Chapter Text
Nemesis is still on the way, but there is time; with GAIA back, with Beta there, Aloy for once feels more than comfortable taking some time off. Of course that just means making the rounds to every part of the land she’s visited, checking in with all of her friends, everyone she’s helped. She starts back in the east with the Matriarchs, to give them a vague idea of what’s happening. Playing into the idea of All-Mother and her being the anointed one; she’s glad Varl and Zo are there, a welcome distraction. Sona seems pleased by Zo, enjoying her tales of combat and helping the land in equal measure. The matriarchs are already fussing about a mate ritual and claim. Zo is happy to comply with Nora customs, explaining how they’re similar to Utaru, and Aloy is at least relieved that the clan's ideas aren’t clashing as much as the Carja and Tenakth. Aloy’s dreading visiting Meridian; she knows she has a lot to update Avad on, and that her connection to the Tenakth chief will put her in the middle of yet another peace talk; she wonders if she can bring Katallo; if he would be willing to at least work with her, ease the burden on her. She scolds the voices that praise her, it sounds like Zo and Varl, both trying to get her to lean on others more.
She leaves Varl and Zo in Nora land and makes her way to the Sundom’s capital. She debates the entire way towards Carja lands on whether or not to call Kotallo; she doesn’t want to sound whiny, or worry him; he’d been back working with Hekarro since they’d rescued Beta and GAIA; although he was the one who visited the base most, always updating her on who he was connecting with, the weapons they were working on. He also stops by just to check in and help Beta with training at Aloy’s request. Of course it usually ends with Beta on the sidelines watching and making pointers to both of them, until they’re clashing weapons, neither getting a hit on the other and just growing more tired. Aloy misses those times; she knows the training shouldn’t have to happen, but it’s good to be prepared and she enjoys any excuse to be around Kotallo. She decides not to call him, she doesn’t want him exposed to anyone in Meridian being rude to him. More for their benefit, she placates herself with the thought she’d run them through with her spear and get Avad to pardon her.
Thankfully her thoughts of murdering the majority of Carja who are against outsiders is stopped, because on the way she runs into Talanah who is more than happy to accompany her back to explain her journey to Avad as best she can. Always Thankful Talanah is here; listening to her talk of her new kills is causing the spike of imagined anger to dissipate.
“How are things at that base?”
“Good, everything is functioning as normal.” Aloy doesn’t go into detail; Talanah hadn’t even met Beta yet, she doesn’t want to overload the huntress. Which means the only other viable topic is Kotallo, well the only one that would interest Talanah.
“Kotallo…”
“He’s at Memorial Grove still.”
“Do you miss him?” Talanah sounds so sincere Aloy can’t help it.
“Of course; but my feelings don’t matter; he has a job to do. As do I.”
“Your feelings matter Aloy, what would he say if he knew that?” She scolds and Aloy scowls at her.
“He doesn’t need to know about my feelings, and I’m sure he has none either way.” She adds in before Talanah can say whatever she’s thinking.
“I’ve been in a room with him like ten times; guy is just like an overridden machine for you.”
‘Don’t compare him to a machine Talanah.” Aloy huffs.
“He sort of is, I mean have you seen his back, he’s built like a charger.” Aloy refuses to think about the charger she’s currently riding having any similarities to Kotallo. She fails, and moves on to an attempt to avoid thinking about Kotallo’s back being under her. She fails.
“We should stop, you look like you’re overheating.”
“We can keep going.” Aloy spurs her Charger on desperate to get to Meridian so she can hear something other than Talanah’s teasing about her growing feelings for Kotallo.
Avad welcomes them back, happy to take lunch with them; Aloy is thankful for the variety of foods, her rations from hunting on the way were starting to become far too repetitive. The explanation is quick, mostly because Aloy finds she can leave large portions of it out; the Carja are currently only trying to make peace with the Tenakth, not the rest of the west; it eases Aloy’s concerns and Avad doesn’t bring anything up about her playing messenger.
She does mention the feast; Hekarro had invited him, one king to another but had included an understanding that Avad would most likely not be able to make it; and that his absence would be expected. Talanah is more than happy to go to relay the message, a chance to travel with Aloy and learn more about the Tenakth, plus a chance to get rare and unknown machines to bring back to the lodge; a way to keep her place as sunhawk; not that anyone was going to challenge it anytime soon with how well everything was going. Aloy hopes it doesn’t mean another session of questions or comparisons about Kotallo and Aloy banishes the thought that had been recurring in her mind lately; what he looks like without any of the coloured paint he wears, she also wonders what his hair looks like without the style he always wears it in.
