A Promise (An Attack on Titan Fanfic: Erwin Smith)

SEASON 2: Timeskip

Giving her fellow soldier a curt nod, Isanna directed her horse towards the direction Hanji had pointed to, leaving the brunette staring as she rode away, chuckling at how Isanna didn't even bother to mask her eagerness in returning to Erwin's side.

::

Isanna saw her childhood friend conversing with the Commander of the Survey Corps but couldn't make out what they were seriously discussing about, making sure to keep a certain distance from the two as she waited for them to finish.

She saw Erwin nod to something Shadis told him, before the Commander pulled his horse away and trotted towards the front of their formation comprising of the surviving soldiers. The blond turned his head and finally noticed Isanna at a distance, him steering his horse towards the girl.

With blank dull eyes, Isanna nodded at him in greeting. "Yo."

Erwin wordlessly lifted a hand and gently ruffled her hair before he passed by her just as Commander Shadis' voice penetrated through the air.

"We're heading back to Shiganshina!"

Isanna stared at Erwin's back for a while, brows lightly pulled down. Eleven years had now passed since they had become soldiers of the Survey Corps, and in those past years, she couldn't help but notice how the blond had become more cold and distant; she couldn't even remember the last time she saw him smile - well, not like their occupation gave them the chance to. Because if you were working in a suicidal organization where more than half of its people ended up dead in every expedition, it wasn't exactly all rainbows and unicorns.

But then again... he was only cold as a rock when in public.

Throughout the years as a scout soldier, they had risen up the ranks: Erwin had become a squad leader, Mike was now a team leader, and Isanna a vice captain. She had more than enough skills and leadership to become a squad leader, but the girl managed to convince the Commander to keep her under Erwin's squad, stating that she didn't want to bear a bigger responsibility (those paperworks were a total pain). Of course, it was no secret from everyone else in the Survey Corps that the other reason why she didn't want to become a squad leader was because she didn't want to leave Erwin's side as his assistant.

In the end, the Commander respected her wishes and left her as a vice captain under squad leader Erwin.

After minutes of riding up north, the residual of soldiers of the Survey Corps eventually managed to reach the southern district Shiganshina with no more casualties and entered through the open gate, finally behind the confines of Wall Maria. Some of the soldiers' shoulders visibly relaxed at the idea that they were able to survive yet another dreadful expedition.

Isanna ignored the grim expressions the soldiers were victim to by the judgemental looks of the civilians and kept her gaze ahead of her, riding beside Erwin's horse. As usual (and unsurprisingly), some remorseful citizens - Isanna guessed were parents or loved ones of the fallen soldiers - were throwing accusations towards them, particularly their Commander.

"So useless!"

"All our taxes.."

Isanna's face showed no change of expression as the soldiers rode by, heading towards their headquarters. The distant setting sun was already casting shadows over the buildings that lined the town of Shiganshina district, and in a few more minutes, they were finally back inside the campus of the Survey Corps' headquarters.

Isanna mounted down her horse in one swift motion, the soles of her boots crunching on the crumbled pebbles on the cement as she tugged her mare by the reigns towards the stables. She walked towards Erwin's horse just as the blond mounted off.