Can she take eight people? Eh, probably. She's got bombs. Okay, let's see what's inside.

Not much! Dusty road, dusty walls, dusty supplies... And a less dusty cart with non-dusty chains peeking out from under a rough canvas. 

Yeah, we don't like that. There's not anyone around who looks like they'd rather not be, right?

Not that even her Focus can see; looks like only guards.

Hmm. Aloy will try to investigate the cart for Clues. Ideally without being seen by the guards.

This is pretty hard going by now the cart is in plain sight of the guards. 

"You there!" one calls as she gets close. "What business do you have here?"

"Just passing through. Looking for another Nora, a young woman."

He narrows his eyes. "Poking around?" And then he signals something to the others - who start moving towards Aloy, drawing their weapons. "Get her!" he calls. 

Yeah okay nope she's not gonna stand around and wait to be got. Fight time, with bombs and spear.

The guards are better armored and therefore a lot more resistant than the bandits or cultists were, but, yeah, no one really likes getting hit with bombs.

She can win this, though it's harder than most other fights she's been in. (With other humans, at least.)

Bluhhhh.

But at least now she can look for Clues in peace.

Yeah this cart has definitely been used to transport prisoners, and it absolutely doesn't look like a formal state-approved way of doing that. It's also got some dried blood on it. 

She can pick up its tracks, too; the road past Lonesome Rock is very rarely traveled. 

She'll follow those. And when they get to the end, she won't bother pretending not to be hostile.

Then she can find some places to ambush the people on the walls from - with bow or spear. 

She'll stick to archery to start off. Humans are easier to pick off than machines.

She can get through a few stragglers before they notice her, and then through another two before they find her - and then they start shooting at her, while two charge her on the ground.

Bow away, pull out the spear, close the distance. Duck, stab, twist, dodge, slash- Lob a bomb up to force the archers heads down, then she's moving.

There's more inside, including some with heavy weapons. 

Trickier to deal with. Stay low, stay moving, try to set up tripwires and lure them into making a mistake.

That works! 

Love to do things that work. Any more hostiles, or can she start searching?

She can start searching!

- And, in fact, she hears someone screaming for help.

She'll see what she can do about that.

She finds a shed with some people tied up down in a cellar! A few of them look injured.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out." She sets about doing so.