MoonPriestess30: Anders will come into play at some point though I will admit I'm not sure how I'm going to be writing that bit yet. I hope you like this chapter, I'm afraid it's a bit of a filler. Thankyou for reading.

Chapter 26

Amelie kicked a rock rather annoyed. 'Why have I been dragged here as well?' She moaned already knowing the answer. Varric laughs lightly and rolls his eyes as they walk through the tunnel.

'I thought you would be chomping at the bit, excited to get out and about. It's been a long time since you had a decent fight,' he mused as he looked around the corner to check for enemies. Amelie mimicked him in a nasal voice and earned herself a slap on the backside from the amused dwarf which shut her up quickly. 'Hawke offered, you accepted.'

'Only because I knew for a fact that he'd insist on dragging Fenris along and last time that didn't end well,' she pouted. 'He's a close range fighter and it's a frigging dragon! I offered instead of Fenris or Leto,' she pointed out. 'No. Instead he thinks it's a smart idea if he drags me and Fenris along!' They walk down the shaft and Amelie sighs as she finds another rock to kick with her boot. 'I didn't exactly win this fight easily last time, Varric. I almost lost Aveline,' she admits. 'I had to watch as the bloody thing damn near tore Leto in half and-'

'Easy..' Varric said patting her thigh. 'Calm down. Look sit, don't give me that look, just sit,' Varric said as he pointed her to a couple of crates. 'I know you're nervous. I know you're scared of losing people. Fenris would have come regardless if Hawke said yes or no, because you're here. We have the edge because you've fought this thing before. You're a powerful mage, Amelie,' he smiles as he watches her bite the end of her plait. She sighs heavily and nods.

'I am scared,' she mumbled. 'I-'

'Hey slow pokes, you're supposed to be scouting ahead, not having a natter,' Hawke said as he strode down the tunnel. Varric gave him a look and a nod of the head as Fenris came up behind him. Garrett took it as a pretty clear signal and thought quickly. 'Uh, tell you what, how about Varric and I go ahead and then you two watch our backs, okay?' He says to Amelie who forced a smile and nodded. Fenris raised a brow as the other pair practically scuttled off. Amelie stood up and brushed down her leggings. She had refused to wear a magister's dress despite the mana perks. His lover had insisted on wearing a breastplate and leggings, heavy duty boots and vambraces. She still wouldn't carry a staff, claiming it was too obvious.

Fenris took her hand gently making her look at him. 'You are concerned,' he said softly.

'No, I'm fine,' Amelie said perkily as she squeezed his fingers for a moment and then kept walking. Fenris grit his teeth and rolled his eyes. Even now she was still trying to protect him.

'Amelie,' he says simply, she looked around at him as she continued down the corridor. 'I know you are worried, you have eaten the end of your hair,' he points out. Amelie scowls and sighs.

'Andraste's tits, I hate it when you're all... observatory,' she swore. 'Okay, yes, I'm worried. I'm allowed to be. It's a frigging dragon!' She exclaims. 'A fact that all of you seem to be ignoring! It's not like we're just gonna go smack it on the arse and it'll fly off with it's tail between it's legs. It's a high dragon, all teeth and fire and it's fucking annoying little spawnlings trying to gnaw your ankles off. And they're not so little to me! They're like up here!' She says motioning to her bosom. 'It's ridiculous!'

Fenris let her rant for a couple moments before pulling on her hand and making her step closer to him. 'You have told us the logistics of the battle ahead, you have prepared us for the worst situation. No wonder Hawke feels cocky,' he reassures.

'I was supposed to be here instead of you,' Amelie says in a small voice.

Fenris tilts her head up and lowers his to give her a soft kiss. 'Do you think I would let you face a dragon alone?' He said simply. 'Do not eat the end of your hair, I like the curl,' he says seriously making Amelie snort and laugh.

