I don't own Attack on Titan: just my OC's and the plot.
The Awakening
Chapter 2: Lost
The Marian forest, June, 840:
"Okay, can everyone tell me what this one is, and what it's for?" Evrard asked the assembled group, as he held up a small plant with diamond-shaped leafs and small white star-shaped flowers.
"Ohohoh! I know that one!" Ashlyn eagerly threw her hand up: "It's Lady's star: you use it to cure stomach aches and indigestion"
"And how, do we prepare it?" Evrard added with a sly smirk,
"You brew it into a tea, and add some dandelion to help it work properly"
"Good girl" he smiled, before holding up another plant: "Now, can anyone tell me what this is, what it's used for: and what it's commonly mistaken for"
As Hawk, Ashlyn, Josefa, Jaye, Clay, Hazel, Ash, Rowan and Dale all debated among each other over the identity of the plant: Ariana watched silently from the bower of a close-knit group of trees nearby, carefully glancing all around, looking for a way to sneak off without alerting anyone.
The last six months had seemed to pass by in relative brevity: winter turned to spring, and then from spring into early summer, and before anyone knew it half the year was already gone. The long days and warm sunny weather had brought life and vigor to the land: the farms in the valleys just beyond Shiganshina were busy growing their first crops of the season, while up in the forests game was plentiful and varied. Despite the harshness of winter, this summer promised to be a bountiful one.
For the children however, this was the year they were being initiated into the family tradition of hunting, and surviving the wild. A process that was, no doubt, going to last until well into adolescence, as there was much to learn: but for now, the last six months had been spent learning the basics; archery, wood whittling, tracking, knowing which plants and fungi were safe to eat and which to avoid, how to find and/or build a hide or dray, and how to set traps. Every few days of the week, the children would be taken by their father's up into the forest, where they would either spend the whole day, or camp out for days at a time; today's lessons had mostly consisted of plant identification and learning how to find north without a compass.
And while the children's attentions were mostly focused on the tasks at hand, as far as Ariana was concerned, this was now getting tediously boring, and it was time to find something better to do. As she retreated into the gloom of the undergrowth, Ariana quietly crept through the tall bracken, heading back towards the road. She was about to make a break for the cover of a huge cluster of small pines, when suddenly, a large black hawk with a tapered crest, long forked tail and piercing golden eyes landed right by her side, followed by a pair of large ravens that perched on a branch above her head.
"Ah ha!" a jovial voice chuckled, "Thought you could sneak off eh?"
"Hey uncle Falken" Ariana grumbled in annoyance as she stood up: knowing she was found out it was now useless to hide.
"When are you going to learn you can't escape Evernight's sharp eyes?" Falken smiled as he called his hawk back to him with a sharp trilling whistle; the bird, which was about the size of a small eagle, took off and landed on the thick leather glove on his left hand, and eagerly started scoffing down the piece of rabbit meat that was waiting for her. Falken wasn't as tall as Tyto and Evrard, but just as stoutly built with a robust frame, and sporting a long lion's mane of brunette hair with the bushiest eyebrows one could imagine.
"Falken?" another voice called out: at hearing this, the ravens instantly perked to attention,
"Over here Eraman" Falken called back. From out the bushes, another stoutly-built gentleman appeared, he was shorter than Falken with a thick mane of black hair and soft blue eyes, and with another pair of ravens perched on both shoulders; holding up one arm, the pair above Ariana returned to their master, perching on his outstretched arm and began crunking in excitement. "Alright you two, you found her, now go on and return to the others" Eraman cooed to them, stroking their breast feathers with the back of his fingers. All six birds took off up into the canopy, heading back towards the group. "I take it we're getting bored eh?" he glanced over at Ariana, who simply turned her gaze away in stubborn defiance.
"Don't worry, I got this," Tyto assured them both as he appeared out of the trees: "give us a minute will you?"
"Alright, but just so you know, we're letting the birds go for today" Eraman pointed out as he stroked Evernight's back.
"Fine, just make sure they get back to their nests alright" Tyto nodded,
"Don't we always?" Falken grinned as he and Eraman headed back the way they came.
"You know, your stalking has really improved these last few months..." Tyto smiled as he approached his daughter, and kneeled down before her, "You managed to get at least ten meters further than last time: and if Evernight and the ravens weren't here, I'm pretty sure you would have made it back to the road unseen"
"You think?" Ariana huffed, still annoyed,
"Would I lie to you Ariana?" Tyto tilted his head to one side, grabbing her gaze and looking her in the eye: "Even I couldn't get this far when I was your age. Being able to stay silent and move like a shadow? You have a natural knack for it. And it's a rare quality even the best of us are seldom gifted with"
Seeing she was still upset, Tyto decided to get to the point: "...What's wrong Magpie? You've been like this all day; is there something troubling you?"
Deciding it wasn't worth lying, Ariana huffed: "...I wanna go play with Eren and Armin; ever since we started learning how to hunt an' stuff, I haven't seen them as much as I used to, and it's not fair: is learning all this stuff really more important than my friends? I don't want them to think I've forgotten them" she stubbornly explained, her cheeks turning red as tears threatened to well up.
Looking at his daughter and seeing the frustration and unhappiness laced in her eyes, Tyto drew in breath, and let out a long sigh as he contemplated her words. Gazing up at the sky through the canopy, and seeing the sun was steadily approaching the horizon: he decided to try something different today: "...You know? We've been working pretty hard these last few days: and it looks like it's going to be a lovely evening. What do you say we call it a day, go home, and have dinner at the Inn? And if it's okay with Mrs Jaeger, maybe Eren can come too. Sound good?" he smiled.
Ariana instantly perked up: "Really?!"
"Really" he leaned forwards and kissed her on the forehead: "Now run back and get your things: we'll start packing up"
Without another word, Ariana's grin spread wide across her face as she took off running through the undergrowth back to the campsite. As he followed behind at a slower pace, Tyto stopped to watch as she disappeared into the green of the forest. "She's getting better you know, pretty soon you won't be able to keep up with her" Falken sighed as he emerged from the greenery of the bower, as if out of nowhere.
