The Path Back to You | Levi x OC

Chapter 11 - The Lost Girl

Erwin

Erwin looked up from the document he had been reading and stared at Anastasya from where he sat at his desk, astonished, as she crashed into his room and proceeded to toppled over in the most ungracious way possible. She continued to roll across the floor a few times in a flurry of snowy hair, before coming to an abrupt stop on his rug, where she lay sprawled out and panting as she gazed up at the ceiling. Her pale face was smeared with blood, and her left hand was clutching a small, ornate dagger as though her life depended on it. For a terrifying moment, he thought she might have killed someone, and quickly recovered the capacity to speak.
"Anastasya?!"
His voice seemed to snap her back into action, and she scrambled up and over to the door, slamming it shut with a loud bang and hurriedly locking it. She then hobbled over to the window next to his desk, scanning the dark courtyard outside. He could feel sheer tension radiating from her, and he flinched when she suddenly drew the curtains shut. She span round and faced him, a mixture of fury and fear burning in her eyes.
"Someone," she gasped, "just tried to kill me."
"Did they follow you?" he asked. He realised that he was still holding the document, so he placed it back on his desk and at last stood up from his chair.
"I don't think so."
"Come and sit down." He guided her over to his bed. "You're bleeding."
"Yes," she said, matter-of-factly.
"Do you have any idea who it was?"
She handed him the dagger she'd run in with. It was a beautiful weapon with an intricately-carved hilt, and was coated with a thin smattering of crimson, courtesy of Anastasya.
"They threw this at me, probably out of pure frustration after I stopped them from slicing my throat open. That's the only clue I have."
He frowned at the weapon in his hands.
"Why would someone want to kill you?"
"I don't know," she said, coughing slightly. "It wouldn't exactly be the first time though, would it?"
Adrenaline had been the only barrier between Anastasya and her emotions, and as it began to melt away, he watched as fear and anxiety began to claw at her already-fragile mental state. Before being left outside of the walls, she would have fought her assailant and won, and then she most likely would have joked about it in one of Trost's taverns after discovering the plot behind it all and making all those responsible pay dearly. Now, however, she just looked like a lost and scared little girl, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks, mingling with her blood.
He placed the blade on his desk and grabbed a handkerchief. Carefully, he tucked Anastasya's hair behind her ear to assess the damage, and dabbed at the cut on her cheek, just above her jaw.
"Is my ear going to fall off?" she asked plaintively, trying to suppress her shuddering sobs.
He smiled grimly. She sounded exactly as she'd used to when they'd been children and she'd fallen over or got herself into some other sort of trouble due to her bizarre clumsiness.
"No, it's grazed across the top, but it will heal. This one is nastier." He tilted her head to get a better look at the slice on her face. "Actually, it doesn't seem to be too deep."
"Will it scar?"
"No, I doubt it. You should go to the doctor to have it dressed properly, though. The last thing you want is an infection."
Someone tried to open the door, and Anastasya froze, her eyes widening immediately. He slowly straightened up and walked over to it.
"Who is it?" he demanded.
"Me." Levi's voice was muffled, but it was definitely him. "Are you going to let me in or are you busy exercising your damn wrist again?"
He glanced back at Anastasya, embarrassed, though she hadn't seemed to have heard. Even if she had, he didn't suppose it would make much difference, considering the years they'd been together. He reached down and unlocked the door.
As soon as he stepped over the threshold, Levi's eyes fell upon Anastasya. He looked between them both and frowned, instantly concerned.
"Hey, what the hell happened?"
"Someone just tried to murder Anastasya."
Levi limped over to her and cupped her chin, carefully examining her injuries.
"They didn't do a very good job of it."
He lifted a hand to cover his face in exasperation.
"That's what you have to say about this?!" she demanded, still crying. "This is serious!"
"I know," Levi replied, letting his hand fall. "Any idea who it was?"
"No," she said, finally starting to calm down.
In his opinion, Anastasya's reaction was just another indicator of how life out in Titan country had affected her confidence, and it saddened him immensely. He walked over to his desk and picked up the dagger.
"Anastasya managed to obtain this from them."
He gave it to Levi, who turned it this way and that, thoroughly inspecting it. By the end, he was none the wiser, either.
"No idea," he said, handing it back.
Anastasya clenched her fists, her fire suddenly returning, much to his relief.
"I'm going to find out. Whoever it was isn't going to get away with it."
"I don't think you should come with us tomorrow," said Erwin, dipping his head with regret. "It's better if you stay here."
"You must be joking," she retorted, getting to her feet. "I'm not dropping out of the mission just because of this."
"You were just nearly killed. We all know that if you were up to your usual standards, dealing with an assassin wouldn't have been a problem for you. If the mission goes wrong tomorrow, and our target transforms into a Titan, how are you going to manage with it, really? Especially if the assassin makes another appearance amongst the chaos."
Stopping her from participating in the operation was the last thing he wanted, other than her being killed. He had been counting on her to help the mission to succeed but, having seen the terror that had gripped her as she'd torn into his room, he realised that she truly might not be ready. Not to mention the fact that Levi had told him about her nightmare.
"I'll be more prepared. I won't get caught out. I can't just sit around here all day tomorrow, and it's too late to make serious changes to the plan now." She paused, her amethyst-blue eyes pleading with him. "Please, Erwin. I need this."
"What do you think?" he asked Levi.
Out of the two of them, Levi was usually the more protective one. His friend folded his arms.
"It's not going to be great if neither of us is able to fight tomorrow and it all goes to shit, but hopefully it doesn't come to that. Meaning that Anya would be fine to come with us to the capital, and if things do take a turn for the worst...then it should be up to Anya to decide, in the moment, whether or not she goes to assist."
He was slightly surprised at Levi's response, and he sighed softly, regarding Anastasya for a moment. He knew that she more often than not made sensible, situation-changing decisions, and he trusted her completely, so much so that she had become an unofficial deputy commander over time. He wondered if she needed, rather than wanted, to be a part of the plan as a way to prove and re-strengthen herself. If she believed that she could handle things, he had to believe in her, too.
"All right," he said. "We'll proceed as planned. But make sure you're extra vigilant tomorrow."
"Of course," she said. "Thank you."
He nodded, then addressed Levi.
"Did you want to talk to me about something?"
"No, nothing in particular."
He went to draw back the curtain and look out the window.
"Inform the others of what happened," he told them. "Someone might be trying to pick off the Scouts, rather than just Anastasya."
"As if we didn't have enough problems," said Levi dryly. "Hey. Let's go and get that wound dressed."
Anastasya paused by his desk on her way out.
"Can I take it?" she asked, pointing to the dagger.
"Yes, of course," he said. "As soon as tomorrow's mission is over, we can investigate."
She nodded and carried it from the room. Levi was already waiting in the corridor, but she stopped on the threshold.
"Thank you," she said. "Goodnight. And make sure you lock your door."
He afforded her a small smile, trying to ignore his anguish. All he wanted to do was hold her close and reassure her that she was safe, but that was Levi's responsibility now.
"I always do. Night, both of you," he told them.
He closed and locked his door, then leant back against it and shut his eyes.