Author's Note: This chapter, originally posted on the 30th of August, has now been proof-read and adjusted to the point that I'm happy with it - hope you enjoy it!
Tinker
The first week or so after the apes had set off on the journey to their new home, Caesar made sure Lydia stayed near him or someone trusted at all times.
Much like her mate, Tinker thought this was a needless precaution on Caesar's part, but chose to humour him nonetheless when he came up to her that morning, Lydia and Cornelius in tow, and asked her to help look after his family while he was gone for the day.
Tinker smiled brightly up at the pair.
"I hope you know that I cannot look after her for you forever, Caesar." She couldn't help but jest, winking at him knowingly while also subtly hinting at her opinion about his overprotectiveness.
It wasn't like Lydia couldn't look after herself just fine and besides, should she decide to go off on her own anyway, there was little Tinker – or anyone else for that matter – could do to stop her without having to physically restrain her.
Before the Ape King could even respond, Lydia placed her hands on her hips in an almost challenging manner, head titled in that particular way of hers as she regarded Tinker with a playful look.
"What, so now I can't spend time with my best friend without you feeling like you're babysitting me, huh?"
Knowing full well that Lydia wasn't actually feeling offended at all, Tinker merely gave an amused huff and patted the ground beside her. Well, if Lydia was still willing to accommodate Caesar's whims, they might as well have a good time with it.
Lydia complied instantly with a grin and sat down her saddlebag before she too dropped down unceremoniously to sit cross-legged by Tinker's side, giving the material in her hands a curious glance.
Caesar had decided to make camp and get some hunting done, replenishing food supplies while also letting the more weakened members of the colony have some much-deserved rest. Everyone had readily welcomed that idea and those not selected for the hunt had already gathered in smaller groups all around the perimeter, tending to tasks such as bag-sewing and weapon-making.
Tinker had settled on the former and was currently in the process of pressing a bone needle through the rough tent canvas the apes had brought with them from the avalanche-site. The fabric was thick and coarse but overall easier to work with than the more brittle hides of the hares roaming the area and so far, Tinker was quite satisfied with what she had managed to produce with it.
It was a bag meant to be slung over the wearer's shoulder, the design perhaps a bit simple, but comfortable and easily accessible. Tinker had yet to decide if she wanted to decorate it to make it look less… bland.
Lydia wasn't going to let her hands be idle either, it would seem, as she began pulling out several thin sticks and ready-made flint arrowheads in preparation to replenish her supply of ammunition.
To Tinker's great surprise, Lydia made no protests when Caesar, like he had done so many months prior, left Cornelius in her care with explicit instructions to stay with the colony. All she did was offer him an indulgent, half-amused smile and a nod of agreement as she let the Ape Prince settle against her side. It was obvious that she thought her mate was making too much of a fuss as well, though she made no move to point that out to him – at least not yet.
"You better come straight back when you're done, alright." Lydia said to Caesar, raising her index finger at him in a manner which would have seemed stern, were it not for the obvious, teasing glint in her eyes.
Caesar, meanwhile, chuckled warmly at her words, though Tinker had no doubt that he understood the meaning that lie beneath them. The one telling him that he better not try to leave her behind again.
"I will be back before sunset, I promise." He spoke, his eyes resting fondly on Lydia for just a few more moments before he turned on his heel to leave with his hunting party.
"If you could find some feathers for my arrows that'd be nice too!" She was quick to remind him before he had gone too far off, and Caesar briefly turned to give a quick smile and a nod, indicating that he had heard her.
"Careful you don't indulge him for too long, Lydia." Tinker warned once the Ape King was out of sight. "Or he might get so used to it that he won't let you go out and actually use those arrows you're making."
Lydia gave a soft huff of a laugh at that, her shoulders bobbing once with the action as she set about her task of crafting new arrows.
