Hang tight. This is a long set up. I'm trying my hand at omniscient so, no *POV this time.
Chapter 1: The World That Fell
The sleepy chill of early forest morning sunk through Eren's fur and pooled on the tip of his nose. Sounds and scents of the stirring woods were muffled by the small river rushing by just over a rocky edge, tumbling headlong down to Shiganshina. His brown grey fur shifted as the waterfall's spray clung to it while he greedily lapped up the babbling current, ears on a swivel for even a hint of danger. A twig snapped behind him. The young wolf's white muzzle shot up, body tense and ready for a fight. Grisha's scent flooding into his open mouth, sending a wave of relaxation through him, as he raised his tail up in salutation. His father shouldered his way through the bracken and padded up to Eren, claws tapping lightly over the smooth stones.
The younger bowed his head, gently mouthing his father's shoulder in greeting, while Grisha groomed down a stubborn tuffet behind Eren's ear. "It's almost time, my son," the elder growled gently.
"I know!" Eren barked, taking a half step back, tail wagging uncontrollably, and jumping up slightly. "I can't wait! My first hunt as a full member of the pack. Just wait," he dropped into an excited crouch, amber eyes fixed on his father, "I'll take down the biggest buck in the woods!"
Grisha gave a soft chuckle and a toothy grin. "Good. Keep that energy up, Eren. Once the sun passes over the horizon, it'll be time to go."
Eren a bit too hyper for his own good, lept onto his father, playfully biting at the larger wolf's jaw and legs. Of course the elder would not allow the over energetic pup run all over him. The two wrestled, yapping happily. Grisha managed to seize what remained of Eren scruff and force him down.
A bright feminine laugh curled onto the rocky bank. A woman with long dark brown hair, gathered up to the side and bright eyed, walked out of the trees, a picnic basket in one hand and a dog bone in the other. "Having fun you two?" She knelt down before settling on a large rock. Grisha let his pup up and the youngster bounded over to his mother. He walked over and lay down beside her. She stroked his head with her right hand and embraced Eren with her left.
"Mom!" Eren shouted in the tongue of man, nuzzling into her shoulder and lapping at her face.
"Ah, my beautiful boys, look at you!" she scratched behind Eren's ears. "Here," the bone pulled up in his vision and he grabbed it with his teeth, "Happy tenth* birthday!" His mother did not release the bone immediately, instead pulling at it, shaking it, and playing tug of war with Eren. When he succeeded in claiming his prize he raced a pace or so away and flopped down to gnaw on his treat.
Grisha gently took her hand in his mouth to get her attention. "Carla, my love," Grisha's voice held more of his wild ascent then Eren's smoother tone, "I'm worried. With Eren's becoming a member of the pack it is more than likely he will be attacked by humans. I don't think his heart can take it." He spoke quietly so that his son would not hear.
Carla smiled knowingly at him, "I feel the same. He's not as big as the other direwolves. Mankind is less likely to run in terror than to shoot him. But I have a plan," she pulled the picnic basket up and flipped open the lid. Inside was a black, studded leather collar with an adjustable strap and some elastic sections every two inches. There was even a tag with Carla's address in Shiganshina. "This shouldn't affect his hunting ability and also prevent hunters, farmers, and the like from shooting him."
"Hmm, Eren does look somewhat like a German Shepherd from a distance." Grisha respond jokingly, his tail flicked slightly in concern.
"I also need you to check in on a friend of mine, Doctor Ackerman."
"The biologist?"
"Yes, specifically his wife, Kimiko**"
"Hmm," Grisha looked to his son, happily chomping the bone to bits, "they have a daughter Eren's age right? I think it might be good if I bring him along. It'll give him a good lesson on human families. It wouldn't do to stunt his social development with humans." Carla patted his head lovingly and he looked over at his mate. "I'll see if I can't find some more Henkan no hana and wolf's bane. I'll need to restock soon anyway."
