Ivy
Ivy had just finished sorting the roots and mushrooms she and the other females had brought home from their foraging that day, storing the fruits of their labour into several, finely weaved baskets – most of them being Ivy's own creations. She did fancy herself to be one of the best weavers in the colony, after all.
Now, being done with her assigned tasks for the day, Ivy had some time on her hands before the evening meal, which was still several hours away, and she honestly didn't quite know what to do with all this spare time.
If Orion had been here, I would have spent it with him… She thought wistfully, staring up at the giant, looming redwood trees as she exited the inner sanctum of the colony.
It had been three and a half months since he had disappeared among those trees and Ivy missed him terribly already. Their relationship had still been so new and exciting when he had left and the prospect of him being gone for a year… or two… maybe even more…
It hurt. It hurt really badly.
She didn't blame him for going, however. Blue Eyes was his best friend and had specifically asked Orion to go with him. Besides, Ivy knew that he felt a strong sense of duty towards the colony, as well as a wish to just get out there and see the world. Have an adventure and test his skills.
She could never blame him for any of that.
No, the thing that irked Ivy the most in all of this had been the fact that she couldn't go with them as well. There was no way Caesar, or anyone else for that matter, would let a young female ape join such a dangerous quest.
She huffed sourly at the thought as she made her way towards one of the bigger clearings in the forest surrounding the colony. Since she had nothing better to do, she might as well go and watch Lydia instruct the males in how to use a bow and arrow. She did that every afternoon ever since they had perfected the art of making the weapon, which had taken about two months of constant trial and error, several apes painstakingly carving, binding and stringing the wood until they found a method that ensured the bows didn't break. Good thing they had had Lydia's original bow to work from – otherwise it might have taken even longer to figure out.
Ivy sighed as she pushed through the bushes, several leaves breaking off the branches and falling to the ground as she did so. It was autumn now, and the forest was shedding its brown and golden vegetation to prepare for the wintery months to come. Soon, it wouldn't be nearly as safe to move through the forest without the protecting camouflage of the greenery and the females' foraging would be limited to the bare minimum. It was good that the apes were learning a new hunting method.
Ivy had a suspicion that it would come in very handy this winter.
The sound of Lydia's instructing soon caught the young female's ear and she emerged to find the human woman walking behind a row of about sixteen males, most of them around Ivy's age or slightly older, as she explained the best stance when drawing the weapon.
The young female ape pursed her lips and sat on top of an old log at the edge of the clearing, observing the lesson intently.
She was baffled with how few of them were able to follow Lydia's instructions properly. Had they not all been present at one point or another when Lydia had taught Malcolm, Ellie and Alex the same thing?
Stand squarely but not tensely, feet parallel to the target and use your back when drawing the bowstring – not your arms, Ivy cited in her mind, reaching up to twirl the lonely, silver braid at the side of her head between her nimble fingers. She rested her other arm across her thighs, slouching forward as she observed the lesson taking place in front of her.
I bet I could do it, she thought dejectedly, looking on as the males continued to struggle.
Really, sometimes, Ivy wished she was a human like Lydia. Nobody questioned the fact that she would go on hunts, even all by herself, or wield weapons or guard the colony like any of the ape males did.
And the young female ape was sure that, had Lydia not been needed here, nobody would have spared it a second thought if she had elected to go with Blue Eyes, Rocket and Orion.
It wasn't like Ivy was completely oblivious to the disadvantages Lydia faced by being human, though. She was well-aware that not everyone had been too fond of the woman when she had first arrived here, and she knew that there were many things Lydia couldn't do simply because she didn't have the same physique as the apes. She couldn't climb trees as well as them, for example, which was why she couldn't take part in the hunts the apes went on. Also, many thought her habits and mannerisms to be strange, though nowadays most had accepted them as being part of how Lydia was and hardly took notice of it.
Still, Ivy envied the freedom that came with falling outside any set category. Being female, but not an ape. Being a hunter, but not a male. Being a wise elder, but also playful and young.
Lydia was all those things, and though Ivy did treasure her life within the colony, she wished she could be as well.
