As Ceaser rides slowly through the woods, he heard someone behind him and stopped his horse. Turning, he sees Blue Eyes, Maurice, Rocket and Luca all riding towards him on their own horses, determined looks on their faces. They stopped in front of him as he shook his head, signaling them not to follow.

'the soldiers camp is always moving. my guards think they know where it is. Let me take you.' Luca signs.

'you need me to back you up!' Rocket adds.

"No." Ceaser shakes his head.

'Please father.'

"Go back son."

'I can't. Not while she is out there. I need this.'

"I may not make it back."

'that's why I'm coming. To make sure you do.' Maurice signs calmly.

Ceaser felt a proud throb in his heart at his loyal friends and nodded. They continued their way, through the thick dense woods, past discarded human structures and vehicles until they saw a large clump of buildings. Some looked like they hadn't been used in years.

'guards think soldiers here; always fires burning.' Luca informed.

They rode their horses to the area and passed old buildings and shacks, unused and with no sign of humans, they continued through the little metal village. They got off their horses and Ceaser took the gun from the horse's side, moving to the others.

"Search the area." He says moving to a shack. The other three began trekking through the little buildings, searching for any life. Then suddenly, as they all walked down the dirt path, a man walked out carrying a bundle of wood. He froze when he saw the three, holding a hand up in surrender.

"I'm just gonna put this down." He says gesturing to his bundle in his hands.

But as soon as he drops the wood, he reaches for a gun behind him hanging on his shoulder. But before he could even raise the gun to the four, a shot fired at him and downed him quickly. The apes looked over and saw Blue Eyes moving from the shadows of one of the smaller shacks, glaring down at the dead man. Ceaser as his son shared a look before they moved to the body and saw a strange lettering on his neck. It looked like some odd symbols.

'what is he doing out here alone?'

'maybe he's a deserter?'

Then they heard crashing inside the larger building in the center of the small village. The apes quickly moved to the building and went inside, guns raised at any threat. When they went in, they noticed jars of foods were tipped over and broken and something was moving in the shadows. Blue Eyes followed Maurice to a small room where a bed sat in the corner of the room.

There in the shadows lay a little figure under a blanket. Blue Eyes aimed his gun at them, but Maurice came over and lowered their guns. That's when they noticed it was a little girl. Ceaser said nothing but left the room, ordering them to take what they can and left. Blue Eyes watched Maurice move in close the little girl and give her a doll. It was filthy and covered in blood. The little girl hugged the little toy close to her and attempted to speak, but it only came out as breathy grunts. Blue Eyes cocked his head in confusion; Mina did that a lot when she would sign to him. Maybe this girl is like her.

Blue Eyes moved to her and held out his hand. The little girl took his hand and he helped her up. Maurice and Blue Eyes moved to Ceaser who was standing outside the door watching.

'something wrong with her. I don't think she can speak.' Maurice signs. Ceaser stared at him a moment before turning away.

"Come." He ordered, leaving the area.

Maurice and Blue Eyes shared a look before following behind. Blue Eyes then heard a noise behind him and turned to find the girl following behind. She took his hand with a begging expression. She seemed so afraid and her sweet face reminded him so much of Mina. He couldn't leave her. He smiled down at her and took her hand, leading her outside. Ceaser saw his son walk out hand in hand with the little girl and turned to Maurice.

'she'll die out here alone.' Maurice signs.

"Cannot take her Maurice." Ceaser says.

'I understand. But we cannot leave her.' He replied. Ceaser looked over to Blue Eyes who held the girl's hand, who seemed determined to keep her and sighed through his nose, nodding.

"She rides with you." He says to his son, who nods and moves to the path where they entered. Blue Eyes looked down at the girl and smiled.

"Stay by me." he says patting his chest.

The little girl nods and follows him to his horse where he put her on. He got on in front of her and had her wrap her arms around his waist and left. They continued their journey, Ceaser looking at the girl now and then, seeing her peak out from behind his son at him. He only galloped further ahead to avoid her stare.

When they reached a small pass through the sandy beach, they stopped. There was the camp. Lights and tents were being taken down and put in the back of trucks, along with their supplies. They looked like they were getting ready to move out.

'did you find the colonel?' luca asks as Ceaser searched through the binoculars they found.

