Yavena stared at Levi, almost certain that she had heard him wrong, or that she was still dreaming. Shaking her head, she said, "You're joking, right? This is a joke? Or a bad dream? Something I ate, maybe?"
But the bells were still tolling outside—she pinched herself. It didn't seem like it was a dream…
Levi sighed. "Hurry up, Erwin wants to see us as soon as possible."
The gravity of the situation hit her like a bag of bricks. Titans were inside Wall Rose: that meant it was likely the Wall had fallen. Civilians needed to be evacuated, Titans needed to be killed—the hole needed to be sealed.
Yavena launched herself out of bed and seized her pants, her jacket, and her gear, completely ignoring the fact that Levi was in the room. It took her less than a minute to put on her clothes, brush through her hair, and take a quick brush of her teeth—she checked to make sure her friends' names were in her pocket before she looked back to him and said, "I'm ready. Let's go."
He nodded and turned aside, though Yavena did not miss the fact that there was the slightest tinge of pink to his face as he did.
They walked swiftly through the corridors; Yavena allowed Levi to lead them to where Erwin was residing. A number of pompous merchants and people within the capitol building were hissing and whispering to one another, speaking of refugees already pouring into Ehrmich District, and how long it might be until Wall Sina was taken down as well…
In the courtyard below, Yavena could see a number of Scout Regiment soldiers scrambling. They were preparing some of the horses, getting some supply wagons set up. There was agitation in their movements. Even from so far away, Yavena could see the fear being restrained—it was in their stances, the way their hands were shaking, the wide eyes upon their faces. Yavena's chest was tight… as badly as she wanted to be courageous, this was a lot to swallow.
"I suppose it's a very good thing we took care of the Female Titan," said Yavena, keeping her voice low, trying to make herself feel better. "There's no telling what she would've done if she was still unchecked."
"Agreed," he said—then he opened the door to Erwin's office and gestured her inside. As soon as they both entered, Levi closed the door behind him and turned towards Erwin. "Those damn Titans never give us a break."
Erwin looked up from his desk, where he had been studying a number of maps and parchments with narrowed eyes. "Can you go?"
"Not like there's much choice."
Yavena frowned somewhat and turned back to him. "You've told me so many times not to strain myself unless I wanted to break my body even further. If your leg is still not well, you need to keep resting."
Levi glared at her from the corner of his eye, though he did not say anything in response. He didn't have to—Yavena knew he was exasperated by her turning his own words against him.
"Are you still injured, Levi?" asked Erwin.
The Captain sighed. "I can fight if I'm needed."
Yavena looked towards Erwin; they locked eyes for a brief moment. There was an understanding between them—and then Erwin turned back towards Levi and said, "I cannot risk sending you at less than one-hundred percent, should the worst happen. You'll ride with us to Ehrmich District, and defend Wall Sina from there."
Some of the tension left Yavena's shoulders at the Commander's words. He glanced back to her and gave her the curtest of nods, which she quickly returned.
This exchange was not lost on Levi, whose mouth became a thin line as he looked down to the ground and replied, "I'll trust your judgment on this, Erwin."
Figuring it would be wise to change the topic of conversation, Yavena turned towards the Commander and said, "It was a good idea to leave Miche in charge of the 104th Division, but I'm still concerned. Have there been any reports from them in the meantime?"
"Miche sent couriers to Ehrmich District, Yarckel District, and here in Stohess District. It's likely they have all reached their destinations by now. According to the reports, the 104th are helping some of our other soldiers evacuate the towns to the south, although they are not equipped with their gear or weapons."
Panic lashed through Yavena's being, although she swallowed it and said, "Any report on the evacuations? Casualties?"
"No casualties have been reported by the couriers as of yet, although I suspect we have suffered quite a few in the hours it took them to arrive. Refugees are flooding into Stohess and Ehrmich Districts as we speak. We shall ride to Ehrmich to have a clearer path to the south. Our scouts have reported that the first number of leagues are free of Titans—we leave as soon as possible. Hange is already overseeing our progress."
Yavena nodded and looked out of the window behind him; preparations still seemed to be underway, although it was looking like they were within twenty minutes of being completed. This was good, but another thought had just entered her head. "Does this mean the recruits in the 104th Division are beyond suspect of being other Intelligent Titans? If Miche is keeping an eye on them, and the Wall has fallen…"
Erwin's sharp eyes landed upon hers. "I wouldn't say that just yet. Wait for my report. I will send it to you and Hange as soon as possible."
There was a dangerous tone lacing his voice, one that Yavena did not want to pry into for the moment. And so she saluted and asked her final question. "Any other orders, Erwin?"
A light smile crossed his face. "It seems as though you've been under my direct command for longer than a few days, Yavena. No, I do not have any additional orders, save for your continued protection of Eren when you leave the Walls."
It was clear the comment had been made as a compliment—Yavena grinned at him and said, "I can do that. I'll keep a weather eye out for your report."
Figuring that this was her note of dismissal, she turned around and began walking out of the office, with Levi following after her. She could feel an intangible frustration around him—she figured that it was likely because of her interjection.
