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[demifiendrsa]

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes | Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic, franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.

[moreredthanalive]

apesleadcr:

   Caesar stirred from his stupor of misery, and looked up so slowly from the ground at the loud bang of this one’s foot hitting the metal, and he locked eyes with the tall reddened gorilla. It would have been startling, had he not been so somberly desensitized by this point with all of this madness that surrounded him. Just days prior he would have stood tall against this one, but for now his resolve had weakened so slightly. It was enough to dampen him just enough, and he hated how weak he must look right now, but there was not much he could do to get out of this mess. Not even the hope he was desperately trying to cling to could get it’s spark kicking into gear, but whenever he looked up at this individual something was trying to rouse itself inside. He ignored that for a moment, and just shrugged his shoulders with the confusion displaying quietly on his face. Looks past the other’s large visage, and sees the glimmer of a light shining in the looming tower off in the distance; The Colonel’s residence. Takes a moment, before he finally stood up to stare a little more properly up at the one who these people wrongly call “Donkey”, or anything other that was now being used in such a demeaning way towards their primate kind. The question burning in the back of his throat, but he left the obvious one aside, as it’d never be answered. It was a wish he’d most likely not see the light of day; To ask for all their freedom, when would that be? Shoves that to the back of his thoughts, and instead points everything towards this so-clearly wronged individual.

   “…He’s only using you, you know… Just like Koba had… For your strength. Any intelligence you may possess, they do not care. You can make this right. You don’t have to be any of their’s, this Colonel or Koba’s. You can be your own ape. Look around you…” Gestures slightly, the effort was so painful as he had to see it all again, his comrades and others so run through with despair. “Would even Koba want this? It wasn’t perfect, our home, but it was better than this. The Colonel will kill you, when he’s done with this wall of his.” Caesar didn’t even mean to say as much as he did, and was surprised to not immediately be harmed in some fashion for speaking up. But he had to do whatever he could, as it seemed like he was on his last legs of hopefulness. | @moreredthanalive​ |

By the time their prisoner began speaking, Red had been handed a key by Preacher and was busying himself with undoing the lock on the former king's cage. Caesar's words gave him pause, the furrowing of his brows growing more harsh, his lips a tight line. For part of him knew the truth in these words... Red had been so certain of his choice before all of this, but the creeping doubt had sneaked up on him like a camouflaged soldier, now at war with his resolve.

The gorilla knew better than to let the humans see this, than to let Caesar see this.

He pulled open the cage, thick fingers going to work with a metal shackle around the neck of the shell of what Caesar had once been, until the chimpanzee was tethered with a chain. Red gripped the chain where it latched to the shackle, a cleat demonstration of the power he had been given over Caesar by the choices he had made, regardless of their morality... But was there truly right or wrong in such a brutal war?

“I no fear for myself... You must fear... what Kerna do... to you.”

His voice kept low; the humans did not like apes to speak...

Turning to a now uncomfortable looking Preacher, Red returned the key and pulled harshly on the chain to jerk Caesar forward. Tired, discouraged eyes of the imprisoned apes followed their once mighty leader, now reduced to nothing more than what they themselves had become. This thought had once given Red a sense of strength... Now, it seemed that nothing was very straight forward.

At least it wasn't Red in a cage – on a chain. He was above that. Above them, above even Caesar.

But not so high up that he wasn't expected to follow behind as Preacher lead the way towards the Colonel's lair... The chain that bound Red to the will of the humans was invisible, but he knew that it was there all the same... But only for now. Once the other human army reached this place... Red would escape the fate of the rest of his kind. He would live.

| @apesleadcr |

[moreredthanalive]

apesleadcr:

There was no comfort for him, as so much had been taken away, and so much loss. Caesar was nearly broken, his heart in utter shambles, and even his own kind were turning away from him. No hope lingered in their gazes, and he was starting to feel that way as well. Yet, even now he was still making the attempt, still trying to persevere through all this insanity. The encampment in which they had all been forced to stay in was worse than any place he could’ve imagined. Night was here, and he stayed awake for far longer than all the rest, thinking back on the memories of days prior. We were all so happy, and at peace. Yet, I cannot find that in me any longer. They have taken it, like they did my family. This Colonel… Presses his head against the cold metal bars, a sigh leaving him as he wallowed away in this misery.

The human soldier whom he followed – Preacher was his name – was hurrying through his patrol, shining the beam of his flashlight into the faces of caged, chained apes who squinted their eyes and held up their hands to block their faces from it, jerked from light sleep from the sudden illumination. Some of them fear grinned at the very sight of Red, tall and imposing, empowered over them by the fact that he was neither caged nor chained. He held the literal key to their freedom in his hand and would not use it... they knew this too well.

Heavy brows casting deep shadows over his eyes, Red frowned when the flashlight found the face of the very ape that he had been helping the human soldiers search for all this time. He should have felt proud of this accomplishment, that the legendary leader of the apes was finally within human grasp, but instead there was a feeling growing in the pit of his stomach, gnawing at him, that he couldn't quite place.

The gorilla exhaled sharply, flaring his nostrils, and swaggered over to where Caesar lay crumpled, physically and mentally defeated; the sight Red had longed for ever since the chimpanzee had killed Koba, thus dooming the apes to fight a battle that they could not win without the leadership of the bonobo. All the evidence Red needed was chained up in the cage before him. Without Koba, the apes had lost, just as he had known they would.

The image of Caesar before him – weak, inferior, vanquished – finally matched the view that Red had held since the beginning of the war.

So why did it feel almost wrong to see the ape king in such a state?

The gorilla glowered down at the chimpanzee shrouded in his hulking shadow and gave the bars of the cage a light kick to demand Caesar's attention. He had orders to follow regardless of his own thoughts on the developing situation.

(if somebody else claimed this RP already, ignore this!)

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[moreredthanalive]

righthandape:

Rocket’s heart was pounding, and he could feel the adrenalin pulsing through him. His words were beginning to have the desired effect on Red, and the gorilla had not yet fired his gun. Now, if only he could convince Red to lose his composure, but not enough to use his weapon!

“Red… alone too,” the chimpanzee said through gritted teeth. “Not smart idea… to come for us alone! Others nearby! Ready to fight now! Ready to use guns!”

He was not sure if Red believed him or not, but there was no way he was going to drop his bluff. Keeping Red in the dark as to exactly how many apes were in his party meant that he still had a psychological advantage, if only a slim one.

