Family History

This is a fanon where Dodger tries to discover his family ancestry.

## Plot

Chapter 1

On the streets of New York, the streets were lined with traffic. At a disused construction site, Dodger, the leader of the Company, was with Oliver and talking to two other dogs; a Saint Bernard called Stan and a dachshund called Kurt. "Dodge, what's wrong? You look upset." The cat had noticed that his friend was looking particularly sulky. Stan, the larger of the two dogs approached. "Dodge, buddy. Anything up?" he asked in a thick Italian accent. "Nothing, Stan," Dodger sighed. Kurt came waddling up to him. "Dodger, *mein guter freund*, you can talk to me about anything."

Dodger inhaled deeply. *Might as well,* he thought to himself. "It's just...I want to find out about my family." Oliver looked at his friend as though he had dropped from the sky. "Dodger," he said, "I thought you knew about your family." "Yeah...I mean, I've got my mom and dad. There's my kids, my adopted son Sam, and he's got pups now. And my four biological kids, Harvey, Lucy, Storm and Archie. But, where did *my* own ancestry start? I mean, Georgette claims to be descended from poodles belonging to 17th century French nobility. Francis can trace his roots all the way back to Victorian England, but what about me?"

"Dodge, I'm not sure. The best ya *can* do is try and work it out yourself. My old man's parents came her from Switzerland. The stories he used to tell!" Dodger laughed. It was a small comfort. "You're right, Stan. This should be something I should work out on my own."

Chapter 2

New York, 1609

The sun rose over the forests of New York. The mighty city had not yet been established and the land was as wild and untamed as it had been for thousands of years before. It was also the home of a dog called Okwaho. He was the pet of a respected warrior from a local tribe of Native Americans. His master was also a skilled hunter and more often than not, Okwaho accompanied him on expeditions to find food for the tribe.

One night, Okwaho and his master, the warrior Chikat, were sitting near a huge bonfire which the rest of the tribe had gathered around. "My people," announced the village chief Hashoni. He was a tall, middle aged man with long, black hair streaked with grey and sporting a buckskin cloak and trousers and moccasins, a feathered headdress and a necklace made from bear's teeth. "I have seen strangers arrive on our shores. They may be dangerous. If you see them, stay on guard and *don't* go wandering off alone."

Chikat asked, "What do we do if we run into them?" "I want you take some scouts tomorrow and remain vigilant". After that, the villagers departed for their homes. As the warrior got ready to fall asleep, his ever faithful dog Okwaho followed him. In his mind he thought, *I wonder what these strangers are like?*

The next morning, Chikat and some warriors from the village were in the forest keeping an eye out for the newly arrived strangers. Okwaho, as always, accompanied his master. "Chikat, that dog of yours is *always* by your side," smiled one of the warriors, Katali. "I know. He has the speed of a wolf, strength of a bear and the heart of an eagle." Just then, the group heard voices from below and they got down to avoid being seen, however Okwaho ran off to investigate. "It sounds like humans, they may be friendly," he said, optimistic.

A massive ship was moored nearby, and a group of fair skinned settlers were setting up camp. Two of them, one who was as thin as a rake and the other who was decidedly tall and Falstaffian, were talking. "This new land is certainly full of opportunities." "Yes, but what about the locals?" "Pffft, what harm will come from a few Indians?" "You never can be sure where they may turn up."

Just then, Okwaho wandered into the settlers' camp. The two men who were engaged in conversation were amazed to see the dog. "What is this beast doing here?" The leader of the settlers came striding up. "I'm sure the King back in Amsterdam would *love* to use him in the arena." He grabbed Okwaho by the back of his neck and the dog bit his hand, causing him to yell in pain.

Just as Okwaho was making for freedom, two settlers held him down and started forcibly pulling him on a leash. They dragged him away towards the ship when a blood-curdling sound pierced the air. "AEAEAEAEAEH!" Then, as if on cue, Chikat and the warriors jumped out of the foliage.

Chikat saw his beloved dog being dragged away towards the ship and pushed the settlers aside. He called to Okwaho until the leader of the settlers arrived and aimed his rifle inches from his face. "Step away if you want your dog to live, savage." The warriors ran off into the forest and Chikat could only watch as the ship sailed away with Okwaho on it.

On the massive vessel, Okwaho was tied up and pulling against his restraints. "Stop struggling. It's no use." Okwaho turned around and saw an attractive female dog standing next to him. As if under a spell, he was attracted to her. "You do have a name, don't you?" "My name. it's Okwaho." "Well, Okwaho, my name is Lara. My master is taking us back to Amsterdam."