In the early evening, the Hunter’s Lodge stood nearly silent with the backdrop of the low hanging sun blazing down upon it in the beginnings of summer. That sphere of worship casting vibrant rays of oranges and reds across the entirety of the great city of Meridian. The unnatural quiet on the lodge was due to nearly every able-bodied hunter of the lodge out preparing for the return of the mighty Thunderjaw, Redmaw. The leader of the Lodge, Ahsis the Sunhawk, found himself staring at yet another request to deal with the Shadow Carja raids occurring just beyond the borders of their territory.
 
 
“They can’t be serious. Redmaw has made its first appearance in years and they expect the Lodge to take this request? The bounty alone isn’t worth posting it to begin with. But posting now? Ha, it’s just insulting.” The Sunhawk openly scoffed at what he considered a ridiculous request.
 
“What’s wrong with you!?”
 
The Sunhawk’s head snapped in the direction of the sudden outburst by the glowering stare of one of the Lodge's seven Hawks as she stormed up to him.
 
"Talanah," he said, icily.
 
“People are asking for help and you just toss it aside like it’s garbage!?” Talanah demanded and yanked the request from the old hunter’s grip.
 
“HEY!” The old man stood in outrage at the bold behavior of the only woman who could claim to be an official hunter of the lodge. If not including this Hawk’s Thrush.
 
“If you’re not going do it, I will.” Talanah said as she read over the request.
 
“I. HAV-EN’T. AP-PROVED. IT!” The Sunhawk enunciated each syllable through clenched teeth and tight lips.
 
“Doesn’t matter, I’ll do it for free if need be. You’ve been ignoring these for months. No wonder we’ve been having so many problems with the Shadow Carja.” The Hawk briskly walked back towards her Thrush, who was happy watching the scene from their table. Aloy couldn’t help but smirk at Ahsis outburst and how Talanah payed him no further mind as she looked over the request and made her way back, smiling the whole time at getting such a rise from the old hunter.
 
“So, what have we got?” The flame-haired Thrush asked her Hawke curiously.
 
Talanah smiled at her thrush and placed the request on the table for her to see.
 
“Raider camp. Headcount between twenty-five and thirty-ish. Several natural barriers provide cover and snake through the camp, along with heavy fortifications, set against the back of a low cliff wall. Located two hours northwest past the Meridian border.”
 
“If it’s against a low enough cliff wall, they probably have guards posted along the ridge. Also, with that many Shadow Carja they’re probably expecting surprise attacks from there. Might be too risky.” Aloy commented.
 
“So, what do you suggest?” Talanah asked.
 
“If the terrain is how I think it is, there should be several higher ridges overlooking it. We can approach them from the south east and from there we can better asses what we’ll be dealing with.” Aloy told her Hawk.
 
Talanah smiled at her thrush, “I like it, I’ll send off the request and we’ll head off at first light tomorrow. After we’re done, we can take down Redmaw.”
Aloy smiled back, “Sounds like a plan.”
 
~
 
As the huntresses exit the lodge, Ahsis couldn’t help but grin to himself as he finished copying down their plans of approach. The unnatural quiet of the lodge gave him the ability to eavesdrop on their plan of approach.
 
“I’d be a shame if the Shadow Carja were anticipating such an attack.” The Sunhawk thought gleefully.
 
He called his private messenger, the old hunter tasking the young man to leave it for Shadow Carja spies to find. While Ahsis wasn’t in support of the Shadow Carja rebels, he found their need to uphold tradition admirable, if not short sited. However, the Sun Hawk was nothing if not a man of opportunity and it was no small secret that anything regarding the flame-haired huntress was of significant value to them. It was hard to deny the reputation she continued to garner. There was no doubt in his mind. This message would be relayed to the camp before the huntress’s arrival to the raider camp. Ahsis would soon find himself rid of Talanah and both he and the Shadow Carja would rid of Aloy. “Two birds, one stone.”
 
~
 
The huntresses came from the southeast of the raider encampment and found the terrain did give some higher vantage points overseeing the encampment’s location. A steep hill that fell into the patrolled cliff face. Staying low, the two friends came to some high brush near the edge of the steep incline to hide themselves from view. Once hidden, Talanah took out a small spyglass to get a head count on how many raiders they would be dealing with. A few moments pass before her brow came to a frown.
Aloy noticed the concern, “What is it?”
 
“Take a look.” Talanah passed off the spy glass.
 
