Chapter six: Sun's Steppes.

A few hours later, Aloy found herself walking down the quiet streets of Meridian. It was several hours after sunset and Aloy's yawning led to the party breaking off and Erend left with Aloy. She started making her way towards the nearest Inn.

"Hey you're going the wrong way." Erend chuckles as Aloy pointed quizzically towards the large building she had hoped to room in. "They're all full with the people lucky enough to live off the streets for the moment. Olin's is over here, remember?"

Aloy followed Erend dumbly for a moment before she shook her head, "Wait, I thought they would be full by now."

"Nah. Olin left it to you. He… Wrote to me." Erend said with a scowl, "Said he owed you a heap more but it was the best he could do after you saved his family and him. Since he's at The Claim and won't be coming back well – not unless he wants a matching pair of black eyes and a wrung neck. No. You take it and make it yours."

Aloy frowned, "But when people need a home, I can't just –"

"-You wouldn't be solving the homeless problem by making yourself homeless. Come on."

He ushered her through a series of narrow streets before rounding on the square his old place was. They reached the front door and Erend passed her a key. "This time I don't need to be breaking it."

Aloy twisted the key and opened it. Erend followed her in as Aloy looked around, "I fixed the cellar door too, I hope you don't mind but I gave the key to Talanah a while back. Said something about Oseram not knowing anything about – I dunno – stuff? She added some things to it."

Aloy looked around, a lot of the belongings Olin left behind had gone, a seating area with cushions and blankets was in the centre, a modest cooking area was set along the far wall with a clay oven at its centre. Aloy looked towards the other side of the room to see woven rug had been lain over the cellar door to hide it. "I figured you could use that to work on things, you left quite a lot of armour behind when you err… Left so I locked it down there for safekeeping."

"I don't know what to say."

"There's one thing I need to tell you before I go." Erend wrong his gloved hands together, "Er… You left behind a spear you used to defeat HADES with? Well er… it was left a few days after the battle. I guess none of my men wanted to go back up there and we were distracted by dealing with the aftermath. Some people did go there and they noticed this… Red light leave the sphere HADES was in. It went west. I dunno where but I thought you needed to know."

Aloy frowned, "Nothing should have been left inside. I… HADES was gone."

"I should have said sooner I'm sorry – I'm such a moron!" Erend started to make his way towards the front door.

"Erend – its fine." The Captain turned around at her words, "We don't know what it is and when we do we'll figure that out too. Besides, it was me who left the way I did. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

Erend's face was unreadable for a moment as he leaned in the doorway, "I think if anyone needed a breather after everything, it's you."

An idea hit her, "If I ever have to go somewhere and leave Meridian, how about I promise to say goodbye. In person." Erend's face broke into a smile and he looked more like himself, "And besides-" Aloy tapped her Focus, lighting up Erend's too as they connected, "It's not like you're ever getting rid of me that easily."

Erend blinked quickly and cleared his throat. He stepped backwards out the doorway and gave her a quick wave, "Right. Well. Now that's sorted out. Make sure you lock this door behind me, okay?"

Aloy leaned on the doorway with a smirk, "What, you don't think I can handle myself?"

Erend chuckled as walked away with a backwards wave, "Nah, I just feel sorry for anyone trying to take on Aloy – Queen of the Bandits! I don't need any more paperwork."

Aloy dutifully locked the door behind her and sighed, "I guess I have a home to explore now."

She walked up the stairs and saw that a new bed had been placed besides a fireplace with plenty of firewood and kindling in baskets on the hearth. The huntress laughed when she saw a woven tapestry of what looked like herself and Talanah taking down Redmaw together. An inscription read, "Aloy and Talanah kicking ass."

Aloy looked into the next room and saw the washroom was mostly the same as before but with polished metal vanity was set on the wall over the sink and new shelves which held new linens and toiletries.

A parcel caught her eye with a note attached, it read; "All weapons left uncared for dull with use. Same goes for even the mightiest of warriors. Remember to take a breather and care for yourself – Talanah."

