Rocket, Planet of the Apes

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

righthandape‌:

It was something Rocket hated to do, but he had to give an affirmative nod to Blue Eyes’ question. The way the footsteps sounded was exactly the way an ape would move through the bushes. No other animal could make that sound.

Thankful at least that the unwelcome visitor was not human, Rocket made a sign to his companions not to make any noise, and reached for his gun. Taking care to move as silently as he could, the veteran warrior moved towards the source of the footfalls, and then froze, waiting to see if the ape would come into view. Would it be one of Koba’s apes? Or had one of their own followed them for some reason? With a sinking heart, Rocket realized that it was unlikely to be the latter. A friend would not be sneaking around like that.

The chimpanzee hoped that he would not have to use the human weapon, as although guns were now a necessary evil, Rocket absolutely despised them.

Whoever was approaching appeared to be heading toward the horses, and when they finally came into view, Rocket did a double-take at what he saw.

The ape was not one of Cornelia’s, nor one of Koba’s. This ape was no one he had ever seen before, and was… only a white-tail.

Creeping towards the horses and then reaching one hand inside Lana’s saddle-bag was a young male chimpanzee. He appeared to be about four years old and was obviously looking for food.

Rocket slowly moved closer, lowering the gun. Lana had by then got up, and Rocket nodded to her to come forward. If there were other apes nearby, strange apes who could become allies against Koba and/or the humans, perhaps it might be better for a female to make the first approach.

Lana held out one of the cookie packets to the little chimp.

“Here,” she said softly. “No need to steal from us. We share.”

The youngster looked startled, but he was too desperate for food to run off. He hesitantly took the packet she was offering and devoured several cookies before he uttered a call.

“Mother! Reuben! There apes here – and they have food!”

@exoduswounds

Yet again, Blue Eyes found his fingers touching the cold, dead metal of a human weapon in anticipation for some enemy to attack them. How had life gone to this so quickly? It still made the chimpanzee’s head spin, and he doubted that he would ever grow used to it, as he flipped the little switch on the gun that he knew allowed it to fire when the trigger was pulled.

Though, it did not appear that the weapon was necessary. At least not immediately. Blue Eyes’ brows raised at the sight of a small ape child. One that had followed them, somehow, from their troop’s camp? No, the prince realized. This wasn’t a chimp he recognized. His eyes flicked briefly to Bad Ape, brows furrowing. How many strange apes had lived so close to them without their knowledge? All this time, too? He, and all of the others, had thought that they knew their home. It seemed now that they knew far less than they thought, both about their home, and the apes that they had trusted without question.

The young ape lowered his gun as well, inhaling sharply through his nose and looking to Rocket with an expression of confusion after Lana approached, and the little chimp called out for his mother and another ape. More? Another whole troop, perhaps? For ten years, they had been completely oblivious to the presence of other apes – in fact, Maurice had signed of his doubts that there were any other intelligent apes, outside of their tribe. Clearly, even the wise old orangutan could be wrong.

‘How many apes here that we not know about?’

He knew it wasn’t a inquiry that Rocket could answer; it was more of a statement, questioning the true depth of their knowledge… At any rate, Blue Eyes kept his weapon in hand. The child could do them no harm, but there was no guarantee that the others that he was calling to would be friendly. The prince took a few steps towards the white-tail, but stopped at a respectful distance, watching the forest in the direction the child had called. He could hear other apes approaching now, and they did not seem to be trying to cover the sounds of their footsteps.

| @righthandape |

[righthandape]

Rocket gave a shrug, not knowing what to say. He was not the smartest of apes when it came to abstract questions, despite his great knowledge of hunting and horses. The burly chimpanzee had not been able to even imagine apes beyond the original Muir Woods colony until he had met Bad Ape.

Yet there were, indeed, more apes coming.

The group that emerged from the forest was by no means as large as Cornelia’s troop, or even Koba’s, but there looked to be several families there – chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas. No bonobos or gibbons, and the adults mostly seemed to be on the youthful side. In fact, there were no elders at all in this motley crew of apes, though there were quite a few adolescents, children and infants.

A female chimp carrying a baby on her back approached – she appeared to be the “Mother” that the little male had called out to, and a leader of sorts. She was a pretty ape with freckles, and both her children bore a strong resemblance to her. Beside her was what Rocket initially thought to be a reddish-furred gorilla, but then he saw the flanges and realized that this male was in fact the largest orangutan he had ever laid eyes on. The orangutan too was carrying an infant, which was very strange, as males of his species did not usually carry their young around… he appeared to be second in command to the female chimp, and was presumably “Reuben”.

Even more oddly, there seemed to be no silverback with the gorillas, who appeared to be led by a bushy-furred female with the scar of a healed bullet wound on her left arm. Another female with a suckling infant was close by her side, and something about them suggested a mated pair to Rocket rather than friends or sisters. Bonobos were the ones most likely to take mates of the same gender, but occasionally female gorillas in their own troop had done so...

“Tommy? What you find? Who are these apes?” the female chimpanzee called. And then she stopped and stared – not at Blue Eyes, Lana or Rocket, or even the food her son was holding out to her.

The mother of the oddly named Tommy was staring at Bad Ape.

“Can’t be… humans drive you off… all grown apes died…” she cried out in an anguished voice.

Bad Ape gasped, and drew closer.

“Missy?” he cried out, and the female chimp rushed up to him with an excited hoot that alarmed all the other apes.

“FATHER!” she shrieked, and pressed her forehead against Bad Ape’s.

@exoduswounds

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

righthandape‌:

‘Best if we stay far, far away from the way we came; that way, hopefully we never run into humans, or Koba’s apes,’ Rocket signed.

He tried to smile reassuringly at Blue Eyes, but he still worried about what might lie ahead and what the strange noises Bad Ape had spoken of possibly could be. He hoped that whatever or whoever had caused the sounds would not possess guns or any weapons even more powerful than what the apes carried. Rocket had already lost his son, and he did not want to lose any more of his ape family and friends.

At least Red was no longer a concern, as even if he had found a way to survive and escape the pit, the three scouts and their odd, but now invaluable, new companion were long gone and he would probably lack the means to track them. Red had not even brought a horse on his ill-fated mission, as far as Rocket knew, since he had been so quick to steal Rocket’s mount.

Nodding his assent to the young prince’s taking the next watch, and giving Blue Eyes an admiring glance for his courage, Rocket arranged a comfortable position for himself, so that he could sit and scan the area while his three comrades made their nests for the night. He stayed on the ground near the horses so that he could quickly intervene in case anything or anyone should attempt to attack or steal them. The horses were an absolute necessity for their journey, not only to reach their destination quicker but to stay ahead of any humans who might be around and to outrun Koba’s apes.

Rocket was glad of the opportunity to be on watch – having to focus on his surroundings kept him from ruminating on the memories of the past which the sight of the cookies had brought back. The burly chimp was not usually given to this way of thinking, but the sight of the packaged food had unnerved him more than he cared to admit.

Several hours passed, and all was quiet save for the usual noises of nocturnal creatures and the occasional snort from one of the horses. Rocket was feeling a lot more relaxed, simply biding his time until it was time to wake up Blue Eyes for the next watch.

