New Blood - Zayde Wolf


A Promise Kept.


"The short man?" Ida asked, wiping down the glass display with a damp cloth.

Thalia nodded, taking a slow sip of her coffee. "Levi," she said, propping her booted feet on the chair across from her.

Ida shot her a stern look at the crass action and Thalia immediately dropped her boots with a thud. She winced as pain shot up her legs from the impact. "He's semi-regular." Ida continued with her chore, folding the cloth to a clean side. "Usually comes here with a small redheaded girl and a blond boy on the weekends. A Danish for Isabel, black coffee for Farlan, and tea for him." She sat back on her heels, inspecting the polished glass. "Though, I haven't seen his companions lately. I hope they're okay,"

Thalia picked at her scone. "Probably munched on by a Titan,"

"Lia," Ida chided.

Thalia shrugged, not meeting her sister's sharp gaze. "You know that's most likely what happened. They're psycho for wanting to go outside the walls," she made a circular motion with her finger around her ear.

Ida stood. She tossed her dirty rag at Thalia (who flailed and barely caught it with her fingertips) and rounded to the back of the shop. "Bite your tongue, they're my most prized customers," she called.

"You just like seeing men in uniform," Thalia muttered into her mug. She took another slow sip, savoring the sweet and bitter taste dancing on her tongue.

Levi, the name was imprinted in her mind. Something about the name rang a bell, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She turned her gaze to one of the floor to ceiling windows at the front of the shop. Golden, dying sunlight streamed through the spotless windows, casting long shadows on the floor. The bustle of people had died down since her lunch break, going from a stream of bodies to a trickle. She tried to still her churning mind, but his name remained. Stark and tall, unlike the actual man himself.

She was curious as to how the ODM gear he brought in was damaged. Perhaps it was from one of the suicidal expeditions outside the wall. Thalia never did understand how they learned anything from those missions. They would leave at the crack of dawn and return midday or evening with countless injuries and half the soldiers. Her town was one they would sometimes cross through to get to their headquarters nestled in a forest at the base of the mountains. The town was a half day's ride to the wall's gates, so it varied depending on how many they were taking out on that mission.

She adjusted the long pieces of metal on either side of her legs. She didn't usually wear her braces when she worked, it was uncommon for her to have to get up very often. But today had consisted of numerous trips to the depths of the workshop.

As Thalia chewed on the crumbs of her scone, she decided some sleuthing was in order. Her curiosity of the small man would drive her up the wall unless she bit off some sort of an answer to digest. The first place to start would be her father. He knew almost everyone in this town, probably everyone in the region. However, a letter would take several weeks to reach him.

But Thalia was a patient woman. The family business brought her up in the art of waiting for the perfect moment of when to strike.


The letter was sent later that night. It had been blunt and to the point, explaining that she couldn't quite shake off the name, that it sounded awfully familiar to her.

It would take about a month for a reply. That gave her plenty of do her own research on the Scouts as a whole and find information on him. A giddiness washed over her as she unstrapped her braces from her hips. A giddiness she only felt when there was a complex puzzle to be solved.

She quickly changed into her nightclothes and pulled her hair into a thin braid. Though it was summer, a fire crackled in the hearth of her bedroom. The double pane window was open to let fresh air in. Cicadas screamed in the trees and an owl sang softly from its perch on a far off tree branch. Fireflies blinked and winked like fairy lights in the dark. Summer thunder rumbled in the distance as warning to an approaching storm.

As Thalia carefully shuffled to the window to latch it shut, her door creaked open on its hinges. The soft pitter patter of a child's feet smacked on the wood floor met her ears, and then a muffled whomp as the child jumped on her bed. Thalia didn't need to look, knowing it was her niece.

She latched the window and drew the blinds. Using the wall for support, she carefully stoked the glowing embers of the fire. The flames licked the charred logs, drawing themselves higher.

Fern had already buried herself under the heavy covers when Thalia made it back to the bed. Her small form was curled on the edge flushed against the wall. Her tiny back rose and fell with her even breaths. Thalia gently peeled the blankets back and slid in, her back facing the child.

As she drifted off, she felt Fern press her back against hers, just as she always did. Slowly, to not disturb the child, Thalia turned over so that her chin was just above Fern's head. She tucked it over her soft hair and drifted to a dreamless sleep.


"Pops, do you know a man named Levi?" Thalia asked on a stuffy morning. The pair were inspecting the ODM gear the man brought in several days ago. Pops had found the necessary part and insisted on showing his apprentice how to properly instal it.

The elderly man glanced up from his work, the magnifying goggles giving him bug eyes. "The name sounds familiar. Why do you ask?" He pointed a gloved finger to the L-wrench.

She handed it over and watched as he carefully slid the material of the belt back. "His name sounded familiar to me, too. Could he be from home?" She leaned her elbows on the counter.

The man clicked his tongue, pausing their conversation. It was his way of saying pay attention, then we will talk.