A lump had formed in Aloy's throat as she unwrapped the parcel.

In it was a wrapped help bag containing several bars of hard soap and oils for weapons and armour which would be perfect for the trail. There was also several bottles of liquid soaps and hair conditioners, crystallised bath salts she'd not seen anywhere except sold by traders the Cut. There was a wide-toothed comb and hair oils and wrapped within a soft cloth was several glad beads. Blue like what she had worn already but more vibrant, it reminded her a little like Bluegleam but it was only glass. Aloy swallowed the lump in her throat and sighed at her friend's thoughtfulness.

Erend had fixed the doors and stashed her staff for safekeeping. He had given Talanah the key to make it homier. Aloy knew he would have only given the Sun Hawk the key because he knew of their friendship, he would have refused otherwise.

Her eyes drifted towards the tin bath set in the corner of the room. The Carja were many things and she often thought they lived very soft lives but no one could deny indoor plumbing wasn't a fantastic idea. Growing up, an indoor bath only happened when the rivers froze over and they had to break it up before the fire. In Meridian however…

Before long, Aloy found herself up to her nose in bubbles after she had scrubbed her hair and skin clean. Her hair was loose from its braids and beads and she ran her fingers through it, enjoying the feeling. Though it had been a little mortifying to find a twig in it as well as a few bits of dried earth on the ends of her hair which must have some from sleeping in the wilds on her way back to Meridian. She sat up and threw a pitcher of cold water over her hair to rinse it out.

Suddenly, a thought made Aloy feel cold which had nothing to do with the water.

Could HADES still be alive? Aloy wondered as she watched the bubbles float around her toes, "But Sylens said the Master Override would purge HADES. Elisabet had designed it as a kill-switch if anything with GAIA went wrong – surely –"

Aloy remembered,

"Take my Lance. Fit the Master Override to it and you have a means of injection."

With Sylens, it was never a question of 'could he or would he,' the man was brilliant, calculating and often cold and callous. He had never shown any remorse over his past actions other than to regret not placing safeguards in place to protect himself from his goals.

Aloy sent a wave of water splashing as she reached for a towel and she wrapped it around herself as she stepped out from the bath.

The Huntress sat cross-legged before her fire as she had dressed into a loose tunic and shorts for sleep. She had found those tucked in her bed. The wide-toothed comb was a revelation when she used it to work in the hair oil as it dried by the fire.

HADES had offered Sylens knowledge. Unlimited knowledge. She had been spied on by Sylens since the Proving because he wanted to know more about how a savage from the east had caught HADES' attention. They had only became allies due to their mutual interests. He'd never hidden that fact from her.

"I wish I could talk to you about this CYAN." Aloy muttered sadly as she rebound her hair in the twists and braids. "Maybe an AI might know more about how another AI might think." Aloy said with a sigh. She picked parts of her hair where the glass beads might sit well without getting in her face and not knock together.

"There's no sense in dwelling on it. Either HADES is dead and its over or Sylens has done something and that light means HADES is still around somehow and I'll stop him again."

Even Aloy couldn't convince herself that it was okay.

The next day, Aloy found herself wandering around Meridian Village just as dawn broke. Children played, merchants hawked their wares and men and women stalked the roads looking for work.

The Huntress watched as a consignment of guards led a large wagon through the gate and stopped in its archway. Before long, a line had formed before it and Aloy could see it was laden with packages of food, medicine and clothes.

"Wait, wait!" A young man's voice rang as he skidded through the gates, "You can't just hand them out like that. You need to ask the people what they need otherwise you won't be able to help them properly."

His voice was familiar, Aloy looked up and was startled, "Teb?!"

Aloy rushed towards the gate and Teb had met her in the middle and enveloped her in a tight hug before he seemed to realise where he was and who he was hugging.

"All-Mother – I'm so sorry!" Teb blushed bright red up to his hair roots.