"No...winter." He replied, seeing the albino gorilla.

He just happened to disappear when the mayhem back at the waterfall started, and now Ceaser knew why. As they moved in closer, Maurice stayed behind as Blue Eyes and the others followed Ceaser to the tent where winter ducked into. He was putting supplies away when they snuck up on him.

Winter saw them from the mirror and whipped around, sudden fear gripping his body. Ceaser stood with Blue Eyes behind him, glaring at the traitor ape.

"Where is the colonel?" he asks. Winter saw rocket and luca on each side of him, and seeing he had no way of escape, he gave in.

'he's gone.'

"Gone?"

'he left this morning. Took many men and a girl with him. More soldiers are coming down from the north. Colonel is going to meet them...at the border.'

"Girl?" Blue Eyes suddenly spoke, walking up to the white gorilla.

"What...girl." the younger ape growled menacingly.

'blue eyed girl. Named Mina.' Winter signs, avoiding the young ape's gaze, backing away as he neared. Blue Eyes' heart did a stutter. She was here!

"What border? Why?" Ceaser asks, putting a hand on his son's shoulders and backing him away.

'I don't know. The rest of us are going tomorrow. The donkeys think the soldiers from the north are coming to help finish off the apes for good.' Winter replied.

'that day, after the battle on the hill, the donkey we caught promised me the colonel would spare my life...if I told them where you were hiding. Forgive me!' winter begged, holding out his hand with his head bowed. Blue Eyes watched his father carefully, unknowing what he would do.

"You almost killed my family. I will not forgive." He growled.

Then they heard rustling outside. The shadows of soldiers were walking by with boxes in their hands. Winter was about to shout out, but Blue Eyes quickly punched him in the face, sending him to the ground. Luca and rocket grabbed hold of him while Ceaser took his head. Blue Eyes covered his mouth so he couldn't scream, blocking his airway. The shadows of the soldiers stopped and peered over at the tent, half wondering if they should go see what the sudden ruckus was, but shook their heads and continued. By the time the apes let winter go, he was dead. They suffocated him on accident. As the night progressed, they set up a small fire just outside the camp to rest.

The next morning, the apes woke to find the soldiers were moving out. They watched as truck after truck, along with some horses went by. When they left, they quickly followed behind them as they drove, the temperature dropping and the wind biting more and more. The cold began to show, and soon they were North, the snowy mountains giving no help to the blistering winds as the apes and little girl followed behind the soldiers.

As they followed, they realized the soldiers stopped and they slowed down.

"They stopped." Ceaser announced as they looked towards the faint fires. Then suddenly, gunshot rang throughout the wind. The apes panicked, jumping from the horses and taking cover behind some rocks. But that's when they realized it wasn't them they were shooting at.

'what are they shooting at?' rocket asks.

"I don't know." Ceaser answered.

They decided to wait until the wind died down a bit before continuing. When they walked around the bend where the soldiers were, they saw three bodies on the ground. Fearing the worst, Ceaser uncovered their faces, revealing humans. Their noses were bloody and two of them were dead. When rocket pulled the mask off one, the human shot up, groaning loudly clutching his chest. His nose was bleeding badly and he tried to speak, but it came out in short breathy grunts, like the girl.

"Why did they shoot you?" Ceaser asks. The man let out breathy sounds.

'he can't speak either?' Blue Eyes asks. They looked back at the man as Ceaser stared at him.

'he will die of those wounds.' Maurice says. Ceaser nods and turns to Luca.

"Luca." Was all he had to say. The gorilla motioned Blue Eyes to turn the child's head away. Blue Eyes moved the girl some feet away before turning her towards his chest, hugging her head to him. Then she flinched at the gunshot.

Once they covered his face back up, they stood around his dead body a moment as Blue Eyes didn't notice the little girl put her hand in his own little one as he moved back to his father. He looked down and saw her face; it reminded him so much of her that he couldn't help but smile and pull her close to his side as he walked to the four apes.

'where did the soldiers go?' Blue Eyes asks.

"I don't know... let's perch up there, see if we can find them." Ceaser says pointing to an old metal tower. Blue Eyes moved the girl to the horse and set her on it. The girl seemed nervous, so he smiled up at her, patting her knee reassuringly.

"Stay here." he says holding his hands up, then moving up to the tower with the others.