Author's Note:
PLEASE NOTE: Next week's chapter will be the last one in 2018, seeing as I'm taking friday 28th of December off to have a little break in-between Christmas and New Year :) I will take up the weekly updates once more from January 4th and onwards :)
Caesar
"They tire you, Lydia?" Came the Ape King's amused voice as he entered the large clearing where Lydia trained the apes in the art of archery, and where many now also trained in the use of other weapons, such as spears and bolas.
The human woman was sitting on the fallen log where they kept some the weapons for training stored, having momentarily stopped her work on one of her sewing projects as she looked over the practicing apes. She smiled with a raised brow at Caesar as he came to stand by her, observing the occupants of the clearing with great interest.
"Quite the contrary, to be honest. They hardly need me instructing them at all today, so I thought I'd get some sewing done in the meantime and have them call me over if they have problems." She responded quite cheerfully, resting her hands in her lap as she turned to stare up at him, her eyes bright and her smile playfully crooked.
It had been an easy day for her, it would seem, and Caesar found his mind calmed by that fact. Nine months had passed since Rocket and the boys had left, and the fighting in the forest was drawing out, no one side gaining any ground over the other. It was nice to see that at least some things were going their way.
Perhaps I should just be happy that the Colonel's army has not managed to advance, Caesar briefly mused. At least that meant that their home remained safe, though the continued strain of the fighting, and the dead and injured apes returning home week after week, still made the king's stomach churn.
But he took heart in Lydia's smile. It was good to see her like that, especially since Orion's absence still left her sleepless more than usual most nights – her frequent appearances in the cave down by the river a testament to that fact. On those nights, she and the Ape King would talk about their worries and hopes for the future or remain silent and enjoy each other's company. Taking comfort in being in the presence of someone who understood.
What they never really spoke about, however, were their feelings for one another. Ever since that incident several months ago, when Lydia had attempted to teach Caesar archery, it had seemed like they had made a silent agreement not to discuss the topic. They had enough to worry about as it were.
However, that didn't mean the Ape King's feelings had diminished in that time. In fact, Caesar felt steadily more drawn towards the human woman sitting in front of him now, as the stab of guilt every time he thought about his feelings became less and less noticeable.
The Ape King nodded at her words.
"It sounds like you are getting a lot done." He commented with a raised brow, still surveying the practicing apes with keen eyes. Everyone seemed to be doing fine without Lydia's guidance for now.
She shrugged as she began putting away her sewing, stuffing it into a simple leather bag she could sling over her shoulder. It had patterns of dark string stitched into the hide, creating an elaborate pattern of claw-like markings.
"If you consider getting up once in a while to provide help and then go back to sewing a couple of minutes later being a lot, then I suppose I have, yeah." Lydia spoke, though she didn't sound agitated.
Perhaps a bit…
"Bored?" Caesar ventured questioningly, giving her a sideways glance.
A brief chuckle left the human woman.
"Perhaps a tiny bit. You know how I enjoy having something to occupy my time with."
Ah, yes. He knew that all too well. Sometimes it seemed to him that Lydia was like an ever-moving current of a river, with either her mind, her body or at the very least her hands always moving, shaping and flowing. She would hunt, she would sew, fletch her arrows or skin her kills. She would have animated discussions with him or Maurice, often leading to lengthy debates which stretched and exercised the mind.
Stagnation, be it of the body or the mind, did not sit well with her. Lydia wanted to be of use. To make progress.
And speaking of progress…
"How is the female hunting party?" He asked, his tone casual.
Since Lydia was the female with the most hunting experience, as well as the one to suggest the other females learn this skill, she was the one in charge of organising both the training and the hunts themselves. She was also the one to report to Caesar on how said hunts had gone.
"Good. In fact, they brought home quite a nice catch this afternoon – I don't think we'll have to worry too much about meat the next couple of days." Lydia replied with a satisfied, sincere smile on her face.
