Hello again everyone! PuzzleMaster1998 here with another new story!

It's Dogtanian time!

I think this show is adorable and fun to watch!

This story will include: adventure, romance, magic, transformations, songs, genderbending, harems, and many other things.

And the world this story happens in is a bit different than how it's shown in the show, in more ways than one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dogtanian and the Muskehounds. That right goes to Claudio Biern Boyd.

Now, let's begin our tale!


The Start of the Journey


It was a nice sunny day in Gascony, a province in southwestern France, in the year 1625. Birds were singing, bees were buzzing, and a light breeze was blowing through the trees.

Near a small village named Bern in Gascony that sat in the midst of several large rolling hills, several anthro canines and a couple anthro cats could be seen, two of which were fighting each other with wooden swords.

One was an 18-year-old female anthro canine named Dogtania. She stood about 4 foot 2 inches tall, and was rather curvy yet slender, with large breasts and a somewhat large ass. She had grayish brown fur covering her entire body, floppy black ears, a round black nose, brown eyes, and looked somewhat similar to a Beagle. She was wearing a red long-sleeve shirt over a white short-sleeve, brown pants with a dark brown patch on one knee and hole in the back for her somewhat short tail, and dark brown boots on her feet.

The other was François LaVache, the son of the Mayor and Dogtania's childhood rival. He was 18 years old and stood 4 foot 6 inches tall. He looked like a Foxhound, and had a large white muzzle tipped with a round black nose, dark gray fur all over his body, gray eyes, and a lean, slightly muscular build. He was wearing a nice blue long sleeve shirt that ended below his waist and had a jagged white collar extending over the neck, a light brown belt over his waist, dark brown pants, and dark brown boots.

Watching them fight were a few other anthros, as well as an odd-looking creature that called himself a "human." He stood 6 foot 1 inches tall, and was 17 years old. He had no fur at all on his body, except for a short blondish brown patch on the top of his head that he called his "hair." His skin was lightly tanned from the sun, and he had a similar build to François, except he was slightly more muscular. His eyes were bright blue in color. He was wearing dark brown boots on his feet that were a bit bigger than everyone else's, as his feet were bigger than their paws, brown pants that had a couple patches on the knees and were somewhat baggy in the front, a small dark brown leather belt around his waist, a long sleeve red shirt with a white short-sleeve shirt underneath it, and a leather necklace with a fox and cat made up of some sort of purple stone or gem as the centerpiece. His name was Gavin Woodring.

Dogtania and François' swords clashed against each other again and again as they did their best to defeat the other and become the best swordsmen in the entire village. As they fought, François grabbed a nearby sapling by the limb and pulled it back, before letting it go and letting it swing towards Dogtania, hoping it would hit her and lower her guard.

But Dogtania would not go down so easily. She grabbed another limb of the sapling as it swung towards her, and let it fling her into the air over François as he went to swing at her, landing on her feet as she let go of it. François growled with frustration and ran forward, sword at the ready, with Dogtania running towards him as well, a determined look on her face.

Their swords clashed against each other again and again, with Dogtania's excellent skill with the sword slowly forcing François to move backwards, growling as he thrust and swung and blocked. Soon, she hit his sword particularly hard, and knocked him onto his ass.

"Surrender!" Dogtania cried, before she lifted up her shirt to block a clod of dirt François threw at her, revealing that the shirt underneath had a couple patches on it.

"What kind of noblewoman wears patches?" François said as he stood up. 'Now!' he thought as he lifted his sword up and gave her a good smack on the head with it. "You're no gentlewoman. You're a cowardly mongrel."

'Really François,' Gavin thought with a shake of his head. 'A "mongrel?" That's the best insult you could come up with?'

"You'll regret this!" Dogtania stated firmly to her as she rubbed her head for a few seconds, feeling a knot start to form on the top. The other kids laughed, except for Gavin.

"Come on Dogtania!" He cheered as the two rivals started to clash swords once more. "You can beat him!"

As they fought, the other kids, minus Gavin, started to make fun of Dogtania, saying things like "You're a coward!" and "You're a mongrel!"

This irritated Dogtania, and she started striking quicker and harder on François. "I'm not a coward! I'm Lady Dogtania, and don't you forget it!" She said as she knocked the sword out of François' hand and into the air.

François' sword then fell back down and hit him right on the head, making him wince and whimper with pain. "Now take that back!" She said to him as she pointed her sword right at his chin and neck, making him gulp and sweat with worry, while a large knot started to form on his head from the sword.

"Bravo young lady!" A polite male voice said from nearby along with the sound of clapping, confusing them and causing them to turn to see the source of the noise.

There, sitting on a large brown horse nearby, was a 32-year-old male canine that looked faintly like a foxhound mixed with a pug. He had light brown fur all over his thin body, black eyes, a brown nose, a small brown mustache, and stood about 5 foot 9 inches tall. He was wearing a sky-blue tabard with a dark blue sash going over it, which had a sword and sheath hanging from it, along with a red cape in the back and a white ruffled collar. He had on a pair of big black boots and a pair of light brown gloves, as well as a pair of creamish blue pants and a large sky-blue hat with a white feather plume in the back of it. "I've traveled throughout France and seen a lot of young soldiers training. And I'm somewhat astonished to see a lady as young as you are handle a sword so skillfully. Young lady," The man continued, before taking off his hat and nodding to her. "I salute you!"

"Why thank you sir! And where do you come from?" Dogtania asked, while Gavin backed up in the crowd, not wanting to be noticed and possibly scare him away with his appearance.

"Paris!" The man replied as he put his hat back on.

Upon hearing that, the entire crowd began to murmur, while Dogtania said, "Paris? Ohh, it must be a wonderful city! What do you do in Paris?"

