An except from Chapter 2:

Climbing further long the crest, Diego went higher up the hill. He paused a moment to look at Torremonte. The city sat perched on a parallel crest, the great tower of the keep at the highest point of the hill, which gave the city its name. Below the tower, the city fanned out like the folds of a lumpy dress, at least from where Diego stood. The “hem” was the walls and towers of the defenses of the city, marked by the gates. There were seven gates in all, and from his vantage Diego could see three of them, no, four. Each was controlled by one of the noble families of the city, collecting tolls from all who entered the city. Diego did not use the gates, but a narrow gap at the base of one of the older towers which was big enough to climb through. He had little enough money, and he certainly would not use any of it to make the nobles even richer.

The scene was inspired by this view of Segovia, from the pine grove on the opposite hill.