They walked through the hallways in silence. Although Yavena wished the uneasiness between them could be dissolved, she did not wish to be the first to speak. Nor would she be apologizing for her insistence that he remain and rest; if she had to redo their quick debriefing with Erwin again, she would do everything exactly the same as she had before.
As they passed the kitchens, a sparkle of gold caught her eye. She froze; it was a huge bowl, and sitting inside it were little caramel-colored candies wrapped by a thin piece of clear foil.
"No way," she whispered. Yavena looked left and right—it didn't seem like anyone was around…
"What the hell are you—" Levi started to say, but he got no further than that.
Ignoring him, Yavena dove into the kitchens. There was still no one around. Even though she was tempted to take the whole damn bowl, Yavena contented herself with snagging three pieces of the candy and darting back into the hallway as though she'd never seen the gilded bowl at all. As soon as she knew she was in the clear, she tossed Levi one of the candies with a complacent grin.
Levi studied it for a moment before asking, "What is it?"
"I can't be sure yet, but I'm fairly sure it's butterscotch," Yavena said. She looked at him over her shoulder with lidded eyes and a smirk. "I told Eren that one day, I'd steal some of it right out from under a fat merchant's nose. And I'm nothing if not a woman of my word."
He shook his head and placed the candy in his pocket with the words, "You're an idiot." Based on the way he bit the inside of his cheek, however, Yavena knew that Levi was trying to keep himself from smiling.
It was a small victory; one she was happy to take.
At last, they had reached the courtyards where everyone else was preparing. Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and Jean were all hauling crates onto one of the supply carts nearby. On the far side of the courtyard, Hange was talking to someone—Yavena was shocked to note it was Pastor Nick.
"Everything almost ready?" Levi asked, stepping towards the four recruits.
Upon seeing his Captain, Eren immediately saluted and answered, "Aye, Captain! We've just got a few more crates to prepare, and then we'll be ready to set out for Ehrmich District."
Levi nodded. "Good. Yavena and I will be riding with you."
Yavena stepped forward, eager to show Eren her new find. Before she could say anything, however, her friend smiled at her and said, "Armin told me you got promoted. Congratulations on that!"
"Thank you, Eren, but I daresay you'll be sick of me before long. I'll be sticking to you like glue from now on." She waved him forth, adding, "By the way, there's something I wanted to show you. Follow me."
Eren nodded towards Armin, Mikasa, and Jean and hopped off of the supply cart, tracing Yavena's footsteps at her request. Seeing that Levi was still standing in the place she had left him, she called, "Levi!" over her shoulder.
He turned around—upon seeing the mischievous glint in her eye, he rolled his own, but proceeded to meet them underneath a shady spot that concealed them from most of the soldiers' sight.
"What's this about?" Eren said, glancing between the two Captains nervously.
Yavena grinned. "Don't look so scared. I got something for you."
She seized his hand and placed the little candy into his palm. Eren studied it for a brief moment in confusion… and then his eyes went wide. His voice was faint as he said, "You didn't—how did you get this? Is it what I think it is?"
Yavena shrugged, trying not to look too pleased with herself. "Stole it from the kitchens. I would've brought more, but these are probably fairly expensive and I didn't want to get caught, so I settled with three: one for each of us in the squad." She revealed her own piece and grabbed at the edges of the wrapping, stopping only to look between Eren and Levi before asking, "Shall we?"
Eren nodded, obviously excited, while Levi just looked at her with both mild exasperation and impressment.
She decided not to wait any longer—Yavena popped the butterscotch in her mouth, taking care to savor it. It was definitely sweeter than anything she had had in a long time; maybe sweeter than anything she'd ever tasted in her life. There wasn't a lot of sugar in the Scout Regiment, and it seemed this was almost made entirely of it. There was a hint of other flavors too, but Yavena couldn't place any of them.
"It's chewy," Levi said, raising an eyebrow.
"And very sweet." Yavena tossed the candy around with her tongue for a moment and found herself smiling.
Eren was grinning too—he slapped a hand on Yavena's shoulder and said, "It's delicious. I'll be honest, Yavena, I never expected you to remember that conversation, much less act on it."
"You doubt me? How dare you," she replied, elbowing him lightly in the ribs.
He laughed at that. "Thank you."
The youthful grin on his face made Yavena feel a burst of affection consume her being. She grabbed his hand, squeezed it, and said, "You're very welcome. I'm guessing we'll be setting off soon: I'll be along in a moment."
Eren squeezed her hand as well and then left the little secluded space, a rejuvenated energy to his stance as he went.
Once he was gone, Yavena turned to Levi. Much of her earlier bravado faded as she laid eyes upon him; she was left with no small amount of nervousness, a feeling she hadn't quite felt in his presence until she had admitted to Hange that she'd cared about him. "I hope it wasn't too terrible."
"It was fine," he answered. Based on the softer look to his expression, Yavena figured this was the truth—but there was still a crease in his forehead that suggested he was bothered by something.
