The massive, silent gates of Gondolin slowly yielded, groaning softly as they parted just enough to allow the returning hunting party entrance. Ecthelion dismounted from his steed with the practiced ease of a warrior, his armor still bearing the faint dust and grim marks from the wild lands that lay beyond the city's hidden borders. The chill of the outside world, and the sharp focus of the hunt, began to recede with each step he took within the familiar embrace of the city.

He found her, as his heart had yearned to, in their private gardens. Perhaps she was tending to the luminescent flowers that glowed even in the twilight, or simply lost in contemplation, gazing upon the serene beauty of their hidden home. The moment she turned, her face illuminating with recognition, a genuine smile, deep and true, finally touched his lips. It was a smile that effortlessly chased away the last vestiges of the hunter's vigilance and the weariness of the journey.

"My dearest," he began, his voice a low, melodic baritone, carrying the faint, soothing resonance of a fountain's song—a sound synonymous with his very being. He moved swiftly to take her hands in his, his touch gentle yet firm, conveying both protection and tenderness. "I'm back. The hunt was long, perhaps longer than I anticipated. The creatures of the shadowed lands prowl ever more boldly, even at the very edges of our protection, testing the vigilance of our sentinels."

His eyes, bright and clear as stars, held hers, and the accumulated fatigue of the journey, the tension of tracking, and the threat of unseen foes seemed to dissolve under her gaze. "But the task is done, the dangers faced, and all are accounted for. Our borders are secure for another day, and the city rests easy." He paused, his thumb gently tracing the back of her hand. "Now, the only hunt I desire is the peace found here, in this quiet sanctuary, in your beloved company. Tell me, has your day been as fair as Gondolin herself? Have the flowers blossomed to your liking, and has no shadow touched your heart in my absence?"