The municipality of waterfall from Camp,, where he was heading, was known for its very important gold reserves that existed in the 18th century, when the Portuguese exported around 800 tons of valuable ore to the Portuguese crown. Most of the families that resided in that part of the country came from former miners and Justino was one of those who dared to go and live in that region where there was no longer a living from the extraction of the old ore. Despite the end of gold mining, the place was profitable in many other ways and became a major trader.

 Meanwhile along the way on the long journey, Luz believed that she was forever distancing herself from her place of martyrdom and could already taste the true freedom in the blowing of the wind that licked her face while riding on that animal, whose neighing reminded her of the times of your adolescence. Time when he set up others like him and could walk through the dense vegetation of coffee plantations. However, when fate writes a story and chooses someone to be its main character, there is no escape. No matter how much you try to go your own way, you will end up stuck in the web that was woven by him.

 Just like an insect or animal after falling into the clutches of a terrible predator, paralyzed by its poison or prey, without being able to achieve the deliverance it so longs for. It was already the end of that summer afternoon and the sun was beginning to go down in search of rest, when the crash of a shot from a cartouche was heard through the silence of the forest, previously broken only by the sound of the footprints of the animals during the ride. . The fugitive wore a white dress that she got from Benedita, in which she splashed red tastes of blood and part of the brains that came out of her guide's head, blown up in front of her.

The echo of his terrifying scream rang through the field covered by a light layer of grass that covered the roots of the bushes that spread from one end to the other, the animal that was riding was also startled by the noise of the shot and galloped away. She was aware of being chased by the thugs sent by that despicable man from whom she tried to keep her distance, her former owner, who had certainly recommended his capture, but thought she was able to escape unscathed from the chase.

The peace of the countryside, which was previously broken by the blast of a bullet fired from the rifle of one of the criminals and burst the skull of the poor devil who had been tasked with taking it to one of the municipalities near Black gold, was now undone again , through the hoof of horses that with their horseshoes dug that hard land in a gallop from hell. The fugitive and her animal tore the winds that blew in that part of the land, where fate seemed to have determined a tragic end under the mud of blood. He knew nothing about that region, far from the farm where he grew up. However, those who remained in pursuit did not back down.

Because they knew that no matter how much she insisted on running away, she would be forced to surrender sooner or later. So they thought because the path they took to escape was a large and unknown labyrinth. However, since she was a little girl she learned to gallop very well and knew how to ride a horse, in the midst of all that running she did not lose her balance or the reins of the animal, she conducted herself in an excellent way and left behind the five thugs who intended to capture her.

At the end of the open field, the path she was following became a pine forest, the girl lets go of her horse and leads him on, but she stays behind. Get into the woods and walk on foot in another direction, unknown and having no idea where you would take it. The men chasing her went on after the animal that continued to run down the narrow path until they finally realized they had been tricked and the fugitive had stayed behind. However, the time it took for them to realize the error gave the slave a long journey and the distance between her and the criminals became favorable.

 It was beginning to get dark and what he heard were only the orchestras of the many insects scattered under the green grass scattered on the floor, like a green carpet under the pines. Crickets in heaps sang her songs as if it were a big party and she was the bridesmaid, listening and receiving the homage. Without being able to see clearly in that darkness that formed with the descent of the sun and the arrival of the night, he decided to sit near the trunk of a tree. I heard the sound of the music found only in the dense woods, the singing of the insects that praise the Creator. Indianara, his mother, when he was still alive told him about these things.

It taught him that the earth had been created by Olódùmàré, name given to God, the Creator of the Universe. According to his Yorùbá tribe, nature's song was for his worship. She told him that it was necessary to respect natural laws and when he was in the middle of it, it would not cause any harm. Avoided destroying plants, not cutting down a tree or breaking even one of its smallest branches without being in dire need. He explained that all those responsible for the devastation of nature would one day be accountable to Olódùmàré and their souls would burn before him.

