The boat trip to Ireland was surprisingly uneventful. Douxie had expected to somehow be recognized as a wizard and be thrown overboard, or maybe for a supernatural storm to show up and bring the entire ship to the bottom of the sea. Douxie was pleasantly surprised when they docked at Ireland without incident.
He had gotten so used to the way things were in Camelot. For a kingdom that despised and feared all magic, it was surrounded by an unusual amount of magic. Master Wizards were fairly rare, and yet two of them had been living in the castle. Then there was the Wild Wood, a forest full of magical creatures, within the borders of the kingdom.
Douxie had almost forgotten that throughout the rest of the world one often had to go looking for magic. Most kingdoms didn't have an entire clan of trolls living in their backyard.
Douxie grinned to himself and gave Archie a scratch behind the ears as he stepped off the ship. He'd always wanted to visit Ireland, see the land of his mother. He just wished that it hadn't taken the near-destruction of Camelot for him to finally get the chance.
"Remember, Arch, you can't talk when there are people around." Douxie said. They'd been able to avoid drawing attention to themselves while travelling, and they didn't want to do anything to change that. A cat walking around and talking would definitely turn a few heads.
Archie gave Douxie an annoyed look. He didn't have to say a word for the young wizard to understand the meaning behind his gaze. Douxie could easily draw unwanted attention to them if he went around and talked to his cat like he could understand him.
Douxie shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. He'd gotten used to talking to his familiar. In Camelot it had been common knowledge that Archie wasn't an actual cat, so they hadn't needed to hide. They could comfortably talk to each other without being afraid of being attacked for it.
Even back before they'd met Merlin and gone to Camelot they had still rarely needed to hide their connection. Douxie and Archie had avoided being around people when possible. They would go to a townsquare or market in the middle of the day to pull a few cons, and then retreat to the safety off the beaten path. If they had the coins to spare they would slip into town after dark and find a tavern so they could treat themselves to a hot meal, but then they'd be right back on their own.
Before Camelot, Douxie had gotten used to it just being him and Archie. They didn't have anyone else, and they didn't need anyone else. Now though Douxie had gotten a taste of socializing with other people, and he wasn't quite ready to let that go yet.
Douxie wanted to experience the culture that humans created. He wanted to feel a part of his people. However, he didn't want to lose his relationship with his familiar either. He had to find a way to keep both. To be a part of the mortal and magical communities.
Douxie would have to see if he could find a way for him to communicate telepathically with Archie, then he'd be able to still talk to his familiar without basically screaming out to the world that he wasn't a normal mortal.
Douxie made his way to the pierside town near the docks. It was a gloomy day and it was raining pretty badly, but that didn't keep the busy citizens from doing their work. People were trading, fishing, and just talking with each other.
Douxie loved to casually listen to people talk to each other. Merlin would scold him for eavesdropping, but Douxie couldn't help it. It wasn't his fault that people were so used to pretending he wasn't around that they just spoke like he wasn't there at all. He enjoyed listening to people and hearing a side of them that they didn't normally share with him.
Right now Douxie was listening because he was fascinated by their accents. He'd heard some pretty interesting accents while travelling around, but this was the first time that nearly everybody's accent matched his...well, nearly. Douxie had been told that he had an irish accent, but his seemed a lot weaker compared to what he was hearing.
Everybody's accents were thick and sounded similar to the tone that Douxie may take if he was feeling particularly tired or emotional. Douxie's own accent sounded like a mix between Irish and English, which he couldn't help but be just a little bit disappointed about. All while in England he hadn't felt like he'd quite fit in with everybody else. He'd thought it was because he was just a bit too Irish. Now though he felt too English, like he wasn't really part of his mother's people.
Maybe there was something in the Irish culture that just made everything make sense. All Douxie needed was the one missing piece, and then maybe everything would fall into place.
