This chapter contains a bit more gore and swearing compared to earlier chapters.

ShoutOuts ~

Trollalalala: I'm sorry, I guess I did just do that? I swear I'm not trying to be cruel! I'm trying to be realistic! Or, as realistic as I can be writing about Hobbits and Rings of Power!

Random Person 94: Gah, your questions are definitely thought-provoking, for sure. I guess you'll just have to read to know what's going to happen next. As for the fight scene, I think it's pretty good, if I do say so myself.

DragonOwl: Wow… oh man, I am so flattered. I'm so glad you like Madi, she really has become a favorite character of mine (in case it isn't too obvious with the eight stories about her haha). You will love City of Bones, absolutely love it, and Howl's Moving Castle is one of my favorite stories too. Gosh, I'm so giddy you consider my story a good OC and Fellowship tale. Another great OC author to look into is going to be Velvet Nights and Satin Skies. Ten out of ten would recommend, even though she hasn't updated in a while!

Letus the Saiyan: I'm glad you love it! Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter as well!

Rogue's Queen: I have to say, I'm kind of amused at your username, since Madi identifies herself as a Rogue. Anyway, I'm really happy you're enjoying it! I love the Cassandra Clare stories as well, since they've always been Madi's sort of start-off points.

~ THEMESONGS ~

Run ~ Kill it Kid

Bite Hard ~ Franz Ferdinand

.M.I.W.

21. You can't Fix what's Meant to be Broke

Frodo and I bolted through the forest, ducking out of the way of low hanging branches and navigating our way down hilly sections of the forest. I kept my hand securely placed between the Hobbit's shoulders, letting him focus on our way to the river while I stretched all of my other senses out, straining for the sound or sight or feeling of any evil trying to come our way.

I ended up slipping down a particularly steep area, my boots not getting enough traction on the small, dead leaves. Frodo quickly navigated down towards me, as lithe as a mountain goat, his breathing fast and ragged. He almost ended up slipping as well, but I reached out and caught him, steadying him next to me. We paused, Frodo clutching the Ring tightly to his chest as I listened out, hearing the sounds of metal clanging against metal, and footsteps thundering all around us.

I grabbed the shoulder of Frodo's cloak and tugged him on, and we started running again, keeping the Hobbit close to my side.

"Is it too late… to say this is the… most fun I've ever had?" I breathed, narrowly dodging a rotting log reaching out into my path.

"You and I… must define fun differently, then," Frodo said as he managed to get a few steps in front of me. I laughed.

"Well at either rate, it's been a pleasure," I admitted. "I wish I could… do more for you than this."

Frodo didn't say anything else as we'd started scaling our way down a steeper hill. I heard heavy metal armor clanking its way closer, the thundering footsteps getting louder. I risked a glance over my shoulder, and saw the beginnings of the silhouettes of the Uruk-hai charging over the hill. We couldn't outrun them for long.

Then Frodo tripped over a log, and was sent tumbling down the hill and left to a sprawling heap. We weren't going to outrun them.

I skidded to a stop down the hill, pulling Frodo up to his feet. "You have to hide," I told him. "Hide until it's safe. I'll fight them off."

Frodo pinned me to my spot with a look. A steady, sure look that filled me with a fire I'd never experienced before. A protective spark shot up in my chest and through my spine. He knew I was doing this for him, and I wouldn't let him down. He knew I would die first. Any question or doubt he'd had about my protecting him was cast out of his mind. He nodded to me. "Thank you, Madison Verdantia," he said solemnly.

"Hey, now, what are friends for?" I smirked, but it quickly fell under his sincere gaze. "You're going to be all right."

I didn't know if it was a statement or a question by the time I was done saying it, but he nodded again and started to run away.

I turned around and scanned the hillside. There were at least fifty Uruk-hai racing down to meet me, and when they saw me coming, they let out strangled, bellowing squeals of bloodlust. I grinned, reaching back to whip out my seraph blades.

"Sandalphon! Metatron!" I cried, which resulted in two twin lights – bright as stars – bursting into life. The Uruk-hai didn't seem to know what to make of me and my shining swords. Their advance slowed, and the holds on their crude blades faltered. I grinned, and shot forward.

One of the assholes seemed to figure out I was not playing around, and charged at me with a bellow, which brought courage to the others. Then all of them started gaining in speed, and I was on my first victim.