Luz knew everything about these things by heart and joked about it, as she had learned from her mother that she was a practitioner of the various African “religions”. Among them, Candomblé, which has Banta origins, having as root the kimbdomb kiamdomb or quicongo ndombe, both meaning “black”, have become synonymous and a generic reference of different expressions of religiosity of African origin.

If nothing that happened in the past had happened to your family, you would take over the mother's tasks. He would receive the mantle of Odum as an adult, serve the Orixá, and guide his people towards the worship of Olódùmàrè, whose meaning within the customs of his people is "Lord of destiny", "the beyond", "what we do not know, we know or imagine "," without limits ". While reflecting on what he had learned from his mother, he allowed himself to rest his body ground by the truculent ride on Marino's loins at the foot of the tree with great branches.

He was a remarkable animal and they had known each other for a long time, since when he was a girl he accidentally invaded the lands of Ambrósio, after getting lost during one of his antics. At that time he was still very young. She was the one who put you in the first riding cell. On that day he would take her to the home of the man who would possibly welcome her and, who knows, the ultimate freedom, but things ended up not being so easy. Due to the intense darkness it was impossible to have an idea of ​​the time, whether it was still early in the evening or coming to an end.

The orchestra of crickets continued to intonate several sounds produced by the mopping of their legs or wings, on each other, cicadas and hundreds of other animals praised Olódùmaré. In the small pond nearby, some frogs and frogs also responded to insects with their weird songs and on top of the pine tree the owl participated in the big party with its strange and frightening humming. He settled down on the trunk where he chose to settle until dawn, and then went on, and there he took a nap. She woke up still in the dark under the singing of several birds that seemed to wake her up on purpose.

Without further waste of time, he got up from his rest and headed off, intending to get to the planned place. He did not know the exact direction or whether he would be going to the North, where Black gold was, or in reverse. She could not make the mistake of not realizing that she was going back to the house of the couple who helped her in the escape because the thugs would surely have passed by in search of her.

In those days, the clothes worn by women were huge and bulky, difficult to get around, but the black woman never liked to wear such exaggeration and dressed in dresses glued to her body despite the reprimand from her godmother. In this way it was possible to get around better and practice their crazy adventures. How to ride a horse and go running through the lands of the Dantas, which were almost infinite. And, on that particular occasion, your clothes fit well. After all, they contributed greatly to enable him to run through the vegetation that at times was low, at other times high and dense, difficult to access.

 Lost among so many thoughts, she hardly felt the immense tiredness that was gradually spreading through her body. He was still at large strides, when in the distance he saw a house surrounded by diverse plantations, the extensive yard and the yard surrounding various domestic animals made it clear that it was an inhabited place. He approached cautiously and knocked on the front door in the hope of being received by someone who could help him. His expectations were right and a tall man, still young, with dark skin and an admirable physique appears almost naked, wearing only shorts, showing his strong muscles.

For the first time that woman who, since her childhood, experienced sex in a violent way and never felt any physical attraction for anyone, now found herself attracted to that stranger. Seeing him, his flesh shuddered inside. Embarrassed by what she felt at that moment without realizing that it would be impossible for the stranger to understand what was happening inside her, she looked down and raised her tired voice to ask for help.

 — Please help me...

She said these words almost without a voice and the man held her tightly, when she was already collapsing from the intense tiredness, due to the long walk and for several hours without eating. After placing the visitor inside and settling her on a bed, despite the lack of comfort. He wiped a damp cloth over her face in order to reduce the heat. He let her rest and meanwhile prepared something for her to eat when she woke up. The time Luz spent resting in the forest, where she could even get a few hours of sleep, could have been fatal if her pursuers had not lost their tracks.

This was because when the fugitive left the mount, he went into the forest in the opposite direction from them, heading towards the East of the place where he was and they believed he had gone to the opposite direction. While she was recovering from physical wear and tear the thugs returned to Ambrósio and Benedita's house, forcing them to tell where and how they could find her because they believed that she had found help there, as it actually happened. But the couple said they did not know their whereabouts for certain, but their excuses were not willingly accepted by the bandits who began to act more harshly.

