Sorry this update took so long!

Hope you enjoy it!

"Detra!"

Leliana ran down the hall, spotting me in my doorway and ready to leave with a group of soldiers. I stopped when I heard her voice and yelled back to her.

"Darkspawn have already breached the castle gates! They are tearing down buildings left and right... Our traps never worked!"

I was frantic by the time Leliana reached our group and she grabbed my arm.

"Where are the others? I don't see any of our party!" Leliana asked.

One of Eamon's soldiers responded to Leliana.

"We all got woken up from a dead sleep by this! Your group was preparing when I passed them. They should still be with Eamon in the main hallway."

I pulled Leliana with me as I pushed my way towards that hallway.

"Let's go! And we need to find Riordan! He will know exactly what to do!"

We melded into the throng of elves, dwarves and human soldiers as we made our way towards the front of the estate, already hearing the results of the battles outside coming in the forms of screams and what sounded like buildings crashing down quite near us.

Leliana kept a tight grip on my hand, not wanting to lose me in the crowd.

We pushed our way through and kept going until the hallway was in sight and suddenly we saw Alistair and Eamon shouting back and forth, surrounded by the rest of our party.

"There you are!" Alistair yelled, rushing to me and hugging me.

He looked like he suddenly remembered that Leliana had been asleep all of this time and then he touched her arm while still holding on to mine.

"Leliana... it's good to see you up. How are you feeling now?"

"I would feel much better if we could end this Blight right now but I'm okay, Alistair. Thank you."

Alistair nodded in response and then pulled us towards the others who also nodded in greeting and kindred confusion.

"Darkspawn have come up through holes near the gate of Denerim and have so far thwarted all of the traps that we had waiting for them throughout the city. We can only surmise that this was all part of their plan. So far everything has worked perfectly in their favor." Eamon yelled to our group.

I pushed forward.

"Eamon, we need to get out there! I need to find Riordan and see what his plan is! We should also keep as many Darkspawn back as possible...the city cannot afford their presence!"

Eamon turned towards me.

"We must make a plan ourselves before we rush out there, Detra. Now more than ever we must conserve..."

"Conserve what, Eamon? Every minute we stand here is another minute the Darkspawn are given free reign to destroy whatever is in their path! I must get outside and find Riordan but you all are free to do as you see fit."

I made my way around the group and Leliana grabbed my arm.

"Detra, don't you think you're being hasty? Eamon is right; we should come up with some sort of plan before simply charging out there!"

I shook my head, knowing what I must do within my heart. It was either fight while we could or we would be crushed planning a battle that may never take place.

"You do what you need to do, Leliana. I will be outside with Riordan as soon as I find him."

I nodded to my other companions and they all seemed to share my opinion.

'Detra is right. We should be out there doing what we can. We can plan as we go, otherwise there might not be a Denerim to save." Wynne said.

Eamon nodded in agreement now, faced with everyone's opinion.

"All right, but let us all try to stay together as best we can. We don't know what's waiting for us out there."

I pushed ahead of the group, wanting to get out there and start fighting back.

Leliana grabbed hold of my arm again.

"Detra, wait for me! Why are you trying to rush headfirst into danger so quickly?"

"Because I must, Leliana! This is what I am trained for; this is why I am here! I cannot stand here any longer...I must go out and fight while I can!"

My head was full of visions of myself killing the Archdemon and the Blight ending before too much damage was done. Going out in a blaze of glory was no small accomplishment in my opinion. There are worse fates to be suffered and I myself had witnessed some of them.

"Detra, just stop a moment! We agreed to stay together!" Leliana argued.

"That is fine, Leliana but you've got to keep up with me. I must get outside and look for Riordan."

"How do you even know he's outside? Maybe he was elsewhere when the fighting started or he hasn't even gotten out of his room."

I shook my head.

"No, I feel that he's outside already and that he has a plan or at least some ideas. More than we are doing standing around here!"

I pushed through the remaining bodies in front of the door and walked out into the courtyard. Already screams of pain and terror from the citizens who remained filled my ears and I saw many fires and the resulting smoke rising through the air beyond the estate grounds.

"Dear Maker..." Leliana said somberly as her eyes took in all that surrounded us.

"You see? This is what we need to stop. Let's go!"

Running through the courtyard, I drew my sword and readied my shield and dashed right into the fray. It seems not many Darkspawn had made it this far into Denerim but there were still quite a few about us, raging and cutting into victims left and right.

I charged up to the nearest group with death in my eyes and our swords met and ichor flew through the air as I sliced into Darkspawn after Darkspawn, cutting my way through the first group.

The rest of the team fanned out and began their own attacks and soon we thinned out the Darkspawn numbers in this area. We directed any citizens left alive to the safety of Eamon's estate for now but could not be sure how long we could hold the area.

"Detra! Alistair!"

