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

Author's Note:

This is a LegoRomance (slow-burn)

~ LXXVIII: Forsaken Caverns ~

~ Part I ~

Falls of Rauros, 3019 TA, April 6th

Gaping holes caving underneath the Waterfall of Rauros close to the hills of Emyn Muil, upon either side of Nen Hithoel, were a vast, seemingly impenetrable maze of crags situated in the region of Rhovanion. Beneath a forsaken cave system build around the SA by unknown creatures. Some say that it was crafted by dwarves of Erin, others believe it was orcs aiding them to travel faster. In both cases, the system was still there hidden and forgotten by most. Only the cold spring winds rattled through the abandoned tunnel of the caverns.

The rocky walls were littered with tiny sparkling crystals, not unlike the stars of the night sky, yet it was so mysterious inside the caves and through the halls. The darkness was broken as the sunlight was still fighting its way inside. The walls above arched another hundred feet up to giant stalactites, and the ground was curved and becoming dangerous. There were too many pathways implying how far and deep those caverns were traveling deep into the hills of Emyn Muil and farther. And cold water was pouring from above forming a small stream that was disappearing in the deepest parts of the caves.

Water floated ever so coolly from the cave opening down feeding springs inside the caverns. She listened to the water's flaw, breathing steady, heart strong, and felt the rocking ground against her back. It took her a long moment to become aware of what had happened and where they landed. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes and taking in all her surroundings and the injured prince next to her.

Xena stood up, staggered, fell, and slid to fall next to Legolas, who was motionless. She had already seen that her gown was torn and soiled, and the fall had left her with a few wounds on her arms, legs, and face. However, her concerns now rested with the elf. Slowly rising from the sliding posture, she bent over Legolas and flipped him with trembling hands. Extremely high levels of heat emanated from the Elf's skin, causing Xena to pull her hands away in astonishment.

His garment, especially the bottom portion, was drenched with blood, and his complexion was so deathly pale that it was almost the same color as the white walls. Additionally, the environment around him was sucked with blood. Xena feverishly searched the area for a hint of refuge, attempting in vain to see through the bloodied and muddy terrain. After a few seconds, she discovered an area that seemed to be drier.

She returned to Legolas and murmured to him in an effort to rouse him, but the elf did not answer. She was becoming concerned but shook Legolas harder, causing him to gasp slightly, but he did not open his eyes. However, this sufficed for the moment. She put them cautiously away from the long blades that were lying nearby, then wrapped her arms around him and brought him to a sitting posture.

Then, she balanced his weight against her own, rose up carefully, and moved the elf away from the cliffy corner where they had fallen to a cleaner, drier place. He left behind traces of blood, indicating that he was still bleeding. They managed to fall in the most desolate spot in the world, where there was no medical treatment to heal a wound.

Then, she gently set Legolas down and sat next to him, turning him to his uninjured side and carefully unlocking his belts and strips, as well as removing his quiver and knife cases. The tunic and undershirts were then removed and laid next to them. The new wound caused by Uagz was serious and deep; it had reached the ribs and continued to hemorrhage.

If she hadn't defended the elf and ended up suffering such a tumble, they wouldn't be stuck under those caves together. But lingering behind would result in their definite demise. Her healing talents were average, but Legolas' wound may be deadly if she was imprisoned in this location with nothing to use. Not to mention his response to the information he had just learned. But for now, Xena had to halt the construction, clean and bandage the wound, and provide first aid. She would work out the remainder afterward.

The human realized for the first time in a long time that she was lucky wearing a long, fabric-laden gown. She located the skirt's inner layers and began pulling out as many full, undamaged pieces as she could. She took the firsts and washed them in the tiny stream, then returned to Legolas with the wet towel and began to clean his wound.

Xena's thoughts continued to race, and panic seized her. Because the elf did not respond when his wound was touched. She examined him and saw that he was breathing. The wound was disinfected and not poisoned. She collected the dry bandages and applied pressure to the cut to halt the bleeding, which was the next and most critical step. Then she tied them to contain the wound and prevent future bleeding.

However, she was now concerned about treating the incision and the infection. There was nothing available for them to utilize. Soon, they would have to move and find a way out of the caverns or perish. After the wound was cleansed and cured, Xena washed his shirt and tunic clear of blood and hung them to dry against a rock. She got their weapons together and arranged them.

Then she sat next to the elf, drew him close, and lay his head on her lap. The voluminous skirt of her gown served as a makeshift blanket to keep him warm. As she noticed their awful state, her heart rate increased. There was no firewood available. She would allow them a few hours of recuperation, after which they would need to choose the next step.

Many hours had passed as Xena attempted to keep him warm by pressing a cool piece of material on his heated forehead and a few drops of water on his lips. The elf was now reacting; he was serving behind the coverings her garment had produced, and he had briefly opened his eyes before shutting them again. Painfully breathing in short, ragged breaths, he gradually became conscious of his predicament.

As dusk approached, the caves began to lose the majority of the light provided by the sun. Slowly, darkness fell, but Xena could still see her surroundings. She attempted to maintain composure, but how could she when the wretched elf was hurt and they were trapped? Her hands hovered hopelessly over his face and hair most of the time, checking his forehead for a temperature and ensuring he was breathing.

