It was an ambush. Well, there was two of them in the end.

As we crested the hill and entered the grounds of the ruined satellite array, there was no warning as an arrow flew between Aloy and I. As we split up and immediately returned fire as warriors appeared out of nowhere, rather well hidden, Erend took out what looked like a giant maul and went nuts, smashing anyone who got in his way.

What he yelled out had both of us scratching our heads, as he recognised the uniforms, and they were not Shadow Carja but were his people. Those from the Claim. Oseram.

Then we heard a sound that really left us confused… until we found ourselves attacked by what they called Glinthawks. "There are flying machines?" I shouted as I aimed my arrows at one nearby.

"You've never seen them before?" Erend asked in surprise.

"Does this sound like the voice of someone who's seen one of these fuckin' things before?!"

"I'll deal with them, you focus on the humans," Aloy yelled at me, "Stick to cover. They shoot stuff that chills to the bone, but it feels like burning."

Making sure I basically had eyes in the back of my head at the same time, I focused on the rest of the humans, Erend having wiped out anyone at ground level by now, taking out his own bow and returning fire. I could hear him mutter plenty of curse words under his breath, earning an approving grin from myself, though he wouldn't have seen it.

He eventually yelled at me to help Aloy, as he would mop up the remaining couple of Oseram, turning and making sure I kept to cover to see her dealing with two of the flying machines. Both only had eyes for her, which gave me time to line one up and send it straight into its chest. That just pissed it off, but I sent a second arrow straight where I'd fired the first one.

Boom! It crashed to the ground. I hadn't expected it to do that but I wasn't going to complain. Aloy focused on the other Glinthawk, waiting until it was within perfect range before sending an arrow right into the perfect spot that it sank to the ground, watching as she took out her spear and caved its head in with a few hard whacks. When she looked at me, the only thing I could do was smile.

"I don't like these things, Shepard."

"Yeah, hope we don't run into them too often."

She almost snorted at my apparent delusion. I knew machines like this were everywhere. We'd been lucky so far, not having to deal with them constantly. To be honest, I wasn't interested in wandering about, taking them all on. If they'd been harmless before, there was a chance they could made docile again.

Erend was standing nearby next to an object on the ground. He didn't glance our way as he slowly crouched down, carefully wiping dust off it before picking it up. Even I recognised it was a helmet, and the way he was looking at it. When he glanced our way, I thought he was about to either break down or start raging…

"This is… was Ersa's…" He looked back at the helmet. "So she didn't die down below, she died up here? But why? What's going on here? What's with all this trickery?" He looked back at Aloy. "Please, Aloy. I need your help with this. I don't understand what's going on. You seem to have a gift with that thing of yours."

As Aloy got to work, I stayed alongside Erend, and I figured keeping his mind positive would help. "What's she like? Your sister?"

The smile was immediate. "Grew up together in the Claim. Thick as thieves since childhood. She's tough. Tougher than anyone I know. One of the few to have survived the Sun-Ring."

"No shit?"

He looked at me, the grin broadening. "Yeah, not sure if you know, but Oseram suffered from the Red Raids as much as the Nora. That's why it still amazes people that the Oseram and Carja are now friends, but it was the Mad Sun-King and his followers, not the ordinary citizens. Anyway, she survived, killed two of his Kestrels. He was so impressed, he decided to keep her alive, kept her around as a palace slave instead. That's where she met Avad, the current king. They became firm friends and he helped her escape.

Upon her return, plans were put in place to finally end the raids and free Oseram from the Carja threat. That's when we met a man by the name of Dervahl."

"Who's that?"

"Oh, that's a whole other story, Shepard. For later. Anyway, we did work alongside him for a while but after he lost his own family to the Red Raids, he was completely fucking insane, so we left his group. Then Avad showed up in the Claim, stating he intended to overthrow his father but needed our help. Ersa volunteered immediately, so did I. Considering how many people hated Jiran and his cabal, liberating Meridian wasn't as difficult as we imagined, and sticking Avad on the throne was the objective in the end."

"Is he a good man?"

"I wouldn't work for him if I didn't think so, and as for Ersa…" He trailed off but chuckled to himself.

