At this time, the constable was in Montemor-o-Novo, a town in his border region, in order to take a few days’ rest. There he received a message from his king about how the King of Castile was on his way to the aforesaid siege with all his forces, in order to do battle with him, and that he, the constable, should go immediately with all his men from the Guadiana area.

When the count heard such a message, he went immediately to Évora to put some urgency into his departure. While he was in that city, making haste, news reached him that the Master of Santiago of Castile was assembling a great many men to make a sortie into that district and take revenge for those the count had made into his own territory. After this, another message arrived, from Gonçalo Vasques Coutinho and from other places in the Beira region, informing him that he could be certain that Prince Dinis, who was calling himself King of Portugal, along with Count Martim Vasques, Count João Pimentel and many others in his company, were entering that district, causing such damage and losses there that, if he did not help them, everything would be destroyed. Such was indeed the case, for, entering through Sabugal, Prince Dinis had reached Guarda. Martim Vasques and his light horsemen were overrunning the area near Viseu and the surrounding villages, destroying everything, as in a territory where there were insufficient people to defend it from such an onslaught.

When the count saw such bewildering messages, he was as worried and apprehensive as any prudent person can imagine he should be. Another concern that equally worried him was not having any of the king's or his own money to pay wages to the men who were to go with him. However, he borrowed some small amounts from the local royal treasurer with which he partially satisfied his forces.

Then he called to council those whom he habitually consulted. After considering the messages that had come for him, the Count settled that it was best to seek out Prince Dinis and put to one side the other messages. If it pleased God to defeat him, he would proceed immediately to Tuy, whither the king was summoning him. Some people were unhappy with this counsel, nor did he please everybody with these words.