The Atreides Twins

Chapter 4

We landed inside of a makeshift hangar within a sietch on the outskirts of the deep desert. I observed everyone around me as we were lead further in and taken to a room where we could get some food and water. With no appetite I ended up wandering the sietch watching everyone as they worked on different things. Eventually I found my way to an overhang that looked out into the deep desert and began to get lost in my thoughts over what had happened. That was the moment my thoughts trailed to my father and I knew by now he was gone. He wouldn't have survived the morning if he even was kept alive through the night and I hoped the Harkonnens thought we were dead already but something told me they didn't. The more I thought about my father the more the reality sunk in and the pang in my heart I felt grew. I didn't even realize I was crying until I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Duncan looking down at me sadly. Without a word I flung my arms around him as the sobs I had been holding in began to take over. He held me tightly whispering words of comfort to me and neither of us noticed Paul, my mother and dr. Kynes standing there watching us. Paul wore a small smile as he watched, happy for the fact that I had someone other than him to go to right now. He knew how much our father's death would affect me. Mother watched sternly and disapprovingly which Dr. Kynes noticed. Around us people began to spring into action and another fremen ran up to Dr Kynes speaking in their language hurriedly. His eyes went wide and he called out to us. "Harkonnen patrols are close we need to leave," he said. Duncan pulled me with him as we followed until we reached what looked like an office. Duncan sealed the door and I joined Paul's side as Dr Kynes opened a passage way and explained where it led. We heard a commotion outside of the door and when I turned I saw Duncan heading towards it. "Duncan no," I called but he had already started closing the other set doors. "I will find you go now," he yelled just as they shut. I screamed just as my brother grabbed me and started dragging me down the passage way. I didn't hear anything that was said and all I could think is we just left him there. Once we arrived at the thopter I had given up fighting Paul and he sat me down in a seat before climbing into the pilot's seat. I was in shock, I didn't speak or respond as Paul began flying us out of the sietch. I felt in a haze as I could picture only the worst of what was happening to Duncan. I didn't notice the tears that fell as we began heading into a storm as Dr. Kynes had instructed. Once we were submerged by the storm a strong wave of spice flowed into my nostrils and my eyes went wide as visions began to consume me. The amount of spice within the storm overloaded my system and I couldn't stop them from coming. My breathing began to sound like panting drawing my mother and brother's attention. "Y/N," I heard my brother call to me, but I was so consumed by the visions and thoughts of Duncan I couldn't hear him. As time passed I eventually succumbed to sleep, my brother looked back to me worriedly before turning his attention back to the controls. "She'll be alright," mother said but Paul remained quiet still reeling from the information he had discovered about mother. 

Hours later I woke with a start and couldn't remember what had happened. I felt a hand on mine and looked up to see my brother looking at me with concern. All the memories came rushing forward and I remembered what had happened with Duncan. Tears sprung to my eyes and before I could let out a scream again my brother had grabbed me letting me scream into his chest as he held me. My heart felt shattered as all I could think was that Duncan was dead. He whispered to me as our mother watched me sobbing. A slight pang tinged her heart as she thought back to our father and realized I was feeling the same pain she was. When I felt her hand on me though I yanked back from both of them, feeling a rage I had never felt before. Paul stood at the ready, making sure I didn't do what he knew I wanted to. "This is all your fault," I muttered angrily before storming outside of the tent. I stood there watching out into the desert not moving when I felt Paul joining me. "He will be alright sister," he said putting a hand on my shoulder. I stayed silent not wanting to speak, too fearful the pain would be evident in my voice. He sighed and moved to begin gathering things up as my mother and I changed into the still suits dr Kynes had given us. Once we were ready I followed my brother walking in the fremen way as we made our way further south to find the fremen hidden there. From time to time both my brother and mother would look back to me but say nothing and finally I had grown tired of the scrutiny and moved ahead of them. As we drew closer to a rock formation where we would rest for the day before moving again at night, I knelt and could feel the rumble beneath the sand. I snapped up and looked around us trying to spot what I knew was coming. I met my brother's eyes and we both said the same thing with our eyes widening. "Worm, Run!" we said simultaneously. The three of us began sprinting as fast as we could towards he mountain of rock and as we got closer I pointed to the opening that would be our escape. the rumbling sound grew louder and louder drawing closer to us but we reached the doorway. Paul pushed mother inside and followed with me hot on his tails. I spun around to face the creature and just as I did it fully breached the sand and roared into the opening. I was bombarded by spice and as I inhaled I could feel myself falling back into the visions. I gasped as I stumbled but felt arms catch me as I did. My words were incoherent as my brother listened to my mumbles and my eyes looked as if I was seeing a million things at once, which wasn't far off. Eventually my mother and Paul followed a passage that led deeper inside of the formation. Paul carried me in his arms trying to discern the words I was saying, it almost sounded like I was speaking in the language of the fremen but he didn't think that was possible. Lost in my visions I was unaware of everything happening around me until a face broke through the visions in my view. A phrase popped into my head that I couldn't stop myself from saying when I saw him, "No man can face leadership without the challenge of combat," I said almost yelling as he looked at me. I could see his eyes widen but then his face went stoic again. I didn't hear anything else being said as the visions consumed me again. Soon though I felt myself lifted as we began moving out to avoid being found by Harkonnen patrols. I fell back into a restless sleep and didn't wake until we had finally arrived at a new sietch they used as an outpost. 

