A/N: Again, thanks for all the reviews. I have been thrilled by the response to this story. To clarify, Seven will eventually be paired with Legolas. I sincerely apologize to those of you who dislike Legomances, but please allow me to explain before you quit reading the story completely. When I considered this crossover, I considered the various pairings I could have written, but Legolas seemed to be the best choice for Seven. I hadn't intended to write a Legolas romance, but it just seemed to work for this story. He and Seven just seem to work well together (at least in my mind). The romance does not dominate the plot (the reason Romance is the secondary genre rather than primary), and I hope you will give it a chance despite the overused pairing. Thanks for your interest, and I hope you'll keep reading (and reviewing)!
Another note: the inspiration for this story came from Karina's Elves in Space, which can be found at . It is a very different Voyager/LOTR crossover, and I highly recommend it. Sorry for the long author's note. Enjoy!
Chapter 6: Visitors
The next day, something very strange happened. There was a commotion at the gate. Travelers were trying to gain admittance to the city. Háma spotted them and hurried over. "You two should not be in the open when these travelers are admitted. Éowyn, you should be prepared to stand by the king when he greets them. Seven, you should not be seen at all." Háma had become a co-conspirator and did his best to look out for Seven, especially when there was trouble with the king or Gríma.
The two women nodded. Seven had learned not to object to commands like that one, but to do what she would anyway. Háma was trying to look out for her, but she was curious, so she followed Éowyn to the hall and took her usual hiding spot partially hidden behind a tapestry hanging behind the dais. The king's back was to her, as was Wormtongue's, and the hiding spot was sufficient that whoever was admitted would not spot her in the dimness of the hall unless they had enhanced eyesight.
After a bit of commotion at the door, four figures entered the room. Three were tall, but one was quite short. As they came forward, Seven could see that they were all wearing grey cloaks over their clothing. One looked old and wizened and carried a staff. The one with dark hair had a powerful, almost commanding presence. Éowyn's attention was fixed on him as they walked forward. If the stories were true, this was Aragorn, heir to some throne. The small figure had red hair that was mostly hidden under a metal helmet. Seven suspected he was not human. This was likely the Dwarf Gimli. The last of the figures was tall and slender, with long hair and pointed ears, not unlike a Vulcan's, but his expressive face was unlike any Vulcan Seven had ever encountered. He scanned the room carefully, and his eyes came to rest on Seven. She reassured herself that her hiding place was good, but the man inclined his head every so slightly as if to acknowledge her presence. Seven had to assume this was the Elf Legolas. It was unlikely that he had seen her, so she made no move to return his acknowledgement.
The old man greeted the king politely, but Théoden answered rudely. This was Gandalf, and Wormtongue had convinced the king that he was not to be trusted. Seven gaped when Gandalf turned to Wormtongue and promptly rebuked him. Wormtongue spoke of Shadowfax, the great horse Gandalf had taken. Seven had heard the story, and knew that Gandalf had been in the right to request the horse, despite its value. It was when Wormtongue started to speak of the Sorceress of the Golden Wood that the old man had had enough. Seven knew little enough of the Elves, but she had heard of a sorceress whom the Rohirrim feared. Gandalf restrained the small figure, then sang a soft song before throwing his cloak aside. The clothing beneath was pure white. Power seemed to roll off him like waves.
Gandalf raised his staff, and thunder rolled. The room darkened until only the white figure of the wizard remained. Wormtongue squealed something about the wizard's staff, then a flash filled the room and the miserable Gríma fell on his face. Gandalf drew Théoden out of the chair and sent Éowyn away. She was reluctant to go, but Théoden urged her on. She paused a moment and turned back, looking at the tall human, then left the room. Seven slipped out behind her.
Not ready to be left out of what was to come, the two women found a place nearby to watch the porch of the hall. Théoden came out, standing straight, and strong and summoned his troops. They watched as Háma brought Éomer and Théoden restored his marshal. Háma then brought Gríma and the women watched with some satisfaction as the small man cowered before the king, who was now standing tall and straight as he had not in years. Éowyn's eyes kept darting between Aragorn and Wormtongue.
