If they refused to return, and the Kingdom of Stormwind demanded that Yu Lin Bloodhawk hand them over, what was he supposed to do? Forcibly drive these human refugees back to the Kingdom of Stormwind, or let its army come in?
Neither option seemed good for Yu Lin Bloodhawk, Quel'Danil, or the Hinterlands.
Forcibly expelling these human refugees could easily put them in direct confrontation with the Hinterlands army and lead to bloodshed. That would strain relations between Common Humans civilians and high elves, perhaps even foster hatred toward high elves. Worse still, it might provoke a military coup among the human soldiers in the Hinterlands. That was the last thing Yu Lin Bloodhawk wanted to see.
What about letting Stormwind City's army come in and forcibly relocate the refugees from the Kingdom of Stormwind? Although that could avoid direct confrontation between high elves and ordinary human civilians, the high elves would still be implicated and blamed for standing by. It could also shake the morale of the human soldiers under Thirteen and the others.
More troubling still, what if the Kingdom of Stormwind's army came, but instead of removing its refugees, sympathized with those living in the Hinterlands? If it then used protecting civilians as an excuse to station even more troops there, what was Quel'Danil supposed to do? Start fighting outright?
That scenario was not merely possible; it was quite likely. After all, humans had wanted a foothold in the Hinterlands for some time. It was entirely possible that they would seize the opportunity to advance their own agenda.
By then, the Kingdom of Stormwind would have only just been restored, with devastation everywhere throughout the country. The prosperity of the Seaside Plain in the Hinterlands could greatly help it recover its strength. If it swiftly seized the