Batur cut Ceyda's ropes and brought her hands in his, "Ceyda, wake up. We are going hunting, come on."
Ceyda's breathing was heavy and Batur could hear what she was mumbling.
"Hayir... yapma. Leave them... leave them. B-baba. Baba, no. Baba!" Ceyda woke with a jolt, tears streaming down her face. "Baba'im...how could they hurt you? How could they kill you?" She sobbed. Batur's eyes started to become watery. He would always cry whenever his siblings cried. Ceyda's heartbreaking sobs were too much for him to handle. "Shh, it's okay. It was just a dream. You're okay." He laid Ceyda's head on his chest and rubbed her back, murmuring soothing words to calm her.
Ceyda stiffened and roughly moved away from Batur. "Bırak! Bırak beni!" She struggled to break free of Batur's grip. "Ceyda, stop! Calm down, it's me! Batur. Your brother, Batur. Shh, calm down."
"Liar! Liar! You will hurt me! You will kill me! Just like you killed them..."
"Ceyda, enough. Look, now you are hurting me. Please, stop. Ceyda!" Batur reflexively pushed her away roughly, and there was a slight thud as she hit the wall. He quickly checked to see if there was any serious injury, but she pushed him away again. "You are hurting me! You liar!"
"Cey-"
"What's going on here?" Konur questioned. Osman had finally convinced him to stay behind.
Batur struggled to hold Ceyda's wrists and stop her from punching him. "Konur, help me. She woke up from a nightmare and now she thinks I will hurt her. Ceyda, enough!"
Konur quickly ran to stop Ceyda, "What are you doing? Huh? Don't you recognize your brother?! Come on, stop this!" He grabbed Ceyda's hands when he realized they were untied. "Who untied her?" He glared at Batur who tried looking away from Konur. "Why would you untie her? She's dangerous!"
"She's my sister!"
"Not anymore. Now, she's Balgay's daughter."
"No, Konur. She's Ceyda. Your friend, Ceyda. Stop this nonsense."
"You're telling me to stop my nonsense. What about her? Remember what she said?!"
Batur sighed heavily and was about to snap at him when Ceyda started sobbing again.
"Ah, Baba! I could not protect you from them! They killed you... now they will kill me! But I will not allow it." Ceyda broke free of Konur and Batur's grips and grabbed a rock. She raised it high and threw it at Batur who ducked a second before it hit him.
"Are you crazy?!"
Ceyda screamed and grabbed another rock when Konur slapped her. "ENOUGH!"
Ceyda took a moment to process what had happened and dropped the rock. She clutched her cheek and buried her face in her hands, weeping. "Baba, where are you? Look how they are hurting me. They will kill me too. Just like they killed you."
Konur looked at the hand he slapped Ceyda with fearfully as Batur watched them both with concern. "Allah, what is happening to us?"
Konur watched a petrified Ceyda and reached out a shaky hand on her arm. "Enough...it's over." He gently removed Ceyda's hands and held her face, softly rubbing where he hit her. It was red now. Konur shut his eyes and a tear fell. "I'm sorry." He slowly brought Ceyda onto his chest to ensure she was comfortable and inhaled her sweet, lily scent.
Batur could not help the smile that tugged on his lips upon seeing them together.
Once Ceyda was calm, Konur gently sat her against the wall, wiped away his tears and left to sit by the fire.
Ceyda gazed around, calmly, processing where she was. Then, furrowed her brow, "This...is not Balgay's tent..."
Batur frowned. He slowly grabbed the ropes and tied her hands once again.
"Wait a minute...Batur? K-Konur? Did...did you bring me here?"
Batur glanced at Konur, but he did not respond, only staring at the fire. "We brought you here, Ceyda."
"Why?" Ceyda controlled her anger.
"For you," Konur answered.
"Are you going to decide what is best for me?"
"If you will not then yes, I will!" Konur snapped, his anger returning. "I thought you would have come to your senses by now, but it looks like you have not! You still think about that dog, Balgay!"
"I can take care of myself, Konur!"
"Yes, that's clear!"
"If you hadn't kidnapped me, I would have found out why-" Ceyda stopped. She could not tell anyone about her mother.
Batur furrowed his brow and watched Ceyda expe "Found out what Ceyda?"
"It's none of your concern."
"Really?!" Konur yelled.
"Yes, really! Now, excuse me. I have somewhere to be." She was about to get up when something held her down. Ceyda looked behind her to see she her hands were tied together. "You tied me up?"
"You can't leave."
"Untie me!"
"No."
"Untie me now, Konur! Batur! I need to go! Please, I need to know. I need to know what she was doing there!"
Batur sat straighter and Konur listened harder. "Who?"
Ceyda looked between the two, hesitating. "M-my notes... Konur, did you find it?"
"Find what-" Konur suddenly remembered the paper that was attached to the tree. He took it out and read it. "This..."
"Balgay's plans, the number of guards, soldiers, Mongols, everything. I can find out more than this, Konur. We will destroy Balgay from the inside."
Batur considered this and smiled at Ceyda, "MashaAllah to my sister."
Ceyda sniffed back tears and smiled hopefully, "Batur Abi, let me go."
Batur and Konur exchanged glances, then Konur shook his head and commanded, "Ceyda...you will stay here."
Ceyda frowned, "Wha-"
"For now...I will tell Osman Bey about this first. Then, we will decide...together. Understand?"
Ceyda clenched her fist and Batur noticed. "Of course," she lied.
Konur folded the paper and tucked it into his armour. "I am going to get some fresh air. Batur, stay strong." With this, he left the cave.
Ceyda mumbled a few curses at Konur, and Batur held back a smirk.
After ensuring Konur's departure, he turned to Ceyda and untied her hands, causing her to shoot him a confused look. "Ceyda'im, would you like to go hunting with me?"
