Mark held Nathan close, rubbing his back to comfort him the only way he could. Nathan's hands clawed at his jacket; his voice muffled when he asked him in a choked voice. "How can this be? I don't understand..." Reluctantly coaxing Nathan back a bit, he told him boldly. "I don't know. I'm gonna go check it out." Sniffling, Nathan straightened himself up to tell him weakly. "I'm coming with you." Taking his arm before Nathan could start making his way down the hill, he carefully moved to stand in front of him. Putting his forehead to his, he cupped his face and told him very gently. "Nate. Please stay here. Let me look around first and then I'll call you." Nathan's watery eyes didn't understand. So, he gave him a brief kiss on the lips before whispering empathically to him. "I don't want your memory of your parents to be of their last moment. Or to see what has become of them. They wouldn't want that. And I don't want that for you. Understand?" Nathan's eyes darted to the ship with a forlorn expression. Mark rubbed his shoulders, looking only at him. After his words sunk in, Nathan nodded and hugged him tightly.

Running his hand through his hair, Mark kissed his temple and told him in a deep loving voice. "I know it will be hard. But please stay here until I call for you." Pulling from him, Nathan held his hand as he slowly sat down on the dirt. Squeezing his hand, he made sure he was comfortable. Then with one last kiss to the back of his hand, he slowly walked away. Keeping his hand on Nate's until the very second that he couldn't. Jogging down the hill, Mark made his way over to the large hole in the hull that provided the only entrance inside. Touching the broken splinters of wood, he tried to look for a sign into what had caused it. He wasn't skilled with boats, but upon looking over the wood, he saw strange bites on certain pieces. Triangular indents that went deep into the wood. Stepping farther inside, Mark cautiously looked around for any sign of the crew. The lower deck was a mess. Broken barrels supplies were scattered everywhere. The hull had suffered greatly from breaching the shore. He noticed a few skeletons that were crushed or pinned down under cargo and swallowed. What remained of their half-eaten and torn clothing suggested they were the crew and royal guards.

The wood creaked under his feet, prompting him to move slow and cautiously. He didn't want to shift something and bring the whole place down. It was hard to tell if the ship was being held up by anything stronger than rotten damp wood. Easing up the steps to the next level, his attention was drawn to a beautiful shattered set of windows that let light stream in from outside. It looked like it had once been a lovely place to sit and rest at. Although, any furniture this thing had to indicate what room this was supposed to be was long gone. As he made his way to the metal grated shattered windows, his heart sank from the horror of the scene before him. Two skeletons were holding onto each other and huddled close to the window like they'd been clawing for air as the ship went under. Approaching them, he recognized the royal outfits despite how torn and eaten way they were. Taking a knee, Mark bowed his head with respect. Giving himself a moment to collect himself. Rising, he looked around and saw why they couldn't get out. One of the masts had fallen and pinned cannons and netting over the exit to the top deck. Tearing part of the masts sail off, he carefully moved the skeletons away from the window and laid them down next to each other.

Watching a crab crawl out of the King's empty eye socket, Mark nudged it away with his boot before laying the sail over them to hide how they looked. When he finished making sure that there was nothing that would traumatize Nate, he exhaled heavily and called out. "Nathan?!" Within seconds, Nathan ran to the hole in the ship and called back with worry. "Mark?!" Mark moved back to the steps to the lower deck, telling him seriously. "Up here. Be careful. The wood is very weak in some parts." Mark navigated him through the path he took, then held out his hand to help Nathan up to his level. Nathan leaned into him, saying uneasily. "The ship had to of come from the Dark Sea. But... It doesn't make sense. They told me..." Nathan's voice trailed off when he saw the sail covering his parents. Mark put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it to sooth him as Nathan's voice creaked when he asked. "Is that...? Are they...?" Mark nodded, trying to keep his voice calm and level as he replied. "Ya. Do you want me to give you a moment alone?" Sniffling, Nathan shook his head. His voice trembling as he strained out. "I've spent most of my life alone. Don't leave me, Mark. Please..."

