One wing of stark white sat just before the wing of proud blue.

This is, and had always been, the emblem of the Survey Corps. Many soldiers chose to don the green cloak and devote their hearts to humanity; not to the walls, and not to the upper class, but to humanity. These brave soldiers were devoted not only to the people but for the freedom that they had lost when so long ago they were confined to three concentric walls.

Their work went largely unnoticed in the day to day activities of the people they fought for. They weren't a constant source of vigilance like the Military Police or the ever-present Garrison. They were the Survey Corps, underfunded and underprepared, yet always ready to fight for freedom, for knowledge.

They weren't in it for money, nor for glory, nor for an easy life drinking and playing cards. No, they were the Survey Corps, and though death loomed always over their shoulder and they knew not who was next in line to fall in the line of duty, they looked always ahead of them towards the future, for they so hoped that one day, humanity might truly understand what titans were, defeat them all, and venture beyond the confines of their walls.

For knowledge, for freedom... for humanity.

Many soldiers came and went without more than a whisper, such was the fate of the Survey Corps. It was a dangerous profession, one that did not pay well with regard to monetary gain but their soldiers got something far better: a look to the future. A glimpse of true freedom.

A wing of white as pure as snow, and a wing of blue as deep as the ocean.

Many soldiers proudly wore that emblem.

But two stood strong and as beacons for their fellow soldiers and the common folk alike. They became the embodiment of these wings. They were strong individually, and smart and fast and brave and so much more. They worked well when apart, but only together would the bird that is humanity truly fly.

For when someone is looked to as a source of strength and courage for others, who is there for them to look to? Who do they look to for strength and for courage?

These two... had each other.

Their lives were tumultuous and dangerous and unpredictable, and yet it birthed a love like no other. And it was from each other that they drew strength... and it was with them together that humanity came to gain its freedom.

A wing of stark white, and a wing of proud blue.

Levi Ackerman and Amaya Ikeda.

This is their story.

Many have said that to tell the story of one is to tell the other. But one... largely did not speak unless he needed to, while the other perhaps talked too much for her own good. But to tell their tale was also to tell the story of humanity's freedom and how they gained it, for they seemed to have a hand in much of it while also remaining... somewhat level-headed.

That is to say... this speaks not only on the story of Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert, nor of Jean Kirstein, Connie Springer, and Sasha Braus, nor even of Annie Leonhardt, Bertholdt Hoover, and Reiner Braun.

It starts long before them, and may not end long after them, yet it is not without strife and conflict. Rather, it is full of love and life as well, and is simply a previously unexplored perspective on such events and many new ones.

This is the story of those brave soldiers, those heroes of Paradis and of the entire world, through the eyes of their leaders and the lives they led.

And so... where better to begin, than at the very beginning?

—

"Amaya? Amaya, my dear, where did you go?"

Attempting to stifle my giggles, I pulled the blanket closer around me so that grandma wouldn't find me. I could hear her intentionally heavy footfalls cross the room and creep closer and closer to my bed. I held my breath in anticipation, but then... she sighed.

"I guess she isn't here," grandma said. Slowly, so as not to draw too much attention to myself, I lifted a corner of the blanket so I could peek out from it. Grandma started heading towards my bedroom door, surely to leave. I'd fooled her!

"Grandma," I called, throwing the blanket off me and grinning widely. "I'm right here!"

She turned towards me, a wrinkly old smile on her weathered face. Yet her eyes seemed to be glowing and catching all the golden lamplight, dim though it was. She told me often that I had her eyes, the same ones her son had.

Whenever I looked into the small hand-mirror she let me hold while she did my hair, I would look into my eyes, then up into hers. They were the same color, yet that was the only similarity I could see. But now grandma approached, and I let out a little giggle at the sight of her bewildered face.

"Now, where did you turn up? I searched all over the place for you!"

"I was only under here," I said, lifting the blanket up for her to see.

"Oh, I see," she said with a thoughtful sort of noise. "Clever little thing. Now then," she said, looking now towards my small, rickety bookshelf.

It only had a few books on it, ones that she'd read to me many times before. I knew them... what was that thing grandma said? Like the back of my hand? Yeah, that. I knew them like that.

"What book shall we read tonight?"