"I know" Tyto sighed in contemplation, "Considering how much she's progressed these last few months it's no wonder she finds this all this boring. It comes so naturally to her"
"I wouldn't worry too much" Eraman smiled as he too emerged from his hiding place, with his ravens watching him from the branches of the trees above: "She's just going through that restless phase we all went through. Wanting to be out here, free of rules and doing her own thing; she'll learn to find her own balance in time, you'll see" he patted him on the shoulder.
"It has to be said though, she is a magpie through and through: bold, brazen, and free at heart" Evrard grinned as he approached them, "Glad you decided to call it a day, I think the kids were starting to lose interest anyway"
"Well I don't know about you gents, but I think we've earned ourselves a round of cider" Falken patted Tyto and Eraman on the back as they started walking back to the camp, "And if I remember correctly, today's Friday, which means-
"Miriam and Rosemary's pulled pork and apple sauce" Evrard grinned in nostalgic delight, salivating at the thought of the delicious pig roasting over the Inn's fire pit, "Good call Tyto"
"You do know first round's on you, right?" Eraman smirked
"Ha ha very funny" Evrard rolled his eyes, "Seriously, it's your turn to get the drinks this time"
"Bye dad! See you back home!" Ariana called out as she dashed out of the undergrowth, past her father and uncles with her bow and quiver slung over her shoulder, and her pocket knife strapped to her leg in its holster.
"Whoa whoa whoa!-" Tyto gently caught her by the back of her shirt, "Where are you running off to in such a hurry?"
"I'm gonna go back via the Hawthorn trail, it's quicker that way" she pointed to the direction she was heading,
"Well? ..." Tyto thought about it for a moment, "Alright, but let someone go with you"
"Fine. Whatever" Ariana rolled her eyes in annoyance,
"I'll keep an eye on her" Hazel offered as she approached, with Clay, Ash, Rowan and Dale trailing close behind.
"Alright, but no sidetracking: I don't want you staying out after sunset" he told them in a serious tone.
"We won't: see you guys back home!" Ariana waved goodbye, and took off into the thick undergrowth; "Make sure you keep an eye on her!" Tyto called after the kids as they took off after her: "We will!" Hazel called over her shoulder. Glancing back, Rowan shot his father a rather stern glair, before taking off to keep up with his little sister.
"... Think he'll be okay?" Falken thought aloud.
"Hm? Who?" Evrard frowned in bemusement.
"Rowan..." Falken glanced over at Tyto with a slight air of concern laced in his eyes, "...I don't know if it's just me, but, has Rowan seemed a little, well? ...Off, these last few weeks?"
Tyto's gaze dropped, as he glanced off into the forest: "...You noticed that too huh?"
"Maybe he's feeling a tad overworked too? I mean, he's really been pushing himself with the archery and stalking lessons of late; you don't suppose he's trying to catch up to Clay do you? I mean, he's a born bowman, the eye and arm on that kid? I wouldn't be surprised if he took down his first boar within the next year! ...You don't think it's a case of 'cousin rivalry', do you?" Eraman thought aloud,
"Call it a hunch Eraman, but I don't think it's to do with Clay or the archery" Tyto frowned in concern: "Whatever it is, I'm not sure if he's ready to open up about it just yet"
"Whatever it is, I'm sure you guys will be able to talk about it father-to-son; maybe it's just something he needs to get off his chest and he's waiting for you to open up the line of dialogue?" Evrard assured him, "Don't worry about it: Rowan maybe a hot-head, but he'll come around in his own good time. Now come on, let's go pack up" he beckoned them to follow, as he treaded back through the undergrowth.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the forest:
"... You're sure they'll work okay?" the gentleman eyed Pascal skeptically, as his friend glanced down at the two 3DM gears in the crate by his feet.
"Gentlemen, please" Pascal smiled, "I had them serviced only yesterday: what good would it do me to sell them if I didn't know they're working properly? I tested them, I cleaned them, I even checked the gas levels to ensure they don't go empty of you. Trust me, these beauties are quality items; and for what we're asking you won't find a more reasonable price: compared to what they're going for in the interior, their practically a steal"
The two gentlemen glanced at one another, before looking back at Pascal, and handing him a large wad of money: "Okay buddy, you got yourself a deal"
"Delighted to hear it," Pascal's grin grew wider as he took the wad, and discreetly tucked it into his breast pocket, "Just remember though, we do charge for gas refills"
"Hey, it's no problem for us" one of the gentlemen shrugged as he took the crate and headed outside: "We'll be fine for gas, we only came here 'cuz we heard you were selling the gear at a much cheaper price" the other gentleman added as he headed outside. "Considering how much money there is floating around in wall Sina, I'm surprised no one sells it cheaper there too" Pascal shrugged as he followed him outside, where he climbed up onto the waiting wagon, and his friend commanded the horse to walk. "Yeah; in any case, thanks" he waved goodbye.
"Pleasure doing business with you gentlemen!" Pascal called out as the wagon disappeared down the dirt road, before heading back inside the cottage, and eagerly counting the wad of money. Seeing the correct balance had been paid up, he headed for the basement where he hid it under a loose floor tile in the far corner, beneath a few crates of stuff, before returning upstairs in time to see West coming down the stairs. "Hey, how'd it go?" he asked offhand.
"Not bad at all" Pascal grinned as he headed for the kitchen, "Sixth sale of the month. And according to our guy in Shiganshina, we've got another four clients lined up for next week" he showed him a letter that had been sitting on the table; reading it over, West was surprised to see how many 3DM gears were being requested.
"Huh, what's with the demand all of a sudden?" he thought aloud,
"Who knows?" Pascal shrugged as he prepared himself a meager meal of cheese, bread, red onions, boiled eggs and wine: "Something's going down somewhere in the interior we don't know about: that's where those guys were from, and that's where the new clients are from too"
"You don't suppose their buying them to resell at a higher price, do you?"
