The ground was wet with the blood of man and machine. The red and black liquids mixed together in the soil. It had been a hard and long battle, but with the sacrifice of many lives Aloy of the Nora had defeated the threat of HADES and the world was safe once more. The bruised and battered survivors that could wandered through the battlefields searching for those that needed assistance, that needed help. Erend stumbled, he was somewhat in a daze. He had seen some incredible things that he was still struggling to make sense of in his mind. The machines were part of life, but Hades? The technology of the Focus, the story of the Ancients, he had not yet heard the full story from Aloy but what he had heard barely made sense. Erend knelt down by the lifeless body of one of his vanguard and thanked them for their sacrifice. As he stood onee more and gazed around, he saw her, Aloy of the Nora, the woman who had saved them all. She stood with the other Nora, their war chief and her son and spoke in muted and subtle tones. But they were together- Erend felt a lump in his throat, he had never felt quite so alone in all his life.

"Come Erend, let us go and clean up. Aloy will join us soon enough." Erend turned his head and saw Talanah the Sunhawk of Hunters Lodge. Erend nodded curtly greeting the SunHawk in a stiff and formal manner but Talanah ignored it, she was too busy admiring her Thrush and sponsor. "I feel you and I are not really in the running for her attentions," Talanah commented in a matter-of-fact way as she turned and began to head towards the towering metropolis of Meridian. Erend glanced at her in surprise,

"I never thought I was in the running, she's a great warrior, attractive but she's too much like Ersa for me." Erend commented, it wasn't a complete lie although he found Aloy attractive, the resemblance to his late sister and her involvement in the events that had lead to the discovery of Ersa and her death were too much for Erend - his grief was still too fresh. He was in awe of her, that much was true. He couldn't believe that he had been a part in the entire events and in all honesty- there was still much he didn't yet fully comprehend.

"Come Erend they need us in the city." Talanah's voice broke his focus and brought him bake to the bittersweet reality. The enemy threat was over, but the city of Meridian lay in ruins- smoke smouldered in the city outskirts, and the mournful cry of the villagers echoed throughout the valley. As Erend and Talanah walked back towards the town, Erend managed to slip away- he didn't know the SunHawk well, and he didn't particularly want to go spend time in a lodge full of ostentatious Carja hunters who no doubt would find him quite the intrusion- he'd never even bothered to set foot inside any of the hunting grounds. As Erend wandered the city he found himself helping clear rubble, and transport goods and food. It was small work but it helped him feel like he was doing something and helping, that he had some worth.

"You did it Aloy! By the Mother's Will you saved us all." Varl cried out as he grinned widely at Aloy. She nodded humbly, she felt uneasy- and though she had killed HADES and stopped the threat there was a deep gnawing feeling in the depth of her stomach that the fight was not yet over. She looked at Varl intently, he was beautiful- and being near him made her feel a little calmer. Aloy thought that he liked her, but she wasn't sure. There had been too much going on over the past months and she hadn't had a chance to fully contemplate Varl and what he offered to her. Having grown up so alone with only Rost, Aloy had little understanding of human relationships outside of war. What were the signs that Varl may be interested? Was she imagining his attraction to her and confusing respect and admiration for longing? What should she do to show she was interested back? She was so confused, she didn't want to humiliate herself, battle came so much easier to her. Then there was the other side of things- just because Varl was interested did that mean that she was interested? She certainly didn't feel like she needed a romantic relationship to make her feel any better about her self. Aloy was unsure of her place in the world- what all she had found and discovered inside the ancient ones metal buildings- what did it mean about her? Where was Elisabet Sobeck? Did she really die? Did she make it home? There were far more questions that still required answers- would a relationship affect her ability to find the answers she still needed?

Aloy had a feeling that Varl was thinking about making a move, he had a strange and nervous smile on his face and it made her feel a rising panic. Varl glanced over his shoulders towards the other Nora who were talking on the other side of the clearing. When he saw that they were indeed alone he stepped in closer to Aloy, his hand lifted and pressed against her cheek in a loving touch. Aloy felt a knot in her stomach, she felt the urge to pull away but fear, a different kind of fear to the one she knew well, routed her to the spot. Varl's face was so close to hers she could see the fine scar on his cheek. She was so absorbed in studying his face that she was shocked when suddenly, his lips were against hers, plush and soft. But Aloy did not feel what she had expected, she felt anxious and claustrophobic like something was wrong. Like she was being held underwater and that she was drowning. She couldn't breath, she couldn't think, it was all just too much. Aloy pulled away quickly, and turned her face from Varl so that she could not see the confusion and pain that she knew would be plastered on his beautiful face- the pain that she was causing.

"I'm sorry Aloy, I thought that you wanted that- I misread the signs." He murmurred, Aloy sighed in frustration and anger at herself and her actions,

"I don't know what I want Varl, I've been an outcast my whole life and then thrown into a war. I need to know who I am, what I want before I can consider anything like what this kiss may mean." She cringed- her voice sounded harsher than she had intended. She turned to face him but Varl was already walking away, his back and shoulders rigid and stiff. Aloy felt a sharp pain in her chest, an a burning in her eyes that she had not felt in years- tears. She couldn't let people see her cry- she was emotional, exhausted and she needed time to herself. To return to the wilds that she knew so well, to the isolation she wanted. She could remain here no longer. Aloy whistled sharply, and a strider came racing towards her, she leapt onto its back effortlessly and rode down the path - away from Meridian, away from the Nora and the Carja, the Oseram - away from everyone. She needed to be alone- she needed her own space, she needed to find answers to so many questions.