I got to my knees and leaned over the side of my bed to see the shelf better. Then, with a huff, I looked at grandma who was now waiting patiently for my answer. "I know all these stories, grandma. We're read them so much."

"So?"

"So I don't want to read them," I said.

"I see." She pressed the pad of her index finger to her chin as though thinking very hard about something. When at last she approached my bed again and perched down on the side and set her dress around her to sit comfortably, I leaned back against my pillows. "What if I tell you a story? One you haven't heard before?"

Well, that was exciting. I outright beamed at the suggestion and nodded my head. "Yes, please! What kind of story is it?"

I could just imagine it now; a fantastical story of knights and princesses and a dragon, or perhaps of animals coming to life, or of a young girl becoming a hero, or-

"It's a love story," grandma said happily.

The smile fled from my face and I frowned. "What?"

"Now, now," grandma said with a laugh. "Don't be so disappointed. You'll like it, I'm sure of it. But you're not dressed for bed, are you? Where is that nightgown I set out for you?"

"Oh," I said, remembering now that she had told me to do that. "Sorry!"

I crawled across the bed to reach my nightstand where it was set, and pulled it into my lap. It had been folded neatly when she set it there but now she took it into her hands, userhing me to undress so I could change. She helped me, tucked my dirty clothes away to be laundered later, then tucked me into bed. Only when I was comfortable at last and she was once more sitting on the edge of my bed did she speak.

"The story tonight, as I said, is one of love, my dear."

I nearly gagged at the thought yet took my stuffed toy in hand. I tucked it under my chin and wrapped my arms around it, setting my chin atop its head. It was a little bear, a small yellow ribbon tied around its neck. Grandma told me once that my parents had gifted it to me, but... I didn't remember it. But the bear was soft at least, and hopefully now it would share in this dreaded experience.

"Now, what's that face for?"

"It's yucky," I muttered.

That made grandma chuckle. "It's no ordinary love story. This is how your parents met, or at least what they told me."

That got my attention and I looked into her eyes to see if she was joking like she sometimes did. "My parents?"

She smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, your parents. Relax, my dear. Lay back." I hadn't even noticed I had leaned forward until she said so. I leaned back against my pillows again, smiling sheepishly. "Your father, my son, never seemed to be interested in finding love. He worried your grandfather and I so much, because we so badly wanted grandchildren one day."

"And you've got me!"

"That's right," she agreed. "But at the time it worried us that our only child might not settle down." She sent me a pointed look. "Don't be like him. I'd like great-grandchildren one day, Amaya."

I pouted. "But boys are icky and have cooties."

"They are," she said with a nod, "but one day you'll find one who makes your heart beat fast and you'll want to do everything in your power to keep him happy."

"Why can't he keep himself happy?"

That made her laugh. "Because they're boys, Amaya. They're not the smartest. But maybe one day you'll fall in love with a girl instead. Either way, my darling, I'd like a great-grandchild in some capacity. Anyway, your father, he came home one day absolutely smitten."

"What's that mean?"

"He was in love."

"Oh. Ew."

"It was after we'd been tossed here... not too long, I don't think, but regardless, he'd been running away from someone, probably because he got caught stealing something, the flat-footed fool, and he quite literally ran into your mother. She'd been walking along minding her own business, turned a corner, and got mowed over by your father."

That made me giggle. "He was a klutz!"

"Like you," she mused. "Perhaps that's where you got it from." Grandma was smiling but her eyes were sad, no longer catching so much of the light from the candle sitting on my nightstand. "Of course, that clumsiness led him to the love of his life." She cleared her throat, some of the sadness falling away from her face. "He fell for her immediately. It was... love at first sight. It's rare, but it's possible. Only a few among us have been blessed to fall in love so easily."

"What about mama?"

"She didn't love him right away, and not for a long time. It took quite a bit of work on his part to convince her that he was worth it, that he truly loved her. He was a troublemaker through and through, and she very much played by the rules. Marrying him would not only go against her family, but her own values as well, especially considering that she and many members of her family were in the Military Police. He was a regular in their juvenile cells, to say the least. Regardless, she fell in love - hard - and eventually, you were born."

Grandma stood, signifying the story was nearing an end. "Wait," I said, " I want to hear more, please!"

She laughed and shook her head. "It's time for bed. There'd have been more time to hear the rest if you had gotten into bed and dressed when I told you to. I'll tell you more tomorrow night, how about that?"

