Ceyda furrowed her brow. For a second, she could have sworn she saw more than just hate in Kongar's icy blue eyes when he looked at Konur. She pushed aside the thought and knelt to help Konur. Then, she realized she couldn't because the Mongols were watching her every move. She turned to the Mongols, "Well don't just stand there. Get over here and raise him."
They obeyed and roughly grabbed Konur, making him wince a little. "Gently. We don't want to kill him," Ceyda scolded.
The Mongols lifted Konur to his post while Ceyda reluctantly chained his hands. "Get some water."
"Why?"
"..Oh, um I don't know. Let's see hmm maybe because-I SAID SO!"
The Mongols quickly nodded and ran to get the water while Boran and Batur contained their laughter.
"Ceyda bacim, you made them run like rats," Gunduz commented with a smile.
"This is no time for jokes, my sons," Selcan scolded, hiding her own smile.
"Konur?" Ceyda gently tapped his face in means of waking him. Tears fell down her cheeks when he wasn't waking up. "Konur? Konur, wake up."
Konur groaned and opened his eyes a little. "Kardesim," he mumbled.
"Kardes?"
Konur opened his eyes but was still weak. "Ceyda..." he smiled. The twinkle in her eyes was enough to make him forget about all the troubles in the world.
Ceyda sighed in relief and thanked Allah. She then punched Konur, hard enough to make him wince but soft enough not to bruise him. "Why did you continue talking? My head would have fallen off my neck warning you, but you wouldn't have noticed because you were too busy begging for that Kongar to hurt you."
"Ana, look. Ceyda punched me," Konur tattle-tailed in a falsely hurt voice.
Selcan chuckled as she remembered their childhood.
"Oh please, stop being dramatic. Now, wipe that goofy grin off your face and apologize. Do you know how much you hurt me?"
"You'll kill him with guilt, Ceyda," Boran sniggered. "By the way...speaking of that Kongar."
"Yes?" Ceyda mumbled, distracted by studying Konur's wounds.
"He seems to care a lot for you..."
Ceyda scoffed, "He just doesn't want to get in trouble with Balgay."
"Really? Because it seems like he doesn't want you to get in trouble with Balgay."
"What does that mean?" she laughed, still distracted.
"We were watching...and laughing...from the posts when Osman Bey was talking with Balgay. Kongar wouldn't let go of you for a second."
"Well... Balgay does consider me his daughter and Kongar his son. So obviously, he thinks of me as a sister...or a child."
"Daughter-in-law..."
"What was that?"
"Stop bothering the poor girl, Boran. Where are those rats- Mongols? Did they find water yet?" said Selcan.
"Yeah, Boran. Stop bothering the poor girl," Ceyda repeated.
"Don't echo me, Ceyda," Selcan added.
"Sorry," Ceyda muttered, grinning.
The Mongols finally came back with a bowl of water. Ceyda rolled her eyes. "You were gone for so long and this is all you bring?" She snatched the bowl and tipped the water into Konur's mouth somewhat roughly as the Mongols were watching.
Konur was half unconscious, so Ceyda stepped aside and sat on the ground near Selcan. She pulled out her sword and started sharpening it with a rock she found. The Mongols who were inside stood still awkwardly. Ceyda stared at them, "There's nothing for you here. Go outside and guard."
"But Commander Kongar said-"
"Well, I said go outside."
They did as she said, and Ceyda snickered, "Idiots."
Selcan sighed, "Ceyda if you keep ignoring the commander's orders, he will get suspicious."
"Oh, don't worry, yenge. He'll let it go as I'm 'mental.'"
"He'll let go anything for you," Boran commented in an airy voice.
Ceyda put down her sword and glared at Boran. "Boran, I will give you such a beating-"
Selcan watched Konur and broke up their argument. "What happened, son?"
Ceyda and Boran stopped arguing and looked at Konur.
"Nothing, ana," Konur croaked.
"Tell me."
"I had a little mind. Kongar took it."
"What are you saying, son?"
"It shouldn't, ana. It shouldn't. It shouldn't. It shouldn't, ana. Please, Allah, no," Konur cried.
Ceyda watched Konur as tears started welling up in her eyes. She couldn't watch him suffer. "Konur... don't do that. Please-"
Ceyda heard someone coming and quickly switched characters. She wiped away her tears, adjusted herself and continued to sharpen her sword.
Princess Sofia entered the tent with a face that resembled that of a snake. Ceyda watched Sofia walk up to Selcan. "What happened, Princess? Lost your way to the castle?" Selcan sneered.
Sofia scoffed, then noticed a daunting pair of dark eyes. She adjusted her dress slowly, then inquired, "What are you doing here, Ceyda? Not tied up..."
Ceyda did not respond and continued sharpening her sword. She needed to make it seem like she was no threat. Anything she said could be put against her. If Sofia really wanted to know, she'd have to ask Balgay herself.
"What are you doing in our tribe?" Selcan questioned, partly in hopes of getting the attention away from her niece.
Sofia smiled at Selcan. "I came here to wish you good luck."
