The weekend arrived with little incident.

With nothing better to do, combined with the desire to leave the compound - at least for a little while - Lenore headed into town. Shinganshina was as bustling as it ever was, and the girl weaved her way through the crowds much easier than she remembered being able to do before she had joined the military. She walked aimlessly, not really moving with any clear destination in mind, but soon found herself near her old home. Since she was nearby, anyway, she decided that she may as well see if she could bring back an old book or two. But as she stepped around the corner to the front of her house, she saw that she was not alone.

A blonde haired man was standing in front of the house, looking thoughtfully at it with a hand upon his stubbled chin, his other arm supporting it across his chest. Her first instinct was simply to walk away, and leave the man to his own devices. But she shook her head free of those thoughts. This was her house now, her home. Why should she walk away from her own home? Then why did you walk away before? A voice within her asked. You had a home with your aunt, and you ran away. Like a coward. Shut up. You always run away. If anything bothers you, you just leave. Why not now? Just walk away, like you always do.

Before she could give her doubts any more thought, the man standing in front of her home spotted her. Blinking a few times, he called out to her. "Elenore? Elenore Abendritter?" He began to walk towards her, and she found herself stepping backwards. Stop it. She looked up at him. "How do you know my name?" she demanded.

The man gave her a kind smile. "I suppose it's fair that you wouldn't recognize me. It has been many years since we last saw each other. I'm Eric Hartmann; a member of the scouting legion, and a friend of your parents, may they rest in peace." He paused. "You do look like your father, you know that?" Lenore said nothing, and he continued to speak. "Viktor was a good man. He didn't deserve what happened to him. Neither did Sophitia, of course. No one deserves that fate."

Lenore finally recognized the man as he spoke, at least remembering seeing him with her parents prior to their last mission. "I remember you, but I don't see why you're in front of my house. Is there something you want?" Eric laughed. "Direct and to the point, just like your mother. I just stop by here every year or so to pay my respects to your parents. We never recovered the bodies, so visiting their "graves" just seems kind of silly, you know?" His eyes lit up as he remembered something. "Every time I've been here, I was hoping to find you, but I've never seen you before now."

The girl looked at him suspiciously. "Why look for me? You barely even know me." The man gave a solemn smile. "Before each mission, Viktor would entrust me with a letter from him and Sophitia, in case they didn't make it home, to be given to you. And, go figure, the one time I actually find you is the one time I didn't bring them." He gave her a quick look over, as if just now noticing the military uniform she wore. "You've decided to follow in your parents' footsteps, then?" Lenore shrugged. "Didn't actually have a choice." Hartmann gave her a curious look. "Huh. I'm sensing a story, there. Is it one you mind telling?" Lenore rolled her eyes. "What's there to tell? I told a story, impressed some bald people, and got roped into the military." The man blinked a few times and laughed. "You're an interesting kid, you know, that?" Lenore said nothing.

Smiling faintly, he shook his head. "Well, whatever the case, I can send the letters to the training compound. I hope they bring you some closure, if nothing else." Turning to leave, he gave her a wave. "Have a good day, Miss Abendritter." And with that said, he walked away, leaving Lenore alone.