A sudden noise from the nearby bushes startled the chimpanzee, and he froze as his keen hunters’ senses kicked in and he realized that what he was hearing was not moving on four feet, but on two.

Rocket crept quietly back to Blue Eyes and carefully began to nudge him awake. Lana and Bad Ape had woken already, and were staring at Rocket with alarm-widened eyes.

@exoduswounds

Part of Blue Eyes didn’t want to leave these woods behind; it was the only home he had ever known. Not only the village, which the humans had burned and was probably gone now, but also the area. The river, the hunting grounds, the waterfall. The meadows they had played in as white-tails, rolling in grass and flowers and chasing butterflies without a care. Without any idea of what was to come for them, years down the line. The chimpanzee closed his eyes momentarily, attempting to return to that time, when he had been so carefree and blissfully ignorant. But he couldn’t… no matter how much he wished he could.

He was thankful that it was soon time to sleep. It meant that, for a few hours at least – until it was his turn to watch over the group – he wouldn’t have to think anymore. At least the fire’s warmth on his pelt, the crackling sound it made as it ate the wood which they fed to it, was familiar. It would be the same no matter where they ended up, no matter how much their lives changed. Those thoughts lulled him to sleep, but it didn’t seem to last for very long.

Blue Eyes was being awoken, he realized, blinking groggy eyes until Rocket came into focus. Looking down at him, brows drawn up in concern. It was urgent, he realized, not Blue Eyes’ turn to take over. The young ape flicked his eyes to where Lana and Bad Ape had bedded down, and they were also awake, alarmed. It made the chimpanzee’s fur stand on end, for a moment wondering what it was – humans? Koba’s apes? A bear? – but then he heard what they had so obviously been hearing.

Something approaching through the woods, not enough footsteps for it to be a quadruped. Not a bear. Humans? Turncoat apes? Whatever it was didn’t seem to be making any attempt to mask its presence. Did it not know they were there? The fire was a giveaway; the light, the smoke…

Blue Eyes slowly shifted until his feet and knuckles were beneath him, freezing immediately when he heard a telltale grunt. Had Red escaped their trap already?

‘Ape?’

He signed, imploring Rocket with his eyes to tell him that he was wrong, that he had made some mistake. That it wasn’t apes. Just deer. A rabbit. Something that wasn’t a danger to them.

Whatever it was was coming closer, and from the sound of it, would be on top of them before they had much of a chance to decide what to do.

| @righthandape​ |

[righthandape]

It was something Rocket hated to do, but he had to give an affirmative nod to Blue Eyes’ question. The way the footsteps sounded was exactly the way an ape would move through the bushes. No other animal could make that sound.

 Thankful at least that the unwelcome visitor was not human, Rocket made a sign to his companions not to make any noise, and reached for his gun. Taking care to move as silently as he could, the veteran warrior moved towards the source of the footfalls, and then froze, waiting to see if the ape would come into view. Would it be one of Koba’s apes? Or had one of their own followed them for some reason? With a sinking heart, Rocket realized that it was unlikely to be the latter. A friend would not be sneaking around like that.

 The chimpanzee hoped that he would not have to use the human weapon, as although guns were now a necessary evil, Rocket absolutely despised them.

 Whoever was approaching appeared to be heading toward the horses, and when they finally came into view, Rocket did a double-take at what he saw.

 The ape was not one of Cornelia’s, nor one of Koba’s. This ape was no one he had ever seen before, and was… only a white-tail.

Creeping towards the horses and then reaching one hand inside Lana’s saddle-bag was a young male chimpanzee. He appeared to be about four years old and was obviously looking for food.

 Rocket slowly moved closer, lowering the gun. Lana had by then got up, and Rocket nodded to her to come forward. If there were other apes nearby, strange apes who could become allies against Koba and/or the humans, perhaps it might be better for a female to make the first approach.

 Lana held out one of the cookie packets to the little chimp.

 “Here,” she said softly. “No need to steal from us. We share.”

 The youngster looked startled, but he was too desperate for food to run off. He hesitantly took the packet she was offering and devoured several cookies before he uttered a call.

 “Mother! Reuben! There apes here – and they have food!”

@exoduswounds

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

righthandape‌:

Rocket watched silently as first Blue Eyes, then Lana, and finally Bad Ape, tasted the cookies and seemed to enjoy them. For a moment, he too was tempted to partake, recalling how delicious they had tasted in the past. They seemed to have lasted well, for they smelled as good as he remembered.

But memories of the shelter, of Dodge and his shock-stick, made the burly chimp’s stomach churn, and he pulled away his hand from the packet of Chips Ahoy he had been reaching for and took some dried fruit instead.

He nodded at Blue Eyes’ answers to Lana’s questions.

‘Yes, we should take another path if we see humans,’ he signed and made sure to translate aloud for Bad Ape, moving his hands slowly enough for the older chimpanzee to be able to read their motions. ‘Any place they are in is not safe home for apes. After all we been through, best if we never see humans again.’

Although Rocket did not have as much hatred in his heart for humans as Koba did, he did not like them at all, and it was they who were responsible for the death of Caesar and for starting the terrible war the apes were now embroiled in whether they liked it or not. Even after the capture of Dreyfus, it was doubtful that the humans would cease resistance. Word of his capture had by no doubt leaked out, as Lana had allowed the humans who had been with him to go free, after all, before bringing him back to Koba. Perhaps others out there – and it was obvious that there were others - might attempt to rescue the human leader and all the rest of Koba’s captives? And the humans, he believed, would not differentiate between Koba’s apes and Cornelia’s. To them, the only good ape was a dead ape, it seemed.

Rocket grunted in agreement with Blue Eyes’ next signs.

‘We cannot fight humans – there will be more of them than us, with more guns.’

He finished eating his fruit before signing:

‘Time to rest now – I can take first watch, if you like.’

@wecanstartover

Blue Eyes could certainly get behind that sentiment. He never wanted to see another human again. In fact, the young ape would be quite pleased to never see so much as a sign of human life again. The moment he could dispose of a gun and never have to touch it again would be one that he would relish. If they ever got to that point. So much had changed so quickly and drastically and the prince didn’t know what to expect from his future anymore. And to think, he had thought it was uncertain before all of this… Blue Eyes had been a fool, made ignorant by a comfortable life. He knew better now.

‘We go far from humans. Far from Koba, too…’

A thought that still stung, but a necessary one. They weren’t worrying about assaults by only humans, now. There were apes, too… Which were arguably more dangerous. Koba’s apes knew their ways and were more familiar with life in the woods, life as apes. They would know what to look for, what Caesar’s followers would need to survive. Which type of area. There was no guarantee that humans wouldn’t find them one day, but the possibility of traitor apes hunting them down was now seeming more likely. It made Blue Eyes’ head spin just to think about it. Apes killing apes. Caging apes. What had they become? Was it truly the fault of the humans – for torturing Koba, and killing Caesar? Or had this monster been lurking inside of Koba just waiting for an excuse to burst free? This was the type of question he typically asked Maurice, or Cornelia. Rocket wasn’t exactly known for his smarts, but maybe he could weigh in… He had experienced life at the mercy of humans, afterall.