"First I'm not her. And it's fine Teb, what are you doing here?"

Teb recovered well with a direct question, "I'm helping out. These people need help after the Battle of the Alight." The quiet Stitcher shrugged modestly, "Your words at All-Mother Mountain moved me, Aloy. There are people outside the Sacred Lands just as good as the Nora. I wanted to see this world worth fighting for. So maybe one day… I can help the Nora live better lives in a different way."

"Teb!" One of the Carja guards beckoned him over at the head of the line of Refugees.

"Right, sorry I need to get back to – "

"Can I help?" Aloy gestured to the cart full of supplies.

Teb grinned in reply and soon, Aloy and Teb had found a rhythm to their work; the guards to question people in the line what they needed and Teb and Aloy fulfilled their order and before long, the line had died down and they had a moment to breathe.

"I never once thought the world was so big. I have you to thank for that, Aloy. When you spoke at the mountain, I listened. I really did. I hope that in being here, I'm able to show the Carja that the Nora aren't as savage as they thought and maybe… The Nora can come to accept outsiders more. Already things are changing. The Carja are calling me their… Liaison?"

"That's really impressive Teb, I'm so proud of you."

Buoyed by her words, the young Stitcher continued, "The Sacred Lands are already changing, Aloy. Outcasts have been welcomed back into the fold. The practice has been struck from Tribal Law."

Aloy nodded, glad to finally hear it from Teb and not just rumour but she couldn't help but think it was mostly changed due to the Nora facing their own extinction. Their numbers were so low, maybe it was just another act of desperation and things might go back to how they were after a few years. Maybe. Maybe not.

Teb had watched Aloy's face closely, "Wounds do heal but often scars do remain. My goal in being here is to show that I am Nora but I can also come and go from the Sacred Lands without being a Seeker or an Outcast. I want to ensure things never go back to how they once were for so long."

Aloy was about to reply when a gathering at the centre of the village caught her eye. At its centre, a familiar figure dressed in Cinnabar robes stood on some pallets. He raised a hand to silence the crowd,

"Faithful Carja and all welcome travellers!" The Mournful Namman cried, "I speak at the behest of the Sun-King Avad, 14th Luminance of the Radiant line!"

Aloy stepped towards the crowd.

"The illustrious men and women of the Noble Houses of Meridian have heard the cries of the less fortunate and have seen the struggles they face. And they have listened!"

The gathered crowd began to mutter quietly,

"The Sun-King has made his Palace available to all Noble families who have graciously offered their homes to the needy of Meridian."

The assembled crowd stood in stunned silence, all gossip had become forgotten.

The Sun-Priest unravelled a scroll and held it out to read before the crowd,

"Now I have a message which has come directly from the Dowager-Queen Nasadi, Widow of the Sun-King Jiran, and Stepmother to the Sun-King and mother to Prince Itamen, heir-apparent of the Radiant line!"

This caught Aloy's attention,

"In the eight years of my son's life we have felt many trials as a family. Of which I understand does cast a pale shadow when compared to the struggles faced to those unfortunate souls lost to the Sun Ring and for those who have lived in the Shadow of my late Husband's rule."

It appeared to Aloy that a lot of the people were aware that like Itamen, Nasadi was also a puppet for Helis' reign of terror, based on the sympathetic murmurings of the gathered crowd.

"If we shun the shadows cast by the burning Sun of our past we can all live in hope that one day, we might all enjoy a brighter tomorrow. My son has never enjoyed the company of friends to play with or peers to learn with. So I invite you all who have children, to join my son at the Royal Archive so our children will learn together. One day, I hope that we can all bask in the warm glow they will bring for Meridian in the future."

The crowd began to mutter as the Sun-Priest bade his thanks to the crowd and stepped from his make-shift podium. Namman spotted Aloy as she nudged her way through to crowd to meet him. The Priest smiled brightly in recognition,

"Aloy. How auspicious it is for us to meet on this bright day."

