Slate had given up on sleep long ago. He simply sat in the entrance of his hut, listening to the sound of the wind whistle through the valley and buffet the side of the mountain. Crickets serenaded those awake and asleep, a wolf's harrowing call drawing him inside once more with a deep sigh. The interior of his home was warm and dark, Poppy's soft scent like a gentle, familiar hug. The dark chimp climbed up into his nest and tucked the leaves around himself before laying back and staring up at the black. Eventually his lids became heavy and he allowed them to fall shut, rolling onto his back. Everything seemed to be falling into place, Slate slowly drifting into a coma, when suddenly his nose caught a trace of kindling burning. The room was washed in golden light, causing him to rumble in frustration. The bed shifted beside him and soon he could hear Poppy's breathing. Initially there was only silence. Something jabbed his side, and thus the chimp shot up and turned to his sister. A gentle pant escaped her, her lips pursed and her ashen eyes were soft.

'Can you believe how Pine acted today?' Poppy gestured. 'Dragging a human into our camp. Acting like he was part of the ape counsel…'

Suddenly Slate had been transported back to their younger days. "Go back to sleep," rasped the larger sibling, rolling back over. He wasn't interested in gossiping. Slate now knew what it felt like to be in Pine's shoes way back when.

'I heard that mother was a queen from other apes! And father was hunter; so great, he ate eyes for breakfast!'

'Would be awesome!'

"Shut up! Need to… sleep! Stop!"

Poppy stirred next to him and then curled up against him. "Its.. cold in my .. nest," she murmured softly, her warm breath tickling his thick fur. Slate grunted in response, saying nothing else and shutting his eyes. No matter how old Poppy would get, it seemed as though she would always stay stuck as a white-tail… at least, that's what she would always be to him. His little sister. The chirrup of crickets that rang within his ears began to grade within his skull. With a deep sigh, he rolled over onto his back, feeling Poppy curl even closer, wrapping her arms around his own appendage. "Slate.." His eyes fell and he studied her wide pools of greyish-umber. 'Pine scared me today.' Her dark lashes fluttered.

Turning his head back to the side, he huffed heavily. 'He scared me too,' admitted Slate. For a while his eyes trailed and studied the bark of the interior wall. Worms had bustled their way through, leaving little perfect tracks in their wake. Life was so simple for the worms. Rolling his head to point skyward, he sat up, Poppy following. Her curious oculars examined his face intensely, making him feel a bit uncomfortable. Slate curled his lip, earning a chuff of disapproval from his sister, her own expression souring. 'Don't act like that around me,' Poppy scolded. 'You make me feel small. I'm your sister.'

Slate's eyes flashed, caught off guard by her sudden spitfire demeanor. 'Sorry,' he reluctantly apologized. The siblings stared each other down for a while longer. She had been hanging around Lake too often. 'That human,' she began, her hardened expression melting. Her signs were slow and hesitant, as if she were trying to choose her words carefully. 'Do you think she's really bad?' Again, more staring. Slate felt his gut telling him to keep his trap shut, but as she looked upon her with those trusting brown eyes, he knew that he could rely on her. Right? Pine and she had drifted apart too.. His stomach felt uneasy when he thought of this. Slate's attention fell to no place in particular.

'They killed Caesar- Cornelia, Blue Eyes… Luca. Spear..'

'But Barley and Chester said they met one, and that he played with them,' Poppy signed, perplexed.

'Those two probably just made that up. We were kids..' His eyes rose and latched onto his sister's. 'They are unpredictable. We cannot trust them.' Slate tenderly slipped his fingers over her balled hand. Seemingly ashamed by her naive behavior, Poppy looked away, cheeks puffing and deflating. Slate couldn't help but feel sympathy for her. She was only a few days younger and still hungered for knowledge about these strange creatures as if they had never pulled their tribe apart. She had been there, pulling her weight just the same; Poppy remembered just as well as he did the night Pine had taken the lashes for her. He just couldn't wrap his mind around why she was so headstrong to believe these tales. "You saw.. How they were. The Colonel.."

Liar, a tiny voice in his head whispered. You're a liar.

Poppy's lowered head slowly lifted. Something flickered in her gaze. Slate continued, 'They were on top before. It's our turn to punish them and take our place. They're rats.'

