Later that night, Osman invited Ceyda to discuss their attack on Balgay with Bamsi Bey, Samsa Cavus, and Abdurrahman Ghazi. They decided they would split up since Balgay would be going to the Ingeol border, and there would be some warriors there. Ceyda, Samsa Bey and his alps, would attack the Mongols at the Inegol border while and Osman Bey would attack Balgay on his way there with his alps, Bamsi Bey and Abdurrahman Ghazi. After discussing their plans, Ceyda never left Konur's side. Though hesitantly at first, she pushed away all thoughts of Kongar, Balgay, and her mother. However, her mind was still on Batur.
"Are you even listening to me?" Konur inquired, squinting his eyes at her. She didn't respond. "Ceyda," he nudged her slightly, and she flinched.
"What?"
Konur sighed, "I was telling you that we're going to trap Balgay. Are you coming with us?"
"Balgay..." That means Kongar will be there too, or Goktug. It's good Osman Bey sent me with Samsa Cavus. "You go on."
Konur nodded, even though he wanted to fight with her like before, but he knew she had to fully heal first. "So, you're going to the tribe? Okay, alps should accompany you."
Ceyda was still distracted by her thoughts about Batur, so she absent-mindedly nodded.
Konur was taken aback. He was expecting a glare or an argument. "When you go back to the tribe, you should also abandon your weapons and help with the rug house," Konur tested, now smirking as he imagined Ceyda's reaction.
Ceyda said nothing and continued staring into the distance, nodding unconsciously.
Konur sighed. She wasn't listening again. "I guess you won't be needing these then," he pulled out the dagger from her belt, and she snapped into reality, "What are you doing? Give them back."
"What are you thinking about?"
"I'm not-"
"No secrets."
Ceyda sighed in defeat. "Batur," she confessed.
Konur furrowed his brow, and she continued, "I'm scared something happened to him."
"Why? I'm sure he's fine."
"I can't explain it, but I know something's wrong."
Konur noticed the desperate look in her eye and gave her back her weapons, "InshaAllah, he is fine. I'm sure he'll be there when you go back to the tribe with the alps... and help around the rug house."
"InshaAllah... what?"
Konur snickered and followed Osman Bey out of the cave, knowing Ceyda would follow him out. Ceyda shook her head, smiling, then went after Konur, "Wait."
---
Ceyda, Samsa Cavus and his alps hid behind the bushes near the Inegol border, secretly watching the Mongols. Ceyda saw Cerkutay and smirked, "As he is the head of this group, it will be easy to defeat them."
Samsa Cavus smirked back and signalled the attack. "Allah-u-Akbar!" they shouted, charging into battle as the soldiers frantically readied themselves for the surprise attack. Samsa Cavus went straight for Cerkutay as Ceyda and the rest of the alps sliced through the other soldiers. Ceyda was on her fourth soldier by the time she noticed Samsa Cavus wounded Cerkutay's arm. Before he could attack again, more soldiers came in his way, and Cerkutay found his chance to flee.
Ceyda sliced through two more soldiers and ran after Cerkutay. She raised her sword and attacked him. He blocked her attack and they pushed each other's swords against the other. "It was not smart to betray Balgay, deli kiz," Cerkutay sneered.
"It was not smart to be here without your master, sırtlan."
Cerkutay roared and pushed her back. Ceyda quickly balanced herself and started for Cerkutay again when the other soldiers attacked her. She effortlessly slayed them all, but it gave Cerkutay enough time to mount his horse and ride away. She yelled in anger and thrust her weapons onto the ground. All the Mongols were dead, so Samsa Cavus and the alps regrouped.
"Cetin alp!" Samsa Cavus called as he watched Cerkutay ride away, "Take two alps with you."
"I will go as well, Samsa Bey," Ceyda announced.
Samsa Cavus shook his head, "Osman Bey will want you near him, Ceyda. Come with us. Cetin, follow this dog to the place he hides in and level it with the ground. Go!"
Cetin alp nodded and did as Samsa Bey ordered. "Cerkutay must have more men with him. I think the others are with Balgay. We have to go and help Osman Bey immediately. Let's go!"
Ceyda, Samsa Cavus and the alps ran to the horses. Ceyda mounted Cetin's for now. She would tell him later, and they rode towards Wolf Hill as fast as their horses could take them.
