The world beyond the base was truly more than what Nureka could ever expect, she believed that it was only fair, if they were all fighting to try and save the planet, to see what else was beyond the borders she was so used to. It wouldn't be enough if they just saved their little pieces, she loved and missed her home, yes, but that didn't mean that its value exceeded that which was around it. Nora land for sure was beautiful, full of woodlands and high grass with scampering critters forever running about, it didn't hugely differ than the woodlands which seemed to be more Plainsong's way.

At the moment though, herself and Kotallo were traversing the rocky way downwards, harsh cliff and snowy peaks were things Nureka was familiar with, but even as they touched ground and were going down the rough path beside the mountain, she could see the view which branched outwards. She couldn't help it, her fur lined boots scuffed against the gravelly path beneath her before stopping completely. It was a view and lands which Kotallo was used to, there wasn't anything really in his homeland which could cause him moments of breath-taking awe like Nureka.

The outcrop on which they, mainly Nureka, had come to stand on could see outwards, the valley below looked mountainous, but beyond the mist and clouds, there was deserts. Dry, orangey sand and dunes, ruins could be seen too; thick clumps of brickwork, all crumbling into itself and derelict. It was hard to say what those ruins were, unless they drew near. Nureka was presuming that down there in the desert areas was Las Vegas. She was half debating whether she could persuade Kotallo for a further detour, but from the look he sent her way, she thought otherwise. The man beside her clearly intending on the journey they had planned, and that was that.

Nureka jumped down from the rocky outcrop and sighed, Kotallo looked at her confusedly, if he didn't know any better, he'd say she sounded a little disheartened. They hadn't even been away from the base for that long, a few moments if that, and she already had let out a sad sigh. "What is it?" He asked, Nureka looked at him with wide eyes. She seemed to have not fully registered that her wistful sigh, was heard by him. Kotallo glanced over at the small camp that some Tenakth had made further down near the base of the mountain.

"Have you ever been further then the Sundom?" Nureka asked, waging war and battling it out against the Carja wasn't exactly the best time to explore further lands. But she was curious.

"No." Kotallo answered, watching Nureka nod and look at the ground, going as far as kicking a stone and watching it skitter away from herself. "Why?"

"Already I can see that your lands aren't hugely different than those I come from. It's just, I don't want to be pessimistic, we are going to succeed in our mission, I refuse to believe otherwise; but, if there is a slim chance we fail, so much beauty will go." Nureka said while even waving a hand at the Tenakth campers, they looked at her baffled though one did wave back which caused her to smile. "Better together than apart, that's what Aloy said to me." She turned her attention back to Kotallo, not at all surprised to see him looking at her, listening to her completely. "We don't differ, I don't mean because our tribes are similar. Or that we both have a penchant for the colour blue," Nureka laughed and looked at the blue patches of material that had been used to repair her boots, there was even traces of blue on her trousers, not to mention the fur lined coat she'd put in her pack. It wasn't like Kotallo in general was lacking in the colour, from his tattoos, to his armour and clothing underneath, blue was very prominent. She waved her hand to the side, the rocky valley below them hadn't changed at all, but she had seen similar sights back home. "This whole thing, I think, is a chance for everyone to just work together. I mean, it's already been proven that we can do that. So why can't everyone else?"

Kotallo thought over that question for a moment, the way he saw it, there were different answers, some which she may not like, others which might make her frown, and no doubt ask more questions. "It is easier to hate and fight, than it is to find similarities and coexist." Was what he decided to reply with in the end. He could be answering slightly through personal experiences, after all, he had definitely spent most of his life between clan skirmishes, a war, and any fights in between.

"The campers," Nureka said in a puzzled voice, Kotallo was surprised by the topic change, but decided that perhaps his answer said all that was needed, maybe it answered her question, her musings on this matter having been quelled for the moment. Nureka's brown eyes flicked around the gravelly, pebbled path and the bordering trees and foliage before looking back at him. "They're not from your clan, right?" The tattoos which covered them, even their armour and how they styled their hair was completely different to Kotallo's appearance.

"Desert," Kotallo replied simply, earning a raised eyebrow from her. Lifting up a hand, he pointed to the horizon, in the slight distance between them, the surrounding rocky outcrops and mountainsides were parting ways, the sandy landscape which made up their territory could very well be seen, along with the overbearing sun which shone down in that region. It was a harsh environment to live in, yet those within the Desert Clan had made it work. "That area is their homelands, it borders with those within the Lowland Clans," he explained, earning a slow nod as Nureka seemed to be intently listening to his explanation.

"And where you originally come from?"

"That is further afield." Kotallo said with a resigned sigh, "Further into the mountains," Kotallo glanced Nureka's way when she let out a thoughtful sound. In truth, he supposed it would actually help her to know more about the different clans which made up his tribe, after all, there were members of each clan in the Grove. The failed ambush on the Kulrut had left some wanting to stay, and wanting to defend the place. There was a reason why Hekarro wanted it as his base, as the base for all of the tribe; better together than apart.

