Leto sat up in bed, breathing in gasping breaths. Ghanima was awake, he
knew it, because he had heard her breathing change when he'd woken in such
a state.
"I saw her again Ghani. I saw her, in a sietch, dancing. And I saw our grandmother. She's coming here soon, Lady Jessica. Alia told us yesterday, and now I've seen her here.she has something to do with all of it, I'm sure of it."
Ghanima sighed, and threw off the covers, walking over to his bedside. "I know she's coming. I was there as well. Alia says we should be careful of her, that she's still Bene Gesserit,"
Leto nodded, "Bene Gesserit at the beginning, her own creature at the middle, and then Bene Gesserit again. I say we find out how much we can confide. To trust in Alia in her state is.unprofitable to us."
Chaysula clutched Ankhar close to her, soothing her unconsciously by the sound of his purring. She was dressed like a commoner of Mohave Prime, clothed in brightly dyed fabrics swathed and folded and wrapped around her, her long dark hair was braided and wound in a Bahdu, a cloth of black cambric, signifying her age and status. Black was for the common folk, white for the merchant class, brown for the servants, and yellow for the slaves.
Faruka led her along the interstellar docking station, carefully avoiding being seen. They blended together among the wandering crowds, making their way slowly but purposefully over to a towering man with an ink vine scar marring his face.
Faruka indicated to Chaysula that she should bow low, as she did herself. "Gurney Halleck," Faruka spoke. "It is good to see you old friend."
Gurney smiled lovingly. "We missed you, Faruka, old girl. Smuggling just wasn't the same without you. After you'd been captured, we all thought that was the end of it for you. Never thought I'd see you again,"
Faruka scoffed. "Of course not. But I am lucky. I was sent back to my home- world as a slave, and I was bought to be a companion. But I am here on a matter of great urgency. Ivorek has allowed me to transport something very important, and now I must see it reaches its destination, and for that, I need your help."
Gurney raised a curious eyebrow, "I quit the smuggling business, unless you didn't hear,"
"It's not for you; it's for your Lady. Tell her that an important package has arrived for her safe keeping. And tell her if she damages it in anyway, I'd cross a thousand galaxies to slit her throat." Faruka finished, punctuated by Ankhar's fierce little growl of agreement. Faruka grinned, and pushed Chaysula forward, who raised her eyes to meet that of Gurney's.
"This is the package?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes. I am." Chaysula stated, standing regally in her peasant garb, "I must speak with the Lady Jessica. Immediately. If it can be done without causing a scene, all the better, for I am being hunted."
"Hunted by whom?" Gurney asked as he took her arm, turning away from his old companion.
"My father. We must go quickly," She added, watching down the crowded corridor, seeing her father's men searching the swarm of human bodies for the missing heir. "Those are his men. I fear if they get any closer it will be the end of us all, indefinitely- "
"But you-"Gurney began, taking stock of the surroundings.
Chaysula let out an aggravated breath, taking hold of Gurney's arm with her free hand, indicating to Faruka to walk ahead as they made their way into the universal docking terminal. "The Lady Jessica received a letter did she not? A letter from the sisterhood, wasn't it?"
She turned to him, but he just gazed, furrowing his eyebrows with discontent. "Don't answer that. I know she received it, or I wouldn't be here. My father has delusions on ruling the Emperium, and given the circumstances in which his delusions take, it is altogether too possible, given my status, and the wealth of my house, as well as my lack of Bene Gesserit education which could force the Regent to believe it would be a benefit."
"YOU!" a deep baritone voice shouted across the expanse of meandering bodies, "HALT! IN THE NAME OF THE COUNT!"
Gurney began to turn, but his smuggler companion told him in hushed tones, "Don't even stop. I wouldn't rush either. Just guide us onto the Atreides ship, and we will explain all we can,"
"Women," Gurney cursed as he led them past security with a flash of the Atreides badge. No one dared defy him while he wore it, and no one dared question him about the new arrivals he'd acquired in such a short period of time either.
They boarded the ship quickly, Gurney sending his men to tell the navigator to take flight, and others, commanding them to guard the door against all but their own.