Douxie made his way into the nearby town. It was a small town, but there were a surprising number of people around, and many of them didn't seem to be locals. This assumption was proven to be true when Douxie went into the tavern, only to see that it was full. There didn't seem to be a table available, and Douxie doubted he'd be able to find a room to rent for the night either.
That was fine, he didn't mind camping out under the stars. Technically he could hunt and forage for his own food, but he wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to a hot and prepared meal.
Despite how crowded the tavern was Douxie was able to push his way to the front bar where the owner of the establishment was busy at work. The man gave Douxie a tired look.
"You'd best move on, boy," The innkeeper said. "We have no rooms, and very little food to spare." He sounded sympathetic. Douxie had the feeling that if he had come in on a slow day he would have been able to get a discount, or possibly even a handout. He couldn't expect that much this time, but that was okay. Douxie had another plan.
"I'm willing to work for it." Douxie gestured to the lute strung over his back. "Do you happen to need a minstrel, bard, or some entertainment this evening?"
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not sure if you would want to perform for this crowd. They're a rowdy bunch."
"I'm pretty rowdy myself." Douxie straightened his back. "Trust me, if anybody can get these people to loosen up and have a good time, it's me." Douxie knew that many people saw him as a fool, but he could use that to his advantage. Court jesters, after all, were able to make a living off of playing the part of the fool. Surely Douxie could manage it for one night.
The innkeeper sighed. He looked tired, and Douxie almost felt bad for bothering him. The man eyed him warily before he nodded.
"You've got an hour," The innkeeper said. "We can then negotiate depending on how you do."
"Deal." Douxie said quickly before the man could change his mind. "Now, can you tell me just what everybody's doing here and what they're so excited about?" Douxie could feel the tension in the air. Many of the people were riled up about something. Their energy reminded Douxie of the knights when something bad was about to happen in Camelot.
The innkeeper grimaced and brought Douxie to a stool near the wall. "Word has gotten out that some good people have been found in the area. Many of these folks have come in from miles around, gearing up for a hunt."
Douxie felt a chill go down his spine. Good people. That wasn't a term that he heard very often, but he had a pretty good idea on what it meant. Considering Archie perked up on his shoulders, Douxie thought that he knew as well.
"The fair folk?" Douxie asked. The innkeeper nodded. Douxie felt both uneasy and excited. There were faes or some other magical creatures in the area. Considering they'd just been seen lingering around, Douxie thought it was safe to say that they weren't malicious or mischievous spirits that were causing trouble, or else he would be hearing about more than just some sightings.
Douxie always liked to meet other magical creatures, especially nice ones. Any excitement he felt though was overshadowed by unease. This tavern was crowded. This was a lot of people hunting for a group of fae that probably didn't mean any harm.
Archie nudged Douxie, who swallowed thickly and hid his nervousness behind a small smile. "I think I know just what to do." Douxie took Archie off his shoulders and set him on the ground. He gave his familiar a small pet, as well as a piece of jerky to hold him over until he got them some real food. The young wizard then grabbed his lute and slung it around.
He strummed a few notes and hummed along a bit to get a feel for it. Douxie grinned, already feeling eager to perform. People may not always enjoy his performances, but he always had fun doing it.
Douxie dragged over a stool and stood on top of it. "Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Hisirdoux Casperan and I have come here tonight to share my tales and tunes with you."
Douxie instinctively used a little trick of his to make his voice carry. He was sure that he would be able to be heard from the other side of the room, even over all the senseless noise of the crowd. Despite this, very few people so much as glanced his way, though he did hear an angry slur thrown his way, though he elected to ignore it.
Douxie grinned. This was actually a warmer reception than he was used to. At least he didn't have any swords aimed his way. "I have a special treat for you folks tonight, and I think you're really going to like it." Douxie strummed a few notes on his lute. He started to sing.
