Cornelia kept her focus entirely on Caesar, even as he slipped into unconsciousness. She almost blindly leaped from branch to branch, numb to all else going on around her. As she saw Caesar's eyes close, she let out more distressed hoots. This only served to stress the anxiety of Maurice and Rocket, both trying to stay as calm as they could knowing that their savior could perish at any moment. Rocket tried to stay as stony faced as possible, though his labored panting betrayed his unease. Maurice was as stoic as ever, but just one glance of those heavy eyes would have filled the coldest heart with a deep sorrow.

The trek back to the village seemed near endless. None of them feared for their own safety: the trees had always been places of refuge for them. What they were all afraid of most was the uncertainty of Caesar's survival. The open wound still gushing blood from his chest was horrific to see. They couldn't imagine the suffering he must have endured in the attack - a fact they were more than happy with. But they all pressed on, knowing that if they let the fear and sorrow of the situation overtake them, then Caesar's life was truly forfeit.

As the village came within sight, there wasn't a single flicker of flame left, and was lit entirely with bright beams from the full moon. Rocket let out loud, distressed hoots as they approached, Cornelia joining him as they got closer. One by one, the other Apes all started to emerge from their huts. Ordinarily, they might still be sleepy, but the alarm that rang through from Cornelia and Rocket's calls put them all on full alert.

When they finally reached the village outskirts, the four apes descended from the trees, Maurice being as gentle with his landing as he could. Apes immediately surrounded them from all sides, but Rocket kept them at a distance with shows of intimidation, swinging his arms back and forth, and baring his canines with each echoing shriek. He made sure a clear path was kept for Caesar to get to his home.

Stone, the leader of the gorillas, came forth and signed, "What's wrong?"

Cornelia answered him, "Caesar was attacked!" Her signs sent all the Apes who saw it into a frenzy, hollering and ensuring that no Ape slept well that night.

Maurice turned to Stone and signed, "You must take him to his home. You're faster on the ground than me."

Stone nodded, and carefully took Caesar's limb, bloody body from Maurice. With Caesar safely positioned over his shoulder, Stone galloped off toward the towering tree fort in the center of the village.

The three remaining Apes were assaulted by a barrage of signing from the gathering crowd, all curious to know what happened. Finally, Rocket stood up and once again asserted himself, quieting them down with swinging arms and cacophonic screaming. When all the others had finally settled down, Rocket signed to them all, "Will explain later! Now, we must help Caesar!" and he and Cornelia ran through the crowd back toward the tree fort. Maurice followed them as best as his awkward gait could carry him.

Stone arrived to Caesar's home with a few minutes, bringing him up the spiraling stair case to the top floor. When Blue Eyes saw Stone pass his room on his way, he followed. Stone lay Caesar down on his bed of soft leaves face up. When he saw the bloody hole on Caesar's chest, he jumped back with a few low grunts.

Blue Eyes arrived just seconds later and frantically signed, "What happened?"

Stone turned to the son and signed slowly, "Do not know. He and the others just came back, and he was like this."

With none of his concerns being fully addressed, all Blue Eyes could do was pace back and forth, whimpering softly with unease. Stone looked at the anxious teenager, unsure of what to do. He had his own fatherly instincts, a drive to protect his own from any who might threaten them. But even as his instincts told him to reach out his hand to bring some comfort to Blue Eyes, another part of him claimed there was nothing he could do. So he just sat as still and stony as possible, attempting to bring some kind of grounding the situation.

Outside the tree house, Apes of all species were gathering in high numbers, hooting and shrieking their own confusion up toward the three of them on the top floor. This did nothing to alleviate Blue Eye's distress, and only caused him to pace harder and faster, snorting and grunting and whimpering the whole way through.

