Hello, BangBangBunny! 

According to the game rules, your Town can be relocated to a random place on the Global Map if it was located in the Dark Forest and the enemy attacked you successfully. Your Town will also be relocated if you were exiled from Order Holdings. Please note that if you were exiled from the Order Holdings, you will receive a system message in your game mail containing detailed information about the relocation of your Town. 

If you have any more questions, we will be happy to help. We wish you a good play and glorious victories!

> can I just relocate my island just outside the dark forest so that I dont need to travel to far for rank 6 resources?

Yes.

Or just remain shielded. You do not lose shields when capturing a tile, only when attacking someone else while they are there.

(If someone else gets to the tile before you do, you will bounce because you are shielded, and simply return. Shields intact. And vice versa.)

So, you will not be relocated from dark forest if you remain shielded.

If you remain unshielded, you might not be relocated from the dark forest if someone attacks you (by being just outside of the dark forest), but you will surely be zeroed sooner or later. Anything you yielded from that tile will then be lost, as well.

Maxim: There is always a bigger bully just around the corner from you waiting to pounce. Often for no good reason, no points, merely because they can. [And many orders loot all unshielded towns just before KvK or OvO to prevent points going their enemy.]

Caveat: Remain shielded and get on with your day, without having to worry about it further.