"Yes, please!"

A tender kiss was pressed to my head, the blanket was tucked up to my chin, and I got comfortable as she stood and smoothed the covers out. "Goodnight, Amaya. I love you dearly. Happy birthday, dear."

A proud smile sat on my lips as she turned and walked round my bed to the nightstand. I could hardly believe it, I was already five years old! That was... well, practically an adult!

"Goodnight, grandma," I called happily, yet sleepily now as my exhaustion from the day caught up with me at long last. "I love you!"

She picked the candle up and brought it with her as she left the room. When the door closed behind her and all light was snuffed from the room, there was little else for me to do but sleep.

And so I did.

—

The very next morning, I woke up early with the sole intent of trying out the new toy I'd gotten as a present yesterday. In my excitement I had left it downstairs and hadn't yet shown my bear, and so I brought it along with me as I headed down the hall to the living room.

Oh, but first... breakfast! Still, I had to go through the living room and so with my bear's paw in one hand, I dashed down the hall. I put my free hand out, intending to hook it around the doorway to help me round the corner without losing speed. It was something I did every morning, but today when I did it, I stumbled slightly and let go when a sliver caught in my palm.

"Ouch!"

I slowed to a stop and stared down at my hand and at the small splinter of wood stuck in it. My bottom lip stuck out and began to quiver with the pain, and I did what I could not to cry. I was a big girl now, I couldn't cry over something like this! Grandma had told me so yesterday when I tripped and fell; there was no point in crying over something like this... right?

But it still hurt...

"Grandma," I began to say, my voice a low whine as I passed through the living room to reach the kitchen. Sitting at the rickety old table was grandma who I now approached, lifting my hand towards her. "Grandma," I said again, only to slow down when I saw she had a letter in hand.

She seemed to be paying far more attention to it than anything else which simply wouldn't do, so I came closer. I rose onto my toes to see if I couldn't get a glimpse at what she was looking at because she looked as though she was about to cry and that would hardly do either!

"Grandma, what's wrong?"

My voice seemed to surprise her. She blinked once, then twice, clearing tears away from her eyes. She sat up a little straighter, then wiped her eyes with the heel of one hand in succession. "Ah, Amaya, you're awake. Come along."

She stood, reaching for my free hand with her own. "Huh? Where...?"

"Please," she said gently. "Just come along."

"But I'm still in my nightgown and we haven't even had breakfast-"

"Amaya," she said sternly, so sternly that it had me shutting up immediately. "Just do as told, please. We need to leave."

I wondered where we could possibly be going as she led me to the door and outside, but I did not voice it. I knew better than to disobey when she was this upset. But even so, I couldn't help but look back towards our home as we walked away from it.

After we rounded a corner, I couldn't see the house anymore so I let my gaze travel elsewhere. As always when we walked down the street, grandma's hold on my hand was tight and she had her shawl pulled close around her face. Contrary to how she walked at home, she did so now with her head bowed, nose pointed towards the pavement and I was worried that she might now walk into something or someone or otherwise not know where she was going.

To be honest, living underground wasn't so bad as a kid. Not that I knew the difference. Grandma would tell me sometimes about how she grew up outside, up the stairs that we'd sometimes walk past.

Actually, we were walking by one now. The steps went up pretty far, but there was a man sitting by them counting money as a pair of adults walked up the steps with hobbled knees and defined slouches. I slowed momentarily to watch them go; a sliver of light, brighter than even the brightest candlelight I'd ever seen streamed down and upon seeing it too, the pair went faster.

An impatient tug on my hand brought me back to reality. Grandma had used to live up there, but it was so bright... my eyes were watering even by that sliver of light. How bright was it really up there?

"Come on," grandma said. "We can't go up there. You know that."

I followed along diligently, not saying a single word. All I knew about that stairwell was that it was too expensive, we couldn't go up there. But I didn't see the point. We lived here. There was plenty of room to run around... sometimes, at least, whenever grandma would let me. There were other kids to play with too, and the adults would always stand quietly by and watch closely and it was never for long.

Our home was nice too, at least I thought so. Grandma said that she once had a beautiful home aboveground, and that she'd had a garden and a large yard and large windows to let all the sun in but we were here now, and we had a nice house too, right?

