Chamberlain's Struggles

Chapter 13

The next day, the adventure began of trying to turn the cave into a new home for the three of them.

Wyneth said that they were going to practice the breathing exercises before the work started for him, though Byron left to get a head start.

After the exercises were over, which Sil had thought had been really weird to take those kinds of breaths, he began to go securing vines and some wood for the cave. Byron tended to the Mounders and went to go get some stuff on them too.

Wyneth did a lot of the tying up and knitting stuff for traps and such if needed. And she did make some new weapons for them to use if they were going hunting or if something would threaten them. And she mostly prepared the food.

It continued like this for many days. They all had their jobs to do to make the cave a home. Wyneth warned Chamberlain to be careful most of all because of the pregnancy. He could get worn out doing too much.

One day, Sil was away from the cave by himself, getting ready to hunt his dinner for the night when he heard some screaming. It got his attention and went to make sure his friends weren't in danger.

When he came upon the sounds, he saw a fair haired Gelfling woman being chased by a small Rakkida. Must have been a young one learning to hunt.

Sil still remembered his encounter with the Rakkidas months ago and didn't ever want to be attacked like that again. He did now carry a knife. He charged after this one.

The Gelfling girl slipped and fell and turned to see her enemy advance on her. Just as it was advancing on her, something big and wearing red and black attacked the Rakkida.

Sil yelled his anger at it and stabbed at it. He got it good in the shoulder. It cried out in pain, blood pooling from its wound. But it didn't give up right away. It tried to get back at the creature trying to rob it of its meal.

Chamberlain bared his teeth at it and hissed. 'Just try it again.' He thought to himself.

It jumped at him again and this time, Sil got him in the lower ribs.

It didn't take much this time and it fell dead from the blade.

Sil saw the blood on his knife as it was pulled free from the Rakkida's body. He had actually killed a Rakkida. Then he heard gasping for breath. He turned to the scared Gelfling.

He saw she was breathing hard and as he approached her, wondering what she was doing out here, far from her home obviously. But it didn't take long for her to pass out. She had obviously been exhausted. But then, something else caught his eye: her stomach. It was bulging, indicating a pregnancy.

"Great. Another expecting Gelfling." Sil said. He put his knife away then tended to the fallen one.

From right now, it wasn't easy picking up something that was a little heavy. Sil picked up the Gelfling and decided to take her to Wyneth, since she was willing to help pregnant mothers to be. It was a little hard for Sil to find his right balance at first because of the weight in his own stomach from his own baby.

Sil carried her back to the cave, giving up on hunting food for tonight.

Wyneth was trying to prepare dinner when she heard footsteps. She looked up and her Skeksis friend was returning.

"Wyneth, came across this Gelfling out while hunting. Rakkida attacking her. Small one and I killed it." Sil said.

"I can imagine after your attack that you would want revenge on the species. But here, put her down right here." Wyneth said, indicating Sil put the girl down on her sleeping blankets.