Elsie peered out the window as the carriage came to stop. It was the castle that the Scouts would eventually bring Eren to. The grass was just as lush as in the show, the stables full of horses that neighed at the arrival of the carriage. The wooden doors opened at the sound, a blonde head popping out. His brown eyes widened in shock before Oluo closed the door once again, no doubt running to tell the rest of the squad of their arrival.

Levi fixed his lapel before opening the door and helping Elsie out. The bottom of her dress was immediately covered in mud and she didn't dare look at her pretty shoes - she should've known better than to wear this. No wonder Levi had shook his head when she'd came downstairs in it. She could see his 'I told you so' look and shrugged him off, turning to look at the castle.

"It's just as I remember." She muttered.

Levi's eyes lingered on her face, "You've seen it before?"

"A couple times, actually." Elsie grabbed at her throat, waiting for the pain to come. When it didn't she sighed in relief and turned back to the carriage, grabbing her one luggage. She knew there was no reason to bring her dresses so she had only packed her sparse amount of workout clothes that she had been given.

The doors once again opened and Oluo, Gunther, Eld, and Petra tumbled out eagerly. They were wearing white blouses and tan pants with suspenders, the usual attire for a Scout, and quickly saluted Levi as they lined expectantly in front of him. He gazed at them all before nodding at Elsie, their eyes landing on her. She kept her features in control as she met their eyes, trying not to remember how they looked when they died.

"This is Elsie, the bothersome girl that has been under our protection. She will be training with us from now on." Levi's introduction was lame at best. Elsie glared at the back of his head.

"It's nice to meet you again, Elsie." Petra said, happily waving and giving a kind smile. She was beautiful with her short blonde hair and kind brown eyes, her face round and flawless.

"Welcome to the Castle!" Oluo boomed from beside her, his chest puffed. The others hung their head. "If you need any help, Lady Elsie, please feel free to come find me. I will gladly assist you."

"She's no lady, that's for damn sure." Levi grunted.

"Hey!" Elsie bristled, glaring at the captain. "I can be a lady if I damn well pleased."

"You sure as hell don't act like it." He pointed out, his eyes drifting to her maiden dress and the mud on it.

She rolled her eyes and stepped forward, "Can someone please show me my room? I've been stuck in a carriage with him for over four hours, that's more than I can handle for the day."

The squad blinked at her tone before their eyes landed behind her. She gave Levi a heated glare over her shoulder and when he nodded his head, she huffed and turned back around to follow Eld into the castle. It was warmly lit and not shockingly clean, the stones glistening in the candle light. Eld led her down confusing hallways before stopping in front of a dark door. He opened it and she walked in to an empty room with a twin sized bed pushed against the wall, a nightstand that had seen better days the only other piece of furniture in the room. She set her luggage at the foot of the bed before turning back to Eld.

"What do I do now?" She asked. Elsie may have been ready to leave Levi's side but that didn't mean she could lag around all day. She hadn't forgotten that she was here to train.

Eld shrugged, "We have lunch ready so you can eat. I'm sure Captain has a plan for you already."

Elsie sighed before following him out of the room. She focused on their walk, making sure that she wouldn't have to ask for help to get back to her room. He turned left and they entered the dining room. She stopped in the doorway, remembering a forlorn Eren and Levi sitting at the table after the squad's demise. She blinked at the sound of the door banging open, the squad bustling in with Levi trailing behind them. Levi spared her a glance before grabbing a teacup and pouring himself tea.

"Eat, Elsie. We'll start with horse riding first." Levi stated, taking his seat at the head of the table. Petra plopped beside him and Eld on his other side, Gunther and Oluo piling their plates full of food.

"Exciting." Elsie grumbled, grabbing a plate and stacking it with potatoes and corn. She took note in the lack of meat.

She sat at the end beside Gunther and ate quietly, listening as the squad joked with each other. Petra laughed as Gunther and Oluo bickered over who rode horses better and Eld muttered something under his breath that made a small smirk appear on Levi's face. She felt like she was having dinner with a family and was intruding. She played with the corn on her plate, hand propping her cheek, watching as they interacted with each other. Elsie felt like she was getting the behind the scenes of the show.

