From Across the Sea (Attack on Titan/OC) [ON HOLD]

Chapter 27

1 year later

850

The summer day was warm against her skin as she stood under the sun. She slowly lead her marbled grey and white mare around the yard, looping her female steed through different obstacles in order to ensure that she was healthy for the expedition in a few days. She had meant to pick a different horse, but for some reason, this one had followed her around the yard like a puppy. She had stayed attached to Ang's side as she walked around and looked at her choices, but the marbled horse had followed her around and stood in her line of sight, not allowing her to look at any of the other horses. So she caved, and she took her home, training her to answer to the whistle call and to be able to endure the long distance travel the Scouts usually embarked on.

"Have you named her yet?" Ang turned to see who spoke to her from the fence that enclosed the pen. Hanji stood leaning against the wooden post, her hair pulled back into her signature ponytail.

"Her name is Winston." Ang laughed at the face Hanji made in response, one of confusion and surprise.

"Your horse is a girl and you gave her a boy's name?"

"Winston means 'joyful stone'. She's a dark gray with marbled white spots, and she wouldn't leave me alone until I took her home." Ang laughed as she ran her hand through her horse's mane, the large creature turning to nudge the soldier with her snout. "She's always so happy to see me when I come to get her out of the stables. Plus she prances around for like 10 minutes when I try to wash her, she loves the water so much that she won't stay still." Hanji laughed and hopped the fence, walking through the dirt to Ang's side. Winston nudged at Hanji the same way she did to her owner. Hanji chuckled and rubbed her hand up and down the horse's neck.

"She is really pretty." Hanji looked at Ang. Her friend's almost white, blonde hair was pulled pack into her signature French braids, the black bandana pulled up and around her head, her fringey bangs hanging just above her eyebrows. "I know losing Onyx was hard for you."

"Most veteran soldiers go through a few horses during their time in the Scouts." Ang shrugged. "He was old. He always protected me, always came back when I called." As if she could tell the two women were talking about a different horse, Winston turned and nudged at Angharad again, causing the woman to laugh. "Jealous much?"

Ang steadied her hand on the saddle and pulled herself up to mount her horse. Hanji opened the gate for her and Angharad lead Winston out of the pen, moving to face the open field. She occasionally liked to take an evening ride, the trip across the fields of HQ giving her horse some exercise and allowing her to feel the wind whipping past her without the danger of the large humanoid creatures beyond the Walls.

"Lieutenant." Ang saw the large midnight, black horse ride up next to her and she followed the line of the reins to see Levi, his undercut freshly shaved and the same bored look that always graced his face. Angharad suddenly had an idea, and she grinned at him in excitement.