As they were peaceful people and their servants had never dealt with such a situation, with many weapons they cowered and did not know how to react to free their masters who were badly treated by the invaders. After locking everyone in there in one of the many rooms in the house. The men tied husband and wife to two chairs, opposite each other, forcing them to give them the information they wanted about the young woman under many threats and aggressions, both verbal and physical.

Even after being victims of so many atrocities by the violent thugs, the couple limited themselves to nothing about the whereabouts of the young woman. Outraged by their insistence not to cooperate, they killed all the farmer's servants who were locked in one of the rooms of the house, they were murdered in cold blood by large-caliber shots. Benedita and Ambrósio said nothing because they knew that even if they spoke they would not escape certain death.

 And they were not mistaken in this regard. The order given by Dionísio Dantas was that they use all the necessary means to obtain the results that would lead them to capture the fugitive and not leave witnesses. After being beaten with excessive cruelty, the couple was soaked in kerosene and set on fire, they were burned alive. The large house surrounded by several fruit trees and whose land was extensive, with many creations of domestic animals, was the scene of that immense tragedy that befell the lives of good people and who had never practiced any form of evil before anyone.

Then she was also set on fire and all of her expensive furniture incinerated. The high flames soon spread around the place, turning everything that was there to dust and ashes, including the bodies of the former inhabitants of the place. Others who were working at the coffee plantations at that moment saw the long cloud of black smoke rising in the direction of the mansion and ran to see what it was all about. Great was the desperation of everyone when they arrived. Perplexed they wept and lamented when they realized that their masters' house was on fire and because there was no one outside the place, they immediately concluded that everyone had been killed together in the fire.

Even if at first they didn't understand how it came to be. In that region, there was no authority that could investigate what had happened, everything was resolved by the landowners, usually slaves. Some blacks escaped with their lives for not being present at the place. At the time of the carnage, they worked on the plantations and when they got there, they didn't know what to do, until someone had the idea of sending one of them looking for Justin.

The son of the murdered couple, to let you know about recent events. That done, they looked for a way to take shelter.  Going to an old shack located among the coffee plantations until the new landlord arrived. In the meantime, Luz awakened and his new protector served him a broth made from various vegetables and free range chicken, he intended to give his strange visitor the necessary energy to explain his unexpected arrival, which she did as soon as she recovered.

— First I apologize for invading your property, but it was necessary

— Okay, no need to worry. Pleasure, my name is Florencio - I said that while kissing her hand - I see that you are quite cultured, despite your dark skin

— The pleasure is mine. I'm Lucinete, but they call me Luz, I was adopted by my lord's sister and educated by her as if she were her daughter

— I understand

— But I realize that you are a man as cultured as I am, did you also have someone who educated you?

— No, my education was acquired through my own efforts

— Yes, now I realize how many books you have here on this table

— Many of them belonged to my father who became a black man free from slavery when he received the freedom given by his master. This happened a few days before his death and he lived on this small piece of land that he inherited

 — Lucky man, your father, after being released did you still receive a piece of land to live on?

 — Yes, it seems strange, but that's exactly what happened. He was highly esteemed by his owner and was bestowed in this way. Then he married my mother, another free slave, with whom he gave my life.

 — So, as I understand it, your father's master freed several slaves

 — There were only five

 — And where are they all?

 — They left, I'm not sure where they might be, but now enough about me, let's talk about you. How did you get here? After all this property far from the others and few would know how to find it

 — To be honest I got here by chance, it was not my intention

 — Got lost? And your animal, where is it?

 — I abandoned him on the road, at the time I intended to go to the municipality by the name Field Waterfall, do you happen to know where it is?

 — Yes, I know it very well, but if you intend to get to such a place because, then, you dispatched your animal? Has the horse become ill, suffered any serious injury or is it dead?

 — None of that, when I dispatched it was quite salable

 — I do not understand...

 — It's ok. I am a fugitive and because I have some thugs on my trail I had to get rid of my animal to run away from them, going into the forest in order to lose them

 — I understand. So that's how you ended up getting here?

