Tumbled to his back, Merry looked up, and he could only stare at Pippin, who seemed suddenly ageless in the low light. Time had been erased from his familiar face, his war-battered body, and Merry felt as if he held the sweet lad he could still so clearly remember from all those years ago. Pippin laughed then, high and bright like the ringing of bells, and the sound brought happy tears to Merry's eyes.