"I know you have something on your mind, Levi," she said, leaning against one of the wooden beams that supported the roof above their heads. Yavena hoped that she didn't look too defensive.
The regular neutrality returned to Levi's face. Crossing his arms, he said, "Even in this current state, I am capable of fighting. If I am needed beyond the Walls, it would be better if I went. Why would you put yourself and others at a disadvantage by insisting I remain?"
"Because I'm worried about you," she answered simply.
"Tch. You don't need to be."
Yavena stood up straight again and looked him directly in the eye. "I know that. You're the best soldier we have, even injured. That doesn't stop me from worrying about you."
He looked away, towards the supply carts that had just been fully stocked. A number of the Scout Regiment soldiers were taking quick drinks of water from canteens, leaning against the wheels of the carts for the brief minutes of respite they would have before leaving Stohess District.
"I see," he said at last. Without bothering to elaborate on what he was thinking, he began to return to the others—and Yavena, not one to be left behind, quickly followed.
Just as they returned to where Eren and the others were waiting, Hange walked up with a jovial smile on her face. Shuffling behind her was Pastor Nick, at whose presence Yavena raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry to keep you!" Hange cried. "Took longer to prepare than we thought."
Hange waved an extravagant arm towards one of the wagons—the rest of them piled in, with Jean, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin on one side and Yavena, Levi, Nick, and Hange on the other.
"Eh… isn't this a priest from the Order of the Walls?" asked Armin.
"Aye. Nick and I are best buddies. Right?" Hange said happily, throwing an arm around the priest, who looked as though he might've been taken captive. "Don't let him bother you—the whole makeup of this squad doesn't make any sense."
Levi's eyes narrowed. "No, I think it might."
Hange was not given a chance to respond. From the front of the horses and wagons that were prepared, Erwin's voice began bellowing, "Open the gate! The situation within Wall Rose is unclear, but everything up to Ehrmich is safe. We'll save time going through there. Move out!"
The entirety of the Scout Regiment within Stohess District began to run through the streets, all of which had been cleared in advance. Before too much longer they had exited the gates and were heading in the general direction of the south-west so they might reach Ehrmich District before nightfall.
As soon as this march had begun, Yavena suddenly remembered what was at stake. What little joy she'd brought herself by her ploy with the butterscotch was eradicated: there were civilians that were being evacuated, taken away from everything that they'd ever known. It was possible that some of her brothers and sisters in the Regiment were laying down their lives at this very moment…
This perturbation spread across the remaining seven within the carriage. Yavena wrung her hands together in a pattern to keep herself from letting her thoughts run wild.
After all, if Wall Rose had really fallen…
"Tell us, then, Hange," said Levi, who had crossed his arms again. "Why are we taking one of these idiot priests with us to Ehrmich District? I thought you couldn't get him to talk about why there was a Titan in the Wall."
"What?" shouted Eren. His cyan eyes went wide; it seemed that his joy from the butterscotch incident had evaporated just as Yavena's had. "He knew? There were Titans inside the Walls this whole time and he's known about it?"
Hange sighed and ran a hand through her dark hair. "Aye. Though… he's kept his mouth shut this entire time." She glared at Nick somewhat from the corner of her eye before returning her attentions to Eren. "But now he's coming with us to witness the harsh reality. Will his beliefs be strong enough for him to stay silent? Or will seeing it with his own eyes make him question himself?"
Yavena leaned forward to get a look at Pastor Nick. His hands were clenched and placed resolutely atop both of his knees, but there were shadows under his eyes.
"No, no, no, no! This is all backwards!" Eren stood up from where he had been sitting with this and slammed his hand upon one of the boxes that sat on the floor of the carriage they were riding in. "If there's something you know, tell us about it! Nothing's more important than keeping humans from going extinct!"
Eren likely would've said more, but he winced and threw a hand towards the side of his head. He sat back down with an unceremonious thump.
"Eren, settle down," said Mikasa. "You're still not fully healed."
He grit his teeth and looked towards Yavena, as though asking for permission to throttle the priest from the Order of the Walls for deliberately withholding such important knowledge. As much as she'd like to condone such action, however, she just reached out and placed a hand upon his knee. "You need rest, Eren. You're able to recover from injuries faster than the rest of us, but that doesn't mean you can exert yourself whenever you want."
"Tch. Damn it," Eren muttered, but he kept himself seated and allowed Mikasa to grab onto his hand.
Levi reached within his coat and pulled something out—a pistol. "I wouldn't worry, Eren. There's more than one way to get answers. I may be injured, but it doesn't take much to watch one man. I'm hoping we can settle this without blasting a hole in anyone, pastor. Aren't you?"
Yavena jolted upon seeing the pistol. "When the hell did you get that?"
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and smirked. "Found it in the armory of the capitol building. Thought it looked nice."
"And you called me an idiot for stealing three pieces of butterscotch!"
"Tch."
"Threatening him doesn't work, Levi. Believe me, I've tried," sighed Hange, getting them back on track. A knowing grin was upon her face as she spoke, though. "It seems to me that this priest is capable of sound judgment. That's why I wonder… what if the reason he doesn't talk is because he knows something more important than the fate of humanity?"
