"Ooph!" Willow winced as she fell down on her back, Gunner standing over her, his stance still ready to go. His stoic stare on her. "You always floor me "
"Sorry"
"It's okay, I just wish I was picking up the training as easily as you" Willow sighed accepting his hand, he effortlessly pulled her up, steadying her when she stumbled.. He had always been strong but the training had definitely made him stronger. He always floored who ever he sparred against.
"You excel at the hand to hand and you got moved to the master class for the mobility gear"
"If it makes you feel better I don't excel at that one, the gear gets harder to use when you actually have to move with it"
"I bet, but at least you can move with them, we have one week left and I've not even mastered staying up right"
Willow was terrified with each day that passed, it was getting closer to the mission day as Keith had called it, he had told them why they only had two months, because Commander Madarin, the man who had brought them here, wanted them to go on the scouting mission, and the government had given him permission to, Keith wasn't sure what section they were supposed to be on so he was just trying to prepare them with all the training scouts needed.
"You'll get it"
"I really won't, not with a week left Gunner"
"You worry to much, think less focus more"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Gunner opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a different voice.
"Did I say stop fighting?" Keith roared towering over them. They flinched stepping back from him.
"No sir"
"Then why did you?"
"My fault sir" Willow admitted, flinching again when his eyes turned to her. He seemed to eye her for a while as if thinking something before he sighed and addressed the cadets.
"Alright that's enough"

At his word the cadets stopping their combat and turned to face him. Keith quietly admitted to himself they were the most obedient and well behaved cadets he had ever had. They didn't fight with each other nor break his rules, they followed his every word and what ever crazy training he ordered them to do. If only they fought as well as they behaved Keith mused, Willow and Gunners conversation reminding him there time was almost up.
"I'm cutting combat training short today, we have something else to do, so follow me" Keith ordered turning on his heel, catching a few confused looks as he turned. He didn't often break from his schedule, but today he had to get them ready for something else. They weren't allowed to walk when over the wall, and the mission was some distance so they needed-
"Horses" Phoebe gasped as they came to a large field where a bunch of horses roamed.
"You are all to pick a horse, these animals will be with you for the long run, they are your companions, they will go with you over the wall"
"Really?"
"This is how the scouts travel outside the wall"
"I thought they used the mobility gear?"
"There's areas that you can't use your gear in, for that you use these, so get picking"

Willow walked in to the field, her eyes glancing at the beautiful large creatures before her. She hadn't seen so many horses together before. It was a rather amazing sight.
"Wow" Melia Breathed following close beside her.
"So pretty" Willow mused drifting through the field, stroking a few of the horses as she passed them. It was exciting to think she was was getting her own horse, even if it was only hers till she died. In a week Willow inward sighed.
"Oh she's gorgeous" Fiona gushed stroking a stunning sandy coloured horse. "Aren't you just a gorgeous girl"
"She is" Willow agreed stroking the horse as well.
"Is she really mine?"
"If you pick her, she's yours, you train her, you ride her, you look after her" Keith nodded leaning against the fence as he watched them move about the field.
"Do they have names?"
"Nope, if you want to name them name them, just pick your horses and Boris will show you how to saddle them up" Keith added pointing to Boris who was standing next to a saddled horse.
"Is there a catch? I mean you aren't just giving us free horses right?" One girl questioned stroking the brown horse she was next to.
"The catch is you work in the scouts, every scout is issued a horse, just like they are with gear, it's essential to their survival over the wall, despite the fact you are being sent in to titan territory the government like to think they gave you as many chances to survive as possible, it makes them feel better, so pick your horse and saddle them up"
Willow nodded to herself glancing around at all the horses, watching the other cadets and her friends slowly pick their horses. A black horse caught her eyes, he seemed to be watching her, his long tail swishing behind him.
"Beautiful" Willow whispered as she slowly walked over to the horse, reaching her hand out for him to sniff. "Hi there Beautiful can we be friends?"
His breathe fanned over her hand as he took in her scent then seemed to accept her by rubbing his nose against her hand. Willow's smile brightened as she stroked the beautiful horse before her, running her fingers through his long black mane.
"You are such a beautiful boy" Willow smiled which turned in to a giggle when he nibbled her forehead with his lips. "I think we are going to be best friends"
"That's good"
Startled Willow turned to see Keith behind her a saddle in his hands. Confused she glanced around her for Boris, seeing him busy with another two cadet.
"Ever saddled a horse before?" Keith questioned bringing her attention back to him, his eyes still scared her. He always looked so angry.
"Yeah we had some on our farm"
"Good put it on" He handed her the saddle and watched her closely as she saddled up the horse.
"Ever ridden a horse?" Keith questioned checking the saddle was tight enough.
"Erm no"
Keith nodded siding the horse beside her, holding his knee out slightly. "Well come on then, climb up"
Cautiously Willow stepped on his knee and accepted his help upon the horse. She felt so high above the ground as she sat on the saddle of the beautiful black horse. It was weird but it felt natural to.
"Hmm he trusts you already, good step" Keith nodded stroking the horse. "Hold the reins, the reins are your control"

Keith moved over to the fence watching the cadets as they practice ridding their horses, they looked awkward and out of place, all apart from Willow, despite being her first time upon a horse, she looked so relaxed and the horse was happily letting her lead him.
It was good to see her finally excel at something, now if only she could get off the ground with her mobility gear, then Keith would have faith she'd survive. He had grown fond of his cadets this time, there was just an innocence good nature around them, even when he told them off, which they made It really difficult for him to do. Only a few he had faith could kill something, the rest he knew didn't have it in them. They weren't cut out for scouts. It really angered him that he had to play apart in Madarin's game. He had had three meetings with the government asking for them to reconsider or at least give him more time, but each time he was turned down. He had even asked Madarin to reconsider but the evil bastard refused.

