punitive expedition

You rush ahead of the legion but find nothing. It goes on like this for two days. You meet a few animals but no people. Vertu had a hunting falcon, which he could also use as a messenger, so every evening he sent a message to our centurion. This evening, however, he put the answer aside, trembling.

"Listen... The legion was attacked. There were casualties." He stammered, and the others and you look at him in horror. *Had you missed something?* you ask yourself and you could read this question in the faces of the others as well. "The rear guard was attacked," Vertu adds, pounding a tree trunk with his fist. "The attackers were hidden in a village, so now we are to search all the villages and make sure no one there can rise up against the Legion." You grin dirtily. This is an order you all understand. Quickly you pack up your things and hurry on. At night, villages and crowds are easy to recognize by their fire. After a while, you see the glow of a fire in the distance. "Vertu, send a message to the Legion." Glom Vertu instructs. You slow your speed the closer you get to the fire. You late the small camp. There are three houses clustered around a small square. Your observations reveal that there are probably not only harmless peasants here, because you could spy that three men are carrying weapons. There are 8 people you have seen so far. They extinguish the fires and 2 men start to stand guard.