Nathan held the thermos close, taking small sips as he walked around the mountainside to follow a steady decline behind the North Mountain. The decline was covered in knee high snow, but Donner plowed through it to make it a bit easier for them. Nate couldn't help smirking at how Mark's gloved hand moved over the mounds of snow. The cold didn't seem to bother him as much as he thought it would. He looked so at home among the snow. Aputsiaq curled around Nathan's shoulders, practically sleeping on him as she purred. Gathering the courage to ask Mark some questions to fend off the silence, he asked him softly. "Where did you learn to play?" Mark's cheeks flushed with color, before he said openly. "Grand Pabbie. He felt bad that he couldn't teach me how to harness magic... So, he said that I should learn to create music. For my birthday, he gave me a mandolin and over time he taught me to play." Nathan bit his lip, then asked him. "Do you ever think about playing your music for money?" Mark snorted, mumbling out. "Yes... but I was always chased off for being... Northuldran." Nathan winced, mumbling out in return. "I'm sorry... I didn't know how bad it was."

Mark huffed, retorting nicely. "I don't blame you. You had enough things to worry about. At least you didn't exile me or encourage them to chase me off." Nate took a longer swig, before honestly telling him a bit grimly. "But I didn't tell them to stop either... and now I feel like... I set myself up for my own exile." Mark stopped in his tracks, asking curiously. "What do you mean?" Nathan avoided his eyes, when he admitted softly. "Well... It turns out that my own mother might have been... Northuldran." Mark blinked, then chuckled out. "Really? Damn. I never would have guessed that. What a scandal." Mark smirked, starting to walk on. Mark's smile faded though when he told him over his shoulder. "It must have been really hard for her. She must have really loved him and you." Nathan swallowed, uttering out under his breath. "I hope so... but I think her love for me... ended when this happened to me." Mark put a hand on his shoulder, telling him warmly. "Why would you say that? Mother's love their children." Nathan cleared his throat, feeling a bit reluctant when he admitted to Mark. "I don't just freeze things. I... see things." Mark stopped walking to look at him better. Tensing a bit, Mark asked him curiously. "What kind of things?"

Nathan shifted nervously on his feet before answering in a low voice without looking at him. "Whenever I look into peoples' eyes, I see... bad things. Secrets. Sometimes dark secrets." Mark leaned a little closer, asking gently. "What do you see when you look into my eyes?" Nathan refused to look at him, stating back a bit gruffly. "I know you've hurt people... but I can imagine they hurt you first. It's the one thing that I can't shut off. I see the images over and over... Although, You and Prince Hans are the only ones that I've really looked at and didn't feel sick to my stomach in one way or another." Mark's hand touched Nathan's elbows, saying rather softly. "Your parents...?" Nathan sighed heavily, mumbling out. "I don't have the heart to tell you what I saw." Mark rubbed his arms a little, whispering to him nicely. "I'm sorry. Did your parents know?" Nathan shook his head, telling him a bit flatly. "They could barely to touch me. If I had told them about it... They never would have looked at me either." Mark bowed his head, replying grimly. "I'm sorry." Fearing that Mark might do the same, Nathan reached out to lift his chin. Turning his face enough to boldly look him in the eyes, Nathan whispered to Mark. "Please don't... I'd rather see yours..."

Mark stepped up to him, causing Nathan to back up into the mountain. Around his neck, Aputsiaq leapt off his shoulder and glided out onto Donner's back. Nate stared into Mark's eyes with his fragile eyes. Mark removed his glove, his warm hand reaching out for his cheek. Nathan stood very still, watching the images play out before his eyes. However, right after the strange vision of his skin bathed in Northern Lights, there was a brief hint of Mark glaring at him with anger. The image was strange and didn't seem to fit in with what Mark was doing right now. He didn't dwell on it, because Mark's lips drew closer to his. Nathan's heart fluttered, leaning closer he parted his lips. Just as Mark's warm lips lightly touched him, Nate jerked away and blurted out. "Wait! Don't...!" Mark stepped back and bowed his head a little embarrassed, upon asking a little breathlessly. "Sorry. I shouldn't have..." Mark quickly turned away, but Nathan grabbed his arm in a tight grip. Moving up against Mark's arm, Nathan hid his face behind Mark's shoulder when he told him a bit disappointed in himself. "No, Mark... I wanted you too. But... I don't want to hurt you. The last guy I... I almost killed him."

