Author: Linwë Serégon

Title: Ships in the Sky

Canon: AU, LOTR crossover with Enterprise. So shoot me.

Reviews: Yes please!

Rating: PG-13       No sex (alas), some violence.

Disclaimer: it ain't mine, I'm just borrowing it. Don't bother suing, all I've got is my Next Gen DVDs.

Languages: Elvish, some Klingon. Unfortunately you lose some of the meaning in the translation, which is at the bottom of the page.

Ships in the Sky Chapter One- At the Pelennor Fields

The silence was profound made more intense by the noise before, screaming men and horses, the clash of arms and over it all the wailing of the Nazgûl's flying mounts.

Now all that could be heard was the whimpering of wounded horses, the occasional cry of pain as the wounded were collected and the hiss as a wounded orc was dispatched. Survivors searched the field for friends and companions.

A group was clustered in the centre where the fighting had been the most intense, for it was here that Théoden had fought his final battle, Merry had become a warrior and Éowyn had defended her lord and King. Both now lay sorely wounded, being tended in the Houses of Healing in the White City. King Théoden had been carried away to lay in state by his knights. Others carried away the dead and wounded in a steady stream of carts. One to the healing halls, the others to be laid with reverence alongside companions in arms in trenches dug ready. Mighty mounds would be raised over them in honour.

Aragorn, soon to take on the mantle last worn by Isildur stood on a small hillock and surveyed the carnage. they had paid heavily to defeat the Dark Lord again. Gandalf stood at his side having lately come out of the City, his white robe stained and bloody, he shook his head.

'Such waste, such pain and suffering and all for the sake of such a small thing,' he paused and then slowly smiled, 'But it won't trouble us again.' He strode off towards the city again leaving Aragorn to stare after him in puzzlement.

'Well young Aragorn I've surely beaten the Elf's score today. I took two axes with me into battle today. I wasn't risking blunting another one on some filthy orc's neck. I count forty three, and that doesn't count the seventeen wargs I had to despatch to get to their passengers.' The speaker was Gimili one of the original fellowship who had set out from Rivendell with Frodo vowed to destroy the one Ring. He had followed Aragorn in search of the tow hobbits, Mary and Pippin when they were abducted by orcs and their chase had led them to the Pelennor fields. He and Legolas the Elf at first openly hostile now had a friendship forges by sword and fire, by shared hardship and admiration for Aragorn.

Aragorn smiled,

'Indeed Master Dwarf, I think that even the lightning arrows and swords of Master Greenleaf will be hard pressed to beat that score.'

Gimili glowed in his praise, this Ranger was a being that could be trusted in any circumstances, he wasn't just a companion in arms, he was friend.

He looked around realising that he hadn't seen Legolas since they had become separated in the heat of the battle. he looked across the field expecting to see him striding towards them with his face swathed in ethereal beauty, bow in hand, ready to trade insults. Gimili shrugged, Legolas would turn up. He left Aragorn to continue his musing, he preferred dispatching orc to deep thoughts.

Suddenly a heart-stopping scream rang out from the forest. He looked towards Aragorn who was already running sword in hand towards the sound. Whoever had screamed was not an orc.