Aloy couldn't sleep. Not that it was unusual…she often had lots of things on her mind. She didn't like to lay idle while she was awake, so instead of tossing and turning in her room, she opted to go outside the Base and walk around, taking in the brisk air.

It was something she used to do as a child…sit outside in the middle of the night, listening to the owls and watching the sparkling night sky. Except, she'd be tinkering with her Focus and learning glyphs, or thinking about her mother. Now, she couldn't stop thinking of the looming threat, literally somewhere in the stars. When she looked up to the sky, she was filled with dread.

She was leaning against a large boulder, fiddling with a blade of grass, engrossed in her own thoughts, when she heard footsteps. She looked up to see Kotallo walking down the path, carrying a small bundle. She was tucked out of sight, several yards away under a few trees and hidden by the shadow of the mountains, so he didn't notice her presence. She flicked the blade of grass away and knelt down instinctively.

Where is he going?

Her hand automatically went to her Focus so she could talk to him, but then she paused and thought against it. It was possible that he, like herself, couldn't sleep and wanted to be alone. Erend's incessant snoring was enough to make anyone want to sleep outside in the cold, and Kotallo was definitely a loner.

But still. Curiosity got the better of her, so she decided to follow.

He slowly trudged up the mountain on a rocky path that wound through the jagged boulders and eventually made its way into a small, snow-dusted clearing. Kindling for a fire had already been assembled. A small pond, illuminated by pale blue algae on the rocks below, was next to the tiny campsite. Using the light from his Focus, he opened up the bundle and tossed some wood onto the fire, then used some oil and a machine sparker to ignite it.

He's been here before.

Aloy crouched further back in a patch of tall grass and watched him, feeling uneasy since she was technically spying on him and intruding into what seemed like his own private getaway. She was surpised that she hadn't noticed this little spot before, but then again, there was so much to do in such an expansive West, she overlooked the mountains that housed the Base. Kotallo had kept so much to himself and spent most of his time in the War Room mapping out rebel positions, so Aloy didn't think he would have explored much. Apparently, she was wrong.

Her conscience kept telling her to leave him alone, but her brazen inquisitiveness kept her rooted to the spot. What was he doing out here in the middle of the night?

Aloy watched, absolutely puzzled, as Kotallo picked up his spear, walked over to the pond, and scraped the icy surface. He jabbed at it a few times to break the ice apart, examined the pond again, then walked back to his spot by the fire and started to remove his armor.

She blinked. …What?

GAIA had somewhat gotten running water to work in their facility. She had called it "plumbing." It wasn't clean enough to drink, but it was enough to make herbal remedies with and use in wash basins. They could all easily wash in privacy without stepping out into the bitter cold. Surely Kotallo wasn't taking a bath up here?

She watched, somewhat alarmed, as he stripped down to a loin cloth, walked over to the pond again, and slowly walked in. Without a sound, he lowered himself into the water, quietly and calmly, until he was completely submerged.

That water is freezing! He can't stay under for long. What is he trying to do?

Aloy became uncomfortable, knowing she wasn't supposed to see this. Maybe she'd caught him doing some sort of strange Tenakth ritual.

Maybe not.

The seconds ticked by like hours, and Aloy grew increasingly concerned. She was raised in the snowy mountains and she was very used to the cold – even welcomed it over the hot sands and tropic forests – but even she knew that this was far too dangerous. Nobody willingly walks into freezing water so unprotected for so long and comes out unharmed.

Is he…going to kill himself?

No way. That's so far beyond his way of thinking. Unless…?

Kotallo hid his emotions well, but she remembered Chief Hekarro's comment about his missing limb. 'He is maimed. They will no longer respect him.' And then, when he called her Commander and chose to join her and leave his clan and Hekarro behind…she knew it was because he knew his worth amongst the Tenakth had eroded significantly. Despite being a Marshal, he thought that he was close to the end of his life as a warrior, and he wanted to be the one to choose his ending.

"I will stand with you on your mission. Give whatever is left of my life. It is what I choose."

Her breath quickened. Oh, no…

It had to have been well over a minute by now. Kotallo was still underwater.

He's killing himself.

She wasn't quite sure what spurred her into a panic that night. Perhaps she was just sleep deprived and wasn't thinking straight. Perhaps, after running errand after errand helping people, she automatically assumed that he would need help as well. Perhaps it was because of all that she'd gone through, of all that she'd seen…one more life would've been the final straw. Perhaps it was because she was in dire need of help, and the loss of a team member would have been a fatal blow to their cause. Perhaps it was because seeing a proud Tenakth in despair – a tribe of what could be considered the most loyal, brave, and ruthless warriors of the West – was too much for her to bear.

