I think you should know that it wasn't actually the Gnolls who attacked us on the road.
We were actually attacked by a giant, wolf-like creature that I now know as a "worgen". It dispatched our guards and came for me, but Banon threw himself in its path. I managed to get a spell off which startled the creature, causing it to flee, but Banon was already badly bitten. He insisted I leave him there but I refused.
We were limping back here when the gnolls found us. What came next was terrifying...