The Governor Vaca de Castro did not enter into the battle. He remained apart from the actual fray, giving it to be understood by his words that he wanted to fight, but, as the captains represented to him that this was not desirable, he retired. He sent to the squadron of Alonso de Alvarado, where the royal standard, then borne by Cristóbal de Barrientos was, saying that he desired twenty-seven of the principal persons to accompany him as an escort and bodyguard. When Alonso de Alvarado heard this, he sent to say that such a thing was not permissible; that, in an army of 20,000 men, the withdrawal or retention of even twenty men might turn the scale of victory. Although Vaca de Castro saw that there was reason in this, he again ordered his captain of the guard, Rodrigo de Ocampo, to come to him with Lorenzo de Aldana, Diego de Agüero, Francisco de Godoy, Diego Maldonado, the licentiate León, Antonio Navarro, Sebastián de Merlo, Cristóbal de Burgos, Nicolás de Ribera, and others up to twenty-seven; and these, whilst wishing to remain at the front, turned to obey the order of Vaca de Castro. At this juncture, both sides discharged their arquebuses; and Francisco de Caravajal said: "Forward! good cavaliers, forward! advance without fear, and care nought for the arquebuses. Look at me, how fat I am, yet I go forward without feeling any fear of them." As they approached each other, the noise and the shouting were very great. Both parties advanced courageously, those of Don Diego shouting "Long live the King and Almagro," and the others "Long live the King and Vaca de Castro," all calling upon the name of the apostle Saint James, while the bullets from the arquebuses filled the air.