Suddenly, his sister's hand shot out and took him by the helix piercing. Hooting in distress, he was yanked forward until they were inches apart. "You sound like.. Koba," she finally piped up, ashen pools blaring into her brother's amber set. The fur along her shoulders had risen for the first time he had seen in a long, long time. "Pine.. sounds like him.. More." Slate sat there, head turned at an awkward angle and pain pulsing from his strained ear. Panting, he winced until he was eventually released; his hand cast over his throbbing helix, grimacing. The chimp's eyes pinched as he watched his sister continue her spiel. 'This human hasn't done anything.'

'It shot Quill,' pointed out Slate.

His sister looked ready to cuff him one, holding back a series of pant-barks. 'She was trying to protect herself...'

'We don't know that,' Slate dismissed, waving a hand and shifting his weight.

Poppy let out a loud hiss through her nose and removed her gaze from her sibling, embittered. There was a long reticence. He had to admit, he wasn't surprised when they said she had shot Quill. Slate knew Krissa had good aim. It was a pain in the behind, but he couldn't deny how he had gawked when he had watched the human rise and stretch her strong, lean arms and shoulders back, drawing her bow. Rubbing at his helix, he too let out a sigh. Wearily glancing at the small female, he hesitated before he finally shook his head and peered at her with biting amber eyes. A small frown laced his lips. Damn his soft spot. "Krissa," corrected the chimp, blinking softly. Poppy's head snapped up. "Her name… is Krissa."

At first, Poppy eyeballed him, not making sense of what he was saying. 'You know the human?' Laughter suddenly bubbled from her lips like a hot spring, spilling out into the air with that chuffing guffaw of her's. Finally, she sighed and reached forward, giving him a shove of her long fingers. 'You shouldn't joke. Pine would be mad.'

Careless at this point, Slate shuffled onto his knuckles and hopped from his bedding. Once at the door, he paused and looked back at his sister. Slate coaxed her to follow him, to which she replied with a look of utter confusion. "Slate.." she panted, although pursued her older brother despite her expression of concern. The two slipped out into the ghostly-lit path, creeping along the winding ledge and peering out over the edge to the sharp drop below. A patch of ivy wound its way down along the trampled trail, it's fingers reaching and grabbing, leaves pooling around their ankles as they stepped through it. They broke out into the clear. Slate first saw her silhouette beneath the towering dogwood and it's gnarled branches. Her head was bowed against her chest. Pausing, he waited for Poppy to catch up, feeling her hovering behind him cautiously. The dark chimp was about to take a few more steps and make his way over to her, when suddenly his sister's hand latched onto his shoulder. Pulling him back onto his haunches, she pointed toward the silverback, Marshal, settled not far off and keeping an eye on her from in front of a crackling fire.

Although reluctant to admit it, he was glad she was there to help. Slate motioned for her to stay back and galloped forward, moving past Krissa's resting form and heading straight for Marshal. The silverback's head rose from where it had been lowered to the flames and he greeted him with a rumble in his chest. A puff passed through Slate's lips. 'I was sent to relieve you,' motioned the hunter. There was a beat where the beastly ape rose and towered over him, inspecting him thoroughly with suspicious eyes. Marshal shot a glance over his shoulder and Slate prayed that Poppy wasn't in sight.

'Pine sent me…' Marshal slowly nodded his massive black head and passed his spear over to him. The perks of being your brother's notorious twin… The gorilla took his time in leaving: Slate watched his every move, growing deathly still as Marshal paused in front of the slumbering flower. There was tension hanging in the air, crackling vigorously until he finally ventured onward and knuckled out of sight. Slate peered up at the royal family's hut up the way. This was risky. Pine had a good portion of the ape colony against Krissa, and if he had that much of an influence, what would happen if he found out that his own brother was friends with this creature?

Finally, he dropped the weapon without another thought and cleared the distance between him and the tree, Poppy approaching as well, albeit cautiously. Shooting Poppy a look, he then apprehensively reached forward and nudged her with a grunt. Her eyes shot open and she lunged forward, raven curls a mess. In the dappled of milky light, blood was visible still staining her nostrils and supple lips. Krissa wrenched her shoulders and struggled against her restraints, trying to move away from the two chimps in front of her. "Get away! Don't-"

Croaking in alarm, he began to sign, trying to get her to recognize him in her panic. 'Krissa. Krissa.' She seemed to be confused at first, the commotion causing Poppy to duck behind her brother, letting out a series of frightened hoos. It was quite amusing, coming from someone who had just been preaching about how humans might be peaceful. Although Slate didn't notice, she signed desperately, 'We shouldn't do this!'