Aloy nodded, "Everything said in that speech, will it really all happen?"

The Priest led Aloy back towards the gate as they spoke, "Yes. Times do indeed change with every passing sunrise, Aloy. We have received notice from the Sun-King himself that we are to open the Priesthood to women now. To Carja mostly however exceptions could be made for individuals from other Tribes with the right aptitude –"

"I don't think I'd make a good Priest, Namman, though the robes would match my hair."

The Priest laughed, "Such a shame, I would love to bear witness to the changed you would bring if you had taken up the cloth. I have already seen the changed you have brought to the Sun-King's court." Namman gestured with the scroll in his hands. "I think you would make a wonderful Priest."

"It's still a no from me, but thank you. I think." Aloy grinned as the Priest bowed to her and departed through the gates.

Teb and Aloy packed up the cart and brought it along with them towards the soldier's barracks.

The young Stitcher seemed to always be at the centre of things, before long they were perched on a low-wall which overlooked the training grounds and fletched arrows together.

"This is one of the many things we could have done together as children if things had been different. Making arrows for the Braves."

Aloy stopped her task and tuned to Teb, "There's something I always meant to ask you, Teb. Why did you stop training to be a Brave. I mean, I'm glad you did because well – you are old enough to have attended the Proving years before me."

"Why," Teb considered slowly, "Honestly? Because of you, Aloy."

"Me?"

Teb nodded, "I trained because my Father was a Brave long before I was born. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps. A summer sickness took my mother when I was young so our standing in the tribe was not as high as it once was. So me becoming a Brave – "

"Would help your father's standing and yours in the Tribe." Aloy nodded in understanding.

"When we met, I knew you were an Outcast but you had saved my life. My father wouldn't even look at you. Even though you had saved my life, his son's life. I realised I was a… key to my father's plan. He didn't want me sullied or shunned by speaking to an Outcast. I have no siblings so anything else didn't matter. Any Boon I may have earned if I somehow won the Proving would have been whispered in my ear by my father. He wanted another wife and for me to take my place as a Brave. And well I – didn't want that. So I stopped."

"Come at me if you think you can take me on!" Now that was another familiar voice, distracted, Aloy looked towards the sandy training ring at the centre of the barracks.

There was a man dressed in Carja armour, his hair and beard were bleached from the sun and his fair skin was burned from the foreign strong sun.

No one took him up on his 'request' for a fight and many people ignored the man and continued to train in their own groups.

"What, are you scared to fight a Banuk?" The man yelled to the dispassionate crowd.

Someone yelled, "No we're scared that some of your crazy will rub off on us!" This got a laugh from the surrounding people, Aloy frowned.

Inatut didn't falter and he continued to shadow punch the air but Aloy could see on his face, he had heard the voice.

"I will." Aloy spoke before she had realised, and made her way towards the training ring to meet the Banuk.

"Aloy!" He said with surprise, "Small world."

"It is. What brings you to Meridian?"

"Thinking. You?"

"Thinking." Aloy agreed.

"Alright, less talk. Have you ever even thrown a punch?"

"No but I'm willing to try." Aloy said as she squared before Inatut. "Don't see you getting many other offers."

First he showed Aloy how to bind her fists with cloth wrappings, then Inatut showed Aloy how to hold a stance.

"You're small so keep being a small target. Keep to the side and your feet parted so you can step aside or duck when needed. Makes you harder to hit. Now dodge!" Inatut threw a punch at Aloy and she ducked under his fist, she could tell he wasn't using as much power as he could have, "Now you try, hit me in the face, if you can."

Aloy narrowed her eyes and mimicked how he made a fist and threw the hardest punch she could. He easily blocked her with his forearm and danced on his toes with a smirk.

"Good but keep moving."

"Right." Aloy concentrated and punched at Inatut again with a follow up towards his ribs with her off-hand. She might as well have punched the air, the Banuk seemed to disappear wherever she tried to hit him.

