When SkekSil awoke again, just as his mate advised, she had to see how well he could move about again.

It hurt to push himself to sit up and she helped him to stand on his own. "AGGGGH! Hurts to move!" He cried out in pain.

"I know, but you have to try to walk." She urged. "I'll help you if you need help."

Sil pushed himself to walk but it felt like every body part was being stabbed from the tingles caused by the poison. He felt some spasms in his arms and legs. It instantly made him sit down again. "Agh! Can't! Too painful to move! Spasms!" Sil clutched himself.

"Okay. At least we tried. Here, lay down." She helped him to lay down again. "Do you think you could eat something?"

"NO! Agh!" Sil moaned in pain. He was having a painful spasm in his stomach and a leg.

The girl felt bad for him. At least this wasn't an intentional poisoning. It was an accidental ingestion.

….

Two days later, Sil was still incapacitated. He still didn't feel well. He still drank the Nebrie milk. He would also drink some water too. His wife would also keep his face and neck wet to keep the fever from rising. He was still down to his gown in clothing. The tent flaps were open during the day to keep air flowing in the tent. There were no fans on Thra.

Kinala was worried about her father. "Is my father going to die?" She asked the guard.

"No. He's just in a lot of pain, Princess. Perhaps you can do us a favor and ride to the castle in the morning to tell the other lords what's going on." He advised.

"Okay. But I can't go alone." Kinala said.

"Jurin will go with you." The guard, named Vangurt, declared.

"Ok. I'll tell Mom." Kinala replied. She went into the tent to tell the human.

"I agree with him. You can go and tell them. I'm sure they're expecting us back by now." She agreed.

The next morning, Sil was still sick and sore, so Kinala had no choice. She and Jurin rode their Landstriders back to the castle to tell them what was going on.

"Hope the other Skeksis will understand." The human stated, watching her brave daughter ride out.

…..

After finding their way out of the forest, Kinala and Jurin eventually returned to the castle. The captain of the guard questioned them.

"Where is the Lord Chamberlain, human, and the other guards?"

"We were sent back with a message that my father, Lord Chamberlain is very sick, and he can't be moved right now. He's being treated for it, however. I have to go tell the emperor." Kinala explained, pushing past him.

"He should be able to return in a few more days given he recovers just fine from the stickler's poison." Jurin declared.

"Stickler poisoning?" The Captain asked in shock.

"Yes, he ingested one by accident." Jurin replied. "He's in a lot of pain and sick. We were giving him the Nebrie milk, he just needs the time."

"Alright." The Captain stated.

…..

Kinala made her way to the throne room. The Ritual Master was still the emperor's advisor right now.

"My lords." Kinala spoke up.

The Skeksis turned to her voice. "Princess Kinala. Where have you been for so long? And where is your father and mother?" SkekSo demanded.

"That's why I am alone, my emperor. They are back in the Endless Forest because my father is very sick. He's been poisoned and can't move. My mom is looking after him." Kinala explained.

"What sort of poison?" The emperor asked.

"He wasn't sure what creature it was until he told the guards, and they said it was a two-eyed stickler. My dad is being treated with Nebrie milk as that is the cure. He should be fine to return in a few more days. He's too sore to move from the poison's effects." Kinala explained.

The other Skeksis were shocked at that and at the same time, found it rather funny. The Chamberlain, taken down by a creature like a stickler? That was hilarious to them!

Kinala didn't get it. They were being mean. They eventually quieted down.

"I hardly find that funny." Kinala declared. "You should show more compassion for one of your own who's suffering."

"The Chamberlain has been in need of a lesson for a while, young one, for much trouble that he's caused around here." The Ritual Master scoffed.

"You are not leaving the castle again, Kinala. You are going to get back to work now that you are here. Fine. Your father will return when he returns." SkekSo decreed. At least he knew.

Kinala wouldn't argue his orders, but she couldn't believe that they didn't show concern for her father in his time of suffering. They had shown it for the Hunter. What made her father so different than him? He was a Skeksis too.

She went to serve the Scroll Keeper like she did most of the time while waiting for her parents to return.

….

Kinala never came back. The human assumed her daughter had made it back to the castle. She continued to treat her love as he continued to drink the milk and it seemed like the milk wasn't working at first but after another day, things started to improve a little more.

Sil's fever finally broke but he was still weak and had spasms still. He was still sore. He hadn't eaten anything in over five days. He had refused to downright eat anything while the toxins had invaded his stomach. He knew he would recognize the creature from that time on. He would never eat stickler again.

When Sil felt more rested and awake finally without feeling too feverish, he moaned but asked, "Can Chamberlain have some food?"

"Sure. Go get him something from our food supplies." The human ordered. The one other guard did so and got a bowl of broth. It should be gentle on his stomach to take.

Sil was finally able to sit up more comfortably. The spasms weren't coming on so frequently but there were some occasionally. His belly growled for the first time in hunger in over a week. He gladly took the broth and downed it. He also wanted more of the milk. It was nearly gone, but it had served the purpose well.

"Do you think you now have the strength to make it home?" The human asked.