"First blood!" I shouted, swinging my blades and bringing them across the massive Uruk-hai's thick neck. Dark blood spurted from the wound, and as it crumpled to the ground, I stepped on its heavy, armored shoulder, and swiped out at another, ducking just as a blade swept towards my neck.

I found one of the Uruk-hai breaking past the mob and further down the hill, where Frodo was hiding, and lurched forward. I slammed my whole body into the eight-foot-something (but I might be exaggerating, though) creature's back, which sent it sprawling on the ground. I nearly lost my balance tripping over the Uruk-hai's massive limbs as I stumbled towards the neck. I stabbed down into it with both swords, through it, and looked up just in time as another one came at me. I pushed all of my weight onto the hilts of my swords, and swung my body up, kicking the thing in its sternum, which caused it to stumble back into a couple of others and knock them all down.

Meanwhile, I fell back on the carcass, and yanked my swords out of the Uruk-hai's neck to face down the next asshole.

I threw my swords up in an 'x' as a massive, flattened crowbar-looking blade chopped down on my head. I looked up at the gigantic Orc mutation, taking in the rotting red flesh and stringy long black hair, yellow eyes, and sickeningly sharp teeth grinding down at me. I grimaced, hiked my foot up, and tried to go for a nut-shot. Yeah, it was a dirty move, but I never claimed to be a clean fighter.

I kicked my heel mercilessly in its groin, but it didn't cause the usual, immediate reaction I looked for. Instead, it looked down at me in contempt, and let out a low growl.

"What are you, a Ken doll?" I demanded, and quickly dropped to scramble between the dude's legs. Once I reached the other side, I sliced my swords across the back of its knees, forcing the Uruk-hai to drop to the ground with a rumbling groan.

"Hey!" A familiar voice shouted above the throaty growls and snarls of the Uruk-hai. "Hey! Over here!"

"This way!" Another, higher pitched voice joined him.

"No!" I yelped, spinning around and finding Merry and Pippin flagging down the rest of the Uruk-hai patrol.

The soldiers already started racing towards them, and I tried to follow –

CLANG!

A low snarl boiled up from the base of my throat and into the face of the Uruk-hai forcing me down under my blades. They were thrown up to block the Uruk-hai's sword. I'd already been forced down to my knees, and this dude was bending me down further. I tried to fight it off, but I wasn't strong enough.

Suddenly, the sound of a horn blasted through the forest. A deep, wailing sound that I didn't need to guess to know what it was.

The horn of Gondor.

Boromir was in trouble.

I forced my body to curl to my left, snapping my left wrist out and clapping Metatron over the top of the enemy sword. I pushed myself up sharply and snapped my left leg out, right into the Uruk-hai's shoulder. It didn't see that coming, and stumbled off to the side, and I shot forward while it was still off balance.

It tried to lift its sword in a weak defense but I used both of my blades to swipe it off to the side, my swords shining, nearly twinkling in excitement as I advanced further on the Uruk-hai, and stabbed Sandalphon right through its neck as Boromir's horn sounded again.

I jerked both blades away and ran after the Hobbits, who were long gone by now, but wouldn't be able to outrun the twelve or so Uruk-hai on their trail. I raced with the lingering, slower members of the patrol, and swung in low and fast, slicing through the achilles tendon of one, two, and then three soldiers, effectively dropping them like flies. They caterwauled and snarled like angry boars, obviously in pain, but I felt giddy as hell, even allowing a dark laugh to bubble out of me.

I found another one racing ahead of me, covered in leathers and a mismatched helmet covering its head. I sheathed both of my swords and sprinted forward, yanking out the dagger (who I really considered needed a name at some point), and ran the Uruk-hai down to the ground. Meaning, yes, I tackled him from behind.

It managed to shove me off of itself, but I was quicker, slamming myself right into the monster as it rolled over on its back.

I straddled its massive chest, pinning its arms down with my legs, and reached out with my free hand to yank off the helmet on its head. The Uruk-hai snarled, but couldn't get its bearings together fast enough. I already threw the helmet aside, and dug the dagger's blade into its throat, just below its chin for a fast, deep slice.

The Uruk-hai gave a gurgly howl as blood spurted from the wound, some of it splattering on my face and staining my hands. I was already jumping up and running for the horn blaring through the forest.