All at once, Slate moved closer and groaned, followed with a series of vigorous huffs. 'What happened? Where were you?'

"Please…" she whimpered, trying to kick him away with a foot, voice rising in volume in hopes that someone would help her. "Just leave me alone-" The ape immediately grabbed her flying limb and yanked her forward, his opposite hand coming to clamp over her mouth. He could hear her breathing and feel her trembling, her jaw so delicate in his grasp. Their eyes met and soon her writhing slowed, recognition washing over her features. Slowly, Slate removed his hand from her mouth, revealing her lips to be parted in shock. Her breath smelled sour and sickly, and her skin was pale and clammy. Poppy shifted from behind him, rasping softly in confusion. Krissa's eyes darted from him to his sister. "Slate, what are you-" The chimp shook his head and reached around her, moving to unbind her hands. Once she was free, she began to wring at her appendages.

'Sign,' he ordered, sitting back on his haunches again. 'Hurt?'

'Just bruised,' she responded. A pang of frustration resonated within Slate's chest. He reached out, brushing her nose and upper lip with his index and middle finger, feeling the sticky surface of her bloodied flesh. The girl jolted away, flinching at his touch. 'He hit me, that's all.' They exchanged a dirty look before Krissa obviously became curious about the smaller chimp behind him. Slate tilted himself and coaxed her over, Poppy gawking at how they interacted. She appeared to be speechless. 'My sister. Poppy,' he introduced, his hand coming to rest on her back. The contact caused Poppy to wheel on her brother, giving him a snap of irritation, before she finally turned back to Krissa. Creeping forward, she came to settled close to her, extending a hand. Slate observed as the two cooperated so well, his sister examining the bruises on her wrists and arms.

'You do know her?' Poppy finally questioned, ashen eyes flashing. 'You did not help her!'

Slate bared his teeth at his gutsy sibling. 'Pine would have caused too much trouble. Might have killed her. Don't blame me!'

'No, it's alright,' assured Krissa, solemnly glancing between the two. She looked exhausted. 'I'm really okay. I'm glad the others spared me.'

'Might not spare for long,' his sister quickly pointed out. Her long face turned to Slate. 'Needs water, food. Can't just leave her out here like this.'

The brute glanced off over his shoulder, then back at the females; they were both different species, yet expressed the same amount of desperation. Poppy rose and strode over to her brother. 'She smells sick. Didn't you notice? Sick,' she stormed. 'Pine took her while she was weak!' Slate shifted and Poppy tapped the side of his head. Grunting, he shied away, giving her a scornful look. He hated being touched and she knew that. 'What kind of friend are you? If you won't help her, I will. Dumb male.' This struck a chord, making him realize just how empathetic his sister was. Okay, maybe he was being a bit of a bear. Turning, the small dark chimp returned to Krissa. Poppy rose to her hind legs and helped support the woman as she struggled to her own feet. Slate watched as Krissa leaned against her, taking note of how she wobbled.

As soon as they were out from beneath the inky shadow of the dogwood tree, it was very apparent that her face was blanched in color, her eyes lined with dark rings. Didn't she say she couldn't get sick or something? Reluctantly giving in, Slate hauled himself to his hind limbs and took over, pulling the survivor's lean extremity over his shoulder and taking her weight upon himself. Poppy, grateful, flashed him a smile and lead Krissa forward with a gentle hand.

They didn't make it far though.


Krissa finished vomiting what little contents she had within her stomach, feeling meaty hiccups lurch up into her throat but nothing more escaping. The taste of bile was strong in her mouth, having been that way for a few days now, given that toothpaste wasn't an option lately. After a moment of catching her breath, she struggled to her feet and the trio continued to sneak along the sandy path. Torch light bathed them in a pool of warmth, then faded as they reached their first checkpoint. Her head felt as if it were spinning, her gaze flickering across her surroundings as she hobbled along. Slate's head occasionally tilted as he lead the way, offering a glimpse of his steely expression. The survivor wasn't quite sure how or why, but he had come to her aid and boy, was she relieved. Poppy, as she had been introduced as, handled her with gentle hands, which she was thankful for. Her body was so sore.