 — Exactly

 — But you said you were a free slave, raised and educated by your former master's sister. How did you become a fugitive, commit a wrongdoing?

 — No, I just got tired of being raped almost daily by that damn

 — Who do you mean, actually?

 — I grew up on the Dantas' property after witnessing the death of my parents, murdered by the former coffee Baron. At that time, as a child, I was forced to watch them burn alive in a fire right before my eyes

 — My goodness, what a barbarity! And why did they do it, what mistake did they make to deserve such a terrible end?

 — Since when do these slave demons need reasons to practice their crimes against unfortunate poor people like us blacks? Just for having dark skin we are targets of its aggressions and treated like garbage

 — And did this happen as soon as they arrived in Brazil or after they were already established in the lands of the Barons?

 — After being on his farm for a while. Our lord's youngest son raped me when I was just ten years old and my father couldn't stand what he did, so he joined with others and killed him in the cane fields. But, under a lot of pressure, one of them ended up revealing the secret and they ended up all dead, including my parents, who were consumed by the fire right in front of me without being able to save them.

 — Miserable! This makes me indignant and further increases my desire to fight for the freedom of our people

 — I share this desire.

 But what else could we do against a multitude of enemies well armed and protected by the empire?

 — Sometimes I stop to reflect that we are many blacks in this country. So why don't we unite and fight these oppressors and break free from this terrible yoke? What happens is that we are very passive, accommodated and cowardly!

— But we have no weapons and, even if we did, no slave would know how to use them

— Everything is learned, my friend, until you squeeze your finger on a trigger and send these damned Portuguese to hell!

— So you are in favor of a revolution?

— Yes, completely! But go on, tell me the rest of your story

— After the Baron fell ill and became unable to manage his assets, his son Dionísio, who for a long time already worked in the domain of properties and took decisions in his father's place, completely took control of everything, starting to govern even more severely. It was then that because he found himself with all the power he started to rape me whenever I was alone, away from the other people who lived in the mansion. Tired of so much abuse I decided to run away and now he sent his thugs after me to take me back.

— White wretch! A thousand times miserable! And why didn't you reveal everything to your protector, the one who raised and educated you?

— Think carefully: What could a poor woman without any power of authority, in a country where only men rule and govern, do to defend me?

 — You're right, the poor thing would still put her life at risk

 — Of course yes!

That worm wouldn't have the slightest remorse to kill her if she tried to come out in my defense.

— You did well to keep secret and run away from that monster.

 — Don't worry, here with me you will be safe, nobody will harm you

 — I appreciate your generosity, but we both know that I will never be safe while being chased by those wretched thugs

 — Stay calm, this place is far away and it will not be easy for them to find you

 — Don't be as if you don't understand the situation, Florencio, we know that if I got here they will also come

 — Okay, I'm not going to stay here pretending I don't understand the danger we're in, so let's do it like this: I'll accompany you to your destination until you personally hand it over to the care of your friends' son, whom you should meet at first

 — Very well, that is the right thing to do, because there he has influence and can keep me safe, if we stay here and my pursuers locate this place you will be killed. In addition to that I will be taken back to suffer the martyrdom of the punishment reserved for runaway slaves, in the hands of that diabolical man When she tries to get up she feels very dizzy and almost goes to the floor, but she is supported by Florencio's strong arms that do not let her fall.

 — Let's take it easy! Miss is still not fully restored, rest some more

 — It's ok

A strong sleep fell over his tired body and with it came the dreams that used to disturb his suffering soul. He was able to review the arrival of blacks in the port, after traveling for several weeks on that filthy slave ship. Under the tyranny of the sea captains who were wicked Portuguese who whipped anyone who breathed too hard. It was like she was in that hell again, reliving that miserable life in its entirety. All remained chained by their ankles and necks, linked to each other in a row, regardless of whether they were large or small. There were no differences, they were all black, they were nothing more than unfortunate slaves and they should be treated like scum of humanity.