---
When they arrived, Osman Bey was fighting Dundar Bey.
"Emmi? " Ceyda mumbled. Samsa took out his bow and arrow and shot the Mongol who was about to attack Osman. Osman jerked his head into the direction of the arrow and smiled in relief, "Samsa."
Samsa smiled back, "Come on, yigitlerim! Hit them, my braves! Don't let them live! Allah-u-Akbar!"
Ceyda jumped off the horse and the others did the same. She pulled out her weapons and charged into battle, the name of Allah on her tongue. She sliced through three soldiers before saving Konur from the fourth. He smiled at her.
"You're going to get yourself killed if you're not alert, Konur," Ceyda joked as she and Konur loosely went back-to-back and fought off the men in their way.
"How can I? Aren't you with me?" Konur joked back, stabbing another soldier.
"Pay attention, lovebirds," Boran snickered as he sliced through a soldier, receiving identical glares from Konur and Ceyda.
"Just wait, Boran... after what I do to you," Ceyda threatened, viciously slaying the enemy soldiers. She slit another's throat and caught Kongar's eye. He saw her too and glared at her. Ceyda continued watching him when she heard her uncle groan in pain. She jerked her head in his direction and saw that an arrow pierced his back. She quickly looked ahead to see where the arrow came from and saw some figures moving around. She clenched her fist and started for them when someone held her back. "Wait, Balgay and Kongar are going there," Konur warned.
"No, there's someone else there," Ceyda pointed out.
"Konur! I want both of them, dead or alive! Haydi!" Osman yelled, holding on to his wounded uncle.
Ceyda signalled for him to go without her, and he cried in battle as he, Boran and Ayaz sliced through the soldiers in their way and ran for Balgay and Kongar.
Ceyda peered at the place she saw the figures, but she couldn't see them. She thrust her sword onto the ground in anger, then headed for her uncle.
"Emmi," she rushed over beside him. He was now unconscious. She looked up at Osman, then behind her. Saltuk alp was running to them, his sword held high. "Saltuk, dur! " Ceyda stopped, but he didn't listen. He attacked Osman, who blocked his blows and wounded him. Osman slapped him, and he fell to the ground. He was about to kill him but decided he would be useful.
"What was my uncle doing here, abi? " Ceyda asked, feeling Dundar's pulse. He was alive. "Çok şükür."
"We will find out," Osman promised, eyeing Saltuk dangerously as the others surrounded him. "Tell me..." Osman slapped Slatuk and beat him up a few times, "What happened to Batur, huh? What happeend to Batur?" He roughly grabbed him, then punched him again.
Ceyda furrowed her brow, and the striking pain she felt in her heart before slowly started coming back.
"You're asking like you don't know," Saltuk spat. "You've killed Batur and sent his corpse to the camp with a horse. Why are you still asking?"
Ceyda froze, and her eyes became watery. What is he talking about? Batur was just with me the day before. How is he gone now? He can't be gone... My brother can't leave. She let out a shaky breath and placed her hand on her head, covering her face as tears started falling.
"Osmanim, what is he talking about?" Bamsi Bey asked, equally confused.
"I don't understand." Osman shook his head, "I don't understand, Bamsi Bey, but we're going to figure it out. Now we need to focus on Dundar Bey. He is alive, and he has important information."
"So, he needs to suffer more, huh?" Samsa Cavus sighed.
"Sencer. Sencer is also alive. Abdurrahman Ghazi, take Erkut and Kilic with you. Take Dundar Bey and these two to Elif Ana. The cave is at the feet of Hawk Rocks. Ceyda, you have been there. I want you to go with them too."
Ceyda wiped away her tears and stood up, putting on a straight face. Osman gave her a look of pity as he realized she hadn't said anything after Saltuk's news. Ceyda was very close with Dundar's family, especially Batur and Aygul.
"We'll be there at once," Abdurrahman Ghazi assured.
"However, my uncle needs to live. You got it, right?"
"Don't worry, Osman."
"It's the same bastard who killed Batur and put Dundar Bey on our tail. Whoever it is, we'll find that out from Dundar Bey. Come on, hit the road!"
Kilic and Erkut alp put their hand on their chest and left. Ceyda started to leave too when Osman stopped her. Ceyda watched him as he handled her shoulder. "We will find out whoever did this, Ceyda'im," Osman convinced.