Douxie didn't have any specific tune in mind. He just sang whatever notes felt natural to come next, making it up as he went. It wasn't his best improvisation, but it was far from his worst. Douxie knew that the people in the tavern probably couldn't care less about the tune or style of the song. He was so confident in this that Douxie made his voice crack and go out of key, just to lean into the part of the fool.
It wasn't very fair, but Douxie knew from experience that many people found amusement in watching people that they considered to be pathetic and pitiable. Douxie didn't like when people he admired looked at him this way, but he frequently sought after this kind of image when interacting with strangers. It could be useful to be underestimated, and Douxie was planning on taking advantage of just that.
While Douxie's singing wouldn't be winning him any awards tonight, it wasn't his tune that he was focusing on tonight. Douxie's attention was completely on his words.
Douxie sang stories about the fair folk and other magical creatures. Just as he thought, it soon started to catch the attention of the people in the tavern. Douxie tried to avoid magic hunters, but he'd seen them enough to know that as soon as somebody mentioned the smallest rumor about magic they had the hunter's full attention. Arthur and the knights had certainly been that way.
Douxie knew a lot about fae. He knew what they may look like, how they may act, and exactly where they may live. He put this knowledge to use by singing about the completely wrong thing. Instead of talking about fairy circles and how to see past magic wards, Douxie mentioned four-leaf clovers and church bells, and how they attracted fairies.
Douxie noticed Archie roll his eyes and the innkeeper snicker. The man seemed to know as well as Douxie did that four-leaf clovers and church bells actually served to ward off fairies. This was Douxie's intention. He didn't want any fae to get hurt because of some foolish hunt, but he didn't want a poor, foolish person to aggravate a fae and be cursed for it. In this instance, it was for the best that the two people remained separate, and if Douxie could do at least a little bit to encourage that separation he would consider it a success.
Douxie did his best to have the false information be shared through a catchy chorus that he could coerce the people into singing along with him. If he could get his songs stuck in their heads then they would remember his words, at least subconsciously, and hopefully forget any information about fae they were already familiar with.
And if Douxie slipped some classic persuasion magic into his misinformation, well, that was his own business.
Douxie was most proud of his song about fairy lights. Will-o'-the-wisps were particularly dangerous, and Douxie didn't want anybody to be led astray. If he could convince people that fairy lights and Will-o'the-wisps were the fair folks' way of distracting and diverting unsuspecting folks, leading them away from where the fairies were hiding, maybe they could avoid somebody following a trickster spirit where they shouldn't.
By the end of the hour Douxie's throat was feeling dry from his frequent singing, and his forced voice cracking certainly hadn't helped. When Douxie drew his last song to a close he was met with a small round of applause and drunken cheers. That was the kind of thing he was looking for. The innkeeper caught his eye and nodded, gesturing for him to come over. He was holding a bowl of stew in his hands, and Douxie's stomach grumbled.
Douxie quickly muttered something about taking a break before he lowered his lute and hurried to take his food. The innkeeper was even kind enough to leave out a bowl of cream for Archie.
"Somehow you managed to make my inn even louder than it was at the start of the evening," The innkeeper scowled, though there was a kind look in his eyes. "But I'd rather hear laughing and singing than fighting any day. I can't give you more food than this, but you're welcome to stay and sing as long as you like. You can keep whatever coins are thrown your way."
Douxie understood the concept of being paid for his lute playing and singing, but he'd never personally done it before. His performances were mostly used to earn him a hot meal, like tonight, or to cause a distraction while Archie stole from a few pockets and purses. The thought of being able to make an actual living just through his songs was an exhilarating one. Douxie would have to think about that.
Douxie ate his stew slowly, wanting to savor each bite, and also avoid getting an upset stomach by eating too quickly. He would have been more than happy to just eat in peace and listen in on what the people in the tavern were saying, but a gruff jan with an overgrown and somewhat sloppy beard came to sit next to him.
"Fairy boy," The man practically growled, his voice as rough as his appearance. "Tell me, do you actually know as much about these fae creatures as your songs implied, or were you just making things up?"
