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The Gardener had found herself weaving through boxes, pallets and crumbling walls while trying to keep the hunter off her back, yet in the end, the attempt was futile. Wounded, she was dragged to the chair, and had nothing to do but to wait.
And wait.
And wait.
She turned over in her mind what she could have done different as she waited. Which turn would of given her another precious moment of containing the hunter while her teammates worked hard to decode the ciphers? She momentarily hummed softly, as if it would make the time pass faster. The still air made the occasional caw of a crow feel piercing, and made the breathing of the hunter clear to her ears, despite the distance between them. The hunter had decided offense would be more entertaining than guarding the chair, he was eager — anxious for the next thrill of the chase.
And as the monster wandered further, waiting for the next hunt to begin, Emma noticed one of her teammates. She wasn't quite sure how someone could move so softly in a world that was already still, but The Postman had arrived to grant her freedom. A pleasant smile was worn by the young man. It was almost disconcerting, considering the situation. Before Victor had finished clearing the gap between the two, the hunter had started moving, causing him to crouch down. A swift motion, but not one that was needed. The creature was not headed towards the two survivors, yet was off to start another hunt.
Victor closed the gap.
His eyes remained on the looming hunter, who hadn't quite vanished amidst the barrels and fog. Victor made quick work of the ropes keeping Emma contained. She was free, and ready to start running. Ready to take off with determination to end the match — but he kept a gentle hold on her arm. It was his silent signal for her to wait. Right in front of the chair, he removed some bandages from his pocket, and began to wrap the gash that ran along the length of the girl's arm. Emma wasn't particularly sure if the wound came from the strikes from the hunter, or a spike or splitter from the rough terrain they found themselves in. She hadn't even noticed it until this moment.
The silence of the world was interrupted by two sets of footsteps hitting the ground hard. The hunter was living up to its title.
Neither of them breathed, but Victor continued to follow through the motions. Emma couldn't help her mind from wandering in the moment, since she couldn't see the direction the hunter was in from her crouched position. With nothing else to do while she once again had to wait, she remained looking up at Victor's face. His smile had fallen, and he stared dead ahead at the horizon. Emma realized she didn't recall the last time they had seen each other in a match. Weeks ago they had one together, she knew that for sure. Yet during their last round of "entertainment", she never saw the man. She recalled hearing how he ran the hunter in circles while herself and the others decoded. Ultimately he got chaired while she and their other teammates left.
In this match, their teammate noticed the pair before the hunter did — or at least, acknowledged them first. As they noticed how close they were, they halted, and turned to lead the hunter away, giving the beast just enough time to strike them. Despite being mere meters away from the two others, the hunter followed his freshly wounded victim.
Victor exhaled loudly, as if it was the first time he had dared to breathe since the hunter had drawn near. As he had finished patching Emma's wound, he used a hand to help her to her feet.
After the young lady stood at full height, he pressed a letter into her hand. There was no need for Wick, as he had already found her. The letter was delivered, his duty fulfilled. As quick as he had arrived, he was gone. There was only one cipher left to pop, after all.
Before darting off into the opposite direction, Emma took a second to look at the envelop of the message. her name was penned neatly in crisp, looping letters — It felt inspiring. The young lady headed off into the direction where her other teammate went, sensing it would be her turn to help a fellow teammate. Why draw the match when you can win?