Bree Baillargeon had set her alarm 15 minutes early, to guarantee that she'd be on time. She had a sunrise date on the portside rail, and she was NOT going to be late!! Dressing quickly, she quietly slipped out of the cabin, closed the door softly behind her, and headed for the deck.

The eastern horizon was tinged in shades of pink as Bree stepped out into the pre-dawn darkness. A quick glance around the teak deck told her that she was early... and alone. She stepped over to the gleaming brass rail, propped her elbows on the rail, then rested her muzzle on her interlaced paws, and watched the eastern sky's morning extravaganza.Bree smiled to herself as she watched the sun change the sky into a myriad of colors.

Suddenly, she felt someone standing beside her. Turning slightly, she smiled up into Bravo Belvin's handsome face.

"Thought you'd slept in! Figured you were going to miss the sunrise," she said, turning back to watch the sun continue it's journey into the morning sky.

Bravo laughed softly, then replied,"Had no intention of missing this sunrise, OR sharing it with the prettiest Scottie on the yacht!"

He moved closer to her, wrapped one paw around her shoulders, then gently placed his other paw atop hers on the rail.

"Beautiful," he said quietly, as Bree laid her head on his shoulder. Together, they silently watched the sunrise, amazed by its beauty and majesty.

It may have been only minutes, it may have been hours. Neither Bree nor Bravo were aware of time passing... they were enjoying the sea spray in their faces, the splash of colors in the dawn sky, and the arrival of the Sun as it began its daytime journey across the heavens.

A sudden explosion of sound brought an abrupt end to Bree and Bravo's quiet reverie. Turning back toward the double doors that led down to the staterooms, they smiled to see Rooney Vacheresse, Hobbes Devine, and Piper Pell bursting out onto the deck, followed closely by Lucile, Mason Bruce, Megan Wilson, Annie Belle Currie, Jake Bradberry, Allie Mae Graves, Darby Lawrence, Haley Devine, Cassie Georges, Angie Riches, Dottie Smith, Bartholomew van Dulken, and Malky.

The group of noisy terriers sprinted across the deck and skidded to a halt near the bow of the yacht. Chaos erupted as each of them vied for position at the very front of the sloop.

"ME.....ME FIRST!" Cassie Georges proclaimed, as she stepped up onto Mason's shoulders to reach the top rung of the railing. Throwing her front paws out wide, she tried to balance on the top rail of the sloop as it sliced through the water.

"LOOK at ME!" she shouted. "Just like in the MOVIES! WHEEEEEEE!"

"You're DOING it wrong!!!! NOT on the TOP RAIL, silly!!!" Angie Riches argued. "You're gonna FALL! Get DOWN one.... on the railing BELOW!!!"

Bartholomew interrupted, "NOOOOOO, don't hang OVER!!! Stand on the TOP! I'll show you the REAL way to Fly!"

Stepping up on the railing beside Cassie, Angie and Bartholomew both began to demonstrate what they thought was the PROPER technique for flying on the bow of the fast-moving sailing sloop.

Haley, Megan, Dottie, and Darby were convinced that balance wasn't nearly as important as STYLE, so they scrambled up to the top rail and began posing dramatically!!

Malky, Jake Bradberry, and Mason decided that the SCOTSMANLY thing to do was to spit into the wind... from the bow edge of a sailing sloop! It didn't take them but seconds to adjust that to "Arrrrrrrooooooo'ing" instead!

Rooney, Hobbes, and Piper crawled up between the lowest railings, stretched WAY out over the edge, and stared wide-eyed at the water below. White foam whipped by far below, as the prow of the sleek vessel sliced effortlessly through the water.

"WHOA!!!" Roon gasped in awe. "I don't kick up THAT much water when I take a BATH! That's COOL!"

"HEY! Look at ME!" Piper announced, as he clambored up beside Cassie and Angie on the very highest railing. Looking way down at Roon and Hobbes on the deck, Piper challenged, "Betcha can't do THIS!!!"

Hobbes and Roon watched as Piper balanced precariously on the top railing, one paw thrown out bravely, the other hovering mere inches from the railing.... just in case!

The rest of the group suddenly scrambled up to the railing, each one wanting to try their paw at "flying the bow"! Dottie and Malky squeezed in between Cassie and Piper, who had to make a mad grab for Malky's paw to keep from falling into the ocean below.

