Chapter Eight.
The sky was tainted with an orange tint as the sun slowly began to rise from behind the towering wall. The wind blowing gently throughout the open grassland of Wall Rose, most of the occupants of this specific section were farmers and refugees tasked with the aiding of growing crops. Not far from the main dirt road that cut through the land was a small farm, the main building of the two was a medium sized barn that housed several refugees along with the owner of the farm who resided in a much smaller privately owned house not far from the property. The barn might of not been ideal for living standards, but it was far greater than what most refugees had, as many were forced to take to the streets.
It was also the temporary home of the, Winters family.
"So this is where they've been staying," Ethan muttered, as he stood beside Ryland just along the main road. The two had checked out two horses from the stables and rode out a few hours to this location. With the expedition only a day away, Ryland had to convince Ian to cover up for the two of them. Having Ian fill out a false forum for a supply delivery, he was able to get Ethan away from guard duty with his squad for the day allowing the two a chance to slip away. Ethan had opposed the idea at first, but after much pestering by Ryland he had submitted. Ryland was unsure if it was the shame he carried for never visiting his father and sister after graduating, or the fact that he had decided to join the Survey Corps instead and feared of his father's judgment.
Ryland nodded, "It may not look like much, but the owner is very kind and their living quarters are almost as good as our bunks."
Ethan snorted lowly, "That's not saying much."
Ryland smiled weakly as lately he had been seeing less and less of Ethan, with the expedition creeping up on them the two had been busy with their duties. Ethan and his squad were one of Erwin's top units and were constantly being placed on duties, all while Ryland had became Mia's second-in-command while Red and the other ranking soldiers weren't around, "I guess we should start moving."
Ethan didn't move from where he stood, his eyes glaring downwards as his hands became fist. Ryland sighed heavily as he turned his attention towards his petrified brother, "He won't be mad that you didn't come visit."
Ethan gulped lowly, "It's not that."
Ryland took note of the tense posture his brother was displaying, "You can't run from this your whole life."
"I know," Ethan whispered annoyingly, as he hated when he would get lectured and with a loud groan he stormed towards the barn. Ryland followed his younger brother closely, the two of them doing their best to avoid the crop fields as they approached the worn out barn. It was still early and with it being a weekend the two assumed the refugees were still getting a few extra hours of sleep before putting in a few weekend hours of work into the day. As the two got closer to the barn they spotted an elderly looking man who was posted up near the front of the barn, his eyes examining the two greatly as they approached him. The man glared at Ethan with curiosity, but his eyes widen with surprise upon seeing Ryland's cheerful face. The old man chuckled to himself as he sat up, "It seems that Johnathan's kid is here for another visit!"
"Sure am," Ryland chirped out happily, as he gave the old man a friendly wave. The man was the owner of the farm and was the one who filled out the work orders for the refugees. He was a kind man and would often give up many of his luxurious for medicine and extra rations for the refugees he had under his name. Ryland often visited his father and sister whenever he got the chance, thus earning him a recognizable face around the area, "This is my younger brother."
"Hello," Ethan forced out, as the old man was now displaying an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
"I'm surprised to see the third child here! I thought he would still be in training," The farm chirped out, as their father often spoke of the two boys with the other refugees and would always brag about their accomplishments. Slapping his lips together the farmer motioned towards the barn, "They're in there if you wish to see them."
"Thank you," The two brothers thanked him as they quickly ducked into the barn.
The barn had been completely transformed into a house with the old stables being turned into private living quarters, clothes and wooden panels lined exposed gaps. At the far end was a large oak wooden table used for meals along with a small portable stove oven, the upper level of the barn was turned into what looked like a makeshift classroom and a storage area for any valuables the refugees still had too their name. It was far from home, but Ryland had to admit it was far better than some of the other refugee camps he had seen. Ryland pointed towards the farthest stable, "They live in that one."
Almost like on command, a young six year old girl poked her head from inside the stable. The girl had black hair like Ethan's which the two had obtained from their mother's side of the family, a trait that their father was always complimenting on. Her eyes scanned the barn curiously as she was most likely looking for the other kids her age, but the youthful wander of her eyes came to a halt when she caught glimpse of the two uniformed soldiers. It was almost as if her jaw dropped in slow motion, her eyes shot right open and the young girl entered a full sprint. Nearly tripping over her own feet, she launched herself forward and like a powerful cannon ball she slammed into both their legs, "I can't believe you guys are here!"