Or, perhaps the answer was simple – she just couldn't lose him.

Whatever the case, her feet wouldn't obey her reeling mind and she found herself sprinting over the rocks and snowy grass to swim into the water to get him out.

"Kotallo! Kotallo!"

The sharp cold water stole the breath out of her lungs. Her feet and legs were already screaming in pain as pins and needles and numbness from the cold pierced into her skin. She dove into cold lakes and rivers before, but only briefly and only when necessary – even then, she was prepared and was wearing the proper gear to protect her from hypothermia. Not now. She hadn't been expecting to go for an icy dive in the middle of the night.

She waded forward, frantically putting her arms out to find him underneath the water, even though she was already losing feeling in her fingers. Luckily, he rose on his own accord.

He emerged a few feet in front of her with a deep growl and stared at her angrily. His white war paint had started to run and drip off with the water, revealing bare skin underneath. His facial features were finally readable. Dark brown eyebrows were furrowed, long black eyelashes could be seen on narrowed eyes, and his lips were turned into an angry scowl. "Aloy? What are you doing?"

She could barely breathe. She could barely think. The water was too cold. "What…what am I doing? I'm getting you out! What are you doing?!"

He set his jaw and grabbed her by the arm, tugging her with him to shore. "You're shaking. You need to get warm, now."

She couldn't fathom how unfazed he was by all this. He didn't even look cold. "What about you? Are you all right?"

He made a noise that sounded like a scoff. "Why were you following me?"

Her legs were barely working, and Kotallo had to steer her to his campfire. His grip around her arm was a little too tight for her liking, but she also needed someone to steady her. "I…I was…"

He planted her firmly in front of the fire and pulled her down into the sitting position. "Sit."

She stood back up and squared her shoulders in a silent challenge, even though she was shivering violently and her lips were trembling. "Don't tell me what to do."

He glared at her. "Fine. Freeze, then."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Do you always make everyone's business your own?"

"I do when I think you're trying to hurt yourself!"

He let out another derisive scoff. "Always leaping to the rescue, aren't you? Do you think I need rescuing, Champion?"

The Tenakth term of endearment came out with a tone of disdain, and it was not lost on her. She set her shivering jaw. "Oh, well, forgive me for worrying about you, Kotallo."

His nostrils flared. "I do not need to be tended after like a child. Your insinuation that I would…die like this…" he swept his arm out towards the pond angrily, "is insulting. Yet again, your ignorance about me and my tribe is laid bare."

She glared back up at him. His words stung, but he was right. She couldn't conjure a response. Instead, she just stood there, huffing and shivering pathetically and trying not to show it. Survival instinct started to kick in and she knew that the only way to keep warm was to remove her wet clothes. "Turn around so I can take these off," she snapped.

He stared at her for a moment before letting out an agitated sigh, then turned around to pluck something out of his makeshift bundle.

With numb fingers, she fumbled to get her leather doublet untied, then unsteadily shifted out of it, followed by her leather bottoms. Only a thin wrap around her upper torso and bottom remained. She kicked off her wet moccasins, wrung out her hair, crossed her arms, and let out a shivering huff.

Without a word, Kotallo turned and wrapped a large blanket of stitched-together goat and fox pelts around her. He gently pushed her down to the fire once more. His voice was softer this time. "Sit."

Grateful for the warmth, she obeyed. Frost was already starting to form in her hair. Kotallo sat next to her and held out a palm towards the fire. She glanced at him and looked at his skin, which was still bare and wet. Remnants of white and blue started to streak down as the water dripped off, and she saw goosebumps. He was cold. She examined him closer and looked up at his dark eyes, which were focused on the fire in front of them. He wasn't shivering, and his breath was steady.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Aren't you cold?"

He gave her a side-eye. "Yes. But not nearly as cold as you."

"Kotallo, this blanket is big enough for the both of us."

He stiffened. "I'm fine."

"Don't be stupid," Aloy used an arm to open the blanket up and splay it across his back, then leaned over in front of him to pull it over his left shoulder. Ignoring his agitated expression, she yanked the blanket across his chest, scooted closer until their thighs were touching, and held both ends together. She lifted her knees to her chest so she could keep the warmth in, and he did the same.

She pulled the pelt tighter and curled into a ball, trying to control her violent shaking and focusing on keeping the warmth to her core. Kotallo glanced over at her. "Your lips are blue."

"Well, I did just jump into an icy pool of water without any gear on, thanks to you."

"Surely you're not blaming me for your idiocy."