He nodded at that. A few days with plenty of food to spare meant that everyone could focus on other things, such as making weapons, tanning hides or make more herbal medicines for those injured in the skirmishes in the forest.
"Your idea seems to have become a great success." The Ape King commented clinically, looking at the apes training with their weapons once more.
About two thirds of this lesson's students were females of varying ages, all looking quite capable as they wielded spears, bows, bolas and flint knives.
"You know… I don't want to be the one to say, 'I told you so', but…" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, barely managing to feign an expression of innocence.
"You told me so." He replied with a soft, huffing laugh.
He might be a stubborn ape, in fact he was quite aware that he was, but he wasn't so high and mighty that he couldn't admit when he had been wrong about something. His reservations toward her suggestion had been based on his own insecurities and the fact that he didn't want to radically change the apes' way of life in a time of strife like this. The Ape King had feared it would bring instability to the colony to try and introduce something like this and had been more than just a little surprised to see just how many of the females actually supported the idea when presented with it. Even most of the males seemed comfortable with it by now, many commenting on how they felt better with the knowledge that their mothers, mates and children could now defend themselves in their absence.
Caesar liked to think nowadays that it made them more focused when they were out fighting in the forest, since they didn't have to worry quite as much about the safety of their loved ones back home.
And well… it did give some much-needed breathing room for the males to have the females' hunting to fall back on if they themselves were not successful.
All in all, Caesar was glad that he had ended up permitting it.
"Pretty much, yeah." Lydia answered, shrugging yet again as a smug grin found its way to her face. "Though I think you made up for being such a stubborn ape when you put me on the council, didn't you?"
Her tone was teasing, but Caesar knew that the question itself was serious enough. He could see it in her eyes when he turned towards her.
He grimaced softly at the idea.
"I hope you know I did it most of all because I value your opinion. Not just… as a means to make amends… for my mistake."
His tone had a somewhat sobering effect on her teasing demeanour and Lydia pursed her lips as she stared back into his green, golden-specked eyes.
"I know you did, Caesar… I just couldn't help but wonder about… well, the timing." She answered him truthfully.
At that, he couldn't help a small smile. While it was true that their argument was what had finally prompted him to make this decision, the announcement itself had actually been more of a spur-of-the-moment incident. When he saw how much support Lydia's proposition had gained from the females at that gathering – and how one of the males seemed to think it fitting to back-handedly insult her – the deal had been sealed for the Ape King. If something like this wouldn't cause an uproar, then surely making the person who had suggested it a council member wouldn't either – be they human or not.
And it hadn't. Sure, some had seemed indignant, but overall the decision was applauded by the majority of the apes.
The fact that it also worked as a way to make up for his previous unwillingness to listen had been more of a coincidence, really, but he didn't want her to think it was his way of settling matters between the two of them. He preferred to do that through mature dialogue, not favours of such… grandiose proportions.
And well… He couldn't very well announce her as a member of his council more than once, now could he?
"The timing was… coincidence." He offered somewhat sheepishly, knowing it would probably still seem a bit too coincidental to her anyway. "I have thought about granting that position to you for a long time… Maurice has been suggesting it as well."
Caesar almost felt like he was dragging the orangutan into the conversation just to use him as a viable excuse, even if Maurice had actually mentioned that it would probably be prudent to have her as a member.
As the chimp had expected, Lydia smiled somewhat crookedly at him.
"I'm sure it-" She said, only to pause mid-sentence and get a confused look on her face as her gaze was redirected to something behind Caesar.
He frowned briefly and turned to see for himself what had managed to grab the human woman's attention and was met with the sight of one of the members of his Gorilla Guard coming through the bushes with a searching look on his face. The moment his eyes found the Ape King, the young male gorilla hurried towards his leader, wearing a worried look on his dark, gruff face that put Caesar very much on edge.
Had something happened? An ambush, perhaps? From the soldiers? Had they managed to find the apes without Caesar and his troops being aware of their approach?
