Alexander licked the meat juices from his fingers and set aside the bowel. "We talk now?" he asked
Hephaistion nodded "Yes we talk."
Alexander studied his friend "You look….. Different."
Hephaistion wore clothes and shoes made of furs and hides. His hair cascading to his shoulders in a tumble around his face. It was once more decorated with feathers and trinkets. The beard made him look older. Yet everything was well groomed. Alexander turned his attention from Hephaistion to his surroundings.
"Where are we?"
Hephaistion gave a quick glance around his home "Just a cave," before turning back to Alexander "But have no fear it is a safe. No enemies will look for you here."
Alexander felt the truth in Hephaistion's words. For the first time in a long time he felt peaceful. But he couldn't help but ask "How so ?"
" It is protected by the trees and animals."
Alexander had a faint memory of the trees moving into position to aid their escape then the animals came. He couldn't explain it and Hephaistion wasn't going to either. So he changed the subject.
"And this?" he asked reaching down to touch his wound "It is healed completely when it should have lingered for days."
He continued to gentle stroke the scar as if he couldn't believe how perfectly it had healed. Despite Hephaistion answering his questions there was something he was not give away.
"What happened at the camp? How did we escape?" He asked
Hephaistion said nothing it was as if he was thinking his words very carefully. Then he said
"I told you it was a trap but you didn't listen."
Alexander was confused by Hephaistion's outburst. He opened his mouth but Hephaistion continued cutting him off. He sighed.
"Perhaps I need to start at the beginning. You see I have a gift to see. I feel and tune into…." he paused in his tale when he came back he started with something else " There is an invisible force that is everywhere it connects us to life . Your mother she tau..."
" My Mother!" Alexander interrupted with surprise sitting up a little taller. Hephaistion gave him a look which made him shrink back " Sorry, Go on."
" Your mother she has this gift too, the ability to tap into this force. She could sense that I was a kindred spirit so she taught me how to control, use it.
"So that is why she was interested in you." Alexander said when he was momentary allowed to comment. "Those late night summons."
Hephaistion simply dipped his head in agreement "She taught me how to use it… she taught me how to create life…..as well as to take it away."
" So are you saying that." He drifted off when he couldn't explain it. So he let Hephaistion continue with the story
"I used that gift to bend the will of the trees and animals to come to our aid. Like they are watching over us now. You had a moment of doubt before the attack yes."
Alexander mind was sluggish in thinking that fair back but when it came to him. "It felt like I was being watched."
"I was using it to reach out. I was alerted to their presence so I had been tracking them. Then you came and I tried to warn you. "
Alexander laughed once "A lot of good that did."
He could see that Hephaistion was hurt by his comment, however he had a come back
"I knew that they did not want you harmed. After all I found you again, didn't I?"
Alexander softens "Yes you did for that I am truly thankful. And this?" touching his leg "Did you heal this… in that fashion"
"Yes. It was infected. It had spread causing you to develop a fever. You were sick for days and normal remedies weren't working. I had to try that way or else….. you would have lost your leg."
Alexander pulled his furs closer to him before standing up. He could feel the power in his legs as he walked around the cave. Thanks to Hephaistion everything was fully functional. The wolf came back and trotted over to lay at Hephaistion's feet. He patted it once between the ears before it settled down on its side to fall asleep.
"He has fed well?" Hephaistion commented before turning his attention to Alexander. " What are you going to do?"
"Me, I'm going to find the bastards you betrayed me. And I need you to help me find them."