The cadets were standing at attention on the parade ground, Elsie proudly tagging onto the end of the formation and copying their salute. Petra had caught her as they left the now sparkling dining hall, giving the young girl a uniform shirt and slacks which she had quickly tailored to better fit without the need for turn ups. Although the jacket would take more time, a wings patch had been added to the sleeve of one arm of her top. After staring in shock at the gift for a moment, the silent girl had thrown her arms around the older woman and hugged her as hard as she could.
Levi ran his eyes over the assembled troops, and not finding anything overtly wrong, motioned them all over to the stables. In a well-practiced routine, each went to their own horse to organise tack and saddles. Elsie stood with her dog just outside the stable, unsure of what she should do as she hadn't yet been assigned a mount.
The horses had been led out and lined up, each rider sitting comfortably in the saddle and awaiting instructions. Levi guided his own horse out in front of the others, riding along the lines to check on their presentation. Reaching the end, he looked down at the girl who was standing with her hound, resolutely remaining stoic, which he couldn't help but be pleased about. If she had pouted, or worse cried, he would have seriously reconsidered the merits of keeping her around.
Wordlessly, he reached out a hand to her, which she stared at for a second with hope lighting in her eyes, before grasping it and scrambling onto the saddle behind him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she gripped the horse's flanks with the sides of her bare feet and grinned at her friends. As they moved off, she was glad to see her dog running easily alongside, avoiding the hooves.
She had never been on a horse before, for all the time she spent hanging around the stables, and revelled in the sensation of moving at speed. The breeze tugged at her hair, whipping it across her face as she shifted to look at everyone around them and tried to copy their posture. It was harder than she had imagined, the uneven terrain and awkward position making keeping her seat tricky. Even so she was enjoying the ride, especially as they increased the pace yet again. By the time they arrived at the ODM training ground she was slightly breathless, eyes shining from adrenaline.
Picketing the horses, they once again got into formation to await orders. Slipping down from the Captain's horse, Elsie and her dog hurried to their self-assigned place, watching intently as everyone else organised their gear in preparation for drills.
"Alright, I want you lot running formation practice, without blades for the time being. Focus on speed and accuracy in relation to one another. Later, you are going to complete the assault course." And he gestured to the next field over where there was a series of tunnels, poles, walls and other seemingly random debris through which the cadets had to pass as swiftly as possible using any and all skills. "Elsie, I first off want you to watch the formation drills, and see if you can figure out the correct way to wear this."
This last was accompanied by a slight jingle as he tossed a spare belt and harness in her direction. Clutching it in her left hand, she saluted in affirmation, then set to examining the contraption as the others went to their assigned posts.
Honestly she had no idea where to begin with the assorted straps and buckles, which seemed to be arranged almost randomly to her untrained eyes. Discreetly, she examined how the others seemed to be wearing theirs, attempting to see the pattern and logic which just had to be in there somewhere.
She was interrupted from her frustrations by a small bark at her side, causing her to look up just in time to catch the start of the flying practice. It was with an open mouth that the girl watched as the team seemed to move with one mind, shooting grapples without hesitation and trusting in their team mates to place theirs with care. Moving blurrily, they dove and swung through the training posts with seeming effortlessness and grace in perfect synchronicity.
On Levi's signal, the formation split into two, some going lower and others higher, simulating an attack on each weak spot of a titan simultaneously. After the first pass, they repeated it, switching the positions. Again, and again, and again, each time faster, tighter and cleaner than the last. To the awed eyes of the silent child, it was quite simply beautiful. That was true freedom. That was what she wanted one day.
Eventually Captain Levi gave his team a ten minute break, taking the opportunity to check up on the girl and the dog who were sitting on the ground not far from the horse lines, watching everything that was happening. It was almost disconcerting to see how enraptured she was at watching the practice, which to his professional tastes had been a little sloppier than he would ever let his personal squad get away with.
"Have you figured out that thing yet?"
The girl frowned at the harness which she held in concentration, before cautiously giving a small nod.
"Try it on then."
Hesitantly at first, and then with growing confidence, she slipped her legs into what she figured must be the thigh loops, tangling herself briefly for a moment before righting it. Hitching the main belt around her waist, she scooped the shoulder braces up and over her skinny frame, securing the chest strap. For a moment she thought she had finished, then a paw prodded her in her back, and she suddenly remembered to final latch on her lower spine, smiling in thanks to her hound.
Raising one eyebrow, the Captain circled her critically, noting out of the corner of his eye how all the other cadets were listening in on what was happening.
"Tch, you need to tighten the whole thing up, and if not for your canine you would have killed yourself by not having your back secured. But… no straps twisted, and you actually figured out what went where… I think there might be some hope for you yet kid."
It was all said in his usual deadpan, but at that moment the girl could not have been prouder if the Commander himself had applauded.