The rapid stream of horrible thoughts sent a chilling tremble through Caesar's dark pelt, but he quickly noticed that the ape coming towards him didn't seem scared or desperate, quickly leading Caesar to be believe that his reason for being here wasn't as pressing as the king had first thought.
No, this ape wasn't scared... if anything, he looked irate. Bristling, even, nostrils flared and frown deep with concern as he approached the large chimp.
Silence descended over the clearing as those occupying the training fields also noticed the newcomer, everyone suddenly growing tense as they, too, noticed the mental state of the gorilla.
Caesar straightened as he turned towards the other ape while Lydia stood up and went forward to stand beside him, ready to spring into action, as always.
"Caesar! Must come!" The ape signed jaggedly, huffing agitatedly. "We have trouble."
The king's brow furrowed.
"What has happened?" He asked, his expression stern.
The young gorilla huffed again and pursed his lips in obvious distaste as he spoke his next words.
"They're back. Cedar has returned with some of Koba's followers." He signed finally, and Caesar felt his chest grow cold from within.
"Cedar…? What about Grey? Or…?" Came Lydia's confused voice, turning quieter towards the end of her sentence and Caesar knew she meant to ask about Red, probably concerned that he had returned too.
Caesar almost bristled at the thought, remembering very vividly how distraught Lydia had been about the red gorilla's behaviour before he had left all those months ago. The comments he had spewed and the advances he had so brutishly tried to make on her.
If that ape was back, Caesar swore he would…-
The gorilla in front of them quickly shook his head.
"She leads these apes alone. They're mostly females and young." He informed, his gaze shifting between Caesar and Lydia, almost as if he didn't quite know who to look at. "She wouldn't tell us why they were alone. She asks for you."
Caesar's frown only deepened. What was the meaning of this?
Looking over at Lydia, he could tell that she was having much the same thought, a hard look appearing on her features at this news. Underneath that expression, however, Caesar could easily detect apprehension. An anxiousness he had to admit he very much shared with her in that moment.
"Tell everyone to gather in the caves." The Ape King spoke gravelly to the gorilla in front of him, jaw set, and eyes determined. "And take me to her."
Lydia
Lydia pursed her lips, her eyes surveying the relatively small band of apes in front of her.
Cedar, Grey's mate, was their leader and spoke for them as they stood on display in front of the entire colony – as well as the Ape King and his council, sat upon the large boulder where they usually held their meetings.
And the fact that Lydia had sat down with them hadn't escaped Cedar's notice.
"She is on your Ape Council now?" The female chimp had signed in obvious indignation, her green eyes directed disapprovingly at Lydia before she returned her gaze to Caesar.
Lydia had wanted to make a snarky comment at that, not quite believing the nerve of this ape. She had always been testy, never passing up an opportunity to question Cornelia's leadership of the females in the past, though always managing to do it so subtly that it had never seemed like actual opposition on her part.
Before Lydia could as much as defensively cross her arms, however, Tinker was at it.
"You return to us now, seeking shelter and safety after having betrayed and abandoned the colony, and the first thing you do is insult a member of the council?" She signed as she held her head high, clearly agitated. "Brave… or foolish, considering no one here is a friend of yours."
Cedar wasn't impressed one bit and eyed Tinker coldly.
"Excuse me for my… surprise. I was under the impression that it was a council of apes. For apes."
Maurice rumbled deeply at that, his gaze unusually hard as he regarded the female chimp.
"Some are apes on the inside only, Cedar." He signed with slow, deliberate movements. "While others only remain apes on the outside."
Lydia resisted the urge to turn and stare at Maurice in wide-eyed astonishment at his jab. He normally didn't indulge the urge to dish out insults, no matter how subtle – Lydia quite honestly didn't think he had it in him at this point – but here he was, throwing one right into Cedar's face in front of the entire colony.