Henkan no hana, colloquially known as metamorphosis flowers, were rare even in a forest like this. Consuming the petals would allow for brief transformations but only when coupled with other herbs that directed the change. Eren didn't need to eat them because he was already half human but Grisha, being a full blooded direwolf, couldn't transform on his own. If the flower's bulb was dried and sliced before being mixed into a salve with aloe it could heal almost any physical damage.
Grisha's position as the pack's healer gave him extensive medical knowledge of plants and using the Henkan no hana had given him the opportunity to learn about mankind's medicine as well. Eren was expected to one day fill his role so when he wasn't teaching him how to hunt, he was teaching him how to heal. His boy was a warrior at heart though, so making him focus on the practical application of plants was more than a little trying. The rare flower however, was a subject of intense focus for the young wolf and he had a knack for finding it. "Eren," Grisha called, still speaking as a man would, "come here."
Eren rose to his paws, ears forward, tail up, and head tilted slightly to the left. He came over to his parents before sitting at attention. With both Grisha and Eren side by side, the height difference became apparent. While the younger was clearly larger than the normal canines, standing about three and a half feet at the shoulder, his father was closer to four foot seven inches. Even Grisha was considered a slight bit smaller than the average direwolf. Both could look Carla in the eye without craning their necks back. It made the human feel small.
"Eren," his mother spoke smoothly, "I have another present for you. You'll be going with Grisha to see Dr Ackerman and his family after your hunt today, so I wanted you to have this." The older wolf nudged the basket closer to Eren with his muzzle while Carla spoke, "If you ever get lost, someone can help you come home, and you won't have to worry about someone shooting at you."
The air around Eren shimmered as his wolf form shrunk into a tan fur-less, human child. Dark brown hair, slightly lighter than his mother's, stuck out at odd angles and his eye changed into a bluish hazel. The boy, now much smaller than both of his parents and entirely without clothes, plucked the collar from his mother's basket and busied himself it putting it on. At Carla's gentle advice he left it larger than what he thought he would need, just in case, and began playing with the metal tag. "This feels weird." he complained only briefly before his mother wrapped a burgundy scarf around his neck.
"We can use this to hide the collar if you want."
"Thanks." Eren was more than happy to receive his mother's scarf. Her scent still permeated the fabric. Pulling the cloth loose his eyes flashed gold before he again became a wolf. Everything fit perfectly and Carla, with Grisha's advice, tucked the scarf so that it wouldn't catch on anything.
After the hunt
"Did you see me dad!" Eren exclaimed bouncing excitedly in the wagon seat. His father in human form steered the horse along a winding country road up into the mountains. One hand stroked the trimmed beard and mustache, glasses perched on his nose causing it to twitch occasionally. Unlike his bubbly son, Grisha didn't feel at home in a human body, clothing was foreign and itchy and his eyes were much to dull for his liking. This general discontentment was hidden behind a very neutral, reserved expression. To most outsiders it would seem like he was merely tolerating the exuberant boy but their bond was far too deep and primal for human understanding. They were a pack, a family.
He smiled and patted Eren's head. He laughed along with his pup, recounting the pack's hesitance upon seeing his scarf and their impressed, pleased surprise when Eren tackled a large ram, downing it by himself. Not even most adults would risk a mountain ram's horns but Eren was even more wily than the others, lying in a bush down wind, waiting for the ram to get close, before shooting out and seizing its jugular in his jaws. Direwolves are strong, enduring creatures, a fact that Grisha quickly forgets when it comes to his son. It was Eren's hunt that reminded him that his son was more than just Carla's little boy. He had inherited from his father more than a direwolf's shape.
"I'm still impressed you thought of that take down so quickly." Grisha smiled at Eren's beaming face.
"Ha, ha! Yep," he leaned back, the forest green shirt sliding down one of his shoulders, "I'm amazing."