"Ah, they were lovers?"

"In secret. He made her the captain of a new unit, he called the Vanguard. Due to my own loyalty to the man, I was made her second in command. Ever since then, the Oseram and Carja have been firm friends, Avad doing his best to remove the stain of his father and followers. There are still bumps in the road, of course, as memories linger. But Avad is a fair and just ruler."

Aloy returned and asked Erend to follow her as she explained her thoughts. I followed at a distance, and it was easy to see the emotions that flooded his body. Confusion. Despair. And anger. But the evidence she found suggested foul play. But the evidence around us suggested that perhaps, just perhaps, the body lying back in Meridian was not his sister.

"You said she was unrecognizable. Maybe they switched another body into her armour, someone around the same size... and mutilated it enough so it could have been anyone even Ersa. Go back to Meridian. Take another look at that body. If it's really Ersa, of course I'm wrong. But if I'm right..."

"Holy shit," I muttered, "Aloy, what the fuck are we in the middle of here?"

"I don't know, Shepard, but whatever it is, it's not good."

"I'll make my way back to Meridian immediately. Won't make it by dark, but I've got supplies with me. You're going to help Olin, right?" We both nodded. "I'll leave that for you. No longer want to kill the man after what you learned, and frankly, I now have other things on my mind. So when you're done helping him, you'll find me in Meridian and hopefully I'll have news. Either way, I doubt it will be considered good."

Wishing him well, he took the helmet and headed off, while I was interested in what technology we might find around the satellite array. Aloy obviously recognised these as ancient ruins, and while I didn't know all the ins and outs of how these places operated, I could at least describe what they did. As always, she was curious and fascinated to hear about such technology. Of course, a near thousand years of decay meant she had to rely on her imagination as to what it might have looked like before.

By the time we discussed moving on, it was growing dark, so we agreed to just make camp within the ruins. Sleeping under shelter was almost a novelty at times, able to gather enough scraps that we could get a small fire started to provide some light once it was dark, and certainly warmth as it was far colder even at the height we were compared to sea level… or what I considered sea level though it probably wasn't.

After eating, we sat in comfortable silence for most of the night. Well, silence in that we didn't talk much, as I played some more music for her. When she ended up shuffling closer again, my arm wrapping around her, I was reminded of certain moments before the war. I just put it in my mind she was a little cold. I did offer my jacket, but she insisted I would then be cold, and she didn't want that. "I'm used to the cold, it's just… nice to have someone warm next to me for once," she said.

"And company?"

"As I said, it was just me and Rost for a long time. Not having anyone my own age… even I would admit it was difficult at times, not having any real friends. Sure, I just focused on my training, but there were times where all I wanted was to talk to someone my age, particularly another girl when I went through certain changes. Rost did his best but even he would have admitted to being completely out of his depth at times."

"The way you talk about him… sounds like a good man."

"He was, which is why I've never understood why he was an outcast. But he never told me why he was."

"Quite the secret."

"It is. I intend to find out eventually. Teersa has already warned me it's something I won't want to hear, which simply makes me even more curious."

I had a feeling it might be something that would hurt her to her very core, and Teersa was perhaps trying to protect her. But Aloy was nothing if not determined, and I don't think all the warnings in the world would prevent her learning the truth. We fell into silence as I played some more music for her, feeling her relax into my side, though this time we didn't fall asleep.

She did ask me to put my bedroll next to hers though. Not sleeping together, not snuggling or anything like that, but she asked if I wanted to sleep closer to her. I certainly wasn't going to say no. She eventually turned over to look my way. In the light of the flickering fire… I was finding it very difficult not to be distracted. When her eyes eventually closed, the urge just to reach out and stroke her cheek… I closed my eyes and willed myself to drift off as quickly as possible.

"Thank you for being here with me," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

After a quick breakfast the next morning, we headed back down and walked in the direction Olin had told us. We agreed to just walk, figuring it would probably take most of the day, but meeting Olin and then perhaps attacking in twilight would be an advantage. I did joke that it already felt like we were criss-crossing the tainted lands as we found ourselves involved in all sorts of mysteries to resolve. She agreed, of course, suggesting we see through whatever was going on with Erend to the finish before we headed towards Maker's End.

