Hello All,
I left you with quite a cliffhanger last time. Now we will learn about the outcome of the dangerous hunting expedition.
All the best wishes, Read and enjoy,
// NorthernLight
***********************************************************************************************
TEMPLATE:
Title: Illyrian Winter ( 3 / 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. :)
***********************************************************************************************
Illyrian Winter, Part Three
A Wood In Illyria, 338 BC
Boar Attack
Suddenly and unexpected, a fierce sand colored shadow struck from behind, baring her razor sharp fangs and burying them deep into the boar's bristling mane.
Little Lyllia was not so little anymore. She was brave enough to attack a full grown boar. Still, he was too big a prey for her. She was joined by Peritas and Pollux. The Molossian puppies were just half grown, but big and fierce all the same. The brave lynx kitten and the puppies struggled for some time, but the enormous boar was too strong for them. He shook his tusked head to and fro, tossing them violently away into the snowdrifts.
Then a Golden Lightning leaped over Hephaestion, thrusting him away into the thorny spruce branches. A spear struck home and he saw Alexander struggling violently with the boar, until he fell down. The angry beast was too big for him to handle on his own. By then Hephaestion grasped his own spear and sprung to his feet. He thrust it into the neck of the boar, making it writhe angrily in the snow. Lyllia and the puppies joined him. They managed to pin the cornered boar down by sheer mass. It was a long and hard fight. The agony of the boar was awesome to behold - but it was him or them. At last he lay dead in a puddle of steaming hot blood, forming a pool of crimson in the white beautiful snow. The young men stood close together, still holding on to their spears. Their hands trembled after the violent fight. Alexander looked at Hephaestion in a very reproaching manner.
"That was a close call, my dear friend. See now what happens when you think too much about having me in all kinds of inappropriate times and places ! You are the one supposed to handle order and safety here around!"
He was looking so beautiful in his anger with the sun glowing around his golden hair. His intense stare upon his friend was as brilliant as the glittering icicles on the tree branches. Hephaestion blushed and bowed his head low, picking up the boar from the snow. In silence they collected all their prey. Hephaestion, Lyllia and the puppies stayed guarding the valuable game until Alexander returned with the horses. They tied both deer and the boar upon them. Bucephalus and Castor looked offended at being forced to carry the burdens. Alexander had to speak commanding to them.
"My friends, you really have to help. We cannot carry these heavy animals all the way to our cave by ourselves."
The horses snorted with revulsion, but after being fed with some tender spruce shots they agreed to help their Dear Masters with the carrying.
Return To The Grotto
The hunting party returned to their grotto in silence. Hephaestion was filled with deep remorse because he had let his own lustful feelings become more important than their health and safety, risking the life of his Dear Golden One so wantonly.
It did not make things better that they met Amanda on their way back. She gave them a careful look, especially noticing all the snow on their fur cloaks.
"Alexander, you must be careful with your dear friend. You are not supposed to throw him around in all those cold and unfriendly snowdrifts when you have a fine bed with soft furs and blankets in your grotto !, " she prudently admonished. "I cannot understand how you found the time to hunt those hapless deer and that bad mannered boar!"
Now they both blushed. They nodded friendly towards her before silently retreating into their own grotto.
On the way back Hephaestion had looked carefully for tasteful herbs protruding from the snowdrifts, gathering a handful here and there. At the grotto they unloaded the horses and took good care of them. It was big enough for Bucephalus and Castor to share their well needed warmth with them. Hephaestion relighted the fire and put some snow in the kettle for melting. Then he prepared the boar for roasting.
Alexander took the deer aside, taking off the hides, and prepared and hid the meat in a crevice outside to be frozen until they would need it. He worked in sullen silence, leaving all the cooking to Hephaestion. His friend roasted the best and juiciest parts of the boar over the fire while the herbs boiled themselves soft and moist in the kettle. When he was ready with the deer Alexander sat wrapped into his wolf fur cloak, warming himself at the fireside. He watched sullenly as Hephaestion proceeded with the cooking. Not even the delicious fumes emanataing from the kettle and the roasting boar could chase his brooding mood away.
Hephaestion felt uneasy because of the sullen mood of his Golden One. He thought nervously about the long cold winter looming ahead. Alexander had enough of his own Inner Fire to keep himself warm, but Hephaestion desperately needed his warmth and his loving friendship.
Now the most wonderful smell of roasted boar filled their homelike grotto. Hephaestion sprinkled it with salt and some of the precious spices Queen Olympias had given to them. It looked ready and he presented the succulent fillets on a steaming bed of winter herbs, together with a herbal infusion of mint and raspberry leaves. It was kind of sharp and bitter, since they had run out of the well needed honey to sweeten it up. They were both now starved and devoured it all. In the beginning of the meal they chewed in a rushed and desperate manner, then they slowly gnawed and sucked the bones until nothing was left. They drank cool and clean mountain water to wash down the meal. It was most refreshing, tasting stronger than wine with its own cold and metallic flavour.
Hepheastion felt the rich food warming him up, filling his stomach and giving him new strength and energy. Then his dear friend looked with dissatisfaction at him. Shuddering he spoke the first words since Alexander had given him the well earned reproof out in the wood.
"Alexander. Do you not like my cooking? I did my very best with the boar."
"Yes, it was nothing wrong with the food. Your cooking is excellent as always, what we needed best just now. It is the good strong wine from Macedon I miss. I need something to warm me up even more than food!"
Now he looked at Hephaestion with love and friendship returning into his beautiful gray eyes.
"Come to me, my dear friend. I can no longer be angry with you for wanting me too much!"
"Yes. That is my great fault, "Hephaestion gladly answered, "Yours is drinking up all the wine from home that we had left! It would have been nice together with my fine cooking. "
Alexander swiftly rose and returned with a jar. He poured something thick and orange into two small clay cups. A strong smell of rose hips filled the grotto.
"We do not have any Macedonian wine left, but we have this fine rose hip brandy that you have made for us !"
"Alexander! You are not supposed to know about the rose hip brandy ! I intended it as a surprise for you!, "Hephaestion sternly admonished his friend.
"Yes, that's why I have not tasted it - yet. "
He raised the cup and gave the other to Hephaestion. They drunk from the simple clay cups, but it felt like a toast at the finest Royal banquet. All was well despite their bitter exile. They warmed each other on the bed made from soft fur cloaks. The fire sparkled merrily in their grotto. Snow started to fall in great white flakes in the cold winter afternoon outside - but in the cave that was their present home they shared the Eternal Love and Friendship that they would always feel for each other.
TBC
*******************************************************************************