There was a bump as the carriage rode over a large rock; and then silence.
Yavena found herself gazing over the faces of the four recruits in front of her. Armin did not look surprised by any of these developments—in fact, she would bet money that he'd figured out there were additional Titans in the Walls even without Hange's suspicions. Mikasa was as neutral as usual, save for a clear concern for Eren's well-being. Eren was furious, that much was obvious. Jean was looking to the road ahead, as though his thoughts were not on whatever was happening in front of him, but somewhere far away.
Her eyes unintentionally flickered back to Levi sitting next to her; the pistol was hidden back in one of the pockets of his jacket, although Yavena still couldn't believe that he'd just taken it from the capitol building. She threw her hand to her mouth and bit on it hard to stop herself from laughing.
Their journey to Ehrmich District continued on for a while longer; it was mid-afternoon by this point. The sun was beginning to sink over the western horizon, although it would still be a couple of hours before darkness enveloped them. True to the forward scouts' word, there were no Titans around—their entire path was clear, a small blessing.
Yavena found herself growing oddly sleepy as the ride continued. It might've been the afternoon sun, or the relative silence—save for the sound of the carriage creaking and the horses' hooves—or maybe even the sudden awakening from earlier in the morning. She put her head in her hands in an attempt to wake herself up, to not much avail.
"You all right, Yavena?"
She stretched and looked up to see Jean watching her with a mild concern. Shooting him a lethargic smile, she answered, "Aye, just tired. Don't worry about me, Jean."
He nodded, but did not look convinced.
"You need to rest before we reach Ehrmich," said Hange, leaning forward so she could look at Yavena. "We'll need you at full capacity once we leave Wall Rose. It's likely that we'll only spend an hour or two gathering our bearings and forming a plan before leaving again."
"It's fine, Hange," Yavena said, smiling. "I'm just not used to sitting in one place for this long." With that, she arched her back; she heard a lot of cracks as she stretched out her spine.
It appeared she wasn't the only one who heard them. Jean's eyebrows raised and Levi winced next to her, muttering, "Shit, that's creepy."
"You've dealt with worse, I'm sure," she sighed dismissively, rolling her eyes.
There was another quarter of an hour of silence. It did not seem as though the Scout Regiment would be taking a break between the two districts, not that Yavena had expected them to. An emergency of this caliber, she didn't expect to sleep fully for the next couple of days at least. She could only imagine what the Scout Regiment and the Wall Garrison were facing on the front lines…
"Hange," said Levi. He glared at her upon receiving no response. "Oye, Four-Eyes. Are your hobbies so boring that playing with rocks is somehow fun for you?"
Yavena glanced over to see that Hange had been holding onto the piece of crystal—of Titan skin—that she had inspected just the previous evening. Straightening, Hange said, "Aye, that's right. But this is no ordinary rock. It's a hardened fragment of skin left behind by the Female Titan."
"It didn't disappear?" Armin asked with wide eyes.
"Right. Annie reverted from a Titan, but it's still intact even though it broke off her body. It didn't evaporate or disappear, so… I thought 'what if?' Both Yavena and I compared it to a piece of the Wall—its pattern and composition are practically identical. In other words, the Wall is a barricade of humongous Titans… and if I'm right, the surface is constructed by hardened Titan skin."
Mikasa's eyes widened; it was one of the first times that Yavena had seen genuine emotion from her. "That's exactly what Armin was saying…"
Hange eyed the recruits with an intensity that rivaled that of the midday sun. "We'll be hard pressed to fill the hole in Wall Rose, unless we find the perfect boulder to plug it. But if Eren, in his transformed state, could use the Titan's hardening ability to seal the hole in the Wall…"
"Use me… to seal the hole?" Eren repeated. There was a faraway look to his face, one that vaguely resembled uncertainty or horrification.
"It should be made of the same material. And seeing how the hardened section won't evaporate, even after you revert from a Titan… it's possible…"
Yavena leaned forward and grabbed Eren's hand, squeezing it encouragingly. Once he caught her eye, she said, "You may still be new to your Titan powers, but this is absolutely something you can do."
He shot her a weak smile and said nothing.
Armin leaned forward, mirroring Hange's posture as he mused, "I think it's well worth the risk to try. Assuming it really works, reclaiming Wall Maria is feasible, too… Up until now, we've had to transport a large quantity of materials and supplies. That's why the need for outposts past the Wall limited our progress. But if we didn't need to accommodate supply wagons, we could quickly make our way to Shiganshina! What if we carried out the plan at night?"
Hange blinked. "At night?"
"Aye, at night, when Titans can't move!" he exclaimed.
"I see…" Hange said softly, readjusting her glasses. "If the group was small enough, you could sneak all the way to Wall Maria." She paused and glanced towards the piece of hardened Titan skin in her hand. "The current situation is as bad as it gets, but… we still have a glimmer of hope."
Yavena bit her lip. "Remember, this is if Eren is able to seal the Wall."
