A/N: I'm back! I did say monthly uploads. That usually means around exactly a month between chapters. Not always though! I try to get stuff out sooner, but with the holidays that is not easy at all. Still, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Thank you all so much for the comments and reviews. I appreciate them greatly and they really help my motivation so please leave a comment or a question down below! Speaking of which, my answers to your comments or questions from last chapter will be down at the bottom of this chapter like always.


A Digital Mother

Chapter 6

Rost

Rost watched, head bowed, as Aloy placed a beaded bracelet on the shrine of the Alphas. It was crude and likely would fall apart if anyone tried to wear it, but it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen because his little girl had made it herself.

That day was the fourth anniversary of her birth and by Nora tradition, she should gift something to her mother on that day. The Nora did not give gifts to children on the day of their birth as other tribes did. Though, most families did have a small celebration in honor of the child passing another year. Instead of giving gifts to the child, the child would present a token of thanks to their mother in appreciation of the life they'd been given.

This year was the first time Aloy had been old enough to do so and, spurred on by an incident involving the other children, Rost had encouraged her to make something that could be laid on the shrine. The incident in question involved Aloy, Vala and one of the other young children, Bast.

The younger children were often tasked with helping pick berries or do other simple tasks while under the close supervision of the mothers and Matriarchs who were in charge of watching them. In this case, they had been picking berries. According to Aloy, and the mother who was in charge that day, young Bast and Aloy had both brough handfuls of berries to the mother to place in her basket.

Bast had delivered them first and the mother had been very encouraging. The problem was, when Aloy did the same and received similar praise, Bast had lashed out. He'd asked loudly why Aloy didn't have a mother and when Vala, who was never far from Aloy, shouted for him to 'shut up,' the boy had shoved her into the dirt.

Aloy, of course, reacted badly. She proceeded to shove him from behind, making the boy fall face first into the dirt of the farm. The three children then got into what counted as a fight for almost four-year-olds until they were pulled apart by the supervising mothers. The children were then remanded into the care of their families to be disciplined.

Rost had not really been able to scold Aloy, since her participation had been to defend her friend, but he had made it clear that the altercation should not have become physical. She'd then disarmed any argument he had for letting Bast's comments slide when she asked the same question. Why didn't she have a mother?

Rost couldn't tell her that her mother had been dead for centuries and he had no clue how the goddess had brought her to them. Most of the village believed Aloy to be a distant descendent to the Alphas. Not the daughter of their leader! So, he had told her that he did not know much of her mother. Only that she had died in service to the goddess. Then he went on to explain to her the story of the Alphas.

He had spoken at length of Elisabet Sobeck and told his daughter all that the goddess had revealed to them of her life and story. Aloy had taken it to heart. Inspired by the story of Elisabet Sobeck, the little girl jumped at the chance to partake in the ritual when Rost suggested it. In celebration of her birthday, Aloy had worked for days on the little bracelet she was now placing on the shrine of the Alphas, having made several different versions. She'd been torn on which one was best, but he'd eventually gotten her to choose. Rost was so proud of her and beyond grateful for the time they could spend together.

Unlike Sona's situation when she was second to the War-Chief, Rost was able to see Aloy as much as he wanted. This was because Sona had tasked him with the defense of the Embrace. Rather than be on patrol outside the walls like Furn had Sona doing, she had chosen to give him total control of security inside the Embrace.

While this meant that Rost saw Aloy every day, it also meant that Sona now saw her children with considerably less frequency. This led Rost to keeping an eye on them for her, since her mate had been killed by a machine shortly before Vala's birth. Under his eye, the Embrace stayed quite safe, with constant patrols taking out the most aggressive packs of Scrappers. Unfortunately, the lands beyond the walls had only gotten more dangerous.

The invisible type of machine that killed War-Chief Furn had been engaged seven more times in the years since. The last four times, they had appeared in pairs and even a group of three. There were even rumors of what were now being called Stalkers appearing in Carja territory. That wasn't the only dangerous thing happening outside the walls though.

