Archie had never truly felt at home in any specific place. When he was younger his father had assured him that he would find a den to claim for himself, but it definitely hadn't happened yet. There were plenty of places that he liked well enough, and he had no problem staying in places like Camelot for an extended period of time, but when it came time to leave he didn't mourn. He just moved on and found somewhere else to stay.

Douxie seemed to have a completely different philosophy when it came to home. The boy seemed to become emotionally attached to every place they went, no matter for how short a period of time they were there. Douxie always loved the people, the culture, and the environment. The young wizard looked like he would be perfectly content settling down most anywhere.

Despite this, when it came time to move on, Douxie left without a word of complaint. He still spoke fondly of the places they'd been, almost like the way that someone would speak of an old friend.

Archie had thought he had learned everything there was to learn about Douxie, but now he felt like he was seeing a new side of him. Maybe it was their magical familiar connection, but Archie could see so much light and life in Douxie's eyes. The boy had so much enthusiasm and excitement about everything they saw, and that excitement was contagious, though also a little concerning.

"I thought I'd never see a fae court in person." Douxie said breathlessly as he and Archie walked along the forest paths. They'd been walking through the Irish countryside for several weeks now. They hadn't encountered any other fair folk or magical beings, but Douxie was extremely excited about his chance to meet the king of the fae court. He was still talking about it now, after all this time.

Archie chuckled. His boy never failed to amuse him. "It was exciting." Archie agreed.

"I still can't believe how successful my song was." Douxie said proudly. He grabbed the lute strung over his back and began to strum a few notes, playing a little tune that Archie was all too familiar with.

"You're a great musician." Archie said. "Anybody should be honored to hear your music." And they were. Douxie had followed through with his plan of putting some persuasive magic into his song to convince the magic hunters to pull back their bloodlust. Shortly after that they had left that particular village and continued travelling.

In the next town Douxie had decided to try playing his lute for coin again at the local tavern. He didn't know many Irish folk songs, other than some vague tunes, and he hadn't thought that the people would appreciate the songs from Britain, so he sang his original song from the previous village again.

The people at the tavern really seemed to enjoy it, as well as the tales that Douxie spun that went with the song. The story was close enough to the truth that Douxie didn't stumble over the tale. He easily told of a wizard who saw the suffering that fairies brought to a local village, so he went off and got rid of the problem.

Douxie seemed to really enjoy talking about this wizard character that sounded like a mix between Merlin's wisdom and Douxie's youthful energy. Archie normally loved to listen to Douxie's stories, but as the boy started to make up more and more tales about this exaggerated wizard, Archie began to like the fictional character less and less. The character itself was fine, just the kind of person that made people want to cheer for him, even if he did have magic. What Archie didn't like was how similar he seemed to be to the Douxie from the future.

Archie had his suspicions that this wizard character was based off of the future Douxie, and these suspicions had been proven correct when, five villages later, Douxie told a tale about a young sorceress that the wizard had taken on as an apprentice. The girl had powerful magic that she didn't understand and didn't want, but also a fierce determination that kept her from backing down, no matter how hard things got.

If that wasn't Claire, Archie didn't know what was.

A few pointed questions confirmed that Douxie didn't actually remember the time travellers. All he had were vague impressions in his mind that he didn't know meant something more. It made Archie nervous. It could be harmful to Douxie's well-being to remember things. His mind was blocking out those memories for a reason.

If it was just a story or two, maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but in every town they went Douxie would sing that first song, which he had practiced and perfected into a hauntingly beautiful tune. He would create more songs about this wizard character, and tell more stories. The more Douxie told, the more people began to actually recognize his tales as soon as he began telling them. People were starting to share Douxie's stories, and more and more often they were reaching town before them.

It was rather impressive, and Douxie wanted to be proud of his boy, but that was difficult to do when his young familiar was more often than not waking up with no recollection of where they were. Seeing Douxie try to keep his concerns and anxiety to himself was difficult. Archie appreciated that the boy was just trying not to worry him, but it was too late for that. The young wizard didn't deserve to wake up tearful and scared nearly every single morning.

What made things worse was that Douxie frequently comforted himself in the morning by developing his song further. He had no idea that working on the song would just make his memory issues in the morning worse, and Archie couldn't tell him so, because then not only would the wizard know that something was seriously wrong, but he would know that Archie was fully aware of it and had been keeping it a secret from him.

They'd just had a magical bond formed between them. They were still working their way through their new connection. Archie didn't want to do anything to ruin that.

Still, if he could subtly persuade his boy to forget about his story about the wizard, he would do so.

"Are you sure it's wise to be singing about magic?" Archie asked. "There are plenty of people who would want to hurt you if they knew you were really a wizard."

"How could they know?" Douxie asked confidently, even as he used his magic to levitate three pebbles around his hand. "As far as they know, it's just a fun story. There are lots of folk tales with magic. Mine is just another one of them."

"Except it's not just another story," Archie said. "Your tales have far more truth in them than the local myths do."

