Chapter 35: Twelve Months Later
Jamie struggled to make good on his promise. His letters to her were more frequent, but shorter and written in a hurry. He tried to describe the food, training, his cabinmates, anything she might've asked about in the pine tree but lacked the time. Unfortunately, they were all written in a Jamie-manner, with a few sentence squeezed out to describe something she already knew. Larmie and Hajule clung to them desperately and saved them in a wood box with lavender, displayed next to three of his school drawings. Edie kept hold of one letter in particular, sent a month after their escapades as the first year cadets prepared to brave into the mountains. In lieu of her visit, Barracks 3 spread the word, resulting in a letter of various questions, and with a brief note from Jamie to please not reply. The most questions were from the little one, Bush, who made her feel a little better about her predicament. In light of all that had happened, he was obsessed with whether she had stabbed the titan's hand or skewered it. With such attention to detail, anyone could get away with anything.
The captain made good on his word and came for dinner the next night, looking worn but quite amiable. Her parents, caught up on the events of the prior evening, filled the table with four dishes, all of fresh food. Corini and Tinnul, grateful for a break from their son (who had a smashing set of lungs – yet Mrs. Solway delighted in him), made an appearance for a couple hours, long enough to eat a decent meal and pull the oldies on the porch.
But the captain had hesitated at the table, his eyes fixed on the kitchen. Edie rolled hers. "You want to do the dishes, don't you?"
"They're going to get crusty."
"You're a guest. But fine." She looked over her shoulder. "You'd better hurry, though. If Hajule catches you, you'll never hear the end of it."
But the captain was caught, and while he insisted on finishing his work, his gentlemanliness was all she could think about. She managed to pry herself away from the godly man and give her daughter some time alone.
A memorial behind them, the Scouts swung back in full gear. Many of the honored recruits were brand new, fresh out of the graduating Cadet Corp class. Thirty-four had joined the branch (out of two hundred and seventy-six in the class), and twelve survived. The captain wasn't responsible for them, but Erwin was, and the captain was at least a little responsible for Erwin's sanity (although Edie supposed that was a lost cause). The letters resumed, and Jamie lost his contest.
Edie (I've been wondering—is that short for anything? Edalyn, Edith, etc.?)
I have unfortunate news. The king's council breathes down Erwin's neck more every day. In their eyes, he's responsible for the deaths of twenty-two children, for no good reason other than recovery of information, and in their single-minded view, information we don't need. They believe each branch has a distinct purpose, which is true, but their version has become warped since Maria was lost. Erwin reports that the Scouts were much different before that time, when sentient titans and abnormal species were a fiction made up to scare children. The Scouts used to venture beyond Wall Maria, seeking land to take back, either by extending the walls or building up. None succeeded, as the titans are plentiful beyond Maria. I was a Scout at the time, but not a captain yet. But that's beside the point. The king's council expects the Military Police to protect the King, the Garrison to enforce the law (though legal codes make it clear that their work is only to enforce the walls, and nothing with policing jurisdiction), and the Scouts to go beyond the walls. By their definitions, any of the branches are responsible for taking back Wall Maria. These abnormal titans are an affront to their king, so the Military Police should take action. Or the Garrison failed to protect Maria, so they should win her back.
His sarcasm bled through the page, and Edie felt the roof of her mouth sour.
I want to take you to one of the Sina churches one of these days. Not only is their architecture breathtaking (and stained glass, in the center location), but their obsession is mesmerizing. The pastors are all trained in the city center, then sent out to less populous areas. It's ridiculous, of course, that they should worship the walls and whomever the architects were, and the fault of some lonely artist, who likely sat on top of Sina one day, a pen in hand, and wrote ballads and prayers and hymns and wished the walls would listen, and some scam artist found the drafts after his death. Now we have marble buildings and more taxes. At least the common man isn't forced to attend, despite rumors that when you sit with your palms on the surface, the stone speaks to you. Well, we've climbed the great Rose before. I've stood on her perch hundreds of times, and never heard a single whisper. Also, I've never met a Scout with any determination toward the church. Religiosity flees in the face of godlike terror.
