Daisy | Levi Ackerman

Chapter 47 - Wintertime

A/N: Mild trigger warning, assault.

[Naomi]

"Last one to the castle is a rotten egg!" Connie yelled as he raced his horse through the woods, setting off into the frosty air with the firewood propped behind him, over his shoulders.

"Hey, be careful with the logs!" I shouted, mounting up Magnum abruptly as I tugged on the firelog rope tied around my shoulders. "But you're on!"

"Hold on, Naomi!" Armin called, as I began to chase Connie down with all of Magnum's remaining speed. He wasn't as playful as Finn when it came to spontaneous ride-outs, but he was incredibly fast as he was trained by his late master. "Wait for me!"

"Hurry up, slow poke!" I laughed as I turned to look at him run down that narrow dirt trail, lined by the white of the snow. I turned back in front of me to feel the rushing, cold wind blow against my face. Winter. The season of facing all the hardships and fears, before arriving to your wish from the autumn. The wish being granted- manifested by the spring.

As the pounding gallops of our horses raced in a frisky motion towards our large, enchanting residence, I recalled that memory of the legend I learned in Calaneth- of their culture to believe that the seasons had meaning.

In autumn, I wished for everyone to come back and have a good life with us. In winter, I experienced almost all of my worst losses combined. And soon, in spring- I might be able to truly start a new, pleasant, satifying life. I just needed to be very patient with my slow process of healing.

I'm getting there, one step at a time. I promise you, uncle. Though remnants of the pain still lurked within my spirit, I knew soon I was going to erase them all away and replace them with fragments of love and hope, pieced together to create something meaningful in this cruel world.

I'm going to achieve my ambitions. And I'm going to live a life that I will be proud of. I promised my uncle that I would.

The demons were so difficult to fight especially when I was battling them in their playground, the darkness. But now I was stepping out of their war zone and I'm going to fight them in my home court. And by that, I meant I was going to try and fight by being around the people whom I belong to. The people who don't make me feel alone.

Soon, the sight of the castle was appearing, and Connie, Armin and I had just then returned from our firewood gathering job. I had to practically beg Levi to let me go outside with them because he knew I was not at all too healthy yet. The temperature was freezing outside at exact afternoon.

Connie got down from his horse as I took the firewood from behind me, securing them again together after seeing some logs almost get knocked away with our sprinting speed.

"I believe Armin is the rotten egg for our race today," Connie declared, securing his own logs.

"No fair." Armin replied, dropping down on the ground. "You guys had a kickstart with the clearing. I was just getting into the pa-"

"Ah-ah-ah, coconut head." Connie said, waving his index finger towards Armin. "You're already a rotten egg. Don't be a sore loser."

I laughed, even as I felt a sharp, pricking pain shoot up my lower abdomen. It didn't feel like anything yet, but as I dropped down from my horse, I felt a haze of nausea wave over my head.

"You guys are still on floor duty tonight no matter who the rotten egg is." I said with a smile, just shaking off the striking pain in my body. I took Magnum's reins and started walking. "Come on, let's go inside. I'll make us some hot chocolate."