Nureka ran a hand through her hair and then just returned her hand to her pack strap. "What is Memorial Grove like?" Research could only do so much, and hearing brief descriptions from Aloy wasn't really enough. Kotallo resided there, Nureka wasn't sure for how long he called the Grove home, but he was clearly an expert on the place.

"It is hidden within the trees, though there are tracks which lead up to it, it is surrounded by heavy woodland. I was not aware, until recently that it used to be something called a 'museum.'" Kotallo explained, watching as Nureka looked up curiously. "It is a place where the Old Ones stored information, of their own past; or created spaces to commemorate events."

"Events?"

"They had war too, Nureka." Kotallo stated, hating to sound like he was saying the blatantly obvious. She nodded slowly, celebrate a win in a successful fight was one thing, but to make a space dedicated to such a thing was a little strange to her. "I am surprised you have not researched into such a place before." As he had already pointed out, albeit jokingly, she seemed to like to know all that she could about anything. A building that's sole purpose was to retain information of the past seemed like something which would be a beacon to her, like a moth to the flame.

Nureka looked upwards as boughs of trees stretched across their path, different varieties of brown, green and orange leaves swayed in the breeze of the day. Woodland animals could be heard too, little chirps of birds, the squeaks and pattering paw sounds of rabbits, racoons and even the rare fox or two. Of course though, as content and peaceful as these natural sounds were, it also came with those which shouldn't have to be; machines, it seemed there was a roaming herd of Chargers which had taken to grazing on the hillside to the left of them, and Burrowers could be heard scanning, letting out their own sounds of being alert, before the tail end of them could be seen pattering back into the brush of foliage.

"So...there's information about the war?" Nureka asked, it was hard to be involved in this and not have an interest in the events of Zero Dawn. It seemed...like as close to a form of hell as possible. So much had gone wrong, and barely anything had gone right; other than the eventful success of Gaia, with or without the Extinction Signal, Hades going haywire along with Hephaestus.

Ted Faro seemed like the worst sort of person to ever walk the planet, even if he thought he was initially doing good. Elisabet Sobeck, Aloy's predecessor of sorts, perhaps even in a way her mother, seemed like the only sane, rational, and willing person to do whatever it took, to save others; selfless, utterly and completely selfless and wanting a tomorrow to come, no matter what. Aloy was very much Elisabet, if one compared and contrasted them, Aloy really was the same, wanting the world to have a tomorrow, for others to wake in the morning without threat of impending doom.

Kotallo nodded, although in truth it seemed like most holo-points were dedicated to the Ten. It may be true that because of the state of the Visions, information may not have been entirely correctly interpreted, but that still didn't stop all Tenakth looking up to the actions and bravery of the Ten. After all, it was due to one Vision that Hekarro saw that caused him to abandon the in-fighting of the tribe; all of them together could work as one against the fight against anything, predominantly the machines at the time.

Kotallo couldn't help but wonder that out of all people to cross paths with, to come to know within the Grove, Dekka might be one that Nureka would enjoy getting to know. As a Chaplain, Dekka held most collective information about the Visions, even if they had been pretty much restored with Aether gone and stability taking over the Grove. But not only that, in part, Kotallo supposed as a Shaman, Nureka's role didn't differ too much. The Banuk had the Blue Light, they interpreted machine songs, and were high up in the chain where a collective was involved; a Chaplain was not totally different, not really.

"Which way?" Kotallo came from his thoughts when he noticed that Nureka was looking confusedly from side to side. She couldn't help but be a little confused, either side were pathways which led in different directions, one downwards towards the deserts, and the other upwards more into the mountainside they were living in. But in front of them was a small cliff, not quite the same in height to the mountain they lived in, but it was still rocky enough that it could cause issues, if not for the small path which wound up and more upwards onto the top.

He looked up too, though Nureka was looking his way so she noticed how a frown slowly appeared on his face. She tilted her head, looking at him curiously, expecting an answer before he just looked back, noticing her expression he inhaled slowly, "There are rebel camps, either side. We've had reports from scouts, or those that managed to survive and retreat to share the information they had recovered."

Nureka looked down with a frown now too. "It must be hard," Kotallo looked away from the rocky cliff face and path in front of them, to her. Nureka slowly looked up and sighed heavily, "Watching those within your clan turn away, wanting to continue to cause issues where there probably doesn't need to be any."

"Regalla's grudge, her thoughts and feelings where the treaty with the Carja are involved, isn't just singular. There are many who think like she does, but she uses those for a purpose that just won't come to fruition. You believe we will not lose this fight; I believe she will not succeed in her so called revolution."

