Interesting. [So if she stabs him not in his tail, he won't feel it. She can't tell if that's good or bad. Well, it's irrelevant at the moment anyway. The swords are going to be stabbing the ice, not the mer.

Maria stands back upright, then nods, before taking out her sword - and leaving it still assembled, dagger end up, before she concentrates.] I think if I can cut a hole in the ice, we can enchant an item to give off a lot of heat, and drop it in the water. It will take a few moments, but the ice should melt naturally. Especially in those thinner places... [Nice uh. Middle-finger shaped craters in the ice, Hank.]

If that works, perhaps the Witch who lives here can keep items enchanted and in the water to keep it warmed. I'm not Bonded, and I keep my mana levels very low on purpose.