Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Willow and any alterations to the originals storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.
Born To Lead Chapter 5
After the incident with the grizzly bear its body along with the elks were loaded onto crude sleds the apes had crafted from boughs from the trees to carry the spoils of the hunt home. Counting the elk Willow had killed the apes had taken down five elk for the tribe the bonus of the bear making it an even greater success.
Now the hunting party traveled the long road home back to their refuge. Some rode on horses while others went on foot. At the head of the procession was Caesar with Willow and Blue Eyes on either side of him on their mounts. Riding alongside them were some members of Caesar's inner circle and closest confidants, which were Rocket, his son Ash, and Koba.
On the way home the troop marched passed the gas station Willow had come across by chance years ago. She paid it no mind. That part of her life was long gone. The girl who had run around constantly all day yearning for a forbidden desire causing her parents endless grief was a distant memory.
Willow avoided Blue Eyes still a bit uncomfortable with his behavior from earlier. Occasionally Willow thought she'd see Blue Eyes glance her way, but the moment he saw her staring at him he'd immediately look somewhere else although not before she caught a glimpse of remorse in his eyes. Perhaps he was regretting how he'd treated her, ashamed of how out of order his actions were, brooding in his own thoughts.
Then again Willow could've been wrong.
Riding a couple of steps behind Willow, in respect to Caesar, was Ash on his mount. After realizing she'd almost lost her life at the hands of the grizzly bear he absolutely refused to leave her side. This was the reason why he was riding in such proximity to her. He tried to be discreet about it but was failing miserably.
Finally, Willow called him out on it.
Incredulous, Willow signed "Ash, please. There's no need for you to do this. I'm perfectly fine. The bear didn't kill me."
"You could've been," countered Ash, becoming level with her.
"But I wasn't," insisted Willow, rolling her eyes.
"That doesn't mean there isn't any danger," signed Ash, irritated."There could be another bear out there waiting to attack us at any moment."
"If one did I'd get away. I'd ride off so fast it wouldn't lay and paw on me," retorted Willow."I'm the most accomplished rider in the village."
Snorting, Ash rebuked"You wish! There are much better horseback riders than you are. Myself included."
"Oh really," signed Willow, brow quirked."I seem to recall beating you a lot in plenty of other races."
"Those don't count. I let you win," huffed Ash, defensively, signing rapidly trying to cover his embarrassment."It doesn't matter where we are. I can outrace you any time any place."
The pair was so engrossed in themselves that they ignored the amused looks they were receiving from others in the troop.
A mischievous twinkle glinting in her eyes, Willow signed "You sure about that?"
Without any warning, she then kicks her horse in the sides sending it galloping off clouds of dirt billowing in her wake. The sound of her laughter carried on the winds back to the troop.
Screeching Ash followed after Willow turning it into a race pushing his steed to close the gap.
Caesar and others observed all this fondly.
Turning towards Rocket, Caesar signs "Kids, what can you do about them?"
Hooting, Rocket signed "Ah to be young and in love. Don't you wish you could be that age again?"
Bounding through the forest Willow and Ash reached the outskirts of the village in record time. They tore into the village at full speed other apes leaping out of their way to avoid getting trampled both trying to outpace the other. Willow kept her early lead making sure Ash never gained any ground much to his frustration.
The pair skidded to a halt in the center of the village near the fire pit.
Dismounting Willow laughed, signing "Ha! I win again!"
"That one doesn't count either. You cheated," signed Ash, dismounting too."You had a head start. If we'd gone at the same time you would've lost."
"In your dreams," signed Willow, smirking.
Before Ash was able to say anything else they were bombarded from all sides by ape children of all ages. They scrambled around the duo scampering around like rabbits in their excitement.
From the spot Maurice was standing at next to a stone wall, he hooted and grumbled at the children. The orangutan gestured for them to come and they reluctantly complied. Willow and Ash's return had interrupted the lesson he'd been teaching them. To read, write, and the ape's three most important laws. The laws were Ape Not Kill Ape, Knowledge Is Power, and Ape Together Strong.
"Remember our first lesson," asked Willow, lost in the memory.
Nodding, Ash signed"Yes, I do. I, also, remember you falling asleep in boredom before Maurice got too far into it and, subsequently, you were stuck doing tasks for the elders a whole week because of it."
