Leon and Riya: How to Raise a Gnoll

Chapter 42

In the kitchen, Leon, Riya, Rose, Mu, Sessa, Vuth, and Varna were all sitting and eating, dispersed among a few different tables. Leon, Riya, and Rose were sitting at the same table as Varna and were staring at her as she ate. After a minute or two of this, she became visibly irritated.

Varna: What? You act like you have never seen a Gnoll eat cooked food before!

Riya: Well, it's just...

Leon: Most Gnolls don't take to cooked food right away, so it's just a little odd.

The irritation in Varna's expression slowly seeped away.

Varna: It's not the first time I've eaten cooked food, I used to when...Leiko was still alive.

There was silence for a few seconds before Varna continued, unprompted.

Varna: He had always seemed to enjoy cooking but of course, the Gnolls of the clan didn't much care for it.

As she said this she began to have memories of Leiko cooking come to the forefront of her mind.

Varna: The look on his face when none of the Gnolls in the clan would touch his food told me it hurt him, that he wasn't good enough. So, I had originally started out eating his food to help him feel better until eventually, it had grown on me.

As she said this a tear began to run down her muzzle. As soon as she realized this she quickly wiped it away and stood up abruptly.

Varna: Sorry, I have to go!

Before anyone could say anything she had swiftly made her way out of the room.

Leon: What just happened?

Riya's expression on her face was one of confusion, she simply shrugged.

Rose had a look of intense focus staring in the direction Varna ran off in. Before either Riya or Leon could react, Rose swiftly got up and took off in the same direction as Varna.

Leon: Rose, what—

But before he could even finish his sentence she was gone.

***

Rose was sprinting down the hallway doing her best to try to find Varna, the look of hurt on her face compelled Rose to see what was wrong. As she was making her way to the end of the hallway and into an intersection she heard something to her right. That was the way to the training yard, who could be there?

She sprinted in that direction and soon came to the opening in the wall that led into the training yard. There by herself was Varna. She had a warhammer that she was holding in both hands winding up a swing, when she released the swing into the training dummy there was a snap as the dummy was shattered into splinters.

As Rose got closer she could see that tears were streaming down Varna's face, she had been crying.

Rose: Are...are you okay?

Upon hearing her Varna spun around to face her.

Varna: I'm fine!

Rose could see a look that was a combination of frustration and sadness on Varna's face.

Rose started to slowly make her way towards Varna.

Rose: You don't look okay.

Varna: I said that I'm fine.

As Varna said this the grip on her warhammer tightened. Rose continued to slowly make her way towards her. After a few seconds of silence, Rose was within arm's reach of Varna.

Rose: You need something don't you?

Varna grits her teeth and starts to raise her warhammer.

Varna: I said that I'm—

Before Varna could finish her sentence or do anything else Rose had surged forward and wrapped her arms around Varna. After a moment of disbelief, Varna's trembling hands dropped her warhammer and she ever so slowly returned the embrace before tears began to run down her face anew.

***

Leon and Riya were running down the hallways trying to find where Rose had gone.

Leon: Where could she have gone?

Riya: I don't know, the only place we haven't looked would be the training yard so that would have to be where she is!

As they ran in that direction they could start to hear something but they weren't sure what it was, as they got closer it seemed to be getting louder. Once they had made it through the opening they had trouble believing what they saw. Rose and Varna were sitting on the ground with Varna seeming to sob into Rose's shoulder while having her arms wrapped around her.

Leon: Is everything okay?

Rose turned her head to look over her shoulder at Leon.

Rose: Yeah! Everything is fine Dad.

After a minute Varna removed her arms from Rose and stood up. The sadness was still there but the frustration was gone, replaced with something wholly different, a look of determination. Varna cleared her throat.

Varna: Would it be okay if I trained your daughter, Rose?

Leon: Well, I mean...

He looked at Riya who had a contemplative look on her face. After what seemed like forever she spoke.

Riya: I don't see why not.

At hearing that Leon could see that Rose had stars in her eyes upon hearing that. Leon sighed.

Leon: Just be careful, okay.

Rose shot up from her sitting position.

Rose: I will!

Varna was silent for a few seconds.

Varna: Right, let's get started then!