"Well, I need to track down the Nora warchief and her party first."

"Whatever for?"

"They were chasing the group that attacked the Proving, and has been corrupting the machines."

"...Corrupting machines?"

"You haven't seen any of those? They're way more aggressive, and have that black-red rot stuff dripping off them."

"...Yeah, I know about that. If you're ever after bandits I'll help - but the people behind those machines? That's politics. I try to stay out of politics."

"Uhh. Okay."

"Though... If you help me clear out the camp nearby, maybe I'll have some information on those politics for you."

"Does that have to be right now?"

"It can wait a short time."

"Okay, I want to try to pick up the Warchief's trail before it goes colder, but I can meet you near the camp after that if you tell me where it is."

"Past those ruins." She then lists out a couple landmarks. 

She makes a note on her Focus. "Okay, got it."

"I'll be waiting with baited breath."

"I'll try not to take too long."

"Good."

Oh no why is everyone outside the Embrace so pretty

"See you in a bit, then."

"See you."

Aloy continues on her way to the site Vala told her about.

The exact site of the battle is pretty immediately obvious - there's a narrow pass between two outcroppings of rock, stained with blood and littered with broken arrows. Vala's directions indicate the main part of the battle occurred through that pass.

Yeah.

She gets down and switches on her Focus to take a closer look.

It's a bit hard to piece apart, but she can put together where the stampede of machines came from, and that it wasn't just the Striders and Watchers that are ubiquitous around here - there were definitely Sawtooths involved, and possibly a Corruptor in direct combat (going by damaged armor scattered about).

Yikes. What about the people, where'd the survivors go?

The tracks seem to lead back out through the area she entered in - 

And there's currently a wounded Nora Brave staggering up. 

"Are you okay?"