But now was not the time. Rocket was right. They needed rest for the journey, and energy to defend against any number of things that they may encounter along the way.

And hopefully this journey would end in a place where they would never again have to worry about guns, whether they be in the hands of humans or apes.

Blue Eyes nodded to Rocket and finished off the last of the cookies in the packet.

'I watch after you.’

It felt like the right thing for a leader to do. Maybe something his father might have done.

@righthandape

[righthandape]

‘Best if we stay far, far away from the way we came; that way, hopefully we never run into humans, or Koba’s apes,’ Rocket signed.

He tried to smile reassuringly at Blue Eyes, but he still worried about what might lie ahead and what the strange noises Bad Ape had spoken of possibly could be. He hoped that whatever or whoever had caused the sounds would not possess guns or any weapons even more powerful than what the apes carried. Rocket had already lost his son, and he did not want to lose any more of his ape family and friends.

At least Red was no longer a concern, as even if he had found a way to survive and escape the pit, the three scouts and their odd, but now invaluable, new companion were long gone and he would probably lack the means to track them. Red had not even brought a horse on his ill-fated mission, as far as Rocket knew, since he had been so quick to steal Rocket’s mount.

Nodding his assent to the young prince’s taking the next watch, and giving Blue Eyes an admiring glance for his courage, Rocket arranged a comfortable position for himself, so that he could sit and scan the area while his three comrades made their nests for the night. He stayed on the ground near the horses so that he could quickly intervene in case anything or anyone should attempt to attack or steal them. The horses were an absolute necessity for their journey, not only to reach their destination quicker but to stay ahead of any humans who might be around and to outrun Koba’s apes.

Rocket was glad of the opportunity to be on watch – having to focus on his surroundings kept him from ruminating on the memories of the past which the sight of the cookies had brought back. The burly chimp was not usually given to this way of thinking, but the sight of the packaged food had unnerved him more than he cared to admit.

Several hours passed, and all was quiet save for the usual noises of nocturnal creatures and the occasional snort from one of the horses. Rocket was feeling a lot more relaxed, simply biding his time until it was time to wake up Blue Eyes for the next watch.

A sudden noise from the nearby bushes startled the chimpanzee, and he froze as his keen hunters’ senses kicked in and he realized that what he was hearing was not moving on four feet, but on two.

Rocket crept quietly back to Blue Eyes and carefully began to nudge him awake. Lana and Bad Ape had woken already, and were staring at Rocket with alarm-widened eyes.

@exoduswounds

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

justusapeshere:

Lana and Bad Ape helped Rocket to build a fire once all the horses were tethered, and then Lana assisted with sharing out the food, since Blue Eyes had wisely vetoed hunting that night. She passed around some of the dried fruit and meat they had brought with them, also some of the candy and cookies they had found in the abandoned human dwelling.

Everyone took some of the dried rations, but Lana noticed that Rocket did not touch any of the packaged sweets. She gave him a sympathetic look. What must he be remembering, she wondered, but did not ask. She had heard stories before of adult apes who had suffered traumas in their pasts, and each one had different ways of coping.

Some more successfully than others, it seemed. Koba’s past experiences had obviously not helped him to become a better and stronger ape, as Rocket’s had.

As soon as everyone was fed, Lana had a few questions for the others.

‘What you think we find out there? What we do if we see humans? Do we come back this way, or find another way to go?’

While signing, Lana spoke aloud as well, nodding for Bad Ape to watch her hands so that he could pick up some of the signs. He was intelligent enough to get her drift, and as soon as she had finished signing, actually smiled at her and did not speak, instead making the motions with his hands:

‘Find another way.’

He looked at Lana, seeking her approval, and said, “I think… we should… find another way. Did I say it right?”

“You did!” Lana exclaimed and patted his arm approvingly. “I will teach you many more signs, too… as we go along. Many apes… not speak well yet… so it good to learn sign.”

@wecanstartover

Blue Eyes settled himself near to the familiar warmth of the fire’s glow, tucking into a few strips of dried meat before his eyes wandered curiously to the packaged human food. The young chimpanzee scratched at the healing wounds that tore across his chest, curiosity battling against his desire to have little more to do with humans ever again. But what harm could it do to eat this food? That was why they had brought it along, afterall. He pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth in another moment of thought before he reached over to claim a blue plastic bag. Blue Eyes didn’t know what ‘chips ahoy’ meant, but when he tore the package open, they certainly smelled appealing.

The young leader followed Lana’s signs with his eyes as he chewed the sweet, yet strange discs of food tentatively. The hybrid’s questions were valid, for sure. Who knew what they would be finding in this quest for a new home? Not Blue Eyes… as much as he wished he knew. Caesar, somehow, probably would have known…

'I not know what we find,’

Blue Eyes admitted this with a little bit of shame painted across his frowning face, frustrated by his lack of knowledge.

'But if we see humans, I think we go another way, like Bad Ape say.’

That old, strange chimp was picking up their signs quickly, which was good. It made things easier, and signing was also silent, which made it safer if they were attempting to be stealthy. Their survival here would depend on that, to some extent.

'There not many of us, can’t fight humans.’

It had taken all of the male apes of their troop to subdue only a few actively armed humans in the city; if they had put up that much of a fight, Blue Eyes didn’t want to find out what a larger group of humans could do.

[righthandape]

Rocket watched silently as first Blue Eyes, then Lana, and finally Bad Ape, tasted the cookies and seemed to enjoy them. For a moment, he too was tempted to partake, recalling how delicious they had tasted in the past. They seemed to have lasted well, for they smelled as good as he remembered.

 But memories of the shelter, of Dodge and his shock-stick, made the burly chimp’s stomach churn, and he pulled away his hand from the packet of Chips Ahoy he had been reaching for and took some dried fruit instead.

 He nodded at Blue Eyes’ answers to Lana’s questions.

 ‘Yes, we should take another path if we see humans,’ he signed and made sure to translate aloud for Bad Ape, moving his hands slowly enough for the older chimpanzee to be able to read their motions. ‘Any place they are in is not safe home for apes. After all we been through, best if we never see humans again.’

 Although Rocket did not have as much hatred in his heart for humans as Koba did, he did not like them at all, and it was they who were responsible for the death of Caesar and for starting the terrible war the apes were now embroiled in whether they liked it or not. Even after the capture of Dreyfus, it was doubtful that the humans would cease resistance. Word of his capture had by no doubt leaked out, as Lana had allowed the humans who had been with him to go free, after all, before bringing him back to Koba. Perhaps others out there – and it was obvious that there were others - might attempt to rescue the human leader and all the rest of Koba’s captives? And the humans, he believed, would not differentiate between Koba’s apes and Cornelia’s. To them, the only good ape was a dead ape, it seemed.

 Rocket grunted in agreement with Blue Eyes’ next signs.

‘We cannot fight humans – there will be more of them than us, with more guns.’

 He finished eating his fruit before signing:

 ‘Time to rest now – I can take first watch, if you like.’

