The Other Huntress (Kotallo/OC)

Chapter Eleven: Talanah

Hey guys, sorry it's been a month! Being on vacation for two weeks and then getting back to the States completely took me off schedule! Thank you guys for your patience, happy belated 4th of July, and enjoy the chapter!

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When Orea and Aloy finally exited the shack that had served as their temporary quarters in the Utaru village of Stone's Echo-Shieldweavers worn and at the ready-three dusks had come and gone since Varl and Zo had departed for Plainsong. The Seekers had spent that time resting, waking only briefly each day to eat or drink-the Utaru healers attending to them on Zo's orders working in complete silence as they slept. To their credit, Orea had to admit the Utaru were skilled healers; her bullet wound was completely sealed, and the huntress felt more energized than she had in months. Aloy and she were ready to tackle Plainsong, and whatever trouble was brewing inside their sacred mountain.

After thanking the healers who had so diligently cared for them, and taking one last chance to check up on Re, (the land-god seemed much more at peace thanks to the sisters' intervention) the pair made their way to the exit, intent on getting right back into the thick of things.

Most of the Utaru they passed heading toward the village gate offered the pair a cordial wave and a polite smile, vaguely intrigued by the strange Nora from the 'Savage East' but otherwise intent on minding their own business. One Utaru they encountered however, was not so pleasant, scowling outright at them for reasons Orea suspected only the Utaru herself truly knew.

"What do you want?" she growled as they passed by, despite neither sister saying so much as a word in the gardener's direction.

"Is there...something wrong?" Orea ventured, swiftly judging that whatever conversation might ensue was not going to be an enjoyable one.

"The problem is foreigners! You're the second ones I've seen today!" she spat, striking petulantly at the ground with her spade. "The sooner you all go, the better the soil will be! Less chance of bad seeds taking root." What grazer trampled your house...

"We don't mean your people any harm," Aloy insisted, voicing both Seekers' thoughts. "Surely aiding your land-god proved that."

"Re is going to die anyway; just like all of us!" the Utaru parried. "Meanwhile, outlanders come and take what little we have left! Our food, our shelter, even our healers' time!" she seethed, throwing an accusatory finger their way. "Just like that Carja huntress I saw earlier: all dressed up like a bird, dragging an Utaru girl behind her like a slave!" Carja huntress? Those are few and far between, especially in the Forbidden West. I wonder if this Utaru is talking about... "Called the girl a 'Thrush'. Never heard that one before-must be an old Carja curse." If the huntress had a Thrush, it's definitely Talanah.

"You saw them? Today?" Orea asked, curious as to why Talanah of all people was in the Forbidden West, so far from the jurisdiction of the Hunting Lodge.

"Yes, today! They were running southwest-most likely to their deaths! Poor Utaru-whoever she is. May her seeds find fertile soil."

"Well, despite doing everything in your power not to be, you've actually been quite helpful," Orea grinned, excited at the prospect of reuniting with an old friend. "Thanks."

"Don't need your thanks, outlander. Don't want it."

"Fine by me." Leaving the bitter Utaru to her own devices, Orea and Aloy shared a crooked smile. "Guess we're taking a slight detour."

. . .

A day of traveling had brought the Seekers far to the southwest, Stone's Echo little more than a blur on the horizon behind them. Orea was beyond grateful for the chance to once again stretch her legs, and she knew Aloy felt the same: neither sister could stand being cooped up for too long. Following Talanah's tracks had been simple enough, although in reality they had been following two twin sets of footprints-one of them Talanah's, the other presumably belonging to her Utaru Thrush. The rookie Thrush's prints had been more pronounced compared to those of a seasoned huntress like Talanah, but even the most slight of trails came to life under the Focus's scrutiny.