Hey guys.

Sorry for the late update again. I've got a pretty busy schedule, so updating this when I have writer's block is even more challenging than before. Hopefully this is still up to standards. Here is the response to last chapter's reviews:

Guest: Don't get ahead of yourself: that might not happen for a while.

Chapter 7: Secrets & Silence

A cage of light seemed to encircle Varl, in a color he had never seen before. As Varl turned his head to observe it, it moved along with him. A mild buzzing filled his ears: distracting, but not entirely unpleasant. The cage of light, on the other hand...

How do I make it stop?

As if sensing his thoughts, the cage disappeared, almost as quickly as it had manifested. Varl felt panic surge through his veins: did he just lose something important?

No no no no no! Come back, co-

And suddenly, the cage was back again. Varl blinked. Did that mean...

He took a few moments testing this idea, confirming that he could make the cage appear and vanish at will. It was as if this Focus was now an extension of him...he wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"Varl! What are you doing out here?"

It was Mother's voice, but Varl was not ready for the sight that greeted him. It was as if her body had been replaced with that same colored light, encompassing her body. For a moment, he thought he saw a green circle forming in the center of his vision. The next, a purple square, marked with strange white symbols:

"And what is that by your ear?"

It was at that moment that Varl realized the Focus was still on. As he turned it off, his vision returned to normal: he could now fully see the alarmed look on Sona's face.

"Where did it go?" she demanded, speaking in a low whisper.

"It?"

"That...a circle of blue light, right by your ear!" she snapped, as if Varl has playing dumb.

Reflexively, Varl raised his hand to the area. As he felt the cool metal of the Focus, something occurred to him.

"One moment," he muttered, turning the Focus on. "Do you see it now?"

"Yes,"

"Do you see...something like a cage made of light?"

It took Sona a moment to reply. "What?"

"Never mind," Varl muttered, turning the Focus off. So that's what Aloy meant by seeing the unseen.

"What is it?"

"It's something Aloy gave me," Varl answered. "I have yet to understand it myself,"

"Do not let it distract you from your duties," Sona replied, clearly unsatisfied with the answer. "It's not like you to drop your guard so low,"

"I know, Mother," Varl grumbled.

"And mind your tone,"

"Yes, Mother," Varl answered, biting back the "I'm not a child" he wanted to say. Sona's expression changed to one of concern.

"Something has been troubling you ever since we journeyed to the Sundom. I assumed that you were merely uncomfortable being in the Tainted Lands, but now I see that is not the case."

"It's not your concern,"

"You are my son, and therefore this is my concern." Sona countered. "What is so grave that you can't tell your own mother?"

You of all people should know, Varl thought, but knew that would lead nowhere. At the same time, he knew that Sona wouldn't understand if he told her. She would just scold him for doubting the Matriarchs...he could already hear her lecturing him.

"It's not something you would understand," he finally answered. "Did you come out here just to check on me?"

"No. The Matriarchs have asked me to investigate another matter," Mother replied. "In the meantime, get some rest, Varl: the Nora will need your strength in the days to come,"

Sona knew that Varl was hiding something, but prying further would have to wait. Presently, she had her task to complete.

"Braves report that a unknown group has made camp in the north of Devil's Thirst."

"Bandits?"

"Perhaps. Most of the Braves can not risk entry into the ruins, but you and your party still have your Seeker blessing. We are entrusting you with investigating the encampment, and clearing it out if need be,"

Sona had taken three Braves with her to the encampment, and they had arrived just before sundown. One of the Braves accompanied her to the base of the camp, eager for instructions.

"Return to the campfire. Follow only if I do not return,"

"Are you su-"

"Yes!" Sona snapped.

The Brave knew better than to argue: she gave a brief nod before sprinting back to the campfire. As soon as she was out of sight, Sona allowed herself to grimace. She glanced at her hand, and to her anger it continued shaking. Perhaps this was All-Mother's punishment for leaving the Sacred Lands; it had been like this ever since the fight with the Metal Devil. It had taken some time for Sona to notice it, but now it took all of her energy to hide it. The Nora could not afford to see her struggling. They had more immediate concerns than her shaking hand and broken ribs.

So Sona shook off the pain and continued into the tall grass. The entrance wasn't far now.

Walking through the tall grass, Sona sneaked closer to the encampment. The fortifications on the outside were crude and jagged: dark logs smeared with red paint, as if to resemble a bloody maw. The center of the camp was a tall ruin, but one of stone rather than metal. Even from where she was crouching, Sona could make out movement. Carefully, she inched towards the bridge.

"Slow hunt today?"

"Two rabbits and a fox,"

Sona heard a sigh. "We'll make do. I don't want any of us venturing out past nightfall,"

The sources of the voices were within sight: two men, maybe forty, fifty years of age? Their garments resembled Nora attire, but-

Snap.

Sona bit back a curse as the men turned to face her, spears raised reflexively. Luckily, their expressions were ones of alarm, not aggression. Their faces were painted with a mixture of brown and grey paints, in a pattern resembling Nora style. Outcasts, perhaps?

"Nora?" the first man whispered. Sona felt as if that she had seen him before, but couldn't recall when or where. "What do you want with us?"

"State your business here," Sona answered, raising her bow ever so slightly. "You are outcasts both, are you not?"

The second man's hand tightened around his spear. "We are."

As I suspected. "So you not only band together and speak to one another, but you take refuge in the Metal World?"

"What choice did we have?" the first man replied. "Most of us have been cast out for life: we have no protection from the Braves, and hardly any weapons. Some of us were held prisoner in this camp when the bandits were here,"

"Bandits?"

Both mens' faces darkened. "Yes,"

So there had been bandits here.

"And where are these bandits now?"