He and Stone were startled by the arrival of Cornelia, who rushed into the room to the scene of her husband laying almost lifelessly on their bed. The whimpers came back to her, but this time she could share them with her only child. Blue Eyes quickly went over to Cornelia and hugged her tightly and closely, resting his chin on her shoulder even as the force of his hug sent her back a few steps. Stone let out a small sigh as the mother and son were reunited, even if only in their grief.

The next figure to show up at the threshold to the room was Rocket. He faced Stone and signed, "I need you." Stone instantly obeyed, getting up and heading down the staircase to the base of the tree. Rocket led him to the heart of the village square, on the insignia carved into the rock's surface. With the ocean of Apes still growing in size and loudness all around them, Caesar signed to Stone, "Need you to calm them down."

Stone nodded his head, rearing up on his hand legs. As he balanced his entire over 300 pounds of mass between his small feet, he let out a roar so powerful it swept over all of the shrieking Apes. He did so again a few more times, beating his chest with cupped hands in the process until all the Apes' attention was focused up toward him and Rocket.

When Rocket was certain that they were all listening, he began to sign to them. "Maurice, Cornelia, Caesar, and I all left the village earlier in the night to visit the grave of Buck and the other fallen Apes. During our visit, Caesar was attacked by a very big wolf. It wounded him very badly. I need the doctors to come at once to Caesar's home! The rest of you, go home! Caesar must not be disturbed."

They were slow in their dispersal, but they did all eventually clear out of the village square. The only Apes that remained were the doctors; two female chimpanzees and one male gorilla. Rocket and Stone led them back up the stairs to where Cornelia, Blue Eyes, and a blacked-out Caesar were all waiting. The Ape doctors immediately went to examine Caesar's body. One of them looked over at the bystanders and signed, "Need light." Cornelia replied by going over to the few candles scattered around the room and lighting them one by one, bringing an orange glow to the inside of the room. The doctors sat close around Caesar, poking at the area around the wound. After a little while, one of the female chimps got up and rushed out of the room.

The two remaining doctors when to Cornelia and Blue Eyes, and the other chimp signed, "The wound is very bad. We're going to need some of the human medicine to treat it, or he'll get sick."

Cornelia looked a bit more hopeful signing, "But you can save him?"

The gorilla signed, "If we can keep the wound from festering, then yes. After we give the human medicine, we'll place some herbs on the wound to help with pain, and then we'll bandage it. He'll need to rest for a long time, but he should be fine."

At the mention that Caesar's chances for survival were likely, Cornelia collapsed into Blue Eyes' arms, who was only too happy to receive his anxious mother. He once more lay his chin on her shoulder, petting her back slowly and gently.

As the two of them savored their relief, two more Apes came up from the stairs – Maurice and Koba. "Caesar?" Koba asked before seeing his leader stretched out, weakened and bloody on his own bed. The sight made Koba very still was transfixed by the sheer damage caused by the attack. When he was finally able to break away from horrific picture, he turned to Maurice and Rocket, signing, "What did this?"

"Wolf," Rocket signed. "Very big, very angry."

Koba's eyes went wide and he signed, "Must have been what killed that human I found! Did you kill it?"

Rocket signed, "Stabbed it right through the side. Was bleeding a lot. Couldn't get up afterwards."

Koba sighed and signed, "Good, good. So Apes are safe again."

Rocket shook his head and signed, "What about others? Wolves don't travel alone."

"Sometimes they do," Koba signed. "One gets kicked out."

At that point, the doctors returned with their medicine. At first they administered some antibiotics to the wound, cleaning up the blood and disinfecting the open flesh. Next they lay down some anesthetic herbs to help dull the pain. Lastly, they wrapped up the gash with bandages made from animal skin, wrapping it around Caesar's right shoulder and covering the right part of his torso.

Maurice watched the procedure from a short distance away. As he watched them treat the wound, he couldn't help but flash back to the wolf's attack. The sheer ferocity of its assault, the unparalleled malice in its gaze. It was unlike anything Maurice had ever seen, even amid all of his years in the circus. The size of the animal, its viciousness, and its aloneness all stood out, each highlighted as Koba and Rocket discussed the attack nearby. Something deep inside Maurice warned him that whatever was happening here wasn't quite over yet.