Something godlike, then. She penned a reply, directed toward Ehmrich, though his squad was flying in a forest past Wall Rose. She was just Edie (and would have told him by now if there was anything to add to her name), she'd only attended two churches (and one was for Corini and Tinnul's wedding), and she didn't know much about the legal system, really (only that Military Police came to check in and collect grain from them every other month, instead of during harvest). She asked if Erwin was doing alright, how his squad fared with the latest mission (and if they were recovered from Tauren's death), and how he came to be in the Scouts.
Dear Just Edie, then—
I hardly knew Tauren. Our squad is elite, completing missions that no other Scout can (which you know—but I can hardly afford to allow a child in our ranks. It would be a danger to the others and the kid). Petra and Oluo talk about him every now and then, usually at night when they're on watch. After watching comrade upon comrade die, another corpse to add to the pyramid isn't jarring. In the end, they were slow and sloppy. A good person, maybe; handsome and liked by peers and officers. The only quality that matters, though, is speed, stealth, and agility. You can't know you have it until it's apparent, and your lungs are getting crushed.
Edie gripped the page's borders and held her breath. His descriptions were far more fluent since their midnight visit, with more detail than before. He knew she could handle it. The thought of a person between giant teeth, staring up at a happy giant's eyes, and being slowly cut in two didn't make her nervous. Her captain was quick, this she knew, but he wasn't exempt from the field. Each mission might be the last, and each carefully crafted letter the last she'd receive.
Remember—she wrote back with dark letters—you're not allowed to die.
I don't intend to, he assured.
The replying letter continued: How I joined the Scouts is a bit cumbersome, but suffice it to say, Erwin was a driving force. We had a tangled friendship toward the beginning but have always been straightforward with one another, likely how I earned a captainship shortly after Maria fell. Actually, not too long before you and I first met. Erwin took command of the Scouts after Shadis retired (Commander Smith doesn't sound half as intimidating). He's stoic as always, but I can see the stress getting to him. It's been over two years since Maria fell, and we're no closer to taking back that territory, decreasing the titan force, or uncovering the Colossal and Armored Titans. He wants answers, desperately, about the kingship, titans, and how we came to be here. I really don't give a damn about any of it, but it's important to him.
Edie's pen hesitated on her next reply. She knew that longing, to know why something had happened, and why it had to be you. They could've been the ones left behind on the field as architects shut what remained of humanity behind the walls. In that narrative, why should they be the ones to figure it out? Some cruel joke this was, to leave an impossible question with empty clues. So, decidedly, she asked if there was anything she could do to help.
The answer, shockingly, was yes.
To my knowledge, they both lost a bet. Hange (word of advice – never bet against Hange) made some sort of wager on our last mission related to a swivel decide to add onto ODM gear. Allegedly, it allows the wearer to swing in a full circle, no longer confined to forward and backward movement. The new recruits certainly won't be allowed this until they've shown proficiency for a few years, but it's an interesting possibility for those of us with experience. I wasn't in the room (writing a letter to you, in fact), but as the story goes, Hange was gushing about her cutting-edge technology when Erwin expressed that he thought it was far-fetched. Hange boasted that she could cut through ten titans in a minute with this maneuverability, to which Erwin laughed aloud. If she succeeded, he would have to go on a blind date. If Hange lost, she would both bank the tech and do his paperwork for a month. Well, she killed twelve titans in a minute, and might've done more if her fuel wasn't low.
I believe Hange is also sending you a letter with…different details. It may be wise to take her account with a grain of salt.
Suffice it to say, Erwin is not encouraged by his prospects. Hange's friends outside the Scouts are…explosive, in nature, in a figurative sense. Perhaps somewhat literal, as well. Regardless, he pulled me aside and, while he didn't beg, strongly urged me to accompany him. When I told him that dates were typically singular, he crafted the plan for a double date, which would require your presence. Let me know your thoughts.
