Sabır (Patience) - Kurulus Osman

Chapter 14

Batur Bey entered Dundar's marquee with a worried expression, "Baba, Mongols."

Ceyda was walking towards her uncle's marquee when she heard some shrieks. She froze. Memories of her nightmares flashed before her eyes. She felt a stinging pain in the back of her head and groaned. Ceyda blinked it away and continued walking. It was awfully quiet and unusually empty. She didn't spend more time thinking about this as she was too excited to see her family.

"This border belongs to Mongol's iron fist Balgay now!" a deep and threatening voice thundered.

Ceyda decided to go around the tents to surprise her family. She giggled in excitement.

"The Kayis deserved Sogut with their swords!" Bogac declared, bravely walking up to the mysterious man.

"Bogac," Batur warned.

"Batur Abi, Bogac kardes," Ceyda squealed as she recognized their voices, and they came into sight.

She ran towards her brothers when Bogac's neck was slit open and he fell to the ground, blood slowly pouring around him. Batur ran to his brother's side in tears, "Bogac! Kardesim!"

Ceyda's head throbbed with pain, and her eyes widened in horror as memories of her nightmares started flooding her mind. Her father falling to the ground. Her mother, uncle, cousin, and brother being killed right in front of her. Her family being dragged and thrown into a blazing fire. She feeling useless. She clutched her head and shrieked as she fell to the ground, averting her eyes from the murder she witnessed.

Everyone turned to the familiar shriek, their mouths opening in disbelief as they realized who it belonged to.

"K-kizim?" Zohre and Selcan whispered.

"Kardesim," Gunduz and Aygul called.

Batur clutched Bogac and cried, then looked at his sister and froze.

Ceyda punched the ground and grabbed fistfuls of dirt, mumbling something as she did. "No more. No more blood. No more death! No more!" she cried.

"Who is this? Get her up!" the Mongol soldier ordered, peering at the woman.

"Don't you touch her!" Aygul screamed as she ran to her sister.

"Aygul, no!" Dundar and Zohre shouted.

The soldier dismounted his horse and smirked. He had long blonde hair that was shaved from the sides and pulled into a thick braid which was accompanied by several other smaller ones. He was extremely well-built and curiously taller than the other Mongol soldiers.

Kongar walked to Ceyda who continued mumbling and hitting the ground as Aygul tried stopping her. "Get away, Mongol filth!" spat Aygul, facing the soldier and glaring at him courageously.

Kongar scorned her courage and effortlessly pushed her to the side. The force was so strong it made her fall, earning yells from her family.

Kongar knelt beside Ceyda and grabbed her hands, "What is wrong with you?" Ceyda got out of his grip and continued punching the ground, grunting savagely as she did. Kongar scoffed and grabbed her collar, pulling her up with him, "Look here, girl!"

Ceyda looked away. Her head throbbed with pain. Suddenly, all she remembered was something black and blonde. Something she called, "Kahraman..."

"What?"

Ceyda looked at the blonde soldier with black clothes and grinned, her eyes shining brightly, "Kahraman. Kahramanim."

"Oh no..." Zohre despaired as Aygul ran to her mother, "What's happening, ana?"