Sabır (Patience) - Kurulus Osman

Chapter 46

Ceyda reached the front of the Kayi Tribe and picked some helpful herbs along the way, readying her excuse for disappearing when she would encounter Zohre Hatun, Burcin, and Aygul, who would have most probably returned to the tribe by now. She let the stableman look after her horse while she roamed around the tribe until she spotted some tribespeople milking the goats in the mini-farm nearby before seeing Zohre, Aygul and Burcin sorting through herbs by one of the stalls in the mini-market. Resisting the urge to pet the goats, she made her way towards them, sitting down beside Burcin and adding the herbs she picked to the pile, pretending that was what she set out to do as the women stared at her. 

"Where were you?" Burcin finally asked. 

Ceyda looked up at her and smiled. "I was sleeping, and then I searched the tribe but couldn't find you. I thought I should collect some herbs for my mother when she returned." Aygul stared at her mother, who sighed and continued with the herbs and Ceyda, grateful no further questions were asked, joined in.

"The crazy is coming..." Zohre muttered as she spotted Selcan Hatun heading towards them. Ceyda squeezed her eyes shut, her hope of not encountering her aunt extinguished. "Leave her to me," Zohre assured them, and they nodded, continuing their work.

"May it be easy," Selcan said, her hands behind her back, and her head raised as she reached Zohre, Aygul, Burcin, and Ceyda.

"May you deal with it if it's easy," Zohre responded. 

Selcan's eyes moved from the women to the cart that contained baskets of herbs. "Did you start going to collect herbs with carts, Zohre?"

Ceyda glanced at the cart. She hadn't noticed it when she arrived. "You are seeing right. How could we carry these without horses? You know how to run the Healing Tent if a stone touches your feet... but you don't know how to make ointments," Zohre insulted.

"It's good if a stone touches our feet. Our tribe's men are getting shot for the comfort of the tribe. If you don't like working, don't do it. We can make our own ointments, EvelAllah." Zohre sarcastically smiled at her when Selcan demanded, "Tell me; have you seen Bala Hatun?"

"First Adelfa and now Bala. How many more are you going to lose, Selcan yenge?" Ceyda couldn't stop herself from saying, making Selcan glare at her.

"We don't want to see and hear about her, Selcan Hatun," Aygul added, hurling the herbs she held in a pile.

Selcan shook her head at the two. "You are like your mother now, my daughters. What a shame. Zohre. Tell me. Bala Hatun and our guest are lost. Speak if you know something. If you are not telling the truth, I will cut your tongue. Know that."

Zohre exhaled heavily in annoyance, "Uff... Look, Hatun. My daughter is cleaning herbs when she must prepare for her wedding. We are working in healing tents when we are supposed to make preparations for the wedding. What are you saying? Really, it's a shame on you."

Selcan smirked and glanced around, "Dundar Bey is not around. Where is he?"

"Dundar Bey went to visit his son's grave. What is it? Does he have to take permission from you?"

"Innocent ones can do whatever they want, but you have the shadows of betrayal. It's our right to follow and question you."

"If you are that curious, put your men behind him. You are testing my patience. We are doing our jobs. Ceyda kizim, go bring that basket." Ceyda nodded and walked over to the cart, keeping her eyes away from Selcan when she noticed an Alp standing by it. He looked at her as if he was trying to recognize where he knew her from, and Ceyda stared at him blankly with no clue of who he was. Before she could ask, she was interrupted by Zohre's yells, "Enough of your words, leave here!"