What if they won't let me come back?
Krissa's gut clenched, feeling dread beginning to set in as she traipsed up the snowy path she remembered so well. She was deep in the territory at this point, scarf stuffed down her coat and the collar zipped all the way to the top. The hood of her sweatshirt and her jacket both covered her muss of ebony, her freckled cheeks flushed from the raw wind that stirred the trees above. The wooden giants creaked in low, droning cries of pain, swaying and bending. Fine, sparkling powder drifted through the breeze, catching sunlight and turning shades of rose and gold.
All she could wonder, as she traipsed through the thickening pines, was if they had possibly moved. Maybe Nic was right? Maybe she was a fool for travelling out this far in hopes that she would find the tribe she had loved so dearly, let alone be accepted again at all. Maybe she would arrive and the familiar mountainside village would be empty. The land began to slope upward in a familiar fashion. It was mid-afternoon at this point, judging by how the sun hit her shoulder. Liepa knuckled along behind her, curious about the alabaster coat upon the ground and how it crunched beneath her feet. She was always exploring, yet never strayed too far from her mother-figure. She wasn't that adventurous.
"What do you think Liepa?" Krissa hummed thoughtfully, pausing at the collection of ram skulls that hung from their gaping eye sockets. Thick, broken branches protruded from their lids, chalky and pallid from years of weathering. Her hands worked subconsciously in order to keep them from going numb. If only she had brought a pair of gloves. Cupping her palms and blowing deeply into them, she managed to warm them temporarily. "Who do you.. want to meet first?"
Her head cocked to the side in order to catch a glimpse of the apeling, going by in a blur of charcoal and skin-tone, snow gathering in her coat as she somersaulted through a drift. With a puff of sparkling alabaster, she landed on her behind, watching as Krissa passed by her and headed along the west-facing path. "Maurice!" the apeling brayed, cheeks puffing in excitement.
"Maurice," she echoed, admiring the chaste light that the young ape gave off. "And why's that?"
Rising to stand bipedal, she looked up at Krissa, beaming. One of her hands brushed outwards before they both cast together and then away, wrists moving fluidly, as if pulling taffy apart in one long-stretched piece. 'His stories,' she signed, pursing her lips.
Laughing softly, Krissa nodded her head. Their moment of brief conversation came to a close, leaving only the gusting wind and the soft call of a raven off in the distance to fill the silence. She was honestly both giddy and concerned, her stomach rolling and tying in knots from the way her nerves were fraying. Liepa was an ape, perhaps they could at least take her in, but what if they-
No. She needn't think that way. No. Of course they would welcome her back with open arms: they were her family, and they couldn't have forgotten about her. Sure, life was hard for them, especially with winter having come so quickly, but they had other things than just survival on their minds. These animals, these beings, they were relationship-oriented. Family was what they had, what they fought for, and she sure as hell was part of their tightly-knit community. Slate had made it abundantly clear that they were all missing her dearly.
Feeling a bit more confident, Krissa swallowed her anxiety and nodded, her pace growing more brisk as they went along. God, she wished she had a horse right now. It would make everything so much easier for her to travel up this hill through the snow. Liepa would love the horses, she knew it, although she was a bit sceptical as to whether she would be afraid of them or not at first. Rubbing her hands together, she hummed a soft little tune, Liepa doing her best to join in. It was one of her favourite ones, something she had come up with herself. If only Krissa could figure out the words to it.
Raising her arms, she lifted up the branches of cedar surrounding her and ducked beneath them, finding the frail yet trampled foot-path continued on the other side. Kneeling, she found fresh horse tracks and estimated how fresh they were. Perhaps she could lose the path from here, but with these prints, it would be much easier for the travelling pair. Krissa continued to follow them, her pace quickening as she found that they grew older, meaning they were getting closer. They had to be. Liepa sprung up onto her back and with a slap of her hand and an excited shriek, packed snow into her hair, earning a squeal that left her throat sore. Giggles filled their end of the wood as they raced along, ducking behind trees and throwing handfuls of snow at one another until they were both breathless, coming to a stop and collapsing into the snow side-by-side.
