BLOODSPORT

Episode 18

"What the Hell happened to the rest of our horses?" Rhea questioned, sitting on the saddle of the only steed they had. She had injured her leg pretty badly on her fall down with the Female Titan. Not only that but her gear was now busted from cutting her wire. If one of them was going to end up dying in Titan territory it was going to be her unless they found the other horses. "I mean damn I know what happened to Armins. That ruthless Titan killed Caesar!"

Jean glanced back to Rhea, taking a break from whistling. "Did you really name the horse?"

Rhea's face flushed in embarrassment. "I misspoke," was all she could say.

"I also misspoke." Rhea glanced up and noticed Jean staring at her, his eyes almost tearful. "I'm so sorry for saying all that about Marco. I didn't mean - I didn't think before I spoke. I just wanted Eren to know that if we took this chance out here beyond the wall, we needed to trust that he could contain himself in his Titan form."

Rhea sighed, "quit apologizing, Kirstein. Truth is, I just needed time to comprehend everything. Marco is dead and even now I still feel empty inside. But I couldn't talk to anyone about it because the only person who I wanted to talk to, I was mad at. Then when I almost saw you die out there, something clicked in my mind. I can never stand idly by and watch another person I care for, die. It kills me that I don't know what happened to my brother." Rhea's eyes flicked over to Reiner, "No one does. But what I do know is that I missed my best friend."

Jean smiled, "I missed you too, smartass."

"Hey!" Rhea lightly punched Jean in the shoulder. He chuckled then soon went back to whistling, trying to locate their horses in the vast distance.

An uneasy feeling settled within her stomach as she watched Reiner wrap Armins head in gauze. He took a pretty hard fall when the Female Titan knocked him off his horse. Rhea saw the concern in all her comrades' faces, which one of them would be left without a horse? The odds would be with Reiner and Jean since both Rhea and Armin were injured and tiny enough to ride the one horse back behind the Wall. But she wasn't about to abandon her comrades. It was too crazy of an idea to even think about at a time like this.

"The choice isn't going to be easy. Two of us are going to have to stay here, we need to figure out who." Reiner spoke. Jean immediately stopped whistling and turned to face the broad man. Reiner was only a year older than Rhea but he still was the most mature out of all of them. A proper soldier who everyone looked up to.

"Wait! Let's fire a smoke signal first." Armin got up from the ground. "If the formation kept moving forward, Row 4, Squad 3 should be nearby now."

Jean shot off the emergency signal. Now they had to wait to see if anyone would answer the call. If no one would, Rhea and her friends were screwed.

"Armin. We'll only wait three minutes." Reiner said. "If no one shows, we have to decide who stays."

"It should be me." Armin stated.

"And me." Rhea added. Jean gave her a confused look. "What? If anyone should stay it should be the injured. Plus my gear is busted. I am no use to the expedition in this state of affairs."

"Hang on, guys." Jean said as he noticed something behind the group. "Somebody answered the call! Hell yes! And they've got two horses in tow! It looks like-"

"Kirsta!" Rhea cut Jean off. "Oh my lord, what an angel!" Rhea waved and smiled at the blonde as she approached.

"That she is." Reiner said, staring at the girl like a love sick child.

"Well damn. That's my little runaway!" Jean said as Krista joined the group. "Easy Buchwald!"

"Huh?!" Rhea pointed at her friend. "You named the horse too! And you made fun of me? You're such an asshole!"