Chapter 16 – Annie (Arc 3)

As the final stage of her Dragon Fire Gear assessment came to a close, her breath only slightly panting as she awaited her score. When she had been confirmed to be ranked second in the year, she held herself in complete silence until she knew she was alone on the path back to the main camp, she allowed herself a small grin once more in self-satisfaction.

As she walked back towards the barracks, seeing her dorm filled with girls like Sasha and Ymir packing furiously as they were to begin their expeditions to find their dragons soon; she decided to avoid the fuss for now and walked to Armin's generally quieter cabin. Not knowing who was in the room at the time, she knocked quietly before hearing an uncharacteristically frustrated and muffled

"Come in"

As she opened the door, she saw the blond mop of hair lying face down into his bed, raising a small eyebrow at the boy, both somewhat concerned and amused, but as he began talking about his choice of dragons and how frustrated he was, her once raised brow returned to its resting position as she leaned against the wall, the boy's ranting filling her ears.

She didn't mind this in all honesty. It was nice to hear him talk, he had a nice voice. But it was more the words he was saying, the wonder that was in those eyes all those years ago still burning brightly in his speaking. As he pondered where he should go, memories of Armin's face lighting up as he spoke of his hometown and the forest he would visit with his grandfather flitted through her mind.

"Well for starters you could look up when someone comes into your room"

When he looked up, she saw his eyes widen like shields as he scrambled to pull himself upright. Seeing the nervous glint in Armin's shoulders as they became rigid, she decided to separate the chasm of space between them, setting herself on the boy's bed before turning to him, explaining to him what he needed to do; Shutting down his resistance and doubts as he slowly began to accept, or at least listen to her advice. She didn't really understand all the feelings Armin felt but it was enough to piss her off that he didn't acknowledge his strength. It was only when he thanked her that she realised she might've come off a bit blunter than she had expected. But, she thought, he seemed to have responded to it well enough so she decided to drop the subject.

Looking at him as his eyes were cast downward in the silence between them, she realised that his body was shivering again. As the realisation, a sarcastic thought passed through her mind. Her nicknames had always been 'Ice Queen' ever since the first day of training, (Not that it bothered her, just some idiots didn't get that she simply didn't always feel the urge to go out of her way to make conversation when she didn't need to.) and if she really was that cold, this shivering boy should be nowhere near her.

Deciding to take action, she began to loosen the buckling of her upper Dragon Fire Gear, much to Armin's surprise, confusion and… something of a blush? Seeing the worry over her somewhat uncharacteristic actions, she reassured him that nothing of that sort was happening, seeing him visibly loosen up.

She slipped the tunic over her head, feeling the once coarse fabric brush over her hair as she pulled it off before shoving it into Armin's hands as they rested on his lap; It felt strange without it, she'd regularly worn it for at least two years, and she felt peculiar without it. But as Armin's eyes lit up in a way she'd only seen when the outside world came up, she thought that it was worth it, besides, she could always buy another one.

The real surprise for both of them however, was when Armin threw his arms around her. Stunned, she tensed up, instincts screaming at her to the throw him off and onto the unforgiving planks of wood that made up the floor. But within seconds, she was able to quell her violent instincts, realising that she didn't quite know what to do now. Deciding to experiment, she reached her arm out to replicate the hug that he was giving her. It was odd. She didn't know if she liked it. But as she left, saying goodbye to him, she felt herself loosen up slightly, feeling a bit better and her body a bit lighter.

She would not see him again until she began her own journey to find her dragon, seeing him hop onto a small carriage, but being too far away for him to have seen her. Well, she'd said goodbye already back at the cabin so no real difference, she thought as she saw the ocean's crescents lapping in the distance. Noting that it was time for her to depart as well, she placed her essentials into the pouches and sacks which she would carry, strapping her knives to her belt. Even though she had a feeling that she would not be needing them where she was going. Back to her hometown.

Annie decided to walk up the beaten track that led out of the heart of the city, craning her head upwards as she passed the walls, remembering the hatred for them that had once surrounded her, and how now they were her greatest defenders (Apart from herself obviously) Huh. Fate is an ironic thing.

Hours passed until she finally reached the edge of Berk's borders. After scouring the villages for about an hour, picking up some extra bread at one of the markets, she eventually found a local stable that had a horse that was up for rent, taking the small summation of silver that she had set aside for a mount.

Eyeing the horse, she made note of the pitch black eyes that seemed to bore into her own like a Whispering Death, a chestnut coat that seemed to shimmer like water as it stomped its hoof. Reaching her hand out and taking its reigns, she felt it buck and panic as it looked at her as if she wasn't quite human. Realising what a problem this could grow into, she moved to calm the beast, but it's legs still frantically beat with the utmost urgency. Feeling a sense of de ja vu, she remembered the first time that she had to ride a horse in training, how it bucked and reeled away from her.

At first she had tried to control it with strict orders, but these never worked. Frustrated, she had sat down at the edge of the training square before hearing Reiner call out to her, telling her that he'd help with her issue. Reiner had stepped forward slowly and spoke softly to the Stallion, quietly and with care in his voice.

So unlike the Armoured Titan of the First Pit that she had heard of in whispered tones by the guards, but eerily similar to the boy of the village she once knew. He slowly rubbed calming circles into the horse's neck as he handed her the reigns; feeling the change in control the horse froze again, but this time reached out her hand and left it there for the horse to choose to take, eventually pushing its head forward in cautious acceptance.

Deciding to try the same trick that had worked then, she raised a pale hand to the hazel horses' head. As she felt the snout press against her palm, feeling the warmth emanate from it. As she pulled herself up into the saddle she had decided to count up the marks on her crystal, now on a necklace, as she often did.

As her body rocking in synchronisation with the horse's gait, she began absentmindedly, she ran her thumb slowly across the destroyed surface; each notch an axe to a throat, each scratch a stab through the heart, each tally, a crushed windpipe. All of those memories, still lay just beneath the surface, begging to be broken free from their cold prison that they may wreak havoc in the forest of her mind. She felt herself being drawn into the whirlpool that was threatening to drown her, the crystal serving as her life line back to the present reality.

Turning her eyes back in front of her taking in her surroundings she realised that her path was verging on the edge of the coastline as the waves softly lapped against the shore. She took a moment, pulling her horse to a slow stop as she rested on the ridge of the mound, eyes scanning over the horizon, making out the minute form of her island which she had not visited in years. Home.