As Eleanor sipped on the tea, the gnoll woman spoke again.

"I'm sure you're wondering who I am, or why you're here." She said, kneeling down next to Eleanor again.

"You could say that." Eleanor said, meeting the woman's gaze. To her surprise, the eyes she met were soft. Seeing someone look at her as more than a tool or a future meal made her feel more than a little uneasy.

"Marg'faz" The woman said, in what sounded like a mixture between a bark and a snarl.

The sudden s.h.i.+ft in tone caused Eleanor to flinch. "I'm sorry?"

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"My name. It's Marg'faz." The woman responded, seemingly unruffled by Eleanor's reaction. "You were brought here at my request. As it is now, my son does not know I am speaking to you. However, it is safe to say that when he finds out, he will put an end to it." She said.

Eleanor furrowed her brow. "Your son?"

"The current chieftain of our clan. I believe you're.... well-acquainted." Marg'faz said, glancing across Eleanor's body and grimacing. "Females are forbidden from chieftains.h.i.+p in our clan, or else we would not be having this conversation in a hovel instead of the throne room. I thankfully have enough respect to give some of the guards orders without being questioned, at least."

The thought that this gnoll woman was the mother of the monster she'd fought before and suffered under made Eleanor queasy. It also put her at huge amounts of risk. Sure, she seemed unthreatening, perhaps and kind, and seemed to want discretion, but how did she know this being wouldn't just sell her out later, or wasn't trying to treat her better to make her more compliant? All of this set her internally on guard, and sh.o.r.ed up her mental defenses against the strange feeling of trustworthiness she felt emanating off of Marg'faz.

"He and I have.... differing opinions about the direction of the clan's actions, and treatment of other races in general. But, that's not important now. What's important now is tending to these wounds of yours." The gnoll woman continued. She rose with another chorus of cracks and creaks, and walked over to a cabinet on the wall, which she opened and began taking various pouches, bottles, and other items out of and setting them on the floor of the hut near the bed.

Tending her wounds? No, there was no way things were going to be this simple. Then again, the gnolls had kept her in perfect health before she was attacked. If that is really what was about to happen, she could not believe her luck. Her recovery was the only major hurdle to her escape, and her she was about it have it completely removed without having to figure out all of the sigils and incantations and acquire all of the components.

Something about this was far too good to be true.

"Lie back and raise your dress, dear." The gnoll woman said, picking up a brown bottle.

"Why are you healing me?" Eleanor asked, looking Marg'faz in the eyes. "There's no reason for me to be well to serve your son's purposes, and you have just said yourself if he found out we were even talking he'd put an end to it. What's your purpose for helping me?"

"Keep your voice down, girl." Marg'faz said, her voice a low snarl as her ears twitched around for a moment before she seemed to be satisfied that no one had been listening in.

"I am helping you because I want your help with something in return. And if you're in not in any position to want to refuse my request, all the better." Marg'faz said simply. "Now lie back, please."