I sprinted for it, my mind working on overdrive as I raced past Uruk-hai and didn't bother fighting them. Frodo may have split the Fellowship, but there was no way I was going to let Merry and Pippin get captured to split it further.

And there was no chance in hell Boromir was dying. Not if I had anything to say about it.

I leapt over a small dip in the hillside, my eyes locking on strawberry blond hair as it swung with Boromir's momentum as he sliced through an Uruk-hai. I raced forward toward another soldier making its way toward the Hobbits, whipping out my swords. They already burst into light as I slammed into the side of the Uruk-hai, stabbing both of my blades into its side underneath its heavy metal breastplate.

The creature tried to slash at me with its blade, but I quickly ducked under it, slicing at the back of its legs and causing it to come crashing to its knees. It let out a snarl/squeal of rage as I stood before it, bringing my swords down to an 'x' across its neck, and swiped out, finishing out a perfect execution. More blood spattered across my face and neck, and I spun around, hair beginning to fall out of my hair tie and into my face.

I faced a surprised Boromir, a grin on my face. "Miss me?" I asked cockily.

Boromir's eyes widened as he seemed to take me in, but the sound of heavy footsteps cut through his reply. We both looked up at the same time, finding a massive horde of Uruk-hai advancing on us far too quickly.

"Run!" Boromir shouted, turning around to usher the Hobbits further into the thicker forest. His cloak swept around him as he turned back around, facing off with one of the first, massive Uruk-hai.

I was busy throwing my swords down against another beast, its sword coming out at me with reckless, chaotic strength, and I ducked underneath it. Once on the other side of the swing, I sliced through the Uruk-hai's bicep with both swords. The Uruk-hai looked beyond surprised as its limb still clutching its sword dropped to the forest floor – it let out the yowl to tell me so – but I was already stepping forward, bringing my swords out and then swiping inward, cutting off the Uruk-hai's head without a second's delay.

Right, these swords can cut through freaking Twilight vampires, and Stephanie Meyer said those were like solid granite. What's a few Uruk-hai? Flesh and bone?

Yeah, they didn't stand a chance.

I found Boromir through the fray fighting two at once. I quickly lurched towards him, transferring my swords to one hand while I pulled out my dagger. I chucked it at my closest target, and the blade dug into the Uruk-hai's shoulder, incredibly close to its spine. The thing yowled and whipped around, baring its teeth at me like I should be scared.

"Bitch, please!" I shouted, flipping my swords with ease. "You think I should be scared of you? Motherfucker, look at your reflection, you look like a goddamn deranged cat!"

The Uruk-hai charged –

Crash!

Our swords collided, and I grinned under the force my whole body was put under as it tried to push me down. No dice. I was way stronger than Rivendell now. I could take on a block like this, and I totally would.

I swung all of our swords off to the right, and lurched back. I blocked its next swing with Metatron and swiped out with Sandalphon, slashing the Uruk-hai hard and fast across the face. It squealed in rage and pain, blinded by the blood flooding into its eyes.

I took the immediate initiative and lobbed off the arm leading to the hand clutching at its face. The thing screamed again, but I already started advancing again, my steps light and quick and sharp as I fought to the inside, found my target, and stabbed the Uruk-hai through the neck. I quickly yanked out my swords and practically twirled out of the way as it collapsed to the ground. I took out the dagger still lodged in its back and stuffed it back into its scabbard before running back for a relay with Boromir.

I fought with another Uruk-hai on the way, the creature pushing me towards the knight. I managed to sever the head before it landed a swipe into my side, and lurched back right into Boromir's chest.

He steadied me against him with one hand, and I peered up at him with a smirk. "We really should stop bumping into each other like this," I said, which caused him to laugh.

We then surged forward on another Uruk-hai making its way toward us, Boromir blocking the brunt of the blade while I went straight for the exposed stomach, stabbing right into its abdomen with both blades and twisting them so there would be no hope of repair for this injury.

The Uruk-hai collapsed before us, and I smirked.

But then a heavy weight slammed right across my shoulders and sternum, knocking me backwards on my ass. I looked up at Boromir, the dude who kind of took me down, confusion hitting me hard and fast. "Boromir, what the –"

Swwwwiiiip!

"No!" I screamed, scrambling up to my feet. I quickly sheathed my swords, and caught Boromir as he staggered into my arms. A long black arrow stuck out of his chest. I looked up, desperately trying to track the shooter through the melee of Uruk-hai advancing upon us, but I couldn't see him. My heart dropped as another monster came barreling toward us.

