Family

Chapter Five; Letters Home

"You should write home, Eren." Armin advised quietly, carefully folding his own letter to his grandfather to be sent out tomorrow.

"I can't, Armin." Eren answered softly.

"Even Mikasa is writing home. Levi will be worried sick." Armin said, wincing as he cut himself on the edge of the folded letter. Sticking his index finger in mouth to stop the bleeding, Armin had to pause in lecturing Eren.

"No." Eren said firmly, and Armin was reminded of Levi, in the tone that he used to say end of discussion.

That night, laying in the bunks, Eren sighed.

"Armin?"

"Hmm?" Armin responded sleepily.

"Can the mail be traced back?" Eren asked.

"Nope. It could've been sent from any of the three training camps." Armin answered. "Why?"

Instead of responding, Eren stood and found paper and pen, and began writing.

*******

"Levi!" A breathless Erwin came to a stop in front of Levi, who had been preparing to set out on another search for Eren.

"What is it, Erwin? News?" Levi asked hopefully. It had been over three weeks since Eren ran away, and Levi was desperate for news.

"Better. A letter." Erwin said, and Levi's hopes fell. Just a letter? Probably another faux sighting from the city.

"A letter?" Levi asked.

"Levi. Its in Eren's handwriting."

Levi immediately snatched the letter out of Erwin's hand and saw that it was, indeed, in his son's handwriting. Written on the front was Levi's name, rank, and the address of the Survey Corps Headquarters. He tore the top off the envelope hastily, and unfolded the letter inside.

Dear Dad,
I wrote you this so you wouldn't worry. I made it to the training camps okay. I won't tell you which one I'm stationed at. I'm not THAT stupid. Tell everyone I miss them. A lot. Training lasts three years, I know, but I'll make it home alright. Except when I come back, I'll be a soldier. I miss you, too, you know. I'm going to make you proud, and be the best in my class. I'll try and write more letters. But for now, I have to go. I'm writing this last-minute, and it's getting late. I can't be tired tomorrow. Bye.

Love,
Eren.

Levi's hand was shaking. With more anger or sadness, it was hard to tell. But still.

"What did he say?" Erwin asked.

"Eren made it to the training camp. He won't tell me which one. Said he'd be the best in his class. He said he hopes everyone's okay. Told me he'd be home in three years as a soldier." Levi said angrily.

"Levi, maybe-"

"I'm going to trace a path through the woods. See if I can find any signs of Eren passing through there." Levi interrupted, grabbing his cloak and setting out, the huge door shutting behind him with a great thud.

*********

The sun was almost setting, and Levi hated it, but he was going to have to head back soon.

Pausing in a clearing with a lake, Levi knelt and cupped his hands to take a drink before leaving.

When he saw a glint of something brown.

Letting the water fall from his cupped hands, Levi reached into the water and pulled out a lock of brown hair, trapped under the rocks. Judging by the scuffed boot marks on the shores dirt, someone had kicked the hair into the lake in hopes of it being washed away from shore or dragged down under the surface of the water.

Finding another lock of hair, Levi frowned.

This time it was a lock of black hair.

Holding the two locks of hair between his fingers, Levi studied them. They were short, messy, and about the same length. The cut ends were both ragged, like somebody had cropped them off with a knife blade, instead of scissors...

Oh well. Levi stuck them in his pocket to have Hanji analyze later.

This one's short, but that's because there's been a time skip in the next, and I can't fill the gap correctly. Later on, there'll be chapters explaining what happened within that time period. But I assure you, in reading the next chapter, you haven't missed anything your not supposed to.