"Don't know, and I don't care: so long as they pay up what we're asking for" Pascal took a bite of cheese: "We're not greedy; we don't need to ask for anymore than what we need to survive"
"I know that" West nodded, "I'm just curious is all"
"What is it I keep telling you about being curious?" Pascal raised a skeptical eyebrow,
"That you'll end up like the cat" West rolled his eyes, "Don't worry; I'm as eager to go back as you are..." he deadpanned, before changing the subject: "By the way, if we're going to have those gears ready for next week's customers, you're going to need to ask 'your guy' to get a move on and get them here by the weekend so I can clean them up and test them"
"Ah don't worry about it," Pascal waved off as he took a sip of his wine, and sat down at the table, "I got to go see him tomorrow anyway; catch up with what the word on the street is"
"You're not thinking about setting something else up are you?" West asked in concern: "We're busy enough selling the gears as it is"
"Nah it ain't that," Pascal waved off as he gazed out the window, "It's just, I was speaking to him last week and he mentioned something about some new guys moving into the area around the main road between Shiganshina and the village of Liveil"
"What kind of guys?"
"The kind that kidnap lone women off the roads late at night, and sell them to the interior as whores or slaves"
"Oh" West grimaced slightly,
"Yeah; apparently they're the 'slash your throat first and ask questions later' types. Best stick to the western road for while, and only in the daylight... It pays to keep abreast of these things you know?"
"Yeah..." West sighed as he wandered over the back door, opened it, and leaned against the frame, gazing out into the forest: "...Hey, Pascal? Do you have any regrets? About moving out here I mean"
"Huh? ..." Pascal glanced over at him, "Don't tell me you're starting to miss the old day's kid?" he smirked,
"No..." West thought aloud, "It's just... Sometimes, I can't help but feel 'out of place' here. It's just so different, compared to what we had before"
Thinking about it, Pascal sighed, "...I know what you mean kid. I feel like that too, sometimes; I look at those huge trees out there, and I can't help but think, 'So this is what having gotten out of the game feels like'? Don't get me wrong, I'm never going back to the underground. But at the same time, it feels weird, being somewhere you've dreamed of being for so long. You wonder, 'what did I do to earn this kind of luck'? ... Considering how many there were, that were never as lucky as us"
"Yeah..." West sighed offhand as he stepped outside,
"Where're you going?"
"It's a lovely evening; I'm going for a stroll"
"Fine, see you later"
It was a strange feeling indeed.
Feeling out of place: up here in the sunlight, free in the open air, surrounded by the vast beauty of nature, and not having to constantly inhale the stink of human vileness and decay. At the back of his mind, West couldn't help but wonder if maybe it was all too good to be true? That maybe this was all part of some great stroke of karma: having lived the lives they had lived for so long, only to be granted enough luck to get away and live in contentment? He couldn't help but smile, since when did people like he and Pascal get this lucky?
It was a feeling that had haunted him since first leaving wall Sina: that somehow, this life of quiet peace and freedom was going to come crashing down one way or another. And why not? It's the fate of anyone born to the underground: that you are the undesired, the scum of humanity, those who do not deserve a place among the ranks of your fellow man; at least, that's what living in the underground had taught him.
But out here, hardly anyone had even heard of the underground, never mind being aware of the kind of people that dwelt within its gloomy shadows.
It was surreal; living in a place where no one knew of the place you came from. Not that he or Pascal had told anyone, that was a can of worm neither of them was willing to open. But still, the people of wall Maria were nothing like the people of wall Sina: here, everything was different, everything moved to a different beat: and in a way it was refreshing. But at the same time, it felt as if some aspect of the past was going to catch up with them one way or another. Being a criminal and retiring from that life didn't mean you were automatically out of the game: people in that life remember you; some favorably as you served as a means to their own ends: others less so, and were not above wanting revenge for slights and double-crosses you may (or may not) have inflicted upon them.
All this had been at the back of West's mind ever since he and Pascal came here. Having gained their freedom at long last, he had wondered if it could last until the end of their days: unless someone, or fate, decided otherwise. Knowing their luck and how much of it they had had over the course of their careers, he wondered how much time they had left before it would eventually run out: it's the law of averages after all, and very few if any, are seldom lucky to totally get away Scott free.
As he mulled over his vexed thoughts, West wandered further into the forest: not really paying attention to his surroundings as his mind buzzed with uncertainly and uncomfortable feelings. Time melted into a blur, and how long he spent walking was uncertain, as he simply gazed down at the ground, minding the tree roots and rocks as he walked on.
The shrill cry of a hawk in the trees made him jump out of his skin, and shock him back to reality; looking around, West wasn't sure where he was at first, until he remembered, and shook his head in surprise: realizing just how far he'd walked, as the cottage was nowhere in sight. Gazing up at the trees, he realized he was standing in probably the oldest part of the forest, as the giant trees here seemed to stretch all the way up into the sky; their trunks so vast and thick they were practically the size of mansions, and so tall, that they could probably rival the mountains in height.
Standing here, among these majestic giants trees, their bark turned to brushed copper and brass by the golden light of the late afternoon sun, and their pine scent hanging like incense in the hazy afternoon heat, as dusty beams of golden sunlight filtered down through the canopy; West couldn't help but feel he was standing in a place no one had been before. Somewhere totally untouched by human hands: where nature was total wild, free, and unrestrained.
Craning his head all the way back for a better look, he couldn't help but smile at the impressive size of these trees; what must the view be like from the top branches? Hell, he'd probably be able to see right over the top of wall Maria and beyond if he flew all the way up on his 3DM gear. Some of the biggest branches looked like they could easily support the weight of a whole house, and the root systems at the bases formed large cave-like caverns and gullies that stretched for many meters between each tree, with an abundance of plants and fungi growing out of and between them. West made a mental note to remember this place, and to come back here with his 3DM gear another time.