"Oh," Grisha teased, "I wouldn't go that far."
"Awww," before Eren could continue the adult pulled the wagon to an abrupt stop. Both sniffed the air for a moment. "T-that smells like…"
"Blood." He spurred the horse forward at a gallop. The Ackerman residence was at the top of the hill. Dusk was starting to settle. The scent was fresh.
When they pulled up beside the cabin Grisha pushed open the door. Both Mr and Mrs Akerman were dead. The wounds were clearly fatal. The bodies were slightly warm. "Eren stay he-" Grisha turned and with horror realized that his son had sprinted off into the wood following the attacker's trail. A panic unlike he had ever known seized his heart. As a wolf, Eren was strong, but as a boy? "Eren!" Grisha shouted into the enclosing darkness, growling at his own helplessness.
Eren was faster and stronger than the average human. His senses were stronger too. While his father couldn't follow the murders' trail with the haste required, Eren could, and he would. Grisha would no doubt follow him but wouldn't be able to keep up. Before the sun dipped behind the horizon, Eren reached a small shack. There were three people inside, he could smell them. Two male adults, one female child. His grip tightened on the knife. He had taken it from the mother's body when Grisha examined the father.
He could hear the men talking as he approached the door and tucked the knife behind his back. Surprise your prey, he remembered his father's lessons, always go for the kill. Never hesitate. Target the throat before they have time to react. He knocked. The men stopped. One hesitantly opened the door. Eren played innocent. Just like the ram, he mused. His eyes flashed gold as he slashed the knife through the human's neck. He fell to the floor dying in seconds. Eren slid the door closed and retreated into a closet across the hall. Finding twine he quickly fashioned a spear using a broom. He braced himself and charged the second the door moved. The other man didn't have time to react either as the knife plunged into his stomach. He fell back, raising a hand as if to beg for mercy. Eren would give him none. The girl watched in horror as Eren plunged the blade again and again into the adult's torso. Tears welled up in the corner of his eyes. Eren had just killed two humans.
The brunette looked at the dead men's prisoner, the amber tint fading from his hazel eyes. Her own, dark and full of fear, like a rabbit. He stood and made his way over to her. "You're Mikasa, right? I'm Eren Jaeger, Dr Grisha's son. We came here to treat your mom, remember?" She noded while he cut her bindings.
When she sat up she gasped prompting the young man to look at her. She whispered, it would have been barely audible if Eren was fully human. "There were three of them." He froze, blood running cold.
The final assailant gave a surprise gasp from the open door fixing his eyes on Eren, bloody knife still in the boy's hand.
He was in the air, being strangled, it was hard to speak. He needed help. Mikasa's eyes met with his own. "F-fight!"
The girl picked up the knife and froze.
He had given a short speech but couldn't remember what he just said. The edges of his vision went black.
There was a loud snap and a female scream.
The man's grip loosened on Eren's throat. He had been stabbed.
Mikasa finished him coldly once they fell.
Eren stared at the girl for a long moment, overcome by a strange feeling. He was sure, if Mikasa was a wolf too, he would choose her as his mate in a heartbeat. He coughed for a half a minute, trying to make his lungs work again. She took his hand and helped Eren to his feet. The knife was still in her hand. It took a little consoling but he got her to drop it on the blood slicked wooden floor. Her hand still in his, Eren guided her from the shack. Grisha was waiting for them outside. He was tired from running after Eren. It was already night.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" he snapped at the two children, "You could have been killed!"
"I couldn't do nothing!" Eren defended. "The Military Police wouldn't have gotten here in time."
"Eren," Grisha's voice was hard and stern, "do you not realize what you've done."
The youth replied stonely, "I put down two dangerous animals."
Grisha sighed.
