Chapter Text
EREN'S POV
Eren drew back his arm, in his fingers clutched a bowstring, the young man took a deep breath as he lined up his shot; the target was at least three hundred meters away, this was the longest Eren had attempted to shoot. He could hear the bustling of Annie as she moved behind him. His arm started to shake with extrusion of being held for to long, even through he didn't have the faith to make this shot because he had failed many times before this, he slowly straightened his fingers from the string, letting go of the breath he was holding. The arrow made a dull thunk as it found it target. The tealed eye man took a breath and walked towards the makeshift target as he neared a smile graced his lips. "Annie! I finally hit the three hundred mark!" He yelled over his shoulder at the short blonde who was leaning against a tree
"Did you hit the center? Or just hit the target?" The girl said as she stood next Eren
Eren response was to stick his tongue at her
Annie shot him a look as she crouched to examine the hit closer, she was like a mentor to Eren, even through she wasn't as adept as Eren was a his bow, she helped him with giving criticism and helping him with hand-to-hand combat and sword. "Its a little to the right, but then again most of your shots are leaning to the right."
This caused the brunet to groan "Of course it was, can't you just be happy that I hit it?" He gave her a mock glare and she returned with one of her own
"No, because then you would get egolostical about it, and I'm here to push you."
"Your here to steal from those pompous asses." Eren grumbled
Annie rolled her eyes "How in the hell are you the leader?"
This time it was Eren's turn to roll his eyes "Because I'm the best and I'm the one that started this conquest?" Of course he was right, he wasn't dubbed the 'King of Thieves' for nothing, but Annie just scoffed and headed back to the small encampment they currently had set up
Eren gently pulled the arrow, checking the tip, making sure it wasn't dull. When he was done, he placed the arrow in his quiver that was strapped to his back, you never knew when you had to run, especially since that bounty was raised. Through most of the common folk would more likely not give him up, since he was a big source of what helped them out. He followed after Annie, their clearing had enough space to let the five thieves set up camp and still have room. He sat down, placing his bow within reach. They might have escape plans at the ready and could leave at a moment notice, it didn't leave the chance those damned knights caught up to him, or that pompous sheriff. The group knew the woods well since they had lived there for quite sometime, as Eren tried to get back the land that rightfully belonged in Jaeger's name and not that Lord Rossi; Eren face was pulled in a grimace as he thought about the wrong that had befallen his family
'You leave for five years, to fight in the crusades and suddenly its alright to take land right out of a young lord feet.' He thought bitterly, he was a young man of twenty-three, joining the crusades at eighteen. He was quite good at war, more then he thought he would ever be. His mother and sister had protested against Eren throwing away his life like that. He was recruited and become an archer in the 104th regiment, he was quite good, shooting and accurately shooting the shot that most people would fall short, soon the teen was ranked up taking control of his own squad of archers. Eren's eyes closed as he thought of the sandy place that was the east, it was so different from the Kingdom of Sina, who had lush forest and flourishing towns. He could almost feel the desert sun baking him. Through he barely had time to enjoy it with the consent threat of death
"Eren, you look like a bird took a shite on your bow." That was the voice of Ymir, a tall, tanned and freckled girl, who was quite crude at moments.
Eren opened one eye "I was thinking..." His head toward her as he looked up
"Careful, I do not want you hurting yourself." She laughed loudly as Eren scowled at her
"Shut up, where are the others?" He asked as he realized he had not heard the loud voice of Reiner or the extremely tall shadow of Berthold
"Reiner is filling the water skins, while fishing for our dinner, and Bert is off gather herbs I suppose."
"Did I not assign you to herbs gathering?" He gave her a pointed look, all she did was shrug "Do you not have a sword to sharpen or mayhap a blonde to go see?" He rose his eyebrow at the other brunet
"Are you giving me permission to leave?" Eren wove a dismissive hand and Ymir took no more invention as she dawned the signature green cloak, that they wore, she took the unwalked path to town.
"Does everyone have somewhere to be?" Came a bored tone behind him
"Or being otherwise preoccupied, yes." Eren said as he stood "This includes me, I'm going to visit Armin then Mikasa." He wiped the dirt from himself
"Careful Eren, you've been going around town a lot lately, someone might catch you." Came Annie's warning as he pulled on his cloak. "Anyone can remember you with those ocean eyes." She crossed her arms
"Yeah, yeah, that's kind of the whole point the back roads and rooftops, besides I trust that the common folk to not turn me." He secured his quiver that was almost hidden underneath the cloak, expect for the fletching so the brunet could still grab the shaft of the arrow, taking his short bow, placing it in a place for easy access. He also secured the scabbard around his waist
"That does not mean another knight is excluded."
