Here's the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Dogtanian. Not at all!
Now, let's resume our story!
The Three Invincible Musketeers
"Ugggh," Gavin groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, before gaining a confused look on his face when he saw a tan ceiling above him. "Huh?" He said as he sat up and looked around with confusion. "Where am I?" He was in a large bedroom that had tan walls, wooden floors, a window that had green shutters on it that were currently closed, and a small chair that had his cloak, gloves, necklace, and shirt on it. The door to the room was currently shut and was brown in color.
As he looked around with confusion, the door opened, and a 5 foot 6 inch tall, somewhat portly male bulldog stepped into the room with a tray in his hands that had some food on it. The bulldog appeared to be in his late 30s, and was wearing black shoes, white stockings, red knickers, dark green shorts, a pale green long-sleeve shirt that had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows and was underneath a dark green sleeveless shirt, and a large white collar that ended right at the edges of his shoulders. He had light brown fur, tan fur on his muzzle, brown eyes, and a small set of black glasses on his snout in front of his eyes.
"Ah, good morning!" The man said to Gavin, who gained a surprised look, as the man was not breaking out at all at his face. "Are you feeling better?"
"Um wh-oh," Gavin replied as his eyes widened, remembering what had happened the previous night. "Yeah, I feel fine monsieur," he said with a nod. "Who are you?"
"I am Juliette's uncle, monsieur," The man replied as he set the tray down at the foot of the bed. "She brought you and your friend into our house last night," he continued as Gavin looked at him.
"I see," Gavin said. 'I'm surprised she did that for us,' He thought to himself. 'We are practically complete strangers to her.' "And how is my friend?"
"She is still asleep," the bulldog said. 'And speaking your name,' he thought to himself, having gone to her room first. 'Oh, she has it bad for you boy. Quite bad indeed.'
"Good," Gavin said with a smile of relief, before it disappeared and was replaced with a surprised and confused one. "Tell me monsieur, why help us? Are you not disgusted by my appearance? Are you not frightened?"
"Ah," the bulldog began, having expected him to ask him that. "It is because I judge people by who they are on the inside, not the outside. I will admit, your appearance is rather startling, but overall, not frightening or disgusting. As for helping you," he continued as he pushed the tray of food towards him, gesturing for him to eat it. "My niece has told me of your misfortunes, and as such, you and your friend may stay here as long as you wish."
"Wait, what?" Gavin said with surprise. "We can stay here?"
"Yes, monsieur."
"Oh, you are such a kind and gracious host, monsieur!" Gavin said with a smile, feeling relief running through him at the news.
"Juliette wanted to care for you herself, but she was called to the palace," The uncle continued.
"'The palace?!'" Gavin said with surprise and confusion.
"Yes, Juliette has the honor of being a lady-in-waiting in the court of Her Majesty the Queen," The uncle replied proudly, happy his niece had such an important position.
"Huh, how about that," Gavin muttered as he started to eat, taking a plate into his lap as he did so. "That's quite a position. Thank you again for the food monsieur," He continued with a smile and nod.
"You are welcome monsieur," The man replied, before he grabbed the tray and left the room to go check on Dogtania again. "I will be back shortly."
"Alright monsieur," Gavin replied as the man left, before he resumed eating. After about seven or so minutes had passed, the man returned. "The food was very good monsieur," he said as he put his empty plate on the tray. "How did my friend take the news?"
"She was quite thankful," The bulldog replied. 'And she made me swear not to tell you that she was speaking your name in her sleep,' He thought to himself with a silent chuckle.
The two's attention was then caught by a commotion outside the window, prompting them to walk over and opened the shutters before looking down at the street.
"What's going on down there?" The bulldog said as they looked at the street, which had people running down it and looking out their windows. After looking at it for a miniature or two he spoke again. "It looks like a riot," the man continued as he pulled his head back inside and started to head towards the door.
"Where are you going monsieur?" Gavin asked the man.
"I am going to follow that rowdy crowd and find out what all the excitement's about!" The man replied, a smile appearing on his face. "Fighting's my favorite sport! I'll be back!"
"Alright, monsieur," he said as the man shut the door behind him and ran off to follow the crowd. Before he could do anything else, the door opened again, revealing Dogtania in her gear.
"Come on Gavin! Let's go see who's fighting!" She said to him eagerly, causing him to sigh and smile a bit.
"Alright Dogtania," he replied as he quickly put on his gear, making sure his necklace was securely fastened around his neck and his hood was covering his head before he ran with her down the stairs and out the door. "Just don't get involved in the fight, okay?" He said to her as they followed the crowd, catching up the bulldog uncle, who was only mildly surprised to see them come along.
"Alright, Gavin, I won't," She replied as they followed the crowd down the street to a yellow-brick tavern whose door was currently shut. She then pulled him up to the front of the crowd with relative ease, as no one really wanted to be close to the door when it would open.
Inside, the sounds of several voices could be heard talking at once, each once sounding upset.
"Ow!
"OOOH!
"Ah!"
"My tail!"
"Yeesh, sounds like a big fight," Gavin said as he stared at the door, which shook several times, before falling off its hinges and onto the ground as four men flew out and landed on the ground. One would have landed on Dogtania if Gavin hadn't grabbed her and pulled her back a bit.