I sat up and looked around as everyone was bustling to change out of their stillsuits. I could see I had already been changed and there was a bowl of food sitting next to me on an outcropping. I took the food and smelled it filling my nose with the strong smell of cinnamon. Paul walked over quickly seeing me awake and sat with me. He stayed quiet letting me eat, feeling that I wasn't going to speak. Mother walked up to us with Stilgar and I heard her let out a gasp as she noticed my eyes. "Your eyes..." she started but the sound of her voice only sent the rage back into me that I felt towards her. I sat the bowl down and quickly walked away from her in a random direction. She went to follow but Paul stopped her as Stilgar watched me in confusion. I found my way to a spot that looked out at the desert and I stared off getting lost in my thoughts. I felt someone walk up beside me and could tell immediately it was Paul. "Are you alright," he asked despite knowing the answer. I stayed silent not feeling the need to speak and not wanting to. He sighed but decided to leave me be. I heard him say something to who I assumed was Stilgar and I felt both presences leave. I knew my brother just wanted to help, but in this moment I felt utterly alone. I had now lost two of the three most important men in my life and after seeing the visions I knew one day I may lose Paul too. I held back the tears and refusing to let anymore water from my body be wasted. Already the values of the fremen were becoming second nature to me and I knew before long I would be mistaken easily for one. I knew my eyes were already saturated in the blue like most of the people who lived on Arrakis their whole lives. There was no way I could see to avoid what was to come and for now I would not fight it but eventually I knew my brother and I would have to find a way out of this trap and what was to come. I could hear yelling coming from within the sietch and I knew already what was going to happen. Jamis would be calling Paul out because he had bested him when we had first encountered the Fremen. I made my way back in just as the fight was about to begin and I heard my mother use the voice on Jamis. I rushed forward before anyone else could say anything and pushed her back. "If you try that again it will be the blade of my knife you find not theirs," I said using the voice on her now with precision. She buckled under the force of it and Paul shot me a look before moving her to the side. The fremen all stared in wonder at me that I had just told my own mother what they had all been thinking essentially. I moved my way back towards Paul as he took a crysknife from a fremen woman before turning to me. I hugged him tightly but stayed silent not having the energy to speak again. I moved back towards Stilgar who just watched me curiously as the fight began. I knew this was a pivotal moment for Paul, he had never had to take a life before, but I knew today he would. The fight began and I watched intently, showing no emotion on my face like my mother, already knowing the outcome. I watched them trade blows before Jamis jumped at my brother. My mother gasped as they collided together on the ground and both went still. I stood up just as Paul began to push the now dead Jamis off of him and to the ground. The fremen gathered around him with whispers and I passed only seen by Stilgar as I made my way back to the alcove where I had awoken. I sat with thoughts in my head about the future as things were done to prepare for the funeral of Jamis where they would reclaim his water for the tribe. Mother tried to speak to me again as I settled into the sleeping pallet that had been made for me, rolling away with only the thought of Duncan on my mind.