It clearly didn't sit well with the female chimp, whose lips were set in a thin line as she visibly resisted the urge to retaliate. All around, members of the colony murmured and signed discreetly, equally as surprised as Lydia at the elder orangutan's words.
It all ceased, however, when Caesar held up his hand, as he usually did when he asked for silence, and then frowned deeply as he stared at Cedar and her group.
"Why are you here, Cedar?" He asked, voice deep and grave as it resonated through the large cave. "Where are the rest of the apes who left?"
At that, Cedar seemed to shrink ever so slightly, her shoulders hunched and rigid-looking as her brow furrowed.
"They have died." She signed after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. "Murdered… We are all that is left."
Confused and surprised hoots and gibbering erupted throughout the cave at Cedar's words, many seemingly scared and looking to each other in obvious concern. Lydia herself was also taken aback by this information, though did her best to maintain a neutral expression. Shocking as it was, it lacked an explanation.
Obviously, Caesar thought so too as he gestured for silence once more, then leaned forward to stare intently down at Cedar, studying her face as he spoke.
"What happened, Cedar?"
To Lydia, it looked like she was about to flinch at his tone, but Cedar managed to somewhat suppress the urge and chose instead to look up at the Ape King in an almost defiant manner, as if daring him to question her next words.
"We were betrayed." She announced with rage in her eyes. "By Red. He thought he could control Grey. Act as the leader without taking responsibility. He let my mate take that instead."
Lydia wasn't surprised that Red would do something like this, honestly. It was quite believable. What she couldn't understand was why it had led to Cedar coming back with such a small group all by herself, consisting mainly of females and young, with only a few, straggling males who honestly didn't seem to know what to do with themselves at the moment. Were the others really dead, as Cedar now claimed? And if so, what did Red have to do with that?
A cold, unpleasant chill went down her spine at the thought. She had been face to face with the gorilla and even if he had been young compared to the likes of Luca, he was still a large, imposing ape male.
But even so, he wouldn't have been able to take on an entire group of apes by himself, as even the relatively small band of females standing in front of the colony now would have been able to overpower him.
No male, no matter how large or powerful, stood a chance against an enraged group of females – especially not if they had young to protect. Everyone knew that.
So, what had happened?
"Grey didn't let him. They argued often. It got worse and worse with every month as Grey kept refusing to lead as Red wanted him to." Cedar continued, the group behind her looking steadily more apprehensive as their story unfolded with their lead female's signing. "I thought Red would challenge my mate for leadership but… he never did. He only got ever angrier until one day, he had left with a small group of about sixteen males."
Caesar's frown got steadily deeper, Lydia noticed, as he listened to the female chimp's story, his hands grasping each other in his lap and his intense gaze still directed at Cedar's face, almost as if he was looking for tells to prove that she was lying to them all.
He didn't seem to find any.
"We thought he had only left with those who agreed with his leadership… That that was the last we would ever see of him…" Cedar began to trail off oddly, her gaze lowering to the ground in front of her and, to Lydia's surprise, her green eyes began to glisten in the torchlight with unshed tears. "We were mistaken."
Some of the females standing behind Cedar began to whimper quietly, those who still had small children squeezing them to their chests as anxious expressions appeared on their faces.
Lydia didn't like where this was going, and when Cedar proceeded with her tale, the human woman could swear her heart skipped a beat.
"But they returned a month ago, weeks after abandoning us… Returned with the soldiers!" The female chimp signed jaggedly, tears of rage spilling down her cheeks now as she lifted her gaze once again to face Caesar, a hideous grimace across her face. "Red and the others brought them back to us! Made a deal with them! He shot my mate! To please them!"
A surge of horrified gibbering and outraged hoots filled the large cave and Maurice released an anxious rumble beside Caesar. Lydia herself resisted the urge to gasp, choosing instead to maintain a careful, neutral expression as she stared openly at Cedar, studying her.