Each man was wearing white gloves, a blue tabard over a dark blue long sleeve shirt, a mustard yellow sash that held their swords, big brown boots, creamish blue pants, dark blue capes attached to their shirts, and large blue hats that had bluish white plumes on them.
The one that had almost landed on Dogtania was a male German Shepherd, and he sat up with a frown on his face. "I'll get her yet!" he growled as he looked at the tavern entrance.
"Ehehehahahahmhmhm!" A 6 foot 7 inch tall, 25-year-old female Saint Bernard who was a bit burly chuckled as she stepped out of the tavern and onto its steps, looking a bit drunk as she held a glass of beer up in her right hand. Her fur was dark brown, with a white stripe running between her orange eyes down to her muzzle, which was covered in white fur. Her chest was very large, as was her butt, and she had a long brown tail sticking out behind her.
She was wearing the Muskehound uniform, except her long sleeve shirt and pants were dark brown in color, matching her large boots, sash, and gloves. Her hat was a dark teal blue in color, and the plume on it was a pale yellow color, while her tabard was dark blue, with a dark blue belt around her waist. Finally, a dark blue cape that was red on the inside hung along her back and shoulders.
"In the name of the Cardinal, prepare to meet your Maker!" The male German Shepherd replied as he and the other men grabbed the hilts of their swords.
"The Muskehounds don't get along well with the Cardinal's guards," Juliette's uncle informed Gavin and Dogtania as they watched the scene.
"I see," Gavin said, before the Saint Bernard spoke.
"I have no desire to humiliate you," She said, her voice sounding quite strong and a bit imposing. "I'd rather go on drinking!"
"'Humiliate?!'" The German Shepherd replied with shock and anger. "You cowardly varmint! Unsheathe your sword!"
"You bark a good fight, but how's your bite?" The St. Bernard asked him before she took another sip of alcohol. "You better think twice before you pick a bone with Athos monsieur," She continued before she went down the front steps.
"'Athos?!'" The Cardinal's guards said with shock, some of them gasping in fear.
"I-I-I didn't recognize you!" The German Shepherd said as he pointed at the woman.
"Obviouslyy," Athos replied with a slight slur as she started to walk down the street, with the Cardinal's guards walking backwards away from her. "What's the matter with everybody? Don't you have any party spirit? Come on, sing and dance!"
"Everyone knows Athos is the strongest of the Muskehounds," Juliette's uncle said as the Cardinal's guards stared at Athos with fear, while Dogtania ate an apple. "They better watch it."
'They better,' Gavin thought as he stared at the woman. 'She's big! And she looks pretty strong!'
"En guarde!" The German Shepherd said as he drew his sword and went in to stab the woman.
"Haha! Apparently you don't have the slightest regard for your life monsieur," Athos said to the man as she stepped to the side and grabbed his sword arm.
"Draw your sword buffoon!" The German Shepherd growled at her.
"I don't need it!" Athos replied as she drank the rest of the beer. "I'll match my bare hands against your puny sword any day of the week," She continued as she squeezed her hand tightly around the empty glass for a few seconds, before she opened it, revealing it was crushed to fine powder.
'Holy shit!' Gavin thought with wide eyes upon seeing the display of strength. 'She is really strong! I would not like to arm wrestle with her!'
At that, the German Shepherd growled, before he pulled his sword arm out of her hand and swung at her, which she easily dodged by stepping to the side. She then growled as she lifted the man up by his sash and seat of his pants in the back.
"That does it!" Athos growled as she punched his hat off before socking him in the face, letting go of him as she did so. He then flew over and landed in front of the other guards, who drew their swords in response.
"Oh my! Three against one!" The uncle of Juliette said with surprise, while Dogtania continued to eat her apple.
"Charge!" One of the guards, a male pig, said before the three men ran at Athos, who grabbed the nearby tavern door and lifted it up. She then used it as a shield, with the men stabbing their swords firmly into the wood, before she pulled the words out of their hands.
"Oh no," The pig said, before the three men started to run. "Help!" They cried as they ran.
Athos then tossed the door after them, causing them to duck, while the German Shepherd, who had just gotten up and was ready to fight again, got slammed in the chest by the door. Now that she didn't have the door, the three men turned and ran back, before they started to throw punches at her, which she easily blocked with her arms. Then, the German Shepherd male ran back over and jumped up onto one of his men, before he started socking her in the face. He managed to land a few blows, before he let out a yelp of pain as she bit down on his fist. He then fell back, before Athos pushed the other men back and dealt firm blows to them as well.
The German Shepherd and his men continued to fight her, but she kept on punching them and pushing them away. She even threw a large barrel at them, knocking them all over like they were bowling pins.
This caused the crowd to laugh and cheer, minus Dogtanian and Gavin, as they weren't sure if it was right to do so.
"Ahahahahaha!" Athos laughed at the fallen men, her hands on her hips. The men then retreated, one crawling like a baby, while another was holding his cheek.
As they walked away, they passed by a coach that had stopped there while the fight was happening. The coach was blue in color, and had a dome brass roof, with pink curtains on the windows.