"I am one of His Majesties muskehounds!" the man said proudly, making their eyes widen, especially Gavin and Dogtania's.

The muskehounds were the King's personal guards, the best swordsmen in all of France. The most loyal, the most brave, and the most honor-bound.

"Oh, I've heard of your captain!" Dogtania replied. "Monsieur Treville!"

"Oh you have, have you?" The man said, before he chuckled. "Ahaha! That's nice. I must go now. I have urgent business to attend to in town," He continued, changing the subject.

"You do?" François asked him with curiosity.

"I have an appointment with the noblest man in the village of Bern!" The man replied, before he flicked the reins with a "Hyah!" and rode off towards the village.

"Oh wow! He's come to see my dad!" François said excitedly as they watched him head towards the village. "This is so exciting!"

"Hey wait!" Dogtania replied, a bit disappointed that François wasn't going to surrender, but also curious about the muskehound. "I wonder who could be so important to bring him all the way from Paris?" She continued as she ran over to join the crowd as they watched the man ride down the road to the village, with Gavin stepping over next to her as they did so.

"Now he's coming to my house!" François said with a grin. "You'll see."

A couple minutes later though, he gained a confused look on his face and went "Huh?!" as the man rode right by his house.

"Don't worry about it!" Another canine said to François, patting him on the shoulder. "He's never been here before, and he just passed the house."

"Well we better help him," François replied. "Come on!" He continued as he started to head towards the road, causing the rest of the anthros to go with him.

"Hey François! Now who's the coward?" Dogtania asked as she pointed her sword at him.

"You! And I'll take care of you some other time, but right now my dad has an appointment to keep!" He continued before he started running down the road, with his small gang following him.

"A visitor from Paris, and a real-life Musketeer!" Dogtania said, before she felt Gavin put his hand on her shoulder.

"Dogtania, look!" He said, prompting her to look to where he was pointing.

"Hmm? He's going towards my house!" She said with surprise, before shaking her head upon seeing the man ride his horse towards her house, which was located on a large hill near the village. "He must have gotten lost."

"Maybe, maybe not," Gavin replied with a shrug. "There's only one way to find out," He continued, prompting her to nod, before the two of them started to run down the road towards the village.

As they ran, he quickly started to get ahead of her, and forced himself to go slower so he'd stay with his best friend. They went down one street before turning into an alley that ended at a small stone wall that had a large chip in the top, and vaulted over the wall at the chip.

Had their eyes been deceiving them? Or did that muskehound actually ride up to Dogtania's house? She'd never even seen one before, much less had one as a guest. Why on earth would such a man come to see Dogtania's father?

These questions ran rampant through their minds as they ran through the town and up the path to Dogtania's house. Her house was two stories tall, and had a moat carved partway around it, with a wooden bridge leading to the main entrance. The house was made of light cream bricks and stone, as well as wood.

When the two reached her house and entered the front courtyard, they saw the muskehound's horse tied up to a hitching post right near the front of the house and next to a set of wooden and stone stairs. They stared at the horse for several seconds, before looking at each other, their eyes wide with surprise, before they turned to the door that sat at the top of the stairs. They then slowly tiptoed up them, before going past the door and over to the window on the far side. Then, they peeked inside, with Gavin on one side and Dogtania on the other.

Inside, they saw Dogtania's father sitting in front of a large wooden table, some papers in his hand, while the muskehound stood before him, holding his hat in his hands. Her father was a tall man, standing about 6 feet even, and looked a lot like a foxhound, with dark grayish-black fur covering his entire body, which was somewhat portly and muscular. His large muzzle was gray in color, his large nose was black, and his eyes were brown in color. He was wearing dark brown boots, dark blue breeches, a dark blue long-sleeve undershirt underneath a light bluish-teal sleeveless shirt that had a white ruffled collar, and a mustard yellow belt that was tied around his waist.

"Please, won't you sit down?" Her father said to the muskehound.

"Pardon me sir, but I prefer to stand. Monsieur Treville has asked me to behave towards you the same respect that I would show him," The muskehound said, confusing Gavin and Dogtania.

"Really? As if I were still an officer? Hehe, that Treville loves his protocol!" Her father replied with a chuckle.

"Yes sir!" The muskehound said with a chuckle, while Gavin and Dogtania looked away from the window and at each other, confusion on their faces.

'Why would a muskehound come all the way from Paris to see her/my Dad?' They both thought, before looking back inside. 'And why isn't he sitting down? Oh rats!/whiskers! I can't hear a thing!'

"You may tell Monsieur Treville that I thank him for his letter and his interest," Her father said to the muskehound. "My reply will be delivered personally by the individual concerned."

"Yes sir!" The muskehound replied with a nod. "I know the captain will be very pleased to hear the good news."

'Why is he here?' Gavin thought again as he looked away from the window, Dogtania doing the same thing 'He's just a planter for Kami's sake. Right?'

'Maybe they want to send him on a special mission,' Dogtania thought to herself. 'Or maybe we'll be moving to Paris to live at the Court?! Or maybe-oh, stop imagining things! He's only a planter,' She continued as she turned and started to walk away, prompting Gavin to follow her.

As they passed by the door and headed to the stairs, they heard the muskehound say, "It has been an honor to meet you sir!"

"Goodbye!" her father said as the muskehound opened the door and stepped out, hat on his head.

"So, we meet again young lady," The muskehound said, before spotting Gavin. "Good heavens! What on earth are you?!"

"Um, yes sir. Hello sir!" Dogtania replied, while Gavin slowly turned around. "This is my best friend, Gavin. He's very friendly."

"Hello sir," Gavin said with a nod. "It's nice to meet you."