The sound of a flicker erupted from off in the woods, and then, further off in the distance, the call of an orangutan. Liepa shot up and hopped around Krissa, forcing her to rise to her feet and brush off her legs and backside. Time to get a move on, I guess, she thought. Her hands were like blocks of ice now, even as she rubbed them together and tried her best to warm them with her breath. Finding that she was out of options, Krissa ended up forcing them beneath the crook of her armpits, squeezing them tightly. It wouldn't be too long now- they had been travelling for hours now and they had already started going uphill quite some time ago. "The land is going to get steeper, Liepa," she began to observe, glancing up at the canopy. "I'd suggest that.. you climb, but... the sentries might see you first and think you're a threat."
'Bad apes?' signed the apeling, cocking her head.
Krissa shook her head. "Good apes." Curling her hands into fists, she held them together. "Family."
"Like.. Slate." Mirroring her actions, Liepa pant-chuffed. 'Apes together, strong.'
'Yes, apes together strong.' Bearing her fists and raising her arms, she flashed her teeth. Liepa brayed and threw snow, dancing around her before bolting ahead. Krissa was glad she had the little apeling around to keep her company. She'd be lost without her.
Flurries drifted around her, the flakes becoming fatter and more luminous, like pieces of goose down fluttering slowly to the ground in graceful sheets. The journey ahead became steeper, the hill slippery from being worn down and used so many times. Liepa had nearly scrabbled back quite a few times, her little feet scrabbling against the snow's smooth, slick surface without a proper foothold. Each time she would pick her up and carry her, then set her back down, seeing as her boots had far more traction in the snow than her tiny hands. Krissa had to wonder how the horses fared on this path, if they ever brought them this way. She leapt for the snow bank, hands feeling as though they were being ground against little daggers as she clawed her way up. Her body tilted sideways in order to level herself without sliding back down.
Perhaps they had figured out an alternate route, one that was easier on their steeds, but nonetheless the angle made her wary. A horse could easily break its leg, and in this weather, they sure as hell needed them. Pulling herself up by a few frozen roots, she finally made it to her feet, Liepa waiting for her, gazing ahead and remaining stalk-still. It took her a minute to notice what she was staring at, but then it clicked. Off ahead was a slightly bowed tree, two dark bodies standing atop and peering at them with wide eyes of emerald.
Krissa straightened up and shielded her gaze from the sun, trying to recognise the faces in front. It looked like Boon and Leon, Hail's shaggy head visible from further off. Boon hooted, then his partner, followed by a shriek off in the distance. Liepa yipped and scrambled back behind her in fear, earning a chuckle from the ravenette. "It's okay, love," she murmured softly. "They won't hurt us."
Turning her head back up, she balled her fist and raised it into the air. After a few hesitant seconds, the sentries bellowed out and raised their own fists in recognition, which urged her forward. Liepa was upon her back in an instant, holding on and letting out breathy pants of anticipation as the ravenette dashed up the bevel and approached the distinct archway of pines up ahead. The sandy path was blocked from view, but she knew it was there beneath the snow. Every little detail in her surroundings began to pop out in her memory just as she remembered it. The blackberry bushes, the leaning crabapple tree that always looked about ready to tumble down the steep, crumbling outcrop. The mossy boulders, and then the thickening of the canopy. The heady scent of pine assaulted her nose and she absolutely loved it.
Krissa was bolting at this point, skidding down across the needle-littered snow and gravel path, pressing through the dead stocks of feather-reeds, and suddenly the world was a cacophony of calls around her. Her flight into the village was joined by others from Cornelius's regiment, galloping alongside her, careening into the delighted colony. Krissa was just as elated, the minute she broke through the trees and was surrounded on either side by chimps, gorillas and bonobos alike, she felt tears spring to her eyes. Her throat closed up and she fought a sob, watching as the tribe rose to see the new arrival like startled meerkats, others flooding the clearing in order to come meet her.
Her eyes landed upon Nova among her people, the young girl practically screamed her name and rushed for her, weaving her way through multiple bodies in order to reach her side. Numerous hands brushed her as she passed, come locking hands with her while others merely felt for her warmth. Their frames were warm and immediately thawed her frozen limbs. Croaks and hoots filled her ears. Her arms swung out as soon as Nova fumbled out into the middle of the growing throng, snow kicking up as she leapt for her, the two colliding in a tight embrace. The apeling on her back joined in, unsure of this stranger yet prepared to squeeze the life out of her. She quickly drew back then, allowing Nova to speak.
