Ch. 5 Not Afraid
"It's You."
Rhea raises her brow at his tone and crosses her arms over her chest, which unconsciously pushes her naked breasts together. The ebony haired scout immediately averts his eyes.
"If you mean I'm the one who saved you then yes."
"No. I mean it's You. You're Rhea Vaughn."
Rhea's eyes widen, her mouth opens in a small "o", and her arms fall from her chest as she is momentarily stunned. A twinge of fear fills her chest, but she fights it back. A low growl rumbles in her chest, and the wolves behind the man stir, staring silently as they wait for orders. The scout, in turn, rotates his body so he can keep both Rhea and the wolves in his sight, then settles back into a ready stance. Rhea is more than a little impressed by his confidence. How exactly did he plan to fight them off with bruised ribs, a concussion, and no weapon? Rhea steps toward him threateningly, but he doesn't flinch.
"How do you know my name?"
The scout falters just slightly, looking reluctant.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
Rhea's brow lifts again, and her smile is all teeth.
"Try me."
He considers her coolly for a moment. Rhea watches his intense, storm colored eyes flit briefly to the wolves, then back to her, and she notices he is careful to look only at her face.
"Tch. Fine then. I know who you are because I dreamt about you, twice now, actually."
That is certainly NOT what Rhea was expecting to hear.
"You dreamt about me."
She tries to veil the skepticism in her voice but knows she has failed when the scout smirks smugly at her. My, he is a brave little shit.
"Yes."
Rhea can hear the truth in that single word. The deep baritone of his voice is smooth, confident, and authoritative. Rhea blinks, realizing she's been staring. She tilts her head curiously. The wolves lay back down but keep watching.
"Alright…Why?"
The ebony haired scout crosses his arms over his bare, well sculpted chest. The thick, corded muscles of his shoulders and triceps flex with the movement. The moonlight filtering in bathes his pale skin in a beautiful glow. Rhea must admit, this man is certainly the most beautiful scout she has ever rescued. Distracted as she is, Rhea almost doesn't hear his scathing response. She resists the impulse to shudder as his stormy eyes bore into her.
"Tch. Hell, if I know. I should be asking you that. And where is my damn shirt? And where the hell are your clothes?"
Rhea looks down at herself. Honestly, she had forgotten entirely about wearing clothes. She hasn't worn them in nearly four years. There is usually no one around to conserve her modesty for. She shrugs nonchalantly.
"My clothes would just be ruined as soon as I transform, and I spend most of the time in my animal form."
The scout scoffs and walks over to his broken gear. He pulls and emerald green cloak out of the pile and tosses it at her. Rhea stares at the fabric a moment, then throws the cloak around her shoulders and pulls the clasp closed. Her sensitive nose is now engulfed by his scent. It smells of black tea, pine, and strangely enough, soap.
"Your shirt is gone. I used it to clean the blood from your wounds. The smell of human blood would have drawn the titans right to us, so I discarded it."
The scout looks slightly taken aback. He slowly runs his hand, first over his ribs, then over the side of his head, wincing at the contact. His fingers come away completely clean, and he fixes her with a scowl.
"How long have I been unconscious? There are now bandages or blood, or even a trace of a wound. If it weren't for this shitty pain, I wouldn't think I was hurt at all."
Rhea watches him walk back to the spot he had been sleeping, sink gracefully to the floor, and lean his back gingerly against the dirt wall, sporting a brief look of disgust. She tilts her head in inquiry, and he sighs.
"If you were going to kill me, you would have done it already. I might as well get comfortable."
Rhea responds with a small amused smile, paces forward a few steps, and plops down in front of him, taking care to keep his cloak closed.
"You've been out about four days. I couldn't help much with your ribs, but they seem to only be bruised. The gash on your head I was able to do something about though."
"Only four days? A head wound serious enough for me to black out should take more than that to heal. I can't even feel a scar."
"I told you, I helped it along."
The scout's eyes narrow into a suspicious glare.
"How."
"Relax scout, I'll show you."