@wecanstartover

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

righthandape:

Rocket found himself nodding in agreement with Blue Eyes’ signs. Even though he was a brave warrior who would not back away from a fight if he was needed to defend his tribe, he too was sick of the war that Koba had embroiled the apes in.

‘I think we all not want to fight anymore. Time to find new life for apes, away from humans and away from Koba and his followers. If we find new apes who want to come with us, so much the better.’

He too was thinking with some bitterness of the apes who had chosen to follow Koba. Although Cornelia still had a larger troop than the renegade bonobo, some of the strongest fighters had chosen to take Koba’s side. And among them, Rocket thought a little sadly, were some he had even considered dear friends.

The burly chimp’s attention was suddenly drawn towards what Blue Eyes was pointing at, and from the looks of things, Lana and Bad Ape had also noticed it.

It was a dwelling – and not an ape-made hut. This structure had obviously been erected by humans.

Although the place seemed empty and dilapidated, Rocket steered his horse forward with caution, tugging the reins to suggest a slow, careful movement just in case unseen danger was lurking nearby.

He waited to catch the young leader’s attention, and then signed again.

‘Rocket not hear or see any humans – not smell them, either. Outside house, can see things strewn around. Looks like whoever was here left in hurry. Maybe driven away by sickness, or fighting with other humans. Not likely they met apes – certainly not ours, and I don’t think Red came this way after us, so not Koba’s.’

The chimpanzee sniffed the air for a few moments more, and gave a signal that he thought it was sage for the others to move forward.

Whether or not Rocket was regarded as the smartest of apes, Blue Eyes had always looked up to him. He felt better almost immediately when the older chimp declared that he neither saw, smelled, nor heard a sign of human life.

Emboldened, Blue Eyes wrinkled his nose and urged his steed closer, doing his best to project confidence to his followers. Once reasonably close, he dismounted and tethered the stallion’s reins securely to a tree, gun gripped by his chimpanzee hands just in case as he made his approach. He could hear his heartbeat echoing in his ears, but Rocket was right; there didn’t seem to be anybody here. The prince waved the others over and nudged open the front door that hung pitifully from broken hinges – this home was certainly not in the same condition as those within the human colony walls.

The air inside felt heavy and moist, holes in the roof and recent rains most likely the culprit. Floorboards creaked under the young ape’s weight with each step he took, but it seemed secure enough to walk on. It smelled funny, too. Overall, it wasn’t a very pleasant place. Blue Eyes decided quickly that he wouldn’t have wanted to live here, himself. Apparently the humans who had would have agreed with him. There didn’t seem to be any signs of remains inside, which suggested that they left, rather than dying here.

In their apparent haste, however, the previous owners had left quite a lot of clutter about the cabin. Blue Eyes didn’t recognize most of what he saw, but then, he didn’t know a whole lot about humans in the first place. His father had been more interested and knowledgeable than he was.

‘Know what any of this is?’

He asked Rocket,

'Think we could use any of this?’

Perhaps Bad Ape would have been a better ape to ask, but instinct told Blue Eyes to keep his voice quiet just in case. Animals almost definitely sheltered here, as evidenced by scat and droppings on the floor in some areas. Blue Eyes couldn’t recognize species by their excrement, however, so this meant nothing to him other than the possibility of them not being alone in here.

[righthandape]

Looking around the ramshackle house at the items scattered about on the creaky floor, Rocket gave a brief nod as he wrinkled his nose at the smells coming from everywhere near him. From the looks of things, Lana and Bad Ape were also not impressed by the stench. Although the apes were used to animal droppings in the forest, so much excrement in a confined space was altogether a different and much more unpleasant thing.

 ‘I know what some of these are. Humans wear them. And him,’ he signed, indicating Bad Ape.

 The burly chimpanzee picked up a ruined child’s sweater – a massive hole in the front making it of very little use as clothing – very similar to the one he had torn from Caesar in the primate shelter in the bad old days before freedom, when Rocket had been alpha of the captives. The memory pained him, and he cast it on the ground.

 “Maybe we can use some of these…”

 He indicated some bits and pieces of rope that were scattered about, and some shards of metal that could perhaps be made into spear points.

 Bad Ape, however, had seen something else on the dilapidated shelves behind where Rocket was standing, and was uttering small “ooks” of excitement.

 “See these… they food!” the odd little chimp declared with a wide, proud smile.

 What Bad Ape had indicated were cans, possibly items that were too heavy for the humans, who seemed to have left in a hurry, to have carried with them. Bad Ape uttered a small hoot and picked up first one, then another.

 “I have tool… to open these. Know the pictures… on outside. Meat in this one. And vegetables, here… we can take, and eat. Not have to forage or hunt so much!”

 Lana came forward and curiously picked up something with a lemon scent, sniffing it and  then taking a small, testing bite before making a face and throwing it aside. Of course, soap was not something she, or any of the apes for that matter, knew anything about.

 ‘Not eat this. Tastes bad!’ she signed at the others, and Bad Ape could not help but chuckle a little at the youngster’s reaction, understanding her facial expression if not her signs..

 ‘I… not know what that is, but is not food!”

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

justusapeshere:

Lana nodded thoughtfully at Blue Eyes’ signs. It was true – the scouts would have to prepare for any eventuality, even if that meant facing an attack of some kind. And if there were animals out there that were strange and dangerous, they would find a way to avoid them as they had the bears and cougars earlier. New animals could also mean new types of prey for the hunters…and the feisty young hybrid was determined that she was going to be included in any future hunts for whatever big game might be out there, despite being a female.

Although she missed Caesar’s wise rule, Lana had always disagreed with him about his rule of not allowing females on the big game hunts. Cornelia, she believed, would not insist on that prohibition being upheld. If the queen allowed her teenage son to go on excursions in search of larger quarry, then she would have to permit her newly adopted adolescent daughter to go as well.

She gave a snort as the group rode on. Caesar had always said that females in heat would distract the male hunters – well, was it not up to the males to learn to control themselves? Females were not in heat all the time, anyway!  And the late alpha had also claimed that such hunts would be too dangerous for female apes; in Caesar’s eyes, females were precious and needed to be protected as they were the bearers of infants. Lana believed that she could more than handle herself in a hunting situation, and in any case, the hoot-yeep did not think she would be the one to bear white-tails if she and her future mate wanted to raise any someday. She was happy to leave the childbirth side of things to Sage.

Finally she signed back to Blue Eyes, ‘I hope there will be other apes out there, and friendly ones. Maybe they might wish to join our troop.’

Lana’s signing caught the prince’s eye, and he nodded after a moment, slowly. Koba’s splinter group was larger than Blue Eyes would have liked to admit. It was disheartening to see just how many apes held so much hatred and bloodlust inside of them. Good riddance, he thought. At least he knew now that all of the apes that would one day be under his rule were good and kind and did not carry this hidden darkness. He could trust his tribe without worry.

But they could always do with more numbers. It would be a victory to find stragglers like Bad Ape who would join their group and be taught the lessons and beliefs that Caesar had passed down to his family and the remainder of his troop. Numbers could serve them well if more of Koba’s apes decided to follow Red’s path and seek out Caesar’s followers.

