After a week of marching under Alleria's command, the High Elf Expeditionary Army reached Tor'Watha, the ancient troll ruins in The Hinterlands. Countless people were busy working there. Most were Vilebranch trolls, with only a small number of humans and Wildhammer dwarves.
Most of the humans were teaching the Vilebranch trolls to grow crops, while the Wildhammer dwarves were directing them in building their new capital, New Tor'Watha.
As such a powerful High Elf army marched past, many of the Vilebranch trolls in and around New Tor'Watha came out to watch out of curiosity. Yet there was not a trace of fear on their faces. They simply watched the High Elf Expeditionary Army pass, either in silence or discussing it in low voices.
Before long, many Vilebranch troll children began running closer to watch, following alongside the High Elf Expeditionary Army. Some of the bolder ones even called out to the soldiers in the few halting words of the High Elf language they had only just learned, saying things like, "Hello! Hello!" Whenever a soldier answered them, the troll children laughed and jumped for joy, teasing and playing with one another.
These soldiers of the High Elf Expeditionary Army had just finished fighting a war in their homeland. In Zul'Aman City, they had seen far too many Shadowpine trolls who either trembled or bristled with hostility at the sight of a High Elf army.
Back then, the High Elf army had been like demons in the eyes of every troll they encountered. Yet how much time had passed since then? Now that they had reached Hinterlands, the scene was entirely different.
At first, all the soldiers of the High Elf Expeditionary Army had been somewhat nervous. After all, there were simply too many Vilebranch trolls here. They had even quietly