The freezing water washed over Jack, tensing up his muscles as his only defense to keep any of his body heat. He could barely breathe as he tried to cling to Agro's back. Mark jumped off Tim, racing as close to the edge of the ice as he dared. Agro thrashed violently in the water, desperately trying to find ice that was solid enough to climb back onto. Although, everything she put her hooves on cracked and sank under her weight. Mark extended a hand out to Jack, yelling out over Agro's distressed whinnies. "Jack! Take my hand!" Jack's hand was shaking uncontrollably already and his teeth were starting to chatter as he tried to move his arm enough to accept Mark's hand. Their fingers barely touched, when the beast that had scared Agro, flopped closer to them and bellowed out a deep aggressive honk that sounded like a mix between a cow and goose. 

Mark snatched Jack's wrist quickly, pulling Jack up onto the ice. The moment Jack was laying across solid ice, Mark drew his sword. Shivering on the ice, Jack examined the beast more closely. The beast was as large as a horse with a large rotund body that was supported on two thick front fins and one large tail fin. The head looked sturdy and adorned with large thick spiky whiskers over its top lip like a thinned out mustache. Pultruding from its mouth were three long and sharp tusks. Two tusks sprouting from the bottom jaw and one from the center top. As the beast inch-wormed its way toward Mark, it opened and closed its jaws to make the tusks act like pincers! Mark slashed out at the beast to slow its approach even more. The beast stopped moving closer, choosing to honk even louder and thrash its head from side to side.

Mark glanced over his shoulder, telling Jack anxiously. "We've got to move! Honkers are very territorial and they are never alone." Jack nodded, trying to push himself up onto all fours, but it took a lot out of him just to do that. He felt so stiff and cold. Mark backed up, reaching back to grab Jack's arm, while still watching the Honker. Mark managed to pull Jack into a kneeling position, when Tim bucked behind them with an angry neigh. Another Honker had silently moved onto the ice behind Tim and got a face full of Tim's hooves. The Honker belted out a soft pained honk, then slid back into the water to avoid further injury. The Honker in front of them lowered its head, letting out a deep thundering growling. Mark raised his sword enough to point it at the Honker in warning. Jack clung to Mark's arm, using it to stagger stiffly to his feet. Behind the Honker, another one hopped up onto the ice and began to join the first in short grunting growls that almost sounded like dog barks.

A loud splash behind them, caused them both to jump and glance behind them to see that Tim had jumped into the water to avoid another Honker. Jack wondered whether Tim had jumped in on purpose or not, only to realize why Tim had done it. Agro was on the little island by the boat. Tim had weighed his options and chose to join her where it looked safer. Mark saw where Tim was headed and hefted Jack over his shoulder. The Honkers flopped quickly toward them as Mark started to make a break for the ice path across. Jack could only cling to Mark and pray that they both didn't fall through the ice. The Honkers were so slow... on land. Jack's breath caught in his throat, watching the Honkers follow them, before they dived into the water gracefully. Scanning the water, he saw them rapidly swimming toward them. He guessed that they'd break up through the ice to cut Mark off. Mark hadn't been kidding. For being pescatarians, these beasts were VERY aggressive!

Mark reached the island, before the Honkers, but it didn't stop them from bursting up through the ice just behind them! One Honker swiped his head out, its tusk tripping up Mark's leg. Mark groaned in pain, falling across the snowy ground and releasing Jack to look over his leg. The Honker's tusk had cut Mark's leg. The Honker in the middle that had injured Mark, hopped forward bellowing out a long honk that gave Jack goosebumps. It was clearly angry. Jack flexed his stiff fingers, trying to summon his magic to try calming them. However, the cold wind and his uncontrollable shaking made that impossible. His body was having trouble responding. So, he tried the next best thing. It was more of a primal urge than a desire to defend himself. The Honker was mad... Well, HE was mad! Taking a deep breath, he mimicked the Honkers aggressive honking call with one major difference. He shouted out at them. "FUS RO DAH!"

The force blasted the Honkers through the air, scattering them across the ice a good distance away. The Honkers scrambled to regain themselves, honking in distress as they sank into the water and swam away. Jack waited a few minutes, before laying back across the ground weakly. Mark limped over to him soon after and Jack looked up at him, chattering out. "What took you?" Mark chuckled, pulling a cork off a small bottle as he muffled out. "Ah, you know... Saving your life." Mark scooped Jack up against him, putting the bottle to Jack's lips, stating firmly. "Drink this slowly." Jack couldn't even feel his lips anymore as he stammered out. "W-w-What is-is it?" Mark started to pour the liquid into his mouth very slowly, answering calmly. "It's a potion for frost resistance. Kind of burns going down from what I read. Don't get mad... but I swiped it from the college."

