Book 1, Chapter Three: The Taming of Bucephalus, Pages 65 and 66
Like a black comet,
a giant hurtles in front of Hephaestion,
the force of its appearance sending him backwards in fright.
“Ah! Alexander?” he says, looking up with hands above his eyes, seeing nothing
but sky-blue eyes and a white forehead. Jokingly he yells,
“Oh no! Have you turned into a horse?”
Alexander’s face peeks over the horse’s shoulder, laughing.
“Stupid! No! I’m up here!
What do you think of my new ride?
His name’s Bucephalus!”
Hephaestion exclaims, “Oh wow!
I wonder how fast he goes.”
Brushing a hand over the ox-head mark on the horse’s haunch,
the Bucephalus brand.
“Hey Hephaestion?”
He replies, “Hm?”
A hand is offered towards him,
an invitation.
“Come with me?” Alexander asks.
“How about we go off somewhere,
together?”