While these things were happening, the King of Castile was himself close to that district, moving from one town to another, as for example Tordesillas, and likewise Toro, Salamanca and towns where he believed it was important he should go. Every day he received word of how his enemies were ravaging his land. He spoke of this with Prince João, the brother of the King of Portugal, and with the commanders and masters of the orders and with the Prior of San Juan, who were there with him.

Having taken counsel on this, inasmuch as he had no wish to risk everything in battle, he was told that the King of Portugal and the duke would not stay long in Castile, since they lacked provisions and would not find them. This was because of the men who were posted throughout the district to guard the towns, who were consuming a great part of the provisions, and also because of the removal of food that he had ordered at the beginning; it was owing, too, to the destruction that the English and the Portuguese had carried out in those districts. Thus, it was inevitable that they would leave soon. ‘Especially’, they said, ‘as of your men and foreigners there are always 3,000 or 4,000 lances at hand around their camp, who will not let them do such harm that your land will suffer unduly. Meanwhile, the King of France's troops, whom we are expecting, will arrive very soon, and then you can determine what you deem to be best for your interests. Since the enemy camp is not very healthy and they are dying in it, or so we are assured, they cannot remain here for long.’ The king heard their arguments, and approved what they were saying, while these things were happening in the way we have related.

The King of Portugal likewise saw how no town among those they reached was persuaded to receive the duke as its liege lord, nor were other towns or people, and how those weak towns they had managed to capture were so far inside the kingdom and hence so hard to retain under his control that it was not a thing to be attempted.