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

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It was the second riot that erupted that week.

Isanna was stationed outside to oversee the distributions of provisions for the refugees on the streets, and a fight had broken out between two groups: one of Wall Rose citizens, the other Wall Maria evacuees. No large damages were made, but there were a few broken noses.

Nonetheless, it was evident that life inside Wall Rose was getting worse.

Crossing her arms, Isanna observed as Military Police soldiers handed out rations to a long line of civilians who wore weary faces, skin pale and thin while they waited for their turn. She eyed a blonde girl with dead crystal-blue eyes who silently received the bag that was handed to her by a soldier.

As the little girl turned around to walk away, a hasty adult roughly shoved her as he made his way into the queue. His actions caused the others to follow as they pushed through the crowd, their hunger getting the best of them and not caring about the girl who had fallen to the ground as numerous people stepped and rammed into her petite frame, the bag in her hand dropping down together with her.

Isanna's eyes briefly widened before she hurriedly stepped nearer to the girl, pushing through the horde that was rushing forward and knelt beside her; the raven used her body to shield the little girl from rough shoves from the crowd, clenching her jaw as she realized how insensitive the people had become following the fall.

When there was finally enough room to move, Isanna shifted in her position and grabbed the bag on the ground, thankful that it had been tied and thus not a single ration of food was spilled. 

The blonde little girl lifted her eyes and was mildly surprised that someone had helped her, but managed to hide her emotions well. She saw the soldier muster a small smile at her as she helped her up. 

"Are you okay, sweetheart?"

She watched as the soldier handed her the bag that she had dropped earlier; she stared at it for a while before she received the rations into her dainty hands and nodded at the older woman.

"Thank you."

Isanna's smile softened as she patted her by the head. "No problem. Now run along."

As the little girl trudged away, Isanna watched her small frame disappear at the back of the crowd. Her smile slowly faded.

For such a little girl, her eyes had looked so lifeless. The consequences of the fall of Wall Maria was getting gloomier with each passing month, and Isanna was hoping the higher ups would finally hatch up some sort of plan to answer these rising issues in order to calm the restless crowds. 

"Sergeant."

Isanna turned to the direction of the voice to see a soldier wearing a Scout uniform with short light hair that was styled in an undercut saluting at her. Nanaba.

The raven woman nodded. "At ease."

When Nanaba lowered her fist, Isanna took note of the exhaustion in her face. "I apologize to bother you when you're on duty, ma'am."

"Is something the matter?"

The soldier pressed her lips firmly before she answered. "It's Lauren."

At the mention of her adoptive daughter, Isanna found herself tensing, her shoulders straightening as she turned herself to fully face her. "What happened?"

"She's.. gotten a bad fever," Nanaba answered with a worried frown and forehead wrinkling as she thought about the toddler, "I left her under Officer Moblit's care - "

Without even waiting for further explanations, Isanna stalked past the soldier and bursted into a sprint down the street, bumping into civilians but not even stopping to apologize as the raven woman darted back to headquarters.