The R.O.S.E. | Levi fic

Ch. 2 ~ New Encounters

Shrill reels of metallic threads grinding against cold steel brought attention towards the second in command. Immediately Baxten set down the body he carried, what half of it remained, and strained his ears to hear the sound once more.

Not even a moment had passed before the sound returned, echoing shrilly against the trees as it neared his position. Silently motioning toward the rest of the squad, Baxten stood at the ready with a hand gripping his sheathed blades.

Only when his anxiety started to grow did he decide to call out a warning to the soldiers nearest him, but a quick flash of dark auburn hair only feet away made him falter.

Stood before them now was their Captain, hastily catching her breath and wiping absentmindedly at her face before stalking their way.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Baxten met her halfway and looked down to assessed what he could of her winded state. Steam rose from strands of her hair and from spots along her jaw as titan blood evaporated, calloused fingers gripped at her equally steaming blades, and mud smeared her uniform pants.

Immediately he understood, but wanted so desperately to be mistaken. Yet the proof of it all stood before him, causing his heart to clench with worry. But still, he had to ask, for reassurance over his growing fears.

"Aveline?" the silver blond finally spoke, keeping his tone low and slow, "What happened?"
Watching the blood finally sizzle away from her face, Baxten held his breath.

"Titan woke up. We need to move on; now." Aveline spat, eyes frantically searching over each member of her squad. Once content that they were all present, only then did she loosen the tension in her shoulders.

Everyone else tensed up, suddenly examining every shadow marring the ground with fear. Nearest the cart, Norbert's eyes widened and he swiveled his head this way and that, harshly clenching his teeth to the point it ached.

"Figured I might end up in the same cart I pull some day." He mumbled, more to himself as he glanced towards the already half filled wagon streaked with mud and dried blood.

"No one's getting put in the Wagon, Norbert. We're all going to ride back through the walls on horseback in one piece," Aveline sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation as she thought over how they should proceed from here.

"But if you do die, I'll make sure you get the comfiest spot in the wagon; back right corner!" Dione reassured the poor supplier, who only cast the boy a melancholy frown.

"But that's where the mold grows..."

Disregarding their banter, Aveline trudged over to Baxten and finally sheathed her blades.
"We'll continue recovering in this immediate area, then trail back the path we came from for the other bodies. Then we're gone. I won't risk another death on this squad."

Baxten nodded yet stayed silent, then turned towards Lyra and offered her a hand with the corpse she still carried. The rest remained silent as they retrieved what they could of the bodies.
Dismembered arms, hands, legs, and feet they left untouched where they lay, as they couldn't identify individuals from severed limbs alone.
Occasionally, they would bring them back for testing, should they have enough tax funding for such tests to be ran. But as it stood now, with their job growing more and more precarious as the night drew on, they couldn't risk a thorough search.

Aveline led the retreat back the way they came, guiding the cart on horseback whilst Baxten aided Lyra and Dione in recovering corpses strewn about their path. Norbert, per Aveline's request, had guided the unmounted horses along just in front of herself. His hands shook on the bunched reins, no doubt reliving the horror of the day the titans started to stir within the darkening wood.