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Description
Some few more days later, Chamberlain was helping the builders again on the outskirts of the village.

Some other Gelflings had gone out to harvest more crops for the evening meals and then there was another Garthim attack. They began screaming.

At the moment, Chamberlain was alone doing the project while the builders had been at the market for the moment getting more supplies. Then, he heard the screaming.

He went to investigate the screaming.

The Garthim had killed all nine of the adults. One of the remaining ones was unconscious and one was a young one that was really afraid and down in the weeds, frozen with fear.

Chamberlain saw what was happening and he saw the Garthim. He went over and tried to protect the Gelfling child. He raised his hand and shouting at them to leave him alone.

Even in his new attire, the Garthim still recognized a Skeksis giving orders. They slunk away, not seeing any others.

Chamberlain then turned to the small Gelfling. “You ok?” He asked him, then he reached his hand out to help the child up.

The child was still frozen in shock after seeing his father killed and the others as well.

Then other Gelfling villagers came running up. “Get away from him!” They all had weapons in their hands.

Sil backed away.

“Look at what you did!”

“I not do this. Was helping small Gelfling.”

“We thought you could be trusted. Now we see that you can’t be! Come along, Bodo.” A Gelfling woman said as she picked up the child and took him away.

“Just stay away, Skeksis!” Another shouted.

The Gelflings left Sil standing there, dumbfounded. He had managed to save that child and that was how he was repaid?

But he saw the bodies lying around and knew they would be back. He did decide to respectfully take the bodies back to the edge of town where they would be found. He could take two at a time.

When he was done, there was some blood on his arms and hands. He went back to Queen Athya’s to explain what happened.

When he entered the queen’s throne chamber, Suth appeared and then many Gelfling guards as well. “Seize him!” Suth ordered.

Chamberlain was caught off guard when he saw large pointed spears and crossbows aimed on him. “Agh!”

“You are in big trouble, Chamberlain!” He heard Athya. “For killing our kin!”

His eyes widened. “I not do it! I saved child.” He said in shock.

“You have blood all over you. What does that say?” Suth demanded.

“I brought dead ones to the village. Not harm them.” Sil said.

“Chamberlain, from what the villagers told me, you are to be taken to the prison for now. Just go peacefully or they can do you harm.” Athya said. “This will be worked out.”

Sil couldn’t believe this, but with the weapons still on him, he went with them.

He was locked up in the prison area.

“I always knew there was something about you that was dangerous.” Suth said before he walked out.

Chamberlain went to the bars and tested their strength. They were pretty strong. There was no way he was leaving.

He went and sat down on the straw bedding. It had been bad enough of his own kind treating him like he didn’t matter, but he hadn’t gotten this kind of treatment from Gelflings before.

He had saved that child. There had been nothing he could do for the rest. Why wouldn’t they believe him? Tears welled in his eyes and started to fall.

After he had cried for awhile, he knew that if he ever got out of here, he decided to leave. This was too much. He laid down and thought some more before drifting to sleep.

Later on, Wyneth came to see him when she heard what had happened.

“Chamberlain, are you alright?” She asked.

“Don’t get too close. He’s dangerous.” The guard warned.

“Chamberlain, can you hear me?”

Sil heard her finally and he woke up. “Wyneth?” He moaned.

“Are you alright, Sil?”

“Yes. What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. Tell me the truth. Did you kill those villagers?” Wyneth asked.

“No. I did not. Garthim did. Garthim are soldiers to Skeksis castle. I ordered them away. I got there too late to save other Gelflings, but saved the little one.” Sil explained.

“But why are your arms covered in blood?”

“I carried the dead ones back to the village. I promise, I did not kill them.”

“How can his story be believed?” The guard sneered. “It’s obvious he’s been plotting this for some time just because a lot of the villagers are wary of him.”

Chamberlain glared angrily at the guard. “I did not! I just went around doing my jobs. I never harmed any Gelfling.”

Wyneth had seen the sincerity in his voice as he had told her. “I believe you.” She said.

Sil looked down at her. She had a brightness in her eyes that said she did believe him.

“I’ll do my best to get you out of here. Byron and I are working on it, for the trial.”

“Trial?”

“Yes. There were some villagers killed many days before. Did you know about them?” Wyneth asked.

“No. I never knew about them. But why trial? Trial by what?”

“A trial, to prove if you’re innocent.”

“I said I was.”

“Sometimes it isn’t enough.”

“The little Gelfling could say.”

“Little Bodo is still in shock that his father was killed. He still isn’t talking.” Wyneth said.

Sil knew that if the little one didn’t talk, this was more than enough trouble for him. That female Gelfling had said to avoid stress and this was more than enough stress for him to take.

“I brought you some soap and water to clean your arms up.” Wyneth said. She held a bucket up.

