Clova *COMPLETE*

Chapter 17- Elk Hunt

A few years passed, Clova was now eleven years old and was getting more confident in climbing and would join Caesar on their hunts. One morning, when Clova was asleep on the moss bed Cornelia entered the room and gently shook her, Clova however was still in dreamland as she turned to the other side of the bed and stretched her limbs unconsciously. Cornelia shook her again a bit harder until she saw her eyelids flutter open, she sat up and stretched, she looked over to Cornelia with tired eyes.

"Why so early?", she complained.

Cornelia just shrugged and signed sarcastically. "Well unless you want to miss out on your father's hunt, you can go back to sleep."

In the blink of an eye, Clova sprung up and dashed outside. As she climbed down, she was spotted by a few apes who signalled to Caesar who was painted with skeleton patterns on his face and chest, watched as Clova got down and ran to him completely out of breath.

"I'm ready!", she signed exhaustively. Caesar smiled and lifted her onto his horse, Blue Eyes who was already on his horse covered in paint chuckled in amusement.

"Nice sleep, sleepy head?", he teased.

"Shut up."

As Clova sat on the horse, a few apes came and smeared white and red war paint on her face and arms. Once the apes who care for the horses gave Caesar the signal, he lead the apes out and the rest of the apes followed behind as they rode into the woods.

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Caesar sat on a high branch in a tree with Blue Eyes and Clova on his side, he held his arm in the air and waited for the signal. He sent an ape to check for an update and he returned with news.

"Caesar, they are close.", he signed to him. He nodded to him and turned to Koba who were camouflaged down below with Luca and other apes.

"Koba!", he signalled.

Koba who received Caesar's command led the apes forward towards their prey, the others followed behind in the trees as silent as possible, like mice in a field. Once close, Caesar, Blue Eyes and Clova landed on a tree branch and waited for the right moment.

"Now, father?", he asked slightly impatient.

Caesar held his hand and told him to wait, he looked around in sight for the prey and waited. At the right moment, he let out a loud war cry and the herd of elk raced down the steep hill in fear. It wasn't long before the elk were cornered by large numbers of apes and pointed their spears at them, the herd overtook the apes and knocked a few as they sprinted.

Luca caught up to Caesar, buckets of spears and nets attached on his back. Caesar grabbed a net and aimed it at a nearby elk, he threw and trapped the prey around it's feet, tangled in the knots as it fell down a slump. They all watched the slightly injured deer bump against the stump of a tree, Luca handed Caesar a spear and made his way towards the elk, Blue Eyes and Clova followed closely behind. At the corner of his eye, Caesar spotted faint claw marks printed on the tree bark.

"Son, stay. Keep Clova safe.", he ordered. As he moved closer and bent down to investigate the grazed tree, Blue Eyes saw the trapped elk attempt to escape and turned to Clova.

"Wait here, I'll be back.", he signed reassuringly.

Before Clova to protest in sign, Blue Eyes was already in front of the elk. As it strained in it's bondage, he held his spear in height with the deer's head ready to strike when a brown bear jumped out the the bushes and attacked Blue Eyes.

Clova heard his screech and ran towards him, Blue Eyes yanked Clova aside in time before she was clawed by the raved bear and stood in front of her. Caesar who saw his son and daughter in distress, jumped onto the bear's back and removed it's attention from them, he stood in front of them both, his arm out as he protected them. Caesar roared aloud, trying to contact the other apes, Koba was lucky to hear Caesar's cry and sprinted to them. The bear was livid and tried to strike Caesar, Blue Eyes and Clova, but they repeatedly dodged it's hits. Caesar spotted Koba on the higher hill and stood up to his full height dominantly.

The bear not wanting to be dominated, copied Caesar's actions and raised itself to his full height, a perfect opportunity for Koba to leap off the ledge and strike his spear into the bear's neck. It fell over Caesar as it groaned in pain. Blue Eyes and Clova sat in front of the dead bear and waited for any sign of movement, a few seconds later, Caesar emerged from under the dead carcass and smiled.

"Thank you, Koba.", he signed gratefully.

Koba nodded and tossed an extra spear he held over to Caesar. Once he was out of the bear's dead grip, he faced his attention to Blue Eyes. His chest covered in fresh blood and scars that extended across his chest with a small gash on his right upper cheek, obviously concerned, he gently used his fingers to trace the marks and Blue Eyes flinched in pain, he was comforted by Clova who gently rubbed his back soothingly.

"Think before you act, son.", he advised. He attempted to examine his son's injuries again but Blue Eyes roughly shrugged off his concern in embarrassment and frustration as he head back to his horse. Clova looked worriedly at Blue Eyes and then to Caesar who responded with the same look as they returned back to their horses on their way home.