The drums were beating, and everyone was anxious to see who was coming. They peered at the entrance of the tribe to see Osman, his alps and Ceyda trotting in. The tribe cheered their return, and the arrivers nodded and smiled at the people as greetings and thanks were heard throughout. Osman told one of the soldiers to put the horse he brought along in the stables. Then, he and Ceyda rode to the front of the tribe, Ertugrul Gazi's marquee.
"I will go inside," Osman informed, tying his jet black horse's reins to the mini stable near the marquee.
"Is there anything I can do, Bey?" Ceyda asked hopefully after she tied her dusky horse, Ceylan.
"Just keep an eye out, and meet your family. It's been a long time."
She sighed and nodded. Maybe I can help someone, she thought while walking around. Not much has changed... Suddenly, she heard someone call her name, "Ceyda? Where were you all these years? What happened? Decided to finally do something useful?" It was Zohre hatun.
"Good evening to you too, yenge. I was on a mission. What happened? Why are you so bitter?" Ceyda snorted, annoyed yet curious about her usual bitter mood.
"Ah Ceyda. We can't even say Hatun to your name. Should we call you Alp or Bey because you sure act like it? Interfering in men matters, going on missions. You are a burden to all the Alps. You even have their eyes on you. Have you no shame?"
What is she going on about? "What are you talking about Zohre Hatun? Speak for yourself. Do not involve others with your evil thoughts."
"Why not? I am speaking on everyone's behalf. You are the tribe's talk."
"What... don't you have anything better to do?"
"Don't you? Why don't you come to the Rug House? See how things are done?"
Ceyda reluctantly did as she was told. She didn't have anywhere to go anyway. Zohre, knowing her lack of experience, told her to complete the most beautiful rug they made. Ceyda did not know what to do, so she followed her instincts. She cut the rug into pieces.
"What are you doing?" asked one of the Hatuns, with horror. "Oh no!" cried another. "How dare you?" accused another.
Zohre roughly grabbed Ceyda's arm and squeezed it. She then brought Ceyda up to face her. By now, the women stopped working to see what would happen, and the people around stood to watch as well. "What have you done? You ruined our most precious rug!"
"If you knew I could not do it, you should not have told me to in the beginning," she spat, pulling her arm out of Zohre's grip.
"How was I supposed to know you couldn't do the simplest of things? Not even the rugs, you wouldn't be able to cook for your man or your children if you even have any. With your skills, I doubt any man would want you... except for your body, though that's also impossible."
"Ana, what are you saying?" asked Aygul, who had just arrived.
At Zohre's words, Ceyda was furious, "What did you say?...What did you say?!" She advanced closer to Zohre, threatening to hurt her.
"Is this all you know how to do? Torture people? Make them afraid of you?"
"ARE YOU STILL TALKING, YOU WITCH?!" She punched Zohre who fell to the ground and continued punching her, an insult to every blow, "YOU SNAKE. YOU EVIL B-"
"Ana! Ceyda, enough!" Aygul and the women tried holding Ceyda back, but it was no use. She was too strong and too angry.
"Go inform Dundar Bey!" yelled one of the Alps to the others.
The Alp ran to Dundar Bey's marquee. "Beyim. Dundar Bey," he panted as the doors flung open and he stumbled inside.
"What happened?" Dundar asked, abandoning the conversation he was starting. The other Bey's who were sitting in the tent turned to listen to the panicked alp.
"Ceyda, Zohre Hatun," the Alp started. "They are fighting. It's terrible. Ceyda is not stopping."
"What?!" Dundar rushed out of his marquee followed by Osman.
"ARE YOU HURTING THE WOMAN WHO RAISED YOU?!" yelled Zohre. "CURSE THE DAY WE TOOK YOU FROM YOUR FATHER!" This time, Zohre managed to dodge one of Ceyda's punches and slapped her. Ceyda barely flinched and was about to hit Zohre again when someone grabbed her wrist.
"CEYDA!" Dundar was holding back her hand with all his strength, but the fury in Ceyda was too powerful for even him.
"Ceyda," warned Osman, trying to meet her eyes to ask what happened.
Dundar was using two hands now as Aygul and some of the Hatuns barely held back Zohre.
"Dundar Bey! It seems Ceyda does not know her place," spat Zohre, wiping off the blood from her busted lip.
