Remember the Rise: Chapter 4

Caesar stood outside the woods waiting for everyone to get ready. The sun was now nearly gone and he started to feel little droplets of rain sink into his hair. Clouds began to cover the sky and the leaves on the trees began to sag with the weight of the water. The ground was damp and only one fire lit was just inside the cave where all the babies were sleeping. Cornelia and ten other apes decided to watch the children.

"Ceasa'." said Koba. The king of the apes looked back at his brother with focused eyes.

"We are ready." Koba signed. Caesar nodded his head and looked to his family. He raises his hands and everyone goes quiet.

He turns to the woods and jumps on a branch and swings into the shadowy forest and his people follow.

It was now pouring rain but all the apes kept quiet and looked for their food. The rain drenched the ground which made it harder for them to find any animals to track down. Caesar looks behind him as the apes traveled and saw Blue Eyes a few feet behind him.

"Blue Eyes is being stubborn again." Koba signs quickly and jumps to the next branch.

"I know." Caesar signs.

"What are you going to do?" Koba stops beside him as he examines the area.

"Haven't decided yet." Caesar signs with a grim look on his face.

They finally stop after ten minutes of traveling. There was no sign of the stags that traveled this area.

Rocket lands beside Caesar and signs, "Odd."

"Yes, where are all the deer?" Caesar signs.

"Traveled north?"

"Too early." Caesar tells everyone to stay in their positions as he jumps down. He crouches down and smells around him. He walks further away from his people and see's a shift in the dirt.

He walks closer to inspect the print. Deer prints were littered near the one of the few pine trees in the woods and…. Caesar paused in his movements.

A Human was here. But along with this print there was a faint smell.

Koba begins to get impatient and jumps down to Caesar. "See anything?" Caesar stilled. He knew who this was. Panic began to go through him and thoughts of the past started going through his mind.

Caesar turns quickly to Koba. "Deer went east, tracks fresh, shouldn't be too far." Koba nods and goes back to the family telling them where to travel.

Caesar's heart beats rapidly at revelation.

A human foot print.

He climbs up into the trees and shakes off the thought and only focuses on the hunt. He didn't know why he was here but he hopes he doesn't come back.

"Something is vexing you." Koba signs. He saw the flicker of panic in his king's eyes when he walked up on him.

"Not the time to explain." Caesar says. Koba took that to mean later, so he didn't question further.

The deer could be seen through the trees which made the apes behind him hoot in happiness. Caesar turns his head and tells them to quiet down with a quick signal. They all stopped at what they were doing and waited for Caesar to give the signal.

It was then Caesar turned around to his people. The air of anticipation was round them but he did not tell them go, but instead he decided in that split second to call his son forward.

Blue Eye's stood in shock but pushed himself forward to his father.

Caesar looked his son in the eye and signed, "Do you remember what what I taught you?"

Blue Eye's nodded his head understanding what his father was asking him.

Caesar nodded his head and fell back, with only his son on the front branch. Koba looked at the exchange. He didn't think this was the right time to give Blue Eyes the lead but he didn't question Caesar. He didn't know what was going to happen but he hoped the young ape understood this wasn't a time for failure.

Blue Eyes looked back at his father for assurance. The king of the apes gave him none. So Blue Eyes turned back to the large group of deer and assessed the situation.

He remembered when his father went over the strategies. It was before the anniversary three years ago and Caesar had just called him home earlier than he usually does. His father did not offer him a greeting he only told him to sit down as he explains the moves and tactics they must take during hunting.

It was after hours and the fire was almost out that Blue Eyes decided to ask a question.

"Which one of these did you use on the humans?" The look on his father's face said to him that he shouldn't have asked that question but he really wanted to know. Caesar did not answer him for a few seconds but he finally pointed at to the drawing at the far end of the slab of stone where he drew out the images.

Oh, how badly Blue Eyes wanted to try this on the deer. He could only imagine what the fight between the humans and apes were like, with the help of those once a year in depth storytelling and Maurice's history lessons.

In the back of his mind Blue Eyes knows this was not the wisest choice of action. In the back of his head he knows this is what his father is testing him on. Just to see if he was ready to lead a group on his own. He knows that his father would be disappointed if he chooses this tactic. Even though Blue Eye's knows this. He did not give it much thought.

Only a few seconds passes by and Blue Eyes raises his hand and turns to tell Maurice and the orangutans to climb down and hide in the bushes and tells Koba to climb up and attack from above. They all look to Caesar. It was quiet and the deer still stood in the dirt eating the berries and roots in the ground just visible.

They all knew what this was. For the adults they knew exactly what this was because they were there when Caesar gave almost those exact orders. And for the younger apes, the tale of the attack on the bridge was everyones favorite.

They all looked to Caesar with nervousness while the rain began to pour harder.

"Go." The older ape spoke quietly. They all left quickly without a word. Blue Eyes did not want to look at his father and only told his group to go right while the young apes group went left.

Everyone heard the telling emotion behind Caesar's voice. But no one but only Koba and Maurice would comment later.

After everyone was in position and Blue Eyes gave the signal.

All the apes jumped from the trees and attacked the deer from all corners. The family of apes had the stags surrounded and they began to attack.

Blue Eyes marveled at the happenings going on around him. The gorilla's tackled their deer to the ground, the orangutan kept to the trees and threw their spears with accuracy. And the chimps and bongalos jumped top of them, stabbing the deer threw its heart.

Blue Eye's looked through the mist of the fight and couldn't find his father. He made his kill before looking up and finding the King of the Apes high in the trees observing everything.

The hunt was beginning to quiet down while and Caesar saw a few does run off.

Caesar looked down at the apes with a reserved expression, glad that didn't go south. But even still Caesar was bewailed. Blue Eyes stood triumphant before all the apes but the king of the apes was not celebrating.

He gave a loud shriek which got all the primate's attention. "Lets. Go. Home." Blue Eyes looked to his father with anxiety. He feared what his father would do because of his choice in hunting.

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