“So, what is it ye’re doin’ here, anyway?”

“Didn’t ye read me note?”

“Yer note? Here’s yer note: Blurred and unreadable. There was a crack in the ceiling that let rainwater piddle all over it.”

“Huh. That damned dragon must ha’ cracked the ceiling when he flew over.”

“Aye. So, nay, Ah didnae read yer note.”

“Ah jus’ said Ah was headin’ ta Ironforge wit’ the boy ta meet up wit’ ye, and ye were ta rendezvous with me there.”

“Ironforge? Why Ironforge?”

“Why go to the big impregnable mountain fortress when Khaz Modan is attacked by a giant dragon? Where else would we go, ya idjit? Besides, Ah figured ye’d leave me some information about where ye were going, if ye didnae stay there.”

“Information? How would Ah do that?”

“Yer cousin, Mangorn? His wife, Raena?”

“Oh … didnae think about leavin’ anything with them.”

“Aye, figured that out when we stopped by the shop and there was no note. Luckily, they’d heard what Cousin Ringo had been sent ta do, and we reckoned if we stayed still in one place in Khaz Modan long enough, ye’d trip over us.”

“Aye, fair enough. But why Menethil Harbor?”

“During th’ earthquakes that came before Deathwing attacked, an island got raised up west o’ Stormwind. Accordin’ ta Bethaine, a bunch of them Earthen Ring shaman types sailed there from Menethil Harbor, probably ta look at where it came from.”

“Since when do ye care about stupid little islands?”

“Since our king got turned ta stone and since the Earthen Ring knows all about the earth and all that. Go give Stoutfist yer final report on the state o’ Khaz Modan. He’ll sign new orders to have ye go look for a cure for the king, sure enough. Bethaine will watch o’er our boy until we get back and she’ll send word to me family where he is as well.”

“Ye’ve got everythin’ all figured out, ain’t ye, woman?”

“Aye, well, couldn’t leave it up ta the one who didn’t leave no note when disaster struck, now could I?”