Aloy pulled back the string, the arrow pointed straight at a Grazer ahead of her. She hid in the grass to obscure her position and not spook the others. If they see her, they'll surely run and she'll have to chase after them. Hunting down Grazers was more of a passtime, and scavenging for parts came easy to her, unlike going after a Sawtooth or even a Thunderjaw.
She clenched her teeth. With one arrow, she could take one down, she just had to be ready, silent, and patient. Her hands were steady, arm pulled back, hair trailing along her back, one of the braids was tucked behind her ear.
She let go of the arrow and it slammed into the back of the Grazer, shattering the canisters. Instantly it went down, and she ducked back into the grass to hide her position from the other Grazers. They seemed to notice one of their numbers were down and went to inspect it. She could see a Watcher weaving through the trees, it's bright light scanning the area.
If she moved, it might see her and ruin her position. She placed the bow on the grass beside her, and took up her spear, clutching it, she waited for it to come toward her. It's light almost blinding, then it stayed still, it's neck elongated, but she moved in and stabbed it through the chest, shoving it down onto the ground before pulling the spear out through ripped wire and sliced metal.
She looked up, checking if the Grazers noticed her, but they hadn't. They went back to burrowing into the ground. She grasped her bow and carefully moved through the trees, stopping behind one when a Grazer looked up, it's light was yellow.
Aloy waited until it went back to blue before moving into the tall grass. She placed her spear down, took aim again, and was about to fire when she heard something else. A branch breaking, and leaves rustling, she breathed in and slowly looked over her shoulder. Two Scrappers were behind her a few feet away, and their lights were red.
"Shit," she said, grasping her spear and she started to run through the trees toward the Grazers. She had to get away from them, at least get enough space so she can fire her arrows and hit them with her spear. They liked to throw themselves at her, their claws cutting into the air, growling and chasing her.
She didn't mind fighting Scrappers, but she just needed space and the trees didn't offer that. The Grazers seemed to notice and their lights changed to yellow to red, but instead of attacking her like the Scrappers were, they started to run.
She ran with them, her heart racing, she placed her spear on her back, fumbled for an arrow and pulled the string back on her bow and fired at a Scrapper that had jumped off a rock toward her. The arrow cut into the stomach and it slammed to the ground, twitching. There was one more following her, but ahead she could see another leading the Grazers the other way.
The movement jolted her and before she could grab another arrow, she seen one slice into the Scrapper. She glanced to her left to see someone familiar on the rock, wearing a red and steel headdress, their face held concentration as they turned to face her.
"Aloy," he yelled.
She turned her head, running from the flock before a Scrapper on the other side of the large rock appeared, scaring the Grazers to change direction, one had slammed into her. She gasped, the metal pushing against her skin before she managed to right herself, but it shoved her again into the next Grazer, and this time she felt something hit the back of her head, and her eyes blurred before she tumbled to the ground.
Groaning, sharp pain prickling her body, she looked to see the Scrapper bolting toward her, and before she could grab her spear that had tumbled from her reach, another arrow hit the Scrapper, followed by a few others that kept it down.
She panted, but her vision grew dark and the sun itself began to shrink. Her hand reached up to touch the back of her head, and she could see blood on her fingers, and hear the distance cry of her name before she passed out.
It was like a dream, he was hefting her into his arms, his gaze lingered on her before he began to move. She closed her eyes and succumbed to sleep.
When she came to, the pain was the first to greet her. Her legs burned, and her arms ached, including the back of her head that throbbed with pain. She was hot in her clothes, the heat making her skin itch, but before she could rise. Someone had placed something cold on her forehead.
"You're okay," he said, his voice deep and soothing.
She relented, keeping herself from rising. She blinked, the scent of burning wood and cooked meat wafted into her noise, and the clamor of voices was far off, but she knew she was in a Nora village.
She was lying on her side, looking at her visitor and possible savior.
"Nil?" she whispered.
He quirked a smile. "Hey."
"What are you doing here? Where are we? What happened?" she asked, trying to rise, but he placed a hand on her shoulder and pressed down and she laid back.