As he looked around, trying to find the pathway that lead him here: something caught his eye, made him stop dead in his tracks, and abruptly pause his train of thought. There, nested in a small deep hollow, with several thick long roots snaking in and around, was a large house-sized rectangular stone structure, covered in countless years-worth of plant decay and growth. What was it? West was totally perplexed: it looked like a building of some kind, and a pretty large one too: over five meters tall, and ten meters long by six meters wide; but it had no doors or windows, it's roof was totally flat with no tiles, and there was no chimney, plus the sides were totally flat with some kind of engravings carved into the stone: there was no path leading in or out of the hollow towards it, and no sign that anyone had ever been near it.
Cautiously climbing down the steep ground for a closer look, West walked right around its base, sure enough, there were no doors or windows; instead, the surface was smooth, with hundred of strange curving symmetrical patterns running in every direction all over the sides, interconnected from one to another, and broken up by a strange kind of writing he'd never seen before. Running his fingers over the symbols and patterns, he felt how smooth they were: no doubt worn down by many countless winters.
Deciding to see if there was anything carved onto the top side, West climbed up a nearby tree that leaned over the top of the structure, and jumped down onto the flat surface. Sure enough, it too was covered in a carved pattern of some kind. Shuffling his feet along to kick off all the dead leaf-litter, twigs, branches and dried moss: the pattern that began to emerge was much more elaborate than the ones on the sides, with a more detailed picture at its center. Finally, with all the debris cleared, West returned to the tree for a better look, and was amazed at what his saw. Spread across the grey stone surface, was the image of a giant bird: wings spread wide with a long trailing tail, surrounded by clouds, stars, and what looked like the crescent moon and the beaming sun: at its feet, were what looked like people, seemingly kneeling down as if in prayer, with their hands outstretched towards the bird. The creature looked to be quiet spectacular: until West noticed its face. Instead of a beak and typical bird's head, it had a female human face, with long flowing hair cascading down its back, and large child-like eyes that seemed to gaze up at him in wonder and innocence.
As he sat there on the crook of the branch, West frowned in confusion as he racked his brain, trying to figure out what the hell this structure was: logic dictates that it must have served a purpose at one time: but what? Why build something so big? And out here in the middle of the forest of all places? Did the people who build it use it for something practical? Or something else entirely? And the carvings: what did they mean? What was that strange written language? And what did it speak of? And what relevance did the carving of the girl-faced bird hold? Why did the artist who craved it, depict people seemingly worship it like a god of some kind?
But then it suddenly struck West: what was inside the structure? There were no doors or windows: and the only structure made of stone with no doors or windows and a flat roof, was a tomb. Is that what this thing was? It was supposed to be a giant tomb? (Or more likely, a mausoleum of some kind, and the entrance was merely covered with earth and roots?) Or, purposely designed to look like a tomb. But this looked nothing like the mausoleums, tombs or graves that he was accustomed to seeing in the church yards and cemeteries, and it looked far older, as if it was from an entirely different age; and created by an entire different people's. If this was a burial site of some kind, who was buried here? Did anyone else know of this place? Probably not, the entire area around the hollow was thickly overgrown, and there were no animal trails anywhere nearby; the only reason he found this place at all was due to pure luck.
Climbing down out of the tree and up the side of the hollow, West gazed back at the strange structure: wondering what on earth it could be, why it was created, and was there really anything inside it? He pondered on whether it might be worth bringing Pascal out here to show him this odd discovery, but then, thinking about it, Pascal wasn't really the curious type. In their former line of work it paid not to show too much of an interest in anything (least you might attract the wrong kind of attention). But this was something totally different: something obviously forgotten, something no one within these walls has probably ever seen before. And it kind of excited him to think he was the only one who probably knew about it.
Seeing how low the sun was in the sky, West decided to head back home, least he might accidentally run into a bear or wolf on its twilight hunt; as he started heading back, trying to remember the way he'd walked to this place, he contemplated on whether to tell Pascal or not, and when to come back for more thorough look.
As West passed through the undergrowth and disappeared out of sight of the giant trees, the birds and animals began to cautiously come out from their hiding places, optimistic in the surety that the human was gone from their presence, and wasn't looking to make a meal out of any of them. But had West stuck around, and searched a little more among the grove of the giant trees; he would have been surprised to find another one of those giant 'tombs' some eight hundred meters or so away; over twice the size of the one he'd found, and sitting out in the open. As the sun's golden light fell upon it, a strange deep rumbling emanated from inside: as if something large and restless was stirring...
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the forest:
"Ariana wait up!" Hazel called out as she tried to keep up with her shorter cousin,
"What?! I'm right here!" Ariana called back for the umpteenth time, as she stopped to let the other six kids catch up: "I'm not going anywhere, so stop freaking out okay?" she added as she started walking again with Hazel and Clay at her back, while her brother's brought up the rear.
"I'm not freaking out, you're just hard to keep track of is all" Hazel corrected, before changing the subject: "...So, anyway, what'd you want to do for fun when we get home?"
"Oh I'm gonna play with Eren and Armin" Ariana smiled casually, "I haven't seem either of them in a long while, so we gotta lotta catching up to do"
Hazel's smile fell away, as a look of concern crossed her face, "...Um? Ariana, are you sure that's really a good-
"-You can't play with them" Rowan stated as he ran ahead of his sister and deliberately blocked her path: "You're never to play with them or anyone outside the family ever again"
Everyone blinked in surprise: "...What?" Ariana frowned up at him, "What'd you mean I can't play with them? You know damn well they're my friends! Seriously, I thought you'd forgotten all about that stupid thing, now move" she tried to push him aside. But Rowan grabbed her arm and forced her back: "It's not about that!" he frowned, growing ire as he stared her down: "Have you forgotten what uncle Evrard told us about the wall cult? About what happened to my real parents!?"
