Birth of the Planet of the Apes

Frozen

Though neither party showed any sign of an ease in anxiety between each other, it turned out to be a relatively quiet night. The gorilla, Luca, one of Caesar's close friends, remained vigilant in his watch over them. However, by the time Alex and Riley got the tent repaired enough to stand, Luca had sent most of the other apes back to the colony, leaving only enough for the night's rotations.

To Alex's relief, the gorilla, like Maurice, held a place in his heart for those who gained the trust of their leader's son. And, though it took a good deal of slow, mainly one-sided conversations, Luca agreed to remain at the entrance of their tent as a 'duel guard'. Alex knew the ape wouldn't be able to stay awake the whole night, but the knowledge of him staying close to them gave comfort enough to gift a few hours of sleep, to him at least.

One look at Riley the next morning showed she didn't have the same luck as he did in the area of sleep. With the dark circles under her eyes and her tenser-than-usual nature, it was clear that the calm, quiet demeanor she showed throughout his interactions with Luca the night before was just a ruse. This was especially apparent when they were told Caesar had agreed to meet with them within the colony. Alex surmised it was Blue Eyes who finally convinced his father that he and Riley were not the enemy, that, or Caesar wanted them inside the colony to use as collateral in case of an attack. Hopefully it was the former. Caesar was never someone who felt like he'd use others in a way that could lead anyone to harm, but a lot can happen over a year, especially after the battle in San Francisco.

Alex pulled his pack higher on his shoulders as they weaved their way through the trees, the thought of possibilities making him shiver. Short glances to the girl beside him only served to make him more anxious.

Her eyes moved around faster than normal and her fingers didn't seem to know what they were supposed to do as they fidgeted nervously with each other. Why was she so tense all of a sudden? True, she was cautious with Luca and the others the night before, but she had been her normal 'no-nonsense, in-your-face' self whenever she had interacted with them. She was as she had been with Blue Eyes, wary but confidant. There had been those few times she showed kinks in her armor, but nothing close to this level of, well, fear. Was it the fact they were finally going to talk with Caesar? Was she worried about what was going on with Fremont back in San Francisco? Was she worried about Blue Eyes? He had to admit he was a little worried about that last question. Caesar wasn't the most welcoming with his son the day before, and the way Blue Eyes' new-found confidence had vanished with one look turned Alex's insides around.

"R...Riley?" his own nerves chopped his words, "Is...is everyth..."

"I'm okay, Alex," she said with mute assurance, "Just...thinking. With everything that's going on I...just have a lot on my mind."

Alex dropped his eyes and nodded into his hood. Maybe once all the introductions and such were done they'd relax some. Still, he really wished Blue Eyes was with them. Having the young ape with them again would be sure to...

Alex's thoughts went blank as they reached the exterior gates of the colony, the grove of redwoods opening up above them.

The construction had the same feel as the original ape colony but the expanse of rope bridges and walls around the grove showed how far the apes had advanced in such a short time. It was clear the threat of humans had been taken into account because not one but two walls separated them from the center, each with numerous armed guards patrolling their top.

Alex actually felt less afraid for the apes as they made their way through each wall. With sentries so far out from the colony's borders and the heavy precautions they took when designing its defenses, a human attack force would be hard pressed to get inside, even with guns.