The meeting point was ahead of them, not a long distance across the open plains now that they had their horses back. Tomas was leading them, though his calculating eyes kept searching around him for danger. Pete still silent in shock behind him and Dieter riding beside him making sure the boy didn't slow down any more then he had. Tomas felt bad for the kid, They shouldn't have been out in the field, something like this was bound to happen with Cadets that weren't even ready for field work. Hell even soldiers that knew how to use their equipment were still at risk. Death was just a too common thing.
"Another team successfully arrived" Hange cheered waving brightly at them as they neared everyone. Tomas cringed hearing Pete choke slightly as if holding back his tears.
"Not all of us" Dieter interrupted casting his eyes to Pete as if trying to tell Hange to quit her celebrations.
"Huh who didn't make it?"
"Where's Willow?" A young girl questioned, pushing in front of the crowd, her wide eyes instantly noticing the missing person. "Pete? S-she was with you right? Where's Willow? Where is she?" The girl gulped her wide eyes suddenly filling with tears fearing the answer. Pete crumbled, sliding off of his horse he dropped to his knees in a bow, crying about how sorry he was over and over begging for her forgiveness for not protecting her.
"No" The girl breathed dropping to her knees as well, now that her suspicions had been confirmed. The new cadets gasped in shock most of them breaking out in tears as well. Tomas winced slightly at the sight, they were only kids.
"We lost another newbie huh?" One of the scouts questioned, tutting in shame.
"Another?"
"Yeah Nifa and Lauda lost one as well, they got attacked by Abnormals"
"How sad" Christa blinked her bright blue eyes filling with tears for the poor cadets and the lives that were lost.
"Our boy insists the titan didn't eat his friend though, just carried her off"
"A Shifter out here?" Eren interrupted jumping to his fighting stance.
"Highly unlikely, you know how it is, scared out of your wits, your mind plays tricks on you"
"Mm you believe anything" Another scout nodded glancing at the crying cadets. "Poor kids"
"Mm, but commander Erwin these cadet's can't even use there mobility gear, they stand Zero chance out here" Tomas explained watching a flicker of surprise cross his commanders face.
"What?!" A few of the scouts exclaimed voicing the shock for the commander.
"When we were attacked by some titans the cadets said they can't use their gear, they've only had 2 months training Commander Madarin lied"
"Excuse me" Erwin questioned his head turning an inch as he stared at Tomas wondering if what he heard was correct, Tomas merely nodded in response. Madarin had told them, the cadets hadn't completed their training and were going in to the field early but he hadn't said anything about them only have two months of damn training! And being utterly useless to the mission. Despite that he would sacrifice his self or his men to help mankind move forward, he had morals and this….this went against all of them.
"I see" Erwin nodded his eyes flickering to the cadets, his hands tightening ever so slightly on the reins of his horse in anger, though his voice didn't portray it. "Well we have a mission to complete"
"You can't be serious we are still going to take them with us!" Eren questioned his outrage showing. "You heard what he said!"
"Our mission is nearly over, there is no point heading back now, and I will not split my formation and risk more lives, we continue onwards" Erwin responded, his eyes telling Eren not to argue. Eren growled stepping forward to argue anyway but a touch from Mikasa on his shoulder discouraged him from continuing. Erwin wasn't exactly pleased with the situation himself, but he had a mission to complete. The information they were trying to gather would be important to mankind's survival against the titans.
"Lets move"
'I'm dead'
Willow was utterly terrified, it wasn't a new emotion since joining the cadets, it seemed to be the only emotion she felt regularly, but now as she sat incapable of moving in a titans fist, so only her head was visible… she was even more terrified if that was even possible.
'I'm dead'
She thought to herself, her wide eyes fixed on the head of the beast which was carrying her. Though it's own eyes were focused on where it was going. She couldn't see it's eyes but she had no doubt it had the same never ending hunger behind it's eyes and same empty stare.
Tear's welled up in her eyes as she hung hopelessly waiting for the death she knew was to come, there wasn't any use trying to fight, she couldn't even move to itch her arm. The titan's grip was too strong. Even if she could move her limbs she knew she stood no chance in fighting the monster. She couldn't use her gear so even if by some unlikely miracle she did kill the titan, the fall would most likely kill her. And honestly she couldn't decide which death she'd prefer, she knew both would be slow and painful.
But as there was no hope to the titan dropping her she knew what death she was in for, alls she had to do was wait for it. Gulping back her tears, she stared around her surroundings taking in the open lands of the graveyard life beyond the walls. She hadn't really had time to look at it being so terrified but now as she was carried off to her death, it seemed time was the only thing she had.
It was a sad sight seeing the scattered homes, all falling because they were not looked after or from the titans, extremely sad knowing the occupants had probably suffered the same fate she was also about to suffer. Ripped from their lives with no chance to fight.
'I didn't even get to say any goodbyes' Willow sniffed her thoughts drifting to her farm family who she was never going to see again. 'I'm sorry Forin I guess I won't be keeping my promise… I won't be coming home'
The titan let out a large rumbling animal like roar, the sound piercing through Willow's skull and silencing her thoughts, her whole body seemed to shake in response, but she wasn't sure if it was from the vibrations of the roar or from fear. Though she was leaning towards the latter when she saw two other titans stand from where it looked like they had been docile and turned towards them, letting out rumbling roars their selves.
'oh god'
Willow gulped, the titan carrying her walked closer to them, almost holding Willow out as if to show them. She watched their empty hungry eyes turn to her but neither of them moved. Did titans fight for food? Did they share? They weren't going to share her between them were they? Willow gulped again. But to her utter surprise the titan dropped her on to a wooden platform high up in a tall free, it looked like someone's old home which had some how been detached and thrown in the tree, where it now was stuck in place, with the tree growing around it. The walls were broken and barely standing and there was hardly any roof, and tree branches seemed to grow through the walls forming a leaf roof. But what Willow really noticed was that there was no way down.
'I could always jump then at least die by the fall' She mused staring at the edge of the platform. But before she could move the large titan that had carried her appeared in her way, it's face very close to her. Willow squealed scrambling backwards and falling over her own feet as she stared at the titan. The titan let out a puff of stream before it's large hand came in to view. Willow flinched backwards again but the titan placed it's hand on the platform and pushed an object over to her with it's open palm. She paused her eyes jumping from the titan and the object, before she finally get the courage to slowly reach for it, her hands shaking ever so slightly.
"A-a music box" Willow muttered to herself, staring at the broken object, the key to work it, was twisted and broken so it obviously didn't work. It had probably once been someone's prized possession even with age and being broken Willow could still tell how beautiful it was. She had almost forgotten about the titans, till the one watching her moved it's hand using a finger to push the music box closer to her. Willow stepped back her eyes lifting to the titan as it let out another puff of stream, pushing the music box to her again.
"I-It's a music box" Willow gulped slightly louder, watching as the titan let out another puff of steam at the word 'music'. "Do you like music?" Willow questioned really confused. Was this normal titan behaviour? What did the beast want with her?
The titan let out another puff of steam pushing the music box to her again.
"Is it for me?" Willow questioned not understanding the behaviour, obviously the titan didn't respond to her, it just tried again [pushing the music box to her, it was trying to tell her something but what?