The sky was overcast, and it was predictably cold when the two women finally emerged from their lodging. Hunger had been their mutual motivating factor for quickly getting dressed. They agreed they would bring Lauvuk, the keeper of Snowchants a fresh goat in gratitude for the excellent hospitality so they would need to hunt immediately.
The background noise was the raucous cheers of men having their mettle tested in the hunting grounds. Their travel gear was strewn around the outside of the main lodge indicating they intended to spend the night there. Lauvuk, who saw her celebrity guests emerge, stood to greet them.
"Good morning hunters, I hope the lodge was suitably comfortable"
"It was, thank you" Aloy replied on autopilot. In her mind she was doing an inventory of her arrows, deciding if she needed to purchase more before they began their day.
"You are more than welcome to stay another night" The groundskeeper invited hopefully. She saw Aloy's eyes deep in thought, so she re-addressed her semi-resident fellow Banuk. "Ikrie, would you mind if one of the other travellers used your tent for the night. The main lodge will be kept for you and Aloy."
Ikrie was taken aback by the offer. The Snowchants groundskeeper had been throwing poison daggers from her eyes towards her for the past week. Ikrie understood it was because she was killing Lauvuk's stock of machines faster than could be replenished; she was asked daily, "are you leaving yet?" so being invited to stay was the last thing she expected. She shook her head.
"No Lauvuk. You're finally rid of me today. I'll be escorting Aloy to the edge of The Cut."
The groundskeeper nodded in acceptance. "Indeed. It sounded like you two made quite the connection."
Aloy's jaw dropped overhearing that comment. Her face felt hot with the blush that crept up her neck and she wasn't sure why she should feel embarrassed. Maybe if she had been thinking about who could be within earshot, she wouldn't have been so loud. Ikrie and Lauvuk continued talking, neither of them seemed affected by speaking of the evening.
"I'm sure it will pad the end of your story well." Ikrie commented non-chalantly.
"It certainly has!" Lauvuk admitted, implying she had already gotten to this part of the story with her travellers. Her hands rose with excitement, as she prepared to weave her tale.
"The song of the hunt of the fireclaw ends thusly: "Boldly, seeing the Snow Ghost was her equal, Aloy the Champion beckoned her into the sanctuary for the hunt raged on. The heat of the flame-haired warrior's bloodlust burned and was matched by the unerring arrows of Ikrie. The moon rose and blessed them many times as the silence of the night was broken by the fury of their passion--"
"For the love of Gaia" Aloy broke in a hand to her forehead in disbelief, but she was shushed by the other woman.
"This is a good story, let her finish"
"and as sleep stole them to dream, the sun rose to the east giving light to their legend. Their song would be sealed in ink, for few have known terrors such as the great fireclaw and it must never be forgotten. Ikrie the orphan, the wanderer, the Snow Ghost, and slayer of the great demon, your fate entangled with Aloy the huntress, beloved of the Nora, the Carja and now the Banuk. Wherever you two may walk in life, your paths will always be bound together even when you are parted by time, distance and life itself."
Aloy had many questions about Lauvuk's account of things, but before she could ask, the storyteller interrupted herself to address Ikrie.
"How shall it be known?" It was an insider question, because Ikrie knew the answer right away. From her quiver she pulled out an arrow and crouched down to the ground and began drawing something. Outlined in snow, was an arch with a ball on each side of it. She drew from right to left, she spoke as she drew.
"Aloy, this is the sun rising in the east, and travelling over the sky showing the length of the battle. It ends after the sun has fallen, so the western side must end below the horizon line." She then began drawing three lines below the arch connecting at one point. "This is the killing blow, three arrows from one nock" Then she drew two lines just above the western sunfall. "Survivors, two. Aloy, would you mind if we stayed for a short while longer, I would like to request Lauvuk to mark me with this?"
The Banuk woman looked to Lauvuk who nodded in agreement to her part, and then to Aloy who could see the determination in her eyes. This clearly meant a lot to Ikrie, Aloy deduced, and her interest was piqued as to what the process was. The evening before, she hadn't taken much time to get a good look at the tattoos on Ikrie's skin. She remembered seeing at least six running down her neck and spine, and one on the back of her left hand at the end of her thumb; they were all cultural symbols she was meaning to ask about eventually.
"Meridian can wait a little longer" Aloy said in agreement but her stomach growled loudly then in objection.
"We should hunt first" Ikrie suggested as she recognized that she too needed to eat.