Willow went to smack Ash on the back of the head for that remark, but he ducked dancing out of her range.
Anxious hoots caused Willow to snap her body in the direction of her family's personal dwelling. Looking above she recognized Tinker waving her up.
Frantic, Tinker, signed "Willow, come quick! It's your mother, she's in labor."
Willow and Ashe shared a look. She wanted to go with Tinker, but the horses needed to be attended to.
Ash seemed to know what Willow was thinking before she did. Taking the reigns of both horses, he signed "Go. I'll handle things here."
"Thank you," signed Willow, relieved. "When he comes inform my father of the situation."Spinning on her feet she then climbed up to Tinker allowing the older female to lead the way.
Tossing mannerisms aside Willow pushed passed the assembled midwives surrounding Cornelia in her haste to get to her mother's bedside. She'd apologize later, but right now her worry over her mother's condition overpowered her common sense.
Cornelia was in bad shape appearing extremely tired shaking all over from the strain she was under already.
Worriedly, Willow asked "How long has my mother been in labor?"
"Since the hunters left this morning," signed Sparrow.
This alarmed Willow exponentially. That was hours ago in the early morning. It was now mid-afternoon.
"Mother, I am here," signed Willow, gently pressing her forehead to her mother's affectionately, caressing her brow.
Hands trembling, Cornelia signed "Where is your father?"
"On his way with the hunting party. Ash and I rode ahead. He and Blue Eyes should be here soon," assured Willow.
Whimpering Cornelia curled into herself as another contraction hit. Willow laid her head beside her mothers hoping her presence would provide some comforting relief as she stroked Cornelia's head.
Willow's prediction proved true. In a matter of minutes, Caesar showed up. All of the females blocking his way parted permitting him entrance inside. Judging by his demeanor he'd already been notified of what was occurring in his home.
Raising her head, Willow signed "Father."
Slowly Caesar approached a tender loving expression on his face as he gazed at his wife. Seeing her husband Cornelia outstretched a hand to Caesar begging him to help her. Taking her hand Caesar knelt beside his wife across from his daughter. Willow removed her hand letting Caesar replace it with his continuing where Willow left off. Not once did Cornelia's grip loosen on his hand. Having him there with her perhaps gave Cornelia the boost she needed for that one last-ditch effort.
Cornelia groaned pushing with all her might the feeling of Caesars, Willow's, and the other female's hands on her flesh lending her the strength to fight.
Cornelia gasped collapsing onto her back as a tiny squeaking, thrashing baby was pulled from her. Cornelia took the squirming baby into her arms settling him against her chest. If there was any sort of indication the volume of the baby's cries showed it had a healthy set of lungs. Everything was in its proper place working as it should. The infant was so minuscule it couldn't have weighed more than four pounds.
Awestruck by the newborn Caesar gives the baby his hand. The infant latched its fingers spread holding tight to one of his fathers.
Eyes softer than a kitten's fur, happy tears building, Willow cupped the baby's little head in the palm of her hand hooting quietly to the little one so to soothe him. The method succeeded in the newborn's cries receding as he snuggled into his mother. This child was her brother, not her son, but a maternal instinct built inside her one she couldn't explain. From this day forth she vowed to protect this brand new life to her dying day.
The snap of a twig on the floor signaled Blue Eyes coming in to see the baby for himself. The ape children from Maurice's class were curious too. They were discovered peeking from outside hanging from sections of the tree. He stared in wonder at the infant realizing he was no longer a big brother to one sibling, but to two.
Beckoning to Blue Eyes, Caesar signed "Come meet your new brother."
Accepting the invitation Blue Eyes slowly came over. Each tentative step Blue Eyes took revealed to all how nervous he was, but he joined them nevertheless.
Cornelia currently had one hand wrapped around the baby. When Blue Eyes got close enough she put the other on Blue Eye's head pressing his forehead to hers. Caesar had both hands cocooned around the baby sheltering it in his powerful hands.
All four breathed together in sync with the baby almost forgetting completely anyone else was present with them. The five of them were the only ones who mattered.
The twins looked at one another and smiled. Any tension lingering between them vanishes with their little brother's birth. Neither of the twins spoke to each other not a syllable vocalized between them in the exchange.
