Disclaimers: I don't own any the characters or settings from Lord of the Rings or Xena the Warrior Princess

A/N: This is a very old idea of a story that I had while growing up, today, as I had some free time I ended up writing the first chapter. If you find it interesting, let me know, who knows, maybe I will write the rest of it!

Cover Image: Legolas by elflover21 & Xena by Endo

Rated: T for violence and language

Genre: Adventure, Romance, Friendship, Action

Status:

Through action, a man becomes a hero.

Through death, a hero becomes a legend.

Through time, a legend becomes a Myth.

And by learning from the Myth, a man takes action.

Gondor - Fourth Age

Upon Sauron's defeat, Aragorn was crowned as King Elessar, a name given to him by Galadriel and adopted by the people of Gondor because of the Elfstone he wore. Aragorn married Arwen shortly afterwards. He became the twenty-sixth King of Arnor, thirty-fifth King of Gondor, and the first High King of the Reunited Kingdom, though it would be several years before his authority was firmly re-established in Arnor. Legolas and Gimli remained and aided him to establish Gondor and the Reunited Kingdom. Though, Legolas eventually needed to return to Mirkwood, as darkness was lingering still there. Gimli would follow his trusted friend, and Aragorn would join them a few times during their new mission to aid Mirkwood.

"Mirkwood! We are going to flee to Mirkwood and not the mountains, when we should stand next to you. Who will defend the King if not his most trusted friends?" Gimli asked as he showed up walking towards Aragorn, ready to complain once more.

"He is only doing what he thinks is best for his kin. The Woodland realm withstands attack after attack, he has to return." King of Arnor responded, watching the elf securing the last of his belongings against Arod, the gray horse that was given to Legolas by Éomer, he rode with it into all old and new adventures.

"He will need you with him Gimli, I fear for the survival of the Elves of Mirkwood, and I shall join, after I arrange my devices." the King advised Gimli, although he already knew Gimli would follow without him asking.

"He has my support, you know that Aragorn! I remember the elf told me once that he would never return." The dwarf responded while resting against his axe as a small smile appeared on his face "Yet I am only traveling with him to see the face of the Elvenking when the elf tells him that we became close friends."

Aragorn rose an eyebrow gazing at Gimli with a smirk "You wouldn't bring trouble to the Halls of the Elvenking."

"Troubles are upon the Elvenking, if he likes it or not," a new strong voice was heard as the elf finally appeared to climb the stairs and met his two close friends "that was a long time ago Gimli when I had decided never to return to Mirkwood. But now my father needs me."

"Are your people to cross the sea? As the rest of the elves?" Gimli quizzed as he gazed at the elf confused. He had heard that the time of the elves was over, and he knew most had already crossed the sea.

"I do not know. Woodland elves are different, and yet we are still Elves. However, with the Elvenking remaining behind my kin will be stubborn to leave." He acknowledged "And as Mirkwood is still facing attacks, I suppose no-one has left Mirkwood."

"I've not heard it said that the Woodland Elves have departed," Aragorn said, supportively "It's time for you both to take this journey. And I will join you later on. I will miss you, Legolas and Gimli" he added after a moment setting his hands atop his friends' shoulders.

"And I you," the Elf replied, mirroring the gesture, "We will meet again."

"Your friend looks forward to it," Gimli added as he smiled at both of his trusted friends.

"We will head north," Legolas said, as he stepped down the stairs and towards the stables and mounting Arod agilely, "Come on Gimli!"

Gimli, who was dressed for travel, with his helmet, armour, axe and cloak, smiled and took Legolas hand and climbed behind him. Legolas rode Arod forward and they marched away from Gondor towards the Woodland realm.

Mirkwood - Fourth Age

She reached out longingly but it was to no avail. She could sense that Gabrielle was finally free of her. In the world where Xena was born, lived and died. Gabrielle continued living in that world, and she was strong enough to keep living. It was time of Xena to move on to fade from this world and she would end in Tuataras or worse in the Elysian Fields. She just followed the light that was shining bright and stepped into it and vanished.