"Still efficient I see, Gurney Halleck," Faruka said, an air of relief flooding her. She would tell no one, but the fear she felt disobeying the Count, standing open and alone unable to defend Chaysula or herself had plagued her, deeply frightened her. She had great admiration for her young charge, who had managed to maintain control of her faculties even after surviving such a tragic upbringing, and such a turbulent future.
Chaysula was fearless. Sometimes Faruka just longed to shake her until she understood the terrible danger one small misstep would mean, one misspoken word, one flicker of emotion, just shake her until she understood fully the truth of her fragile existence balancing on a thread so thin it was invisible. But some how, Faruka thought she seemed to understand better than she would.
They approached a set of Alloy doors, heavily guarded; Chaysula guessed it must always be this way, as Gurney Halleck approached it with nonchalance, although from his rigidity, she perceived he was wary of all possibilities that might harm his Lady. The doors slid open, and he turned. "I'll tell the Lady Jessica, please, wait here. Men, Guard them, if anyone comes on this ship and tries to take away these women, stop them,"
The doors slid shut with a resounding silence, "My Lady," Gurney cleared his throat, glancing at her incredulously, "The package has arrived. I do wish you'd have told me first."
Jessica's face lit with warmth and wonder, echoed in her voice and tone, "She's here? Daitrey's daughter?"
"I dunno. The daughter of that rotten Count Utaren. The Child says he's hunting her, and I would be inclined to agree, with all the uniforms out in the port."
There was a slight jolt, jarring the passengers as the Guild ship resumed its natural course, allowing Lady Jessica to regain her composure as Gurney ushered the girl in.
Jessica was struck by the clear resemblance of her mother, in her stance, in the strength of her jaw, and the softness of her face, but there was something all her own as well, something powerful about her, it seemed. Daitrey was so similar to this creature, and yet so different. The girl she remembered on Wallach five was a gifted Bene Gesserit, but she had none of the fire that shone in the eyes of her daughter, it smoldered beneath a surface of civilized temptation, she could see it there, hidden. She would have made a good fremen.
"You are Chaysula Utaren?" Lady Jessica asked, her voice softened by childhood memories of a dear friend.
Chaysula nodded, "I am."
***********************
if you read, please tell me what you think! I love suggestions, and I love to hear reader's opinions!
"I saw her again Ghani. I saw her, in a sietch, dancing. And I saw our grandmother. She's coming here soon, Lady Jessica. Alia told us yesterday, and now I've seen her here.she has something to do with all of it, I'm sure of it."
Ghanima sighed, and threw off the covers, walking over to his bedside. "I know she's coming. I was there as well. Alia says we should be careful of her, that she's still Bene Gesserit,"
Leto nodded, "Bene Gesserit at the beginning, her own creature at the middle, and then Bene Gesserit again. I say we find out how much we can confide. To trust in Alia in her state is.unprofitable to us."
Chaysula clutched Ankhar close to her, soothing her unconsciously by the sound of his purring. She was dressed like a commoner of Mohave Prime, clothed in brightly dyed fabrics swathed and folded and wrapped around her, her long dark hair was braided and wound in a Bahdu, a cloth of black cambric, signifying her age and status. Black was for the common folk, white for the merchant class, brown for the servants, and yellow for the slaves.
Faruka led her along the interstellar docking station, carefully avoiding being seen. They blended together among the wandering crowds, making their way slowly but purposefully over to a towering man with an ink vine scar marring his face.
Faruka indicated to Chaysula that she should bow low, as she did herself. "Gurney Halleck," Faruka spoke. "It is good to see you old friend."
Gurney smiled lovingly. "We missed you, Faruka, old girl. Smuggling just wasn't the same without you. After you'd been captured, we all thought that was the end of it for you. Never thought I'd see you again,"
Faruka scoffed. "Of course not. But I am lucky. I was sent back to my home- world as a slave, and I was bought to be a companion. But I am here on a matter of great urgency. Ivorek has allowed me to transport something very important, and now I must see it reaches its destination, and for that, I need your help."
Gurney raised a curious eyebrow, "I quit the smuggling business, unless you didn't hear,"
"It's not for you; it's for your Lady. Tell her that an important package has arrived for her safe keeping. And tell her if she damages it in anyway, I'd cross a thousand galaxies to slit her throat." Faruka finished, punctuated by Ankhar's fierce little growl of agreement. Faruka grinned, and pushed Chaysula forward, who raised her eyes to meet that of Gurney's.
