The Second Cohort marches into the wooded valley of the Sabis River, where the silence is wrong and the steep slopes are perfect cover for an ambush. Then the Nervii erupt from the trees in their thousands — and the Roman line, the discipline that has protected Marcus through every drill, shatters into a hundred desperate, separate fights.

Driven off the line and into the forest, Marcus's contubernium fights to stay together, with Petronius taking an arrow to the thigh. When the fighting finally falls behind them, the handful who made it into the trees collapse in a clearing and understand their situation: lost, deep in Nervii country, with night coming and no way back to the legion. They are alone.

Eagle's Edge is a Roman adventure story for kids 8-14 — a sixteen-year-old recruit takes the oath, marches into Gaul under Caesar, and learns what war actually is.

Perfect for kids 8-14 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 — Into the Sabis valley — and a silence that feels wrong
00:02:15 — Perfect ambush country: trees left, deep river right
00:04:30 — Petronius stiffens — hand drops to his gladius
00:05:45 — The first arrow — the line shatters
00:07:15 — "Move!" — Marcus breaks his freeze
00:08:15 — The Nervii erupt from the trees — every man fighting alone
00:23:00 — "Leave me" — "No. We stay together."
00:24:45 — Drusus falls — six men left
00:26:30 — The survivors collapse in a clearing
00:28:45 — Night coming, no food, no shelter, no way back
00:29:15 — "We're alone."
00:30:00 — CH 9 — 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.