Ceyda scoffed, "Place? She's talking about my place when she does not even know her own. Dundar Bey, let me go. Let me straighten her out."
"Is it your place to straighten out my wife?" Dundar questioned.
"If you don't, then yes. It is."
"Vai, vai. The orphan has become the master," Zohre provoked.
"Zohre!" Dundar yelled, wishing she would shut her mouth.
Konur and the alps were waiting by their horses when they saw a crowd by the Rug House. "What is going on over there?" "LET ME GO, UNCLE!" Konur heard someone shout. "That was Ceyda," Konur recognized. "I should go see what's happening." The Alps nodded and shared concerned faces as Konur strode away. Each thinking the same thing: the consequences of Ceyda's anger.
Konur pushed through the crowd and saw Ceyda struggling out of Dundar's grip and being held back by a few Alps. "If snakes like you are considered masters, then it is up to children like us to cut the head of that snake!" Ceyda declared bravely.
"It's a shame your father isn't here. He would have loved to see how well you followed his advice," Zohre continued.
Ceyda managed to get out of Dundar's grip and wagged her finger at the woman, "Don't you speak about my father."
"YETER ZOHRE!" yelled Dundar, knowing where she was going with this.
"Why? Is it a sin to talk about the dead?" Zohre smirked.
All colour drained out of Ceyda's face. "Dead?"
"Yes. Oh, you didn't know. Sungur Tekin and Gundogdu Bey died in the war with the Mongols four years ago."
Ceyda could not process what she just heard. Dead? How could they die? Four years ago... why didn't anyone tell me? "Y-yalan, l-lie. You lie. It's a lie. Liar. LIAR!" she pounced on Zohre, screaming as loud as she could to drown out Zohre's words. "LIAR! YOU LIAR!"
Konur and Osman had to interfere now. They grabbed Ceyda with all their might before she could punch Zohre again
"Tamam! That's enough Ceyda," stopped Konur, holding back his friend.
"Look, she can't even control her anger. She brings shame everywhere she goes. It's a good thing her father is dead," her aunt continued, coughing out blood as Dundar rushed to help her, praying Zohre would just shut up.
"MY FATHER IS NOT DEAD, LIAR! I WILL CUT YOUR SNAKE TONGUE!" Ceyda thundered.
"Ceyda, enough. Stop struggling. You will get into trouble," reasoned Osman while Konur tried to calm her. "That's enough, yenge. You made your point. Go now, before she does something worse to you."
"Oh you don't even want to know what I will do to you when I've started!" swore Ceyda, resisting even harder.
"No, I have to work here. Take her away."
"DOES WORKING MEAN GOSSIPING AND LYING TO YOU?!"
"Go hang out with men."
She let out a yell of fury, holding back the tears that threatened to spill; she couldn't take it anymore. She broke free of Konur and Osman and pulled out her dagger.
"No Ceyda!" cried out Konur, starting for her when Osman held him back.
Without giving a second thought, Ceyda cut up and stabbed holes into all the rugs the women had so effortly and lovingly made and trashed the place. She destroyed every spindle, tore apart every yarn, and turned over every pot. When she finished, she put her dagger to Zohre's throat and threatened into her ear in a dangerously low voice, "Now you have work to do. So instead of spreading evil, you should work on the rugs, and if you need my help, I'll gladly get you back on task." Ceyda let out one last angry grunt and furiously stomped to the stables. She grabbed Ceylan's reins and mounted her.
"CEYDA! CEYDA GET BACK HER RIGHT NOW!" Dundar hopelessly ordered. "Ceyda, clean this up! If you take one more step, you will not find a place to live in this tribe!" threatened Dundar, running towards the stables.
"Is it true?" Ceyda asked in a quiet voice, bracing herself for the answer she dreaded. Dundar's silence was enough. She inhaled sharply and stared at him. "When were you going to tell me?"
"Ceyda, I-"
"Yah!" she rode her horse out of the tribe without looking back, leaving everyone speechless.
Konur was about to go after her when Osman stopped him. "Dur, Konur. Let her be."
"Beyim, please. Let me go. I will calm her," Konur pleaded.
Osman was a little hesitant at first but nodded. He knew she would talk to Konur. They understood each other so well. They loved each other, but they hadn't yet grown to be in love with each other...just yet, he thought with a faint smile as he watched Konur ride after Ceyda.
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:o The next few chapters will get very interesting... probably. Thank u for reading!