When they finally finished up, the doctor Apes went over to Cornelia and Blue Eyes. One of the chimps signed, "We've done all we can. Now we must leave him to rest. We'll be back in the morning to check on him, but for now, it's best that everyone gets some sleep."

Cornelia nodded and signed, "Thank you."

When the doctors all departed down the spiral staircase, Maurice turned to the remaining Apes and signed, "We should all go now and get some rest."

They all of them nodded. Cornelia stepped forward and signed, "Thank you all for you help. Caesar couldn't have any better friends in the whole village."

"Of course," Koba signed, "It's the least we can do. Apes together, strong."

She nodded and watched them go as they left her alone with her son and her resting husband. Then she turned to Blue Eyes and signed, "He should be alone to rest. I will sleep in your room."

Blue Eyes nodded and led her down to the lower level. He ceded his bed to her and slept on the floor, though it was a while before either of them could get to sleep. The horror of what happened was still terribly fresh in their memories, and if exhaustion hadn't been weighing on them so much, they would have stayed up for hours suffering the images of Caesar's torn flesh. But a combination of the day's festivities and their more recent, horrific ordeal forced them to sleep within a matter of minutes.

The light pitter patter of a morning drizzle gently dripped onto Maurice as he sat curled up in his nest, high in a tree not too far from the village square. The feeling of the rain drops on his bare cheek flaps was enough to stir him from slumber. His beady green eyes blinked a few times before they looked out over the village, cast under a dreary, cloud-covered sky. A few Apes were out and about, but most seemed to be sticking to their huts to stay out of the light shower. With a long, deep breath, Maurice sat up from them messy mass of leaves that was his next and climbed down to the ground.

Mud clung to his hairless hands and feet as he pulled his bulky body over the moistened earth. He kept his head down to keep from getting little drops of rain in his eyes and nose. Making his way to the communal pond, he absentmindedly reached for a nearby bowl and dipped it into the water. He drank it all down in one big gulp, repeating the process 4 more times. Then, instead of drinking, Maurice tossed the water into his face, giving him a mild, cold shock which he expressed with a brief grunt. He reached up and wiped off the dripping orange hair around his naked cheek flaps.

Suddenly awake, the only thing he could think of was Caesar. He looked up at the tree tower, fast, nervous breaths escaping like fog from his flat nose. His heart pounded against his chest, sending shocks through his entire body with every beat. He debated with himself over whether he should go and see how Caesar and his family were holding up, but a large part of him was afraid of what he might learn.

His thoughts were cut short by the arrival of Koba and Rocket who were calmly making their way to Maurice. Rocket signed to him, "You've seen Caesar?"

Maurice shook his head.

Koba looked anxiously around him, as if checking for other Apes, before signing, "What do we do if Caesar….," and he couldn't bring himself to finish the sign.

Rocket let out a few low whimpers, turning in his steps before signing, "He will be alright. Caesar is strong! Strongest Ape of all!"

"All Apes die, Rocket," Maurice signed slowly. "No matter how strong they are."

"Those wounds looked really bad," Koba signed.

Maurice took another deep breath before signing, "There's only one way to know."

At that moment, they caught sight of Blue Eyes rushing down from the tree fort down toward them. His quickened pace put them all on edge. When he reached them, he reared back and signed, "All of you! You must come!" and he turned around, bounding back toward the tree fort. When Maurice, Rocket, and Koba merely stayed put, wondering what was happening, Blue Eyes turned around and signed, "Come! Quickly! It's a miracle!"

The three of them exchanged confused-if-hopeful glances before they all rushed to the follow Blue Eyes, Maurice picking up the rear. Blue Eyes led them up the stairs, around the trunk to the top layer. When the three of them saw what was awaiting them in Caesar's chambers, they all stopped dead in place.