A lot of the people down here were pale, extremely so. Grandma told me that even some people upstairs had sunken cheeks and exposed ribs and skin pulled taut around joints but it was worse here. The adults, like grandma now, walked nervously and quickly, clutching their children and belongings close to their chests or in his case, closely by the hand. They didn't seem very interested in making friends, smiling or waving back when I gestured to them.

We were walking now along a familiar street, and I looked at the people we walked by. They seemed to give us and each other a wide berth, and when I peeked into the alleys between buildings, I could see people smoking, others drinking, more messing with knives. Those not in the alleys were either walking or talking, and there was even a pair of men fighting. I tore my eyes away from them - from the blood on their knuckles and their bruised faces - for I knew grandma did not want me to see such violence. Some people sat against the buildings, nibbling on dried rations and pieces of bread. One reached out towards me, begging for money or for anything we had. Long, bony fingers latched onto the foot of my bear and I gasped, pulling back on it and bumping into my grandma in my scramble to get away from him. Grandma picked me up, and his fingers fell away.

"Wait, wait," he rasped, reaching for me again, "please, anything will help!"

Grandma did not reply. She did not look at him. She only left him wailing in the dirt on his hands and knees, reaching for that which he could never attain. I peeked over grandma's shoulder to watch him grow smaller and smaller as we walked further and further away, until at last we rounded another corner and he was out of view.

There was another fight now. It was hard to look away, and I found that I couldn't, this time. One man took a swift punch to the jaw. He teetered for a moment, his body losing some of its tension, but he fell over. The other man, the one that threw the punch, now towered over the one that fell with a cruel smile on his face.

He looked over at us.

A chill ran down my spine and I clutched my bear and grandma tighter. "Don't look," grandma whispered to me. "He got what he wanted. He'll go lick his wounds as soon as he's done with this brave act he's got on."

I nodded and said not another word. Neither of us did, not until we reached our destination. When I looked up and saw the large Military Police HQ situated towards the center of this underground city, I knew that we had to have been in trouble, because otherwise why would we be here? We were only to go to them in emergencies. But everything had seemed so calm this morning...

"Grandma?"

"Hush, dear," she cooed softly. "You'll be just fine."

Not we. You. Meaning me.

What was happening?

The building was large, larger than home. It was three stories at least, with spires and a large courtyard out front and even one inside, with columned walkways and things. There had been bushes planted out front too, but they had died long ago. Lifeless flags stood stockstill against their poles without wind to give them life. The building was imposing to say the least, especially among the smaller homes and businesses of the area, decaying and decrepit as they are.

We walked right inside. Inside was a hustling hive of activity; soldiers in tanned jackets, white button-down shirts and matching pants went to and fro. Grandma walked through the bustle expertly on her way to the main desk. Her face looked calm but she was rushing and she was... she was panicked.

"Ah," she said, "Amaya, you see those chairs? Go sit, my love."

I was set down and though I didn't want to leave her side, I did as I was told to do. I went to what was assuredly a waiting area. The only other person occupying a seat was over on the other end of the line of chairs. It was a woman with an impatient bounce in her leg and she looked about ready to bite her nail off.

I averted my eyes and lowered them instead to my bear. The chair was uncomfortable and my feet didn't quite reach the floor but I glanced up at grandma to occupy my attention for now. There was a soldier at the desk and she was nodding along to what grandma was telling her and soon she accepted the piece of paper that she presented... the letter she'd been reading at the table.

...

I wish I knew how to read.

But at the very least, if I leaned a little closer and focused, I could hear what was being said. "I'll have to bring one of my higher-ups in, ma'am," the soldier said. "You can speak with them privately about this as soon as he is available."

"Thank you. It's very important that I meet with someone as soon as possible," grandma said, nodding to the woman before making her way to sit beside me with a sigh. I tugged on her sleeve to get her attention when it became clear that I did not have it, especially once the female soldier got up with the piece of paper and disappeared down a hall.

"Is everything ok?"

"We'll be fine now," she said dismissively, absently. With my own sigh, I sank down more into the chair. By now I was bored and more than a little worried but what about, I didn't know. And then a slight twinge of pain in my hand reminded me that I had a splinter! I told grandma and when the lady at the desk came back, grandma brought me over and she helped me get it out. And then it was back to sitting, and I was immediately bored again.

