Chapter 8
Life Among the Nora
Alana pov.
The morning air was crisp as Alana stepped out of her dwelling, the scent of damp earth and pine lingering in the valley below. The village of Mother's Heart stretched before her, a collection of wooden huts and winding pathways, all built within the natural embrace of the surrounding cliffs. Smoke from morning fires curled into the sky as the people of the tribe prepared for another day.
She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, watching as the Nora went about their routines. Mothers tending to their children, hunters returning from early morning expeditions, traders setting up their wares—this was the only life she had ever known.
Unlike Aloy, she had grown up within the confines of the tribe, raised by High Matriarch Teersa after her mother perished in the raid that had stolen so much from them. The same raid that had turned Rost into an outcast. He had once been her family, but the laws of the tribe had kept them apart.
She was not an outcast, but she was not fully one of them either. Without a parent to guide her, she had always felt like she was walking a fine line, an outsider within her own home.
Yet, the Nora had shaped her. She followed their ways, respected their traditions, and understood their fears. She knew why they clung to their laws, why they saw outcasts as untouchable. And yet, she could never bring herself to truly agree.
She had seen the way they looked at Aloy. How they whispered behind her back. How they ignored her existence. And it made her wonder—if her mother had lived, would she have been like them? Would she have looked at Aloy the same way?
As she walked through the village, she observed everything around her—the people, the sounds, the rituals.
Near the training grounds, young Nora warriors practiced with their bows, their arrows cutting through the morning fog. The Proving was coming, and tensions ran high. It was their chance to prove themselves, to earn a place among the tribe.
A group of older women sat by a fire, murmuring about the coming trials, speaking names of those they expected to succeed. Aloy's name was never mentioned.
Alana clenched her fists. They didn't even acknowledge her.
Further down, children ran past, playing a game of chase between the huts. For a moment, she let herself imagine a different life—one where Rost had not been outcast, where her mother had lived, where she and Aloy could have been raised together as sisters within the village.
But that was not the life they had been given.
She made her way up the steps leading to the High Matriarchs' lodge, passing woven banners fluttering in the cold wind. Teersa was inside, speaking with the other Matriarchs, but Alana didn't need to see her to know what she would say.
"The tribe comes first. The laws are sacred."
She understood the words. She just didn't believe in them the way Teersa did.
As the sun began to dip, Alana slipped away from the village, her feet carrying her beyond the gates. Out here, the world was different—untamed, unpredictable, free.
The wilds stretched before her, golden grass swaying in the wind, towering trees casting long shadows. She moved through the underbrush with practiced ease, following the familiar trails carved by generations of Nora hunters.
This was where she felt most at home.
A herd of Striders grazed in the distance, their mechanical forms glinting in the fading light. A Watcher lurked nearby, scanning the area with its piercing blue gaze. Alana remained still, waiting for the right moment before slipping past unnoticed.
She climbed a rocky ledge, her breath steady as she pulled herself up. From here, she could see far beyond the sacred lands, past the borders the Nora refused to cross. The world was vast, stretching far beyond what the tribe allowed them to know.
And somewhere out there, Aloy was training.
Yet, despite the beauty of the wilds, there was an unease in her chest. The machines had always been dangerous, but lately, something felt… off. They were more restless, more aggressive. On her last few outings, she had noticed strange signs—subtle scratches on tree bark, tiny indentations in the soil that didn't match any animal or machine she knew. And today, she spotted something new: faint metallic traces high up on the trees, as if something small had crawled across the bark.
She ran her fingers over one of the marks, frowning. Whatever it was, it wasn't natural.
Alana exhaled, shaking the thought away. She had more pressing matters to focus on.
Alana sat on the edge of the cliff, watching as the sky turned shades of orange and violet. She thought of the years that had passed, of how much Aloy had changed. Once, she had been a curious, determined child, always pushing forward, never backing down. Now, she was strong. Capable.
And soon, she would face the Proving.
Alana exhaled, knowing what she had to do.
She made her way back through the wilds, past the towering trees, past the whispering grass, until she reached the place where Aloy lived.
She found her sitting by a fire, sharpening the blade of her spear. The glow of the flames reflected in her eyes, determined as ever.
Alana approached and sat beside her.
"The Proving is coming," she said softly.
Aloy didn't look up. "I know."
Alana hesitated, then continued, "You have the skills to win. You know that."
Aloy finally met her gaze, something unreadable in her expression. "And then what?"
Alana frowned.
Aloy set her blade down. "If I win, I get to be part of the tribe. The same people who ignored me my whole life. The same ones who wouldn't even say my name."
Alana swallowed. "It's what you always wanted, isn't it? To belong?"
Aloy was silent for a long moment.
Alana sighed. "I just… I want you to know you have a choice. You don't have to prove anything to them. You don't owe them anything."
Aloy looked back at the fire, her expression unreadable.
Alana stood, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever you choose, I'll be here."
She turned and walked away, leaving Aloy alone with the crackling fire and the weight of the choice before her.
To be continued.....