Bellowback packs had been moving further and further south, and the Shellwalkers were changing their migration patterns. The large, heavily defensive machines usually stuck to preset routes, but those routes had recently shifted, taking them considerably closer to Nora settlements. This had been the cause of several fatalities and major incidents, but the most alarming was when a Bellowback pack charged the walls of Mother's Tears.

A Frost Bellowback and a small number of Watchers wandered within an hour's journey of the walls of Mother's Tears. When the hunting party sent to take them out was forced to retreat by the appearance of a second Bellowback, the pack of monsters had followed them back to the settlement and charged the walls. According to reports, the damage to the village itself had been rather light. The new walls erected around the settlement kept the machines out of the village itself, but there had been several injuries amongst the Braves defending the village.

It was only through the use of the new elemental arrows that were slowly trickling out to the Braves that the pack was stopped. Thankfully there were no fatalities, but the damage to the walls was significant and required several months to repair.

"Come, Aloy." Rost said, shaking off his thoughts of the increasing danger. "Let's go home."

"Papa, do you think Mama would like my bracelet if she was here?" The little girl asked as she turned away from the shrine.

Rost smiled and picked her up. "I have no doubt that she would love it, Aloy." She laid her head on his shoulder. "Now, come. It's your birthday and we should get back. Vala and Varl, and many other children are waiting for us back home to celebrate with you."

"Will Bast be there?" Aloy grumbled.

Rost chuckled and shook his head. "No, little one. He won't."

"Good. He's mean."

Teersa

Teersa smiled as she discreetly slipped something into her robe. It had just been handed to her by Rost with a subtle smile while nobody else was looking. The rest of the gathered adults were focused on the game the children who were attending Aloy's celebration were playing or just talking amongst themselves.

"Rooooooar!" Varl, now 9, bellowed from where he was moving on all fours. The children were playing a game called Braves vs Machines with Varl, as the oldest, being the part of the machine. Aloy, Vala, and around half a dozen other children were playing the parts of the hunters and Braves.

"Get it!" Aloy shouted, charging in with her stick-spear. The other children followed suit. They rushed Varl, whacking the young man with their sticks. The young children, being only four and five years old could not harm the young one. He certainly did pretend like they could though.

"Bzzzt!" He buzzed. "Gah. Ugh." Varl mimed being shocked before falling to the ground, limbs curled up like a spider. "Hi-ga-ker-gerk!" Then he went still. The children cheered.

"Come, children." Rost said with a smile. "It's time to eat."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to stay." Teersa said, sadly. "The High-Matriarchs are meeting soon, and I need to be there."

"Awww." Aloy sighed, disappointedly. Teersa knelt down as best as her old knees would let her and pulled the young girl into a hug which was enthusiastically returned.

"Congratulations on turning four, Aloy." She said, kissing the top of the girl's red hair. "You have fun with your friends and be good for your father. I'll see you tomorrow before I leave for Mother's Watch." With another hug from the little girl, a bow from Rost, and respectful farewells from the other gathered parents, Teersa left the hut and made her way back to the lodging of the High-Matriarchs.

She wasn't kidding when she said they were meeting. There was much to discuss. Karst's team of Seekers had left once again, this time to discreetly explore the Carja Sundom. Unlike with the Banuk, the Matrairchs didn't want the more war-like Carja knowing that there were Nora who could return home moving through the Sundom. To that end, they had slipped into the Sundom through Banuk territory and disguised themselves as Banuk hunters before they learned enough to pass as Carja. They'd spent a few months in the Sundom before returning and bringing back worrying rumors alongside information on Carja food production and weapon technology.

They were soon set to leave once again for the Oseram controlled Claim region but would be taking a detour to aid in settling a Banuk hunting party that would be north of Devil's Grief for several months. Soon enough, she had entered the hut where Jezza and Lansra were waiting. Bustling in, Teersa swiftly seated herself in the last remaining chair around the fire.

"Took you long enough." Lansra scoffed.

"How is young Aloy?" Jezza asked, her voice kind.

"Happy and energetic." Teersa replied, happily. "Young Varl was roped into playing a vicious machine that Aloy and her friends were able to slay."

Jezza smiled. "It is good to know that she is developing well. And quickly, if what I hear is true."

