WW XXV: Wolf of the Dunes

[Tanuchan]

Rahnia sat besides Chakyakha, seeing how he followed the offworld girl with his eyes. She smiled, though he didn't notice it. Softly, she just commented, "Chakyakha, you'd better have eyes for Harkonnen spies than offworld beauties."

 

He looked at her with a bland expression, though she saw in his eyes that he knew she was teasing - at least about the offworld girls part. Then he looked around him, apparently weighing in his mind the worth of all those people.

 

Rahnia also let her mind wander. She had talked with Salvis the day before, and she believed him when he had said he hadn't given the stilsuit to the Atreides man. However, the way he talked and a tension he couldn't disguise to her eyes made her still wonder about his reasons to be out in the erg.

 

~~~~

OOC: Vote for Pillow/Tor

Edited February 12, 2006 by Tanuchan

[Azuran]

Niab sighed as he leaned against the rock face behind him, keenly aware that his daughter was talking to Chakyakha across the cavern from where he stood. He felt a mix of emotions, among which he was surprised to find both jealousy and gratitude. Jealous Rahnia wasn’t there next to her own father, and yet a strange gratitude—a respect of sorts—for Chakyakha. Niab knew that in reality his daughter was probably safer near him than most of the other temporary inhabitants of the sietch.

 

Feeling the need to stretch his legs and not really wanting to stay where Rahnia and Chakyakha were in sight, Niab decided to go for a walk. He passed a few of the others in the passageways, noting the strained nods or muted greetings they would give. It was with genuine shock that he had heard from one of them that Ibis had been spreading the accusation of Rahnia of being a Harkonnen agent! With great constraint that he had simply continued walking, forcibly ignoring the urge yell at the offworlder for even considering that Rahnia might be allied with the Harkonnens.

 

OOC: Vote for Ibis.

[Sweetcherrie]

Was he still looking at her? No, he was talking to Rahnia. Had it even been real what she had felt that day she had met him? Fleur wondered if this was even worth it, the whole being in love thing only rendered her more nervous than she had ever been before.

 

Ah yes, he was looking at her! Fleur smiled, he was looking at her and Rahnia had to nudge him to actually keep his attention with their conversation, that must say something. She would have to think of a plan to speak to him alone, so far it had been difficult with all that had been going on. Maybe she could slip him a not later on, saying something about how they should meet that night.

 

Fleur nodded to herself, and quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper. She would wait until Rhania was gone, and then slip it into his pocket. Fleur continued with what she was doing, and finally Rahnia moved. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath, now would be her chance.

 

She got up and turned around. She casually took a few steps towards him, and smiled. He returned her smile and she started to feel dizzy, and then their daydream shattered as Ibis walked into the cave.

 

Fleur turned around again not to show her confusion, and devastation. She had been so close and now, now she had lost this opportunity. Stupid Ibis had totally spoiled it. Would she ever get a chance to be together with Chakyaka?

 

OOC: Vote for Ibis

[Patrick]

Whispers in the corridors. Whispers through the otherwise silent, abandoned chambers. Whispers float upon the moist air of the lower corridors. Accusatory whispers, annoyed whispers and angry whispers. Almost silent, yet still present, there for anyone to comprehend. Not immediately do the whispers reach the one they concern, but slowly and surely the rumours spread.

 

how do we know that we can trust him?...he led us here...he probably knows these caverns inside-out...can hide anywhere

 

Such whispers, and others. Sailing with the currents in the air. When Captain Algers finally heard them it was already too late. There was no way of stopping what had been set in motion. No way to stop an innocent from dying.

 

Tor Salvis was far from home. Sitting in the still searingly hot late-afternoon air, close to the entrance of these caves his thoughts drifted back home, to the family he had left there, and he wished he could see them. But they would only see him in the afterlife. Lost in his daydreams, and only a small part of his attention given to what was happening around him, Tor did not hear two people creep up behind him.

 

When he was shoved from behind, he tried regaining his balance, tried, frantically, to find a hold on the sharp rocks with his hands, but it was all in vain. His body tumbled several dozen feet down the rocky slope, and by the time it came to a halt, several of his limbs, and his neck protruded from his torso in angles, which could not be normal.

 

OOC: Tor Salvis/Pillow was an innocent villager. Specials, you have ~24 hours to send me your targets.

[Jammeez]

OOC: Dang! Missed it by that much!

[Azuran]

OOC: Written along with Gwai

 

 

After walking for several minutes Niab met nobody else, and only vaguely paid attention to where he was going. It wasn’t until he looked up that he found himself looking at Chakyakha, the only other occupant of the small rock alcove where Niab had ended up.

 

