Calvary Warsaw
It was eerie knowing what we were riding out to find. I'd killed before- and I'd been killed before- but I'd never hunted like this. Emma was used to it, but I'd never felt the discomfort and dissonance that came from knowing I was actively seeking to hunt someone down and kill him. Rapture deserved it, but I didn't like doing it. I didn't mind killing him. I just didn't like killing.
"You don't have to yank," I said to Emma. She still didn't know what she was doing. I was glad these weren't war horses. She looked unsteady enough on the little ponies. "If you leave the reins loose, the horse will go by itself. It knows you want to ride."
"How fast do they go?" Emma asked.
"A horse has four speeds," I said. I nudged my pony and it shifted into a trot. "There's a walk, then a trot, like this." I nudged the horse again and leaned forward as it sped up. "This is a canter. You can see how it bounces different," I called over my shoulder as I made a big circle. "And gallop is last."
"Maybe canter is fast enough," Emma said.
"I always liked that one. It's so smooth and rhythmic," I said. After a few false starts, Emma got her horse going and we picked up speed.
It was fun just seeing the Arena around us. I didn't think it was a big as most Arenas, since it was only made for ten people and a party couldn't go on forever. We went past a bunch of carnival games and a water slide, then a flower garden. If it wasn't an Arena, it would have been a really cool party. Somewhere along the way, Emma tugged on her reins.
"What is it?" I asked. She was looking at a maze grown out of rose bushes.
"I heard something," she said. "Hold the horse?" I took her horse's reins to hold it steady as she slid off its back. She started toward the maze.
"Hold on, I'll tie the horses off," I said. I lead the ponies to the edge of the maze and looped their reins around a branch. We went together into the maze.
"This place reeks," I commented. Roses were nice, but there were just too many of them. I felt like I'd fallen into a perfume vat.
"Oh no, I just love roses," Emma said angelically.
"Suck-up," I muttered. We marked our path with broken branches as we went. The maze wasn't so large we had to worry about getting lost, but I wanted a clear path back to the exit in case we ran into trouble. I'd read enough horror books about hedge mazes. But one time, as I stood up from marking our place, Emma was gone.
"Emma?" I called. Obviously Emma didn't read horror stories. I was surprised it wasn't just common sense. You never split up in this sort of situation. What if she- or I- ran into Rapture? She must have just gone ahead of me, thinking I was behind her.
"Emma?" I called again, but I was afraid to be too loud. I craned my neck around corners and turns, trying to look ahead in the maze. I searched the ground for tracks or broken grass.
I jerked back at the sound of the cannon. A bunch of birds outside the maze squawked at the noise. If someone killed Emma, it had to be Rapture. If it was Rapture, he was in the maze with me. I had to leave. I thought I heard someone moving somewhere in the maze, and I took off running.
"Calvary!"
It was Emma's voice. It sounded like she was on the other side of the hedge wall.
"I'm here," I said, and I wormed my hand through the wall. I felt her tap it.
"Hold on, I'll be right there," she said. I heard her footsteps get fainter and then louder. I saw her down the aisle and ran to meet her.
"What was that? Why did you go off alone?" I demanded. A scream interrupted my next question.
"Aimee!" Emma raised her sword.
"Now we know where she is. We should take care of her next," she said.
"You killed Aimee?" I asked.
"I knew we were close. I saw the trail and knew Rapture wouldn't leave it. It was them or Harmony," Emma said. Eleanor was still screaming. "Come on."
"But why did you leave?" I asked, refusing to move until I got an answer.
"Would you have helped me?" Emma asked. I couldn't say I would have. Emma urged me forward again.
"Wait!" I said. Emma looked at me, waiting some dumb excuse. "She's really mad right now. She'll fight extra hard." I looked at the ground to avoid Emma's eyes, and I felt her looking at me.
"All right," she said softly. "Let's get out of here."