She pushed him away, her smile threatening to split her head in two. 'Okay, okay, look, I'm grinning like a fool now,' she waved her hand to distract him from staring at her face. 'Come on, before Hawke ends up getting his arse used as a chew toy,' she laughs lightly feeling the tension leave her body. Fenris was right, she had prepared them as much as possible and they had a lot of firepower. Fenris wears a half smile as he walks beside her as they go to catch up with their friends. They find Varric and Garrett in a clear opening.

'Is this where you discover it?' Garrett asks as they look around. 'I can't see any signs,' he adds.

Amelie walked into the bright sunshine and crumples her nose at the smell. It was definitely here. 'It came over that ridge and then the little buggers followed through that entrance down there,' she said pointing.

Fenris looked about and nodded. 'There is a vantage point up there, you could see across everything,' he states simply as he catches Varric's grin. 'If we are lucky you could see the dragon,' the elf says as he judges height. 'I do not think that Hawke would be light enough to be lifted.'

Amelie realised what he was getting at and shook her head. 'Nooope. No. I don't think so. I am not one for heights and I really don't fancy trying to balance on some damn rock. Send Varric he could jump up!' She waved her hands at the man in smaller stature.

'I couldn't reach it, besides, Sparky, you're the perfect one for the job,' Varric chuckled.

'Jump higher,' snarled Amelie as she found herself backed against the wall they wanted to scale.

'Up we go,' Hawke said simply as he grabbed her by the waist and threw her upwards. Amelie stifled a scream and grabbed the ledge as it came by.

'Woah! Woah! Garrett!' She said trying to get him to let go of her hips but he wasn't having any of it as he let her dangle. Cursing under her breath she sent a glare at Garrett who was grinning. Amelie grunted as she pulled herself up the rock feeling Fenris push up and under her feet. 'How did I get volunteered for this?' She said to herself. Reaching the top she looked around. 'Yeah, it's here alright,' she said looking down at the other three. 'We must have arrived earlier in this timeline, only half the clutch has hatched,' she said as she observed the dragon that was seemingly asleep surrounded by eggs. She crouched on the large boulder that allowed her a good advantage point of sight and prayed that she kept her balance. 'If we go to the left and push those rocks down it should trap most of the little buggers in there and then all we'll have to deal with is the actual dragon,' she suggests. Hawke nodded and motioned for her to come back. With a little awkwardness she slid down and was reassuringly caught by the elf. 'Why couldn't we have thrown Varric up there again?' She teases lightly as she adjusted her breastplate, it wasn't the best fitting thing she had ever worn but it would do it's job.

'Because his short arse couldn't reach properly,' Hawke laughs lightly. 'okay, we're gonna be against the clock here. We need to be able to get rid of all of them but we don't want to take them all on at once. Amelie's idea is a good one, when we get down there we'll have to move fast and block their entrance. Amelie do you think you could use a blast or something to get those rocks shifted?' He asks.

'Easily, though there might be a little rubble, it wouldn't be as focused as normal with no staff,' she points out. 'You'll have to give it a few feet in range,' she warns. The rest of them nod and with a rough plan in place they begin to creep down to where the high dragon was waiting. 'Remember Varric your poison doesn't work on the damn thing, neither does your sleep bombs. We're just gonna have to use brute force, even my electricity doesn't hurt it,' Amelie whispers as they hide behind a rock waiting for Hawke's signal. She glances around the side and then stands up. 'Wait... where has it gone?' She asks looking around.

'Where is the damn thing?' Hawke swears as he walks into the open. 'It was just here. Fuck!' He says as he scans the crags and possible hiding places. 'It's a good hundred feet long, it can't have just fucking vani-'

A fireball crashes a few metres beside him, forcing the man to roll to the side in instinct. 'The sun!' Fenris calls out as he looks at the trajectory of the attack. The dragon had smelled them coming on what little breeze there was and had taken to the skies, using the sun to disguise itself waiting for an opening. 'Amelie, the rocks!' He says as he slides to Garrett and pulls him out the way just as another flaming ball lands. Varric jumps out of hiding and starts to pelt the beast with arrows making it roar. Amelie could hear the squeaks and chitters of the the dragonlings and began to concentrate as she built her power around the rocks.

