Rynere could not find any words for the next several minutes. She wasn't sure how long she stood there, staring at Tass. He didn't give her anything to check the time by -he just watched her with a grin.

After what seemed like an hour, Rynere closed her wide-open mouth.

“You never said you were married!”

“A thousand years can get very boring if you go through them alone.”

“Who -what -”

Tass chuckled.

“Why were you going to her so much?”

“Because of an imminent occurrence.”

“What do you mean?”

“You wouldn't believe me.”

“Why not? If I can believe you have a wife I can believe anything!”

“So you believe me?” Tass smiled slightly.

“Yes!”

“Then can you believe me when I say you'll actually have to wait before I can tell you?”

"No."

Tass shook his head with the same smile.

"Are you really that insistent upon knowing?

"Yes! I'm the one being dragged off into the unknown, I want to know something!"

"You already know I'm married."

"Answer the question!"

Tass grinned.

"I was going to tell you anyway. I just enjoy the way you voice your opinions."

"So tell me!"

"My dear bride is expecting some sort of offspring in the very near future."

Rynere opened and closed her mouth several times before finding the words to speak.

"That's impossible!"

Tass grinned.

"Why is that?"

"There's no way -she's not even -"

"Do you actually think that a person who could live to be hundreds of years old would do everything normally?"

"But how could a baby be born that small and live?"

Tass raised an eyebrow.

"Somehow the rest of 'em survived. And they're doing quite nicely right now, actually."

That was a little too much.

Rynere must have been holding her breath as she stared in utter disbelief at Tass. The last thing she remembered from that point in time was a mischievous grin, spreading across his face.

Because then she fainted.