Private Gaius Licinius Milo had deserted. At least that is what the official report said. And there was an official report. It may have been possible to overlook a missing prisoner, but the Legion tended to get antsy when garrisons began misplacing enlisted men.

According to the report, Milo had left his post halfway through his watch under the guise of escorting a prisoner to the infirmary. This was supported by the testimony of Milo's corporal, Marcus Clodius who had also been on duty at the time. Neither Private Milo nor the Breton prisoner in his charge ever arrived at the infirmary and it was discovered, after further investigation, that no orders for such a transfer had ever been issued. Notice was spread to the surrounding towns and outposts, with descriptions of Private Milo as well as his Breton accomplice; however no trace of either man was ever found.

No one questioned the report. To any officer or NCO under whom Milo had served the news came as no surprise. There was a reason Milo was still a private; it was the same reason that he had been transferred to the dungeons. His record was little more than a catalogue of demerits. Desertion, one could see, if one viewed all the facts of the matter, had only been a matter of time.

Certainly, a few minor details may have been omitted for the sake of concision. After all, a partiality on the part of the perpetrator for spreading wild rumours can hardly be considered relevant to such an investigation. Can it?