Ashe stared into the fire for a few minutes in dead silence. He seemed to not even breath. He removed his tea bob from his mug and took a sip. "MMM...this is so very good."
He continued to stare into the flames, lost in old and tired memories. His silence seemed to be deafening to Laren's anxious ears. An occasional pop from the fire was the only noise that broke the tense absolutism.
With a sigh Ashe said, "All that time it was kept safe...away from the world. It was more than just a thing to me. I wanted the crystal to remain after my brother had gone so that a piece of him, however twisted, remained. Ultimately, it was my greed that caused the recent pain...not my dear brothers."
Ashe stood up and paced in front of the hearth. "It's time for me to let go, Laren. The Eye of Portence must be destroyed." Ashe's hands began to shake and twitch. He closed his eyes and spoke in what was babbles to Laren's ears.