The game keeper agreed because it would give her time to make her instruments ready for rhe marking. The ground shook beneath them then, indicating that someone had shot a flame arrow into the canister of a grazer in the hunting ground. The sounds of cheers afterwards confirmed this was probably the case.
This would also mean if there was wildlife nearby it would have scampered off in fear. They decided to start off in the direction of the fallen fireclaw.
The sky was still overcast, but broken clouds in the distance gave hope that the sun might poke its head out. Either way, Aloy estimated that if they left the grounds within three hours, they could still make some good distance before night fell. Not that the darkness was ever a barrier to travel for her, but she kind of hoped they could continue what they started last night except out of earshot of other people. A rush of pleasure shot through her body at the prospect of being alone with Ikrie and she smiled to herself.
She suddenly realized that the normally chatty woman had been silent for their journey thus far. Ikrie's face was stoic, but not concentrating. Her mind wasn't on the hunt, it looked like it was far away. As they continued walking, Aloy grasped Ikrie's hand with her own. The Banuk woman looked to Aloy then and the stern expression tranformed to a peaceful one.
"Are you alright?" Aloy asked, they coninued walking hand in hand.
"Yes. I'm really good. How about you? It looked to me like you were uncomfortable with your part in the story. I know the Carja don't appreciate having their sex lives told in story; I'm not sure how the Nora are about it."
"It's...different." Aloy admitted. "I didn't hate it but Lauvuk took certain liberties with it"
Ikrie reflected on the story for a moment before coming back.
"Such as?"
"Well, I come across as some sex-starved beast who pulled you into the tent to have my way with you."
Ikrie laughed at the comment.
"I guess it was slightly embellished but it makes the story flow better. When Banuk tell stories, we include the romantic details because life is short and cold and we treasure that which brings warmth." They were nearing the place where they would find the broken body of the fireclaw. Ikrie kissed Aloy's fingers before she continued.
"The rightful end to that tale is the killing blow from my arrows but I didn't know you thought of me as more than just a friend So, the story went on..."
"Wait a moment" Aloy squinted as she began to challenge Ikrie's interpretation of events, but Ikrie's eyes were focused ahead. She let go of Aloy's hand. There was someone standing by the dead fireclaw surrounded by the still sparking corpses of freshly killed scrappers. It was an older man they could tell as he turned to face them. He pulled his spear out of the body of one of the felled creatures and began to walk towards them. He walked with a limp and used the spear as a walking stick. Aloy was amazed he was still brazen enough to take on a pack of machines alone. He raised a friendly hand towards them, both women waved back.
"Hello hunters!" He called out as their distance closed. "I'm looking for an outlander named Aloy." One of his eyes was scarred shut, but his still working one widened as he noticed the hair colour of one of the women. "And you must be her!"
"Yes." The redhead admitted, "And this is Ikrie." The older man nodded to acknowledge his fellow Banuk. "Why are you looking for me?"
"My name is Umnak" Aloy heard Ikrie intake a sharp breath next to her, she was uncertain why at first as the old man continued. "A great danger has returned to these parts and I am seeking the best hunters to finish what I could not. You are famous now throughout the cut and I am seeking your help. Also, if you know who destroyed that machine behind us if it was not you, I would seek them out as well..."
"That would be her." The Nora directed her thumb at the blonde whose mouth had turned slack-jawed and eyes were wide in admiration at the man before them. "I was there, but it was Ikrie's kill"
The man nodded again towards Ikrie with more respect in his one good eye.
"Then it is a most fortunate day because you girl, you know of whom I speak."
Ikrie bowed lightly, understanding she was given turn to speak.
"Aloy" she began. "Umnak is a legendary hunter amongst our people. He has been in pursuit of a great terror called ' The Claws Beneath' for decades. Every six years, it emerges someplace new and countless hunters and even entire weraks have been destroyed by it. Umnak has fought it many times..." she addressed the old man. "My sister, Mailen and I used to tell each other your stories, we dreamed that one day we would hunt by your side."
Aloy was surprised then as Ikrie grasped her hand. The look in her face was one of pride. Fortitude.
"Umnak has asked and I will hunt" she spoke to Aloy. "I cannot choose for you, but know that if you accept there is a good chance you will never go home."
Aloy knew that would be Ikrie's answer after listening to how much reverence she had for the man. She knew because thats how she would react when given a quest where the odds were against her. From being an outcast child whose only way to knowledge was by winning the Proving, to discovering what happened to the Old Ones and learning who her mother was; Nothing ever came to Aloy easily except a challenge and this wouldn't be any different.
She squeezed the hand in her own and gave her a reassuring smile.
"You've got me."