Her rage seemed sincere enough. Her harsh breaths and the fire in her green eyes spoke of someone who felt wronged and betrayed – a feeling Lydia knew well.
Still, what if she was lying? Though Lydia held no friendly feelings towards Red, the claim that he was willing to go to the soldiers and strike a bargain with them to get rid of an opponent… It seemed farfetched. Had he really fallen so far that he would turn to the apes' enemies as a last resort?
Beside the human woman, Caesar leaned forward, his elbows on top of his knees and eyes narrowing at the she-ape in front of him.
"How did you escape?" He asked inquisitively once the noise from the startled colony had died down once more.
Cedar's frown deepened.
"I lead the females away as Grey and the other males fought. I am the lead female of these apes. It was my duty to get them away unharmed."
Looking over the small group of about twenty individuals, it was clear to Lydia that not all the females who had left with Grey all those months ago had managed to follow Cedar, a fact which had the cogs in Lydia's head turn. Had the missing females become casualties in the incident Cedar spoke of, or was this yet another part of an elaborate plot to retake the entirety of the colony?
The human woman decided to prod. Search for a reaction.
And she knew just what would sting the most.
"You didn't manage to get all the females out of there?" She asked, unconsciously tilting her head at the ape in front of her. "If you fancied yourself a queen, shouldn't you have made sure everyone got away?"
Cedar's head whipped towards her and the she-ape's upper lip pulled back as she flashed her fangs at Lydia.
"How dare you!? You of all!" Cedar hissed as she signed, hackles raising, though Lydia was largely unaffected by the display of aggression. She knew she was safe – especially seeing as Tinker was putting on a similar front in retaliation beside her, a clear warning for Cedar to back off and show some respect.
"I dare," Lydia replied calmly, her expression giving nothing away, "because you've returned to us with fewer females than what you originally left with. I dare because I know you've always been critical of Cornelia's leadership of the females here, seemingly thinking you could do better. And I dare because you've betrayed us once before, and I'm trying to determine if you're attempting to do so again."
Best to lay the cards on the table, Lydia thought as she tapped her finger against her knee, engaging in a stare-down with Cedar as she waited for a reply.
Waiting to see if she was going to take the deaths of the missing females upon herself. Waiting to see if she was finally ready to openly admit her ever-present resentment of Cornelia and her position in the colony. Waiting to see what her reply would be to Lydia's blatant accusation.
Though she was no longer showing her canines, Cedar's expression remained tight as she stared right back at the human woman, most likely weighing her options.
"I… I could not gather everyone. The ambush happened without warning… and many did not want to follow… Did not want to leave their mates and sons to fight. Refused to be led by me." She finally said in a dejected manner.
"And why is that, do you think?" Lydia probed further.
She was very aware of the searching stares the rest of the Royal Ape Council discreetly shot at her, trying to figure out the meaning behind her questions.
It wasn't like she took any particular pleasure in Cedar's current situation, even if the two of them had never liked each other. She honestly couldn't care less about the female chimp on front of her. No, what Lydia wanted to see was whether or not Cedar was ready to let go of her pride. If she had truly come here seeking refuge for herself and the females she lead, Lydia figured that the she-ape would be ready to admit to her faults as a leader and take on the responsibility. True, even a good lead female would have probably lost a few members in a scenario such as the one Cedar had recounted, but to lose more than half of her charges because they weren't willing to follow her… There had to have been something about her and Grey's leadership which had made their apes lose confidence in the pair and thus, choose to stay behind with their loved ones instead of following orders.
Even if that meant certain death.
And despite not liking each other, Lydia at least knew Cedar's personality very well. Had seen it at work for years now.
She was a prideful female ape, a diva, one might even say. Prone to causing drama and always thinking herself a better queen than Cornelia had ever been. She had never missed an opportunity to draw attention to every struggle the Ape Queen had faced during her reign. Lydia had even heard the other female apes talk about how Cedar had openly mocked Cornelia back when the they had been gathered in the forest during Koba's betrayal.