Bree and Bravo watched the fun quickly turn into bedlam as all of the terriers began scrambling toward the railing... closer and closer to danger.

"Bravo, DO something!" Bree urged. She and Bravo immediately hurried toward the pushing, wrestling terriers, hoping to get them down from the railing before someone ended up in the water far below!

A sudden "WATCH OUT!" immediately drew everyone's attention! Bravo and Bree RACED toward the group just in time to see several furry bodies lose their grip on the railing.

Bravo grabbed for the nearest furry paw. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Guardians springing into action. Jake Lawrence leaped forward, leaned far over the railing, and grabbed the collar of one terrier in his teeth. Jack and Keisha lunged forward and were barely able to grab the paws of two terriers who had slipped beneath the lowest rail were desperately clawing at the teak deck, looking for anything to stop their fall.

Guardians appeared out of nowhere. Belle, the Great Pyrenees, grabbed three terriers just as they slipped over the rail... one in each of her huge paws, the third one between her clenched teeth, having been snatched by the scruff of the neck at the last second.

Sasha Parker and Bear Powers threw themselves toward the far railing, to intercept the last two terriers who were skidding across the deck toward the water!

It had gone from fun to frantic in seconds... yet the Guardian Brigade had been right there. Their huge paws protecting the wee Terriers from certain death, their teeth grabbing furry bodies in the nick of time, their bodies offering support, security, and safety.

The group of Guardians and Terriers lay sprawled across the teak deck, catching their breath. As the Guardians untangled themselves from the furry mass and pulled themselves to their paws, they looked at the terriers, wanting to make sure that everyone was safe.

The terriers were dusting themselves off, laughing uproariously, and patting each other on the back!!!

"WOW! Did you see THAT!?!?! COOL!"

"SUPER!! That was FUN!!!!!"

"LET'S DO IT AGAIN!" said one terrier, smiling broadly.

As one voice, the Guardians responded with a sharp "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

The Guardian Brigade was saved from what would have been a guaranteed confrontation by the timely arrival of the Chief Steward on the deck. Raising his hand, he rang a bell, then announced regally, "Breakfast is now served in the Forward Lounge."

The Terriers cheered loudly, then stampeded toward the door to the Forward Lounge, barely missing a very surprised Chief Steward... who had amazing reflexes to be able to jump out of the way JUST in TIME!

The Guardian Brigade watched the Scotties disappear belowdecks. They looked at each other..... and shook their heads in wonder!

Jubilee smiled wickedly, looked at her Guardian Brigade and asked, "Okay, which one of you had the notion that it'd be an EASY BASH if we put the Terriers onto a boat for a week????? HMMMMMMMM????"

Somewhere in the Brigade, one long groan was heard... and the Guardians broke out in uproarious laughter!

"Breakfast, Guardians....," Jubilee announced, "we have to keep our STRENGTH up!"

Smiling and clapping each other on the back, they began heading toward the Forward Lounge for their OWN breakfast.

Jubilee shook her head as she followed her friends belowdecks.

"Goodness!" she thought to herself. "It's just BREAKFAST of the first DAY!!!"

And with one soft groan, she followed the others down to the Lounge... LEISURELY BASH, indeed!!!

