Beyond The Wall {BxB} Book 1 #COMPLETE

8

A week without further incident was their saving grace. It gave Trinity time to relax his nerves and to get used to the guards and scouts who worked with him. Despite their endless attempts at questioning him, he couldn't recall all the things they wanted to find out. So, giving up for the mean time, Trinity was free to help Ava with chores, granted he's constantly supervised by her. while Arik went back on missions with the scouts. Titan activity seems to have dwindled around the wall. Dwindled so much that any encounters with titans outside the wall was sparse. The population of Shiganshina migrated back, filling the streets with bustling life again. It gave Trinity the chance to study the daily routines of locals when he wasn't cleaning. Once he was finished washing the floors or beating the rugs, Ava was kind enough to let him stroll the streets by himself as long as he stayed down the main streets.

The sun was high and the wind was chilly. Birds chirped, chasing one another through the partly cloudy skies and Trinity was exploring the streets. He was munching on a roll that Ava lent him money for. It was a relatively cool day and people passing by were wrapped in coats and scarves, including him. He had barely seen Arik and that was ok as he sensed something wrong. Trinity noticed that the day after he first arrived at Arik's and Ava's house, Arik seemed to purposely avoid him and Ava didn't say anything about it if he ever asked. It stung a little bit but, Trinity shrugged it off as stress of leading people to their deaths for the sake of an expedition. He pulled his green scarf closer to his facial orifices. He walked passed businesses and homes, with children running passed him. He smiled, adoring their innocence. He walked to the wall and stopped at the edge, looking up. He felt so minuscule. It wasn't just an eyesore, he recently learned, it stood as monument. A tribute maybe, a sign of the last of the human race, though its origins remain unknown. He put his hand on the sturdy cement. The foundation was solid, buried deep into the group to keep it steady. The wall began vibrating suddenly, forcing him to pull his hand away. He turned and saw the gate sliding up. The scouts were back. People were forming rows on either sides of the streets, waiting for the regimen to arrive. The neighing of horses and murmurs of soldiers got closer until they entered the city. Trinity ran through the crowd, moving to get a first row view, waiting to greet Arik but his smile instantly disappeared and his face paled. Arik was leading the group but his face was down, unlike the previous few days. A horse drawn wagon pulled grotesquely injured scouts in white wrapping on various parts of the body. Blood stained the hooves on the horses, as if they had to run through fallen comrades. Trinity has seen it numerous times. Too many to count for his liking.

"Shit, it must've been bad today. After some quiet, this blood shed happens." A man spoke to someone right behind Trinity.

"Yeah, I can't imagine what happened out there. It looks bad. Look, most of their horses are gone and half of the soldiers are either injured or dead." His friend pointed out.

Trinity noticed some bodies wrapped in white sheets being pulled in a separate cart following the cart of the injured. There was only 5 soldiers who seemed to be in good shape physically on horses behind the wagons. Mentally, is a whole other story. They looked sick, horrified expression glued on their rigid faces. The sound of the gate slamming down didn't pull his attention away. Arik kept his eyes forward, leading his garrison to the stables. The crowd disbanded, sighs of disappointment and hushed whispers of sadness lingered. What could have happened?

He jogged after the injured party, cutting corners, and narrowly avoiding running into people as he made his way to his destination. The outdoor stables just neighboring the barracks he was tortured at was bustling with moping soldiers putting their animals away. He slid passed random scouts in search of Commander Arik.

"Uh, excuse me?" He turned to see a taller man with black hair that hung in his annoyed green eyes. "Is there something we can help you with?"

"Oh! I'm looking for Commander Arik. Is he around?"