Over the next 3 days, both Shenzi and Chamberlain were still at Aughra's home. Shenzi had to go out about 3 times a day to kill prey for her friend. And she also killed for herself too. Aughra wasn't too pleased really with having to share her quarters with two meat eaters. She had found out that even Shenzi was a killer. But in her case, only for food for herself and Chamberlain. To the outside visible eye anyway.
...
On the 8th day after coming here, Aughra said enough was enough. Chamberlain needed to walk again so he could leave. His friend too. He was more than ready to leave this place. So was Shenzi.
He tried using the wall and the strength of Shenzi's shoulders to help himself stand up again. He had also been given herbs to help with pain and recovery. Aughra gave him a cane to help too if needed.
Chamberlain's leg was still in great agony, but he was now on his feet again. He whined as he limped so slowly. Maybe if he was taken back home, the Scientist could help him some more. He needed a Skeksis doctor.
But in the end, though they were both leaving together, Chamberlain was not going to walk that far with that injured leg. The wounds were so severe that the stitches still needed to be in for awhile. Aughra changed the bandages one more time before Shenzi was tied up in the harness again and she pulled him along to the outdoors and on to the Castle. As fast as she could move, Chamberlain knew they could be there real soon.
...
He was awake the whole way there. He had gotten plenty of rest for the past 8 days. Chamberlain had been surprised when Aughra had strapped Shenzi into a vine harness to pull him along. She only went in the directions she was told to go.
They arrived back at the Castle before the first sun even set. "Now what, Chamberlain?" Shenzi asked.
They were still a distance away. "We wait for night. They all sleep at night. Then we sneak in." He said.
"Very well, so we pace ourselves." Shenzi said. He gave her a pat on the shoulder. She was on his left. They rested some more before total darkness engulfed the landscape.
...
Soon, they awoke again. Chamberlain woke up Shenzi and she began pulling him toward the entrance. As they got closer, SkekSil knew he had to stand up to be let in. He was in control of the Garthim.
He used his cane and Shenzi to stand up and walk to the entrance. He put up his hand. "Let us through Garthim," and they did. Shenzi was scared though of those big dark brown beetles. She pulled him in through the entrance and a little ways further, but then stopped. "I can't go further. I'm sorry." Shenzi said.
"Why? We are here." He said.
"Yes. You are home, but not me. Those big dark beetles scare me." She said in a nervous tone. She was so scared that the hackles on her back and neck were beginning to raise. Her tail was in between her hind legs.
Chamberlain had never seen her do this before. "Very well. I go alone then." He said as he undid her from the harness. "Thanks for helping me."
She smiled but remained nervous. He pulled himself up. "Now I try to go to my room to rest. If want to come, welcome." Chamberlain proclaimed to her.
"Thanks, but I think not. Take care of yourself. Be careful when walking right now." Shenzi said, and began to sneak back to a tunnel back behind them that led to the underground or sewers of the Castle. He didn't force her to come. She had done enough for him already.
Now Chamberlain was on his own. He slowly made his way through the Castle to find his room. It had appeared now that all the others had gone to bed, which was what he was hoping for, to not get discovered by them until morning anyway.
Shenzi came back out and secretly followed him. She stayed alongside the walls and making sure she was silent.
As Chamberlain was nearing his bed chamber, there was one miscalculation. The High Priest was still up right now on this night. He came around the corner and he saw another Skeksis that was out of bed. He saw a cane held by his fellow Skeksis and thought it was the Scientist, but he had a glowing eye. This one didn't.
"SkekZok!" Chamberlain shrieked.
The High Priest was shocked when he heard his name and the voice of the other Skeksis. "Chamberlain! What are you doing here?! You were banished and not to be here!"
His shouting had woken some nearby other Skeksis. The ones closest were the General, the Gourmand, the Scientist, and the Historian. They all rushed out to the racket. "What is the meaning of this noise? We are trying to sleep." General inquired.
"The Chamberlain is back." High Priest said and pointed.
All 4 looked and there was Chamberlain. He smiled slyly and whimpered. He began backing up, knowing what could possibly happen to him. His leg still crippled him. It still throbbed too. It was in no shape for running.
The others glared at him and began advancing on him. "I just want to go to my room." skekSil said. "Please."
"You were banished. You are to get out on your own, or we will force you. What's it going to be Chamberlain?" General asked.
"I can't choose either. I need some rest. That's all. I can't travel right now."
"Well then we will choose for you! Grab him!" General ordered. The High Priest and Scientist were going to grab the wounded Chamberlain. He dropped his cane and he lost his footing as his sore leg gave out on him. He screamed in pain.
Shenzi was watching the drama unfold and didn't like what she was seeing. They were going to kill him if she didn't step in. This was making her angry.
...
Chamberlain was on the floor panting when the Scientist and High Priest grabbed his arms. He cried out as he was pulled to his feet. They tried to move him back to the entrance way to force him back out, and now that he had balance, he hopped on one leg.
On their way to the entrance, a strange creature appeared in front of them. "What's this?" High Priest demanded.
