Hello All,

Here comes the sequel of Illyrian Autumn. It is to honour the beauty and hardships of Winter, and of course to honour Alexander and Hephaestion. Here, we will see how they spent the long winter during their Illyrian Exile. Their new found friend Amanda the Woodland Healer does her very best to help them through the cold and hard Illyrian Winter. Their faithful animal friends are with them, too.

There will be dangers, but also much pleasure and pastime.

All the best wishes, Read and enjoy,

// NorthernLight

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TEMPLATE:

Title: Illyrian Winter (1 / WIP )

Author: NorthernLight

Email address: aur_

Category: Love/Friendship/Adventure story

Pairing: Alexander&Hephaestion

Date: April 2009

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. 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 Winter, Part One

A Woodland Cave In Illyria, 338 BC

Licking Surprise

Alexander woke up when someone furry eagerly crept up on him and shovered him with tender licking all over his face. His eyes were clouded by sleep as he gently lashed out.

"Hephaestion! Not now! I need some more sleep - and you, you need a good shaving!"

The furry menace did not heed to his warning. He had to surrender. As he opened his eyes and raised his hands to push the attacker away he looked into the affectionate, warm and brown eyes of a half grown, sand coloured Molossian puppy. Hephaestion was sitting at his bedside, coddling another puppy, looking exactly the same as his own brave assailant. A half grown lynx kitten was jealously pawing them both for attention.

"Oh, Peritas, it is you! And Pollux and Lyllia, too. Phai, I had forgotten that we have the puppies with us, now, "Alexander stated. "Well, I will have to rise since you all have awakened me so boldly."

He got up from their bed, pushing the warming furs aside. There was a chilly draught coming through the opening of their grotto. It made the golden hairs on his body bristle and he started to shiver. Hephaestion watched him with silent longing. Alexander was always beautiful, especially now when his golden hair had grown into a golden, lion like mane. He managed to look princely even in these scanty surroundings.

"Oh, you must be freezing, "Hephaestion said as he came up to his friend and gently covered him with his warming wolf skin cloak after Alexander had put on his woolen chiton and tunic.

"No, I am not freezing at all. Now I want my morning bath!, "Alexander adamantly stated.

"I am not so sure about that, "Hephaestion prudently answered. "Take a look outside!"

They went outdoors together with the merrily yapping puppies. A week ago first frost had come to their new Illyrian home. Now first snow was upon them. The familiar features of the meadow and mountain slope had been totally changed, wrapped in a blanket of cold, white snow. All the tree branches were covered with hoar frost. It sparkled and glittered like pearls and diamonds in the bright morning sunlight.

It was a sight of great beauty, but also of merciless danger. The cold could easily kill the unprepared and thoughtless.

Alexander was glad to have his faithful friends and helpers with him. Hephaestion had organized all their stores and provisions, seeing to it that they had gathered roots, , rose hips, mushrooms, nuts and herbs to last them all winter long. They had also been hunting boar, hares and deer and cured all the meat that they could not eat fresh. Their larder was filled, but they were young and hungry and could always do with more.

Bucephalus and Castor had reluctantly carried many loads of firewood home to the cave. Now, when the weather became colder and more unfriendly for every day the proud war stallions were happy enough that they had done these tedious chores.

Their new found woodland friend the Healer Amanda had provided them with lots of roots, nuts, mushrooms and vegetables, and also an ample supply of hay, barley and apples for their horses. She had reluctantly given them several jugs of warming raspberry, cherry and plum wine, with severe admonitions not to drink too much at the same occasion. Alexander could not understand why she gave him an especially stern look when she stated this. He didn't understand the smiles of secret consent that passed between Hephaestion and Amanda, either.

Hephaestion was very satisfied with their new Illyrian home. They had managed to turn the woodland cave into a warm and friendly dwelling. It was filled with furs and blankets, some of their own and some that Amanda had borrowed for them. The smell of fresh hay and herbs was soothing and calming and the fire was always burning, giving them warmth and cooking their woodland meals. They were well provided for the winter, a filled larder, a safe and secure dwelling and dear friends, both human and animal, to keep them company.

