"We will get him back", Starved dog said after Titas told him about Burning ant and Julius along with the body count. "I'll send a runner back to the fort to ask for reinforcements and permission for us to go after him."
"Permission!? WE CAN'T WAIT! BURNING ANT IS IN DANGER!", Titas shouted.
"I know", Starved dog said, "but we have our orders to hold this position."
"We don't have time to just sit on our asses here!", Titas said through grit teeth, "He was our friend! He was our brother! Do you even care?"
Starved dog looked at him with a stare that could both melt steel and freeze the colorado, "Of course I care. But we have our orders. We lost nearly half our men; We can't afford to leave, now."
Titas knew they lost many, after all he was the one to count the dead. Ten recruits, one of the two veterans, the vexillarius, and Julius. Not to mention many of does who were not dead were wounded.
"We will go after them, Titas. Do not doubt that.", Starved dog continued, "We will get him back or so help me I will burn the entire Mojave to the ground."
...
Starved dog sat at a table under one of the recently taken NCR tents. He pulled out a two hundred year old piece of paper and pencil and wrote the report. He made sure to stress that he wished to go after Burning ant and that they had taken heavy casualties and were badly in need of assistance.
"Take this. Do not stop until this is given to Vulpes Inculta or Centurion Vorenus.", He told the recruit chosen as their courier.
"Yes, sir!", The messenger said before leaving for the fort.
As the recruit left a decanus walked into the tent.
"The defenses are finished, sir", the recruit decanus said, "Also the wounded have all been treated and given beds."
"Good"
"Thank you, sir", the Decanus said as he turned to leave.
"Wait."
"Yes?"
"You did well leading your men even after the vexillarius was killed along with half your men. Yet, I don't even know you name."
"It is Gaius, sir."
"You did well."
"We did our jobs, sir, no more", Gaius said with a grin in mock humbleness.
Starved dog nodded at this, "Centurion Vorenus gave me permission to promote any man under my command as I saw fit during this mission. You and your men are now Primes."
"T-thank you, sir!"
Starved dog grunted at this.
...
Two weeks. Two weeks they'd been stuck waiting for news back from the fort.
Finally a few spare recruits came along with their messenger who gave a note to Starved dog.
Titas waited impatiently as Starved dog read over the message.
Starved dog crumpled up the paper, "We are to return to the fort immediately."
"What?!", Titas nearly shouted.
"Gaius", Starved dog called as he ignored Titas. His own voice held a simmering anger ready to boil over.
"Yes sir?", He asked as he walked forward in his prime head dress and the armor scavenged from Julius's corpse.
"You are in charge of bitter springs."
"Understood, sir."
"We have our orders Titas", Starved dog growled.