- Which is a little derailed by Vala having apparently shown up in the middle of the fight. 

Sona's not happy about this!

She steps up to Vala, and in a low voice that in no way prevents Aloy from hearing exactly what she's saying, tells Vala: "I ordered you to defend that gate with your life, Brave."

Uh oh. Mom voice and boss voice combination.

"And I did - until reinforcements came, and your runner brought news of  Aloy and your location. I left the gate well guarded. My place now is here, with you - and with the vengeance for our fallen. Am I not owed that?"

Sona frowns, but doesn't seem to have a good retort.

"And there's more blood to be spilled before that vengeance is claimed - this doesn't look like all the killers."

"It's not. I counted more at the War Party Massacre, and none of their leaders are here."

"Then let me hunt them with you. To the ends of the earth, if we must."

"I hope we don't have to go that far..."

"You've got your Seeker blessing, don't you? That'll protect us."

"I'd rather deal with them sooner, I meant."

"Then find them."

"...Supposedly, they're Shadow Carja. Cultists. This won't be their only dig site. The rest of the killers probably came from others in the area."

"Where?"

"Dunno. But if they're working together, they should be coordinating. Which means there might be records or messages somewhere around here. We should take a look."

"Then let's start looking." She turns to make sure her Braves know to search for any documents - and bring them to her. "Can you read their glyphs?"

"I can get by." Though usually she has her Focus read to her.

"I'll inform you when we've found documents, then."

"All right." And in the meantime, she'll do some snooping of her own.

It doesn't take her too long to find the Commander - and with him his Focus, which has a recently received audio file, flagged as important. When she opens it, she hears a smooth male voice saying: 

"Commanders - over the past month, accidental Blaze explosions have killed a dozen men. Here in the Ring of Metal, I've taken the precaution of placing our entire stockpile in a covered shelter, safe from stray sparks and lightning, and I've posted guards to control access. I urge you to take similar measures - or suffer the consequences."

"Supply Master Thiran, out."

Ring of Metal, okay. Maybe Sona knows what that is. Aloy will ask.

She does! 

"Damn them. The Ring of Metal lies in the ruins of Devil's Grief. That ground is cursed." Huff. "I will return to the Matriarchs and petition them to make an exception to the taboo."

"I've got the Seeker blessing, won't that work?"

She hesitates. 

"Going to the Matriarchs will take too long! If the ground is cursed, then let it be sanctified by the blood we spill. So please, War Chief - break the taboo, for the sake of our fallen."