"It's nice to see you again Mia!" Ryland laughed, as he did his best to stand his ground as the oddly strong six year old nearly took out his legs.
"Uh, yeah," Ethan forced out as he had to admit it had been some time since he last saw his younger sister. A mixture of joy and guilt taking over as he was unsure how to react towards the six year old girl, "Sorry I haven't had the time to see you."
"It's okay!" Mia chirped out, a wave of joy and excitement washing away sense of betray she felt for the lack of visits by her older brother. Mia happily grinned as she squinted her eyes, he hands clasped tightly around Ethan's pants, "Daddy says you soldiers are busy! Kinda like the other soldiers who always come by to talk to us!"
"Other soldiers?" Ethan repeated confused, as he threw Ryland a curious glance.
Ryland simply shrugged unsure what she meany by that as he had always been the only soldier who would visit the farm, "Is father awake?"
"Yeah!" Mia cried out, as she began to march towards the stable with both her old brothers being dragged at her heels, "Daddy! Daddy!"
"Mia keep your voice down the others may still be slee-" A rough and raspy voice groaned weakly from inside the stable. Emerging from the makeshift living quarters was a man in his late forties, bags formed under his eyes from the countless days of hard labor out in the fields, and his skin was rough from a lifetime of farm work. He had brown hair just like Ryland's, his hair combed neatly to the side while he beard was thick and added the appearance of several years to himself. He wore a collection of beat up clothing, mostly due to the small selection he had since they were forced to leave most of their belongings behind while they evacuated. His eyes became unsettled by the sight before him, "Well... This isn't a sight I thought I'd ever see again."
Johnathan smiled weakly as he whipped his hands off on his pants, his dry eyes slowly becoming moist as a small collection of tears could be seen forming in the corners of them. His brown eyes plastered upon the image of his three children all standing before him. Two of his sons now proudly donning the uniforms of soldiers and his youngest child a ball of energy, who brought joy to the faces of her fellow refugees. Ethan awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "Hello father. Sorry it took so long for me to come and visit."
A single tear rolled down the rough cheek of the proud father, "Welcome back my son."
...
The four of them all sat within the cramp stable that had become Johnathan and Mia's home, each one enjoying a cup of tea that their neighboring refugees had been kind enough to make them some. Mia sat happily on her father's lap as they occupied his cot, while the two uniformed brothers sat across from them on two wooden crates. Ryland could feel a hint of unsureness and awkwardness within the air, but he couldn't help and smile since this was the first time in years that they all had been together.
The last time was before the Titans had breached the wall.
"Don't think I'm surprised by your choice," Johnathan explained, as his eyes fell upon the symbol of Ethan's jacket, "Your brother has been sending letters ever since your graduation."
The air between the two became tense. Ethan's hands once again became fist as he did his best too control his emotions, "I'm not gonna apologize for joining the Survey Corps."
Johnathan nodded, "I wouldn't expect you."
Ethan was taken back by the response, his head rising up as he locked eyes with his father. The tired and weakened man smiling as he was simply happy that his son could still look at him without feeling indifferent, "I may not of wanted this of you. You may of killed me a little bit on the inside when I got the news, but you're my son and in times like these all I can do is support you with all my heart."
Ethan released a low whimper, "I'm so sorry for not visiting sooner. I was just so afraid that I'd disappoint you."
"I think the one who is most disappointed is Mia since she has been waiting to play with you," Johnathan chuckled loudly, as his two sons followed with laughter and Mia quickly joined in even if she was unsure why everyone was laughing.
"I guess I'll have to visit more now than," Ethan chuckled, as Mia threw her arms up high and cheered out of excitement. Ryland and Johnathan's eyes met upon hearing Ethan's words, the two knowing very well with the upcoming events that may not happen.
Johnathan sighed heavily as he stood up and placed Mia on the ground, "Go see if the other kids are awake."
"Huh?" Mia gasped, "I wanna play with my brothers though!"
"We'll be here until noon Mia," Ryland assured her, "We'll have plenty of time to play."
"Alright!" Mia roared loudly, racing off towards the other stables.
With Mia gone the room's environment quickly changed. Johnathan sat back down and his posture now was tense, his eyes stern and worried as he glared at the two boys before him. Clearing his throat he spoke up, "Are you trying to loose your lives you two?" Ethan was taken back by the sudden change of attitude, but Ryland had been prepared for it.
"Orders are orders," Ryland answered back, "I can't help the fact that I've been assigned too the Survey Corps for this expedition."