"Those imbeciles are not worthy of serving in my guard, Captain Widimer," A very skinny Doberman Pinscher said with a raspy and calculating voice as he looked at the retreating men from inside the coach. He stood about 6 feet tall, appeared to be in his late 30s, and was covered in brown fur, with a round black nose at the end of his very long snout and black eyes. He was wearing a bright red ferraiolo that had two dark red, almost black strings near his neck, a small red zucchetto on the top of his head, which had short brown hair on it, and a gold ring on his left hand. "I do not wish to see them again!"
This was Cardinal Richelieu, the Prime Minister of France.
"Whatever you say eminence! Your wish is my command!" The other occupant of the carriage said as he took off his large black hat and bowed to him. The other occupant was a 30-year-old, 5 foot 7 inch tall male Mastiff who had brown eyes, a portly body, brown fur all over his body, and tan fur circles around his eyes. He also had a short black mustache on his snout, and was wearing the same outfit as the Cardinal's guards, except his long-sleeve shirt was brown in color.
"I don't mind these little skirmishes with Treville's muskehounds, as long as my men win!" Richelieu replied. "I cannot abide seeing them defeated! The people laugh at me, not them!"
"Oh sir!"
"I would enjoy seeing the muskehounds disbanded."
"Oh yes, if we could eliminate the muskehounds, then your guardsmen would be the obvious choice to replace them in service to His Majesty the King. Is that what you're thinking, your eminence?"
"Exactly!" Richelieu said with a smile.
"It would be to your advantage if they lost favor with the people and the King began to doubt them!" Widimer replied with a grin.
"Precisely," Richelieu said. "Have you a plan?"
"Yes, eminence," Widimer replied, before he leaned over and whispered the plan into his ear.
As he whispered the plan, Richelieu smiled, and nodded.
"Do you agree?" Widimer asked the Cardinal as he knelt down to him.
"Mhm," Richelieu said with a nod, causing Widimer to grin.
Meanwhile…
"Athos has incredible strength, and she fights like a mad dog!" Dogtania said as she, Gavin, and Juliette's uncle walked back up the street.
"And you haven't yet seen her fight with a sword. Only her two best friends Porthas and Aramis can compete with her. They are famous in Paris and throughout the world for bravery and swordsmanship! They are known as the 'Three Muskehounds,'" Juliette's uncle replied.
"Huh, what an interesting title," Gavin said as he walked, before Dogtania ran into another person, deep in thought about the muskehounds.
"Huh?" Dogtania said as she looked up at the person she had run into. The person was another female muskehound. She was a 6-foot 4 inch tall, 25-year-old German Shepherd that had brown fur on her head and dark brown fur on her muzzle and around her blue eyes. She had a well-built body, with a large chest and butt. The two looked at each other, before they both walked in the same direction to try to pass one another. When that didn't work, they tried to go the opposite direction, only to end up in each other's way once more.
"Let me pass madame!" Dogtania said with a frown, having gotten annoyed at the delay. "I warn you," She continued as she reached for her hilt. Then, the muskehound reached down, grabbed her by the arms, picked her up, and moved her around so that she was now behind the muskehound. The muskehound then left without saying a single word.
"Dogtania, Gavin, that mademoiselle was Porthas," Juliette's uncle said to them, surprising them.
"What?" Dogtania said with surprise as she looked at the retreating figure of the German Shepherd. "Hooboy, you mean I almost picked a fight with a Muskehound?"
Yeah, you got off lucky," Juliette's uncle replied, while Dogtania gulped nervously.
An hour later…
Gavin and Dogtania were now next to the barracks of the Muskehounds and were currently looking around at the people heading along the street.
"So, Gavin, what'd you think of Athos?" Dogtania asked him with curiosity as they looked at the people some more, before they started to move along.
"Well, she's really strong," Gavin replied. "I wouldn't want to challenge her to arm wrestle for sure!"
"Yeah, nether would I," Dogtania said with a nod, before they heard some women screaming down at the end of a nearby alley.
"What in the world?" Gavin said with confusion, before he started to head down it, Dogtania coming with him.
When they reached the end of the alley, which connected to a large open courtyard, they saw what appeared to be a German Shepherd Muskehound pointing their sword at two women.
"Porthas? I don't believe it!" Dogtania said with shock and confusion.
"Neither can I," Gavin replied with a shake of his head, before the two hurried over towards them. "Hey! You!" They called out together, causing the German Shepherd to turn around and look at them with surprise.
'…Is that a guy dressed up as a girl?' Gavin thought as he saw the front and face of the German Shepherd. Said Shepherd also had an eyepatch on their face, covering their left eye. 'Or is it just a really masculine woman?' He continued, before humming as he tried to remember what Porthas looked like, which was rather difficult, as he'd only seen her the one time.
"Shame! Shame on your Porthas!" Dogtania yelled at the German Shepherd as they reached them, while the two women sighed with relief and slumped down to their feet. "For shame! For shame!"
"You dare insult a muskehound?!" "Porthas" said in a very scratchy voice that somewhat sounded familiar to Gavin, although he couldn't place it.
"Yes, we do," Gavin replied as he looked at the muskehound with a frown on his face. "No muskehound should steal or accost people!"
"You don't deserve the name!" Dogtania growled as she clenched her fists with rage.
"Insolent pups!" "Porthas" replied. "En guarde!" "Porthas" then thrust her sword forward at Dogtania, prompting her to jump straight up into the air to dodge it, pulling out her sword as she did so, while Gavin pulled out his sword as well. The three then started to fight, with Gavin and Dogtania using their skills to push "Porthas" back.
