Accepting Zul'ra's suggestion, Zul'jin began sending scouts beyond their borders to make contact with and observe the Forest Troll tribes in various regions. He planned to unite all the Forest Trolls if the situation allowed, gathering them beneath his banner just as Orgrim had rallied the Orcs.
As Zul'jin dreamed of the future, reports from the scouts kept coming in, and some of what they learned was unexpected. Although they had lost to the Alliance, the major Forest Troll tribes had not been wiped out. Most of them were doing just fine, even if they were somewhat disgruntled.
Apart from the nearby Mossflayer and Darkpine Tribes, and the Firetree and Ragingmaw Tribes, who had ended up at Blackrock Mountain with their fates unknown, the Vilebranch, Witherbark, and Smolderthorn Trolls had all retreated to the Hinterlands. Disputes had broken out among them over the Horde, and they had even come to blows.
The Smolderthorn Tribe was an unusually weak group among the many tribes. They considered themselves allies of the Horde, so they felt some sympathy for the Orcs captured by humans and imprisoned in internment camps. But they were too weak to do anything to help, however much they wanted to.
The Smolderthorn Tribe's views would not have mattered much, except that the Vilebranch and Witherbark Trolls had apparently suffered heavy losses in the war and grown resentful of the Horde's Orcs. They took out their anger on the Smolderthorn Trolls, who sympathized with the Orcs and considered themselves allies of the Horde, and fought them.
Ever since the Trolls of the Amani Empire had spread through the subtropical forests of the east, such clashes had been commonplace. The Vilebranch and Witherbark Tribes were certainly angry with the Orcs, but in reality, they were probably fighting over territory.
Whatever the case, the Smolderthorn Tribe was being targeted for its weakness, and the conflict among the three Forest Troll tribes in the Hinterlands was throwing the plan to unite the Forest Trolls off course.
After Zul'jin summoned the Witch Doctors and priests and announced the reestablishment of the Amani Empire, they all gave their approval. The effort also got off to a strong start: the Darkpine Tribe, already living in Zul'Aman, and the Mossflayer Tribe, in the Thalas Mountains and North Valley, agreed to join the Amani Empire.
North of the Hinterlands, three Forest Troll tribes, including the Amani themselves, had joined forces. Zul'jin and Zul'ra each sent troops and personnel to help the Mossflayer Tribe establish a foothold at Zul'Mashar in the Thalas Mountains. The Mossflayer chieftain, Hamia, and the tribe's Witch Doctors and priests also came to Zul'Aman to discuss how to bring the remaining Troll tribes into the fold.
When it came to resolving the infighting among the three Troll tribes in the Hinterlands and bringing them into the empire, the other Witch Doctors and priests and Hamia offered nearly identical opinions: destroy the Smolderthorn Tribe to win over the more powerful Witherbark and Vilebranch Trolls. Their reasoning was that the Smolderthorn Tribe sympathized with the Orcs, who deserved the blame for their defeat.
It was a ridiculous argument. If they hated anyone for losing the war, the Witch Doctors, priests, Hamia, and the others ought to hate Zul'jin, who had dragged the Forest Trolls into the Horde and into the war. But they dared not do anything to Zul'jin, so they took out their anger on the weak Smolderthorn Tribe and the Orcs already locked away in internment camps.
After wavering for a while, Zul'jin chose to follow the consensus. First, he hoped that compromise would win everyone's approval. Second, he believed the Smolderthorn Tribe was too weak to matter, while the powerful Witherbark and Vilebranch Trolls were worth winning over. Those two tribes would strengthen the Amani Empire.
Zul'ra scoffed at Zul'jin's reasoning. Given the circumstances, they should be suppressing the strong and drawing in the weak to make the Amani more united. Destroying the weak Smolderthorn Tribe would only convince the Witherbark, Vilebranch, and Mossflayer Tribes that Zul'jin bullied the weak. His already battered reputation would sink even lower.
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In response to Zul'jin's flawed strategy, Zul'ra offered some advice. He did not care about Zul'jin's personal fortunes—in fact, the worse his reputation became, the easier it would be for Zul'ra to seize power later. But he needed the Amani Tribe to retain its standing among the Forest Trolls if they were to unite them.
Considering the broader strategic issues, Zul'ra proposed a new plan to Zul'jin. But his advice brought a result he never expected: Zul'jin ordered him and Lostro to lead troops to the Hinterlands and attack the Smolderthorn Tribe.
"Zul'jin, I've never led an army before." Zul'ra was stunned by the decision. Why was he suddenly being sent to command troops?
"That's exactly why I'm sending you to gain experience with the army, Zul'ra Jin. You'll become my assistant in the future, so you need to understand how the army works." Zul'jin replied without much inflection.
"...All right, as you wish." Zul'ra studied Zul'jin's impassive expression and heard the unusual way he addressed him. He paused, then answered with a furrowed brow.
From the way Zul'jin had addressed him, Zul'ra could easily tell something was going on. The chieftain suspected him because of the growing attention he was receiving. Well, he had practically revealed his ambitions. But if that was the case, then so be it!
Zul'ra did not refuse Zul'jin's appointment, despite the ulterior motive behind it. Zul'jin's suspicions would not disappear just because he refused, and he had no reason to turn the offer down. His following among the people was growing, and it was time to build a military force.
Zul'ra accepted Zul'jin's orders and gathered his followers. He selected three hundred strong Trolls, most of whom stood upright, and equipped them with weapons forged from steel, including javelins, shields, and hand axes.
Besides the three hundred new soldiers, Zul'jin also organized two more forces of three hundred. One was placed under Lostro and Dakkalai, while the other was made up of Trolls from the Mossflayer Tribe, selected by Hamia. A few among them were equipped with steel weapons.
The nine-hundred-strong force was placed under Lostro as commander, with Zul'ra and Hamia as his deputies. Dakkalai served as an adviser accompanying the army. He was also Zul'jin's emissary—in practice, a political commissar.
After the troops assembled at Zul'Mashar, they immediately began marching south through the wilderness. Zul'ra traveled with them across the plains north of the Hinterlands. After crossing the highlands of Seradane Forest, they entered the Hinterlands' vast primeval forest, where towering trees filled their view and sunlight filtered through the canopy only now and then.
After three days of marching through the dense forest of tangled roots and vines, Zul'ra encountered many beasts roaming among the trees: bears, Moonkin, and Oozes. Gryphons occasionally flew overhead, but none of the creatures dared provoke the marching Trolls.
At dusk on the third day, the army reached a river and made camp. Later that evening, Lostro invited Zul'ra, Dakkalai, and Hamia to his tent to discuss the march. They planned to cross the river at daybreak and head south. Soon afterward, they would reach the Vilebranch Trolls' golden city, Jintha'Alor.
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