The potion tasted like warm cider. As it ran down his throat, his felt the cold melting away in his body to be replaced by a warm fuzzy feeling. Feeling so much better now that he could feel his fingers and face again, he curiously asked Mark. "You read a book?" Mark rolled his eyes, booping Jack's nose playfully as he mumbled out. "Figures. I tell you that I stole something and you focus on the fact that I happened to get bored enough to read a book?" Jack chuckled, snuggling up against Mark to bury his head into the nape of Mark's warm neck. He couldn't be mad at Mark right now. Mark was always thinking about him and thinking ahead. Mark was everything he hoped to be one day. When Jack was sure that all his feeling was back, he climbed to his feet to stretch. It felt so good to expand those tense muscles and get some warm blood flowing in them again. Afterward, Jack reached out to help Mark up... but Mark winced and stayed down.

Jack's heart dashed wildly in his chest in a panic. Why couldn't Mark get up? How badly was he hurt? Mark bent his hurt leg to look it over, grumbling out. "I should have stolen more health potions. But I thought we'd of had more time to buy them before coming out here. Fucking dragon..." Jack dropped to his knees, carefully pushing up Mark's pant leg. The wound wasn't too deep, but deep enough that it was gushing a good amount. Mark shifted uncomfortably, starting to say. "You should go on-" Jack touched the wound, barely listening to Mark as he focused on the healing spell. The golden misty light escaped his fingers slowly sealing the wound up seamlessly. When he finished, Jack rubbed Mark's leg with some snow to clean some of the blood off, asking a bit guilty. "What were you saying? I was distracted." Mark smirked, rolling his eyes as he chuckled out. "Nothing. I forgot."

Jack raised an eyebrow, but helped to pull Mark up onto his feet. They both turned their eyes to the small wooden door in the icy mountain side, when Mark mumbled out dryly. "He found a Dwemer artifact out here?" Jack shrugged, moving to examine the small row boat and answering casually. "Ya, supposedly. Urag said he has been missing for a long time." Mark shook his head, grumbling out sourly. "I really wonder sometimes about people. Septimus doesn't come back after so long... and no one bothers to go looking for him? It wasn't like he was that far from the college." After seeing that the boat was in fine condition, he told Mark a little distressed about it himself. "Ya... Well, If his journal says anything about him... He was kind of going mad. So, maybe they thought it was better to just leave him to his devises." Mark shrugged, taking the last of the potion to the horses. He gave them each a taste until it was gone to protect them from their cold swim, while adding in. "A crazy mage? How much help do you think this guy will be?"

Jack moved to the wooden door, moving his hand cautiously over it to scan for any protective spells or traps. When it came up clean, he gave Mark a shrug upon answering lightly. "I don't know. It's just a gut feeling. Besides, he's our only lead." Mark patted the horses, telling them sweetly. "Stay here and stay out of trouble. We will be right back." Jack smiled at Mark as he joined him at the door. He loved seeing Mark's love for animals. Mark ruffled Jack's hair, telling him with playfully narrowed eyes. "What are you smirking at? This madness better not be contagious." Jack huffed, slowly opening the door and peeking inside. The interior was solid ice with a very narrow chiseled in path. Jack slipped inside, his back skimming across the cold wall. Mark followed him in, muttering out in a soft whisper. "There is light ahead. Someone is here. Let's just hope it is our guy."

The path had a slight decline down and the farther in they went the wider the tunnel got. Creeping quickly to a sudden large rounded opening, they looked down over the edge. A mage paced back and forth in front of a large metal cube that was easily the size of a small house. The mage ran his hands over his face and pulled at his hair, mumbling something repeatedly to himself. The mage looked so distressed over something. Mark nudged Jack's arm, pointing to a slightly spiraled path down to the mage. Had he chiseled and dug this all out himself for this cube? Mark hefted his sword cautiously, carefully making his way down to the mage with Jack following close behind. He hoped that Septimus was friendly... but he was going mad, wasn't he? As they reached the bottom, Jack heard Septimus's ramblings more clearly. He kept pacing in a circle, rubbing his face and tugging his hair as he rambled out. "Dig, Dwemer, in the beyond. I'll know your lost unknown and rise to your depths."

Mark raised an eyebrow, giving Jack a weird look as he mumbled out. "This guy knows about the Elder Scrolls? Are you sure?" Jack shrugged, when Septimus suddenly turned in their direction to state out excitedly. "Elder Scrolls. Indeed." Mark shuffled his feet uncomfortably as Septimus crept toward them, eerily spouting out. "The Empire. They absconded with them. Or so they think. They ones they saw. The ones they thought they saw." The closer Septimus got to them, the more Mark pushed Jack behind him protectively and raised his sword in warning. A warning that Septimus didn't seem to comprehend. Septimus pushed the tip of Mark's blade aside a bit, leaning closer to whisper giddily. "I know of one. Forgotten. Sequestered. But I can't go to it, not poor Septimus, for I... I have arisen beyond its grasp." Mark carefully moved his sword back between Septimus and them, asking really worried. "Are you... all right?"