'I thought we'd never see you again!' the girl signed hastily, large dew-drop eyes watering and welling. Her lips trembled and she broke, nestling her damp blonde head against her chest and allowing silent.
"I'd never leave you," Krissa croaked, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of the girl's head. Her eyes shot up at the sight of movement, immediately met with the crestfallen face of her leader. The girl in her arms looked over her shoulder and then allowed Krissa to step forward, the ravenette coming to hastily kneel at his feet. She offered her hand. "Cornelius, I... I wish to return ..to my spot here, among apes."
However, instead of her prince's touch, she was alarmed to feel the curled finger that snaked its way beneath her chin and tilt her face upward to study the scar along her throat. Cornelius came to his knuckles and leaned in, incredible pools of shamrock pinching in concern. Finally, his eyes found her own and she smiled faintly, a deep sigh of relief passing the prince's lips in turn. He embraced her, pressing his forehead to his own and then helping her to her feet. The next to follow was Maurice, who took her hand and held it tightly, brushing his snout with her own, before she turned to Rocket.
Her heart jumped at the sight of his injured ear, partially shredded from the impact of something powerful. Krissa's gaze found his own, one of his eyes partially blood-clotted but slowly healing. She swallowed. 'What happened?' she inquired, feeling Liepa tighten her grapple around her neck. The apeling drew her attention as she chattered, pointing in the direction of the other children, still standing at a cautious distance by the Education Tree. Krissa remembered that pine tree as if it were yesterday. Her head twisted around slightly and she nodded, and thus Liepa bounced from her perch and went to go make some friends, Lake welcoming her with a gentle hand.
Once she returned her gaze to Rocket, his brows had lowered even further, a hand gracing his ear. 'Pine. Shot me with his gun,' he replied, sending a shockwave of anxiety through her. 'Injured Coal and Slate.'
Wait, that was right! Briefly she recalled the bullet wound upon his ear, but had thought nothing of it. She understood that the situation had been dire, but she hadn't thought that he had gotten his hands on guns... at least, not until she had seen him in the village. Krissa had, admittedly, been far too excited when he had visited to even worry about it. "He... killed Ilam," Cornelius remarked gravely. Krissa nearly snapped her neck with how quickly she turned to the prince. Her mouth hung agape in horror, feeling her entire body grow numb. So, he really was serious about starting this war? Krissa swallowed thickly and brought a hand to her mouth. Ilam had been such a loyal, kind soul. Oh, his poor family, his poor daughters!
'We're glad you made it home,' Nova signed, attempting to lighten the mood. She had always been one to try and make everybody feel better, especially when times became rough.
Running a hand over her face, she shook her head. "You... aren't safe," she spoke, forcing the words out despite the tender pangs of pain within. The apes surrounding began to hoot in protest and alarm. "I came here because of him. Pine had infiltrated the island and he's fooled Jonas and the others. They.. plan to attack.. I don't know when." Leaving it that, her fingers brushed her injury and she exhaled deeply. Maurice's hand found her shoulder, his large mitt nearly enveloping it. She leaned into his touch and shivered gently.
Cornelius stared at her a moment before he lowered his head in defeat, his jaw visibly tensing. With a quick raise of his hand, the ape tribe fell silent. The entire clearing was still aside from the way the apes swayed and exchanged glances. This was the moment that Caesar's son had to fill his father's footsteps. One of his large hands fell upon the shoulder opposite to Maurice and he looked her deep in the eyes, as if searching her very soul. "We will be ready," the prince replied firmly, nodding his head. His cranium then tilted to look among those around him. He took a deep breath as Rocket hooted, approaching closer in staunch agreement.
Maurice burbled, drawing her attention. 'For now, you must rest.' Guiding her into the crowd, the apes continued to trace their hands along her shoulders and arms, which she outstretched to them in greeting. The group slowly began to disperse back to their daily activities, which only felt right- as much as Krissa enjoyed their company and the warm welcome, she was unsure if she could take it for too long. It was how she was as a person, and she was sure that they understood this. The ravenette felt more at home without the constant attention.
Time passed by in the blink of an eye for Krissa, telling stories of her temporary home back at the island and allowing the females with weave pieces of cedar and sage into her hair in a wreath of forest-green. It was delicate and aromatic, and rather pretty to her surprise. Then again, Krissa surely would have accepted it no matter what it had looked like. She was just happy to be back. Mist had been explaining to her that the tribe had figured Poppy had gone missing because her brother had taken her, and that was why Slate was out searching on the daily now, which concerned her greatly. She could only imagine the sleepless nights he spent alone in his family's hut, his only company being the moon that cast through the tiny pinhole breaks within the woven roof or the sound of the blustering wind outside.