"I know quite a bit." Douxie said cheerfully, forcing out the more Irish part of his accent. He had, in fact, been making things up, but that didn't mean that the real knowledge wasn't there. "Me mammy used to say I was fairy touched." That wasn't even a lie. Douxie had vague memories of his mother using the term to refer to why he had magic. He didn't know if she did it because she didn't know it was possible for humans to have magic of their own, so she genuinely thought that he'd been blessed or cursed by fairies, or if it was just her way to describe it in a fun way.
Regardless of what Douxie's mom had meant, the term brought a few specific images to mind. It made somebody think that he had some kind of connection to fae, and they might be more likely to listen to anything he had to say about it.
There was another reason why Douxie had chosen this specific phrasing. Even though they weren't related at all, there were people who considered fairy touched to be related to being touched in the head. If Douxie could get people to consider him a reputable source of information when it came to the fair folk, but not see him as a potential threat or competition when it came to hunting for creatures, he would consider it a success.
"So you really are a fairy boy," The gruff man chuckled condescendingly. "Do you have any idea where to find fae around here?"
"I heard they like flat fields and plains." Douxie said. "I mean, fairies are sometimes mistaken for bugs, and many insects like flowers. I think there's a flower field nearby." Douxie had heard nothing of the sort, but people who didn't know a lot about magical creatures may not think twice about his advice.
"That's a fair point." The gruff man said smugly. He slapped Douxie on the back, making the boy lurch forward and cough up some of his food. "If those ridiculous songs of yours pay off perhaps we can spare a gold coin or two for your efforts."
Douxie smiled appreciatively, hiding the nausea he was feeling. If the man was offering a monetary reward for advice on how to find the fae then the town itself must be offering some kind of reward to the hunters. No wonder so many people were here hunting for the fae.
Douxie couldn't let this happen. He had to do something. Fortunately, he still had a few tricks up his sleeves.
The gruff man, as well as a few other patrons, had a few more questions for Douxie. He did his best to answer them enough so they won't lose their patience with him. In between questions Douxie ate more of his stew. Eventually he finished and he could return to his playing.
Douxie took his lute and started playing a new song. He had the full attention of the crowd from the start this time, and he was going to use that to his advantage. Douxie had pulled down his shirt sleeves so his magical cuff was covered. He hadn't wanted to draw in attention from people who might recognize a magical rune when they saw it, and he had hoped that if he didn't see his runes then he wouldn't have as much of a temptation to use his powers.
Douxie rolled his sleeve up just enough for him to give his bracer a quick turn. He muttered a quiet incantation to go along with the rune before he quickly covered it up with his sleeve again before anybody could notice the magic.
"Alright, folks, where were we?" Douxie said loudly as he started to play a new song. He didn't really pay any attention to what he was saying this time. Douxie was just concerned about his spell. He slipped a slow, subtle sleeping spell into his song. Slow enough that the people didn't even notice as they were starting to get more and more tired. By the time another hour had passed the tavern patrons were starting to doze off, and it couldn't be a moment too soon.
Douxie was feeling absolutely drained when he finally called it a night, though that didn't stop him from giving his sleeping spell one more strong push. Douxie thanked his audience, thanked the innkeeper, and then grabbed Archie so he could quickly leave. There wasn't a moment to lose.
Archie glared at Douxie as they left town and started walking towards the nearby hills. When they were sure that they weren't around anybody else Archie jumped off of Douxie's shoulders, transformed into his dragon form, and flew in front of the young wizard.
"What were you thinking?" Archie asked, his tone scolding and concerned. "A persuasion spell and a sleeping spell? You shouldn't be doing any magic around people, and you've done enough to completely drain you. You know your magic limits, and maintaining a sleeping spell for an hour is beyond it."
"I know, I know, it was too much." Douxie felt like he hadn't slept in three days. It felt like his soul was sore, which he hadn't even known was possible. "I didn't know what else to do. I had to do something to keep them from going on a midnight fae hunt.