But the burly chimp had to stimulate some action on Red’s part, and soon, if he was to lead him in the direction of the pit. Red was more of a thinking ape than Rocket could ever be, and Rocket did not want to give the gorilla time to put two and two together and figure out that he was lying about the group of armed warriors allegedly out there in the forest. Blue Eyes and Lana still had their guns, but Bad Ape was unarmed and would not be much use in a fight, even though he had more than proven himself to be loyal and steadfast.

And Caesar’s motto seemed to be the trigger words that sparked the reaction Rocket wanted. Red’s display sent a shiver down his spine, but he stood his ground and stared the young silverback squarely in the face.

“Red… weaker!” Rocket barked back, moving side to side as if preparing for a charge of his own, but keeping just out of Red’s reach in the meantime. But his movements were obviously not enough. Red was suddenly looming over him and one large arm was lunging in the chimpanzee’s direction.

More desperate than brave, Rocket ducked the gorilla’s grip and began to gallop on all fours in the opposite direction. His heart was in his mouth, and he hoped against hope that Red himself would come after him, and not a bullet!

Rocket's taunting, paired with his duck and dodge, caused Red's face to contort with anger, his lips a thin tight line as he dropped to the knuckles of his free hand to charge after the chimpanzee. Coward! Leave it to a follower of Caesar to start something that he couldn't finish! Rocket truly was stupid. Even stupider than Red had previously thought!

At this point, shooting him wouldn't be enough. Red wanted Rocket to hurt first. And that was just what he was going to do, just as soon as he caught up to the idiot ape and got his hands on him!

However, with the gun in his hand, Red was slowed; chimpanzees were more agile than he was to begin with. With this handicap added to that, he was falling behind. His mind was working more quickly than his feet, searching for some way to make up for it. Something smart that he could do which the unintelligent Rocket wouldn't think of.

When his target veered off suddenly, Red saw an opportunity. He charged forward, pushing his body harder and faster in the hopes that he could intercept Rocket up ahead. It was the best chance he had-

Or it would had been, had the ground not opened up beneath the gorilla's feet. The sensation of suddenly falling was jarring, and the silverback groped and grabbed for a handhold as he attempted to figure out what was happening to him, but it was in vain. He landed with a wet, undignified splat in a pit of mud that matched the distinctive coloring on his shoulders.

Dumbfounded, the ape looked around himself, and then up. His raised brows frowned heavily over his eyes when a face appeared – then two, then three... and a fourth.

The gorilla's lips pulled back from his teeth and gums and his blood boiled with hatred, the likes of which he had never known until this moment.

They had set a trap, and he had fallen for it! ….into it!

Determined not to give into the apes which he loathed so intensely, Red pushed himself to his feet and tried in vain to climb the slippery edges. He was well and truly stuck.

But he still had his gun.

His brows raised again with that realization, and after a moment of searching through the mud, he located the weapon. Red didn't give them a chance to realize what he was doing before he had swung the weapon around and fired wildly.

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[moreredthanalive]

righthandape:

Rocket did feel twinges of intimidation at the sheer size of Red, and the fact that he had a gun. Although the chimpanzee was strong in his own right, and a far more seasoned and skilled warrior than the gorilla was, he was at a distinct disadvantage at that moment.

His next words and actions would have to be very carefully chosen indeed. Especially when Red confirmed what Rocket had suspected all along – that he knew Blue Eyes was one of the scouts!

He decided to keep up his bravado, but not goad Red too far lest the gorilla use his weapon. The chimpanzee hoped that Red would err on the side of caution and not want to waste bullets or risk bringing any armed companions out of the forest, thus becoming immediately outnumbered.

“I may not… have gun now… but others do. I have… best warriors… queen sent the best. Strong apes, good with guns!”

Rocket’s throat felt dry and raspy from the effort of speech, and from the apprehension he felt. He had no idea whether Red would believe his declaration or not, but he was counting on either Red becoming curious as to who these warriors were or trying to call his bluff – either way, Rocket hoped that Red would start moving forward and closer to the trap that awaited him.

“My friends… NOT stupid. They loyal, serve true ape leader. True ape leader is Cornelia, now that Caesar gone! She would never lead… apes into war. War only kills apes. Apes who follow her never stupid. Apes together strong!”

Rocket was careful not to insult Koba, which would definitely make Red infuriated enough to use his gun, but he deliberately hurled Caesar’s motto at the gorilla instead. That would certainly stir up considerable emotion – enough, hopefully, to get Red moving forward in Rocket’s direction.

The chimpanzee took a slight step back, hoping to encourage this very action.

The gorilla's brows raised slightly as Rocket spoke. Was this true? Red had been tracking them from a distance and hadn't gotten eyes on more than a few apes in Rocket's group, but that wasn't to say that there weren't more of them. Maybe they had come this far and then split up to cover more ground, and the group that Red had been following was only a small portion of the whole. It was possible, he supposed... Just how many apes had been stupid enough to turn away from Koba?

“You alone now.”

It was the most that Red could say about Rocket's allegedly armed warriors. There were no signs of other apes here, and he hadn't found them in the part of the forest that he had last seen. There had been a camp, but the fire was doused and everything else abandoned. Had that really moved on without Rocket? That didn't make sense given their philosophy, but he could have been left behind temporarily to watch some of the horses. A fine job of that he had done! Red had set the other two loose and taken the best for himself. Who knows how far away the released horses were now. Red didn't care. They were stupid beasts, good only for transportation.

Any thoughts about horses and apes were gone from Red's mind as soon as Rocket began speaking again. The chimpanzee's words set in and gorilla blood came to a boil, fire alight in his shadowed eyes.

How dare Rocket not recognize Koba for what he was – the best thing to happen to the apes since their liberation itself?!

His muzzle wrinkling as his lips pulled from his teeth, Red panted a few low hoots to inflate his chest and slapped one of his pectorals with his free hand, a shriek-like roar tearing from his throat. The threat display was not left to sit in the air for even a moment before the hulking ape was within touching distance of Rocket, gun held limply at his side as he took to his full height in an attempt to loom over the chimpanzee.

“Caesar weak! All you apes... weak, stupid! Koba true leader!”

With his free hand, Red reached for Rocket as if to hold him in place for reasons that could not have been friendly, as evidenced by the fact that he seemed to be readying his weapon again after ignoring it for his display a moment earlier.

“You... follow Caesar? Then... Join him!”

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[moreredthanalive]

righthandape:

The gun did make a knot of apprehension twist in Rocket’s gut, but he stood his ground and glared at his enemy. He was a warrior, proud to serve his queen and to protect her children, and he would not show fear in the face of an upstart like Red.