For a moment, Niab and Chakyakha simply looked at one another, blue eyes staring grudgingly back and forth, until Niab finally opened his mouth, “I can protect Rahnia from any enemy, I can! Anywhere…and Harkonnen or not…” Despite what he said, Niab knew good and well that Chakyakha probably wouldn’t have claimed otherwise to anyone other than perhaps Niab himself, and especially not to Rahnia.

 

“And what makes you think I can’t do better, Niab?” Chakyakha’s face showed a distinct and deep-rooted dislike for the other Fremen, yet both of them betrayed a certain fundamental respect for one another. “You know, she’s a lot like her mother used to be.”

 

The unspoken accusation prompted Niab to grit his teeth, “Well, maybe you should be more interested in helping us find out who’s the Harkonnen weasel among us instead of chasing that….Fleur around all the time!” That tinge of jealousy returned again, however, and he scowled, more to himself than Chakyakha, for being jealous at all because of an offworlder like Fleur.

 

Chakyakha sighed. "See, that's the problem with you all, so quick to jump to conclusions and now you think I should be too. Fleur's wonderful--why should I accuse someone of being a spy when I really don't know. Give me a couple days and when I know who did it I'll kill them myself."

 

"You don't have a couple days" said Niab dryly.

 

"Well, look where we got by accusing the drunk! I was pretty suspicious too but a lot of good that did. Of course I don't thik Rahnia is a Harkonen--she's a Fremen, but still I would like to know the details. Maybe she had a lover and he did hear her voice. He could be wrong without being guilty...or he could be a Harkonnen trying to make even the Fremen not trust each other.

 

Don't forget you are the one who jumped in and killed all of Sichana's attackers the first time. Maybe if you had questioned them then you would have found out that there was a second wave.

[Sweetcherrie]

OOC: Co-written with Gwai

 

With her fists clenched Fleur had left the cavern, doing her very best not to cry. Why, oh why, was it like this? Surely it wasn't meant to be, or something similar. But she couldn't help being in love, only from now on she would pretend not to.

 

Clearly faith was working against them, and somehow it didn't want her and Chakyaka to be together. To empty her head, and try and convince herself of the rightness of this decision Fleur wandered through the caves.

 

As he walked away from Niab Chakyakha was thoughful. Was it that obvious that he was sweet on the off-worlder? Maybe it was but he really was trying to be tough and uncaring. It's just that she was so trusting it was beautiful...and she was beautiful quite on her own.

 

What kind of clever fremen would fall in love with an off worlder? But she wasn't like most off-worlders. She observed the surroundings and she tried to fit into the Fremen culture. She wasn't outrageously wasting water more than she could help it and she listened when corrected. As he walked toward the others he wondered where she was.

 

Fleur stopped dead in her tracks; she was trying to get him out of her mind, and there he walked straight into her world. She tried to step back before he had seen her, but Chayaka chose just that moment to look up. Their eyes met.

 

He smiled. Sometimes the gods were kind. "Your hair floats llike a halo."

 

Why did he have to be nice to her just after she had decided to follow faith?

 

"Yeah, well, thanks."

 

She wanted to turn around, and really be a bitch, but she couldn't. Her legs were frozen to the spot, and those eyes, she simply couldn't turn away from those eyes.

 

As Chakyaka watched the emotions fly across Fleur's face he began to realize that it wasn't as easy as he'd thought. Still, any woman who looked into his eyes that way was not yet lost to him.

 

"You're upset."

 

A tiny little nod was all that Fleur did to acknowlegde this. She wanted him to take her into his strong arms and tell her that it would all be ok, that he would be there for her, and most of all she wanted him to kiss her. But how could she ask this of him? She couldn't. Insecurely she took a step forward.

 

Chakyaka put his arm around the girl's shoulders.

 

"You aren't worried about having a relationship with a Fremen?"

 

Shivers went through her body, and Fleur's voice sounded unstead as she answered his question.

 

"It's not good, it's not meant to be."

 

This wasn't going the right way.

 

"Who are you to know what Arrakis wants?"

 

Suddenly as on a decision he moved towards Fleur and kissed her fiercely.

 

For a floating second Fleur wondered who Arrakis was, and what he had to do with the two of them, but then she got lost in his kiss. His lips were hard on her soft lips at first, but then he grew tender, and Fleur melted deep inside. She couldn't possibly hold on to her resolutions while she was in his arms, she should do something, but where the mind was still fighting, her body had given in to temptation.

 

From there things became deeply interesting. In fact, so interesting that even a Fremen's good ears weren't listening, and it wasn't until they heard the footsteps right next to them that they looked up.

[Akallabeth]

