Blue Eyes had tried especially hard to sleep that night but after hours of tossing and turning, the young ape realized that he wasn't going to catch even a single wink. He wriggled uncontrollably in his intricate bed of twigs and leaves until he caught sight of the first signs of morning and decided that his attempts at sleep were utterly futile so he decided to rise a little earlier than normal. Blue Eyes sleepily made his way to the heart of the colony, his stomach twisting as he realized that his father would be here in just a matter of hours to present the the human's case to the colony. While his father understood the young woman's unfortunate situation, Blue Eyes knew that he would not make the decision to let Ellie stay without the approval of the colony and that made him strangely uncomfortable. He knew that even if she posed no threat at all, the apes would not take kindly to the female human. Sentiments towards the human race were still negative and while Blue Eyes understood the concern of his fellow colony members, he couldn't stop himself from hoping that maybe they would look past their hate and realize that Ellie might even be an advantage to their community.
A sigh left the young ape's lips as he climbed onto the stone platform in order to watch the rest of the sunrise. He pressed his chin to his knees and smiled to himself as the sun finally rose in it's full glory and with it came his father. This was an early beginning for Caesar too but Blue Eyes hadn't expected anything less from the older ape. A hint of a smile brightened his face as he reached out his hand to touch his father's rough hand. Caesar returned the gentle brush of fingers affectionately before sitting down with his son in silence to watch the turn of a new day. It was truly peaceful like this and for a brief moment, Blue Eyes allowed himself to relax, knowing that this temporary state of being was going to be short lived. Once the rest of the colony arrived for their communal breakfast, Caesar would have to make his announcement and that would certainly send the apes into disarray. A sad, frustrated sigh left the young ape's lips and for a moment, he buried his face in his hands. When he looked up, he saw three other apes looking back up at him. He could feel his father's stern gaze watching him but he said nothing as the crowd gathered, standing only when Caesar rose to address the apes. His father began to talk and he felt like he couldn't even breathe.
'I ask for calm.' Caesar began to sign as Blue Eyes opened his bright hues and stared at the crowd below. Confusion was already wrinkling the faces of the colonists and the apes were hitting one another on the chest gently, mouthing words that Blue Eyes couldn't quite make out. 'We have new visitor. Someone we will make welcome.' Every ape in the colony paid full attention to Caesar's words but Blue Eyes knew what was coming next. He closed his eyes and his fists tightened, nerves spreading through him as his father prepared to announce the identity of the newcomer 'Visitor is good. Safe,' Caesar paused, sighing softly as he addressed the cautious colony. 'Visitor is human.'
The angry roar of the apes was expected but it still made Blue Eyes jump. He had predicted nothing more but the hate in their eyes made him step back and stare at his father. Caesar's expression showed great dissatisfaction and Blue Eyes calmed a little when the ape raised his hand to silence the irritated crowd. It took a minute but soon, the apes were paying full attention.
"Human is not dangerous. Human is safe. She is young. No threat." Sadly, reassurance fell on deaf ears. Blue Eyes sighed as he watched his father lift a hand again in further attempt to calm the confused community. Reluctant silence broke out. Caesar was still highly respected among the apes and Blue Eyes was grateful for his father's status. "She will stay. Two weeks. She will help us hunt. Then, we will see. This is test. We all watch her. If human does one thing wrong, she will go." Caesar's reassurance was not comforting. Anger contorted the faces of the usually pleasant apes and the noise didn't subdue. Calming the situation was going to take more than words. Frustrated, Caesar snarled and raised his arm, demanding silence. The colony was rarely presented with issues so grand that they split the opinions of the apes in half but the sea of emotional faces staring back at Caesar were anything but unified.
"Silence!" Caesar roared, his broad chest falling and rising with adrenaline. His expressive eyes scanned each and every ape. They had calmed but Caesar knew that their present state didn't indicate approval or acceptance. He knew that this situation would have to be monitored carefully and that the human would have to be kept far away from the apes at the start. He didn't trust everyone to be kind. "Blue Eyes bring human." His son shuffled beside him and with a quick look back, Caesar saw his quickly disappearing form. A sigh left his lips as he waited with painful anticipation. The apes began to whisper among themselves and Caesar let them talk, his green eyes shifting to find Cornelia in his crowd of closest advisers. The announcement was just as much of a surprise to her but her calm brown eyes were kind and she gave a nod of encouragement. A ghost of a smile softened Caesar's face only briefly. He just wished that Blue Eyes would hurry.
But the young ape couldn't move any faster.
His heart beat furiously as he picked up his pace, using both his arms and legs to aid himself further, slowing only when he reached the hut where Ellie was undoubtedly waiting for him. A brief smile curved his lips as he saw that the young woman had listened to his advice and had stayed inside but his joy at her trust faded when a distant cry reminded him of what she was about to face. She wasn't going to be greeted with a welcoming party and the negative reaction of the majority of the apes genuinely worried him.