Finally, they came to a hut nestled into the tree line, the ledge thankfully quite a few feet away. She had already hung her head over the edge once as she had been hurling and the drop was drastic, disappearing into an inky black that seemed to swallow everything it touched. Hurrying inside, she was directed to a bed of woodwardia ferns and thick spongy moss, a series of branches holding the materials in place. Krissa was surprised when she sank down among the flora, her exhausted body enveloped in the earthy undertones of the nest. Poppy, after brushing some of her curls from her sweaty complexion, crossed over to a hanging basket. Puffs of air escaped her nostrils as she thumbed her way through the woven container, in search of something in particular.

In the meantime, her head tilted down and she gazed over at her brother. So they were family? She hadn't thought about that before- she had always assumed that he was just a single entity, almost as if he had had no ties to this colony. Slate's head turned and he caught her peering at him.

'How long have you all lived here?' she signed weakly.

Although appearing to be uncomfortable, brow knit, Slate responded. 'Here? This winter will make it three years.' Poppy, holding something within her hands, exited with a fair amount of haste. She would surely return though.

'You traveled all the way down to come see me?' Krissa marveled, a faint smile twitching at her lips. Slate stiffened, body language communicating clearly that he didn't like her mild amusement. Before he could really snap at her in embarrassment, Poppy suddenly returned with a chipped old mug, grunting softly toward her. Krissa forced herself to sit up, her tired bones aching as she did so. The bruises on her legs were apparent in the candle light, blossoming dark violet across her bronze skin. With careful extremities, he brought the cup to her lips and tilted, allowing her to sip the water within. The cool sensation of the liquid slipping down her throat caused her to sigh, gulping down little sips at a time. Poppy finally handed it to the survivor and began to offer her small deep-green leaves. The smell of mint tickled her nose.

'Chew,' directed Poppy, the two swapping a look. Krissa finally nodded and popped the leaf into her mouth, biting down. The taste was sharp, the aroma of peppermint spreading across her tongue. Wrinkling her nose, she continued until it was pulverized just right, and then swallowed. Krissa then took another sip of her water before allowing the blood to be removed from her face by Poppy's probing fingers. 'You are dehydrated. Once your belly feels better, we can feed you something.' Shuffling a few steps back, Poppy then settled in front of the bed Slate was rested upon. Krissa now felt like she was inside of a fish-bowl, being stared at by the two.

Shifting her weight, she came to lay down on her side, blinking softly. 'Thank you,' Krissa acknowledged gratefully. Feeling so frail, she had rested beneath the tree and slowly watched as the stars had come out, the sun disappearing behind the camp and the little blips of fires being lit flickering to life. If it hadn't been for the ache in her bones or the cramps in her stomach, she would have been able to enjoy the view. Shivering, she curled into herself, thumbs gently tracing along the lip of the mug. 'I don't know how much longer I would have lasted.'

'You need lots of water,' Poppy advised. Then, her brown eyes flickered up toward Slate. As they communicated back and forth, it was obvious that there was a huge difference between the two: one smaller, one large. The eldest sibling was cold and rough around the edges, whereas Poppy was sweet and tender. Still, they were also both dark in color, their faces nearly the color of coal just as their pelts were; Poppy was untouched and slender, whereas Slate adorned a few scars and burly muscles, his septum and helix both pierced with what appeared to be some sort of quills. He looked so mean and feral. The two seemed to make conversation, when suddenly Slate broke the silence, chuffing. Her eyes, which had become heavy, snapped open. 'You were brought here by a hunting party. Where have you been?' he asked.

Krissa hesitated, her gaze averting for a moment. Was it wise to tell him? This is Slate. He's kept you safe, even now. Of course you can trust him, she chided inwardly. "I was.." She paused, swallowing as her voice rasped in her throat. She decided it was wise to use her hands and set the cup down beside the nest, slowly sitting up. 'I decided to head further downstream, over near the waterfall.'

'How did they find you?' Poppy asked, obviously beating Slate to it.

