Winter - Planet of the Apes

[moreredthanalive]

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[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…

[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.

[moreredthanalive]

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[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.

[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.’

[moreredthanalive]

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[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.’

[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.

[moreredthanalive]

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[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.’

[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?

[moreredthanalive]

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[moreredthanalive]

snowgorilla:

After handing water to the gorillas, Hannah moved on to take a seat with Stone and Spark for a while. Little Dawn climbed up onto her mother’s shoulders and continued to watch Red and Winter from her perch.

Another female chimpanzee named Dusty came past next with fruit for the foundation-layers. Winter took some with a sign of thanks, noting that none of the gorillas who were bearing food and water, several females with young, were being sent over to the area where he and Red were stationed, and he began to eat quietly for a few moments before turning his attention back to Red.

He too was contemplating the indelible brand the humans had marked him and his fellow gorilla with, the sign that proclaimed them traitors to ape-kind for all time. Stone had chosen to take a chance and beg Caesar for forgiveness right after Koba’s death rather than offer his services to the Colonel, and so he sported no such mark. In hindsight, Winter now considered Stone’s choice to have been the wisest path. Although he had never been a follower of Koba’s, Winter had originally felt intense doubts about Caesar’s ability to win the war. The white gorilla looked at the ground and felt again the sense of deep regret at ever having followed the humans. It was not Red he blamed for his predicament, however, but himself.

The Colonel had been charismatic, that was true enough. Perhaps that charisma had led the impressionable young Red astray, and Winter knew that in his uncertainty at Caesar’s capacity to overcome the human threat, he had inadvertently caught some of Red’s enthusiasm and joined the wrong side.

With a soft grunt, Winter then acknowledged what Red had signed to him.

‘Happened for me too. Some apes still not trust me, especially other gorillas. With Shabani in charge of guards, those who were loyal to Luca have strongest voice. Watch out for Storm and Cliff, the ones who guarded you last night. They still don’t trust me either.’

Winter huffed a little, and then considered Red’s next question.

‘Not been so bad. I still have some friends here, and no one has tried yet to do me harm. How have things been for you?’

He was burning with curiosity at what Caesar had said to Red, but held his hands and tongue still for the moment on that point.

Red was quite aware of the fact that the gorillas seemed to be distancing themselves from him. Was this by choice, he wondered, or because they had been told to? He wasn’t sure which would be worse. Willful avoidance and rejection from his own species hurt worse than any lash from a whip ever could, but if they were being told to turn their backs on him, it was a cruel form of punishment. Not anything close to something the Colonel could have thought up, but cruel all the same.

He snorted a little to himself and savored the fruit that he had been given instead. The sweet, juicy food was something that Red and the other donkeys had gone without. Dry, tasteless oats and grains had sustained the gorilla for years now. Next to that, this fruit must have been the best tasting food he had ever been given. So much so that he licked every last drop of sticky juice from his fingers, eager not to waste any of the precious fruit.

Winter’s signs were more intriguing than the fruit, however. Shabani, in charge? Those who were loyal to Luca? Come to think of it, Red hadn’t spotted Luca in the Colonel’s cages… Then again, he hadn’t seen Maurice there either, and the old orangutan was very much alive. But Luca seemed to be nowhere to be seen.

‘Luca gone?’

It was, perhaps, a foolish question. Red scratched at a healing wound on his shoulder, nose wrinkling a little in thought. Luca had been the leader of the Guard since Red was born; he was an ape that every young gorilla looked up to and idolized, aspired to be like one day. Red knew that his chances of rejoining the Guard were nonexistent now, and any childhood dreams of living up to Luca’s greatness were long dead. Still, it was hard to imagine the Guard without the ape who had always lead them…

'I not know who to trust here. Apes wanted me to die. Don’t think I have any friends.’

He hesitated, and took another piece of fruit. It wasn’t until after he had eaten it completely that a sigh flared his nostrils and he lifted his hands again.

'Don’t blame them. I would feel same way, if I them.’

Red wouldn’t say so out loud or through his hands, but it was better this way than at the human camp. At least here, he was hated for his choices and actions instead of the species he had been born into.

[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.’

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

snowgorilla:

Looking up as he heard footsteps approaching, Winter saw Red’s signs and nodded in acknowledgement.

‘Yes… good. Plenty work for us to do, Maurice need our strength to lift the heavy trunks,’ the white gorilla replied.