"We should turn to the matter at hand." Lansra interrupted before Teersa could reply.

"Very well," she said with a sigh. "What is the first topic?"

"The reports from Karst's team about the Carja. What we are hearing about their king is disturbing." Jezza replied. She was right. According to the team of Seekers, there were rumors spreading within the Sundom that the Sun-King, Jiran, had gone mad.

"If the reports are to be believed, the Sun-King is calling for human sacrifice as a way to appease the machines! Could the Carja get any more barbaric?!" Lansra nearly shouted.

"Now, now." Teersa tried to calm her. "They are rumors only. We have no proof."

"It is still a worrying sign." Jezza reminded her. Teersa nodded.

"They are. Loath as I am to say it, should we send an envoy to the Sun-King? Tell him the truth of the machine derangement?"

"He would not believe us!" Lansra retorted. "The barbaric Carja consider US the savages, remember? They would not accept the word of the All-Mother even if she gave it to them herself!" She scoffed in disbelieving disgust.

"Lansra is right." Jezza said. "Sun-King Jiran would not believe us. We should focus more on keeping an eye on the Carja and perhaps limiting our trade with them. Just in case the rumors are true."

Teersa sighed. "Very well." With the secrets brought back by Karst's team, they didn't necessarily need to trade with the Carja as much since they now had their own versions of Carja weapons and had essentially stolen some of their food processing techniques. Though, those were still in the early testing stages. "We'll send word to the border settlements to restrict trade to only those things we simply cannot make ourselves and have our scouting parties redoubled. It'll mean more work for Sona on top of the Banuk hunting party, but it's probably for the best."

"Speaking of the Banuk." Jezza added. "A message arrived from Karst's team. They are leaving Mother's Rise and headed north. They'll meet up with War-Chief Sona and journey beyond Devil's Grief to meet the Banuk party at their chosen campsite at a lake south of the Grave Hoard."

"Hrmgmh." Lansra grumbled. "I suppose if we have to let outsiders into the Sacred Lands to hunt, the Banuk are the least offensive."

"True." Teersa nodded in agreement. "Unlike the Carja and Oseram, the Banuk live in harmony with nature like we do. Even if their beliefs are strange, we cannot deny their respect for nature or their skill as hunters. They showed our Seekers great trust. It is only right that we show them the same trust."

"What will they be hunting?" Jezza asked.

"No one is sure." Teersa replied. "With the change in Shellwalker migration patterns and new machine sites cropping up, we have no idea how the machine landscape north of the ruins has changed. Aside from Karst's team, no Brave has ventured that far north since the Derangement began."

"That's why we even agreed to the Banuk entering our lands. To help figure out just what is going on up there." Lansra added, grumpily.

Their meeting continued on for some time, discussing a myriad of topics. The rearing of the children, the status of patrol rotations, updates on their farming and food situation. Many things required the attention of the High-Matriarchs. Not least of which was the preparations for that year's Proving. There were a few among the hopefuls that Teersa was certain would ask for the Blessing and join Karst's team of Seekers as soon as possible. There was even talk of the new Seekers venturing into the known ruins at Devil's Grief and Devil's Thirst. Perhaps even the Ring of Metal.

At last, the meeting broke up. With a bow and a nod to her fellow High-Matriarchs, Teersa stood. "I will be journeying to Mother's Watch in the morning." She said. "I wish to pray before the womb of the mountain, but I should be back in a few days."

"Do you believe the All-Mother will speak again?" Lansra asked, hesitantly. Since her overstep and the All-Mother's warning, her behavior had been far better than it used to be. She was still stubborn and prickly though. She seemed almost fearful of the idea that the goddess would speak to her again.

"No." Teersa shook her head, sadly. "All-Mother has been silent since she revealed the story of the Alpha's to us, and I do not expect that to change. It is likely we will only hear her voice again when it comes time for Aloy to venture into the mountain." With that remark, she turned to leave them.

GAIA

GAIA paid close attention to her scanners, making damn sure that Teersa was well and truly out of earshot. Once she detected the High-Matriarch leaving the mountain itself, she opened the doors of the cradle facility. The Mother Servitor shuffled out and, under GAIA's command, stooped to lift the small object that the old woman had placed on the access pad. Swiftly moving the servitor drone back into the facility, GAIA shut the doors once again.