Caesar was standing tall, Cornelia in his arms. He looked at them as they came in and gestured for them to come closer. They slowly entered the room, keeping their eyes focused on Caesar. Then Cornelia turned to them and signed, "Something amazing has happened!"

They all became more and more curious, until finally Cornelia stepped away from Caesar. Koba stepped back a few steps. Rocket let out a long, quiet howl as his eyes went wide. And Maurice stood perfectly still, taking in the impossible sight with a simple face.

They looked. They searched. They scanned Caesar's entire chest, but there wasn't a single sign of the wound from last night. There wasn't even single drop of dried blood staining Caesar's perfectly healthy-looking black hair.

Rocket took a few tentative steps forward, cooing softly as he gazed with wonder at Caesar. When he got close enough, Rocket reached out and placed a finger right over Caesar's arrow shaped birthmark, where the wound had been only too apparent just last night. "Gone?" he signed vaguely.

Caesar nodded.

Koba signed, "How?"

Caesar looked at him with confusion and signed, "I don't know."

"I don't care," Cornelia signed, placing a hand on Caesar's shoulder. "He's alright, and that's what's most important."

"How do you feel?" Maurice asked.

"I…feel fine." Caesar signed with even more confusion.

"No pain? No weakness?" Koba asked. Caesar shook his head.

Not long after they arrived, the three doctors from the previous night arrived to check up on the patient. They were even more confused than anyone, hooting and examining the area of the vanished flesh wound. There was a lot of confused signing between them.

"This is impossible!" one of them signed.

Rocket shoved the doctor and signed, "It's not impossible! It happened!"

"But how?" one of the other doctor's asked.

"That's what I want to know," Caesar signed.

"Shouldn't we tell the other Apes?" Blue Eyes signed

Caesar shook his head and signed, "No. I want to know exactly what's happened first." A lot of the other Apes nodded in agreement.

One of the chimpanzee doctors stood up and signed, "We think it's best if you stay here for a while. We want to examine you fully before saying that nothing is wrong."

Caesar nodded and turned to Maurice, Koba, and Rocket. He signed, "While we stay here, I need you three to do me a favor." They looked intently, ready to obey. "Retrieve the spear used to kill the wolf," and Caesar shrugged, signing, "It's my favorite."

The three of them nodded and made their way down the stairs, making their way toward the stables. "See? Told you he would be fine!" Rocket signed enthusiastically.

"But so quickly?" Koba asked as they reached the base of the tree. "Nothing like this has ever happened before."

"Maybe doctors just give really good medicine," Rocket signed with a shrug.

Koba shook his head and signed, "No medicine could heal so quickly, especially a wound that bad. Even the doctors were confused."

Rocket signed, "I say it is because Caesar is so strong. He's the strongest Ape of all, so maybe that's why he heels quickly. "

Koba sighed and added, "Maybe, but…even an Ape as strong as Caesar, healing that fast? It just doesn't seem right."

"Caesar is all right again! How is that not all right?" Rocket signed.

"It's not that I'm not happy that he's alright, it's just…..wounds just don't heel that way…," Koba signed, glancing down at the long, jagged scar running down his right arm.

"Maybe Caesar is more than just Ape," Rocket signed, getting excited. "We know he can do things no other Ape can. Maybe this is another one of his strengths?"

Koba snorted and signed, "Maybe…I just don't know."

As they finally reached the stables, there was a female orangutan standing by the gates. She came up to them and signed, "Rocket, Maurice! Your horses came back here all on their own at some point in the night. They seemed very scared. Must have been the wolf you found," and she led them inside to where the horses were all standing stalwart next to each other.

"Thanks Louise, we'll be all set," Maurice signed.

"Okay, let me know if you need anything," and she gave Maurice a kind smile as she left them alone.

When she was out of sight, Koba turned to Maurice and signed, "About Caesar. What do you think, Maurice?"

