When Silence Was Loud

Chapter 3

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Later that night, as the camp settled into the tranquil hush of twilight, Soona and Anaya made their way to the tower where Noa was lost in thought. The moon hung high, its silver light draping the Eagle Clan's territory in a soft, ethereal glow, casting long shadows that danced gently across the landscape. Beneath this serene luminescence, the human sat on the ground, her posture tense and restless. Though she remained still, there was an air of discomfort about her, a stark contrast to her earlier, more disruptive presence when she had first arrived, needing care for her injuries.

From his vantage point, Anaya observed her with a mix of concern and weariness. He stifled a yawn, drawing Noa's attention. "You look exhausted," she remarked, her voice laced with genuine concern.

Anaya's shoulders sagged with the weight of fatigue. "I haven't slept," he admitted, his voice barely rising above a whisper. "I kept watch on Eve all night."

Noa's curiosity was piqued. "Eve?" he echoed, his tone inquisitive.

"Yes," Anaya replied, his expression a blend of tiredness and determination. "She kept making this noise, like 'effh,' so I thought it fitting to name her that." His eyes softened as he spoke.

Noa's brow furrowed deeply, a storm of irritation and disbelief crossing his face. "You named her? That's ridiculous. Why give her a name if she's just going to leave soon?"

Soona stepped closer, her face illuminated by the cool, silver light of the moon, "Why won't you accept her, Noa? She came to us in the way that only apes do when they seek acceptance. She formally asked for it. For all we know, she might be a human raised by apes."

Noa scoffed, shaking his head as though the very notion was an affront to his sensibilities. "They can mimic apes, sure. Mae did it. She was nothing more than a wild echo, playing the part of someone to be pitied. It's possible this human is doing the same. Just because she behaves similarly doesn't mean she's any different from the others. Mae was deceitful, and this one could be too. She could be biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal her true nature."

Anaya's gaze lingered on the human, who sat quietly with a contemplative expression, her eyes occasionally drifting up towards the tower where the apes were deep in discussion. There was a quiet resolve about her, a silent fortitude that spoke volumes. "I don't know," Anaya said softly, his voice filled with uncertainty. "She doesn't look like she's trying to mimic us."

Soona's eyes narrowed, and her voice cut through the night air like a blade. "You're still hung up on what happened with Mae... But what about Raka? The one you traveled with—wasn't he someone who upheld Caesar's words? Wouldn't he want you to treat Eve differently?"

Noa's face darkened at the mention of Raka. "He's gone," he replied curtly, the bitterness in his tone evident. "And whoever this Caesar was, his teachings have been all but forgotten. The world has changed since then. Humans, once protected by Caesar, have become the very force that has brought pain to apes. They've built a world to dominate and enslave, imprisoning apes behind towering walls." He paused, his expression hardening into a mask of resolve. "The humans of today are not the same as those from Caesar's time. They've shown they can't be trusted, and Mae is living proof of that. She seeks to reclaim a world that humans lost, even if it means betraying us in the process."

The silence that followed was heavy, the weight of Noa's words settling over the group.

Soona's resolve was evident in her stance; she had made it clear before that she was willing to accept the human's presence. Yet, both Soona and Anaya knew all too well that changing Noa's mind was a task as futile as it was challenging. Once Noa set his mind on something, there was no budging him. They exchanged a resigned glance, acknowledging the stubbornness that had hardened in Noa's beliefs.