"This is the package?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes. I am." Chaysula stated, standing regally in her peasant garb, "I must speak with the Lady Jessica. Immediately. If it can be done without causing a scene, all the better, for I am being hunted."
"Hunted by whom?" Gurney asked as he took her arm, turning away from his old companion.
"My father. We must go quickly," She added, watching down the crowded corridor, seeing her father's men searching the swarm of human bodies for the missing heir. "Those are his men. I fear if they get any closer it will be the end of us all, indefinitely- "
"But you-"Gurney began, taking stock of the surroundings.
Chaysula let out an aggravated breath, taking hold of Gurney's arm with her free hand, indicating to Faruka to walk ahead as they made their way into the universal docking terminal. "The Lady Jessica received a letter did she not? A letter from the sisterhood, wasn't it?"
She turned to him, but he just gazed, furrowing his eyebrows with discontent. "Don't answer that. I know she received it, or I wouldn't be here. My father has delusions on ruling the Emperium, and given the circumstances in which his delusions take, it is altogether too possible, given my status, and the wealth of my house, as well as my lack of Bene Gesserit education which could force the Regent to believe it would be a benefit."
"YOU!" a deep baritone voice shouted across the expanse of meandering bodies, "HALT! IN THE NAME OF THE COUNT!"
Gurney began to turn, but his smuggler companion told him in hushed tones, "Don't even stop. I wouldn't rush either. Just guide us onto the Atreides ship, and we will explain all we can,"
"Women," Gurney cursed as he led them past security with a flash of the Atreides badge. No one dared defy him while he wore it, and no one dared question him about the new arrivals he'd acquired in such a short period of time either.
They boarded the ship quickly, Gurney sending his men to tell the navigator to take flight, and others, commanding them to guard the door against all but their own.
"Still efficient I see, Gurney Halleck," Faruka said, an air of relief flooding her. She would tell no one, but the fear she felt disobeying the Count, standing open and alone unable to defend Chaysula or herself had plagued her, deeply frightened her. She had great admiration for her young charge, who had managed to maintain control of her faculties even after surviving such a tragic upbringing, and such a turbulent future.
Chaysula was fearless. Sometimes Faruka just longed to shake her until she understood the terrible danger one small misstep would mean, one misspoken word, one flicker of emotion, just shake her until she understood fully the truth of her fragile existence balancing on a thread so thin it was invisible. But some how, Faruka thought she seemed to understand better than she would.
They approached a set of Alloy doors, heavily guarded; Chaysula guessed it must always be this way, as Gurney Halleck approached it with nonchalance, although from his rigidity, she perceived he was wary of all possibilities that might harm his Lady. The doors slid open, and he turned. "I'll tell the Lady Jessica, please, wait here. Men, Guard them, if anyone comes on this ship and tries to take away these women, stop them,"
The doors slid shut with a resounding silence, "My Lady," Gurney cleared his throat, glancing at her incredulously, "The package has arrived. I do wish you'd have told me first."
Jessica's face lit with warmth and wonder, echoed in her voice and tone, "She's here? Daitrey's daughter?"
"I dunno. The daughter of that rotten Count Utaren. The Child says he's hunting her, and I would be inclined to agree, with all the uniforms out in the port."
There was a slight jolt, jarring the passengers as the Guild ship resumed its natural course, allowing Lady Jessica to regain her composure as Gurney ushered the girl in.
Jessica was struck by the clear resemblance of her mother, in her stance, in the strength of her jaw, and the softness of her face, but there was something all her own as well, something powerful about her, it seemed. Daitrey was so similar to this creature, and yet so different. The girl she remembered on Wallach five was a gifted Bene Gesserit, but she had none of the fire that shone in the eyes of her daughter, it smoldered beneath a surface of civilized temptation, she could see it there, hidden. She would have made a good fremen.
"You are Chaysula Utaren?" Lady Jessica asked, her voice softened by childhood memories of a dear friend.
Chaysula nodded, "I am."
***********************
if you read, please tell me what you think! I love suggestions, and I love to hear reader's opinions!