Author's Note: Sorry for the slightly shorter chapter.


CHAPTER 9

Ersa's eyes lit up like I'd never seen before, "You can speak sign?" she exclaimed.

The normally restrained Ersa was elated. She was looking at the slightly older woman with wonderment in her eyes. "I learned when I moved to this country the first time," Samina explained. "My brother's wife was deaf, and he asked me to learn for her sake. It just made sense; after all, I love learning new languages. But that was all before…" Her expression dropped as reality asserted itself in the forefront of her thoughts once more. They were dead. All of them. Even her beautiful little niece and nephew.

Ersa found herself in an odd position; the hooded woman with the sad eyes may just be the most beautiful she'd ever laid her eyes on. Before anybody else said anything, Ersa stepped forward and placed a warm hand on the shorter woman's shoulder. Ersa was a warrior, not necessarily the most affectionate; though the gesture was much appreciated if Samina's deep sigh was anything to judge by.

In my nervousness, my hand drifted into one of the pouches on my person, this one holding Elisabet's globe. The one I recovered from her corpse from the west.

"We should leave here before more machines come," Talanah said decisively, her huntress instincts twitching the longer they stayed in the open like this. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow but she shrugged, "We can have a proper meet and greet later."

I knew she was right, didn't mean I had to like it. "Free Heap is close by. We'll head there," I follow up decisively, belying my remaining anxiety. Ikrie sees through me though, she walked up and kissed my cheek.

The journey to Free Heap was thankfully uneventful. We could see the renovated gates and vastly improved wall surrounding the settlement from the edge of the forest. There wasn't even that much talking, what with Margo and Samina simply taking everything in.

I couldn't imagine what this might be like for them; to lose everyone and everything. If all the cultures of the old world were entirely gone, it might have even been kinder than the situation at hand. In the memories that resided inside the minds of Margo and especially Samina was all that was left. It was there, all of it, in their heads! I was in awe of that kind of burden. Saving the world, being an outcast, it all felt small compared to the burden now on the shoulders of Elisabet's old friends.

My hand drifted back to the globe, and I realised I could do something to help. "How long ago was it, for you two, that Elisabet died?" I ask out of the blue. Vanasha scored me with a reproachful glance for my tactlessness. Talanah's eyes widened like she couldn't believe I'd be so insensitive. Ersa gave me a non-too-subtle jab with her elbow to my shoulder. But I knew where I was going with this. I didn't ask them to be cruel.

Samina started to stutter something, not ready for that kind of question, but Margo spoke up clearly, "Only a couple months. Why?" Her voice went from damn near cold to vulnerable in that short response.

Sighing, I brought my hand up for the two newcomers to see and in it was the miniature-spinning globe. "After she closed the outer doors, Elisabet walked the world alone. Thankfully, she wasn't killed by Faro's machines," I paused while they let that sink in as much as it could before I continued, "She did exactly what she said she would. She went back home, a place called 'Sobeck Ranch. I found her there. She died sitting on a bench from her childhood."

I found her there. I didn't know what else to say really. She was still dead wasn't she? What was I thinking? Vanasha was right to give me that angry look for broaching the death of their leader, good intentions on my part or not. I ran my hand through my multitude of braids.

It turns out I had done the right thing after all. Samina and Margo both had identical expressions of relief of their faces. Samina quickly turned to Margo and said something in a language none of us had ever heard before; it was choppy and quick, though pleasant sounding to me all the same. The others also had looks of varied curiosity and surprise hearing a new language from the Old World.

Samina wrapped an arm around Margo as she repeated the phrase. Margo said something back, though it was only two syllables, it obviously communicated a lot if her tears were anything judge by. Margo turned to me and said in 'English', "Thank you Aloy. You don't know how much you just eased my mind. I…I needed to know that, about Lis. Thank you."

I nodded to her and turned away to the looming settlement. The furnaces were glowing from here, the sound of the hammers were not far off. It was time for these two to meet Petra Forgewoman.