Eren was luck that everything turned out alright in the end. The MPs arrived on the scene a short time later and the children's actions were deemed self defence. Since Mikasa had nowhere to go, Grisha offered her a home with Carla saying that Eren was going to take good care of her. This was his punishment for killing humans, he had to be one. His first act was to wrap his mother's scarf around Mikasa, she was shivering and needed it more than he did. Mikasa stared at his collar and then at him, a slight pink flowing into her cheeks.
Two years later
Eren was still allowed to be a wolf, but it had to be a secret from his new friend. Most of his time with the pack was mitigated to hunting or learning from Grisha. He couldn't play with the others anymore. It's not that he was isolated, quite the opposite, he was surrounded by his pack but everyone felt distant. Killing humans in self defence wasn't taboo or anything but Grisha had spoken to the Alpha about Eren's unique situation. He was encouraged to spend more time with his human friends 'for his own benefit'.
Leading a double life also lead to him getting sleep when and where he could, spending most nights with the pack and most days with Mikasa and his mother. His antics, such as diving head first into trouble, drew attention from the Stationary guards, specifically the almost constantly drunk Hanes. Another boy he was close with, Armin, would get bullied so Eren, and by extension Mikasa, would always come to his rescue. This became a running joke of sorts with those stationed in Shiganshina. They would call Eren the 'Guard Dog' because of his stubborn alertness, Armin 'General' because of his strategic mind, and Mikasa 'Super Soldier' as she was the strongest and most competent of the trio.
Events in accordance with the first episode of AoT and the titan invasion on Shiganshina occur as normal, with the exception that Eren is only a little bit stronger physically. Two children still can't lift the weight needed, his mother is devoured anyway.
Army Training Camp: One year after the 104th joins military training.
Eren yawned and stretched before reaching up to scratch at his collar. Every day he rose promptly at five a.m., well before the other cadets, took a shower, and put the cream colored scarf Mikasa had given him for his twelfth birthday over his collar. Not even Armin knew that he wore the leather band around his neck.
They were in the mountains during winter. With six cadets to a room it became even more difficult to get a good night sleep. Between Reiner's snoring, Armin's muttering, and Jean's sleep talking about Mikasa it became habit for the brunette to sleep outside. The snow he didn't mind and the wind was only a little annoying. As he got older he gain a mastery over partial transformation to the point where he would sometime do it without noticing. Up here in the cold mountains where humans walked around in heavy coats, Eren strolled from one building to another completely unfazed by the biting chill. He even heard some gossip about his unnatural affinity for cold amongst the more superstitious cadets. They created such fantastical stories it honestly made him laugh.
Eren looked at the bunk above him. Armin was muttering something about "Mr. Whiskers and how now was not the time for… something or other." Just Armin being weird again, he thought, sighing and itching a spot on his stomach. Hope I'm not getting fleas.
He swung his legs off the bed and carefully set his feet down on the frosted wood floor. He actually slept through the night this time which surprised him. Reiner tossed and turned on the lower bunk next to him. Bertholdt was muttering something in his sleep on the top bunk. Horseface had the bottom bunk just beyond with Connie on the one above him. The smaller cadet jumped up suddenly with a shrill voice. "Don't eat me!" he shouted. All the other boys stirred and woke. Eren quietly cursed his luck. He wouldn't be able to escape the questions about his morning routine or how, unlike the others dressed in sweatpants and sweaters, he was able to sleep comfortably in just his boxers and a scarf.
"Dammit, Connie!" Jean snapped, "I was just getting to the good part."
Eren didn't want to know.
Reiner looked over at Eren's bed, expecting it to be empty, only to gape at the brunette's irritated face. "Guy's, check it out, Eren's actually here this time!" All eyes in the room turned towards Eren. He glared at Connie. The smaller boy shrunk back.
"You just had to wake everyone up, didn't you."
"Sorry. I couldn't help it. I had a nightmare."
"What was it about?" Armin asked, shifting attention back to Connie.
