Conflicted minds

chapter one

Eight years had passed since the event with Mae, in that time, the eagle clan village had rebuilt their home and made a lot of improvements, making the village more secure as they settled slowly back into their normal lives. Noa and Soona had a daughter called Amara.
Noa had chosen to raise her to not know about humans and the majority of the other chimps were fine with that, but Soona and Anaya weren’t too keen, they believed that the young chimpanzees should at least be taught that humans exist but Noa felt it was better to just not speak about it all together.

Now that the chimps had learnt how to make explosives thanks to Mae’s knowledge, they kept the ones they had completed in a hut, ready to grab quickly if any trouble were to arise. Noa sometimes thought about Mae and wondered if maybe one day he’d see her again but he wanted to shield his family as much as possible and as the leader, the clan all felt confident that he knew best and would protect them if any other encounter threatened to harm them.




Noa opened his eyes, as usual he was awake before the other villagers, he looked at his daughter who was cuddled up to Soona in the nest, completely content, breathing softly against her mothers chest. Noa smiled then got up slowly, careful not to wake them and headed down the pylon to the ground below.

The early morning breeze greeted his face as he headed towards the pylon where the eagles were kept. It was time to release them from their perches for the day.

At arrival, he began to hum the eagle song so that the birds knew who had entered “good morning” he whispered softly.

He released eagle sun first, then another, and another until they were all flying around the village, awaiting for their various owners to emerge from the nests from their nights sleep.




Later, the eagle clan village was slowly coming to life. The morning sun casted a golden hue over the land as the villagers begun their morning duties. Noa’s mother was hanging up some fish in the smoke hut whilst Soona assisted her with preparing other fish for breakfast.

Anaya was sat with some other males, they helped make new bowls for the village, scraping away at the wood with their knives to create a curved shape. Anaya cracked a joke every now and again but apart from that, they were all completely focused on their tasks.


Noa sat calmly on a log with Eagle sun perched next to him. He tucked new feathers under his arm cuff, pausing every now and again to check on Amara who wasn’t far from him, she was playing with some other chimps of similar age to her.

Suddenly Amara's shout from across the grass sparked Noa’s attention, startled, he looked up, his brows wrinkling as he frowned and saw her running on all fours towards him

“Father! they’re chasing me!” she shrieked, out of breath as she approached and crouched down behind him.

Noa raised an eyebrow and chuckled “you started it... I saw you” he taunted as he felt his daughter tugging at his fur with excitement.

Amara giggled “I did not start it... Akio did”.

He shook his head and went back to what he was doing “Lies” he joked, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.


“Nooo!” Amara wailed as the other youngsters bundled on top of her, tickling each other and giggling.

Noa turned around to face them, leaning his forearms on his knees and looked at the other children, he signed to them that playtime was over. They nodded to him and ran off across the grass.

Amara slowly stood up, sticking out her bottom lip with a pout “But... but-”

He looked at her with a raised brow, a smile curling his lips “we are going... to the forest soon”.

Amara managed a smile, she liked going to the forest with her father, every time they went there, they found something new to bring back to the village. She sighed and sat next to him, quickly realising the increased number of feathers he was now wearing on his arm.

She motioned to them “you have... even more?”

He nodded, focusing on tucking the last one under his cuff “I think... I have enough now”.

Amara tilted her head and frowned at him “but... why can’t... I have a feather?”

Noa waved a hand to silence her “one day” he looked down at eagle sun “one day... you will have”.

“you have so many... can you... not give one to me?” she fluttered her eyelids and pointed to her bracelet “it can go... here”.

He looked at her for a moment, then wrinkled his nose as the memory of himself once asking the exact same question to his father flashed into his mind. He took her hand in his and removed a small blue and white feather from his cuff, he smiled as he tucked it under his daughters bracelet.

Amara admired the delicate details of it then smiled up at him, excitement in her eyes “I... keep?”

Noa nodded “one day... I will teach you... everything you need to know”.

Noa didn’t know that Soona had walked up behind them to tell them that the food was ready, she paused when she heard the last part of what Noa had said to their daughter, Her brows lowering with concern.

Soona tapped Noa on the shoulder “food... is ready” she said motioning over to Dar.

Amara jumped up with excitement, a big grin on her face “oh food!” and ran off across the grass to sit with the other youngsters.

Noa smiled but Soona had far from the same expression. Keeping her concerned glare on him “you will... teach her everything?” she crossed her arms “about humans too?”

Noa stepped back, Soona’s question taking him by surprise, his smile quickly fading as he narrowed his eyes “I said... everything she needs... to know”

Soona gently took hold of his hand “Noa, all of... the children must know... about humans... what if one day... the children... see one?”

Noa shook his head with a grunt “they... will not... It has been... so long now... and no humans... have came near our village” his eyes softened as he tried to calm Soona’s worries, putting a hand on her face “she will... be safe”.

Soona wrinkled her nose “you cannot... make sure” she whispered, glancing over at their daughter “one day, Noa... she will be curious like we were... wanting to explore like we did” her gaze fell to the ground “there will... be questions” she flashed him a sympathetic look then turned and headed over to the other chimps.


Noa stood there, blinking hard, almost frozen in place, thinking of what Soona had said, thinking about Mae, he scolded himself, wondering why he hadn’t thought of this before. Shaking  his head quickly and snapping out of his thoughts, he headed over to join the others.


After breakfast, Noa saddled up his horse and prepared for the journey, Amara stood close by, she couldn’t stop looking at the feather he had given to her. Finally happy to have one, she looked at it in different light, in the sun, it had a rainbow like reflection but in the shade, it was only blue, white and black.

Noa walked up to her and smiled “are you... ready?”

She looked up at him and smiled, excited to see what they could find this time “I am”.

Soona kissed her forehead against Noa’s “Please... keep her safe out there”.

He looked into her eyes “I always do”.

Amara hugged her mother then climbed onto the horse. Noa did the same and the two of them headed for the forest, Soona watched as they gradually disappeared out of sight.