Return to Dalsom

In the eighteenth year after the Dark Portal, Tyrel Sunstrider, as a prince of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas and the lord of Dalsom, naturally could not remain in Hearthglen for long. After training in Dalsom for several years, he returned to the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas.

Twenty-three-year-old Tyrel Sunstrider had fully matured physically and was no different from those High Elves who had lived for thousands of years.

The High Elf Paladins had more or less completed their training as well. After returning to the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, Tyrel Sunstrider had the High Elf Paladins who had followed him to Hearthglen to study the ways of the Paladin train the other High Elves newly recruited into the Dawnblade Legion.

By the time he returned to Dalsom, the Dawnblade Legion had expanded to a force of ten thousand. The fact that they had been able to recruit ten thousand suitable High Elves into the Dawnblade Legion so quickly was inseparable from the support of Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider.

Thanks to Tyrel Sunstrider's open policies, Dalsom had always traded with Stratholme of the Kingdom of Lordaeron. Whether they were handicrafts, enchanted scrolls, or even food, goods produced by the High Elves were things the human kingdoms fought desperately to obtain.

The growth of trade caused Dalsom to flourish, and its tax revenue increased severalfold. Of course, to the prosperous Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, such revenue was hardly worth mentioning.

Tyrel Sunstrider had also specifically hired Solidar Starfall, the High Elf master craftsman of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, to forge a specialized suit of plate armor for the Dawnblade Legion—the Dawnblade Armor Set.

At the same time, Solidar Starfall followed Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider's orders and personally forged a custom two-handed sword for Tyrel Sunstrider—the Quel'dorei Greatsword, also known as the Sunstrider Greatsword.

That day, Tyrel Sunstrider was sparring with his friends Cain Sunfury and Lirath Windrunner in his manor in Dalsom.

While Tyrel Sunstrider had trained under Lord Commander Tirion Fordring in Hearthglen, Cain Sunfury and Lirath Windrunner had not been idle either. They had respectively trained under Saloren Morningseeker and Sylvanas Windrunner, and their strength had advanced by leaps and bounds compared to two years ago.

A lovely figure sat on a swing, quietly watching the three men fight. A pair of long, beautiful legs was exposed beneath her clothes. It was Valeera Sangunar.

"You two have improved greatly, Cain, Lirath." Tyrel Sunstrider was the first to stop, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Of the three, Tyrel Sunstrider was the strongest, so Cain Sunfury and Lirath Windrunner had tacitly teamed up against him.

If not for a Paladin's ability to heal, fight, and endure, which made them exceptionally resilient, Tyrel Sunstrider truly would not have been able to withstand the two men's attacks.

Hearing Tyrel Sunstrider's words, Cain Sunfury and Lirath Windrunner also stopped attacking. Lirath Windrunner stepped forward and unceremoniously punched Tyrel Sunstrider in the chest, laughing as he cursed, "You're the one who's improved, Tyrel. You used to be only a little stronger than us, but now you can hold out against both of us for so long by yourself. The gap between us is actually getting wider and wider."

"Exactly. Mentor Saloren put me through brutal training. You have no idea how I survived these past two years, yet you still left me even farther behind." Cain Sunfury could not help agreeing with Lirath Windrunner. Over the past two years, neither he nor Lirath Windrunner had relaxed. They had hoped to catch up to the exceptionally talented Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider, yet things had still turned out this way.

Listening to the two of them, Tyrel Sunstrider scratched his head.

Valeera Sangunar slowly walked over and handed three clean towels to the three High Elf boys, muttering, "Honestly, you three. You barely see each other before you start fighting again, working up such a stinking sweat."

"Prince Tyrel, Ranger Lord Lothar has come to see you." Arthas, captain of Tyrel Sunstrider's guard, entered the manor and reported.

Upon hearing Arthas, Tyrel Sunstrider hurriedly took the towel Valeera Sangunar offered him, wiped the sweat from his face, and rushed off to see Ranger Lord Lothar.

"What happened, Lothar?"

Tyrel Sunstrider knew Ranger Lord Lothar's personality well. If it were not an important matter, he would never have come looking for him so hurriedly.

When Ranger Lord Lothar saw Tyrel Sunstrider arrive, he handed him a letter and said, "Prince Tyrel, you should see for yourself."

Taking the letter, Tyrel Sunstrider began to read. It was an order issued by Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider, commanding Tyrel Sunstrider, lord of Dalsom, to dispatch the Dawnblade Legion to assist Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner in investigating the Forest Trolls in the Southern Eversong Woods.

The lands occupied by the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas had not originally belonged to them. In ancient times, nearly all of the northern continent of the Eastern Kingdoms had been the domain of the Forest Trolls.

Silvermoon City had been built atop the Forest Trolls' holy land, leading the two races, already burdened by hatred, into even greater conflict. For thousands of years afterward, the High Elves of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas had fought the Forest Trolls of Zul'Aman.

The Forest Trolls had now declined, but their largest tribe, the Amani Trolls, still lived within Zul'Aman, the holy city of the Forest Trolls in the Southern Eversong Woods.

During the previous two Orc Wars, Zul'jin, leader of the Forest Trolls, had led them into the Old Horde and attacked the Alliance alongside the orcs.

However, after the Old Horde was defeated, Zul'jin returned to the Southern Eversong Woods and was captured by the High Elves. In the end, the High Elf squad that captured Zul'jin saw only his remaining left arm. Coupled with the loss of his left eye, which had been stabbed out earlier, the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas concluded that Zul'jin would die from his severe injuries.

Because of the Old Horde's defeat and Zul'jin's grievous wounds, the Forest Trolls of the Southern Eversong Woods had withdrawn into hiding over the years and no longer attacked High Elf villages in the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas.

Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider had specifically deployed the Dawnblade Legion of Dalsom to assist Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner because he wanted this newly risen legion to undergo a baptism of blood through battle against the Forest Trolls.

"Lothar, you are familiar with General Sylvanas, so go inform her first. Before long, I will lead the Dawnblade Legion out." This was the best opportunity for actual combat and assessment, and Tyrel Sunstrider naturally would not let it pass. Ranger Lord Lothar had previously served as Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner's adjutant, making him the most suitable choice.

Ranger Lord Lothar hesitated, worried about both the young Prince Tyrel Sunstrider and the Dawnblade Legion. But when he saw the fervent emotion in Tyrel Sunstrider's golden eyes, he chose to accept the order.