"I was passing through, saw you in the field getting chased by Scrappers, thought you needed some assistance, so I helped, but you managed to knock yourself out, and I carried you back to a village. We're still in the Sacred Land if you're wondering."
She recalled running with the Grazers and one slamming her into another before a pain blossomed at the back of her head.
"Your armour dug into my skin," Nil said, looking down at his arm, but there was nothing there to warrant a complaint.
"You could've woke me up," she said.
"Without a healer? I couldn't risk it."
She arched a brow, reaching up to grasp the cold cloth on her forehead and dropped it on the floor. "When did you start caring?"
"When you got knocked out by spooked Grazers," he said.
Aloy sat up and swung her legs off the cot. "Thank you, Nil, for saving my life."
He nodded. "The healer said you might not have woken up."
She frowned, of all things he had to say. "Why are you telling me this?"
He shrugged. "I figured you would wake up, you're stubborn like that. The wound isn't too bad for a head injury, it's a flesh wound, but you're going to have stay up a bit longer just to make sure you don't collapse."
He was cryptic at times, but this was woven with worry and it was obvious by the way he looked away from her, his gaze falling to the floor, fingers wringing. She didn't know she'd see a side of Nil like this, and she smiled.
"I'll be fine," she told him, standing.
Nil stood with her. "I'll stay...and make sure you're okay."
She smiled, they both knew she didn't need anyone's help, and that Nil wasn't usually like this, but it was nice and she let him stay. "Okay."
They walked out of the cabin and grabbed a cooked fish and ate in silence. He did managed to break it.
"What were you doing exactly?" Nil asked, finishing off his third cooked fish.
She licked her lips of the salty taste. "Hunting. What else?"
"I know, but why Grazers?"
Aloy shrugged. "Something to do, parts to take, my supply is running low and I need the shards."
"You should come hunting with me," he smirked.
"You found more bandits camps?" she wondered.
"They're like weeds, always growing, always needing to be plucked out."
She placed down her skewer. "When?"
"Soon, after your head injury is all healed up."
She arched a brow. "So soon?"
He stretched his arms, "I'm eager to kill them."
"Of course you are."
She took up another fish skewer and ate, and by dusk when the healer came to inspect her, she told her to take it easy while giving her a few medicinal herbs to eat. Aloy ate them, the bitter taste had drowned out a long time ago, she grew used to its tange on her tongue.
Aloy followed Nil out of the village, and the night air was seeping along the grass, the moisture making it misty as they trekked through a forest.
Aloy touched the back of her head, the pain was still there, but not as much since she ate the herbs.
"How far is it?" she asked.
"A few miles," Nil responded without looking back at her.
Aloy nodded and they walked in silence.
Then Nil stopped and turned around. She arched a brow as he walked toward her, stepping into her personal space.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Why?" she asked, looking up at him.
"You shouldn't be going hunting with me with an injury."
"I said I was fine," she told him.
He nodded slowly. "I don't usually worry for others, but I can't help it when it comes to you. Seeing you knocked out by that Grazer than almost attacked by a Scrapper, I acted quick, and if it got you, I wouldn't know what I would do."
He never expressed himself like this before, and usually he didn't care. She smiled, finding it reassuring. "I'm fine, Nil. You and I both know that I can take care of myself."
"But what if you can't?" he whispered, looking away from her. "What if a Sawtooth attacks you, or even a stupid bandit getting the drop on you, then what?"
"I've been fine up to now."
He reached out and pulled her into his arms, surrounded by the trees that hid the moon and its stars, all they could hear was their breathing, and the sounds of animals and the wind.
"Be careful," he whispered against the top of her head. "Just be careful."
Aloy smiled and hugged him back. "I'm always am. You should be careful too." She heard a small laugh, and after a long moment, they pulled apart.
"Don't scare me like that," he said.
"It won't happen again," she promised.
And then they were on their way, through the dark forest to a bandit camp. She still felt his warmth around her, and almost eased into the thought of holding him again, but she ignored that part of her. She had to be more aware, more careful, because in all that, she didn't know what she would do if someone were to attack or even kill Nil.
She didn't want to go down that trail of thought, but it was there, and she tightened her hold on her spear, knowing exactly what she would do, and what she would feel.
She just had to make sure it didn't happen.