Their fight continued on, with them moving further and further away, until they had reached the forest near Paris.
As they fought, they were unaware that Captain Widimer was nearby, having followed them from the city. The captain pulled out a flintlock and aimed it at them as they fought, with Gavin managing to get a blow on "Porthas"' shoulder, before they pushed her up against a tree.
Right before they could get any closer and start interrogating her, there was a loud gunshot, prompting the two to dive down, while "Porthas" ran off, a relieved look on her face.
"Assassin!" Dogtania said as she looked up and around, with Gavin copying her. "Now where did she go?! Come back here you coward!" She exclaimed angrily as she and Gavin stood back up and started to search for "Porthas."
Then, they heard the huff of a horse from nearby, confusing them and making go over to looked behind some bushes, where they saw a man get on a gray horse and ride away.
"He must have been the one who shot at us," Gavin said as the man ran off. "I wonder why he did that?" Then, Dogtania spotted "Porthas."
"Come on Gavin!" She said to him as she started to run off, prompting him to go after her. "You, Porthas, come back here!" She yelled after her as they chased her.
"Porthas" continued to run and run before she started to cross at a low point in the river running through the forest. She then paused when she spotted a brown horse with white stocking marks on its legs and a large patch of white on its nose grazing between two large trees, a saddle and bridle on it. She looked around for several seconds, before she grinned upon not seeing anyone in sight. She then hurried over and started to get onto the horse, causing it to let out a snort of anger at her.
And then, a dagger flew right in front of her face and embedded itself in the nearby tree, making her freeze in place. She then slowly turned to the direction where the dagger had come from, and gulped upon seeing that the rider of the horse was sitting behind a nearby tree, an open book in their lap. The rider was a 6 foot tall female Springer Spaniel dressed up in the Muskehound uniform. She had dark brown fur on her fluffy ears and head, with a white stripe of fur running down between her green eyes and connecting to her white muzzle. She was also a bit thin and curvy, with a medium-sized butt and a large chest.
"Porthas" stared at the lady for several seconds, before she got off and ran away, passing by the tree as she did so. A feather flew off her hat and landed on the rider's book as she did so, breaking them out of their concentration.
"Huh?" The rider said with a gentle female voice as they looked at the man running off for several seconds. "That woman looked exactly like my friend Porthas."
Then, almost immediately after "Porthas" had disappeared from sight, Dogtania and Gavin arrived and started to look around, before spotting the woman.
"Excuse me. We're chasing a villain who ran by here," Dogtania said to the woman as she looked back at her book, which seemed to be full of poems. "Did you see which way she went?"
"I did see someone," The woman replied as she turned a page in her book. "But she was in a great hurry, and I was so absorbed in reading these poems that I didn't see which way she went."
"She's a thief!" Dogtania growled with anger, prompting the woman to look at her with confusion.
"Hmm?"
"We caught the villain in the act of robbing two women just a few minutes ago," Gavin explained.
"We almost had her, but she got away!" Dogtania continued.
"Was anyone harmed?"
"No! We interrupted the scoundrel just in time!" Gavin replied.
"You two are very brave and courageous," The woman said to them, making them smile.
"Well, when duty beckons, we head the call!" Dogtania replied, with Gavin nodding in agreement.
"Well said," the woman replied with a nod. "But she did get away."
At that, the two hummed as they looked down, not happy about that. After a few seconds, Dogtania growled. "Well, we're not going to let her get away anymore!" She continued, before she started to run off. "Grrrrr! We're coming for you, you thieving Porthas!" She yelled as she ran off, with Gavin about to follow her when he noticed the woman's reaction.
"What?! Porthas?!" The woman said with surprise and confusion. "You can't mean it?!" She then looked away, a disbelieving look on her face. "It just can't be! Mon dieu."
"Do you know Porthas, mademoiselle?" Gavin asked her, catching her attention.
"Why yes monsieur, she is one of my best friends!" The woman said as she got up, closed her book, and headed over to her horse. "And she would never steal!"
"Hmmm," Gavin hummed as she got on her horse and started to follow Dogtania, with him walking alongside her. "I see."
Then, they started to hear cries for help from up ahead, catching their attention. Looking up ahead, they saw that "Porthas" was running away from two people tied up to a tree with rope, while Dogtania was attempting to follow her. Unfortunately, she was slowed down by the deep stream she was crossing, as she didn't know how to swim.
"That mongrel will ruin the reputation of the King's Muskehound!" Dogtania cried as she floundered in the water. "Stand and fight you dirty dog!"
"Hmm," the woman hummed as she watched "Porthas" run away, while Dogtania ran over to the tied-up people and cut them free, before leading them to back to Paris.
"What's wrong madame?" Gavin asked the woman.
"I just can't understand why Porthas would do this. It goes against everything a Muskehound stands for!" The woman said, causing him to hum. "And she is very proud of being a Muskehound."
"Hmmm, tell me, does Porthas regularly wear an eyepatch?" he asked her.
"Why no, she never has," The woman replied with a shake of her head.
"Hmmm, interesting," he said at that. "And how about her voice? Is it scratchy at all?"
"Not at all!" the woman replied with another shake. "It's actually quite pleasant to the ear."