"Am feeling stronger now. Yes. Am feeling better. Can make it now, Human. Ready to go home." Sil replied happily. He pushed himself to his feet, almost falling down again but made it. His long tail helped his balance.

The human admired his tail for that. She couldn't help but be jealous about not having a tail. Humans lacked special body parts like limbs and tails. She then proceeded to help her mate get fully dressed again and he walked around the camp to get more of his bearings again. He couldn't be carried so easily like a Gelfling could, so he had to support his own weight.

The camp supplies were all bagged up and put in the carriage. The remaining two guards got on the last Landstrider and the human and Sil got in the carriage.

They had been overdue for over a week and had spent two weeks away instead of the intended one week.

"How are you feeling?" The girl asked Sil.

"Much better, Human. But still shaky. Hmmm." Sil replied.

"That's good. You might still need some more rest even when you get home." She suggested.

"Yes, perhaps. Still not completely well, but well enough to get home finally." He stated.

They soon returned to the castle. Getting the supplied out would be up to the servants. Sil and his wife departed the parking area and went to find the throne room.

On the way to the throne room, the girl noticed her mate was not walking like his normal walk. It was rather jaunty. More like a good limp to it. Sil had a sore leg from a bad spasm that had hurt his calf. (Like a Charlie horse cramp.)

They both soon appeared to the throne room. Sil announced his presence with his usual whimper. He was breathing harder from climbing stairs and such with his sore legs. The other Skeksis in there turned to see their missing return.

"Ah! Welcome Human and SkekSil." The Emperor greeted them.

"My emperor." The human bowed respectively. "It's good to be back again."

"Chamberlain." So stated.

Sil bowed. "Yes, good to be here. Does Chamberlain get to be advisor again?" he asked.

"Are you well enough for it?" So asked.

"Not quite yet, my lord. He was very sick while being poisoned out there. He still has some of the side effects of it, but this is the best he's able to be able to be standing up again." The human explained. "He still needs a few more days of rest before he can resume duties."

"Is that true, Chamberlain?" So asked.

"Yes, Emperor. Still not well enough. Injuries too." Sil replied. It was hurting him to stand there for a prolonged period as it was.

"Very well. You may have your rest." So decreed.

"Thank you, Sire." Sil bowed.

The two of them were now allowed to leave the room and go to their room. When they got to their room, it was the most welcome sight of all. There was nothing like sleeping in their own bed again.

Sil needed his soft bed right now. He was also stiff from lying on that hard ground. He quickly got out of his robes and left with his gown on again. "Come get in bed, Human." He ordered.

"Do you really feel like doing that?" she asked as she got undressed too.

"No. Just get in bed with me." Sil ordered. He patted the bed.

She got out of her clothes too and climbed to bed with him. She was finally able to cuddle with him again. He wasn't too sore to touch now. She instantly cuddled into his chest and even put a hand down on his belly to rub it a bit. He let her do that. Sil smiled as he smelled her hair. It needed washing but he was just glad to be home again.

They ended up falling asleep like that. But after a while, the girl woke up and had to get up and go check on other things; like Kinala. She wanted to see how her daughter was. She let Sil sleep.

She got to SkekOk's library. She knocked and entered. "Yeah, who is it?" Ok asked.

"It's me. I'm back." The human replied.

"Mommy! You're back!" Kinala squealed in joy, making Ok hold his ears.

The human laughed and she greeted Kinala in a big hug. "Nice to see you too. But let's use our inside voice, shall we?"

"Sorry. Yeah." Kinala replied. "Where's Dad?"

"He's in bed sleeping again. We got back a while ago. Had a little nap too. He's better to move but not completely recovered yet." She explained.

"Just what is wrong with the Chamberlain?" Ok demanded.

"He's got a sore leg, and some jittery body movements from the spasms that racked his body for several days. The guards say that it'll disappear with some more time to heal. It was a stickler's poison that he hunted and didn't know what it was." She explained.

"Hmm. I see. Yeah. Sounds like he does need more rest." Ok stated.

"Well, I'm welcome to come back to work. I know I couldn't be happier to be back here. I was worried that another Rakkida might attack us or something and Sil wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

"Rakkida are brutes." Ok declared. "Dangerous."

"I know that all too well."

"I'm just happy you're home, Mom." Kinala hugged her again.

"Me too." The human replied.

"Whatever, just get to work." Ok ordered. She put her daughter down and they got to work on what needed done.

…..

Sil soon awoke and he found he was alone. His mate must have gone back to work. He just couldn't just yet. But it wasn't long before the door opened and in came his mate. She had a plateful of some pieces of meat.

"Here, I got you some meat from the dinner table." The human declared.

"Hmmm, yes. Much thanks." Sil said. He had regained his appetite too, at least.

…..

SkekSil's body continued to heal over the coming days. But there came the time of the month for his mate, so his daughter took over some of her duties. She was off to her private room. She was gone for a week.

When Sil was sure he was well again, the other Skeksis started seeing him more around the castle again and he got his job back again. The Scientist had even checked him over for anymore illness ailments. He had taken a look at him when they had first returned and saw what they meant about the jitters. But he could have told the Chamberlain to not eat a stickler too.

When the human got out of her private room, she went back to helping the Scientist as well.