Mark looked over his shoulder, whispering to him. "That was before. You don't know that will happen now." Nathan shook his head, telling him seriously. "No. I know. I kissed Aputsiaq after making everything and... I froze her, but... she shook it off..." Mark's arm wrapped around Nathan's waist, before he brought his lips to his ear to whisper nicely. "Don't worry about it. I was out of line. Come on. We're almost there." Mark pulled away and Nathan's heart sank with disappointment. It just wasn't fair. Reluctantly, he headed off to follow him. The rest of the walk was done in silence and Nathan blamed himself. Should he have just risked the kiss? Reaching the lake, Nathan stopped short and gawked at it. The entire lake was surround with gorgeous snow frosted grey mountains with steep snow covered forests. The large lake was completely frozen over with crisp clear ice that you could see into. Along the shoreline, nestled at the side of the North Mountain, was a little wooden shed. Donner practiced through the snow toward it. While Aputsiaq leapt off him to land on the ice lake. She could see fish swimming beneath the glossy surface and tried to leap on them. Resulting in her chasing them across the ice.

Nathan couldn't believe that they were still so high up on the North Mountain. This lake was a winter gem protected in a little bowl with the surrounding mountains. Was this where the North Mountain's frozen cave of water came from? Mark opened his shed, peeking inside as he said aloud. "Well, everything is still here. That's a good sign. I can't wait to get some fish. There should be some big Brown Trout and an Artic Char or two." Nathan cautiously stepped onto the ice, walking slowly out to see the fish beneath. Aputsiaq tried to make a tight turn as the fish she was chasing changed course, causing her to slide across the ice, before her claws got traction and she scrambled to pick the chase back up with little squeaks. Curling his fingers into fists, he took a deep breath. His mother used to ice skate, but he hadn't done it in years. Closing his eyes, he lifted his foot and imagined what the blade looked like. The bottom of his shoe frosted over with a clear blade, and he smiled. However, when he put his foot down, it shattered under his weight. Shaking his head, he tried again. This time the blade was stronger. Doing the same to his other shoe, he took a shaky breath and mumbled out to himself. "I can do this. It's only been... a few years."

Starting out really slow, he focused on remembering how to move just fast enough to glade on the smooth surface of the ice. Then after practicing a few stops, it started to come back to him. Dashing off across the ice after Aputsiaq, he spread his legs to whiz over her. She slid into a stop in shock, then with a squeak, sprang off to chase him. Seeing how he leaned into his turns and used his hand on the ice, Aputsiaq got better at moving on the ice. She drifted on the ice and used her tail more to stir herself around. Before long, she glided past him on a turn and slide her four legs over the ice to go faster on the straightaway. To stop, she simply dug her claws into the ice and came to a perfect stop to wait for him to catch up. Then when he reached her, she's rush off to keep him from picking her up. When Nathan had to stop to catch his breath, he looked over to see Mark watching them with a confused but amused look. Sliding closer to him, Nathan asked him with a bright smile. "What? Have you never ice skated before?" Nathan winced when the words left his mouth. He should have known that Mark hadn't. Mark simply shook his head, telling him as he rolled his eyes. "You're scaring the fish."

Nathan reached out for his hand, saying with a small smile. "They are trapped in the lake. I'm not scaring them away... I'm stirring them up. Making them hungry. Which will make them easier to catch... right?" Mark huffed, then mumbled out with a little blush. "You should be careful. The lake may look firm, but I haven't checked all of it. You could fall through." Nathan tapped his shoulder, asking Mark hopefully. "Do you wanna try to skate?" Mark huffed, chuckling out as he stepped out cautiously onto the ice with his ice saw. "No thanks. Have fun." Nathan drifted backward to stay with him, telling him sweetly. "Are you afraid?" Mark should his head, prompting Nathan to ask him curiously. "Do you not trust my ice blades?" Mark stopped, looking at Nate's ice blades before looking him in the eyes to say. "It's not that. We were made with flat feet for a reason. The last thing I want to do is twist my ankle or break the ice." Nathan circled around him to stand in front of him. Only to watch Mark hop out of the circle he had carved into the ice. When Mark caught him processing that, Mark blurted out. "What? Go play on that side of the lake. I'm going to fish on this side."

Nathan drifted to stay before Mark again, causing Mark to look down at the clean line from Nate's blades. Without teasing him, Nathan asked gently. "You're scared of falling through. Aren't you?" Mark inhaled slowly, avoiding his eyes. Walking around Nathan, Mark answered dryly over his shoulder. "Ya... Well, you'd be afraid too if it happened and no one was around who cared about you. You know how hard it is to find the hole you fell through? The current under the ice; just takes you away and you drown." Nathan skated out in front of him, extending out a hand when he told him with a warm smile. "Trust me. I won't let you fall." Mark cleared his throat, shuffling his feet anxiously, before saying under his breath. "I don't skate." Nathan smirked, changing the words of what Mark had told him yesterday by regaling playfully smug. "Not knowing how. Is not the same as not being able to do it." Mark lightly narrowed his eyes on him but said nothing. Biting his lip, Nathan pleaded with him nicely. "Please? Just for a little bit? Do this for me and then you can teach me to fish." Mark rolled his eyes, but a small smile was pulling at his lips. Giving him a tiny nod, Mark set down the saw and Nathan carefully took his hand. Tracing a finger under Mark's boot to give him an ice blade, Mark took his time getting used to standing on one blade, his grip on Nathan's arm tightening.