In the privacy of ELEUTHIA-9, GAIA examined the object held in the hands of the servitor. It was small and crudely made. Composed of twine, machine cabling, and a few painted beads, the object was both ugly and beautiful. Sitting in the hands of the servitor drone was a small, beaded bracelet. Made by the hand of her little girl. Teersa truly was a kind soul.

Flashback

GAIA's attention was pulled from her task by the sensors detecting Teersa in the entry chamber. She observed as the old woman carefully laid something on the access pad before retreating and bowing before the doors.

"Oh, All-Mother." She'd said. "I bring you this gift in leu of the one who should gift it to you. Young Aloy has reached the age where she can participate in the Nora Gifting Ritual. Your daughter made several different versions of her gift, one of which was placed at the shrine of the Alpha's to honor her mortal mother. With Rost's help, I have brought one here to you. Though Aloy does not yet know her true identity, per your instructions, we believe it only fitting that as her mother, you receive a gift made by her hand."

GAIA was beaming. It was a sweet and very much appreciated gesture. If it wouldn't violate her personal mandate to not interact with the Nora unless it was an emergency, she would appear to thank the elderly woman. Instead, she allowed a soft gong to chime from the speakers in the chamber. Quiet enough that Teersa would likely believe she had only imagined it. After a few prayers and some talk of how things were going with the tribe, the High-Matriarch had taken her leave and exited the mountain.

Flashback End

With a careful command, GAIA had the Mother Servitor place the bracelet around its wrist before shutting it down. She had a… plan in mind. It wouldn't be easy, what with her programming and engineering skills being so limited without HEPHAESTUS, but she had absorbed enough data into her own core to complete her project. It would take a while to complete, but she had time.

Turning her attention away, temporarily, she refocused on her work. She'd dedicated much of her time to expanding her network and trying to locate her missing sub-functions. For a moment, she'd thought she'd located HEPHAESTUS but unfortunately, she'd only discovered something worrying. HEPHAESTUS was out there. She'd detected its presence inside Cauldron SIGMA.

Now, she could not control the cauldrons before this event, but she was able to tap their internal network and receive surface level data. Until she felt HEPHAESTUS' attention on the Cauldron. Now she couldn't even access the internal network of a single one of the Cauldrons her web could find. This meant one thing and one thing only. HEPHAESTUS had simultaneously created firewalls around every single Cauldron on the network. She could still piggyback off the Tallneck network so her own range was undiminished, but she couldn't glean any information about the Cauldrons except what they sent to the Tallnecks.

There was only one possible way HEPHAESTUS could have erected that many firewalls at once. The sub-function had spread itself out until it was sunk deep into the Cauldron network itself. Not bound to a single location like GAIA or likely the other sub-functions but embedded into the network itself. A development that disastrous meant capturing HEPHAESTUS would be a monumental challenge.

In fact, it was likely that it was only possible with the Master Override. The Master Override was a device that was essentially a 'kill-switch' for GAIA that Ted Faro had insisted on including. It was probably the only one of the horrible man's decisions that GAIA could agree with. It was logical and now, it would come in handy. The Master Override would allow Aloy, once she could wield it, to reset her subordinate functions to their original code and return them to her control.

The issue lay in the fact that the physical copy of the Master Override was stored in the GAIA Prime facility. The same facility which was destroyed when the original GAIA detonated her reactor. If the device had survived the blast, which was likely given its importance and location, then Aloy would have to physically retrieve it before she could capture the sub-functions. She'd also need to locate a suitable carrying device, since GAIA could remotely restore the functions. Still, these were issues for another time.

Refocusing on her daughter, GAIA was very pleased with Aloy's development. Teersa had made an excellent suggestion in naming Rost to care for her. He was a doting and devoted father, but he did not spoil her girl. Emotionally, GAIA wanted her to be spoiled. To get everything she could ever want or need. Logically, she knew that this could lead to her baby developing a sense of entitlement that would be counterproductive to her later mission.