"Well, um, good to meet you lad," The muskehound replied, shock on his face as he stared at the boy. 'What sort of creature is he?! He has no fur at all, no muzzle, sharp teeth, or a tail!' "That Monsieur Dogtanian is quite a man! You're very lucky to have a master to teach you the sword so well," He continued as he looked at Dogtania.

"Yeah, I guess so," Dogtania replied, before they stepped aside as the man started to move.

"Very few servants are so fortunate. You should be grateful!" The muskehound said as he walked down the steps and over to his horse.

"Well, the road to Paris is a long one," The muskehound continued as he got on his horse, before looking to Dogtania. "Goodbye young lady, and hold fast to your sword!" He continued as he turned his horse around and started to go away.

"Yeah, goodbye sir," Dogtania said, before her and Gavin's eyes then widened in realization and they looked at each other.

"Wait a minute!" Gavin said loudly, before he and Dogtania hurried up the stairs to the balcony. "She's not his servant!"

"I'm Monsieur Dogtanian's daughter!" Dogtania yelled out to the muskehound.

"Really?!" The muskehound said as he came to a stop, looking aback with surprise. "Well, you should come visit me in Paris some time."

"Thank you very much, sir! I will!" She replied with a wave and smile.

"Au revoir!" The man called back with a wave of his hat, before he turned and headed off once more, with Gavin and Dogtania waving goodbye as they said "Au revoir sir!"

Once he was gone, Dogtania sighed. "Oh, Paris! How I'd love to go to Paris!" She said with a smile. "I sure hope he meant that!"

"I hope so as well Dogtania," Gavin said, knowing his best friend had always wanted to go to Paris. "I really do."

"Dogtania, Gavin," Her father said from their right, startling Gavin a bit.

"Yes sir/father?" The two said to him questioningly.

"Why don't we go out back and I'll show you how the Cavalier's handle their swords?" Her father suggested.

"Okay!" The two said with smiles on their faces, before they did just that.

Once in the backyard, her father handed the two of the sturdy wooden swords, before picking one up for himself. "Alright now, salute!" He said, prompting them to hold their swords straight up in front of them, one hand at their sides. "Good, en garde!" he continued, prompting them to extend their swords forward towards him as they got into position, which he then gently smacked with his sword. "Now," Her father began as he pulled his sword to his side, blade pointing away from him and them. "I'll thrust against your lateral defenses!" he said, before he did just that.

Gavin and Dogtania were quick to react, using their swords to block his attacks. The sound of wood against wood filled the backyard, along with the sounds of grunting from exertion.

"Don't just depend on your eyes daughter! You have to use all five of your senses!" her father said after several minutes as he managed to divert her attack and gently tap her neck and shoulder. "The same goes for you Gavin. Think of the sword as a part of yourself! Some day your lives may depend upon that reflex!"

As the three of them fought with each other, the sounds of a carriage could be heard approaching.

"Mon dieu!" A middle-aged female servant said from the balcony upon seeing the persons leaving the carriage, which had pulled up right before the house. "Madame! The mayor's wife has come to see you, and she doesn't look very happy!" She called into the house.

"Dad, I think somebody's here!" Dogtania said as she crossed swords with her father.

"If they want to talk to him they can come and get him," Gavin replied as he blocked a strike from her father, who nodded.

"Indeed. Now come and get me!" He said to them, prompting them to strike faster and harder than before, with her father easily keeping up with them.

AS they fought, Dogtania's mother walked out and down the stairs, holding up her skirt as she went. She stood 5 foot 8 inches tall, and was rather skinny for a foxhound. She had gray fur all over her body, with lighter gray fur on her muzzle, gentle gray eyes, and a black nose. She was wearing a dark gray bonnet with white ruffles on her head, a simple dark gray gown with light gray cuffs on her wrists, and a gray shawl over her shoulders and around her chest.

"Why, Madame LaVache, how kind of you to visit us," her mother said politely to the mayor's wife, her voice nice and gentle. Madame LaVache was a 5 foot 6 inch tall pretty female Foxhound with dark gray fur all over. Her muzzle was long and curved up at the end, with a large black nose on the end and light gray fur covering it. Her eyes were black in color and had gray spots surrounding them. She was wearing a beautiful purple dress with a smaller red dress on top of it. The cuffs of her sleeves were white and very wide, while a large ruffled purple collar sat around her neck and shoulders. A smooth red bonnet that ended in a point in the back sat on her head, covering her ears and hair. Standing next to her was François' teacher, a middle-aged bloodhound wearing a light green top and dark green pantaloons. "We never see enough of you in this part of town. To what do we owe this honor?" She asked her kindly.

"I had hoped I would never have to complain again," Madame LaVache began, her voice sounding somewhat uptight.

"Oh no! My daughter's been on her best behavior!" Dogtania's mother replied.

"Well, I'd say you've given your daughter a very odd standard of good behavior!" Madame LaVache said as she clasped her hands. "François has a lump this big on his forehead," She continued, making a circle the size of a cantaloupe with her hands as she spoke.

"I'm sorry," Dogtania's mother apologized. "I shall have another talk with her."

"My husband and I are very worried about this situation. Your son abuses François nearly every day!" The mayor's wife replied.

"I'm sorry!" Dogtania's mother apologized again, a sad look on her face. "Her father and I will talk with her tonight," She said as she bowed to the lady.

"Make sure you talk to that odd creature as well. The one that hangs around your daughter constantly," Madame LaVache added as she closed her eyes and turned her snout up just a bit more. "François's told me how he was beaten by him a week ago."

"Oh! I will make sure we do," Dogtania's mother replied sadly, bowing again as Madame LaVache nodded at that before she and the teacher returned to the carriage and left.


Later that night…

"The mayor's wife came by to see me this afternoon," Dogtania's mother said to her husband as she poured her and her husband some tea.

