CORRECTED EPISODE: This is an updated version of Chapter 6. The original
release named the wrong battle — it referred to Marcus's first fight as "the
Sabis," against the Nervii. His actual first battle is the Arar, against the
Helvetii, in 58 BC. The Sabis is a real battle too, but it comes later in
Marcus's story (Chapter 8). We've corrected the chapter and re-recorded it.
Getting the history right matters to us — thanks for your patience.

The blood won't come off. Hours after the slaughter at the Arar, Marcus sits
apart from the celebrating camp, cleaning a sword that's already spotless —
oil, cloth, wipe, inspect, repeat — while Lucius tries everything he knows to
reach him: bread, his mother's lentil stew, stories of Petronius's perfect
thrust.

None of it works.

Only when Petronius himself sits down in the dark, saying nothing for a long while, does Marcus hear the five words that actually help: "It doesn't get easier. You get faster at deciding." Not a promise that the fear will fade — just the truth that he'll carry it better next time.

Eagle's Edge is a Roman adventure story for kids, teens, tweens and young adults — a sixteen-year-old recruit takes the oath, marches into Gaul under Caesar, and learns what war actually is.

Perfect for kids, teens, tweens and young adults 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) —
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00:00:00 — Marcus scrubs a spotless sword, four hours after the Arar
00:02:45 — Lucius arrives, talking, while Marcus stays silent
00:06:00 — "You should eat" — Lucius leaves the bread untouched
00:10:00 — Night falls — eight men went into the Arar, eight came back
00:11:45 — Counting chainmail rings until memory breaks through
00:13:45 — The line dissolving — a spear, a shield, Petronius's save
00:14:15 — The boy with the knife, and the hesitation Lucius finished
00:17:30 — True fear: a world with no order, no command, no guidance
00:18:00 — Petronius sits down beside him in silence
00:20:15 — "It doesn't get easier. You get faster at deciding."
00:23:00 — The truth beneath the words — chaos will come again
00:23:30 — Marcus packs away his gear, no longer obsessive but purposeful
00:25:00 — CH 7 — What Comes Next

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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.