How proud would the others be – Cornelia, Maurice – if this little band of explorers returned with a larger group of new friends?

‘Me too. I don’t want to fight anymore.’

The young ape made the confession tentatively. It could reflect poorly on his skills as a leader if he balked from confrontation, but could he be blamed for growing sick of war, death, fighting? He would if he had to, but only if. Blue Eyes already missed the life of peace that his father had made for them.

When he looked ahead of them again after he finished signing to Lana, he gave pause. Through the trees, he thought he could make out a shape. Blue Eyes tugged on his reins to stop his horse and lifted his hand in the way Caesar always had to call the apes to quiet and stop moving. When they had all stopped, hointed toward what he was almost certain was a human house that had been mostly reclaimed by ivy vines and mosses that had nearly hidden it from view completely. Blue Eyes couldn’t tell from where they were if it was inhabited or not, but the hair on his neck was prickling at the thought of encountering humans.

'Can’t see if any humans there from here.’

Should they risk getting closer, or change their path?

Maybe they are gone, he thought to himself, Bad Ape hasn’t heard them lately.

[righthandape]

Rocket found himself nodding in agreement with Blue Eyes’ signs. Even though he was a brave warrior who would not back away from a fight if he was needed to defend his tribe, he too was sick of the war that Koba had embroiled the apes in.

 ‘I think we all not want to fight anymore. Time to find new life for apes, away from humans and away from Koba and his followers. If we find new apes who want to come with us, so much the better.’

 He too was thinking with some bitterness of the apes who had chosen to follow Koba. Although Cornelia still had a larger troop than the renegade bonobo, some of the strongest fighters had chosen to take Koba’s side. And among them, Rocket thought a little sadly, were some he had even considered dear friends.

 The burly chimp’s attention was suddenly drawn towards what Blue Eyes was pointing at, and from the looks of things, Lana and Bad Ape had also noticed it.

 It was a dwelling – and not an ape-made hut. This structure had obviously been erected by humans.

 Although the place seemed empty and dilapidated, Rocket steered his horse forward with caution, tugging the reins to suggest a slow, careful movement just in case unseen danger was lurking nearby.

 He waited to catch the young leader’s attention, and then signed again.

 ‘Rocket not hear or see any humans – not smell them, either. Outside house, can see things strewn around. Looks like whoever was here left in hurry. Maybe driven away by sickness, or fighting with other humans. Not likely they met apes – certainly not ours, and I don’t think Red came this way after us, so not Koba’s.’

 The chimpanzee sniffed the air for a few moments more, and gave a signal that he thought it was sage for the others to move forward.

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

whoischild:

Bad Ape settled easily onto the horse, lightly putting his arms around Lana’s waist to steady himself, glad that the scouts were traveling slowly on their mounts so that he could get used to the feeling of riding again after so long. As Lana had promised, the brown mare was a gentle, reliable animal, moving at a pace that kept up easily with the other horses but was still comfortable enough for a rider as inexperienced as he was.

Soon the group was moving gradually northeast, leaving that patch of forest behind them and following the river towards what looked to be more open country, although the old chimpanzee suspected that there could be more wooded areas ahead in the direction they were going.

At the sound of Blue Eyes’ voice, Bad Ape obediently answered the young prince immediately, glad to be of help to his new leader.

“No… not very far, at least… thought of doing so, when humans come… wanted to get away from them. But… heard strange things… from that direction. Not sure if human… or something else. Whatever it was… did not want… to face it alone.”

He tried to flash a small smile at Blue Eyes and his other companions, hoping that it did not look like a fear-grimace, and that he did not seem to be a coward in the eyes of the other apes.

“I stayed… where I was. Nothing came… to find me, so I think… it safe to travel now.  Have not heard the sounds… in while now. Safer with group than alone.”

The sun was becoming gradually warmer overhead, and the river beside them seemed to flow more swiftly. Above, the canopy of trees appeared to be thinning out, and Bad Ape took one last look back at his former campsite as he left it behind for good, feeling no sadness at relinquishing it and allowing his heart to fill with hope at long last.

Strange noises? The young ape’s brows rose and he flicked his eyes to Rocket, but the older chimpanzee was looking at Bad Ape also, not Blue Eyes. This changed things, a little. It was almost beginning to feel like nowhere was safe for them. It was seeming more and more like a miracle that their tribe had survived in the village, unknowingly surrounded by humans and other threats, without facing any major dangers in the prince’s lifetime. Their home had been an eden, but it was now taken from them. Was there any home left for them to find?

It took a few moments of thought before he nodded to Bad Ape to acknowledge this information, but Blue Eyes did not alter course. He feared humans more than the unknown. There were very few things in the woods that apes in a group couldn’t stand up to – especially when they had guns – so it was safer to take their chances with whatever lived out here, than it was to follow a path that humans had made not so long ago. Maybe whatever it was had moved on, anyhow; Bad Ape hadn’t heard them recently, afterall.

Not for the first time, Blue Eyes wondered just how his father managed to make decisions like these so easily… How Caesar had almost never made any mistakes. Could he ever live up to that? It wasn’t seeming so. So far, Blue Eyes had doubted nearly every decision he’d made since he had been appointed leader of this small group.

A grunt for Rocket’s attention, and the chimpanzee signed.

‘We still go this way. Not want to follow human trail.’

Maybe if they went far enough, they would find a place that humans had never known existed even before all had changed. But with the stories that Blue Eyes had been told about how humans had once dominated the world with a population that never seemed to end, he wasn’t sure that such a place existed. Even so, the prince couldn’t bear the thought that he and his people were doomed. There was a place for them, somewhere. There had to be.

[righthandape]

Rocket nodded his agreement with Blue Eyes as the group kept moving in the same direction. He had no desire to meet with humans either, and from the looks of things Lana was of the same opinion as Bad Ape and her fellow scouts. It was best then to stay away from the area that Bad Ape had claimed the humans had gone towards.

 He was not usually an ape given to deep introspection, preferring to be one who acted quickly and got things done efficiently, but Bad Ape’s mention of strange sounds made thoughts begin to swirl inside Rocket’s brain.

 What could those noises be? It was obvious that they had unnerved Bad Ape, but since, by the old chimpanzee’s admission, nothing had come in search of him and he had remained undiscovered at his campsite, even by the humans he had seen, it was unlikely that whatever was out there was openly hostile. If whatever it might turn out to be was threatening at all, Rocket was sure that the scouts would find a way to successfully avoid it. Perhaps they could travel around it… or maybe whatever had made the noises was long gone by now and they could keep going forward in safety.

 Or… maybe there were other apes out there in the wilderness?

 Although this prospect seemed less likely than encountering more humans, it was worth thinking about. Rocket had believed that his troop were the only apes of their kind for a long time, but the discovery of Bad Ape had well and truly proved him wrong.

 The burly warrior decided to voice his thoughts to the rest of the group and see if they were thinking the same way as him.

 “Likely… what made noises… long gone. Maybe humans, human machines… or animals… once belonging to humans, not forest beasts we… all know. But what… if there more apes out there? Maybe… friends?”

[rockets-tinker]

Tinker bared her teeth a little in a smile, sitting down behind him and eagerly getting to work on his coat.