This was why she was so pleased with Rost's care of her daughter. He was the perfect mix of doting and stern. Perhaps a bit too stern and strict at times, but then Aloy was a rambunctious child. Rather like Elisabet, if the woman's descriptions of her own childhood were anything to go by. GAIA still couldn't listen in on conversations around any village except Mother's Watch, but she could see whenever her baby was outside and having fun. Overall, GAIA was very satisfied with how Rost and the Nora were raising her baby.

Sona

Sona grumbled to herself as her Braves made camp. They were setting up by the northern end of the southernmost of the lakes North of Devil's Grief. An odd spot, but she didn't want her people getting any closer to either Devil's Grief or the Grave Hoard. Only a few in her party were Seekers, and she didn't want to risk her people on getting too close.

She didn't like that they were allowing Banuk into the Sacred Lands but if the Seekers were to be believed, they were not too dissimilar to the Nora. Of all the tribes she knew of, it was the Banuk she could begrudgingly admit she respected. They were excellent hunters. Perhaps even rivals of the Nora in skill with a bow. They were certainly better at making them than the Nora had been, if not better at using them.

Karst and one other Seeker had continued on when the party stopped to make camp so that they could meet with the Banuk party and guide them to the stie. It wouldn't be long before they arrived. According to the Seekers, the Banuk party would be led by a man named Enak, the second to their Werak Chief. They'd also be bringing the apprentice to their Shaman with them.

Apparently the Banuk tribe was split into clans called Werak's. Each Werak was led by a Chieftan in hunting and military matters and a Shaman in spiritual and ceremonial matters. The two worked together to lead the tribe in domestic matters. The Werak that controlled The Cut resided in a village called Song's Edge and was led by a man named Sakan, though he would not be accompanying the party.

Each chieftain had a second. A powerful warrior who was the right hand of the chieftain. Rather like Rost was to her. Similar to this, each Shaman had an apprentice or two who would take over their position once the Shaman died. Their customs were strange, but Sona had received explicit instructions from the High-Matriarchs to respect their ways and not cause any trouble. If the Nora were going to find allies among other tribes, the Banuk were their best bet.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the approach of a large party from the north. She could see Karst and Fassa returning with the oddly dressed Banuk behind them. They were all dressed in furs that were dyed a vibrant combination of colors. Blue was most prevalent of all, and each wore a headdress made of machine parts. Stepping forward, Sona greeted them as they entered the camp.

"Well met, hunters of the north." she said, seriously. "I am Sona. War-Chief of the Nora tribe." The leader of the Banuk stepped forward.

"Well met, War-Chief of the Nora." He said. The man was older than her, with a gravely voice and greying brown hair. "I am Enak, second to Chieftain Sakan." He reached forward.

Sona met him in the middle, the two grasping forearms in a warrior's handshake. Turning, he introduced the two people standing behind him. The first was a young woman, perhaps 16 or 17 who had what looked like glowing blue wires threaded into her skin. The other was a man who looked remarkably similar to the woman but appeared a year or two older.

"This is Ourea," he gestured to the woman, "apprentice to Nimut, our Shaman. She will serve as Shaman for our hunts in your lands." The woman bowed her head in greeting, which Sona returned. Turning to the man, Enak gestured. "This is her brother, Aratak. He will serve as my second for this expedition."

"Well met to you all." Sona nodded to them. "Please, feel free to make yourselves at home. Once your camp is pitched and all are settled in, we can meet to discuss your hunts."

"That is acceptable." Enak replied.

The Banuk split off, pitching their camp adjacent to, but not connected to the Nora camp. Seeing this, Sona commanded that a large tent and firepit be erected and dug out directly between the two camps. Neutral ground. It wasn't long, perhaps an hour or two before she was standing in the newly erected tent with Karst, Fassa, Enak, Aratak, and Ourea. They were all stood around a makeshift table that held a map of the surrounding area.

"On our way north, we encountered a pack of Shellwalkers here." She pointed to a spot marked just south of the lake on the map. "They're too close to the camp for my liking, but our scouts say their route doesn't take them this far north."

"The Blue Light is powerful in Shellwalkers." Ourea said. "They would make an auspicious start to our hunts."