"Don't worry, Tinker. I'm just too tired to argue with him right now, but I'll be back to offering him some resistance soon enough. You can be sure of that." She said reassuringly, though also with a playful note in her voice. "Besides, for now I quite enjoy the extra time and attention, actually… I bet there won't be much time for that once we reach our new home – at least not for a long while."
Tinker nodded wordlessly, mulling over Lydia's words. Perhaps it wasn't that strange that Lydia, independent as she was, was willing to go along with Caesar's near-constant presence and care right now, especially since he hadn't ever been able to show it so openly before. And considering recent events, the two probably needed some time to reconnect, this journey providing the perfect opportunity to do so before everyone, and especially Caesar, would find themselves occupied with building up the apes' new home from scratch. Rebuilding their lives, really.
Just then, gibbering by Lydia's flank caught the attention of both adults, and they looked down to see Cornelius staring at a group of playing ape children with large, curious eyes. It was clear he wanted to join them, probably finding the two females' talk immensely boring, though he obviously wasn't too keen on leaving Lydia's side either, having clung to her and Caesar interchangeably ever since they had all escaped the soldiers.
Lydia smiled affectionately down at Cornelius, brushing a hand gently along his back.
"You can go play, Sweetie. I won't go anywhere." She spoke encouragingly while nodding towards the other ape children. "I promise."
Cornelius seemed to hesitate for a moment, his gaze shifting between his adoptive mother and his peers just a few yards away, only for him to dart off when he seemed convinced that Lydia truly wasn't going anywhere.
"Just stay where I can see you!" She called after him, and both she and Tinker laughed merrily at the way he paused and turned back to nod eagerly at her before he once again dashed towards his playmates.
Once the laughter had died down somewhat, the two females went back to their respective tasks once more, Tinker putting the finishing touches on her tent canvas bag while discreetly casting Lydia scrutinizing sideways glances every once in a while.
Though she still looked tired most of the time and hadn't regained the body fat she had lost over the past month and a half, Lydia no longer had that haggard look about her that she had so quickly acquired during their imprisonment. Tinker imagined that the privilege of getting to ride a horse rather than walking each and every day as they travelled helped a lot in this regard.
Lydia had offered her own horse up for those who were wounded or simply still too weak to travel by foot and had, of course, volunteered to walk instead. Caesar, however, had been quick to put that thought out of her head, insisting that she should ride with him and Cornelius – an opinion which Rocket, Tinker, Maurice and, obviously, Orion had shared.
Outvoted, Lydia had agreed in the end and let herself be hauled up in front of Caesar in the saddle, where she had stayed ever since they had first set out.
Well, it was her rightful place now, after all.
By Caesar's side. As his mate… and as the apes' –….
Tinker hummed thoughtfully, catching Lydia's attention.
"You know, I suppose this makes you our queen now." She observed simply, putting her craftwork down to sign.
Lydia's hands stopped dead in their tracks, the half-finished arrow suspended in the air between her hands.
"Uh, what?!" She exclaimed with a dumbfounded expression, only for her to shake her head at Tinker in the next moment. "No. Absolutely not."
"Lydia, Caesar is our leader. Our King." Tinker reminded her, not that she thought the woman needed to be reminded of that – it had been the very reason she and Caesar had kept their relationship a secret to everyone in the first place. "You are his mate. Officially, now. That makes you our queen."
Lydia frowned deeply at that.
"I don't want it." She stated matter-of-factly after a long, tense pause. "I can't be. I'm not an ape."
Tinker huffed in mild exasperation. Was Lydia really this oblivious?
"The colony accepts you as one. They think of you as an ape. One of us." She pointed out. "Now more than ever, after everything that has happened."
"It doesn't matter what the colony thinks, Tinker. I'm-" Lydia began to speak but stopped once she saw the look in the she-ape's eyes. It was Tinker's turn to frown now, confusion and disapproval evident in her features.
The woman sighed and tried again.
