The next couple weeks go by and Blue Eyes took control of the colony a bit more. He was in charge of helping the warriors build weapons and huts for the females, he used his talents to hunt for bigger game, which fed many more and even executed the plans for taking down said animals. One day when he and the other apes were hunting, they came across a wolf that was trying to attack the ape that was fetching the deer they took down. Blue Eyes stood up against it and killed it with a heavy blow, successfully saving the ape's life.
'Thank you prince.' The ape signs over and over, relieved he was still alive and grabbed the deer, trekking back to the village with the others.
Blue Eyes looked down at the wolf and hummed, then nodded and picked up the wolf and hefted it over his shoulder, beaming with joy and giddiness at the thought of his lovely wife swooning with pride as he shows her his kill. As he makes his way to the village gate, he made sure all the apes had returned and took the wolf to his hut, where his wife was still in bed resting from the birth of his son. With her son able to wander around alone, it was touching to see him crawl to his father when he came through the door. Blue Eyes put the wolf down and picked up his son, putting his forehead to the little ones before putting him down again. He then picked the wolf back up and moved to his wife, who was sewing a piece of doe skin together to make another dress for her.
"How are you feeling?" he signs/asks. They began signing again, hoping his son would learn both and quickly, so he could communicate with the rest of the village.
"Better." She replies with a tired smile. Blue Eyes nodded and set the wolf down in front of her.
"Saved ape's life today, killed it for you." He says presenting the kill. Mina smiled and took her husband's hand.
"You don't need to kill anything to prove yourself to me. You are already brave and strong." She says. Blue Eyes smiles and presses his forehead to hers.
They shared a long slow kiss, until they felt two tiny hands pushing on their cheeks. They chuckled as they looked over at their son, who was puckering his own little lips, wanting kisses too. Mina laughed and pulled him into her arms, kissing his cheeks and forehead. The little baby calmed and smiled, then turned to his father, who also gave him a kiss on the forehead. Satisfied he was given enough kisses; he jumped down and continued to play with the handmade rattler his grandmother Cornelia gave him. Blue Eyes sat beside her a moment just watching his son, until he thought of a way to use the wolf. He kissed his wife one last time and patted his son's head before taking the wolf and leaving, trekking all the way to his father's hut, where he sat with Maurice.
"Father." He greeted, putting the dead wolf down. Ceaser smiled and nodded to his son.
"A good kill son." Maurice nods in agreement.
"I need your help. I want to make a blanket from its hide." He nods and calls his own wife, who smiled and quickly got to work skinning the animal. Ceaser patted his son's shoulder.
"You have done well son." He smiled.
"Thank you father." He replies and leaves to go back to his wife. Maurice looks to his oldest friend and sees his troubled face.
'You still think he can't handle it?'
"I want to believe he is ready, but I fear for him."
'As do all fathers for their sons. But you should know when to let him decide.' Maurice says. Ceaser nods considering his old friends words while watching his son leave. Was he ready?
After the hunt, Ceaser asked Blue Eyes to be a permanent part of the council. He even managed to make decisions with Ceaser and Maurice about certain events for the colony, and it made him feel wiser to be able to help so well. All the while, he watched over his son, watching him grow quicker than most humans grow, but still looked like a baby, although they still didn't think of a name for the little one, he felt like his son would grow to be a strong warrior someday. Eventually, when his mother was strong enough to get up, Mina began to walk around with her baby in her arms, although he could walk on his own, but that didn't bode well with his mother, since he liked to run off and get into trouble already thanks to his uncle Cornelius.
During the times he was growing more and more, some of the apes would come now and then and congratulate Mina on their son, and rub the baby's head for good luck while Blue Eyes watched from afar with a fond smile. He could still see the beauty in his tired wife's face as she smiled at the apes that would come talk to her. Even now she was glowing with her long hair flowing loosely behind her back, her shining smile brightening up the whole area, and her eyes a sparkling vibrant blue.
"Son." He turns and finds his father walking up with a soft smile. He nodded in greeting as Ceaser put his hand on his shoulder.
"We must speak." He says. Blue Eyes turns to his father confused as he walked with him through the village.
"Your wife is doing well." He says matter-of-factly.
"Yes." He smiles.
"Good." He says. Soon they fall in a comfortable silence as they sit on a nearby large boulder, overlooking the apes and small huts.
"I have decided to step down." Blue Eyes whipped to the side in awe.
"What do you mean?"
"You are to be king." Ceaser says with a small smile.
"Me? But father I..."
"You are a good leader. I realize that now, and now that you have a family, it is time to become king. You are ready for this." Ceaser replies, patting his son's shoulder proudly.
"Decide soon son, the colony needs a king and I am getting too old. They need someone strong and young; ape always seek strongest branch." He says.
"I am the strongest branch..." Blue Eyes mutters, looking out on the colony, who were all gathering around for Maurice's class, including his wife and their new son.
"... Can I think about it?" he says, looking up at his father, who nodded slowly.
"I also have something for your son." He says handing him a strip of fur wrapped up in a square.
He patted his shoulder once more before getting up and leaving. He looked down at the fur and slowly unwrapped it, blinking in awe at the contents. Then he looked up at his wife, who was talking to Lake, and got up, rushing to her. Lake saw the prince coming and nodded, leaving as Mina turned to him.
He stood up straight and smiled lovingly at his son. He was wide eyed and giggling as he threw his hands up, attempting to grab whatever was nearby. Blue Eyes let his son wrap his hand around his calloused finger and he gurgled in fascination at his father's hand while he stared at it. Mina smiled softly as she watched the two and then saw his fist clenched.
"What is that?" she asks, seeing a thick black cord around his fingers. Blue Eyes smiles and opens his hand to her, seeing a necklace in his hand. It was a large tooth wrapped in black cord and made into a small necklace.
"Father made it for son." He says, then looked to the un-named boy.
"Blue Eyes... I have an idea for a name." she says.
"What is it?" he asks. Mina smiled softly and looked over to where Ceaser and Cornelia were talking to an ape, helping them with the baskets of vegetables.
"Julius." She replies, then smiled at Blue Eyes. He smiled and nodded, looking down at his son and rubbed the curious little ape boy's head.
"Julius." He says. The boy looked up at his father and smiled, placing his tiny hands on his father's cheeks and gurgled out cutely. Blue Eyes smiled, taking his son from Mina's arms and holding him up so he could sit face to face. He then put his forehead to his son's and closed his eyes, feeling little Julius put his arms around his head.
"Little Julius."
