The Lost Knights. William Speir

invasion. Additional forts had been built deeper in the Caledonian territories to remind the Caledonians of the presence of the Legions and to provide early warnings to the border forts of Caledonian activities. Recently, however, reports from some of the forts within the Caledonian territories had ceased. No information had been received for several weeks, and the senior military leaders were understandably concerned.

      Gaius Valerius adjusted his cloak and walked quickly across the parade grounds toward the Military Governor’s offices where the morning briefing was to take place. Something was happening north of the Frontier, and he felt that it would soon involve the Ninth Legion.

      When Gaius Valerius arrived at the Military Governor’s offices, he saw most of the Tribunes, Prefects, and Legates from the Ninth and the other two Legions stationed at Eburacum already present. The room was long, with a fireplace at one end and high vaulted ceilings. The floor and lower walls were stone, while the upper walls and beams of the ceiling were wood. At one end of the room hung a banner, called a Vexilla, made of red cloth with the image of a perched eagle surrounded by laurels. Below the eagle were the letters SPQR, standing for Senatus Populus Que Romanus (the Senate and People of Rome).

      He removed his helmet as he crossed the room to join the officers from his Legion. He snapped to attention when the Governor entered the room along with two of his aides. The Governor motioned for the officers to join him around the large table in the center of the room.

      “Gentlemen,” the Governor began as the officers took their positions, “it appears that the Caledonian Tribes are up to something.”

      One of his aides unrolled a large map of northern Britannia on the table as the Governor continued. “We’ve lost contact with four of our forts here,” he said, pointing to the mouth of a large inlet on the eastern coastline of the map. “Doune, Camelon, Castle Greg, and Elginhaugh have all failed to report for several weeks. Because these four forts protect the bridges that cross the River Esk, I believe the Caledonians may be planning a major offensive along the eastern shore, which is the easiest approach to this city.”

      “Did these outposts give any indication of increased activity before we lost contact?” Marcus Sestius asked.

      An aide handed the Governor a roll of paper. The Governor unrolled it and scanned the writing for a moment before answering. “Only Elginhaugh noted the brief appearance of armed parties moving to the south. Apart from that, nothing. And none of our other outposts have reported anything unusual so far.”

      “What do you propose?” asked the Legate of one of the other Legions.

      “We need time to prepare our defenses,” the Governor replied. “But we need to know what we’re preparing against. I propose an expedition into the Caledonian territories with one Legion as a reconnaissance-in-force while the other two Legions remain here to be deployed along the most likely routes of an invasion from the north.”

      The Governor continued. “The Legion sent north will have several missions. First, it will attempt to find out what has happened to these forts. Second, it will attempt to find the enemy and determine their numbers and movements. Third, it will engage any elements of the enemy not yet joined with the main host and prevent them from participating in a larger invasion force from the north. If we can keep the invasion force from being able to mobilize quickly, striking at smaller elements and distracting the main force from its intended purposes, it’ll give us time to better prepare here. This Legion must move quickly, search out the enemy, disrupt their plans to the greatest extent possible, and then return safely, reporting back as often as possible.”

      “Governor,” Marcus Sestius began, “the Ninth Legion requests the honor of the expedition.”

      “Very well,” the Governor replied. “The honor goes to the Ninth.” Pointing to the map again, he continued, “You will leave here along this road to the outpost at Castledykes, but rather than turning north to approach Elginhaugh directly, I want you to continue to the northwest before turning eastward toward Camelon. Once you reach this point here,” he said, pointing to an area southwest of Camelon and Doune, “you may begin your reconnaissance missions. Probe quickly, determine what’s happening, and get back quickly. Do not engage a larger force of the enemy unless you’re reasonably certain of inflicting heavy damage to them while preserving the bulk of your forces. If you don’t think that you have the tactical advantage, follow them, harass them, do whatever you need to do to slow them down, and report their movements to us while protecting the Legion. If the tribes are uniting for a major invasion, we’ll need all three Legions in the field to stop them.”

      “Yes, Governor,” Marcus Sestius replied. “When do you want us to leave?”

      “I need the Legion to be ready to move within three weeks. Work with my aides to get the supply trains set up for the provisions you’ll need.”

      “Yes, Governor!”

      Two hours later, Marcus Sestius was meeting with his Tribunes, Prefect, and Centurions in the same room to fill them in on the expedition. “That’s the mission,” he said after he briefed them on the details and showed them the routes to be taken on the map. “Are there any questions?”

      Titus Aurelius Julianus, Senior Centurion commanding the Third Cohort, stepped forward. “Sir, how long do you think it’ll take to complete the expedition?”

      “That depends,” Marcus Sestius replied. “It should take us about three weeks to reach this point on the map where we’ll begin the reconnaissance activities, and from there, it depends on what we find and whether we encounter the enemy. I think it’ll take at least three months and could last over four depending on what we find. Speed and stealth will be the key to our success.”

      “How do you envision the reconnaissance missions working?” another of the Tribunes asked.

      “Being this deep in enemy-controlled lands presents a challenge. I propose that we establish a base camp here,” he said pointing to an area on the map close to the Camelon outpost, “and send out one Cohort at a time while the remaining Cohorts remain at the base camp in a defensive position in case of attack. One Cohort will go out and come back, and then the next Cohort will go out and come back. The Third, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, and Tenth Cohorts will be used for the reconnaissance missions. They have the most seasoned troops, and this will allow the First Cohort to be responsible for the defense of the base camp. Are there any other questions?”

      The discussion went on for another hour or so before the officers felt that they understood the plan and what was expected of each of them and their Legionnaires. As the meeting ended and the officers returned to their tents and quarters, Titus Aurelius came up to Gaius Valerius and whispered, “For the glory of Rome?”

      “For the glory of Rome,” Gaius Valerius replied, walking back toward the parade ground with a determined look on his face.

      For the next three weeks, the Legion prepared for the expedition. Gaius Valerius trained his men hard to make sure that they were as prepared as possible for the work to come. It would be a long, difficult, and dangerous mission, but his men were among the best in the Roman Army, and he was confident in their abilities. The recruits were learning quickly, and the veterans knew what to do. By the time the Legion was ready to leave on the expedition, the Legionnaires were as disciplined and professional a fighting force as possible – ready to face the unknown.

      Gaius Valerius was careful not to be overconfident, and he cautioned his officers and Principals (non-commissioned officers) at the traditional dinner that he hosted on the night before they were to leave Eburacum. “Remember,” he said to them as the meal was almost finished, “we have the skill and discipline that comes from being part of a professional army, but the enemy has many things going for it that we must not underestimate. First and foremost, they know the land better than we do. They know where to hide and where to hit. That gives them an advantage. Second, their numbers are greater than ours. No matter how disciplined we are, we can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers and fall. We need to make sure that we hit them in small pieces before they have a chance to organize as a larger force. Otherwise, we need to find a way to use their numbers against