And what else do you need? I imagine you do not lack for followers, assuming that the Fremen have decent numbers, and that others will join your cause on the way.
[ She pauses, eyes doing their best to lock onto his blue ones. ] What role will I play in all this? How might I be of use to you?
[ She imagines that everyone around Paul has a role that they will fill, if they have not filled it already. Her own role in this is one she still is trying to figure out.
There must be some way that she can be useful to Paul; she intends to be useful one way or another, but it is finding out where she is specifically needed that is the task at the moment. But she wishes that her only task was holding Paul's hand and perhaps sharing in a stolen moment of affection before duty and responsibility get in the way.
She can tell from the looks that the Fremen woman is giving her that she is not welcome here, nor is she trusted. She seems to have been grudgingly given a place here, at least temporarily, but the look in Chani's eyes is unmistakable. Why should anyone trust her, anyway? She knows what they must think of her and of her choices.
But, as far as she is concerned, her choices are less important now; her actions are what matters.
Once they reach the camp and Paul starts showing her how to set up the tent, she focuses on each step, wanting to be able to do this herself if it comes to that. She remains quiet as Paul offers the explanation as to why neither of them will be joining the others, deciding that for now, it is best if she remains in the background until she has learned what she needs to about the desert and about these people who seem to be more than a little important to Paul.
Once the tent has been put together, and Paul instructs her to go inside, she does as she is told, choosing to follow Paul's lead as he is the more knowledgeable of the two of them. ]
A Fremen invention, I suppose. A clever idea, and a useful one, as the desert is not a friendly place.
[ She silences herself quickly as soon as she sees Paul start to sign. She follows the motions he makes with his hands, taking in each word and then nodding when he finishes. Spice in the food... Somehow, she is both surprised and unsurprised to learn of this.
But Paul still has more explanations, and so she continues to simply sit and listen. ]
A Weirding Woman, and the Weirding Way. [ She files those names away so that she might remember them, even if she finds she does not particularly like the sound of them. Sayyadina sounds slightly better, but that is not what concerns her at the moment. ] And how would I go about proving it? [ If she is unsettled by the prospect of working alongside Jessica, she gives no sign of it, other than a slight tightening of her lips, which is quickly forgotten about because of the next thing he says. ]
Your sister? Is your mother...?
[ She must be, or he would not have said that. Lady Jessica must not be very far along either, unless her count of the days is considerably inaccurate.
She remains quiet as Paul removes his gloves, the plug in his nose, and whatever else he needs to in order to be comfortable. If being comfortable is a concept for him anymore. Then he produces the ring and slides it onto his finger before reaching for her hands. She does not move an inch, because there is no one that she trusts more than Paul, and when his fingers brush against her hands before moving to try and hold them, she remains still, except for the slight curl of her fingers against his. ]
I thought that the entirety of your house must have been- I am glad that you and your mother are still here. [ She would echo the names of those who have been lost, but in a way, she knows she does not have to. Paul would know how she feels about the loss of his father, and of the rest as well. The weight of it must be greater for him, however, and so she chooses to focus only on his needs. ]
You survived, Paul. You survived, and the Harkonnens will regret that when the time comes.
no subject
[ She pauses, eyes doing their best to lock onto his blue ones. ] What role will I play in all this? How might I be of use to you?
[ She imagines that everyone around Paul has a role that they will fill, if they have not filled it already. Her own role in this is one she still is trying to figure out.
There must be some way that she can be useful to Paul; she intends to be useful one way or another, but it is finding out where she is specifically needed that is the task at the moment. But she wishes that her only task was holding Paul's hand and perhaps sharing in a stolen moment of affection before duty and responsibility get in the way.
She can tell from the looks that the Fremen woman is giving her that she is not welcome here, nor is she trusted. She seems to have been grudgingly given a place here, at least temporarily, but the look in Chani's eyes is unmistakable. Why should anyone trust her, anyway? She knows what they must think of her and of her choices.
But, as far as she is concerned, her choices are less important now; her actions are what matters.
Once they reach the camp and Paul starts showing her how to set up the tent, she focuses on each step, wanting to be able to do this herself if it comes to that. She remains quiet as Paul offers the explanation as to why neither of them will be joining the others, deciding that for now, it is best if she remains in the background until she has learned what she needs to about the desert and about these people who seem to be more than a little important to Paul.
Once the tent has been put together, and Paul instructs her to go inside, she does as she is told, choosing to follow Paul's lead as he is the more knowledgeable of the two of them. ]
A Fremen invention, I suppose. A clever idea, and a useful one, as the desert is not a friendly place.
[ She silences herself quickly as soon as she sees Paul start to sign. She follows the motions he makes with his hands, taking in each word and then nodding when he finishes. Spice in the food... Somehow, she is both surprised and unsurprised to learn of this.
But Paul still has more explanations, and so she continues to simply sit and listen. ]
A Weirding Woman, and the Weirding Way. [ She files those names away so that she might remember them, even if she finds she does not particularly like the sound of them. Sayyadina sounds slightly better, but that is not what concerns her at the moment. ] And how would I go about proving it? [ If she is unsettled by the prospect of working alongside Jessica, she gives no sign of it, other than a slight tightening of her lips, which is quickly forgotten about because of the next thing he says. ]
Your sister? Is your mother...?
[ She must be, or he would not have said that. Lady Jessica must not be very far along either, unless her count of the days is considerably inaccurate.
She remains quiet as Paul removes his gloves, the plug in his nose, and whatever else he needs to in order to be comfortable. If being comfortable is a concept for him anymore. Then he produces the ring and slides it onto his finger before reaching for her hands. She does not move an inch, because there is no one that she trusts more than Paul, and when his fingers brush against her hands before moving to try and hold them, she remains still, except for the slight curl of her fingers against his. ]
I thought that the entirety of your house must have been- I am glad that you and your mother are still here. [ She would echo the names of those who have been lost, but in a way, she knows she does not have to. Paul would know how she feels about the loss of his father, and of the rest as well. The weight of it must be greater for him, however, and so she chooses to focus only on his needs. ]
You survived, Paul. You survived, and the Harkonnens will regret that when the time comes.