Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum (I think that I think therefore I think I am)

-Ambrose Bierce

-

F is for FEAR

-

If this were happening to someone else, Lily thought, this might be funny.

Lily was standing in front of the Lady of the Light, Galadriel, one of the first born, the Eldar, a sorceress, a telepath, a sentient being that was thousands of years old and wiser, more beautiful and cleverer than Lily would ever be. In short, she was terrifying and Lily was scared shitless. And if the fact that Lily was a human trespassing in the woods of Lothlorien was not bad enough…Lily had been in Galadriel's territory over a month, in her very city for a week without seeming to invoke stronger feelings than slight disdain and suspicion. But now of course, a series of events had culminated in a meeting with the Lady and it was not on hospitable terms.

It was suspected that Lily was the reincarnation of a female elf, an elleth called Adrianna. Which was absurd as Lily was completely human and always had been and was completely unlike elves. But the elves seem adamant that she had qualities that were similar to Adrianna. Now, Lily's first thought had been, oh, that's flattering. Because of course, elves are all that is grace, elegance, beauty, serenity, wisdom and light. They are the first born, the more beautiful and stunning beings ever in existence, whereas humans are a bit of a disappointment, or so the elves thought.

Unfortunately it was not a compliment. Elves are not perfect…no one is and no one should be thought so. Adrianna had been a beautiful elleth, born to a powerful family, clever and greatly admired. A enchantress, whose magic powers and beauty had guranteed her always getting her own way. In short, she was vain, spoilt, manipulative. Not that any of the elves had told her any of this, because they don't like to admit to failings of any kind, but Adrianna was a b… a disagreeable sort of person. Lily had crept into their library (elves liked to record things for posterity) with a candle after sundown and searched through all the parchments and the leather bound books with fervour that she had never quite felt before. It was motivated by fear.

Adrianna had lived three thousand years ago. Her crime had been driving two Elven princes to distraction with her feminine wiles (or her considerable magic), well perhaps distraction was too weak a word, for the two princes had gathered their soldiers and battled each other out. While reading, Lily had been struck by the sheer stupidity of the three involved and the hypocrisy of the elves who were always going on about how humans were morally inferior. She had also been disgusted by this Helen of Troy wannabe.

Thousands had died. Was it for love, she wondered, or merely greed and jealousy? At any rate, she wasn't impressed. Both princes had died. Adrianna fled after the battle to her family, who shunned her. So she wandered to the human realms and then disappeared and no one had heard of her since. She hadn't tried to find safety with the other Elven realms as she knew that none would welcome her.

And then Lily had turned up, dishevelled and alone, fleeing Orcs, on the border. A human girl who understood Elvish despite never seeing an elf before, a girl who was magical, with Adrianna's mannerisms and her smile, it had made those who remembered Adrianna think.

If Galadriel decided that Lily was some strange watered down, human version of Adrianna, she thought, what would she do? Would she send her away into the wilderness? Would she punish her? Fear caused Lily's breathing to hitch as she looked into Galadriel's bottomless and emotionless azure eyes…would she be executed for Adrianna's crimes?

-

-

Reviews would be nice. Constructive criticism is helpful.