Warren lay in his sleeping area, attempting to sleep, but knowing that he was in for a wakeful night. He could not turn his mind from his accusation of an innocent man. He knew that mistakes happened, but when mistakes resulted in death. . . that was unforgiveable.

 

Restlessly, he turned over on his mat. There was nothing he could do to change what had been done. He would keep doing his duty as a guard and decide what must be done to purge this guilt from his life when circumstances allowed.

 

He turned over once more, doing his best to shut the world from his mind and gain some peace in the void of sleep.

[Patrick]

No shrieks or sounds of struggle were heard during the night. Nearly everyone slept peacefully. Yet in the morning not everything seemed to be right. It took Captain Algers almost fifteen minutes to realise that not only the guard on duty, Ibis, but also Warren was missing from the breakfast table.

 

Warren's body was found fifteen minutes later, still lying in the small cave, he had claimed as his own upon arriving. His throat had been sliced open and a large pool of blood had gathered around him. The Atreides hawk symbol had been torn from his uniform and lay next to him, the hawk's head seperated from its body.

 

OOC: Sorry for the short post, but I did not have much time tonight. Akallabeth/Warren was an innocent villager. You have about 48 hours from this post to find a wolf. Good luck!

[Sweetcherrie]

OOC: Co-written with Vene, thanks, superfun as always

 

Last night had been more than special, and Fleur still felt his arms around her each time she closed her eyes. Softly humming she was doing her chores, but it were only her hands that were working, her mind was still dreaming. Today would be a good day, and today she would be able to do even the dirtiest jobs with a smile, because today Chakyaka would be with her.

 

Edi's spirit floated across the sands of Dune, swearing at his new condition. Now that he was dead, everything was clear to him; there was no more haze to shield him from unpleasant memories, no more alcohol to create that haze.

 

He'd tried several times to impose it upon himself through sheer force of mind, but all he'd managed was to blur his vision just a little. Out of pure irritation he kept it that way, because at least not seeing things clearly was familiar.

 

Suddenly he noticed that he was near the caves again, and with a grin he decided that he might as well share some of his misery with the others in there. After all, it was their fault, wasn't it? He floated up the rocks and through the cave entrance, floating through the guard on duty and sending a chill down his spine.

 

Once in the caves, he looked around, wondering where to start his mischief.

 

A shiver went through her whole body, and Fleur looked up. Was he here? But when she looked around there was nobody to be seen, it must have been just a thought that had made her shiver. She continued her hum, but looked up again as she got the horrible feeling of not being alone, and this time it wasn't a pleasant shiver.

 

Perfect. Although ... Fleur had been nice to him.

 

Pahh ... she'd only wanted him out of the way, that's what it had been.

 

Not realizing the good intentions behind Fleur's behaviour, Edi floated through her a few times and cackled with glee. She wouldn't hear him anyway, so why not? When he got bored with just hanging around, he started wondering whether he'd be able to move things like ghosts in stories.

 

With immense concentration, he managed to shift a bit of sand on the floor.

 

Hm ... this'll need practise.

 

She clamped her hands around her body and felt as if she was freezing, which, in the desert, was about the last thing she'd expected. Fleur looked around, but this felt abnormal, she could feel the presence of someone, and could almost hear someone laughing, but she couldn't see him....or her.

 

Then the sand moved, and suddenly she saw a hand. With a scream she jumped backwards. Hands were not supposed to float through the air! She was most definitely certain of that! With her back against the wall she watched as more sand was shifted by the hand.

 

When he saw the reaction those small actions caused in Fleur, Edi floated up and down with joy. He decided to give Fleur a break, just to see what she'd do, and floated into the next cavern, concentrating on hiding his presence while at the same time watching her. It was a good thing that nobody could see the grin on his face; it was so happy that it took on frightening proportions.

 

The sand had stopped moving, and the warmth slowly seemed to come back into the cave. Cautiously she took step away from the wall, and then another. As she neared the place where Edi was standing it got colder again, and (though she had no idea he was there) she stopped walking. What should she do? She wished that Chakyaka was here, he would know.

 

For a while she stood there, simply questioning herself on what her next action should be, but then she gathered all her courage together. Fleur ran out of the cavern, past the cold spot, into a different cavern where there were more people, screaming all the way.

 

"The place is haunted! Really, I saw the sand move!"

 

Edi chuckled to himself, and floated a little closer. He didn't quite enter the next part of the caverns yet, though ... let them wonder for a while.

[Tanuchan]

Written with Azuran/Niab - thanks