"I didn't mean it like that… It means the world to me that the colony accepts me – and me being together with Caesar. Of course it does." She spoke sincerely, her brows knitting together in thought as she stared at the ground in front of them, seemingly weighing her words. "But… I won't be Ape Queen. Not ever. Because no matter what, I'm still a human… And…"
Tinker's brow furrowed as her face took on a compassionate expression, somehow already knowing what Lydia was going to say next.
"And because of Cornelia."
Ah, there it is, Tinker thought with no small amount of sympathy for her friend. It was the same sentiment which had nagged her back when Cornelius had first begun calling her his mother. That same look she had had on her face when telling Tinker about her and Caesar's secret union.
"I don't want to replace her. I've already taken over her role as Cornelius' mother… and Caesar's mate." Lydia spoke softly. "But Ape Queen is her title. I respect her too much to take that too – especially when I'm not an ape at all. It just doesn't feel right."
Tinker nodded in understanding.
"But you do realise that is how most of the apes will see you from now on, whether you like it or not?" Tinker questioned, an inquisitive brow raised at Lydia. "Besides, you were on our Royal Ape Council even before this, so you already have a powerful position, and have already gone above and beyond what is expected of a queen."
Lydia's posture seemed to slump at that, and she regarded Tinker with a tired, but curious look.
"Such as?" She asked, and Tinker could tell by her tone that she wasn't convinced in the slightest.
The she-ape smiled at that, amused by her friend's continued obliviousness.
"Supporting and guiding Caesar, for one." She said with mirth in her green eyes, only for her expression to turn more serious as she continued. "But more than just that, you have contributed to the colony from the beginning. Taken responsibility and helped protect us. Been a teacher for both young and old, and taught us a new way to defend ourselves. And when we faced death as the soldiers' slaves, you sided with us when you could have saved yourself. Helped organise our escape, ensuring our survival and risking your own life to do so. That's the mark of a true queen, Lydia."
It was truly how Tinker felt and she made sure to convey her sincerity with every gesture and expression she made, willing Lydia to understand that what she had done had been of great significance to the apes. Still, she sensed that her friend was sceptical, even if she might agree with Tinker's idea of what a queen ought to be.
Lydia pursed her lips, her eyes downcast at the half-finished arrow that she still held in her hands, now twiddling it absent-mindedly between her fingers.
"I think you're blowing my role in this out of proportions, Tinker. I've only ever done what I felt was right at any given time, and most of the time it was to keep those I care about alive… Which I suppose is rather selfish… I'm not some great saviour who freed the apes from labs and zoos like Caesar did, and my contribution to the colony's survival as a whole has been rather insignificant. The apes would have made it even if I hadn't been there, I'm sure." She replied with a dismissive wave of the arrow she held, as if to brush off the notion with the movement.
Always downplaying the significance of her actions, Tinker thought, barely resisting the urge to sigh. But at the end of the day, this was very much Lydia's nature to do so. She had never been one to look for approval or a high social status. Those things had just sort of followed in the wake of her deeds towards the colony, and while Lydia seemed comfortable enough being a council member, Tinker sensed that she would have been just as content with her life without that moniker and the recognition she received from the apes.
Even so, Tinker was determined to make Lydia realise the meaning, the sheer magnitude that her actions, selfish or not, had for those around her.
"Maybe." Tinker answered, nodding. "But from what I understand, Caesar probably would have died in there if not for you, and that means a lot. To some of us, it means everything."
She made a point to turn her gaze from Lydia towards the children still playing just a few yards away, watching as Cornelius did a rambunctious tackle to one of his playmates, the two of them chittering gleefully. Tinker knew Lydia had followed her eyes without even having to give her another sideways glance, just as she could imagine the tender, understanding look in the woman's eyes as she stared at the scene.
She turned back to the human beside her then, waiting for her to do the same before she began to sign once more, keeping her movements and expression open and sincere.
"You don't have to worry, Lydia. You're not ever going to replace Cornelia." She assured her friend, placing a comforting hand on top of Lydia's own. "The two of you are too different for you to be able to do that… But I respect your decision nonetheless… To be queen in anything but name."