"I know," Dogtania's father replied with a sigh as he looked up from the paper. "I could hear her shouting and carrying on. I didn't think she was ever going to leave. Heh! Now I know why the mayor spends so much time at the town hall! Hahahaha!" He chuckled.

"No, he spends all his time at the town hall playing cards," His wife replied. "But seriously dear, we should talk about this," She continued as she set his cup of tea next to him, her tone becoming serious. "She wouldn't be getting in this kind of trouble if her father hadn't brought her up with a sword in her hand. And neither would Gavin. We shouldn't train our children or their friends to kill one another. It's just not right."

"There you go again!" Her husband said with a frown on his face. "I'm not teaching them to kill. I'm teaching them to defend themselves, and their country! A true French Cavalier will only fight for noble causes or when his honor is at stake."

"Yes, but they think of their swords as a plaything!" She replied as she picked up her cup of tea. "I'm so worried about poor François' health."

"He'll be alright! A lump on the head might do him some good," Her husband said to her. "And they don't need their dear old mothers fighting their battles for them. Neither of them are children anymore, and they'll have to face some things by themselves!" He then picked up his tea and drank it, before he spat it out, it not having any sugar in it.

His wife chuckled at that, before she grew serious again. "The mayor's wife also told me that Gavin had apparently beaten François a week ago, which is so unlike him. Do you know anything about that?" She asked her husband, who hummed in thought upon hearing that.

"Hmmm, no I don-Oh! Yes, I do!" Her husband replied with his eyes widening with realization. "He actually told me about it the day it happened."

"Oh? What did he tell you?"

"Gavin told me that François had been talking nonsense about Dogtania once when she wasn't around, having just beaten him again in a swordfight," He said as he closed his eyes, remembering exactly what Gavin had told him. "And apparently he said something quite horrid about you and me, calling us by a filthy word, which sent him over the edge."

"Oh my?! François called us by a filthy word?" His wife replied with surprise. "But that's so unlike him!"

"Indeed, but when boys get really mad, we can say things that we normally would never say," He replied. "Anyways, Gavin fought François, and defeated him in combat, before swatting him on the rear several times with the sword and once on the head. He also told him to never say that about us"

"Really?" His wife said with shock. "He did that to François?"

"Yes, and I believe it's true," He replied. "François has been acting a bit wary of Gavin lately, and I did notice that whenever he sat down during the past week he would wince. And besides, Gavin's never lied to us before about things like this. Why would he now?"

"True, true," His wife replied, before growing slightly curious. "Did he tell you what word François called us by?"

"He did, although he was hesitant to do so, as he was afraid that I'd take offense at him," He said. "But why would I? He's not the one who called us that. François was."

"What was the word?" She asked her husband, who then leaned over and whispered the word in her ear. As soon as she heard the word, her eyes widened, and she gasped. "He said that?!" She said, raising her voice a little with anger. "Oh, if I was his mother I'd have swatted him so many times he wouldn't be able to sit at all!"

"Calm yourself my dear," Her husband said to her, taking her hand and holding it gently. "Gavin's done more than enough to punish François. No need to cause more of a ruckus."

At that, she sighed. "I know, I know. It's just, François calling us that?! That's not how a gentleman should act."

"Indeed it's not," Her husband replied with a shake of his head.

"Does Dogtania know?"

"Heavens no! If she did, François would probably be hurt more than he'd ever been before," He answered her.

"Right, she'd be outraged," His wife replied, thinking to herself about how Dogtania would have responded to the news of her parents being called that. Things would not have gone well. "You know, he really does care for her, and us," She said to her husband as she changed the subject, who nodded as he put some sugar in his tea and stirred it before sipping it. "Quite a lot actually. You think that maybe we should tell him that she-"

"Oh no! That is all up to Dogtania," He replied as he took another sip of tea. "Either he has to realize it, or she has to tell him. We are not going to be forcing them together."

"I know, I know," She said with a sigh. "It's just, Gavin's told me he doesn't think any girl will ever fall in love with him. I mean, he's so different from everyone else."

At that, her husband sighed. "I know," He replied as they looked out the window towards a small brick hut right across the road from them, which was where Gavin stayed by himself. "He's told me that as well. And yes, he may look very different," He continued. "But anyone who can get past his looks can see that he is a good man. And besides, I'm sure there's someone out there who will like how he looks."

"Mmm, I guess," She said with a shrug as she poured her and her husband some more tea. "I just hope that he doesn't suffer too much heartbreak while finding the one."

"Or several," Her husband replied, making her arch an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"You seriously think he has a chance of that?" She said to him.

"Well, as good a chance as any," He replied, prompting her eyebrow to go even higher.

"You bet the Mayor on this, didn't you," She said after several seconds, making him sputter.

"Me? Bet on Gavin?" He replied with wide eyes. "As if I'd ever do that."

"Mhm, and what about the time you bet he could climb up and down a tree faster than anyone else in the village after seeing him climb the tallest tree nearby faster than you'd ever seen anyone climb before?" She asked him.

"Well, I um, I," He stammered, before sighing. "Alright, look. I was at the tavern last week, and having a drink, talking with the other men of the village. And the subject of marriage came up, as you know Miss Matthieu's getting married in a couple months," he said, prompting her to nod. "Well, we talked about the various boys and their love lives, and then Gavin popped up. The guys said he'd never get a girl, and-"

"Let me guess, you were a bit drunk, so you said that he would get more girls than the other boys in the village," She interrupted him, causing him to slowly nod. "Oh, why would you do that?! You don't even know if he wants more than one girl!"

"I know, I know, I shouldn't have said that, but I had to stand up for the boy," He replied. "I didn't want to make a bet on it, but I had no choice. I'm a man of my word after all."