She subconsciously brought her hands together, allowing them to squeeze one another before bringing them to her lips and warming them with her breath. 'After you left, he was distant,' Mist explained, finishing Shell's new medicine mask and handing it over to her. With a gentle paw, she gestured to the end of the one that the ravenette was making. Frowning, Krissa peered down at the yellowed leaves and tiny little bones she had put together. 'Weave it tightly. Wants it sturdy.'
With a nod, she followed the female chimp's directions and then lifted it up, tugging on both ends. The twine held out. Satisfied, she offered her best friend's mother a smile and gently folded the mask together before setting it off to the side for whenever Tinker would come by to drop it off. They fell into a comfortable silence, washing off their hands in the bitter pool of water that welled and rippled in front of them, thin sheets of ice beginning to form over surface. It seemed to be constantly broken each morning to be used for something or other, but the females knew that soon it would freeze solid and they would have to resort to cleaning things in the river deeper in the territory.
Mist rarely visited the waterfall, especially after the tragic fate of her youngest child- the only thing she had to remind her of Button. From what she had heard, the two had fallen deeply in love, but she had to wonder... what had drawn her away from Koba? She had had three children with the tyrant bonobo, so she would have had to be somewhat in love with him, right? These questions always itched at her fingers and tongue, but she kept them at bay. Instead, her mind found itself wandering further, toward the idea of how Spoon was fairing with the sudden betrayal of her husband. Did Salt miss his adoptive brother? What were Hail and Ring feeling as they watched Pine slowly becoming his biological father's successor?
'Maybe he'll drift back when he finds that I'm here again?' Krissa offered hopefully as they rose and began to wander back to the main village square. Mist offered a keen smile and a glance up at her as she knuckled along beside the human girl. Such a gentle soul... had she ever asked for any of this? Had she ever seen it coming? Krissa found herself at a loss for words: American Sign was different from Ape Sign, which is why she was still refreshing herself with it, even despite having been among them for nearly half a year. Still, she pushed her way through the sentence, although a bit sloppily. 'Or, at least I'll make sure he does. These are rough times, he should see you guys more often. It's only fair.'
Mist bobbed her head, the soft tinkling of the bones that dangled from Tinker's new mask filling the pithy silence. 'You'd better. His family misses him,' the female responded drily, simpering in playfully nonetheless. 'A little love won't hurt him.'
Krissa giggled and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, when is he going to settle down?" she asked, voice breathy from the effort it took to wander up the slope. Her eyes drifted out along the forest-line, which was covered in gentle translucent wisps of cloud. 'He's got to find someone somehow.'
"Easier said than.. done," Mist remarked. 'Doesn't seem to want to listen to anybody.'
'Well, he'll listen to me,' she insisted, going out on a limb. She wasn't lying entirely: sure, Slate was stubborn, but she seemed to be the only one next to his younger sister whose attitude rivalled his own. 'If only he weren't so prickly, maybe he'd attract a few women. Maybe I could help him find somebody.' Upon her final comment, the chinobo's mother smirked further and stepped ahead, pausing and peering at her through the corner of her eye. Krissa wasn't so sure about how she was looking at her and, ergo, tilted her head in question. 'What?'
A soft huff of laughter passed through Mist's nostrils. "Nothing," she reassured, although it was clear that something quite different was the matter. She looked upon her so fondly at that moment. What was so funny? "You just know him.. so well."
The ravenette stared after the chimpanzee, still stunned and confused as she watched her continue her journey. Something stirred within her chest and she found her face begin to heat up. She knew him so well? What did that mean? Finally, she cleared her throat and shot one more glance off at the gorgeous scenery before following in tow.
They travelled carefully to the Medicine Tree and climbed the ramp, heading up its familiar spiral without blinking an eye at the height. Inside they found the dark grey chimp pondering in herbs, sorting through them and making sure to mentally record her numbers in her inventory. With gentle bray, Mist drew her attention, and her eyes fell upon Krissa immediately. 'So the rumours are true,' she signed, approaching and offering a hand. They pressed their finger pads together and drew each other into a tight nuzzle of their brows. 'You are back.'