 It was the first time that he had left the African lands where he was born, one day he dreamed of leaving that region cursed by God, where his people never seemed to progress, despite their tribe living in peace. But not for a moment did he think it would be that way, dragged like raw animals and taken to another part of the world, where they would be made slaves and tortured on a log until death without their lives having any value. As he slept and relived his past through the nightmare in which he found himself, his body shuddered. Florencio sat beside him the whole time while he slept and noticed his torment.

After arriving in Brazilian lands, they were all handed over to their masters who were already waiting for them, there they were sold for some coins as if they were miserable animals, irrational and who did not understand the suffering. Then they would be used in sugar cane plantations and coffee plantations. The mistreatment suffered there was indescribable, it hurt him immensely to remember the suffering of his people in the slave quarters and all the humiliations they were subjected to while she, helpless, could do nothing to help them.

That dream, which seemed more like a deep torment, still made him relive the death of his parents at that fire. Where mercilessly the flames consumed them alive. He seemed to be able to hear their screams clearly, all their despair, to feel the pain they felt as the flames ripped through their living flesh. She woke up in awe, her eyes were wide and a strong astonishment revealed the terror her soul had just witnessed.

— Calm down, it was just a dream!

— They're burning, I hear your screams!

— Calm down, who's burning?

— My parents, at the stake, are still alive, we need to save them!

He now understood his anguish, that nightmare brought back the bitter memories of the day his parents had been killed. Thrown alive into a fire by the damned Portuguese. He understood his pain, he could imagine how intense his suffering was. Luz's awakening occurred just during the day's sleep and the rest of that night she was unable to go back to sleep, as she was very frightened by the mirages seen in the nightmare she had hours before. As soon as it was morning, the two arranged what was necessary for the long journey they would take.

Meanwhile, far away, Joana suffered without hearing from the one she learned to love as if she were her daughter. Every day her knees grated before the image of Our Lady of Mercy, begging him to protect her from all evil and keep her safe. Alabá, his faithful friend kept mentioning his name to the other women who served there, died of longing and feared that something bad had happened to him. Dionysus remained sour as usual, discounting the frustration of having lost the black woman with whom he satisfied his sexual desires. She was angry and demanded more efforts on the part of the thugs to find her as soon as possible.

Once, indignant at only hearing that the fugitive had simply disappeared and not even the most skilled scouts could locate her, he exploded in anger and ordered that the men whose mission to find her was unsuccessful were placed on the trunk and personally whipped them by dumping them on. his loins the hate that burned in his chest. The Baron's ferocity was so great that he started to run into his house, too, and hit his family. Mother and sister became the target of such a revolt and began to be threatened.

 — That black bastard managed to escape right under my nose as if by charm! Not even the best of my men can find their tracks, and do you know whose fault this is all? The ladies! That's right, it was you two who spoiled that ordinary girl too much and made her think she was one of us, with the same rights to freedom that we have

 — My son, she is a good girl. Understand that if Luz ran away from the farm it is because she must have her reasons, something must have happened to her

 — Shut up, you useless old woman! Don't give me this absurd litany that that miserable woman deserves to be treated with the least dignity, she is no different from the other filthy blacks who serve this house and as soon as she is found she will pay dearly for the insolence with which she dared to challenge me

 — Brother, see how you speak, respect our mother!

He hits the woman in the face with a strong blow that if it had not been delivered with an open hand she would have broken her jaw. Due to the violent attack the woman ended up falling on some of the furniture in the large room, being helped by the servants, after the odious man left. That act of violence left Joana in bed for several days, her fragile body was badly bruised and her face became very purple. Martim, the black man who felt a strong passion for Luz, was a boy of only twenty-two years, very discreet and knew how to obey. He had little talk, he was never taken to the trunk for making unnecessary mistakes and he was very hardworking, which earned him praise from the overseers to the Baron. That afternoon he was summoned to appear before Dionysus

 — Did my lord send for me?

 — Yes, my boy, I am in urgent need of your services

 — No, I'm here at your service

 — I need you to go looking for that runaway slave and bring her back as soon as possible. I can no longer wait for these incompetents who only return empty-handed. I want you to choose the best horse in the stall, prepare it with the best mounts, feed it well and make sure you have everything you need for the trip with you. Then go to the four corners of these lands of my God and do not return until you find it and can bring it back to me. Did you understand what your mission is, boy?