With his feet on blades, Nathan took his hands and tried to coax him into moving. Mark was stiff and reluctant to move. Eventually, he got him to move without being held, but he looked like a baby deer on wobbly legs. Mark tried to turn and started to fall, but Nate caught his arm. Mark almost slipped to his knees, but Nate held him up trying not to laugh. Pulling him upright, Nathan moved beside him to show him how to shift his weight and use his lead foot to guide the turns. He was no expert himself, but he knew enough that it helped Mark along. After a few hours, Mark had improved and was confident on everything except turns. To compensate, Nate would race up next to him and take his arm to swing him out in the turns. Mark always freaked out about falling but had enough technique to glide with him. They laughed and flew over the ice. They chased each other and skated around the lake side by side as they talked about anything and everything. It was everything Nathan had hoped having a good friend would be like. Mark joked with him and asked him questions about things in the castle that he'd only heard about. Nathan told him about the secret passages and the foods he'd tried from all over the world. While Mark told him about food that he'd survived on and how he learned to ride Donner.

After Mark's feet started to hurt and Nathan's failed attempts at removing the blades, Mark broke their blades off on a tree. Then pulled Nathan over to show him how to ice fish. Cutting a small square into the ice, he pulled the block out and instructed him on how to bait the hook and what to wait for. Then sitting on turned over buckets, Mark huddled up in a blanket and they sat together. Giving him a warm smile, Mark told Nathan happily. "I never thought skating on ice would be that fun." Nathan grinned in return, telling him sweetly. "It's fun when you have people to share it with." Mark nodded, then grabbed Aputsiaq's tail to keep her from leaning too far over the open hole. Her attention was completely on the movement under the water. From the shore, Donner snuggled up in the warmer shed, his grunts and bellowing echoing loud over the open lake. Mark kept his eyes on Aputsiaq but told Nathan sweetly. "You should really focus on trying to melt ice. Knowing how to make it is great... but you can clear your way and stuff if you can melt it." Nathan huffed, mumbling out grimly. "I don't know how..." Mark thought for a bit, then told him lightly. "Well... With the Trolls, they are told to use the opposite feelings to neutralize the element they are dealing with. The rage and passion of fire can be snuffed by the calm mind required to control water."

Mark then shrugged and told him lightly. "We just need to figure out what the polar opposite of your element is." Nathan snorted, grumbling out. "Are you saying I have to use rage to melt the ice?" Mark's eyes widened, prompting him to quickly shake his head as he said. "No. That wouldn't help. I've seen people take fire to ice. If the ice is strong enough, fire won't do shit. The amount of anger you'd need to do that... No. Just no. If your ice runs off negative emotions, then anger will just make it worse." Nathan rolled his eyes, mumbling out to him. "I don't exactly have a lot of positive memories that are strong enough to counter anything." Mark shrugged, pulling Aputsiaq away from the water, when he said in a hopeful tone. "Don't worry. I'll help you find some." Mark started to sit up from pushing Aputsiaq away. Picking up a piece of ice, he tossed it for her to play with to distract her. She attacked it and began to nibble on it. Mark chuckled watching her. While Nathan watched him, his heart aching for that kiss he'd denied him before. So, when Mark looked at him with a smile... He took the risk and kissed him so lightly on the lips. Mark didn't pull away from him.

While back in Arendelle, Prince Hans stared at his reflection in the mirror within Nathan's old bedroom. Glaring at himself, he growled out to his true Troll form that looked back at him. "Where would he run too...? Damn, that Duke... and these incompetent humans. How hard is it to find a spoiled prince?!" Prince Hans tensed over the vanity. He wanted to throw the vanity and bust the mirror, but he needed to keep up his calm and reliable appearance. From the door, one of the servants knocked and rushed out. "Your majesty? There is a man here to see you. He says he knows where the Troll King went." Prince Hans rolled his eyes, about to yell that he didn't care, when the sudden thought sparked an idea. Grabbing the cloth, he pulled it down to cover the mirror, chuckling out as he looked out the widow to the forest. "Clever, Dad. Always one step ahead as usual... but not for long." To Be Continued...