Everyone in the carriage turned towards Eren, who looked nothing short of flabbergasted. It was Hange who said, "I realize asking this hardly seems fair, but… think you can do it?"
The remaining seven were met with silence; Eren's eyes danced across each face. When he looked towards Yavena, she made sure to nod and smile. She wished she could offer him more support than that.
Eren opened his mouth to speak, but it was not his voice that broke the stillness: it was Levi's. "It doesn't matter what you think. You have to. There's no other choice. We're out of options. Our forces are struggling so desperately there's nothing else they can do. You have to succeed."
"I will!" exclaimed Eren, wasting no time in replying to his Captain. "I'll do whatever it takes to seal the Wall!"
The apprehension that lingered around the group lessened; not entirely, but enough for Yavena to notice. She exhaled softly and leaned back in the wooden seat she'd been sitting in for the last few hours, hoping that whatever breach was within Wall Rose would be fixable.
"Here we are," said Hange. "Ehrmich District."
Yavena glanced over the side of the carriage and noted that Hange was right; the Walls were in sight, and it seemed the forward scouts were already entering through the gates.
Within the next ten minutes, they were within a large town square. A few refugees were watching the Scout Regiment with wide eyes—some were whispering hopefully about how they might be able to take back their homes, while others were skeptical and thought they'd just end up as Titan fodder.
Yavena disembarked the supply wagon, exchanging the tired horses for fresh ones. She was not alone in doing this: Levi assisted her, and they wordlessly performed the duties of escorting the horses in and out of the stables, exchanging the saddles, and feeding them.
It was one of those moments of understanding, the ones that comforted Yavena despite the adversity that lay ahead. She knew that there would be plenty of Titans waiting for her the closer they rode towards Wall Rose—and while Yavena would never shy away from her duty, there was some sort of reluctance in her heart knowing that she would go and Levi would have to stay, even though she'd been the one to convince Erwin to hold him back in the first place.
She was worried about him, of course: that had not been a lie. But she would be lying if she said it would not have been safer—as well as selfish—to have said nothing, and allowed Levi to accompany her and the others on their mission to seal Wall Rose.
But there was still time before she had to leave. Not much, but every moment counted.
"So are you going to tell me how you got that pistol?" she asked, stroking the snout of the black horse she had just attached a saddle to. It snorted somewhat at her touch and nuzzled further into her hand.
"I walked into the armory, saw it behind a glass case, unlocked the case, and put it in my jacket."
She smiled and looked past the horse. "You make it sound easy."
Levi glanced at her. Seeing the genuine curiosity in her gaze, he sighed. There was a strange and uncharacteristic vulnerability about him as he admitted, "It wasn't the first time."
Yavena's dark eyes lingered upon his face, riveted by the change that had overcome him. Raising an eyebrow, she repeated, "Not the first time?"
He finished placing the harness upon the horse he was taking care of and said, his voice low, "When I was in the Underground District, I spearheaded a small thieves guild."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
She studied him for a long moment; he did the same. Yavena was surprised by this admission—she couldn't help wondering how many others knew what he'd just told her. She also didn't know why she was surprised, considering how difficult the Underground District was to live and thrive within. Perhaps it was just because Levi was now so dedicated to the cause of the Scout Regiment that it was difficult to imagine him as anything other than a soldier.
"That's how you met Farlan and Isabel," she heard herself say, more as a statement than a question.
Levi nodded. "They used to be accomplices more than anything, but we completed a lot of jobs together. They were close friends before long."
Yavena grabbed one of the buckets and started tossing in some grains and apple bits, grinding them with a large pestle. A familiar light had embedded itself in her chest at the notion that Levi was trusting her enough to tell her all of this. Not quite wanting to let the conversation end, she asked, "Then how did you become a Scout? I know you said the three of you enlisted in the Regiment together…"
"Drafted."
She blinked. "What?"
"Erwin drafted us after a job went wrong," he said. Levi's silver eyes were fixed upon the horse next to him as it chomped noisily on its meal. "But since joining the Scout Regiment, I've tried to leave that life behind me. Except in a few cases."
Yavena smiled somewhat and asked, "So what prompted the liberation of the pistol?"
"I heard some of the merchants talking about how they would like the Titans to eat some of the refugees before they make it to Stohess District," said Levi. A flare of anger appeared in his face, and for once, he did not make a move to hide it. "Just so that they won't suffer another food shortage. They're despicable."
"Just like we talked about yesterday, huh?" she sighed, although she could not say that she was shocked to hear what those merchants had said. "I wish I'd stolen a few more butterscotch pieces, then."
The blatant frown upon his face lessened; his eyes darted across Yavena's, as though he were looking for something.
A wry smile took over her lips. "You can just ask."
He scoffed and straightened, escorting one of the horses back to the stables. Yavena turned back to the black horse ahead of her—it was searching for more pats or an extra helping of food—and began to walk it over to the supply cart, attaching the reins appropriately.
It was only a moment later that Levi reappeared, with another horse and a refreshed scowl upon his face. Upon seeing Yavena's raised eyebrow, he said, "My watch over that idiot priest begins soon. He needs to see firsthand what his cult's beliefs are romanticizing."