Mark wrapped him up in his arms, letting him sob loudly as he clung to him desperately. The temperature in the ship dropped and flurries of snow began to swirl around them, but Mark didn't let him go. The floor beneath them frosted over, causing the ship to groan a little. Kissing his neck, Mark told Nathan lovingly. "You're gonna be ok, Nate. We found them. We can take them home." Nathan buried his face against his neck, straining out as his body shuttered in his arms. "I don't understand... Why were they up in the Dark Sea?" Mark thought it over, then pulled from him a bit to ask curiously. "Every ship has a logbook. A recount of the voyage. The captain would have put it in a waterproof compartment. Just in case of an accident. Nate, do you know where that might be?" Nathan pulled up his sleeve over his hand to wipe his eyes, mumbling out. "I don't know... The captain's quarters?" Mark ran a hand through Nathan's hair sweetly, then started to look around. Nathan began to help, asking a bit reluctantly. "The mist wouldn't have let them in... Unless... They had died at sea and got washed in here. Right...?"

Mark stopped looking long enough to tell Nathan tenderly. "I'm afraid so. I saw... strange markings on the hull. They might have been attacked by something. Or a storm tossed them into a reef. Either way, the ship went down and managed to wash up here." Seeing Nathan's distressed face, Mark added to try and ease his pain. "Nate. They went peacefully." A single tear ran down Nathan's cheek as he retorted in a low pained voice. "No. They didn't. I can see they were trapped down here..." Nathan turned away then but added over his shoulder with a meek smile. "But thank you." Mark kept searching, while Nathan took a seat up against the far wall. Mark was about to give up, when he heard a soft 'click.' Turning to face Nate, he saw him scooting down a bit to open a little detailed compartment on the wall that his back had been against. Lowering the hatch, Nathan removed a metal cylinder as he said aloud. "Mark? I think I found something." Getting to his feet, Mark walked over to take it from him. Unscrewing the end, Mark carefully removed rolled up papers. Putting the papers onto the floor, Mark rolled them out to see what they were in the light.

The largest was a map with records on the members of the crew, the kinds of supplies they had, and on the map were lines charting out their course. Mark looked it all over, until Nathan pulled out another piece of paper from the cylinder that Mark had missed. Rolling it out, Nathan softly told Mark. "This is more of my mother's handwriting... It looks like something she wrote down from one of those books that Lord Sorenson had. It's written in Northuldran... but it looks like she might have translated it. It says... The end of the ice age to the north, the river found but lost within. Magic's source. Nathan's source? Homeward bound to Ahtohallan. She'll know." Nathan bowed his head, silent tears following from his eyes. Mark reached out to comfort him, until he saw more writing on the back of the paper that Nathan was holding. Carefully taking it from him, Mark held it to the light and read aloud coolly. "Nathan, if you find this. Know that we love you very much. In time I hope you can forgive us. We only wanted to keep you safe. Be strong. And don't be afraid. We are with you always." Mark lowered the paper, noticing the difference in handwriting from the front of the page. This had been written in Nate's dad's handwriting.

Nathan looked up to lock eyes with him, before meekly choking out. "This is my fault... They were looking for answers to help me..." Mark pushed the papers away to scoot closer to him. Cupping his face, Mark told him firmly as more snow flurried down over them. "No. Nathan, listen to me. This was not your fault." Nathan shook his head, crying out in a broken voice. "Yes, it is. They wouldn't have been out here if not for ME! I got them killed." The snow solidified into small balls of ice that began to pelt them and the floor. Mark rose on his knees, leaning over him as he tilted Nathan's head back in order to block him from the pelting of the light hail as he said more stubbornly. "Nathan. No. Do not blame yourself for this. They made this voyage because they love you! You didn't send them. THEY made that choice. Bad things happen. You can't erase it and you can't predict it. Look at all that you have become. They live on through YOU. Make them proud. They did this so you could keep going. So, live your life. You haven't lost them." Brushing Nathan's fresh cold tears off his cheeks, Mark brought his lips to his and whispered over them. "If anyone can resolve the past. If anyone can save Arendelle and Misthaven... it's you. I believe in you. Look into my eyes."

When Nathan's water eyes met his, Mark whispered in a deep beautiful voice over his lips. "They would be so proud of you. I'm proud of you. I love you." The hail stopped raining over them, and Nathan reached up to cup Mark's jaw before kissing him passionately. Mark refused to break the kiss, letting Nathan decide when he was done. Then when he finally pulled away to breathe, Nathan told him in a slightly calmer voice. "Thank you." Mark kissed his forehead, whispering lovingly to him with a light playful smile. "It's my job, right?" Nate let out a breathless chuckle as a small smile pulled at his lips. Sitting back down on his heels, Mark dusted the hail pieces off the map, before showing Nathan the marked path. His figure traced the solid line that ventured up the fjord from Arendelle, upon telling him. "According to this. They sailed up the fjord and here is where they came upon the storm. Right as they were trying to sail around Northuldra and into the Dark Sea. And here..." Mark pointed to a series of short lines that ventured around Northuldra and deeper into the Dark Sea as it headed north to a hand drawn fjord with a river through it. Above the drawn picture was the word, 'Ahtohallan.'

