Clova *COMPLETE*

Chapter 19- Do You Trust Me?

It was chilly. Clova tightened her jacket around her shoulders as she peered into the night. She sat on the top of the hut and stared at the entrance, the Gorilla Guardians were active as they were prepared to face incoming danger. 

Though it was dark, Clova could spot Luca, he held a spear and made fluent hand gestures, probably assigning the other gorillas. He then turned to Clova's direction and saw her distant figure on the roof, Clova waved her hand in the air for him to see and smiled when he waved back. Funny how Luca is the most fearless and strongest Gorilla Guardian but has a big, kind, inner sweet spot, unlike Koba that is. 

Clova tried to avoid him at all costs and it was pretty easy as Koba also tried to avoid her just as much as she did. There were times where they would have to interact, like the hunts but still refused to socialise. She sighed as the wind turned colder, it was mid autumn almost winter. 

She looked down, Cornelia lay on her side with Cornelius buried into her chest and Blue Eyes slept beside them, his back turned in the opposite direction. How she was tempted to climb down and join them in their warmth, the torches crackled with warm orange flames invited her alluringly. 

She shook her head and refused her thoughts, she wasn't going to bed until Caesar returned. Clova waited for over two hours, she had never been so worried in her entire life and debated in her mind whether she should go out and find him herself but obviously would be stopped by the Gorilla Guardians, Luca especially as he valued her safety. Faint hooves thundered against the ground and was followed by the arrival whinny of a horse. Clova sat upright and circled the outline of her eyes with her fingers and observed the horse that entered the Ape Village with non other than Caesar.

Without an ounce of hesitation, Clova shot up from her seated place on the roof and climbed down from the hut as fast as she could. When she got down she jumped Caesar with a surprise hug, which he lovingly returned.

"You should be asleep.", he signed as a few apes tended to Caesar's horse and led him back to the stables.

"I wanted to wait for you to come back home.", she explained. 

His stern expression morphed into a chuckle as he and Clova walked back home. Inside, Caesar saw the peaceful sleeping bodies of his family and turned to Clova. 

"See, they are sleeping.", he stated. Clova gave a stubborn grin and kicked her foot against the floor.

"I was waiting for you to come home.", she repeated. Next thing they knew, they were both on the roof. Caesar ate his dinner that Cornelia left for him when he returned back home and Clova hugged her knees to her chest, rocking her body back and fourth out of boredom. It was completely quiet until she tapped Caesar's shoulder.

"Blue Eyes says that he wishes to do more tasks.", she signed. Caesar simply kept chewing as she finished her sentence. "He thinks you don't trust him." Caesar stopped chewing and furrowed his brow at her, he turned slightly to face her better.

"Do you trust me, father?", she signed doubtfully. He just stared at her completely taken aback by her words.

"Yes.", he said.

"So, can Blue Eyes do more stuff?", she signed hopefully.

  "Yes."

Clova was feeling a bit more confident. "Can I do more stuff?" 

"No."

She hung her mouth open in shock, completely dumb founded. He didn't even hesitate to answer, she didn't know whether to express anger or sadness.

"Why?", she questioned.

"Males do the hunting and patrol, females tend to the young and cooking.", he told her. Her hands trembled in confusion, she couldn't form any words.

"And I already include you to participate in our weekly hunts. But it's too dangerous now.", Clova thought back to this morning's incident and how Blue Eyes got injured, they were lucky he was still alive. If Caesar hadn't protected them, they could've died. "So I'll lower you to the task of fishing with Blue Eyes and Ash."

She couldn't think and was about to protest if Caesar hadn't given her a warning look. Clova sighed in defeat and looked down. Caesar didn't intend to upset her, but will not hesitate his decisions to keep his family safe.