Disclaimer: I own nothing but Seffra and Jonah (and any other ocs that may appear)*though I wish otherwise*
Prologue: The Free Wolf (updated)
*Slow, steady breaths. Let the wind set your heartbeat, as the water guides the flow of your motions. Keep your form in tune with nature and none shall sense your existence.*
These words were ones that she had taken to heart, never letting them fade from her mind, as their wisdom had helped her survive for years in the forests. That is, they had helped out there until that eyesore fell to the Titans. For as long as she could remember, that wall had been a reminder of just how free she was, living out in the open. Sure there were always Titans everywhere around, but if you actually took the time to observe the giant creatures and their actions, you would be surprised how easy it was to survive.
Or maybe it was because she had lived like an animal and thought like one that the Titans merely ignored her as if she was such a creature. Either way, it had worked, evidence being her continued existence.
Roughly three years ago though, everything changed. She had been gathering sturdy branches for arrows when the biggest Titan she'd ever seen smashed a hole in the stone structure. With barely a moment to contemplate her actions, the woman had hidden beneath some raised tree roots before more Titans appeared, running towards the wall and crawling through the hole. Even from the low vantage point of her hiding spot, she could easily make out the signs of smoke rising from the other side of the Wall and the echoes of the terrified humans' screams.
Curling up, she had taken the only action available to her, closing her eyes and covering her ears in a vain attempt to crush all thoughts of just what had been occurring within. Those humans had paid for their arrogance in assuming that they would always be safe and nothing she had done could have changed it.
Shaking the thoughts from the past from her head, the woman resumed her one-sided stare down with the Wall before her, contemplating the humans within. It was amusing in a crazy way how those very humans she looked down upon for such cowardice are the very reason she is stronger now, compared to years before she discovered their existence. Arrogant though they may be they had managed to create interesting items to survive.
She spared a glance at the 3DMG resting on her waist. This strange contraption had made traveling more fun, zooming through the air like a bird. It had taken a few weeks to understand how they worked and how to obtain their fuel but there had been plenty of corpses at the time to provide what she needed. It was now just a matter of conserving the scarce resources in her scattered dens and making sure they stayed supplied. Speaking of dens, the homes the humans left abandoned provided excellent dens during storms.
Despite all these great resources she had obtained during the humans' defeat, having yet another Wall before her with humans again living within in fear just made one want to shake their head.
Seffra Lyall stared up at the wall that separated her and the Titans from the humans within. The falling rain did nothing to deter her from staring at the wall in exasperation and curiosity. Just what was it about these walls that humans felt safe living with. Knowing that there was a hole in the outer wall kept Seffra from feeling trapped but even still, there was that lingering unease, yet those humans spent their whole existence in those walls.
Well, that wasn't completely true. Those of the Survey Corps ventured out. She remembered seeing them before the wall fell and how they would strive to venture further beyond the wall. They had been fun to study from the safety of the shadows. Though there had been times a peculiar man with yellow hair had exhibited signs of sensing her presence. She tried to avoid him now when they ventured out from this wall and she was in the forests gathering supplies. Him and that other man.
Seffra shivered, remembering that other man. Short though he may be, all of her instincts screamed "predator, avoid at all costs!" Those piercing steel grey eyes were as sharp as the very blades he carried. The grace in which he struck down Titans left little doubt that it would be foolish and bordering suicide to give him reason to attack her, and that meant stay far away from his squads.
A sneeze snapped Seffra from her thoughts, realizing that the sound had originated from herself. Which meant it was time to return to her current den and warm up. There was no one she could rely on to watch her back if she was sick. Not since Jonah died.
'Stop, don't even dwell on that. Jonah is dead and would kick my ass for letting myself get depressed. Remember how one lives, not how they died.'
Climbing through a window beneath the roof she stood upon, Seffra navigated through the hallway, down into the basement, over to the corner crammed with a pile of blankets that made up her bed. Seffra removed the green hooded cloak with the Wings of Freedom patch on the back, one of the last possessions of Jonah's that she was able to keep safe. Without the cloak's hood to weigh it down, her short red hair went all over the place. Green eyes stared unblinkingly at the cloak, lost in thought before she shook her head and returned to removing her gear.
Her clothes were sopping wet, despite her cloak, the blue shirt possessing only a single attached sleeve, the other torn off, and ending just below her chest, baring her stomach. The pants she had on could no longer be considered as such with the legs torn at uneven part to be shorts. These were uncomfortable to remove with the rain practically molding them to her body, giving no protection from prying eyes if there had been any about. The only thing she kept on was a locked metal collar, the key on a leather necklace.
Finally free of all constraints, Seffra was able to breathe as she curled into the blankets. She had gone without such constraints until Jonah entered her life. Saving that man from being eaten had been one of the best and worst decisions ever. While he had taught her everything about speech, the Walls, humans, and Titans, he had also stated the need of such mundane things like clothing and keeping clean.
-AoT-
Despite the language barrier they had first experienced, Seffra had taught Jonah everything necessary to survive. Of course, it had been far more difficult for him to practice and act on due to having lost an arm to the Titan she had killed saving him, but Jonah had taken to the training with practice, never giving up despite the odds. Because she didn't have much to discuss in the way of history, having only known life outside the walls, the older man had taken to telling her all about his life, the Survey Corps, and life in Wall Maria.
Jonah had been surprised how fast Seffra had taken to the 3DMG, though he had mentioned that it might have been her circumstances that gave her the ability to adjust so naturally to the changes the gear gave in stance and actions required for successful movement. For six years he had stayed with her, choosing to live with her outside the walls, later moving to Wall Maria after it fell, rather than bringing her inside the Wall and facing interrogation for simply having survived for so long.
For Seffra, Jonah had been her family, helping her be a better survivor. Sometimes, when she was curled up like now, she would imagine those blankets being Jonah, keeping her warm during the harsher winters. The man had even given her a birthday, the day they met, as that was when their lives had changed. Her name had been easier because the name Seffra had been discovered written on the back of the collar, the only piece of clothing (if you could call it that) that she possessed, though she had no idea where she had obtained it. Jonah had given her the name Lyall for her love of wolves.
-AoT-
Yes, for Seffra, Jonah had been one of the best things in her life before sickness took him last year. Things had become stagnant with the lack of Titans in her territory, but this abandoned town was where Jonah was buried and therefore, Seffra would protect it, despite its close proximity to Wall Rose and the humans within. After all, there were still plenty of Titans between the humans and her town.
'I'm safe here,' was the last thing she thought before letting sleep claim her.
The only thing she didn't know, was that an expedition was underway, and heading her way.
TBC…
A.N (update) I got some advice and adjusted this chapter accordingly.
A.N. This is my first AoT fanfic. I do appreciate any constructive criticism anyone can give me to improve my writing and any suggestions on scenes you would like to see. Please review and let me know what you think.