Avad woke up in the morning. The sun was streaming through the holes in the walls, illuminating the room. Only gray ashes remained of the fire, and she was nowhere to be found. In the absence of the warmth of the fire, he felt the morning cold. He stretched as he heard machine sounds near the tower where they had taken shelter. Slowly, still wrapped in his cloak, he got up and peeked through one of the large holes leading to the outside. There he saw Aloy fighting with several machines simultaneously, including several grazers, a couple of watchers, and two striders. He was fascinated watching the agility with which she moved in battle. She shot arrows at great speed, spun and somersaulted, and slid on the ground passing under the machines. She also launched projectiles at the blaze canisters of the grazers, causing them to explode, contributing to their weakening. It took her just a few seconds to finish off the entire herd without receiving a single scratch. He enjoyed watching her fight, in a way completely different from the last time he saw her battling machines in the Sun Ring. Now that their lives were not hanging by a thread that could snap at any moment, he enjoyed observing her. After finishing, she sabotaged a strider she had tied with the ropecaster to keep it as a mount. She then rummaged through the components among the remains of the fight, extracting various pieces and storing some of them in a small cloth bag. The remaining ones she wrapped with a long strip of leather she had.
"You woke up!" she exclaimed.
"By the Sun, Aloy, I didn't see you climb up, nor... hear you arrive." he replied, catching his breath as he pressed his chest with his palm, surprised. She laughed.
"I saw you fighting down there; you were... amazing."
"Thank you." she replied, smiling. "I wanted to gather some parts, and when I got up, I saw that there was a herd nearby. I couldn't resist; it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. How did you sleep?"
"Surprisingly well, considering we spent the night in some ominous ruins called Devil's Thirst. I guess... it might have been influenced by the fact that the night before, I barely slept." he said with a cheerful smile as he rubbed his hands to warm them. "And you?"
"I'm well, I'm quite used to spending the night in unconventional places, although, unlike you, it had never occurred to me to sleep on a tallneck, you know?" laughed the huntress, reminiscing about days ago "So, we'll leave right after breakfast, okay?" she asked as she arranged some branches and lit the fire again.
"Perfect." he replied, pulling the hood over his head.
And so they did. As soon as they had something to gather strength for the journey, the pair mounted the tramplers and rode through the frozen lands towards the Embrace. Along the way, Aloy could see how much the appearance of the forests in the area had improved, burned some time ago by the Eclipse in the war. They had already encountered some Braves who had greeted the young woman very effusively. Shortly before arriving, Aloy slowed down, causing the mount to gradually come to a halt.
"Before we arrive... I want to warn you about... one thing." she said, getting off the machine followed by the Sun-King "Many Nora are... quite stubborn, not to say that the majority... A large part of them rejected me when I went to take the trial for being an outsider, and I can't assure you that they'll be friendly with you... in the Sun's Vigil, the Goddess is not worshiped, and that is considered impure…" then, she paused, aware that she was about to bring up the topic that he disliked so much "Also... after the Red Raids, many are resentful. I know it's not your fault, and that every day you work for peace between the tribes, but maybe they don't see it that way... Just... I don't want you to be disappointed if it doesn't go well…" she explained, somewhat nervous.
"Don't worry, I'll be very cautious." he responded seriously "Relations with the other tribes have been complicated since my... the Sun-King Jiran committed all those atrocities. Although it hurts that they associate me with it, it's understandable that they do." she gave him an encouraging smile.
"I hope they see the incredible person you are, even if it's just a small part." she said blushing. Avad lowered his gaze shyly.
"Thank you." he said, taking her hand. Aloy noticed how cold it was, and she wrapped it with both hands to warm it.
"Oh, and... don't take it the wrong way, but... for now, if someone hints about us... we'll say that... we're friends, okay?" she took a brief pause before continuing "I absolutely do not support what they think," she said seriously "but 'their Anointed' being with a Carja... it could have a negative impact on their judgment of you, I don't know if they'll take it badly, like sacrilege or something, and I want them to get to know you with as few prejudices as possible. I tried to make it clear to them in every possible way that I'm not "their Anointed," but you know it's complicated... their beliefs are still there. As much as I tell them that I'm just like everyone else... they still bow down in my presence. Also, you're the Sun-King, and I have to continue my mission…
"I understand perfectly." he replied with a small smile "It's the best and safest until you finish your mission."
"Good." she responded, placing a hand on his shoulder "Well, let's go there." Aloy said, gesturing to mount the machine. Avad followed her while putting the crown on his head for the meeting with the Nora, and as soon as they were in place, they started again. They rode the remaining stretch in silence until they reached the north gate of the Embrace, where they stopped "This is it."
"Aloy!" exclaimed a familiar voice. Fast steps were heard on the creaky wood of the wall, and in a few seconds, they had Alana in front of them, a young woman she had helped many months ago. She was part of the protection of this area "Aloy! You're okay! How joyful to see you again!" very cheerful, she approached the huntress, noticing that she wasn't alone.
"Alana! How's everything going? On the way, I saw that a large part of the Embrace has been restored, fortunately. Have the machine attacks decreased?"
"Ah... Yes, luckily, after the war, everything has been improving... It took us quite a bit of work to rebuild what those monsters destroyed, but at least what the walls are concerned, they are fully restored. At least we know we're protected. Also, now they've let me participate in the defenses at the Embrace's gate; my father is very proud of me." she narrated happily.
"It makes me very happy to hear that." the huntress responded.
