The Hunter

Chapter 8

Eren stared at the equipment before him. Two belts, two sets of body vines, two vine tubes, two metal squeezers and three cans of silver air.

That would do for now.

It had taken Eren two weeks to accumulate their supplies to this level without raising suspicion.

His own equipment was secure against his frame, hidden from view by the bulky clothes he was given and explained about to by Armin.

He now understood slightly about why humans wore tops, especially with his own muscular structure, but he still wouldn't wear shoes no matter what his two hu- friends would say.

Eren soon came to also understand that there were others out there who could teach his friends how to fight, and that by learning from them they would be let out without gate or pole or fist holding them back. But when he tried to get them to be taught the response had been anything but positive.

"Grow up first, fucking urchin. Stop coming here."

Grow up?

He asked what that meant, but it soon became apparent that they were fed up with him by this point and he beat a hasty retreat.

"Eren... It means we're not old enough yet, we need to wait a few years before we apply. Also we need to do that together! Don't do something like that again without telling us,"

Eren, surprised by Armin's growing angry tone, quickly agreed.

A few years... how long was that? By the sounds of it, it seemed like a long time. Well while they waited Eren would do everything he could to get them ready to the best of his ability.

During those weeks he had also been looking for somewhere where he could help them without being seen by others while making his way to and from the fields.

A thick medium sized grove of trees a good distance off the farm track looked the most promising. They would have to go there in the cusp of morn or eve though to avoid the rest of the farmhands. Also so he wouldn't fall asleep mid-flight and freak his friends out.

He was improving but he still had serious difficulty staying awake for too long after dark.

"Eren, you in there?" Came his Adelina's voice.

"Here Mikasa," he murmured, standing up to look out for his friends within the trees

"Why did you ask us to come here?" Asked Armin as they made their way through the edge of the grove with a faint smile on his lips. The hushed overly secretive way their new friend had whispered the directions had been so very endearing that he hasn't pushed too much to find out, only correcting Eren's: "it good shock" to "it is a surprise".

"Learn time," Eren now explained to the other two's confusion.

"I thought he forgot about that," Armin whispered "he hasn't mentioned it for two weeks now,"

Mikasa didn't reply, simply walking up to Eren. Armin sighed and increased his pace to meet his grinning friend. His own distant smile faded as he saw what Eren had in front of him.

"Eren! Those belong to the military. Did you steal them?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"No not all metal. Took them from old build. Not need. They have lot,"

"A lot," he corrected without really thinking.

"They will notice they are missing though. You cannot steal- that means take without asking- you'll get in trouble," explained Mikasa in a worried tone.