The enchanted forest beckoned her into its pulsing heart. How could she resist such a lush of light lost in darkness? The deep, haunting ballad of its ancient song called out to her. With a light heart, she plunged into the over-arching vault of leaf and limb. The smell of the forest was pulped awaking more of her senses. It was not what she had expected. Coils of vaporous mist enwrapped the shaggy heads of the oak trees. They writhed around them like a conjuror's milky smoke, sensuous and illusory.

Xena woke and found herself lying in a leafy bed paradise. At first she thought she had slept late, after a long, unpleasant dream that still hovered on the edge of memory. But the trees that looked like the towers of the forest, that unfamiliar dark forest that somehow was heartwarming. She lay a little while longer looking at the sunlight that was escaping through the creaking branches, and "Where am I?" she said out aloud realizing she should be long gone ... vanished.

She was not.

She sat up. Her eyes dropping on her body, and her hand touched her arms and legs. Everything on her body was solid, she was alive. "Alive?" she scoffed at the irony. She felt comfortable and peaceful to be back in her own body. She recalled now saying goodbye to Gabrielle and vanishing. But here she was now, alive and well.

But where was here?

The moss-veiled trail snaked through the careworn forest. That trail was lying in front of her, she could see it now, as she had sat up and leaned against an old tree. Her mind was still spinning and it took her a moment to refocus. Then she searched for her armor and weapons, but she was only wearing her short cotton garments. Her upper-body armor, her black leather bodysuit, her boots, swords and Chakram; all gone.

She was wearing her short garments, gray and clean, covering her main body. This situation only irritated her. She finally stood up, taking note of her surroundings, and every scene was unfamiliar. She felt it to her bone, she was in an alien world. The forest that surrounded her was primordial. Centuries-old trees with sprawling limbs guarded the darkness, blotting out any sunlight.

That was not all, now she had focused she could hear sounds. Everything around her was now brought into silence. She could hear the creaking sounds coming from the trail in front of her. It did not take long and she watched creatures run towards her. Those were not human alike, they looked as monsters. "Maybe I am Tuataras after all," she scoffed to herself as she stepped back taking a fighting position.

'People are too quick to go for their sword. It should always be the last resort.' She used to say that too often, but at this moment she wished she would have her sword, as those horrid ugly creatures surrounded her. Xena had her right punch in a movement so swift, it was a blur. However, she dodged a few attacks and kicked and punched hard a few of those creatures. With her left hand, she searched her neck to discover the extent of the damage. Luckily it has been just a flesh wound. "A flesh wound! What in Hades is going on?" She questioned holding her defense "I can bleed?"

The warrior turned her attention to the dark creatures that were now cycling her. She never avoided a fight in her life, neither would she now. She repositioned her body, and without a sword she would find her way out. The first attack came fast, she had already grabbed in an arm lock her attacker and he was brought to his death. She managed to grab his blade away. And after that chaos was unleashed.

Battle cries faded into distant echoes as the enemy forces retreated from the battlefield. Having seen the last of the attackers retreating Xena lost her balance and dropped motionless. Around her lay twenty corpses of the creatures that had attacked her. Her body had bathed in black blood as she fought them off. The battle lasted longer than she thought, and she ended up injured and dirty.

But again alive.

Darkness had already pushed the light from its domain as she was still lying on the ground wounded, dirty and spacing out. The warrior was exhausted, wounded and lost. She was unsure why she was brought to that world only to face again her death. Why would not the gods leave her dead?

Mirkwood - Fourth Age

A quiet peacefulness settled over the forest of Mirkwood, as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, as Legolas and Gimli rode and reached the entrance of the forest. They were only a few yards in Mirkwood when they came face to face with a group of orcs. They seemed as they were running away from a fight, Legolas pulled out his bow and Gimli leaped from Arod. Their attack was solid and moments later they left not an orc standing.