'I just ran into them. They were fishing when I found them… I didn't think I'd find your kind down there,' shrugged Krissa. She shook her head and sighed heavily. 'I thought I'd be safe. I should have stayed put.'

"We .. moved. Apes moved," Slate huffed.

Krissa's brows rose. "Is that why you suddenly disappeared?"

Poppy's eyes drifted to her brother's face, trying to comprehend what exactly was going on. He was obviously perplexed, eyes narrowed as he struggled to understand. "Had to work-"

'Disappeared?' questioned the female.

"Your brother.. He would come and watch me from time to time," clarified the human. "Not as often at first, but it became more frequent as time went along."

Slate's fur was rising. 'I was keeping an eye on her. Making sure she wasn't a danger to us.'

'I don't think she could ever be a danger to us,' mused Poppy, smiling toward Krissa. Ouch. Okay, maybe she had a point… Slate looked as if he could pick her up and throw her a good thirty feet. 'We are many, she is alone.'

"He actually stole my book and destroyed it. I thought I wouldn't see him again, but he came back. He even brought back another novel for me," she remarked. She then frowned, amusement draining from her face. Her gut rolled at the thought of the scarred brute who had struck her across the face. "Your friend has it," croaked the survivor. "It's in my bag."

'Pine?'

'Pine, the one with strange eyes?' added Slate, leaning forward.

"And the scars- yeah, him." You could hear a pin drop in their humble hut, the crickets filling the lull in activity. A coyote cried off in the distance. Krissa didn't quite understand why they stared at her again, exchanging a look of weariness. They obviously knew this ape, but what was creating such a permanent gap? Why were they glancing at one another like that? Slate was clearly frustrated and hopped down onto the ground, rising to his hind legs and groaning restlessly as he exited the hut.

"Am I missing something?" she inquired, blinking at the two.

'Pine is our brother. He's the oldest,' Poppy explained. 'He and Slate don't exactly like humans…' She visibly swallowed and shook her head, her chin tilting downward. Rising, she swayed over to the cup on the ground and offered it to her once more, forcing her to take a drink. Sipping her drink, she numbly recalled Pine's appearance. She put two-and-two together, and could definitely confirm the similarities.

'Why isn't he here with you two?' signed Krissa, using her free hand. The cup was finished and resting back down in the musty earth beneath.

'He lives with his mate, Spoon.'

Understanding now, Krissa nodded. The silence returned once more as Slate entered, hand balled as he offered her something. Shoving his fist into her face, she drew back at first, but then took his gift and held out her own cupped palms. What was dumped into her waiting hands was a series of sunflower seeds. Hesitant, she dipped her head gratefully and began to pop them in her mouth, shelling and then retrieving the delicious bit inside. Krissa hoped they would sit well. 'How did you get sick?' asked Slate.

"Bad meat, I think. That, or under-cooked," she responded gently, spitting out of the shells. Poppy appeared to cringe and then frowned.

Slate had already disregarded her reply, and was now scolding her. 'The waterfall, really?'

'I didn't think I'd find any of you guys there!' protested Krissa.

The ape wrinkled his nose and gestured directly toward her. 'Those are our fishing grounds now!' He was obviously not impressed with her. It had been stupid to assume, Krissa would give him that, but how could she have known? With a growl of frustration, she laid back down and covered her face with her hands. He was being such an ass right now… Slate knuckled away and came to sit next to his sister, giving an aggravated rumble. Her hands fell to her bare stomach with a slap. "If you had been around, maybe you could have told me," she argued.

Slate erupted in a sharp pant-bark and shot up from where he had been crouched, but was thwarted as Poppy grabbed hold of him, sitting him back down. 'Be quiet, both of you!' she ordered, glaring from one to the other. 'We don't want to get caught.'

'I'm sorry,' Krissa surrendered. 'And I'm sorry for hurting Quill.'


Their little tiff had seemed like a dream after Krissa had returned to the dogwood tree. She remembered the pain in Poppy's eyes as she had rolled the sleeves of her faded blue and purple striped button-up and tied her hands back up. The female chimp had apologized profusely, her grievous emotion honest and true. Krissa had to admit, she had felt seriously bad for risking their safety; their brother was a mean old thing, and judging by how he sounded, he was capable of a lot more than just a measly slap. Slate, in the meantime, had taken up the gorilla's position once more without so much as a glance in her direction. Although she was in a foreign place and she was unsure of what her ultimate fate would be, she felt a bit more safe now that she had the two siblings on her side.