The young ape female tugged thoughtfully at her little braid at that notion.
Why couldn't she be? Orion was used to his mother being that way, stubborn and brash, and he had even said that he appreciated that in Ivy as well. How she was able to stand up for herself.
Maybe she should do that now? Insist she be allowed to at least try? Chances were that Lydia would actually agree to it. She was, after all, the mother of Ivy's… well, intended mate, and Orion had asked Ivy to try and look after his mother while he was gone.
Maybe this could even be something for them to bond over?
And with that encouraging thought in mind, Ivy steeled herself and slid off the old log she had been sitting on before making a beeline across the clearing towards the dark-haired woman.
"No, No, Coal, you're overdrawing again." Lydia instructed one of her students as Ivy approached, the young male with pitch-black fur completely missing the target once he let the arrow fly as a result of his mistake. "Remember, only pull until the string is by your nose or cheek and no further… Oh, hey Ivy! What a nice surprise! Did you all finish gathering in the forest?"
Ivy nodded somewhat shyly in reply. It wasn't like she hadn't spoken to Lydia before or anything. She, like most other ape children in the village, had quite enjoyed crawling all over the woman, seeing as Lydia was slightly more tolerant of this sort of thing than most of the adult apes.
It was just… different now, somehow, after she had become her… what was the term? Mother-in-law? Yeah, Ivy believed that was it.
She eyed the targets painted onto the trees a few yards away, pointedly avoiding the curious gazes that had shifted in her direction when Lydia had spoken to her. They seemed utterly confused as to why she was here, one or two even raising a brow at her.
It only served to strengthen Ivy's resolve – she was going to do this!
"Can I try?" She asked Lydia in a soft voice, inclining her head towards the training field Lydia had set up.
The woman in front of her looked slightly taken aback by the question, her brows raised as she looked down at Ivy in mild surprise. She was just about to answer when someone else spoke up, much to Ivy's annoyance.
"Why? You will. Not fight. Or hunt." One of the males, a gorilla named Ripple, spoke gruffly from a few yards away, several of the other males nodding along at his statement.
"Not strong enough." Signed Hillock, an older ape who had joined the lesson as well. "Should tend to colony. Not to war."
"I still want. To learn." Ivy protested defiantly, a frown marring her delicate features as she regarded the apes opposing the idea. "I can do more. To tend to the colony."
"It is not the way of apes." Hillock argued, though he didn't look annoyed. Only slightly exasperated as he shook his head at Ivy, almost as if to show how naïve he thought she was.
Before Ivy could say anything else to defend her right to learn, Lydia spoke up, her tone even more defiant than Ivy's had been.
"And using a bow and arrow is? Because I don't remember anyone here besides me using them until quite recently and look at you all now." She challenged, arms crossed underneath her breasts as she regarded the ape males with a raised brow.
Ivy didn't want anyone to get into an argument because of her, and she was honestly quite used to fighting her own battles. Her own mother had even voiced her concern about Ivy ever being able to find a mate with such a wilful spirit to her.
"But Ivy. Is female!" Coal pointed out, making Ivy grind her teeth in agitation. It was always because she was a female! It was the only argument they ever used! "Females take care. Of the young… Gather roots… Make baskets… Prepare food."
The dark-haired woman raised a brow at her student, her expression utterly unimpressed.
"I'm female too, remember? Have you seen me do even half of those things? There are many other ways a female can be useful to the colony, Coal. And why should Ivy or Tinker or Rain, or anyone else for that matter, not be allowed to learn just because of that?" Lydia shot back at the young ape, her voice calm and collected, though Ivy could see her blue eyes were burning with barely-contained indignation on her behalf.
"But you are not ape female, Lydia." Hillock signed gently but firmly. "It is different with you."
At that, some of the younger apes hesitated to agree, Ivy was pleased to note. Many of them had grown up with Lydia as an authority figure like any of the adult apes, and besides, the vast majority of them quite liked the human woman. Nobody wanted to get on the wrong foot with her.