Hange's letter arrived on the same day. Edie had the good sense to read it second, and while it provided no new information, she still put it in her box. One paragraph, somehow stretched to three pages. No wonder the captain didn't let it get mailed in his envelope.
EDIE—GREAT NEWS! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT I GOT AWAY WITH! Even though Erwin caught me on a technicality with the whole "double dates are still dates", the whole PLATOON was there when he made the wager! He can't back out on it now! I've been saving this card with Tamara for MONTHS just for the perfect opportunity—and here it is! Full disclosure, they are NOT compatible and WILL dislike one another and it WILL be a disaster! Make sure you and Levi have a backup date because you're headed to HELL!
Inspired by her parents' treatment of Jamie's paper afterthoughts, Edie found a flat box at Mr. Solway's shop and stashed all the captain's letters inside. They numbered in thirty-six now (and increased every three or four days), cramped inside with a dried sunflower head and a spare ribbon from her ethereal green gown (of which she supposed she would have no more opportunity to wear). The set both letters inside and replied that it sounded like a fine occasion.
The captain listened to his cohort, and determined this would not be an easy occasion. They agreed to leave around four, and ride to Ehmrich together. What he didn't share was his early release from duty, and his arrival at midday was a welcome surprise.
After a long embrace, she smacked his shoulder. "You're awful, you know. I left all my laundry and shopping for the early afternoon."
"Sounds invigorating."
"Really. Laundry?"
His zeal seemed more intent on the chores now than spending time with her, but alas, such was her consequence. Mr. and Mrs. Solway were overjoyed to finally, officially, meet the famous captain, enough to give the serene couple cold lemonades on the house.
The captain dove deep in thought on the walk home. He held her hand a little tenser than usual, so she swallowed her pride, squeezed twice, and said, "yes."
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, she's pregnant."
He sighed with relief. "Thanks."
"Anytime."
She insisted on keeping her laundry folding private, shuddering at the possibility of the captain meticulously folding her undergarments, but leaving the chore undone seemed to make him more uncomfortable than her. He agreed to sit on the opposite side of her room while her back covered the splayed bed. Edie supposed his countenance was as polite as could be expected, but she knew she'd folded incorrectly when the captain took in a quiet, steady breath (how? How does a person incorrectly fold a handkerchief? A square? Except in four spaces? Are not the creases in the middle inevitable?). With the chores finally behind her, she began showing off her meager supply of nice outfits.
She splayed out a sky-blue skirt, made of thin cotton and accented with stitched daisies around the waist. "Katra sends me some from time to time, and we send her sunflower heads for dye. If one of her creations shrinks, chances are it'll fit me. That's what happened with this one, at least." She frowned at the two-inch gap between her boots and the hem and carefully folded the garment.
"It's lovely."
"I know, I know," she muttered and paged through the closet for a certain chestnut dress with an open collar. "But it's not eveningwear."
"Do you have the green dress still?"
"The one from Corini's wedding?"
The captain nodded with a brief smile. "It's ethereal."
Edie nodded in agreement, but grimaced. "But it's made of silk. If anything gets on it, the fabric will be ruined. Not really something you want to wear, except once a year." She waved a hangar at him. "This is your fault, you know."
"Oh? Sorry." The captain looked down sheepishly. "You ought to know, then, that I think you're lovely whatever you wear."
"I don't doubt that, but I never cared about nice dresses or looking clean until you came around. Jamie and I used to be complete messes, all day, and we were never convicted of it. Now he can live with a bunch of filthy teenagers, and I need to rearrange my wardrobe every two weeks." The bright dress finally came into her fingers, and she held it up. The captain, still melancholy, gave a tense nod. "I'm teasing you."
"I know." His brows furrowed. "I think."
"Oh, for goodness's sake, you're incorrigible." She took the dress off its hangar. "Go make yourself busy. I'll be ready in ten minutes."