Aloy’s brow also creased as she took in the small headcount of the Shadow Carja, “Why are there only 8 of them left? And why are they just around the cliff’s edge?”
“I was wondering the same thing. I’d say they were out on a raid, but they usually leave half the group for raiding parties this big.” Talanah replied with her concern rising.
“I don’t like this. Let’s back awa-“
 
Thunk
 
“What th-“
 
BANG
 
The two huntresses failed to react in time as a shock bomb fell between them and detonated. The electrical current coursed through their bodies: dulling their senses, inhibiting their movements, and blinding them both with its familiar blue light. Aloy and Talanah lost control of their spasming bodies and fell out of cover to tumble down the steep incline of the hillside. The Hawk and Thrush’s limbs tangled with each other’s as they came to the bottom.
 
Their survival instincts kicked in as both attempted to untangle themselves from the other in their blind and dulled state. Just as the two friends freed themselves from the knot of limbs, Aloy grasped Talanah’s forearm and pulled her along. Aloy didn’t care where they went, just far away from here as fast as possible. However, without full control of her body and blurry vision.
 
TING
 
Aloy’s foot pulled a tripcaster line and triggered a concussive blast that sent the two huntresses flying several feet in opposite directions. Both landing on their backs with the wind knocked out of them. The blast causing their vision to go spotty, their heads to spin, and gasping to find their breath. Accompanied with a heavy ringing in their ears and a wave of nausea threatened to take them over. However, adrenaline coursed through them, their instincts fought through the fatigue and screamed: RUN, GET OUT, RETREAT!
 
Just as their bodies found the ability stand to flee the ambush. Several bola shots sliced through the air towards the stumbling huntresses. Aloy and Talanah’s chest, arms, and legs now snared by the leather straps of the bolas and fell back to the ground completely immobilized. The shock and awe tactics had succeeded in putting the flame-haired Thrush and Meridian Hawk in a complete haze of sensory overload. Out of nowhere, they witnessed a blurry mass of bodies moving towards them. The missing raiders appearing like an unseen swarm that descended on their prey.
 
~
 
Aloy and Talanah slowly regained their senses as they came closer to the raider encampment. Each slung over the shoulder of a heavy raider. Unable to do much but stare at the ground as their vision slowly returned to them. Just as their vision came back, the huntresses were taken down from their perches and dropped to their knees.
 
They took in their surroundings and found themselves in the middle of the raider’s camp. Just as Aloy and Talanah tried to struggle to find any give in their bonds. Their hands brought behind their back with their wrists crossed and tied off. The two women increased their efforts in response. Even if they couldn’t make it out of their increasing their bonds, they wouldn’t make it easy for the raiders.
 
The Shadow Carja knew how dangerous Aloy was and the reports on Talanah suggested equal caution. Despite their constant struggling, fresh rope was applied to both huntresses crossed wrist. Then more rope was added to the bola bounds on the pair’s legs, arms, and chests. The raiders too scared to remove the bolas and hoped it would suffice.
 
Once the raiders finished increasing their bonds, the huntresses still shifted and struggled trying to find any weak point or flaw. But found none. The Captain of the Carja Raiders took this moment to come and stand before them with a look of distain. He was a rather short man. Even while on their knees, the huntresses were at eye level with him. They glared at him which caused him to unconsciously lean back in fear. Aloy smirked at his discomfort.
 
The short Captain attempted to compose himself by clearing his throat before addressing his two captives, “Who’d a thought. The letter about an upcoming attack really would net us the one giving Helis trouble. Guess I own Borseful those shards after all.”
 
“You know of me?” Aloy asked in mild confusion.
 
“Yes, I’ve heard about you.” The short man sneered
 
“The flame-haired heretic.” He spat the name out like a piece of rotten fruit.
 
“How you use that silver tongue you use to poison men's minds.” Aloy rolled her eyes at the last comment.
 
However, something the captain had said earlier caught Talanah attention, "Letter? You knew we were coming?"
 
"Yes, it seems that someone in your pathetic capital didn't want you returning from this hunt. A true man of tradition it seems." The short man replied chuckling.
Aloy and Talanah glared daggers in response, “I guess someone has to make up for your short-comings huh?” Aloy quibbled. 
 
Talanah let out a snort. While the rest of the raider’s jaws dropped with a look of absolute horror. The humor that once adored the captain’s face was replaced with a look of absolute malice.
 
“I see why that tongue of your is considered so perilous.” The short captain said in a tight voice. Raising his left hand and snapped his fingers.
 
A raider from behind Talanah caught the Meridian woman off guard as a strong meaty hand forced her mouth to stay open by digging his finger into her cheeks. Swiftly, the Hawk was outfitted with a thickly stuffed leather bit-gag, with softer leather straps that cut tightly into her cheeks as they’re drawn back and crossed to the base of her skull. Then, the huntresses felt the crossed straps pulled a hair back, followed by a loud popping noise that made her jump in response. The tension on the straps was released and snapped into the base of her skull, eliciting a grunt in response. She shook her head and now felt something akin to a piece of metal, now pressing into the base of her skull.
 
