UnHeralded Strength, Chapter 4

The tone of things is about to change quite a bit… It is the next night, toward the end of the third watch.

Slowly Dawn tinted the silvery sky. A cool and filmy mist had arisen that seemed to protect a brown hooded figure making its way along a little used forest path toward the quarters of Lord Hephaistion. Softly, bird song echoed throughout the surrounding still darkened forests. The hooded figure left the dark path and stopped just short of the tent's entrance as the sound of familiar voices and footsteps echoed from within. Alexander, within the protective confines of his cloak moved quickly backward into the forest's shadows, as the handsome figure of young Gorgios, Hephaistion's aide, and eromenos exited the quarters. A flicker of sunlight caught Gorgios' snowy hair which glittered again the still shadows. For a moment, Alexander held his breath, as he waited for the larger figure of Hephaistion. Only the flash of a red winged bird who had deicded to see what Alexander was about interrupted his musings. Raising his hand he tried to brush it away.

"Go, go away!" He cried in a loud hush as he batted it away for the third time. "You awaken him if he sleeps still!"

Alexander waited for further movement from within, but when it did not come, he tossed open the tent entrance and made his way toward Hephaistion's private quarters. All was quiet. No sound from Hephaistion. His tall figure did not come around the corner or out of the bedchamber.

Suddenly, he clutched his hand to his chest and with a furious whisper Alexander warned his seeking heart, which was thudding loudly. "Stop, stop this now! There is no reason for such reaction as this!" Assuredly, Hephaistion was long up, off somewhere seeing to his duty. Gorigios had no doubt come back for a momentary reason only. Alexander reasoned that no doubt they would not see one another for hours, or days even.

As he neared the chamber entrance he heard the soft sound of someone breathing evenly. He stopped a moment, feeling uncertain, then, nearly on tiptoe he edged toward the doorway. There in a pool of soft lamp light he saw the burnished glow of Hephaistion's curly head in half shadow as he lay against the whiteness of the bed linen.

"Alexander?" Hephaistion's voice beckoned in the darkness.

"How did he know it was me?" Feeling wary and suddenly very unsure of his welcome Alexander entered the room hesitantly to find much to his relief he was greeted with the open arms and smile he had hoped for. He threw off his cloak and came into them with long sigh of relief.

"Yo…you were not alone. Young Gorgios…"

"Neither were you, recall you a beauteous youth named Bagoas?" Hephaistion teased him as they lay back. He smacked a kiss on his companion's lips and tightened his embrace. "Ease yourself, I am always here for you."

"Aye, I know this. I am suffering from a guilty conscience.

"You?" Hephaistion began to laugh delightedly.

"Aye," Alexander shook his head as he studied the face of the one man on the earth who gave him the greatest joy. "Bagoas…"

"What has Bagoas to do with me?" Hephaistion raised a brow as his grin grew ever wider. "He gives you happiness, pleases your body, and keeps you from pestering me too much… I would say, indeed, the gods were most kind to me when they sent him to you." His words were light and teasing.

"I fear for myself sometimes, Phai, I fear I am sick for you. It strikes me at the oddest times, at times when such a thing should not even be a worry. Yet, it occurs and I am eaten up with worry of something I cannot give name to."

Hephaistion's violet eyes were soft, "Fear not, I am here, will always be here until the Gods call me home."

Alexander looked away, his eyes soft with a pensive glow. "I hope it is not soon." He kissed the hand nearest his. "How did you know 'twas I when I entered? It could have been Gorgios returning. Do you greet him with open arms?"

Hephaistion pursed his lips, his violet eyes alight with pleasure, and grinned with great satisfaction. "I know your step well, or have you forgotten this, and I did hear the sound of someone shooing away a bird just outside the window. The voice sounded remarkably like yours." He kissed Alexander twice, and then once again, very hard and played with the curling tendrils of gold laying across his arm.

"Perhaps…perhaps I am a bit jealous." Alexander muttered softly as his eyes met Hephaistion's large, warm gaze. "I could have you locked away in a tower and send Gorgios far, far away from here. " Hephaistion chuckled softly and nudged a kiss along Alexander's warm throat.

"Then I would have to break free and come after you. You would do neither, for you like Gorgios to much to harm him. Perhaps I would retaliate and take Bagoas and keep him for myself, locked in a stouter tower than the one you would have put me in, and there would be two leopards guarding him, of course. Then he and I would flee far, far past the Pillars of Herakles to hide from you. But first I would build the highest, strongest tower in the world and put you away up, up in the small room at the very top. I would, of course, bar the door with chains of adamant. It would have one window out of which you could call down to me below. "

"You would do this to me?" Alexander's eyes were soft and his lips slightly parted in a smile.

"I would."

"It would seem then that I must endeavor to keep you happy."

"I would." Hephaistion answered with a shake of his curls. "I would not want to me to be unhappy."

"Non, non, I can see now what must be done." Alexander stirred within the all-encompassing embrace and began to kiss and nip his way along Hephaistion's smooth, broad chest. His hand moved lower and a wide smile of satisfaction formed along his lips at the sound of Hephaistion's pleasure.

Afterward, Hephaistion sighed softly, still trying to catch his breath as he lay in Alexander's embrace. "Very well, you are safe, as is your Persian boy, but if you should ignore me…" He sighed theatrically, "I would not to be responsible for the result."

"Nai, I understand." Alexander answered Hephaistion's theatrical sigh with his own as he clamped Hephaistion's hands tightly in his own. "Then I'll not let you from my sight. I am afraid we will have to stay here the day long. No Gorgios!"

"No Bagoas!" Hephaistion chuckled as he began to fight his way free. They wrestled for a bit, nearly falling off the bed and began laughing when Peritas came bounding in. He was followed by the Seven whom Alexander had earlier managed to escape earlier. They stopped before the tent and Ptolemy's voice called out.

"Hades! Apollo's blue balls! Why now? The bastard he does this on purpose!" Hephaistion scrabbled up from his bed to find his chiton as Alexander wrapped the all-encompassing mantle about himself as he ignored his guard's call.

"I am going this way, say nothing." He nodded toward the back entrance of Hephaistion's tent. "I will see you momentarily." As Ptolemy's voice rose Hephaistion gave a great sigh and fell back on his mussed bed and lay there a full moment reveling in a sudden rush of tender feelings for Alexander. Then, with a deep breath, he rose and when out to greet Ptolemy's knowing gaze with an open face.

TO BE CONTINUED…