Evenings in Ehmrich spread a thin glow which touched all its inhabitants and made squeamishly annoying people merry and bearable; merchants who might have a better career as hostage negotiators found some mercy at the prospect of going home to their families or avoiding them in a bar. Young people, practically drunk on the idea of a free day and light homework, ran in front of moving carts with no regard for personal safety. Couples hurried to restaurants to grab scarce tables, and all wore clean, pressed attire. Lights browns and creams were common colors, so she and her captain fit right in. Edie gaily twirled under her captain's hand, laughed at his surprise, and blushed at his brief kiss.
"I'm too sullen for you," he remarked, his lips still close to hers.
"Don't be daft. I've just had a good day, that's all. Besides, you know I can be withdrawn, too." Her eyes drew to a pair of squealing toddlers, wearing nothing but underwear, chased by a shouting mother. "It's practically unbelievable."
He nodded in agreement, then let go of her hand briefly to brush her windblown hair back over her shoulder. "It was shocking, the first time in a city like this, to be so cramped and free all at once."
"I thought you grew up in a city. You seemed so shocked the first time you saw our farm."
"There's quite a difference between an underground city and one in the open air."
They turned down the street leading to Hori's tea shop; Edie jumped on the curb and walked on the edge. "An underground city? Really?"
The captain looked at her with puzzled eyes. "Yes, under Mitras."
"The capital?" Edie stared at her feet for a moment. "You grew up in a city underneath the capital?"
"Yes." Levi leaned closer. "You don't know about the subterranean cities?"
She considered her earlier reason for not knowing obvious things but decided to take a different approach. "No. Really, I don't." She considered the titan's attack and Wall Maria, but that explanation lacked validity. "But you grew up there. These aren't new?"
He shook his head. "About six or seven exist within the walls now, enclosed in rocky caves, all underneath major cities. Buildings taller than these line rows of forty or fifty blocks, including basements and caveats in the walls."
"That's unbelievable. Course, that must be safer from titans, if you're wanting to protect people. But forty or fifty blocks—that's a whole population. Why would anyone choose to live underground?" She noticed his downcast gaze. "Of course. They wouldn't."
"I didn't see sunlight until I was twelve years old," he suddenly blurted, and his grip tightened. "I'm not sure my mother ever did."
"How did you get here? Joining the Scouts?"
"Not willingly." He suddenly looked to the horizon. "Erwin dragged me out."
Millions of questions flooded her mind, but Edie let it rest. She pressed her forehead against his shoulder briefly and purposed to walk in silence, but the captain had one more piece to disclose.
"I owe too much to Erwin. These sorts of outings are trivial, but on the field…" A terrible intentness came over his eyes. "It's all to achieve his dream."
She began to ask what dream it was, why it was so important, but fate elected them to arrive and be heralded from the first moment.
"Captain Levi of the Scouts! And his lovely belle, Miss Edie Cartwell. How good to see both of you here again." The elderly teamaker shook the captain's hand heartily and embraced Edie. "Three months, while too long for friends to go without meeting, is just enough time to make the heart fond. We've missed your company."
"You as well, Hori." The captain betrayed the first smile of the evening. "We've missed a good cup of tea, too."
Edie snaked her arm around his waist. "I do my best."
"Yes, you do." He kissed the top of her head. "How is your nephew?"
"As well as he can be. He's courting a lady of his own now, although he needs a little push every now and again." Hori chuckled, then held out menus. "You simply must come and see our new grinder. Lee worked up a mechanic to spin leaves through stone blades instead of pressing against a granite slab. You wouldn't believe the flavor lost to simple grinding! Our flavor is much improved."
"Hange always says, just because something's working doesn't mean it can't work better." Edie noticed Erwin reading in the back and a glint in the captain's eye. "I'll go find Erwin, and you two can talk tea."
