Zenkoh's Adventure

Chapter 26

As Zenkoh regained consciousness she could tell her head was laying on something but she wasn't sure what it was. As she opened her eyes she saw Maria asleep against the wall but hadn't she told them to leave? It was then Zenkoh realized what she was laying on, it was Maria's lap! She quickly sat up but soon regretted that decision as her ribs cried out in protest. If she had to guess it seemed that Maria exhausted herself using her healing magic to save her from the most likely lethal beating her mother had given her during that fight.

She shuddered remembering that fight, how she was basically on autopilot once she let her rage take over. At the feeling of biting Varna's wrist and tearing her throat out. What made her shudder the worst and made her partially disgusted with herself was that she almost liked tearing into her with her teeth. Zenkoh shook her head to drive that thought out. No! She wasn't some beast!

At some point while she was distracted Irya had made her way over after noticing Zenkoh was awake.

Irya: It's a good thing we found a way to dislodge your shield, otherwise you may have died in here! What were you thinking locking the only healer nearby out! What if we hadn't found a way in!

Zenkoh: After seeing what my mother did to Kenzo the last thing I wanted was for either of you to be in the room with her! She could have easily killed one if not both of you! I wasn't going to be able to fight her and protect both of you at the same time!

Irya was silent for a moment before she spoke up again.

Irya: Maria spent nearly 30 minutes healing you and that still wasn't enough to get everything before she completely exhausted herself. I'm glad you're still in one piece. So, what are we supposed to do now?

Zenkoh: Clearly gnolls used to live here, there's Gnollish all over the place. I might choose to take my mother's spot as clan leader and bring them here, give them somewhere to live that isn't just constantly moving from one place to another all the time. Of course that would require me taking a position I don't really want.

Irya: If you don't want to then don't!

Zenkoh: If I don't then a gnoll that will likely be as bad as my mother will! Not only that but until other gnolls change I'm still going to be treated as a dangerous beast when I'm around others most of the time!

At this Maria awoke with a start and started around when she noticed no one was in her lap. After frantically looking around for a short while she saw Zenkoh talking with Irya and calmed down.

Maria: Zenkoh, you're okay!

Zenkoh: Thanks to you I am. I can't believe you actually exhausted yourself healing me, I mean I know you have said that I was going to be the death of you but I thought you were being sarcastic!

Maria: So, what are we going to do now?

Irya: That's what me and Zenkoh were talking about.

Zenkoh: I was thinking about taking my mother's spot as clan leader.

Maria: What! Why?

Zenkoh: To see if maybe I can teach other gnolls to be civilized like I am. Maybe then all gnolls won't be viewed as savage beasts if I can.

Maria: I mean...I guess it could work. It wouldn't be quick or easy considering how gnolls are normally.

Zenkoh: I know. Besides this fort is kind of being wasted with no gnolls living in it! The only stipulation is that you and Irya WILL NOT be living here with me as I can't guarantee the gnolls won't try to eat you. Instead I ask that you two stay at Fort Stoneholde so that way we will still be relatively close while hopefully keeping you two far enough away from the other gnolls until deemed safe to do otherwise.

After some thought both Irya and Maria agreed but only if Zenkoh made sure to visit them at Stoneholde every so often to show that she was still okay.

Zenkoh: Maria, can I see your robe for a second?

Maria: Sure, but what do you need it for?

Zenkoh: I'm going to use it as a wrap so that I can put The Maul of Hunger back on the pedestal where it was originally.

Maria and Irya were watching Zenkoh replace the demonic artifact back on the pedestal before starting to discuss what Zenkoh was intending to do.

Irya: Do you think this is a good idea? What if being around so many gnolls again causes her to go back to how she used to be before she met you?

Maria: I don't see that happening. Gnolls take pack bonds very seriously! She wouldn't just abandon the ones she sees as being her pack. I'm more worried that one or more of the gnolls might get the idea of getting rid of us because we aren't gnolls.

Irya: That's a good point. As we saw with Alma, the viper that almost killed me, Zenkoh takes threats to her packmates very seriously. But wouldn't that go against trying to civilize them? She can't just kill them if they threaten us if she really intends to try to institute some kind of change in her old clan. At that point she would be no better than her mother!

Maria: I know, and the last thing she wants is to be anything like her mother. I trust that she can do this without resorting to that, she is better than that.

Irya: It isn't Zenkoh I don't trust. I got caged by a group of gnolls and I can tell you that Zenkoh has her work cut out for her if this is what she really wants for her clan.

After Zenkoh had replaced the artifact the three of them proceeded to seal up the room that it resided in.

Zenkoh: Okay, now that that's done you two need to make your way to Stoneholde and I will come see you when the gnolls have been settled into Gloomfang Citadel.

Maria: Right.

Irya: Got it.

Zenkoh set out to return to the desert her clan had called home with her mother's maul in hand, she figured she may as well get used to using it now since she is going to need to get her tower shield replaced since planting it in the ground like that destroyed it.

After a week of travel she had made it back to the desert her clan called home. After a few hours of searching the various places she knew that camps had been placed before she finally found where the current camp was located. As Zenkoh walked into the camp plenty of the gnolls gave her confused looks while a few were completely indifferent, but an even smaller number of them almost seemed to have hopeful looks on their faces when they saw her. Not long after she arrived a 7'8" brown furred female gnoll had walked up to her with a look of authority on her face.

Zenkoh: And who might you be?

Purth: Purth Rotfang and I am the current matriarch of this clan. Now who do you think you are just walking into our camp?

Zenkoh shoulders her mother's maul before explaining why she was there.

Zenkoh: I am Zenkoh Deadfang. I am here to claim my right as the daughter of Varna Deadfang, the title of Clan Matriarch for Clan Deadfang!