He raises a perfect, thin brow as Rhea reaches for his hand but doesn't move to stop her. She pulls it toward her. His palms are rough and calloused, from years of fighting no doubt.
"Levi."
Rhea looks up questioningly, his hand still gripped in hers.
"My name."
Rhea nods in understanding. She lifts her other hand and drags a sharp nail across Levi's palm, watching his face carefully. His glare deepens, mouth and brows settling into a darker scowl, but he doesn't snatch his hand away as she expects. Rhea makes sure not to break eye contact with Levi as she raises his bleeding palm to her lips and swipes her tongue over the deep scratch. Levi's eyes widen and he rips his hand away. The look of absolute disgust on his face is quite comical. Rhea suppresses a laugh.
"What the Fuck is wrong with you, shitty brat? That's completely disgusting."
Rhea only smiles at him, nodding her head to his hand. Levi glowers at her. The dark menace in his eyes promise pain. But he looks down at his hand anyway. Rhea smirks as she catches the almost unnoticeable hitch in his breath. The cut on his hand is completely gone. Levi looks up at her again, and though his facial features are composed, his eyes are torn between revulsion and amazement. He seems to come to a realization though, and the revulsion takes over completely.
"You…licked, my wounds?"
"That's right. Your head healed up within the first two-where are you going?"
Levi had sprung to his feet and is heading toward the exit.
"I need a bath."
"Why? I cleaned you up and washed the blood out of your hair"
"You licked my open wounds! That's vile. Walls, I need a bath. Where is the nearest river?"
"Really? I know it's a little strange, but I'm not diseased or anything. And I did save your damn life you know. You could at least be a little grateful and less of a jerk."
Rhea moves in front of Levi as he attempts to leave the den. He tries to go around her, so she grips firmly onto his shoulder, and places her other hand against his chest. Levi's eyes are burning now, as he glares at the offending appendage as if he wants to slice it off. Rhea buries a shiver.
"Move."
"Absolutely not. You still have a mild concussion and bruised ribs, and no real way of defending yourself. Titans are not the only danger in this forest Levi. I just saved your life, don't throw it away by being stupid."
Levi and Rhea stare each other down, neither willing to back away from the challenge. But Rhea can tell that Levi is in pain, no matter how well he's managing to hide it. So, she waits. Finally, Levi snorts derisively, turns around, and takes his seat again. Rhea joins him, and then he does something that truly surprises her.
"Tch…. Thank you…brat."
Rhea gives a real smile then, and it makes the muscles in her jaw ache. It has been a very long time. Levi simply turns his head away and stares at the pack of, once again, sleeping wolves. It's quiet for several minutes, only the sound of the night in the background.
"How did you get out here? You were inside the walls in my…dreams. And you couldn't turn into a giant wolf then, or I'm sure you would have killed that bastard father of yours before he—"
"You saw my father? What, exactly, did you see?"
"…The day he murdered your mother, and the day you killed him."
Rhea stares at her bare feet, nervous fingers fiddling with the hem of Levi's cloak. He had dreamt about her past. Why? And How? She glances up, sees his expectant look, and remembers that he had asked her a question.
"Wyatt's death was the last thing you dreamt? That was almost nine years ago. I only partially awakened my…power, that night. It wasn't until four years ago that I was able to transform for the first time. After that day, I knew I couldn't stay within the walls. So, I escaped and found my way here, and I've been here ever since."
"You've survived out here for four years? How?"
"I told you earlier. I spend almost all my time in my animal form. Titans don't have any interest in anything other than humans."
Levi nods in understanding, and his next questions brings a familiar, unwanted ache to her chest.
"What about your sister? You just left—"
Levi must have seen the grief flash across her face because he stops mid-sentence. He looks away again, watching the wolves sleep. When he breaks the silence next, Rhea is grateful for the distraction.
"The wolves, you can control them?"
"No, but I can speak to them, and they usually listen."
"So, they're not…like you?"
"No Levi, they're just normal wolves. As far as I know, I'm the only one of my kind."
