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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2024
João Esteves returned very happy with the master's gift of the sleeveless tunic, lined with grey down, with a golden scallop shell on the breast. He arrived at night, at eventide when the count usually said his prayers. He told him that the master had shown that he rejoiced at his message, saying they were ready, and repeated all the other matters that he had discussed with him. The count listened to them all and, having looked at the letter the squire brought, summoned those who habitually formed his council. Having taken in attentively what the master had written and said to the squire, he thought that it was all Castilian trickery and that the master had only done that to get the count to leave his domains, so that they could say afterwards that he had done so out of fear and cowardice. Once the count was in Portugal, he would not give it any importance, and the master would be left with the honour, and excused from joining battle. For, if the master pledged himself immediately to set up a truce and was willing and able to do so, there was no reason to delay it any further. The master could not have a better moment to speak about the doubts that could arise over such a matter than when they were both in close proximity. However, these were just words that would never be put into effect, and which deserved no concern other than doing battle with him, since the master's words showed how pleased he would be to do so.
With this settled, the count enjoyed that Trinity Sunday. Very early at dawn on the Monday, after mass, the trumpets sounded and they went to the Alameda valley, which lay between them and the enemy, but found nobody. There, the count put his battle formation on foot, waiting the whole day for the Castilians to attack him, but they declined to do so. The count slept there that night.
The next day, he moved the army close to the castle of Feria, a league away, where the master was, in order to do battle with him on new terrain.
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