Tainted (Levi x Reader)

Chapter 30

You made for your destination at a quick pace, taking minimal breaks to allow your horse to rest. The orphanage was supposedly northeast of Stohess, in a rural area within Wall Rose.

It'd already been a day and a half since you'd left. Your confidence in your sense of direction was only confirmed when you had passed the looming wall of Yalkell District earlier that morning. The sun was already starting to dip toward the horizon as you widely skirted the outside of Orvud District.

Your eyes picked over the landscape ahead, avoiding looking up at the barely distinguishable shapes of cannons atop the distant wall of Orvud. You shivered, recalling the scraped-off face of Rod Reiss' titan, and the heat that it had emitted. It was fully night by the time you were far enough past Orvud to see it anymore. The sounds of insects blended with the whipping of the wind like a song on the cloudy night.

This is no good, you cursed internally as you failed to make out much of your surroundings. Not even the moon is visible. If I keep going, I risk getting lost or off-track.

You led your horse along an almost invisible trail until it bent into the bottom of a ravine. You then found your way to a rocky overhang, tethering your horse to a nearby tree and settling down to try and rest.

_______________

You were awoken by the sudden roar of thunder, which seemed to shake the earth itself and set the air around you trembling. In an instant, rain started pouring down from the sky.

Through the constant hiss and patter of the water striking the ground, you heard your horse let out a terrified squeal, its hooves anxiously stomping the ground as it tugged on its restraint. Your squinting eyes flickered to the tree it was tied to, reassured that you chose a secure one. However, you cursed in shock as your knot suddenly gave out, freeing the terrified animal. You tried to catch the rope as it pounded past, but it was hopeless. Shit! The rain probably loosened the knot!

Feeling foolish, you shuffled as far back as you could get under the overhang, tucking your cloak tighter around you as you sat with your knees to your chest and your hood up. At least I took all my stuff off of it before it ran away.

Your lips curled into an amused smile despite the situation, as your eyes fell on the saddle that sat next to your bag. You'd taken it off the horse to relieve it for the night. Well, what the fuck am I supposed to do with that?

________________

Shafts of golden light gently dappled the ground through what tree cover there was. The woodland where you had stopped was fairly sparse. You got to your feet groggily and stretched, every muscle aching from the uncomfortable night.

Grabbing your bag but leaving the saddle behind, you stepped out from the cover of the overhang and climbed up the side of the ravine, trying not to slip on the still damp rocks. You trekked back along the edge of the ravine, until you were out of the woods and could turn to walk just inside of the tree line.

Sighing and shaking yourself from guilty thoughts, you raised your eyes and suddenly came to a halt.

In the distance was an old barracks style of building, with another large wooden structure not far from it amid the plains. You were too far north for this to be any sort of military base.

You tensed as you heard a faint shout, making you go on high alert as you ducked into cover and peeked out, quickly scanning for its source.

From what you could make out, a lean woman stood over a smaller figure on the ground, who was propping themself up with one hand as their other hand held their cheek. As you watched with a dark anger, the woman bent and grabbed the person by the collar of their shirt, lifting them up off the ground as the victim clutched at their abuser's wrists.

Suddenly both their heads turned, and a man emerged as he reached the top of the hill where they stood. He laughed and shook his head, waving his hand for the woman to set the kid down. The man approached the terrified child and took a knee, ruffling their hair as he spoke to them.

You failed to resist your overwhelming curiosity. Setting down your bag, you kept low and darted for the cover of a thicket much closer to them. You peered through the branches and held completely still. The man and woman had their backs to you, but you had a better view of the child. A skinny girl with short, dirty blonde hair, no more than eight or so. She wore a tan, long-sleeved shirt and simple cloth pants that were loose on her frame.

The man was standing back up. "The next time you discipline one of the children, make sure it's somewhere a bruise can't be seen," he told the woman darkly. "Like this." Quick as a flash, he turned and his leg kicked out and struck the girl sharply in the stomach, sending her tumbling down the hill in your direction.

You held your breath as you finally got a good view of the two adults' faces. One of them belonged to Joan, and the other, to your father.