Part of him was glad to see Red again – they were old friends, after all – but there were so many questions he needed to ask the former right-hand ape of the Colonel at some point. Why had Red been so convinced that Caesar was going to lose the war, for example?

Those questions would have to wait for another time, however. In the meantime, there was plenty of work to be done.

As Red raised the large piece of shaved timber, Winter began to pack the soil underneath it as indicated. He did not speak or sign for quite a while, although his mind was still swirling with thoughts.

After the death of Luca, by rights the white-furred warrior should have inherited the mantle of gorilla general, but even though he had made amends to Caesar and the ape tribe for his ill-chosen treachery, Winter knew he would never be trusted to hold such a high position amongst the apes. Instead, that role had been handed to the much younger, although extremely capable, Shabani. Winter accepted this fact without resentment, as Caesar’s choice in this matter had been a just one.

He had plenty of regrets about joining forces with the Colonel and his men, however, not just because Caesar and his apes had triumphed in the end, but because the humans had not proven to have the power that Red had believed they did. The so-called invincible leader of the human soldiers had been weaker than Caesar by far in the end, and even more addled by madness than Koba had been.

And there was also a curiosity niggling the albino ape’s mind about Koba himself. Why had Red chosen to follow the crazed bonobo in the first place? What was the strange charisma that had enabled Koba to command so many good and strong apes, of which only Stone and Red remained?

At that moment, Stone came over with more soil to pack under the foundations-to-be, and nodded a greeting to Red. This last of Koba’s chimpanzee followers had also managed to integrate back into the troop, although a few apes still distrusted him. It had been even easier for Stone to do so than for Winter, perhaps because he had more family connections in the tribe.

Koba had been Stone’s beloved mate before the war – such same-gender bonds were common for bonobos although less usual for chimpanzees – but Stone had also managed to father children with several female chimps. One of Stone’s offspring, his eldest son Spark, was helping his father on the construction site that very day. This lively adolescent, too, was carrying handfuls of soil and strutting a bit, feeling very glad indeed to have such an important task to do. Spark was too young to be a hunter or warrior, but was eager to be useful to the troop in any way he could.

Mere minutes later, Maurice made a signal for the workers to take a food and water break. Spark’s mother, an older female chimpanzee named Hannah, reached Red and Winter’s area first, bearing hollowed-out gourds full of water. Three-year-old daughter Dawn, the youngest of Hannah’s children, clung to her mother’s back and regarded all the proceedings with wide, curious eyes. Winter watched as Stone greeted his son’s mother and moved to gently stroke the white-tail’s head. Stone was always very tender with this little one, although she was definitely not his child. Come to think of it, she did not even look to be entirely a chimpanzee… perhaps she had been sired by a bonobo.

That made Winter wonder for a moment, then he gave a shrug.

Turning to Red, he signed, ‘Everything all right so far?’

Red would have greeted Stone as he arrived, were it not for the fact that his hands were full and his concentration was on his task. The gorilla did manage a nod to his fellow former Koba follower, though. If he had a chance at friendship with a few apes, he did not want to throw it away. Red wasn’t one for sucking up, but he could certainly bring himself to be kind to those who did not seem to hate him.

Maurice’s signal to take a break was a relief, and Red gently lowered the tree trunk back onto the ground, taking a few steps away from it and squinting. It looked straighter now, more even. Another ape may need to put in a second opinion, but Red at least thought it looked like it didn’t need more work put into evening it out.

The gorilla lowered himself into a crouch-sit and accepted the gourd of water from Hannah, avoiding eye contact for fear of what he may see in her eyes, but quickly signed his thanks as he brought the tube to his lips and drank. The water was cool and refreshing, and for once he wasn’t parched by the time he had received it…

With one last swallow, he offered the gourd back to Hannah and looked to Winter to read his signs. The gorilla exhaled slowly with a drawn out grunt, lifted his hands for a moment of hesitation, and then carefully put together his answer.

‘Nothing bad happen yet, but apes not happy I am here…’

Red shrugged his shoulders, and looked ahead of him at nothing in particular, thinking. It felt as though Winter, Stone, or perhaps another of the nearby apes would have some words or questions for him very soon, and this made him nervous. Maurice was there with his ever watchful gaze, but that didn’t necessarily guarantee that no ape would ask him a heavy handed question, or make a nasty statement.

He decided that, maybe, it was better for him to ask a question instead.

'Things good for you here?’

