Ch. 6 Across the Stars
Blue Eyes groaned, rubbing the base of his neck.
His muscles relatively sore from overuse. His legs ached; body exhausted beyond belief as the ape allowed the cool water to drench the stifling heat.
The prince and his uncle just finished setting up their camp site.
Before stopping to rest, the pair came across a thick forest in the east with tall pinecone trees and clear rivers.
The place would have been ideal for their Colony, if the rivers were not infested with leeches and eels.
They reluctantly traveled two more hours before settling in a pygmy forest with a nice size waterfall.
After securing the horses, Rocket went to gather firewood and suggested Blue Eyes ease his worries with a cold shower.
Normally apes didn't swim, but many changes occurred when the war started.
With many apes fighting in the war, injuries became part of their routine. In order to prevent infection, the healers used water from the falls in their hideout.
The practice soon became a routine as all apes began bathing from the cool waters.
Blue Eyes took to showering immediately after acquiring a mate. He learned early on that there were benefits to keeping clean.
For now, the prince took a deep breath to stay calm trying to find a positive outlook in his circumstance.
He and his uncle were at the end of their rope.
Traveling for several months trying to find a new haven for their Colony provoked an unsavory mood in the young ape.
They encountered every danger unimaginable.
Vicious animals, wildfires, floods, earthquakes and numerous close calls. All this partnered with their homesickness didn't make things easier.
Blue Eyes gripped the stone wall adjacent to the falls.
He missed his Marahan dearly.
She was all he could think about besides his father, mother and brother.
The first few months without her were agony.
As more months passed, the prince grew irritated at the journey, but did not regret his decision to go.
The ape was doing this for his Colony.
They couldn't remain in that hideout with the Colonel slaughtering more and more of their people each day.
Blue Eyes remembered the day his father asked him to go on this journey. The prince was unsure, it wasn't until the danger hit too close to home did the ape make his decision.
He remembered the day vividly.
Their soldiers just completed building the main fort in preparation for their upcoming war.
Caesar, the council members and Marahan were present, overseeing its completion.
The inspection was interrupted by streams of gunfire.
The apes stationed there were able to seek safety from the attack, but many injuries were sustained.
Blue Eyes recalled one soldier who deliberately aimed their weapon at his mate. If the prince hadn't pinned the woman underneath his body, she wouldn't be alive today.
Since then, not only did Blue Eyes agree to scout for a new home but demanded that his mate should be kept from the oncoming conflict.
Hence the princess was stripped of her general status.
He knew his beloved was a capable fighter, but the prince didn't want Marahan to suffer more than what was needed. If anyone needed to bear any suffering in this relationship, he rather it would be him.
After Koba, the prince promised to ease and prevent any hardships his mate encountered, but what use was that promise when he wasn't with her.
The ape moved from the falls, shaking out the water from his hair.
He walked over to the campsite and reclined against a nearby fallen tree.
The ape would need to go hunting soon, as there wasn't much of their rations left.
Blue Eyes looked over his damp hair while his fingers instinctively reached for the wolf tooth necklace around his neck. When he returned home, the ape would show his human mate just how much he missed her.
He spent that moment fantasizing on their reunion when Rocket stumbled into the camp. To the prince's relief, not only did the bonobo have wood for the fire, but also a medium sized elk.
"I see shower helped a bit." Rocket said with a chuckle.
"It did. Thank you." Blue Eyes said going to his horse and grabbing his knife from its reins. He took the elk, carving the edible pieces and skewering the meat on sticks to cook over the fire.
The prince handed one of the sticks to Rocket who hovered his over the open fire.
By now the sun was setting and the stars were emerging.
The air was warm, which meant the apes didn't need covering for the night. The males ate their dinner and spent the time in comfortable silence, the peace being a much-needed relief.
The young ape chose a comfortable spot near the fire, adjacent to his uncle. He positioned his arms behind his head to stare at the stars, while Rocket took the time to sharpen his spear.
The soft sharpening of his weapon the only noise besides the chirping of grasshoppers and the dim light of fireflies in the area.
"How did you know?" Blue Eyes asked his sights moving from the stars to his uncle.
The older ape didn't meet his gaze instead remained focused on his task.
" That you were stressed?" Rocket replied remaining on task. "You and Ash are not so different when it comes to temperament."
The prince chuckled to himself, one of his hands scratching the back of his neck.
"I disagree. Ash was more patient and level-headed than I am. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have Marahan as my mate. Ash always kept us together no matter the difficulty." Blue Eyes said feeling sorrow overtake his heart.
He missed his best friend so much.
"You are not to blame for his death."
Blue Eyes sat up, the words making him turn to Rocket. The older ape had laid down his weapon, eyes bearing into the prince's.
His eyes showed strength as well as the warrior's wounded heart. Rocket walked over sitting directly next to Blue Eyes.
"I raised Ash to be a warrior, but most importantly to always do what is right. What he did was to protect you and this Colony. Although his life ended, it was not in vain, and he would not want you to continue to blame yourself." Rocket said bringing his arm around the prince.
With all the war preparations, his wedding and the long journey to find a new home, the young ape hadn't truly allowed himself to grieve properly.