~~~~~~~~~

 

 

In one of the bigger caves, which had been transformed into a kind of common room for the survivors, Rahnia and Niabl talked in hushed voices. Not even Chakyakha, just a few steps away, found it easy to listen - and Rahnia's glare warned him against trying to eavesdrop at a Sayyadina's talk.

 

"Father, what Liet and Stilgar have described should be in one of the inner, small caves. We don't have access to them but through the back of the cistern."

 

"No. It's too dangerous for you to go, daughter. I've seen the caves, they're slippery and rife with cave-ins. And with the killings among us…no, I won't risk you."

 

Rahnia shook her head, showing a small bit of irritation. "I know how to care for myself, father. You cannot protect a Sayyadina forever."

 

"You might be a trained Sayyadina, Rahnia. But I'll obey only a Reverend Mother in this. You are not going into those caves, not alone."

 

"I am not mother." Her voice was soft, and gentle. "You cannot protect me forever. Neither you, nor Chakyakha."

 

Niab stiffened, pausing a moment before responding. “It’s the fact that you are so much like your mother used to be that worries me, Rahnia…”

 

At that point Fleur ran into the cave, screaming about disembodied hands. Rahnia arched an eyebrow, and followed the offworlder with her eyes. She noticed how the Bene Gesserit witch observed both Fleur and Chakyakha, and looked at Niab.

 

"The spirits of the dead haunt this sietch... ?"

 

"And the girl's ruh-spirit sensed them." Niab nodded.

 

Rahnia breathed deeply, letting her mind wander among her memories. For a fleeting moment she regretted not having gone through the spice agony yet, but didn't let her mind linger on that thought.

 

An offworlder sensing spirits. I should talk to her.

 

She started to move towards both Fleur and Chakyakha, but Niab stopped her. Since interrupting the two of them the night before in their passionate embrace, Niab had thought long and hard about how well he could trust Chakyakha anymore. He felt the urge to talk to Fleur alone at some point about it, but thus far that had proved much more difficult than anticipated.

 

"Father, please..."

 

Although he really didn’t want Rahnia to get involved in the whole mess, a part of him greedily considered that it could be a good way for him to get information about Chakyakha and Fleur that they likely wouldn’t have told him otherwise.