Intimidating though the gorilla may have been with his size, his strength and the deadly weapon he carried, Red did have a weakness, and that was his tendency to succumb to anger when calm and reason would have served him better. He was smarter and more cunning, perhaps, than Rocket could have ever become, but age and experience had taught the older ape a few things. If Rocket could just push the right buttons and unleash that primal rage, Red might even forget about his gun and charge after Rocket in the way wild gorillas of the past may have done. And then, he would blunder right into the newly covered pit!

But Rocket had to be careful. One bullet was enough to kill, and then he would not be able to defend Blue Eyes, Lana and their new friend.

He huffed a little at Red’s words, and moved from side to side.

“Stupid… ape?” Rocket snarled as he gave his opponent a steely glare. “Maybe… Rocket not so stupid. Red the stupid one! It stupid… to come out here alone, after us… you must know, we armed. Why you here? Koba drive you out?”

The taunt was a sly one, an attempt to goad Red to further action, but Rocket did not yet flee. He did not want to appear a coward, and any sudden movement might make Red more likely to fire his weapon.

He watched Red closely for signs of emotion. Soon, hopefully, he would hit on the right words to make the gorilla react!

Red's frown grew deeper as Rocket spoke, until a snarl had spread across his face, exposing his teeth in a very troubling manner. How dare he – who had turned away from Koba, thrown away his place in the colony – call Red stupid?!

“You not... armed... anymore!”

A slight movement from the gorilla's arm lifted the gun a little higher for a moment to punctuate his statement. Red may have been outnumbered, but this little rebel group had been outsmarted. Apes together strong... Not always. Caesar was a fool!

“I come... to make sure... you stupid apes... not come back... and attack Koba!”

Red swaggered closer still, stopping with two ape body lengths between himself and Rocket, doing his best to loom over the chimpanzee despite the fact that he himself was not quite fully grown. His stubby fingers flicked over the safety switch of his weapon, hoping to intimidate Rocket with what the action suggested about his intentions. Ape not kill ape was Caesar's way. Caesar was now gone, and as far as Red was concerned, so was that moral. He had spared Rocket once, but he would not be so merciful this time if the chimpanzee continued to push him.

“Now... you take me... to the others. Where they hiding? Who with you... besides Blue Eyes?”

He extended his arm so that the gun was aimed at closer range, high enough to shoot Rocket in the head if Red's calculations were correct. The chimpanzee's life was in his own hands, now. If he was smart, he would cooperate... If he was smart.

But, then, Rocket had never been known for his intelligence.

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[moreredthanalive]

righthandape:

Rocket nodded to his young leader, satisfied with the course of action that Blue Eyes was outlining.

‘That is good. But stay out of sight unless I call. Not want to put the three of you in danger. Hopefully the sight of me walking free will be enough to get attention from Red and he will come straight after me, and will not think to look around for anybody else before he falls into the trap. He is not a stupid ape, so I hope he will get angry with me before he gets suspicious as to how I got free.’

The older chimpanzee ducked his head a little bashfully at the admiring looks Blue Eyes and Lana were giving him, not to mention the respect he was already receiving from Bad Ape, who he had only just met. It made Rocket feel proud and humbled all at once to be so valued by royalty. But there was no time to bask in good feelings. He made sure that his three companions were well concealed behind the boulders, and then he began to slowly make his way in the direction where he had last seen the angry gorilla who had apparently been following their trail.

Rocket’s heart was pounding with apprehension, and it took all his strength of will not to keep looking back towards the cluster of rocks where Blue Eyes, Lana and Bad Ape were carefully concealing themselves. The seasoned warrior knew that he must not give any clues about the location of his comrades. Red already knew that Rocket was accompanied by two other apes, but the steadfast chimp had refused to tell the gorilla their names.  Although the gorilla had spied extensively on the group, he had only managed to get close enough to be one hundred per cent sure that Rocket was among the scouts. However, Rocket was sure that Red had recognized at least one of the horses – the stallion that had belonged to Caesar was a very distinctive animal. Red would have known that only a member of the royal family would be allowed to ride that horse – either Cornelia or Blue Eyes (Red probably did not know yet that Lana was a royal ape now) – and Red was smart enough to know that the queen, as the mother of a nursing infant, was unlikely to have come out on a scouting mission even though she had a fiery nature and the heart of a warrior…

Since Red very likely knew that Blue Eyes was somewhere around, it was doubly vital that Rocket not indicate his hiding place.

Walking cautiously forward, the chimpanzee quietly sniffed the air, and then immediately froze. His keen ears had caught the sudden stillness around him – all bird and animal noises in the vicinity had abruptly ceased.

The forest creatures had sensed that something – or someone – was coming.

How exactly had Rocket's companions moved so quickly without their horses?

Red was not pleased with how the situation was playing out as he retraced his steps to where he had left Rocket, hoping to discover them on the way. They would inevitably be looking for their friend... These traitors were surely good at sticking together against the apes that knew reason. No sensible ape would have turned from Koba.

He had some suspicions about just which foolish apes had accompanied Rocket on whatever exactly this journey was supposed to accomplish, though.

The gorilla had no qualms with taking care of Caesar's son. He was not royalty any longer; he had thrown it all away when he had betrayed Koba. Any respect that Red had for Blue Eyes at one time was now completely gone. He was an enemy and nothing more. Especially after holding Red at gunpoint! That chimpanzee would get a taste of his own medicine when Red found him.

If I find him, he thought with a frustrated snort through flared nostrils, kicking at his stolen steed to make him move more quickly.

Finally, the river came into view and Red squinted, almost certain that he had spotted something vaguely ape shaped standing out in the open. His brows raised, then furrowed heavily over his eyes when he got closer and realized who it was.

How did he untie himself?!

A growl in his throat, the gorilla dismounted from his horse and unshouldered his gun, holding it tightly in thick fingers, a snarl across his face. When Red approached, it was as if he was stalking prey, his head remaining completely still and eyes fixated on the bald chimpanzee, even as his hips and shoulders rocked in exaggerated motions from his bipedal walking. If looks could kill, Rocket would already be dead where he stood.

When he came within range, Red lifted his gun and pointed it at him.

“You not know... when to... quit! Stupid ape!”

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

strongasstone:

Stone and Winter both grunted, giving their agreement to Red’s words. None of the trio, it seemed, had any trust of humans, even a helpless child such as Nova.

