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

Author's Note:

Thank you for all of your feedback. Criticism that is constructive is encouraged. I'll make sure to add the responses in the later chapters.

Warning: Concepts contained in this chapter include fighting scenes, bloody scenes, and death. This is the reason I rated the story T.

No stallion was harmed.

This is a LegoRomance (slow-burn)

~ XXIII: The Capture of the Two Lethal Warriors ~

Imladris, 3018 TA, October 27

The route was black midnight beneath the overcast, but beyond was nighttime calm. There was an opportunity to learn how to mute anxiety and see better than ever before in the scary setting. The hatred and savagery of their breed were evident in the gathering of orcs who surrounded them. Those who came into contact with them either died or became slaves under their frightening command. Nobody could predict what would happen when the roads crossed, so it was better not to provoke them. Only the brave and courageous of this land would stand in front of them, staring them down.

In her past existence, hardship had enhanced her strength and endurance. But her new life had started strongly as well. Xena had battled her way through the orcs a few times before, and she was accustomed to the darkness that they were both confronting. It was common for her to find herself in such perilous circumstances. Was there anything else? She was constantly in the midst of an adventure, battling to atone for her wrongdoings. This was her life. This is her life now.

The prince of Mirkwood was no exception. He undoubtedly had a distinct childhood, as well as the advantages of being the prince. Legolas, on the other hand, was a fighter. He was used to battling the darkness that veiled Mirkwood. He couldn't stay within his father's halls and play the prince; adventure was in his blood. Thranduil made certain that he was raised as a warrior as well as a prince. The warrior triumphed.

The grey cloud stretched out, embracing the invisible quiet night and pouring into the hollows of the far hills. "That's them," Xena whispered to the elf as she extended her arm to unleash her first Chakram blow. The horses were restless a few yards away, behaving uneasily in the gloom that had been released over the territory. Her visage was solemn, and her knuckles had whitened holding her double Chakram.

It was difficult to predict the conclusion with certainty. They had battled beside each other before, but the orcs were not as many as they were today. Middle-Earth had grown so perplexing that it was hard to distinguish between what was normal and what was weird. And yet, as an elf, he had a strange nagging feeling that this conflict would be different.

"Be cautious," he said softly, but clearly enough for her to hear.

Under ideal circumstances, he would have abandoned the location and attempted to flee, but this time there was no way out without fighting. The vicious orcs kept control of their path, and they couldn't get away without battling them. Tonight, he felt the same old rage burning in the core of his gut that he had felt centuries back when battling the spiders in Mirkwood. He wanted to battle the orcs just as much as they wanted to attack him at the time.

He clutched his most prized weapon, a bow made for him in Mirkwood. The truth was that the orcs were numerous, yet they remained a bafflingly ignorant species. Legolas was well-trained in warfare and had spent his whole life battling the forces of evil. More than a horde of orcs would be required to bring him down. He knew how to slay orcs since he had done it many times before.

He had already drawn this bow with an arrow struck and was aiming to discharge the first shot. Legolas had already shot once, twice, and three times before the onslaught started. It didn't take long for the combat to begin, as the orcs charged toward them with just one goal in mind: to destroy them. They were ordered to capture the prey in exchange for information, but their rage was so intense that they only saw death in front of them.

As she despised wasting time, she cast a quick look at the elf, noting his speed and the orcs dropping from his bow. She didn't linger; her high-pitched voice could be heard clearly as she let out warrior shouts and flung her Chakram. "Bring it on!" she said, flipping as high as she could to catch her Chakram, which had just killed two orcs.

As the fight progressed, everyone seemed to understand their role. The stony ground was covered with orc blood, and the number of orc corpses was growing. It began to resemble a cemetery, complete with shattered corpses, black blood, and a foul odour. And it was only the start. Until now, because of the safe distance, his bow and her Chakram had functioned without halt, taking out a great number of orcs. The orcs were within a few yards from the human and elf.

Though this did not last long, the orcs, who had never stopped multiplying, began to close in on them. Legolas pulled his elven swords and strapped his bow behind his back, ready to act. His wrath grew as he tried his first blow as she went towards the first orcs and sliced them across the torso, killing them quickly.