"Sure you want to delay that long?" I wondered.

"No, but it's the right thing to do."

I met her eyes, that same determination and iron will on display. "I agree. He's a good man."

Olin had given us a description of where to meet him. Admittedly it took a little searching but we eventually found him. Crouching in cover, he pointed to where the Eclipse had his family. Looked like some sort of farm, further proof that the Carja had at least discovered farming and agriculture. I did wonder what on earth they could be farming as it wasn't exactly a great site for a farm, but I wasn't there to worry about that.

"It's heavily defended," Olin explained, "Though after what you did at Rockwreath."

"We'll head in and do it as silently as possible," I suggested.

"Agreed," Aloy stated, "And you stay back, Olin. If they see you, I have no doubt they'll kill your family."

"I thought I…"

"No, she's right," I interrupted, "They likely won't recognise us, well they shouldn't recognise us at all. So hopefully the confusion will leave them as easy pickings. You'll know it's safe as I'll give three sharp whistles. Trust me, you'll know what I mean."

Aloy and I headed off together, keeping low with bows in hand, finding plenty of boulders and long grass to provide at least some cover. The idea of just walking through the main gate amused me, bows in hand, just firing arrows, but we agreed doing it as silently as possible would be for the best. We split up as we took the high ground, and once the first arrows found their mark, the Eclipse spread out, no doubt tracking where the arrows were being fired.

We managed to take out at least half their number before they finally figured out where I was, but since they aimed at me, arrows from Aloy simply found their mark instead. Three more went down before we closed in, Aloy switching to her spear. I didn't have one of those yet, but managed to sneak up on one Eclipse and buried my knife in his chest.

Searching for Olin's family was next. The farmstead itself seemed to be empty, busting the door open to find an empty house. In fact, I was left thinking the previous occupants had likely been forced out. No signs of violence, just a general sense that it hadn't been a home for a family in quite a while. Heading back outside, we checked every door until we found the doors to the barn locked up tight. Aloy suggested finding the key. I just took the pistol from my holster, yelled whoever was inside to stand back, and put a couple of bullets through the lock. I glanced at Aloy with a grin.

After blowing three sharp whistles, we headed inside to greet the woman and child waiting for us. Olin burst into the barn no more than a few seconds after us, already out of breath, pushing past us to hug his family. We stood back as he practically hugged the life out of them both, but it was the sort of ending I'm sure Aloy and I would rather see. It could have ended a whole lot worse.

"I am forever in your debt," Olin stated.

Aloy held out her hand. "Give me your Focus." Olin didn't hesitate, taking it from his ear. "Until all this is over, I would suggest…"

"We're going home," he stated, "The Claim. Where it's safe."

"Who are you?" his wife asked.

"Enasha, this is Aloy and Shepard. They helped free me from the Eclipse and have given me a second chance. A chance at redemption. I've done things…"

"Tell me later when we're home, Olin. All that matters now is that we're all safe. But you are right, we should go home. Meridian has not been kind to us."

Olin shook both our hands, Aloy slightly hesitant before doing so. As it was late, he would remain in the barn that evening. I suggested to Aloy we take advantage of the farmstead and sleep in both warmth and comfort that night. She agreed, walking upstairs and having a good check to find the farmstead was well supplied and there was plenty of food. I grabbed some and took it downstairs for Olin and his family, earning even more thanks.

Making sure there was a fire roaring, Aloy and I sat on a fur rug rather close to it as I cooked some of the dried meat, adding some soft fruits that had been soaking in what looked like juice. I'm fairly sure much of the storage the Carja used were similar to ancient techniques before things like refrigeration were common. Even my knowledge of matters like that was limited. I just remembered vitamin c prevents scurvy when at sea.

It was certainly one of the better meals we'd eaten since leaving the Sacred Lands, and when I found a bottle of alcohol, I figured a drink or two was deserved after everything we'd been through. I took a sniff and it certainly smelled different to the swill we'd been drinking in Meridian. I found a couple of cups and asked if Aloy wanted to try some.

