Sorrow | Dune | Gurney Halleck

Chapter Thirty Three

"For four weeks, I lived with the Fremen." Duncan explained to the group as they stood inside one of the meeting rooms inside the palace. "Hidden in the desert in a community called a sietch. Stilgar, the leader of that sietch, has come with me to meet you, sire."

"This...sietch, how it is hidden?" Leto asked.

"It's underground. Arrakis is filled with caverns." Duncan answered.

"How big was this place?" Paul asked curiously.

"I'd say 10,000 people. And there are hundreds of sietches."

Mildred's eyes widened. The number the Harkonnens had reported had been off greatly.

"Millions of Fremen." Leto spoke quietly.

"The Harkonnens estimate was 50,000 on the whole planet." Thufir told Leto.

"The Fremen watched me search for them for days." Duncan continued. "I never saw them. Finally, they sent a warrior out to kill me. And I gotta tell you, I have never been so close to dying before. They fight like demons."

"Desert power." Leto walked forward and shook Duncan's hand. "Well done."

"Sire," one of the guards interrupted the reunion. "The leader was a knife, he won't surrender it, sire."

Duncan looked back at Leto. "It's a crysknife. It's sacred to his people."

"Let him pass." Leto told the guard.

Mildred, Leto, Paul and the others went behind to stand at the table. She didn't know quite what to expect from the leader, Stilgar, but it wasn't what she pictured when he walked into the room. The first thing she noticed was the blue eyes followed by the confidence in his walk. He didn't even seem to care who was in the room. He wore a suit similar to Duncan's with a light, almost mesh cloth over it.

"Stop there!" Gurney yelled as he approached the table quickly. "Hey, hey!"

Her father raised his hand and all around Mildred heard the sound of swords unsheathing. Even she herself had wrapped her hand around her sword. The man studied the group for a moment, noting the similarities between Leto, Paul and Mildred. What he did next surprised all of them. He spit right on the floor just as her father welcomed him and Mildred tensed. Gurney lunged towards Stilgar, but was stopped by the sound of Duncan's voice.

"Hold! Thank you, Stilgar, for the gift of your body's moisture. We accept it in the spirit in which it was given." Duncan said before spitting himself.

Mildred didn't know if she wanted to laugh or be amazed. It would be incredibly disrespectful if she did laugh. It was just another long list of reminders about the scarcity of water on the planet.

"I'm glad you've come. I believe your people and mine have much to offer one another." Leto spoke again.

"No, no, you are outworlders. You come here for the spice, you take it, and give nothing in return." Stilgar said with the shake of the head.

"That's true." Paul spoke quietly.

"I know you've suffered at the hands of the Harkonnen. Name what you want. If it's in my power to grant it, I'll give it and ask for nothing." Leto said.

Mildred could see the disbelief, the untrusting look in the man's eyes. "My father is a man of his word."

Stilgar lifted his head to look at the young woman who spoke to him before adverting his eyes to the Duke. "I ask for this. Do not seek our sietches. Do not trespass in our lands. The desert was ours long before you came. So, come and dig your spice, but when you have it, go back to this side of the Shield Wall and leave the desert for the Fremen."