Strel was almost startled by Amaranth as she came up on him. He smiled back at her, albeit far more wearily than she did at him. He was worn and tired, but alive, which was truly the only thing that was going for him nowadays. "Perhaps not, but it is quite a lovely smell, my dear," he said with the easy familiarity of a distant uncle or something of the sort. But his happy smile faded the moment the young woman mentioned her late mother. His lips twisted into a sad frown and his eyes filled with the sadness. He had been friends with Ayita and her passing was sad, especially since her time was far from other.
"I'm sorry for your loss, dear," he said, placing a large hand over one of hers in comfort. But then he wrinkled his nose as he looked at her once more, with a new look. "Something is different," he said softly, narrowing his yellowing eyes at her with concern. He sniffed slightly and wondered what the change was. Then it hit him. "Are you and Niro expecting?" he said lightly, a corner of his lips twitching into a small grin. He had no children, that he knew of, and he never quite understood the desire to reproduce, but he knew others were happy about it.
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