Once Krissa and Tinker fell away from one another, Mist graciously offered her the replacement. 'Krissa made it. She's trying it out while she heals,' the larger female signed, to which the ravenette offered a cheerful, proud smile.
Tranquil, Mist and she watched as the Shaman removed her older, shabbier version, her soft maw revealed for the first time since the human had met her. She was truly an attractive female, and Krissa could tell why Rocket had picked her. Besides, they were perfect for one another: a massive brute paired with such a dainty female, whom made up for her size with her attitude, much like how Poppy had. Ignoring the painful memories the idea of the smallest twin brought, she complimented the doctor, allowed her to check her throat, made small-talk and then said farewell, following Mist in order to find another task for them to complete.
She found herself visiting with Lake and the young ones, settled down beside the dark-faced chimp while they watched Cinder and Liepa hop around together and wrestle in the snow. Their coats were covered in a gentle shimmer of tiny fractals, like two little pixies having a spat and rolling in stardust. Maurice could be heard calling their attention, which earned a soft laugh from Slate's half-sister and herself. Lake's head turned to her and her hands moved gracefully. 'She's like you.'
'How?' Krissa queried, honestly curious.
'Eager to learn, quirky, strong,' listed the beautiful female next to her. The female had gone unmated ever since her late husband Blue Eyes, his death having effected her greatly. Lake had always been spunky and hard-headed, which seemed to run in the family, but she had heard gossip about how the former prince's death had smothered her flame to an ember. That didn't mean that it couldn't grow hot every now and then. 'You're like a mother to her.'
"I am her mother," Krissa confirmed, albeit a bit quickly. Lake blinked in amazement, a moment of surprise passing over her features, but eventually they softened and she offered an understand smile. Their heads then turned, listening to Maurice and his teachings while watching the children misbehave and get scolded by Nova, whom quickly silenced them. Krissa buried her hands into her coat and she nestled against her scarf. "Her mother was... killed by hunting traps. Or so she.. says.."
Lake's head turned quickly, lips parted in shock. 'Finch lost his hand in one of those,' she mentioned, referring to one of their elders. 'It's not a good way to go.' The male was often found speaking with the younger females, always the lady's man it seemed. If only Slate were more of a lover than a fighter- he could have such a peaceful life, no matter the age. The wind gusted, crawling up her spine. Boy, was she getting cold. Shifting closer to Lake, the two huddled in the breeze together, keeping one another warm. Living on the mountain had to be the worst.
'How do you hope to die?' asked the chimp beside her.
Krissa blinked. She had never really thought of death until recently, after her very close call just a month or so ago. It was something that everyone faced at the end of their lives- after all, everybody died. It was a horrible thought really, but after the outbreak and after living day in-day out without her father by her side, she had come to the realisation that her time on this earth was quick and it was best spent living it to its fullest. After a moment, she turned her head and spoke one single word. "Bravely."
The two looked upon each other within a single ephemeral rift, exchanging something unspoken, until it was torn apart by the sound of alarm calls and the loud wail of a hunting horn. Their heads rose simultaneously, eyes full of hope as they looked upon the entrance. At first there was only sound of hooves across snow, but then in a cloud of sparkling crystals, the first rider came into view. Hail lead the way on a wall-eye palomino, followed by Tyler, Coal and Pigeon. All three carried rabbits slung across their shoulders and chests, while the final two members of the hunting party trailed behind a few feet, carrying a doe upon a sling, its motionless sides swaying with every step of their horses.
It was a clean and precise hunt, judging by how well they had treated the pelt.
Finally, that's when she spotted him and rose to her feet. His grey dappled mare threw her head, her wild mane flying like a whip in the wintry air. He sat straight with his bow and quiver strapped to his chest and back, amber stones washing over the crowd indifferently as he was watched by those observing. Lake shouted and clapped her hands above her head in praise, glad that they had brought home food for the tribe even during such a meek season for finding big game. It had probably taken them all morning, Krissa figured, to find an animal worth killing. Something sick wouldn't have done it: Cornelius only accept the strongest kill, although sometimes made an exception for injuries.
Her heart thrummed wildly in her chest and she cupped her hands on either side of her mouth, mustering as much energy as she could as she belted out his name above the excited buzz of the colony. "SLATE!"