Thankfully the night had passed by quickly, the stars sliding earthward in trails of white light, and before Krissa knew it, she was submerged in a deliciously deep slumber. It wasn't until she felt something gently tugging at her side that her large chartreuse eyes fluttered open. Her dark lashes danced, opening to find that she was surrounded by scattered groups of chimps. They were all cautiously settled a few feet away, eyeing her and munching on their breakfast. Suddenly nervous, her cranium twisted to the right, peering at the now extinguished fire and three unfamiliar ape faces. Their heads turned, all looking at her simultaneously with prudent curiosity until their attention eventually wavered and they returned to their morning routine.

There was a gentle giggle of sound that drifted to her ears, and her head fell. Next to her, rummaging through the baggy material of her father's shirt and tugging at the belt loop on her high-waist shorts, was a baby chimp. Her large eyes turned up to face Krissa, gaping at her and reaching a hand out curiously, earning a gentle bray from what the human assumed as her mother. Sitting up, she felt the baby chimp flinch and watched her scamper away, back to her mother. Exchanging a glance with the pale-faced female, she felt her cheeks burn in shame. They were all staring, as if she were some sort of caged animal that could lash out and bite. Here she was, tied up and defenseless, and they couldn't even venture any closer to her even if they wanted to. Krissa now understood how her people had treated their's. Shivering against the morning chill, Krissa huddled into her father's old flannel, feeling uneasy as they all stirred uncomfortably from where they sat. Resting her head back against the bark of the tree she was inclined against, she allowed her eyes to follow the milky puffs of clouds that passed over, the warm sunshine bathing her as it peeked over the horizon at last. Krissa took a deep breath and shut her eyes, sighing softly.

Time passed. All she could do, she figured, was try and rest more. She didn't want to be weak if they actually let her go. If she hadn't been tied up and at their mercy, she would find this actually quite peaceful. Perhaps she would have even interacted with some. A strange sound abruptly drew her attention to her right, the creature plodding its way over, slowly but surely, startling her. It was like that of a raccoon's chuckle, but deeper and more throaty, as if he had a bubble within his vocal chords. He was massive, great columns of auburn draping over his long, powerful arms. His belly was round and his face was flat, like a satellite dish; pressed inside of that stark leatherlike face were two emerald and olive-flecked eyes. They were owlish and tender, which Krissa found oddly comforting. This was the orangutan who had spared her life and convinced their prince to wait at least a few more days. He pressed his knuckles down into the dirt and then swung his hind legs forward, lumbering over in her direction.

He was certainly confident in himself as the other chimps leered at him, inquisitive about his choice. When he was close enough, Krissa could hear his heavy breathing whistling through his nostrils- she could even pinpoint the grey hairs within the tangles upon his chin. There was a great puff as he rested down in the cool dirt beside her, gaze turning out toward the ball of fire drifting up into the cerulean sky. Apprehensive, she mirrored him and tucked her legs into herself. There was a moment of silence, the birds singing, the distance sound of pant-hooting off in the woods indicating that a hunt was underway. She suddenly remembered the mention of Slate's eldest brother from the eve before, and she stirred uncomfortably. Krissa hoped he wasn't around.

'You need not worry,' the orangutan signed. The human blinked. Turning his head, he gave her a knowing look. Krissa swallowed heavily and felt her hands twitch from where they were tied. Right, she was restrained… straightening up, she felt her gut rumble but ignored it.

"Worry?" she croaked softly. The apes within earshot all turned their heads to gaze at the duo beneath the dogwood tree. She nearly snorted. "I'm tied up… how could I not worry?"

'You're afraid, it is very obvious,' replied the massive ape. Krissa felt her jaw tighten and said nothing in response, her neck flushing in shame. The ape seemed indifferent as he noticed this, continuing on. 'The ape that found you is not a fan of humans. What he tends to forget is that Nova is human, just like you, and lives among us in peace.' Her gut just about did flips and she sat up straight, glancing around in search of any sign of another human. He had to be pulling on her leg… these creatures couldn't possibly- 'She is asleep up there,' clarified the orang as he gestured toward a rather large hut nestled up a few levels, nestled within the treeline. 'It is still early. You should rest as well.'