Winter bore the same alpha-omega brand on his head that Red himself did – the spraypainted word on their backs would fade with time, but the symbols were permanently scarred into their flesh. They would always be marked as traitors regardless of how much of themselves they managed to redeem in the eyes of the ape colony. Their pasts would always haunt them… The thought caused Red to frown and tighten his lips. He could never truly escape his sins no matter what he did.

[snowgorilla]

After handing water to the gorillas, Hannah moved on to take a seat with Stone and Spark for a while. Little Dawn climbed up onto her mother’s shoulders and continued to watch Red and Winter from her perch.

Another female chimpanzee named Dusty came past next with fruit for the foundation-layers. Winter took some with a sign of thanks, noting that none of the gorillas who were bearing food and water, several females with young, were being sent over to the area where he and Red were stationed, and he began to eat quietly for a few moments before turning his attention back to Red.

He too was contemplating the indelible brand the humans had marked him and his fellow gorilla with, the sign that proclaimed them traitors to ape-kind for all time. Stone had chosen to take a chance and beg Caesar for forgiveness right after Koba’s death rather than offer his services to the Colonel, and so he sported no such mark. In hindsight, Winter now considered Stone’s choice to have been the wisest path. Although he had never been a follower of Koba’s, Winter had originally felt intense doubts about Caesar’s ability to win the war. The white gorilla looked at the ground and felt again the sense of deep regret at ever having followed the humans. It was not Red he blamed for his predicament, however, but himself.

The Colonel had been charismatic, that was true enough. Perhaps that charisma had led the impressionable young Red astray, and Winter knew that in his uncertainty at Caesar’s capacity to overcome the human threat, he had inadvertently caught some of Red’s enthusiasm and joined the wrong side.

With a soft grunt, Winter then acknowledged what Red had signed to him.

‘Happened for me too. Some apes still not trust me, especially other gorillas. With Shabani in charge of guards, those who were loyal to Luca have strongest voice. Watch out for Storm and Cliff, the ones who guarded you last night. They still don’t trust me either.’

Winter huffed a little, and then considered Red’s next question.

‘Not been so bad. I still have some friends here, and no one has tried yet to do me harm. How have things been for you?’

He was burning with curiosity at what Caesar had said to Red, but held his hands and tongue still for the moment on that point.

[moreredthanalive]

вүgσηε sιηs

[moreredthanalive]

caesarishome:

Caesar led the way out of the hut, making a signal to Red to halt for a moment while he stopped to give instructions to the pair of gorilla guards, Storm and Cliff, who were waiting a short distance away.

The two brothers nodded respectfully as the king gave orders for them to guard another area of the new village – but they cast sullen looks over their shoulders at Red as they departed, and Caesar hoped that they would not attempt to stir up further trouble. He resolved to speak to Shabani about them later.

The alpha indicated for Red to follow him again as he led the way to the site where the schoolhouse was to be built. Apes, including Stone and Winter, were already beginning work on initial preparations, and Maurice was overlooking their progress with a satisfied smile on his face, occasionally calling out encouragement to his team.

With sparking eyes, the old orangutan welcomed Caesar, and nodded amiably to Red.

‘He can help Winter over there – Winter is starting to make foundations for building,’ Maurice signed eagerly.

Winter had seen Red approaching, and raised a hand in greeting. But Caesar noticed a strange look in his eyes, and briefly wondered what it could mean before he turned his attention back to Maurice.

‘Make sure to keep keen eye out for trouble,’ Caesar instructed his oldest friend. ‘I do not think any apes will start problems, but it is best to be alert. Many still distrust Red, although I think he is willing to make an effort and work hard.’

Maurice nodded. ‘I am sure he is,’ the orangutan replied.

Caesar scanned the area once, and then bade Maurice farewell before turning to head home. He was due to spend some time with his beloved little son, Cornelius, who he had resolved never to neglect.

The ghostly Koba appeared to have vanished for the time being, which was indeed a relief to the king.

Red did not make eye contact with any of the apes that they passed in the short distance to the to-be school area. He had seen quite enough glares and snarls in his direction already and didn’t want to see more… This would be a difficult integration. Perhaps even more than when he had joined the humans, if such a thing were possible…

The white fur of a certain gorilla was not difficult to spot, and next to him was an ape the right size and color to be Stone. Just as Caesar had said… Red narrowed his eyes a little and watched the two of them, or rather, the apes around them. None of them were going out of their way to avoid Winter or Stone and some even seemed friendly towards the chimpanzee. Perhaps there was hope for Red afterall.