Inatut threw a punch at her chest which Aloy blocked and she managed to side-step his follow up to her side, he continued to send a volley of punches which Aloy managed to block and dodge but he didn't get the chance to return anything until –

"Damn that stung!" Inatut grinned as he rubbed his chin.

"Stung?" Aloy was exasperated, "I'm not a bee."

"Then let me show you how to put your weight into it."

As Inatut instructed Aloy, she became aware of a curious crowd of on-lookers around them.

"Eyes up, Nora. Chin down and focus on the fight before you."

Aloy nodded and tucked her chin down and sent a volley of her own punches at him, he blocked what he couldn't dodge yet again but she felt her punches landed harder this time. Inatut caught Aloy's fist as she tried to aim for his face once more and released her as soon as his follow up punch sailed towards her face.

Stars flashed before Aloy's eyes, she blinked and realised Inatut was crouched before her where she lay in the sand. "Sorry. Thought you would dodge that one." He seemed only partly sorry as the fun from the fight had remained in his eyes.

"I don't know about that, Inatut." Aloy commented as she grasped is offered hand to stand. Blood dripped from her nose as she checked for any breaks.

"You'll live." Inatut grinned as she unwrapped her hands and staunched the flow with the cloth.

"I think we'll leave it there." Aloy said as she allowed Inatut led her to a shaded bench at the edge of the ring.

"Anytime you want to spar again, let me know."

Teb caught her eyes from where he sat across the grounds, she shook her head at his questioning look.

"That's what I get for picking a fight with a Banuk. I never learn." Aloy muttered to herself as she noted the blood had stopped flowing from her nose.

"Aloy." A voice from the shadows came from behind.

The Nora wasn't too proud to admit that she had basically jumped from her skin as she spun around to see, "Talanah."

"Hey Aloy despite the Nora. Nice fight back there, you really… Showed him."

"The kids weren't playing together so I thought I'd help." Aloy said sarcastically as Talanah sat on the bench beside Aloy and they watched Inatut take his pick from sparring partners now 'The Hero of the Spire' had deigned to fight him. "Thanks for what you did at the apartment. You didn't need to-"

"Your apartment, you mean? It's nothing special. I just wanted you to have somewhere nice. Consider it selfish self-interest to make sure my Thrush has a place to perch to come back to."

Aloy smiled, before she remembered, "I heard the announcement."

Talanah gave a slow smile, "Oh about the homes for Refugees? I thought you might. I know what you're gonna say. Its fine, I didn't want to be paraded around as a saviour of the forgotten. I have you for that." The Sun Hawk nudged Aloy's arm as her smile widened. "Erend didn't want the limelight either, since it was his sister's house he gave."

"I don't think that was why you two weren't named." Aloy muttered.

Talanah nodded, "Something about showing a, 'united front through charitable efforts.'" Talanah quoted, "Makes it sound like lots of people have done it already so the ones who haven't already, will so they don't get singled out." Talanah rolled her eyes, "And that's why I'm normally out in the wilds and not at a Palace meeting, even I find this logic clunky and I'm Carja!"

Aloy huffed a laugh at her friend's words and shook her head.

"Hey you wore the beads!" The Sun Hawk exclaimed and her smile tightened when she added, "Remember how happy you feel right now and remember I am your friend who gives you nice things because you deserve them." Talanah edged.

"What is it?"

"One more thing came up before I ditched the meeting. They want to do a ceremony at Spring Solstice."

"That's in just over a week, right?"

"Yup. They're getting Petra to craft this globe with every known Tribe's insignia on it to place atop the Spire. You're going to be there so you get a chance to add that key of yours to the Spire."

"Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming?"

Talanah laughed, "They want you to make a speech before you do."

Aloy cursed, "I can't speak in front of people."

"Yes you can, I've seen you do it. At the Battle of the Alight –"

"Okay." Aloy started, "I can speak in front of people when I'm mad. I can't do what the Sun-Priests do and make a long winded and flowery speeches they do.