"Ellie?" His voice was calmer than it had been upon their initial meeting, softer. Blue Eyes couldn't contain his nerves as he pulled back the curtain and slipped inside, his light hues adjusting to the darkness almost instantly as they searched for the female's petite form in the hut. A panic set in when he couldn't initially see her but finally, he exhaled a sigh of relief when his gaze fell upon her little form curled into a fetal position on the bed of twigs and leaves. Quietly he walked forward, not wanting to startle her out of sleep. It was difficult to make her expression out in the darkness but Blue Eyes instantly grew concerned when he found the woman shivering in her sleep. The apes didn't need blankets and covers for such mild weather thanks to their thick hair and it had never even crossed the young ape's mind that the female human would grow cold in the night's dipping temperature.
A frustrated, guilty sigh left his lips as he crouched beside the human, his long fingers trembling as they tentatively reached out to touch the exposed skin of her calf. "Ellie," Blue Eyes repeated, a little louder. He didn't know how long it had taken her to roll over to her side and greet him with a sleepy 'hmm?' but in the time it took, the young ape had taken special care to memorize the feel of her smooth skin under his palms. He had never touched a human body before like this, never felt hairless skin. Ellie's smooth calves felt wonderful underneath his touch and he was desperate to feel her warm body again and he couldn't understand why. Nervously, he withdrew his hand and crossed his arms over his chest, hoping that it would somehow get rid of the temptation.
"Blue Eyes?" the little human whispered sleepily as she sat up on the bed, her hands moving to wipe the sleep from her eyes. "I didn't know it was already morning. I slept so well." Desperate to talk to her, the young ape wanted to tell Ellie that not sleeping up in trees where predators were a constant threat was bound to effect her sleeping schedule but he kept his mouth shut, knowing that his father was going to be angry if he wasted time on idle chit-chat.
"Ellie come with Blue Eyes," he spoke quietly, his bright hues wide in anticipation of her response. The human got to her feet instantly and after running a hand through her hair, joined him with a sleepy yawn. Even in the darkness he could make out the confusion in her face so he decided to keep this meeting as short as possible. "Caesar with apes. Want to meet you." While that was not entirely true, his white lie caused a small smile to curve the corners of Ellie's lips and she followed him out of the hut, making sure to stay close as they climbed the more challenging stones. The sound of commotion coming from the heart of the colony couldn't be missed and Blue Eyes stopped just before they reached the platform. "Don't be scared, Ellie," he said quietly as both enthusiasm and color seemed to drain from the human's face. "Blue Eyes here. For you."
A mixture of confused and concerned eyes stared up at Ellie as she quietly took her place beside Caesar. A long time may have passed since Koba's passing but Blue Eyes still recognized a similar hate and fear in the eyes of his fellow apes as they quietly took in the human. A deep-rooted guilt sickened him as he remembered his own cruel reactions to the humans that had attempted to aid his father during the war. Had he appeared so cruel to Ellie? So hateful? Aqua eyes looked away when the little brunette turned around to catch his gaze, apparently wanting comfort. Blue Eyes wanted to offer it to her but his shame at treating her like she was undeserving of help upon their first meeting caused him to look down with embarrassment. An overwhelming urge to apologize tightened his stomach and even with the commotion rising around them, all the young ape could think of now was what he would say to Ellie alone if the apes even accepted her into the colony.
"This human young," his father began to speak in a strong, respectful tone. His voice was bold and fearless but he didn't impose any kind of aggression or threat. Blue Eyes looked up nervously to see that Caesar had placed a gently hand onto Ellie's little shoulder and at full-height, he easily towered over her by a head and a half. Her youth and size had apparently stunned the colony into temporary silence and the young ape could only sigh in relief at his father's control of the situation. "This human safe. Human is not here with gun or violence. Human is here alone. She ask ape for help but she can give ape help in return." Curious chatter roused the apes and Blue Eyes could see various apes signing to each other, questioning how a human could possibly be of any aid to the colony. The apes were the strongest species in both the forests and the towns and the young ape wasn't sure whether Ellie's persise hunting skills were going to be enough. With a raised hand that demanded silence, Caesar continued. His hands moved in precise sign-language as he spoke, undoubtedly to make sure that not a single ape misunderstood the situation at bay. "Human hunt with bow. She will hunt with ape. If she is good, she will stay. If not," his voice drifted into silence and Blue Eyes didn't need to face his father to know that he had signed that Ellie would leave.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, the deal seemed fair but unfortunately, several angry apes didn't seem to agree.
"Human can't hunt like ape!" A young male that Blue Eyes recognized as the son of one of Koba's followers roared, his words encouraging a sea of agreement. "Ape hunt better than human. Ape no need human!" While there was an unmistakable chorus of agreement from a variety of apes, Blue Eyes was happy to see that not everyone in the crowd eyed Ellie with distaste and anger. His gaze focused on his mother and while Cornelia was fully focused on Caesar's speech, his little brother was making cheerful smiley faces at the young human on the stage. Judging by the child apes reactions, Ellie seemed to be smiling back at him as well because he couldn't contain his childish excitement. Little hands clapped together in approval and Blue Eyes could only wonder what kind of faces the brunette was pulling to bring such a fun reaction out of him.