"Your Chief must truly be something." Nureka said with a smirk and a nod.

"Why do you say that?" Kotallo asked, though he supposed he would be the first of many to advocate Hekarro, and what he stood for. As many as those who believed in Regalla, there was equal amount if not more who believed in Hekarro, and his efforts for peace.

After all, there was only so much fighting they could do, before all of them were utterly and completely spent and wiped out. Yes, to die on a battlefield would be a honourable way to go, but all the Tenakth had been doing for generations was breed warriors, only for them to perish and no one to live a long life. It was an endless cycle of fighting and death. Even if it was what he was trained for, even seeing the life and plan which Aloy was leading, Kotallo could say that it was preferable by a long shot, even if death still happened.

Nureka pointed a finger up at him, a smile now on her face as she looked up at the taller man beside her. "To sway your whole tribe to stop imploding from within, but to also get you on side...the man must truly be something." That wasn't to say she believed Kotallo was stubborn, much, but the whole clan must in part already feel the same way about what Hekarro was promoting, and he had the abilities and skills to act on them, so it would be truly hard to ignore the man.

Kotallo looked slowly to the side, "I believe in both him and Aloy." Which was true, he did believe in what both were trying to do, they were just causes and those causes were a lot bigger than anything he had really had set before him before. Even war didn't compare, as strange as that may appear, in a fight he knew what he was doing, but to be diplomatic for peace, let alone peace for all of the planet...that was a new challenge.

"Up?" Nureka pointed to the cliff and path, they had just been standing here for a couple of minutes.

"Up," Kotallo knew that in between the two rebel camps, sat Arrowhand. It was a large Desert Clan settlement, and though he hadn't had much need to have contact with the establishment, Kotallo couldn't foresee them begrudging both of them travelling through. Even if he had slightly stepped down as a Marshal, he wasn't lying when he said a part of him would always be one.

The thought of just travelling through was what Kotallo thought was going to happen, he was so wrong; he had a feeling any settlement they came across, it would grasp her attention. But it wasn't just that, the trade here seemed to be a similar thing which they were travelling to the Grove for. They were machine hunters predominantly here, and Nureka seemed interested in seeing what parts were on offer. However, most Tenakth had never encountered a Banuk before, let alone one as inquisitive as Nureka.

To be honest, it wasn't like the Tenakth were used to outsiders in general. Kotallo had seen how they reacted to Aloy, but Nureka was seemingly a new different thing. "You glow like the stars!" A small voice exclaimed, Nureka crouched down to the small boy and tilted her head. Simply holding out her threaded hands and arms, the thread travelling up and around her arms in pairs of three, yet it seemed like the most marvellous thing to the little boy, along with his friends.

Nureka was soon surrounded by curious little eyes and hands, she didn't mind, even going as far as just sitting down cross legged on the ground as she was surrounded by children all asking different questions and wanting to touch the threads in her skin. Kotallo stood to one side watching, Nureka had clearly said something which caused a small chorus of laughter to come from the group before she patted her knees and jumped up. Even when opting to walk back to him, the small children were still buzzing around her, the adults might've been sceptical, but to the kids, Nureka was this new and curious unknown that they wanted to understand, or play with.

Was Kotallo surprised that Nureka feinted forwards as if to chase one kid in particular? No, he wasn't, the child let out a startled laugh and darted off, his friends following in suit. Kotallo just watched the small pack run off, it was quite nice to see kids actually being kids, at least for now. Flicking his gaze back to Nureka when she stopped in front of him, he turned and gestured towards the gates.

There was another pause though, Nureka looked out at the desert landscape, a tall spire was on the horizon, but in a small clearing, surrounded by different coloured flowers and rocky outcrops was a Tallneck slowly doing its designated route, Burrowers and Ravagers were seemingly in the area around it too, but the view was what had Nureka placing her hands on her hips with a smile.

Squinting an eye against the sun, she looked up at Kotallo. "Your homeland is a beautiful place, Kotallo. I know we haven't seen much of it, but I like it." Which she did, it was full of such variety, not just the people, the children, but the landscapes; from the gates, because of the height of the level clifftop the settlement resided on, in the far distance tree tops could be seen. "Nora and Banuk lands are similar, in a way; surrounded by snow tipped mountains, cliff faces that seem impossible to climb, wooded areas which stretch out forever. Sunfall and Meridian are like this, vast forestry next door to inhospitable desert."

"As you said, we don't differ, even those lands we come from are similar."

Nureka looked away from the Tallneck, Kotallo turned his eyes back to hers, and she just smiled in return. "Better together than apart, right?" Nureka asked, watching as he gave a nod before stepping forwards and leading the way downwards away from Arrowhand, though Kotallo seemed on guard due to the nearby rebel camps, seemingly fully prepared to have to fight if needed.