The ape's pate jerked around quick enough to break his joints, his face painted in confusion, then disbelief. With a kick of his heels, he sped up his horse and steered her directly toward Krissa, dismounting in one jump as his mare was mid-stride. He hadn't even taken the time to catch the reigns: he was at her side in one fluent move, landing and seizing her in his burly arms, lifting her straight off her feet. Krissa could feel eyes upon them and clutched his coat tightly in his fingers, her own set latching onto the first face she could find. Mist watched with the faintest smile on her face while others gawked, almost as if they had never seen Slate this passionate.
His mother had been speaking the truth of how lacklustre his mood had been since her departure. Slate ultimately released her and returned her to her feet, lips wide as he let out a series of throaty pants. When he spoke, he sounded out of breath. "You- why are you-"
"I had to," she croaked, shaking her head. Her eyes fell away from his in shame. Was he upset? Her hands began to ramble through the air, the soft whinnies of his horse as she was returned to his side causing the male to briefly glance upon and catch her lead. 'Pine has convinced the leader of Nic's village that you and Cornelius are the enemy. They were there, they were showing them how to use guns. I would have been caught-' He then scrutinised her every mood, which only made her feel tinier under those burning eyes of his. He had to be upset. 'I thought it was safer here and so I crossed the lake-'
Slate's free hand found her own and her head flipped up, staring at him without anything to say. She couldn't even protest. He was here, his body heat, his scent, his presence. Its all she could ask for. His earnest eyes answered all her questions. What had ever happened to that cold, arrogant, bull-headed primate she had met all those months ago? The one who would scold her, who would chastise her, even bark at her? Her chest tightened and she shot forward, hugging him once more. It was her turn to bury her face into his neck, just as he had the first time he had visited her that handful of days ago, back on the island. "I'm just glad... you're okay," he replied carefully, cautiously wrapping his arms around her this time. It seemed as though he was aware of the attention they were getting now, and so he took hold of her shoulders and pulled away for a second time. 'You were right to come back. We'd rather you be here where we can protect you.'
"That's just it," she began. "I... want to be here to protect you, to protect everybody." Krissa turned herself and brushed her hand along Lake's, then gestured to those around her. 'The children, elders, everybody.' She never wanted to see it destroyed and would die before she watched the apes kill each other just as she had watched the humans do. 'This, what you've all created, its something that I can't sit by and watch happen without doing my part. That's why I'll fight.'
Slate looked at her like she had two heads for a moment before he sighed, eyes washing around the entirety of camp. He nodded, slowly by surely. Her heart sang. "Okay," he assented. His gaze returned to her own, this time just as hard as she had remembered them. The primate's hand clasped onto her's and they clutched one another's palm tightly. "You'll fight."
Krissa grinned with pride. "I'll fight."
When she walked into Cornelius's hut, she found only the old orangutan waiting for her near the fireside. Not far from him sat a pile of furs, various feathers and a bowl of white paste. Krissa paused, taking in the scenario before licking her lips and frowning in question. 'Slate said that you wished to see me?' she motioned, referring to how the chinobo had woken her up from her evening rest and told her that her presence had been requested.
'Yes,' Maurice replied, massive head dipping gracefully. He was such a large specimen, he took up a lot of the space in front of the fire that faced the entrance. With a burble, he coaxed her over with a finger, to which she followed and came to rest on the cold stone beneath herself. 'I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest. Did you wake Liepa?'
With a shrug, she flattened her lips indifferently. 'Slate took her,' she answered quickly. Her mind was on more pressing matters, wondering if something had gone wrong, or if Cornelius had even changed his mind. She was prepared to beg for them to take little Liepa, even if it meant she had to leave in turn. Krissa slithered down from atop her knees and crossed her legs inward, brows furrowing. 'Is something the matter?'
The wise bornean smiled pleasantly and let out an amused croak, teeth flashing slightly in the dim, warm light. He seemed awfully chipper. 'Something the matter?' he echoed, clearly amused by her concern. Krissa felt her wound shoulders relaxed and tilted her head. With a shake of his pate, he scratched his voluminous chest and then returned his hands to the conversation. 'No, no. I only wish to ask you a few questions.'
