Nomadic Heart

Eleven

"Worthless little warrior! Nothing more than shit!"

"You don't deserve to be apart of the Healer's family!"

"How dare you say you're my sister?!" I closed my eyes then gripped my desk, trying to forget the hateful words as I took deep breaths.

"And what of Shaye, mother?" I stared up at her, her blue eyes cold and calculating as she looked down at me from her seat upon the high chair.

"A warrior." She smirked, whispers erupting around me as I was sentenced to my new life.

"Shaye?" I gripped my sword and swung around, holding the blade to the intruder's throat as I panted, glaring at the face.

"S-Shaye?!" Beta breathed, her hands shaking as she stared at me. I took a few deep breaths then moved the sword away from her throat, setting it down again.

"Do not sneak up on me!" I warned, but she shook her head and stepped back.

"I-I called your name, you weren't answering! I'm- I didn't-"

"It wasn't your fault then." I said and grabbed my head, closing my eyes as I tried to shake the memories.

"Are-are you okay?" Beta asked as she stepped closer, but stopped as I stepped back.

"Fine, Beta. What do you want?" I asked and she licked her lips.

"A-Aloy wants to see you, in-in the common room." She said and I nodded, going past her and to the common room. Too late, I realized I had forgotten my armor so my arms, neck, and parts of my stomach were bare.

"Sha-" Aloy stopped as she looked at me then her eyes widened as she took in the damage to the left side of my body that could be seen.

"Aloy, what's wrong?" Zo asked from in front of her, turning to me and mirroring Aloy's expression. At their silence, everyone looked at me, but I ignored it as I looked at Aloy.

"What did you need, Aloy? I was in the middle of something." I said and she nodded, swallowing hard as she stared at my body.

"I- what did that to you?!" She whispered, looking at my left eye.

"A Clawstrider." I forced out with a strained smile, but she looked confused as she shook her head.

"That's not-"

"What is it that you needed?" I asked and she nodded, licking her lips.

"Kotallo-Kotallo has to go meet with Chief Hekarro, but the Chief has asked to meet you. I'd like you to join him-"

"After my display in here yesterday, you trust me to travel with the man?" I asked and raised a brow in question, but Aloy cleared her throat.

"I trust you weren't really trying to kill him." She said and I nodded, looking at the painted warrior.

"Then come find me when it is time to leave." I said and he nodded as I turned, returning to my room.

Kotallo's POV
"Kotallo." I looked at Aloy then saw the question in her eyes.

"I will try and find out more about her, Champion." I whispered and she nodded.

"I've seen Clawstrider scars." Erend began, making us look at him.

"Those weren't Clawstrider scars, were they?" Beta asked, but I shook my head.

"They looked more like they were made with a blade like what she wields, not Clawstrider talons." I said and Beta nodded.

"Then... do you think it has to do with her family?" She asked, but Aloy sighed.

"We can only hope Kotallo gets more out of her during their trip." She said and looked at me.

"She's hurting, Kotallo, just like you were when you lost your arm. Maybe worse-"

"Definitely worse." Varl said and I looked at him.

"What? You never attacked us for no reason and screamed for three minutes straight." He said, but I sighed.

"People process trauma in... different ways..." I whispered, frowning as a few dots began to connect, as the Ancient Ones would say.

"What is it, Kotallo?" Alva asked as I looked at Shaye's room.

"Nothing." I whispered and went to Gaia's room. As I shut the door behind me, the AI smiled at me.

"Gaia, please bring up the images of Shaye's family from the day she found out." I said and she did as told, bringing up the Otejo farm and the bodies strung up at the farm.

"Can you bring up Shaye's face when she saw? Do you have that?" I asked and Gaia nodded, the image changing to show was Shaye's face looked like when she saw her dead family. As I studied her face, I noticed she held grief, horror at the sight, but there was also hints of relief in her face.

"Kotallo, what's going on?!" Aloy asked as they finally caught up with me, but I shook my head and looked at Gaia again.

"And when she saw her village burning?" I asked and she changed the image again, showing Shaye again. This time, I saw anger as well, but still more relief.

"When she was speaking of making the bandits pay, can you show me that?" I asked and she frowned.

"Is there a point to this, Kotallo?" Gaia asked and I nodded.

"I will explain in a moment." I said, but Gaia nodded and did as told, showing me Shaye's face when she swore vengeance on the bandits.

"That's not anger at them killing her people." Aloy noted first, making me nod.

"That is old anger." I said, studying the face of the half-blind woman.

"She was not saying she wanted them to pay for her village, but-"

"For the children." Varl concluded and I looked at Gaia.

"Can you go back, Gaia? To... eight years before we met Idalena? Show me the farm?" I asked and Gaia nodded, going back. There were flashes of sunlight and night, but soon the image stopped on the farm and I felt my heart drop.

"Oh, All-Mother!" Varl whispered in horror, but I was busy staring at the image before me. An older woman stood in the field, watching as a younger Shaye fought a man. She was barehanded, nothing more than her underclothes covering her, and the man cutting into her face. As Gaia played the video, I watched the woman laugh as Shaye fell to the ground and the man barked orders at her.

"That's how she lost her eye!" Alva whispered, but I was suddenly feeling Shaye's anger and pain. She was not running to save her sister, she was running to save herself from her family.