Everyone stared at him in shock: "...That's what this is about?" Ariana breathed in astonishment, "You think Eren and Armin would-
Seething, Ariana threw off her quiver and bow, and stomped up to her taller brother, glaring daggers right up at him: "BULLSHIT!" she screamed up into his face, but Rowan didn't flinch or back down; not this time: "-You seriously think Eren and Armin would do that kinda thing?! They're my best friends! They wouldn't do something so mean and heartless! You take that back and leave them and me alone!"
Then suddenly and without warning: Rowan smacked Ariana across the face with a solid backhand; she stared up at him in shock and horror, the others too were equally shocked at what they'd just seen: "ROWAN!" Hazel exclaimed, "What the hell bro?!" Dale angrily gasped as he and Ash rushed to pick Ariana up: "What the hell did you do that for?!" Clay demanded angrily.
"Because she's a stupid little brat who's too friendly for her own good!-" Rowan fumed as he pushed his brothers out the way, landing Ariana on her behind again, and leaving her helpless and panic-stricken as he bent down and let out his rage on her: "You think the world is kind to people like us?! You think your so-called 'friends' will always be there for you? That they'll keep your secrets and keep you safe until the day you die? WELL THEY WON'T! No one cares about us except our own! Everyone within these walls is only out to get us, to see us all suffer and die, simply because we're different from them! And Eren and Armin are no different! You tell them what we are, who we really are, and they'll be down the church, telling them where to find us!"
"Shut up!" Ariana cried as tears ran down her reddening cheeks: "Rowan shut up! This is stupid!" Clay fumed as he balled his hands into fists.
"NO! She needs to hear this!" Rowan pushed him to the ground: "She needs to know exactly what's going to happen, if the wall cult finds out what we are! What they'll do to us when they drag us out of our beds in the middle of the night, and march us the execution square in the capitol!-"
"-Shut up!" Ariana fumed as she stood back up, and glared up at him,
"How high they'll pile the wood on the bonfire, how tightly they'll tie us to the posts-
"SHUT UP!" She screamed as she stepped closer, clenching her fists tightly with rage.
"HOW LONG THEY'LL LISTEN TO US SCREAM AS THE FLAMES GROW HIGHER!-
"-I SAID SHUT UP!" she screamed as she punched him with everything she had, landing a blow to his nose that caused it to start bleeding; everyone watched in fear and horror as Rowan staggered back. But instead of stopping, he completely lost it, and with an animalistic roar he punched Ariana right in the face, causing her to fall over backwards against a tree: she clutched her face as her nose started to bleed, and her face began to swell up.
"YOU JERK!" Clay finally lost it, and tackled Rowan to the ground, trying to punch him in the chest and face: "Why'd you do that!? Why can't you just-
Clay didn't see the left hook coming as Rowan punched him in the face, and grabbed him as they rolled around on the ground: "You guys! Stop it!" Ash shouted as he and Dale joined the fracas, trying to pry Rowan off Clay, while Hazel tried to step in between them to try and block them from one another, "STOP IT! Stop it right now! this isn't helping!" she tried to shout above the fray, but between Clay and Rowan shouting profanities at one another, and Ash and Dale trying and failing to pull Rowan away, the whole situation quickly devolved into a five-way tug-o-war/punch up.
Meanwhile, as she regained her balance and stood back up, Ariana gently held her sore nose: it wasn't broken, but the sight of the blood made her gasp in shock, and as the pain began to throb in her face; she turned to see her brothers and cousins fighting, completely oblivious to her. But what hurt her the most was that her brother struck her hard enough to make her bleed: sure Rowan was a real hot-head and his temper was difficult to deal with at times: But this? She never expected he would do this to her. He never did that before, and it both scared and hurt her deeply. As a fresh wave of tears came, Ariana began to sob uncontrollably as she ran away, up into the forest, and away from the fight. She didn't want to be here, she didn't want to be anywhere near Rowan, not if he was going to hurt her again; she didn't care where she was going or how far she'd go, she just wanted to get away.
After she vanished into the thick greenery of the undergrowth: the five cousins and siblings continued to fight, totally unaware that their little cousin/sister was now gone: and getting further away.
A short time later, at the edge of the forest:
"I didn't see or smell them anywhere, did you uncle Tyto?" Jaye asked offhand as he looked up into the tree line, hoping to have caught a glimpse of his cousins.
"Guess they must have picked up the pace and reached the inner gate before us?" Tyto shrugged. As they approached the crossroads, a familiar scent caught Tyto's attention...
"Hello there!" a familiar voice called out: turning to see who it was, Tyto saw the Jaegers as they came wandering up the road with Eren clasping both his parent's hands, while following close behind, Armin's grandfather smiled and waved, while his grandson sat on his shoulders, eagerly pleased to see them.
"Hey there! Fancy running into you guys here!" Falken smiled as they approached. The scent of tea tree oil and lilacs, the Jaegers scent was unmistakable to Tyto: a nose as sharp as his could discern anything or anyone in the pitch black of night: the tea tree oil was a common scent of many doctors, as they used it frequently in their line of work, while lilacs were Carla's favorite flower, and he knew she always kept a large posy of them on the windowsills and table at this time of the year. "We were just out for a long stroll, it's such a beautiful evening we decided not to waste it" Grisha smiled as they stopped by the signpost next to them.
"Well what a coincidence? We just finished our camping trip for the week and are calling it a day, or, what's left of it at least!" Eraman chuckled,
"Tell me about it" Armin's grandfather grinned as he took his grandson off his shoulders and placed him on the ground: "This young whipper-snapper has been begging me all day for some quality time out of the house"
"Only 'cuz its way too sunny to spend indoors grandpa!" Armin tugged at his shirt,
"Yeah! Doing chores on a day like this should be banned!" Eren piped in,
"Indeed" Tyto chuckled as he approached his parents: "Actually, I was rather hoping to run into you two; have you eaten yet?"
"Actually, we were just discussing what to do for dinner" Carla smiled, "It's getting on in the day, and I don't really what to have to light the stove when we get in, it's been too hot today as it is"
"Well? Miriam always throws a hog on the spit on Fridays, so why not join us?" Tyto offered.
