Rough Edges (Levi Ackerman X Reader)

Chapter 1 - New Beginnings

September 8th , 844

Somewhere 20 miles North East of Shiganshina

Your POV

Standing at the base of a giant weeping willow tree, the breeze flowing through the branches and pushing hair off my sweat-drenched face, I let out a dramatic sigh. I spent the last half hour digging a hole in the hard ground. The adrenalin from earlier is starting wear off and I feel my muscles beginning to ache as I lift the shovel over my shoulder one last time.

As I start to walk over to my horse and grab the satchel hanging off the side, my legs give out and I collapse onto the ground. I start silently crying and within a few minutes my whole body is shaking from sobbing. Curled in a fetal position, I rock back and forth rewinding the past day's events in my head.

I thought to myself, Why me? Out of my whole family, why am I'm the only one alive? It wasn't supposed to end like this.

After what seemed like an eternity I pushed myself up, brushing off the dirt that clung to my clothes. Cold air starts nipping at my skin as I look up to see dark clouds forming.

"Shit, I need to hurry up, it's going to rain soon."

I sauntered back to my horse, grabbing the satchel and taking a peek one last time at the items inside: a burnt and tattered navy blue cloak with my family's sigil on the back, the family tree book, some old jewelry, an oak wood box containing my favorite dagger, a mound of cash, and some other family heirlooms that I managed to save before our house burnt down.

I threw the satchel in a large wooden box lined with cloth and bug repellent.

"Why do I even bother to try and preserve this crap?"

After what happened, I promised myself that I would change my name, ditch my life and any ties I had to my family.

As I was about to close the lid, I hesitated. That dagger, my first dagger, the one my father had specifically engraved for me, crossed my mind.

God dammit, I thought to myself, I can't get rid of this, it's saved me more times than I can count.

Flashback

(Y/N)!!

I looked up from my book and saw my father approaching me, hands behind his back.

"Now that you completed your last test, your mother and I agreed its time for your induction ceremony"

I shot up, wide eyed, smiling from ear to ear "Really!!!???! I can be finally be a full (L/N)?"

He chuckled at my enthusiasm, "Yes, and we got this as a present for you"

He knelt on the ground holding a dark oak box with a (First Letter of your Last Name) engraved on the top in silver lettering. I opened the box and my eyes lit up as I saw what was inside. A beautiful, hand crafted dagger, made from top of the line steel, sat on a dark blue satin cloth. The blade was roughly 5 inches long, and the tip curved in a sharp, deadly point. The handle was a dark oak, like the box, and had the wolf sigil engraved on it, along with a shield and two swords.

I picked up the dagger, twirling it around my hand, testing the weight. The steel glinted in the sun and the wood handle fit perfectly in my hand.

"It's perfect!"

End of Flashback

I laughed at myself about how I was so naïve back then, I wanted to be exactly like my mom, dad, and older brother. Dear god was I wrong. I thought being a (L/N) meant being a warrior, a fighter who protects not only ourselves, but others in need.