"Look I have never been caught and I do not plan to be any time soon, so quit being a wet nurse and go about." He says as he heads down a path Ymir did not take
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Armin lived on the outskirts of town so it made that so much easier on the thief, through most scribes choose the solitary life, Eren choose to slip through his normal window "Armin! If Jean is here then you two had better be decent at least!" He called as he dropped silently on the floor. The place had started to look more and more like a cluttered library as time passed. But Eren couldn't complain he enjoyed the reading.
"Eren! What in the heavens are you doing here?!" Said another small blonde as this one head popped up from a stack of books. He was still almost a full head smaller then the brunet. The blonde had his hair pulled back into a small ponytail, It was getting long almost as long as Eren's, he met the bright blue eyes of his best friend
"What? Do ye say I can not come visit my best friend? Eren laughed a little
"Well-um- I mean- erm-"
"Calm down Armin, I'm here on work related matters, I wanted to know if there is anything I should be made aware of." He leaned against a bookshelf as he watched the blonde move around
"Are you in need of money?" He shot the brunet a questioning look, which spoke that he already knew that Eren did
"That and I wanted to check to see if my bounty had raised and how close the knights and sheriff are to us."
"Well I don't know mush about the chase, though I do know that the price on your and the others heads have doubled since last time. So that's a total of a thousand gold pieces." Eren scoffed a bit 'They were hoping to appeal to the poorer folk.' He though as Armin continued "I have also learned that a big noble will be visiting in a fort night."
Eren nodded "Name. people he is here to see, and place he will be staying?" He said thinking of the Irish imminent he knew who owned a inn, that was very popular. "And how long will he be staying?"
"He probably be staying a week, two at most. He is said to be visit family and staying at either Sasha's or the Garrison. And I recall that the name is Lord Danza."
Eren again nodded "Alright I'm off, I still to see a few people." Eren climbed up into the window
"Stop by anytime, and please use the door, its there if a reason." The blonde called after him as Eren laughed
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Eren made a few stops in town, stopping by the blacksmith to pick up some more broad heads, that was all he really needed the rest he could make by himself; he place them in a small pouch that was at his side, soon stopping by a few of his contacts to make sure everything was going smoothly and no one was saying anything about where he was
After all his errands were done, he made his way to the barracks where the knights resided, he scaled the wall and crouched along the roof, keeping the setting sun in front of him, so his shadow didn't cast. It took him a few but he managed to spot mikasa, he whistled lowly a=she stopped her sword sharpening and stood, saying a few words with the head knight, Levi, Eren frowned as he gazed at the short man. He didn't like him one bit, but shook off his feeling as he slipping into the place they usual met.
He was tackled by a silver, red and black mass "I haven't seen you in weeks." She said as she moved away
"Couldn't risk it, the guards where posted more then usual. I took to hiding."
She gave him a stern look "You wouldn't have to hide if just got an honest job."
"'Kasa, I'm doing this well, besides my face is now plastered all of the Kingdom of Sina, with my unique looks any body could recognize me. If I walking into a place and go 'Yes hello I would like a job, oh I look the King of thieves, oh you know continence." He said sarcastically "Then 'Clink' I'm in chains and the common people are back to the way they were before and my friends have no where to go, I have duty to them 'Kasa and I'm keeping it." He crossed his arms, he was so tired of fighting about trivial about things, when he had bigger things to worry about. "Look I came here for information."
Mikasa nodded, looking weary as well "I have word that Mike the Tracker has caught scent of you as of late, through he seems to have a bit of trouble since you've been a lot of places." Eren nodded, storing away this information. It was obviously time to move again, deeper into the woods. "The sheriff is on the lead of this one, and Levi has plans of joining him as well."
"Including his squad and you?" He tilted his head, she was Levi's second in command and was usually left to look after things
"YEs, he is leaving Hange in charge, says he needs a good fighter to take down the tree and Jaeger." If they met it wouldn't be the first time Eren had to fight the knights and Mikasa, when the time came he would be ready
He smiled softly at her through "I'm still surprised that they do not suspect you, since you are my sibling."
"They believe I am loyal to the cause, and follow my vows, that I have forsaken my name and family." she smiled from behind her scarf
"Keep it up, I hope I do not see you on the field. I must go before I risk getting caught." She nodded and he slipped back out the way he came and back to his forest home