The Stories of Don Luis...Part One...Ogre's Lament...by Stuart G Yates

Set in 17th Century Spain, the story revolves around a young man, Luis who is trapped by the confines of a society which is closed, and reluctant to change. Luis is different, and because of that, draws the unwanted attentions of the local thugs. They see him as an outcast, detached from them, imperious, above himself. However, the true reason they despise him so much is because he can read. In a world of ignorance, he has knowledge, and this makes him dangerous.
The War has been raging for almost 30 years now, and Spain is suffering. In the far south, the conflict has not yet blighted the lives of ordinary people. Now, that is about to change. Mercenaries are on the move, looking for booty, and anything else they can find. Riodelgado is ripe for picking. Something in the mountains draws them in, a legend of hidden treasure. Or is it a legend? And why is it that nobody ventures to the uplands to discover the truth? Is it because something else lurks there? When murders begin to mulitply, Luis takes it upon himself to unearth the truth, and in so doing puts his own life, and those of everyone he knows, in danger.