"Hmm…does it hurt?"
"Does what hurt?"
"When you transform."
"You sure have a lot of questions. I didn't peg you for the talkative type."
Levi smirks devilishly, and she'd be a damn liar if she said it wasn't a good look on him.
"I'm in a hole under a tree, in the middle of titan country, with a pack of wolves, and a half naked slip of a woman who can turn into a giant beast at will. There's a lot to talk about, brat."
Rhea almost laughs but catches herself and settles for a smile instead.
"Fair enough. I haven't talked to anyone in four years. It's kind of…refreshing. No, it doesn't usually hurt when I transform. If I'm in control, the change is quick and practically painless."
"And if you're not in control?"
Rhea grimaces as painful memories are dredged up again, but answers anyway.
"If I'm not in control, it's the slowest and most unbelievable pain you can dream of."
Why is she telling him this? Rhea has never spoken a word about herself, her life, to anyone. But this man, something about him draws her in. Maybe she's just lonely. She hasn't been around humans in so long, she's craving any interaction. That must be it.
"How many times have you lost control?"
Rhea searches his face and sees no sign of judgement.
"Only once. The first time. I was overcome with anger and grief."
Rhea wants to kick herself when she hears the tremble in her voice. Levi doesn't comment on it. There's silence for several minutes. When Levi speaks again, she can tell he's trying to keep the judgement out of his tone, but it's there.
"Why did you run away? You've been out here so long. Humanity could have gained so much from your power in that time."
Rhea turns away. She doesn't feel like talking anymore. So, he had a couple dreams about her. That doesn't mean he knows her. He has no right to judge her. Rhea gets to her feet, removes the cloak, and drops it in Levi's lap. Then she turns and heads for the exit.
"Where are you going brat?"
"The sun set a few hours ago. There shouldn't be any titans still active. If we leave now, we can make it by sunrise."
"You didn't answer my question, shitty brat."
Rhea climbs out of the den and into the moonlit forest. Levi follows her out, glaring at her as she glances back at him.
"It's time we got you back to your regiment, scout."
Before he can interrogate her any further, Rhea closes her eyes and focuses her thoughts. She feels the power thrumming in her veins, a quick flash of pain, and then her human body is gone. In its place stands the massive white wolf. She lays on the ground, so that she is low enough for Levi to climb on her back and directs her gold stare at him. He rolls his eyes and re-enters the den for a moment. When he emerges, Rhea notices he has tucked something under his belt. Levi tugs harshly at her fur as he climbs up, and she turns her head to growl at him as he settles just behind her shoulder blades. Levi flashes that devilish smirk again.
"Well? What are you waiting for? I want to get out of this shitty forest."
Rhea ignores the jab and stands, feeling Levi's fingers grip firmly onto the fur at the base of her neck. She lifts her head to the sky and locates the north star to the right of them. She turns herself northwest, toward Trost district, and takes off, stretching her paws far and quickly building up speed. The sooner Levi gets back to the walls, the sooner she can forget about him and get back to her life.
Rhea and Levi reach the wall just as the sun begins to rise. The gate to Trost is a few more kilometres west. But the area around the gate is too open. She can't risk being spotted. Rhea stops at the edge of a small patch of trees and scans the area. There aren't any titans visible near the wall. She raises her nose to the sky and scents the air. Unless they were upwind, she would be able to smell them a km away. The stench of death and decay is easy to pick out. The air smells clear. Rhea kneels, and Levi climbs down, boots hitting the ground with a quiet thump. He turns to look at her. He hadn't spoken the entire ride, probably due to the speed they were traveling at. Levi lays a hand on one of her legs. Rhea leans her head down, so she is at eye level.
"Come with me Rhea. You belong with us. Help humanity fight the titans."
Rhea backs away from him, receding further into the tress. She is unable to speak in this form, but Levi recognizes the act as a denial. He turns away from her and walks to the edge of the tree line. He looks back at her one last time, and his beautiful eyes are hard as steel.
