Blush (Mikannie)

Chapter 10: Searching

Mikasa's POV

The day after the Female Titans attack in the woods, Mikasa had pretty much fully recovered. She had minor bruising and a concussion that was too little to be serious, so the medics let her go from the infirmary.

The camp was chaos. Soldiers and trainees alike were injured and killed during Annies attack.

How can someone do that. How could SHE do that...

With the knowledge of who the Female Titan was starting to spread, she was coming to the understand that she had to act fast and quietly. The dark haired girl would leave, somehow make it outside the walls, and find her.

Part of Mikasa was angry, absolutely furious. Unable to comprehend how and why someone was working against humanity. Not to mention, someone her age. Someone who was training next to her this entire time and someone she could relate to.

..someone she was starting to warm up to.

Another part of her needed answers. The fact that Annie was killing the people around her, what could've been her friends, right under her nose. She needed to get answers.

After leaving the infirmary, Mikasa went directly to the cadets and other military personnel that were planning on sending a convoy to the attack site from yesterday.

She wanted in. She wanted to join them and secretly branch off somewhere along the way. This could take me days to find her, but I need to, before they do.

Mikasa started suiting up for the ride outside the walls. She had a pack with her that carried essentials like food, water, and blankets. Most of the team was riding in horse drawn carts, but if she wanted to be able to sneak away, she needed a horse.

After the military personnel were done grabbing the horses they needed, she snuck into the stables, quickly tacked up a horse, and caught up to the convoy, seemingly unnoticed.

She was one of the last ones in the group, carrying up the rear when the convoy started to move quicker. They were headed for the wall, nearly to the large gap in it they must go through to cross. The gate was slowly being pulled up, allowing for the convoy to pass.

This was it. Eren and Armin were gonna be worried about her, so were the other cadets and her bunk mates, but she needed answers.

The barren landscape outside of the walls has always been so green. The air is less thick and there are plants that grew out here that she's never seen within the walls.

But it was no time for relaxing. The convoy was approaching the forest that encased the slaughter the day before.

As the small mass of military approached the forest, getting ready to stick to the beaten path that goes throughout the forest, Mikasa looks around trying to take in everything she can.

It was just past noon and the sun was shining bright. Almost no clouds were visible in the sky and it was eerily quiet.

The journey into the forest and getting to the attack site was fairly easy. There were two 5 meter titans that needed putting down, but luckily she didn't need to help and risk outing who she was to the rest of the group.

They arrived shortly after the Titan encounter and hoped to not see anymore of the large creatures. The ground was beaten and broken. Large footprints littered the ground making it difficult for the carts to get too close.

ODM gear and body parts were strewn about, also broken and beaten to all hell.

I can't believe the girl I caught crying could do this. Sure she was mysterious, but I couldn't have imagined....

The team started to disperse. Some checking the perimeter, others scouting out where the deceased bodies were.

As the convoy started to do what they were here for, Mikasa quietly moved to do her own scouting. She walked her horse a good distance away from the main site and prepared to go on alone.

The weather overnight was perfect. No rain, no heavy winds, no crazy change in temperature. Annie must still be around here somewhere.

Once a good distance away from the site, she tethered her horse to a nearby tree. The horses brown/chestnut colored coat made for natural camouflage so it was easy to slip away.

Mikasa tried her best to get her ODM gear ready for the task she was pursuing. The gear wasn't necessarily super quiet, so she needed to be quick.

Alright. Let's do this.

After patting the horse one last time, she took off into the trees, hoping she was out of hearing range. She landed on a tall branch that had a good view of yesterdays mess. There were footprints everywhere, but she caught focus of a certain large pair that veered off into the forest.

Gotcha.

At expert speed, the dark haired girl was able to follow the prints for a while. They were heavy and erratic at first, seemingly sprinting speed, but as she continued, the stride shortened up, slowing down.

Annie had run directly into the forest rather than down the beaten paths making it easy to see exactly where her Titan form ran. Branches were torn off trees, bushes were trampled.

As she kept pursuing, she glanced up the way the prints were taking her. There was a large blackened tree straight ahead.

This must be where she stopped.

Mikasa hopped onto a branch close to the burnt area. There was a perfect outline of where Annie had come to a halt. Her foot prints stood in front of the tree as if she kneeled before leaving the Titan body.

There was what looked like a distinct hand print wrapped around the tree.

Yep this is definitely the spot.

The tall, muscular girl was very close to the tree line of the forest patch. She could see the rolling green hills in the distance and there didn't seem to be any 15meter sized footprints out there.

Annie must still be in here. If I was fleeing from a group of people, I would stay in range so I could watch them. So you must be close...