Yavena glanced back to the streets around them. There was so much noise within the courtyard that she'd almost forgotten how many civilians were close by—their faces were pale and sorrowful, their eyes glistening as they watched the soldiers preparing to disembark for Wall Rose. A few of the children in the streets were wailing, crying for their parents, holding onto a doll or stuffed animal. In one thing all of the refugees were the same: there was no hope in any of them.
"I see," she said, tearing her gaze away from the destitute. "If only there was more that we could do to help."
"You can kill the Titans outside the Wall."
Her lips pressed tightly. "Is that enough, Levi?"
"It will have to be," he replied. He walked around to Yavena, placing a hand on her shoulder as he passed. "I'll find you before you set out."
Then he was gone once again, and Yavena was left to tend to the horses with nothing but her own thoughts.
The sun began to set within the next hour, casting the sky in oranges, pinks, and yellows. Yavena had finished preparing the horses with help from Eren and Armin and was walking alongside Hange, who was distributing orders to the accompanying soldiers. Each of the recruits saluted them and walked off to fulfill their duties: a few of Hange's research team—like Nifa and Lauda—wished Yavena congratulations on her promotion as they passed.
Eventually, it was only herself, Hange, and Moblit remaining. Seeing this, Hange looked back to Moblit and said, "Would you spread the word that we leave in a half hour?"
Moblit nodded and saluted before setting off.
Once he was gone, Hange turned back to Yavena and said, "I heard from Erwin that his report should be expected before we leave. Did he tell you anything about that earlier this morning?"
"I suspect that a large amount of information on Annie Leonhart will be within those papers, and that there will be additional intel on some of the recruits within the 104th," said Yavena. She recalled her meeting with Erwin earlier that very day: there had been a darkness to his voice when he spoke of the incoming report. "And I don't expect it to be very good news coming in, either."
Hange sighed and shook her head. "When is it ever?"
Yavena laughed lightly even though she knew that Hange was right. The sound was more an instinctual reaction than an intentional one—after all, in thirty minutes or less, they would be leaving the safety of the Walls to fight once more.
"Good, they're back."
Hange's voice directed Yavena to what she was looking at. Levi and Pastor Nick were approaching again, and neither of them looked to be in high spirits, not that Yavena would've expected them to be. They walked towards the two officers; as soon they were in range of ear-shot, Hange stepped forward and accosted the priest with narrowed eyes. "Have you had a change of heart yet?"
The priest was silent… but there were shadows and obvious devastation upon his face. Whether he would talk or not, Yavena knew that he had not been unaffected by the sight of all the refuges.
"We don't have time for this!" Hange roared, stepping forward with her hands on her hips. "Will you talk, or won't you? Make up your mind already!"
Nick looked at her and shakily said, "I cannot say anything. The other believers are the same as I, and that will never change."
"Well thanks for nothing! We're so grateful for all the help you've been!"
"It's too great a decision for a single person to make. The Order of the Walls must always adhere to the sacred will we're bound to obey."
Hange sighed. "Whose will? God's, or something?"
The priest closed his eyes and tilted his head toward the ground. "I cannot say anything. However, I can inform you of a name, who under their sacred will, we were instructed to monitor. That person joined the Scout Regiment as of this year… their name is Christa Lenz."
Yavena stumbled back; she could not say that she had expected Christa to be the one caught up in the middle of whatever the hell this soap opera was. She had always been one of the sweetest of the recruits, one of the ones that had never been involved in drama, one of the peacekeepers…
The door slammed open behind them all, and a familiar voice exclaimed, "Excuse me! 104th Division, Sasha Braus!"
Yavena whirled around with a gasp and dashed over to Sasha, who reached out to give her a scroll. "This is for Captain Yavena and Section-Commander Hange!" said Sasha with a grin on her face. "From the Commander! I was entrusted to deliver this message to you as soon as possible."
"Good work, Sasha. It's good to see that you're well," said Yavena. She knew that the priest was still talking in the background, but her attention was no longer on them—the duty the priest had just inadvertently given them was fairly simple: find Christa and protect her.
She was more interested in the report. Yavena took the scroll from Sasha's outstretched hand and carefully unfurled it; as expected, there was information on Annie Leonhart… but there was not much. There were records of Annie's grading from the Cadet Corps and a few accomplishments since she had joined the Military Police—one included the solving of a murder in Stohess District only a day before the 57th Mission Beyond the Walls. That explained how she had been within range of the Scout Regiment those few weeks ago… but there were barely any records of Annie from before the fall of Wall Maria.
Yavena's eyes narrowed. There were no records of family whatsoever… she froze and held a hand to her mouth as she read the following paragraph:
It is known that Annie Leonhart hails from a village alongside two others within the 104th Cadet Corps Division: Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover.
"Let's go!" Eren's voice shouted. There was no mistaking the concern in his tone. "We need to hurry—ooph!"