A rapport passed between the two siblings. Wordlessly, Blue Eyes extended an arm at his sister inviting her into an embrace. Accepting she pressed herself against her brother's side his arm looped around her shoulders with hers encircling his, mindful of his injuries. Eyes shut, softly nuzzling his shoulder, Willow smiled at peace.
All was forgiven.
Later that evening a grand ceremony overran the entire village celebrating the birth and hunt. A feast was held for the celebration, one of the largest they'd had in quite a long time.
Sitting on a ledge overlooking the fire pit, where the vast majority of the Colony had gathered, beside the wall where Maurice taught his lessons to the new generation sat the royal family. Caesar was sitting on his throne, Cornelia and Blue Eyes on the right of him, and Willow claimed a seat to his left of her own. The baby was fast asleep cradled in Cornelia's arms. It took a lot of work to be born. He needed to rest.
Willow was wearing a circlet of freshly picked flowers on her head linked together in a daisy chain as a symbol of her status and rank. She rarely wears it, only doing so when she's required to, but this momentous occasion is far too important to disregard propriety.
During the festivities, ape after ape brought tribute to Caesar. The variety of offerings ranged from flowers, pelts, antlers that came from an elk that wasn't Willow's, and different kinds of food.
Willow didn't need to, but she offered her tribute to her father. The elk she'd killed had already been butchered and distributed among the tribe for their consumption. But the antlers belonging to the elk were hers to do with as she pleased. Instead of keeping them a prize for herself, she decided to gift the elk antlers to her father so he could have them decorated over his throne. Initially, Caesar attempted to refuse but caved when he saw how much this meant to her. She wouldn't be dissuaded by any means.
Instead, he intended to bestow upon her an even more valuable gift. Waving forward Luca and Stone they lifted a stretcher carrying the bear's pelt and head. Because of how well she fought the bear in the name of her family and took down the elk he goes to give her the pelt and head as a reward. Trophies she should keep as possessions of her own.
Willow didn't accept the generous gifts telling him what she preferred whispering to Caesar her wish. She may have battled the bear, but she wasn't the one to dish out the deadly blow. The spoils rightfully belonged to Koba. He earned them. Realistically she had no claim to the remains.
Afterward, Caesar gazed at her in great pride beyond proud of Willow. She gave without any thought of reward. It was her nature to act so selfless.
Standing, Willow's hand clasped in his own, Caesar directed the grizzly head and pelt to Koba. The one-eye ape was enjoying the evening meal with Ash, Rocket, Maurice, and Grey.
At the sight of Caesar and Willow, Koba knelt grunting softly lifting a hand palm up in supplication. Caesar ran his hand across the palm accepting the tribute. As Koba stood he froze astonished seeing the deceased grizzly's pelt and head presented to him.
"You saved my daughter's life today, Koba," signed Caesar, gesturing at Willow first and then the pelt second. A clear sign ownership of this magnificent prize was passed onto Koba freely given.
Shocked and humbled by this display of brotherhood, Koba embraced Caesar under the eyes of every ape there. Separating they each affectionately had an arm slung over the other's shoulders solidifying how close they are and an example of unity.
"Apes together strong," boomed Caesar.
Indeed they are.
This place, no…this Colony was pure paradise. But like all versions of paradise, it can easily get destroyed at the slightest insurrection.
Authors Note:
Okay, I got a question for you guys and I've been debating about this for a while…What do you guys think about Willow being the one to kill Koba instead of Caesar?I hope you all like this one! I certainly did while writing it for your vast enjoyment! ;D
For those of you just starting out with my stuff there are other works on my profile that may catch your interest. I highly recommend you take a look as soon as the opportunity presents itself to you. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.
Stay safe everyone. Especially with all of these crazy natural disasters occurring a lot lately due to global warming and climate change everywhere for sure. I swear it's like they're getting worse and worse all the time and it's like officials are simply just ignoring it or pretending it doesn't exist entirely just to go on with their daily lives. Especially those in multi-million dollar companies that rely on certain elements of our planet that we rely on to naturally keep us safe instead of adapting and finding new safer ways to keep in business. There are so many options out there where they can adapt, but they just refuse to see it because all they care about is money. Climate change is altering so much faster than anyone can really keep track of.
So, in light of all this, it is important to live life to the fullest as much as anyone can.
I know I am. ;) See you guys next time.