Archie's gaze softened. "I know you don't like the idea of hunting for magical creatures, but you can't stop and save everybody. Your spell just delayed the inevitable."
"A delay is all I need." Douxie said as he went off the paths and made his way towards the hills. He started to look for the fairy forts that he remembered reading about. He wanted to find the fair folk. He had to warn them of the hunt coming on. He was sure they had their own defences, but the element of surprise could beat the most solid defense.
"What are we doing?" Archie asked cautiously.
"We're going to find the fae." Douxie said.
"Don't be ridiculous." Archie looked panicked. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is? What if the fae think you're a threat? Or a hunter sees you and thinks you're one of the good people? You could get hurt?"
"So could the local fae." Douxie said. "I can't just sit back and do nothing.
"Well, you need to learn how to do that." Archie latched onto Douxie's shirt and pulled him back. "These fae can take care of themselves."
"But what if they can't?" Douxie asked.
"What if they're malicious spirits that are causing trouble for the town?" Archie suggested. "The humans could be acting in self defense."
"We both know that's not what's happening." Douxie said irritably. He had made up his mind. "The hunters just want to chase off or catch a fae just because they can. Well, I can do something to help the magic folk, and that's what I'm going to do."
"Would you just listen to me for a second?" Archie flew back in front of Douxie and spread his wings wide, blocking the young wizard. Douxie reluctantly stopped and looked at his familiar, who actually looked scared.
"I know it's not fair." Archie said quietly. "You want to help people, and I love that about you, but you need to learn to pick your battles. We just escaped from a kingdom full of people who were hunting down magic users, and if we're not careful the same thing could happen here. Your magic is drained right now. You're in no position to defend yourself should the worst happen."
Douxie deflated. He knew that Archie was right, but he didn't want to hear it. "What do you want me to do?"
"Lie low and keep your head down, just like we talked about." Archie said. "Later we can find some other children of magic for you to bond with, but it can't be these fae. Not when they're being hunted."
"But Master," Douxie said without thinking. Archie blinked and gave him an odd look. It took Douxie a moment to realize what he had said wrong. He had gotten used to arguing like this with Master Merlin, not with his familiar. Douxie sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, Archie, I just...I can't leave these fae on their own. It doesn't feel right."
"If we don't leave we risk being caught." Archie reasoned. "Not only will we get in trouble, but if the people think that the faes coaxed us into doing this they'll be in even bigger trouble than they already are." Archie returned to his spot on Douxie's shoulder. He gave the boy a comforting nuzzle. "I know you don't like it. I don't either, but it's the lesser of two evils."
Douxie scowled. A dark feeling started to build in his chest. He hated choosing between two evils. Just because one thing wasn't as bad as another didn't mean that it was good by default. Douxie had powers, he had courage, and he was determined to do something to help people in any where he could.
"I'll be careful." Douxie promised. "But I'm going to see the fae."
Archie sighed. "And what will you do after that? Say you manage to save the fae from these hunters. What will you do about the next ones?"
Douxie frowned and considered it. He started to fidget with his fingers, moving them in such a way that he would when he played his lute...his lute.
Douxie grinned as a wild, probably foolish idea started to come to him. "What if they don't think they're a threat anymore?"
Archie tilted his head at Douxie. "What are you planning?"
"I'll explain on the way." Douxie said as he started to run towards the hills. He needed to find the fae first, otherwise this plan wouldn't be able to work. He just hoped they'd be willing to help him spin a good story.
Douxie knew that Merlin hadn't approved of his tall tales and cons, but this was different. Besides, Douxie didn't plan on truly lying. He was just going to be telling a story, and if people thought that his stories had more truth behind them then they really did, well, that wasn't his fault.
After all, as Douxie's grandfather had told him once, Stories stopped being just stories as soon as somebody started to believe in them.