 — Yes sir, I will do as you ordered me

 — So stop wasting time, go and follow the orders you received!

 — Yes sir!

 The obedient slave who had won the admiration of his masters from an early age for appearing to be more fearless than the other blacks, left there determined to carry out the orders received, even because it was not his custom to disobey. Since childhood he was Luz's best friend and had a great appreciation for her. Her heart fell in love with the slave she would have to hunt and bring back. He knew that she would suffer in the trunk, however, the commitment to her master could not be undone because of the feelings that burned in her chest, she would follow reason and let her emotions fall into oblivion, she would return with the fugitive trapped in chains and hand it over to the Baron.

 He would certainly be highly praised for his achievement, would become his trusted man who would place him among the foremen of his many lands and would give pride to his family, as well as his people. In contrast to this, if he disobeyed the ordinances that were imposed on him, he would end up as Luz on one of several trunks under painful lashes. Unlimited shame would pour over the name of his parents, who as slaves had no value, but would start to be recognized among other blacks as privileged for having as their son a man who lived close to Baron from Coffee, and because of him honored.

Certainly that was a stupid pretense on the part of a young man who was still mistaken with futile pretensions, after all, when would a white and arrogant Portuguese like Dionísio bother to recognize the value of a black man? He was seen by him only as someone who was part of his property and had a duty to carry out his orders without owing him any favor. His prospects were immature and without foundation. However, his ambition went beyond the passion he felt for the woman he wanted from his youngest age.

 Since they were born in the same African village and arrived together in Brazil. They were bought and taken to the same slave quarters where they became slaves, but apparently there was a mixed, impure feeling inside their chest, where love and envy burned. He was not content to see that Luz had been more privileged, enjoying the support of Mrs. Joana, while he and his family, as well as the rest of the blacks, remained serving in the most arduous part of that land she lived in the comfort of the big house as if it was a white one. In his view, this unfair condition was an affront that could not be accepted, after all, Luz was as black and a slave as they were.

 Because of this, the boy insisted on trying to attract his master's attention on himself, trying to win the same position among whites. He understood that if he fulfilled the mission that was given to him, bringing the fugitive back, he would show competence to be placed among the other thugs or, who knows, to assume the position of foreman on the farm. This would already be a big step to change his current situation, raising him to a position above a simple slave. Therefore, he would not allow that great opportunity to be taken away from him.

 He would pursue and find the fugitive, hand her over to Dionysus and receive the deserved respect. Would his thoughts really be right as to what fate had in store for him? Would Martim find the slave formerly endowed with greater privileges than he would, and would he receive from his master what he considered to be deserved for his great deed. Often unrestrained ambition leads us to make the mistake of believing in vain promises that are made to us, without first analyzing to see from whom they were promised. Men like Dionísio do not keep promises made to people he considers insignificant.

 And for him Martim was nothing more than a wild animal to whom he had extreme powers to dominate, use the strength of his arm in favor of his own needs. In his view, that slave deserved nothing in return for his services, as he would only be doing his duty, any claim reserved the right to place him in the trunk. This was the truth of the facts, however, the ambitious young man was blinded by the intention of destroying the reputation of the girl he went on a hunt for, so that one day he could see her fallen under the punishment that awaited her.

 In the meantime, he would be standing next to his master and the other foremen, watching the executioner delivering several blows to his meat from the ropes of the merciless whip. He would be happy to see her scream like any other black woman. As he galloped at full speed down the dirt road that cut through the Dantas' lands, his eyes shone as if they were torches of fire, at last his ambition was externalized and his true traitor personality was revealed, if Luz could see him at that moment, maybe not would believe.

The black man of admirable physique, excellent knight, of good aim and without any qualms, went on a journey determined not to return without his prey. Luz was in danger, the order given was very clear: The fugitive should be brought back to its former owner, at any request, at any cost. And that would be done to the letter, he was determined to show good service.