Her fingers deftly made their way across his back and shoulders, lips prying tufts apart as she inspected further.

“Missed…you,” she grunted out softly, green eyes regarding him warmly.

[righthandape]

Rocket smiled back at Tinker before he turned and leaned back into his mate’s touch, relaxing after all the tensions of hard work and letting them leave his body slowly.

“Missed... you too. But so much... to do. Big hunt, lots of meat to store... for winter.”

@rockets-tinker

[rockets-tinker]

Starter for @righthandape

——

Tinker approached her mate on her knuckles, lips forming an “o” and her eyes wide as she seemed to be asking him permission.

She wanted to groom him, and had felt like it had been a long time since she’d seen him. The females had been busy for the past few days doing a lot of gathering. Making weapons had been a priority as well, as the only prey left this time of year seemed to be big elk bucks that required more force than deer or smaller animals. She gave a few small hoots in greeting.

[righthandape]

Rocket gave a small hoot and an encouraging grunt to his beloved mate, and sat down so she could easily groom him if she wished. He felt a little bad for leaving her alone while he fulfilled his duties as Caesar’s second in command, but although his family needed him, the hunt had had to be prepared for, especially with so much large game around and so many apes to feed.The new mothers with nursing young in particular needed to be provided for.

@rockets-tinker

[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!”

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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!”

[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!

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

righthandape:

Rocket watched and listened as Blue Eyes offered to let Bad Ape hide. The infuriated gorilla was not the old chimpanzee’s enemy, after all – in fact, Red had no reason to do Bad Ape any harm whatsoever, and Rocket himself would not think badly of Bad Ape should he choose to bow out at this point, as he had already done so much for the scouting trio. If the older ape wanted to stay out of sight, the others could still do their best to handle Red, although doing so was going to be extremely difficult, whichever way it happened.

Blue Eyes was right – this was not Bad Ape’s war. He had no loved ones waiting for him back at the troop as the other three had. Blue Eyes and Lana were fighting for their mother, the queen, and their little siblings. Rocket’s son may have been killed, but he still had his mate and young daughter to defend, not to mention all the rest of their extended family and friends.

Bad Ape, at the mention of guns, did tremble a little and utter a few small “ooks” of alarm, but he shook his head when Blue Eyes offered to let him bow out of the upcoming conflict.

“You all… friends,” the old chimp said firmly. “Friends never leave friends. I scared, yes, but I stay and help.”

That appeared to be settled, then. Which left only the next step – deciding who would be the bait to entice Red into the trap the group of apes had set.

In Rocket’s mind, there was only one way to proceed, and only one ape who could perform this dangerous act. There was no way he was going to allow either of the royal youngsters to sacrifice themselves. The young prince and princess were far too precious to Cornelia and the troop, and Rocket would have been shirking his duty as a warrior if he allowed them to take on this most perilous of tasks.

‘I am the strongest. It should be me who lures Red,’ Rocket signed.

For such a thin, unimpressive looking ape, Bad Ape was very brave. That, or loyal… or both. Blue Eyes nodded with a small smile to him, and couldn’t help but think that his father would have become fond of this odd little chimpanzee, if he had gotten the chance to meet him. He was earning the prince’s respect more and more.

As for Rocket, Blue Eyes wondered if the bald ape had ever seemed to heroic. All of the young apes looked up to him, partly because he had been Caesar’s second in command, and also because of times like this, when he showed the spirit that had never been broken in that terrible prison that the older apes spoke of. He was eternally grateful that Rocket had joined himself and Lana on this journey; the two of them surely would have been lost without him. Any lack of brains he had were more than made up for by how intensely faithful he was. Blue Eyes hadn’t really understood that when he was younger, but he sure did now.

‘We hide, so he not know this is a trap. If he not fall in pit, we come help Rocket. Four of us together stronger than Red alone.’

In theory, at least, but it was a theory that the young chimpanzee was determined to hold fast to.

He ushered Lana and Bad Ape towards a gathering of boulders near the water, not particularly stable to hide behind, but it should be alright as long as they remained still. They would need to, in order to keep perfectly quiet. There was even a tiny gap between two of the rocks, which could serve as a convenient peephole. They could keep an eye on what was about to unfold while remaining hidden until they were needed. This was as good a plan as they could think up. Honestly, Blue Eyes was proud of their combined efforts. Maybe even his father would have been, too.

[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.

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

whoischild:

Bad Ape nodded at the same time Rocket and Lana did when Blue Eyes spoke. As tempting as grooming or a dip in the river to cleanse themselves seemed right at that very moment, no time must be lost in preparing the trap. If the gorilla the others called Red should arrive, as he very well could at any minute, and the pit was not ready, all the apes’ hard work would have been for nothing.

As swiftly as possible, the old chimpanzee joined his comrades in laying hands on whatever could be used for a foundation for the cover. As soon as a sturdy layer of broken branches and other suitable items had been put in place, Bad Ape began seizing handfuls of vegetation and piling them on to thoroughly disguise the hole that all four apes has dug together.

Everyone was working as fast as they could, and although Bad Ape’s muscles and limbs were so sore he could hardly stand, let alone move, he kept doggedly at his task. Of course, he could not have known that the others were thinking the same thing, but he found himself wishing that there were at least two or three more apes there to help them. Burly chimps the size of Rocket, preferably, or even a gorilla or two who were friendlier than this Red was.

From what little Bad Ape had seen of gorillas in the past, they had mostly seemed to be a gentle, peaceable lot. As he briefly paused for breath, Bad Ape wondered why this particular gorilla had such an attitude problem.

At last the pit appeared to be sufficiently covered, and Bad Ape stood back and looked towards his companions, in particular his young leader, hoping that they would consider all the work they had done to be enough.

“Think gorilla… will be fooled by this?” the old chimp asked hopefully.

Blue Eyes couldn’t imagine possibly having to do any more work, now. The pit was dug and covered, ready for Red to hopefully take a tumble. They were all desperately tired and yet, still, their work wasn’t finished. They needed to wait for the gorilla to come back this way and then successfully lure him here.

All Blue Eyes wanted to do, though, was collapse and sleep for a few years.

The young leader looked to Bad Ape when he spoke, and cast his eyes again over the covered pit. It would definitely work to trap prey, but an intelligent ape? He hoped so, but he didn’t know. Their best bet was to work Red into a blind rage without getting shot in the process. Who knew how many guns the gorilla had on him now.

“Hope… so.”

He offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile to the old chimp, despite the nature of what he was about to say.

“Red… have guns. Could shoot…us. I not… blame you… if you… hide… now.”

Bad Ape was not of their clan, this war was not his own. Blue Eyes could not expect him to put his life on the line for them or their cause. His help had already proved invaluable, and he’d had no obligation to do a thing for them. It would be unfair for the trio to expect too much from him.

Blue Eyes turned to Lana and Rocket then, glancing to Bad Ape once more before he began signing to the two that understood the language.

‘This not his fight.’

It was theirs. Which meant they still had an important decision to make.

'Who will lure Red…?’