“Thanks.” Sil said. He took the bucket through the bars.

He used the sponge to wash his arms up. When he was done, the soapy water was a red mess. Wyneth took it back.

“Like I said, Byron and I will get your name cleared.” She said.

“It’s time you left now, Wyneth.” The guard said.

Chamberlain didn’t want to be alone with the guard or the others who were mad at him. “Don’t go.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Sil. Just don’t do anything. We will get you out.” Wyneth said before she was herded out.

The guard also left.

Sil went back to the corner and sat down. He didn’t know what to do, and he felt his stomach growling, which was also making his little one get active. He still needed his dinner for the night. He rubbed his belly, trying to soothe the baby.

Then he heard footsteps. After many steps, in stepped Suth.

Sil saw the serious look on the Gelfling guard’s face.

“Tell me, Chamberlain. Why did you do it?”

“I not kill the Gelflings. If I had, I would have killed the little one too. But I did not. My old enemy’s Garthim killed them. I swear.” Chamberlain replied.

“The villagers only said they saw you out there, not anything else.”

“The Garthim obey any Skeksis. I sent them away. I couldn’t get there in time to stop them from killing the other Gelfling. I just went over when I heard the screams. All others were away at the time. I did what I could to try to save them.”

“We’ll see what the queen says about this in five days time. Here, here’s your food for tonight.” Suth slid a plate of food into the cell with a wineskin full of water.

Sil just glared at him. He didn’t move until the Gelfling guard was gone. Then he got up and collected the food and drink. With being pregnant, he needed all the sustenance he could get.

All that was on the plate was some Nebrie cheese, bread, and veggies. He ate them with no problem. Surely the queen would grant him good food since she knew of his delicate secret.

After he was done eating, he laid back down in the straw and tried to sleep. The only one who was truly keeping him company was his child. He could feel the little one moving about inside him. He couldn’t help but want to feel it move.

What would the Gelflings do if they never believed him? They would be taking more than one life if they thought of killing him. They would be taking at least three lives, as there was Sil and his baby, and his urRu counterpart.

Chamberlain would have rather faced another exile rather than life in a cage or being killed. He wanted to be able to raise his child. The Gelflings were posing a threat to its survival.

The thought of not being able to have and raise it made the tears come again.

It wasn’t easy to find sleep that night, but when he did, he fell asleep with a hand resting on his belly. His clothes kept him warm enough.

Description
Some few more days later, Chamberlain was helping the builders again on the outskirts of the village.

Some other Gelflings had gone out to harvest more crops for the evening meals and then there was another Garthim attack. They began screaming.

At the moment, Chamberlain was alone doing the project while the builders had been at the market for the moment getting more supplies. Then, he heard the screaming.

He went to investigate the screaming.

The Garthim had killed all nine of the adults. One of the remaining ones was unconscious and one was a young one that was really afraid and down in the weeds, frozen with fear.

Chamberlain saw what was happening and he saw the Garthim. He went over and tried to protect the Gelfling child. He raised his hand and shouting at them to leave him alone.

Even in his new attire, the Garthim still recognized a Skeksis giving orders. They slunk away, not seeing any others.

Chamberlain then turned to the small Gelfling. “You ok?” He asked him, then he reached his hand out to help the child up.

The child was still frozen in shock after seeing his father killed and the others as well.

Then other Gelfling villagers came running up. “Get away from him!” They all had weapons in their hands.

Sil backed away.

“Look at what you did!”

“I not do this. Was helping small Gelfling.”

“We thought you could be trusted. Now we see that you can’t be! Come along, Bodo.” A Gelfling woman said as she picked up the child and took him away.

“Just stay away, Skeksis!” Another shouted.

The Gelflings left Sil standing there, dumbfounded. He had managed to save that child and that was how he was repaid?

But he saw the bodies lying around and knew they would be back. He did decide to respectfully take the bodies back to the edge of town where they would be found. He could take two at a time.

When he was done, there was some blood on his arms and hands. He went back to Queen Athya’s to explain what happened.

When he entered the queen’s throne chamber, Suth appeared and then many Gelfling guards as well. “Seize him!” Suth ordered.

Chamberlain was caught off guard when he saw large pointed spears and crossbows aimed on him. “Agh!”

“You are in big trouble, Chamberlain!” He heard Athya. “For killing our kin!”

His eyes widened. “I not do it! I saved child.” He said in shock.

“You have blood all over you. What does that say?” Suth demanded.

“I brought dead ones to the village. Not harm them.” Sil said.

“Chamberlain, from what the villagers told me, you are to be taken to the prison for now. Just go peacefully or they can do you harm.” Athya said. “This will be worked out.”

Sil couldn’t believe this, but with the weapons still on him, he went with them.

He was locked up in the prison area.