Legolas was gathering his arrows, to clean and use them again, when Gimli called him "Lad, you should come over here and see this!"

The elf cast a glance over where his friend was standing. He was unsure why the dwarf would be so interested in a dead orc, but his curiosity won him over and he walked over. "What is that you have found..." Legolas held his movement as his blue eyes drop against the body that was lying on the ground. "This is no orc!" he said clearly and knelt next to the motionless body. He placed his fingers against the neck, finding a pulse "She is alive."

Legolas softly lifted her off the ground and brought her away from the dead orcs and towards an opening close to the bank of the river. He placed her down, and walked over to Arod to collect his healing material, as Gimli followed them. Soon the elf was back dressing her wounds and cleaning most of the black dark of her cuts. "Gimli, we will camp here tonight. We cannot leave her on her own." Legolas announced and Gimli agreed.

The made a small camp under the nearest tree, and lit a fire. Legolas had placed the woman close to the fire and covered her with a blanket. Both friends were in a deep conversation when finally, after a few long hours the woman started to wake up. She remained leaning under the cover as she eyed the two males that were talking. The one seemed really short, and the other dazzling. She rolled her eyes, how could someone be shiny? She clearly was still dizzy and was blending reality with her dreams.

Legolas's eyes widened slightly, as he had noticed her breathing routine changing and her body move slightly. He turned and silver eyes met blue. He leaped up and in one move and knelt next to her. His hand rested on her forehead, finding it cooler from before "How are you feeling? We found you collapsed next with the orcs, did they harm you?" He asked in a monotone tone, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Orcs?" Xena baffled, she surprised showed in her eyes as she sat up staring at the blonde male now, who looked still dazzling and had pointed ears. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples "Nothing makes sense?"

Legolas hid his confusion, for a mortal she seemed bold enough. She never answered him his question, she did not bother to check off her wounds, the dirty blood on her body and mostly her half naked state. He stood up and took a step away from her "If you are feeling well, you better clean up and dress," he suggested as he stood uncomfortable now "We will talk after" The dazzling being said and walked away towards his horse.

Xena narrowed her eyes against him now as his words came out as commands. However, she did not attack him, whoever those two males were, they seemed to aid her and she would not repay them with insults. Her eyes turned and looked at herself, by the gods, she looked horrified. She needed to clean and change. The problem was she did not have nothing of her belongings with her.

Legolas returned holding a clean towel, a pair of his leggings and shirt. "You can use the east part of the river," he offered and placed the clothes next to her. "I do not know what happened to your belongings, you can wear those, until you find your own clothing."

Xena leaped to her feet, and she stood 5'8" tall, tall for a human and she seemed trained. Legolas watched her as she grabbed the clothing, thanked him with a nod and disappeared in the east part of the river to clean. She surely was not just an ordinary human, after so much death and blood, she seemed able to cope with what had happened. She seemed most anxious about where she was, and not that she was attacked. And clearly, some of the dead orcs that surrounded had died from her hand. But Legolas ignored that serious outcome; that she could be some kind of a warrior.

"There is more to the story, and lassy is as talk active as your are," Gimli spoke after a few long minutes "How did this woman suddenly appeared in this part of the forest. Did she walk here? Where are her belongings? She is half naked if you noticed?"

"I noticed." Legolas added in bemused at his friend's reaction "These are strange times Gimli. Alas, I never saw such a woman before."

"You sound impressed?" the dwarf asked, eyeing his friend "What is it lad?"

"Disgusted, not impressed," Legolas corrected him "A young woman half naked in the woods bathed in blood. What kind of witchcraft hides behinds those actions?"

"Ahh... Would that be me?" Xena suddenly interfered as she took both of the males by surprise "What's your point?" The woman that was now standing in front of them was so much different. All the blood was gone and her pale fair skin was shown, her hair leaned wet and straight against her shoulders and her face was captivating. Even if she had a few cuts here and there, she surely was beautiful.