Thalia drew herself up and focused on his hands as they slid the belt into place and secured it, twisting the L-wrench. She marveled at how steady his hands were, even after decades of hard, tedious work that wore at the flesh. They worked so surely, so flawlessly. Like he was a piece of machinery. Well oiled and functioning at pristine condition at all times.

The muffled sound of the welcome bell ringing stopped their task.

The duo gave each other a look. They weren't expecting any customers that morning, and rarely did anyone just wonder in.

Pops waved the screwdriver he had picked up, signaling her to investigate.

She slid off the stool, adjusted her braces and pants, and wove through forest of heavy oak shelves to the flickering lamp light. When she reached the front, she stopped short.

Levi stood at the counter, a second burlap sack placed neatly in front of him. His eyes immediately snapped to the braces that clung snuggly to her hips and legs, running down to disappear in her boots.

Thalia kicked off the fingers of shame wrapping around her feet. She strode to meet him. Now was a good time as ever to start her investigation. "Why, it's you. What do you have this time?" she asked, pulling at the strings of the bag.

Levi nodded to the second ODM set she pulled out. "Another set failed midtraining. It wasn't my idea to come here, I had every intention to avoid this dim hole,"

She shot him a look. Carefully, she turned the heavy equipment over, running her hand over the smooth metal. She immediately found the problem. A section of paneling holding the gas tank on had broken off. If one more piece had chipped, the tank would have disconnected completely, resulting in a likely explosion.

Thalia tapped her finger on the paneling. "A piece broke off. You guys need to be more careful, the gas is highly combustible,"

Levi squinted at where her fingernail was pointing. He sucked air through his teeth sharply, a look of annoyance crossing his permanently sour features. "The recruits throw that shit around like its nothing,"

Her lips quirked at his annoyance. "They're just kids," she said, as though she were an elderly adult and not twenty. "Don't give them too hard of a time,"

"They need to get smacked around a bit," he muttered.

What a sour man. She slid the gear into her arms, repeating the motions of the previous day. "This one will be a much easier fix. It'll be ready for pickup when the first set is ready,"

Heavy footsteps approaching from the back broke their conversation Thalia peeked around the corner to see Pops making his way up to the front, leaning on the shelves as support. She strode to him and extended her arm. He took it, gripping her bicep tightly. Carefully, the two made it up to the counter. Pain shot up her legs from the added weight but she kept her face indifferent.

Pops beamed at Levi, who's face didn't shift from the bitter expression. "Levi, I assume?" He let go of Thalia and leaned his forearms on the counter. Pops wasn't a large man by any means, his back was permanently curved from years of bad posture. Levi had to tilt his head down to look at the elderly mechanic.

"Yes," he said. He slid his eyes from Pops to Thalia in question. Thalia drew her back straight and pushed her shoulders back. She stood a step behind her mentor, like a bodyguard.

Well, in some aspects, she was.

"Don't worry about returning here, I'll have Lia hand deliver them," he gestured to the young woman behind him with gnarled hands. "The Scouts have done much for my family,"

Lia's brow rose. Pops never did hand deliveries. Ever. He insisted that the very least the customers could do was get their own stuff. Whatever the Scouts did definitely left a mark on his old, shriveled heart.

Levi settled Thalia with a look she couldn't quite discern. "The commander will be thrilled," he said, dryness laced under the words.

Frustration bubbled in Thalia's stomach. "I'm more than happy to do it," she matched his careless tone. I want to find out more about him, don't burn the bridge yet, she told herself. But his crass attitude to Pops made lighting the bridge on fire sound enticing.

"And don't worry about the cost," Pops said. "It's on me this time,"

Then, Levi softened the taught muscles in his jaw. "Thank you," he tilted his head to the man.

Pops' grin widened, showcasing his yellow teeth. Crows feet creased deeply by his bright eyes. "The pleasure is mine. I'll send Lia on Monday,"

When Levi closed the door softly behind him, Thalia whirled to face her mentor. "Why on Earth are you doing the job for free?"

Pops' emerald eyes twinkled under the flicker of the candle light. "I have a lifetime debt to repay," he pulled out his cane from under the counter and began hobbling down the isle to the workshop.

Thalia heaved the sack of ODM gear from the shelf to her arms. It amazed her that the military was able to wear the hunk of scraps and bolts around their waists like it was nothing.

"What kind of life debt?" she asked, following after him.

He let out a breathy chuckle. "I married a Squad Leader's daughter, I can't help but feel indebted,"

Thalia paused. Nonna was a Scout's daughter? She almost didn't believe it. The gray haired lady was as sweet as honey and gentler than a flower. But the more Thalia thought about it, it clicked why the woman spoke highly of the Scouts in times passed. Because she was related to one.

As Thalia worked with Pops, she found herself more and more curious about the psychotic soldiers who lived in the mountains.


AN: CanYouHearTheSirens: Thank you! I can't wait to share what I have planned.

Guest: Thank you!

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