At Your Service || 𝕝𝕖𝕧𝕚 𝕩 𝕡𝕝𝕦𝕤 𝕤𝕚𝕫𝕖 𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕔 𝕠𝕔

Chapter Twenty Eight

"One year" I heard Connie whisper, he looking at the walls above him as I tried my best to straighten his cape

We were in the newly restored Shiganshina, everything back to normal since the battle there six months ago. The scouts were to go outside the walls to explore, this time without the threat of Titans. According to Armin, there was big place called an ocean that should be out there. I guess that was the big lake my father told my mother about: my namesake.

The group stood by the gate with their horses' reigns in hand, waiting to leave in a moments time. In the meantime, I stood by them before I was to set off on a mission of my own: finding my mother's family and their weavery.

"What?" I questioned Connie after patting him on the shoulder, who kept mumbling to himself

"Huh?" He turned to me and looked, he having gone through a growth spurt and he finally could meet my eyes "Oh, it's been one year since the battle in Trost, before we even joined the Scouts. It's just amazing how far we've come"

"It is pretty cool" I smiled, looking up at the great wall above us

"You should come!" Sasha said, peeking from behind her horse's back "You could sit with the captain" she smiled her grin michevious, her eyes narrowing with her little joke

Connie, too, got the same look on his face, a small giggle being heard from him followed by a grunt after I swiftly elbowed him in the side, making Sasha's demeanor change.

"As fun as that sounds-" I tried to say before someone interuppted

"You could ride on me!" Jean blurted out, making each of us turn to him

Connie and Sasha yelled out with noisy laughter that surrounded everyone, bouncing off the walls and homes and back to us with an echo. I, on the other hand, looked at Jean with disgust.

Jean's eyes widened upon realizing what he said, his breathing heavy and nervous

"I mean with me" Jean chuckled with the tension "not on me. I mean unless you want to"

His two friends kept laughing with the occasional snort and deep breath, drawing the attention of everyone else around us, Jean's redness of his face traveling to his ears and neck.

"-behind me! Behind me" Jean stuttered, almost choking on his own words "here on the saddle. Just hold onto me, I don't mind if you're close"

Connie's laugh became so loud it sounded more like scream while Sasha snickered, covering her face with her arm. I raised my hand and swiftly grabbed onto Connie's ear, he going from laughter to pleading for me to let go

"Shut up" I whispered through my teeth like a scolding mother, Connie's ear turning red with my force, Sasha stopping her giggle fit as to not receive the same fate

Jean leaned against his horse, breathless and trying to calm down from his outbursts, Sasha still staring at him with a grin while Connie rubbed his sore ear.

"As I was saying" I mumbled, finishing what I tried to say before "As fun as going out with you all sounds, I am strictly forbidden to join you all on expeditions"

"Awww!" Sasha whined "Why couldn't you just join the Scouts. You could have come"

"I wanted to when I was a kid" I sighed "but big girls like me aren't exactly aerodynamic"

"The Captain got you on the top of the wall" Connie snickered

"With the power of love" Sasha giggled, trying to hide her face behind her horse

"Anyway!" I fussed, walking to the side walk "You have fun at the... water thing, whatever it's called"

"Ocean?" Sasha turned to me, this time Connie peeking over Sasha's horse's back