Lydia's eyes seemed to swim with emotions at those words, though no tears fell as she stared back at Tinker, a soft smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.
"Thanks, Tinker…" Lydia spoke gratefully, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "That means a lot to me."
With that, the two abandoned the topic in favour of simpler, more cheerful ones, finishing their tasks while the sound of playing ape children filled the air.
Caesar
The hunt Caesar led hadn't initially yielded any promising results and his hunters were beginning to feel more and more discouraged as time went on. All they had caught today was about twelve hares, which wouldn't suffice to feed even one fourth of his apes – not exactly what Caesar had hoped to achieve after having the entire colony stop and make camp for the entire day.
It had begun to become difficult for the apes to hunt once they had left the snowy mountains and begun entering the desert, and for the last three days, the hunting parties Caesar had sent out had all returned empty-handed every single time. So, while today's hunt wasn't a total fiasco compared to the previous couple of days, it certainly wasn't a good result either.
It wouldn't have been as big of a problem had the soldiers' food rations, which the apes had scavenged a week earlier, not already run out during their crossing of the first stretch of desert…
And they still had such a long way to go…
At least they still had the guns, though Caesar didn't want the apes to come to rely too heavily on those, seeing as they were a limited resource too.
It wouldn't matter either way if they didn't find some bigger game, though. No point in worrying about how to down prey you couldn't find it in the first place.
Caesar's heavy brow furrowed in thought as he stared at his surroundings, taking in the wide space between the trees and the dry, rocky terrain they had to traverse.
This wasn't the lush, dense and roofed forest the apes were used to hunt in, with an abundance of hiding places and bare tree trunks for them climb with ease. Instead they now had to content with fractured patches of pine and spruce forest which, granted, became denser the further up into the mountains one went, but gave way to wide, open stretches of rugged plains down below. It was drier too and though the vegetation wasn't sparse per se in this particular area, it was certainly different from the fern, moss and bushes of their old forest home.
Of course, the wildlife here would differ as well but even with that in mind, Caesar hadn't thought he would find himself unable to feed his apes.
He gave a low, frustrated exhale, feeling a knot of doubt tighten inside his chest. Had they been mistaken in going through the desert? Were they going to starve out here rather than at the hands of the Colonel's men?
"Caesar." A voice suddenly sounded just beside him, its clarity and smoothness instantly giving away who it belonged to before the Ape King had even turned his head.
It was Orion.
"We need to change strategy. And hunting grounds." He stated simply, his tone polite but firm with conviction.
It was that firmness which made Caesar pay extra close attention to the younger chimp, taking a moment to stare searchingly at him before finally nodding for him to go on.
"I believe we will have a better chance at finding prey elsewhere. Either down in the plains or further up on the mountain – but not here. Down below I know there is a chance for us to find herds of deer. Smaller than the elk we used to hunt in our old home, but large enough to feed us all if we take down enough." Orion explained competently. "And in the mountains, we might find herds of large goats with curled horns. They are very agile and should be harder to kill because of the terrain, but if we manage to get some of the larger ones, the colony will be well-fed for some days."
It was almost strange hearing someone who could have been his own son speak with such expertise, and though he wasn't used to Orion's more matter-of-fact approach to advising, Caesar found himself very impressed with the young chimp, glad to have brought him along and that he had the confidence to speak so frankly to the Ape King.
It was usually Rocket who accompanied Caesar on his hunts, but he had been selected to stay with the colony and guard the perimeter together with what was left of the Gorilla Guard, as an extra safety precaution while they moved through this new land. Normally, Caesar would have had him come along and leave Orion with the colony instead but given everything that had happened, Caesar had decided that it was much safer to have his trusted second be in charge of the colony to handle any threats – foreign as well as domestic.