There were still a low murmur of agreement following Hillock's statement, however, though when Ivy looked to the human once again, there was no trace of malice to be found in her expression.
"Yes, you're quite right, Hillock," Lydia replied calmly, tapping her index finger lightly against her arm – a sign of slight irritation, Ivy interpreted. "For starters, I am physically much weaker than most, if not all of the ape females in the colony."
Ivy anticipated the backhanded insult before any of the males in front of them did and had to fight hard to hold back a very unfeminine snort of laughter when several of them visibly blanched as Lydia continued to make her point.
"And yet, I'm the one out here, training all of you in how to use a weapon."
The silence and embarrassed huffs that followed the woman's words only seemed to underline what she had said. After a few seconds with no one challenging her arguments further, Lydia smirked in satisfaction, turned around and picked up one of the bows not being used, as well as a quiver full of arrows while she was at it.
Then, she handed the items to Ivy.
"Now, how about we let the young lady try, shall we?" She spoke with a bright smile as she regarded Ivy, eyes full of encouragement.
The young female practically beamed right back at the taller woman and immediately took the weapon offered to her, moving to stand in front of one of the unused targets.
"I assume you've heard enough of my ranting to remember what to do?" Lydia inquired, and Ivy looked back to see her standing a few feet behind her, her arms crossed underneath her breasts and resting most of her weight on one leg as she observed Ivy. She seemed completely relaxed and utterly confident that Ivy was going to prove these males wrong and the silvery female chimp felt a surge of joy and respect rush through her at this realisation.
Here was someone who, like Orion, not only accepted the fact that she was different and wanted to learn things that weren't necessarily stereotypical for her gender, but who actually encouraged it and was willing to fight for her right to do so.
And Ivy was determined not to disappoint. It simply wasn't an option now that someone had put so much stock in her abilities.
She nodded with a serious look on her face and turned back to the task at hand, inhaling deeply as she prepared for what she was about to do. She knew all eyes were on her, the majority of the onlookers more than just a little critical of her even being allowed to do this in the first place.
And it was that fact which made that familiar rush of defiance surge through her, prompting her to finally get into position and lifting the bow the way she had seen Lydia do it.
Feet parallel to the target. Square, not tense. Back does the job – not the arms.
The words went repeatedly through her head like a mantra as she began to draw her bow, eyes locked at the target.
Don't overdraw – pull only to the nose or cheek, she remembered Lydia's words to Coal from before, pulling back until the bowstring was right where Lydia had said it should be.
The woman herself said nothing, as opposed to what she had done with all the other apes. Ivy took as a good sign and looked to the target several yards away from her instead.
And try not to try…
The words Lydia had spoken to Malcolm all those months ago lingered in Ivy's mind as her emerald orbs focused on the painted circles on the tree, and she calmly exhaled as she let go of the sleek arrow between her fingers.
It soared through the air with a prominent 'whoosh' and Ivy's eyes widened in utter surprise when it actually hit the target – and not just one of the outer rings either, but right beside the bullseye, on the part of the bark that was not covered in the apes' white war paint.
It was closer to the centre of the target than most of the other apes present had managed to shoot after several tries.
The silence that followed from the onlookers was nerve-wracking for the young female chimpanzee, right up until the point when Lydia decided to voice her opinion on the matter.
"Excellent, Ivy! I can see a certain someone has been paying close attention!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, uncrossing her hands to place her hands on her hips, head held high and an expression that Ivy could only describe as utter pride across her features.
"Now, how about you give it another go so we can say for sure that it wasn't just beginner's luck, huh?" The human woman continued to speak, followed by several hoots of agreement from the males just beside her.
"I can try." Ivy agreed hastily, moving to do the same thing one more time.
And proving beyond all doubt that it wasn't just beginner's luck, as her next arrow struck just shy of the second-to-outer ring – a worse shot than her previous one, but still extremely good for someone who had never held a bow before, much less knocked and loosened an arrow from it.
And Lydia made sure to tell her that, almost making Ivy's ears turn red at the praising words she received.
And the males… Well, they seemed quite impressed, if a little put out by the fact that they had been outdone by a female.
