Blood of the Wolf

Chapter 1

The glen was dotted with sheep thecolor of clouds. Ewes tended to their charges whilst nibbling thesweet grass at their hooves. Shaggy dogs trotted around the borders,keeping the sheep in a wide circle but allowing them to graze. Peasants with crooks stood on the outer edges but their duties werepithy in comparison to what was hiding in the trees.

Sheep didn't attract titans. This much was known. Humans however, could quickly attract a menace. Although they were in the wilds of Wall Maria, they were not far from the city, meaning any appearance of a titan here could quickly become a state of emergency. Therefore, these sheep and inevitably their shepherds were worth more than the coins in their pockets. After the loss of Wall Maria, pastures were scarce. Thus, the shepherds had military protection when grazing their flock in an attempt to keep the meat market from collapse.

Jean tapped his shoes against the treebranch he sat on, sighing. A tame job for a scout, he wasn't tryingto complain. However, he had thought joining the Scout Corps wouldmean more titan sightings. Armin had been lucky enough to be sightedby Levi early on. The exceptionally awful part was that it hadnothing to do with his innate fighting abilities but intelligencealone. All of the work Jean had put into the academy had beenwasted, first by his snap judgment to join the scouts and now fromLevi overlooking him.

"Jean!" Turning, he saw Sasha astone's throw in another tree. "Look what I found!" She heldtwo blushing apples. She tossed one to Jean.

"Thanks. Where'd you find these?"

She gestured to the other side of thefield. "Over there."

"You're... skipping around? Aren't you out of formation?"

Sasha shrugged. "I mean... yeah, but nothing ever happens anyway."

An ewe lifted her head, bleating desperately. A few others picked up their heads, a wave of tension beginning to ripple through the herd. One of the shepherds began to approach the bleating ewe, its lamb slowly loping back to the call of its mother.

"Sahsa, look." Jean pointed to thedog nearest them. It's yellow eyes were focused on the dark of thewoods. Yellow teeth born, its hackles were raised.

Sasha pulled out the triggers of her ODM. "Is it a titan?"

"I don't know." Jean looked to Sasha, her eyes intent on the forest. Sweat beaded on her forehead and he could see her hands shaking. He looked down at the dog. Orat least, where it had been.

"Wha-"

A wolf burst from the forest, grabbing the bleating ewe in its jaws. Black as a sin and just as spiteful,it stood higher than any beast of burden. Even from across the field Jean could see the ripple of muscles beneath its thick coat. It's eyes were the color of envy, their calculating power boring into the farmer before him.

Jean attached blades to his triggers and took off towards the animal. Beneath him, the sheep were beginning to scatter. Frantic dogs barked at the sheep, trying to bring them into submission but the fear in their eyes had infected their judgement.