"I know... don't worry about me, abi," Ceyda assured, waiting for Osman to let her go.
"Ceyda..." Osman started as he looked into her dark eyes and saw a mix of anger and sadness. Ceyda shut her eyes and moved away from her cousin's hand, then did as she was told, picking up her swords on the way.
---
Kilic and Erkut alp were readying the stretcher and gave Ceyda a quick nod when she arrived. The alps had gathered materials from the tribe and brought them to the forest. Erkut readied the horse they would use to pull Dundar, Saltuk, and Sencer's stretcher while Kilic readied the stretchers, and Ceyda gathered herbs and healing equipment for their wounds. She pulled out the plants roughly, her thoughts still on Batur, and stuffed them into a bag, earning glances from the alps now and then. Kilic and Erkut looked at each other and sighed.
"Are you alright, Ceyda baci? " Erkut squeaked.
"I'm fine," Ceyda responded, bitterly.
Kilic shook his head, knowing she was lying. Kilic and Erkut knew Ceyda from childhood. Soon after Ceyda joined the boys Bamsi was training, she connected with each of Osman's alps specially and uniquely. When Erkut was being mocked for his height, Ceyda stood up for him and made sure no one came near him again. When Kilic was wounded during training, Ceyda rushed over to him and healed him using her knowledge of medics. They grew up with her and were by her side during both happy and sad times. As Ceyda bonded with the alps, they developed a special place for her in their hearts. They could tell whenever she was upset or happy, hungry or tired, lying or telling the truth. Just like that, they knew she was overwhelmingly upset about the news of Batur's death. Before they could console her, Abdurrahman Ghazi arrived, "Evlatlar, bring the stretchers."
Kilic and Erkut nodded and Ceyda grabbed the bag of herbs and followed Abdurrahman Ghazi. Dundar, Sencer, and Saltuk were still unconscious on the ground where they left them. Ceyda carefully broke off the arrow from Dundar's back and covered his wound with a cloth to stop the bleeding. She observed the arrow, but the markings were not there. She sighed and held on to the broken arrow as Kilic and Abdurrahman transferred Dundar onto the stretcher, then Sencer and Saltuk. They were moving on foot, so Ceyda walked beside Abdurrahman Ghazi, leading them towards the cave.
"Kizim," Abdurrahman Ghazi called after noticing her tight grip on the arrow. Ceyda mumbled a 'yes' without looking at him. He was about to talk about Batur but thought that would trigger the anger and sadness she was clearly holding in. Ceyda had a habit of hiding her emotions from those she loved. She would usually do it as she didn't want to trouble them. However, it troubled them more when she held them in, especially when it was sadness or anger. The fact that she continued this habit when she hadn't fully healed and some of the brainwashing potion used on her was still pumping through her veins stressed them out more.
"Abdurrahman Ghazi! Dundar Bey!" Erkut alerted.
Abdurrahman and Ceyda turned and headed for Dundar. Ceyda felt his pulse, then his wound. The white cloth she put on his back was now drenched in dark red blood. "It's bad. The wound must be cauterized."
"Quick, flare up the fire," Abdurrahman ordered, and Erkut ran to do so while Kilic knelt beside Ceyda. "We have to get rid of this arrow," Ceyda pulled out her dagger and carefully pushed it against the arrow, trying to pry out the tip of the arrow that was stuck in Dundar's flesh. "Bismilahirrahmanirraheem. Ya Shafi," she whispered, slowly loosening the arrow.
Meanwhile, Alisar and his men were watching them from the bushes, readying themselves to attack. One of his men told Alisar it was the perfect time to attack, but Alisar shook his head.
"Not now, Zorba. This is Abdurrahman Ghazi. Don't be fooled by his white beard. When he fights, he's like a dragon. Ceyda is here as well. You and I both know how she is on the battlefield. Go bring some skilled warriors. We will attack soon."
---
Batuurrrr!!!
Sırtlan = heyena ... heh heh sorry Cerkutay
Also, I hate how they killed off Osman's alps so early. I mean I know there were a lot of them and he's only supposed to have like three, but can't you give them a proper funeral instead of hoping the viewers forget about them?? Actually, they may not have had enough dirt to bury them all...smh.
Anyways, vote/comment!