The shop was in desperate need of an upgrade, as another ten tables were squeezed in the former wide walkway. Edie slunk between patrons, trying to use her manners but unable to address every offence. Two new employees navigated the floor, addressing customers by name and refilling pots of tea with incredible precision. She spotted Lee by the register, sorting receipts into piles and doing his reasonable best to at least appear amiable to customers. Perhaps his new relationship had curbed some of his denser traits. Finally, the crowded section broke into a still full, but secluded part, in the back of the restaurant, where Edie had never been. Erwin must have been swarmed at his entrance, she decided, and elected to hide himself. She and Levi had never found a reason to seclude themselves, for which she was grateful.
Erwin looked up from his pocketbook and stood with a brief smile. "Edie. How are you this evening?"
"Excellent. And you?"
He pulled out her chair. "As well as one can be under such circumstances."
"Yes, Hange seemed a bit devilish in her letter. What were you thinking?"
"That the worst she could do was a costume change. Here she had an ace hidden up her sleeve."
"From what I hear, you're usually the one with cunning plans."
He grimaced. "My captains are thrilled with her upper hand."
"I hope she won't use the double date to say you were cheating."
"Nonsense. The Scouts have nothing to talk about other than death's cruelty and the captain's lovely lady."
Edie glanced at her menu with a laugh. "That's ridiculous."
"Rumor has it that one of Jamie Cartwell's relations managed to visit him on Cadet Corp grounds, in the dead of night, and steal away without any commanding officers noticing."
"Is that what people are saying nowadays?" She poured herself water from the table's pitcher. "Such wild accusations are unheard of in the military."
"Aren't they," the commander said sarcastically. "But I'll have to offer my gratefulness. Thanks to your notoriety, this mission won't be completed alone."
"Good riddance. You talk about dates the way Levi talks about laundry."
The commander snorted and poured more green tea into his cup. "I see you've discovered the more eclectic parts of his personality."
"He's good for me. I'm far too lackadaisical when it comes to cleanliness."
"Yes. Yes, so it seems." Erwin glanced up with another forced smile. "Chipper doesn't become you."
"Yet here it is." Levi kissed the top of Edie's head from behind, and she heard cheer in his voice. "So, where is your bane?"
"Late, it would seem."
Edie set her elbows on the table and leaned forward. "Is your end of the bargain still fulfilled if she doesn't show up?"
"Hange never gives up her prize that easily. Mechanisms and logic are her specialty, excellent traits on the field, but dastardly in relations." He sighed. "She'll find a way to prove our contract is not complete."
"Here's to hoping.
The two began speaking of an upcoming campaign, and despite the captain's warm fingers intertwined with her, Edie felt herself drifting elsewhere—somewhere high up, above the walls, but grounded firmly in loose sand, falling between the grains and into an underground, forgotten city. Who was to say there weren't underground cities right here? Surely Levi would be able to tell her, but speaking of the one near the capital city brought enough grief. Little children might be running around underneath, with skin white as eyes, never knowing what true blue and green and yellow looked like. The wideness of the world was entrancing, almost magical, how wide farms and beautiful houses dotted the countryside, how laughing townspeople and happy parents studied their offspring. She'd scarcely seen an unhappy face within the walls, aside from those speaking of Wall Maria, but even the liveliest imagination never predicted the underground cities with happy citizens. Children did not run underground, she knew by reason, but rather stumbled and cowered in the shadows. No one dreamed of going topside, joining the military, finding a farm to till, or learning a craft. Despondence and poverty were not absent from the walls—only well hidden. She supposed generation after generation had been born, lived, and died without knowing the masses below their feet.
Edie blinked in a moment and realized Levi was saying her name. She looked up, smiled, and mindlessly shook the hand of a plain lady.
"Sorry for my tardiness," Tamara Henkes dryly said. "I was deep in work and didn't realize the hour."
"There's no inconvenience here," Erwin lied, firmly in his seat. "Are you stationed far from Ehmrich?"
"Within the city for the next two weeks. Hange picked a convenient location."
"What wise intuition, on her part."