"Come here. Come," Samsa Cavus threatened.
Sofia looked at Samsa and smirked. "Did the Mongols hurt you much? Huh? Your Osman Bey will be sad for you." She laughed evilly, "They really got you. Look at them."
Ceyda clenched her fist.
"Tövbe ya rabbi," Gunduz muttered.
"We were never without a tribe for a thousand years or without any ruling, EvelAllah. If we were ever scared of a snake like you or a jackal like Balgay, we wouldn't stand in front of you like this," Selcan proudly stated.
"Are you trying to keep up with me in your own dungeon with your hands tied?" she scoffed. "You're pathetic."
"May my Osman live long. He got Alisar expelled by Balagy like a dog with a rash. Alisar is gone. Did Princess turn her route to Balgay's bed?"
Samsa Cavus burst out laughing and Boran, Batur, Gunduz and Ceyda snickered.
"What's up, Princess?" Selcan laughed as Sofia glared at her in disbelief. "I think my words hurt Princess's confidence. For taking the life Balgay couldn't, you're tiring yourself. I'll only laugh at your status, Sofia."
"When your tribe is painted with blood, you'll see my smiling eyes lastly... Selcan Hatun."
"Your eyes... I won't die without taking them out of their place."
"Without seeing your skin get stripped... I won't die!"
Sofia laughed at Selcan's fury, then glared at the prisoners, "I'll be at your funeral!"
Samsa Cavus laughed as Sofia exited the tent in rage, then became sad and teary-eyed. "Look where we are now. Allah'im, Ya Rabbi, Ya Rasoolullah. There isn't any news from Osman Bey. We don't know what he's doing and where he does it. How will we go through with this tyranny?"
"Kill!" Boran shouted, shaking his chains. "Kill us! Kill us! Kill us! Kill us!"
"Friends. Brothers. Sisters. Allah says in the Quran: Bismillah, do you think you will enter Jannah when there has not yet come to you the like of the people before you? It is easy to believe, but it is hard to be patient while being tested," calmed Abdurrahman Ghazi.
Everyone couldn't help but shed tears.
"Brothers, patience, brothers. Sabir, sabir, sabir, Ya Rabb," he continued.
---
Dundar paced in his tent, and Zohre watched. "How could she come here? I will go check."
Dundar started to exist when Zohre stopped him, "We have bigger problems than Princess Sofia."
"What?"
"Ceyda."
Dundar sighed, "They brainwashed her. I know it. Now our own daughter has become one of our greatest enemies."
Zohre stayed quiet. She wanted to tell Dundar about what happened in front of the tent, but Dundar didn't do much when Batur was captured. She did not think he would do much now.
Dundar remembered what happened before when the Mongols captured his family in his own tent. Ceyda was there. But she was different. She remembered. Maybe there was still some hope left.
---
"Ceyda, what will you do?" Selcan asked.
Ceyda turned to her aunt and frowned, "I have to, yenge. Please."
Selcan looked away. Her niece would go away again. Konur heard and shook his head, "Ceyda? Where are you going?"
Ceyda turned to Konur, "Shh. Rest, Konur. You're in bad shape."
"So are you! Where are you going?"
Ceyda exhaled heavily, "To save our tribe."
"Is it your responsibility?"
"Don't I live here?"
"So do we. The responsibility is all of ours. Ceyda, don't feel like you have to do everything by yourself. We are here. Osman Bey is here."
"I have angered and disappointed this tribe many times. You haven't. I need to make up for it. I need to," she sharpened her sword harder.
Konur couldn't argue anymore. The pain from his wounds was coming back. Ceyda was hurt and beaten far worse than him. He didn't understand how she acted like she felt nothing. He couldn't watch her walk to her own death. He wouldn't. "Ceyda, if you go..."
Ceyda stopped sharpening her sword to listen.
"I will never talk to you again. Whatever relationship we had... forget it."
Ceyda couldn't help but snicker.
"I'm serious."
"Okay."
A Mongol soldier walked in and Ceyda glared at him, "Yes...."
"Osman brought Genghis Khan's laws."
Everyone shared confused expressions and Ceyda forced a smirk. "No one can stop Balgay now."
"He's calling you."
Ceyda thought about this. She could go now and get closer to Balgay, find out all his secrets and destroy the Mongols from within, but she would be risking Konur's friendship. Or, she could stay and let Osman handle everything, risking the chance to destroy the Mongols but saving her friendship with Konur.
"You go on, I'm coming," she told.
The Mongol nodded and left.
Ceyda gazed at her aunt, who shook her head, then Konur, who fell unconscious again. She then looked at everyone in the tent. Her brothers. Her friends. Her guardians. Her companions. Everyone who cared for her and took her in. Everyone who had her back whenever she was in trouble. Everyone she lightly argued with, most of the time just to bother them. Everyone she considered family. Everyone she loved.
She might never see them again, but she was willing to take the risk.
For the good of the tribe.
---
Aaaah. Okay, this was early. We literally spent class signing up for some dumb hack-a-thon. WOW, that relates to nothing....vote/comment!