"It's pretty idiotic to walk into a freezing pond in the middle of the night, isn't it?"

Kotallo let out a growl and wrapped his right arm around her shoulders in an attempt to keep her warm. "Foolish Nora. I'll think twice next time, if it means keeping you from getting killed."

She almost pulled away in anger, but she was too cold to put up a fight. Common sense won in the end, since two bodies under a blanket were much better than one.

There was a long moment of silence. Aloy closed her eyes and forced Kotallo's body out of her mind, solely focusing on the warmth it provided. Eventually, her shivering slowed and she was able to steady her breathing. She wiggled her toes. Thankfully, she could still feel them.

"So…are you going to tell me what you were doing out here?"

"Ice bath," he grumbled.

"…An ice bath?"

"Tenakth warriors will submerge themselves in an ice bath to numb the pain of a wound, or ease the ache of battle. Perhaps even get some peace and quiet," he glanced over at her with an eyebrow raised.

She learned to read eyes very well. And his were teasing. She sighed and gave him an eye roll. "So…you're in pain? Is it from your arm?"

He nodded briskly. "It comes and goes, but…this is soothing to me."

"I'm…I'm sorry," she stammered. "I didn't know."

"I was born in the mountains and snow like you, Nora. At the Bulwark, we are used to the cold. So much so, that we start training at a young age. To become a warrior means traversing all the elements, from the ice cold rivers and the jagged rocks of the mountains of the north, to the hot sand of Scalding Spear and wet marshes of the Lowlands. The ice bath is a part of our training. We remain submerged as long as we can, and we build our endurance from there. There are some that can stay under for hours, only coming up for air."

"Hours?" Aloy whispered.

"Swimming in the ice water like a frost canister burrower," Kotallo deadpanned.

She smiled, imagining the thought. "You Tenakth would find joy in something torturous like that."

"You should try it."

She let out a laugh at his dry humor. "I just did. No thanks. Not fun at all."

"Perhaps more training is in order."

"Obviously. My first try wasn't very glorious, was it?"

"The key is to steady your breathing and steel your mind. Not to flail in as if you're on fire."

"Okay, okay. I get it."

He watched her and his features softened at her smile. She looked up at him, admiring his face now that it wasn't hidden behind white paint. While he still kept his expression neutral, his eyes were smiling.

"I'm sorry that I interfered. I shouldn't have jumped in after you like that. I…I should have known better. I guess…" Aloy looked down and fumbled over the words. "I don't know what I thought. I was worried that all this," she gestured around and towards the Focus, "might have been too much. Not - " she added quickly, "not your arm. But all this information…about GAIA, about the Old Ones, about the Zeniths, about Beta. It's…a lot."

Kotallo turned to look at the fire and didn't respond.

"When I first found out who I was…" Aloy said quietly, "I didn't know what to do. I lived my entire life as an outcast. I grew up with the sole purpose of proving them wrong. That I was more than that…that I could become a Nora Brave. That I wasn't just an outcast…and then, maybe after that, I could find out who my mother was."

Kotallo glanced over at her.

"Then, of course, you know the story. Everything went wrong. Rost died. I had a bounty on my head; relentlessly hunted by HADES and the Eclipse."

"Yes," he replied softly. "GAIA showed us the recordings of what the Eclipse had done." His jaw worked when he thought of the sight of Helis, from Aloy's perspective. He had watched in absolute rage as a sworn Tenakth enemy, Shadow Carja, and Stacker of Corpses as the Oseram had called him, held Aloy with a knife at her throat, staring at her with dead eyes and a hollow voice that had said 'turn your face to the sun, child.'

When he had learned that Aloy eventually responded in kind by killing Helis, Kotallo's respect for his Commander could not have been greater, although it rekindled a newfound hatred of the Carja.

He glanced over at her as she shook her head slowly, staring at the fire.

"And then I found out that I was a clone of Elisabet Sobeck, made by a machine," she continued. "I was never born. I never had a mother. There were thoughts – doubts – that took root then. If it was worth it. If it was worth getting people killed. After finding out the truth, I…I started to wonder if it was just better off for everyone if I had died in the Proving."

"No. In defying death, you saved everyone. As much as I hate to admit," Kotallo added begrudgingly, "you saved the Carja. You saved your own people. And, in doing so, you most likely saved the Tenakth by preventing the spread of HADES. And you still have a mission to fulfill."

"I know. But…sometimes…there are still those thoughts. That I can't do it anymore. That there will be a day when I fail. And, it's selfish, but…my whole life, I wanted a mother. I needed to know who my mother was. To have that hope snatched from me…" she sighed and closed her eyes. "It was devastating. I never wanted to hope again. I felt so defeated, and so overwhelmed. That feeling drowns you. I guess…the point I'm trying to make is…that's what I thought you were trying to do. And I would understand."