 

"Hmm… Be cautious, Rahnia."

 

She nodded, aware of his worry and love. She looked around once more, wondering if the Other Memory would have helped her. Maybe it was time for the ritual... but that would have to wait until she returned to Sietch Tabr.

 

 

~~~~

OOC: no vote yet

[Sweetcherrie]

People had only stared at her dumbly, and none of them had actually believed her when she had said that the sand had been moved by a floating hand. And she even thought she had seen Jammilla smirk about her, and Fleur could do nothing about it. With a pout she had gone back to her chores, and had hoped for a moment alone with Chakyaka; he would be able to explain it to her.

 

While she was doing some cleaning up her thoughts went back to the look Jammilla had on her face when she had stormed in. The b***h! First she tries to steal Chakyaka away from her, and now she believed that Fleur was a fool. She would seriously have to do something about this. Her hands continued sweeping, but her head raced with all sort of different plans.

 

In the corner of an eye she saw Ibis playing with a knife, and her thoughts roamed over what you would be able to do with such a knife, especially someone so driven with it. Maybe she should ask him to teach her how to handle such a beauty; she would be able to give Jammilla a real scare.

 

Fleur sighed, who was she kidding? She would probably only hurt herself, she’d always been a total clutch with anything that came into her hands, and if that would be a knife, well.... it would only be worse. Maybe she should let Jammilla have Chakyaka; after all she was a suitable match for him, nothing as clumsy as her.

 

OOC: Vote for Dean/Ibis

[Azuran]

OOC: I'd really like to get this vote extended, at least like half a day or something. The past 24 hours have been very rough (arma on The Reincarnation, if you're inclined to understand that ). Got a meeting with my thesis advisor in a few mins, so this is my quick placeholder vote: Vote for Jammilla.

[Jammeez]

When the silly girl came in, ranting about a ghost, Jammilla was forced to reappraise her judgement of Fleur. She still believed the girl had not a brain in her head...or rather, she refused to use it. But the sense to feel - and identify - a spirit was clearly a worthy talent.

 

Jammilla turned away, filing the information away for future reference. It was laughable how obvious the girl was about her jealousy. Really, Jammilla thought, if I wanted the Fremen, I would have him. And there would be no pussy-footing around. But that sort of liason is no part of my mission here.

 

Jammilla set her mind to the puzzle once more. Again, Jammilla cursed her own lack of training. It seemed even the Fremen woman was further along than she. But one of them may well have to endure the Spice Agony soon, however prematurely, in order to get to the bottom of this mystery...

 

OOC: Vote for...I must deliberate...

 

Edit: Sorry Dean. Vote for Ibis, the sword master...where has he been, anyway? Who knows anything about him? He could be Harkonnen...

Edited February 15, 2006 by Jammeez

[Tanuchan]

OOC: I'm sorry, I'm in the same situation as Azuran - Arma on TR and a meeting with my thesis advisor, plus almost 1.5h stuck in traffic. No condition at all to RP - register a vote for Dean/Ibis, please.

 

Sorry, these voting days have been placed in a *most* awkward time for me >_

[Patrick]

OOC: Azuran I considered extending the vote, but with 4 votes in from 6 players and 3 of those against Dean, having the remainder of the votes come in wouldn't have changed much. Feel free to make an rp'd post for the vote if you get the chance though.

 

Ibis would have given nearly anything for a bath now. Just to be able to rub the desert sand from all the joints it had gotten into, and to be able to scrumb the smell off of him. He could feel it on himself, and on everyone else. He could only imagine how bad the smell must be in sietches where Fremen lived and never bathed, or showered.

 

Back on Ginaz, where he had completed his training, washing oneself, would have taken but a short walk to the seaside, and swimming in the sea, which surrounded the small island and archipelagos. Here water was considered so precious that even drinking much of it was considered overindulgence. Ibis knew that if he took the bath here, the Fremen would probably kill him for the wasting of water.

 

He did not even notice the three people come into his room, while he was daydreaming. All he felt was a blunt object crash against the side of his head. The first time it did not manage to knock him out and Ibis tried shouting at his agressors.

 