“I always knew there was something about you that was dangerous.” Suth said before he walked out.

Chamberlain went to the bars and tested their strength. They were pretty strong. There was no way he was leaving.

He went and sat down on the straw bedding. It had been bad enough of his own kind treating him like he didn’t matter, but he hadn’t gotten this kind of treatment from Gelflings before.

He had saved that child. There had been nothing he could do for the rest. Why wouldn’t they believe him? Tears welled in his eyes and started to fall.

After he had cried for awhile, he knew that if he ever got out of here, he decided to leave. This was too much. He laid down and thought some more before drifting to sleep.

Later on, Wyneth came to see him when she heard what had happened.

“Chamberlain, are you alright?” She asked.

“Don’t get too close. He’s dangerous.” The guard warned.

“Chamberlain, can you hear me?”

Sil heard her finally and he woke up. “Wyneth?” He moaned.

“Are you alright, Sil?”

“Yes. What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you. Tell me the truth. Did you kill those villagers?” Wyneth asked.

“No. I did not. Garthim did. Garthim are soldiers to Skeksis castle. I ordered them away. I got there too late to save other Gelflings, but saved the little one.” Sil explained.

“But why are your arms covered in blood?”

“I carried the dead ones back to the village. I promise, I did not kill them.”

“How can his story be believed?” The guard sneered. “It’s obvious he’s been plotting this for some time just because a lot of the villagers are wary of him.”

Chamberlain glared angrily at the guard. “I did not! I just went around doing my jobs. I never harmed any Gelfling.”

Wyneth had seen the sincerity in his voice as he had told her. “I believe you.” She said.

Sil looked down at her. She had a brightness in her eyes that said she did believe him.

“I’ll do my best to get you out of here. Byron and I are working on it, for the trial.”

“Trial?”

“Yes. There were some villagers killed many days before. Did you know about them?” Wyneth asked.

“No. I never knew about them. But why trial? Trial by what?”

“A trial, to prove if you’re innocent.”

“I said I was.”

“Sometimes it isn’t enough.”

“The little Gelfling could say.”

“Little Bodo is still in shock that his father was killed. He still isn’t talking.” Wyneth said.

Sil knew that if the little one didn’t talk, this was more than enough trouble for him. That female Gelfling had said to avoid stress and this was more than enough stress for him to take.

“I brought you some soap and water to clean your arms up.” Wyneth said. She held a bucket up.

“Thanks.” Sil said. He took the bucket through the bars.

He used the sponge to wash his arms up. When he was done, the soapy water was a red mess. Wyneth took it back.

“Like I said, Byron and I will get your name cleared.” She said.

“It’s time you left now, Wyneth.” The guard said.

Chamberlain didn’t want to be alone with the guard or the others who were mad at him. “Don’t go.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Sil. Just don’t do anything. We will get you out.” Wyneth said before she was herded out.

The guard also left.

Sil went back to the corner and sat down. He didn’t know what to do, and he felt his stomach growling, which was also making his little one get active. He still needed his dinner for the night. He rubbed his belly, trying to soothe the baby.

Then he heard footsteps. After many steps, in stepped Suth.

Sil saw the serious look on the Gelfling guard’s face.

“Tell me, Chamberlain. Why did you do it?”

“I not kill the Gelflings. If I had, I would have killed the little one too. But I did not. My old enemy’s Garthim killed them. I swear.” Chamberlain replied.

“The villagers only said they saw you out there, not anything else.”

“The Garthim obey any Skeksis. I sent them away. I couldn’t get there in time to stop them from killing the other Gelfling. I just went over when I heard the screams. All others were away at the time. I did what I could to try to save them.”

“We’ll see what the queen says about this in five days time. Here, here’s your food for tonight.” Suth slid a plate of food into the cell with a wineskin full of water.

Sil just glared at him. He didn’t move until the Gelfling guard was gone. Then he got up and collected the food and drink. With being pregnant, he needed all the sustenance he could get.

All that was on the plate was some Nebrie cheese, bread, and veggies. He ate them with no problem. Surely the queen would grant him good food since she knew of his delicate secret.

After he was done eating, he laid back down in the straw and tried to sleep. The only one who was truly keeping him company was his child. He could feel the little one moving about inside him. He couldn’t help but want to feel it move.

What would the Gelflings do if they never believed him? They would be taking more than one life if they thought of killing him. They would be taking at least three lives, as there was Sil and his baby, and his urRu counterpart.

Chamberlain would have rather faced another exile rather than life in a cage or being killed. He wanted to be able to raise his child. The Gelflings were posing a threat to its survival.

The thought of not being able to have and raise it made the tears come again.

It wasn’t easy to find sleep that night, but when he did, he fell asleep with a hand resting on his belly. His clothes kept him warm enough.