Hephaestion was looking very much forward to spending winter with Alexander all for himself. There would be so much to do, good talk, eating and company, hunting and snow play - and the long winter nights to warm themselves together. He smiled with anticipation as he thought about all this.

The smile soon faded. He well knew what his Golden One had lost when going into Exile.

Macedon was still there, waiting for them in the distant South. Hephaestion hoped that Alexander would be restored to his true rank and station, the sooner the better.

Still, winter was here, and they were well equipped to survive its rigours and enjoy its pleasures.

Winter Play

Now they heard merry laughter and talking. They saw two small boys playing in the meadow. It was Amanda's friend Jun's boys, now completely recovered from their illness. They were making a snow man, rolling the snow into three balls in different sizes. The smallest one became the head with two stones for eyes, another U-shaped row of stones for a mouth and a carrot for a nose. Alexander and Hephaestion smiled, remembering their own winter play when they were at that age. The Pella Palace had a garden equally beautiful in winter and summer. It was filled with snow and ice, allowing all kinds of wild games.

The Keep of Amyntor was situated on a mountain top, attracting even more snow and ice. Hephaestion and his sister Helen used to play there, rolling down the slopes and making all kinds of beautiful snow figures. Sometimes they borrowed a big wooden tray and made dangerous but hilarious journeys down the steepest slope, sitting on it and holding on for dear life.

One of the boys suddenly formed the snow into a small globe and threw it at Alexander. He gathered snow in his hands and replied. Hephaestion formed a whole heap of snow balls, lining them in an orderly pyramid. Alexander gave him an approving smile.

"Phai, you always know what is needed. You will be my Master of arms and logistics when we go to Persia together!"

They all laughed as they were engaged in a merry snowball fight. Lyllia and the puppies ran all around them, barking, yapping and meowing. Ptolema and her three small she dogs joined them. Men, boys and dogs had a merry time, until they were interrupted by Jun and Amanda.

"Come now, all, and calm down yourselves. You are scaring all the small birds and animals here around!, "Amanda called out to them. "Breakfast is served!"

Amanda's friend Jun had come, bringing a whole wagon with all kinds of food and provisions from the Illyrian village. There were eggs, ham, barley, hay, meal from barley, wheat and oats, carrots, cabbages, turnips and apples, and also an ample supply of ale and brandy. Amanda had made eggs and bacon, served with sliced apples and carrots. They all sat down and ate a hearty meal. Their dogs and Lyllia got their own servings in bowls on the floor, and Bucephalus and Castor enjoyed a generous serving of warm barley gruel, hay and apples.

Afterwards they sat talking and singing for a long time, before seeing Jun and her boys off as they went back to the village. Amanda looked up at the sky. The sun was still shining, but a curtain of blue gray clouds were rolling down from the north.

"There will be lots of snow before the evening., mark my words, "Amanda prudently stated.

She was proven right. The blizzard was over them well before the evening. They were snowed in inside their caves for well over a week. Amanda sat boiling warming broth, herbal tea and infusions, sharing with her dogs, together with their ample food supplies. They were careful to keep their fire burning as they huddled together for warmth and company.

Once every day they plodded through the snow, to see how their dear neighbours fared. Alexander and Hephaestion was doing well in their grotto, comfortably huddled together with Peritas, Pollux and Lyllia. They had their fire glowing, food cooking in their kettle, a pot of rose hip soup always boiling and a jar of cherry wine discretely hidden under a fur cushion on their generous fur decked stone bench bed, together with two long knives for defense. There was also some kind of strange roll, carefully protected in a sturdy leather container. Once Amanda saw the young men sitting together under Alexander's warm wolf fur cloak, intently watching it. The Golden One seemed to talk to it, reciting a wondrous Poem in a language Amanda was unable to understand.

Amanda was happy to see that the young men were having a good time together despite the hard and cold winter. They seemed to have all kinds of interesting activities to keep them occupied inside their woodland grotto.

TBC

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