Edie drifted off again, as the two passed spurts of questions to one another. Her shoes stuck to the stone, firmly placed apart, as if an equal footing would keep her out of the world's basement. How did they decide, she wondered, who was confined to such a place? Had some been subject to debt? Were they criminals? How many decades had the terrible prison been in place? She supposed it would be a decent hiding place for those on the run from the law, from family, for a bad lover, from their past. Perhaps it was an acceptable place after all, for those people needing escape.
She came back to the table and noticed that no one had said anything for the past few minutes. Edie poured herself a quick cup of sunflower tea and leaned in.
"Hange said you work in the Military Police."
Tamara glanced over and gave a weak salute. "What else did she say?"
"Not much. What do you do?"
"Mostly civilian support within the city and law enforcement. I'm not one of the lazy ones protecting the king, but I'm also not crazy enough to run dangerous operations."
Edie glanced at Erwin, who found the ceiling very interesting, and to Levi, who seemed happy just to be here. She sighed. "Is your family nearby?"
"They're a two days' ride, near the outskirts of Rose, north of here. I keep trying to convince them to move to Sina, but they're adamant that those huge ass titans aren't coming back, and if they do, they won't be to the north."
"I see."
Tamara took a long sip and briefly raised her eyebrows. "For all my superiors have to say about you two, I'm surprised you didn't take out those monsters yourselves."
Levi's smile disappeared. "I'm afraid we weren't in Shiganshina."
"All the same, with your tracking abilities, shouldn't tracking down a giant titan be no trouble? After all, they decimated over half of all humanity."
"The Scouts did all they could in such an unprecedented tragedy," the commander responded, setting down his mug. "All of us did. Needless to say, the Garrison is the first line of defense."
"Aside from the walls, and look at the good they did." Tamara smirked and lounged against the booth's back. "Tragedy always brings about good for someone, though. No sweatshop is without eager workers, looking to make below the standard wage. Husbands are never without wives, with a shortage of living men." She jabbed her elbow into Erwin's side. "And you went from a common captain to a commander in less than two days." He didn't rise to the occasion, so she went on. "But it's no wonder so few of the Scouts find love nowadays. Half of you are unsociable, another bout are intolerable, and the rest are devils. Which are you?" She lifted her mug at the captain. "I can tell which you are."
Levi moved his clasped hand to the top of the table, and Edie nearly laughed aloud. "Were you in the first wave of response at Shiganshina?"
"Oh, yeah. We were doing a routine inspection of the Garrison when the Colossal Titan lifted his ugly head over the wall. Felt like the longest moment in the world, as his eyes surveyed what we thought was a gigantic town. Turns out it was an anthill, and we were overrun with dragonflies in a minute. Don't worry, most of the Garrison troops tried to fight, but they were idiots when it came to maneuvering and actually killing a titan. Like you said, unprecedented. Makes you wonder why ODM was invented in the first place."
"People like Hange, I'd imagine," Edie offered.
"Yeah. The intolerable sort."
Lee interrupted, thankfully, to take their order. Edie determined that he was just as surly as before, only with a touch of a smile when he left. Tamara spoke of other things for a few minutes, sharing a few robbery stories and the single sting operation of her career. Erwin seemed to find this mildly interesting, tilting his head in her direction and offering a question or two, but both stayed at an arms' length away from each other. Edie's stomach dipped at each silence as she tried to rack her mind for questions, topics, anything. The food finally came, and acceptable quiet with it. The end was in sight.
Tamara filled the rest of the evening by jabbing her fork in their direction. "So, how did you two meet?"
Edie paused to consider her answer, but the captain took no precaution. "She killed a titan."
She blustered for a moment and ducked her head. "I didn't kill it. I just chased it in a field and made it easy to kill."
Levi smiled boyishly. "You stabbed its foot with a tree branch."
"Only as a distraction."
"Fine. The Scouts concede."
"How dare you. I'll report you to your commander."
Erwin snorted at this, but Tamara leaned halfway over the table. "I'm sorry, are you in the Scouts? I would've never guessed. You're so…well, civil."
"No, I'm not. A titan attacked my village, not long after Maria fell."