Gimli lost his words, he was only once bewitched like that and that was when he met Lady Galadriel. "My Lady I was wrong to judge you," he smiled and greeted her "I am Gimli, son of Glóin, and the Elf is Legolas of the Woodenland Realm. What is your name My Lady?"

Xena narrowed her eyes at both of them, but she knew that she had to sit down and talk with them. Because she still did not know where she was, and what was she suppose to do now. "I am Xena," she said dryly while looking at them both "Elf?" she quizzed suddenly as she looked at the tall one called Legolas.

Legolas took a step back, and slowly lowered himself and took a seat while crossing his legs. He seemed to push some wood into the fire, but his senses were fully over to the woman. Dressed now in his black leggings and his black shirt, she seemed mesmerized, but trained as well. He seemed to have many questions, but he was not in a hurry to get his answers.

Gimli nodded "Legolas is an elf, he is from Mirkwood. We are in Mirkwood. And I am a dwarf, Durin Folk. You sound as you have never seen an elf, my lady."

"Xena, the name is Xena," she corrected him as her mind was processing all the new information "Mirkwood? Where exactly is that? How close to Greece? I have seen dwarfs before, but I never knew you had a bloodline. As for the elves, never heard of one!"

"We are eastern portion of Rhovanion or the Wilderland," Legolas finally spoke as his eyes were now fixed against hers "Where are you from? You seem to be unfamiliar with most part of Middle Earth?"

"Never heard of those places," she responded, her tone dropped and she sounded thoughtful "I hail from Amphipolis. Middle Earth? You mean Earth?"

"You are not from Endor," Legolas finally realized "In our world, there is not only race of Men, but Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Hobbits, Ents, and other dark creatures."

"Like the Orcs?" she recalled the name that the elf gave to her attackers. Legolas nodded and she gazed at him, finding him wiser than his age. "I am not. I suppose I am not."

"Who send you?" Legolas tone dropped dangerously as he glared at her "Why are you in Mirkwood?"

"Easy now Lad," Gimli advised him as his hand rested on his shoulder "Let the Lady... Well, Xena explain."

Xena's eyes never left Legolas, she gazed back at him without fear, that confused the elf. "I don't know who sent me or why I am here. I woke up here, alone, without my armor or weapons. I can't answer your question Elf, because I am still looking for the answers myself."

"You are a warrior?" Legolas noticed "The orcs fell by your hand?"

"I can will a sword, if that's your question. And yes, I killed those creatures, after they attacked me."

"Again, it does not make any sense why the Valar send you," Legolas questioned "Before you arrived here, where were you?"

"Dead," Xena answered with no emotion "Do you get it now elf, I am more confused than you."

"You came back from the dead, and you insist that you have nothing to do with the Dark Lord" Legolas uttered angrily now.

"I told you what I know," Xena offered calm "I don't who the Dark Lord is, and surely me coming here has nothing to do with him."

"Trust is earned, and you have not earned ours," Legolas said "You will travel with us in the Halls of the Elvenking, Gandalf will be there, he would know what to do."

"Neither have you earned mine, Elf!" Xena spat as he was already on her feet ready to fight him "You are not in any position to tell me what to do."

Legolas lifted an eyebrow at her reaction "I already did! You better rest now. We are leaving at dawn!" Then he stood up and simply walked away, leaving her standing there.

It was clear neither the elf or the dwarf were simply people, she was sure they were warriors. And Gimli verified it, as they spend most of the night talking about Middle Earth. Xena seemed to want to learn the history of the new land and Gimli found her smart enough to explain how things worked. At least she knew now where she was, but she needed to know the reason. The elf talked about Gandalf and that he might know the reason of her arrival, the dwarf said he was some kind of a wizard, and she was sure not the wizards she had in mind. So, she agreed she would follow the two of them and meet Gandalf.

((Next Chapter 2))