Aloy shifted the bow on her shoulder.

It was the crack of dawn as she made her way across the bridge leading to the suns palace, paying no mind to the guards who stood at her attention.

The envelope she opened earlier lay on the dresser in the inn she retired in for the night. A letter addressed to her with the remnants of a seal marked in a golden symbol that displayed the letter 'A'. She didn't hesitate on who it could be.

'Dear Aloy,
It is with great joy that I call you upon this friendly meeting. You have brought me to your attention with this proposition on helping Meridian. With great gratitude I prepared you breakfast with the company of Vanasha and Erend. Companions of yours that never cease to tell me of tales about you.

Sincerely,
Sun King Avad'

She now felt like she was creeping out of the isolation she boarded herself in for such a very long time. She wouldn't dare call herself a social Nora, but she did miss being around people who wanted to chat with her. A reminder of how lonely she can get even if she's oblivious to the feeling.

The clink of her boots turned the heads of her fellow companions. Vanasha sat with her legs crossed, tea in hand and her armor that rested on her head now sat on top the table besides her. Hair tightly pulled in a ponytail.

Erend was dressed much more casually with his hammer and Ersa's helmet no where to be seen.

A devilish smile graced Vanasha's features as she stared at the red head making her way to the nearest seat, right next to Avad's. "My my, what a pleasure it is to see you again my little huntress."

Nodding at her Aloy shyly smiled, "How's it going Vanasha?"

Flicking her free wrist in the air Vanasha sighed, "Oh you know how it is, I'm either running off on important missions sent by your Radiance here or busying myself with Uthid."

A cough turned their heads as Avad sat his own teacup down and gestures to the food in front of Aloy. "Please feel free to eat, I had the cooks prepare a big meal for us."

Looking down at the food sprawled delicately on neatly designed plates Aloy picked up the silverware and traced the carved in designs. "You called me to talk about my proposition?"

Nodding his head he strengthen his back, his body showing more authority. "Yes, as I am sure you can handle many many things I do wish you start with what you're comfortable with."

He gestured for a guard to come near, "Please bring Blameless Marad here."

"At once, your radiance."

Nodding Avad continued to eye Aloy as she munched on a pear.

"You see there has been incidents of former Carjan soldiers showing up massacred in groups."

Swallowing a thick piece down she lowered the pear from her mouth and leaned back in her chair. "Well the Carja do have a bad reputation from the past, maybe someone is still blind from rage ignited from the red raids?"

Vanasha interrupted the king when he opened his mouth to respond, "I thought so as well, but it just doesn't add up."

Frowning Aloy sat the pear down and reached for a slice of bread, "What doesn't add up?"

"The locations, it is all spread out. Even far to the Nora lands, and the bodies. They're not Shadow Carja, but soldiers of our own during Jiran's red raids."

Licking her lips she turned to Erend in confusion. He met her eyes in an instant, "They didn't turn to be Shadow Carja but wanted justice for what they did."

"So you see Aloy, it is with great puzzlement that we need to investigate more on the matter at hand."

All heads but Avad's turned as the blameless Marad walked in. Bowing he made his way to the side of the the Sun King. "Your Radiance."

Smiling he gestured to Marad and then on to Aloy, "If you are up for the task to investigate, the blameless Marad here will give you the coordinates of the most recent called in attack.

"I'll be sure to head over there, but before I do that" she smiled and reached for a piece of meat, "Why don't we all catch up?"

Her eyes sparkled in amusement as Vanasha and Erend sat more up.

"You first, huntress what have you been up to?"

The sounds of the rushing water was loud enough that when talking you wouldn't be able to hear the other person. The rapids nearing the dangerous side, but it would never stop the man who tread through the currents with no visible care.

His upper half was naked as was most of his body as he ran his calloused hands through his black short tresses. The blood from his clothes and weapons flowing down the river. It was more logical to clean those before himself.

He rotated his shoulder slowly in circles as he closed his eyes. Taking refuge in the warmth of the water, feeling the strong embrace all around him.

He let the angry loud noise from the river distract his mind. Away from the nasty images that haunted his mind.

He always told himself that what he is doing, what he has always done was for the greater good. He submerged his head under the warm stream. It was after his encounter with her that his mind really started to conflict itself.

He felt anger. Not knowing who or what to be angry at. He felt that his life should have ended long ago on that Mesa. He could have even accepted it in the final battle against the eclipse and whatever else evil there was.

He didn't. He was angry at that, he was angry that he didn't know exactly what to do now. He was angry that there wasn't anymore bandits to kill, that there wasn't any more wars or battle to fill his blood thirst.

That the victims being added to his death list were more harder. Harder in a way that he didn't understand. Not knowing why he was put to do the dirty work. Why these soldiers were deemed so threatening. For he knew them. Not necessarily personally but he was in their ranks before. He knew their capabilities and where their morals laid.

In the distance a bird watched curiously as his head came rushing up deep from the waters.

He coughed and his silver eyes took in the scenery. He didn't bother sweeping the hair from his face this time.

The muscles of his arm flexed as he pulled himself up the small ledge, leaving the treacherous stream.

He drained the water from his hair and sat down on a boulder besides his drying items.

The trickle of water droplets sliding down his back. Adding on to the glow of his skin in the sunlight beating down on him.

He thought deeply on where he should trench next. He brought a hand up to his eyes and his other holding out his index finger. Twirling his hand in a clockwise direction he waited a few seconds and then stopped. Slowly he brought his hand down from his eyes.

Steel like orbs gazed beyond his finger.

He huffed, thinking to himself to make this trip more exciting than his last.