In any battle Legolas was in, killing the opponent as soon as possible was a requirement. He never wanted anybody to suffer, not even those evil creatures. It didn't take long until he wielded his swords and dispatched another pair of orcs. Some were easily slain since they were unable to protect themselves against the elf's onslaught. Most orcs screamed in rage, enticing additional orcs to join them. More orcs rushed towards him, using worn and broken weapons, and Legolas fought them.

Xena skipped beside him, her weapon in her hand, and lunged at the orcs. She deflected her sword without even batting an eyelid. The first orc felt it, followed by the second as the combat continued with steel meeting steel. The elf would look over her to note that her sword abilities were better than he remembered, and he appeared relieved. Xena got increasingly agitated, and it was only a matter of time until more orcs followed them to theirs.

Then, like that, the elf and human battled nonstop into the eerie night. Time stopped, and they would face each other for a brief period before continuing to battle. Orcs were slaughtered one at a time, and the area surrounding them was littered with dead and blood. The stench, God, the smell, was the most revolting any of them had ever encountered. Their clothes were stained with orc blood, and their bodies were covered with minor scars.

Nonetheless, they continued their assault. They'd discovered a method to balance their strikes, and it seemed as if they were fighting as one. Only competent warriors would be able to coordinate their actions. Although the elf was quicker and stronger, it had little effect on the human's attacks. They were fighting in perfect harmony, and the result seemed positive. They could have a chance to win.

"Their number is great, we have to be careful," Legolas advised as he noted that the orcs were not getting fewer.

Xena nodded "I have noticed."

"Keep a safe distance," he cried out "You never know what can follow."

There was no response from Xena but Legolas knew she had heard him because her fighting position had changed and she ended up fighting at a closer range to him. It was like they were trapped in the same cycle as before with orcs following from both sides. Legolas tensed, his eyes narrowing as he noticed that the number of orcs remained high.

"We have to retreat," his voice came low, but Xena heard him "We cannot win this!"

"Find a way and I will follow," she outlined angry as she was having the same thought, but she simply could not find a way out.

"Pull back!" he insisted and Xena followed him.

He rushed forward from his position landing closer to the nearest group of orcs and yanked the human out as she was nearly about to trap herself in between the group of orcs. Legolas slashed through it, bringing the first to its demise, followed by the second. "Run!" he exclaimed, this time with the authority of a prince.

She drew back but did not flee. She rolled her eyes, thinking the elf was a moron. He needed to quit putting himself at risk. Their defence might continue as long as they fought together. But when he started acting up to attempt to rescue her, it was only going to become worse. "Are you suicidal again?" she said angrily. "We have to work as a team to defend."

Legolas threw himself wholeheartedly into the fight, and the human quickly followed. His actions came readily despite no longer having nearly the same energy. The orcs were now yelling at them as they struggled to gain some distance, and the human was not holding back as well. "Keep the attacks coming," the leader said, "we're nearly there."

Legolas felt his own blood pumping with increased vigour as Orc blood spurted and spilt from Mordor's terrible beasts. He resumed his merciless onslaught, slicing the adversary. Xena imitated his cruelty by slaughtering one orc after another. Even though they were many, they were still up against two formidable fighters, one of whom was of elf descent.

Legolas slashed his sword through the orc's dark heart, which was standing next to the chieftain. He was exhausted, but he refused to give up until they found a way out of there. Xena was no different; she wanted them to get out of there, but their path was still blocked. She'd led a couple more orcs to their death. Both were fighting a little slower now since they were tired.

Nonetheless, the orcs continued approaching, two or three at a time. The elf took a little break to look at the person who was battling furiously. Despite the fact that she was drenched in sweat, he recognised that the human did not have the edge that his kin enjoyed. It wasn't the first time they'd battled side by side, but Xena's abilities had not stopped astounding him. He remembered her telling him that she had many skills, and Legolas agreed for the first time.