"Ah, but the people don't know that." Douxie said with a smug grin. "And that's the key." At times like this Archie saw more and more of a resemblance between his Douxie and the Douxie from the future. It was nice to see the boy have some confidence, but it was also concerning. He didn't know if he wanted the boy that he knew to grow up to be so arrogant. He had really liked the Douxie from the future, but his lack of concern for his younger self was frustrating.

Douxie played a few notes of the chorus, adjusting the notes to find the perfect sound. "I thought you liked my music."

"I do." Archie assured him. "I just think it might be smart to think about telling other stories."

Douxie gave him an odd look. "But I've just started to get a reputation with this song." Archie frowned and his ears tilted back when he heard the uncertainty and doubt in Douxie's voice. He didn't want to make his boy doubt himself.

Archie sighed. "Alright, just be careful. We don't want anybody to know about your magic."

"I know." Douxie agreed. He put his lute back around his back. The young wizard bent down and picked up Archie, holding him close to his chest. The dragon didn't really like to be held like a common pet, but Douxie was always the exception. He was willing to do anything for his boy.

Archie soon found himself dozing off. The feelings of warmth and security that came with being held by Douxie often made Archie feel sleepy. They hadn't seen any dangerous creatures along these paths, and all of the people they'd seen had been merchants and travellers who were too busy to spare them a second thought. Even though they were out in the open, Archie was confident that his wizard familiar would be safe for a bit. So Archie gave in to his fatigue and, nuzzling against Douxie, fell asleep.

Archie slept peacefully for a fair amount of time. He started to ease into awareness when he felt Douxie set him down and start petting him. Archie opened his eyes to see that it was dusk and they were in a small town near the sea. Archie looked at Douxie, who gave him an apologetic shrug.

"I know you're tired," Douxie said. "I thought you'd want to grab something to eat. We've got plenty of coin."

Archie yawned, stretched, and nodded. He loved sleeping, but he enjoyed eating just as much. He followed Douxie into the tavern. Usually the boy would talk to the innkeeper about playing at the inn that evening, but he must be particularly hungry, because he didn't ask about anything other than food. He might bring up his music later, but at that moment eating was his priority.

Douxie got them two bowls of stew and a large loaf of bread to share. Archie sat on the table and immediately started lapping up the food. Douxie ate much more slowly, taking his time. He looked around the tavern, taking in all the sounds and sights around them.

Archie divided his attention between enjoying the hot meal and keeping an ear out for trouble. He could hear everything in the tavern, and most of it was far louder than he would like, but none of it seemed particularly concerning. Everything was fine, but then Archie smelled something odd.

He caught a powerful whiff of the ocean. It was like an assault on his nose. It was much stronger than the normal scent of the sea that surrounded the entire village.

Archie wrinkled his nose and pawed at it. Douxie gave him an amused look.

"Did you get some stew up your nose?" Douxie asked.

"Hardly," Archie sniffled and coughed when the scent got stronger. He looked around, trying to find the source. "Something fishy is going on here."

Douxie's amused expression fell. He knew that it had to be something serious if Archie was risking talking when he knew that it could draw unwanted attention. Douxie started to look around as well.

Archie carefully examined everything, but he stopped when he saw a little girl staring at him. He was used to people giving him odd looks, and for children to be excited to see him, but there was something different about this little girl. She tugged on the shirt of the man next to her, who looked to be her father. She muttered something to him, and he whispered something back to her. The girl smiled and walked towards their table.

Archie laid down on the table to bring himself closer to the girl's level. As she came closer he realized that the smell of the ocean had gotten much stronger. It seemed to be coming straight from this girl.

"Hello, kitty." The girl said. "What's your name?"

"This is Archie." Douxie said as he pet behind Archie's ears. The girl glanced towards Douxie, but quickly returned her gaze to Archie.

"What do you have on your face?" The girl asked. She pointed at his spectacles, nearly poking them.

"They're called spectacles." Douxie said. "They help him see better, and he thinks they make him look smarter."

The girl giggled. "Can I see?" The girl reached for the spectacles, but he pulled back before she could snatch them away.

"He doesn't like when other people touch them." Douxie said. "They break really easily."

"Firtha, what have I told you about touching other people's belongings?" The girl's father said. He had an interesting accent. It sounded more Scottish than Irish, but it still didn't sound quite right. "How would you feel if someone took your coat without asking?"

"Oh," Firtha snatched her hand back. She gave Archie an apologetic look. "Sorry, kitty."

Archie narrowed his eyes at the girl and her father. They both smelled like the sea, but now that they were both standing there he realized that there was another familiar scent about them. It was similar to how wizards, trolls, and even fae smelled. It was the subtle smell of magic.

Archie looked at Firtha's father, who was holding two white coats in his arm, one his size, and one that looked like it was Firtha's. Archie felt a rush of excitement and fear. At least he knew why he could smell the ocean.

Archie walked close to Douxie and leaned next to his ear. "Show them a little magic and ask if they want to talk." Archie suggested. Douxie gave him an odd look, but he nodded anyway.