Rocket held him firmly as Blues Eyes continued to mourn. The ape's hands moving to gather dirt from the ground.
"If it helps, I know that Ash is proud of you and is rejoicing at your happiness in the afterlife."
Blue Eyes wrapped his arm around Rocket's neck, pulling the ape close.
Despite the vexatious journey grating on his last nerve, the prince was more than happy to endure with the company of his uncle.
"He would be proud of how you and Aunt Tinker are coping." The ape said as Rocket retrieved his weapon.
"Tinker is stronger than I am. Females always are in the face of adversity." Rocket said settling the spear across his lap.
"Your mate is the same. Headstrong and brave, willing to help when needed."
The prince nodded, warmth spread against his cheek from the though of his mate, that or he was too close to the fire.
"I can't wait to return to her. Will make up for lost time." Blue Eyes stated his gaze moving to Rocket's spear admiring the markings along its trunk.
The marking that drew the ape in were two lines that intertwined.
The first line was a pattern of green dots, while the other line was red with arrows on each side. Rocket noticed the prince's eyes and chuckled patting the top of his head.
"That is Tinker and I. The dots are her and the red arrow is me. The symbols shows how we met."
Blue Eyes looked curiously from the symbol to Rocket. He had never heard the story of how him and Tinker met. Not even Ash bothered to tell him, the ape assumed the story was either tedious or not worth mentioning.
"I was in the facility with your father, mother, Maurice and Tinker. I was the alpha male and was always surrounded by females. I didn't treat others fairly, especially Caesar."
"I was aware of Tinker and tried to impress her, but my mate rejected my advances. She wasn't treated good after that; many jealous females would chase and bully her until Caesar gave us our intelligence."
"After our escape, I approached her again to apologize. She got even by tossing me into a river while I was learning to fish. We have been inseparable ever since."
Blue Eyes tried but failed to hold back his laughter at the situation.
He witnessed his Aunt Tinker toss Rocket into a river when he was very young. Realizing that was how his uncle fell for her explained so much.
Once, Caesar confessed to him that one of the reasons he loved his mother was because of her unyielding stubbornness.
Blue Eyes didn't understand his father's appeal until the same trait was seen in his mate. He continued to laugh, truly it was pre-destined for the heads of the colony to be attracted to feisty females.
"What is so funny young one?" Rocket asked leaning over to put more wood into the fire.
"We were all attracted to our mates' stubbornness!" Blue Eyes shouted, howling in laughter. He began holding his sides as they ached.
It had been a while since the prince experienced this much joy.
"That will do." Rocket muttered pointing to a soft spot in the grass a few meters from him. "We need to get some rest; we leave this area at first light."
Taking a breath, Blue Eyes went to lay on the spot. He moved around a bit to get comfortable. Once his body was settled, the ape listened to his surroundings in order to lull him into a dreamless sleep.
Blue Eyes yawned as they rode across a field of wheat grass. The pair left their camp three hours ago, but the prince was still tired.
Along the way, he was able to catch some sleep thanks to his noble steed.
His horse was well-trained, being able to keep moving down its path, even while its rider was unconscious. He gently stroked the horse as they moved, making a mental note to reward the creature for its efforts on the trip.
Sometimes Rocket and Blue Eyes steeds went for days without food if the area they came across was unsuitable for their sustenance.
Luckily, the horses were fed and rested from their time at the camp.
They galloped slowly across the field, being cautious of any predators that were around. The last thing the apes wanted was to be attacked by a wild animal with a limited amount of supplies if one of them got hurt.
The prince didn't want to think about such things. The ape still had nightmares of being attacked by a bear on his first hunting trip. The scars on his chest were a permanent reminder and he rather not add more to the lot.
As they traveled further, the field disappeared transcending into desert.
The sun bearing down on the pair didn't help with the hair on their bodies.
Sweat trickled down the apes' arms and legs, the horses heaved with exhaustion.
The ride through the desert lasted a few minutes. The terrain becoming solid rock, when they moved closer to the source of the large boulder.
The apes saw it.
The wide-open space with mountain ranges in the distance.
The beach nestled against crystal blue waters.
A forest teeming with wildlife for hunting and ripen fruit bearing trees.
The light breeze tickled the hair on their bodies as they took in the view. This new place was beyond what they expected to find.
"This place is amazing…its unique!" The prince said jumping from his horse. He walked to the sand scooping the minerals into his hands and letting it fall through his fingers.
"Its home." Rocket replied dismounting from his steed. The older ape looked around with a smile on his face.
"We finally found it!"
Blue Eyes yelled in victory; the journey was over.
With their discovery, the apes could return to the Colony and begin evacuating to their new home. The prince walked over to his horse and grabbed a small sack, dumping sand inside it as a memento to show his father and the Council.
The young ape tied the sand to a rope attached to his steed and mounted onto the creature. He and Rocket shared a satisfied look at the land, before departing in the direction they arrived.
It would take a few days to reach the Colony, but it didn't bother Blue Eyes.
He was on his way home to his Marahan, and the ape couldn't be happier.