I heard my name called and looked to find Riordan making his way towards us, both his sword and armor and even part of his face black with ichor.

"Thank the Maker I've found you! I never thought I'd make it back in time." Riordan gasped to us, out of breath when he reached us.

Our group moved quickly to surround Riordan and questions were abound.

"Are you all right, Riordan?" I asked, touching his shoulder.

"Yes I am fine, Detra. I was out scouting when the Darkspawn attacked and have been trying to make my way back here ever since."

"What is it you suggest we do, Riordan?" Eamon asked, eager for some proper advice.

"The Archdemon has finally shown itself and I have seen it with my own eyes. There is no longer any question of whether this is a true Blight or not."

Riordan stated what we already all knew to be true in our hearts and he continued.

"We need to lure the Archdemon out of the sky and within our reach... we cannot fight such an enemy in the sky. I was thinking Fort Drakon would suffice."

My mouth gaped a bit with Riordan's suggestion that we engage the dragon head-on. I had not thought too much on this subject, facing the dragon ourselves. Now that it was upon us, it seemed almost impossible.

"Truly? You think that the battle will go well if we get the Archdemon out of the sky? How exactly are we to draw the dragon in?"

Riordan wiped some ichor from his brow.

"We must injure it in some way...perhaps its wings. We cannot fight it while it remains in the sky, this I know. It will simply kill us all with its flame."

My mind went to work piecing together some sort of plan to bring the dragon down to us but I could think of no way other than to wave torches to attract its attention.

"I'm not sure how we will get it down to us, Riordan...torches perhaps?"

Riordan turned his attention towards the fort once again and gestured with his sword.

"Do not worry about how we will bring it down, just know that we will. Follow me!"

Riordan took off running, keeping up a brisk pace and we handled the Darkspawn as we came upon them, moving closer to Fort Drakon every minute. There were desperate citizens running throughout the city but we could not do much for them, consumed by our task. If we did not bring down the Archdemon, then all would lay dead in its wake and our efforts thus far would all be for naught.

"Look out!" Sten's voice boomed from the back of our group.

My eyes looked up in time to meet the shape of the Archdemon carved into the evening sky, a terrifying sight for any to behold. It drew ever closer to us and many of us dove out of its path just as it breathed a wide line of fire onto the pavement we had just been standing on.

The heat from the blast seared my skin and I had actually been far from it, indicating just how powerful this creature was. The sheer power of this dragon was beginning to shake me and I was not sure if I would be able to even fight it with everything it had at its disposal. Hopefully there would be success in numbers.

The dragon screeched on its way back up into the sky and looped around for another attack, flapping its massive wings. Riordan ordered everyone out of the courtyard and against what was left of a building to hide and the Archdemon had not a target in sight on its return trip. It shrieked again in anger as it swooped back up and then swung around to attack some hapless citizens that were within its sight to our right.

"Is everyone okay?" Alistair yelled to no one in particular.

Some answered him but most of our attention was focused on the enemy above us, lingering in the sky and causing massive destruction in mere seconds to whatever it chose as a target.

I was up on my feet again and helping others up as well, my eyes still on the sky.

"Riordan, we must stop it! It will burn the entire city!"

Riordan's eyes were also still on the Archdemon and he turned once again to Fort Drakon.

"We must get there as quickly..."

Riordan trailed off as his eyes returned to me then they went past me and widened.

I turned in time to see a multitude of Darkspawn clearing the corner we had just come from, headed straight for us.

"More Darkspawn!" I cried, even though I was sure all of our group could plainly see them.

As we readied for the Darkspawn charging us, the ground below our feet began quaking a bit and I thought it might be from the Darkspawn but then an angry roar erupted behind us. I turned and found it belonged to an ogre who was not one bit happy to see us in its way.

Wynne cast an Inferno spell and it landed right where it was supposed to- between all of the Darkspawn as they surged towards us. This allowed quite a few of us to concentrate on the larger threat behind us as the Darkspawn were consumed by the fire or trying to escape its path.

"Move!" I shouted to everyone as the ogre roared and lumbered towards us, grabbing at us with its meaty hands.

Mabs charged the ogre, barking ferociously and I screamed at him to stop but he either could not hear me or was simply too angry to stop. He circled around the ogre's legs and I saw him biting and clawing at them, trying to distract the ogre from us.

"Mabs, get away!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, fearing for my dog's life.

The ogre roared in pain and turned, swiping at Mabs who just barely dodged his grasp by rolling to the right.

Wynne's inferno spell was dying down and Darkspawn were finding their way to us again and building in number as we tried to deal with the ogre.

Alistair came to my side and yelled next to me, pointing to some barrels just beyond the Darkspawn.

"Detra... is that oil?"

I could make out the barrels Alistair was referring to and it was indeed one of the traps that had been laid for the Darkspawn. We needed more fire and we needed it now.