She could deal with questions, but what about? Krissa was full of her own. Instead, though, she listened carefully and waited to answer as truthfully as possible. After all, Maurice was respected among these parts and had been nothing but kind to her the moment they had met. In fact, he had been the first to show her the good nature of his tribe, aside from Slate and Poppy. The counsellor gazed down into the flames before them in thought, a smile twitching at his lips.
'Apes have fought humans before,' he explained carefully, allowing his beady set to flicker up in her direction every so often. 'If apes are to go into battle again, they will need one of their own on our side, not just the brother of their leader.' Nodding, she didn't dare move any further, her direct attention on the male before her. Maurice finally turned to her, nodding his head and rumbling deep in his throat. One long finger pointed in her direction, then curled inward as he brought both fists to his chest. 'You are ape, Krissa. You are strong, and you put others first. You put family first.'
His movements were soft and cool, like rain against fevered skin. The ravenette found them to be calming. 'Thank you,' she replied. 'I take pride in it.'
Again, his cranium bobbed in agreement. 'You have seen apes fight, you have been chased. You are quick and smart for a human, one of the few kind ones I've seen,' the orang continued. An ember popped violently in the hearth and spat sparks in all direction, drawing Maurice and Krissa's attention. With a gentle hand, he lifted up one of the sticks to his right and prodded at the coals. 'What I wonder, though, is whether you're ready for this or not.' The branch was laid upon the ground again, his entire physique shifting comfortably. 'Are you ready to fight those you've grown fond of?'
Krissa blinked. Was she ready? After Pine had tried to kill her and would continue to until he succeeded? After Poppy had betrayed them, after Ilam had been shot and killed in cold blood? After Jonas had just about murdered Liepa? Her bones ached to flee yet every inch of her burned with an ire she couldn't shake. If someone else were to die, it would be fault. She was the reason that Pine had left, the reason Pine had done what he had. It had nothing to do with their father. Her head slowly jounced, her chartreuse eyes burning into Maurice's head. 'Yes,' she vowed. 'I'm scared, but I'm ready.' Beat. Krissa's brows lowered further. 'Why do you ask?'
Gradually the orangutan's head rose in turn, chin tilting upward. 'There was someone before you, a human girl with your same ideals, your same kindness and empathy. She was from the city, lived in the woods back before Koba burnt down ape home...'
Hanging on every word, Krisa shuffled a bit closer, listening to the story he had to tell her.
Cornelius stood by the towering bonfire, the smell of burning brush filling her nose. The skull of the doe they had cleaned was settled, visibly, in the middle of the pit. The marrow was turning a dark, horrible shade of smoking umber. The apes surrounding created a ring, much like that of the one that had surrounded her and Slate the evening she had becoming the Huntress. Her palms sweated nervously from beneath the leather bindings that reached to the centre of her upper arms, the puma skin heavy along her bare shoulders. A draft snaked its way up from beneath the thick hide where it swayed just above her naked stomach. Her feet were stung against the snow and stone, her legs feeling a bit unsteady as she approached her war-painted prince, lashes and lids smeared in chalky clay fluttering gently.
He held a torch, and at his side, Rocket swayed from one foot to the other. A sense of presentiment flushed through her and she took a deep breath, trying to ignore how anxious she felt that with each step, the small belt of bells chimed into the evening air. Krissa felt so light and so alien that she wasn't sure whether this was a dream or not. A drum gently thundered, like a distant storm, reverberating within her chest every beat. Maurice had explained to her that this had not only been how Mary had been accepted into their tribe, but it was how new warriors were accepted as well. It was a coming-of-age ceremony. Her heart was still up in her throat despite his words of encouragement.
It only sped up when she felt Cornelius's hand upon her fur-clad shoulder.
The ceremony began. Cornelius was the first to remove a piece of the mountain lion's hide and laid it across his shoulder, lightening the protective shell that her family had given her all these years, moving her one step closer to her freedom. Her eyes fell shut and she took a deep breath as she felt the prince brush past her, allowing the next ape to come and bless her apprenticeship farewell. Rocket came next, grunting in his chest and sliding off the opposite patch, throwing it over his own shoulder with a dramatic flap. The drum began to grow louder, members in the crowd rhythmically grunting, as if chanting in their own foreign tongue.
