Author's Note: Hello, all you lovely fanfiction readers! Welcome to the first chapter of my Dune fanfiction! I do have a pretty good idea of where I'm going to go with this, and I hopefully won't drag this story to the ends of the Earth, which I seem to have problems doing. I may warn you that the characters displayed here might be out of character and I might get the lore wrong as well, if either of these two things you catch, and you'd like to help a fellow author out, a nice little PM with whatever mistake and how to fix it would be wonderful. Well, I've dragged this on long enough.

Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own anything that pertains to the Dune universe. All characters, locations, and lore belong to the rightful author, Frank Herbert. The only thing I may claim to own is the story which I am going to display, and a few original characters.

The Comfort Of The Sand - Chapter 1

The fine-grained nature that was attached to the feeling of sand was something that a person could be addicted to surprisingly quick. Time had no affect on these sands. They remained the same no matter what event occurred on or away from the sands. This omnipresent texture of the sand was a sort of reassurance in a way. It represented a continuity among waves of change. The sand continued to be coarse, and that was what was important to that continuity. It was a light amongst a spreading darkness, or at least could have been considered as such. Many people were no doubt superstitious of change. Change was the unknown. Change was more often than not the bearer of troubles and trails. Change wiped away what was desired to be preserved. It was a destructive force which could not be prevented, nor overcome, nor avoided, Change, in itself, was ironic, as it is the only true continuity in the universe. Though, however, that said may be true in the universe, but on Arrakis, it was not so. If it were the only truth, that change was the only continuity even on Arrakis, then the planet's reputation would have failed a millennium ago, but the fact that the sand remained the way it had been since the beginning was comforting.

Even if the sand meant nothing but a natural geographical occurrence that was more common on Arrakis to most people, those being the off-worlders, it did not mean the same to the natives of Arrakis. The sand was an identity, a home, a danger, a curse, and a blessing. It is the history of the planet. Each speck of sand in the miles of desert must had been there since the planet's birth, whatever may have caused that.

The natives of the Arrakis stayed away from change as much as they could, always mindful and always fearful of it. These desert dwellers knew the fragility of their lifestyle. They had stuck themselves in the most dangerous situation imaginable. The desert was hot both day and night. Water was a rarity, only able to be collected via large devices which stole the moisture from the air. The tension which was felt between each and every tribe. The unceasing presence of worms, the Shi-halud, which grew so large that it was encounter with death just by looking at them. These dangers threatened the natives to no end, but despite this, they flourished to incredible extents. It may have been one reason for their name, which they embraced. This was why they were called Fremen, for in the comfort of the sands, they were free.

All of this would seemed only to have been one of Stilgar's myriad of evening reflections. Young Chani's only concern was growing and overcoming, even as the young Fremen girl she was, she behaved much older. She participated in chats with the elder Fremen with regularity. She listened during meetings and took advice from many of those in charge of her, but silently. Chani was not talkative. It may have been one reason why Chani avoided other Fremen children, or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe she was quiet because the Fremen children avoided her. Though, she was too stubborn to accept that. She was the daughter of the revered leader of all Fremen, Liet-Kynes. Maybe it was because of this, that she was way the was she was. It made no difference to her. She was a scholar, and it kept her attention, and the elder Fremen engaged her in conversation, so socializing was not an issue for her, despite attempts by Stilgar and, occasionally, a few others to try and get her to talk and daresay even play with those of her age. Of course, she'd have none of it.

She acted as if she wanted to be in charge and deal with the worries of leadership, diplomacy and governance. It was astonishing to most. It was a sight to behold, that this Fremen girl, barely of the age of passage, excelled in so many ways. She was, with no doubt, the daughter of that powerful Liet-Kynes.

This was what made Stilgar proud, honestly. He worked hard trying to pass on the slightest piece of advice that could benefit her, and sometimes she listened, and other times, she'd go on her own way, and do what she deemed best. It was that rebellious touch that dwelt in all young no matter the society in which they were raised. It was human nature.

Chani would sit along the cliff's edge near the entrance to Sietch Tabr. It was her thinking spot, which allowed her to stare out over the visible desert. It seemed to stretch out for miles and miles. Chani had the thought many times that the desert had no end. She smiled just faintly at herself and her thoughts. It was silly of her to think something so obvious. Arrakis was a desert planet. Dune was what Chani had once heard it called by an off-worlder. She contemplated on that name longer than was necessary, and it distracted her from noticing that someone had sat beside her.

She quickly turned her head and saw that rough, bearded face of Stilgar's. She turned away just as quickly and returned her gaze to the sands. Her smile grew ever so slightly.

"I want to go out onto the sands." She decided. "Will you take me, Stilgar?" She asked.

Stilgar gave a slow, but light sigh.

"One day, soon, you will be allowed to accompany-" He began. Chani had cut him off, shaking her head.

"No, I don't want to be in a company. Just us, or better yet, just me." She said, before looking up at him.

"I'm not so sure about that." He replied.

"Right, 'cause it's too dangerous to go alone? The worms, the tribes, the off-worlders, and the heat?" She asked, annoyed.

Stilgar smiled widely. "You pay attention. That is good."

Chani began to sway her feet back and forth over the edge, sighing softly.

"I want to know these sands. This is my home, isn't it?" She asked.

Stilgar said nothing, but set his hands on his legs and watched the girl.

"Some say this planet is our responsibility." She continued. "How can I know what I am to be responsible for if I do not see it?"

Again, she looked up at Stilgar. "There's more out there than we see, Stil. I want to find it. I know there's danger, but that's part of life, isn't it? The idea of safety could not be comprehended without something there to be safe from."

Stilgar only continued to listen intently, somewhat captivated by her intelligence and her determination. She was, with no doubt, the daughter of Liet-Kynes, though it showed more in her subtleties than her more obvious characteristics.

"You are growing, Chani, and you want freedom. I am aware." He said to her. He held silent for a moment to contemplate something before giving a sigh indicating a decision. "You want to explore; you want to be a true Fremen. It's your desires which would make most Fremen better off in this world."

He stood up, brushing himself off. Chani's eyes were planted attentively on Stilgar in wonder of what he was coming to with his words. There was a touch of excitement in her, a nervous hope that he might have just given into her. She drifted for a moment, trying in earnest to experience freedom before she knew what it was. She thought that, maybe now, she would not be restricted by any Fremen elder or watcher.

Stilgar cleared his throat, before turning to look into the sietch. "Yes, I think you might just be ready for a little freedom." He murmured in thought. "The elders are holding a council with the reverend mother. You will attend as a study. I want you to watch and listen, and just maybe, an opportunity will present itself. Hmm?" He told her.

Chani scrambled to her feet and stared with excitement at Stilgar.

"Watch and listen?" She repeated questioningly. "You mean it?"

He smiled faintly, before crossing his arms calmly.

"I can make you no promises, Chani, but it the proper way of giving you a chance." He told her. "Also, I'd rather you not running off on your own in the dead of night."

She began to leap slightly in her shoes. She beamed with a happiness of only which she could understand. Yes, this was her chance to prove that she was suited for coming of age. She wanted to prove to the Fremen that she was ready to become. It pleased her for this opportunity.

Stilgar smiled before giving a burly yawn.

"Well, regardless, it's late now. We are lucky that we don't have to go out tonight, so get some rest. Hopefully this excitement won't keep you up." He said.

Chani nodded fervently and made her way into the sietch.

Author's Note: For any seasoned Dune fans out there, I have created a roleplay set in the Dune universe, which you can find here: forum/Dune-Legends-of-Arrakis/181373/.