"Oh yeah!" Eren and Armin bounced up and down excitedly: "Mrs Willum's roast pig is the best!"
"It's a lovely offer, really, but money's tight at the moment and we really can't afford it" Carla sighed in disappointment,
"Oh don't worry Carla, it's on us: my treat" Tyto assured her.
"Yeah, we get all our drinks and meals for free at Miriam's Inn" Falken added,
"Seriously, with all the work we put in at her place, the ol' goddess would beat us to a pulp if she caught us paying for anything" Evrard grinned.
"It's true" Josepha spoke up nonchalantly, "Mrs Willum threw uncle Evrard head first out the door when she caught him paying for a glass of brandy once"
"Can we go mum?! Please please please pleeeeeese?!" Eren jumped up and down all around her; with a sigh of defeat, Carla smiled, "I guess it's dinner at Miriam's place tonight". "Yes!" Eren punched the air: before suddenly stopping, "Oh wait I nearly forgot! Where's Ariana?"
"She went on ahead with her brothers, Clay and Hazel, they should be waiting for us when we get back" Tyto told him.
"Will she be joining us for dinner?" Armin's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Of course" Tyto nodded
"Hey! Race you guys back!" Ashlyn grinned as she and her brother and cousins took off down the road, "Hey wait! You got a head start!" Eren called after them as he and Armin quickly caught up to them.
"Don't go too far ahead!" Armin's grandfather called after them; "Stay where we can see you!" Carla added before turning back to Tyto: "He's been asking after her all week: wondering when you guys were going to get back from your trip"
"Really? Ariana's been the same, trying to sneak off at every opportunity" he replied as they started walking down the road, with Shiganshina's inner gate coming into view: "She's been so restless to get back, worrying that Eren and Armin might have forgotten her: as if that's likely to happen"
"She's a good influence on those boys," Armin's grandfather smiled, "Don't ask me how or why, but there's something about that girl that seems to bring out their more positive sides; she tempers Eren's restlessness, and brings out Armin's confidence"
"They do sort of 'click' together don't they?" Eraman thought aloud, "Like birds and clouds"
"That's one way of putting it" Grisha couldn't help but smile: as he watched the children weaving in and out of a small copse of hawthorn trees "At least they haven't tried colluding to sneak off again"
"The hunting initiation has taken up a lot of time, what with the snow being so late to melt this year and having to make up for lost time: We've really had to cram a lot in these last few months; and with Gale, Poppy and Belle now working at the Inn, it seems the kids haven't had the time or energy to be getting up to any high-jinx's" Evrard commented,
"Thank goodness" Carla deadpanned, to which her husband couldn't help but chuckle: "I'm serious!" she playfully swatted him over the shoulder.
"I know you are!" Grisha chuckled, "With all the chores you've been setting him, the poor boy's hardly had the time to try and get up to anything"
"And Ariana's going to be waiting for him when we get back" Armin's grandfather pointed out with a cheeky smile.
"Yeah well she's plum outta luck" Evrard grinned, "She's going to have to fetch the drinks, that'll keep her out of trouble"
"Who's fetching the drinks?" Hannes grinned as he came wandering down an adjacent dirt road with two of his comrades close behind: "And who's round is it?" he grinned.
"Hannes" Tyto smiled, "Been doing the rounds?"
"Just finished up and ready to call it a day" the man grinned as he joined them, "Say, I hear Miriam's serving your good lady wife's infamous plum Brandywine at the Stallion this week"
"That would be true" Tyto glanced over at Grisha and Carla with a very sideways glance, they both couldn't help but roll their eyes; trust Hannes to catch wind of one of Freya's fruit brandywines. The man's keenness for alcohol was on par with that of a hound's taste for rabbit. And the fact he constantly smelt like a tavern (even when sober) certainly testified to that.
"Lovely, hey guys! First rounds on me!" he called over to his fellow garrison troops: who both looked equally eager to slack their parched throats.
"I do hope the children don't get too wound up" Carla worried offhand.
"Oh let them have their fun Carla: That's the whole point of childhood; it's a glorious evening with a glorious meal to come, and time well spent among friends. Trust me, it'll be fine" Evrard assured her.
Meanwhile, back up in the forest:
"-I SAID STOP!" Dale pushed Rowan off Clay, and placed a foot on his chest to stop him getting back up: "You're too tired to fight back anyway!"
Rowan tried to wrestle him off, but he was indeed much too tired to have enough strength left to do much, except just lie there and try to catch his breath: "Screw you Dale!" he panted as he wiped the blood and sweat from his face. Dale removed his foot, and went over to check on Clay and Hazel.
"You guys okay?" Dale asked worryingly as he helped them up, "I'll be fine" Clay sighed as he wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand, "I'm good" Hazel assured him as she wiped off the dirt from her clothes, before stomping over to Rowan with a look of sheer anger in her eyes: "Why the hell did you do that Rowan? Why'd you hit Ariana like that?!"
"She's been asking for it," Rowan growled as he sat up, "You heard what your dad told us, all of us: he told us about what really happened to my parents and the rest of my clan, about how they were killed and how we nearly died too. She knew all that, and she still thinks its okay to be friends with the other kids?! How can you be okay with this?!"
"I'm not okay with it!" Hazel shot back, "...But that doesn't mean you have to be a total jerk about it!"
"Yeah well if I don't try to talk some sense into her, she's gonna go blabbing our family secret to everyone on the street!" Rowan fumed as he stood up, and wiped his bleeding nose.
"Ariana won't say anything" Dale placed a hand on Rowan's shoulder, but he merely knocked it away, "Uncle Evrard swore us to secrecy: Ariana swore too, she's knows not to say anything!"
"You know that for sure?!" Rowan got up in his shorter brother's face, "Dale, she thinks everyone she meets is okay, that they'll be her friends just like that! How can we trust her with anything if she's not going to take this seriously?!"
