[blantyr]

I think I'll go with the background I gave Goldie. She was born in the Tower Hills. I see her living a hunter gather existence during the fair months, settling into small cities near the sea in winter. As she grew older, her travels would get wider. She'd spend some time with the wandering companies in the Wild, and perhaps occasionally winter in Rivendell.

The elves seem to be both close to nature and sophisticated artists. They can live off the land, yet surround themselves with well crafted art that is also useful and practical. I see her chasing sheep in the mountains in the spring, to help remove their fleece, in the valley of strawberries in summer, climbing trees to shake down acorns in the fall, then curling up in a corner of Rivendell's Hall of Fire in the winter.

In my mind, I'd see it as a sequence of festivals, with the migrant hunter-gatherers moving from place to place to suit the seasons. Especially in youth, she'd be expected to learn how to survive and gather food in various places and seasons. At the same time, there would be some art which she would be learning as well. Goldie's art is song, but a weaver of cloth, shipwright or cook could each in their own way dedicate their lives to creating a beauty shared by the community.

I also see more magic in Tolkien than some. A singer traveling the Wild singing songs to Elbereth would be cleansing the land of the Shadow. I saw this as a function of the wandering companies.

This might not be canon, but I wanted a character who could both sing and handle herself well in the wild. Given she was born in a time where the Shadow was weak west of the mountains, it seemed plausible. I thought those living a long life would seek variety. I saw no mention of elves farming or herding, thus thought to work from a hunter gatherer lifestyle. Thus, I created a life of traveling from one party to another, doing what is necessary, beautiful and fun.