My boredom didn't last that long though, for a soldier soon appeared from down a hallway holding that same piece of paper grandma had handed off to the female soldier. He entered the lobby with a hurried, authoritative gait and when he spoke with the woman at the desk, grandma got up. The desk soldier gestured to us and soon, they were standing in a small huddle together with grandma and speaking hushed words meant to remain hidden from my ears.

I slid off the chair and made to grab onto grandma's skirt to remind her that I was here when another soldier came in and instead of joining the huddle, crouched down beside me. This soldier was shorter than the first, but still taller than grandma and me, with kind brown eyes and dark hair. He seemed young, and looked to be very nice, especially when he smiled warmly at me.

"What's your name?"

"Um..."

"Don't be nervous," he said gently. "We're here to help you. Is this your grandma?"

"Mm-hm."

"My captain here will help as best as he can. But for now, what's your name?"

I still did not answer.

"My name is Elwin."

"That's a funny name."

"I know. My parents didn't know what to name me, but they wanted me to have a simple nickname, so I think they just made it up."

"I'm named after my grandma," I told him. "I'm Amaya."

"That's very sweet," Elwin said. "It's nice to meet you, Amaya."

"What's going on?"

"Your grandmother is worried about a letter she received," Elwin said. "That's all. We're going to hopefully take care of it and then let you two go home."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive we'll do whatever we can to help."

I couldn't deny that I was scared. I didn't like seeing grandma so upset. I looked up at her, taking her skirt into my hands only to tug on it. "Grandma," I said worriedly.

"Shh," she said, picking me up. "Don't interrupt, please." She looked to the young soldier, Elwin, who now stood. "Could you...?"

"Of course," he said, understanding what she meant without her needing to say it. She handed me to him and I began to whine if not for the stern look she sent me. The soldier adjusted me in his arms and he smiled at me once more as they all got to talking again. The letter was passed between their hands and it seemed to me that grandma was growing more frustrated by the second at the lack of response from the stony-faced older soldier.

"It's too early for this kind of headache," the older soldier said.

"Sir," Elwin said, "what seems to be the issue?"

"Ma'am," the older one said, ignoring Elwin and looking at my grandma, "I'm afraid that we cannot do anything. There is no signature and there is no proof that this is a legitimate threat and not just a prank. We've been receiving more and more complaints about this sort of thing recently and unfortunately we cannot drop everything to investigate something that does not have substantial proof of anything, least of all a complete lack of a name-"

"I am telling you I know who sent it," grandma said. "They've come after my family before."

"We have no solid lead, I'm afraid."

"Please sir," grandma plead, "we need-"

"What you need to do is ignore it."

"Ignore a death threat? There's no name on it because whoever wrote it knew that I would come here. They know that I know that it's legitimate. If you don't at least look into this, what's protecting us? We'll be gone in a matter of days."

"I'm sorry, there's nothing more we can do without so much as a lead."

"Sir, with all due respect, we live alone and if soldiers will not protect us, then who will? I am far too old to protect her. But it is not my life I am concerned about. Neither of us are safe but they threatened to have my granddaughter killed, and-"

Killed.

"She is a child," grandma went on to say. "She's not safe! We don't have the money to go above ground, not like that will help us! We're stuck here between useless soldiers and someone who threatened to have her killed!"

Killed.

I knew that word.

It was when someone fell asleep and didn't wake up. It could happen when one person hurt another on purpose or sometimes by accident. I didn't want it to happen to me or to grandma.

Tears formed in my eyes. Someone wanted to hurt us? Someone wanted to...

"Hey," Elwin said quietly, taking a step away from them. "Look at me, darling. You're going to be just fine." I looked into his eyes then and found that his eyes were watery too, as though he was about to cry just as I was, just as grandma was.

"Don't cry," I said in a low whisper, trying not to bawl myself.

"Don't worry about me," he said. "It's just a scary situation you've found yourself in. But you'll be alright, I'm sure of it."

The argument between the older soldier and grandma got louder. Elwin carried me away a few more steps. "Wipe those tears away," he said. "Can I see you smile? I'm sure you've got a pretty one."

I did what I could to wipe my tears away with one hand, the other still holding tightly to my bear's paw. I smiled.