"I have watched countless people die horrible, painful deaths. Soldiers. Friends. I couldn't save them. I promised to fight for them instead. You have all this strength, and you're using it to run away and hide."
Levi leaves the tree line and makes his way toward the wall. Rhea watches him pull some kind of gun from his belt. He points the gun at the sky at and fires, sending a plume of red smoke into the air. Rhea can just make out soldiers on top of the wall as they scramble into a lift and begin their descent.
Rhea remains hidden, contemplating Levi's words. He is wrong. She hadn't run away because she was scared to fight. Memories flood Rhea's mind: Riley's smiling face as she holds her new born son, Rhea falling asleep with her young nephew snoring lightly on her chest, Riley's face again, pale and lifeless, her beautiful honey eyes wide and empty, the agonizing pain of her first transformation, flashes of green as she chases the murderers into the woods, blood and screams as she tears them apart, her nephew's honey eyes as he toddles toward her blood soaked, monstrous true form, Emmett's petrified stare as he finds her, human again but surrounded by the remains of those filthy bastards, and cradling her nephew to her naked chest and sobbing.
No, she hadn't left because she was scared. She left because she knew that she was a monster who could never fit among humans, because she knew that she was a danger to everyone around her. Why should she help humanity fight? Humans lie, cheat and steal. They rape and murder. They fear anything different and seek to destroy it. There is nothing left to save.
But, is that really true? Rhea has watched the scouts many times from the distance. They believe in their cause, are willing to die for it. They selflessly give up their lives, any chance of a simple life inside the walls, because the believe there is something worth saving.
And Levi, she had watched him throw himself at that titan without hesitation. This whole time, he didn't once look at her like she is a monster. He didn't flinch away from her touch, didn't hesitate to climb onto her back when she transformed. Even just a moment ago, he had reached out and touched her without a trace of fear. Levi believed she could do something good.
The wind shifts, and Rhea is pulled sharply from her thoughts by a foul scent that can only belong to one thing. She scans the horizon and sure enough, a horde of titans has emerged from the remains of a little town, close to the wall. They are heading directly for the group of soldiers who have just reached the ground. Levi has no gear, and a horde that size will overwhelm the small garrison force in minutes.
Rhea emerges from the trees at a break-neck run. The titans have closed in. Rhea watches as the first titan smashes face first into the wall, destroying the lift and sending soldiers flying straight into the hands of the titan horde. She catches sight of Levi as she draws near. He has pulled the blades from the corpse of someone crushed under the lift. He ruthlessly slices the fingers off a 7-meter titan as it reaches for him. Rhea leaps forward and sinks her fangs into the titan's leg and tears the bottom half of it clean off. The ugly blonde titan falls forward, Levi dodges out of its path, and Rhea takes her chance. She holds the titan's head down with one paw and rakes her claws across the nape with the other. The ugly beast stills, and steam erupts from the corpse as it begins to decay. Rhea feels Levi's hand brush against her hind leg as she turns to face the rest. Only two of the garrison soldiers remain, swinging dangerously around the titans by hooking into their bodies. Rhea glances back at Levi. If she engaged, he would be left practically defenseless, no matter how strong he is. Levi smirks up at her and smacks her leg lightly.
"Go. I'll be fine."
Rhea turns to face the titans again. Her lips curl back from her razor-sharp teeth as she unleashes a guttural, vehement snarl, and leaps into the fray.
Notes: Sorry for the delay with this chapter. I had some serious writer's block, and also had a bunch of adulting to do this week. I am still going to try and update twice a week, but after Tuesday it might be two chapters on the same day. My D&D group is finally allowed to play together again, so I'm writing material for that every week also. I really hope this chapter is okay. I'm not really liking the first half of it and I know it's a lot of dialogue. Next chapter will be in Levi's POV again so that should be fun :) I'm literally starving for your feedback, so leave a comment and tell me what you think about this chapter, and the story as a whole. I will have chapter 6 up by Tuesday. Thank you all for reading!