"Hmmm, I see," Gavin said again, before he went silent for a minute or two. Then, his eyes widened with realization. "Ahh, I think I know what's going on," He continued. "Someone's pretending to be 'Porthas.'"
"What?!" the woman said with surprise and shock, before she thought it over. 'It does make the most amount of sense,' She thought to herself. 'Porthas would never steal from people!'
"Yes, someone's pretending to be Porthas the Muskehound," Gavin continued with a nod. "Probably to destroy the reputation of the Muskehounds." Then, he sighed. "And Dogtania nor anyone else has any idea that it's not the real Porthas doing these crimes."
"Well then, we better go after them and let them know the truth," She replied as she spurred her horse on, with Gavin going with her towards the city.
"Yes, but we need proof," He said. "We need to find the fake Porthas and bring them to the real one so everyone can see the truth for themselves."
"Indeed monsieur!" The lady replied with a nod, before turning to the city once more.
'Dogtania, don't do anything rash!' Gavin thought as they headed back to the city. 'Please!'
Back in town, the two women who had been threatened and robbed by "Porthas" were speaking with two of the Cardinal's Guards, while a crowd started to from the commotion.
"Yes, and she said her name was 'Porthas!'" One of the women replied to a guard.
"You don't say," The guard replied. "She robbed you? We'll arrest her right away!" He continued before he looked at the other guard and grinned with a chuckle.
"I must find Athos right away!" Another Muskehound said as he turned and ran off to find the burly Muskehound.
Athos, meanwhile, was standing outside of the Muskehound barracks, chuckling at what Dogtania and the two travelers. "Ahahaha! What a pair of loonies!" She said with a laugh as she looked at them. "They're saying Porthas attacked them and robbed them. And they expect us to believe such a story as that?!" She then started to laugh again, even harder than before, with the guardsmen joining in.
"Athos! Athos!" A muskehound said as he ran around nearby. "Where are you? Come quickly! I have disastrous news!" He then spotted Athos, and gained a somewhat relieved look on his face.
"Now what?" Athos said as the man ran up to them.
"You won't believe this, but I just heard a Cardinal's guardsmen say they're on their way to arrest Porthas for robbery!" The man said to them.
"They're what?!" Athos said with shock before putting a hand to her chin in thought, a confused look on herface.
"That proves what we've been saying all along!" Dogtania said to Athos. "Now do you believe it?!"
"I think we'd better notify the captain," the male muskehound said to Athos.
"Yeah, this whole thing is more serious than I imagined," Athos replied with a nod. "I better warn Porthas! Outta my way!" She continued as she started to run.
"Wait for meeeee!" Dogtania cried as she grabbed onto the woman's cape as she passed by, causing her to be pulled along almost like a kite.
"I got to find Porthas and warn her before the Cardinal's men track her down!"
"Athos I won't allow you to let that criminal escape!" Dogtania said as she attempted to slow the woman, down, only for her to be forced to run, as Athos was much stronger than she was.
"Unhand me!" Athos said as she shoved Dogtania off her cape, causing her to let out a whimper of pain as she fell on her rear.
"Owowowowowow!" She said as she rubbed her rear, which stung with pain from the fall.
In another part of the city, an angry mob that was led by some of the Cardinal's guards walked through the streets, searching for Porthas.
"This is just what I had hoped for, monsieur," Captain Widimer said as he looked down at the mob from a tower above them, with "Porthas" standing next to him. "The public is against the Muskehounds now! Well done!"
"I thoroughly enjoyed my role in your little charade sir," The man replied with a smile, his voice sounding rather cruel.
"You would be wise to leave the city until things cool down," Widimer said to him as he handed the man a large bag of coins. "Here! This is for you!" He continued, the two unaware that Gavin and the woman he'd met earlier were on the tower as well, standing a good distance behind them.
'So, there's the imposter!' Gavin thought as he and the woman looked at the German Shepherd, not seeing Captain Widimer, as he'd just left before they'd arrived. 'Oh, I can't wait to expose you for the villain you are! I just hope things don't get worse before we do so,' He continued before the imposter chuckled as he looked out at the moving mob, a grin on his face.
"Ah, I cannot wait for Porthas to be arrested!" he said as he watched the mob for a few more minutes, before he turned around to leave, only to freeze in place when he found two swords pointed directly at him, one at the neck and one at the groin.
"Hello there," Gavin said as he looked at the man. "It's good to see you, sir." The man gulped nervously as the sword pointing at his groin moved an inch closer.
"Now listen to us carefully. You are going to be coming with us to clear Porthas' name, alright?" the woman said with an expectant look. "And then you will be arrested for your crimes."
The man growled at that, before Gavin pressed the tip of his sword against his groin, making him stop growling and become nervous again. "Yes madame," he replied with a slight nod.
"Good," Gavin said with a smile. "Let's go," he continued as he removed his sword from his groin and headed to the stairs, with the woman gently tapping him on the neck to follow the cloaked figure.
The man sighed again, before he followed the figure, the woman keeping her sword aimed at the man's back.
They quickly walked down the tower stairs and out the door, before going over to her horse. The woman then pulled out some rope and tied the man's arms together tightly, before she got on, with him sitting behind her. "Hop on monsieur!" She said to Gavin, who slowly nodded, before he got onto the horse behind the imposter. "We must hurry!" She said to her horse, before flicking the reins.