"Yes, you are," She said, before sighing. "So what's the terms of the bet?" She asked.

"Gavin has three years to get at least two girls to genuinely love him," He replied. "And not because they were paid off or anything. He has to bring them to the village for them to see. If he succeeds, we get some more money and land, as well as some cows."

"And if he doesn't?"

"We have to give them half of our chickens, and some of our land," He replied, while she gasped. "I know, I know, not a good bet. But I was drunk, and I had no choice."

She then let out a long sigh, before shaking her head. "Well, for our sake, I hope Gavin wins," she said to him, before frowning. "But until then, no more beer for you mister!"

Upon hearing that, his eyes widened with shock. "No, you can't be ser-" he was cut off by a firm look from her, telling him she was quite serious. "Okaay," he said, frowning as he did so, not happy with the decision.

"Good," She replied before she took another sip of her tea. 'Perhaps this will teach him to not make big decisions while drunk,' She thought as he sipped his own tea, a frown on his face.


Early the next morning…

A rooster began to crow as the sun started to slowly rise up, signaling the beginning of a new day. Two young anthro canine boys walked over to the hut and the back of the house respectively, a small tied up ball of paper in their hands. They then aimed at the windows, and tossed the balls in, before they turned and ran off.

Inside the hut, Gavin hissed with pain as he sat up, having just woken up before getting beaned in the forehead by a small object. "What the hell was that?" He said as he rubbed his forehead, before he looked for the object and spotted it on his lap. "A rock?" he continued as he picked up the object, which was wrapped in brown paper. He then slowly unwrapped the paper, and saw that a short message was written on it.

It read:

Dear Gavin,

Today at noon I'll be waiting at the usual place. It's time for you to see me show Dogtania who the real coward is!

Sincerely,

François LaVache

"Oh boy," Gavin said as he tossed the rock out the window, rereading the message again, before he quickly got dressed and grabbed a small biscuit to eat. "This'll be interesting," He muttered as he ran out the door and onto the road.

AS he did so, he encountered Dogtania, who seemed surprised to see him.

"Gavin? What are you doing out here?" She asked him, before spotting the message in his hand. "Wait, did François send you a message?"

"Yeah, he did," he replied. "I'm guessing he sent you one as well?"

"He sure did!" She said as she handed him her message, which said that their fight wasn't done. "I'm just heading there now to see what tricks he's going to pull."

"I was just about to do the same thing Dogtania," He replied as he handed back her message. "I was going to scout it out and let you know what he was planning."

"Aw, that's sweet of you to do," Dogtania said to him with a smile. "Let's go check it out together."

"Alright," He replied with a nod, before the two hurried on to the usual place, which was where they had been fighting the previous day.

When they got there, they hid in the tall grass and peered through it, and frowned. There, François and his gang were working on several traps to hinder Dogtania, such as tying knots in the grass to trip on, digging a pit and covering it, and blocking off a small path into the clearing with a pile of thorny branches and vines.

"He's up to his old tricks again," Gavin muttered to Dogtania with a shake of his head.

"He thinks he's so smart! But I'm much smarter!" She replied as she stared at the traps for several seconds, before turning to Gavin. "And you're smarter than him too. Now come on! I got an idea."

"Alright, I'm listening," He said to her as he quietly followed her out of the grass away from the clearing.


At noon…

Dogtania's father hummed to himself as he walked through the halls, a small smile on his face. As he rounded the corner, he saw something that made his smile disappear. A pair of crossed swords hung on the wall right above a large wooden stand. "My armor has walked away," He said with surprise and worry.

"Darling, look!" His wife said as she rounded the corner and hurried towards him, a piece of paper in her hands.

"What is it?"

"I just found this letter in Dogi's room. Look!" She said as she handed the letter over to her husband.

"Now let's have a look at this," he said as he read over the letter. "Oh, they're just having some fun," He replied as he looked at his wife. "Puppyplay."

"I can't be so calm about it. You said it yourself dear, they're not puppies any longer," She said, a worried look on her face. "They're big, they're strong, and they can hurt each other! You must stop them!" She continued, a pleading look on her face.

"Hmmm," He hummed in thought as he looked at the letter again.


Meanwhile, at the usual place, the fearless François and his brave men were preparing themselves for the battle.

"No sign of them at all?" He asked one canine up in a tall tree, who shook his head.

"Not a whisker."

"That's strange. They've never missed a fight before," He muttered.

"François!" Dogtania said as the rattling of armor hit his ears, prompting him to turn and look at the barricade of thorns. On the other side of it was a tall gray suit of armor, complete with a helmet that was closed shut. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting for me!"

"So, you need a coat of armor ey! You coward!" François said to her as he pointed his sword at her. "And where's your friend Gavin?"

"Oh, him? He had to stay and do some chores," Dogtania replied. "As for the armor, well, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"That's a pity," François said. "I wanted to see his face when I defeat you," he continued as Dogtania walked up onto the pile of thorns almost jerkily.

"Mmm, soft grass," She said, not feeling a thing with the armor on.

"I'll just have to catch her in another trap," François muttered as Dogtania stamped one foot on the thorns.

"So what are you waiting for François?" Dogtania asked him.

"I'm waiting for you to stop playing your stupid tricks! Now come outta that armor and fight me Dogtania!" He said as he swung his sword a couple times.

"Eh, speaking of stupid tricks, what are those boys doing in the bushes? Very courageous François," Dogtania said, making him growl a bit with frustration.

"Alright, you asked for it. Attack!" he yelled as he raised his sword up in the air, prompting the other anthros to come running out from hiding with wooden swords of their own.

"Ahahahah! Aw François, there's only twelve of you!? This will be easy!" Dogtania said as she stood there.

"Dogtania, you're a trickster and a coward. And I'm sending you away with your tail between your legs," François stated as he pointed at her. "Now go and get her boys!"