"Hunting?"
"Yes, it's been a while since we went together."
"But what about Konur-" Thoughts of how he treated her visited her, and she smiled. "Of course."
Batur helped her up and peeked through the exit to see Konur riding away on his horse. He felt the laws that he stole from the chest tucked safely in his armour. He sighed and gestured to Ceyda to follow him out. They climbed out of the cave and Batur grabbed his horse's reins.
Ceyda looked around for her horse but remembered Kahraman. She inhaled the forest's scent and whispered his name.
A moment passed before the whinny of a horse and the thudding of its hooves echoed among the trees. Batur protectively stood in front of Ceyda and the siblings looked on for the rider when a jet black muscular stallion with a contrasting blonde mane and tail reared majestically before them. It had no rider.
Ceyda's eyes lit up with joy. "Kahraman!" she exclaimed, running over to the horse and grinning from ear to ear.
Batur was about to hold her back, but she seemed like she knew the horse. "Do you know him, Ceyda?"
Ceyda giggled, "He saved my life, Abi, in the forest...he became my hero. Kahraman'im." She hugged the horse's neck and groomed it lovingly. "You came back!" The horse neighed happily and knelt.
Batur watched Ceyda with the horse and couldn't help but smile. "Kahraman, huh? So this is Kahraman," he murmured, remembering when Ceyda repeated that name in front of the Mongols.
Ceyda laughed, "Hadi abi, let's go."
"Let's go."
The cousins mounted their horses and prepared to ride off when Boran, Dumrul, Ayaz, and Erkut Alp arrived.
"Ho!" Boran tugged on his horse's reins as the accompanying Alps followed, surprised by the sight. "Good evening, Ceyda. Çok şükür, you've woken. Batur, where are you taking her?"
"We are going hunting, Boran Kardas. It's been a while. Ceyda was restless, so I thought I would take her to get some fresh air. Right, Ceyda?"
Ceyda beamed at Batur, then Boran who nodded and returned the smile. Their glee quickly became contagious, and the other Alps could not help but share it too. "Okay, but be back before dark," Boran stated in a false stern voice.
Batur nodded, and he and Ceyda rode off.
---
"Here is good, Abi," Ceyda concluded after examining the area. Giant trees robbed the grasslands before them, but they provided them with the cover they needed when hunting.
"Just a little farther, Ceyda."
"Okay."
"It's better if we go on foot from here."
Ceyda nodded and jumped off her horse, making Batur chuckle. "Slowly Ceyda. You'll hurt the horse."
"So, your worry is directed to the horse?" Ceyda quipped playfully.
Batur snickered and dismounted before tying the reins of his horse around a tree. When he moved to secure Kahraman's when he realized there was nothing to tie. "Y-you rode him without a saddle?"
"Of course. He does not need one. We return favours. He is no pet. You can go now, Kahraman." The horse neighed warningly and stayed still. "Kahraman?" Ceyda frowned. "Why are you worried? I'll be fine. It'll be fine. Go. It's okay. Go." Kahraman whinnied lovingly before galloping off. Ceyda turned to Batur, "Shall we?"
He nodded but not without sparing an intrigued glance in the direction of the stallion, and they pushed through the forest. Ceyda suddenly smelt smoke. As the trees cleared, she peeked ahead to see a camp. She furrowed her brow and glimpsed at Batur who kept a straight face. Ceyda recognized the flags at the entrance of the center and thought bitterly, Moğollar.
"We're not here to hunt, are we?"
"Go."
"What?"
"Do what you need to do, Ceyda."
"But-"
"Go now before I change my mind and bring you back."
"Batur...don't lie for me. Don't get in trouble for me, please."
"Damn you, Ceyda," Batur shook his head skittishly. "First, you beg me to bring you here. Now, you beg me to take you back?"
Ceyda tutted, "I didn't think you would do it."
Batur playfully smacked Ceyda, "Well, here we are. Go now."
Ceyda's eyes teared up and Batur looked away. "Please don't cry. You're going to make me cry."
"I love you so much, Abi'im."
Batur sighed and took her hands in his. "I know...but you have to promise me. You will find out more about Balgay. You will continue to inform Osman. You will be careful. You will not make your friends and family worry. Tamam?"
"I can't promise the last one, Abi. You will worry, I cannot stop that." She then shot him an irritated look. "But I don't want you kidnapping me again."
"That one was Konur," Batur smiled.
Ceyda looked at the camp, then back at Batur. "Thank you...Lakin abi, how am I going to stay apart from you?"
"Do you know what they say, Ceyda: 'The road does not separate siblings at heart.' Just like that, it will never separate us."
Ceyda stifled a sob, "Promise?"
Batur nodded, holding back the tears that were about to fall and pulled Ceyda into a hug. "Please be careful."
"You too."
"Don't worry about me. I can handle them."
Ceyda stared at Batur's nervous and guilty face after pulling away from him. "You took the laws too, didn't you?"
Batur was silent, but Ceyda continued. "I was awake at one point...I saw you."
"I did it for my father."
"If anything happens to our family...will you do everything to protect their honour?"
"Everything."
Ceyda looked into his eyes and knew she could trust him. She hugged him tightly and snuck the piece she tore from her notes into his back armour. Neither of them was willing to let go, afraid of what might happen to the other if they did.
"It's time."
Ceyda and Batur tore apart from their hug and grabbed each other's hands. They smiled at each other once more before Ceyda slowly parted her hand from Batur's and headed towards the camp, wiping off her tears.
Allah, forgive me. What have I done? Bature thought dreadfully. I have sent my sister to her death.
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You guys were right! Woww Konur and Ceyda in angry mode. They'll get angrier in the next few-🙊 Vote and comment!!