The horse then started to run down the street as fast as possible.
"Where do you think they are?" he asked the woman as they went through the streets.
"By now they're probably at Porthas' house," She replied as they sped past some people, who looked at them in confusion. "I just hope we get there before it's too late!"
"So do I!" He said, while the imposter remained silent. 'Dogtania, don't do anything stupid,' he thought as they went.
After several minutes had passed, they spotted a large multi-story house that had a deep blue roof, was shaped like an "L," and had a large courtyard surrounding it up ahead. The sounds of fighting and swords clashing could be heard coming from the courtyard, while the large mob of people stood around it, watching what was going on in the entrance.
"Oh boy," Gavin groaned as they headed towards the mob. "Looks like they've already started fighting."
"Indeed," the woman said with worry as they got closer and closer, with some of the mob noticing them coming and stepping aside.
They soon reached the entrance to the courtyard and went inside, with the woman and Gavin both crying out, "Stop it! Put away your weapons!"
This caused all the fighters to stop fighting. Gavin saw that Athos was holding a very large log above her heads, with three of the Cardinal's guards standing in front of her with worried looks, and that Dogtania and the real Porthas were pointing their swords at each other, causing him to sigh with disappointment.
"Who is that man Aramis?" Athos said upon seeing the German Shepherd behind her. "And who is that behind him?" She continued upon seeing the cloaked figure.
The woman, who was apparently the famous Muskehound Aramis, didn't respond. She merely led her horse over to Dogtania and Porthas, with Dogtania looking very confused.
"What's this all about?" Athos continued as Aramis and the cloaked figure got off the horse once it came to a stop. "You're late Aramis. And you missed the fun," She said as the cloaked figure reached up and helped the male German Shepherd off the horse, before bringing him forward.
"Take a good look everyone," Gavin said to the crowd and the Muskehounds as he held the arm of the German Shepherd. "Take a good, long look. He is your thief!"
"Huh?" Dogtania said with confusion as she walked over to look at the man, before arching an eyebrow. "Hey, wait a minute!" She continued as she looked from the man to Porthas, and back to the man. "The eyepatch! He fooled me?!"
"Now, will you admit your mistake?" Porthas said, her voice sounding pleasant and almost commanding.
"He is the one who committed the robberies while pretending to be Porthas," Gavin said as he turned the man to the mob, who began to mutter amongst themselves as they looked at the man. "Porthas is completely innocent."
"Hey, let me have a better look at him," Dogtania said before she jumped up and grabbed the eyepatch, pulling it off as she fell back onto her feet.
When the eyepatch came off, Athos gasped. "It's you!" She said, recognizing the German Shepherd male as the same one she'd beaten earlier that day. "You just wanted to get even with me, didn't you!"
"Not just with you. All of us!" Aramis replied.
"And I suppose you were in on this conspiracy?!" Athos asked the guards as she turned to them, holding the log up high as she spoke.
"No! We know nothing! We were following orders, that's all!" The guards replied.
"It may be that they know nothing about it, but there's no doubt he knows who's behind all this!" Aramis said as she pulled out her sword. "Speak up! Tell us who paid you to impersonate Porthas!"
"My lips are sealed!" The man said before he yanked his arm out of Gavin's grip and ran away from them.
"Hey! He's getting away!"
"Get back here!" Gavin shouted.
*BANG!*
Everyone gasped as they saw the man fall over due to a gunshot from a pistol held by a male Mastiff wearing the uniform of the Cardinal's guards who had just arrived.
As the man fell to the ground, a large bag of coins fell out of his shirt.
"Look brother! He had our money all the time!" A woman said as she and her brother ran over to the man.
"Monsieur?" Aramis said to the man as she and Athos ran over to him and propped him up, before they saw the hole in his chest right where his heart was. "He's dead!"
"Why did you shoot this man, Monsieur Widimer?!" Athos asked the Mastiff, while Porthas said, "Murderer!" in an angry tone.
"He asked for it! Anyone who disgraces the Cardinal's guard deserves to die!" Widimer replied, before he gestured to his men. "Come on men! Let's go!"
As Widimer and the guards started to walk away, Dogtania growled with anger, before her eyes widened as she realizes something. "Wait, it was Widimer!" She said, surprising everyone who was around. "You're the one behind this conspiracy!" She continued as she ran up to the man, who turned and looked at her with a confused and surprised look.
"What? That's nonsense!" Widimer replied, although he was feeling a bit nervous. 'How does she know?' He thought to himself as she looked him over.
"Hmm. You're the one who paid the imposter!" She continued as she pointed at him causing him to chuckle.
"Wuhuhuhuhuh!" Widimer chuckled, before he heard the Muskehounds say "One for all and all for one!" and walked towards them, with the cloaked figure ahead of them.
"We believe you madame," The Muskehounds replied, with the cloaked figure nodding in agreement. "And we'll back you up!"
There was silence for several seconds, before Widimer spoke. "I've been waiting a long time for a showdown with you Muskehounds! After them men!" he shouted as he drew his sword and pointed it at them.
His men nodded at that and drew their swords as they started to charge, before they all gasped upon seeing something in front of them and stopped, confusing Widimer before he too spotted what they were looking at.
"What are you waiting for monsieur's?" Gavin asked them as he drew his sword, his hood now down to show his head and face. "I thought you were coming after us?" He continued as he gestured to himself and the others. He then smirked. "Are you just a bunch of cowards?"