Ethan was unsure what to say as his father's eyes fell upon him. Johnathan roughly stroked his beard as he spoke up, "How about you? Join the Survey Corps to help humanity or something grand like that?"
The words hit Ethan hard, his muscles now becoming tense. He was tired of people questioning his decision of joining the Survey Corps. He was tired of his brother acting as his babysitter and he was tired of the feeling of having to explain himself to his father. Ethan angrily glared at his father and leaned forward, "I'm tired of all the judgment I've been getting since I put this uniform on. This is my life and I'll follow what path I want, if I wanna be a scout than so be it."
"Even if that path brings you to an early coffin?" Johnathan growled back, the two sharing each others short tempers.
"I'd rather be dead, than living my life in fear!" Ethan cried out, standing up now as he nearly knocked over his cup of tea.
"What about all that talk about joining the Garrison!" Johnathan roared angrily, "Servicing beside your brother where he could keep a watchful eye on you! You're just lucky your mother is looking over your ass and he just happened to get orders to go over the wall with your precious Survey Corps!"
"I never asked him to babysit me!" Ethan cried out throwing his arms downwards, "I'm a soldier not a child! I don't need my older brother always running to my rescue!"
"No you are a child!" Johnathan roared back.
"That's enough!" Ryland shouted, pushing the two apart from each other, "I guess we would like to have the whole barn hear our business."
Johnathan was about to open his mouth and speak again, when they were interrupted by an echoing voice.
"All refugees gather up!" The voice echoed loudly, both Ethan and Ryland didn't react much to the voice but Johnathan carried a look of annoyance.
"You boys stay hidden," Johnathan instructed them, as he quickly exited the stable without wasting another moment.
The two brothers shared a look of confusion, their curiosity getting the best of them as they silently approached the cloth doorway of the stable. Peering through their eyes scanned the barn, a long line of about twenty refugees were lined up by stable. Orchestrating the whole operation was three uniformed soldiers from the Military Police (MP), the three of them all carried flintlock rifles lazily over their shoulders.
"What are those clowns doing here?" Ethan whispered.
"Not sure," Ryland responded, "Also don't make fun of them. You could of became one of them if you were smart." Ethan playfully nudged him in the side as Ryland snickered lowly.
One of the older soldiers spoke up as he wore the rank of Senior Team Leader on his collar, a sleazy black mustache brushing against his lips as he began to prepare himself for a speech. Clearing his throat he stepped forward, "As you know criminal activity has increased in this area lately. With such a large sector assigned under my command it's very difficult for me to properly disperse my men among every farm land. Thus, I have concluded that with the proper payment I shall lend this specific farm a little bit more security."
"You're trying to get us to pay you so you can protect us?" Johnathan spat angrily.
"Not at all!" The mustached soldier laughed, "It's simply an increase of taxes!"
"You're simply using the taxes as a coverup!" Another refugee cried out, as the older gentleman was quickly greeted by the stock of a rifle right in the gut. The man coughed violently as he dropped too the ground, Johnathan quickly rushing over to aid the man but was quickly also greeted by the stock of a rifle right in the face. Dropping onto the ground violently, Jonathan grabbed his face as blood splattered from his nose.
"Daddy!" Mia cried out, the six year old rushing past the mustached soldier and his two violent lackeys.
"Hey!" Ethan cried out, emerging from the stable before Ryland could even stop him. The enraged scout stormed across the barn as his father attempted to call him back, but his voice was muffled as one of the MP's roughly kicked him in the side. Ethan's began too boil upon seeing this, "What the hell do you think you're doing to my father you swine!"
"Oh this is a turn of events!" The mustached soldier chirped out joyfully, "I think it would be best if you were on your way soldier!"
"Not before I cut you down a few sizes!" Ethan roared, as blinded by his anger he connected his hilts with a set of blades and violently ripped them from his scabbard. His hands white from the pressure he was grasping the hilts with, but before he could even take a step forward he had two rifles traced on him and another traced on his family. Ethan's heart skipped a beat as he realized his sudden outburst could cost his father and sister's lives.
"By the lack of horror and despair in your eyes I can tell you're new too the Titan Fodder Corps," The mustached soldier snickered as the two other MP's grinned at his joke, "I think it would be best if you stopped playing hero and just simply left, before you got hurt kid. Return to your suicide squad and go becoming Titan food in your next mission for humanity."