The Colonel, courageous as he had been, was obviously never trustworthy. Although Red and Winter had reluctantly chosen to follow the human leader, Stone had never been the Colonel’s ape as he had seen from the beginning that the fanatical leader of the human warriors would have been unlikely to let any apes live after he had achieved what he wanted. Since the man had so eagerly sacrificed his own loyal troops, he would not have spared the donkeys, who meant even less to him. And there was no way Stone would have abandoned his beloved children, or their mothers. Especially Hannah, who was the favorite among Stone’s occasional female companions. He had known her even before Koba – she had been part of the same zoo chimpanzee troop Stone himself had come from, and even back in their captive days, Stone had occasionally mated with her whenever they could get away from the possessive gaze of the former zoo alpha, Max.

‘I never had any use for humans. We all save ourselves if she becomes dangerous. Hopefully Caesar will realize what a mistake he made, and if he does not, perhaps some ape will do away with her before she causes too much trouble,’ Stone signed carefully.

He stole a glance around him, making sure nobody outside the group of three was observing. The chimpanzee did not want to jeopardize his place back within the ape community, or that of his two gorilla friends, since they appeared to have established a friendship of sorts with him.

‘Yes, Caesar will not be around forever. Cornelius is his heir, but he is only a child. Another ape could rise up and take over before he grows. As Red say, Maurice too old and Rocket not very clever. Shabani, our new gorilla general, is very strong and well liked in the troop, but he is too young. There is Lake, and Etumbe, but some apes may not be willing to follow a queen without a king, although the bonobos definitely would, and besides, Lake is also too young and Etumbe is even older than Maurice…’

Stone became lost in thought for a moment before making his next signs.

‘Koba would have known what to do, yes.’

Red would not volunteer himself for such a task, but he found himself quietly hoping that Stone was right – that some sneaky ape could make the human girl disappear someday. If it did happen, the gorilla intended to keep himself away from it all. The last thing he needed was to give the others reason to suspect him. He was sure that many of them were aching for an excuse to accuse him of something terrible, in the hopes that he would be banished from the troop. He wouldn't give them that excuse, if he could help it.

As Stone continued, he found himself pondering the very same thing. There was no obvious choice as a new alpha if Caesar passed away. Red was surprised that he hadn't... The gorilla had seen for himself that Preacher had shot Caesar with an arrow. The fact that infection from the bolt within his body hadn't taken his life attested to how strong their leader still was. Even so, it was clear by looking at him that he wasn't necessarily in his prime anymore. If he was a gorilla, a younger silverback would have likely deposed him by now. But that wasn't how things worked anymore.

'Seemed like Spear was leading apes when humans found troop, with Caesar and the others not there. But Spear dead now.'

Red hoped that the statement wouldn't reflect badly on himself. The soldiers, with the help of the donkeys, had tied several apes to die on the cliff to control the others. As their apparent leader, Spear had been one of them, and Red had seen for himself that he and the others had perished by the time Caesar found them.

The gorilla looked to Winter, briefly. Luca had been training the albino ape to take over the Guard one day. Had Winter not defected during the war, he would have probably been in the running to lead the apes themselves. Now, he existed on the outer edges of the troop. He had thrown his future away, more or less, and Red had had a hand in it...

Red was not immune to guilt, and his eyes fell to the ground as he scratched harshly at the top of his head.

'I think Stone would be better leader than any of them. Doesn't seem like you will get the chance, though. None of us will now.'

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

strongasstone:

When Red mentioned the possibility of Nova having the virus, Stone found himself nodding in agreement again and saw that Winter was doing the same. Red’s opinions were making a lot of sense, and were echoing many of the misgivings Stone himself had had. Despite his gratitude towards Caesar, the chimpanzee did not think that Nova’s admission into the ape tribe was a very smart move on the part of the alpha.

‘Yes, she could have virus. Seen some of the humans who had it, and they could not speak either. But she does not seem to be stupid yet, and we do not know if she will become that way. Better to assume she could become dangerous unless it is obvious that she will not. It could be as you say, that she still identifies as human although she now lives with apes. She thinks of us as friends now, as her family, but will she always? We cannot know if she will. She was not a baby when we found her. She must remember her mother and father if the virus has not destroyed her mind…’

Stone frowned in the child’s direction before continuing to sign, keeping his hands close to his body as Red had earlier.

‘I agree with what you are saying, Red. Maybe war too much for Caesar and Maurice, and they sick in head now. Or perhaps Maurice too old to think right, and not the wise ape he used to be. So many ape children, some of them orangutans like him, were orphaned after fighting. He could have taken any of them as his own if he wanted one. Welcoming a human as one of our own makes no sense at all!’

He waited for a few moments, looking carefully around to make doubly sure that no other apes could see their conversation, and then signed again with a harsh exhalation through his nostrils.

‘I understand why Koba hated them so much.’

Stone was a very smart chimpanzee. He saw the situation for what it was, which could not be said for those in power. Red was grateful that Caesar had let him join the colony even after all that he had done, and he would follow Caesar for now because of that, but that did not mean that he agreed with all of the lead ape's decisions. Red still thought Caesar was foolish in many ways, that Koba had been wiser in the face of threat. If Koba was still here, leading the apes, all of this could have been avoided. The apes would have won the war without being enslaved. Koba never would have let humans in the village to begin with, much less adopted a human child even while a war raged. He would have seen the inherent danger.

'I will not trust her. If she turns on apes, I see it coming, save myself. I done with humans now.'

He was confident that his chimpanzee and gorilla friends – if he could yet call them that – would also be prepared should the girl become violent. There were many apes in the colony, but Red had seen first hand the damage a single human could do. Nova was a pathetic comparison to the Colonel, but the danger was still there.

Even if Red now knew that following the Colonel had been a mistake, he still could not help but admire the power the man had held. Red would be lying if he said he didn't thirst to know how that felt, himself. But as long as Caesar and his closest were alive, he would never get the chance to know. This time, he wasn't foolish enough to try to trick apes into following him. Red was accepting his place and being grateful that he had one at all.

'Maybe soon new ape will take over. Caesar not ape he used to be... Already left you twice without leader. Wonder who will be next leader...? Blue Eyes gone, Luca dead too, Maurice too old, Rocket not very smart...'

It seemed that all of the obvious choices were not suited to the job.

'Wish Koba was still here.'

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

strongasstone:

Stone tilted his head thoughtfully, carefully considering Red’s words.

‘Definitely more than a few. Mostly warrior males and those who lost loved ones in the war. Many of the females, though, seem to like this child, but most of them will love any little one, even one who is not their own.’

That was certainly true, judging from the fact that there had been no shortage of willing adoptive mothers for all the war orphans, some related to the children by blood and some not.