"Then don't. Just be yourself."

"That isn't always good advice for me."

"Well then, allow me to cheer you back up. I have a Hunt for you." Talanah passed Aloy a scroll.

It was an escort mission, the scroll read 'Aloy Forgefire to meet Petra Forgewoman at the crossroads on Sun's Steppe. Bandits expected.' Petra's handwriting looked more accustomed to being written by a chisel rather than ink. The fee was written at the bottom and the job was dated for the next day.

"Forgefire?" Aloy asked quizzically.

Talanah laughed, "I think she likes you."

Aloy pulled up her bandanna over her nose as she crawled on her stomach through the grass. She had worn her Silent Hunter Master outfit due to the soft leather of her soles and armour made her movements soundless.

They were in the hills, a few were on watch atop some rotten crumbled concrete from the metal world. The bandits were slowly advancing towards the road where the caravan was gathered.

"Ten in total." Aloy murmured into her Focus as she took aim.

"Let me know when we're in the clear and I'll tell the caravan we're good to go."

"See you in a few then." Aloy whispered as she loosed an arrow which shot from the tall grasses.

Talanah had somehow been persuaded by Aloy to ride a Broardhead for this mission. She didn't quite know how she had been convinced that it was both a good idea and easy to learn to do. It didn't seem like either, the Sun Hawk felt as she waited at the head of the caravan.

They had galloped all the way to the outskirts of Free Heap. To 'show her the ropes' of riding mounts. Talanah had no idea she had so many muscles in her legs and back but now she knew. And they hurt.

The sound of galloping hooves came from just over the rise, Talanah nudged her Boardhead to face the sound.

"Get up here!" Aloy's voice shouted through the Focus. Weirdly she could also hear Aloy at the same time with a slight delay. Focuses were weird.

The Sun Hawk was never one to shirk a fight, she shouted over her shoulder to Petra as she nudged her mount towards the sound of explosions, "Be ready, we have incoming!"

Petra nodded, "I was bored as fuck anyway. Muster up guys and gals!" The woman shouted as she slung a cannon onto her hip.

As Talanah crested the hill. There was a heard of Chargers. They all looked up at once as a strange red glow overtook them. Beyond the herd Talanah saw what had affected them. And she swore.

"Corruptor!" Talanah cried over her shoulder as she used her heels to urge her Machine forward.

"Don't get too close on that Corruptor with your mount!" Aloy called over the Focus.

A plan formed in Talanah's mind and she sped a wide circuit around the fray. She notched an arrow and targeted the nearest Charger in the horns. Her Focus had lit them up in bright gold. It was almost cheating. They exploded as she notched another, and another.

Before long, a path had cleared before the Corruptor. It only hampered by the sparking corpses of the downed Machines. Aloy nodded her thanks as she advanced towards the Corruptor with her bomb sling in hand.

Cannon fire boomed from near the caravan.

It was Petra. Her wide grin was visible through the smoke from the weapon in her hands. The woman reloaded and took aim. Talanah turned back to the fight as she rode around. The Corruptor had picked up a large boulder, intent on crushing Aloy with it. It instantly exploded.

Petra was one hell of a shot.

"What the hell are you all doing standing by me, you lazy lumps of slag! I thought you were soldiers –get the hell up front and stop guarding me like some egg sucking, useless granny!"

No one realised it at that moment. There wasn't time. It was then that all hell has well and truly broken loose.

The Corruptor took a moment to assess the multitude of new targets. Its red eyes scanned the area before it. Aloy took that moment to shoot a well-aimed fire bomb at the Corruptor and it dropped its next boulder due to the sudden impact of the blast.

Talanah continued her route and made her way towards the back of the Corruptor, "This is a really, really dumb idea!"

