Leon and Riya: How to Raise a Gnoll

Chapter 26

Rose, Riya, Leon, and Maria had arrived back at Fort Stoneholde, Mu was there to greet them after they had come in the main gate.

Mu: Leon, you might want to go to the medical ward.

Leon: What? Why?

Mu: Azur arrived not long before you got here, he's not doing great.

Mu looks at Maria.

Mu: Maria, you'll want to go as well.

Maria: Right.

Rose: Wait, what about Azur?

Leon: Looks like he's not doing well.

Rose: Then I'm coming too!

Leon, Rose, and Maria headed for the medical ward.

Riya: Mu, what happened while we were gone?

Mu: As should likely be no surprise, Witherlings attacked the fort. We were able to drive them off with minimal losses but that's because what they wanted wasn't here. For whatever reason, as Azur's condition would show, they wanted him and only sent enough here to keep us from being able to help.

Riya: The same happened at the citadel, they sent enough to keep us there but that was it. I can tell you that a black furred female Gnoll was spotted among the Witherlings going to Foxpine.

Mu: That would have to be who is controlling them then, since that is the only living thing we have seen near them.

Riya: That was about my thoughts as well.

Riya's face shifted to a concerned look.

Riya: What happened to Azur?

Rose, Leon, and Maria had arrived at the medical ward. There were a few Gnolls here and there but most of them seemed to only have minor injuries. In the back near the wall they saw Azur in one of the beds, as they got closer they could make out his condition more clearly. Rose's eyes widened as she got a better look at Azur.

Rose: U-uncle A-Azure?

She could see that had been beaten badly, he had bruises all over and several welts along his side and back. Maria had started to check him over.

Maria: Bruises and welts, along with multiple fractures in his chest area, his ribs specifically. As well as a fractured right arm and a bruised throat.

Leon was trying to figure out who had done so much to him, he was known for being able to fight well, especially for his age. But to be so thoroughly beaten? Before Leon could say anything Valka and Ushka had seen them and had come over.

Ushka: If you're wondering who did this to him, there was a black furred Gnoll at Foxpine with the Witherlings and she was the one that did it to him. I was able to stop her from doing anymore to him but he's still in bad shape.

Leon: Thankfully Maria should be able to help with that.

After Leon had said that Maria nodded.

Maria: Yes, I'll be able to help him but it will still take time for him to completely heal.

Valka: That black Gnoll would have to be the one controlling the Witherlings, there shouldn't be any other reason she was the only living thing with them.

She looked at Leon.

Valka: I am sorry, it's my fault he's in this condition. I was on the other side of Foxpine when he was attacked.

Leon: And I'm sure he had you positioned there for a reason, you have no reason to be sorry.

Valka had a confused look on her muzzle.

Valka: You aren't going to blame me for what happened to him?

Leon shook his head.

Leon: No. The one to blame for his condition is the one that did this to him. You said it was a black furred Gnoll?

Both Ushka and Valka nodded.

Valka: A female specifically, but yes black furred.

Rose's vision blurred as tears started to stream down her muzzle seeing Azur in this condition. She clenched her fists hard enough that her knuckles popped, she was going to rip apart whoever had done this to him!

Oshka had managed to make it back to her camp. She had a cloth wrapped around her head at an angle so that it covered her right eye, the cloth was stained with blood as it had been used to cover her now destroyed right eye.

Without thinking she splintered the table in front of her that had a map of the area on it, she couldn't believe she had allowed him to do this to her! The next time she got her hands on him he was as good as dead.

Oshka's Witherlings had seen a lot of movement around Fort Stoneholde, almost all of the movement was coming to the fort and none of it leaving.

Both Leiko and Morga had felt Oshka's control start to slip around the time she had been wounded but she was able to regain control before either of them could do much of anything. They now knew for the next time she was wounded that they needed to be ready for it.