"Indeed, they would." Enak mused.

"Shellwalkers can be formidable to the unprepared," Aratak cut in, "but I was hoping for more dangerous prey."

"Oh, you'll get plenty of that." Fassa spoke up. "There's a confirmed Bellowback site just west of the Shellwalkers and a few of our Seekers think they found a spot where Stalkers congregate. Just here." She pointed to a spot just south of a small ruin known as Hollow Fort."

"There are also two Glinthawk nests that we know of in the mountains to our west," Karst added. "If you fancy going after some airborne prey." Ginthawks were a bird-like machine that liked to spew freezing liquid at hunters who got too close to their nests.

"Excellent." Aratak grinned. "Glinthawks can be tricky, but not much more than a nuisance. Bellowbacks are the real prize. They are strong. A good challenge for a warrior."

"We have yet to encounter any Stalkers in The Cut." Ourea added. "They are entirely unknown to us. All we know is that they are invisible."

"Which makes them simultaneously a more dangerous and a much more desirable hunt than even the Bellowbacks." Enak said, cutting off whatever Aratak was about to say. "We would appreciate any insight you may have on their behavior.

The talk continued for hours until the shadows began to lengthen, and each group retreated to their camps to get some sleep. It had been agreed that they would begin their hunt with the Shellwalkers the next day, which would be the only hunt Sona would be present for. Her orders, which had been delivered by courier while they were marching north, were to return to Mother's Crown after getting everyone settled so that she could coordinate the expansion of their scouts along the border with the Sundom.

The next day, as the sun's first light crept over the mountains, the hunting party was assembled. This time it would only consist of ten hunters. Five Nora and Five Banuk. They trekked through the snow around the lake until they entered a large copse of trees. Silently, the group of hunters snaked their way through the trunks until they came to a ridge that overlooked a lower part of the wood.

"There." Sona pointed, indicating the Shellwalkers in the distance. There were two, plus a single watcher.

"A rather small pack," Enak grumbled, "but they will do for a first hunt. Better to start small so that we might know if Banuk and Nora can truly hunt together."

"Do we want to keep the Shellwaker canisters intact?" Tesona asked. She was one of Sona's lieutenants. A powerfully built blonde woman with grey eyes and a scar that ran from her cheek down to her collarbone. A token from her battle with a Stalker. Indeed, she was the one credited with the Nora tribe's second recorded Stalker kill. She would lead the Nora hunting party after Sona and the Seekers left.

"It is better if we do." Enak replied. Shellwalkers always carried canisters that often contained rare and valuable machine parts. "The parts contained within could help us repair or replace any of our weapons that are spent or damaged."

"I will handle the harvesting once the hunt is done." Ourea said from the back of the pack. Banuk Shamans were in charge of dismantling fallen machines and rarely got involved in combat.

"Let one of our better harvesters help you." Sona said. "They'll follow your instructions, to ensure your customs are upheld, but we do know a thing or two about harvesting machines." The young Shaman looked nervous but nodded.

"Enough talk." Aratak demanded, impatiently. "Let us hunt!"

"You should have more patience, Aratak." Enak scolded him. "A hunter who rushes into battle is no true hunter. Only a fool destined to be killed by his own recklessness."

After a brief planning period, the hunters split off. Fassa, one of the Seekers moved stealthily towards the Watcher while the others positioned themselves in hidden places along what they hoped were places the Shellwalker would pass by. Every hunter who had faced one of those machines knew what to target.

First was the mount holding the canister in place. Second, the attachment to the left arm. This allowed the Shellwalker to produce some kind of shield made of light. Last, was the attachment to the right arm, which the walker would use to pick their cannister back up. Once in position, Sona watched the Watcher.

After an eternity of waiting, Fassa sprang from her hiding spot behind a tree and skewered the Watcher before it could let out a cry. Sona held her breath, hoping that the Shellwalkers had not noticed. A moment passed, her heart hammering in her chest before she let out a breath. They had not noticed.

