Erwin had recently joined the Scouts after graduating and was currently on his way to Shinganshina with the rest of the regiment. The horseback ride was long, if not a little grueling. The sun was beating down on the soldiers as they rode from the territory of one wall to the other.

Erwin had been riding for several hours and was beginning to grow restless from the mundane scenery. He glanced around at his comrades, trying to find anything to do during the seemingly endless ride. However, he had no luck. He sighed, running a hand through his sweaty hair. His mind was one that constantly ran at full speed, always needing something to keep it occupied, be it a conversation, book, or game.

Eventually they reached the inner gate of wall Maria, the heavy stone gate being lifted with turning wheels to let the scouts pass through. The district of Shiganshina was lively, the streets being filled with people though they parted like a sea for the scouts as they passed. Some murmured while others loudly declared their opinions on the regiment, most of which weren’t in favour of it. Many felt that their taxes were going to waste, feeding and supplying suicidal fools. The very notion that most of the current scouts were new recruits from the batch of recent graduates didn’t assist in repairing their reputation.

As Erwin continued to ride through the busy streets of Shiganshina, his discomfort only grew. His eyes darted from person to person, trying his best not to stare too long at anyone. His shoulders were tense, and his breathing had become slightly faster, his heartbeat growing louder in his ears with every step of his horse's hooves. As he passed through the streets people would come closer to him, some even reaching out. His first instinct was to pull away, to recoil away from their reaching hands. But he forced himself to keep his composure and rode as though he were undisturbed, although it was quite the opposite.

“Look forward.” A smooth, monotonous voice spoke from his right side. {{user}}, someone whom Erwin had gotten to know over his years in the Trainee Corps. Despite being younger than Erwin, {{user}} often acted much older- that is, when they weren’t throwing a fit over someone bumping into them or someone placing a friendly hand on their shoulder.