Clova *COMPLETE*

Chapter 8-Father's Love

Darkness fell over the woods, the sun had set and the torches were once again lit. All the apes trekked back into their homes ready to sleep, in the highest hut were the Royal Ape Family, getting prepared for bed.

They all laid on the moss bed. Cornelia laid on the right and cuddled Cornelius to sleep, Blue Eyes on the far left, Caesar beside his wife and youngest son, leaving Clova in between them. Sometimes they would have to wrap an extra blanket around Clova since her skin reacted to the itchy hay and moss, which occasionally left evidence of marks and rashes.

A few hours later, the entire village submerged in silence. Sudden wails rang throughout the village which caused Caesar to spring up to the sudden sound. He looked over to his right and Clova was crying, her face was red and she held her arm in pain.

Caesar gently removed her hand to see a swollen bite mark, Clova felt the intense itching urge so she used her nails and started to scratch it causing it to swell more and grow in a deeper shade of red. Caesar quickly pulled her arm back to prevent her urge and took the blanket she lay on, when he removed it a black striped spider quickly crawled away. Caesar watched the peculiar coloured spider exit the room and looked back again at Clova's arm.

She was still crying, snot nosed and sore. Caesar picked her up and walked out the door, he stopped by the sound of a soft chitter. He turned around to see Cornelius awake, a questioned look on his face.

"Go back to sleep, son.", he signed reassuringly.

Cornelius although slightly curious obeyed and snuggled back into his mother's warmth. Caesar now knowing his son was asleep, returned his attention back to Clova. He stepped outside onto their porch and sat down, Clova was still crying and her eyes were red, Caesar used the blanket to clean her nose, once cleaned, he folded the blanket in half and tied it around her arm to prevent contamination.

Her crying broke into whimpers and sniffles, she looked up at Caesar and stretched her arms out trying to reach his neck, he hugged her to his chest, hearing her snuffles come to a stop. Clova tucked her head on his shoulder, comforted by his gesture. He smiled as when he heard she stopped crying and gently patted her back, hoping to soothe her to sleep.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, when Caesar felt her arm droop from his shoulder and her soft, steady breathing, he knew she had finally fallen asleep. He stood up slowly as he supported Clova and placed her back down on the moss bed, he grabbed one of her spare shirts to cover her as a makeshift blanket, since she wasn't an ape or had fur, she got cold easily.
He laid down in his spot on the bed and watched Clova snore quietly, he smiled gently before he felt the concept of sleep pulling him in. He turned around and went back to sleep.