Maurice did not answer immediately. He kept his thoughts to himself as he placed a hand through the mane of his horse, running his fingers through the long strands of black hair. As he prepared the harness, he signed, "I do not know. But I agree with Koba - something doesn't feel right. And it's more than just Caesar's wounds."

"What do you mean?" Rocket asked.

"That wolf was very…unusual," Maurice signed. "Much bigger than any other wolf we've seen."

Koba nodded and signed, "Also more vicious. Killed a human right in his own home. I've never seen any animal do that before."

Maurice climbed onto his horse and signed, "And it was alone. A big, lone wolf that is more aggressive than a normal wolf."

Rocket nodded as he harnessed his own horse and added, "Also, did you notice the horse's before the wolf attacked? It was as if they sensed it somehow."

Koba waved that off and signed, "Horses hear and smell better than Apes. Maybe they sensed the wolf that way,"

"But still," Maurice continued, "the wolf was still very strange. And this strange wolf bites Caesar, and the bite heals by sunrise. Even stranger."

"What are you saying?" Rocket asked.

"I'm saying that we should probably take a look at this wolf when we find it, maybe even bring it back to the village." Maurice signed.

"Maybe it was sick?" Koba asked. "Sick animals often act weird."

"Maybe," Maurice signed, "But we need to learn more."

When all three were fully mounted, they rode out the same way they left last night, out past the back way and down south along the forested path. Even by high noon, the thick grey clouds combined with the density of the forest to cast them in near-darkness as they rode. It wasn't anywhere near as dark as the night, but it was still quite dark compared to the time of day. Fortunately, with the overhanging branches of the canopy almost acting like an umbrella, the light rain that was still falling was almost undetectable. The fallen rain shone brightly on the wet leaves of every fern and shrub of the undergrowth, and small drops of water dripped off of the sharp tips of many leaves.

When they reached the river, they turned right just as they had last night, and continued on for another half mile. When they reached the grave stone, they looked all around, only to find that there was no sign of any wolf.

"You're sure you killed it?" Koba signed, suddenly feeling very exposed with no weapon.

"I know, I must have!" Rocket signed. "I drove the spear right through its ribs to the other side!"

"It was very dark," Maurice signed. "Maybe you didn't see quite right?"

Rocket shook his head and signed, "I felt it! And we saw how weak it looked. There's no way it could have survived."

"It would not be the first impossible thing to happen today," Maurice pointed out, looking around out into the woods, his confusion growing in accordance with his fear.

Rocket got down from his horse, leading it by the reins to where the wolf was lying against a tree last night. There was a pool of old blood, still wet thanks to the moist weather, as well as little strands of fur and what looked like large dog tracks. "It was definitely here," Rocket signed, keeping his eyes on the tracks as he followed them, leading away from the tree. Judging from the position of the prints, Rocket could tell that the animal was no doubt on its last legs. "It managed to get up and limp off this way," he signed to the other two. He followed the tracks, keeping his face pointed directly down, still leading the horse behind him.

In addition to the tracks, there was also a trail of blood splattering on the ground in between the foot prints. It was also on any of the shorter ferns and bushes, the wolf having painfully brushed up against them as it went on its way. Not too far away from where they started, Rocket was stopped by the discovery of the body. Or, a body at any rate.

Specifically, it was a human body, the cold, naked skin a sickly a pallor, like something that lived its live in a deep, dark cave. The form seemed male to Rocket's eyes, though it was often hard to tell male and female humans apart, especially since this one was lying face down in the wet mud. At first, Rocket assumed that this might have been the wolf's last victim. Then he saw something that caused him to bolt straight up from his stooping position. He raised up an arm and let out loud pant-hoots to the other two.

Maurice and Koba rode over to Rocket and his horse, and they also saw the body. It was lying face down, blood pooling all around it. And most disturbing of all, was Caesar's favorite spear sticking clear into one side of the human and clean out the other, drenched in shimmering scarlet liquid.