Bad news spreads very quickly. All the merchants who attended the business development and evaluation meeting learned the news that their men had been ambushed and killed. Although Turgay Heriston was nervous on the first night of the meeting, everyone at the meeting bought all the goods he had brought with him in order to help him.
That night was a night full of happiness and pride for Turgay Heriston. He was proud to have merchant friends who helped each other in times of need and who completed each other's deficiencies. They rushed to his aid in this difficult time. This is what is called merchant solidarity in difficult times…
Now, Turgay Heriston, who had finished examining his account book in his hand, gratefully remembered his merchant friends who had helped him. Thanks to their help, he was able to hire new guards to replace the men who died during the raid and buy the goods his clan needed.
It had been two days since the caravan had set off on its return journey. They were checking everywhere two or three times due to the psychological pressure of being ambushed. This slowed the caravan down considerably. No problem. No one is in a hurry. The important thing is to get home safely and unharmed.
…
Erna had been camping on top of this cliff for six days and was waiting for the owners of the karteli flower. They would come and her son would come with them, healed. Her eyes were constantly on the road and she kept looking towards the farthest part of the road.
The hope of seeing her son as soon as possible did not allow her to wait at home. What if she was late and the owners of the karteli flower had left before Erna could get to the campsite? What would Erna do in such a situation?
She made a decision and, regardless of the tribal chief's words "it's too early", she came to the campsite where the caravan would be staying. She never took any risks and started waiting days in advance.
She examined the road where the caravan would come and the campsite in detail and climbed up to a high place where she could see both places clearly. She could see everything from this place on the edge of the cliff. But how could she know that the place she was standing was where her son and the bear had fallen down together.
Time passed, days passed and in the early hours of the morning the tribal chief came to the campsite. He looked around, looked for Erna, and saw her on the edge of the cliff. He changed direction and walked towards the path leading to the top.
Erna had seen the tribal chief when he came to the campsite. If the chief had come, the caravan would soon come too. The hope of seeing her son increased even more in her heart, and he began to look more carefully at the road where the caravan would come.
After a while, the tribal chief came out from between the trees and came to Erna. He did not make a sound. He sat down calmly next to Erna and waited with her. About an hour later, they saw a caravan moving along the road and coming towards them.
When Erna stood up immediately, the tribal chief stopped her.
- Wait. Where are you going? Maybe they are not the caravan owners we expected. Then they will definitely attack us. Let's wait a little and make sure that those who came are the karteli flower owners.
Erna wanted to go down to the campsite below, but she knew that the tribal chief was right. So she sat back down and went back to watching the caravan…
As the caravan approached, Erna's excitement grew. Perhaps this was the caravan that had brought her son. The longing to be reunited with her beloved son prevented her from sitting still, and Erna stood up. She focused all her attention and took a good look at the approaching caravan. But she could not see the karteli flower emblem.
This caravan did not bring her son, but the next one would definitely bring him. She felt this in her heart. As the caravan moved away along the road by the river, Erna sat down and waited for the next caravan.
...
Two days later...
The caravan she was waiting for never arrived. But Erna never lost hope in her heart, thinking that every caravan she will bring her son. She was still burning with longing to be reunited with her son.
The sun had already passed halfway across the sky and Erna was patiently waiting for her son. Finally, a new caravan appeared in the distance. This caravan, approaching calmly, was perhaps the caravan that had brought her son.
Erna's excitement began to grow. She did not think that this caravan would not bring her son either. She was waiting for her son with all her longing. As the restlessness of waiting increased, she could not sit still and stood up and started walking quickly to the right and left.
The caravan was moving calmly as if it was in no hurry. Time passed and the caravan got a little closer, then a little more. As soon as the karteli flower emblem on her was seen, Erna jumped up from her seat and started running towards the campsite.
Her son had arrived, how could she stay still. She went down the path on the edge of the cliff and walked across the calm flowing part of the river. But she did not go any further because the caravan was going to set up camp there. She started waiting right by the river. In the meantime, the tribal chief had also come to her.
A little later, Eren, with the head guard in front, rode their horses and arrived at the campsite. While the head guard was looking quickly at the campsite, he saw two red orcs waiting by the river. He checked his surroundings again and made sure there was no danger.
There was no one else around except these two orcs. He rode his horse and moved towards the orcs. Eren followed. When they got close enough, the head guard realized that this red orc was the red orc that had been watching Han from afar while he was with them.
When the head guard got a little closer, the tribal chief took a few steps forward from Erna and started speaking in human language.
- Where is the human child you took with you? He is part of our tribe. We came to take him back.
- (The head guard had seen talking orc before.) He did not come back with us. He stayed in the capital.
- (Raising his voice) What do you mean? What do you mean he did not come back?
- (When the atmosphere suddenly became tense, Erna thought that these people did not want to give up her son and approached the tribal chief and shouted.) Where is my son?
The head guard and Eren, who did not understand Erna's shouting, immediately put their hands on their swords in case of any danger. The tribal chief immediately intervened and calmed them down by talking.
- Calm down. (He motioned Erna to calm down with his hand.) We didn't come here to cause any chaos. We came to take what belongs to us. Give back the human child you took and we'll go. We have nothing else to ask of you.
- (Eren joined the conversation.) Are you talking about Han?
- (Erna's eyes filled with tears when she heard her son's name.) Han! My dear son. Where are you?
Eren hadn't told anyone that Han had started training with his grandfather. This information would be very dangerous considering his grandfather's position. He wanted to tell the tribal chief that Han was fine, but he couldn't do it with the head guard by his side. That's why he wanted to keep the head guard away from the conversation he was going to have with the tribal chief.
- Chief, if you let me, let me handle this. Give me some time, okay?
After glancing at Eren, the head guard stepped back a little and waited on the sidelines without going too far. In the meantime, the caravan had entered the campsite. While the cars in the caravan parked in suitable places, Eren took the tribal chief and Erna a little further away from the campsite and towards the edge of the forest.
- I want you to know that Han is well, healthy and safe. You don't need to worry about him.
- (Erna's eyes started to water when she heard her son's name again.) Where is my son?
- (The tribal chief) Give me more information. This much information alone is not enough for us. Tell us. Where is Han? (Eren looks at Erna.) I will translate what you said in a way that she can understand.
While Eren was telling what happened from beginning to end, the tribal chief was translating so that Erna could understand. After more than half an hour, Erna had learned everything about her son.
- When will his training end? When will we see Han?
- My grandfather's training lasts at least three years. I know that he gives his students permission every now and then to rest. But this permission does not happen right away. I don't think Han will be able to get permission before a year.
When the tribal chief translated what Eren said, Erna handed Eren the necklace she made from the teeth of four-eyed bear for her son.
- Give this to my son and tell him; "Your mother will be waiting for you here in a year. If you don't come, she will come to the capital and find you. Even if the end is death, your mother will never give up on you."
…
Han woke up with a start. Again, he had a realistic dream about his mother. He got up from his bed and ran to the bathroom to get rid of both his sweat and the effect of the dream. When he came out of the bathroom, the sun was about to rise. He got ready quickly and then left his room and went towards Pal Padraig's hut…