"I know you want to punish them, there's plenty of ways to punish them without sending them to their death, they aren't cut out for scouts life Madarin, please reconsider"
"My My My The great almighty Keith Shadis said please?" Madarin laughed Keith wasn't one for please or thank you's, but he had forced himself to say please to Madarin despite hating the man.
"Have you grown soft Shadis? Have your Cadets made you gain a heart? Broke your icy shell" Madarin taunted enjoying watching Keith hold back the urge to hit him. "As amusing as it is watching you plea, my answer Is no"
"They aren't cut out for the scouts life"
"Well then I guess they will all die then, and it's going to be your fault"
"Mine? It's you who are forcing them over the wall" Keith growled barely holding the urge back to punch him.
"Yes I have no guilt, it's you who was tasked with readying them for the mission….I guess it's just another fail to add to your long list….and more lives lost because of your failures"

Keith clenched his fists at the memory, anger bubbling up in him again. The picture of Madarin's smug face in his mind from their last meeting. He really hated that man.
"Boris" Keith snapped deciding he needed to do something before he killed someone.
"hm?"
"I'm taking a few recruits to train, the rest I'm leaving with you"
"You want me to continue the schedule with them?"
"Yeah drill it in them, no slacking"
"Understood"

"This if kind of fun" Willow admitted as she and her new horse friend stopped beside Fiona.
"It really is, definitely the only time I've enjoyed training"
Willow nodded in agreement stroking her horses mane. "I can't believe we get our own horses"
It was definitely something that made them all excited, being from the poor side of town, most of them young refuges from wall maria, getting their own horse was just unheard of. Hell getting a gift it's self was just unusual.
"My mums going to flip out when she meets princess" Matt added in stopping beside them.
"You…named your horse Princess?" Zima snickered and the other snickered.
"My mum said she had a horse who was her best friend called Princess when she was a kid but her family had to sell her" Matt shrugged mumbling his words slightly as all eyes were on him and his red cheeks.
"Oh lord Matt you are so adorable" Willow laughed watching his cheeks redden more.
"You really are" Fiona laughed, which only deepened when Gunner ruffled his hair in agreement.
"Oh my Sir's on a horse" Melia cut in, halting their laughter and torment. They all turned and watched Keith step on to the field his own horse as fierce looking as him. Willow could almost feel the horses glares.
"You think his horse makes the other horses train to?" Someone whispered but the stare from Keith stopped anyone from laughing. They all stared at him awaiting their next order because obviously there was one.

"Phoebe, Kassandra, Isha, Matthew, Cyril, Willow, Pete, Jenko, Samuel, Hannah and fraya follow me, the rest of you are with Boris"
With his words he took off out of the field without even waiting to see if they were following. Everyone one blinked after him, unsure what just happened/
"Err… cadets" Boris called bringing eyes to him. "He said follow"
As if just realising they came to life, turning their force in the direction he had gone and awkwardly ridding after him, one of them falling off their horse. Boris snorted watching them go before turning to the rest of the cadets.
"You're with me, lets go"

Keith came to a stop in the mobility training forest, and turned his horse to see if the cadets had actually kept up, at first he saw nothing, the land behind him quiet and empty. Just as he was about to head back to look for them, they appeared through the mountain pass. Trotting in a nice formation towards him. What made him raise his eyebrow though, The best riders seemed to have the reins of their not so good riders attached to their horses, keeping the group together.
'good Team work' He mused watching the few good riders pull the group to a stop. Keith nodded at them jumping from his horse.
"You have a week left, and none of you have mastered staying up straight, so we are going to jump ahead and try something else, practising using the gear and moving with it" Keith explained his eagle eyes noticing the panic on all their faces. "Off your horses and get to practising"
"But sir, if we can't master a machine holding us up how are we going to do-"
"I said GET OFF YOUR HORSES AND GET PRACTISING!" Keith roared making a few of the horses back up. The cadets gulped sharing nervous glances with each other as they slowly slid from their horses, clumping together awkwardly not even knowing where to start.
Keith sighed, cracking his neck slightly. He was in for a long day.

"Wow their moving" Boris blinked watching the cadets sort of half skip half fly around the training forest. "Barely"
Keith sighed rubbing at his face. They couldn't keep in the air for long, they had fallen, smacked in to each other, smacked in to trees. Failed with their anchors, it was chaos.
"How was the others training?" Keith questioned wincing slightly as one of the girls slammed on to the floor having failed with her anchors. He watched her sit up knowing she was okay before he turned to Bruce.
"Er, well better then this" Boris nodded tilting his head at one of the recruits tangled upside down in a tree. They watched Willow some how land in the tree, reaching for the cadet. Pete landing behind her nearly knocking them both off.
"I don't even have words, to describe how bad this training is going" Keith muttered stepping on to the field to help the tangled cadet before they all fell out of the tree. Ignoring Boris's chuckling behind him.