Yavena lunged backwards as Eren collided into Sasha, who had been standing dutifully next to her. Both of them fell to the ground, hitting the stone with an audible smack. They groaned and slowly began rising to their feet with help from Yavena, who held out her hands to get them both standing again.
"Sasha!" exclaimed Mikasa. "What are you doing here?"
It was at this point that Hange noted the scroll that had been in Yavena's hands. The two locked eyes for a moment—Yavena handed her friend the scroll with a significant look and the words, "It would appear my hunches may have had some credence after all."
Hange took the scroll and grabbed a potato out of her knapsack, slapping it into Sasha's hands. With that, she waved Levi forward—the three of them crowded around each other, their eyes continually scanning the words and pages.
For a short while, the only sound to be heard was that of Sasha happily munching on her potato. Yavena tore herself away from Erwin's report and back towards Eren, saying, "So if I heard correctly, it appears we have another objective to our mission outside the Wall. We will be retrieving and protecting Christa?"
"Who is this girl in the 104th, then?" asked Hange, looking up from the scroll with a frown.
"She's the smallest one of us," Eren answered.
"She's got long golden hair, and… eh… she's cute," added Armin, flushing.
Yavena turned her head to the side so he wouldn't see the light grin that had overcome her face. Although she would never say so aloud, she rather thought that Christa and Armin would be very cute together.
Eren rushed towards the horses so that he might begin to set out beyond the Wall, but Hange's voice stopped him. "Wait, Eren! We need to hold off for another few minutes. I need to look at this report."
Although Eren seemed less than eager to put off their mission, he nodded and located his horse, brushing out its coat one last time.
Hange and Levi perused the report for only a short while longer. Yavena remained standing next to them, one troubled hand upon her chin as she thought. If the reports had any credulity to them—and knowing Erwin, he and the other officers had done extensive research—then both Reiner and Bertholdt were in a very compromising position.
Bertholdt, she was not surprised by. She had been uncertain of his loyalties for a long while. But Reiner…
Had she not vouched for Reiner's character, with Eren and all of the others in her presence? Up until these last five minutes, Yavena would've been ready to defend him from others if necessary: but these were factual reports, and her thoughts and opinions relied purely on her own instinct.
If Reiner had been from the same town as Annie from somewhere beyond Wall Maria, then she would need to face the reality that it was likely he was on the opposing side as well.
Someone tapped her arm—Yavena looked over to see that it was Levi. He pointed towards a specific passage: It is under the assumption that, as Annie Leonhart possessed the form of the Female Titan, should Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover be false, they may possess the Armored and Colossal Titans.
Yavena sighed and looked back towards Levi, whose eyes were sharp. She opened her mouth to speak—
"Oye, Eren?" said Hange, looking up from the papers.
"What is it, Section-Commander?"
Hange handed off the report to Levi, who was still inspecting it with narrowed eyes. "I was finally able to get my hands on the background report for Annie Leonhart. It's taken so long to get it because managing these reports is such a mess right now. According to this, there are two others belonging to the 104th Cadet Corps who came from the same area as her: Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover."
Eren, Mikasa, and Armin started and exchanged uneasy looks. They were not unintelligent; they knew what Hange was implying.
"Thanks to the chaos five years ago, pretty much all of their family records are spotty or missing. However… during the long-range scouting formation, their unit was given false information. They were among those purposefully told that Eren was in the right wing."
Armin gasped. "The Female Titan attacked from the right wing!"
"Eh?" said Sasha. "What does that mean?"
"That it's possible Reiner passed on the information to Annie."
Now Sasha was frowning. "Why would they tell Annie?"
It seemed that Sasha was not the only one who didn't like the assumptions being thrown about. Clenching his fists, Eren said, "Oye, Armin, hold on a minute. You can't just—"
"I know, Eren," Hange interrupted. "By itself, that's not enough to prove anything. We also have what Yavena said a week ago, but that is not any proof either. And so, I'd like to hear from you how these three interacted during training. Know anything?"
Armin was the first to speak, though he did so hesitantly. "I knew Reiner and Bertholdt were from the same place, but… they didn't seem close to Annie."
"I agree," Eren said. "I don't recall ever seeing the pair talking to Annie that much. Well, Annie didn't talk much in the first place."
"When we ate, Annie would always sit alone and munch on food by herself…" Sasha murmured, almost to herself—then she slapped a fist into her other palm and exclaimed, "Wait, I remembered something! I heard a rumor she liked sweets, even though she looks so grouchy!"
Mikasa frowned. "I don't remember…"
"But as their comrade, I'd find it hard to believe. Reiner is like everyone's big brother, and he's not devious enough to deceive all of us!" cried Eren, looking around at the three officers with wide eyes.
Yavena stepped forward. She knew that she should be more sympathetic to what the four recruits were thinking and feeling, but all she could think was how disheartening it would be to have two more traitors of humanity in the midst of the Scout Regiment's ranks. "I need you all to think long and hard. Personally, I feel as though it is very likely that Bertholdt, at least, is a traitor. This report is giving us a prime opportunity to have an advantage over them. Think. Is it possible?"