"Really?" Tamara's jaw hung open. "I never heard of any titans within Maria."
The captain put his arm around his girlfriend proudly. "Not for long."
"Yeah, but how did a titan get there in the first place?"
Edie's gaze became drawn. "We…never found out how. The phenomena never repeated."
Levi continued his story. "Erwin offered her a place in the Scouts, but she turned it down. Unfortunately for her, I couldn't get her out of my head and begged her to go out with me. After weeks and weeks of asking, she finally said yes."
"What a gentleman." She rolled her eyes.
The captain, halfway beginning a sarcastic remark, seemed to realize they were in public, and resigned to kiss her on the forehead and retreat to content silence. Erwin, seeming swarmed with opportunity, raised a spoon at Edie. "We were surrounded with work after Maria fell, with refugees and food shortages and crime abundant, and in the midst of it all, I heard over and over again how a brave young woman slaughtered a beast." He offered Tamara the first genuine bit of attention. "Even after she rejected the offer, Levi talked constantly of Edie. Mind you, his version of romantic attention is as formal as a pressed shirt."
Edie watched as her captain turned a bright, almost unnoticeable, shade of pink. He composed himself quickly and stood, and she joined him. "Yes, well, I believe the two of you have a ticketed activity to attend?"
"Yes," Erwin sighed. "Shall we get on with it?"
"Get it over with, more like." And even though the two were seated against the wall, they managed to pay for their separate meals and flee the restaurant before Levi and Edie crossed their area of the dining room.
Edie leaned in as they waited in the payment queue. "Are we even sure Erwin even wants to be in a relationship? He seems…sort of repulsed by the whole idea."
"I've never been able to piece that out."
"I see. I've never seen anyone look so uncomfortable."
"Neither have I."
"You're going to tell Hange everything, aren't you?"
He suppressed a grin. "Most assuredly."
"Poor man." She shook her head. "Poor, poor man. You know, I thought this was all her doing, but you're getting as much fun of it as she is. In my opinion, you both ought to leave Erwin alone and mind your own business. It's not his fault he's so serious and hard to tease."
"We haven't had any fun with him, not since Shiganshina fell. It used to be easier to joke around, when our losses were our own. Even then, Hange's always got the worst of it."
"Well, your humor's sort of dry. You have to squint to see it. Altogether, it was a decent evening. He and Tamara certainly aren't great, but I hope he finds someone. Someone good."
"I wouldn't count on it."
They paid, bid Hori a good night, and wandered around the city. Darkness drew over the city, and little stars in windows led their way. Levi showed her around one of the huge stone churches, which opened its doors until ten at night, and had magnified candlelight to show off ceiling-to-floor tapestries and accentuate stained glass windows. Holy men in brown robes walked slowly around the floor, bare feet softly slapping against the marble. They drifted apart for a few minutes, as Edie slowed down to stare at one particular picture. In it, a beautiful maiden bent before a horned beast, and in the next, a stunning man in shining silver armor rode in on a horse to slay the beast. Despite a place for a third tapestry, none was hung. Edie slid her fingers on the empty, dusty wall, and wondered how the story ended. She found Levi in the next room and, out of view, locked her arm with his and rested her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes closed slowly, and she focused on his careful breathing.
"Am I remembering correctly that you dated someone named Alister?" the captain suddenly said.
Edie's eyes shot open. "What brought that on?"
"I read it in a…in a document, and…couldn't remember where I'd heard the name."
She gave him a look. "Sure you couldn't."
He cleared his throat. "Was he in Military Police?"
"For heaven's sake." She sighed and linked her arm with his. "Would it make you feel better if I told you he was a heartless bastard who I wished was dead and am glad to be rid of? A little blip that I've gladly and easily forgotten?"
"…it would."
"Well, it's true." She combed his hair back with her fingers. "Should we ever cross him, you have my full permission to use violence."
"What if he's being civil?"
"Then draw your swords, because it's definitely a facade."
She doubted this would ever happen, but the captain seemed satisfied with the prospect.
