Had He Completed the Quest?

(Thanks to Xingye66 for the 200 Qidian coin tip! And thanks to Weidan for the 100 Qidian coin tip!!)

Kael'thas didn't know what Audilon was thinking, so he paid his apology no mind.

He sat upright on Xiao Bai's back, watching the shadows of grass and trees flash past in the darkness, and recovered from the fight.

He had been extremely lucky to win this time. If that Troll hadn't been so arrogant, he would never have had a chance to hit the leopard's eyes with fire. Thinking about it, Kael'thas still felt a great deal of pressure. At the same time, though, he admired himself: a child who had never faced such a dangerous situation had calmly found a way out of the crisis. It seemed he really did have considerable talent!

But the immediate crisis wasn't over yet. The quest completion notification hadn't sounded, proving that the quest was still ongoing and that they were still in danger.

So that Troll can still catch up to us?

Kael'thas was worried. He had no confidence in relying on luck and improvised schemes to escape again and again. He had to come up with a foolproof plan in advance.

They came to a bend in a river. Under the bright moonlight, they could see that the water was exceptionally clear, with aquatic plants faintly visible on the riverbed. The pebbles along the bank reflected the moonlight quietly.

"Stop!"

An idea struck Kael'thas, and he called out. Audilon hurriedly reined in the Hawkstriders. With a splash, splash, the two Hawkstriders made one final leap, swaying their tail feathers as gracefully as peacocks as they landed in the river and came to a stop.

"Chirp~~"

The icy water washed their muddy ankles, and the Hawkstriders chirped with delight.

Like High Elves, they were actually somewhat proud and fastidious about cleanliness.

"Your Highness, do you mean to hide here?"

Audilon asked with wide eyes, finding it somewhat hard to believe:

"The water here is so clear. How could we hide?"

"Not in the river..."

Kael'thas's face darkened. Hide in the river? Am I that stupid?

"We'll follow the riverbank. The pebbles won't show our tracks, and the sound of the water will cover our footsteps."

He explained, and Audilon finally understood.

Kael'thas's plan was simple. He wanted to delay the Troll from finding them, so they would send their mounts running straight ahead from here while he and Audilon hurried downstream. The Troll would chase the Hawkstriders, giving them a longer period of safety.

Once the Hawkstriders got 500 meters away from them, they would automatically be sent back to the riding trainer, and they could summon them again.

That way, even if the Troll rogue came back, he would be farther away.

Audilon immediately agreed to the plan. They sent the Hawkstriders running onward while they slipped away downstream along the river. Fortunately, the river twisted and turned, and they soon disappeared into the night.

The Troll rogue appeared at the riverbank shortly afterward. He paused for a few seconds, but continued onward without suspecting anything.

However, since the Hawkstriders were carrying different loads, Kael'thas figured the Troll would soon notice something was wrong. He didn't dare let his guard down, running swiftly along the river as he looked around for a new escape plan.

"Here!"

Soon, after passing a few suitable trees, he spotted a huge tree below the pebbles on the riverbank. His eyes lit up, and he stopped.

"Your Highness?"

Wondering why he had suddenly stopped, Audilon wisely refrained from asking this time and instead sought instructions.

"We'll climb this tree and jump from it to another one. If we come ashore here, the Troll won't notice any footprints leading out of the water!"

Kael'thas explained that their feet were wet, so they would leave clear footprints if they walked on the dirt. By climbing the tree, they could hide the tracks where they came ashore and confuse the Troll. Moreover, he had chosen a tree at random, which would buy them a little more time once the Troll discovered the trick and began searching.

Audilon was once again surprised by Kael'thas's caution. The prince was still very young, but the quick thinking and wisdom he needed were already beginning to show. He seemed to be a born commander, always coming up with all kinds of ideas.

That left Audilon looking forward to the future. In a few hundred years, when the prince had truly matured, what kind of bearing would he have?

The Twin Jades of the High Elves. He suddenly recalled that rumor and couldn't help smiling with pride.

If Prince Kael'sala was a jade of the High Elves, then Prince Kael'thas, in the future... should be able to become the undisputed...

Gem of Quel'Thalas?

Audilon shook his head and put the thought aside. Now wasn't the time to think about that!

Kael'thas had already started climbing the tree. Audilon had to follow.

As elves, guardians of the forest, the High Elves had built cities to live in just like humans. But they had known how to climb trees inside and out since birth. Slender and agile, they were natural climbers!

After crossing three trees, the two jumped down. Kael'thas looked up at the thick foliage. He could no longer sense the Hawkstriders, so they should have been sent back to the riding trainer. The Troll should have noticed and followed them by now as well.

"Summon your mount and run!"

He turned and spoke in a low voice. Audilon nodded, and the two summoned their mounts again and raced into the distance!

Meanwhile, the Troll had noticed the problem much earlier than Kael'thas had expected. He had followed the tracks for several hundred meters before suddenly noticing the difference in their depth, and he couldn't help flying into a rage!

"Damn it, you dare trick me again!?"

First the immobilization, then the fireball, and now this. As he recalled it all, it was as though he could see Kael'thas's nasty grin before his eyes, and his anger buzzed to life.

An ant so weak had actually tricked the mighty him three times in a row!!

If word got out, people would laugh him to death!!

Sprint! Sprint again!!

In his fury, the Troll performed better than usual. He returned to the riverbank, glanced at the high mountains upstream, then turned and hurried downstream.

"You won't trick me this time!!"

The Troll said coldly to himself, unable to suppress his smugness. He was certain he had chosen the right direction this time. That little fellow wouldn't escape even if he had wings.

But unfortunately, he would soon discover that he was going to be tricked one more time...

The two sides in the forest that night were playing hide-and-seek. Those being chased felt time pass quickly, while the one doing the chasing felt it pass slowly. When the moon rose from its slanting position to directly overhead,

Kael'thas finally sensed a familiar presence.

It was Xiao Ao, the phoenix...

It was approaching him and had probably brought reinforcements.

Kael'thas couldn't help letting out a long breath, and he headed that way with Audilon.

Finally...

Had he completed the quest?