Yasak - Forbidden (A Goktug Alp/Kongar Love Story)

Chapter 8

Kongar stomped into one of the inn's rooms, where Cerkutay was slurping down a bowl of water. He slammed the door shut, making his comrade jump. "Jeez, Kongar, calm down," he said, annoyed. Kongar growled at him and paced the room. Cerkutay rolled his eyes; Kongar's temper often annoyed him. He put down his bowl and wiped his mouth with his dirty sleeve, and turned to his friend. "What's wrong with you?" he asked in a snappish voice. "You need to calm down before we take the Alps to the Kayi Tribe and have them executed, you can't have some idiotic tantrum now." "It's that girl," Kongar growled in reply, banging the wall with his fist. "Which girl?" asked Cerkutay. Kongar looked at him, and the soldier knew the answer. "Is it that girl from the stables, trying to rescue her brother?" he asked, sniggering. "She was an idiot to even try to face us. Though I give her credit for giving you a good wound." Kongar rounded on him, and Cerkutay stepped back a little. It was easy to know that Cerkutay was rather afraid of Kongar, and he gulped slightly as Kongar towered over him. "She isn't...don't call her an idiot," he snapped.

Cerkutay raised an eyebrow. "What has got you so worked up over a girl?" he asked. "She...she refuses to talk," said Kongar, turning around again and sitting down on a wooden stool. "I've looked her in the eyes, I've even touched her yet she refuses to talk." "Perhaps you have not touched her enough," said Cerkutay. "But you have your ways, do not get your fanny in a twist about it." Kongar raised an eyebrow at him, before he groaned loudly.

Kongar was famous amongst the Mongol Army for getting people to confess their secrets, especially women. His intoxicating gaze and glare and charismatic yet threatening methods easily squeezed information out of any man, woman or child he ever interrogated. Melike was the first to resist, and it was driving Kongar insane. "By Erlik Khan, Kongar we have gotten information from many people, both men and women, even if it took months. We can force it out of her," said Cerkutay, rolling his eyes. "And if she really knows nothing, which I honestly think she doesn't, we'll just kill her." "No. We're not going to hurt her," said Kongar angrily. Now Cerkutay was really surprised. "Why?" he asked, getting more annoyed with Kongar by the second. "If she is of no importance to us, why do we need her alive? What fun would that be?" He smirked. "Even if you want her as your companion, I recommend a more submissive woman," he snickered.

"Whatever I am going to do with her, I don't want her dead. I will get whatever I can out of her, and she remains unharmed by anyone else," he snapped at Cerkutay. "What is wrong with you? Why do you want her alive so much? And unharmed? We've made sure anyone who comes in our way is either dead or mortally injured, yet you want this girl to go off unharmed," shouted Cerkutay. Kongar held his head in his hands, frustrated. He could not answer Cerkutay's question; why did he want her unharmed? Didn't this feisty young woman humiliate him, insult him and had made him want to scream and go insane, while at the same time wanting to give in to her and kneel down at her feet? The last thing he should want is for her to be unharmed, on the contrary he should want her dead, and he knew it, yet didn't want it. He turned away from his comrade, refusing to meet his slanted eyes.

"Goddamn it, Kongar. You're one of Commander Balgay and Geyhatu's best men, if not the best, yet here you are going mad over a girl. She's almost half your size yet she seems to be the one who has beaten you up good," mocked Cerkutay. "Shut up, Cerkutay. I just need her for information, and her resistance is irritating me," scoffed Kongar. "What information would a woman have? In fact what kind of knowledge at all? The only thing we could do with them is sleep with them," sniggered Cerkutay pervaciously. "She's close to Osman Bey, from what I can see," mumbled Kongar. Cerkutay squinted at him, his eyes looking more slanted than they already were.

"Now that's interesting. Well, if she knows more than she seems to, leave her for me to deal with, especially if she drives you insane," he said. "No, she's mine!" exclaimed Kongar, suddenly standing up in front of Cerkutay, surprising him. "Fine, fine. Perhaps you could get over this insanity," said the dog-faced Mongol hurriedly, afraid that Kongar would strike him. Though it would be somewhat fun to watch again, he thought. "But we need to leave that for later. Commander Balgay wants to bring the Alps, Batur Bey and Samsa Bey to the tribe today, for them to be executed for all to see," he explained. Kongar nodded and rushed out the door. Cerkutay rolled his eyes. He barely saw Melike, and couldn't pinpoint what about her that drove his fellow Mongol crazier than he already was.