Erwin POV – a week ago
The sound of snow blowing around his head was deafening and Erwin pushed his scarf further down his nose. He had long lost feeling in his fingers or toes and the skin of his face burned as if flames were slowly tearing it apart.
He bit down on his lip and soon enough tasted the sweet blood, hot on his frozen mouth. His mount was fighting for every step it took to get closer to the woods that would make it easier to get somewhere safe.
Erwin exhaled shakily, his eyelids closing and opening. They were so heavy...and he just wanted to sleep. Sleep...
He shook his head and bit down harder on his lip, not really entertaining the thought of falling asleep in the middle of a snowstorm. All of his previous missions had met him with different hardships, be it the weather, the place or the people he had to work or fight with. This little storm was nothing compared to them.
The wind was hitting him with full force now, just enough to make him hiss in pain.
But giving up now was not even an option.
Finally, the trees came in sight even though the mist and the white storm swirling around them did their best to keep him from seeing anything. Erwin let out a hard breath, gripping the reins harder and pressing his heels against his horse's body.
It sped up, if only a bit.
They passed the first trees and soon they were surrounded by a whole forest, keeping the snow away from Erwin. He coughed. The cold was scratching his throat and he had a hard time concentrating on anything but staying on horseback.
Hours could have passed. Minutes. Seconds. Erwin wouldn't know.
Time had lost its meaning in the presence of the sudden silence. The storm was far away, only a muted noise that he blended out as best as he could. They went on like that for what felt like an eternity.
Trees.
That's all he could make out by now. Their strong trunks, the snow covering their crowns. Erwin shivered, his coat not enough to protect him from the low temperatures of winter. No path to see. No way out of this labyrinth.
"Armin!", he shouted. "Armin!" His voice didn't echo. It was a disruption but gone as soon as he closed his mouth again. No answer.
One second there was nothing.
But suddenly there was a giant animal jumping in his way. His horse whinnied, throwing its head left and right. Erwin tried to hold on to her neck but he had lost all feeling in his fingers. The animal snarled, claws big and sharp, and his mount threw him off while fending off the predator with hooves raised in the air.
Erwin met the ground with a grunt.
The animal made another threatening sound and Erwin's horse took off, racing out of the forest. Erwin cursed and got on his feet, ignoring the pain in his side.
The animal shook its head and opened its mouth wide enough to show its piercing teeth, sharp enough to kill him without even trying. It circled him, paws pressing down the snow that reached its ankles.
Erwin stayed still, not daring to move a muscle. The predator looked like nothing he had ever seen before with small eyes and big ears that were covered in golden fur. It hissed and came to a sudden halt as if it had only then realized that Erwin was watching it closely.
"Sorry, sorry.", Erwin mumbled, averting his gaze but secretly keeping an eye on it.
The animal was now close enough for him to touch it should he reach for it with his arm. But he cared way too much about his limbs. Any sudden movement could scare it so the only thing left for him to do was to wait until the animal decided that-
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Coming for your heart
Fanfiction|| Book 1 || Eren Yaeger had to flee from his home when he was only six years old. With his mother and his adopted sister he tries to forget anything related to the King and the secrets they left behind. Many years later war comes for Eldia and Er...