"I know who did it! It was..." - CRACK!

 

Ibis's skull was split open by the second swing of the club.

 

His body was left in his room, in a crumpled heap on the floor, the blood trickling from the wound next to his ear slowly trickling, forming a puddle on the cave floor.

 

 

OOC: Ibis Ginray/DeanTheAdequate was the seer. If during the coming nightphase the wolves manage to make their kill then they shall have won. So: good luck baner! The night phase due to people being busy about now, can be extended by a day if requested.

[Gwaihir]

Chakyaka cuddled near Fleur (after she had calmed down a bit) and beamed. "I don't think anyone's guilty--the whole world is beautiful."

 

Niab looked at him as if he were nuts. "A bunch of murdered people around here probably don't think so."

 

The usually grumpy Fremen nodded. "True and it's a disgusting tragedy but I can't be suspicious of anyone right now."

 

 

OOC: No vote

[Patrick]

Another morning, and another person dead. One might have even wondered how this person had survived for so long, as he would have been one of the most logical choices to kill first. But human minds sometimes work in twisted ways, and Captain Algers had survived three nights in these caves. The fourth night was his downfall.

 

No sounds of struggle were heard during the night, and when Chakyakha found the Captain's body floating in the water of the cavern where the windtraps collected moisture at first nothing pointed towards a violent death. It was only when his body was, with the help of Niab, fished from the miniscule lake, that the small holes at the back of his neck were spotted. That was where the needles, still lodged inside his neck had entered. The needle pistol, used for killing him lay not far away, its charge visibly empty. Had one of the soldiers still been alive they would have noticed that the pistol was the same as the one Captain Algers had handed to Edi four days ago, but as none of the soldiers, nor Edi were alive any more the pistol meant nothing special to anyone, apart from being the weapon, which had murdered Captain Algers.

 

Niab and Chakyakha being the only two remaining men lifted the lifeless body and carried it to the deathstills.

 

Only six of them now remained in the sietch (OOC: there is still another NPC, see end note), and everyone's thoughts were drifting around the possibility that at least one of the people still in these caverns was a murderer. Suspicious glances were exchanged. Who was innocent, who was not. One thing was certain. Blood would still be spillt in these caverns, and water wasted...

 

OOC: Captain Algers was an NPC. The still remaining NPC I wrote of is a woman, who lost her father, husband and two children in the Harkonnen attacks and has been buried in grief ever since. Good job baner this night! You have...well not 48 hours to find a wolf...check OOC thread for explanation. If whoever is lynched is not a wolf, then the wolves win!

Edited February 16, 2006 by Patrick Durham

[Jammeez]

OOC: Vote for Sweet Cherrie/Fleur

 

Sorry I can't write more here. But we've got to get to bed so we can get on the road early.

[Azuran]

Behind that pretty face of hers, Niab suspected there lay a secret. He sat, hunched down with his back planted firmly against the cool, rough wall, and observed her in the adjoining chamber, his azure eyes unblinking. For three nights now his reflexes had been on edge—an instinct for survival and a need to protect. There simply wasn’t time to get caught up in the urgency; action is what the few that were left needed.

 

He reached behind his back and effortlessly pushed himself upright again. She had caused nothing but trouble so far, that much seemed obvious now. From the day he had first seen her, she had exuded incompetence and downright ignorance, to a degree perhaps too great to be believable. Sure, she had even managed to cloud his thoughts through her dangerous game with Chakyakha, something for which Niab still mentally scolded himself. For once he found wisps of sympathy for the other Fremen drift through his mind, fleeting though they were, for apparently having been unable to retain his own senses in the seriousness of the situation. Niab had not misinterpreted his Sichana’s death, tragic though it had been. You have to know whom you’re protecting before you forget about protecting yourself. Selflessness wasn’t always a virtue—of this he was sure.

 

