Varl, naturally having been around the Banuk more than anyone else, had been observing; not in a weird, creepy way, but in a way in which it often left him letting out thoughtful hums, rubbing his chin in thought, and even narrowing his eyes too. He wasn't going to say he was suspicious of how his friend was acting, but he was suspicious of how his friend was acting. That wasn't to say that Nureka was antisocial, or rude, she could be if she tried, Varl guessed, but she tended to go against what most thought those within the Banuk would be. It was like watching Erend and his somewhat blundering ways whenever Aloy was around, that flustered acting and words and hesitant disposition to see if the right or wrong things were said. If Varl didn't know any better, he would say that Nureka may have some small harbouring thing for their Tenakth comrade.
Zo had watched, several times whenever Varl had these moments of musings, her own face being one of slight confusion. She did not get why her other half was suddenly acting all suspicious until one day, Varl just came out with it, just as Zo was about to commence eating breakfast, here he came just out with what was evidently on his mind.
"There's something going on," it wasn't clear what Varl was on about, he slid around the counter and sat beside Zo, she sighed and pushed her meal away. It seemed he was not dropping this, so she leaned her arms on the counter and looked his way. She'd listen, speak and comment if she needed to, but at the moment, she was confused. Varl's dark eyes widened and he grinned, looking around as if he was expecting someone to appear, he looked back at her. "Nureka and Kotallo."
Zo sighed through her nose heavily, "Are you gossiping, Varl?" She smirked, though even she wasn't blind. She had heard them, they were planning a trip to Memorial Grove, a journey which would take a day or two, depending on the route and how fast they were travelling. It wasn't like everyone here didn't come and go, Zo and Varl had been back to Plainsong a few times, even Erend had commented on how he might want to travel to Oseram run settlements. He had expressed curiosity over those which had come to dwell in Vegas, and what they were doing there. No one would even be surprised if he travelled to Chainscrape just for the sake of it.
They frequented places that were around their base, not just because of missing familiarity, or to see how everyone was doing, but there were problems, that they could help with, not everything had to fall on Aloy's shoulders. Even if the redhead was determined to be a one woman army, she didn't actually have to be. As far as Zo knew, the trip to the Grove was just that, it was a trip. There was no trouble, no real need to go there, not unless it was just the case of Nureka wanting to explore, but Zo found that a bit hard to believe that Kotallo would just be up for a site seeing tour of his lands.
"What? No!" Varl tried to sound offended, the scoff which came from him was more like a laugh than anything.
Zo leaned her cheek against her palm and looked at him simply. "And what do you intend to do with this information? If you ask Nureka, she's likely to just deny all, even comment on something else to change the subject. And if you ask Kotallo, all I see from that conversation is you receiving silence."
"Can't I be concerned for my friend?"
"That's the avenue you are trying to go down?" Zo found herself chuckling, Varl looked defeated. "As far as Tenakth go, Kotallo does seem like he is a good one. Worried or not, Nureka is going to be okay." Zo did understand where Varl was coming from. Zo flicked her eyes to the side, so far, they were the only two which were up, "Does Erend know?" She was looking in the direction of the multiple bayed room which Erend had taken to be his bedroom. It wasn't just him that resided in there, both Erend and Kotallo shared the room, with two bays free if anyone else happened to appear.
"Doubt it." Varl said awkwardly, Erend would admit to not being the smartest, but he made up for that in other ways. But Varl doubted Erend knew that his new Machine Strike and drinking partner was clearly becoming close to their Banuk Shaman.
YOU ARE READING
Unintended
Fanfiction"I have not met a Banuk before. Only heard tales, I did not think to see one here." It was a polite way of Kotallo saying that what he had heard, were fanciful tales of hermits in snow covered hills who did not wish to socialise with the wider world...