"Grrr, after them!" Widimer said upon hearing that, pointing at them again. At that, his men moved forward. Aramis ran back, drawing a couple with her, while Athos ran after three of the guards, who looked frightened of her. Widimer started to cross swords with Porthas, while Dogtania and Gavin clashed their swords with two of the guards.
"En guarde!" Gavin said as he thrust his sword forward, before being blocked by the sword of a pig guard, who looked a bit afraid of him. "Oh don't be scared. I don't bite," he said to the pig, who gulped at that before he struck back, with Gavin blocking it with ease.
Athos was having fun with the guards she had chosen to fight, as they were hiding behind a thing tree and moving to the opposite side whenever she went to grab them. Soon, after they'd moved away from her hands several times, she used both hands to grab the arms of the guard in the back and pulled on them, making the guard smush the other two against the tree. The guards whimpered and yowled with pain as she did this several times.
Aramis was doing quite well in fighting the two guards she had managed to draw away, and Dogtania was doing well as well against the large pig guard who was her opponent. She was quite good at using her surroundings to her advantage, using the nearby wall to elevate herself above her opponent and dodge his strikes.
Soon, Athos pulled the guards very hard against the tree, and lifted them up, pulling the small tree up out of the ground as she did so. Then, Aramis knocked the sword out of one of her opponent's hands, flinging it up into the air behind her. Her other opponent then ran forward to stab her in the back but let out a cry of pain as he was stabbed in the back by the sword Aramis had knocked out, falling down onto the ground with pain.
Widimer let out a groan as he fell back, having been defeated by Porthas. "Don't kill me!" he said to the laughing Porthas, who paused her movements. He then grabbed his sword and thrust forward, prompting her to step to the side.
"You coward!" She said to him with a frown, before he turned and ran away.
"I got you now, you little piggy!" Gavin said, before he noticed Widimer running to the entrance and pull out a black and silver pistol. "Look out!" he called out to Porthas, who started backing up with a frown on her face upon seeing the gun. "Porthas!" He yelled as he ran right into her, just as Widimer pulled the trigger.
*BANG!*
Porthas let out a yelp as pain blossomed in her left shoulder, while Widimer frowned.
"Curses on you Muskehounds!" Widimer said to them before he ran off.
"Assassin!" Dogtania growled as she ran after him, angrier than ever before.
A blue coach with pink curtains surrounding the windows then drove by, before the door was opened by someone inside. Widimer grunted as he ran up to the door and stepped inside, before stopped when he felt someone holding onto his cape.
"Hey! Ow!" Dogtania said as she was dragged on the road, holding onto his cape firmly.
"Release me! Let me go!" Widimer replied as he pushed his boot against her, before giving her a hard kick, making her lose her grip and fall onto the road with a yelp of pain.
"Ow! Ow!" She whimpered as she sat up and rubbed her face, checking to see if anything was broken. Fortunately, it seemed that everything as alright, so she sighed with relief, before she ran back to check on Gavin.
When she got back, she saw that Athos and Aramis were standing near Gavin and Porthas. "Are you alright Porthas?" Gavin asked her as they sat there, looking a bit concerned.
"Oh, it's only a scratch," She replied as she held the top of her shoulder, which was where the bullet had gone. "You saved my life. Who are you?"
"My name is Gavin, madame Porthas," Gavin said to her, before gesturing to Dogtania. "And this is my best friend Dogtania."
"I thank you Gavin," Porthas said to him as he stood up and put his somewhat bent sword behind his back with some embarrassment.
"You are welcome Porthas," Gavin replied with a smile, before Dogtania spoke.
"I owe you an apology, Porthas," Dogtania said to her. "I made a very grave mistake." She then grabbed Gavin by the arm and started to pull him away. "Well, farewell!" She said as she lifted her hat and bowed to them, with Gavin bowing to them as well.
"Farewell!" Gavin called out before they exited the courtyard.
Once they were gone, Porthas spoke again as she stood with the help of Aramis. "That young lad Gavin and his friend Dogtania possess courage worthy of a Muskehound!" She stated firmly.
"I falsely accused an innocent man. All because I'm so impulsive!" Dogtania said to herself as she walked, carrying her bent sword in hand, while Gavin pulled up his hood.
"Hey, at least you admitted you were wrong," Gavin replied. "You just have to learn to control your impulses."
"Yeah, I know," She replied with a sigh, having been told that many times by her parents before. "That was really brave of you to save Porthas' life." 'And risky,' She thought to herself. 'You could have died! I have to confess tonight, before anything else happens to you or me!'
"Hey, it was the right thing to do," He said to her. "And it was brave of you to confront Widimer."
"Yeah, I guess it was," She replied, smiling a bit. Then, their stomachs started to growl with hunger. "Now come on, let's go back to Juliette's house to eat and fix up our swords."
"Alright Dogtania," he said with a nod, before the two turned a corner and walked down the street.
Several minutes later…
"Ah, that was very good monsieur," Gavin said to Juliette's uncle as he finished eating the leg of chicken he had been given. "Very good indeed."
"Why thank you, monsieur," Juliette's uncle replied with a smile, before Dogtania finished eating her piece of chicken. He then took his plate and carried it to the kitchen, while Gavin took a drink of clean water.