Blue Eyes was willing to be the bait, if neither of them wanted to risk themselves in that way. However, it wasn’t his place to argue if Lana or Rocket wanted to take that task upon themselves instead.

[righthandape]

Rocket watched and listened as Blue Eyes offered to let Bad Ape hide. The infuriated gorilla was not the old chimpanzee’s enemy, after all – in fact, Red had no reason to do Bad Ape any harm whatsoever, and Rocket himself would not think badly of Bad Ape should he choose to bow out at this point, as he had already done so much for the scouting trio. If the older ape wanted to stay out of sight, the others could still do their best to handle Red, although doing so was going to be extremely difficult, whichever way it happened.

 Blue Eyes was right – this was not Bad Ape’s war. He had no loved ones waiting for him back at the troop as the other three had. Blue Eyes and Lana were fighting for their mother, the queen, and their little siblings. Rocket’s son may have been killed, but he still had his mate and young daughter to defend, not to mention all the rest of their extended family and friends.

 Bad Ape, at the mention of guns, did tremble a little and utter a few small “ooks” of alarm, but he shook his head when Blue Eyes offered to let him bow out of the upcoming conflict.

 “You all… friends,” the old chimp said firmly. “Friends never leave friends. I scared, yes, but I stay and help.”

 That appeared to be settled, then. Which left only the next step – deciding who would be the bait to entice Red into the trap the group of apes had set.

 In Rocket’s mind, there was only one way to proceed, and only one ape who could perform this dangerous act. There was no way he was going to allow either of the royal youngsters to sacrifice themselves. The young prince and princess were far too precious to Cornelia and the troop, and Rocket would have been shirking his duty as a warrior if he allowed them to take on this most perilous of tasks.

 ‘I am the strongest. It should be me who lures Red,’ Rocket signed.

[exoduswounds]

Shattered Remains

[exoduswounds]

righthandape:

As Blue Eyes started to dig, all the other apes immediately began to pitch in, too. It was hard, dirty work indeed, but every one of them, even the seemingly frail Bad Ape, kept at it doggedly. At any moment, Red could return and all their efforts would be in vain.

Young Lana was perhaps the most resolute of all of them digging fast and deep with her slender fingers or occasionally a strong stick, a flat stone or whatever else she could grab hold of. Rocket shot the teenage hybrid a brief glance of admiration. She was determined not to be perceived as a weak link in the group just because she was the youngest, and a female to boot! No amount of grit getting stuck to her fur seemed to put the hoot-yeep off her task. Although Lana was now a princess, she had a warrior’s steadfast nature.

In answer to the young prince’s question, Rocket took a few seconds’ break to sign.

‘Not long now, if we all work hard and as quick as we can. All work together, soon we have big enough pit to catch gorilla.’

And then Rocket went back to his work, scraping at the muddy ground until he felt every muscle in his body was aching. The chimpanzee could only imagine how his comrades, who were not as strong as he was, must be feeling after all this exertion.

When every ape present felt worn out enough to collapse, a yawning hole finally opened up in the ground before them. Breathing hard, Rocket took a few steps back to survey their progress.

“You think… this pit deep enough?” he asked aloud, although speech still felt strange and much more tiring than sign language. He looked around the group at his companions, gauging their reactions, wanting to know what each of them thought, especially the young leader, Blue Eyes.

Blue Eyes was positive that he had never worked harder than this in his life. His muscled burned, pleading for rest, but the group couldn’t afford to waste precious moments when a murderous gorilla could be lurking nearby any minute now. The rest of them must have been as tired as he was, but nobody seemed willing to not pull their own weight. The seriousness of the situation was not lost on them, not even Bad Ape, who knew only the tip of the iceberg of the complicated chaos that had overtaken the ape colony.

Once Rocket spoke again – a rarity which immediately commanded the young chimpanzee’s attention despite the fact that his elder had used his voice moments ago – Blue Eyes extracted his fingers from the dirt and looked around him at the rest of the hole. It seemed fairly deep; they would need to help one another to escape it themselves. That was encouraging, given that gorillas were hefty and not known for their ability to jump. If it took two chimpanzees standing on one anothers shoulders to escape the pit, it should be deep enough to trap a young silverback.

‘Maybe. I stand on your shoulders? If it still deeper than me then, must be deep enough for Red.’

The prince looked to his hands after he finished signing and wrinkled his nose a bit. They were so caked with mud, dirt, and clay that he wouldn’t have been able to determine what color his skin was if he hadn’t known. The others were in a similar state as well. They could all do with a rinse in the river after this, if they were allowed the luxury, depending on how their capture of Red went.  

Which begged the question, once again, what they would do with the traitor when and if they did apprehend him. Leaving him to die in a muddy pit didn’t feel right, but neither did outright killing him, and they simply couldn’t risk letting him go free. Blue Eyes supposed this decision fell to him as the leader of the ragtag group, but he was still hopelessly torn.

[righthandape]

Rocket waited until he had fully caught his breath, and spoke again. It would have been far easier to sign, but he had the new member of the troop, for whom sign language was just a lot of meaningless gestures, to consider now. Perhaps, once the issue of Red had been dealt with, Blue Eyes, Lana and Rocket could teach Bad Ape how to sign, if he was willing to learn. It would be a useful tool for him to have in order to communicate with the rest of his new troop when the scouts finally re-joined Cornelia and the others.

 He could not repress a grin at the state of everybody’s fur. Even Bad Ape’s clothing was filthy now. If meticulous, high-ranking females like Cornelia, Koko and Etumbe had been present, they would have immediately insisted on a mass grooming session. Rocket could very easily imagine how displeased his own mate, Tinker, would be to see what a mess his pelt was! But there was no time to think about getting clean at that moment. Red could very well be on his way for all they knew!

 “Yes… I get in pit, Blue Eyes stand on my shoulders. Check how deep hole is.”

 And with that, the burly chimpanzee clambered into the pit.

 As he hit the ground at the bottom of the yawning hole, Rocket wrinkled his nose. It was fortunate for him that he had less fur than the others (with the exception of Bad Ape) because the inside of the pit was even more unpleasant than the outside. Red was certainly not going to enjoy his tumble down into the cavity his former troop-mates had dug.

 Rocket made sure that he was steady on his feet before making a signal with his hands that it was safe for Blue Eyes to descend.

 The mighty chimp was also wondering what the group would do with Red once the gorilla was caught. Ape not kill ape was still a law that Rocket preferred to stick by, and leaving Red to die would be just as bad as killing him outright. Perhaps it would be best to suggest to Blue Eyes that the young leader ask for Bad Ape’s guidance in this matter. Despite his odd appearance and his silly-looking human attire, the older chimpanzee had shown himself to be nearly as wise as the troop’s beloved teacher, Maurice.

[caesarishome]

Healing Time part 2 - rp with amricthequiet

“Amric… always loved,” Caesar whispered softly.

The alpha ape looked alarmed when Amric began coughing, but soon relaxed when the coughing stopped, and he stroked his beloved mate’s fur soothingly.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric hums at Caesar’s touch.

“And I always love you”

[queenoftheapes]

Cornelia smiled as she saw the two royal male mates being so affectionate with each other. She loved it that Amric made Caesar so happy.

