Chamberlain's Struggles

Chapter 12

The next day, Byron and Wyneth were up first. Byron gently woke Chamberlain up. Wyneth was in the middle of making some breakfast, though at the time of day it was, was the late afternoon.

When Sil saw his surroundings and his friends with him, now he knew what happened last night had been no dream. They had ran from the village to save his life. He couldn't have been more grateful to them. These two little Gelflings truly were his friends.

After breakfast, the trio of friends got back on the Mounders and kept heading east. Chamberlain was still worried about his baby as he rode this animal. They all made small conversations as they rode along.

In the evening, they finally stopped and got off again. The Mounders had brought them 8 more miles away from that Gelfling clan.

As the three of them looked around the area they were in now, it was more of a swampy area. It was wet and mucky, but it seemed like a good place to stay, if for the night.

They all hoped that being here wasn't going to be a mistake, but they couldn't go back. At one point, they came to the mouth of a cave. It seemed like the best place to stay.

Byron lit a torch so he could see and went to make sure it was safe to stay in. He found it to be vacant. Sil, most of all, was relieved.

They all unpacked their supplies off the Mounders and went into the cave. It was quite big. They lit more torches and dug a fire pit for the wood, with Wyneth and Byron doing most of the bending over work. Sil did the higher work. As big as the baby was, it wasn't good for him to bend over a lot.

Byron was sure Sil would be wanting some meat tonight, so he went hunting for a small animal for him. But Wyneth began making up some fruits and veggies too.

A little while later, Byron returned with a prize for Sil. He smiled. His Gelfling friend began to prepare it for him. But Wyneth insisted on the veggies too. Sil needed all the nutrition he could get to feed himself and his offspring.

Over dinner and after, they began talking that maybe they could settle here. The cave had more than enough room for them all to have their own space. They would all explore the area around it some more tomorrow.

If they were going to make this spot their new home, they would have to make it more safe.

Just before settling down for bed, Wyneth sat down next to Chamberlain to talk to him.

"We are going to have to make this cave safe for the baby. But anyway, I wanted to tell you that you are probably only in the middle of your pregnancy, and you do need to get more prepared to have it. I have helped many pregnant mothers prepare for their children." She said.

"Did you ever have any?" Sil asked.

"Yes. One. A daughter. Many years ago. She married and joined another clan. I haven't heard from her for a long time. We weren't always on the best of terms with each other." Wyneth said.

"I can hear that. Just like my clan of Skeksis."

"But what I was starting to say is that even though we will need your help in preparing this place to be a safe, secure home spot, there are still some things you need to do to help prepare for your child. We will help make things for him and such, but as your pregnancy progresses, moving about may become more difficult and breathing the right way can be an issue. You're going to need to learn to breathe a new way at times and especially getting it into practice long before your labor comes. And your body will experience many different kinds of discomfort, but it's all worth it in the end to see a healthy baby born." Wyneth explained.

Chamberlain knew this was true, but he worried the most about labor.

"What if something goes wrong with baby or me in labor?"

"If something goes wrong, I can deliver the baby through the stomach too, but let's hope that's the last resort. Yes, I have done a few of them. It saved both mother's and babies' lives when nothing seemed to be happening." Wyneth said.

Sil was nervous of the aspect of stomach surgery, but he knew it would have to be done if needed.

"How long can labor last?" He asked.

"It can be fast, or it can be a long time. Each one is different. And even way before the labor, in later stages, you might even experience some practice pains. Just some cramp like feelings really. Only if they keep on coming back closer and closer together would it be early labor. But most of those practice pains are spaced far apart. Once a day to a couple times a day."

"Great."

"You may not feel them at all until true labor begins or you could feel them, but I'm just giving the benefits of my experiences from different pregnant mothers to be. And my own experience. It just benefits to be prepared. But maybe, starting tomorrow, aside from doing duties to get this cave ready to be a home for us, you and me should start the breathing techniques that can make it easier to breathe through the pains of labor." Wyneth said.

"I'll let you two deal with that on your own. I'll be out getting things so you can do that privately." Byron said. "I never was much for having a family of my own, but can tolerate kids."

"I'm having baby whether I like it or not. Not much choice. I want it. Little surprise for me, but I will have it and raise it. Not much knowledge of caring for babies though." Sil said.

"It's alright. We can help you. It's better to not raise a child alone. They can be handfuls at times and you will even want breaks from them." Wyneth said.

Everything Wyneth said made sense. But no matter what, this child would be the most precious thing in the world to him.

"Can I check on it?"

"Huh?" Sil snapped out of his thoughts.

"Can I check on the baby?" Wyneth asked.

Chamberlain nodded and laid back. His clothing was lifted and Wyneth put her hands on his belly. She pressed a little bit and it got instant reactions.

Wyneth giggled a little bit. "It's definitely moving and kicking about."

"I feel it too." Sil said. "Sometimes it kicks real strong."

"Yeah, that will happen too. It's the best way to know that the child is alive." She said. She finished feeling the baby and pulled the shirt back down. Sil no longer wore the belt. It would only interfere with the baby.

"Well, let's get some sleep now. We have a busy day tomorrow." Byron said.

They all settled into their sleeping blankets.

Chamberlain laid there reflecting on what Wyneth had said about possible things that could happen further on in his pregnancy. It worried him. Giving birth seemed like a long way off yet. And even though he wanted his baby, he still felt he wasn't entirely ready. But with Wyneth's help, she could help him get ready.

He soon drifted off to sleep. He needed his rest if he was going to have a new home for the child. And of course, as he drifted off, he knew he would need to think of a name.