"Well, there was this big ass wolf, right. Fucking huge. Like four, four and a half feet tall. An' he was looking at me from behind a tree out on the mountain side. Looked almost like a timberwolf. Greyish brown with gold eyes. Now, it was snarling at me and I was like, 'fuck this man, I'm not about to become this things dinner' but as soon as I try to bolt the thing starts chasing me. It's fucking fast man and I'm running for my life through the forest. It jumps on me. I woke up right before it could take a bite out of my face."
"Four feet, hu?" Jean said, sounding very unimpressed.
"Dude, you realize timberwolves are 2'8" tops right?" Reiner wanted to make sure Jean was taking the right considerations for size.
"Yeah, Great danes are about 3'10," right?" Bertholdt prodded.
"The wolf from Connie's dream would be about the size of a small horse," Armin added.
"I know, and it's bullshit." Jean's rebuttal was quick and biting. "There is no way wolves that size exist."
"I've seen one." Eren, who had remained quiet despite the rising fear in his gut, finally spoke. All eyes turned to him in disbelief. "They roamed around in the woods outside my hometown. Armin's never seen one 'cause they only really hunt at night. They're called direwolves. My mom and Dr. Ackerman, Mikasa's dad, used to study them." Even though common sense screamed at him to shut up and let them believe that direwolves weren't real, Connie's description sounded damn near identical to himself in wolf form. The golden eyes gave it away. As far as Eren knew only Grisha and himself had golden eyes, his packmates all had very brown eyes.
"R-realy?" Armin looked nervous.
"Yeah, I got to name one." Eren needed to make sure that if anyone caught him as a wolf, even with the collar on, that they wouldn't try to kill him. Speaking the human language as a wolf was unacceptable so he did the first thing he could think of, make an excuse. "He was a puppy when I met him, but he was already bigger than any dog I'd seen. We call him Sharp, looks a lot like how Connie described him actually."
"I don't believe a word you're saying." Horseface came in flatly.
"Yeah, that's all a bit hard to swallow." Reiner added.
"Eren," Armin leaned down over the railing suddenly very concerned, "Is it possible that Sharp could follow you? I mean, wolves are pack animals so it's unlikely, but, if he thinks you're a member of his pack it's possible he would follow you….so?"
"There's a reason we called him Sharp, Armin. That wolf is a fucking mastermind." He stood suddenly and stretched again, the urge to run away before things got worse gnawing at his stomach. "Welp, I'm gonna take a cold shower," he grabbed some clothes from his footlocker, "see, you at breakfast."
Training for that day was comparatively lax. It wasn't until late evening that the cadets found out that the caravan delivering food was delayed by a snowstorm. Sasha was crying for hours. Everyone else was grumbling. Eren wouldn't have minded if breakfast consisted of more than a single slice of bread and half a cup of water. He and his roommates were shut up in their quarters at seven p.m., snow coming down in rapid flurries. They wouldn't be eating the next day either at this rate. "Ugh, dammit," Connie muttered into his pillow, "Why can't we just bag a deer or something. We're in the mountains for crying out loud."
"Would you shut up," Jean growled, "we are all hungry, cold, and pissed."
Eren, who had been lying on his bed, sat up. Why didn't I think of that before? "I'm going for a walk." He grabbed his coat but before he could leave Bertholdt seized his forearm, a concerned look on his face.
"Eren, you shouldn't go out there in this weather. It's bad enough Ymir and Crista went out there looking for that other guy. We don't need more of the 104th getting lost in this storm."
"I'll be fine." Eren deadpanned, yanking his arm free and rushing out before they could follow. He knew he should have listened to Bertholdt, that the others would follow his tracks into the mountains, but he was to hungry to care.
"Eren!" he could hear Armin call out.