Tapping the black shore on the northern part of Northuldra, Mark told him. "We're heading here and will somehow have to make our way north through the heart of the Dark Sea to Ahtohallan. Nathan nodded, mumbling out softly. "Just like my parents... Ahtohallan seems to be the place with all the answers. We should go." Mark grabbed Nathan's wrist, slipping out cautiously. "Wait, Nate. I think we should think about how we plan to get there. The Dark Sea is dangerous. The waves up there are wild, and the water is freezing cold." Nathan shrugged, telling him honestly. "We'll manage. Besides. I can't feel the cold. Remember? And Stig managed it." Mark tightened his grip a little, starting to say with worry. "Stig is a small troll that used illusion magic to get there and back. And that's what I'm concerned about... The Dark Sea is known for dangerous high waves. Yet, Stig crossed it and your parents couldn't." Nathan's face was blank and confused, upon saying curtly. "Stig had magic. You said so yourself. My parents didn't. So...?" Mark exhaled out anxiously. "That's my point. Nathan, what if the reason your parents couldn't cross the Dark Sea wasn't because the waves are dangerous... What if... something made the water dangerous."

They both jumped as Yelena suddenly stated out bluntly from behind them. "Aalto." Name looked between Mark and Yelena, saying curiously. "The water spirit? Are you saying Aalto sank my parents' ship?" Getting to his feet, Mark asked Yelena a bit nervously. "What is Aalto?" Yelena cleared her throat, trying to fake innocence when she answered. "It's the water spirit. The embodiment of wisdom when it is in harmony. The bringer of fear when it is out of harmony." Mark narrowed his eyes on her, asking more firmly now. "Yes. But what form does it take?" Yelena inhaled deeply, avoiding his question by saying flatly. "We are almost to the Black Shore. We should move quickly from here before the tide comes in and floods this valley. Then you won't have to ask me... because you'll know." Yelena quickly turned to head out, prompting Mark to start following her to question her more, until Nathan asked him timidly. "Mark? Can you... Can you help me with them?" Stopping in his tracks, Mark looked back to Nathan's parents. Meeting Nathan's fragile eyes, he told him sweetly. "Go to the cart. Make room for them. I'll take them."

Helping Nathan to his feet, he put the papers back into the metal cylinder and sealed it back up to give to Nate. Taking it Nathan carefully followed Yelena out. Retrieving more bits of the sail, Mark waited until Nathan was gone before wrapping up his parents individually in the sails. Then hefting them over his shoulders, he made his way back to the Donner and the others. As he approached with them, Lieutenant Mattias and the other Arendelle soldiers slowly bent down to a knee in respect. Nathan hugged Aputsiaq in his arms and she licked his cheek with worry. Just as he reached the cart, Lieutenant Mattias got up to help Mark place them safely into the cart. Climbing into the cart with Nathan at his side, the caravan of people headed onward to the Black Shore. Riding up a path out of the valley to high ground, the caravan stopped. Getting out of the cart, Lieutenant Mattias told Mark and Nathan seriously. "I'll guard your cart and your parents with my life as you cross the Dark Sea." Nathan gestured to the sea, asking nervously. "You're not coming with us?" Lieutenant Mattias shook his head, looking to Yelena as he said aloud stoically. "I'm told it would be unwise. Besides, someone should protect your things."

Mark patted Nathan's back, coaxing him down the other side to a small beach. There Mark admired its beauty and danger. The shore was made up of small smooth black rocks and before them, the high waves curled and slammed hard against the beach. The spray sprinkling over Nathan and Mark as they stood near it. Yelena gestured to her people that brought out a wooden kayak for them. Mark chuckled nervously, mumbling out. "Right. I'm not getting into that thing with waves like THAT." Nathan tried to ice the surface, but the rough water just broke it apart like it was nothing. Looking out at the rough water, Mark shifted from foot to foot. He'd managed to keep his fear under control until now. Now, he was getting restless, and his fear of the ocean was growing. He wasn't sure he was going to be able to do this... but he refused to let Nathan go alone. To Be Continued...