The women watched as the king sent Wormtongue away, then had to rush to get back and serve the king. Seven helped as she could, but tried to stay out of the way, as at most meals. Both were amazed at the change in Théoden. He had been small and shrunken with age, but now he grasped a sword with strength and ate with gusto. Seven found her attention drawn to Legolas. She wondered if had truly spotted her in her hiding place. No human could have seen her there, but she knew little of Elves. If the resemblance to Vulcans held, his hearing would be good, but his eyesight would have to be significantly better than a Vulcan's to have seen her. When he spoke, his voice was musical. Seven was uncomfortable with the attention he paid to her, but tried to ignore it. He was probably just curious about why she'd been hiding there. Gandalf also watched her rather closely, especially noticing the remaining Borg implants on her hands and brow. Seven did her best to ignore it. Her appearance was different from any being they had encountered, so some curiosity was to be expected.
After the men had finished their meal, the visitors were given whatever armor they wanted from the king's armory, then Éowyn brought a cup of wine. She offered it to each, pausing overlong in front of Aragorn, and Théoden left her in charge of the people. He gave her a sword and a mail shirt, and she slipped inside to put on the shirt. There was only a moment's pause, but Gandalf walked over to where Seven stood watching from a distance.
"Forgive me if I'm curt, but time is short and I would like know who you are and why you're here. Something tells me Middle Earth is not your home."
Seven remembered Q's warning to her not to tell anyone who she was or why she was there. "I am a traveler, far from my home."
"Far indeed. Who brought you here?" Seven paused, not sure what to say. "I mean you no ill, lady. Please, how did you come to be here?" The wizard fixed her with an intense stare, but his voice was softer. She knew she couldn't lie her way out of this.
"I do not fully understand the mechanism." Seven looked down at the ground, concerned. She didn't wish to reveal more.
"I see you're not ready to trust me fully. It's no surprise; we've only just met. Perhaps one day you'll be ready to tell me more. I know you are from another realm, and I'd like to know how you got here. Still, I'm glad that you are here. Éowyn has probably been most grateful for your presence, especially in warding off Wormtongue." Gandalf spat the name with almost as much contempt as Éowyn.
"I am much stronger than she. Gríma could not have assaulted her as long as I was capable of defending her. He has tried to poison the king's mind against me."
"Undoubtedly. I doubt he understands how foreign you really are. I hope not. Just keep a low profile and try to blend in. None of these people need to know there are realms besides this one. One day we'll sort out the details. I hope you'll forgive me for not asking earlier, but what is your name?"
"I am called Seven of Nine."
"Seven of Nine…it's a strange name, but no stranger than any other, I suppose. Seven of Nine, your presence here is no accident, regardless of how you got here. Stand by Éowyn and help her evacuate the people to Dunharrow. We will meet again."
Seven nodded, confused by the conversation.. The wizard hurried off to join the others. She noticed Legolas watching them, then the Elf said something to Gandalf as he returned to the group, glancing at Seven as he did. The conversation was cut short as the men made ready to ride. The Dwarf rode with Éomer, Legolas on one side and Aragorn on the other. Gandalf and Théoden led them out. Seven never had a chance to speak with any of the rest of them, for which she was grateful. During the meal, Éowyn and Seven had sorted out the details of who and what they were. The men rode for Helm's Deep, where an attack from Isengard was imminent. The wizard Saruman in Isengard had betrayed them and had amassed an army to fight against them. Seven didn't know what an Orc was, but it didn't sound pleasant.
There was plenty of work to do once the men had left. Éowyn and Seven together organized the people for the evacuation to Dunharrow. Here Seven was in her element. The organization and planning necessary for the operation came easily to Seven, and Éowyn was grateful for the help. Éowyn had never led the people before, but they followed her willingly. Regardless of the mystery surrounding her, they accepted Seven without question for Éowyn's sake. It was a short ride, but organizing the city and evacuating everyone required several days. Still, they reached the stronghold in only a few days and set up camp. Reaching the stronghold had been the first step, and there was much to do once they arrived.
Éowyn frequently worked late into the night, and Seven found herself doing the same. The short nights soon showed on Éowyn, but Seven found she could function on far less sleep than the others. Soon she was sleeping only a couple hours each night, but she hid that from Éowyn, lest the other worry. Even in the middle of the night, there were things to do and details that needed attention. Seven didn't need the sleep, so dealt with as many of them as she could in the night while Éowyn rested.