The strength behind the attack was overwhelming. Although Francisco had some physical conditioning from his time in New Granada, it was only enough for long walks and carrying weight—not for resisting a sudden assault. He was thrown to the ground.
When he opened his eyes to see what had knocked him down, he found Catalina clinging to him like a wild animal, crying as she pressed her face against his chest. Beside her stood a group of Francisco's servants.
"Young master, are you alright?" they asked anxiously, surrounding him.
"Wait… if you're the ones attacking the camp, shouldn't we be escaping?" Francisco asked, confused.
Catalina shook her head. "Karl found us before we entered the forest. He decided to use this attack as an opportunity to train the rest of the troops bound for New Granada."
Francisco sighed in relief. Then he looked down at the furious woman who was holding him so tightly he couldn't even stand up.