"How has life been treating you, Elsie?" Petra asked, noticing that she wasn't talking. The table turned to stare at her.

She shrugged, "It's been good. I was allowed to teach at the school in Trost. That was fun."

"I hated school." Oluo grumbled.

"Probably because you're stupid as shit." Gunther snickered.

"Smarter than you! Who was it that got his wires tangled, hm?"

Levi stood and the table fell silent, "Let's go, Elsie."

Elsie quickly followed, waving good bye to the others. Levi led her to the stables and she nervously approached a black horse, running her hand down his coarse hair. She had never rode a horse before and hadn't fully appreciated how large the animal was. She met his black eyes before turning to look at Levi.

"You can't make fun of me, okay?" She begged.

He shrugged and opened the stable, leading the black horse into the center of the yard. He saddled the horse and showed her the reins and how she was supposed to mount the steed.

"This is Noir." Levi introduced when she stepped forward to mount him.

She patted the horse's hair, "Please be nice to me, Noir."

Levi rolled his eyes and watched as she mounted. He grabbed the reins and led Noir in a circle, letting Elsie get comfortable to being on top of a horse, before handing them back to her. He grabbed her left foot and kicked it on the horse's waist and immediately the horse began to walk at the hit. She tightly gripped the reins, keeping an eye on the direction they were going and where Levi was at all times. Eventually she was comfortable enough with being on the horse that she kicked again and Noir began to trot. She giggled at the feeling of bouncing on the saddle.

"This is great!" She cheered, leading the horse.

Levi stood at the stable, leaned against the wall. He let her ride Noir for hours, leading him back and forth in whatever direction she wanted. When the sun began to set Levi whistled and Noir immediately turned towards him. She was smiling wide when she jumped off his back, following Levi as he led Noir back into his stable.

"I can't believe I've never done that before."

"It is nice," Levi said, taking off Noir's saddle. Elsie ran her hand down his back, frowning when she saw the sweat that had knotted his fur from the saddle. "I never rode a horse until I joined the Scouts. Noir was my first horse."

She blinked, "Oh, he's yours?"

"Why do you sound shocked?"

"I thought your horse would be the meanest one." She looked at the brown horse kicking at a door.

Levi rolled his eyes and showed Elsie how to brush him after riding. Once they were done, he locked the stable and walked back to the castle. Elsie glanced once more at Noir before following, happy with her first day at the castle. She had expected to be punched to black and blue instead of this nice transition. She knew that tomorrow would not be this easy.

They entered the dining room where the others were. She wondered if they had even moved since she'd last seen them.

"How was riding, Elsie?" Gunther asked.

"It was great! I really enjoy it, I've never rode a horse before."

Petra laughed, "Tell her of your first time, Oluo."

"I don't think that's good table talk-"

"He ran straight into a branch and knocked himself out cold! It was hilarious!" Gunther chuckled.

"Shut up! I'm the best rider here!" Oluo slapped the table.

"I think that's up for discussion." Petra raised an eyebrow.

Elsie laughed and took her seat, gathering more potatoes onto her plate. Dinner flew by, full of laughter and jokes directed at Oluo. She now understood why he had been trying to make an impression on the new recruits, although even that backfired. Eventually the food was gone and Levi stood, calling for the end of the night. Eld glanced at Elsie, silently asking if she needed help to her room, and she smiled in thanks.

Once she was in her room she dressed in her sleep shirt and crawled into the cold sheets, snuggling close to her one pillow. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, tossing and turning to find the most comfortable position, yet it seemed to evade her tonight. Eventually she laid on her side, starring out the window and gazing into the half moon. She always had a hard time sleeping in a new place for the first time, especially when she could hear everyone else moving in the stone building. She turned to face the stones, counting the lines. She was content to lay there in silence until her thoughts turned to her family. Suddenly anxious, she sat up and decided that a warm cup of tea would soothe her enough to sleep. Hopefully.

Elsie crept to the door, slowly opening and relieved when it didn't make an obnoxious creaking sound. She tiptoed down the hallway until she was at an impasse, looking left and right down the dark corridors. She had never been to the kitchen.

