Cullera

When the Infantes, before they committed this great cruelty, ordered their company to ride forward, Felez Munoz the nephew of the Cid, rode on with the rest: but this order nothing pleased him, and he was troubled at heart, insomuch that he went aside from his companions, and struck into the forest, and there waited privily till he should see his cousins come, or learn what the Infantes had done to them.

Presently he saw the Infantes, and heard what they said to each other.

Certes if they had espied him he could not have escaped death.

But they pricked on not seeing him, and he rode back to the fountain, and there he found the women lying senseless, and in such plight as ye have heard.

And he made great lamentation over them, saying, Never can it please God that ye my cousins should receive such dishonour! God and St. Mary give them who have done this an evil guerdon! for ye never deserved this, neither are ye of a race to deserve that this or any other evil should betide ye! By this time the women began to come to themselves, but they could not speak, for their hearts were breaking.

And Felez Munoz called out to them, Cousins! Cousins! Dona Elvira! Dona Sol! for the love of God rouse yourselves that we may get away before night comes, or the wild beasts will devour us! and they came to themselves and began to open their eyes, and saw that he who spake to them was Felez Munoz; and he said to them, For the love of God take heart and let us be gone; for the Infantes will soon seek for me, and if God do not befriend us we shall all be slain.

And Dona Sol said to him in her great pain, Cousin, for all that our father hath deserved at your hands, give us water.

Felez Munoz took his hat and filled it with water and gave it to them.

And he comforted them and bade them take courage, and besought them to bear up.

And he placed them upon his horse, and covered them both with his cloak, and led them through the oak forest, into the thickest part thereof, and there he made a bed of leaves and of grass, and laid them on it, and covered them with his cloak, and he sate down by them and began to weep, for he knew not what he should do; for he had no food, and if he went to seek it, great danger was there because they were wounded and bloody, that the wild beasts and the birds of the mountain would attack them; and on the other hand, unless he went to his uncle the Cid, to tell him of this wickedness, none other knew what had been done, and thus there would be no vengeance taken.