"She's no longer safe in my care," I heard grandma say. My focus switched right over to her, and fresh tears brimmed in my eyes. "You need to do something or she'll die!"

"Who is this?" Elwin asked, looking at my bear.

"It doesn't have a name," I answered.

"I see," he said. "Hm. Well, it's a very handsome bear. I like the bow."

I laughed lightly. "He used to have a green one, but it got ripped."

"Oh," El considered, "I like green. But the yellow suits him."

"Grandma says they're real," I said. "But I've never seen one."

"I've seen a bear," Elwin said. "When I was a teenager, my dad used to take me hunting in the forests of Wall Maria and if you go far enough in, you'll see them. They're big, bigger even than me."

"Wow," I said. "I want to see one."

"They're scary," El said in warning, but with a smile. His brown eyes were warm, looking almost like the color of grandma's tea in this light.

"I can't just bring her to one of the orphanages," grandma snapped. "Think, you moron. Why would I bring her there just to be worked or starved to death anyway?"

"I'm afraid I can't think of another solution."

"Of all the useless... I told you what you can do, you just-"

"If I may," Elwin interrupted, "I can take her in. You both, actually. I have a place on the calmer part of town-"

"Because he's a fool that wanted his own place, instead of being in the barracks," the older soldier cut in.

"I can house you both," Elwin went on to say. "You'll be safe there."

"Both of us," grandma considered. "No. That won't work. When you're working it won't matter if we're in a new place, we'll be found."

"Then... you can stay in my office during the day, and-"

"Absolutely not," the captain said. "Don't be foolish. This isn't a senior home."

"But can it become a daycare, at least?"

"No."

"Sir," grandma said to Elwin, "it's a very generous offer, but it is my own fault that she is being targeted. If she is out of the picture, she'll be safe. I don't care what happens to me."

"What are you saying, ma'am?"

"Only her. It's the only way she'll be safe."

"But ma'am... that's absurd."

"It's the only way," grandma said. "They were my mistakes. My shortcomings. It's not her fault. I don't want her living in fear because of me. Please... please. Take her, please, I..." Tears swam in her eyes now. I wanted so badly to reach for her, to hug her, but her hands were clasped over her heart in what looked like a silent prayer. "I'm begging you. If I'm alone, they'll target me. They only want her because they know it'll hurt me."

"She's insane," the older soldier said.

"Grandma," I said quietly, a tear rolling down my cheek.

"I'll... Is there no one else?"

"Please, sir. She's all I have left and I cannot be the reason she..."

"I'll do it," Elwin said surely, quietly.

"Are you... would you really?"

"I will."

"This is, I think, the best option. I just want her safe," grandma said sadly.

"I understand," Elwin said. "I'll do whatever I can for her."

"It'll put you in a lot of danger," the captain said to Elwin.

"I'm aware of that. But I'm willing to fight for her when her grandmother cannot. She deserves to live a good, long life."

"Ah," grandma said with a relieved sigh. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Elwin put me down and I ran right into my grandmother's waiting arms. "Amaya, dear," she said, "you'll be staying with this soldier for a while, ok? He's kind and strong and he'll take good care of you."

"But why? Why can't I stay with you?"

"It'll only put you in danger, my love," she said. "Home isn't safe right now. This is what's best for you. You'll be safe with him. I promise."

How could home... not be safe? It's home.

"You promise?"

"Yes. I do. I promise."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll be home alone," she said. "I'll be fine, don't you worry. Just live a good, happy life, Amaya, please. Promise me that now."

"I promise," I responded.

"Good. I love you more than you will ever understand. Hopefully one day you'll get why I need to do this."

"But I don't want to leave you," I said.

"I know. But we must."

She pressed a kiss to my cheek. "I love you dearly."

Another tear rolled down my cheek. "But..."

"Amaya, it'll be alright." She pried me away from her body and handed me to the soldier. I began to struggle, to fight back, to reach for grandma.

"No, no, wait!"

"It's for the best. One day you'll understand."

She turned on her heel and left.

Eventually, I stopped crying as the only family by blood I had ever known left, comforted for the first time by Elwin Ikeda, the soldier with a golden heart.

—

Walking alongside the soldier was different than walking with grandma. No one seemed to bother him as he walked down the street; people nodded to him, actually, and a few meek looking folk smiled at him. Others cowered away from him or sent him strange looks, but for the most part, the walk was peaceful. When grandma walked down the street, she kept to herself, and she was paranoid.