As the males charged the pile, Dogtania jumped to the side and leaped past them with surprising speed, causing a few to run straight into the thorns and whimper with pain.

"Oh? How's it feel?" Dogtania asked as she came to a stop in front of a tree and turned around. "Now come and get me!"

"Attack!" François ordered, with two more males running towards her at the order, swords at the ready. Then, Dogtania moved past them faster than they would have expected, causing the two to let out yelps as they fell into the disguised pit.

As she came to a stop, François said, "Get her all together now!" before he ran at her along with the remaining seven. They then started to beat their swords on the armor, causing Dogtania to laugh.

"Haha! Stop tickling me!" She said as she held her arms up, before François leaped at the armor and pushed her down onto her rear, causing the others to cheer happily.

"Come out of there Dogtania and admit that I beat you!" He said as he lifted up the visor, only to get a surprised look when he saw a fake wooden head inside, with a face sticking out its tongue drawn on it. "It's a dummy!"

"You're the dummy!" Two familiar voices said from above them, prompting them to look up.

"Huh?" He said with confusion and shock as he saw Gavin and Dogtania sitting in the tree, holding large wooden crossbars that had strings attached to them and the suit of armor.

"Who do you think you're talking to, hey François?" Dogtania said with a smile as she set her crossbar down, followed by Gavin.

"You can't get out of it! Come down here and fight!" He said to her with a frown.

"Alright François, but you better be readddyy!" She shouted as she and Gavin jumped out of the tree with drawn swords.

As they landed, the other canines backed away. "What are you waiting for? We can beat them!" François said to his gang, who looked nervous.

"You can try, but we're going to get you for the way you set those traps! It's a matter of HONOR!" Dogtania stated firmly, with Gavin nodding in agreement.

Upon seeing the firm looks on their faces, the entire gang, including François, gulped nervously.

"We'll teach you to be sneaky!" Gavin added, causing some of the gang to start moving back.

"Hey wait! Where are you going?" François said, causing them to stop moving, only to become more nervous as Gavin and Dogtania gently smacked their palms with their swords.

"I got a clavichord lesson," One said before he turned and started to run away, prompting the entire gang to start running away.

"Cowards!" The two yelled as the ran after them, with Gavin smacking one quite hard on the rear with his sword, before bonking another one on the head. A couple fell to the knots in the grass they themselves had tied, and got smacked on the top and back of the head by Dogtania, who looked quite mad.

"François, you can't run away now!" She yelled at the Foxhound.

"The next time I see you, beware of my bite!" He yelled, before he started to run away, while Gavin hit two more of the cowardly gang on the head, giving them large knots on their heads. He then turned and watched as François tripped on a grass knot, before getting smacked quite hard on the head by Dogtania.

"We won't worry about the terms of surrender. You are free to go François," She said to the Foxhound, who crawled away as a very big knot started to form on the top of his head, which Dogtania's mother would no doubt hear about later.

As he crawled away, Gavin walked over to her and smiled. "Nice fight," He said to her, before she spoke again to the retreating gang.

"And if anyone asks for the strongest woman in Bern, send them to Dogtania," She said to them as they left, before turning to Gavin with a smile. "Thanks Gavin. Now they'll finally respect me. Hahahahahah! Ah, they're such fools!"

"You are the fool!"

"Oh crap!" Gavin said as he and Dogtania turned around and saw her father standing there, a pair of brown gloves on his hands and holding three swords.

"Hello father," Dogtania replied, her joy gone from her voice as she looked at him.

"It's time you two learned that a sword is not a toy!" He stated firmly. "Now throw that piece of wood aside and fight with this!" He continued as he set two swords in the ground.

'Oh my,' Gavin thought as he and Dogtania set their swords to the side and walked over to the real ones in the ground. "Yes sir!" They both said as they grabbed the golden hilts and pulled them out, with Dogtania struggling a bit.

They then felt the weight of the swords, to see how much different it was than their wooden swords and examined the blades carefully. 'It's heavier than my wooden one, which shouldn't be surprising,' Gavin thought as he finished looking at the blade. 'Metal is heavier than wood.'

"The blades have not been sharpened, but they're still very different from those wooden toys of yours," Her father said as he held his sword up in the air before slashing down. "If you miss a single blow, you could wound yourself or even die!" He continued as he made a particularly hard slash to his right.

"You've been using your swords like a child. Now you must learn to use it like a Dogtanian!" he said to them.

And with that, the two teens held out their swords as the man said, "En garde!" and pointed his sword towards them.

After a few seconds of staring that them, he lunged forward with a jab, making them step back, while the weather started to change, with black clouds starting to roll in and a slight breeze starting to blow.

Soon, the sun had been covered up by the clouds, making everything darker.

'What's come over my father/Monsieur Dogtanian?' Dogtania and Gavin thought with confusion and shock. 'I've never seen him act like this. And look at his face,' They thought while a lightning bolt struck nearby, followed by a roll of thunder.

They continued to stare at each other for several more seconds while the storm started to roar to life, with more lightning and thunder, while the wind started to pick up speed a bit.

Then, he struck. "En garde!" he said as he jabbed at Gavin, who used his sword to block the jab and knock it away.

'What's going on? Does he really want to hurt us?' Dogtania thought as a drop of sweat ran down her brow, before she slashed her sword downward towards him, making him step back.

Gavin then followed up with a jab at his belly, which was then blocked by the man.

And with that, they fell into battle, with steel clashing against steel in the storm. They went this way and that, with them sometimes pressing her father back a bit, before getting driven back by him once more.

As they fought, Gavin and Dogtania used every technique they had been taught by the man against him, but to no avail. They weren't able to hit the man at all.