"Dead," the second man replied. "Purged by a Seeker and an outlander during a storm."

Sona barely concealed her shock. A Seeker? They didn't mean...

"Is that so? Who was this Seeker?"

The second outcast turned to the first, who thought for a moment. "I don't think she ever told her name...but she mentioned being an outcast once."

It couldn't...could it be? Sona needed more to be sure. "Go on,"

The first man shifted uncomfortably, sensing Sona's suspicion. "Uh...young, maybe twenty years of age. Red hair, no face paint. She gave us her permission to stay here,"

"Did she now?" Sona asked, as neutrally as she could. So it had been Aloy... "And what of this outlander?"

"All I remember is the red feathers on his helmet: we only saw him clear the camp, nothing more,"

Sona lowered her bow: whatever these men were cast out for, they seemed to be of little threat to her. But what was she to do next? While the Sacred Mountain had been opened to all Nora, including outcasts, it was unlikely that any of the Matriarchs would approve of, let alone allow, the outcasts banding together like this. But what would become of them? They could not be outcast again, so how could they penalized for breaking taboo even further? Did they deserve it for trying to survive?

"Brave...there is another matter that we need to-"

"Jom, are you certain about this?" the second outcast interrupted.

Jom. Once again, Sona felt a tinge of familiarity, but she couldn't remember where.

"We can't condemn them to our fate," Jom answered his fellow outcast, breaking off Sona's thoughts. He turned to her, face tight with nerves. "There's...a situation that we need brought to the High Matriarch's attention,"

"Speak,"

"There is one among us," Jom started. "We believe she is...with child,"

Varl could not bring himself to sleep.

Now that he had seen a glimpse of what lay within the Focus, he found himself yearning to see more. But he knew that to do so in plain sight would only raise questions, questions he had no answers for. He knew already that Sona would pry further upon her return.

So he waited until the only sounds were the moans of wounded Braves in the chamber across from him. Checking in the dim light a final time, he turned on the Focus once more.

After some prying, he found...more shapes and symbols. Some of there simple: basic shapes, like the ones seen in the bodies of machines. Others left him bewildered: most of them reminded him of the symbols seen when he glanced at Sona, symbols he understood no more than before. Eventually, sleep took hold of him, sending him to peaceful oblivion...

"Varl!"

If only it could last longer. Once again, as if he were a child once more, he heard Sona's sharp voice cutting through the fog of slumber. With a groan, Varl pulled himself from the cot.

"When did you return?" he yawned, trying to shake off the exhaustion.

"Just now," was the reply. "Once you get ready, head to the Main Embrace Gate: we need Braves guarding it at all times until repairs can be finished,"

"Have they started?" Varl wondered aloud. Luckily, his curiosity was not interpreted as cheek.

"That is irrelevant," Sona replied. "...no, they have not."

"Why not?" Varl asked. "It's been almost a month,"

"The Matriarchs refuse to harvest from the land of the Embrace while it still recovers." Sona replied "But that is merely a distraction: I must speak with the High Matriarchs, and you must ready yourself for your duty. And no distractions,"

"Outcasts? Banding together?!"

"They said they had no choice," Sona replied, which did little to sooth Lansra's rage. Jezza moved in an attempt to calm Lansra, while Teersa remained focused on the War-Chief.

"You say that one of them is with child?" she asked, to which War-Chief Sona nodded.

"So we must determine the child's fate," Jezza noted.

"It is not our task!" Lansra spat. "They spurn our traditions, and now they ask us to clean up their mess?"

"By the Goddess, Lansra, it is a child we are speaking of!" Teersa snapped.

"A bastard child, tainted from its creation!" Lansra hissed. "But I suppose a woman so ready to cast aside her customs and break taboo would have no issue fostering such a disgrace,"

"Enough, Lansra!" Jezza ordered. "You know as well as I had we not broken taboo, they would have slaughtered us all!"

Lansra scoffed, but wisely sealed her lips.

"Sisters," Teersa began. "Must we spurn an innocent child for something they had no part in, like we did with Aloy?"

"Teersa, it is not the same," Jezza countered. "But I share your concern. For now, we can assume that the outcasts pose no threat to our safety. As long as they pose no threat, they can remain for the time being,"

"I agree," Teersa added. Lansra looked furious, but saw that her sister Matriarchs' minds were made.

"And the child?" Sona asked.

Jezza sighed in defeat. "We must postpone this matter and focus on our recovery. As this matter develops further, and we are better equipped to care for ourselves, we will be more suited for an answer. For now, we entrust you with our borders, Sona. Thank you,"

Sona nodded, walking back to the main chamber. That...discussion had gone even worse than she had planned.

The borders were unpatrolled, the Embrace still in tatters, only a handful of Braves able to serve, the High Matriarchs unable to cooperate. Try as Sona might, she could not suppress her anger, her frustrations and fears.

Above all else, she worried for Varl. Like she had with Vala, she was failing to protect Varl. The entire tribe relied on her strength, for her resilience and iron will. But how could she help them when she couldn't even help her son?

The killers and Metal Devil were gone, but without Aloy's strength, the damage they caused may have been too much for the Nora to bear.

Well, here we are.

This was hands down the hardest chapter to write so far. Aside from getting a plot set up, there's the additional challenge of writing in a way that emulates the speaking pattern of the people within the world: while not archaic, it's more formal and flows differently.

I took notes on the Nora customs from Random Side Quest's video on the subject (if you're interested in learning more about the game's lore, I highly recommend you check his channel out). When a Nora woman wishes to have a child, she approaches a male and proposes a mate blessing. Once they are given appropriate blessings by a Matriarch, they can proceed to bear a child. So a child conceived out of this union, let alone between two outcasts...that would be a very sticky situation indeed.

As always, let me know what you think.