"When I said I would pledge my life to you, I did not mean that I would steal off in the middle of the night to drown myself amongst the mountains of your base," he replied flatly.

"I know," Aloy sighed again. "I feel like an idiot, okay? I insulted your honor. It was a lapse in my judgment, because obviously you would never do such a thing. I think…just watching you in that moment…I…" she looked down, ashamed. "It was something I felt that I would do. So I panicked."

Kotallo examined her and said nothing.

There was a long, uncomfortable pause as Aloy stared at the fire. She felt his eyes on her, yet she was afraid to meet his gaze, because she didn't want him to look at her with pity or disgust. When she finally glanced up to look at him, however, his eyes held something else. Admiration.

"You needn't bear this burden on your own," he reminded her softly. "That's why we're here."

"I know," she nodded. "And I'm glad. But…"

She trailed off. He continued to examine her, and waited patiently for her continue.

"I've always done things alone. It's easier to bear when there aren't others dying in your stead."

"Hmph," Kotallo grunted. "A selfish thought, that."

She glanced up at him. "What?"

"The Tenakth soldiers are all brothers and sisters in arms. We train together, and in battle, many die together. It is our way. Death comes to us all. It's a part of living. We cannot walk a path of hesitation, always afraid of death."

"Well, it's not my way."

"You do us a disservice, then. Who are you to choose when and how we die?"

"I…" Aloy found herself at a loss for words.

"Even though you were outcast, you have lived a very sheltered life," Kotallo continued gruffly. "You have never witnessed the horror, or experienced the gravity of loss, from the Red Raids."

Aloy felt like she was under attack. "I know. I just - "

"Regalla continues to plague the clans with her relentless attacks. In her madness, she's turned into the very Carja that she hates. Have you ever seen a civil war that left children dead?"

Aloy swallowed. "No, but - "

"Until a year ago, you've never known what it was to truly fight, or fear, or die - "

"No, I don't!" she cried. "I'm not prepared! I don't know what I would do if something happened to you!"

He took in a breath.

"To any of you," she added quickly, "and it terrifies me!"

There was a long pause. Aloy hugged her knees to her chest, angrily glaring out over the fire, and Kotallo let out a sigh through his nose, knowing that he had perhaps gotten too harsh.

"You will endure," he replied in a low voice. "For as long as you have to. You will live with the pain. You will live with the grief. And you will endure. You will continue your mission, and you will succeed. Why do you think the Old Ones called it 'Operation Enduring Victory' ?"

"Enduring Victory failed," Aloy replied bitterly.

"No. It was successful, because Elisabet Sobeck was successful. It was designed as a decoy to ensure that Zero Dawn succeeded. So, do not think of it as failure."

Aloy sighed. "I never thought you would be the optimistic one."

"It's practicality. There were those that knew they had to die, for others to live. And so they did, without question."

"O-kay. Optimism gone."

He looked down at her. "Well. After you penetrated the impenetrable Bulwark, I suppose anything is possible."

She gave him a small grin in response and automatically leaned into him, looking out over the fire and finally feeling warm.

"The Ten faced insurmountable odds, and we Tenakth strive to walk their path," Kotallo continued softly. So let us be your fighters. Let us be your Enduring Victory, Aloy."

She let out a long sigh. "Except, we're not going to repeat the tragedy of the past. We're going to beat this. We have to."

Kotallo gave her a curt nod. There was nothing then, except for the crackle of the fire and the sound of the wind sweeping over the mountaintops. Aloy had stopped shivering and her lips had returned to a normal shade of pink, but neither one of them seemed to want to leave the warm comfort of each other under the blanket.

Eventually, after another long silence, Kotallo spoke again in a low voice. "The Ten had a saying in battle. 'I got your six.' I am unfamiliar with the origin, or why they decided to use those particular words, but we Tenakth believe it is a statement of solidarity; to remind our soldiers that no matter what, they have our support. In battle, it is used as a signal to lay down cover fire for our infiltrators, or to act as a distraction so others can lay traps. It is a statement of sacrifice." He glanced down at her. "You must know, Aloy, that I got your six."

She looked up at him and met his intense gaze. An unfamiliar ache shot through her chest. "Thank you, Kotallo."

He nodded. "You are my Commander. You're not going to lose me that easily. Especially not to ice water."

She smiled. "You're never going to let me live this down, are you?"

"No. I will relish it."

"Great."