The only one who really seemed to still have a problem with this after Ivy's display was Ripple, who scoffed and looked to Lydia with an exasperated expression on his face.
"She is still. Not going. To use it, Lydia." He argued once again. "Females. Do not. Hunt. Or fight."
Lydia merely raised a slender, dark brow at the young ape, almost as if to ask him if he was really going to continue to try and argue with her.
"Oh yeah? Let's say this war with the soldiers down in the city draws out and we will have to send all the males to fight, even the young ones like yourself – who is going to feed the colony then, Ripple? Or do you think we'll all be fine living on mushrooms, roots and berries?"
The young gorilla frowned at the question, clearly not having though as far as that. He didn't give up immediately, though.
"There are. Also fish." He countered meekly and, surprisingly, Hillock spoke up in support of Lydia's argument now.
"It is mostly males' task too, Ripple." The older chimp signed, his movements slow and deliberate. Then, he turned back to Lydia once more, an expectant look in his hazel eyes. "I assume you will discuss this with Maurice? And Caesar too?"
At that, Lydia smiled knowingly at the oldest chimp, casting a quick, appreciative glance at Ivy before returning her gaze to Hillock and answering with a obvious hint of pride in her voice.
"Seeing how quick of a study this one is, you can bet I'm going to discuss this with them! Besides, I think we can all agree that it's a good idea that the females are able to defend the colony in the males' absence, right?"
Ivy was surprised to see that every single ape present, even Ripple, nodded at that and she turned towards the human woman with an expression of open admiration. All she had wanted when she had come here was to try out the weapon, really – she had never, in her wildest dreams, imagined that Lydia would manage to not only have her be part of the lesson, but want to make it an opportunity for the other females in the colony as well!
Of course, it would only happen if Caesar approved of it. Then again, the Ape King seemed to take Lydia's counsel very seriously and besides, even if he ended up not approving of the idea, Ivy was certain Lydia would still be willing to at least teach her.
"So… Shall we continue the lesson, everyone?" Lydia spoke with a hint of mirth in her voice and everyone immediately went back to what they had been doing, seemingly more motivated than ever after having witnessed Ivy's display.
And the young female chimp couldn't help the subtle smile that appeared on her face as she joined the lesson in earnest.
Oh, if only Orion could see me now! Ivy thought excitedly as she knocked another arrow and let it fly towards the target just like the other ones had, hitting the top of the second-to-middle ring on the tree.
It ended up being the greatest afternoon she had had in three and a half months.
Maurice
"I do not think it wise, Lydia." Caesar spoke with a soft frown on his face as he regarded the woman, his hands grasping each other loosely in his lap.
Him, Maurice and Lydia were sitting together in a quiet corner of the main cave of the colony, as requested by the woman herself. She was not a member of the Royal Ape Council and as such, this was by no means an official council meeting.
She ought to be a member, though, Maurice thought. Lydia had much to contribute with and besides, the old orangutan knew that Caesar often took her opinion into account either way. It really was a wonder that she had not been made an official council member yet, even if she was a human – especially seeing as with Koba's betrayal and the departure of Rocket and Blue Eyes, the council had shrunk considerably. The scarred bonobo was dead, and Stone and Grey had lost their positions due to their involvement in the betrayal, the latter leaving the colony with what was left of Koba's followers.
Add Blue Eyes and Rocket's absence to that, and the Royal Ape Council, as of right now, only really consisted of Maurice, Luca, Tinker, who had taken Cornelia's place when it came to organising the females' tasks, and then the Ape King himself.
And quite honestly, Maurice thought it might be prudent to have someone on the council who was franker with Caesar than even the orangutan himself was. Someone who was forward, even brash when the situation called for it, but still loyal and able to come up with new ideas that could help the colony to survive this difficult time.
Lydia fits that description perfectly, the wise orangutan mused quietly, observing the conversation as it unfolded before his keen eyes.
"Come on, it can't be that much of a problem, Caesar." Lydia spoke, rolling her eyes at the chimp.
