Chapter 14: Just Wartime Things
The camp was quiet—or at least, as quiet as any camp could be. Men continued to go about their duties as the sun descended toward the horizon, passing between the tents and calling out occasionally to their comrades. Still, compared to the chaos of an active battlefield or the bustle of a thriving town, it was calm. Calm, organized, and peaceful. For the moment.
Tiberius sat stationed behind his desk, a large piece of wooden furniture one of the Legionnaires had liberated from the nearby town. At his elbow stood one of his aides, on hand in case he needed messages sent or any other minor tasks taken care of. The man stood at attention as Tiberius hunched over the documents spread across the desk with a writing implement in hand.
This, too, was one of the strange and foreign technologies of this land. It functioned similar to the reeds he was familiar with, except for one thing: it contained the ink used for writing within its core. The invention was ingenious, certainly, and one whose construction piqued his curiosity. That simple change made it a far superior tool to any he'd used for the purpose. Still, it took a while to become acquainted with. Even now, he found himself reflexively reaching for an inkwell that wasn't there.
His attention returned to the reports arrayed before him. There was a veritable mountain of information to process, a daunting reminder of the challenges they faced. Skill research among the men was proceeding steadily, though it still felt as though they were mostly learning what was already common knowledge among the local barbarians. Yet even that progress couldn't be underestimated. For now, simply testing the skills they had access to was proving valuable enough.
Tiberius scanned the list of skills that had been assigned to patrols venturing deeper into the forest. Many of them remained combat focused for the moment, given the unfamiliar and likely hostile surroundings. But those were not the only ones they'd need to investigate. Exploration would soon be an essential area of focus.
One of the first things they'd done was meticulously catalog all the supplies the Legion had—food, tools, equipment, and so on. They'd brought with them only what the men carried on their backs, since none of the pack animals or horses had been transported alongside them. It was more than it could have been. The men had been ready to march, after all, and even the pack animals' loads had primarily consisted of the officers' equipment. It was a fortunate situation that left them with enough to survive and continue most standard operations without issues.
However, the Legion vastly outnumbered the town's population. It would be foolhardy to rely on their modest resources once their own rations ran out. Hunting could and had been enough thus far to supplement their diets, although Roman soldiers weren't accustomed to relying so heavily on game. Still, although the forest teemed with beasts that could sustain them, Tiberius wanted to ensure that they identified new sources of food as well. More consistent and sustainable ones, preferably before the forest's bounty failed them.
That issue spoke to greater ones as well. If they were to thrive in this place, they would need far more than food—they needed mines, smithies, and a whole host of other resources. Their weapons and armor would need maintenance and, eventually, replacement. They'd need to rebuild their cavalry and archery units, since they had been left behind, which meant that mounts and bows would need to be found as well. The list went on and on.
These concerns weighed heavily on Tiberius as he pored over maps of the area, their faces covered with markings that denoted resources that may be found there. Some of the information came from his own scouts, while some stemmed from Marcus's descriptions and tales. Both had their own limitations, given how foreign and exotic this land could be. Still, one thing quickly became clear. While winter may not be an immediate concern, they couldn't rely on just this one town to meet their needs. The Legion would need to expand their territory outward, and sooner rather than later.