Chapter 8 - Affection

                                    

                                          
The late afternoon light cast shadows on the trees. The Survey Corps kept up on their way to Shiganshina at an excellent pace. They had lost two soldiers from the right flank of the formation, which is sad, but considering the situation, it was a low number.
	Hange was still worried about the emotional state Levi had shown in the morning, but by watching him constantly throughout the way, she came to the conclusion he was already fine now.
	At some point, a few hours earlier, she had ridden her horse close to Levi and Lara to talk, and was surprised that the girl didn't look to be feeling physical discomfort. Riding a horse for a very long time was tiring, but if Lara was uncomfortable, she wasn't showing it.
	The soldiers were already able to see Wall Maria in the distance, which gave access to Shiganshina District, and that relieved Hange's heart. Just a little longer and they would be safer than in the open field.
	As for Levi and Lara, they were doing great. Around lunchtime, he had fed her with a military ration, which didn't have any taste at all, but she found it funny that people ate a meal that looked like a brick.
	In a way, Levi was relieved that so far, no Titan had specifically attacked his group. All the way through, he found himself constantly looking at Hange's direction, making sure there were no Titans approaching.
	However, only after a few minutes, his worry became a reality. As they passed a group of tall pines, an Abnormal twelve-meter Titan suddenly appeared from behind. It was incredibly fast and Lara thought it was grotesque, because its limbs made absurd and bizarre movements.
	The two soldiers from the rear signaled they would deal with it. Lara noticed that Levi wasn't looking at his colleagues, but was fixing his eyes in other directions, looking out for any other Titans that might also appear.
	Lara couldn't help but stare at the bloody battle taking place a few meters behind her. The Titan narrowly missed Hange's horse, which made Levi shout her name.
	The two soldiers used their ODM gear masterfully, attaching it to the trees and doing so many maneuvers that Lara caught herself with her mouth opened in awe. If it was not for the circumstances, she would have found it a great entertainment to admire.
	It didn't take much and her wonder turned to horror. The Abnormal Titan pulled one of the soldiers by the wire of the ODM gear, knocking him down with a dull thud to the ground. Lara noticed that the soldier was not moving and his legs were in a strange position.
	Her heart beat faster. She watched the other soldier fly behind the Titan, ready to finish it. At the moment the sword was about to cut its nape, the Titan's head turned so abruptly, the poor soldier could do nothing else. He was swallowed whole.
	A shiver ran through Lara's entire body and she covered her mouth. The next thing she saw was the Titan picking up the fallen soldier and, in the same way, swallowing him at once.
	She felt an immense urge to throw up and her stomach began to contract. Her lunch was about to come out of her mouth when Levi placed his hand on her chest, giving it soft pats.
	"Breathe deeply," he said, showing her how to do it. "In... And out..."
	It worked. Lara's lunch returned to her stomach.
	"Hange!" called Levi, suddenly. "Come here and get Lara! There's no other way! I gotta take down that Titan!"
	Hange approached them and with incredible skill, picked up Lara and placed the child in her own saddle. She then grabbed the reins of Levi's horse and both girls watched him fly off with his ODM gear.
	Levi was fast and dodged the Titan's movements with ease.
	"Hange," called Lara, worried as she watched Levi fight, "will he make it? I'm scared..."