"...You know Rowan..." Dale stared up at him darkly: "...You've changed since uncle Evrard told us about that night; I mean yeah you were a stubborn jerk before; but now? Your way worse, and it's not right"
"I trust you and Ash!" Rowan shot back, "How can you say I don't trust anyone?! I trust you guys all the time!"
"Yeah? Well what about us?!" Clay shot back, "We're your family Rowan! We've known each other since forever! Its okay to trust Ash and Dale, but it's not okay to trust me? Or my sister? Or Jaye, Josefa, Hawk or Ashlyn? Or even your own little sister?!"
-SHE'S NOT MY SISTER!" Rowan exploded as he punched the trunk of the tree he was standing next to: everyone stared at him in shock as he got his breath back, and tears began to stream down his face: "...You heard your dad, she's not my sister, my real sister. And none of you are my real cousins: we're just-, four different clans all living together in the same house, that's all..." he fumed in a broken voice, "...None of it was real: the whole 'we're all one big family' thing Tyto was always going on about? It's isn't real, none of it was real! We're just orphans that were taken in because he was friends with our real parents: that's all... Our parents our dead, because someone ratted them out!"
"Rowan... " Hazel breathed as she stared at him in shock: that hurt her deeply.
"He's our dad, and Ariana's our little sister: so what if we're not true blood, we're still family" Dale pleaded,
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Rowan snapped, "We were never family! Get that through your thick head! Tyto isn't our dad, Freya isn't our mum, and Ariana isn't our sister!". Clay, Hazel and Dale stared at Rowan in shock: as they saw the anger and sheer rage in his eyes; deep down, something hurt in all of them. But the sadness of the moment was broken by Ash's panicked voice: "WHERE IS SHE?!"
Snapping back to reality: they glanced over at Ash as he jumped out of the undergrowth in a panic: "Ariana! I can't find her anywhere!"
"What?!" Hazel panicked,
"She must have run off while we were fighting" Dale realized; "You idiot! This is all your fault!" Clay pushed Rowan again: "You're gonna help look for her!"
"She probably ran off home" Rowan dismissed, "Quit worrying about her, she ran home, ran up to her room to sulk, told the grown-ups what happened, and they'll ground us for week. Big whoop"
"We don't know that for sure!" Ash frowned in annoyance, "For all we know she could have run off up into the forest and got lost!"
"At this time of the day? Come on! She knows better than to stay out in the forest after dark: and since when has Ariana ever lost her way? She knows all the trails and hidden paths as good as Tyto and Evrard. She went home okay?! Quit worrying about her and let's go!" Rowan argued as he turned to leave.
"Ash is right, we don't know for sure!" Hazel ran over to stop him, "We have to go look for her"
"And we'll have to do it spread out: my nose is full of blood so I can't smell her. Rowan, we can't just leave her out here alone! What if a bear or wolf picks up her scent?!" Clay added in a panic.
Rowan turned to face him, and got up in his face again: "Then that's one less problem I'll have to worry about for the rest of my life! Now come on!"
"...You don't mean that..." Ash stared at him in shock.
"I DON'T CARE!" He snapped, "Now come on! I'm getting sick of all this bullshit!" he stormed off in the direction of the road, leaving the others standing there, horrified, shocked, and worried.
"We can't let him go off on his own" Dale sighed in exhaustion: "Yeah but we can't leave Ariana alone out here either! We don't even know where she is!" Hazel panicked.
"We can't split up it's too dangerous to do that..." Ash frowned: contemplating the situation for a moment, he sighed: "... You know maybe Rowan's right; maybe Ariana did run off home? I mean, she does know this forest real well, and she knows better than to stay out after dark. Maybe we're getting worked up over nothing? Maybe she really is in her room right now?"
Glancing at one another, the three of them were not comfortable with this, but considering Ariana's navigational skills, it's wasn't inconceivable for her to make a beeline for the inner gate from here; and what choice did they have anyway? The forest was a dangerous place at night, even their fathers didn't come out here to hunt after dark, what with the wolves, bears, and human outlaws stalking the place, it was too dangerous a gamble to risk.
Conceding defeat to the circumstances of the situation, Hazel picked up Ariana's quiver and bow, and slung it over her shoulder: the others all picked up their backpacks and weapons, and reluctantly started following after Rowan, keeping him in their line of sight as he continued to stomp through the forest, kicking every dead branch and log that he passed as he continued to fume and vent.
"I just hope your right about this Ash" Clay glanced at him in a serious tone,
"Me too" Ash worried as he glanced over his shoulder, noticing how the shadows amid the trees were beginning to grow darker, and more sinister as the sun began to set.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, deep in the forest:
She didn't know how long she'd been running for, or how far she'd gone; all Ariana knew, was that when her legs and feet finally succumbed to exhaustion, and her lungs felt like they were on fire, she was in a part of the forest she had never seen before. The trees here were unfamiliar to her, and the topography of the ground was unknown too; but at least she'd found a small stream in which to cool her tired feet, to get a much needed drink, and wash her still-sore face of the dried blood that had been caked to her lips, chin and neck.
After several minutes of cleaning herself up and getting her breath back, she stood on a rock by the water's edge to get a better look at her surroundings; the sun was now turning bright pink, as the last of its light shone through the trees, lighting up the undergrowth as if it were on fire, while overhead through the silhouetted canopy, the soft hues of twilight painted the sky in deep cobalt and azure blue, while shades of purple, pink and vivid peach lit up the clouds. And to the south west, the evening star shone clear and bright, pristine as a diamond amid the splendor of the coming night.
This was bad, Ariana knew it wasn't safe to be out here alone after dark, and worse, she had no idea where she was; without her bow and arrows, and only her knife for defense, her options were very limited. Gazing up and around, she noticed the ground she had been walking on was inclining upwards. First rule of navigating the forest always dictated that if you don't know where you are, always find the highest point in the forest to get a good view. Maybe there was a point from which she might be able to see the lights of the farmlands in the valleys below the forest? If that's the case, it would be a simple case of finding them, and walking in their direction to get back to the road. Or better yet: find Wall Maria, head for that, and simply follow the wall back home. The slope wasn't steep per se, and through the trees Ariana could see the big bulbous full moon shining bright, so it wasn't like she wasn't going to be in total darkness once the sun was gone.
