his way to Shanna.

Hephaistion carried on eating his broth, ignoring Alexander, though aware he was waiting for a translation.

"Well?" Alexander said, at last. "What did he say?"

Hephaistion grinned up at him. "That he's arranged to go hunting early tomorrow morning, and we are welcome to join him, or stay here if we wish." He went back to his broth.

Alexander waited, then reached for Hephaistion's bowl and lifted it away. "And what did you say? I know you agreed to something."

"You're getting better with the language then?" said Hephaistion, reaching for the bowl, only to have it moved further away. "Can I have my broth, Alexander?" he pleaded. "If we're going hunting tomorrow, I could do with a good meal in me tonight."

Alexander grinned, and handed back the bowl. "I think an early night is called for too." He glanced over at Brandor and Shanna, standing close, caressing each other. "I think we better make the most of the chief's bed, while we can."

OOXXOO

Alexander steered Bucephalus, at a gallop, through the forest. Looking left, he saw Hephaistion mirroring him, then he glanced behind to see the men of the Therici bringing up the rear.

They had a wild boar ahead of them and they were closing the distance and slowly encircling it.

He pushed Bucephalus to an even great speed, raising the javelin in his hand and then stuck. The boar squealed as it was hit, then rolled on the ground, already dead before its body came to a standstill.

Cheers went up at the kill, men came forward with a packhorse, ready to lift the body onto it. It was just early morning and they had already done well.

Hephaistion rode over, his breath like mist on the cold air, looking like a God in his furs. Alexander smiled to see him wearing the fur hat, he seemed to like it, and his hair had grown longer now, long strands visible from underneath it. For a moment, he saw the dark hair, falling in long layers, reaching just to Hephaistion's shoulders as he arched his back, while they made love. He looked away, not wanting to show his desire for the man when he should be focussed on the next kill.

Talis came over and handed him his javelin back, patting his knee and grinning at him, then he was aware of Hephaistion by his side.

"It was a good kill, Alexander."

"It feels good to be doing something other than cleaning stables or training," Alexander admitted. He looked at the boar, there was enough meat on it for a good feast, or a few days broth.

"We should let Brandor have the next kill," Hephaistion said.

Alexander felt like a child who was about to have his favourite toy taken from him. He saw the logic in Hephaistion's words, but he dearly wanted to take the next kill too. He nodded, not looking at Hephaistion as he spoke, but concentrated on tidying Bucephalus' mane. "If he can get close enough," he replied. "We would have lost the boar if I had waited for him to catch up."

Hephaistion laughed. "You sound like a petulant child, Alexander. You sound like the boy I first knew. I thought that he had long gone, but I see he is still there."

Alexander looked up at Hephaistion, finding the blue eyes laughing at him still. "Stop it," he smiled, well aware of what he had been like as a child. Although Leonidas had been strict, his mother had filled his head with contempt for others, ideas of his own importance in the scheme of things, spoiling him, cosseting him. It had taken Hephaistion, pushing him over onto his backside, before storming off, tired of his princely behaviour, to make him change his ways. He had sought Hephaistion out, after that, and in doing so he had found himself.

He wanted to ask Hephaistion if he would knock him to the ground right now, but he preferred to forget the brat he was. He had found Hephaistion that day, and apologised, to be instantly forgiven by an embrace and a soft kiss on his cheek.

Lost in his thoughts he felt a soft kiss against his cheek. Hephaistion had moved Briseis in closer and leaned over to claim it. "I remember," he whispered.

Alexander grinned, then reached for Hephaistion claiming his lips, in a lingering kiss. Cheers and shouts went up as he did so, he had forgotten the Therici were right beside them. He broke the kiss, leaving Hephaistion breathless. "We are no longer boys," he said. "We can take more than chaste kisses."

Hephaistion nodded and smiled. "So, Brandor can have the next kill…if he can keep up?"

"Yes."

Hephaistion grinned, his blue eyes stayed focussed on him, as he reined Briseis back. Then he wheeled the mare around and went to Brandor, who was just going back to his horse. Hephaistion jumped down from his mare and handed Brandor the reins, taking those of Brandor's horse.

Brandor hesitated, stroking Briseis' neck before leaping onto her back. Hephaistion got onto Brandor's horse and then rode back to Alexander. "I think he will keep up now," he laughed, as he rode on by.

Alexander shook his head, wondering, not for the first time, just where he might be if Hephaistion were not in his life. Then he laughed as well as he remembered they were exiles, struggling for survival, with no set future, and no place to be, and he suddenly realised he would not have it any other way.

OOXXOO

By mid-afternoon, they had killed two more boars, Brandor taking one, and Talis the other. It had been a good days hunting, far better than they had anticipated, the gods seemed to be with them.

With laughter and good-humoured talk, they made their way back to the village, coming out of one valley and down into the next, skirting along the side of a small frozen lake, then climbing again with their home soon to be in sight.