Returning to the topic at hand, Maurice's gaze shifted between the two, quietly examining Lydia's proposition in his own mind. It certainly was an interesting, if unorthodox idea that she had presented to the Ape King and his trusted orangutan advisor.
But, Maurice had to admit, not exactly one he hadn't entertained himself prior to this conversation.
"All I'm saying is that it would be probably be best if everyone, or at least the majority of the colony, learned how to fend for themselves, including the females. Is that so wrong?" Lydia explained, a frown beginning to make its appearance on her pale features.
She seemed genuinely confused by the Ape King's reaction to what she was suggesting, and Maurice couldn't help but notice the barely-visible hint of hurt within her deep blue orbs as she stared at their leader. As if Caesar was being unreasonable for having reservations about training the females in combat and the use of weaponry.
The Ape King sighed deeply, his lips set in a thin line as his green-and-golden gaze studied the woman in front of him.
"Not wrong." He replied while shaking his head. "Just not our way."
"That's exactly what Hillock said earlier today and even he had to agree after he saw how well Ivy took to it."
Ah yes, it could only have been Ivy, Maurice thought amusedly. Of course the young female chimp would have been the one to ask Lydia to teach her this. It had come as no surprise to the orangutan, really, when Lydia had recounted the incident from earlier today.
And it should also have come as no surprise that Lydia had indulged Ivy when she had come asking. The two were very like-minded, after all, and Maurice had a sneaking suspicion that it was part of the reason Orion had set his sights on the silver-furred female in the first place, be it a conscious decision or not.
"Females take care of the children. And the children are apes' future, Lydia." Caesar shot back patiently. "It is not their task to fight."
His speech had gotten steadily better during these past few months, and he now spoke almost without any breaks for breath.
"And with almost all the male apes out fighting, who's going to protect that future? Who, besides me, is going to hunt for meat to feed everyone? Who's going to defend us if we're ambushed?" The human woman persisted, her back straightened and her expression turning imploring as she sat in front of the Ape King.
"There are still many males here." Came his reply, a crease appearing between his brows. "Many to protect everyone still."
Lydia rolled her eyes yet again and it struck Maurice that she must believe Caesar to be quite naïve.
The elder orangutan decided to remain silent for now, though he would have to agree with the human woman on this matter. Caesar did tend to think the best of others and their intentions, and he had underestimated humans' determination to reach their goals before. This naivete had very nearly been at the cost of the entire colony in the past, and the main reason why Caesar had decided to set up the Royal Ape Council in the first place.
And yet it would seem that the Ape King still had yet to rid himself completely of this notion, even now.
As it turned out, Maurice didn't even have to voice his opinion on the matter anyway, as Lydia's next words articulated his thoughts perfectly.
"Now there are, but what about six months from now? A year? Or two? Can you say for sure that there's still going to be as many males staying back to protect the colony by then? Because I find that highly unlikely."
At this, Caesar's gaze turned stern and his customary frown deepened. It was rare for him to look at Lydia like that – to be honest, Maurice had only ever witnessed it a handful of times himself, and it usually only happened when neither was willing to back down or agree on a compromise. Like when she had insisted on witnessing the king's fight with the traitorous bonobo at the human tower.
They are both very passionate, the orangutan noted.
"We do not know if it will be that long." Caesar retorted, his posture straightening in the same way Lydia's had done only moments ago as he instinctively attempted to reassert his authority. "Your task is to help us learn. How to fight against the soldiers… If you must teach everyone, it will take longer still. And take more time for making more weapons. Time that should be used teaching those who will need it."
Maurice sighed at that, seeing that this argument was going nowhere. And they are both very stubborn too, he added to his previous statement inside his mind.
Before he could intervene and give his opinion on the matter, Lydia did an audible, slow intake of breath and closed her eyes for a brief second, almost as if to gather courage before performing a trying task. It drew the orangutan's attention immediately and had a sense or worry for the woman rise inside his chest.
It was rarely good when Lydia grew eerily silent like this.
Then she released her breath in a heavy exhale through her nose and reopened her eyes to regard the Ape King with a calculated stare.
