Jack helped Mark pack up the rest of the camp, before mounting back up onto Agro. As Mark finished and mounted Tim, he told him seriously. "Jack? Don't you ever leave like that again. I mean it." Mark nudged Tim into a trot through the snow past him. Jack let him take the lead giving him a small nod. There was no point in arguing why he felt it was the right thing. No reason was ever good enough. He knew Mark would rather die than stay behind. Coaxing Agro to follow behind him, he shook his head with a smirk. Agro was at least behaving now. She was even well enough to playfully tug on Tim's tail as he trudged through the snow. After a few hours, Jack pulled up his hood to block out the icy wind, calling out to Mark. "How long before we get there?" Mark slowed Tim down in order to call back to him. "Not long now. We should start to see it any minute now... If this fucking weather would clear up." Jack chuckled to himself. He could try to fix that. Pulling Agro to a full stop, he patted her neck comfortingly before glancing up at the sky to shout aloud. "LOK VAH KOOR!"

The blast of energy radiated through the sky, causing the falling snow and icy wind to evaporate into a clear day. Mark clapped his hands, chuckling back. "Where was that idea a few hours ago?" Jack rolled his eyes, answering bluntly. "I'm suppose to be saving my energy remember? Besides, it doesn't last that long. So, we should make the most of it." Mark nodded, turning a slightly startled Tim around as he stated aloud. "Ya. Someone will have heard that for miles... but look! See it?" Jack looked out where Mark was pointing and grinned. Windhelm's walls and high stone castle could now be seen through the light mountain mist surrounding it. Beyond that looked to be miles of ocean. It was beautiful. Jack looked back at Mark, asking him curiously as they continued through the snow. "What can we expect from Windhelm?" Mark huffed loudly, grimly retorting. "Ulfric and the rebellion. You think Winterhold's people were cold... You should see some of these Nords. Distrust and dissection run deep in their icy veins. I blame Ulfric. He's got them thinking that dividing the races and treating them like lower class citizens is how Skyrim moves forward."

Jack cringed thinking about it, but he was sure that Ulfric had his own reasons for thinking that way. Didn't make it any better, but it was possible that's not what he had intended. He could see how Mark saw it that way though. Ulfric wanted the Elves out of Skyrim... but it was possible that his logic was flawed and Nords saw it as removing ALL non-human races from Skyrim. Shrugging, Jack was going to address this to Mark, when his eyes caught movement in the snow. It looked like the snow was sliding toward Tim. Jack raised a hand to conjure his bow, telling Mark loudly. "Mark?! On your right!" Mark shifted in the saddle to brace himself, turning Tim slightly as he looked. Tim saw it before Mark. Tim thrashed his head, letting out panicked whinnies as he drifted to the left and threatened to buck Mark. Jack raised his free hand, shooting Tim in the ass with his calming spell. Tim settled down just as a massive white blur lunged from behind a mound of snow. The massive white blur jumped agilely onto Tim's back, sending them all into the snow as Tim buckled from the force of the weight.

Agro reared in fright, but Jack kept her steady as she came back down. Mark let out a painful scream and Jack drew back his bow string to shoot an arrow at it. The glowing blue arrow struck the white mass in the back, causing it to snarl in pain and whirl around to face him. Jack lowered his bow in shock. He wasn't sure what he was looking at. It appeared to be a white wolf... but it was as massive as a bear and held itself like a man. The wolf growled at him aggressively, before leaping off Mark and Tim to dash at him on all fours! Jack shook off his shock and raised his bow to shoot again. This time his arrow sank into one of its front legs and it skidded to a halt. Jack watched awestruck as the beast stood up on its hind legs, pulling the arrow out of its arm, before turning bright yellow eyes on him as he let out a thunderous growl. The growl hit him like a heavy weight, pinning him to the spot and making his heart race with fear. He had looked dragons in the eye and had never been as scared as he was right now.

The beast strolled closer with its teeth bared. Now that it was closer, Jack could see the fresh blood dripping off its muzzle. There was something wrong with it though. It was hurt and not by his arrows alone. There were even bigger scars across its broad chest. Deep and freshly made. Something big attacked it and it was dying. It was scared and lashing out wildly at anything it crossed paths with. The beast raised its good arm, flexing its long fingers. It was getting ready to strike Agro across the neck, when it suddenly yelped in pain and fell to its side. The fear in Jack vanished as he stared at what killed the beast. Mark shakily was kneeling in the snow by Tim, his hands frozen in a gesture that said he had thrown something. The moment Mark was confident the beast was down, he slumped back down into the snow, panting loudly. Jack slid of Agro, hopping to the ground as he bellowed out. "What the fuck was that thing?!" From across the way, Mark panted out wearily. "That... was a werewolf."

Jack looked down at the body of the white werewolf, stating back half-joking. "Really, Mark? When I asked you what to expect from Windhelm...? This one would have made the list." Mark chuckled loudly, replying with his own sense of humor. "I would have... but werewolves are a rare sight around Windhelm. It's the werebears you've got to watch out for. I can honestly say... I was a bit relieved to see it was just a werewolf." Jack shook his head, glancing up at the sky as he told him seriously. "It's daylight! How did it change?" Mark slowly sat up, answering more collected. "There was a full moon last night. Takes them a while to change back after they transform. Especially, if they keep eating. Keeps the adrenaline going in them. The thrill of the hunt. Or so I was told. There is a rumor that for some, the whole moon thing doesn't work. That it's mood based." Jack shivered feeling the cold slowly start to creep back up on them. His shout was wearing off. Leaning down, he pried Green Glory from the werewolf's spine, before asking. "I take it the silver thing is a rumor too?"

