Douxie had no idea where he was going, just that he needed to get away from Camelot. He wasn't sure if going into the Wild Wood was the smartest thing, but he wasn't going to back out now. Besides, this didn't have to be permanent. Douxie only needed to stay here until he could figure something else out. If Morgana was right about the magic of the woods, he would be safe there. And if she kept her word and didn't tell Merlin where Douxie had gone, the old wizard wouldn't know where he was until after Douxie was long gone.
Douxie walked through the trees, cautious but determined with every step he took. For the first few hours Archie walked by his side, alert and aware of every little sound and movement around them. When nothing eventful happened, and once Douxie had calmed down enough that Archie felt comfortable enough to leave him on his own, the familiar climbed onto Douxie's shoulders and made himself comfortable. One wouldn't think that a cat would be able to sleep on someone's shoulders, but Archie managed it just fine.
Douxie let Archie sleep. This wouldn't be the first time that they had done something like this. Douxie could walk all night, but he knew that as soon as he sat down to rest he would fall asleep and be completely defenseless. That was why Archie was resting now, so that he could be alert and ready while Douxie slept. They kept each other safe, that was what it meant to be familiars. They hadn't done it in this way since they had moved into the castle, but they easily slid back into their old habits.
Once Archie was asleep Douxie slowed his pace. His ears weren't as sensitive as Archie's were. If he was going to listen for danger, then he had to be silent himself. In the past Douxie would cast a detection spell around him. If anybody got too close to him, he would sense them and have enough time to get away or set up some proper defenses. In the Wild Wood though, creatures were everywhere, but that didn't mean that they were a threat. And for all Douxie knew, the woods were alive enough that just the trees would set off his detection spell.
Besides, Douxie hadn't tried to use his magic since before he'd gotten into trouble with Merlin for accidentally conjuring that illusion. He wouldn't say that he was afraid to use his powers, but he just wasn't quite ready for it yet.
Douxie was left undisturbed for a long time, but he didn't let his guard down. At any moment he could stumble across a flock of fairies, or trip into a dragon's den. He didn't want to be caught unawares.
It was nearly dawn when Douxie heard a low growl. He froze in his tracks and raised his hands. He just wanted to show that he was unarmed and not a threat. He wasn't trying to use his magic, he would much rather settle a threat peacefully than attack anybody. However, if he had no other choice, Douxie wanted to be able to defend himself and his familiar..
"Who's there?" Douxie asked. He did his best to put power behind his words without actually casting a spell. He wanted to show that he was unafraid and not to be messed with. "Show yourself."
"A youngling," Douxie whipped around when he heard the rough, harsh, definitely inhuman voice behind him. He could hear the magic flowing through the voice. Douxie shivered as the air around him got suddenly colder. He carefully lifted Archie from his shoulders and clutched him close to his chest, both so he could use the dragon's inner fire to warm himself up, and to better protect him.
"I'm warning you-" Douxie moved to take a step back but found that he couldn't move his feet. They were frozen to the ground with ice. Douxie yelped in shock and pain. He tried to yank his foot back, but it was stuck. He looked up to see mist creeping towards him. Douxie shuddered and saw his breath come out in a huff in front of him.
"Ooh, you're a brave one," The magical being chuckled. Out of the trees, travelling on the mists, appeared a pale skinned wizard. He looked like a teenager, but Douxie knew that looks could be deceiving. This being had far too much power to be so young. He wore a skull with massive horns on his head. "Foolish, but brave."
Despite his fears, Douxie felt insulted. "Foolish?"
The being grinned at him. It was chilling and horrifying. He looked at Douxie like a cat might look at its prey, like he was just something to play with before ultimately taking him out. "These woods belong to my sister. She has been gracious enough to allow refuge to our brothers and sisters in magic, but that doesn't mean that any little mortal can wander in and take advantage of that." The wizard smirked and pointed his staff at Douxie. A cold frost built up at the tip and Douxie had the feeling that he didn't just plan on freezing him in place.
"W-wait!" Douxie adjusted his grip on Archie. He held out his hand and instinctively summoned a small ball of fire. It wasn't all that powerful, and it certainly wouldn't be able to melt the ice, but the being's smirk weakened and the ice in its staff disappeared.
"A child of the occult," The being smiled at him, an almost gentle look in his eyes, but it didn't make Douxie feel any better than the cold smirk had. "It's been so long since I've seen a human wizard." He waved his staff and the ice around Douxie's feet shattered. They still felt incredibly numb.
Douxie held Archie close to his chest. "Honestly, I've never met a wizard who wasn't a human." The pale being hummed thoughtfully. He floated closer to Douxie and examined him with fascination.