But still, there were bears and wolves in the Marian forests, and without knowing if she was in the middle of one of their territory's or not, the journey was going to be very dangerous; it would be safer to find somewhere to bed down for the night and wait until morning to go home. But then, what about her family? They'd be worried out of their minds if they knew she was out here alone in the dark.
Thinking about it, Ariana decided this couldn't wait; reaching for her pocket knife and opening it up: she kept the blade ready in one hand, and as quietly as possible, began making her way up the sloping ground; listening to the sounds of the forest, and straining to pick out the tell-tale sounds of any predators stalking nearby.
At the back of her mind, she wondered about Rowan, and what happened back there; part of her worried about what would be waiting for her when she got home: would he still be angry with her? Would they start arguing again? Or worse, would he try to hurt her again? It was a terrifying prospect, and the fact he hardly listened to reason whenever he was in one of his 'moods' never helped; but this time was different, he had never lost it like that before: so filled with rage and out of control, that wasn't like him, and it made her wonder, if maybe he had changed somehow?
But unfortunately, that would have to wait; first things first, survive the forest, and get home in one piece.
A short while later, Shiganshina, the Black Stallion Inn:
The atmosphere was a pleasant one, laughter and gossip filled the air as everyone sat outside enjoying the warm evening: sipping cider and plum brandywine, while enjoying Miriam's roast pork and apple sauce: Rosemary, Lucille and Gustav had decided to join the fun, and even let Gale, Poppy, Belle, Shyla, Fox and Bemadette have the evening off, so as to go play with the other kids. Bryson and Claude had decided to shut their bookshop up early: and even Breck had managed to get off early from the hospital to join in the summertime revelry. Freya, and her sister's-in law, Bestla, Ran and Skadi had kindly brought along some of their homemade cakes to round the dinner off, and while the wives and spinsters gossiped, the husbands and drinking buddies howled with laughter at each others stories and jokes.
All except Eren and Armin, who simply stood at the bottom of the street, waiting for Ariana to show up: "Hey guys, no sign of them yet?" Tyto asked offhand as he wandered over to them.
"Not yet, I'm starting to get worried Mr Grayson" Eren worried, "You think their okay?"
"I'm starting to get a little concerned myself lad" Tyto frowned as he glanced up at the darkening sky; the sun had already set below the wall, and the evening star was now visible: "... They know better than to be out at this hour"
"Do you think we should go look for them?" Armin asked worryingly,
"Hmmm..." Tyto thought about it for a moment: before he spotted Clay, Hazel, Ash, Rowan and Dale walking along the street towards them, but no Ariana with them: "Ah, there they are; she must have taken one of the alleyway's back to the house" he thought aloud; trust Ariana to always take the long way home. Delighted and relieved, Eren and Armin took off for the Grayson's place, while Tyto returned to his drink at the Inn: "Are they back yet?" Freya asked worryingly.
"Just saw them coming up the street: Ariana must've gone on ahead" Tyto replied as he took a sip of his cider.
"Funny. I didn't see her come out by the Rickman's place as she usually does?" Carla thought aloud as she glanced up the street towards the Grayson's home: she saw Eren and Armin go into the house, but a moment or so later, she saw them exist the house and ran back towards her with worried looks on their faces. "Ariana's not home!" Eren panicked.
Freya and Tyto's attention was instantly grabbed as they listened in, "We just went to see if she got home, but she's not in" Armin panicked.
"Hey..." Ash greeted casually as he and the others approached the grown-up's, "Sorry we're late, is Ariana okay?"
"Ariana?" Eren echoed in alarm, "She's not with you guys?!"
Seeing the look on Eren and Armin's faces, Hazel got a bad feeling begin to well up in her gut: "Wait a sec, she didn't come home?!"
Everyone stopped and stared at the children in alarm; Tyto suddenly noticed Ariana's bow and quiver over Hazel's shoulder, and as he approached them, he picked up the scent of blood on their clothes, and noticed the bruises on Clay and Rowan's faces: "What do you mean 'she didn't come home'?" he demanded with concern in his voice.
Realizing Ariana wasn't here, Clay, Hazel, Ash and Dale all glanced at one another in a panic, while Rowan stared off into space, realizing he was now in a world of trouble.
As the parents demanded an explanation: Hannes sighed in exasperation, and turned to his two comrades: "Better go back to the Garrison and tell them to spare a few guys to organize a search: looks like we're going to be busy out in the woods tonight"
"Ariana's out in the forest?" Belle blinked in surprise, "Granny, what're we gonna do?" she turned to Rosemary.
"We're gonna look for her, that's what" Miriam stated: turning to her brother and the others: "Gustav, go wake up the livery next door and tell them we need to borrow some extra horses: Gale, Poppy Belle, go fetch the spare lanterns and torches down in the basement and go fetch Bren, Mabel and Derek; the rest of you fetch the tack from the stables and get a start on getting our own horses and carts ready"
"Mind if we help?" Bryson offered with his brother and friend at his back, "The more eyes on the ground, the better you'll have a chance of finding her"
"Good point" Miriam nodded,
"We'll help too" Grisha offered, with Carla standing by his side and Eren clinging to her apron strings. "Me too: she must be scared out there in those woods alone" Armin's grandfather offered
"Okay" Miriam acknowledged with a courteous nod: "Go fetch whoever else is willing to help. We'll move out as soon as everyone's ready"
Oh dear :( Well, it all kicks off in the next chapter, YAY! :D I had to split this chapter into chapter three as well, otherwise it would have been waaaaay too long, and the pace wouldn't have flowed right, so check out chapter 3 as I will be uploading as soon as I'm done uploading this chapter. :)