"Shenzi!" Chamberlain cried for her.
Shenzi could hear the scared panic in Chamberlain's voice.
"Let him go." Shenzi demanded herself. She made her voice sound threatening as possible.
"Who are you?" General asked.
"I said let him go!" She spoke up.
"Oh go away, Animal." The Scientist said.
"I will say for the last time, let him go!"
"And what will you do if we don't?" The Historian mocked her.
"It could be a broken arm or leg." Shenzi said.
"She doesn't look like she could." Gourmand said.
"You wanna bet?" Shenzi asked in a mock voice too.
"I'll get rid of her." The High Priest said and went toward her. "Get out of here!" He shouted.
"Not without him." Shenzi said.
Chamberlain was still trying to balance on one leg, but now he had lost his footing again. "Chamberlain, you clumsy fool!" General told him angrily. "Get up!"
"Leave him alone!" The hyena shouted back. She was standing her ground and not backing off. Chamberlain had locked eyes with her. The High Priest was now upon her.
"I said get out of here!" He said and drew his knife. Since she wasn't moving, he tried to stab her real fast, but then she dodged his attack. She jumped to his left. She laughed at his expense.
He tried again and again. She kept on jumping away. Now the other Skeksis were crowding her and even the others were awake now and joining on getting her crowded into a corner, Chamberlain forgotten. He used her distraction to get to his feet and to try to get to his room.
Soon, the Garthim were called on and now Shenzi was pushed into a corner. But she dodged their claws and got back to the Skeksis masters. "I'm not going to go anywhere." She said. Her ears could pick up on them. She knew when to move.
"Hold Garthim! She wants us to finish her off. Do it!" General, as the new Emperor, demanded. The High Priest was ready.
Now that she was in a corner, and cornered. There was one other option. "Don't come any closer." She said.
They still were advancing. Chamberlain was watching from afar. Just like the way he had become when he had lost the battle in the Trial by Stone. He was afraid he was going to lose her. Then he heard a growling noise. It wasn't his stomach or one of the other Skeksis.
The High Priest was in front. His knife was drawn, ready to kill, but now, Shenzi's eyes were locked on his arm with the knife in it. He tried to swipe at her, and she now had her teeth bared and her jaws were snapping out of defense. Chamberlain watched.
When he tried again, Shenzi had now clamped on to the High Priest's left arm. He cried out in pain, and Shenzi was shaking his arm and pulling, clamping her jaws down. There was a snap heard, and he was on the ground. He was the tallest of the Skeksis, and here Shenzi was, a smaller creature, and she had him pinned to the ground. He had let go of the knife a while ago.
Now she was just standing there with his arm in her mouth. She glared into the Skeksis' blue eyes, which had fear in them. She gave one final glare into his and let go. The other Skeksis had given them space. They didn't want to be attacked.
She made her way over to Chamberlain.
"Chamberlain, how dare you bring her in here! Get out!" The Emperor ordered.
"He can't. He is in no condition to travel. He came home because of that. I helped him to get here." Shenzi said. She saw that the High Priest was now up and glaring at her with a vengeance in his eyes. He was holding his left wrist, which was now broken.
...
In the Valley, urZah the Ritual Guardian Mystic, had a broken arm too.
...
"What do you mean he can't travel?" The Ornamentalist asked.
"Show them." She said.
Chamberlain, leaning on the cane with his left hand, reached down with his right hand, and pulled up the clothing to reveal the huge bandage dressings. "I'm wounded and my leg needs to heal. Badly chewed by an animal. Chewed to pieces. Stitches need to heal." He said.
"No doubt she did it!" The Slave Master said.
"She did not do it! Another one. She saved my life from that animal! She has a wound on one of her front legs to prove it!" Chamberlain back talked to him. "She and Aughra saved my life!"
Now they all were shocked.
"Let's go to your room now, Chamberlain." Shenzi said.
He turned and now they both went to his room. The others followed with the exception of High Priest and Scientist. They went to his lab to fix the High Priest's arm.
...
In his room, Chamberlain sat down first. Shenzi supervised. Then he put his left leg up and then he pulled himself up further into his bed with his arms and good leg.
Shenzi now jumped up onto the bed. She grabbed his blankets and pulled them down for him. "Thanks."
She smiled and bowed her head. He pulled himself up into the space and then she pulled the blankets up over him. He settled into his bed to rest. Shenzi now laid down beside him. The others had watched with interest.
Both Chamberlain and Shenzi glared at the other Skeksis, but they glared back at her more than him. She just about bared her teeth at them too. Her growl was simple. It meant 'keep away or I will hurt you too.'
Chamberlain soon dozed off. Shenzi stayed awake until all the others had left. She had gone and closed his door for the privacy. There was a lock also. So now it was locked and they both could rest in peace for the time being. Shenzi slept next to Chamberlain on his bed and it sure was comfortable.
The wounded Skeksis slept his greatest for the first time in many days. He was back in his own bed. Now he had a real friend in this Castle.
