GonBor- A Gonca hatun and Boran alp story

A Champion

(Fyi the game they're playing is a simplistic version of chess... so like checkers.)

Boran alp P.O.V

Zehra is a mastermind. This morning so far has consisted of Zehra beating everyone. It turns out Goktug and I wasn't the only ones who got our butts kicked by a little girl.  Currently, Gencebey is playing against her... and is losing. Zehra swipes Gencebey's last piece of the board. "I win!"  Gunduz walks over to me, "What's going on, Boran?" "Our entire tribe is being defeated by a 4-year-old," I tell him with a chuckle.

"Seriously? No one has been able to beat her?" Gunduz asks, probably thinking we've all gone crazy. "I swear it's impossible, you go play against her, see if you can win," I say, challenging him. "Fine, I'll go." We watch Gunduz sit down in front of Zehra, and they start their game. Within only a few minutes, Gunduz gets stuck. And soon, all his pieces are off the board.

"Who's getting beaten now?" Osman Bey asks, coming back from grooming his horse. "Your brother. He thought we were exaggerating, but now he just lost."  Osman Bey laughs, "I'm going to play against her now." He tells me, going forward as Gunduz comes back. "Abi, merchants are coming for trade today, we have to go to Sogut later." Osman Bey says and Gunduz nods, "Go try to win first, then we'll go to Sogut." 

Osman's moves start quite confident, but it's almost as if Zehra knows exactly what he's going to do.  Then, Osman starts to struggle, "Wait how did you even-" Osman's eyes scan the board, trying to figure out what to do. "You could just give up," Zehra says innocently as Osman stares at his pieces. We all start to laugh as Osman Bey narrows his eyes at her. (Man, Zehra is a savage)

Zehra only smiles sweetly as she moves his second-last piece of the board. Osman sighs in defeat, moving his last piece forward, and watches as Zehra flicks his last piece off.  "How did you beat me, my brother, and practically all the alps?" Osman asks in disbelief and Zehra giggles, "It's my secret."

"Fine, fine since you won, you get a prize." Osman Bey offers and Zehra jumps up, "Can I ride on your horsey?" She asks enthusiastically and Osman Bey chuckles, "Sure, I don't see why not." Zehra cheers, horses are her favorite thing in the whole world. "I have no clue how she does it, but it's amazing." Osman Bey says, getting up and walking over to us. 

"It's like she can read minds," I say in amazement. We get ready to head to Sogut, apparently, merchants are arriving from Frankish lands. Which is a good thing, but Frankish lands are also the Pope's lands. It's an opportunity for spies like Petrus and Simon once were. 

We decide on letting Zehra come with us to Sogut, that way she gets her horse ride and can stay with Gonca who is already at Sogut, running the soup kitchen while Bala hatun stays at the tribe. Zehra points out different animals as we ride, "Blue Birdy!" "Zehra look! That's an eagle!" Osman Bey says, pointing to the large bird soaring in the sky." "Eagle?"

"Eagles are very cool birds," Osman Bey says and Zehra shakes her head, "I think blue birdies are cooler." Osman Bey raises his eyebrows, "Why are bluebirds so cool?" "Because they're pretty and they can sing," Zehra says a matter of factly. "I still think eagles are cooler, Zehra." The rest of us just watch the debate take place, and honestly, it's quite entertaining.

"Did you know eagles are very strong?" "How strong?" Zehra asks, "Very very strong," Osman Bey replies, but Zehra won't have it. "But, how strong? Stronger than you?" She pesters and Osman Bey laughs, "Definitely stronger than me, 10 times stronger than me." Zehra counts out 10 on her fingers and shows Osman Bey, who nods approvingly.

We arrive at Sogut, and Gunduz Bey and Osman Bey go to the Inn to talk to merchants. I take Zehra with me to the soup kitchen where I know Gonca is. I watch Zehra go and talk to some other kids who were running around. "She isn't afraid of anything is she?" Gonca asks, leaning on the wall beside me, "Nope." "She and Yigit seem to be total opposites," Gonca notes and I shrug. "Maybe now, but I met Yigit only after the raid. Maybe he used to be like Zehra," I wonder.

"I do admire Zehra's confidence though, she'll talk to anyone." I smile, "Unlike me when I was younger." Gonca laughs, "You were scared of a lot of things." I nod, "I was scared of heights, water..." "-and me," Gonca cuts in, and I chuckle. "I was definitely scared of you, and I was also scared of the dark for a long time. My fear of heights and water only lasted when I was quite young."

"You were scared of the dark?" Gonca asks, and I nod, "I still am... kind of." I say a little embarrassed of that fact. "I used to be scared of the dark in general, I would keep a light burning when I was sleeping. But, now if I'm expecting it to be dark, I won't be afraid. If someone  blindfolds me suddenly, then I'll panic." Gonca nods slowly, "That makes sense, but how did you get over your original fear of the dark?"

I chuckle at that, "The work of Konur, who else?" I try to recall exactly when it happened, "I think I was around the age of 14 or 15 when it happened. Konur, Osman, and I went hunting, but it was raining, so we camped out in a cave. Konur had the bright idea to ditch me in a dark cave to overcome my fear." 

Gonca snickers, "Did it work?" I think for a second, "Well... yes... sort of. I didn't appreciate it at the moment, but eventually, after that, I wasn't as afraid anymore. But, don't get me wrong, I was pissed at both of them for doing that. " 

I laugh as I remember exactly what happened after that, "I was going to beat Konur up, but then Ertugrul Bey ran into us as he was coming back from a mission. And then we were in trouble... again." "You weren't allowed to go hunting alone?" I shake my head, "Ertugrul Bey never let us go hunting alone, he always told us to go with someone else who could protect us. But, we didn't think we needed protection."

"He was probably right though, I've lost count of how many times we ended up in a fight or got ourselves kidnapped."

A/N: Did I just write an entire chapter on Zehra?

Yes, Yes I did and I'm proud of it.

Well, I hope you are all doing well, and are still alive. That'd be a little concerning if you aren't alive and are still reading this... I sure do hope everyone reading this is alive. 

Anyway, Salaam and Jummah Mubarak!