At the forest's edge before dawn, Marcus measures the ground: two hundred paces of open farmland to a drainage ditch, then three hundred more to a tree line by a country track.

The mist is his ally now, but an hour of sun will burn it off and leave his men visible as ants on white cloth. In the forest, Nervii hunting parties know every trail and are closing in. Petronius fades against an oak with the wound beginning to turn. Crassus paces in tight, jerky circles. Flavus stands apart, checking the trees behind them. Marcus makes his decision: they cross now, before full light, using the mist.

When Flavus openly refuses — "It's suicide! They'll see us from every hilltop!" — Marcus signals for quiet, but Petronius steps in, voice steady despite the pain: no patrols will come this far into enemy territory for seven men presumed dead. Flavus deflates. Crassus starts muttering "no place to hide" until Broken Nose clamps a hand over his mouth. Marcus repeats the plan for every man in turn and prepares them to move.

Eagle's Edge is a Roman adventure story for boys 8-18 — a sixteen-year-old recruit takes the oath, marches into Gaul under Caesar, and learns what war actually is.

Perfect for kids, tweens, and teens who love history, battles, and adventure. For fans of Rosemary Sutcliff's The Eagle of the Ninth, the action of Percy Jackson, and classic stories of ancient Rome.

📚 Grab your copy of Eagle's Edge: The Making of a Soldier (Book 1) — available now on Amazon: https://us.amazon.com/stores/Reed-Sterling/author/B0H2ZM86WQ

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00:00:00 — The forest's edge before dawn — Marcus reads the ground
00:03:00 — Two hundred paces of open field, then a drainage ditch
00:06:00 — The mist will burn off with the sun — the clock starts now
00:09:00 — Petronius fading, Crassus pacing, Flavus watching the trees
00:12:00 — The decision: they cross before full light
00:14:00 — Flavus: "It's suicide! We're targets — walking targets!"
00:17:00 — Petronius shuts him down: no patrols are coming for us
00:20:00 — Crassus muttering "no place to hide" — Broken Nose silences him
00:23:30 — Marcus repeats the plan, man by man
00:26:00 — Ambrix, still with them — the unlikely companion
00:27:30 — CH 12 — What Comes Next

I am the author of serialized fiction books for kids, teens, tweens and young adults, including:

- Brickhaven: A Bricks Fan Fiction Adventure

- Colony In Danger: A Fire Ant Adventure

- Eagle's Edge: A Story of Rome, Gaul and the Making of a Soldier

- Treasure Island: A Classic Adaptation

- Iron Rails & Ruin: A Novel of Steam, Sorcery and the Lawless Montana Territory

📚 All five books -- are now available on Amazon: https://us.amazon.com/stores/Reed-Sterling/author/B0H2ZM86WQ

📖 Wanna check out all five series for yourself? Get all five Chapter 1s free: https://compass-codex.kit.com/middle-school-reader-group

Thank you for listening! This is Reed Sterling. Remember: Never stop exploring unknown worlds.