The Dragon and the Griffon

A/N: Draco Cousland is a Warrior whom Duncan recruited from Highever. Irasabeth Tabris is a rouge Duncan found in the Elven Alienage. This is going to be the story about how these two very different people become close friends and took on the Blight with their small band of misfit allies.

A big old thanks to my beta Lisa! You are a lifesaver!

Chapter 3: Hear me Roar

Alistair and Irasabeth sat by the fire waiting for Draco to get back. Irasabeth stroked her hand down the dog's belly, causing him to roll around happily. "You know Alistair, I saw something when I passed out," she said softly.

"We all did. It's our body's way of adjusting to the Taint," he said.

"I feel strange though…like I'm dirty. But I can't…get clean," she finished, lamely waving her hand in front of her face.

He put his hand on her shoulder. "It will get easier. We'll teach you how to handle it," he said smiling.

She put her hand on his. "Thanks Ali, she said softly, so, now that Draco's still alive are you gonna try to wiggle yourself into his bed?" She asked, with a wink and a grin.

Alistair groaned and shook his head, but was interrupted by an outraged yell before he could open his mouth.

"You can't seriously be considering what King Calian said!" Draco yelled as he walked up with Duncan, "you'll need us."

"You are not ready for this. You have just passed your Joining and you are not ready to face Darkspawn on this scale," Duncan argued calmly.

"But we fought them in the Wilds," Draco pointed out, "and we kicked their asses."

"Small scouting parties yes, but not a whole horde," Duncan said.

Draco threw his hands up in the air. "You and my father were the same! Always telling me the battle plan but never letting me participate," he pouted, which Alistair found extremely attractive on the man.

Duncan pinched the bridge of his nose before he turned to the others. He opened his mouth to speak when Alistair interrupted him. "We won't be fighting?"

"The king has given the three of you a specific task. He wants you to light the signal to get Loghain to charge," Duncan said with a nod and a pointed glare at Draco to keep his mouth shut.

"So…no," Alistair sighed, earning a jab in the ribs from Irasabeth.

"The king has assigned this task specifically—"

"I get it I get it. But just so you know if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the remigold I'm drawing the line, darkspawn or no," Alistair said, interrupting Duncan

Draco snorted, "I'd like to see that."

"For you maybe, but it has to be a pretty dress," Alistair quipped.

Duncan groaned, "Just go light the signal."

Irasabeth rolled her eyes. "Such whiners," she said as she led them to the bridge. "Look it's starting!" she said as she pointed over the wall.

Draco leaned against the wall and looked down into the field where he saw the priests walking around and hearing the prayers that they were offering. "Wow, look at that!" he said as his eyes were drawn to the approaching darkspawn line.

"There's so many of them." Irasabeth said softly, her voice tinged with fear slightly. "Can we do this? Can we win here today?"

"We have to, but we can't do that standing around here like a group of prats," Alistair said.

Ares whined and looked up at Draco, his ears flat against his head. Draco sighed as he stroked his head. "It's alright boy," he said. "C'mon let's get to the tower. Irasabeth, I want you to keep to the back and provide cover from the back with your arrows, Ares stay with her, Alistair and I will take them down from the front. Let's take out any bastards that come at us if they come up this way."

"Got it!" Irasabeth nodded as she pulled her bow from her back.

Alistair nodded and they all took off at a sprint following behind Draco. When they passed the bridge they ran into a solider and a mage running away from the tower. "Help us! They've taken over the tower!" The solider screamed as he ran past them.

Draco looked at the mage. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Ison," The mage said.

"Ison, will you come help us? We could use your help," he asked.

"Yes ser!" He nodded and cast a spell causing their weapons to glow with a magical fire.

Draco grinned as he examined his family's sword. "Oh that is cool," he laughed. "C'mon let's go!" He said leading them through the small band of Darkspawn that stood between them and the tower. They fought their way through the tower and to the stairs leading up to the top of the tower.

"Up here! The beacon is just up these stairs!" Alistair yelled, his armour and weapons a bloody mess.

Draco nodded as he led them up the stairs but skidded to a halt at seeing the looming shape in front of the beacon chewing on an arm. "What…the fuck…is that?" Irasabeth panted as she tried to steady her arm to pull back an arrow.

At her voice the thing turned and roared sending bits of flesh and spit in their direction. "I don't know but it's mine!" Draco let out a roar and charged. Alistair watched in awe as Draco fought, he was magnificent as he leapt and drove his blade home into the skull of the Ogre with a roar showing that he was the Dragon of Highever.

Irasabeth cried as she ran to him and embraced him, laughing. "We did it! You were amazing!" She smiled.

Draco laughed as he pulled his blade free and sheathed it, pushing his hair out of his face. "Thanks. Father always made fun of my roar though."

"I think it's sexy, don't you Alistair?" She asked with a wink.

Alistair blushed hotly as he cleared his throat. "We have a signal to light, let's go." He said as he grabbed a torch and threw it into the waiting beacon and watched it blaze.

"Now what?" Draco asked.

"We wait."

Draco sighed as he kicked at the body of the Ogre. "I hate waiting. It's so boring," he shook his head as he cleaned his face of blood. After a few more minutes they heard a rumble go through the tower.

"Draco? Did you hear that?" Irasabeth asked as she backed up into him.

"Irasabeth get behind me!" He yelled as the doors burst open and darkspawn poured in. Arrows rained down, sending him flying back, and the last thing he saw was a dark shadow fall over them, then blackness.

A/N: All right, crappy chapter but it's the best I can do right now. This part of the story nothing is really going on. Next part is when I get to bring Morrigan back in. and I promise that it won't take me as long to write it as this one did.