Yeni Bir Kavga- A New Fight - Aylah's story

Chapter Twenty Nine

"Well, well, well, what's going on here?"

Aylah jumped and spun around to face their attacker, only to groan in annoyance when she saw who it was. "Really, Goktug Emmi? Was that really necessary?" Melike whispered sharply and their uncle grinned down at them, "Totally." 

"What are you doing here, Trouble?" Trouble was one of the nicknames Goktug had given Melike because according to him, wherever she went, trouble was ought to follow. Melike crossed her arms, "Could ask you the same thing, Fugitive of the state."

"Touche, Melike, but I don't care, what are you guys doing here?" 

"Hey, we can talk later, we need to get out of here first," Kayi's voice whispered as he looked out the door. Aylah and Orhan looked around the room and began pushing around the decor in the corner of the room, revealing a passageway. 

"What are you- Oh my god, you guys made a passage in here?!" Melike narrowed her eyes at him, "Yes, but you saw nothing," Goktug raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay, your secrets safe with me." 

Aylah stepped inside the dark corridor, wrinkling her nose, It was way too dark in there. "We should be able to get to Sheikh Edebali through here," Orhan noted as the five of them gathered around the small tunnel that would lead underground. 

"Does Osman Bey know you use his secret tunnels?" Goktug questioned and Aylah shook her head, "C'mon Emmi, what do you think we are? Amateurs?" Goktug snorted as he watched them go through the tunnel before he crouched down himself. 

Only a few minutes later, they had entered the dervish lodge, "By the way, Emmi, if Baba asks, we were never here." Goktug shook his head, "You know, I can't lie to your father, Orhan. That's the one thing I can't do for you." The twins sighed in unison, "What if he doesn't ask? Then you don't need to tell him?" 

"Are you trying to kill me?" "Now you're being dramatic, it's not like Baba will kill you!" "Oh, I'm the dramatic one? Take a look in a mirror, Melike." 

Kayi pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh, he turned to Aylah and Orhan, "Can we just go?" Aylah shook her head, and yanked Goktug's arm, "Goktug Emmi, rebel, fugitive, whatever else you are, we've got things to do." 

"Right," Goktug nodded to Aylah's relief, "Let's go see Sheikh Edebali, shall we?" Aylah assumed that was why Goktug was in Sogut, but she wondered where her father was if he was okay. "Emmi?" "Hmm?" "Is Baba okay?" Goktug smiled, "He's alright, Aylah, don't worry." 

The five of them slipped off their boots and Melike knocked on the door, "Destur, Sheikh'm?" It was a habit built into the four of them. Always ask permission. Aylah had gotten so used to it, she'd ask even if the door was open. 

"Come in, Canim," His reply came and they walked in, each pressing a hand to their chest in respect. 

Aylah listened as Goktug Emmi relayed the details of what exactly had happened. They were in the palace. An assassination attempt took place targeting the Sultan and his viziers. Evidence had been placed on them. There were more Mongols in the palace than ever before.

There was a disdained expression on her uncle's face as he talked about the Mongols, and Sheikh Edebali listened carefully with what seemed sympathy. Aylah glanced back at her uncle, there had to be a reason that his hatred for Mongols was far superior to anyone else. Even Cerkutay didn't show such disgust toward Mongols despite his past with them. What was it with Goktug Emmi?

By the time Aylah had caught up with the conversation, it was decided that Goktug would stay in Sogut for a little while as to not draw suspicion before he went back to Osman Bey. "You shouldn't have disobeyed your father by coming here," Then came their inevitable scolding, but they had already completed their mission.

"Goktug Emmi? I have to ask you something," Aylah stated almost skipping to keep up with his long strides. The twins and Kayi didn't care to catch up, simply following behind them. "What is it, Aylah?" 

"Everyone in the tribe hates Mongols," Aylah didn't exactly know how she was going to ask but she figured he would get what she was trying to say. "But you hate them more than anyone else." Goktug frowned, but let her continue as they entered one of the rooms in the lodge.

"And that time when the twins, Kayi and I got taken by Mongols and you asked us all those weird questions like it had happened to you before," Goktug still hadn't said anything and now the twins and Kayi caught on the conversation. Melike leaned forward on her hands, "Yeah, your horse isn't a Turkish one either." 

Goktug took a deep breath as he sat down, "I knew it would only be a while before you figured me out. Sit down, I'll tell my story." 

Aylah could see the nervousness in his eyes, but when he began to speak, the nervousness faded into reminiscence. "I had an older brother, Osman Bey and Boran told you about him." Aylah nodded, her father had told her that they had been best friends. 

"When I was 4, Mongols raided our tribe. Killed my parents, took me and Konur to a slave market. I was little, I don't remember how it happened, but Ertugrul Bey came to the slave market. He saved Konur and I was left behind." 

Aylah's eyes widened, 4 years old. Younger than Savci was now, and even then Aylah couldn't imagine him by himself anywhere, let alone somewhere that dangerous.  "What happened then?" Melike asked curiously and Goktug chuckled dryly, "I was bought, that's what. Sold to a Mongol commander by the name of Balgay." 

"He took me and convinced me that I was not a Turkish boy from a tribe, but a Mongol, destined to serve Genghis Khan. And that's how I grew up, I killed, I burned, I destroyed. They called me 'Blond Hurricane.' Kayi snorted, "I'm sorry, that's an awful name." Goktug smirked, "Says the one who's named after the tribe." 

"Anyway," Goktug continued, "I was quite the monster and by the time I was almost 20, we fought against Osman Bey." "You fought Baba?!" Orhan screeched and Goktug raised an eyebrow, "Why is that the most surprising thing? I literally just told you that I murdered people." 

"Yeah, but like you fought Baba!" Melike repeated and Kayi shook his head at the two before turning to Goktug, "Did you know Baba from then too?" Aylah already knew the Cerkutay was previously a Mongol, but so far the only thing that separated their stories was the fact that Goktug Emmi had been a Turk all along. 

Goktug nodded, "I knew Cerkutay, we both worked under Balgay. I despised him back then though." "But, what happened next?" Aylah prodded, "Did you find out about your brother?" Goktug sighed as if the words he was to say where a heavy weight upon his chest. 

"I did find out. Only after I had raided the Kayi tribe, raided Sogut, raided the Bazaar and tortured my own brother. We both had a mark on our necks, symbolizing the tribe of our birth." Goktug tilted his head to the side, revealing a crescent shaped mark.

"Konur tried to tell me, and I only pretended to believe him. I tricked him, so I could escape, but he didn't give up. He hunted me down and showed me proof that we were brothers and that I was a Turk. So, I began to spy and gave information to Osman Bey." 

"But Balgay found out. So, he drugged me, brainwashed me back into believing I was Mongolian." "That's what that smoke was," Aylah whispered in realization, "That's why you were so worried that day." Goktug nodded with a sad smile, "It happened to me. I knew just how difficult it was to resist it." 

"You were able to resist it, right?" Melike asked hopefully, but Goktug shook his head, looking down at his hands. "I couldn't. I was sent to ambush Osman Bey and by the time the drug had worn off... I had killed my own brother." 

A/N: Ah, my poor Goktug Alp. How do you guys think the kids will react? Do you think they'll understand? 

I know its been a long time and I've really inconsistent, but I had a lot going on with Orchestra and UIL. And speaking of that my orchestra group got all superior rankings in our region, so that was awesome. 

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Salaam and Have a great day!

-Laraib