Legolas and Linnah remained conjoined for the few short hours they had together. There was never a part of him that was not touching her during this time. When they could linger together no longer, he retrieved a small wet cloth from his bathing chamber and gently cleansed her. Legolas helped her to dress and then standing beside his bed, held her tightly to his bare chest.
The mid-day bells rang, indicating that a meal was to be served for royalty and guests in the Banquet Hall.
"Wherever you are my Lady, I will never be far," said Legolas softly.
Linnah reluctantly released herself from his embrace. She went over to the chairs and bent over to pick up the discarded fruit and peelings. He went immediately to her side to aid her and they together placed them on the serving tray.
Linnah took up the tray and carried it with her to the chamber door. She turned and looked back smiling at him. Legolas was standing naked next to one of the large chairs. The firelight coming from behind created a soft glow around him. He was looking at her so lovingly, a stark contrast to the painting directly above him. Linnah could not help feeling the desire to throw down the tray and run back into his arms, but she resisted this urge and remained where she stood.
Legolas still continued to gaze at her lovingly, but something subtle changed in his eyes. "I will inform you when we might safely meet again," said the prince. He then wondered if there would be such a time to come. He sensed a storm on the horizon, a shift in the air that was palatable.
"I know you will...Legolas." With that, Linnah left the prince's chambers.
As he watched her shut the door, the dread once again fully entered Legolas's mind. He dressed quickly in his usual light blue tunic, green vest and leggings and left to meet with Aragorn at the mid-day meal.
After the meal, Aragorn and Legolas went together down to the castle's dungeons. Located in the depths of the mountain in which the castle was built, the dungeon was dark and damp. There were two levels of cells and the ranger and the prince made their way to the lower of the two. The sound of the river that ran deep below the mountain and under the dungeon could be heard softly throughout the gloomy torch lit halls. It had been long since the dungeon's last guests and all the cells were empty, save one. This chamber was occupied by the most foulest of creatures. Muttering and pacing, the creature Gollum became unusually quiet when he heard the voices approaching.
Two armored Elven guards were posted outside the main dungeon doors, two more outside the doors leading to the lower cells, and yet two more just outside Gollum's cell door. The lower cell guards saluted to the prince upon his approach. Legolas nodded his head in acknowledgement and he and Aragorn passed deeper down the hall.
"As you can see," said Legolas pointing to the empty cells on either side of them. "We do not have any other prisoners to concern ourselves with. Gollum will have our undivided attention."
"That is good to know, Legolas," said Aragorn. He stopped walking and waited for Legolas to turn and face him. "Gollum is a creature of whom all attention must be paid. He is tricky and is driven by a force that can not be reasoned with. He longs to be reunited with the ring of power. It has brought him to madness and he will not rest until his need is satisfied."
"What is the origin of this creature?"
"He was a Hobbit named Sméagol and the first one to fall to the lure of the ring after Isildur. The ring had been found first by his cousin, but Sméagol was weak to its call and murdered his own cousin for it. He then hid in the darkness of the Misty Mountains for 500 years, the ring wreaking its evil magic on him, before he lost the ring to Bilbo. He has been searching for it ever since."
"I see," said Legolas thoughtfully. "Well, let us continue, so that I may look upon this creature and see for my own eyes what the ring of power has done to him."
They started their walk again. Soon they came to the cell that housed Gollum. The guards on either side of the cell door saluted to the prince and opened the heavy wooden prison door. Legolas failed to acknowledge them, for he was staring in shock and disbelief at the creature before him. There was nothing left in Gollum's form that even resembled a Hobbit. His body was hairless, emaciated and twisted. He had huge eyes and his skin was sallow. Gollum was crouched in the middle of the cell, holding himself and rocking back and forth. He was silent then, but eyeing them fearfully.
The prince recovered from his appalled state and spoke to the prisoner in the common speech. "I am Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood. I hope you will find your accommodations comfortable, as you will be here for a very long time."
Gollum said nothing. Legolas continued.
"It should hearten you to know that we never mistreat our prisoners here...unless of course they provoke us in some way."
"He seems reasonable, my precious. Maybe we can persuades him to let us leave. Yesss, he could be persuaded," hissed Gollum to himself.
"Is there something you wish to say? Speak freely then."
Gollum crawled closer to them. "Why do you keeps us here? We have not done anything wrong. My precious is no criminal. What was our crime? Please release us, we are innocent."
"You are a threat to many free peoples of Middle Earth. You have come from Mordor and it is felt you are a servant of its Dark Lord."
"No! No! This is not true! Not true, my Lord. We did not leaves Mordor, my good Lord, we escaped. We were prisoners there too!" said Gollum shaking his large head furiously.
"Then this will be a more hospitable home for you. You should be thanking us then, as we will be protecting you from your previous captors," said Legolas smiling.
"He mocks us, precious!" moaned Gollum to himself. "The elf prince is no friend to us. We will waits. Yes, we will waits and sees. The answer will come to us." With that Gollum moved away from them and back to a far corner of the cell. He hopped like a frog onto the low cot that was provided for him and turned his back to the elf prince.
Aragorn glanced at Legolas. The prince leaned over and whispered some instructions to the guards and then turned to him. "I have seen enough, Aragorn. My guards will watch him carefully. Let us leave his foul scent and find some cleaner air in which to continue our conversation."
"Aye, Legolas." They left the dank, dreary dungeon and made their way up through the twisting halls of the castle, out the main entrance and into the afternoon sun.