A/N: Thanks so much for reading this crazy tale.

One word of warning(?). There is a bit of sensuality in this chapter. Though it's nowhere near being sexually graphic, I've changed the rating to T, just to be on the safe side, since some of you may be tempted to blush a bit. :o)

Now, let's see if our dear friends can get loose from the temple demons.

Chapter Four

In the main room of the temple, Aragorn, Gandalf and the twins were just shaking off the shock of seeing Legolas and Quintella disappear into the temple wall.

"That can't be," Elrohir said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I am afraid that it is," Gandalf replied. "Remember how the two of you almost went through the wall?"

Elladan shuddered at the memory. "That is not something anyone could forget. These walls are not solid. At least, not like normal walls." A second shudder followed closely behind those words.

"We have to get loose from here." Aragorn sounded determined, but the tone was anything but. He still hadn't recovered from what he had just witnessed.

"Our elven prince is in deep trouble, of that I am certain," the wizard remarked, shaking his head, as he worried for the wood-elf he had known all of the young archer's life.

"If we can somehow break these walls around us," Elrohir said, "do we just run through the wall and grab him?" It was plain to them all that that is exactly what he wanted to do.

"First things first, brother. We have to get loose first," said the ever-logical eldest twin.

"Elladan is right. We have to find a way out of our own predicament before we can hope to rescue Legolas." Aragorn frowned. "If..."

"If what?" Elrohir asked, curious where his foster brother's thoughts were taking him.

Aragorn looked at each of the others in turn. "The last time we banged on these walls, they cracked."

"And then mended themselves," Elrohir pointed out with more than a little frustration in his voice.

"Yes, but if we can keep pounding on them without stopping, maybe we can cause them to shatter before they repair the damage we've done."

His idea sounded rather simplistic compared to their situation, but it was all he could think of at the moment. They had to start somewhere and hope the result wasn't beyond their abilities.

Gandalf smiled. "That sounds like as good a plan as any." The wizard wanted so much to just use his staff, but he was afraid that Altimir might stop it, maybe even find a way to relieve him of it, and then he feared that they would really be in trouble. He would have to pretend not to think about the staff and use it only as a last resort. He hoped, though, that it wouldn't come to that, because he had a feeling that doing so would end up in a real mess.

The old wizard smiled to himself. He may not be able to use the magic in his staff, but he could certainly use the bottom end of it as a battering ram.

It was a frantic four that began to pound and kick at the glass walls. At various times, they also used their swords, both blades and hilts, to assail the partitions barring them from escape.

Each one of them had thoughts that at any moment, Altimir would put a stop to the furious attack they were mounting against the crystalline barriers, so their intensity rose.

However, the Lord of Pantos remined strangely silent.

They had no way of knowing that the Lord of Pantos was curious as to whether these beings could actually free themselves from one of his methods of containment. Beyond that, Altimir wondered, if they managed to accomplish that, if they would also be able to rescue the elven being from his Priestess.

Quintella was a formidable foe, having a number of powers that he had imbued her with, and she would fight tooth and nail to keep the golden-haired creature as her own.

Altimir knew that this could prove to be even more enjoyable than watching them try and retrieve the key from the ceiling had been. Had they not managed to do that, Altimir would not be quite so interested to see the outcome of this contest, figuring these beings were less than formidable antagonists.

After several minutes of an unrelenting assault on the glass walls, they again filled with cracks. A few more desperate blows, they finally fell and shattered, scattering millions of sparkling shards across the floor.

The four, with their swords still in their hands, crunched across the broken glass toward each other. Grasping the shoulders of their companions, they all turned to face the rear wall of the temple.

With narrowed eyes, Aragorn said, "I think it's about time to get Legolas and get out of this place."

It looked like Elrohir's idea of going through the rear wall, grabbing Legolas and leaving was about to come to fruition. At least, the attempt was about to be made. None of them knew what would happen, but standing in the middle of this temple and staring at the wall wasn't getting anything accomplished. They each took a deep breath and began marching toward where they had last seen Legolas.

What they would find was anyone's guess.

x x x x x

Legolas was so mesmerized by Quintella that he never even noticed that they had moved through one of the temple walls. It was doubtful that he would have reacted, in any case. He had eyes for only her.

"What do you think?" the woman asked, sweeping her arms in an arc in front of her.

The elf blinked, as the words broke through his trance-like state.

He looked around him and marveled at what he saw.

He was standing in a moderately-sized room that had the same black walls as the main temple, but this place was clearly a bed chamber. In the center of the rear wall was a large bed. Spread over it was a black, silky covering that shimmered the same way Quintella's dress did. It could have been, and probably was, made of the same material. On either side were elaborate tables on which rested lamps that emitted a silvery, glow, whose light illuminated the room more than might be expected.