Talanah could feel the Boardhead tremble beneath her as the Corruptor's influence took hold. She hoisted herself to a stand on its back and gripped the cables on the Machine's mane and leapt –

Somehow Talanah landed where she had planned and stabbed her spear at the spike-thrower which shattered in an explosion of hot metal. The Machine lurched to one side as it tried to recover but Talanah didn't let up. She swiped her Spear down onto the grenade launcher which starte to spark angrily. She followed it up with another stab and it also exploded.

In her peripheral, she saw the Corruptor's tail rise behind her to strike. Talanah leaped forward and rolled away from the Machine's legs as they tried to trample her.

Talanah scrambled to her feet just in time to see Aloy throw her javelin at the Corruptor's head. Bolts of electricity sparked along its legs and it shuddered and smoked. Moments later, it collapsed in a heap.

Talanah dusted herself off as she looked around to take stock of their impromptu battlefield. The soldiers had managed to down the remaining Charges with Petra's assistance. She found Aloy elbow-deep in the centre of the Corruptor, she pulled her hand free with a victorious flourish.

Before long, the assembled men and women looted the downed Machines for scrap, shards and parts of use. Anything and everything was taken and loaded up onto the caravan. Nothing of interest was left for scrappers or Glinthawks to find.

Petra examined the Corruptor as Aloy had left to chase after the two Boardheads they had ridden in on to re-tame them. Somehow.

"I want you girls to take that with us." Talanah looked up at Petra, I have to make a pretty thing for the King." The woman scowled with distaste, "Not my gig usually but I like the irony of using one of those Machines for this job, considering it's to go on the Spire.

Aloy chose that moment to return with the Machines back under her thrall. Talanah didn't know how but she knew which one she had ridden before, she grasped its mane as she leapt onto its back again.

"You still got that rope caster, Aloy?" The Sun Hawk asked with a sigh.

They had made quite an impression on the villagers as they arrived; the large caravan carrying metal, scavenged Machine parts from the attack and cannons. As well as a deactivated Corruptor which made deep tracks into the earth as it was dragged.

Aloy looked towards the gate and sure enough, Teb was at the head of a line of refugees. However, this time there didn't seem to be any supplies being handed out. Teb and some of the city guards were questioning the people and in small groups, they were being allowed through.

"Might be best to stop here, lads." Petra waved at the convoy behind her, "Could be a while."

Aloy swung herself off her mount, Talanah did the same beside her. "That was a nice move, jumping on the back of the Corruptor."

"I don't know how well it would have worked if you hadn't been distracting it."

"Well I couldn't have distracted it if you hadn't cleared the way for me."

"We make quite the team, Aloy." Talanah said proudly as she tapped the Boardhead so it gently walked away from the Village.

They sat on the end of a cart as Petra fussed with her cannons in the background, they watched as Teb and the guards worked to thin the crowd at the gate.

"They Nora guy seems to be in the middle of everything these days. Always helping people. Is it a Nora thing?"

Aloy grinned proudly, "The Nora apparently do things a lot as a community. They have shared lodges for young Braves, share meals at long tables and have communal campfires to cook together and stay warm at night. Teb has always been different though. He was the only one who spoke to me when I was a child. He got into trouble with some Machines when he fell off a Brave trail and I helped him. He then got into trouble for thanking me. No one even looked at me back then."

"Have you told him?" Talanah asked as she gestured at the Focus she now always seemed to wear.

"No." Aloy looked down at the sandy earth, "I don't think he'd understand. They… everything they do and believe in shuns the old ones. He's Nora."

"So are you." Talanah said evenly, "And you somehow get all of this. I don't think you're giving him enough credit."

Aloy didn't have a reply for that so she sighed instead.

Before long, the crowd had been filtered through and the caravan proceeded though.

"Come see me tomorrow and I'll have the shards for your pockets, you two." Petra called at them as they started to break away from the group. "Aloy, as ever, it was a pleasure." The older woman called with a backwards wave as she sauntered away.

Talanah whistled after they had walked some distance away, "Definitely likes you."

"Shut up!"