'Get back!' She warned as she exploded the cage she had been creating. There was a sickening shriek as tonnes of earth and boulders gave way and slowly gaining speed crashed down, effectively blocking the way from the nest. A cloud of dust rolled over them, small rocks and pebbles stinging their skin as it billowed past. A couple of the creatures had made it through and hissed at them as they got up. 'Shit,' Amelie says as she moves back. 'It won't come down until they're dead. We've just gotta keep moving!' She instructed to the others. The fight rages on, the dragonlings weren't a match for the group but even their depleted number was proving to be a hassle. Amelie was saving her power for the main opponent and making do with a rather large boulder that she had repurposed as a bludgeon throwing it into the creatures with minimal mana use. The weight alone of the stone was proving effective, though she was having to plan ahead so she didn't crush one of her friends. She winced as she saw Garrett remove one of the dragonling's head before spinning around and lodging his overhead swing into another. Amelie glanced up at the High Dragon and noticed smoke drifting from it's nostrils. 'Fireball!' She warned as the dragon inhaled deeply and spat another towards them. Amelie didn't have to move as it struck the far side of where she was standing but a hissing and clicking made her turn around. Dragonlings were climbing over the rubble she had created and one was a few foot above her. 'Shit!' She swore as it jumped at her, knocking her to the ground. Amelie grabbed it's throat and frantically tried to keep it's jaws from clamping down on her. It's forelegs scratched and scrabbled on her chest plate for grip. 'Piss off!' Amelie screamed at it as she flooded it's head with electricity, she could smell the sulphur on it's breath as it spat weak sparks and flames, squealing in pain as it's brain was literally fried. Amelie's arms shook as she desperately tried to hold it's weight and frantic attempts to bite her at bay. 'Just fucking die!' She swore as she increased the voltage. It obliged her wishes as it's eyes burst in their sockets, the fluid dripping down her hands and arms as it goes completely limp. The mage grunts in pain as it lands, pinning her to the ground. 'Thank Andraste,' she moans as she tries to shift the dead weight from on top of her.

Fenris had seen Amelie fighting with the dragonling but had been preoccupied by the several that had surrounded him. When he next managed to look over at her he saw that she was still on the ground and the creature was lying over her. With a snarl of anger he kills the last one that had been attacking and charges over to his lover. Dropping his sword as he got close he grabbed the beast. 'Amelie?!' He said panicked.

'I'm okay, it's dead,' she reassured as she pushed and Fenris pulled managing to slide the dragonling off her. Once she was free Fenris took her arm and almost lifted her by her upper arm alone. 'Hey, easy,' Amelie curses, being lifted by your arm only hurts a lot. She looked at Fenris and registered the fear on his face, yes he was gripping her tightly but it was because he was terrified. 'I'm fine, Fenris, look at me, I'm totally fine,' she said quickly as she looked around, they didn't have time for this. 'Stay by me, I think the real fight is about to begin,' she sighed as she saw the High Dragon open it's wings. Fenris nodded and shook some sense into himself, it was disturbing seeing Amelie pinned like she was but like she said, she was fine. Garrett and Varric regroup with them and Garrett brings Fenris his sword.

'This is where shit gets real?' Garrett panted as he wiped his brow. Varric threw each of them a health vial which Amelie refused, she had a few scratches and bruises but that was all. A roar echoed around them and they quickly armed themselves and drank what they needed to before it landed in front of them, bellowing in fury. Amelie scrunched her face as the heat rolled over them.

'I honest to the maker thought I would never have to face another dragon again,' she sighed as her hands lit up in mana.

Varric snorted in laughter. 'You wouldn't change this for the world,' he smirked before he disappeared in a plume of smoke. The party was split apart by a lazily thrown fireball and Amelie dodged to the left, she felt a presence beside her and looked over to see that Fenris was on her tail. Clearly he was determined to keep her out of trouble this time.

'No, I wouldn't change it at all,' she laughed as she threw herself into the fight.