Álvar is a mountaineer from La Pernía. He has participated as a corporal of dogs in the capture of Tunisia against Barbarossa and in 1540 we find him arriving in The Indies in the company of his two mastiffs trained as war dogs. It goes to Asunción and from there to the Sierra de la Plata, or "kingdom of the white king", of which so much is spoken in Spain. However, throughout its history we may think that perhaps it is not in search of riches, but perhaps of a more just world, or of escaping from divine wrath... or the infinite goodness of God. His sense of justice will not leave him to hesitate when he must take the side of Irala or Cabeza de Vaca, the new governor who wants to equalize the treatment of Indians and Spaniards. His love for Ierê, the beautiful Guarani Indian, and his enmity with Corporal Barbate will determine the directions on the map of his American life.