"Hey, Gavin?" Dogtania said to Gavin, catching his attention. "Later, can we talk?" She asked him.
"Sure Dogtania," he replied, a bit curious as to what she wanted ot talk about. But before he could ask anymore questions, Juliette's uncle came back into the dining room, a warm pie in his hands.
"I hope you like blueberry pie, madame and monsieur," He said as he set the pie down, before cutting it and setting two cut pieces on small plates.
"Oh, I love blueberry pie," Gavin replied with a smile as he was handed a plate, before he started to eat it. "Mmmm," he hummed happily as he ate. 'So good!'
A few minutes later, the pie had been completely demolished, and Dogtania and Gavin headed upstairs, telling Juliette's uncle goodnight as they went, as Juliette was still at the palace.
When they got upstairs, Dogtania led him to his room, before going inside. Once they were inside and the door was shut, he spoke. "So, what'd you want to talk about Dogtania?" he asked her as he turned to her from the door, only to gain a surprised and confused look on his face. "Dogtania? What's wrong?"
Dogtania looked very nervous, and was biting her lip as she held her hat in her hands and sat on the bed. "Well, um, Gavin," She began. "We've been best friends for what, 12 years?"
"Fifteen, actually," he replied. "Ever since we were toddlers."
"Right, right," She said with a nod. "Well, um, I was, uh-" She stammered, looking away from him as she fiddled with the brim of her hat.
"What is it Dogtania?" he asked her as he walked over to her and sat down next to her.
"Well, um, oh gosh," She said, her cheeks heating up a bit. "I was wondering, um, have you ever thought of being more than just best friends?" She asked him, before shutting her eyes tightly as her cheeks heated up a bit more.
Gavin blinked a few times upon hearing that, before his eyes widened. 'Oh my Kami!' He thought with shock and surprise. 'She seriously asked me that?!'
"Nevermind! Forget that I said anything!" She said after a few seconds had passed as she shook her head and hopped off the bed, before she started to walk away. "I'm not thinking strai-"
"Wait, Dogtania," Gavin said as he gently grabbed her by the shoulder, making her freeze in place. "I-I-I-I have," He replied, blushing a bit.
"You-you have?" Dogtania replied with surprise and a bit of hope in her voice.
"Y-Y-Y-Y-Yeah, I have," Gavin stammered with some embarrassment. "H-H-H-H-Have you?" He asked her nervously.
Dogtania was silent for a couple minutes, before she responded. "Y-Y-Y-Yes," She replied, before she slowly turned around, her face bright red with embarrassment. "S-S-S-So, I-I-I was wondering i-i-i-f you'd l-l-l-like to-"
"Yes," Gavin replied, interrupting her and making her eyes widen with surprise. "I'd love to." At that, her face grew even redder, before she leaped forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"Yes yes yes yes yes!" Dogtania said happily as she hugged him, with him hugging her back lovingly, her tail wagging as fast as possible.
The two hugged each other lovingly for several minutes, smiles on their faces, before they looked at each other. "I love you Dogtania," He said to her with a loving look.
"I love you too Gavin," She replied, before she kissed him on the cheek, making him blush even harder. "I have for a while."
"So have I, Dogtania," He said. "So have I." He then pressed his lips on her cheek, making her face turn even redder than they already were. She then kissed him back, prompting him to kiss her again.
After a few more minutes later, he spoke again. "So, what now?" he asked her.
"I'm not really sure," She replied honestly. "I've never dated before."
"Right, right," Gavin said with a nod. "Well, I do believe I should escort you to your room, my dear Dogtania," He continued, making her blush, as he'd never referred to her as "his dear."
"A-Alright," She replied, before they let go of each other, and he stood up from the bed, before taking her hand and walking with her to the door. Once they were in the hallway, he escorted her to the room next to his.
"Have a wonderful night, my dear Dogtania," he said to her as he opened her door. "If you require anything of me, let me know."
"Alright, Gavin," She replied with a smile, before she blushed as he kissed her hand and cheek. "Goodngiht."
"Goodnight, Dogtania," Gavin said to her with a matching smile, before he turned away once the door was shut.
He then saw that Juliette's uncle was standing at the end of the hallway, a large smile on his face. The man gave him a thumbs up and winked at him before he headed downstairs.
"Huh," Gavin said as he headed back to his room, surprised at what he had just seen, before he put it to the side mentally, a large smile on his face as he shut the door and started to get undressed for bed. 'I finally did it!' He thought as he set his clothes on the chair and his straightened sword on the seat, with his boots next to it and his necklace still around his neck. 'I finally confessed my feelings to Dogtania, and she feels the same!' he continued as he started to get into bed.
As he and Dogtania laid in their beds, they both thought the same thing. 'I finally have a boyfriend/girlfriend! And it's Gavin/Dogtania!' With that, the two closed their eyes, and fell asleep with large smiles on their faces.
Well, this was an interesting chapter!
Can't wait to write more!
Porthas and Athos have been swapped for this story, as they were also swapped in the cartoon for unknown reasons.
So, Dogtania and Gavin have confessed their feelings for each other! Wonderful!
Also, unlike how it was in our history, in this story premarital sex is not as badly frowned upon.
Please leave a review.
This is PuzzleMaster1998 here, signing off!
