In the fields of Cumbria, near the border of the Scottish Lowlands, two armies had met.
On the side of the Northumbrians, Osric of Cumbria was facing off against the Scottish raiders who had the gall to audit his family's assets.
Though the nearby regions were being liquidated by the ongoing invasion, Cumbria had been one of the few counties capable of maintaining its stock value for the time being.
The reason for this was simple: Osric had refused to deploy his forces to the border, keeping them holed up in Carlisle Castle.
However, the Scots, led by Thane MacAlpin, had finally forced him into the field by burning his favorite hunting lodge.
While the battle waged, Osric found himself dismounted and engaging with the enemy forces in melee combat.
While he did so, a few crossbow bolts flew past his face, which was covered in a rusty nasal helm.
One of these bolts even directly collided with his shield, punching through the wood and grazing his arm.