"Why are you in my sister's woods, youngling?" The being asked. "Have you come looking for refuge as well?"
"Y-you could say that." Douxie flinched when the pale wizard touched his face with his staff. It was so cold that it burned. He tried to pull away, but the being lurched forward and grabbed his chin, holding him in place. The wizard's hand was even colder than the staff was. "Let go."
"What do you need refuge from?" The pale wizard asked. His tone wasn't malicious, but his firm grip said that he wasn't going to let Douxie get away without answer.
"M-my master," Douxie said. The wizard frowned and his grip softened, but his fingers got colder.
"Do you mean master as those with magic use it?" The pale one asked. "Or in the way that mortals use it?"
"I wasn't his servant," Douxie said. He knew that mortals used the term of master to mean a teacher, same as wizards did, but for most magical creatures who were discovered by mortals, if they weren't killed they were enslaved. "He taught me magic."
"You're seeking refuge from one of our own?" The wizard's fingers became even colder. "Why is that?"
"Get off." Douxie said. He didn't have to explain himself to this stranger. Douxie tried to push him away, but one look from the being's blue eyes and he found himself unable to move.
"There are so few of us, and yet your master has driven you away," The pale wizard's eyes narrowed like he was personally offended. "Who is your master?"
Douxie didn't want to answer, but he found his words pulled out of him. "Merlin Ambrosius,"
The wizard's hand fell away from Douxie's face, but the boy was still under his spell. He couldn't move. "Merlin? Yes, I've heard of King Arthur's pet."
"Don't you talk about him like that!" Douxie shouted furiously. He clenched his fists so tightly that Archie flinched in his grip and stirred. Just because Douxie was no longer Merlin's apprentice didn't mean that he was going to just stand idly by and let this stranger disrespect him like this.
Douxie felt his magic reach out and a moment later a thick tree branch over the pale wizard snapped and fell onto his head. The wizard grunted in pain and staggered forward slightly. His magical grip on Douxie loosened, but before the boy could think to escape the wizard waved his staff and entrapped Douxie's legs in ice again. The wizard glared darkly at Douxie, sending shivers down his spine.
"You dare use your magic to turn my sister's forest against me?" The pale being seemed to loom over Douxie. Douxie knew he should be terrified, that this wizard wasn't somebody he should be messing with, but he was too angry to care.
"Yeah, I dare," Douxie said boldly. "Merlin Ambrosius is the greatest wizard in the world. Who do you think you are, to just insult him like that?"
"Skrael!" Douxie and the pale wizard both stopped and looked when they heard a quiet but stern voice. A nymph or a forest sprite jumped out of a tree, forcing herself between Douxie and the pale wizard. Douxie felt his breath get caught in his throat, though not necessarily in a bad way. He could sense magic in the sprite, but a different kind than the ice wizard. The sprite's magic was radiating with warmth and life. Douxie felt calmer just being around her.
"What are you doing, brother?" The sprite was much shorter than Skrael, but her gaze made him shrink back slightly. "Release the child."
"He attacked me, Nari," Skrael growled.
"Now, Skrael," Nari said in a tone that left no room for argument. Skrael rolled his eyes.
"You're no fun," Skrael gestured towards Douxie and the ice around his legs melted away again.
"This is not a game," Nari said. She no longer sounded stern and angry, but incredibly sad and disappointed. Skrael flinched back, but Nari was no longer paying attention to him. She crouched on all fours and crawled towards Douxie slowly. She reached for his leg, so cautiously and timidly that it was almost as though she was worried that she would hurt him. The moment that Nari's hand made contact with Douxie's leg the coldness seeped out of it.
Douxie could feel the way that Nari's magical aura glowed. "You're so bright."
Nari tilted her head and looked up at Douxie curiously. A moment later a look of recognition flashed in her eyes. "So are you." She smiled brightly at him, and Douxie was sure that there was nothing in this world that could be more soothing. "You have so much life within you." Douxie was tempted to deny it. There was no way he had nearly as much light as Nari had, but she seemed to see something within him, and Douxie remembered that Merlin had seen the same thing. Two powerful magicians couldn't be wrong about something like this.
Nari crouched down on the ground. Douxie didn't feel comfortable looking down on her. He knelt down to be closer to her level. Nari leaned towards Douxie, sniffing curiously at Archie, who had fallen back asleep. Douxie was surprised he had slept through the confrontation with Skrael, but he was glad for it. Archie would have attacked Skrael without a second thought, and Douxie did not want to find out which was stronger, magical ice or dragon's fire.
