Yesterday's Enemy [AoT]

ONE-HUNDRED-AND-ELEVEN

'The greatest unknown and unpredictability of our world is the human mind.'

-An unseen extract written by philosopher Adette Briggs.

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ONE-HUNDRED-AND-ELEVEN

Just outside the Havasian Outer Gate

The salt storm had hit the Scouts hard.

Lorelai collapsed from her horse, leaning her back on the outer wall. Her hair was crusted in salt, and her entire body ached. She looked around at her fellow soldiers; they seemed equally exhausted.

Barely seventy of them had made it to the wall. The rest had either collapsed along the way or otherwise gotten lost. She was sure Erwin would be sending out search parties soon enough.

Looking at them now, they were a pathetic bunch.

Once, Lorelai had crossed these Flats trivially. She had ridden into the sunset, guns steaming, unaware of real hardship.

Now, she sat defeated, not by titans nor enemies, but by nature alone. How very far she had fallen.

"Are you alright, my love?" Lorelai breathed.

Levi was beside her, slumped against the wall. His eyes drooped lethargically. None of them had slept all night.

"Just fine, dear," he coughed.

She silently handed him her flask— the last of their water. He needed it more than her.

Levi drank greedily. "Thank you."

Lorelai pressed a kiss to his salt-speckled cheek. "I'm going to find Erwin." With maximum effort, she struggled to her feet.

"I'm coming with you." She took his hand and helped him up.

Their comrades were similarly exhausted. The whole lot of them were gathered around the wall, recovering after last night's ordeal.

The salt storm had been hell on earth. All those hours spent struggling against the wind felt like a fever dream; Lorelai was sure she had slipped in and out of consciousness once or twice.

Her body hated her right now. Every muscle ached, and she wanted nothing more than to collapse into the snow and sleep. But this day was far from over.

They'd reached Havas. Broken, bruised, and damn near-death, but, by Larken, they'd reached it.

Just on the other side of that wall, the city of Lorelai's youth awaited. What mysteries they would uncover, no one knew.

They passed Lorelai's squad as they searched. Elske and Iva were out cold, snoring lightly as they leant against each other. She smiled.

Her face fell as she caught sight of Erwin.

He was standing a little ways from the rest, alone, his eyes locked forward. There was fatigue in his stance; Erwin wobbled slightly from foot to foot as he stood.

He was ever as resolute, but anyone could see this mission was wearing on him more than he let on.

When they'd arrived, Erwin hadn't spared a moment to rest. He'd taken off to find the gate, eager to continue and seemingly ignorant to just how worn out his soldiers were. That, or he just didn't care.

He was standing before the gate. Or, the remnants of it, at least.

As they'd expected, it had been blown clean off its hinges. There was a great wide gap in the stone. Huge masses of rubble littered the ground.