anything like this. The intelligence suggests a coordinated assault—multiple fronts, simultaneous attacks designed to overwhelm our defenses.”
The room fell silent except for the crackle of the brazier and the distant sound of soldiers drilling in the fort’s courtyard. Marcus could feel his heart beating against his ribs. This was it. This was the moment when Castor would either take the threat seriously or dismiss it as frontier paranoia.
Castor studied the map for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he straightened, clasping his hands behind his back. “Centurion, I appreciate your diligence. The Areani have provided valuable intelligence in the past. But I think you may be seeing patterns where none exist.”
Marcus felt something cold settle in his gut. “Sir—”
Castor held up a hand. “Let me finish. Yes, there’s been increased activity beyond the Wall. There always is in spring. The tribes raid, they posture, they make threats. It’s the nature of barbarians. But a coordinated assault? An alliance between Picts, Saxons, and Scotti? That requires a level of organization and strategic thinking that these people simply don’t possess.”
“With respect, sir, that’s exactly what they want us to think.”
The tribune who’d spoken earlier stepped forward. “Are you suggesting, Centurion, that you understand barbarian psychology better than the legatus?”
Marcus turned to face him, and for a moment he let his mask slip. Let them see the man who’d spent two decades in the mud and blood of the frontier while they’d been studying rhetoric in Rome. “I’m suggesting, Tribune, that I’ve spent more time beyond that Wall than you’ve spent in Britannia. I’ve lived with these people. I speak their languages. I know how they think.”
“Centurion.” Castor’s voice was sharp now, a warning. “Mind your tone.”
Marcus bit back the response that wanted to come. Instead, he turned back to the legatus, forcing his voice to remain level. “Sir, my scouts are the best intelligence assets on this frontier. They risk their lives to bring us this information. If we ignore it—”
“We’re not ignoring it,” Castor interrupted. “We’re evaluating it in context. And the context is this: the Wall has stood for two hundred years. It’s defended by experienced troops, supported by cavalry units, backed by the full might of Rome. Do you really think a rabble of painted savages is going to bring it down?”