The Cadet's Origin

Chapter Twenty Nine - Stuck in Her Mind

Kenna hummed as she sketched under the tree. She was starting to think that this month's day off would never come. Kenna wasn't sketching new ways to kill Titans today. Instead, she was drawing her friends today. Her eyes barely looked up from the page as she sketched Armin, Eren, and Mikasa. They were sitting under the other tree. Armin was showing the other two something in one of his books. Kenna was glad that she had mastered the art.

"What you sketching?" Sasha asked as she walked up to Kenna.

"Armin, Mikasa, and Eren," Kenna said without looking up from the page.

"How?" Sasha asked as she sat besides Kenna. "You're not even looking up from your page."

"That's my secret," Kenna said as she looked at Sasha and smiled. "What do you need?"

"Can't I just want to sit by my friend?" Sasha asked as she rested her head on Kenna's shoulders.

"You can," Kenna said as she rested her cheek on Sasha's head. "But I see the look in your eyes. It's the same look you have in your eyes when you're going to try and get me to give you half of my rations."

"Maybe you're right," Sasha said. Kenna could imagine that Sasha was smiling.

"So, what do you need?" Kenna asked.

"Nothing major," Sasha said. "Just to follow me when Connie and Jean get here."

Kenna looked at Sasha, "What are you three planning?"

"I can't tell you," Sasha said. "That would ruin the surprise."

"Oh goodness," Kenna said. "Can you at least tell me when they are supposed to be here?"

"Nope," Sasha said. "I'm just here to keep you away from where they're going to be."

"Well if you're going to do keep me here will you at least let me draw you?" Kenna asked.

"Yes!" Sasha said as she sat up.

"Great," Kenna said as she flipped to the next page in her sketchbook. She was glad that she had just finished up her drawing of Armin, Eren, and Mikasa. She looked up at Sasha and began to draw the outline of her face. Kenna was sculpting Sasha's face from the graphite.

"How did you get so good at drawing?" Sasha asked.

"I don't know. It's a combination of lots of practice and natural talent," Kenna said. "My father was an excellent drawer and was amazing at bringing his visions to life. He showed me how to capture someone in a drawing forever." She glanced back up at Sasha. "It's something that's come in handy."

"That's amazing," Sasha said. "Is there any reason why you are always drawing us when we're not looking."

"Because I like catching you guys in the simple moments of life," Kenna said as she shaded some of the drawing. "That's how I want to remember everyone. But that's enough from me. Have you heard anything from your family recently?"

"I got a letter from home two weeks ago," Sasha said. "Dad said that raising horses is going well and that my siblings are doing well." Kenna looked up and saw the look of homesickness in Sasha's face.

"Do you miss the forest?" Kenna asked as she continued her drawing.

"Yeah," Sasha said. "Things were simple in the forest. There weren't a lot of rules that I had to follow there."

"I know how you feel," Kenna said. "I miss the way things used to be when I was nine, but it's pointless to think about what things used to be like. All that matters is how we keep moving forward."

Kenna and Sasha sat in silence as Kenna continued the drawing. Kenna didn't know how long she was sitting under the tree for, but before she knew it, Sasha's face was staring back up at her from the page. Kenna glanced between the warmth of Sasha's eyes in real life and on the page. She finished up the drawing by putting the wisps of Sasha's hair that framed her face. Kenna smiled as she finished the drawing.