Behind Francisco stood a woman—already well known to him. She was Aurelio's daughter. After the incident in which their lives had been in risk, their relationship had grown closer, and feelings had slowly developed between them. Truth be told, those feelings were born less from time and more from danger—the kind that binds people together when survival is uncertain.
"I came because I heard, more or less, what is happening," Amelia said quietly. "Boquerón has fallen, and the next step is war between Spain and the fanatics. Even if they've lost most of their troops… aren't you worried that Spain will defeat them?"
"Honestly, I'm not sure," Carlos replied. "But I doubt it. They still have at least two thousand men. Once they receive news of their defeat and the collapse of Boquerón, they'll focus their entire offensive on Spanish territory. There's no risk of us attacking them anymore. Still, even though they've lost the population of this area, they may start expanding elsewhere."