He was shaken from his thoughts by the quiet rumblings of Maurice’s throat sack as the orangutan greeted Caesar, and surprisingly – or perhaps not – Red. He was a forgiving ape if ever there was one. The gorilla inclined his head to Maurice, and again the white of Winter’s pelt caught his eye as he too greeted him. Red returned the gesture, and huffed through his lips as he sauntered his way over to help as he had been instructed to do. Two gorillas could handle quite a lot of heavy lifting, so he wasn’t surprised that Maurice wanted them to work together, but was that the only reason? Maurice was a wise old ape who seemed to have reason behind each and every decision, even if he wasn’t always forthcoming about what those reasons were.

It was a little awkward, if Red were honest, to be working together with Winter again. This time, they were not serving stew to hungry humans while ignoring their own empty stomachs…

“Maurice… say I help you.”

Red grunted as he signed, watching Winter’s expressive face for clues as to how he felt about this. Already he had looked at Red oddly, and there were several reasons why this could be, both good and bad. He furrowed his naturally heavy brows a little and abruptly bent his knees and slipped his hands beneath the shaved down remains of a tree trunk, lifting it so that Winter could add soil beneath to level it out, grunting with the effort. Red had noticed that it was set unevenly into the ground when he had first arrived. The last thing they needed was a lopsided schoolhouse. It also provided a convenient distraction from standing awkwardly while not knowing how Winter felt about his return to the apes…

[snowgorilla]

Looking up as he heard footsteps approaching, Winter saw Red’s signs and nodded in acknowledgement.

‘Yes… good. Plenty work for us to do, Maurice need our strength to lift the heavy trunks,’ the white gorilla replied.

Part of him was glad to see Red again – they were old friends, after all – but there were so many questions he needed to ask the former right-hand ape of the Colonel at some point. Why had Red been so convinced that Caesar was going to lose the war, for example?

Those questions would have to wait for another time, however. In the meantime, there was plenty of work to be done.

As Red raised the large piece of shaved timber, Winter began to pack the soil underneath it as indicated. He did not speak or sign for quite a while, although his mind was still swirling with thoughts.

After the death of Luca, by rights the white-furred warrior should have inherited the mantle of gorilla general, but even though he had made amends to Caesar and the ape tribe for his ill-chosen treachery, Winter knew he would never be trusted to hold such a high position amongst the apes. Instead, that role had been handed to the much younger, although extremely capable, Shabani. Winter accepted this fact without resentment, as Caesar’s choice in this matter had been a just one.

He had plenty of regrets about joining forces with the Colonel and his men, however, not just because Caesar and his apes had triumphed in the end, but because the humans had not proven to have the power that Red had believed they did. The so-called invincible leader of the human soldiers had been weaker than Caesar by far in the end, and even more addled by madness than Koba had been.

And there was also a curiosity niggling the albino ape’s mind about Koba himself. Why had Red chosen to follow the crazed bonobo in the first place? What was the strange charisma that had enabled Koba to command so many good and strong apes, of which only Stone and Red remained?

At that moment, Stone came over with more soil to pack under the foundations-to-be, and nodded a greeting to Red. This last of Koba’s chimpanzee followers had also managed to integrate back into the troop, although a few apes still distrusted him. It had been even easier for Stone to do so than for Winter, perhaps because he had more family connections in the tribe.

Koba had been Stone’s beloved mate before the war – such same-gender bonds were common for bonobos although less usual for chimpanzees – but Stone had also managed to father children with several female chimps. One of Stone’s offspring, his eldest son Spark, was helping his father on the construction site that very day. This lively adolescent, too, was carrying handfuls of soil and strutting a bit, feeling very glad indeed to have such an important task to do. Spark was too young to be a hunter or warrior, but was eager to be useful to the troop in any way he could.

Mere minutes later, Maurice made a signal for the workers to take a food and water break. Spark’s mother, an older female chimpanzee named Hannah, reached Red and Winter’s area first, bearing hollowed-out gourds full of water. Three-year-old daughter Dawn, the youngest of Hannah’s children, clung to her mother’s back and regarded all the proceedings with wide, curious eyes. Winter watched as Stone greeted his son’s mother and moved to gently stroke the white-tail’s head. Stone was always very tender with this little one, although she was definitely not his child. Come to think of it, she did not even look to be entirely a chimpanzee… perhaps she had been sired by a bonobo.

That made Winter wonder for a moment, then he gave a shrug.

Turning to Red, he signed, ‘Everything all right so far?’