#avaleina

Whenever it’s reasonably feasible Thranduil always has Avaleina greet the elven visitors at their border, especially if it’s a Noldor elf, and not because he thinks she will always do the best job at being the ambassador between different peoples. 

It’s because with her short stature, dark complexion, green eyes, and multiple tattoos Avaleina couldn’t physically look any more ‘Silvan’ unless she wrote “Hello, I’m a Silvan Elf,” onto her forehead. She also has a negative ninety-seven percent chance/intention of purposefully changing her mannerisms, personality, accent, or general presentation to appar less ‘Silvan’ for any reason. 

Especially if the visiting Elves show any signs of disdain or judgment. 

The reason this is important is that Thranduil likes to know how other elves treat his Silvan Elves when there’s nobody ‘equal or better’ around to see it. He likes to know their reactions to having to listen to every syllable commanded by a Silvan elf. He needs to know if they feel disrespected that it was ‘only’ her that was there to greet them, and it wansn’t at least Farlen (who is a Sindar elf) regardless of the fact that Legolas, Farlen, and Avaleina are essentially equal and interchangeable in the overall chain of command in Greenwood. 

Thranduil wants to know each and every underhanded comment their visitors might make, or be pleasantly surprised by genuine respect for Avaleina and the rest of the Silvan people. 

Avaleina is also probably one of the only elves that would send any visitor packing back to the border of the forest regardless of who or what they are outside of the forest if she feels their disrespect is enough to warrant such an action. She’s essentially a bigotry and superiotority sniffing bloodhound that filters out all the elves that Thranduil probably wouldn’t have the patience to deal with anyways. 

Ava has 100% sent Celeborn and his escort back to the border because of something one of the warriors said and didn’t allow Celeborn back into the forest until he agreed to leave that warrior behind. One time she sent Elladan and Elrohir back to the forest edge four entire times before they finally learned their lesson. 

She’s basically the Sphinx of Greenwood and you have to answer her riddles correctly to even step foot into the forest and especially to make it all the way to the stronghold.