“So Kotallo…”
“Oh no, we’ve talked about him enough; what about Hekarro.”
“What about him?” Talanah looks to the horizon for a moment.
“Kotallo was telling me that you’ve been spending time in Memorial Grove; and not just for the new hunting grounds.”
“I like the weather.”
”The weather?”
“And the scenery.”
“You just like looking at the Chief. Admit it.”
“I’ll admit it if you admit you like looking at Kotallo. And more.” Talanha quickly adds as Aloy nods in agreement.
“Then you think the same about Hekarro!” Aloy snaps back feeling like a child only able to repeat what’s been said. Talanah doesn’t answer and Aloy can’t help her smug expression and she’s clearly trying to figure out how to say no without her blush giving up the lie.
“Talanah are you only going to this feast to see him?” Aloy teases enjoying the shock on her face.
“And to catch up with everyone, and annoy you about Kotallo, or talk you up; as your Hawk I have to make sure any interested parties are good enough for you.”
”Before we go to Memorial Grove we have to stop in the desert clan’s land; the clan leader is based there.”
“I thought the capital was Scalding spear?” Talanah comments as they rush through the desert.
“It is; this particular leader, Drakka, is from Arrowhand. He spends as much time as possible there, and around the other smaller clans; to make sure they’re not being forgotten.”
“That’s surprisingly better than the Carja.”
“Oh make no mistake he has favourites; but he’s done a good job of not letting it get in the way of resource distribution, the Chaplain he works with makes sure of that.”
“So why are we stopping there?”
“I helped him rise to power; he’d be upset if he heard I was in the west and didn’t visit.”
“He does know how big Tenakth territory is right?”
“Oh yes, says that’s why I should visit him in the first place.Think all the sun baked his brain a little too long.” Aloy laughs and Talanah joins in, before asking just exactly what Aloy did to help him become the leader.
Talanah looks impressed as Aloy finishes explaining what happened in Arrowhand, since everyone is greeting her just like every settlement they seem to go to.
“You clearly help everywhere you go; no wonder everyone in this world seems to have a name for you.” As if on cue Aloy can see Drakka spot them. He doesn’t look longer at Talanah’s armour that he does at Aloy's, something she reminds herself to thank him for.
“Desert Flame!” Drakka grins, his eyes wrinkle more, the weight of being chief clearly weighing on him, but he seems happy, everyone in Arrowhand is as they pass by.
“Drakka, good to see you; we were told you had something to say to us?” Aloy gestures back to the rest of the clan.
“Mhm, I know Kotallo has probably said something; but the feast, for Hekarro, the one year anniversary..”
“Mhm, Kotallo explained about it, we were told to pick you up, but Kotallo did say you could fill us in on what occurs at the feast. He didn’t say much, too busy preparing.”
“Oh so what do you know?” Drakka looks a little surprised that he’s been left to explain, but both Kotallo and Herakko had been talking about him being a worthy leader; he’s not sure if explaining customs to the Champion is a reward or a test.
“You know about the hearts right?” He offers a simple way to start the explanation of the feasts.
“The hearts?” Talanah and Aloy look at each other and back to Drakka, who looks a little shocked but then grins even wider than when he saw them. His eye light up and he grins, knowing he’s going to enjoy their confused looks when Kotallo explains what’s actually going on.
“Oh, I’m glad you’re here then! It’s Tenakth tradition to present machine hearts at any dinner the Chief sponsors.”
“What kind of machine hearts?” Aloy looks annoyed, knowing getting a specific type might require a longer detour.
“Well any work; you, dedicate, your hearts to someone; usually the Chief, but basically the harder the machine is to kill, the better it reflects on your respect of them.”
“Would an Apex thunderjaw work?”
“Hm, I don’t know a burrower might be better; yes of course it would!! A Thunderjaw would be top tier, an Apex one would have no contest!”
“I’ll get two of them!” Talanah shouts, already running to the gates of Arrowhand.
“Talanah; get your ass back here! We can each get one!”
“I'm Carja scum, gotta make sure that Chief knows I really appreciate him letting me be there!” Drakka howls with laughter, clearly enjoying some thought he’s had and Aloy decides she doesn’t want to know what it is.