“Did they just rivet this thing shut!? How paranoid can they be!?” The hawk growled in her gag.
 
Aloy caught sight of her own gag approaching from the corner of her eye. The huntress clenching her jaw shut. Refusing to open her mouth, even with the raider’s fat fingers squeezing into her cheeks. After a minute of refusing to cooperate, the raider pinched Aloy’s nose shut. Effectively sealing her airway until she begged for breath. Instead, he felt a sudden sharp pain in his hand.
“AAAAHHHH!!!” The Shadow Carja cried out as Aloy’s teeth sank into the raiders hand. Causing him to drop the gag into the sand.
 
Two raiders ran up in response to the outcry. The first attempting to pry Aloy’s clenched jaw from the fat handed Carja. While second one grabbed the fallen gag from the ground. Thinking quickly, he joined his Allies by grabbing a fist full of the redhead’s locks and gave a swift pull. The sudden pain in Aloy’s scalp causing her to release her to release the hand. With a large purple ball gag occupying her stretched out her jaw, so much that the raider had to pinch the ball down to fit it past Aloy's teeth. Like Talanah's, the strap through the gag was riveted shut in the back, affording her no buckle to undo.  Except the redhead now having to deal with the taste of sand that coated her gag. Causing her to retch in response.
 
Once the rivet was in place, the raider pulled out another set of leather straps and began to create a much more elaborate gag. First, a chinstrap, anchoring the ball in her mouth is attached. The extended lengths of the chinstrap are then pressed up over Aloy's cheeks to meet between her eyes and riveted around a triangular ring just above the bridge of her nose. From there, a single strap is pulled upward, centered over the top of her head and back down to connect to the already-riveted main leather gag strap around the base of her skull. Then, another strap is placed under the overhead strap and wrapped around her forehead before connecting back to the single overhead strap in the back, anchoring it all around her head. All of them riveted shut.
[You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! UGH, this taste disgusting!] Aloy garbled into the massive rubber ball.
 
The Captain did a once over the now very secured gags and adequate bounds holding their captives. The huntress’s predicament brought a smile to his round face, “Let’s see how well that silver tongue of yours serves you now!”
 
Captain raised his hand made an odd hand gesture and the huntresses once again found themselves slug over a heavy raider’s shoulders and carried away. A few moments later, the two were roughly tossed in a crude wooden cage located in a small corner of the camp.
 
“Try and get comfortable, tomorrow morning it’s off to Sunfall with you two!” the Captain boomed.
 
Aloy attempted to scowl at the raiders, but the ball-gag jammed between her teeth didn’t exactly inspire the same fear from earlier. Just earned a series of laughs from the Shadow Carja as they dispersed and went back to their duties. Except for two raiders that came forward and turned their backs to them. Serving as guards.
 
“How the hell did they know where we were!? There’s no way. The only ones who knew were me Aloy and…” The realization hit Talanah like a Thunderjaw tail-whip.
 
"Vhah bahfperrb Ahffif! He ffohb uhf ouw!" Talanah raged into her gag.
 
[That bastard Ahsis! He sold us out!] popped up on Aloy’s focus display.
 
[Damn him!] replied Aloy.
 
The guards posted to watch the cage turn to look at the angry garbled rants coming from behind. One took particular notice to Aloy’s gag, “Isn't that the harness gag? It’s reserved for the males, right? Why’s it on the red one and how’d you get it in there?"
 
"Helis thinks her silver tongue is the most dangerous thing about her. And considering her disrespect towards the captain. I think you can see why.” The guard replied
“As for getting it in... determination." The other guard said while he cradled his hand with a large bite mark.
 
The Huntresses took in the confines of their prison. It was small and weathered by the elements. Wooden pikes shoved into the earth with more poles cross sectioned and leather strips used as bindings. The resent rain had also made the ground soft. A plan formed in Aloy’s head as she bumped Talanah’s shoulder to get her attention. The Hawk turned her head to look at what Aloy and see what she wanted. The red head looked the dark-haired woman in the eyes and subtly craned her head toward the back of the cage. Then carefully shuffled in the indicated direction. The Hawk cocked her eyebrow at her Thrush but followed her lead. When Aloy’s back made contact the wooden bars. She carefully lowered her bound hands to the soft earth and began to dig around the posts of the cage. Realizing Aloy’s intent, Talanah followed suit and started working on the other set posts.