warning: long chapter (i got carried away lmao sorry)
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
EVENTUALLY, Krista came with spare horses, including Margot's - Elise and Jean's horse, Buchwald. They had intended to head back to the formation, believing that a retreat signal would be given soon, but after the green smoke signals were fired, they realised that the mission would continue as usual but with a different course. That course being straight into the forest. While it wasn't the best place Margot could think of, it would allow easier use of the ODM gear. However, it was still a bizarre decision by Commander Smith. And of course, Jean complained the whole time while Margot kept her own in her head.
"All right. Listen up, recruits. We will now make preparations to launch a counterattack. Draw your blades and wait above in the trees. If any Titans try to enter this forest, stop them at all costs!" A commander instructed. Margot sighed. This sounds exciting, she thought sarcastically. Sitting in a tree and bird watching - Titan addition.
There wasn't much room for discussion or questioning the strange request, and so the Scouts went up into the trees and waited. Margot sat down on a thick tree branch, her back leaned against the trunk.
She could hear Jean plotting to potentially kill the commander who had sent them into the trees, but she paid no mind to it. She just kept her eyes trained on the ground, half-heartedly looking for any Titans. She looked incredibly bored, her hands picking at the bandages on her right hand. That is, until she felt a shadow go over her. Turning her head, she spotted Bertholdt standing on the tree next to hers.
"What happened to your hand?" Bertholdt asked, his voice hesitant. Margot glanced up at him before raising her hand, turning it over.
"Just a small injury. I cut myself during training a few days back," Margot lied. It was of course a result of her private training with Hanji, but she couldn't tell him that. "It doesn't hurt, though."
"Margot..." Bertholdt's voice was quiet, lowering his body to a crouch so that nobody else would hear them. Margot nodded, signalling that she was listening. "I'm sorry for how things ended between us. But, we're still friends, right?"
Margot didn't know why he was asking this now but didn't particularly mind. Sitting up properly, she glanced down for a moment, feeling a twinge of guilt. He still wanted to be friends with her, even after she broke up with him.
"Uh, yeah," Margot answered, smiling. This is so awkward. But at least he's being nice about it. And she was willing to try and amend their friendship. "Thanks, Bert."
Their conversation couldn't go on much longer, as Titans began clawing at the bottom of the trees. Margot stood up, not wanting the shaking of the branches to knock her off balance from her seated position. There was a worrying number of Titans, but they didn't seem to be interested in delving deeper into the forest. They were more focused on the Scouts, their strange faces gazing up at them with sickeningly eager expressions.