The thunderjaws don’t go down easily; and Drakka explains how they have to take it down themselves. Aloy is pretty sure she would have died five times over if there hadn’t been a field's worth of medicinal berries on the thunderjaw’s path. Talanah has taken down two of them, and is pleased when Drakka says he’ll vouch for both of them taking them down on their own if any of the Chaplain’s ask, usually they wouldn’t but the presence of outsider’s at a chief's feast may entice them to. Drakka’s growing nervous, he knows he can’t really explain the true reason for the hearts; not now they’ve gone through all that trouble to get them, so he just hopes Kotallo will bring it up before they submit them.
The rest of the way to the Chief’s table is marked by both Aloy and Talanah killing as many machines as possible, examining the hearts, and keeping them either way; Drakka idly wonders how many of the hearts they’ll present and wonders if maybe he should have implied a limit. He quickly reconsiders, wondering just how much the two huntresses can fill up; he hopes Jetakka has to set up another table just for them.
Aloy’s not as tired as she should be for killing so many machines; still the warmth the Grove brings is a comfort; people she knows and who fought beside her; finally at peace for a moment. There’s a long table, lower than the one everyone is seated at. It has piles of machine parts, with a heart resting at the top of each pile.
“The Chaplains will take the hearts and pile it amongst other machine scrap; to give everyone a fair chance. The piles are coded so only the Chaplains know which ones belong to the person that gave them; someone could have put all of those hearts, or each one could belong to only one person.”
“Alright, so what do I do?”
“You walk up, say who it’s for and who it’s from then leave when they take it.” Drakka looks nervous and Aloy grows concerned that something is wrong.
Talanah grins when she presents the two thunderjaw hearts. The Chaplain is about to nod, but then she pulls the three other hearts, a frostclaw, fireclaw and stormbird.
“For Chief Hekarro. From Talanah Khane Padish, Sunhawk, Carja.” The Chaplain nods and Aloy is about to walk up but then Dekka appears grinning and taking their place smiling and winking at Aloy and Drakka.
“Have you come to give hearts to Chief Hekarro? I didn’t expect that of you…” Dekka laughs a little.
“No to Kotallo.” Drakka wants to scream. He doesn’t want to be on the Marshal’s bad side and he’s pretty sure being the reason for forcing Kotallo to confess his feelings for Aloy or for Aloy being forced to do anything is more than enough to get on it twice over.
“Oh; well that explains the amount.” She laughs again and Aloy shrugs a little.
“He’s a good man. I’d want no one else watching my back.”
“Meaningful words from one who’s done as much as you have Aloy.”
Once the hearts have been dropped off, Drakka is a little annoyed Aloy wouldn’t show him just what she’d put up, but he brushes it off waiting to see Kotallo’s reaction. He directs them to the main eating area; slightly separate to the main hall of the Grove but not cut off from it. It reminds Aloy of tables in Meridian, low wooden planks, with pillows and silks; although instead of Carja silks it’s furs and woven mats; Aloy’s surprised to see Utaru’s sitting around, more than just Zo and a few others who were favourable to the Tenakth before Hekarro had united everyone. She knows this dinner is meant to honour the chief and since he did unite all the Tenakth it makes sense that he would reach out to other clans to join to expand the peace. Aloy’s hoping no one brings up Talanah’s clear ties to Carja, but the few people she talks to seem pleased, they also know a small amount that at least that Talanah has better idea’s of them, that she aligns with the Sun-Kings wishes for peace. A few mistake her for a speaker of peace, Aloy doesn’t disprove them, knowing the road to peace will be long and the Carja could use all the help they could get.
The table is set with a slight curve, so Hekkaro and the marshalls can see everyone at the feast from the place they’re seated for the opening welcome speech. The seating arrangement is much looser than that of the Carja, Hekkaro moves between spare seats, clearly happy to be among his people and talking to everyone easily. He’s talking to Talanah clearly seeming pleased she’s there and Aloy doesn’t have to strain to hear what they’re talking about, she’s retelling how she brought down Redmaw with Aloy’s help, Hekkaro seems to enjoy the tale, asking Talanah more about her hunts, Drakka looks a little surprised clearly talking about machine hunts and the ones you’ve brought down is a common thing but the way he’s looking at Hekkaro and Talanah is confusing to Aloy. She debates asking but assumes he’s probably confused about his chief talking to a Carja so openly.