They left the cabin in the morning, Aloy still sure she had forgotten to pack something. She reasoned that almost anything could be done without…except for Jay’s blanket and Cassie’s Tallneck. Jay was still half asleep on the way out of the Embrace, the valley where most of the Nora tribe lived a no fly zone. A Strider helped them carry their belongings to the gates of the Embrace to the landing site for flying machines. Sunwings were a convenient way for individuals to fly but when one was transporting a family, Stormbirds were essential. Hephaestus had outfitted them to be much more human friendly, taking cues from Gaia to create a seating section along the Stormbird’s back.
Their baggage was loaded onto hooks and then strapped down by Kotallo as Aloy helped the children into their seats. She sat with Jay at the front, Cassie with her father at the back.
Her heart leapt in fear as the Stormbird took off. She had never experienced such terror flying before. She looked at Jay who was wide eyed with fright. He turned to her and Aloy managed to smile and held his hand. His little fingers tightened on hers.
Aloy glanced back at Cassie. She was loving it, gazing at the landscape below, smiling so wide her face could have cracked in half. Aloy’s heart twisted. She knew that expression. She’d had it the first time she had flown as well.
“The Wings of the Ten,” Kotallo’s deep voice caught her attention and she looked at him as he winked, “nothing like it.”
“Nothing at all.” Aloy nodded. “Jay…there’s Mother’s Crown.”
The Stormbird flew north to the valley that headed over Daytower. There was a landing site there too but they didn’t stop, heading into the Sundom. Though the original names of the states were known to many humans now, most people continued to use the tribal names.
They crossed over the rocky desert where rivers gushed powerfully and Snapmaws still littered the banks, filtering the water and doing their job. Aloy heard Kotallo point out a real Tallneck to Cassie who marvelled at how large it was.
After the fall of Meridian, Avad, the Sun King, had done what he could for the survivors by moving them all to Bright Market, the Carja town on the edge of the giant river that nearly split the Sundom in two. Because the education of the people of earth required FOCUSES and a place to use them, the Carja, who had been the height of ‘advancement’, found themselves severely disadvantaged as their Cradle facility had been flooded and was useless.
The decision was made to repurpose a cauldron, Chi, which had suffered a cave in. The Shadow Carja had invaded it to use it for their dark purposes before Aloy had routed them out and Hephaestus had made several of the chambers work, allowing them to start to learn from the APOLLO database. Over the course of six years, the Carja had built a small settlement inside the cauldron where there was light and water and used the exterior space to house their livestock. It was unrecognisable from their previous existence and some resisted or downright refused to be included.
These pockets of resistance were not isolated to the Carja. There were individuals in every tribe that resented the change in their world. But those that embraced the knowledge, the comprehension and the freedom of discovery far outnumbered them.
The flight from Nora land to the far west where the base was situated could be accomplished in one day but they decided to stop at Bright Market. Their arrival was anticipated and a welcome party was waiting for them at the Stormbird’s landing site. Avad was at the front with a pair of bodyguards nearby but Aloy doubted he needed the protection as his wife was with him, Talanah Kadan Padish, the Sunhawk of the Hunter’s Lodge.
Kotallo dismounted first and Aloy helped the children down to him then slid from the Stormbird, licking her lips, unaccountably nervous. Talanah broke formation first, rushing towards her and wrapping her arms around Aloy.
“It’s been too long!” Talanah cried.
Aloy breathed out shakily and embraced her, nerves dispelled. “Far too long.”
“Aloy.” Avad’s measured, warm tone reached her and Talanah stepped aside so he could approach. Aloy went to give a small bow. “No, please,” he held out his hand and she stopped, “I do not consider myself worthy to be bowed to.”
“Avad…” Talanah said in a stern but quiet voice.
“After all I have learned…and what I know you did…” Avad bowed to Aloy. “Words are inadequate…”
“Just…don’t bow again.” Aloy reassured him. “I never liked it when I was doing big things worthy of praise.”
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“And this is your family?” Avad turned to the others and his eyes narrowed at Kotallo. “I know you…”
“Kotallo, formerly a marshal of the Tenakth.” Kotallo explained, clasping Avad’s hand. “I led an Embassy to Meridian.”
“Yes.” Avad’s eyes widened and he glanced at Aloy then turned back to Kotallo. “I see you took my words to heart. Thank you.”
Aloy peeked at Talanah, confused. Her friend shrugged and smiled then looked at the children.
“This must be Cassie and Jay. Welcome to Bright Market,” Talanah straightened and put her hands on her hips, “where you will stay the night.”
“Oh well…”
“You will stay the night.” Talanah looped her arm through Aloy’s. “We’ve got too much catching up on for you to leave straight away.”
“And it will make the second half of the journey much shorter.” Kotallo turned to grab the cases but Carja were already helping unload them.
“Come, I want to hear all your news.” Talanah beamed.