Septimus giddily giggled, answering in a carefree voice. "Oooh, I am well. I will be well. Well to be within the will inside the walls." Mark briefly gave Jack a wide eyed look of concern, before asking Septimus uneasily. "So, where is the Scroll?" Septimus's eyes finally moved away to stare at the cube, whispering out so softly that it was almost inaudible. "Here. Well, here as in this plane. Mundus. Tamriel. Nearby, relatively speaking. On the cosmological scale, it's all nearby." Jack noticed Mark's arm muscle flex and his shoulders tense up as Mark growled out to Septimus. "Don't make me hurt you. Just tell me where it is." Jack slid his hand up over Mark's shoulder to calm him down, while Septimus cooed out in response. "Oooh, a brutish one. Septimus has no fear of you. But as one block raises another, perhaps ourselves could help us each?" Jack squeezed Mark's shoulder in caution, asking Septimus in a kind voice. "What do you want?" Septimus snapped his fingers and pointed to Jack with a bright smile.

Septimus then retreated to the large Dwemer cube, waving his hand at it like it was a beautiful gem of the ages, telling them in awe. "You see this masterwork of the Dwemer. Deep inside their greatest knowing's. Septimus is clever among men, but he is but an idiot child compared to the dullest of the Dwemer. Lucky then they left their own way of reading the Elder Scrolls." Septimus froze in place from waving at the cube to look over at them with wide curious eyes, adding in. "In the depths of Blackreach one yet lies. Have you heard of Blackreach? 'Cast upon where Dwemer cities slept, the yearning spire hidden learnings kept." Jack stepped away from behind Mark, asking much more interested now. "Where is this 'Blackreach?" Septimus turned slowly to face Jack, creeping closer a little hunched over as he gestured to the ground and whispered out to him. "Under deep. Below the dark. The hidden keep. Tower Mzark. Alftand. The point of puncture, of first entry, of the tapping. Delve to its limits, and Blackreach lies just beyond."

Septimus straightened up to place a hand on Jack's shoulder, his gaze drifting toward the wall as he added in a disheartened voice. "But not all can enter there. Only Septimus knows the hidden key to loose the lock to jump beneath the deathly rock." Mark inched closer, but Jack cautiously waved his hand to dissuade him from advancing. Keeping his voice calm and genuinely curious, he asked Septimus. "How do I get in then?" Septimus's eyes drifted to the single bookshelf against the icy wall, uttering out in an almost hesitant voice. "Two things I have for you. Two shapes. One edged, one round." Septimus moved away from Jack to approach the bookshelf. Opening a drawer at the bottom, he rummaged through a few things and pulled out two items. Holding them out in his hands, Septimus informed Jack confidently. "The round one, for tuning. Dwemer music is soft and subtle, and needed to open their cleverest gates. The edged lexicon, for inscribing. To us, a hunk of metal. To the Dwemer, a full library of knowing's. But... empty."

Septimus slowly walked up to Jack with the items, holding them out for Jack to take as he told Jack in a strangely serious voice. "Find Mzark and its sky-dome. The machinations there will read the Scroll and lay the lore upon the cube. Trust Septimus. He knows you can know." Jack carefully took the metal orb and a small metal box cube from Septimus. Now Mark stepped closer beside him, asking Septimus with narrowed eyes. "Wait... What do you want with the Elder Scroll?" A grin spread over Septimus's face as he pointed to Mark with both his index fingers and chuckled out. "Oooh, an observant one. How clever to ask of Septimus. This Dwemer lockbox. Look upon it and wonder." Septimus began to wave his hands at the large Dwemer cube in the room, then carried on telling Mark. "Inside is the heart. The heart of a god! The heart of you. And me. But it was hidden away. Not by the Dwarves, you see. They were already gone. Someone else. Unseen. Unknown. Found the heart, and with a flair for the ironical, used Dwarven trickery to lock it away. The Scroll will give the deep vision needed to open it. For not even the strongest machinations of the Dwemer can hold off the all-sight given by an Elder Scroll. You will help Septimus, won't you?"

Mark gave Septimus a weary nod, muttering out uneasily. "Ya... Sure. Whatever you say, guy. We'll just be going now." Septimus rubbed his hands together, bouncing in excitement as he told them. "Good. Good! You help Septimus and Septimus help you. Now go. Go! No time to waste! I'll be here waiting." Mark started to push Jack back up the incline, mumbling out under his breath. "Ya, that is what I'm afraid of." Jack didn't fight Mark's light shoving and just went along with it. Mark guided him all the way back to the door, glancing back every few minutes like he thought Septimus would follow them out. Then as they stepped back out into the snowy open air, Mark closed the door firmly and shivered. Jack headed to Agro to put the items into his knapsack, while Mark commented loudly. "Damn it! That guy gave me the creeps. Did any of his rambling make sense to you?" Jack stashed the metal square lexicon into his bag, then the attunement sphere, before turning to face Mark to tell him. "I think so. One thing is for sure. We are going to Alftand to find us an Elder Scroll." To Be Continued...