Needless to say, when the Ape King had, seemingly, returned from the dead to take back his throne, and succeeded in his endeavour, the drop to the bottom of the colony's hierarchy, as well as being ostracised for the act of treason, had left Cedar bitter and more resentful than ever before.
Cornelia's death had no doubt been a small consolation for her, Lydia was certain of that… But it hadn't been enough to make up for the humiliation and rejection the would-be lead female had suffered.
A false queen, Lydia thought as her frown deepened. And a prideful and vindictive one at that.
But if she was actually desperate enough to let all of this go and admit to her mistakes in exchange for being let back into the relative safety of Caesar's colony, Lydia would be willing to believe her story.
If not… Then the human woman was certain this was a ploy to trick them.
Because Cedar would never let go of her pride if she thought she had nothing to lose by doing so.
If they had the rest of their dissident group waiting somewhere, ready to strike when the colony had their guard down, Cedar wouldn't be ready to admit she had been a poor queen, Lydia knew. The female chimp would sooner fail her task of fooling the colony than lose face in front of them all.
And Cedar knew that Lydia was aware of this, the positively venomous look she shot Lydia proof enough of this.
"I…" Cedar hesitated, pursing her lips as she visibly drew in air through her nose. "I was… uncertain… In my leadership. The tension between Grey and Red was obvious and I-… During this, I could not bring calmness to the group… as I should have…"
Lydia nodded along as she observed the female chimp still, noting the slight quiver of her bottom lip and the way her shoulders hunched in what Lydia interpreted to be either embarrassment or shame.
"I did not want to leave Grey either… And the others could sense my reluctance… my indecisiveness… We only just managed to flee when Red shot my mate… right in his chest…"
Silence had fallen over the colony at Cedar's heavy words and the tears now spilling from her eyes. Lydia herself felt a stab of sympathy in her own chest. She may never have been on good terms with Cedar, but she knew full well what it was like to watch a beloved mate die right in front of one's eyes.
And she was convinced that the sadness present in Cedar's eyes right now was no ruse. She had loved and lost, and that couldn't be easily faked.
The female chimp wiped her eyes and sniffled briefly before she managed to pull herself together once more and face Caesar, evidently trying her best to look tough when in fact she was falling apart at the seams – her posture too stiff, her fingers twitching and her eyes faltering as they met the Ape King's.
"We have shared our story… Now, all I can ask is… Will you let us stay?" She signed somewhat shakily, and Lydia thought she saw Cedar's lip quiver.
Caesar pursed his lips and turned to his council, asking them their opinion on the matter before he made the final decision.
Tinker's nose wrinkled as she regarded the group, and Cedar in particular as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"We can't turn away a group of females with young… It is not our way." Maurice signed, still with that thoughtful frown on his face. He clearly didn't like this whole thing, but his words made sense. Beside him, Luca nodded his large, heavy head in agreement.
Then Tinker spoke up, and Lydia was only slightly surprised at her words, knowing the relationship, or lack thereof, that her old friend had with the traitorous she-ape.
"Maurice is right… But I don't think we should let Cedar stay." She signed in a serious manner. "She always thought herself a better queen than Cornelia, and planned to take her place back when Koba took over… And she was leading the group that left together with Grey. Who is to say she will not betray again? It would be dangerous to let her stay."
Caesar, Maurice and Luca all shared troubled looks as hoots and gibbers of agreement sounded throughout the colony, many of the spectating apes, and the females in particular, remembering Cedar's behaviour all too well.
The she-ape in question said nothing and only looked on as the council continued to confer.
"I think we should let them stay." Lydia spoke neutrally before Caesar had even turned to her. "All of them."
Tinker's head whipped in Lydia's direction, her face set into a betrayed expression which had the human woman feel slightly guilty. Still, she thought it was only reasonable.