“I want to hear yours,” Aloy retorted as she followed her across a bridge towards the village, “like…how did you and Avad…”
“Well, after Amadis,” Talanah hastily moved beyond her first love who had discovered his wife was still alive yet wanted nothing to do with him, “I vowed I would not be so foolish with my heart again.”
“It wasn’t foolish to fall in love.”
“That’s new to hear from you.” Talanah winked.
Aloy blushed. “You never heard from Amadis?”
“Not after we parted ways,” Talanah shrugged, “his old digs were deserted. I’m not sure where he went. He had plenty of time to return to me…I guess he never got over his wife…”
“You seem pretty happy.” Aloy jerked her head behind her at Avad who was walking with Kotallo and their children danced and stretched their legs, marvelling at the Carja stone buildings.
“It just kind of…happened.”
“How can it just kind of happen?”
Talanah laughed, leading her to a grand house that Aloy had been told a nobleman had given up to Avad after Meridian was destroyed.
“After Nemesis and the fall of Meridian…the people were scattered and scared. There was no need for hunters outside of needing meat but I made sure to help wherever I could and Avad…” Talanah leaned close to Aloy. “He was tireless. He refused to rest more than absolutely necessary…and when New Meridian began, in the cauldron ruins, he wanted to be treated like any other ‘ignorant’ human who needed to learn.”
They ducked under the cool eaves of the veranda to the garden bench where they could sit, servants appearing with jugs of watered down wine.
“What did Marad say about that?” Aloy asked, referring to a man who was a bit of an enigma, known as Blameless Marad who couldn’t be pinned down to anything yet had Avad’s best interests at heart.
“Marad didn’t make it out of Meridian before it fell.” Talanah confessed, handing Aloy a cup. “Avad was left without an advisor…so he started turning to me.”
“And long days and warm nights…”
“Something like that.” Talanah laughed.
“What happened to Vanasha and Uthid?”
“They’re fine.” Talanah reassured Aloy. “You know Vanasha would never leave Avad’s half brother unprotected or the Dowager Empress. And Uthid was on the ground in Lower Meridian, fighting the Rockbreakers and only just avoided being crushed. After such a narrow escape, all his reservations about an old soldier falling in love with a tempestuous beauty like Vanasha went right out the window.”
“I did wonder how long Uthid could withstand Vanasha’s outright flirting.” Aloy laughed, recalling the dark skinned woman who was as beautiful as she was clever. “Where are they?”
“New Meridian. Avad and I trade places with Vanasha and Uthid every month, travelling between Bright Market and Cauldron Chi.”
Aloy studied Talanah. She seemed happy and content.
“It’s strange…”
Talanah blinked and frowned. “What is?”
Aloy shrugged. “I just never thought you…” She paused. “The words ‘wife’ and ‘domestic’ were the last things I ever thought you’d be called, let alone happy being.”
Talanah laughed outright. “You make it sound as though I’ve been shackled to Avad!”
Aloy stared at her. “Well…haven’t you?” Talanah’s mirth faded away and she turned to her friend, puzzled. Aloy hastened to add, “I mean, what about being Sunhawk of the Lodge?”
“There are no machines to fight unless they go rogue and Hephaestus takes care of them.” Talanah insisted. “I am still Sunhawk, though, and now that more and more animals are being released, there are some serious threats out there.”
Now that Gaia had been merged with all her subfunctions, she had been able to access the DNA of all the animals whose genome had been preserved by the Zero Dawn team. Previously only animals that were not threats to humanity, stumbling and naïve, had been released. Now that humans were beginning to understand their world better, the animal population was surging, new waves released based on their position in the food chain. After seven years, they were getting up to the predators, wild cats, bears and sharks and a thousand others Aloy could not even think to comprehend.
“I suppose it’s different…you know, cause you don’t have children.” Aloy admitted.
“Actually,” Talanah put her hand on her abdomen, “that’s just a matter of time.”
Aloy’s heart sank a little as she turned and looked at the free spirited, determined, machine hunting woman. “Truly?”
Talanah nodded, her cheeks filled with a rosy glow. Her joy made her blind to Aloy’s reservations. “You should have seen Avad’s face when I told him. He wept.” Talanah rolled her eyes and giggled. “What a softie…” She then turned to Aloy, deathly serious. “So…I’ve been learning about what giving birth is like…but I wanted to talk to you because, if I’m honest…I’m terrified.”
Aloy snorted then saw the look in Talanah’s eyes. “Oh…”
“It’s just that…I’m responsible for this life, now…” Talanah swallowed. “It’s precious.”
Aloy smiled. “Yeah, it is.” She cleared her throat. “Alright, I’ll tell you what I know.”
In the early hours of the morning, after they had eaten and talked until they were all yawning, Aloy and Kotallo crawled into their bed, their two children sleeping soundly in cots nearby. Kotallo curled up behind Aloy who stared at her children.
“You alright?” He asked, kissing her neck and nuzzling close.
“Yes,” Aloy blinked, “yes I’m fine.”