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In Lórien

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They came to Lórien in winter again, and winter in truth now touched her fairness with frost, for Galadriel had departed and the power of Nenya with her. Still beautiful yet somehow melancholy she seemed to Frodo and Sam, and the light less golden than silver. But they were welcomed by the Elves with delight, and Huan was honoured by them, for all knew of his deeds, and they called him 'blessed hound' in their tongue.

Celeborn himself knelt to place around Huan's neck a collar of silver inlaid with a tracery of leaves and vines in gold. 'This was made for you at the bidding of one who has departed these shores,' he said to the whippet. 'She left it in my keeping to give to you, if you should some day visit Lothlórien.' And Huan whined low in his throat, and placed a white-tipped paw on the Elven lord's knee, so that a smile lightened the gravity of his face.

So the days of their visit passed like a gentle dream, though one fading at the edges as if time itself was forgetting the land.

Before they departed Lothlórien to continue their journey south to Gondor, the hobbits went to Cerin Amroth. There, where some small part of him would always dwell, Frodo walked across the emerald grass, among the white niphredil and golden elanor, and told Huan of Lúthien, and how niphredil came into being on the day of her birth.

'And here our King first met Queen Arwen,' he added, for the meaning of the light in Aragorn's eyes when he had found him lost in thought at the foot of the trees had been revealed to him in Minas Tirith.

Sam said, 'Maybe it's cheek for me to say this, Frodo, especially here, but I feel that sorry for Celeborn. For Aragorn won his treasure, but Celeborn has lost his, ain't he, and I reckon it's gone hard with him. You can see it in his eyes.'

'Yes, but he will find it again someday, Sam,' replied Frodo. 'And time passes differently for the Elves. They aren't as bothered by it as we would be.'

'Maybe, but I'm that glad I've got my treasure right here beside me.'

'And I mine,' Frodo replied, taking Sam's hand.

They returned to the city, and in the glow of their happiness, the fading light grew radiant once more.