"Hit that oil barrel with an arrow, Leliana! Now!" I screamed back towards where I thought she might be.

She was the only one who could do it.

I finished off the three Darkspawn in front of me and turned in time to catch Wynne light up the arrow that Leliana had tucked into her bow. It flew like a bird to the barrel and as soon as it pierced it, the onslaught of Darkspawn that was near it went up in flames, their screams of agony reaching my ears in just seconds. The oil leaked from the rest of the barrels that lay there and the fire spread quickly, following the same path as the oil.

At least that was something. Now that path was cut off to them and they would have to filter in another way, allowing us time to dispatch this ogre who was not going anywhere.

The ogre's cry of annoyance pulled my attention back and we moved closer to it as its arms flailed out left and right, grabbing at what it could.

I could no longer see Mabs dodging the ogre and a wash of fear fell over my body as I watched Riordan and Alistair both stab at the ogre's legs, causing the towering giant to roar even louder.

"Mabs! Where are you, boy? Mabs!"

My dog did not respond and I still could not see him. The ogre lumbered forward and almost got his hands on Riordan but he rolled from his grasp, Alistair planting his sword in that hand instead. The ogre pulled back, roaring again in pain and then began to stomp towards our group, trying to get any kill that it could.

Leliana was firing arrows into the ogre but he was moving around too much to get a clear shot and only about three arrows had hit it so far, apparently not even making it flinch.

We were getting nowhere fast with this ogre and every minute that passed meant even more death in Denerim.

"Let's all attack at once; it's the only way we'll be able to take it down! Move!" I screamed, charging towards the ogre.

I was able to move in close enough and stab at its leg twice but then that leg came towards me and sent me skidding across the courtyard on my back.

I was dazed for a moment but felt no pain as I stood and moved towards the ogre again. The ogre was in the process of ripping a small tree from the ground and I slowed my pace, knowing what could be done with a weapon of that size.

If it gets hold of that tree, we will all be dead.

I waved my hands to the rest of the party to back away but none of them acknowledged me if they even saw my gesturing, still surrounding the ogre in attack positions. Leliana's arrows dug into the ogre's neck but that did not deter it from ripping the tree loose then spinning on its heels to us, now brandishing the tree as its weapon.

Now everyone moved back as the ogre moved forward with the tree, creating a great gust of wind as it swung the tree. Everyone dove out of the way and kept moving backwards and I tried to think of a way to get the tree away from the ogre.

I suddenly noticed a form silently moving behind the ogre and I saw them touch the ogre's leg as it prepared to swing again. Where their hands had landed now lay a black mark that suddenly began spreading and then disappeared and the ogre roared again, dropping the tree and suddenly appearing to have smoke coming from all over its body.

The person who had started all of this moved away just as quickly and quietly as they had arrived and we watched with open mouths as the ogre roared loudly and then exploded into a volcano of blood and gore before us, pieces of it landing near and all over us. I could not see who it had been who had saved us but I was grateful for it.

I could hear everyone yelling words back and forth but I needed to find Mabs now that this battle was over.

I called for him, ignoring Alistair and Riordan's words as I neared them. I saw Wynne near the stairs of the building we had hidden near and she was kneeling on the ground, looking at something.

My heart sank as I ran towards her.

"Mabs..."

Wynne turned and looked up at me, sadness in her eyes and she shook her head slowly at me.

Mabs' body was broken and bleeding and I could see several bones protruding from his body.

He was not moving.

The ogre had gotten him after all.

I fell to my knees next to Wynne and stared at my hound, in disbelief of his condition.

"I'm sorry, Detra. There was nothing I could do." Wynne said, still beside me.

My hound was dead.

My friend...

Rage and sorrow filled my head at the same time and the sorrow won, tears spilling onto my cheeks.

"You never did listen to me, did you boy..."

I leaned down against his broken form and grabbed handfuls of his fur between my fingers, a silent goodbye in my head.

The noise from the battle still waging brought me back to reality and I quickly stood, knowing we needed to move on.

Leliana was next to me and she looked at me in shock, appearing to be speechless.

"I'm so sorry, Detra...Maker... I cannot believe..."

I stopped her in mid stutter, pulling my hand from hers.

"We need to move on. There is nothing left to do here."

I could only give my lifelong friend one more brief look as we still needed to make our way to the Fort and the Archdemon and we all moved in that direction.

"Where is Riordan?" Eamon shouted over the din.

My mind was elsewhere but I did hear his question and my eyes sought out Riordan as well, though not finding him.

I suddenly glanced at Alistair and we both had the same look on our face, somehow both of us knowing that Riordan had snuck ahead of us to sacrifice himself in order to take down the dragon.

"We must press on! Riordan needs us to back him up! Move, now!" I yelled through the chaos, waving everyone ahead.