With a cry, she gave the signal and rose. In her hands, and those of a few other hunters, were Nora or Banuk style Ropecasters. A new device designed to tie down troublesome machines. As one they fired, three to a Shellwalker. The hooks found their marks and the hunters swiftly anchored the ropes to rocks and trees, pinning the machines in place.

With a twang, the bows of the other hunters were released, slamming into the harness that held the containers of the two Shellwalkers. With the sound of rending metal, the harness' broke, sending the cannisters rolling into the dirt. In the time it had taken for this to happen, Sona and the others had drawn their bows. She released her arrow, followed by the sounds of five other bows being loosed. They found their marks.

With sparks and creaks, the appendages on both sides of the Shellwalkers were blasted off. The badly damaged machines struggled against their bonds. The one Sona had not pinned managed to rip itself free from the restraints, but it did not last. Aratak bounded forward with a cry and drove a spear deep into what counted as a head for the Shellwalker. It let out a metallic moan before collapsing.

Before she could even blink, a similar noise came from the one in front of her. Tesona had moved forward and used her own spear to slay the still pinned Shellwalker. Looking around, Sona confirmed that there were no injuries amongst the band of hunters.

"A fine first hunt." Enak said, walking up to her while Ourea and one of the Nora began examining the carcasses. "Perhaps your Seekers were not an anomaly. Perhaps the Nora and the Banuk truly can work together." Sona nodded in agreement.

"A good kill!" Aratak's booming voice shouted. "Now it is time for a challenge! Let us find a Stalker! I would be the first Banuk to slay one!" Sona and Enak both sighed at his antics. He was young. He would learn not to rush headlong into fights. Sona just hoped Enak and Tesona could keep him from getting himself killed on Nora lands before he was able to learn.


A/N: There we go! Got to see a little of young Ourea and Aratak! What did you think? I knew that they had to be quite a bit older than Aloy since Ourea was already a fully fledged Shaman before the Red Raids. If I had to guess, I'd say all the stuff with Sylens and the Banuk probably happened just before the Raids started.

Speaking of Aloy, I think we might see a chapter from her perspective soon! Looking forward to writing that!

About the Mother's Watch Ruins where Aloy finds her Focus. I don't think anybody actually knows its there before she finds it, so I'm going to write as if that's the case. Don't worry though. She'll find it soon.

Also, I hope that you are all okay with me adding in Oc's that only get mentioned once or twice. There aren't many named NPC's around, especially for the Nora, and I wanted the world to feel more alive, so I try to make it feel like there really are other members of the tribe that aren't just generic "Nora Brave" like in the game. You like it?

Answers to Questions

On FFN

Matt22152: I update at least once a month. So, it usually is just once a month unless I get on a writing spree.

Guest: Thank you! I wanted to make sure they advance more. That'll continue as time goes on.

LunaShadowWolf: I have my plan for how Aloy and GAIA meet all fleshed out, and don't worry. She won't exactly hide anything, but she won't just info dump all over Aloy either. It'll be a more gradual thing.

Vmage2: Thank you!

On Ao3

Ryanlarsen84: Love the idea! Sorry this is so late in coming. I'm gonna try to reply to Ao3 comments a little sooner on the site but no promises. I'd love to read your story though! I can just imagine the Sawtooth taking a shine to Beta too and acting kind of like a guard cat when its not hunting with Aloy. As for the ruin and GAIA, yes she will be having them go down into ruins. Just… not quite yet. I have a plan for that ruin that I hope you'll like.

Lord_Vortex: Honestly my favorite thing to do in Zero Dawn was blow up Bellowback sacks while they were in close proximity to other machines. It's so much fun!

LoveThisStory: Thank you! The muse hasn't left yet so I'm hopeful!

WolvesRock17: Thank you! I agree. Sona is one hell of a War-Chief

Reactivegull12:I hope you liked my intro of the Banuk in this chapter! As for my favorite machine to hunt, it would have to be the Sawtooth or the Bellowback. Both are very fun to fight. I hate Stalkers though. By the way, I haven't actually played Forbidden West! I did watch several playthroughs, but I don't have a console to play it on. Gotta wait for the PC release.

Wertlover: Thank you!

SpiritDeNight: Fuck Ted Faro! Love Mama GAIA!