Eren was taking back to the castle early in the morning the next day. He had been training with Hanji a bit as well just in case he did have to go back. The brunet let out a deep sigh as he fixed the girth on his mount. His hands were a bit shaky as he grew a bit worried and scared that he'd turn into a dragon out on the mission. He swallowed hard as he tried to push the fear to the back of his mind, remembering what Levi had said.
"Hey sir dumbass!"
Eren didn't even look up when Jean called to him, a little too fixed on tacking up his horse for the mission.
"Hey..." Jean said, slightly annoyed for being ignored, as he tapped Eren's shoulder, "What the hell, man? Why the hell are you suddenly so special?"
Eren simply shrugged, trying to keep his cool. He opened his mouth to reply before Marco appeared and placed a hand on Jean's shoulder.
"Cool down Jean. You should be happy for Eren, not loath him." The freckled teenager started, "Besides we're going out on a mission today. Best not get on bad terms with anyone right now."
Jean let out a deep sigh and folded his arms across his chest. He nodded slowly, knowing Marco was right.
Eren couldn't help but snicker lightly at the two, seeing how they acted similar to Levi and himself. He cleared his throat when Jean raised an eyebrow at him.
"You two are a cute couple."
Eren jumped slightly when Sasha and Connie popped out of nowhere. He looked over at Jean and Marco, whose faces were a deep shade of red from ear to ear.
"H-Hey shut up Connie!" Jean said in embarrassment before he cleared his throat some.
Connie simply chuckled at how Jean was getting redder by the minute, not seeming threatened by the glare the dual color haired teen was giving him.
"Just stop denying it and confess your undying love for each already." Sasha giggled as she joined in with her friend's 'teasing'.
"C-Come on... St-Stop it you guys." Marco muttered as he lowered his head, trying to hide his fast spreading blush.
Eren chuckled lightly and shook his head. Everyone stopped laughing and gave their attention to Erwin as he spoke in a loud booming voice.
"Welcome to the first dragon hunt. I expected all of you to take part... That being said however, I cannot grantee all of you will make it out alive today." The blond man began, "From the eye witness accounts this new dragon has intelligences like the other two and has the ability to harden its skin from any attack."
The knights and new recruits all stood there wide eyed at the information given to them. Some of them started to whisper among themselves, now having second thoughts about joining the squad. Eren's hair stood on end the whole time Erwin spoke, even if he was zoning him out, afraid of what might happen.
"Now then... Let's move out!"
Eren snapped from his trance and pulled himself into his horse's saddle. He looked around and saw his friends and comrades do the same before falling into rank.
The squad, which contained over 30 members, was split up riding in rows of three. Eren found himself in between two girls, both looking vaguely familiar to him.
"E-Eren...? I-Is that you?"
Eren blinked in surprise when he heard the somewhat familiar shy timid voice come up beside him. He glanced over to see a teenage girl who looked a inch or two shorter than Levi, with shoulder length golden blond and large crystal blue eyes. It took him a while before he matched the name with the face.
"Krista!" He said in surprise, remembering how the same girl helped him with a place to stay during his quest.
The girl smiled at him and nodded.
"Hey!"
Eren's eyes went wide; a shiver went up his spine when he spotted the tall teenaged olive-skinned girl who had tracked him and Levi during his mission ride up beside the blond. He swallowed hard as he looked into her chocolate brown eyes.
"It's you..." The girl said when she spotted Eren, "Look. I'm sorry for all that... and I'm sorry my friends helped that knight kill your boyfriend."
Eren couldn't help it when a bright pink blush tinted his cheeks.
"I-It's fine... He had certain ways of deceiving others... but it's a good thing L-Levi made it out alive..." He said, slightly embarrassed, "G-Good th-thing you said it to me and n-not him... and he's not my boyfriend!"
The girl rolled her eyes and chuckled lightly when she saw Eren defend himself.
"My mistake... Then he's you lover?"
Eren then turned into a blushing stuttering mess, receiving a few chuckled from Jean and Marco, who were line up side-by-side behind the brunet.
"And you're the one who was chuckling about Marco and me." Jean pointed out as he laughed.
Eren lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to calm down. He was finding it hard to when Sasha and Connie started to snicker a bit in front of him.
"Shut it." Eren muttered.
"Who is it, Eren?" Jean asked, tilting his head to the side.
"N-None of your business…" Eren replied rather quickly.
"Come off it you guys." A new recruit by the name of Thomas Wagner spoke up, finding himself right next to Jean and Marco.
"Yeah... he's as red as a beat."
Another new recruit, a girl by the name of Mia Carolina, chimed in from her spot next to Sasha and Connie.
Eren let out a deep sigh as his face started to cool down. He gulped slightly before looking up when he heard Erwin say to move out from the front. The sound of horse hoofs thundering against the cobble stone blocked out any means of conversation.
Eren's heart pounded against his chest as they headed into Trost. He knew Levi, Hanji, Armin, and Mikasa were there… no doubt the witch and her room mates were trying to comfort the dragon at the moment. He gulped as he glanced over at the little trail he used to get to Levi's cave as they went past.
The squad thundered down a huge wide stretch of grassy plain almost as soon as they came out south of Trost. There were a few trees here and there but besides that, they were out in the open. Eren had a terrible feeling bubbling in the depths of his gut as they rode on, completely expose to any element or any attack.