‘Those apes see her only as she is now. Small and vulnerable and in need of help and love. But she will not be young forever. One day she will be grown and stronger. Who knows – she could become as dangerous as the female warriors in the Colonel’s army.’

Stone noticed Winter nodding in agreement with these last words of his, and the chimpanzee grimaced at the thought of an adult Nova wielding a gun.

Red’s next signs made Stone pause. This was an interesting question indeed. Why had Caesar tolerated the presence of the human child, after losing his wife and first-born son to the murderous actions of humans?

Stone gave the matter some very careful thought before he began to sign again.

‘This is something I do not know. Perhaps he had compassion for her as she was a child alone. Or perhaps it has more to do with Maurice than Caesar. Maurice is our king’s oldest friend, and has always been considered the wisest of all apes. He has more influence over Caesar than any other ape, I believe. And he has never taken a mate or sired a child of his own… maybe this was a way for him to have a child, and Caesar allowed it because Maurice has been alone so long?’

It seemed an unusual answer to put forth to Red’s question, but as a devoted father himself, Stone could see this scenario as a possibility.

It seemed that they weren't the only three who disliked the idea of a human girl being raised alongside apes. This was interesting... Red wondered how many of the Council shared these thoughts, but knew better than to speak out against Caesar. They were the only apes with any true power to their words, afterall... But Caesar silenced those who disagreed with him. Koba had been a shining example of that.

Red sent another glance in the direction of the girl, inhaling sharply through his nostrils. Something about the expression on her face didn't sit well with him. He had seen this before, but where...?

The answer came to him when he realized that she was signing and not speaking.

'She have the virus? Colonel say virus makes humans stupid. Maybe she too stupid to be dangerous.'

They could hope as much, but Red had seen the virus for himself. The Colonel had killed soldiers that showed signs of it. Even those men had kept a tight hold on their guns up until they were bound and executed. Whether they still knew how to use them, though... There had never been any chance to find out.

Stone's words were considered carefully, regarding Maurice. The pieces of this puzzle were clicking together in Red's mind. Maurice had taken a liking to the human boy who Caesar had welcomed into their village years ago, older than this girl, but still not an adult. It wasn't a stretch to believe that the same had happened with this girl, however, given that she seemed to be an orphan, Maurice's protective instincts must have kicked in. This still wasn't right. She was a human, not an ape.

'Colonel say soldiers with children left him to hide, protect their children. Maybe she one of them. She will hear stories of war, maybe find out apes were against humans. Hope she doesn't try to take revenge when she grows up...'

His brows furrowed again and he snorted, shaking his head in disgust again at the situation, before he signed again. This time, he kept his hands close to his body to make absolute sure that only Winter and Stone would be able to see them.

'First Caesar put apes in danger by letting humans in... now Maurice too. Maybe they both sick in head. Maybe Maurice too old to think right anymore. If he wanted child, he should have adopted ape child instead.'

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

strongasstone:

Stone acknowledged Red’s nod with one of his own, then turned to Spark.

‘Your mother is bringing some more food and water. Go, eat and drink, I have had enough for now,’ the older chimpanzee signed, and Spark, with all a youngster’s healthy appetite, moved eagerly in Hannah’s direction.

Watching Spark go towards his mother, Stone could not help but let a proud smile form on his lips. Spark was growing into a strong and promising young ape. He felt a moment’s gratitude to Caesar for allowing him back into the troop. Now that Koba was gone, Stone’s children were everything to him. There was not only Spark to consider, but his other four offspring as well.

There was Breeze – Hannah was also her mother – Stone’s first-born daughter who was now an adult and mated to a male bonobo named Ezra, and who was expecting her own first white-tail soon. Stone’s other son, Cloud, was a teenager a little younger than Spark and had been born to another female chimpanzee named Sandy. The mother of Stone’s youngest children, twin daughters Glow and Golden who were still white-tails, was a female bonobo, Molly.

And then there was the matter of Hannah’s youngest child, little Dawn, who was not Stone’s offspring by blood but who he nevertheless felt protective of. Not only because of his abiding affection for her mother, but because of who her father had been.

Koba had loved Stone devotedly and passionately during their time together, but he had been curious about coupling with a female, and gentle, patient Hannah, with some encouragement from Stone, was willing to help him out. Dawn had been the result of that experiment.

However, it was imperative that some apes not guess who had sired the little hoot-yeep, Stone thought as he watched Spark go to meet up with his mother and sister.

Stone went and sat down beside Red. It felt strange to be approaching the gorilla in a setting of freedom like this, when Red had been one of the “donkeys” who had kept Stone and his fellow apes imprisoned at the Colonel’s orders. But Stone was willing to let the past, as far as apes were concerned, be the past. Red had probably not enjoyed oppressing other apes, despite what some claimed in their anger. And Red also had been Koba’s ape, one of his most loyal followers. As one who still loved Koba, Stone felt that there had to be a bond of some sort there… even if this bond was only forged from resentment against humanity.

Stone gave a grunted greeting to Red and Winter, and gestured very carefully.

‘I do not see why that child must live among the apes,’ he signed.

Red's brows furrowed as his eyes followed Stone's signs. It seemed as though he and Winter were not the only two who had doubts about Nova's presence in the ape colony. The gorilla wondered how far this line of thinking went, how many apes would agree with them if they voiced their concerns.

Of course, they all knew better. Especially with the effects of the war and the loss of his family having left Caesar more ruthless than he had ever been.

Still...

'How many apes feel this way?'

Despite his past, Red had no intentions to attempt to splinter another group. That plan had failed miserably the last time, even if Red and Grey's intentions had been mostly good. All Red had wanted was to ensure the survival of their kind, but he had lost his head along the way. He knew that now, and wished that he had back then, too. But there was nothing he could do to change the past. He could only work towards having a better future, and not repeating his mistakes. The same things that Winter and Stone were doing. It was really no surprise that it was the two of them that had found their way to Red again...

'Before I left Caesar, he would not have let human live here. Wonder what changed?'

He hoped that Stone would have the answer. Out of the three of them, it was the chimpanzee who had remained loyal to Caesar throughout this war, after Koba's death. He would have watched the transformation of the once pacifistic leader into the ape that had set off in hopes of mounting the Colonel's head on a spear from start to finish. By the time Caesar had discovered his family, Winter was already gone, had already joined up with Red and set off for the human camp. If any of them had insight, it was Stone.

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

strongasstone:

When the human girl arrived at the building site to see what her foster-father, Maurice, was working on, Winter and Red were not the only apes who were perturbed by the sight of her.