The sound of approaching voices from a tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern registered in his ears, and with a final apprehensive glance towards Fleur, he set off in search of his daughter, whom he hadn’t seen in a while. Perhaps she might have some helpful information.

 

OOC: Vote for Fleur.

[Venefyxatu]

Edi was having the time of his death; he could go anywhere without bothering to use openings, he could see anything and listen to anything, and nobody even knew he was there, and best of all, he could scare the living daylights out of the ones who weren't as fortunate as him.

Maybe being dead wasn't such a bad thing after all ...

 

When he saw Niab sitting against the cave wall, thinking and studying Fleur, he decided to give him a reason to believe Fleur.

Just as the man got up, Edi came floating next to him. Niab didn't seem to react immediately, so he came closer, and closer ... and closer, until he was floating through Niab, sending a chill down his spine.

With a mad cackle, Edi kept floating in circles around Niab ...

[Sweetcherrie]

Fleur had not been able to shake the shivers she’d had earlier that day, and cautiously she kept an eye at the sand. She had noticed how Niab was glaring at her, but had decided to ignore it. After all, she had done nothing wrong, and he was probably just jealous of the bond between her and Chakyaka.

 

Jammilla on the other hand, she still had to get that b***c back, and should have done that a lot earlier. Almost had she managed to get between Fleur and Chakyaka, and Fleur was not about to let that happen again. She wouldn’t let her get away with what she had done, and would surely do again if nobody would stop her.

 

OOC: Vote for Jammilla

[Gwaihir]

Chakyaka jumped to his feet in outrage. "How dare you accuse Fleur! She's the most innocent person here!" Fleur, sitting nearby blushed at this but the neighborhood Fremen saw nothing but red.

"Some weirdo offworlder who thinks she knows something is just jealous because someone here has a life ahead of her. If you creeps don't massacre the only person worth anything here. I have never before seen anyone who actually seemed to trust me--who believed my word unquestioningly and helps everyone.

 

OOC: Vote for Jamilla

[Tanuchan]

Niab found Rahnia at the cistern, looking at the exact spot a Maker would drop into the water to create the Water of Life. He could see in her absent look that she was again going through what would be asked of her in the ritual to complete her training, to make her a Reverend Mother. He knew Rahnia dreaded that moment, though she had never let anyone see her fears.

 

So like Sichana.

 

She turned to Niab when he stepped into the cave, and smiled at him in spite of the tension around her eyes. Niab hugged her once.

 

"What are the others saying, father?"

 

"The offworlder girl."

 

Rahnia nodded slowly. "Yes, I thought of her, too. I don't like her, but she senses the spirits. That alone would make me more respectful of her... "

 

"Or more suspicious, Rahnia. She is too innocent-looking, too awkward, too offworldly. Who else better to fool us?"

 

"I agree, father. However... there is someone else who is an adept at fooling. At manipulating. Someone who wouldn't like to see a non-trained girl sense the spirits."

 

Niab blinked.

 

"I suspect the witch."

 

~~~~~~~~~

OOC: A vote for Jammeez/Jamilla.

[Jammeez]

Jammilla listened disdainfully to the Fremen ranting at her. Chakyaka's verbal assault was outrageous and irrational, so fraught with emotion... she supposed it was understandable, for someone with no training.

 

...and it only confirmed her own suspicions about the girl. Jammilla now believed that Fleur may have had some training as well. Someone with her sensitivity to the unseen was unlikely to have been passed over by the Bene for this long. At least not without some kind of protection... Harkonnen protection? It was so unexpected that she had to give the idea merit.

 

And that only left the question of Chakyaka's seemingly sudden and forceful loyalty to the girl. Either there was some manipulation on the girl's part, or the Fremen was not what he seemed. Either they had no prior connection, and the girl was clouding his mind, or they were in league and had met here by design. Even if they had never set eyes upon one another before, there could have been some prearranged signal allowing them to recognize each other.

 

No matter how Jammilla looked at the situation, logic kept returning to Fleur. There was simply no room for any other conclusion.

 

OOC: Vote stays.