"Tsk. What do you think you're doing up?"

Elsie squeaked in shock and spun on her heel, grabbing her chest as she stared at Levi. He stood behind her, arms crossed, and still wearing his uniform. He raised an eyebrow as he waited for her answer but she was too busy trying to get her heart beat under control to immediately answer.

"Are you trying to kill me? Make some damn noise!" She berated him.

"You're the cadet, asshole. Don't tell me what to do." Levi retorted, giving her his infamous dead stare.

Elsie tried to look intimidating, placing her hands on her hips, but she was only in her sleep shirt, "Then don't scare me like that!"

"Baby," He mocked. Elsie scowled. "You didn't answer my question."

She dropped her hands and sighed, "I couldn't sleep so I was going to make tea."

Levi nodded with understanding and brushed past her, heading down the hallway to her right. She could barely see in the darkness yet Levi led with confidence, obviously used to wandering the halls at night. She wasn't shocked, the man looked like he hadn't had a good nights sleep in years. He pushed open a door and she blinked at the sudden orange light from the fireplace. The kitchen was warmer than her own room and she gladly headed to the cabinets, searching until she found tea packs and a pot. She began to boil the water when Levi reached and took the tea from her.

"You're still shit at making it." He stated.

Elsie rolled her eyes, feeling like she had done that so much more in the past twenty four hours than she had her entire time in the dimension. She sat at the wooden island and watched as he created his perfect tea. When he sat a mug in front of her she was pleasantly surprised when he grabbed his own cup.

"Why are you up?" Elsie asked, already knowing he was going to question her. She figured she was better off beating him to the punch.

He sipped slowly at his tea, making her wait, "I was doing paperwork."

"Oh. What about?"

"Our next trip outside the wall. Why couldn't you sleep?"

Elsie frowned, looking at her dark tea. Their next trip outside the wall would mean that the attack on Trost would be happening. All she had told the Scouts was that the attack happened in 850. The past six months of her living here had been wasted, it was distressing how fast the time had gone. She had only just begun to train.

"I have a hard time sleeping in new places, that's all," She shrugged, using her short nails to chip at the wooden island. "I just lay there and then start thinking."

"About?" Levi spoke like he didn't give a shit but she knew that he did. Somewhere far, far down.

"My family. You guys. Just everything, really."

They lapsed into silence before Elsie finally broke it, "Levi, when's your next mission?"

"Another three months."

She sighed and slouched in her stool. Three months to learn everything that took three years for the average person. She was resolved to try her hardest but she had her own doubts. Levi set his cup down and she looked up, meeting his grey eyes. She wished she could tell him everything that would happen. Elsie rubbed at her throat, the skin still red and irritated from last night. She needed to figure out another way to tell him.

"That's soon. Will you take me?" She asked.

"It's looking that way. The entire Scout Regiment will be going out for this one and since you're training it will give you the experience you'll need. Although you'll probably be eaten the moment we go out."

"That's not funny!" She gasped.

"It is to me."

"You're sick," She grabbed her cup and placed it in the sink. "Just wait, Levi, you'll be eating your words in no time."

"I highly doubt that. You can barely stand right." Levi followed her, cleaning up the tea and washing out the pot before placing it back on the stove.

Elsie waited at the doorway for him, knowing that she wouldn't be able to find her way back to her room. The entire walk back she thought of how to tell him the attack would be happening but then what would happen? Would the Scouts not go outside the wall and be able to help? Will that keep Eren from discovering his powers? She had to consider everything before she dared to try to tell Levi. The Scouts being in Trost would save hundreds of lives but it would change the plot line. Would it be a significant change?

Elsie knew she wouldn't get any sleep tonight. She rubbed her head when Levi stopped in front of her door.

"Stay in your room from now on or there will be punishments." He warned.

She scoffed, "Punishments? I'm not your child. I'd like to see you try."

"No, you're my subordinate and you will listen, Elsie. You're not someone to protect anymore, you're a part of the military and will abide by the rules." Levi's posture changed, stepping threateningly closer.

Elsie stared at him before nodding and opening her door, slamming it in his face. Fucking midget.