A human living among the apes… that was something the veteran chimpanzee warrior, Stone, would never see as right. Maurice may have come to love the girl, but she belonged far, far away from the ape colony. She was a only a white-tail, so it was obvious why she had not been left back where she had been found – she would very likely have died without anyone to care for her. But surely there were other humans still in existence in the world – why could Caesar and his group not have found a human colony to leave her with?

Stone did not like to think badly of the king who had forgiven him and accepted him back into the troop (even though he was no longer a member of the Council) but he wondered if it was in fact still true that Caesar loved and trusted humans far too much. He had allowed one of his friends to adopt a human as a child… one of the hairless creatures who had ultimately been responsible for the dreadful war, and for the death of Stone’s beloved mate.

The war was never Koba’s fault, Stone thought, and his brow creased whilst his hands slowly formed tight fists. Humans came back and Koba’s rage stemmed from that. I will never allow any ape to blame you for the fighting, my love. You were hurting deep inside, and it was those hairless beasts who made your mind sick. It is because of them that you are gone from my arms. Not because of Caesar, not because of anything else…

“Father?”

A soft voice nearby brought Stone’s attention back to the present. The speaker was Spark, his adolescent son.

“Red and Winter look angry with the human,” the young ape said. Like many youngsters, he was keen to speak aloud rather than sign. Stone gave a gentle grunt and nodded.

‘I wondered about that why they look that way,’ Stone signed, falling into the old ways as a matter of habit. ‘I will go and see what is going on with them.’

With Spark following, Stone got up and moved to sit nearer to the two gorillas, calling a cordial greeting to them both.

Well, whether or not Caesar and Maurice were sick in the head due to the horrors of the war, Red for one had no intention to spend any more time in the presence of humans. With a grunt, he turned his back to the direction of Nova, heavy brows casting shadows over his eyes.

It was then that a chimpanzee call caught his attention, and he caught sight of Stone and a young ape whose face Red recognized, but he couldn't place his name. At any rate, it was obvious that the adolescent was Stone's child. The two bore an undeniable resemblance.

Interesting, he thought, that the others who followed Koba, but returned to Caesar, seek me out.

The gorilla gave a nod in Stone's direction in response, though he wasn't entirely certain what to expect from him. Red had fastened the shackles to Stone's ankles himself, back at the Border camp. That alone, everything else ignored, should have been enough for the chimpanzee to resent him. Strangely enough, though, Stone's body language did not seem hostile. Some apes, it seemed, were much better at putting the past behind them than others.

That thought in mind, Red beckoned Stone closer with a small flick of his wrist, still resting in his lap. He had grown accustomed to using subtle gestures to communicate with his fellow donkey apes. Many of the soldiers did not take kindly to their apes communicating verbally or in sign. They wanted them to act as the animals that they had once been...

Unless, of course, they were aiding them in battle. That became an entirely different story. Their apes were free to show their true intelligence only when it benefited the humans. The very memory of it brought a foul taste to Red's mouth.

He may be held at arm's length at best by most of the apes here, but at least he was free to be himself.

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

snowgorilla:

Winter slowly nodded, understanding Red’s shocked reaction completely. He had had similar thoughts upon hearing that the human child was going to live with the apes.

‘Yes, human child now stays here in colony, a little female,’ the white gorilla signed. ‘Maurice has her live with him, says she is his daughter now since she has no one else. She does not speak, only sign. Caesar seems to trust her, since she is only young… perhaps also because he might think females are less dangerous than males.’

This reason for trusting the human, however, did not sit well with Winter, as there had been women among the Colonel’s troops who had seemed every bit as menacing and lethal to apes as their male counterparts.

As Winter’s hands stopped moving for a moment, he saw the very girl he had been discussing with his friend walking towards the building site, a wide smile on her face as she caught sight of Maurice and opened her arms to the old orangutan. Winter noticed that he and Red were not the only apes who were regarding the child with barely hidden suspicion, although some of the females with young who had been bringing food and water to the workers warmly greeted the little newcomer, who responded to them and their babies with gentle smiles.

Winter turned his focus to Red again.

‘Some other apes here still do not want her around them, but they are too loyal to Caesar – and to Maurice – to say so.’

The albino gorilla was himself torn on the issue. The girl, Nova, seemed to be sweet and gentle enough, and Maurice obviously loved her dearly. But what would happen when she was no longer a child? She had not been a baby when she had been found, so already she may have been exposed to the way that other humans seemed to loathe and fear the apes.

He turned his attention back to Red, wanting to see what his friend thought of this strange – and potentially threatening – situation.

Apes were adopting humans as children now?! Just how much had changed in a mere two years?! Red shook his head again, flaring his nostrils with a sharp inhale. He supposed he was no better, having served humans for those couple of years... But at least he was under no illusions that they were not apes. Had the old orangutan finally begun to lose his mind to old age? Maurice had been so wise back when Red had been loyal to the ape colony... It was strange to think of him doing something to foolish and ill thought out.

Yet, here they were – with a human girl approaching them, as if on cue. Red narrowed his eyes, lowering his head a little to watch her from beneath his brows so that if she looked in his direction, he could easily avert his eyes without drawing suspicion. She certainly didn't look intimidating; scrawny and dirty and small. But then, gorillas started out as small creatures also... That certainly changed as they grew. The same would be true for the little girl.

And, it seemed, Red was not the only one with doubts. His eyes flicked from ape to ape. It was easy to pick out those who did not necessarily approve of the decision to let a human stay with them.

'Humans not ape children!'

He kept his signs close to his body, making it difficult for apes other than Winter to make out what he was saying. Red didn't need to draw attention to himself, that was for sure.

'Caesar say apes should not be raised by humans like he was. So, why he let ape raise a human? Something not right here.'

The gorilla's brows remained furrowed and his lower lip jut out pensively. Caesar had helped humans before, but he had never let them live with the apes permanently. He had been adamantly against it, openly so, stating himself that apes and humans belonged apart. If nothing else, Red's time in the Colonel's army had only reinforced that belief. Apes should be with apes, and humans should be with humans... or dead.

'You think war too much for them? Their heads get sick?'

The fact that Caesar had lead a crusade of revenge against the Colonel attested to just how much of his mind the war had changed, afterall...

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

snowgorilla:

Winter carefully considered all that Red had said about Koba’s leadership. These were bold claims indeed that his fellow gorilla was making, but he found himself nodding in agreement with Red’s words.