It wasn't like Caesar didn't trust Orion – of course he did – but Rocket was older, held more authority within the colony and had experience as a leader which Orion completely lacked. Based on that alone, it hadn't been hard for Caesar to decide who was going to stay behind and besides, Orion was also a skilled hunter in his own right. Adding his knowledge of the land to that, and Caesar was sure he would be of more use out here than back with the colony.
Caesar continued to consider the young ape in front of him.
Orion had dutifully followed him without protest as he had led the hunting party into the sparse forest halfway up the mountain, and the Ape King himself had so far relied on his own instincts rather than Orion's knowledge of the area.
And it wasn't just because Caesar was stubbornly sticking to his old habits when it came to hunting.
While Caesar certainly wasn't one to back away from tense or awkward conversations, and he knew Orion wasn't either, the two were somehow still subtly avoiding any one-on-one situations and had been ever since that day they had dug Lydia out of the snow together.
It wasn't as if there was any sort of animosity between the two of them, but rather… a sense of unfinished business. A conversation they needed to have but which neither were willing to initiate.
But now was not the time for such matters. It could wait for later – finding food could not.
"Which do you suggest we go for? And what technique should we use?" He asked Orion, "We rarely hunted in open spaces in the past."
It was true. The space back in the forest they knew so well had been tight and restricted, with hiding places that had enabled the apes to get close enough to their prey to down it with just the throw of a spear. The plains between the mountains here were far larger than any meadow back in the forest and provided little opportunity for concealment.
Caesar didn't doubt that they would find a new way to hunt – the apes had adapted to far worse in the past, having to learn how to hunt in the first place back when they had first escaped into the forest all those years ago. Adjusting their hunting technique should be easy to do in comparison to that.
But back then there had been human food stores to scavenge from and learning to hunt had taken a very long time. Now the human food was gone, and time was more precious than ever before… If they didn't find some prey soon and, just as importantly, managed to kill it, the apes would be in a dark place indeed. As such Caesar was very interested indeed to see how Orion imagined they would accomplish it. To know if he actually had a plan – or even a hunch – as to what would be effective.
And the young chimp didn't disappoint.
Pursing his lips and adjusting the spear he held in his grip, Orion seemed to consider his answer very carefully.
"I think we should try for the deer, for now. We might need to catch more of them, but if we are all there and place ourselves well, we should be able to take down a good number." He estimated, his voice not as assured as it had been previously, but still with that certain level of firmness to it. "As for the technique… We might not have to change much with this sort of prey. One large group could form a line with spears, keep close to the ground, hide in the tall grass while the rest of us separates into smaller groups."
Caesar looked on as Orion began to draw his plan in the dirt at their feet, easily recognising the method as one they had used all the time back in the forest. The rest of the hunting party seemed to have gathered around them too, equally as intrigued by the young chimp's initiative.
"These groups will give chase to the deer and make sure they run towards the line of apes… But we will have to be more careful than we were in the forest. With such a flat land and with no trees and steep hills to do the work for us, we will have to surround the deer very tightly before we attack – no big gaps between the chasing apes, or the deer will escape before they reach the place we want them to go."
Yes, Caesar thought, still looking down at the drawing Orion had made in the dry dirt. It was indeed very much like what they used to do back in the forest, but he was right in his assessment – they couldn't expect the terrain to do the work for them, like it had in the past. They had always made sure to chase the elk back home down a hill, so there would be little room for them to stop once they reached the line of apes with spears further down.
No such luxuries out here.
Caesar fiddled with the bolas which hung by his waist, attached to the strap that kept the gun on his back. At least they had options…
"We will go down to the plains, then." He confirmed after only a short while. "We will try with spears and bolas' first… But if that doesn't work, we will have to shoot. We can't go back empty-handed today."
Around them, the other apes nodded and gripped their spears, bows and bolas' tightly, seeming encouraged by the decisiveness in their leader's voice – or perhaps it was due to the simple fact that they now had a solid plan to work with.
