Ferileth's story

Ferileth was born in Greenwood the great at the beginning of the third age. Her father named her Úrneth. Her parents were Sindar elves who had never seen the light of Valinor. They dwelt in the woodland realms in the first and second ages; but when war came, Arandir followed his king Oropher to war against Sauron. Arandir, a mighty warrior with both blade and spear, survived, his liege did not. He returned to Greenwood the Great to serve Thranduil instead. Úrel and Arandir had two sons, Alagor and Laerion, both strong in spirit and with burning souls. They were the fear of the woodland kin with their tricks and pranks, but also most beloved by all. In the early days after the war, a daughter was born. Arandir and Úrel were surprised, but overjoyed. Still, in her youth, it was apparent that the girl had few truly feminine attributes. Her mother named her Ferileth, and she grew in strength and wisdom. Every day she hunted with her father and her brothers, and she knew every trail and leaf of the forest. Hers was a restless spirit, and she would only be still in the late night fire-light, when the story tellers were present. She had a great love for the woods, only rivalled by the fierce joy she found in hearing tales of those who had gone before her. But when a dark shadow and an even darker threat moved in to the woods, her life was changed forever. The woods were no longer the same, and the wild life had been twisted into dark beings that attacked at sight. Ferileth felt deeply this change, and were sadder for it. Orcs and giant spiders soon came to, and fights ensued when the elves of Mirkwood tried to defend their homes. Thranduil moved his people further north, but still darkness followed. Arandir were soon slayed, a host of giant spiders ending his life. His wife Úrel, was grieved to the edge of madness. When her sons were killed not a year later, in a larger skirmish, her anguish knew no bounds. Ferileth tried to console her, but there was no comfort to be had for her. Úrel took the new name Saeriel, for she felt there was no joy left for her, not even in the glittering firelight. A few years later she left the woods to travel to the West. For Ferileth, left without family or home, there was nothing more to do, than to try to avenge the deaths of her kin. For a long time she hunted in the forest that was once her home. She became a dark shadow, speaking few words when she met other elves, preferring the wilderness. For hundreds of years she lived alone, a hunter always on the move to find darkness. Always with her smooth, dark bow ready. The Dunedain call her 'Darkbow', but to her own people she is known as Amdiriel, 'the one who hopes for joy'. [At the bottom of the parchment, there is a scribbled note, in common. It seems to be a list with translations of the elvish names] Úrel:“fire-joy” Arandir: “noble-wanderer” Alagor “rushing-day” Laerion: “son of the summer” Úrneth: “young fire”/ Ferileth: “Huntress”)/Amdiriel: “Hope-joy”.