"I see you've brought company." she pointed curiously to see who the hooded figure was "Judging by his clothes, he's a Carja…" she said, analyzing him from head to toe.
"Yes, in fact, he's the Sun-King himself. Taking advantage of the fact that he had to come around here, he decided to accompany me and personally get to know the Sacred Lands and have the opportunity to speak with the Matriarchs."
"Really?" asked the Brave incredulously, realizing at that moment that the crown could be seen under the fabric covering his head.
"Delighted." greeted the monarch timidly, lowering the hood, revealing the crown on his head.
"How come he's here? It's an honor." she said, addressing the foreigner.
"The honor is mine. I've come to promote the relationship between our tribes. Unity is crucial." he replied "And... address me informally if you're comfortable with that."
"A…alright…" she responded somewhat confused. She didn't expect the Sun-King to allow them to speak to him as an equal "How are things in Meridian? The hunters who returned could see the disaster that happened there, much worse than what we suffered."
"We're improving. The southern part of the city was completely devastated, but there is no citizen who has not contributed to the repair. Progress is very fast, although there is still much work to be done." he responded cordially, but without neglecting formality "Thank you for participating on our side; every bit of help was necessary. We wouldn't have achieved it if we hadn't all joined forces." he expressed, emphasizing the importance of unity among the tribes.
"I'm very glad to hear that; the battle was... well... It marked us all a lot. Fortunately, it seems that some peace is finally coming; I think we've earned it." Aloy looked down, unable to avoid thinking about NÉMESIS "Well, you've just arrived; I suppose you'll have many places to visit before the day ends, so I won't keep you any longer. I hope we'll see each other soon; how long will the visit last? I guess you'll then accompany him back to Meridian."
"We'll be here for a week." Aloy answered.
"Then, I guess we'll see each other these days; see you soon. I'm glad we've crossed paths." she said goodbye with a smile "By the way, as soon as we got home, Teersa asked all of us about you; she'll surely be very happy to see you. We were worried not to have news from you, especially when four hunters arrived looking for you unsuccessfully from Dawn. She should be in Mother's Watch."
"Thanks for letting us know; we'll come by as soon as we can. See you, Alana." the couple continued on their way "It's going to be lunchtime; we can stop at Mother's Heart, which is on the way, and have something to eat, and then we'll go see Teersa. What do you think?"
"Perfect... The Matriarchs were the leaders of the tribe, if I'm not mistaken. I remember studying something, but not much is known about Nora customs due to conflicts with the Carja, and they don't share much about their culture with the outside world either."
"Yes, they are the ones who dictate the laws, what can be done and what is forbidden... Fortunately, Teersa is somewhat more... open-minded, so to speak. The first day I entered a Nora village, she was happy that there had been two years of peace with your tribe; I guess she'll be glad to see you, I hope." 'I hope?' thought the king, somewhat scared "Then there's Lansra, who, well, is a rather complicated person to deal with... And Jezza, who could be between the two, but is closer to Teersa." They didn't take long to arrive. The route was simple and very fast riding on a mount like that. Upon arrival, they dismounted the galloper and walked towards the village. She knew she was being observed, and it made her uncomfortable. She could hear people talking about her saying "the Anointed," and they looked at her out of the corner of their eyes.
"Aloy! Is it really you?" surprised another familiar voice.
"Teb?" running, the slim Nora approached her.
"You're okay! I was extremely worried about you! I asked everyone I crossed paths with about you when the battle ended, but they said you had disappeared! They sent me back to the Sacred Lands without even being able to talk to you... I see you've recovered from the bridge incident."
"Yes, it was quite a blow... I was just thinking that maybe you'd be around here." she replied, laughing "I'm very glad you're alright and that you could return home safe and sound."
"When did you come back? Are you going to stay?" he asked excitedly.
"We just arrived, although we'll only stay for a week, showing these lands to-"
"Avad?" he interrupted "I-Is it really the Sun-King Avad?" he asked with an expression of admiration and surprise on his face.
"Yes, it's me." he answered, smiling to see that a Nora was happy to see him "But you can just call me Avad, if you'd like."
"Alright, of course, Avad, sure, what brings you here?"
"I needed a break, and Aloy wanted to return home before continuing with her mission, so I asked her if I could accompany her and see something outside of Meridian. Besides, I would like to be able to talk to the Matriarchs and in a couple of weeks send some reinforcements to help you rebuild your land."
"Sounds good, I'm sure you'll really like the Embrace, and the help is always welcome. The war was horrible... So much destruction, so much death... It's a relief to see that at least for now, times of peace are coming." Aloy lowered her gaze.
"Did you say you were in the battle, right?" the monarch asked cordially.
"Well, not in the battle, per se; let's just say that fighting is not my strong suit." he explained, pointing to himself "But I helped by providing supplies: weapons, arrows, and especially resistant outfits; and by tending to the wounded."
"Well, on behalf of Meridian, I thank you for your collaboration. Thanks to people like you, we were able to overcome the Eclipse."
"Thank you!" he replied, smiling "We have so many things to talk about…" Teb said addressing both of them, especially Aloy "If you're too busy, you can leave, but if not, I can show you my tent, and we can eat there. After the battle, I opened a small workshop not far from here, I have many things, and in the meantime, I can show you around, if you can come, of course." the huntress turned to Avad, seeking his response. He smiled, nodding.
"That would be great, we can go right now if you'd like." Aloy replied.
"Great!"