‘Perhaps Caesar did trust humans too much,’ he signed at last. ‘He was raised by good human, so he may have thought all humans were good, and because of this, many apes died. Caesar lost his eldest son and his queen, and he himself was almost killed because of humans. I hope he is wiser as to their nature now. I wanted to trust too when I joined the soldiers as a donkey… but now I know Colonel was not good man. His kind never wanted peace. Maybe Koba knew this and others did not…’

Including the king himself, it seemed.

‘I hope this human child who Caesar has allowed to live among us will not grow to be like the Colonel…’

The albino gorilla frowned for a few moments, and then he stopped, his attention seized by the interaction unfolding between Koko, Storm, Cliff and Charlie.

Winter also felt a strong satisfaction at seeing the hostile group of apes sent packing, looking rather shamefaced as they left. He sincerely hoped that the intervention of first Koko and then Maurice would put paid to any plans the trio were hatching to make things unpleasant for Red, at least for the time being.

‘Yes, those three are trouble, and others may well be too,’ Winter’s hands said as he watched the gorilla brothers and their chimpanzee friend leave. ‘But Caesar is willing to give you and me a second chance, so those apes who are loyal to him will not let others make trouble for us. Koko very loyal to Caesar, and most gorillas respect her and her son Shabani. We must still be careful, but at least there are some apes who appear to be on our side.’

It was comforting to know, at least, that one ape felt similarly to Red. The others who had chosen the same path as him, perhaps mistakenly, were now dead. Winter was right, though; there was no way conceivable that Caesar would trust humans now, if there were any left. It was unlikely that the apes would ever need to worry about being deceived or attacked by their hairless cousins again. Perhaps in that sense, it didn't much matter what Caesar thought of them now, in the same way that it didn't really matter that Shabani was the gorilla in charge of the Guard... There was no danger left, anyway.

At least, not immediately.

Heavy brows fell over Red's eyes as he followed the second part of Winter's signed words. Human child? That Caesar let live here? He exhaled sharply from his nostrils and gave a small shake of his head. Perhaps the lead ape hadn't learned quite as much as he should have.

'Caesar let human live with apes?!'

Well, after all that the apes had been though... Perhaps many more would be willing to terminate a suspicious human before it became a problem. It was only a child now according to Winter, but it would someday grow to an adult. Besides that, the child had to have come from somewhere. The Colonel, if he was to be believed, had said that the humans near to the Border had once been part of his forces. If that were true, the child already would have been exposed to the concepts of hatred and extermination of apes...

In any case, Winter was right about another thing. At least some apes had accepted the two of them back... At least somewhat. Red knew that he had a long way to go before he earned back trust, but Winter's progress was encouraging, at least. They had Koko, Shabani, and others like them to buffer any trouble that less forgiving apes may stir up. What Red was worried about now was a hairless, pale skinned child with unknown intentions roaming among them...

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

snowgorilla:

Winter nodded thoughtfully at Red’s words.

‘Much safer for apes after war, perhaps Shabani is adequate leader for the guards now that there is peace,’ his hands told Red.

The young gorilla was no Luca, but he was competent enough, and Caesar, as king, had the right to appoint whoever he found the most trustworthy as gorilla general.

Red’s mention of Koba, however, drew Winter’s mind back to his fascination with the rebel leader. The white gorilla was burning to know what had drawn his companion towards Koba’s way of viewing the world, and why, after the bonobo’s death, some of the old loyalty still remained.

‘I was never Koba’s ape, but I did not hate him as some do now,’ Winter finally signed. ‘It interests me, though, what kind of king he would have made… why Red follow him? How did you find his way of being a leader? What made him better king than Caesar?’

The albino ape tilted his head, no judgement of Red’s decisions in his eyes, but fascination evident in his facial expression. He took another deep drink from the gourd and frowned in the direction of Storm, Cliff and Charlie.

He, too, was wondering what they could possibly be discussing, and saw Red’s glare in their direction. Winter wondered if he should accompany Red to confront the gossiping trio, or whether they should alert Maurice to warn them off, since it was his building site to supervise, after all.

But before Winter could make a move or sign anything to his comrade, another gorilla approached the group of talkers with firm, authoritative steps. It was the elderly Koko, and she did not look pleased.

Winter realized that something serious had to be on the old gorilla’s mind if she was out on her own like this. Shabani’s mate Clover had recently given birth to twins, and Koko had been devotedly attending to the young mother’s needs ever since, watchful, protective and proud beyond all measure of her beautiful new grandson and granddaughter.

“Is there problem?” Koko asked very loudly of the three would-be conspirators, if such they were, so that every ape in the vicinity was able to hear her.

The trio suddenly looked a little shame-faced as Charlie’s gaze fell to his own feet and he signed, ‘No.’

As the three apes went back in the same direction they had come, Koko continued to watch them with a frown on her face. Maurice himself came and stood next to her, watching intently too until Storm, Cliff and Charlie had finally left the area.

Winter had a point. Red heavily doubted that Shabani could have lead the Guard through the war successfully, but now there was peace, and not much to really worry about.

What Red was more interested in thinking about was the question Winter posed about Koba. It wasn't often that an ape asked him in a civil manner why he had pledged his allegiance to Koba rather than Caesar. This meant that Red needed to think his answer over carefully and do his best to explain it to an ape who was loyal to Caesar... The other apes hadn't needed much convincing – those who had a bad taste in their mouth regarding Caesar after the events of two years ago.

'Caesar too weak to attack humans back then. Without Koba, humans would have attacked apes first... Many more would have died. Koba say Caesar trust humans too much. Red agrees. Even when soldiers attack trench, Caesar let humans go. Never should have trusted them... Humans never wanted peace. Attacked apes even before we were born. Caesar stupid to trust them. Koba knew better.'

The silverback might have had more to sign, but his attention was drawn away from the conversation when Koko approached the trio of suspicious apes. Who would have known that such an old gorilla would still leave her nest and take part in all of this, much less have the same fire in her soul that her youth had given her? Red, for one, was impressed. And he couldn't deny how satisfying it was to watch Storm, Cliff, and Charlie slink away with their heads hung low. A grin passed his lips and he snorted in their direction.

'They are trouble.'

Red resolved to inform Caesar as soon as he could... It was entirely too possible that the three of them were scheming something that could set Red up to look like the guilty party in some bad happening. He wasn't going to let that happen – no apes would make a fool of Red, never again.

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

snowgorilla:

Winter nodded at Red’s thoughts regarding Shabani – the other gorilla was expressing doubts that he had initially felt himself.

‘I thought the same at first – Luca did not train Shabani to take his place one day. But humans gone now, and Shabani is clever and strong. Caesar trusts him, and he has Koko’s wisdom to guide him.’

