The Shadow Walker

91. The Pillowfight

"I'm gonna knock down their fort!" I yelled, arming myself with two large pillows. "Cover me, Larika!"

Larika popped up from behind her chair-cushion-barricade and hurled a wadded-up blanket at the boys' fort. Situated in the far corner, the front wall was made of the mattress from my bed, and the mattress from the servant's room created a protective roof. Dwalin had literally run through Larika's and my storm of pillows and fetched it when our throwing arms proved up to the challenge.

"Incoming!" Legolas barked from his vantage point on the bed frame. Dwalin poked his head out and launched a decorative pillow at my head, which I narrowly dodged. From experience I knew that once I was out, Larika wouldn't last long. And then we'd both be subjected to standing in the corner and having all the pillows thrown at us repeatedly, as punishment for losing.

It'd already happened twice. That humiliation would not happen again.

"Toss me some ammunition!" Legolas shouted.

"We're out!" Dwalin shouted back.

"Larika, charge!" I shrieked.

She barreled out from behind her barricade. "For Erebor!" Together, we stormed the boys' fort. I tossed her one of my pillows, and she charged Dwalin's side entrance. I, however, had a certain Elf to deal with.

He leapt from his perch to meet me head-on, streams of his gold hair falling around his shoulders in disarray. I swung my pillow at him, and he hopped back just in time to dodge. I swung again, and he dodged again.

Poumph...someone behind the mattress just got hit..."Backup!" I shouted to Larika. Please don't let her be out please don't let her be out...

"She's out," Dwalin answered smugly. He lumbered into view, carrying Larika's pillow. "Would you like help, Pointy-Ears?"

"My thanks, ally," Legolas grunted, deftly avoiding another blow. "But she'll require the swiftness of an Elf to take out...ammunition!"

Dwalin tossed the pillow to Legolas, who caught it and blocked a swing in one smooth movement. And suddenly I found myself beating a retreat.

"Dang swordsman!" I yelled, swinging at his face.

Legolas sidestepped. "Swordsellon," he corrected. "And yes, I am." He smirked and came after me with a flurry of attacks.

I held my own well enough, narrowly missing him a couple of times, and Legolas narrowly missing me more than that. It was only when his arm dropped mid-attack that my counter-swing hit him square in the ribs.

"Ha!" I exclaimed, and did a little happy dance around my motionless fiancè, smacking him repeatedly with the pillow. "I got you, I got you, I got you!" I didn't care why he gave up, just enjoyed my victory—

—Until I noticed Thranduil standing in the doorway. Lips parted in shock, and eyebrows raised.

I gasped and dropped the pillow. "Your Majesty..." I dipped into a curtsey, kicking myself for changing into my more comfortable Shadow Walker shirt and trousers after learning of the ongoing pillowfight.

Larika squeaked and dipped into a curtsey, and Dwalin made a vague bow.

King Thranduil pursed his lips, eyes sparkling. "Wise, ion nin, working this out of Her Majesty's system prior to your wedding night."

Legolas moved his lips, but no sound came out.

Thranduil's neutral expression twitched into a suppressed smirk. "Assuming, of course, that this is indeed Queen Amariel you have beating you senseless with a goosedown pillow."