Taking a sniff, as it smelled different, I poured her a small measure. Watching her take a cautious sip was amusing, but she seemed pleased with the taste, stating it was sweeter than whatever we drank the other night. We only had a couple of cups, drinking them slowly, but it certainly helped us both relax after a hard few days in a row.

The homestead was nice and warm by the time we decided to retire for the evening, and that's when we realised there was only one bed. A double bed, but only one bed. "Er… I'll sleep on the floor," I offered.

"Don't be silly, Shepard. There's enough room for both of us."

"That's… not what I'm…"

"Take your boots and jacket off and just get under the furs."

She liked being bossy, ordering me around from time to time. I didn't mind. So I did as she asked, taking off my boots, socks and jacket, then took off my shirt, leaving on my rather dirty white shirt. So I took that off as well, but left on my trousers. We lay side by side, staring at the ceiling, before we glanced at each other and burst into laughter. Then she surprised me by shuffling closer, turning onto her side as she almost… almost cuddled into my side.

"You're very warm," she whispered.

"Surprised by that after nearly a millennia frozen!"

"You haven't felt any side effects from it?"

"None whatsoever. To be honest, we were what they called a guinea pig. They had no idea if the technology would actually work. It did, but even then, something went wrong, as I said. But I feel the same as I did before being frozen. Everything still works the same. Still the same person in the mind."

"You're nearly a thousand years old!"

"Thanks for reminding me," I replied, completely deadpan, which earned a giggle. Be still, my beating heart!

"Never thought I'd ever meet an Old One. The myths and legends about what happened to you. I remembered what Rost used to say about you. That you were faithless and turned your back on the All-Mother."

"To be honest, Rost was partially right. By the end, our societies were not particularly religious. But your All-Mother is… different… a different sort of god to what we believed in. I'm surprised I was so easily accepted though."

"I think they were all so surprised, they wanted to hear what you had to say. I mean, who would have thought an Old One would appear in our lives. The fact you appeared at the same time as the attack on our home, I think Teersa thought it was the will of the All-Mother that you arrived when you did. I don't know her well, but Rost always told me she was the most open-minded and understanding. Little wonder she wanted to meet you."

We eventually fell asleep as the bed was rather comfortable. Waking in the morning, she was cuddled into me, arm resting over my body, while I had an arm wrapped around her, head of hers resting partly on the pillow, partly on my shoulder. First time I'd woken up in such a position with a woman in… a long time. She must have sensed I was awake as she slowly woke up, lifting her head to look at me. The smile that slowly formed as her eyes met mine…

"I slept very well," she whispered.

"Yeah, so did I…"

"We should probably get up and head to Meridian. I'm sure Erend will have news."

"More than likely."

Neither of us moved for a couple of minutes, her fingers ever so slightly moving up and down my chest while mine gently stroked her back. It was incredibly relaxing, the first time we'd been properly warm and comfortable in such a manner since we'd met. I knew I was attracted to her, but I still wasn't sure if she'd allow herself… I had a feeling she was, but with everything on our collective plate, it would be a distraction. Maybe a good one but…

When I made to get up, she gripped my side tightly, earning another glance. She started to blush, which just made her even cuter at that moment. "Couple more minutes won't hurt," she said softly, "Meridian isn't that far."

That answered one question, as far as I was concerned. Now it was just a case of whether we'd act on it. My lone experience with women was with my girlfriend. High school sweethearts, figuring things out together, though my father gave good advice, having gone through the same thing, and he wasn't embarrassed, nor was I, when it came to the topic. But Aloy… well, having been an outcast, I could only assume Rost may have had the talk with her, but it wasn't a subject I was going to broach just yet. Take it slow. Hadn't even kissed her yet.

I really did want to, but I was worried, if I was reading it all wrong, I'd scare her off, or just ruin our working partnership.

It was a few minutes later we shared a glance and nodded, slowly extricating ourselves from each other as we sat up and got out of bed. After a quick breakfast, we packed our things and headed outside, finding the barn was already empty, so Olin and his family had likely left at sunrise. Meridian lay on the horizon, and with the idea of simply just meeting Erend, we took our time walking towards the city, figuring we could arrive late afternoon, meet with Erend, then go from there.