With a gentle, soft grunt to get Amric’s attention, she handed the young chimpanzee a hollowed gourd filled with the herbal brew she had made.

‘I think Amric need more tea, will feel better if you have this,’ the queen signed.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric smiles.

‘Thank you Cornelia,’ Amric signs. He sits up and drink some of the tea. He sets it down next to the nest.

‘Are Blue-Eyes and Cornelius well? I hope they did not catch my sickness,’ he signs.

[queenoftheapes]

‘No, they are well, Blue Eyes has taken Cornelius out in the forest for a walk, They will be back soon,’ the queen signed.

‘You will be back to your former strength soon, Amric. I know it.’

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

“Thank you Cornelia,” Amric says. He lays his head on Caesar.

“I am eager to hear Rocket’s report.”

[caesarishome]

‘He will be back soon, I think, As will Blue Eyes and Cornelius,’ Caesar signed, smiling at his beloved.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric relaxes into Caesar. He drinks more tea and his eyes droop. He rubs his forehead on Caesar’s shoulder.

“Cornelia’s tea good. Should learn how to make it.” Amric signs, forming hours words with lazy hands. His eyes close and his breathing begins a slow, steady rhythm.

[queenoftheapes]

Cornelia smiled.

‘When Amric better, I teach you. It is very good skill for any ape to have,’ she signed.

She looked up as she heard noises at the entrance of their home. Rocket had arrived back at the village, and he looked very excited about something.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric jolts awake as Rocket enters.

“Rocket,” Amric signs while smiling. Amric leans forward and puts his feet on the ground. He slowly rises to standing, his hand on Caesar’s shoulder to support himself.

“What news do you have?”

[righthandape]

Rocket gave a respectful salute to his king, Caesar, Cornelia the queen, and the king’s royal beloved, Amric.

‘The scouts have found a new herd of elk, larger than the ones we have seen before. There will be plenty of meat for the hunters to bring home!’ Rocket signed excitedly.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric steps toward Rocket.

“Rocket, this is great news! If only I could have been there to see it. Did you get a count?” Amric signs.

[righthandape]

‘Did not get exact cound, hard to say. Three hundred beasts, maybe four hundred even,’ Rocket signed. ‘If we form hunting party tomorrow, we should be able to catch some before they move on.’

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

“Which direction did the come from” Amric signs

[righthandape]

Rocket pointed to the east.

‘Came that way. Finding new places to graze, I think.’

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric smiles at Rocket.

“Good work Rocket,” Amric signs. He enters a coughing fit and sits down next to Caesar.

“Feel hot,” Amric signs.

[caesarishome]

Caesar gently touched Amric’s forehead worriedly, a frown on his face.

Cornelia gave Amric a concerned look also. ‘I will get some soothing leaves, put on Amric’s head,’ she signed.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric nods.

Amric signs to Rocket, “did you discover anything else?”

[righthandape]

Rocket gave an affirming nod in return.

‘Some interesting plants, could be healing herbs. Something Cornelia and Amric might be interested in,’ he signed.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

“I will test them as soon as I can.”

He looks at Caesar.

“New plants to test,” he signs with a smile. He lays a hand on Caesar’s leg and lays his head back on his shoulder.

“Did you gather samples?” Amric signs.

[righthandape]

Rocket nodded.

‘Some of the orangutans went to collect them,’ he signed. ‘I will get them to bring some if you want.’

Caesar gave a small frown and signed to Rocket, ‘A little later, maybe. Amric is ill and very tired.’

The king tenderly stroked his mate’s head.

@amricthhequiet

[caesarishome]

Healing Time part 2 - rp with amricthequiet

“Amric… always loved,” Caesar whispered softly.

The alpha ape looked alarmed when Amric began coughing, but soon relaxed when the coughing stopped, and he stroked his beloved mate’s fur soothingly.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric hums at Caesar’s touch.

“And I always love you”

[queenoftheapes]

Cornelia smiled as she saw the two royal male mates being so affectionate with each other. She loved it that Amric made Caesar so happy.

With a gentle, soft grunt to get Amric’s attention, she handed the young chimpanzee a hollowed gourd filled with the herbal brew she had made.

‘I think Amric need more tea, will feel better if you have this,’ the queen signed.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric smiles.

‘Thank you Cornelia,’ Amric signs. He sits up and drink some of the tea. He sets it down next to the nest.

‘Are Blue-Eyes and Cornelius well? I hope they did not catch my sickness,’ he signs.

[queenoftheapes]

‘No, they are well, Blue Eyes has taken Cornelius out in the forest for a walk, They will be back soon,’ the queen signed.

‘You will be back to your former strength soon, Amric. I know it.’

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

“Thank you Cornelia,” Amric says. He lays his head on Caesar.

“I am eager to hear Rocket’s report.”

[caesarishome]

‘He will be back soon, I think, As will Blue Eyes and Cornelius,’ Caesar signed, smiling at his beloved.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric relaxes into Caesar. He drinks more tea and his eyes droop. He rubs his forehead on Caesar’s shoulder.

“Cornelia’s tea good. Should learn how to make it.” Amric signs, forming hours words with lazy hands. His eyes close and his breathing begins a slow, steady rhythm.

[queenoftheapes]

Cornelia smiled.

‘When Amric better, I teach you. It is very good skill for any ape to have,’ she signed.

She looked up as she heard noises at the entrance of their home. Rocket had arrived back at the village, and he looked very excited about something.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric jolts awake as Rocket enters.

“Rocket,” Amric signs while smiling. Amric leans forward and puts his feet on the ground. He slowly rises to standing, his hand on Caesar’s shoulder to support himself.

“What news do you have?”

[righthandape]

Rocket gave a respectful salute to his king, Caesar, Cornelia the queen, and the king’s royal beloved, Amric.

‘The scouts have found a new herd of elk, larger than the ones we have seen before. There will be plenty of meat for the hunters to bring home!’ Rocket signed excitedly.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric steps toward Rocket.

“Rocket, this is great news! If only I could have been there to see it. Did you get a count?” Amric signs.

[righthandape]

‘Did not get exact cound, hard to say. Three hundred beasts, maybe four hundred even,’ Rocket signed. ‘If we form hunting party tomorrow, we should be able to catch some before they move on.’

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

“Which direction did the come from” Amric signs

[righthandape]

Rocket pointed to the east.

‘Came that way. Finding new places to graze, I think.’

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric smiles at Rocket.

“Good work Rocket,” Amric signs. He enters a coughing fit and sits down next to Caesar.

“Feel hot,” Amric signs.

[caesarishome]

Caesar gently touched Amric’s forehead worriedly, a frown on his face.

Cornelia gave Amric a concerned look also. ‘I will get some soothing leaves, put on Amric’s head,’ she signed.

@amricthhequiet

[amricthhequiet]

Amric nods.

Amric signs to Rocket, “did you discover anything else?”

[righthandape]

Rocket gave an affirming nod in return.

‘Some interesting plants, could be healing herbs. Something Cornelia and Amric might be interested in,’ he signed.

@amricthhequiet