"Agreed." Orion nodded seriously, looking on as Caesar turned to their hunting party, a rather large group of both male and female apes, and instructed them to gather up and head for the foot of the mountain.
Now, Caesar just hoped those deer were going to be there – and that they wouldn't have to look for them for too long, lest his hunters grow frustrated and anxious again…
The meticulously planned attack the apes executed only four hours later had been a success, though if Caesar had actually been counting on making enough kills to keep rations for the next day or so, he would have felt sorely disappointed. They had only managed to kill a few of the new prey, six of the desert-dwelling deer to be exact, while the herd they had found had consisted of about twenty.
Still, Caesar chose to look at this with optimism. Together with the hares they had caught, it would make for a fulfilling meal for every member of the colony, and what was more, they hadn't even been forced to resort to using the guns during the hunt.
Overall, the Ape King counted himself satisfied. At least they had caught enough to last them one day, and with their bellies full, perhaps it would be easier to make more kills tomorrow? Maybe, once they had truly mastered hunting in the open plains, he could take a group further up into the mountains to hunt for the goats Orion had spoken about?
It was these sorts of speculations that occupied Caesar's mind as he was making his way back towards the colony with his hunting party, the pleased chatter that always seemed to follow a successful hunt sounding throughout the large group of apes.
He had been too distracted to even notice when Orion came up to walk beside him, clearing his throat.
"Caesar…" He spoke the Ape King's name much like he had done earlier that day, though this time Caesar turned his head to find the younger ape trekking beside him, posture rigid and brows furrowed. "May I speak with you… Alone?"
Easily catching up on Orion's discomfort, as well as the underlying urgency of his words, Caesar nodded gravely before quickly signing for the rest of the group to go on without them, which they did with no questions asked. They were probably all just looking forward to finally getting back and relax after a long hunt in the sweltering sun, Caesar assumed, not at all blaming them for it.
It had been a long day and honestly, Caesar was itching to get back as soon as possible as well… To get back to Lydia and Cornelius and relax as he waited for a lovely meal cooked over a roaring campfire…
Nonetheless, Orion seemed eager to speak with him privately, and Caesar felt he could at least give him a moment of his undivided attention to hear what he had to say after their successful hunt. It was mostly due to his knowledge of the area that they had even made those kills in the first place, after all.
The moment Caesar turned to him to listen though, Orion seemed to draw himself up, standing at roughly the same height as the Ape King himself, his shoulders squared and chin up as he faced his elder. It was an unusually confrontational stance for him to take and had Caesar not known that that wasn't in Orion's nature, he would probably have thought the younger ape was looking for a fight.
But while his appearance seemed almost aggressive, Caesar did recognise the hint of anxiousness that lurked just beneath the surface. The twitch of a nostril, the gaze that seemed like it would falter one moment, only for it to grow firm and resolute the next. The hackles that lie flat against his body rather than stand up like quills along his chest and shoulders.
Orion wasn't aggressive – not outright at least – but he was anxious.
"Listen… I wanted to speak with you about you and Mother." Orion began, and though his body language may have conveyed his anxiety, his unwavering voice did not. "And how our family stands."
Our family, Caesar noted with a small jolt of surprise inside his chest. Not 'your' and 'my', but our...
"Yes…?" He answered carefully, raising a heavy brow.
So this was it, he realised. The talk they had both been avoiding – one he thought he had been prepared for. The one he thought he would be the one to take up with Orion.
But evidently, the younger ape had now beat him to it, catching Caesar quite off-guard and making him feel rather abashed for not having brought it up sooner himself.
However, if any of these feelings were in fact evident in his expression, Orion made no move to mention it or even acknowledge it as he continued to speak.
"I am not… opposed to it. You and Mother being mates." Orion said and for a brief moment, Caesar couldn't quite tell from the expression on his face whether he meant what he said or if he was actually trying to convince himself of this as well.