"So, I was wondering if the two of you would like to talk." Douxie said to Firtha and her father. The young wizard looked around to make sure nobody else was paying attention, before he spun the bracer around his wrist, activating the runes. He didn't use any specific spell. He just grabbed onto his magical aura and let his eyes glow with his magical energy.

The man looked surprised and a little scared, but a moment later his gaze softened.
"I think I would like that. "

Douxie nodded and quickly finished up the last of his soup. He grabbed the remaining bread and put it into his bag. Douxie left a few more coins on the table, as he always did whenever he ate anywhere, and he followed the man and his daughter outside.

They walked a short distance away from the tavern, where nobody else could hear them. The man gently grabbed Douxie's arm.

"I really only mean the beast when I say that you shouldn't be doing magic here." The man said. "Trust me, humans around here aren't the most welcoming of those who may not be fully human."

"In our experience, no that's the case with most humans." Archie said. The man stared at him, though he didn't look nearly as surprised as most people were when they heard a cat begin talking.

Firtha squealed in excitement. "Kitty, you can talk!"

"That's another thing," Archie said. He transformed into his dragon form. "I'm not exactly a cat."

The man raised an impressed eyebrow. "I've never seen a dragon before."

"Well, neither of us have met a selkie." Archie said. Douxie looked at him in surprised awe. The man stiffened and tightened his grip on their coats.

"How could you tell?" The man asked.

"You both stink like the sea and magic." Archie said. Firtha frowned and sniffed her own arm. "Humans, or part humans, wouldn't be able to smell it, but a dragon's senses are more refined."

"Your secret is safe with us." Douxie said. He would never tell people about someone else's magical secret.

"And yours with us, young wizard." The selkie nodded. "What are you doing here? I don't often see magical folk around."

Douxie's face fell slightly. "I...well, I'm still trying to figure that out." The boy sighed. "We had to leave our old home, so I guess we're looking for a new one."

The selkie gave them a sympathetic look. "Aye, that I can understand." He picked up Firtha, who giggled and cuddled against her father. "Me and my lass are doing the same."

Douxie rubbed his bracer. "I'm also looking for new forms of magic to learn. Right now I'm just an apprentice without...without a master."

Archie gave Douxie a sharp look. "Since when? All we've been doing for weeks is wandering aimlessly and collecting coin through your music. You haven't said a word about learning magic since we've gotten here." Archie was happy to encourage his boy to learn magic, as he would love to see just what his boy could accomplish. He was just worried. They had already met magic hunters, and this selkie had confirmed that there were plenty of people who feared magic around here. This just didn't seem like a safe place for Douxie to practice his magic or inquire about new skills.

Douxie shifted uncomfortably and twisted his bracer nervously. Archie felt a small pang in his chest. He hadn't meant to make Douxie feel bad for wanting to expand his magic. It would be really good for Douxie, just not here, not now.

Archie nudged Douxie's leg comfortingly. "I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I just think that maybe Ireland isn't the best place to do it. We don't even know how to find any wizards here."

"Then where are we supposed to go?" Douxie asked. "We already know that England's out."

The selkie hummed thoughtfully. "I've heard that there's a lot of witches and magical beings in Spain. You may be able to find what you're looking for there."

Archie didn't think that was such a great idea. He didn't know anything about Spain. They didn't know the language, or the culture. At least with Ireland Douxie had a vague idea of what they were doing, as he'd remembered some things from his mother. In Spain they would be walking in completely blind.

Douxie didn't seem nearly as concerned as Archie was. The boy grinned excitedly. "Spain, it sounds like it could be a great adventure." Douxie bent down and picked up Archie. "What do you think, Arch, do you want to visit the Spanish?"

Archie didn't really want to, but he didn't necessarily hate the thought either. He felt neutral about any location they went. He was just as interested in staying in Ireland as he was about going to Spain, or anywhere else.

Archie sighed. "Sure, we can go to Spain to look for a new magic mentor." Maybe now that they were leaving Ireland Douxie would stop developing that blasted song and story of his. At least then his memory issues wouldn't get worse. At least, Archie could hope.

Douxie grinned. "Relax, Arch, this is going to be fun." Archie returned his smile. He didn't share Douxie's optimism and enthusiasm, but he couldn't help but find himself getting excited anyway. He just loved to see this side of the boy.

As much as working under Merlin had been good for Douxie's magic, it hadn't done a lot for his mood. Douxie had still had fun just for the sake of having fun, but more often than not he had been scolded by Merlin for it. The boy had started to get nervous about just letting his hair down and enjoying himself.

Maybe now that they weren't around Merlin anymore, Douxie could relearn how to have fun and be himself without worrying about what others may think of him. Perhaps he could finally find the self-confidence that he so desperately needed.

Archie was sure that it wasn't necessary for them to go to Spain to do this, but if this was what Douxie felt they needed, then so be it. This was Douxie's journey. Archie was happy to just be along for the ride.

A/N: Sorry for the longer wait for this chapter. I had wanted to watch the Trollhunters movie before writing this chapter, just in case there was some character development or information that I wanted to include. I hadn't been able to make that happen until yesterday, which is why there was the delay. Things will be on a more regular schedule from here on out.