Then, he stopped attacking, and pat his blade against his glove, leaving himself open. And Dogtania took the bait. With a loud "Hyaa!" she ran forward and went to slash down on his side, only for her father to use his sword like a lever, flipping it underneath the blade and then flicking the sword out of her hand. Her sword flew behind her for several feet, before landing in the ground tip first, while she fell back with surprise.

Gavin then attacked, going for a sideways slash that looked like it would hit. But Dogtania's father had been expecting him to attack, and blocked his sword, before doing the same technique to disarm him, his blade also landing next to Dogtania's in the ground.

They then froze when her father pointed his blade at Dogtania, worried looks on their faces. After several tense seconds, he pulled back his blade, and pointed it away from them. "You should learn to be humbler, daughter," He said to her.

"Yes, you're right," She replied.

"Now get up!"

"Huh?" She said with confusion.

"On your feet young lady!"

"Ugh, golly, I can hardly walk," She said as she got up and wavered around, before Gavin grabbed her arm to stabilize her. "Thanks Gavin," She continued, before the two turned around and headed over to the swords, while her father turned away and looked at himself.

'It's the first time either of them have handled a real sword and they almost beat me!' He thought as he looked at the large tear in his front, with another tear on his side. 'Kids, you're both special,' He continued as he turned to them and watched as they pulled out their swords with some effort, both feeling tired and sore from the hard battle that had lasted for at least fifteen minutes. "Let's go home. I smell a rainstorm!" He said to them as he turned and started to walk away, with the two of them slowly limping after him with the swords.


An hour later…

Inside Dogtania's house, her father and mother sat at the table, a cup of tea before them.

"So, you've decided to send her to Paris," She said to him.

"She'll be alright under Monsieur Treville's protection," He replied as he looked at her. "Anyways, you know she really wants to be a muskehound, and deserves to go to Paris, not sit around in some old farmhouse talking to her parents. Treville is my friend, so I'm sending her to Paris!" He said firmly to her, causing her to sigh and fold her hands under her chin.

"I'll miss her very much," She replied with a sad look on her face. "And I know Gavin will too."

"Oh, don't worry about Gavin. He'll be going with her," He said, surprising her. "The boy does want to be a muskehound too after all!"

"But is that a good idea? I mean, he doesn't look like us at all," She replied. "And people could panic, or worse!"

"I know that! That's why I'm sending him to Paris. When people see how he acts as a muskehound, they'll accept him for who he is, despite his looks," He answered her. "Don't worry. He'll be fine."

"Oh! I'll miss them both so much!" She said, her sad looked growing bigger as she looked at her tea. "I love them so much!"

"Yes, I love them too," He replied with a sigh as he turned and looked away, a sad look on his face as well. 'Very much so.'


Two days later…

"I've never seen such a beautiful suit Mom," Dogtania said as she stood in her room wearing a gray onesie her parents had made for such an occasion as this, the bright morning sun shining into the room.

"I wish you'd had better things," her mother replied as she held a red long sleeve shirt in her hands. "Here, try it on," She continued as she handed her the shirt, which Dogtania then slid on.

"Hey, look at that collar!" Dogtania said with a smile as she looked at the smooth white collar around her neck. Then, her father set a brown leather belt diagonally across her body, it sitting on her right shoulder, before he placed a large red hat with a yellow plume on her head, with his wife handing her some new brown gloves.

"A lady of means!" Her father said happily as he walked away, with his wife nodding in agreement. He then picked up a nearby sheathed sword that had a simple golden hilt. "This is for you daughter. I used this sword in many battles with King Henry IV. You may only use it when necessary, in the defense of your king and country," he continued as he handed her the sword. "Avoid dueling, but never dishonor the name of Dogtanian."

"Yes sir," She replied with a nod as she attached the scabbard to the belt on her left hip. Then, she looked at them with confusion. "What have I done to deserve all this special treatment?"

"It's what you're going to do," Her father replied. "My friend, Monsieur Treville, has agreed to take you under his protection in Paris."

"I-I'm going to Paris?!" She said with shock, before turning to her mother. "Is he telling the truth Mom?"

"Of course."

"Paris is a big city!" She continued with shock. "A very very very very big city!"

"What's the matter daughter, aren't you excited?" Her father asked her.

"Oh I'm excited Dad! But this is pretty sudden," Dogtania replied.

"My motto is never hold good news by the tail," He told her, before he chuckled. AS he did so, his wife started to whimper, catching their attention.

"What is it Mom?"

"Don't cry honey. She had to leave at some time," Her husband said as she used a handkerchief to dab at the tears in her eyes.

"*Sniff* I know," She said as she sniffed and sniffed, dabbing away at her tears.

"Your steed awaits you outside!" Her husband said to their daughter, changing the subject as he gestured to the window.

"A horse?! Just like a real lady!" Dogtania replied before she walked out of the room with a new pair of red boots on her feet, her parents following her. She then stopped at the railing, and looked down into the courtyard.

There, slowly grazing on a small bunch of weeds that were sitting on the stone ground, was a somewhat tall male horse with a sandy yellow coat. He looked decently well built, and had a scraggly short mane and tail that were mustard yellow in color. A red blanket sat underneath the black saddle on his back, with a set of brown reins on his head.

"Is that my horse?" She said with wonder as she looked at the horse, before she started to head down to get a closer look, her parents following her.

"Yes, that's Sandy," Her father replied as they reached the bottom of the steps, his hands behind his back. "You couldn't really call him a thoroughbred, but he'll come in handy when you need him," He continued as she walked over to the horse and started to get on, having some difficulty due to her height. But Sandi was there for her, as he turned and grabbed her gently by the coat, before he lifted her up. "Woah! Thanks Sandy," She said to the horse, before turning to her parents. "Well, this is it," She said as she picked up the reins. "I-" She then paused as she realized something. "Hey, where's Gavin? Shouldn't he be here to see me off?"

