Sabır (Patience) - Kurulus Osman

Chapter 5

NOW...

Ceyda mounted her horse and rode through the forest as fast as her horse would let her. When she arrived at the Kayi graveyard, she got off her horse and looked at the many graves in front of her with both sadness and happiness. "May Allah accept all of you into Jannah," she prayed.

Ceyda found Bamsi next to one of the graves, whispering to the hat on the stone. Aybars, she thought. She went closer to Bamsi.

"Bamsi Bey?" she whispered.

He turned around and his face suddenly lit up. "Kizim? Ceyda, when did you come back? It's so good to see you. How are you?"

"I'm fine, uncle. How are you?"

"Çok şükür, kizim."

Ceyda looked over to the grave. "I heard about my brother Aybars. I'm so sorry for your loss. He was a brave man who deserved martyrdom. May Allah rest his soul."

"I know, Ceyda. He was. I am so proud of him."

"InshaAllah, we can all achieve the rank of martyrs."

"InshaAllah."

"How is Burcin doing?"

"She's heartbroken. Her going-to-be husband died on his wedding day. They took him away on his wedding day..."

"Allah's wrath will punish them all."

"Yes... I heard what happened. I'm sorry about your father and Gundodu Beyim."

Ceyda nodded sadly, lost for words, "If you need anything, I'll be here, okay."

"Same to you."

Ceyda mounted her dark brown mare, Ceylan, and trotted to the other side of the graveyard. She jumped off her horse and walked around, gazing around to find her father's grave, but there was none. Their bodies were burnt, she remembered reading. She fell to the ground as the pain took over.

"Ah Baba'im, yigit baba'im. My dark-eyed father, has the dark earth stolen you from me?" she cried as she laid her hand on the dark soil. "Is there a body of yours to bury? Is there a grave of yours to water? Is there a funeral of yours to attend? Didn't you promise me, Baba, that I would get to see you again? Y-you promised. You p-promised me, Baba. Does one go against their promise?!"

She hit her fist against the earth and roughly grabbed fistfuls of the soil as her father's words echoed in her mind. "Sabir, kizim, sabir. Have patience and everything will be fine."

"I'm so sorry Baba. I could not be patient. I lost my anger again. I ruined your reputation and your name. Forgive me, Baba. Afet..."

All of a sudden, Ceylan neighed in pain as arrows shot her back. Ceyda jerked her head in her horse's direction and saw with horror that she was covered in blood. "H-Hayir!"

Another arrow shot, and this time, she followed the direction it came from. "Moğollar," she concluded. Ceyda reached out for the swords she kept on her back, but they weren't there. I always keep them there. How...? The Mongols were getting closer, so Ceyda pulled out the backup dagger in her boot and got ready to attack. There would be no escaping and getting far as Ceylan was too wounded.