butterfly rising ➪ levi ackerman

two

TWO
light as a feather

VALOR ARLERT PRIDED HERSELF on her resilience. The Cadet Corps was no easy place to survive, and near impossible to thrive. But Valor was not the type to give up, not for anything. She was stubborn to her core, and quickly learned how to stare a screaming drill sergeant in the eyes and not buckle.

The nights were the hardest part. She could take the early mornings, the non-stop running and screaming with grace; hell, she could take it all in stride. When her mind was too busy to wander, she was just fine. But when the barracks grew quiet, and the air outside grew still, she couldn't help but long for the family she'd left to protect. She missed her father's quiet presence, her mother's compassionate nature, and her grandfather's guidance, but most of all, she missed Armin. She missed his jokes, his comfort, and most of all his dreaming. The world seemed gray without Armin to color it for her.

But all it took was a reminder to herself why she left in the first place, and the fire inside her burned once more, her determination to succeed prevalent once more. She had too much to do to waste time mourning her past. This was her life now, and she would take it in stride if it was the last thing she did.

She was an Arlert. She was a soldier. She knew she would succeed.

She had to.

Valor seemed to wake before the bell could even begin ringing outside, startling her fellow cadets. Kaede groaned in the bunk above her, covering her ears with her hands. "Can he be anymore obnoxious?" She grumbled, and Valor could only shake her head as Commander Shadis barged in the barrack, shouting with all of the air in his lungs.

"All cadets outside and ready in fifteen minutes unless they want to start the day with 40 laps!" Before slamming the door shut, leaving a group of disgruntled cadets in his wake.

Valor turned to look up at Kaede with a raised brow and a ghost of a smirk. "Yes, he can. Don't test him." She turned to get dressed, letting Kaede complain to herself as she followed suit.

She tied her hair into a low bun, a few stray strands of hair falling in her face. She ignored them, pulling on her boots and exiting the barracks. Kaede was still rubbing sleep out of her eyes as she stumbled out behind her, wispy black hair a mess as she ran her fingers through it. Valor ignored her, moving to her spot in the cadet line up. She stood straight, arms limp by her sides as she waited for the rest of her fellow cadets to finish getting ready. Kaede nodded at Olivia, who'd just joined up with them, before giving Mio a tired 'good morning' and  finding her spot in the line up. Mio took his spot in the row behind Valor, nodding at her as she passed.

Of her three weeks in the Cadet Corps, Valor had met only three people in her class that stuck out. First, Kaede Kall. The girl was from Trost district, and connected with Valor almost immediately. She had dark black hair and soft green eyes, and towered over Valor at 5"9. She complimented Valor perfectly; while Valor was impulsive and proud, Kaede was bright and thoughtful. She continued to remind Valor to enjoy the little things in life without even knowing it. Her work ethic was admirable, and her resilient nature something Valor admired.

Mio Russe wasn't as calm as Valor or Kaede. Bad tempered from the inside out, Valor often joked his hot-headed nature had turned his hair red. From the Stohess district, his temper wasn't exaggerated by anyone in their class. Just a few short inches taller than Kaede, he had strawberry blonde hair and wispy bangs that covered his brown eyes. Once you got past his attitude, his determination was impossible to overlook, and he bonded with Valor over their hunger for success.