Merrick here...
EW has a discussion with LOST's Evangeline Lilly, in which the discussion turned to her involvement with Peter Jackson's forthcoming HOBBIT films. There's nothing particularly spoilery herein - this is more of an explanation of how she fits into the pictures, and a sense of the part she'll play in them.
EW: Speaking of small and little, I’d be remiss not to bring up The Hobbit. You’re playing a new character named Tauriel, who’s a Mirkwood elf, and that would lead me to believe that she is a warrior of some kind. Did you have to learn archery and swordplay?
EL: Yes, she is a warrior. She’s actually the head of the Elven guard. She’s the big shot in the army. So she knows how to wield any weapon, but the primary weapons that she uses are a bow and arrow and two daggers. And she’s lethal and deadly. You definitely wouldn’t want to be caught in a dark alley next to Tauriel.
[EDIT]
She comes into the first film near the end, and has a very small part to play. Her role in the second film is much more involved.
Per THIS piece at EW, which also goes on to discuss what she's heard about a REAL STEEL sequel and her potential part in it (she played Bailey in the first movie, which recently hit DVD and Blu-ray).
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