The next morning, I woke to a rooster crowing with all his might outside my window. I wandered out to the kitchen, where Lydia shoved a thick slice of bread with guava jam in my face. I was not allowed to leave her presence until I took a bite. “Mmm, very good,” I responded through a mouthful as Lydia looked on with the pride of a mother at a job well done.

Estella was behind the house in their small stable. Guapo turned out to be a massive black steed. The horse tossed his shimmering silky mane from side to side. I approached slowly, and he settled as I stroked his muzzle. His nostrils flared with angry huffs of air. “Are you sure it’s all right that I take your horse?”

“What are a couple of old women going to do with a horse like this?” She shook her head as she stroked the horse’s flank. “Guapo needs to run. His packs are full with everything you’ll need for the next few days, or at least until the next town.”

I wrapped my arms around Estella’s neck, hugging her with all my strength. “Thank you,” I murmured into her hair with tears in my eyes.

She patted my back. “Take care of yourself and that baby.”

Knowing it was only a matter of time before the Imperial soldiers would come searching for me, I climbed onto the horse and kicked my heels into his sides. Guapo relished the opportunity to run. He leaped easily over fallen logs and rocks as we escaped into the forest.

He was a beast freshly released from hell and I his demon. We ran so fast that I didn’t pay attention to the road ahead of me, trusting in Guapo’s skill. Charging through the ambush, I laughed as the men launched themselves out of our way. They scattered like birds, screaming for God to save them from Atiola.

I smiled into Guapo’s mane. They thought of me as Atiola. I didn’t think I could be prouder.

Once I was a safe distance away I decided to take a rest in the heat of midday. I let Guapo seek out sweet grass while I sat in the shade and ate some of the food from the pack. I knew José’s army was going to be south of me, I just didn’t know how far south. My only concern was that I get to the rebel army before they moved.

I may have been out of immediate danger, but I would not feel at peace until I found the Farrapos. I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder as I got on Guapo’s back. I didn’t trust my surroundings; even the shadows had a threatening edge.

The sun was setting when I came upon two Farrapos scouts.

“Anita? Is that really you?” João, one of the scouts, asked in disbelief.