"Oh, he'll be here," Her father replied, before he turned to the front entrance and smiled. "There he is! Right on time!"

"Hello Monsieur Dogtanian, hello Madame," Gavin said as he walked over to them, wearing dark gray pants with black boots that he had been given by Monsieur Dogtanian the day before and were quite baggy in the front, a black belt over his right shoulder and across his chest, a white short-sleeve shirt underneath a dark gray long-sleeve shirt, and his leather necklace. He then turned to Dogtania, and sighed. "So, this is it," He said to her. "You're on your way to Paris to live your dream."

"I am," Dogtania replied.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck," Gavin said to her. "I'll miss you." At that, her father started to chuckle, confusing Dogtania and Gavin. "What's so funny sir?"

"Oh my dear boy, you're going with her," He replied, surprising Gavin and Dogtania.

"What?!" They both cried out.

"I am?!" He said, before his eyes widened as her father pulled out from behind him a large black cloak that had a hood, black gloves, and a smaller sword that looked quite similar to Dogtania's.

"Yes, you are," Her father replied as he handed him the clothes, which he quickly put on, before taking the small sword and putting it on his left hip. "You want to be a muskehound too, don't you?"

"Why yes sir, I do," He replied, before smiling. "Oh, thank you sir! I am so very grateful!"

"You are welcome Gavin," Her father said. "We love you both very much. Now take these letters and deliver them personally to Monsieur Treville in Paris," He continued as he handed them two white envelopes which had written on them "To Monsieur Treville. From, your old friend."

Upon reading that, the two teens looked at him with surprise.

"We were friends many years ago. Give him my greetings," Her father said to them.

"It would be my honor," They said, before they started heading out, only to pause when her mother stepped forward.

"Dogtania, Gavin," She said to them.

"Yes?" They said as they turned to her.

"I hope you never have to use these gifts," She continued as she handed them two small sacks of some sort of semisolid. "It's an ointment, and it will cure any wound. I've also saved you a few coins to help you get started in Paris," She said as she also gave them two small bags of coins. "We love you both. Take care of yourself, and God bless you."

"Thank you so much Mom/Madame Dogtanian," The two replied as they put the bags away safely, before Dogtania kissed her on the cheek. "I love you mom," Dogtania continued, before waving at her. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Monsieur and Madame Dogtanian," Gavin said as they started to leave. "It has been wonderful living near such kind folks." He then turned his head, and they passed through the stone archway that was the entrance to the courtyard, with Madame Dogtanian following them up to the entrance, a sad look on her face.

As they walked down the path towards the outskirts of the village, her father walked up to his wife, and watched them go, before a single tear dropped from his eye.


Several minutes later…

The two had just reached the outskirts of the village they had lived their whole lives in, their minds abuzz with melancholy thoughts, with Gavin's being filled with curious ones as well, when they saw a surprising sight.

Standing on one side of the road they were on was François and his gang.

"Hmmm, what are you doing here François?" Dogtania asked him.

"I heard you were leaving for Paris," He replied, a small bandage on one cheek, a result of some roughhousing between him and his gang.

"That's right," Gavin said with a nod. "We both are going. Would you like one last fight before we leave town for good?"

"No, we'll leave it for another time," François replied, surprising them, while a small look of surprise appeared on their faces when they heard that Gavin was going as well.

"Oh!" Dogtania said after a few seconds, realization on her face. "So did you come to say goodbye to us?"

"We all came down to see you off," A young male canine said, his voice really high up in pitch. "It was François' idea."

"Oh be quiet you big numbskull!" François said quickly as he pushed the dog behind him, before he turned to them. "Don't listen to him, Dogtania and Gavin! I just had to come down to see the town's biggest nuisances finally go!"

'This is surprisingly sweet of François,' Gavin thought with some surprise. 'I thought he hated us, me especially.'

"You honor me François," Dogtania replied, her face showing that she didn't believe him for a second. "I'm pretty glad I won't have to be seeing your dirty muzzle anymore either, you know," She said. "And I'm sure Gavin feels the same."

The two of them then lifted up their hats, with Gavin miming one, as they said, "Farewell! It's been a pleasure!" And with that, the two resumed heading down the road, Gavin easily keeping pace with Sandy, as he was rather slow.

As they walked, François and his gang followed them for a bit, before François spoke up again. "Dogtania, Gavin," He said, catching their attention.

"Hmm?" They said as they looked at him again.

"We hope you can come back and see us," François said to them as he gestured to the gang. "Good luck!"

At that, the two smiled. "Thank you François," They said, before they continued on their way. "Thank you very, very much."

As they went, the members of the gang started to call out "Goodbyes" to them, while a tear ran down her cheek, sad she was leaving home. She then looked back again at the waving teens, and sighed, prompting Gavin to speak.

"Hey, we'll come back to see them again," He said to her. "Don't worry."

"I know," She replied as she turned her attention back to the road ahead. "It's just, we've never been out of the village before. It's all so new and exciting."

"Yes, it is, but hey, at least you can experience it with a friend," He replied, making her smile as they headed down the road, François and his gang soon falling out of sight and hearing range.

Their journey to Paris had officially begun!


Well, this was an interesting chapter!

Can't wait to write more!

Yes, I know that women in the 17th century were not allowed to fight or be a musketeer. In this universe, they can. It's not very common, but they can.

And the woman's role in the house is a bit better as well, as seen by Dogtania's mother banning her husband from beer until Gavin wins the bet.

Other stories are being worked on, like SCP, Hero 108, and Krampus. Be patient!

Please leave a review!

This is PuzzleMaster 1998 here, signing off!