"I've agreed not to take part in the actual fighting with the soldiers because you told me I was needed more here. Because you said I could be of more use back at the colony itself." She spoke calmly, her face a carefully-constructed mask of neutrality. "Later you asked me to teach the apes how to use bows and arrows so that we may defend ourselves and I agreed to do that too, without question… But…"
She paused for a while, seemingly choosing her next words extremely carefully, her expression stern and her eyes staring directly into Caesar's own, deep blue clashing with green and gold as she finished her sentence.
Or her ultimatum, as it were.
"I won't continue to do it if you won't give everyone the opportunity learn, Caesar."
A tense silence followed in which Maurice didn't even dare give a soothing rumble to try and placate the two – Caesar in particular, whose shoulders squared at the prospect of being defied so blatantly. It was a brave move, even for someone who Caesar trusted as much as he did Lydia, since not even Maurice or Rocket openly went against the Ape Kings commands. Besides, he hadn't been truly challenged since Koba's betrayal over half a year ago and while Caesar knew that Lydia was not looking for a fight and only had the colony's best interests at heart, Maurice figured that the Ape King probably didn't appreciate her methods of persuasion.
This was only confirmed as Caesar's nostrils flared with a deep intake of breath and he stared long and hard at the human woman in front of him.
Maurice didn't exactly fear for Lydia, knowing that while Caesar did have a temper to him, he would never harm anyone for disagreeing with him – especially not any of his close friends and a female to boot. It just wasn't the Ape King's way.
Still, it didn't mean he couldn't get absolutely furious when he was openly defied like this.
To her credit, Lydia did not even flinch when faced with Caesar's angry stare, her only reaction to the large male chimp's display of authority being a hardening of her own gaze and the appearance of a slight crease between her brows.
There was no way she was backing down.
At this moment, Maurice decided that it was time for him to break this up and he released a low rumble from deep within his chest to gain the Ape King's attention. Caesar's gaze reluctantly left Lydia's in favour of looking to the old orangutan.
But if he was expecting Maurice's support, the red-furred ape was going to have to disappoint his leader.
The orangutan merely nodded his large head as he stared the Ape King in the eyes, his gaze imploring the large chimp to just give in and listen to reason. It wasn't a bad idea, to be honest. Yes, it would take more time and resources, but the possibility of it becoming a necessity could simply not be ignored.
Lydia had the right of it in this matter, plain and simple.
The Ape King's gaze quickly returned to the human woman once Maurice had made his opinion known, pursing his lips before sighing heavily, his entire posture seemingly deflating in resignation.
"Do as you will." Caesar finally gave in with one, curt nod to confirm his decision, still with a deep frown on his face.
Then, the Ape King rose from his place on the cave floor, not even sparing either of them a second glance as he stalked off towards the cave's exit by the waterfall, most likely to be alone with his thoughts if Maurice knew him well. It wasn't yet time for sleep, after all, and Cornelius was being fed by Brook, so there was nothing to hinder Caesar from going to some private place and sort his thoughts out.
And with that, Maurice was left sitting together with Lydia in silence as she, too, calmed down. It was extremely rare that the human woman and the Ape King had a disagreement, and especially one of this severity, so it was really no wonder to the old orangutan when Lydia did a tired, heavy sigh once the Caesar disappeared out of the cave.
"I hope he isn't too offended that I basically blackmailed him into agreeing to this." She said in a dejected tone, clearly not feeling good about the fact that she had gone against him in the first place and probably fearing that the Ape King's foul mood would persist.
Maurice knew it wouldn't and shook his head at the idea, the large, dark cheek flaps swaying ever so slightly with the action.
"I don't think he is offended at all." He replied gently, releasing a light rumble from within his throat as he signed. "Only concerned… So much has changed already, and I think Caesar only wants to maintain what little normalcy we have left now. Don't take his anger to heart, Lydia."
Lydia nodded absent-mindedly beside the old orangutan, her entire posture deflating now that she did not have to stand her ground anymore and could relax once again.