We'd been lucky during most of our journey's, but a group of Longlegs took a greater interest in our passing than normal. We did our best to avoid them, but once it became obvious their intent was to attack, Aloy and I agreed to meet attack with our own. We killed two of them before they seemed to even know what was going on, the last three proving to be bastards to take down, Aloy and I working well as a pair to keep them back, ensuring every arrow fired hit the intended area. Five against two wasn't always fair odds, but thankfully their attacks were not particularly dangerous.

After spending a few minutes picking over their bodies for parts, we continued our walk to Meridian, chewing on some sort fruit we'd taken from the homestead as we did, not wanting to stop again until we were safely over the bridge. Walking down the hill that led to it, the crowds were still around, but it seemed trading had resumed and the mood had lifted. While guards were still positioned on the bridge, entry into Meridian was simple for us, as Aloy was easy to recognise.

Asking for directions to find Erend, we were asked to head towards the royal palace. Seeing the blank looks we returned, a pair of guards led us towards the bridge leading to the royal palace. To say I was spellbound by the architecture wouldn't be an exaggeration. Aloy gawped as well. "Did you have anything like this?" she whispered.

"Yes, but… Aloy, this is simply amazing. This has been built without any of the technology we once had. Most of this was done through manual labour, simple tools, yet it's just… magnificent."

Aloy stood out in a crowd thanks to her traditional Nora clothing, so when we stepped into the palace itself, it came as no surprise that a steward approached us. He knew Aloy by sight, then glanced at me. "And you are the American, yes?"

"That's me."

"Sun-King Avad has asked both of you to meet with him, particularly in regards to the matter pertaining to Erend."

"And you are?" Aloy asked.

He dipped his head in respect. "I am known as Blameless Marad. You may just call me Marad."

He turned and gestured for us to follow, walking by a line of people I could only assume were waiting to see the king. When I heard certain comments being aimed at us, particularly in regards to Aloy, Marad assured us that Avad was eager to meet us both and that we should just ignore such comments. His throwing comment about nobles being like children who whine cracked me up, as it appeared things really hadn't changed in some respects.

The last thing he said to us before meeting the king himself was perhaps the most important. "You will find Sun-King Avad to be a reasonable man. All he asks is that you speak the truth when in conversation with him. He knows that respect and trust must be earned on both sides."

The throne of the Sun-King sat overlooking his Sundom. He wore interesting clothing while the crown on his head was… bizarre, to be honest. But it was obvious a sign of his position and prestige. He recognised Aloy immediately, as one would expect of a well-informed king. Then he glanced to me.

"Shepard of the Americans. You are an enigma, simply because no-one knows of your tribe. Marad has consulted all those we know and no-one has heard of your tribe."

"My people are from the east."

"But how far? And how did you end up here?"

"Very far away and it was a long walk through some rather hostile lands."

"What brought you this way? Why stop within Nora lands to start with?"

"Guess you could call me an adventurer. I do like to explore some of the old ruins. Explains my own Focus and also my weapon."

"Indeed. I've seen nothing like it before." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, while I would like to discuss more with you, Shepard, I know why you are here. Before he starts, I must thank you both for helping Erend and helping discover what appears to be a conspiracy. Erend, if you please."

"I checked Ersa's tomb. You were right, Aloy. The body's missing a scar below her right knee. I gave it to Ersa when we were kids, fighting over a toy sword."

"If the body is not Ersa's, then we must assume she is still alive. And I will not abandon her," Avad stated. What surprised me was the tone. He was adamant he would help. It backed up what Erend had told me earlier. Avad declared without hesitation.

"Who took her?" I wondered, "Who would have the capabilities to… draw her in so easily?" I glanced at Erend. "No offence, but the ambush…"

"No offence taken. It would have taken someone of considerable intelligence to sucker her in like that."

Marad cleared his throat. "May I offer a suggestion?" We all nodded. "I believe you will seek the warlord known as Dervahl."

I remembered that name. Erend blew a gasket immediately. "Impossible. Every clan in the Claim has been hunting for him since the Liberation. He has to be dead by now!"

