Forest Child Chapter 14
Aimed with this new information Hephaistion set his plans into motion. For the time begin it would seem that Demeas had gone back underground. He spent one day away from the palace gathering his animals and the forest around him; they were going to be his eyes and ears.
News came several weeks later. Delivered by a Raven that flew in through a window and sat cawing until it got attention. Alexander watched as Hephaistion held out his hand for the bird to step on. The Raven communicated using a wide variety of sounds including clicks and bell-like notes. Hephaistion listened running his finger down the feathers on the bird's breast whilst Alexander sat by clueless but fascinated by the scene that played out in front of him.
"What?" he asked when Hephaistion gave the raven a piece of meat from the meal they had been eating before the message arrived then turned back to the window to set the bird free.
"I have news of Demeas."
Alexander sat up to attention "Tell me!"
"Persian warships have been spotted off our coast; he is riding out to join them."
"It looks like they are getting to attack us unaware. But how did he get this fair someone must be helping him."
Hephaistion nodded in agreement "It would appear so."
"Then we must get ready to defend ourselves." Alexander said standing up.
He started to make his way out of his chambers when he noticed that Hephaistion wasn't following. There was something in the way that he looked that made Alexander ask.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
"No." A little too nervous
This was then followed by a slight lip bite, subtle but long enough for Alexander to notice it.
"You've thought for something haven't you?"
Again a nervous "No"
Before he could stop himself Alexander launched himself at Hephaistion grabbing the other man by the upper arms digging his finger in hard enough to hurt. And backed him up against a wall.
"I don't like games." He hissed "Not when it comes to Demeas, so if you have something to tell me speak n...owwww."
He snapped his hands back from off Hephaistion's person. He didn't know what happened exactly but he had lashed out at Hephaistion out of anger and after he had made contact with Hephaistion he had felt a sharp stabbing pain starting from his hands then travelled up his arms. As soon as he let go of Hephaistion out of reflex the pain had gone but left his nerves tingling.
Hephaistion folded his arms and jutted out his chin in silent defiant anger.
"What did you do?" Alexander asked rhetorically as he rubbed the feeling back into his limbs. Of course he knew what Hephaistion had done, he just couldn't comprehend that it had happened.
"I'm sorry for my outburst." Alexander said gently. "It's just that since the time I was captured by Demeas he had gotten right under my skin in a way that nobody can. It's like we are connected somehow."
Hephaistion finally stood down unfollwoing his arms before he sighed.
"Actually there is something." He said