Once or twice would have been nothing, but as it happened more often, it caught the attention of the Witherbark Troll leaders. When they learned how the grain payments were calculated, most subsequent trades involved organized groups of Witherbark Trolls heading out to capture beasts, then handing them over to the elves for grain. That way, they received at least twice as much.
That was why the people sent by the Farstriders and the troops sent from Tranquillien had obtained enough battle pets so quickly. It also established a strong foundation for the High Elves' reputation as trustworthy trading partners among the Witherbark Trolls.
That exchange of beasts for grain also helped the Witherbark Trolls survive that year's difficult season of food shortages. It saved many Witherbark Troll lives; not a single one of them starved to death that year.
Now, as soon as the Witherbark Troll leaders heard that the elves wanted to trade again, they took it very seriously. Once they learned how much grain they could receive, and that many of their people could learn how to grow food, they readily agreed to the elves' offer.
Thus, half a month later, more than thirty thousand Witherbark Trolls began streaming down the narrow trail to join the River Channel Project and Road Project crews on the plains. Some also joined the fruit-tree planting crews in the Southern Hills. Work continued nonstop on every project, while Yu Lin Bloodhawk's grain poured out like water.
Naturally, Yu Lin Bloodhawk assigned a considerable number of these incoming Witherbark Trolls to the villages under the pretext of teaching them to farm. They helped tend the fields of villagers and craftsmen who had gone off to work on the projects, receiving grain rations on the same terms as villagers without a Village Group.