"Human will have chance to prove herself," Caesar's defiant words broke his son's concentration and Blue Eyes instantly transferred his full attention back to the pair on the platform. "We will treat her like ape. She will eat with ape, hunt with ape, talk like ape." At his last comment, Caesar faced his son and signaled for him to come forward. Blue Eyes took a couple of steps forward and attempted to mirror his father's confident stance. He stood so close to Ellie that the tips of his fur brushed the fine hairs on her arms and it took all of his self-control not to step back. That would show weakness and now, he had to present himself in a unified coalition with his father.
Caesar showed no weakness to the various dissatisfied faces staring up at him and his son didn't move a muscle either when he placed a gigantic hand on his shoulder. "Blue Eyes teach human to sign. She stays in guest hut. Hunts with the children first." A brief look back at Cornelia encouraged Caesar. Her kind eyes looked up at him and her lips stretched in a slow, trusting smile. The little nod of her head was all that Caesar needed to reassure him that he wasn't making a mistake. "Ape welcome human. We live together in peace."
This time, Caesar did not need to ask for silence. The colony watched as their leader extended a large, dark hand to Ellie, who looked at it with confusion at first. It was Blue Eyes who reached out and bowed first, letting his own fingers stroke over his father's as an example. His gaze found Ellie's as he motioned for imitate his act of respect. A brief smile curved up his lips as the nervous human clumsily bowed her head of mahogany curls and touched her fingertips to Caesar's palm. She had understood him surprisingly well.
Blue Eyes was very well aware of Ellie's quiet presence beside him as his father pulled him aside to have a few private words. By this point, the apes were starting to disperse for breakfast but those that weren't too pleased with the newcomer's arrival waited in a huddled group on the ground for Caesar. Blue Eyes had been expecting some sort of resistance form the more suspicious members of the colony and a part of him grew irritated at his father assigning him to practically act as Ellie's personal bodyguard. He wanted to hear all the opinions first hand but Caesar insisted that he show the human all of the communal areas in the colony before taking her out on a practice hunt. 'Do not leave her alone for even one minute,' his father warned ominously and panic instantly returned to the younger ape's clear blue eyes. He could tell that there was tension but the thought of someone hurting their human visitor didn't even cross his mind once until Caesar spoke of it. 'Trust your mother, trust me. Trust Maurice and Rocket. For now, nobody else.'
With a firm nod, the young ape attempted to mask his concern as he turned his attention back to Ellie and nodded for her to follow. The pair passed the displeased apes once his father had already began a stern conversation with them but Blue Eyes could still feel their death-stares on the back of his neck. He didn't even think about the consequences of his actions as he reached out to instinctively wrap one strong hand around Ellie's elbow, causing her to jump. He needed to keep her by his side for her own safety. "Stay close."
It seemed like hundreds of eyes were watching them both in the shadows and in the broad daylight as the ape ushered his human companion through the colony. "Ape eat here. Together," Blue Eyes mumbled under his breath as they briefly skimmed the communal areas knowing that Ellie picked up on hisdiscomfort. Blue Eyes had been especially empathetic in the morning but the meeting seemed to have put everyone on edge. The young woman added a skip to her step so she could keep up with Blue Eyes as he pointed out the education center, where young apes learned to read and write. The ape didn't miss the delight that brightened Ellie's whole expression but her questions regarding the teaching of the children fell on deaf ears and he pulled her away from the heart of the colony, away from prying eyes.
"Father says we hunt now. Blue Eyes and human." They mismatched pair stood facing one another again at the edge of the colony. Blue Eyes noticed that Ellie's expression had relaxed slightly but her lips were tense in a rare frown. Had she understood everything that was said in the meeting? Had she changed your mind? "Go get bow. I wait." Her expression fell even further at his words but she nodded regardless and turned towards her hut.
Blue Eyes shifted from one foot to the other as he waited for her, hating how his hands and feet suddenly felt so much heavier than before. The mood between himself and the human had taken a nose-dive since their morning encounter but the young ape simply couldn't read her face. Did she want to talk about what happened or stay silent? Since she didn't say anything, Blue Eyes decided to stay quiet as Ellie walked ahead, having apparently memorized her way into the woods relatively well.
It was only her sudden stop that caused the ape to stand tall and completely alert, instantly concerned about a potential predator. But Ellie's brown eyes were soft, tranquil. She stood close enough to him where he could feel her body heat but far enough to avoid their bodies touching. They stayed in silence for a moment, their eyes locked and their heartbeats racing in unison. Finally, the woman spoke.
"Call me Ellie, okay? Not 'human.' Or 'woman.' Just Ellie." She didn't wait for an answer. Blue Eyes stood still for a moment as he watched her tanned, muscular legs jog towards the woodland. It took him a minute to catch up.