She had seen that whenever the elf had a significant injury, he was heavier than he seemed, making it impossible to transport him. She had begun to despise seeing him hurt, for whatever reason; the warrior princess's heart was heavy and new grief had overwhelmed her. She wanted to scream and swear, but as long as Legolas was still alive, she suppressed her sensations.

Then, Legolas's eyes abruptly widened as he found hers. His left hand located the side of his wound and clutched it as he bit back a gasp. And it was at that moment that she realized her eyes had shed a few tears down her cheeks. Seeing the elf finally answer caused an internal dam to break. She gingerly placed her arms around him and embraced him in an explosion of affection.

To her astonishment, the elf pushed her away and moved, drawing back the blankets and carefully biting his lips to conceal the anguish of his wound before getting to his feet. He endured the insistent ache while avoiding meeting her gaze. The elf, who seemed weak a minute before, was suddenly standing and examining his clothing. After discovering that his clothes and tunic were clean and dry, he donned them. Belts, quivers, and knife sheaths came next, and his long knives and bow were strapped against his back.

Then, Xena observed that his eyes were filled with anger and hatred; they were penetrating her own. She had never seen the elf in such a severe and hostile mood. Legolas was unconcerned with his wound, and he may not have even seen that they were buried under the Waterfalls, because he was consumed with hatred. Xena knew hatred; she had already seen it in herself.

"Grab your belongings, we're moving," he said to her in a voice that was more commanding than inviting. Then he faced the caverns in front of him and turned his back on her. Only then did he realize that they were stuck in uncharted depths. He could not recall the caves under the Falls of Rauros. He momentarily lost his balance, and his fatigue became apparent. But it did not last long.

Xena sprang to her feet and retrieved her sword and chakram. She skipped beside Legolas while observing him closely. She gently seized him by the arm and turned him to face him, seeing that the hatred remained. "You are hurt, and we are trapped," she continued, attempting to reason with him. "We must find a way out!" And she wanted to yell at him that his arrogant and hostile answer was not helping their cause.

"And whose fault is it that we're here?" Legolas shouted his wrath now his ally. His mind was filled with the knowledge that Uagz had murdered his mother, and he had become a hunter driven by the need to capture prey. As adrenaline pumped through every vein in his body, he was oblivious to the severity of his injuries and could only feel a portion of the agony.

"You must be kidding!" Xena attempted to maintain her composure, but she was prepared to smash that ridiculous elf's nose once again. "What would you have me done? Permit the orcs to kill us in the name of your vengeance?"

"Do not consider, human. You know everything about me," Legolas defended himself "If you wanted to save your life, you should have fallen on your own and not prevented me from slaying him ."

Now, Xena had had enough of his fury and despised it since. She tightened her grip on his arm and drew him closer to her face. "I'm not going to advise you not to attempt it. Take your retribution, and I'll support you. However, we were outnumbered and you hurt. What would your intentions accomplish if you were to die, elf?" She responded with a hostile tone.

Legolas' reactions were quick, and he grasped her wrist at the same time she clutched his. He was still blinded by his hatred, which was igniting inside him. "What do you know about losing family?" Legolas spat, and his words now stung the human. "You have placed us in a more perilous situation."

The futility of Xena's attempts to reason with him prompted her to withdraw. "Let's find a way out of here and debate about it afterwards!" She remarked and then advanced. Because she understood what it meant to lose a family member. She had seen death and had suffered too many losses in the previous world. She understood where hatred and revenge might take a person.

And now seeing the damaged and dismal picture of the elf, who had the right to seek revenge for his mother's death, but despairing would not help anybody. Legolas went ahead with his hand tightly gripping his ribs near his wound. As the continued to walk, the elf's reason began to find him, and his hatred for the one who murdered his mother began to diminish.

The burning hate made him lose himself into despair, and he acknowledged he became bitter towards the human. However, he did not speak to her. He followed behind her as they both now hiked along the brighter tunnel inside the Caverns in the hope to find their way out. The elf started to look exhausted now, as he was calming down and the pain of his wound became noticeable.

His breathing was raspy, and Legolas could no longer hide that he was not doing well, and his previous strength was no longer aiding him. The human was still angry with him and had not paused to check on him. But she had noticed that he was now stabbing along the rocky ground. And a few moments later she ended up pulling his graceful body against hers, to aid him now to keep walking.

They continued to walk deeper down the tunnels, as the light was slowly dimming and the moonlight was now shining some light into the darkness. Suddenly pain erupted in Xena's arm. Shocked, they both barely had time to pull behind a rocky wall to take cover. Xena's eyes raised around trying to figure out the source of the one who had shooter the arrow, who had inflected a small cut along her arm.

Swords were drawn, and silence overtook the dark and eerie tunnels. A moment later more arrows fell, and they were once again surrounded by an unknown enemy. They could not be seen who it was or how many they were. Until the attacks of the arrows ceased and they heard a very deep voice laughing. "You think you can escape me?" the same voice was heard echoing along with the caves under the Fallen of Rauros. Xena and Legolas gazed at each other before taking a stand.

((Upcoming Chapter Seventy-Nine))

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