Forest Trolls' Unusual Activity

"I never imagined Sunwell Plateau could become what it is today." Ranger Lord Lothmar Theron gave a wry smile as he spoke to Tyrel and Magister Dalkhan.

The rangers of the Pathfinder Legion and the magisters of the Legion of Magisters were two utterly different forces, and they looked down on each other. Ranger Lord Lothmar Theron had often complained that Sunwell Plateau's defensive facilities were practically nonexistent. If the Forest Trolls attacked, it would be difficult to hold out even until the rangers from Pathfinder Camp arrived to reinforce them.

But things were completely different now. With the terrain as an advantage, Sunwell Citadel was undoubtedly the strongest fortress.

Magister Dalkhan straightened his chest proudly. Without him, the expansion of Sunwell Citadel could never have been completed so quickly. Yet Magister Dalkhan still feigned humility as he said, "All of this was Prince Tyrel's doing. Without Prince Tyrel's leadership, there would only be an Arcane Sanctum here."

"Dalkhan, I won't take credit for your accomplishments. This honor belongs to you. In the future, I'll erect a statue of you in the center of Sunwell Plateau to commemorate your achievements," Tyrel said slowly, shaking his head.

Tyrel felt guilty toward Magister Dalkhan. Such a talented man had had his accomplishments concealed because of the struggle between the royalists and the Silvermoon Council. Tyrel could not help Dalkhan reclaim the credit for building Dalsom, but he could erect a statue for Dalkhan within this expanded Sunwell Citadel.

Erecting a statue was a form of recognition. In the current Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, there were only a few statues: the former Sun King Anasterian Sunstrider and the Ranger-General.

Tyrel's words deeply moved Magister Dalkhan. Though he did not look overly delighted and still humbly insisted it was unnecessary, his heart was filled with warmth.

Afterward, Ranger Lord Lothmar Theron got down to business. "Prince Tyrel, the Ranger-General asked me to bring you an order. The Forest Trolls of Zul'Aman had fallen silent after Zul'jin was severely wounded. But recently, they have begun moving again. Their young and able-bodied have been gathered once more, and many of our scouts have gone in and never returned. This time, the Ranger-General hopes the Dawnblade Legion can cooperate with the Pathfinder Legion to investigate the cause of these unusual movements."

"No problem. The Dawnblade Legion is willing to comply with the Ranger-General's orders." Although Tyrel was the Little Prince of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, he was now merely the commander of a newly formed legion. Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner, meanwhile, was the leader of all forces in Southern Eversong Woods and was responsible for defending the southern territory of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas.

Sunwell Citadel and Pathfinder Camp lay west and north of Zul'Aman, the Forest Trolls' main city, respectively. Therefore, the Dawnblade Legion was tasked with investigating the Forest Troll villages west of the Zul'Aman highlands, while the Pathfinder Legion would investigate those north of the highlands.

The Dawnblade Legion quickly readied its equipment once more and began the truly dangerous operation.

A legion of fifteen thousand could not all deploy. Five thousand troops remained behind to defend Sunwell Citadel, while the ten thousand who set out were divided into several detachments. A force of ten thousand was too conspicuous and would easily be discovered by the Forest Trolls, which would mean facing their main force.

At first, the forest before them was filled with red maple trees, like most of Eversong Woods. But as they drew closer and closer to Zul'Aman, the trees gradually turned green.

The red maples were the result of the High Elves of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas altering them with magic, while the green trees were their original form. The Forest Trolls also had magic-wielding professions such as Witch Doctors and shamans, so they had resisted the High Elves' magic and preserved the natural colors of the forest around the Zul'Aman highlands.

Entering Forest Troll territory made Tyrel feel as if he had arrived in a human kingdom beyond the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas. In his mind, every tree within Quel'Thalas was a red maple.

Tyrel Sunstrider led a thousand soldiers of the Dawnblade Legion as they slowly infiltrated Forest Troll territory. Neither Ranger Lord Lothmar Theron nor Hoxbyr was at Tyrel's side. Both were outstanding commanders in battles against the Forest Trolls, and they were better off leading separate Dawnblade Legion detachments to gather intelligence on the Forest Trolls' unusual activity.

Tyrel had left Magister Dalkhan at Sunwell Citadel.

At Tyrel's side now were only Lirath Windrunner, Kaelen Sunfury, Valeera Sangunar, Guard Captain Arthas, and Advisor Luminas Sunmark.

This relatively young group panted heavily from excitement and tension. Carelessness could easily create noise.

So Tyrel said to Valeera Sangunar, "Valeera, you're an expert at stealth. Please teach us how to reduce our noise as much as possible."

Valeera Sangunar was a rogue, and stealth was what she did best.

"No problem. Leave it to me." Valeera proudly raised her little head, then shared her knowledge of stealth with everyone.

Every profession had its own specialty. The Paladins, rangers, and magisters of the Dawnblade Legion knew nothing about stealth, but under Valeera's guidance, they suddenly understood and gradually learned how to move through the forest while making as little noise as possible.

Fortunately, Tyrel's detachment was not discovered by Forest Troll scouts along the way. However, having ventured too deep, they lost their grasp of the terrain and could only continue east by following their sense of direction.

Time passed quickly, and when it was time to rest, Tyrel found a safe spot. He first arranged for sentries to watch the surroundings, then allowed the Dawnblade Legion soldiers to rest in place and replenish their water and nutrients.

Lighting a campfire in the forest recklessly would easily expose their position, so the Dawnblade Legion soldiers ate prepared food taken from their Space Bags.

Tyrel was also drinking spring water when Valeera emerged from the shadows. She said excitedly, "Tyrel, I found a Forest Troll village!"

The best way to investigate the Forest Trolls' unusual activity was to examine their villages. Tyrel's group had infiltrated Forest Troll territory precisely to find a Forest Troll village and gather intelligence.

"Excellent, Valeera!" The Forest Troll village was nearby, which was good news. Danger and opportunity coexisted: the closer they got to the village, the more dangerous it became, but the more likely they were to learn the reason for the Forest Trolls' unusual activity in advance.

Since they were already close to a Forest Troll village, there might be Forest Troll sentries nearby. The fewer people who acted, the less likely they would alert the enemy. Tyrel therefore decided to have Kaelen Sunfury remain in the forest while he and the other four infiltrated the Forest Troll village.

Kaelen Sunfury was naturally dissatisfied with being left behind, but he ultimately accepted the order.