Then Boromir lurched up out of my arms, swinging his sword loosely at the enemy. "Fight!" He yelled at me as another Uruk-hai came running towards us.

Without hesitation, I unsheathed my swords and shot forward, making quick work of dispatching the Uruk-hai with simple block and swipe to the throat. I wanted to turn around and focus on Boromir, but I was hit with an onslaught of Uruk-hai. I tried to fight through two of them at once as fast as I could, ducking under blades and hitting with the most excruciating blows. My ears were trained on the sound of Boromir's heavy breathing, his gasps of pain as he swung his sword so hard.

I ducked low and fast on another Uruk-hai, taking it down swiftly by slicing the backs of its knees and severing off its head.

Swwiiipp!

Boromir let out a hoarse cry of anguish, which pierced hard into my chest. I spun around, finding another poisonous arrow embedded into his side, just below his ribcage.

"Boromir!" I shouted, dropping to his side. I could feel my chest burning, my throat closing as fat tears clouded up my vision. I crouched in front of him, holding my swords out in a defensive stance against anyone who dared come near him. I glanced back at saw Merry and Pippin a few feet away, their faces crumpling in despair as they looked at Boromir. I had to get through this. I had to get through this for all of them. This could not happen!

I turned back around and tracked through the crowd, estimating which Uruk-hai would hit us first, and suddenly found and one with a bow.

It was a bit larger than the others, with a mane of greasy black hair and a large white handprint stamped across his face. He bared his teeth at me, about ready to string another arrow. I wanted to go after him, desperately. The need and instinct to attack – like a wild animal forced into a corner – pushed up from my stomach and tried to force me forward. But I couldn't. I had to defend.

Because three more Uruk-hai were advancing on me. I shot out to the first one, blocking off the swipe of its sword. It tumbled off balance and rolled out of the way, but I didn't go after it. I couldn't leave my place in front of Boromir.

So I fought against the second one, making quick work of stopping it short as it ran neck-first right into my swords. It crumpled into a useless heap at my feet, and I stood on top of the carcass to gain a height advantage against the third, swinging out, and chopping off his head. It too crumpled a few inches away from the first dead body.

SLAM!

I was pushed off my small mountain by a force that knocked the air right out of me. I crashed into the leafy forest floor with a heavy weight on top of me. I sucked in a breath, only to gag on it when I smelled rotting eggs and decaying vegetables. The Uruk-hai who knocked me down snarled in my ear, I could hear its sharp teeth grind against one another. I wriggled underneath the weight, but it was completely useless. I couldn't get out from under it, and it seemed to know that too.

Swwiiipp!

I turned over to look at Boromir. Another black, ugly arrow struck right into the center of his ribcage. He dropped to his knees. My world collapsed.

"No, Boromir, no!" I shouted, my voice going raw from fear and despair and helplessness. "God no! Please no!"

I heard a metallic sliding sound, and looked up in time as the Uruk-hai above me had a crude, rusty dagger in its hand, pointing it down towards me. I managed to roll over on my back as it stabbed down, and whipped my head to the side, and heard the sound of the dagger dig into the ground next to my face.

"Stay alive!" I shouted at Boromir. "Stay! Here! I swear to God I will kill you myself if you don't! Please don't die!"

The Uruk-hai above me gave a startled snort, but I found myself moving faster.

I pulled my arm out from under the Uruk-hai, and reached out to grab the top of its scalp. I held it firmly in place as I reacted on the best and only instinct I had.

I found a little more leverage, and slammed my forehead right into the Uruk-hai's.

CRACK!

My head exploded in pain, and I tried to blink against the black spots sprouting up in front of my eyes. Rather than in pain, the Uruk-hai looked more surprised, but that was good enough for me.

I reached out and wrestled the dagger out of his hands. When I finally got a hold of it, I stabbed it into the jackass's neck. It squirmed and squealed in pain and rolled off of me, scrambling at the knife stuck in its throat. I tried to push myself up, but my world was spinning. I felt like I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't see. My head clanged and jangled with one word bouncing around my skull: Boromir, Boromir, Boromir, Boromir. I forced myself up, reaching out to grab my seraph blades –

Of course, once I barely regained my bearings, I was knocked down under the foot of one seriously pissed of Uruk-hai. My seraph blades dropped to either side of me as I fell on the flat of my back, a heavy foot set squarely in the middle of my chest. I gasped, the air flying out of my lungs again, and cried out once I realized I felt the Uruk-hai's foot squeezing down on me.