"How can you suggest that? After all she has done?" Tinker asked bewildered. She looked to the other council members for support but got none. Caesar, Maurice and Luca were all avoiding her gaze in favour of staring at Lydia, waiting for her reply to the question.
"She hasn't done anything more than anyone else in this group, Tinker. All she did was lead them, which isn't a crime in itself. She might have lead them, but we know from Stone's recount that it was Red who planned it out like that."
"She left us! Betrayed us!" Tinker continued, obviously ignoring the dirty look Cedar shot at her.
"So did every single member of this group." Lydia countered gently. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell that they seemed surprised that she was arguing in their favour. "They're all guilty of the same crime, Tinker. Including Cedar. We can't make exceptions based on personal relationships."
"She will bring us all trouble. Including you. Just as she did to Cornelia." Tinker warned, crossing her arms over her chest once more as she finished her sentence.
"I didn't say it would be without certain countermeasures." Lydia answered, turning to Caesar then. "I suggest we let them all stay, but keep an eye on them, as well as refrain from training them to fight like we have done the females in our own group. If they try anything, we all know how to defend ourselves now, after all."
"You have trained the females to fight?!" Cedar piped up with a confused hoot. Behind her, the group she had brought reacted in much the same manner, looking quite baffled.
"Yes. Desperate times call for desperate measures." Lydia replied curtly, now eyeing Cedar with a warning look.
"And you want to leave us defenceless? What if someone here attacks us in retaliation?"
Lydia sighed irritably and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. Honestly, she was arguing in Cedar's favour here and the she-ape chose to focus on the fact that she was being discriminated against?
"They won't, because unlike some, these apes are loyal – so as long as you behave and don't cause trouble, you should be quite safe, right?" The human woman spoke acidly, shooting Cedar yet another warning glare now rather than remaining neutral.
Challenges and bitchy attitudes seemed to be the only thing this female understood.
All around, various members of the colony were already discreetly signing amongst themselves about how they didn't want to be the ones who would have to defend any of these apes in case of an emergency, while others commented that it just wouldn't be fair to banish one and take in the rest, and others again pointed out that there were innocent children among these apes.
Children who shouldn't be condemned for a crime their parents had committed.
Cedar, though she looked offended at Lydia's tone, held her tongue after that, choosing instead to put on a sour expression as her gaze swiftly turned to the Ape King, who had risen to give his final verdict on the matter.
The look he wore was as severe as ever and everyone fell silent as he drew in a slow, calculated breath.
"We cannot turn away defenceless females and children." He spoke gravely, his features tightening at the mere thought. "But we also cannot pretend nothing has happened. As if everything is as before…"
The cave was filled with murmurs and all around them Lydia saw heads nodding in agreement at Caesar's words.
"I think… Lydia is right. We cannot turn away one ape and not the others as well for the same act… Cedar and her group will remain here." He then directed his gaze at the small band of apes in front of him, speaking directly to them, even though his words were orders for all to hear. "You will stay within the colony, where others can watch you, but you will not be trained like the other females. In exchange, you are accepted back and will be protected if we are attacked."
The group collectively nodded in agreement to Caesar's terms, some more readily than others, Lydia noted, but they probably figured it was better to enjoy the protection of a large group rather than face the forest and its dangers alone – a smart choice, considering what was now lurking out there.
Then Caesar's gaze fixed onto Cedar, his eyes intense and his frown deep as he stared down at her.
"And you will respect me and my council. All of it. Understood?"
The female chimp shot both Tinker and Lydia sour looks, but nodded nonetheless, sealing the deal.
Contrary to her recount and the desperation and sadness she had displayed earlier, the nod of agreement she gave now didn't seem particularly sincere to Lydia. She had no doubt Cedar would cause trouble no matter what, as it seemed to be her nature to do so, but she was still confident in her decision.
It would be terribly hypocritical of the human woman to advice turning away someone solely based on the fact that she didn't like them.