Legolas sprang back to focus when he found himself surrounded by orcs on all sides. He felt a sharp pain when one of them managed to strike him in the head, but he ignored it and continued fighting. Xena approached him after seeing that a larger crowd had gathered around the elf, and he needed assistance. She saw one slashed through his arm, staining his clothing with blood.

"How many more will come?" Xena asked, desperate, as another wave rushed in to meet them. Legolas was unable to respond since they were now defending themselves against a large number of orcs. Another orc managed to inflict further slashes on Xena's leg, and both were immediately wounded and imprisoned. Despite this, their injuries were minor and they were able to continue their journey.

Legolas was getting sick of it. He had slain several, but he was still stuck with the human in an orc loop. It was an exhausting job. He cut and cut and stabbed and cut and stabbed and cut and cut and stabbed and cut and cut and stabbed and cut. The human moved in the same manner. His arm muscles were hurting, but not as much as the humans'. If they stayed any longer, it would be the last of them.

Despite her efforts to rise, a sharp and unexpected hit to her lower back knocked the breath out of her and sent Xena to the ground. A swarm of orcs hovered over her, squeezing her against the ground. She strained and attempted to get free, but she became disoriented, and the orcs now had her.

Legolas' eyes widened as he observed the orc-trapped human. He raced forward, attempting to take out a couple of the orcs when he saw that all of his arrows were gone. He sighed and hurried forward, hoping to rescue her. Though his plan was thwarted when the commander struck him in the skull one more time. Legolas eventually landed next to the human dizzy after a couple more strikes.

Their knives were instantly seized away from them. The orcs pinned them on the ground and tied them up with heavy cords. Legolas looked at them and called the human, but the leader roared and hit him in the gut many times, saying, "Shut up damn elf!"

The commander remained angered by their position even after they had secured them. Both had slaughtered a large number of his men, and he did not want to kill them now since he had other intentions for them. "We'll take them," the commander replied, staring at Legolas, "I have a few plans for them."

"What about the horses?" a hideous grey orc said, clutching the reins.

Legolas and Xena both turned to face Súrë and Varnë, who remained nearby. Mirkwood horses were accustomed to the darkness and the fighting, and they would stay near their owners in order to be found. Legolas yelled in elvish urging them to go, but the orcs were firmly gripping them. His efforts were fruitless.

"Get them up there and butcher the horses," the commander said.

Everything occurred in an instant. Faster than even Xena and Legolas could detect. One orc's rusty blade sank into Varnë's neck, while another did the same to Súrë. Fresh warm blood ran down the black blood, and both horses quickly lost their brightness and fell into darkness.

Death's agony is evidence of love, of the links that exist beyond our reality, beyond the spacetime, matter, and energy that make our world real. The gloom and anguish overcame Legolas as he witnessed both of Mirkwood's horses lose their lives. If he had any fighting energy left in him, it was gone.

From the lovely creatures and trusty allays, his anguish flowed in waves. The sorrow was removing him from the world, draining his strength and breaking the woodland elf in the human's eyes. She'd never seen him with such a frown on his face. It was as if he was not only broken, but that something had taken away his motivation to fight.

Her heart was broken as she witnessed the orcs slaughtering innocent creatures. But she could feel her fury mounting. She hoped she could take any weapon and slam it through their hearts. Those beasts were more terrifying than any of her previous enemies. She screamed as she struggled to resist them. But her efforts were futile since the leader smacked both of them in the head, forcing them to lose consciousness.

The orcs led the human and elf to their camp, which was situated on the north routes among massive ruins. Terrifying shouts and shrieks echoed along the hallways under the ruins, and the air was thick with fear of the goblins and orcs. They were both brought into the main hall, but only the elf had awakened. Legolas couldn't help but wonder what, if any, leverage he'd expect to get from his encounter with the orcs, and how he'd manage to flee. While they were being guarded by the orcs, not much was spoken to them. They didn't have any cause to. Not after they had caught them and battered the elf so badly that standing was difficult for him.

Both were gripped in misery as they awaited what the next day would bring for them.

((Upcoming Chapter Twenty-Four))

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