VIII
Linea Defensionis
‘The Line of Defence’
They marched with ghosts.
The long file of men, horses, and wagons plodded over the hill-bound fields, searching for signs of road, camp, tower, or fort, built by their comrades over a hundred years before. The sky darkened with menace, and howls could be heard in the distance, coming from the land of the Caledonii.
Every few miles, the marching Romans and their allies passed moss-covered stone markers. They passed what appeared to be a marching camp, and a derelict signal tower where now, owls nested.
Dagon, where he rode beside Lucius at the head of the column, began to despair of finding any strong position that was worth refortifying. Truthfully, he had begun to lose some faith in Lucius' plans. The Venicones were not trustworthy, and