Before long camp was not even a light in the valley. Snow flicked into his eyes. Eren shook his head to clear the snow from his hair. Noseing his way along the treeline he found a hollow tree in which to stow his things. Not wanting to ruin his clothes, Eren quickly stripped down to nothing but his collar. The wind bit into his skin and he shivered as thick fur raced over his body. Soon Eren was in his wolf form, the elastic on the collar giving it the extra stretch it needed not to choke him. With the snow falling quickly his tracks would vanish as well. Convenient if he didn't want to be followed, not so much if he wanted to hunt. A quick huff of warm air rushed out of his mouth, carried away by the wind.
Eren returned his attention to the tree, building a false drift to hide his belongings and, padding around to the other side, marked the tree with his scent to find it later. The snow at the tree's base was tinted yellow and steamed a bit. Finding his work satisfactory, the wolf Eren moved on to hunt.
Armin had convinced the other to go after Eren into the storm. They were ten minutes behind him and lost his tracks five meters from the marked tree. Jean pointed out that calling Eren would be pointless in this weather. Splitting up would be equally as dangerous. So the five boys wandered, searching for Jaeger.
Eren had tracked three humans for a short distance. He didn't know who the scents belonged to until a pool of lamplight flashed over his face. Christa, dragging a sled with an unconscious boy on it, followed by Ymir. Both of the girls froze, fear in their eyes when they saw Eren. He had grown sizably since he was ten, standing 4'3" at the shoulder. His head was lowered as he had been sniffing at the snow trying to locate hibernating animals. With the sudden light his ears perked forward and he raised his head. He looked the two in the eyes before padding forward. Despite his intimidating appearance he was still concerned for the girls well being.
Christa froze, taking a sharp breath in when Eren approached her. Ymir looked about ready to fight to the death if necessary. The wolf tried to keep his posture as friendly as possibly. Tail up and wagging, tongue lolling out to the side, like a giant puppy. She hesitated before reaching a hand out to Eren. He obliged her expectations by sniffing it, his tongue darting out to warm her frigid fingers. Christa giggled and petted his shoulders. Her face lit up in wonder. "He's so warm! Ymir, come feel this." The other girl crept towards Eren and he patiently let the girls warm their hands in his fur. He had time and resources they did not and it would kill him if he didn't offer any help. He made a few vocalizations to get their attention, even grabbed at the sled's rope with his teeth tugging it in the direction he came from. Neither of them seemed to understand so he adopted a hunting dog's pointer stance.
Ymir gave an exclamation of realization, "He's showing us where to go."
Feeling he did his part in helping and his growing hunger, Eren barked a good by.
"Wait!" Christa exclaimed rushing over to the retreating wolf and hugging his great neck, "Thank you." As soon as she let go, Eren took off into the trees at full speed. Christa looked over at Ymir dumbfounded. "It had a collar." Ymir's eyes widened as they both stared into the storm after the wolf.
Eren continued on for another ten or so minutes. His nose flooded with a familiar musty smell that caused his mouth to water. Deer. Lots of them. A large herd of about twenty individuals crowded together, stripping tree bark and grazing on what remained of frigid grass. He studied his prey for week members, yearling, the sick, or elderly. Even a slower mover could be a target. Once he selected his meal, Eren carefully skirted the clearing. A snap alerted the herd, but Eren was not the source. Not about to let his meal slip away the wolf burst from the undergrowth. The deer scattered. Eren hard on the flanks of his target. He heard a collection human yells. A small human figure ducked into a hollow. The deer leapt over it but stumbled. Eren was ontop of it, seizing its neck like a vice, gripping and shaking until the deer stopped moving.
"Holy shit!" It was Connie who he and the deer vaulted over but Eren couldn't care less. Hot blood slid over his tongue and he eagerly ripped into the carcass. "Did you guys see that. It just jumped over me like I was some kind of hurdle."
"Whoa, that thing's alpha, look at the size of it!" Reiner knelt down next to Connie who was still staring in mixed terror and awe at the massive wolf.
"I don't believe it," Jean said, "it's a wolf the size of a fucking horse."