A dressing table stood to the right, backed by a huge gold-rimmed mirror. Two cushioned chairs and a large, plush lounge were arranged on the left side of the room.

The same glassy floor could be seen between the thick, black rugs scattered throughout the room.

All of this black decor gave the room a soft, intimate appearance rather than a harsh or unsettling one.

Strangely, Legolas didn't feel closed in by the semi-darkness, though he had been in caves that had more of an open feel to them.

The room was neither feminine nor masculine in nature, so Legolas asked, "Is this your bedchamber?"

"It is," Quintella said with a smile on her face. "Do you like it?" It was evident that she was proud of the room and wanted him to feel comfortable here.

"It reminds me of a moonlit cave," Legolas remarked with a small note of wonder in his voice. Strange that he would think of a cave and not feel distressed.

He looked up to assure himself that there was a roof overhead. For all he knew, the room could have been open to the real moon shining down. Whether it was the ambience of the room itself or whether it was a feeling cultivated by Quintella, the elf had no way of knowing.

It never occurred to him that it might still be daylight outside. Time had no meaning for him, ever since first setting foot inside of the temple.

The archer surprised himself by asking, "Why have you brought me here?"

It seemed that clarity was only a fleeting thing. Was it this place or Quintella who had him feeling so befuddled? Another choice that he had no way to explain. But then, did it really matter what was generating the emotions that were running through his mind? This place was amazing, and he found himself feeling simple joy at being in this woman's company. In the end, what difference did it make?

Quintella, who had never let go of Legolas, gently pulled him toward the bed, a knowing smile on her face.

Legolas had the nagging feeling that he should be objecting, but he couldn't think of why that should be. The clarity that had flashed in his mind and made him even question what he was doing was gone again. He was lost in Quintella's mesmerizing eyes once more. It was becoming a comfortable and natural place to be.

When they reached the side of the bed, Quintella turned to face Legolas. "I will show you why I brought you here." Her voice was barely above the whisper of a breath.

Slowly and carefully, the woman unfastened the elf's belt, dropping it on the floor and pulled his outer tunic over his head, tossing it beside the belt. Then, even more slowly, she slipped his undertunic off of him, as well, sending it to join the elf's other articles of clothing. His leggings and boots were soon added to the pile.

During all the time this display of desire, Legolas had moved only enough to let Quintella complete her task of undressing him. He neither helped nor objected to what she was doing.

Her face reflected the pure delight that she felt at having guessed right about the beauty of this being beneath his clothes.

Smiling broadly, Quintella pulled back Legolas's long, loose hair until all of it had fallen loosely down behind him. With a soft sigh, she ran both hands over the flawless, almost velvety, skin of the elf. Even as her own skin soaked up the very feel of him, her dark eyes also drank in the well-muscled chest and shoulders of someone who had spent many years drawing the strong tension of a longbow. Her fingers, moving under his long hair, told her the length of his back was just as perfect.

"You have not disappointed me," she purred.

Legolas was pleased at that comment. He had always been aware of how he looked. Not that he was vain, since elves were never ashamed of their bodies. Yet, he did make an extra effort to be a pleasing representative of his people. Of course, Estel would often tease him about that. Estel? Why does that name come to mind? Who is Estel?

Legolas had turned his head to the side and was frowning, which confused Quintella. She was sure that her soothing and exploratory caresses would please this exquisite creature. Why was he frowning?

The beautiful Priestess reached up and turned Legolas's head to face her once again. This time her hands remained on either side of his face, forcing him to look into her eyes.

It wasn't long before she realized that there had been a subtle change in the depths of his blue-gray eyes, indicating to her that she had recaptured his full attention.

Quintella gave a fleeting frown of her own. This one was strong, not just physically, which was delightfully apparent, but he also possessed an inner strength that she would have to be aware of at all times. Others she had 'captured' had been won over in short order, and she hadn't needed to worry about losing their focus. This one could break away too easily and would have to be watched more closely.

A smile crossed Quintella's lips. She was sure that being more of a challenge would make this special being so much more of a pleasure to have. It would simply be a matter of reinforcing the spell from time to time.

Once the Priestess was sure he was fully under her spell once again, Quintella turned her back to Legolas and asked him to unfasten her dress. Then, she turned back around and let it slip to the floor at her feet. She stepped out of it and lay down on her back on the bed. Reaching up, she very slowly and even more sensually pulled him down on top of her.

TBC

Oh, my stars. Is anyone blushing? (I think my plot bunny may be turning a tad pink.) Now, you see why I upped the rating a bit, though again, nothing graphic.

Hurry, Rescue Squad. But, does anyone really think it's going to be that easy? I didn't think so. :o)

Will Legolas be able to leave? Will he even want to?