Then, Orion released a heavy sigh, though his shoulders remained broad and square as he faced Caesar.
"I see you make Mother happy. Even if she still has not regained her strength completely, I see the change in her – this… glow she has now… I have not seen her like this since before Father died and I am very grateful to you for causing this change… but…" He seemed to straighten even more just then, a slow and deep intake of breath following the sigh from before and expanding his chest further, adding to the confrontational stance. "I do not know what happened between you while you were away from the colony… But I could tell that whatever it was, it hurt Mother. Deeply, even if she would not say so."
Caesar barely resisted the urge to wince, the memory of the things Orion spoke about all too clear in his memory still. The look Lydia had had in her eyes that time when he had left the colony to seek revenge, the expression she had worn when he had insinuated that Orion wasn't really her son, the way he had left her back in the mountains after she had agreed with Maurice about him sounding like Koba...
It was all still there, imprinted on his mind and made Caesar's heart shrink in shame each time he thought of it. He nodded at Orion's words nonetheless, not seeing any point in denying it. They had hurt each other a lot lately, him and Lydia both, though Caesar was quite aware that he had probably been the one to initiate it most times.
Orion, pointedly ignoring the discomfort he was clearly causing Caesar with his words, continued undaunted.
"From what I can tell, you have resolved it now – at least somewhat. But I need you to know, Caesar… that if I find you leaving her behind again like you did that day, if you betray her trust and hurt her again… whatever your reason, I will not stand idly by. Even if I know she can stand up for herself."
He paused, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he searched Caesar's face before he spoke again.
"I have always been loyal to you as our leader, but my mother's honour will always come first."
Caesar took a long, tense moment to consider the young chimp standing in front of him, chest broad and puffed up, head held high and his green eyes staring directly, defiantly, into Caesar's own.
Had it been any other ape facing him like this, talking to him like this, Caesar might have taken it as a challenge. A sign of disrespect and a prompt to put this ape back in his place.
But this was different.
Orion wasn't deliberately trying to be disrespectful or even challenging Caesar for dominance. While his words and tone were frank, Caesar realised that Orion was simply being honest in his concern for his mother – a concern they both shared – as well as making it clear to Caesar where he stood on the matter, should it happen again in the future.
What was the phrase Will had used for this sort of honesty? Laying the cards on the table? To be honest and open with those around you, even if you don't necessarily see eye-to-eye with them – that was what Orion was doing right now.
Being honest….
It was a quality Caesar found to be exceedingly rarer and more valuable the older he got, though he supposed he shouldn't really be surprised to find it in Orion.
He was truly Lydia's child, adopted or not.
"I understand." The Ape King finally said, noticing how Orion's entire form seemed to instantly relax at his words. He had probably been preparing for an all-out argument, or at the very least a stern rebuke for his disrespectfulness. "Even so, I hope you also understand that I can't always put your mother before everything else, and that I can't promise we will never disagree or argue. My responsibility is to all of the apes, Orion, not only Lydia or even Cornelius."
Caesar thought it was important that Orion was aware of this. He didn't know how many disagreements he had ever had with Ivy, or how severe they had been – but Orion needed to understand that Caesar arguing with Lydia didn't necessarily mean that he was trying to be hurtful towards her. Couples argue, and goodness knows that Caesar had had his fair share of heated arguments with Cornelia too, back in the days of their youth. When he had been too young and too hell-bent on doing everything on his own – and naïve enough to think that only he had the answers to all the apes' problems.
Orion was mature beyond his years, though. Had always been, so Caesar suspected he could tell the distinction quite easily on his own.
"Of course." Orion agreed and quite honestly, Caesar didn't think he had looked this relaxed while in the Ape King's presence since the day he came back from his journey with Blue Eyes and Rocket. "I think that is reasonable enough, given your responsibilities. It was something that always weighed heavily on Blue Eyes' mind, knowing he would inherit it one day. We talked a lot about this…"
The mention of his murdered son did cause a slight stab of sorrow and regret inside Caesar's chest, but it was somewhat overshadowed by the spark of happiness he felt at seeing the brief look of fond reminiscence on Orion's face.