"H-hey," Bertholdt, shook Reiner's shoulder, "i-is that a collar?"
Eren's tail flicked back and forth as he tore through flesh and crunched bone, finally looking up at the stunned, cold reddened faces of his friends. He raised his bloodstained muzzle and howled, causing them to jump back. He drew his tongue over the sticky fur looking right at Connie. He bent down and with a few tugs tore the entire back right leg of the doe. Eren walk right up to the huddled boys and dropped the severed limb on Connie's lap as a thank you for the idea. The tiny boy grunted when the leg fell on him. Armin probably thought Eren didn't notice him edging closer. He let the boy get within a foot before barking loudly at the others. Armin fell over in surprise and Bertholdt surprised Eren in turn by rushing forward and grabbing the collar. He yelped despite himself and while he could easily throw the young man off, didn't actually want to hurt him, opting instead to release his weight, flopping down on top of him.
"Gah!"
"Bertholdt!" Reiner rushed forward, Eren laughed internally as the two boys tried to pry him up.
"Sharp?" Armin said. He was on his knees, leaning forward in fascination. Eren barked in reply, flipping up into a lounging position and off of Bertholdt.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Jean said.
"This collar has an address from Shiganshina on it."
"Really, let me see," Armin crawled forward, "yeah, this is Eren's old address."
"So, Jaeger wasn't shitting us?" Connie didn't seem so much surprised as he was impressed.
"I guess that explains his manners," Jean retorted, "being raised by wolves and all."
Eren growled. Jean wisely took three steps back.
"Whatever man, I think it's awesome! These thing are real!" Connie, Reiner, and Bertholdt began discussing how to cook the venison. Armin and Jean stared at Eren while he went back to picking apart the remains.
By the time they got a fire going all of the cadets were cold and huddling around the cooking meat, pulling off strips as soon as they were done. The overhang that they found was left open to the wind so Eren planted himself in the entrance. The five boys were laughing and joking, momentarily forgetting the world's worries. Armin was the only one that remained withdrawn.
"Hey, what's the matter, Armin?" Bertholdt leaned over to the blonde.
"It's Eren. Did you all really forget that he's still out in this?"
Everyone fell silent. The wolf perked his ears up.
"Hey, Sharp," Armin turned to him suddenly, "can you find Eren?" The two stared for a moment before Eren stood and began walking away. "Hey! Wait!" He could hear the sound of the fire being squelched. The five followed the massive wolf all the way back to the tree he marked. Just as before he adopted a pointing stance, directing them back to camp. "That way?" Eren barked.
"Okay." Connie dropped what was left of the leg into the snow.
Once they all had left Eren retrieved his belongings, bundled them between his teeth, and sprinted down the mountain just avoiding the others. He snuck into the cabin showers, dropped his things, and returned to his human shape. Blood smeared on his face felt sticky and gross. Fortunately it didn't get on his clothes. The youth turned a few faucets and hot water came spurting out the shower head. Eren ran fingers through his hair and scrubbed his face.
"Eren?" Armin's voice echoed into the showers. Eren looked over the chest high walls towards the entrance.
"Oh, hey, Armin. What are you doing here?" The brunette took a quick glance at his things, making sure that the collar was hidden.
"Where did you go running off to?"
"Eh? I went out into the woods for a bit and then came back. Why?"
The blonde gave an exasperated sigh. Connie burst in the room after him. "Eren, you won't believe this! We saw it!"
"Hu?"
"The direwolf you were talking about! Sharp! We found him."
"Really?" Eren rubbed some shampoo into his hair, feigning surprise. "Don't know why he wouldn't say hi to me then…"
He had them fooled well enough and new rumors about the "suicidal bastard" would circulate. Well at least I don't have anything else to hide.
*See the "Wolf Children" movie: a wolf is an adult at ten years old
**Mikasa's mother's name is not given in the Anime or Manga (that I know of) so I picked something that I think fits what little we see of her character