Talis and Brandor rode close to Alexander and Hephaistion. Brandor was as concerned as Alexander about their struggles to get the cavalry manoeuvres right. He was wondering if there was another way they could defeat the Glaucini, but then, before Alexander could reply, he answered his own question. They needed the advantage of cavalry, they just had to get it right.

Hephaistion translated, then replied for Alexander, saying Brandor needed to speak to the men, to get through to them the importance of working as a unit, to trust that they could fight as well on horseback. He did not add that Alexander had said they would need the help of the gods if they were to achieve a significant victory.

It was just beginning to get dark as they arrived back at the village, children running alongside them smiling and laughing to see the hunt had been successful.

Alexander turned to see that Hephaistion had lifted the girl, they had found, up before him. She was smiling broadly and calling out to her friends to see her. He smiled to see it. One day they would have children of their own, he could see what a good father Hephaistion would be, in his caring for this child.

They made their way to the stables and dismounted. The little girl gave Hephaistion a quick, shy hug as he set her down, then ran off to rejoin her friends.

Hephaistion had not noticed Alexander watching him as he watched the child's progress through the village.

"She's fond of you," Alexander said.

He had been lost in thought, so was surprised by Alexander's words. "She has no father," he replied. "He was killed by the Glaucini." He frowned, lost in thought again.

"Talis told you." Alexander said it as a statement, Talis seemed to be the source for all information on the village. He wanted to break Hephaistion's thoughts, knowing they could only be taking him back to their time with the Glaucini. "We will avenge the dead, Hephaistion."

"We could be amongst the dead," Hephaistion replied, turning to Alexander and looking into his eyes. It had all been so close.

"The gods have other plans for us. We've always known it."

Hephaistion nodded in acknowledgement of Alexander's words. He smiled softly and then reached for Bucephalus' reins from Alexander. "I'll see to the horses. Why don't you go and find some warm water we can wash with?"

"Are you sure? I don't mind seeing to the horses," Alexander offered, but could tell by Hephaistion's expression that he knew why he was looking to reverse their roles.

"She won't bite," he replied.

"She's getting worse," Alexander said plaintively.

It had been easy enough at first. Alexander was able to ask for warm water, from one of the women in the hall, without needing to speak the language. She would talk to him though, and he would smile and nod as she poured water into a large bowl he had. Then Hephaistion had told him what she was saying, how suggestive her words were, and since that time she had begun to touch him, reaching for his hair, stroking his arm, caressing his chest, and then she would pour the water.

Hephaistion got the same treatment when he fetched the water, but not so intensely since he had spoken to her. Like the girl at Stegran's village, Alexander suspected that Hephaistion was letting him fall into a trap, for his own amusement.

Hephaistion grinned at him, then turned, leading the horses away. "Get some water," he said.

Alexander hesitated, then headed for the hall, praying to Zeus, Apollo, Hercules, Dionysus and all the other gods he could think of that the woman would not be around.

OOXXOO

Hephaistion busied himself with seeing to the horses, not only Bucephalus and Briseis, he helped to carry in hay for the others, and put fresh straw down.

He fetched some fresh water, filling buckets, then gave oats to the horses chosen for the cavalry work. The stores, where these were kept, were getting low on supplies, and he wondered how much the Therici had been praying for an early spring.

The tribe were in trouble. He thought of Fladon and how desperate he must have been to go on that foolhardy mission to the Glaucini.

He was almost done, when Talis appeared, saying nothing but signalling for him to follow.

He picked up the fur cloak he had discarded while working, wrapping it around himself as he hurried after Talis. Looking up he saw a crowd forming a circle, but he could not see what it was for.

Talis called for some to step aside, and it was then Hephaistion heard a stilted attempt at Illyrian, with a strong hint of Macedonian in the accent. He smiled as he recognised the voice.

"Perdiccas!" he called out, stepping through the crowd to see Ptolemy and Seleucus also there.

"Hephaistion!" Ptolemy stepped forward and lifted him off the ground, swinging him around before dropping him back down.

"We've been looking everywhere!" Seleucus exclaimed, hurrying to embrace him.

"I don't know how we thought it would be easy to find you," said Perdiccas, batting Seleucus off to clasp Hephaistion to his chest.

Talis came over, standing close to Hephaistion, placing a large hand on his shoulder as if to claim him. Hephaistion turned and reassured him they were good friends, at this Talis' stern face broke into a broad smile. He slapped Ptolemy on the back, almost making him fall forward.

"Where's Alexander?" Seleucus asked.

"In the hall," Hephaistion replied, "I'll take you to him."

Ptolemy looked him up and down. "I might have mistaken you for an Illyrian." He pulled at Hephaistion's fur hat, removing it. "What happened to your hair?"

Hephaistion lifted his hand to his head. "It's a long story." He turned to see all three looking suspiciously at the Therici." Grabbing his hat back he slapped Ptolemy with it. "They are friends, Ptolemy. Good friends."

He placed the hat back on his head, missing its warmth, longing to see Alexander's face when he saw who had just arrived.