“Mah son, a terrible darkness ha’ returned to our world. As before, it seeks to anni –”

“Are you seriously composing a letter to your kid while we’re ass-deep in demons?” Widge Gearloose snapped, turning back around. Even his mechanostrider seemed annoyed, its headlamps cutting through the greenish gloom of the Broken Shore.

“He already left Bael a note,” Beli Flinthammer said, pulling out a spyglass and peering down the path. “Ringo’s just rewriting it in his head.”

“Hasn’t the boy got enough letters from ye?” Baelan Grimaxe muttered. “Ye sent him a letter before ye went into Icecrown Citadel. And then one during Operation: Gnomeregan.”

“And from the Jade Forest, Lion’s Landing, the Isle of Thunder, the Siege of Orgrimmar, Lunarfall Garrison …”

“Ah donnae want the boy to wonder what happened tae me or how Ah felt about him if somethin’ ever does happen!” Mountaineer Ringo Flinthammer roared, waving an arm, causing Beer Run to rear up and Frostmaw to snarl in sympathy.

Everyone settled down and Beli patted Ringo’s thigh with one hand.

“Well, I can respect that,” Widge said quietly, pointing his mechanostrider down the hill and starting off with a whir of machinery. “I left a letter for my cats.”

“You have cats?” Beli asked.

“I have a life outside of continually trying to save the world with you two!”

“I left a letter for my axes,” Baelan muttered to Ringo. “They like being read to — the vibrations keep the edges sharp.”

Ringo thought about this, nodding.

“Come on, idjits,” Beli interrupted, spurring Sam the Ram forward with her toes, “we’ve got demons to kill.”