Krissa took a deep breath. "It's kind of hard to when you have hundreds of eyes on you," she mused dryly. Her hazel eyes ghosted across the many faces still turned in their direction, fixated by the sound of her voice. Her throat began to tighten and she felt the need to shrink into herself. Was she that much of a freak to their kind? "Why haven't you killed me yet?" asked Krissa, turning her eyes over to the patient orangutan. "Didn't your prince give orders?"

'Cornelius is not the only one with power around here. He still has much to learn,' he replied, burbling once again. Her head tilted gently, her raven brows furrowing. Cornelius, huh? Seemed to fit him. 'Your life has as much worth as Nova's. He is beginning to realize that now.' Krissa shuffled and positioned herself so that she could face the orangutan, studying his actions. He had excellent sign. 'Caesar, his father, would have not been as impatient. He was raised by humans and knew of their good side. Cornelius is young and blind, for his family's death was at the hand of a human.' As he explained, it began to make sense. There was no doubt in her mind that humans were certainly despised by the ape colony, but she had never thought of it like that.

"I see…" Krissa murmured, nodding. Her eyes dropped to her ankles and her bare feet. Her heels had been bleeding from digging them into the ground while she had been dragged. A red-winged blackbird shrieked from somewhere off in the woods behind them. "I'm sorry for shooting Quill," she finally piped up, gaze finding the orangutan's wise set. "I didn't want to shoot him, but I was scared and I had no choice."

'Quill will heal. He is young and strong,' the orangutan remarked, seeming to smile softly. His hands balled into fists, bringing them together in a sign she did not recognize. He then continued on with reassuring Krissa. 'You need not fret. He needs to learn to keep himself calm anyway.'

Unsure of why, she smiled and laughed softly. "He does seem the easily excitable type," she added softly. Why was this so amusing to her? Perhaps it was the dehydration going to her head. Their eyes met once more, this time the gap being filled with an absence of conversation.

'What is your name?' signed the orangutan, pressing his index and middle finger together on each hand, and then tapping them together in a faint up-and-down motion.

Surprised, the young woman's brows rose. "Krissa.. My name is Krissa."

The auburn beast burbled contently and nodded his head, then peered at her with smiling eyes. 'M-A-U-R-I-C-E,' he spelled in response.

"Mo... Maurice," echoed Krissa, earning a garble of approval from the him. That's when the orangutan leaned closer and snaked his hand behind her, using his coriaceous mitts to snap the rope without so much as a thought. As soon as her arms fell slack, she let out a hiss and drew her hands up in front of her, rolling her stiff joints. Feeling along the imprints from her horribly coarse bindings, she couldn't help but feel relief wash over her. Krissa marveled as stretched her arms above her head, ignoring how the apes seemed to take notice and let out little huffs. It felt good to stretch again, and she turned a grateful grin toward Maurice. 'It's nice to meet you,' she signed finally.

Just as the conversation died off, there was a familiar bray that came to her ears. Krissa's head turned, her attention falling upon Poppy, whose eyes were trained upon her fro a group of grooming females. All were tense and peering at her. Initially the female glanced around at her fellow apes, but soon enough she rose and approached with confidence. She came to settled down next to Krissa, reaching out and taking her hands. 'How are you feeling?' signed the slender dark ape.

'Better this morning,' replied Krissa, nodding hesitantly as she peered around.

Maurice gurgled beside the two and gave her a knowing look. His movements were faint, keeping his next remark more confidential. 'I'm sure you are grateful that Poppy and her brother came to your aid last night...' Krissa felt her heart palpitate and turned to look upon Poppy, the dark-faced female tilting her head gently at her. Swallowing nervously, her lashes fluttered furiously. Poppy glanced between her and Maurice, then nodded softly.

Krissa allowed her fingers to lace with the female next to her, her cranium tilting to face the orangutan once more.

'Yes, I am,' she finally came to answer.


Author's Note: A very peaceful chapter, don't you think? Wholesome (minus Slate being cranky).

Thank you for all the encouragement lately. I really like to hear from you guys! Next chapter will be on its way soon, don't worry.

Love y'all 3