I wouldn't figure out until later that if someone would even so much as look at her that she would grow nervous for fear of attack or assault, and it was never my own safety that she was worried about. She had only ever wanted to keep me safe. She had lived in fear... for my life. It must have been exceedingly difficult.

But as it was, walking along the soldier was new and strange and exciting and eventually we came upon a small house, one tucked between others in a small neighborhood by one of the stairwells. Inside, the house was nice, nicer even than home, and he smiled up at it when we stood now in the doorway looking inside.

"Here we are," he said hesitantly, even a bit nervously.

Leading me inside by the hand gently, he shut the door behind us once we were inside and I now found myself in a living room. There was a couch, with sunken cushions that I couldn't be sure of what color they might have been at one point, a sturdy yet old looking table, and a bookshelf pressed to the far wall near a doorway leading to what was probably the kitchen.

I let go of his hand and began to explore the first floor myself. Set next to the couch was a small end table and atop its wooden surface were two frames with drawn portraits inside. One was of a young man.

"That's me when I was younger," he said, crouching down beside me to look at the portraits.

The other framed portrait featured him as he was now, and a woman. The portrait didn't have color but she seemed to have lighter hair than his, and much lighter eyes too. She was very pretty.

A sad look crossed his face, but he wiped it away quickly with a smile. I tugged on his sleeve, bringing his attention to me. As if pulled from a trance, he blinked then looked down at me. "Don't be sad, mister," I said.

"I'm not sad," he said softly and with a light laugh, "just thinking." He straightened up a little and cleared his throat. "But this won't work if you're calling me mister all the time. Call me El."

"El," I repeated. "Ok."

"Shall I show you around, Miss Amaya?"

That made me giggle, and I nodded and took his hand.

The house was thin, tucked between others as it was, and rather linear. There was only one bedroom tucked away into this first floor, but there was a sizable landing on the second story meant for storage and with a window looking out over the rest of the neighborhood.

"I'll bring my things up here," he said. "Make it a room somehow. You can take the room downstairs. How does that sound?"

"Good," I said simply, far too preoccupied just by looking around at everything to answer him with anything more than that.

It wasn't until later, much later, after we'd gone out and gotten some food for an extra-special meal and a few new pieces of furniture for me specially, that I started to lighten up, that I started to gradually relax around this stranger.

Only... It was strange, and even for as young as I was I knew that I shouldn't but... I felt I could trust him. He was kind and warm and though there was a vacant spot in my heart where I so longed to be with my grandmother, I felt that things might be alright here until I was brought back to her.

And if she felt she could trust him... then so could I.

"Amaya," Elwin called after dinner, after I helped him in what few ways I could to shift furniture around and make my bed, and I sneaked away upstairs when he wasn't looking. "Amaya? Where did you go?"

I crouched down by the railing on the second-story landing, poking my head through the bars and peeking down at him with a broad smile on my face. "I'm up here," I said, and immediately he turned and his eyes found me from his spot in the living room. "Hi!"

"Hi," he said again, a grin overtaking his own features. When he greeted me, it was without all the worry that had been lacing his voice only moments before.

"You're bad at hide and seek," I said to him, which made him laugh, which in turn made my smile grow.

"I didn't know we were playing," he admitted. "I turned around for all of two minutes and I almost lost you!"

He started climbing the stairs and I tensed, readying myself to run. When he reached the landing and took one step towards me, I made a break for it. I dashed around him and ran for it, my fingers grazing the wooden railing as I went as quickly as I could. He chased closely after me, and when I reached the bottom landing he caught up and took me into his arms. My giggles turned into a startled shriek, one that erupted immediately back into laughter as I was tossed over his shoulder.

"Hey," I managed to say through my laughter, "put me down!"

"Uh oh, Amaya," he responded cheekily, "I'm not hearing the magic word!"

"Please put me down?"

"Hm," he pretended to consider, the seconds dragging on and on as I waited for an answer, until finally he decided: "Fine, but only because you asked so nicely."

As soon as he set me down on my own two feet, I took off running again. Elwin sighed as he watched me run towards the kitchen and set his hands on his hips. "Welcome home, Amaya."