All four of them stared at her, stricken. Yavena could see memories flying past Eren's face, and Armin's as well.
"Reiner gave everything he had fighting the Female Titan with me," Armin murmured. "He would have gotten crushed in her hand if he hadn't—"
He stopped short.
"What's wrong?" asked Eren.
Armin swallowed hard and looked to his friend. "Reiner managed to escape, but… Annie suddenly changed her course… and ran in the direction of Eren. I—I did mention that Eren might be at the rear of the center flank, but Annie was too far away to hear…"
"Did Reiner seem overly interested in Eren's location?" asked Hange.
Something changed in Armin's posture; his shoulders straightened, and a horrific realization entered his eyes. "I only started talking about Eren's position because Reiner was the one who asked about it first. And when that happened, the Female Titan was staring at her palm. He might have written a message with the blades in his hand. Reiner could've…"
There was a long pause during which a pin could've dropped and everyone would've heard it. Yavena looked over from Hange, whose face was grim, to Levi, whose gaze was directed towards the ground.
Levi seemed to notice that she was watching him—his silver eyes met her own. He was giving her a message; a warning. But what he wished to say exactly, she could not discern.
"What the hell?" Eren finally said. "Why are you saying things like this?"
Hange raised a hand for silence; once it was given, she commanded, "Everyone listen up! Supposing that we find Reiner or Bertholdt, act in such a way as to not reveal any suspicions. Of course, do not make any mention of Annie Leonhart either. Regardless if they're Annie's accomplices or not, we need to lead them deep underground and confine them! Does everyone understand?"
All of the soldiers in the near vicinity saluted and shouted, "Aye!"
Eren, however, was already heading towards the horses, crying, "We've got to go!"
"Calm down, Eren," said Levi, grabbing his shoulder and whirling Eren back around. "The rest of you listen, too. We're going our own ways now; the rest is up to you. Erwin may have thrown together your squad, but everything's riding on you." He turned towards each of the recruits in turn. "Got it, Armin? Work with Hange and combine your knowledge. Mikasa. I don't know why you're so attached to Eren, but use the utmost of your ability to protect Eren at all cost. And finally, Eren. Learn how to restrain yourself. Keep your anger when you need it, but don't succumb to rage and lose sight of the goal. We can't afford another mistake."
Eren, Mikasa, and Armin all nodded and saluted their Captain before starting to head towards the supply wagons.
Hange smiled wistfully as they went before looking back to Yavena and clapping a hand upon her arm. "We leave in five minutes. Finish your preparations and then join us. You and Eren will ride with me in the Command Center."
"I'll be there soon," Yavena promised.
She was met with a smile; and then Hange was off.
Yavena glanced over to the soldiers preparing to leave, feeling ice begin to creep through her veins. She did not look over at Levi as she asked, "Any orders before I leave, Captain?"
"You don't have to take my orders anymore."
"I know. But I respect your insight. You've never steered me wrong."
Levi turned towards her, once again offering no indication of what he was thinking save for the tiniest of upturns to an eyebrow. "I'll make you a list. Your priority is to protect Eren. After that is to protect this Christa Lenz. If you can, kill the two traitors in our midst, preferably before they turn into the Armored or Colossal Titans. Need anything else?"
She scoffed lightly and leaned against some of the boxes, not bothering to withhold her amused smirk. "You know, I think that might be the biggest grocery list in the world."
"You can handle it."
Yavena turned and looked at him full-on, biting the inside of her lip. While she was confident in her abilities and in the company she would be keeping, the fact of the matter was that this was going to be a difficult mission. A small voice in the back of her head reminded her there was a chance she would never see him again…
"Take care, Levi," she said. One of her hands found his shoulder. "We'll make sure to seal the Wall."
Yavena looked over his face one last time before beginning to turn away—
"One last thing. Come back alive. Please."
She looked over her shoulder to see he was watching her with concern: it was there in the frown on his lips and the light in his eyes. Before she could really process what in the hells she was doing, Yavena had thrown her arms around him and held him close, burying her face within the crook of his neck.
Levi's whole body tensed for a split second… then, slowly but surely, he relaxed and carefully placed his hands upon her back. A wild grin split her lips, though of course he couldn't see it. But this response empowered her; there was warmth and safety and certainty in herself. She would make it back.
"I'll see you soon," she said. She parted from him, feeling that new resolve spread throughout her like miniature rays of sun.
He nodded, leaning into the boxes by the wall once more. It might've just been Yavena's fevered imagination, but she could've sworn that he was on the verge of smiling again. As soon as she noted its presence, however, it faded—back into the ghost of an expression, one that would haunt her memory during the upcoming days.
Now that there was nothing else left to say, Yavena took a deep breath and turned away.
Hey guys, sorry this is a day late. I had some real life stuff to do yesterday so hopefully you don't mind the delays :)
As always, thank you for reading! I'll continue my biweekly updates until May 17, just as a reminder. To those of you that are in the midst of research papers or finals, good luck! You can do it, but make sure to take care of yourselves in the meantime as well. Have a good one!