The third member was Maurice, who approached in all his lumbering glory. His eyes reflected the fire's light as he stared deeply into her own. Krissa felt as if he were looking deep into her chest, searching for the closest heart string to tug, before he finally reached up and grasped the pelt that lay directly below, the hide falling away and exposing her left breast. The sudden cold forced a tiny gasp from her lips, but she did not break eye-contact with the bornean before her. After a moment, he finally dipped his head with a gentle clicking sound chiming from his throat-pouch.
Fourth to the plate was Salt, to her surprise. The young male had already been through his ceremony just a month prior, and thus he looked upon her with pride, head held high as he walked bipedal in her direction. His dusty brown-and-grey coat was painted with striking white, the red streak between his brows standing out vibrantly against the alabaster. Coming to stand before her, his eyes pinched slightly in approval, and finally he reached up, pulling down final piece of the pelt. Perhaps it hadn't quite dawned on her until now that this was the same puma skin that they had retrieved from the monster that had slaughtered poor Twig, but the moment that she locked eyes with Mist, whom had joined the numbers of those perched in the leaning dogwood tree, she took a sharp breath, the diamond-like symbol in the middle of her slight chest gleaming gently in the pyre before her.
The fifth and final face that approached was none other than Slate's, carrying the bow and arrow she had left behind the evening that she had been taken to the village across the lake. Behind him was Nova, who stepped quickly, dressed in a long draping dress, tattered at the legs. Her hair fell in a waterfall of silk, blowing in the hot breeze radiating off the colossal wall of flame before them. The intensity in the male's eyes was near blinding, but she held her ground, refusing to flinch beneath her best friend's attention. Unsure of whether it was because of his burning, fixed stare, or because of the face that she was topless, but Krissa could feel goosebumps fly up along her arms, the hair rising on the back of her neck. Perhaps it was because there was a spirit surrounding them.
"Ape not kill ape," Slate growled, teeth flashing.
Krissa held down a slight yelp, startled by his tone. "Ape not kill ape," she parroted.
Cornelius was quick to add, in one powerful bellow, "Apes together strong!"
The colony erupted in one chorus, echoing their leader with voices rough, high, low and smooth. Krissa, too, joined in and took the weapon from Slate ducking her head beneath the familiar bow and string, feeling something in her chest swell once more and shivered softly as Nova stepped forward. She stood back to attention and faced the chinobo, allowing him to retrieve the bowl from the young educator and dip his fingers into the black pain.
The male began to black out her eyelids, sullying the bridge of her nose all the way down over her top and bottom lip to her chin in the thick black goo. At least Cornelius stepped forward, red dye in hand, and marked her with their typical war paint, one that Caesar had adorned so long ago at the beginning of it all. He then leaned a bit closer, indicating that it was her turn to begin. Her hands cast to her sides, like that of a soldier. "I stand!" she began, her voice projecting into the night and cracking slightly from the injury upon her throat. "I stand before you, before Caesar and the might of his memory, asking for your acceptance." The colony exchanged glances between one another, confused as to why the ceremony had suddenly taken a turn.
"I stand before you, asking for your hand to join mine in battle, to fight-" Sudden crepitation cut her off just then as it perforated inside of her throat, causing pain to burn its way through her vocal chords, as if acid had surged from her stomach and stung the back of her oesophagus. She swallowed hard, gritting her teeth and stamping her foot in frustration. The bells chimed and her hands vigorously moved. 'Asking for you to join hands with me in battle, to fight for the freedom of apes and humans alike.' Jade disks fanning around, she searched the crowd. Everyone seemed fixated on her now, staring her down just as they had when she had taken her role up as the Huntress. 'I ask for you to allow me to join your ranks, and stand against Pine and his colony.'
Slate's fist rose. Maurice's fist rose, Rocket's fist rose, and then Salt and Nova's. Cornelius watched with curiosity as his tribe slowly joined in, their surprised silence turning into yowls, hoots and barks. Krissa felt a surge of emotion and forced her eyes shut, but she was too late. Tears welled and surged down her cheeks. A soft hitch in breath, and she knelt before Cornelius, offering her hand in a gesture to ask for acceptance, for forgiveness.
His coriaceous fingers passed over her palm and her hands flew to her mouth to silence her soft sobs of relief, the wind's mournful scream drowned out by the thundering of the drum, by the wailing horn and the paroxysm of primate calls. A set of hands found her shoulders and she was helped to her feet, her damp face chilled in the winter wind, her skin numb in the blustering weather. Slate looked upon her with respect. "Welcome home."
