Levi couldn't see straight. He couldn't think straight, everything felt fuzzy to him as he stared at Hael in his arms. She couldn't be gone, not like that. Not after everything they'd been through. Someone lifted her from his hands: a field medic. Levi didn't even have the strength to stop him. The medic looked Hael over and said, "She's alive. Won't be for much longer though; it looks like her hip is cracked and maybe... No not her back thank god. She's lost a lot of blood; both internal and external bleeding. Captain, if you want her to live, you'd better get her back to base soon."

With that, Levi was on his feet; Hael was in his arms. Holding her gently but firmly, Levi leapt onto his horse. He heard a faint call from the medic behind him to stay with the group. Levi didn't care about the damned regulations anymore; he would get Hael back to base within two hours.

For a while they rode; Hael limp in front of Levi and Levi with his arms tightly around his wife. Then Levi heard the sound of hooves behind him and realized it had been there the whole time, he just hadn't noticed. He looked behind him, expecting to see the medic, Erwin or maybe Hange, but instead, he saw a riderless horse. A gray palomino; Hael's horse! Wind had followed them to keep an eye on Hael.

Levi just turned around, ignoring the horse and kicked his own forward. He easily evaded the Titans by staying on flat ground where he could see them approach and dodge out of the way; but after an hour, Levi had built up a bit of a following. None of the Titan's could catch up to the fast moving steeds.

Suddenly, Levi's horse tripped on a scrub sticking out of the ground. It went down, Levi, Hael and all. Levi sheltered Hael with his body and cursed as his shoulder slammed into the ground. His horse got up and whinnied, galloping away from the horde of Titans upon them. Levi looked up, he couldn't take them all alone; but Levi Ackerman did not give up easily. He lifted Hael again, gritting his teeth against the pain in his shoulder; they could never outrun the Titans, but they could sure as hell try.

Levi took off after his horse, seeing it hiding in a nearby copse of trees. If he could just get to the stupid animal... Then something strange happened. It took Levi a moment to process what was happening:

There was a woosh of air and the sound of hooves, followed by the scream of a horse.

Levi realized a Titan had almost grabbed him. It would have had Wind not thrown herself in front of the hand; being scooped up. Normally, a Titan would have eaten a horse, but this apparently decided there was better meat in front of it and dropped Wind. From 20 meters. The horse hit the ground and didn't move.

Levi didn't have time to think about it. He sprinted for his horse, panting at the weight of Hael in his arms. Ten seconds later, they were riding for base. That's when Levi had a moment to think about it; Wind gave her life to shield her wounded owner and had she not, they would be in the Titan's stomach by now. Wind was an honorable creature that had certainly postponed their deaths; not stopped mind you, because everyone died someday, but postponed.

He nodded his thanks to the dead beast and rode like hell for base.

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This chapter gets me. I wish I had made Wind's death more elaborate, but I don't know how I would have. Please, someone give me a tip here! Thanks to those of you who are still reading... This started off as entertainment for myself, but now, I love it when I see new reads! Let's try for 300!