If the apes had done that with me all those years ago, I wouldn't even be here, a stray thought resonated through her mind as Caesar dismissed the colony, assigning a trusted group of capable females to help Cedar and her apes find a suitable place to sleep. Everyone went their separate ways after this… eventful gathering, going back to what they had been doing
But the Royal Ape Council remained seated, as per Caesar's request, and Lydia bit her lip as he moved to sit down with them again.
"This is… worrying." He commented gruffly, followed by a heavy sigh. Then, he turned to Tinker with a soft look in his eyes. "I know you do not like it… And neither do I, in truth… But-"
"You don't have to explain, Caesar." Tinker interrupted, shaking her head dismissively. "I understand the reason behind, and your decision is final, after all. I just don't like it."
He nodded, obviously still feeling torn in this matter.
"Still, we now need to have some groups to watch over them, so they will not be able to plan against us a second time." The Ape King spoke lowly, eyeing the individuals in front of him in turn.
"I don't think it's Cedar and her apes we should worry about…" Lydia commented seriously, feeling how a look of concern crept across her features. "If what Cedar said is true… Red and the apes he's with… they know where the colony is as well."
Everyone stared at each other with increasingly alarmed expressions, realising that what Lydia had said was true. Red and his followers had been here… which meant they could lead the soldiers to the colony as well, if they chose to do so.
Compared to Cedar and the group she had led, who may or may not be a threat, this was far more disturbing.
"We cannot move the colony again." Caesar shook his head, putting his hands together in front of him. "There are very few other places we can go."
Everyone in the council nodded.
"And if we move to a new home, Rocket and the others will have a difficult time finding us when they come back. They could be ambushed." Maurice signed, his movements heavy and slow as always. He wore a deep frown of worry on his dark face and gave a distressed rumble at the prospect.
"But if we stay here, we will be an easy target." Luca replied with urgency. "Red has betrayed before. Now we know how far he is willing to go."
Lydia saw how Caesar pursed his lips, a crease appearing between his brows as he frowned. She understood his dilemma perfectly, even if she wasn't a leader like he was.
Though they had managed to relocate the colony's members fairly quickly the last time, it had still been a logistic challenge to get everything and everyone settled properly, as well as building the wooden walkways, hidden outposts, stables and all else that the colony needed. Even now, there were still areas around the colony that needed to be reinforced or completely redone, given how hasty the move had been and how quickly the soldiers had arrived afterwards.
To do so again would be… impractical.
Then, a thought struck Lydia.
"How long did Cedar say it had been since Red had led the soldiers to her group?"
"A month, I think it was…" Luca commented, his dark face contorted into a look of confusion. "Why?"
Caesar, Tinker and Maurice looked equally puzzled by her inquiry.
"It's just… Wouldn't they have attacked by now? If they had been told where we are?" The human woman tilted her head, looking at her fellow council members for an explanation.
Maurice rumbled again, this time in understanding, and nodded his large head.
"I agree that it seems… odd, that they haven't attacked. Why keep a stalemate going in the forest with us, then?" He elaborated, looking to Caesar now.
Silence fell over their small group as the Ape King gathered his mind, examining all the information and speculations from his council. Lydia imagined she could hear the figurative cogs turning inside his head as he regarded the group with an intense, thoughtful stare.
"We will remain here, for now, and post scouts around the colony. Groups of two and three to make sure no one will get caught alone." He finally decided, shifting his gaze between each of his trusted advisors in turn. "I will trust Lydia and Luca with this task. Everyone else continue as always… But do not let your guard down."
Lydia noticed how his eyes seemed to linger on her for just a little bit longer than the others but did her best to ignore the slight quickening of her heartbeat.
Now was not the time.
Everyone nodded at the Ape King nonetheless, including Lydia, as she took yet another task upon herself.
And like all the other times, she didn't even stop to consider if her shoulders could handle the weight of her ever-growing responsibility.