I stared up into the face of my attacker, finding it to be the Uruk-hai with the bow. He stared down at me with a mixture of malice and disgust, his foot squeezing down on my chest. The weight was becoming too much, I couldn't breathe, where were Merry and Pippin?

"Pathetic little witch-child," the Uruk-hai snarled down at me, then pressed down harder.

Snap! Crack!

I screamed out as I felt my ribs give out from underneath the weight of its foot. "You fucking sonofabitch!" I yelled. "I'll kill you!"

The Uruk-hai snorted in disdain and stepped off of me, making his way toward Boromir. He still had three arrows sticking out of his body, kneeled down on the ground, looking as though he were taking in his final breaths.

I rolled onto my side, my middle screaming out in pain, but I found the Uruk-hai stringing another arrow to his bow, pointing it directly down on Boromir's head, execution style.

And that was when I realized I didn't give a fuck about my ribs, and forced myself up. I grabbed my swords, and started making my way towards the Uruk-hai, with unsteady, large steps. Once I felt safe enough walking, I started jogging. And then I started running. And then it was an all-out sprint.

Boromir looked over at me as I closed the space between us. His whole body shook in pain as he struggled for air. Strangely enough, a small, tired smile formed on his face, even as he just kneeled there, dying.

The Uruk-hai pulled his string back to release the arrow –

Swi-clink!

The Uruk-hai bridled back as the arrow splintered off of my swords. I barely felt the vibrations even as they shook off my arms, and I glared up at the beast. I felt incredibly… planted, steady, hyper focused, and ready to burst out into all hell.

"You have unleashed fury…" Boromir gasped from behind me, "in its purest form."

I shot forward.

The Uruk-hai reeled back, picking up both a crude looking shield and an equally heinous sword.

Clang!

Our swords met, but it didn't take that long for the Uruk-hai to realize the shield in his hand could be put to good use. He swung it out, letting the end collide right into my injured ribcage. Fiery pain rolled through my abdomen, and the only noise that let this douche know he struck a low blow was the whine/yelp that tore out of my lips when I straightened myself up. I ran forward again, this time hiking up my foot, and bringing it down on that stupid shield.

The Uruk-hai stumbled back under my weight, a low growl simmering off of its lips.

"Come on," I hissed, flipping my swords. "Fight me like you mean it, at least. You see me carrying around a shield like a fucking patsy?"

The Uruk-hai growled at me, then threw its shield to the ground. The spikes at the end of it stuck into the soft earth, causing the shield to stand upright without any support. Then it ran at me.

I ducked under the first swipe of its sword, my ribs crying out in pain as I tucked in on myself and shifted to the left. I swung out with both swords, allowing two wounds to cut into its side. The Uruk-hai made a grunt of surprise before reeling back on me.

I feinted backward and cut to the right, dodging another close call with the Uruk-hai's blade. Another swipe had me dropping on my back, rolling further back on my shoulders, and pushing back up in the smoothest kid-up I would ever accomplish.

My feet collided with the Uruk-hai's chest, and we both went crashing down. I could full the painful pull in my ribs, the injury now far more aggravated than ever, and I froze at the pain for a split-second, which was all the Uruk-hai needed to punch me in the face.

I flew backwards and landed hard on the forest floor. Breathing was officially impossible as I laid there, splayed out on the ground, my seraph blades just out of reach. I watched in horror as the Uruk-hai straightened up, and picked up his own blade. He made his way towards me, and I quickly scrambled to pull out the dagger. In a last ditch effort, I chucked it at him, the blade cutting right into its bicep, when I'd been aiming for his face. Goddammit, I never was good at throwing things.

The Uruk-hai stared at the hilt of my dagger, then slowly pulled it out of its arm. I jumped up, grabbing both of my seraph blades, and I surged forward. The creature didn't see me coming until I was standing in front of him and had my seraph blades in an 'x' at its neck.

"I'm no witch," I informed it with a steely growl. "I'm a Rouge."

I sliced hard and fast, effectively scissoring off the Uruk-hai's head.

.M.I.W.

I don't think I've ever had one chapter devoted so completely to a fight scene.

What do we think?