Chapter Text
Aloy fiddled with the armor on her shoulders. She was grateful for how cool Carja armor was in the warm weather of Meridian, but getting the small armor plates to sit just right was a challenge. It wasn’t anything that would slow her down, but if she much preferred it when something wasn’t digging into her shoulder whenever she drew her bow back. Catching a glimpse of a couple of guards whispering to each other and glancing at her, Aloy moved on, deciding that “less uncomfortable” was good enough. She wasn’t about to let more people gawk and whisper about the foreigner.
Arrogant and judgmental. Funny the Carja and the Nora don’t get along better.
Shutting out the voices around her, Aloy glanced around the streets, scanning for her destination. In her journey west, she would often stop by the hunting grounds that dotted the landscape, taking the chance to rest and to brush up on her skills. No matter what grounds she was at, though, they all spent plenty of time talking up the Hunting Lodge. With the way the groundskeepers talked about the place, she figured that it must be hard to miss. Heading up the stairs, she came across a massive building, gating on either side of the entranceway. Definitely hard to miss.
As she strode into the building, though, she froze. Standing in front of her was a massive machine like she had never seen before; two legs with some sort of weapon attached, a deadly-looking tail, and jaws that looked like they could rival a Rockcrusher’s. Aloy was in awe. Could they really have taken an entire machine as a trophy like that? How would they even move it?!
“Excuse me,”
Aloy turned around to find an older man standing next to her. She nodded in acknowledgment.
“This is the Hunter’s Lodge,” the man explained. “You need to win three half suns at our Hunting Grounds to gain admittance to the lodge.”
Aloy grinned and reached into her pouch, pulling out a handful of badges. She hadn’t been certain which ones they were, but she knew there was more than three there. “You mean these?”
The older man took a second to look them over before smiling politely. “Very well then. Congratulations, and welcome.”
Aloy smiled back. “Thanks. So this makes me a member now?”
He shook his head. “No, you’re only a fledgling. You’d need to become a Thrush to be a member.”
“And how do I become a Thrush?”
“You need a Hawk, one of our senior members, to sponsor you. I’m afraid most of them already have a fledgling to sponsor, though.”
Aloy nodded. She was a bit frustrated that her display still wasn’t enough, but she wasn’t going to let herself be stopped that easily. “I’ve overcome worse odds. Where do I start?”
The man pointed upstairs. “Sunhawk Ahsis, our leader. He should introduce you to a Hawk. I hope it’s worth it.”
Aloy raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“You’ll see,” the older man replied.
“Right,” Aloy muttered to herself. “I’m Aloy, by the way.”
“Ligan,” he replied. “It’s nice to meet you. And good luck.”
Aloy thought she detected some sarcasm in Ligan’s tone, but decided to ignore it. She already felt outnumbered as it was. As she looked about the room at the crowds of hunters, she could only see a Carja and a few Oseram. There wasn’t a single other Nora in sight. She also couldn’t help but notice how few women were in the lodge. Though she hardly had fond memories of the Nora, at the very least she remembered the Braves’ ranks being fairly even. Here, she stood out like a Snapmaw.
Fortunately, the people here seemed far more concerned with their own business than her, and Aloy didn’t notice more than a few odd looks fired her way. That suited her just fine. Taking a breath, she made her way up the stairs. The second floor was noticeably less full than the first. Aside from a few men walking past, the only person she could see was a man in a braided beard standing in the corner. Looking at his armor and thinking of her own, Aloy couldn’t help but think that the Carja were quite fond of showing off their stomachs.
The man turned to face her, glancing her up and down as if he were sizing her up. “Ah, the machine rider graces us with her presence.”
Aloy blinked. She knew that being able to “tame” machines meant that you built up a reputation, but she didn’t think she’d be so instantly recognizable in Meridian. “Are you Ahsis?”
He nodded, continuing to study Aloy carefully. “You’re a Nora, are you not? A fighter from the savage lands?”
She bristled at the comment. She had only spent one night in Meridian, but that was enough to resent constantly being referred to as a savage. “The Sacred Lands,” she corrected him. “But yes. I fought for everything I got.”
“Hm,” Ahsis replied. “Tell me, do the Nora often wander into other people’s homes and do whatever they like?”
Aloy was taken aback by the turn in the questioning. “Of course n-“
“But that is what you’re doing, right now.” Ahsis interrupted, narrowing his eyes. “Stinking up our lodge, pestering your betters.”
“You’re hardly my better,” said Aloy. As tired as she was of being disrespected by people who saw themselves as superior to her, she wasn’t ever going to stop demanding respect from them. “I’m here to become a member.”
An arrogant smirk crossed Ahsis’ lips. “That would be true if there were any chance of you becoming a member. But you’re a savage, and no savage will rise in the ranks of the Hunter’s Lodge while I am Sunhawk. Now begone.”
