Episode 8 - Horses and Chains

In Episode 8, the four survivors move farther west and enter a changing world.After years of hunger, captivity, healing, and wandering, Cabeza de Vaca, Dorantes, Castillo, and Estebanico begin finding fixed houses, corn, beans, cotton clothing, trade goods, turquoise, copper bells, and signs of long-distance exchange. The land is no longer the starving world of the coast. It is settled, connected, and far more complex than the Spaniards had understood.But their reputation has become dangerous.The same belief that feeds them and opens roads also brings fear. People believe the four men can heal, bless, curse, and even kill by willing it. The survivors must manage that fear carefully, because the road ahead depends on Native trust.Then, at last, they hear news of other Spaniards.Men with beards.Horses.Lances.Chains.For years, Cabeza de Vaca had dreamed of finding Christians again. But when he finally nears the Spanish world, the reunion is not simple rescue. It is the beginning of a painful collision between the world that kept him alive and the world he came from.Become a supporter on Ko-Fi:https://ko-fi.com/thehistoryoftexasSupporters help me research, write, record, and preserve these stories of Texas History.Thank you for listening to The History of Texas.Follow The History of Texas:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0QQ3yhHCr3hNFGp9j5ih6fApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-texas/id1896845677More links:https://linktr.ee/texasruneforgeMusic: "Anamalie" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ⁠http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/⁠