Maltariel was born in the hidden city of Gondolin, but was still young when it fell to treachery. Her parents both fell with their comrades in the Order of the Fountain's last stand, but she escaped with the other survivors. She chose to enter Lady Galadriel's service, eventually finding her place as a march-warden of Lorien, a position she held for many generations. Her patience and good-nature, as well as her skills in battle, saw her rise to a good position, well-respected both by the recruits she trained and by those who served in her company. She remained in Lorien until news came of the Order of the Fountain's reformation under Lord Vorongwe of Vanimar, when she left and travelled to Imladris to join them, eager to tread the path that had been her parents' before her.