The tall silver pole with a conical-shaped head held up a narrow trapezoidal base, upon which a gilded bronze eagle with raised-up wings was surrounded by a laurel wreath of the same material, topped by a leaf-shaped spearhead. The bird's fierce gaze seemed to penetrate deep into the depths of the dense forest, undeterred by the miserable conditions and seemingly neverending greenery. The Aquila Signifer - the Aquilifer - holding the standard marched at a steady rhythym, matching the pace of the Legionaries around him; the proud Heavy Infantrymen of the Roman Legions that had trampled all over the known world, and was now marching deep into Germanic Territories. The Cohort that Gnaeus Livius Galeo had been assigned to was composed of mainly mercenaries and native soldiers, though there was a substantial amount of proper Roman Legionaries as well.<br/><br/>The sword scabbard Gnaeus wore at his side was hardly used; his main duty in battle was the hold the proud Eagle Standard aloft, giving heart to all men around it and rallying those who had gotten lost in the fury of battle. His battle was a personal battle, one of pride and importance, and only if the enemy had charged right up close to his position, would he sink the pole to the ground, draw his blade, and meet them in vicious combat. He kept his eyes alert, while men around him stifled yawns and as they marched. The forest unnerved him - and few things unnerved him, for he, Gnaeus, had been through a long and hard military career; few things could faze him. Yet this forest unsettled him; and he kept cautious ... for better a suspicious man than a dead man.<br/><br/>