Sorrow | Dune | Gurney Halleck

Chapter Thirty Six

The worst night of Mildred's life came around three in the morning when everyone was suppose to be asleep. It was extremely rare for someone to enter the room of those belonging to the house without any warning. It was when both Gurney and Mildred knew the situation was dire. The door of their room clattered open with a loud bang causing them both to wake immediately. Mildred fought to cover her nightgown with the blanket while Gurney glared at the young soldier who had wide eyes.

"My Lady, sir, the shield has come down!" He said with urgency.

The shield? Mildred looked at Gurney with sleepy eyes. Confusion flooded her body. What shield? The only shield she could think of was the one surrounding the castle and wall protecting them. She felt the room shake abruptly. An alarm was sounding in the distance.

"Are we under attack?" Mildred asked.

"It appears so." The soldier answered.

An attack. The one her father had been fixated on was coming true. She watched as Gurney swung his feet over the bed and slipped his boots on. "We need to go, now."

"I just need to change-"

Gurney cut her off. "No, Mildred. They're going to attack here and the castle. It won't be safe."

She raised an eyebrow. He wanted her to run out into the open wearing her nightgown? She supposed in the moment, it didn't matter. She slipped out of the bed quickly and found a pair of shoes that would be comfortable enough to run in.

"I want everyone out of the barracks. Now." Gurney instructed the young soldier and handed Mildred a spare sword.

She looked down at the sword. "This is really happening."

"It'll be okay. I'm going to find somewhere safe for you." He promised.

"And my family?" She asked as they began to walk down the hallway.

"Guards are in there. They'll be protected."

Gurney's confidence diminished the moment they stepped outside. Fear was something that was hardly present in him, but she could see it spreading across his face slowly. It was chaos. Soldiers ran all around them. A large ship belonging to the Guild loomed in the sky. Another ship, belonging to the Harkonnens deployed frigates, gunships and carriers holding troops to the surface of Arrakis. There had to be at least a hundred of them.

"Oh my gosh." Mildred whispered in despair. She had never seen anything like it before.

"Get everything we have off the ground!" Gurney yelled to his men.

A missile flew overhead, striking one of the control towers. It erupted into a ball of fire with an almost blinding light. Mildred could feel the heat from where she stood. She felt Gurney wrap a hand around her wrist. "Come on! We aren't safe here!"

They both took off running. Another missile struck a tower and Mildred watched in horror as the men, her men, were blown back by the explosion. Tears prickled in her eyes. She couldn't cry. This was not the time or place. Another blast, this time directed at one of their frigates. A realization came over her. They were trying to trap them on the planet. She could make out the shape of a Harkonnen frigate landing in the distance. Soldiers came pouring out of it.

Three soldiers swiftly approached. Gurney stepped forward towards them and within seconds they were slain. "With me!"

Mildred stood motionless as the Atreides soldiers ran around her. Then, Gurney caught her eye and she knew he was about to say something she wasn't going to like. He walked towards her slowly as if anchors were strapped to his feet while paying attention to his surrounds. He looked down at his wife standing in her thick nightgown. A hand wrapped around her sword. Her eyes filled with terror, but her face was hardened.