Aloy grit her teeth at the sound of that word, and looked him straight in the eye. “No. I was led to believe there were rules here. If they count for nothing, then even your position is meaningless. So quit blustering at tell me,” Aloy stepped closer to Ahsis, never breaking eye contact with him. “Is there a Hawk who is free to sponsor me?
By now Ahsis was glaring at Aloy. He looked as though he wanted to strike her right then and there. Aloy almost wanted him to try. Finally, he spoke. “Very well. Talanah is free.” He chuckled derisively at her. “Wouldn’t that be fitting? Trash sponsoring trash. Now get out of my sight.”
Aloy was frustrated, but managed to hold on to a sense of satisfaction as Ahsis walked away. As much as she wanted to wipe the smug, condescending look off his face, she knew she had won that exchange. He couldn’t stop her from entering the lodge, and couldn’t stop her from trying to become a member. Like so many other people who thought they were better than her, Ahsis couldn’t do a damn thing to stop her. Soon enough, she’d be proving him wrong, just the same as anyone else.
Now, to find this Talanah.
She wasn’t even sure who she was supposed to be looking for. She wasn’t familiar with Carja names, and it wasn’t as though she knew anyone else at the lodge. Sighing, she made her way back down the stairs into the crowd, keeping her eyes peeled for anyone who might look like they were expecting her.
Thankfully, it didn’t take Aloy long to notice a woman who looked to be around her age leaning against a pillar, studying her carefully. It was different from the usual looks she had got around Meridian, and not unlike the way Ahsis sized her up earlier. Making eye contact, Aloy approached her. Her lips and eyes were painted in the way she had seen other Carja women do, and wore a steel band over blue silk. Notes of perfume managed to break through the omnipresent smell of spice and the thick scent of alcohol and smoke. Aloy swore she caught a hint of a smile as she got closer.
“You’re Talanah?”
The woman just nodded. Aloy felt a palpable sense of relief at encountering another woman.
“Ahsis said you were a Hawk, and could sponsor a fledgling.”
More silent nodding, and more staring.
Aloy sighed. “Or are you trying to drive me off too? It’s okay, I’ve dealt with worse.”
“Hmmm… I’ll bet you have,” Talanah finally spoke. “But you’re wrong. It’s not okay. Especially not today.”
Aloy tried not to look too surprised. Encountering someone who didn’t buy into the usual crap about position and birthright in any place she had been was rare enough, let alone finding someone else who wasn’t afraid to say what she thought about it. “What happened today?”
“One of our own just died fighting Redmaw. You’ll never face a more dangerous Thunderjaw.”
Aloy glanced over at the massive machine in the middle of the lodge. Was that a Thunderjaw? “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Talanah shrugged. “It’s part of the hunt.”
Aloy nodded. There was something refreshing about how direct Talanah was. “So, Ahsis? What’s his story?”
“He’s the Sunhawk, which makes him the highest ranking assh- sorry, member,” Talanah said with a smile. Aloy giggled, happy to hear him taken down a peg. “He’s taken down Ravagers, Stalkers Behemoths…”
Aloy recognized those names. Tough fights, but hardly reason for Ahsis to look down on everyone. “So? I’ve taken down a lot of machines.”
“As have I, even brought down two Stormbirds.”
Aloy’s eyes widened. She remembered the focus identifying the massive flying machine that attacked her once she left the Sacred Lands as a Stormbird. She had barely escaped that time, and while she knew she’d be able to figure out how to take one down, right now the thought of someone killing two of them was seriously impressive.
“But, he brought in the trophies first,” Talanah continued, shrugging once again. “That’s how it works.”
“So is there any actual hunting then? Because so far, it’s all talk.”
Talanah giggled. “Yes, of course. You just need to the trophy to prove that you’re not just talk. You want them to regret looking down on you? Then speak to them in their language.”
Aloy nodded. “So what do I need to do?”
“Start bringing in trophies. They have to be from tough machines, though. If you get some good ones that should shut them up.”
“So if I do that you’ll sponsor me?”
“I’ll consider it,” said Talanah, grinning. “Just to make Ahsis boil.”
Aloy smiled. “There’s a worthy cause. So do I have to get them from any specific place, or do you need to see me hunt?”
Talanah shook her head. “You don’t need me to hold your hand.”
“Right,” said Aloy. “I’ll be back with the trophies.”
“I hope so,” Talanah shot back, smirking.
As Aloy made her way out of the lodge, she noticed the smile hadn’t left her face. Seeing someone else who was clearly capable and didn’t treat her like bad scrap was a nice change of pace. Even Talanah’s teasing seemed to say I know what you’re capable of and respect you.
Aloy had a feeling they were going to get along very well.