[rpg fic: first instinct]
When the dust cleared and the sounds of gunfire stopped, Ash's first instinct was to duck out from her hiding place and look for Cathy.
They'd been separated during the raid- Ash had been called for emergency duty and as one of the only two Knights at the sea front, it was unavoidable that she'd have to confront the enemy head on. They weren't terrorists, for which she was thankful, but they were armed and there were many civilians.
Emery had already called for conflict-control and was herding the civilians out as calmly as he could. She ran up to him, trying to quell her uneasy stomach. "Emery, have you seen Cathy?"
The older Knight glances at Ash, setting a comforting hand on her shoulder. It felt clammy and trembled slightly, but his voice was steady when he answered her.
"I saw her huddling with Holsway earlier, near the shaved-ice stands. They should still be there, I only checked with them five minutes ago."
Thanking Emery hurriedly, Ash made her way through the frightened but not physically injured crowd, heading for the shaved-ice stands she and Cathy had just been about to go into, before the attack began.
"Cathy? Holsway?" She called out, moving an upturned table and a large umbrella away from the entrance. There seemed to be no one, and Ash was about to start panicking properly- until a large black Labrador emerged from the shadows, growling softly.
It was Holsway, and just behind him, tentatively stepping out from behind a knocked over table, was Cathy.
"Ash," was all Cathy could say before her friend rushed to her and enveloped her in a tight embrace. Holsway barked, and got up to stand on his hindlegs, paws on Cathy's side, as if meaning to push them together.
"I'm so glad you're alright, I'm sorry this happened, it's supposed to be a vacation and I promised I wouldn't fight but I'm so glad you're alright, Cathy, you're not hurt anywhere are you, because if you are, Emery's called for back up, they should be here soon--"
Calmed by the sight of her friend being well enough to speak in period-less sentences, Cathy returned the fierce embrace briefly before putting her hands on Ash's shoulders and shaking her a little, to stop her babbling.
"I'm fine, Ash," Cathy asserts, and squeezes her friend's shoulders. "I'm fine, Holsway led me here, and now we're going to go to Emery to see if we can help with anything else. Do you know if anyone's been injured?"
A little dazed, Ash shakes her head, stepping away from Cathy but grabbing hold of her hand. She glances at Holsway, and reaches down to pet the Labrador's head.
"Emery didn't say, so I don't think anyone's been injured too badly. Let's go to him, then, Holsway?"
Holsway barks his approval, and with a tight hold on each other's hand, Ash and Cathy make their way out of the shaved-ice stand, heading for Emery's makeshift command center.