Sorrow | Dune | Gurney Halleck

Chapter Thirty Nine

They called her brother Muad'Dib, but she chose to call him Paul. She watched him change greatly over two years. He was no longer a boy. He was something far greater than that. It still terrified her at times how the Fremen people saw him. She knew what could happen if a man stood too high on a pedestal. If he thought he was too inferior. This was an opinion she kept to herself. In the end, Paul was still her brother. The time they spent together had condensed, but those times were always pleasant, familiar to how things were before they came to Arrakis.

Mildred dismissed her class at the sign of first light creeping into the formation. She tighten the straps of her stillsuit and began to walk where Paul was sleeping. Today was a monumental day for her brother. It would be the day he rode a sandworm. It was a rite of passage for all Fremen. Mildred herself had accomplished it only a year ago and almost died in the process, but she still did it. A storm was coming in from the south as Mildred walked to speak with her brother.

She waited a moment for Paul and Chani to finish their conversation before moving to stand next to her brother who was now quite taller than she. She folded her arms across her chest and glanced at the rising sun in the distance. "Are you ready?"

"Is anyone ever really ready?" He asked.

"I don't think so." She said with a smile.

"Any advice before I begin?"

"Let's see...don't fall off. Don't die." She teased him before clasping his shoulders. "I think you're going to do fine, though."

"Thank you, Mildred." Paul stared down at his sister.

So much about her had changed. His once courageous, witty, amusing sister was gone. A darker, more sullen person replaced her. He knew she missed home. He knew she missed those she lost. She blamed herself often even though there was no reason too. There were times he wished he could tell her of the future; that Gurney was alive. About the children she would have one day. How she would be one of the best leaders. He couldn't though. Sometimes those visions didn't come true. Her gray eyes had also changed to blue from the spice. While they weren't as blue as his, it was still noticeable.

An old Atreides flag blew in the distance. How the flag had been recovered, neither of them knew, but it was a nice reminded at times. Mildred had walked to the side, closer to Chani, so she could observe Paul's ride. She knew he was feeling nervous in the moment. Probably even scared. It was a daunting task for anyone. She watched as ascended one of the dunes and staked a thumper into the ground.

The ground beneath them began to pound minutes later. A worm was near. A large one by the sound of it.

"Have you heard the rumors?" Mildred asked Chani as they watched.

"Rumors?" The girl inquired.

"Some men wish for Paul to challenge Stilgar. They think Stilgar weak, that Paul should be the leader." She explained.

Chani sighed deeply. "I think we all knew this would happen. Usul is a good man. He will do what is right."

"It will create divisions. That's something we don't need."

Chani was silent. While Mildred admired the girl, she was still young. Mildred wasn't sure if the girl saw things the way Mildred did or if she was simply blinded by her love and devotion to Paul. It was a feeling Mildred knew though. The sand in the distance began to rise, carrying Paul up with it. Finally, she saw him on top of it. Cheers erupted from the crowd that came to watch.

Mildred kept a proud smile on herself. She never imagined that riding a sandworm was possible years ago, but here she was watching her brother after she had rode one a year ago. The sandworm was larger than the one she rode, but it was calm under Paul's touch. He rode it for maybe ten minutes. Just until the brink of exhaustion before dismounting it.

Just as she was starting to walk over to her brother to congratulate him, she heard the buzzing of an ornithopter. It was a rare sight this far into the desert, but not totally unheard of. In an instant, Chani pulled Mildred down next to her so they could cover themselves with their robes. She waited with baited breath for the 'thopter to disappear. Once the buzzing dissipated she stood up from the sand and looked to her brother.

"That ornithopter, it was unmarked." Mildred observed to Stilgar and Paul. "It wasn't Harkonnens then."

"Smugglers." Stilgar informed her.

"I think so too, but this is deep in the desert for smugglers." Paul noted.

"They've their difficulties with patrols, too." Stilgar said.

"If they've come this far, they'll come deeper." Mildred feared. "They could possibly sell information."

"We'll set up a trap. Lay some spice out. Capture the smugglers." Paul decided.

Stilgar shifted his weight in his feet. "And then what? Do we kill them or question them?"

Paul didn't answer and that scared Mildred. She didn't want to kill unless the necessity arose. She had done far too much killing the past few years. If they were innocent, they should be let free. She would not be the person to make that decision though.