The Girl Who Flew (SNK/Attack on Titan/Levi x OC)

Eve of the Counter Attack (Pt 3: Chapter 2)

We had arrived at the old Scout headquarters for our briefing. It was gorgeous here, a lovely castle nestled in the middle of the forest. Right now, we were in a singular line in front of the stables, the stench of manure cutting through the fresh air as the horses swung their big beautiful heads out of the stall. Ever since arriving, I found myself looking constantly for the short captain unconsciously.

And I hated myself for it.

"Attention!" The Scout bellowed and we clamped out fists across our chests respectively. "I'm section commander Ness, and this girl is my horse, Charette, fair warning: Charette is rather partial to pulling hair, so I'd watch out if you don't wanna' go bald! We're glad to meet ya'-" I made a mental not to keep away from said brown beast as Charette ripped the white handkerchief off of Ness's head, he grunted and struggled with her for a moment.

"Hey, stop that, you freak!" He snapped at his Charette. "Can I get a hand here, you guys?"

"I volunteer as tribute," I sighed, dropping my hand as I stepped forward. I looked square at the horse who had a devilish glint in her dark eyes. "Okay, listen here Flicka, if you grab my hair it's game over," I warned her as I grabbed her bridle and she released the section commander to nip for my hair.

"W-Would you mind taking her before I get yelled at for animal cruelty?" I shakily asked Ness as he dusted himself off and reached for the reigns.

"I got her, thanks, cadet,"

The day went somewhat smoothly. We were given a tour around the ground and then briefed fully in a classroom similar to the one at the training corps. Our lessons were hardly combat oriented and that night we were sent to our rooms with homework to memorize Commander Erwin's long range scouting formation. We were never truly informed of Eren's actual position in this formation. Our jobs would be simple, stationed between the Wagon Defense squad and the Scout Support squad. Our duties were to run spare horses and relay signals.

I was, thankfully, not forced to share any rooms or bunks with any of my fellow cadets. There were so few of us and not many scouts stationed here that I was allowed to unpack my belongings in a small, stone clad room overlooking the forest all to my own. There was two, twinsized beds, but with no roommate, I pushed them together to give me more room to sleep and move.
Next, I began to devise a hiding place to conceal my treasured heirlooms. I found a loose stone underneath my bed, and with a little bit of tender love, I got it pulled out of place. As I began to set the ruddy old back inside the shallow hole, I noticed something in the bag. Carefully withdrawing each item, I turned the bag inside out and a hand flew to my mouth in shock. All of these years, I had never noticed this.

My mother had made this very bag out of her cape from the scouts, the wings of freedom, albeit aged and worn, were gleaming proudly. I could tell she had made it. The shoddy sewing job was evidence enough (the woman could hardly sew to save her life). I felt tears bubbling up in my eyes. and I clutched the bag tightly to my chest as I tried to stifle my agonized sobs. I missed her so much...

I had fallen asleep snuggling the bag after concealing my belongings in the floor, laying the stone over it. I had to be extra gentle with the old letters and decided on tucking them away in my mother's diary and winding that in a pillow case. The old heirloom books laid under the diary.

The very next day, I ushered myself out of bed when I heard the wake-up call sounding. After my clothes from yesterday passed the sniff test, I ran out to get a quick shower. Sadly, almost all were taken but one. I wondered why this one shower was neglected, but when the water swapped from scalding my skin to coldest winter since 839 to the devil's armpit rapidly; I needed no education on the matter.