It is guessed that Zadig’s parents dwelled in Ossirand. When she was very young, her village was attacked by servants of Morgoth, though Zadig survived. She was found wandering by dwarves near Nogrod in Ered Luin, and they brought her back to the dwarven city of Belegost. She was raised there, and named Zadig by her dwarf family, for she was too young to know her proper elven name.

When dwarves who knew the Elven tongues taught her that language years later, she gave herself the elven name of Oraineth (“of the border”). She lived with the dwarves in Belegost for many, many years, having little interaction with her own kind. She traveled a few times into uninhabited regions of Ossiriand, sometimes observing her kin from afar.

She became a very skilled weaponsmith over the years, learning many skills and techniques from her dwarf friends. Additionally, she learned to craft great pieces of armor and jewelry. Zadig is also one of the few elves ever to know the entire story of the dwarves creation and history on Middle Earth.