It's possible he wasn't dead, particularly if no-one had received any word of it happening. "No other Oseram had the motive and ingenuity to lure Ersa into this trap," Marad explained, "I expect to find him lurking somewhere near the border. I've already sent an agent to investigate. He'll be waiting for word from us at the marketplace in Pitchcliff."

"I can't move troops to the border without provoking the Oseram. But I could send a few Vanguardsmen - and perhaps an exceptionally gifted Nora and her American companion as well?" Avad asked.

Aloy and I had already discussed this and knew we'd be asked to assist, and we'd agreed that we would help. Before we agreed, Avad dismissed Erend and Marad so he could tell us his own story, of his rise to the throne, but how that impacted the lives of nearly everyone around him, including Ersa, Erend and Dervahl. By the end, the topic of conversation having ebbed and flowed, I was left with the feeling that Avad was a good man at heart, and his people were in good hands.

It was night-time by the time our discussions were complete with Marad and Erend, and he showed us back to the same inn we stayed at last time. After paying for a room again, we joined Erend downstairs for a meal and a drink. Aloy stuck to water as I did enjoy a couple of drinks with Erend. When Aloy disappeared to the bathroom, he gave me a gentle kick under the table.

"You like her," he stated. I couldn't deny it. I probably had a look on my face. "She likes you too," he added.

"What's not to like? She's… like no-one I've met before."

"Going to do anything about it?"

"We can't afford distractions."

"Bullshit."

"What?"

He leaned forward. "I'm not sitting here, saying you're head over heels in love with each other, ready to admit undying love and all that, but it's obvious the affection you share. And if I can see it, everyone else can see it, and no doubt she likely assumes what you think or feel about her too. So, what are you going to do about it?"

Glancing back to see she wasn't returning, I ran a hand through my hair before leaning forward myself. "Erend, I'm going to tell you something that cannot leave your lips. You must swear to me you will not tell a soul."

"Of course. On my honour." He made a gesture that suggested it was something similar to scout's honour.

"I'm an Old One."

"Fuck off!" he exclaimed, laughing for a good few seconds before it slowly faded as he looked at me. When he fell silent, he leaned forward again. "You're not joking, are you? But… how? How are you here? You're all dead and a long time ago!"

"It's a long story that I don't really want to explain right now. Once all this is over, I promise I'll sit down and tell you the whole story. But I'm an Old One. Technically, I'm probably close to a thousand years old. My life before I was put on ice was completely different."

"Is that why you hesitate?"

"One of the reasons. Aloy and I work well together for now. Adding another level of relationship will either strengthen how well we work together, or if it's awkward, ruin it and things will take a turn for the worse."

"Might be worth taking that chance though. As I said, she looks at you in that way I saw Ersa look at Avad."

"I'll worry about it later."

"So… American… what is that exactly?"

"Where we are sitting right now was part of a state known as Colorado… or maybe we're in what was once Utah. I'm not exactly sure as I didn't know everything there was to know about the United States, even though I was born and grew up here."

"Colorado? Utah? United States? None of those names mean anything to me."

"I know they wouldn't. For some reason, all our history has been lost. I don't get it myself. It's why I'm with Aloy now. She needs answers to who she is. I need answers about what the hell happened after I was put on ice."

Aloy returned, taking a seat next to me as usual, Erend giving me a look over the rim of his tankard. We finished one more drink before he said he'd better go home to sleep, and that he'd meet us the next morning to head north. Once alone, Aloy and I headed back to the same room we'd shared before. After undressing, we got into our beds and I thought pretty much went to sleep. But I was woken with a shake on the shoulder to see Aloy in the darkness, looking down at me.

She didn't have to say a word as I shuffled closer to the wall and she slid under the furs, lying back against me. I had no problem wrapping arms around her this time, and she had no problem snuggling back against me. "Thank you," she whispered.

"No worries," I whispered back.

Erend was likely right, we liked each other. And sleeping like that was harmless. And, I'll admit, I liked the company, and I had a feeling she was liking it too.

Slept like a log though. Guess it was due to being comfortable or something.