Mark shook his head, answering lightly. "Silver works when they are at their peek condition. Wears them down. Keeps them from healing so that you can cut into their hides better. That one was already hurt. He was dying slowly. I just made it quicker." Jack let out a nervous chuckle, pulling Agro over toward Mark as he handed the sword back, asking him really worried. "Are you alright? I saw his muzzle." Mark carefully staggered to his feet, sweetly answering. "Wasn't from us. I'm alright. He was just heavy and Tim landing on my leg didn't help." Mark took back his sword, staggering toward Tim as Jack quickly patted his shoulder before moving to mount back up on Agro. Standing by Tim in such a way that Jack couldn't see him, Mark flexed his left hand and peeked down at his left arm discreetly. The wound was already healing. It was him or Tim... and he chose himself. Using some more snow, Mark cleaned the blood from the wound better. He was just happy that Jack hadn't noticed yet. He didn't have the heart to tell him and now was not the time for him to worry about him.

Jack watched Mark mount up a bit stiffly but brushed it off. He'd be a bit stiff too after an attack like that. Together they continued until they came to the road. From there, they followed it to the stables outside the large stone bridge to Windhelm. Jack could clearly see the docks from the stables and pointed to the two ships he saw as he told Mark excitedly. "Look! They haven't left the harbor yet. We still have time. Let's go!" Jack nudged Agro into a gallop as they raced over the large cobblestone bridge and down a narrow path just outside the gigantic stone walls of the city. They only slowed down as they made their way over the snowy cobblestone docks. Jack couldn't believe his eyes. All along the docks were dirty ragged looking Argonians that rushed back and forth from the ships. They were loading supplies and sharpening the sailor's weapons. Some were prying barnacles off the ships as they sat in the freezing water. One Windhelm soldier, deliberately stepped on a female Argonian's tail, causing her to trip and spill the clothing supplies she had been carrying.

The male Argonians tensed around the docks, clearly frustrated but seeming ultimately powerless to help her. The solider laughed with a few Nord sailors, casting her distasteful looks as they muttered out. "What a cluts." The underfed Argonian woman collected up the clothes in silence looking skittish of everyone around her. One of the stronger looking Argonian men walked over to help her to help her pick things up, but as he stood up, he found himself locking eyes with the solider. The soldier puffed himself up, grunting out. "Don't you have work to do, Lizard? Or are you looking to stir up some trouble?" The Argonian man simply shook his head and the solder grabbed his shirt vest to snap out. "Well?! Which is it? You don't have work? Or you're not looking for trouble? Answer me, lizard! Or have you got too much water in your brain?" Jack rode up close to them, snapping out. "Leave him alone!" The soldier shoved the Argonian man back as he turned to look up at him, bitterly asking. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Jack dismounted gracefully, standing proudly before the man as he stated out sternly. "I'm the Dragonborn and Thane of Whiterun." The solider took a single step back but was barely concerned as he replied shortly. "So, what. This isn't Whiterun. You have no authority here." Mark stopped Tim close by, telling the solider and anyone nearby in a clear broad voice. "True, but he's still considered a noble with a highly honored title. Which still puts him higher than your ass." The soldier glared up at Mark, reaching for his blade. Mark gave the solder a smug grin, reaching for his own blade as he added in daringly. "Just give me a reason to cut you down, motherfucker." The soldier shuffled his feet with a sigh, moving his hand away from his sword as he muttered out sourly. "Be on your way." Jack watched the soldier move away, before turning to the Argonian man and asking him politely. "Excuse me. Do you know which one of these is..." Jack drifted off, quickly removing the cultist letter from his bag to double check. When he saw the name again, he finished off to him. "The Northern Maiden?"

The Argonian man glanced at a few sailors that were watching him with darkened eyes, but he answered honestly in a thick Black marsh accent. "None of these are the Northern Maiden. She left the harbor hours ago. Most likely raiding some Thalmor vessel along the coast for supplies." Jack cursed softly to himself, then asked him curiously. "What about these vessels? Are any of them going to Solstheim?" The Argonian blinked with slight confusion, until Mark told him more clearly. "Are any of them going to Morrowind?" The Argonian's long tongue slid out over his lips anxiously, before he jerked his head toward the farthest one, slipping out to them casually. "None of these... But try that one." Jack thanked the man and slipped him a few coins for his trouble. The Argonian man bowed his head respectfully, stating out more friendly to him. "Safe travels, Friend." Jack gave the man a small bow of his own, before rushing across the docks toward the ship. He had just made it to the ship, when Mark quickly ran up to stop him from boarding.

Straightening up, Mark called out to the sailors on board. "Permission to come aboard?" Jack rolled his eyes as a Nord man slowly approached them, answering aloud. "Permission granted. Welcome aboard. How can I help you two?" Jack smirked as he glanced at Mark to answer the man. Mark seemed to know what he was doing. Mark smirked back at him, then stepped forward to tell the man. "We want to speak to your Captain about buying passage to Morrowind." The sailor grinned greedily, gesturing for them to follow him as he told them happily. "It would be my pleasure. Right this way boys." To Be Continued...