Ethan's grip on his hilts only tightened as he truly hated being talked down too. He was about to speak again when suddenly he watched the other rifle that was traced on him, change targets. The MP glared down his iron sights at the arrival of yet another soldier, this one however was a field medic from the Garrison and just by comparing faces it was obvious he was brothers with the other soldier. The mustached soldier released a loud laugh, "We got a whole family reunion here!"
"I think it would be best if we stopped pointing rifles at my family," Ryland growled calmly.
"Or wh-" The mustached soldier spoke up, but he was caught off by the sound of a 3DMG going off. The mustached soldier's eyes became wide with pain as he cried out, lodged deep within his left ribcage was an anchor from Ryland's 3DMG. The MP who had his rife traced on Ryland stumbled back in shock at the sudden turn of events, he was so taken back that he didn't have time to dodge the second anchor that Ryland had fired right at his arm. The MP cried out in pain as he fell back, his rifle dropping onto the ground and going off from the sudden pressure of being dropped. Gun powder filled the air as the round ripped through the roof of the barn and every refugee jumped back in shock.
"Don't move!" Ethan roared loudly, he had taken a hold of the mustache soldier's rifle and had it aimed at the third MP. The third MP shook violently as he had his rifle aimed at both Johnathan and Mia, his comrades both on the ground in pain as they had just had an anchor meant to pierce stone lodged into their bodies. Ethan glared down his iron sights as he knew with a flintlock rifle he had only one shot, if he missed than it would end with the death of someone close. His hands became sweaty as he realized this was his chance to prove that he was no longer a child, but a soldier.
He was a proud soldier.
Capable of saving both his father and sister.
"Release them both!" The MP demanded, his voice almost as shaky as his hands were. His grasp on the situation was loose as he couldn't understand how a group of refugees and two simple soldiers could turn the tide against three MP's. His eyes were so focused on Ryland who had both his comrades hooked on tightly with his 3DMG, he hadn't noticed that Ethan was already upon him. The MP was quickly greeted by the stock of Ethan's rifle and the MP was sent stumbling back, but Ethan was far from done with him. Sweeping the ground, he took the MP's legs right out from under him and jabbed the barrel of the rifle into the MP's neck.
"I think you're in no position to give out orders," Ethan growled angrily.
The three MP's had been taken care of properly, Ryland calling in a favor from a Garrison soldier who he had once saved the life of during a supply run over the wall. Knowing the three would get away with their actions if handed in to the local Military Police station, he had handed them over too the Garrison who could properly deliver the three MP's over to a more proper law official and have them placed before a court instead of handing them over to their own people. Ryland had taken care of Johnathan's nearly broke nose and all the refugees had calmed down a great bit since the events. Ethan however was now eager to get back to base, his desire to speak with his father further on the issue wasn't something he didn't desired.
"We should get going," Ryland commented, knowing very well Ethan was more than ready to leave.
"I understand," Johnathan sighed, as he stood up along with Mia in his arms.
"Sorry this wasn't your ideal visit," Ethan muttered, his arms folded against his chest as he did his best not to sound too annoyed at his father.
Johnathan chuckled weakly, "You two really gave those military police brats a run for their money!"
Mia cried out in joy as Ethan looked over his shoulder, slightly shocked his father wasn't lecturing him once again. A smirk now appearing on the young scout's face as he bashfully rubbed the back of his neck, "Nothing different from what we learned in training." Ryland chuckled as Ethan quickly shot him a look, "However, I've never seen anyone use their maneuver gear the way you did!"
"Nothing a little cleaning won't fix," Ryland chuckled, as his anchors still had a collection of dry blood on their tips.
Ethan nearly fell over, "I'm not worried about that! I'm worried about, where the hell did you learn to use them like that!"
Johnathan laughed loudly as he truly did miss seeing his two sons bicker the way they did. Ethan always overreacting over the small things and Ryland simply ignoring him, all while trying to change the subject on purpose too annoy his younger brother. A weak smile now was worn on Johnathan's face, "I'm so proud of both of you."
The two brothers took note of the weakened look on his face. Johnathan did his best to stay strong, "Your mother would be so proud of you all."
"I'm sure she'd be proud of you also," Ethan added on.
Ryland snickered lowly, "She'd totally be proud of the way you took that rifle butt too the face."
"Yeah, daddy!" Mia cried out, "You fell hard!"
Johnathan's grip on his daughter became tight as he now could feel the tears run down his bleed stained face, "Just please... Come back."
A single teared rolled down Ethan's cheek upon seeing his father breakdown, "We will father."
"I'll make sure of it," Ryland promised.