Douxie smiled gently. He couldn't help but trust Nari, even with his precious familiar. He opened his arms and set Archie down on his lap. The cat twitched and burrowed closer to him, hiding his face in his paws. Nari giggled and Douxie couldn't help but laugh as well. Archie always denied how cuddly and cute he was when he slept.
"Dragons are not usually trusting creatures," Nari gently stroked Archie's fur. He purred contently and leaned into her touch. "But this one trusts you completely."
"He's my familiar," Douxie scratched behind Archie's ears. Nari tore her attention away from Archie and looked at Douxie in curious awe and respect.
"Our kind haven't taken in familiars for a long time." Nari said.
Douxie frowned and shifted his position so he was sitting on the ground instead of kneeling. "Why not?" He knew that Merlin and Morgana didn't have familiars, but he'd never thought to question it before. All while Douxie was growing up his father had told him stories of familiars and magicians working together. The thought had never occurred to him that he himself wouldn't find his own familiar.
"Mistrust," Nari said sadly. She sat cross-legged on the ground. "Children of magic are attacked so much that they've begun to feel that it isn't safe to trust anybody, not even someone like them."
"I've lost count of how many times I would have died if I didn't trust Archie," Douxie said. "He keeps me safe, and I do the same for him."
Nari nodded. "That is the way it should be."
"Do you have a familiar?" Douxie asked.
Nari smiled and gestured her arms out grandly. "This forest, and all forests, are my familiar." Nari closed her eyes and brought her arms close to her chest, like she was holding something precious. "I can sense the life force of every living being, but especially the trees. Every one of them feels like home to me."
"Home," Douxie muttered. "That sounds nice." Douxie hadn't had a place that he felt was home since he was a small child in Kievan Rus'. Ever since he left he had always been on the move, never staying in the same town for more than a few weeks, and rarely sleeping in the same place two nights in a row. Camelot had felt a little bit like home, but Douxie had always had to watch his back. Now the kingdom felt tainted and Douxie got a hollow feeling in his chest when he thought about it. He couldn't go back there, he knew that, but he wished desperately that he could. He had never wanted so badly to settle down somewhere and just live his life.
Nari frowned and looked pained. "You are hurt," She crawled towards Douxie and put a hand on his chest, right where the hollow feeling was.
"It's nothing," Douxie tried to brush her hand away. He didn't want Nari to be so concerned about something that really wasn't such a big deal.
Nari narrowed her eyes at him and gave him such a stern look that he just couldn't bring himself to push her away. She increased the pressure of her hand. "This isn't nothing. If it hurts you, then it's very important."
Douxie hunched his shoulders slightly. "I just...I don't know what's wrong with me. I left for a reason, and Camelot has never really felt like home, so why-" Douxie cut himself off with a stiff, choked sob. "Why does it hurt so much?"
"I don't know," Nari leaned closer to Douxie. He could feel her magic, her warmth, seeping into him. It didn't make him feel any better, but it was comforting all the same. "But there is not always reason behind pain. Sometimes, trying to understand why or how to make it better makes the pain worse."
"So what am I supposed to do?" Douxie asked.
"Nothing," Nari said regretfully. "Sometimes the only thing we can do is let the pain happen."
Douxie whined slightly and leaned forward. He clutched Archie close to his chest. "I just want it to stop."
Nari made a sound that sounded like a cross between a moan and a door creaking open. She leaned her forehead against Douxie's.
"I know," Nari brought her hands to Douxie's head. While the warmth had been somewhat soothing in his chest, it made Douxie's head feel both heavy and empty at the same time. He could still feel the hollow pain in his chest, but the numbness in his head made it seem not so bad.
"Rest, young one," Nari said. "Let go."
"I can't." Douxie had sworn that he wouldn't let himself sleep until Archie was awake. He had to keep his familiar safe. He couldn't let Archie down.
"Yes, you can," Nari said gently. "Me and the forest will watch out for you and the dragon." Her words echoed in Douxie's head. He knew that she was using her magic to influence his mind, and he should be furious about this, he should resist her, but it felt so soothing. He couldn't fight it. Douxie felt his eyes grow heavy and he soon found himself drifting off to the sounds of the forest.
A/N: This chapter was originally going to be part of the previous chapter, but it felt more natural to split it into two shorter chapters. And I just had to have Nari meet Douxie.
In the show, when Douxie falls and almost dies, Nari is the only one that we see running and desperate to get to him, even though of all the characters she should be the one who is least emotionally connected to him. I know that it makes sense with her connection to life, but I wanted to give her and Douxie some interaction of some sort, even this little thing.