Although Winter regretted joining the humans, he did not feel saddened that he had not been able to succeed Luca as the leader of the gorilla guards.  It would have been nice to have had that role, but it was not ambition that kept the albino gorilla moving forward in life. What he missed was the easy sense of comradeship he felt with the other guards, and he was trying to re-establish some of that via a connection with Red.

‘No, not angry with Red. It was my choice to join with humans – I thought, too, only donkeys would make it, and I believed Stone did the wrong thing by going back to Caesar. But it seems now he was right…’

The white gorilla’s signs trailed off momentarily as a female orangutan named Blaze, a young mother with a baby clinging to her back, brought another round of water-filled gourds to Red, Winter and the other apes closest to them. He took one and offered it to Red, then took another for himself and drank deeply. It would be quite a while till the next food and water break as there was a lot of work to catch up on, so he resolved to fuel up right then.

Winter’s attention was then caught by a pair of guards patrolling the area, and his pelt rose as he noticed they were Storm and Cliff. The brothers had stopped to talk to someone, and it gave Winter a chill to realize that it was Charlie, the hostile chimpanzee from the previous night, that they were engaging in conversation.

He noticed that they were not signing, but speaking in whispers. What on earth could they be up to? Surely they wouldn’t attempt to start trouble with Maurice present?

Red supposed this was true. With the humans gone, it didn't much matter who lead the guard... What was left to threaten the apes? Whether or not Caesar's faith was in Shabani didn't matter to Red, though. Red had not viewed Caesar as his leader in years and it would take awhile yet for that belief to fully change. Caesar did not defeat the humans through strength or strategy. The avalanche was sheer dumb luck that just so happened to work in the apes' favor.

'Not much for Guard to do now. Humans gone. Donkeys gone. No more danger.'

One thing was for sure. Koba never would have abandoned the apes and left them to be captured by humans. Caesar may have won that fight, but Red still firmly believed that Koba was the better leader. But Koba was gone, and Caesar was not, so Caesar Red would have to follow...

'Still think Koba better leader. Guess it not matter now...'

The gorilla shrugged as he signed and scratched at his half healed arrow wound again. Ironic, he thought, that he would have a scar on that shoulder from an ape's arrow. He already had a healed bullet wound on the other shoulder from humans, a souvenir from when he was taken prisoner by the Colonel's men. He had, at one point or another, been enemy to both.

But that, it seemed, was changing. He accepted the second gourd of water and sipped from it, the cool liquid rushing down his throat to wash away the acidity of the fruit. It seemed that Winter grew a bit anxious out of the corner of Red's eye, however, so he lowered the gourd and looked at the other gorilla. It wasn't difficult to follow Winter's eyes and determine what had gotten him so nervous.

Red's nose wrinkled, his brows furrowing heavily over his eyes. Just what were they up to?

Red had half a mind to march right up to them, to show them that he did not fear them. If they thought that they could even begin to compare to the Colonel in terms of ferocity and intimidation, they were out of their minds. But he refrained... It would be too easy for them to make it look like he was causing trouble, if he did that.

‘Stupid apes. I tell Caesar if they do anything.’

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

snowgorilla:

Winter gave another small grunt and nodded, his face briefly contorting with sadness as he acknowledged and then answered Red’s question.

‘Yes, Luca gone – humans killed him.’

The white gorilla was another ape who had seen Luca as a hero, guide and mentor. Without Luca, the ape guard hardly seemed whole anymore; although young Shabani was doing an adequate job as Luca’s successor, he was hardly up to the standard of the late general yet.

Luca had been invaluable in building up the strength and courage in would-be gorilla guards who had lost their fathers while young, Shabani and Winter being only two such examples.

‘Shabani warned other gorillas not to go too close to Red for the time being as he knows some are still angry. He angry too, but he holds fast to law of ape not kill ape. And that mother of his – she has much influence over him, so he will not be swayed easily by the likes of Storm and Cliff who might thirst for revenge for all they suffered under the humans. Koko was dear friend to Cornelia, so she steers her son towards gentler ways, like our late queen would.’

Although the elderly Koko had declined a seat on the Council for herself, she still managed to exert quite a bit of authority over the troop’s gorillas via her son. That she was able to do so had been very fortunate for Red and Winter indeed. Although Winter, through hard work and humility, was beginning to rebuild friendship ties with some apes, it was still too soon for the recently-arrived Red. And because Red had been seen as the chief among the Colonel’s donkeys, resentment of him still simmered in the hearts of those who bore whip-scars and emotional wounds due to his actions.

Winter finished his own fruit, munching quietly and appreciating the juicy sweetness before beginning to sign to Red again. He gave his old comrade in arms a softer look.

‘Winter still your friend,’ his hands and eyes said. ‘And I think Stone will be too, if you take time to speak to him. You were loyal to Koba, and Stone loved Koba deeply – he will appreciate how devoted you were. It will be a start – I built trust again with some apes, and I think you can begin to as well.’

Red's brows grew heavy at that news. He wondered which human had killed Luca, and if he had unknowingly had some kindof involvement. Red hoped not... He rarely found out which apes were killed by soldiers whose guns he provided with ammunition, and bows he carried arrows for. It was better that way. Even if none of them had been his friends at that point, having names to put to faces would have made everything much harder on him than it already had been.

So then, Shabani had taken Luca's place... But Red couldn't imagine that the young gorilla could live up to the standards left by Luca. He and Shabani were of similar age and had grown up together, just as Red had grown up with Winter. When Red had left the apes, it was Winter who Luca was training up to take over someday... Red supposed that he had dashed the white gorilla's chances of that when he offered him a place in the Colonel's army. Just another ape whose future Red had destroyed...

No, Winter had made his choice. Red hadn't forced him.

'Wonder if apes really safe with Shabani leading Guard...'

Red had his doubts. Shabani had not been trained to lead. Then again, what was there to threaten the apes now? Humans were gone, both armies either burned or buried under snow. Nothing else had ever threatened them. They were safer than they had probably ever been, regardless of who lead the Guard.

Winter's reassurances put Red's mind to ease to some extent. The gorilla allowed his shoulders to drop a little and he plucked a bit of dried leaf from the hair on his arm, his eyes flicking to the albino next to him. How could he forgive Red so readily? It put an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. He probably didn't deserve forgiveness. Still, he was grateful that Winter could find it within himself to not hold what had happened against Red. Afterall, Red had in part been attempting to save the life of his old friend...

'Thankyou. Glad you not angry with me... I not mean to make apes hate you. Thought only donkeys would live by the time Colonel finished... I save myself when I make deal with you, but I thought I save you too.'