He had been an extremely fierce friend to Blue Eyes, Caesar knew. Almost as close as a true brother…
Caesar pursed his lips at that thought, twisting his fingers around the strap across his chest in an attempt to scratch his birthmark – a habit of his since he had been just a child.
"Sorry." Orion spoke then, and Caesar was pulled out of his reverie to stare up into the younger ape's apologetic gaze. "I know how it hurts to talk about dead family members… But Blue Eyes was like family to me as well, even before I knew about you and Mother."
Caesar shook his head at that, just as much to rid himself of his own sadness as to reassure the ape in front of him.
"Don't apologise, Orion, I'm glad my son had you to rely on." He replied, knowing his voice was thickening with emotion already, though he did his best to keep it in check. "And I hope it's a kindness you will continue to show Cornelius as well."
For the first time that day, Orion's face brightened as a subtle smile took over his features, making him look more like the young ape he actually was.
"Blue Eyes' brother is also my brother, Caesar." He spoke with a conviction not dissimilar to the one he had shown back in the pine forest earlier that day. "And though you are not my father, we are connected by the people we love. That makes us family."
Struck by Orion's words as well as the sincerity behind them, Caesar suddenly found himself swallowing a lump which had suddenly appeared in his throat. While he hadn't exactly expected them to be at each other's throats when they would finally have this conversation, he hadn't expected for Orion to so readily accept this… rather atypical family unit they had become a part of.
Then again, what had been a strange family to everyone else had been normal for Orion while growing up, so maybe this new, extended family wasn't all that strange to him after all?
Either way, Caesar, now regarding Orion with a warm, accepting look in his eyes, extended his hand for him to shake. It was a peace offering, and a very human-like gesture which Caesar nonetheless deemed appropriate, given their similar experiences with being brought up by a human. Yet another thing that connected them – and something the Ape King had never really pondered on until this moment.
Orion accepted Caesar's hand with a firm shake, the gesture adding a sense of finality to the conversation before they each let go once more.
"It was good that you came to me with this, Orion. I think we both needed it, and I appreciate your honesty, I really do." Caesar said while laying a hand on Orion's shoulder in a comradely fashion. "And I'm relieved that you are not opposed to it."
Orion's nose wrinkled in an amused-looking grimace in response to that.
"Even if I was, I could not do much about it… You know how Mother is." He said, the barest hint of a sigh following his words, though Caesar sensed it was of the good-natured kind. "She will probably take it the wrong way when she finds out I even had this conversation with you."
At those words, the humour of them and the accompanying expression, Caesar couldn't help but crack a smile of his own. Yes, Lydia would probably take this the wrong way if she found out. She would think Orion was defending her honour because he thought she was incapable of doing so herself – which, obviously, wasn't the case, her blatant defiance to Caesar's authority the last couple of months alone being a testament to that fact.
"I won't tell her if you won't either." He bargained amusedly, giving Orion's shoulder a final, friendly squeeze before letting go once more. "And speaking of that, I think we should go catch up with everyone else before your mother starts to worry."
Orion shook his head at that, a huff of amusement escaping him.
"It is probably already too late for that." He replied with feigned trepidation as the two apes started to make their way back to the colony's campsite, Caesar chuckling at his words.
He didn't tell Lydia about his conversation with Orion – Caesar was an ape of his word, after all – though he did make sure to tell her how it had been Orion's counsel and expertise which had led to them having a successful hunt, and he watched as Lydia practically beamed parental pride at this knowledge.
While the meal that evening wasn't exactly a feast, it was enough for the apes to keep going strong. To keep walking, hunting and living for another day.
And with the reassurance this recent success brought to his mind, Caesar was more than certain that the apes would be capable of making it through the desert – especially with counsel like Orion's.