"I'm not taking it to heart at all… I just honestly expected him to agree without too much arguing. I mean, it's for the safety of the colony…"
At that, the orangutan fixed Lydia with a humoured look, his brows raised as he replied in sign.
"'Without too much arguing?' From Caesar?" He replied amusedly, partly trying to ease the woman's mind with a bit of humour, and partly in actual surprise at the confidence she seemed to have in herself and her ability to convince the Ape King.
Lydia cracked a small, barely-there smile at the orangutan, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders.
"Is what I'm suggesting really that outrages?"
Maurice shook his head, grunting.
"No, it is not, and Caesar will come to see it as well. Just give him some time to think on it." He replied reassuringly, patting Lydia's arm when he finished signing.
Lydia reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose in agitation, squeezing her eyes tightly shut and groaning quietly in response to Maurice's words.
"Then what's the problem? One would think that he, of all people, would be able to see the sense in everyone having the ability to defend themselves?" She spoke in an exasperated tone, removing her hand from her face to gesture towards the centre of the cave in a hopeless manner.
Following her movement, Maurice saw ape children playing rambunctiously while their mothers tended to different tasks. Meanwhile, other apes were sitting in little groups on various plateaus around the cave, doing repairs on their tools and baskets while talking together, both verbally and in sign. Apes of all ages were gathered here, going about their daily routine as the war in the forest waged on.
And seeing as most of Caesar's forces on different forest outposts had yet to return for the day, well over three quarters of these apes were females, the vast majority of them unable to use any type of weapon. Lydia's point was only all too clear to the old orangutan.
He rumbled at her words, returning his understanding gaze to the human woman.
"I think he simply does not like thinking of the possibility that this war will continue for so long that the females would need this skill. He has already moved Blue Eyes out of harm's way… and you as well. But you are right – he can hardly do that with everyone here."
Lydia had the decency to look sheepish at the mention of Caesar actively keeping her away from the fighting, but then she crossed her arms and got an agitated look on her face.
"It doesn't really matter if he likes thinking of it or not, Maurice. It has to be taken into consideration either way."
"And Caesar will face it when presented with counsels like yours and mine." Maurice reminded the dark-haired woman with the utmost patience, receiving only a subdued, seemingly hopeless nod in reply as she stared ahead at the rushing waterfall a few yards away.
The orangutan knew Lydia to be a wise individual, and he did believe that she had the right of it in this matter. She made good points and it was only her bad luck that Caesar was too stubborn to realise it until she had had to resort to essentially blackmailing him to make the Ape King see reason.
Then again, she was probably the only one who would dare to do so – much less get away with it.
And it in was moments such as this one that the aging orangutan theorised that his king might just have a soft spot for the dark-haired woman, though he never deigned to call attention to it. It was their business, after all, and so far, they seemed to be only the best of friends.
That speculation aside, Maurice sighed deeply at Lydia's continuously dejected demeanour, shoulders slouched and eyes downcast. She had said she didn't take Caesar's reaction to heart, but deep down, the red-furred ape knew she probably did anyway. She may be forward, passionate and stubborn to a fault, but she didn't like arguing with those she cared about any more than anyone else did.
He reached over and put a heavy hand onto her shoulder, squeezing it in a reassuring manner and drawing her attention back onto himself once more.
"Leave him to mull it over for a day or two, Lydia. He will come to see that it is the right decision. We both know him well enough to know this."
At that, the human woman smiled ever so slightly and nodded at the orangutan.
"Thanks, Maurice… And thanks for supporting it. I know it's probably not the apes' way and Caesar doesn't want to stir things up too much right now, but… you know."
"War is not our way either." The aging orangutan pointed out, returning her smile as he went on. "And I try to always support reason, even when Caesar does not."
At that, Lydia seemingly couldn't help but chuckle and Maurice was glad to see that she wasn't upset or angry anymore. He had always thought a smile suited her better than a frown, anyway, as it did most people.
And he was absolutely sure Caesar would get over this little disagreement, eventually.
If for no other reason than because it was Lydia he had argued with.
He did have a soft spot for her, after all.