Chapter 3 The Wind in Their Fur

It was a beautiful day onboard the Aberdeen Star. Her full sails pushed her silently through the clear blue water. The warm, tropical sun spread its warmth across the yacht and the BASH guests who were lounging on its glistening deck. Riley stepped out into the sunshine and took a deep breath. The sea air was invigorating as it gently tossled his beard and furnishings. He gave his handsome head a quick shake to straighten his windblown beard, then began to casually walk across the sunlit deck. He looked around at all of his friends, enjoying this perfect day..... warm sun, cool breezes, surrounded by friends. He glanced across at the 'Refreshment Buffet' and smiled to himself. Well, a never-ending supply of food didn't hurt EITHER!!! His eyes scanned the deck, taking in the moment. He knew he'd find Katie up here, in the middle of the activity. She wasn't one to just lie around, though. Her paws had to be busy DOING something ... she and Webber were concentrating on a brisk game of shuffleboard. But Riley had never seen shuffleboard played with TENNIS BALLS!! It certainly made for a frantic game, as they had to race down and catch the ball before it went over the side of the yacht and into the sea! He laughed as he watched the two Scotties enjoying their LEISURELY day in the sun. Riley found an empty deck chair, plopped down, and propped his elbow on the arm of the chair. He watched his friends as they relaxed in the sun. Robbie McGillivray and Gracie Girl Kubicek were having a spirited discussion near the starboard rail with Libby Timm and Capt'n Eddie Zeigler. Riley laughed out loud as he realized that the foursome had created a Sailing version of "Go Fish" and were having a grand time making up the rules as they went! Meanwhile, Billy Delli Carpini seemed to have the world in his paws. Maggie Belvin, Lucy Sheets, and Billy were seated near the rail, lounging in the warm sunshine. Occasional laughter could be heard coming from the group of friends as they chatted happily. Nearby, Agatha Bruce and Lucky Laddie Zeigler were deep in conversation, their deck chairs pulled close together. A sheet of paper lay in Agatha's lap. As Riley watched, Lucky Laddie shook his head vigorously, disagreeing with something Agatha said. He pointed to the paper in Agatha's lap, made another suggestion, which seemed to please Agatha tremendously. They both collapsed in laughter, then resumed their very secretive planning. Riley decided he didn't want to KNOW what THEY were plotting, so his gaze continued across the deck. All three of the tennis courts were in use, as terriers scampered across the deck to lob tennis balls back over the net. He noticed that the stances of the tennis players was in constant motion, to counter the roll and pitch of the Aberdeen Star as she knifed through the water. Everywhere Riley looked, couples were enjoying the sun and the spray. Connor Bruce and Pagan Marie were enjoying a game of Chess, using the Aberdeen Star's PUHDUL chess set. Cammster Meverden and Kelley Lyons were perched on top of the wheelhouse, their legs hanging over the edge, their paws swinging leisurely. Sighting something in the distance, one would point excitedly, then both Terriers would squint their eyes to get a better look... only to dismiss it as a gull or a dolphin. Their eyes never left the horizon as they laughed and talked. Looking farther across the deck, Riley's smile softened. Sitting at the very front of the yacht, nearest the bow, were Max Knaub, Monte Reyner, and Duncan Vacheresse. The two Westies and the Scottie had not allowed the physical ailments of old age interfere with their cruise. Their deck chairs were positioned near the rail. Each furry muzzle was lifted high into the air, nostrils quivering to catch each unique smell of the sea as the wind whipped their fur and spray misted their grizzled faces. Riley couldn't hear the Elders' conversation, but knew they were discussing the different aromas in the sea air, trying to identify each. Riley watched the occasional nods of agreement, followed by a quick shake of one distinguished head. Then, all three muzzles would return to the air, as they re-evaluated the sea air. They were in touch with nature, they were happy, life was good. And the three beloved Elders were quite safe. Riley looked just behind the three Elders, and realized that the elders had their own private Guardian Brigade protectors. Sorbet Graves, the Bearded Collie, Sammy, the Golden/Shar Pei, and Eddie, the Greyhound were seated immediately behind the Elders, having a conversation of their own. The Elders were not aware of the Guardians' presence, nor did they notice the huge paws that were negligently lounging on each deck chair... ready for any sudden change in position or roll of the deck. The BASH Guardians were at their station and protecting their beloved Terriers. Riley gave his head a brisk shake, and turned his attention to the row of deck chairs that lined the port rail. Speedos and bikinis as far as the eye could see!!! Lads showing off their biceps, lasses sashaying by the line of deck chairs, flashing broad smiles to the grinning Lads. A gleam appeared in Riley's eye..... nothing like a Scottie lass in a bikini to turn a Scotsman's muzzle! A burst of loud, raucous laughter drew his attention to a group of Terrier lads near the stern of the Aberdeen Star. Riley rose from his deck chair and sauntered toward the group. He smiled to see Mac Tracey wielding his enormous Claymore, swinging it wildly overhead along with a battle ready "AARRRROOOOO"!!!! Riley stepped into the circle, and joined Dughul Wilson, Bert Williamson, Mac Williams, Bohdi and Baxter Tucker, Dougan Gray, Henry Stewart, and Simon Zale as they cheered Mac on, adding their "AAARRROOO's" to Mac's. It was Duffy Tracey and his Scottish Basket Hilt Sword that really turned the group into a warrior band! Duffy and Mac began sword fighting, their wee Scottie paws gripped tightly around the enormous swords! It didn't take long for the other Terriers to demand their turns with the gigantic weapons. Soon, the sounds of their "warrior shouts" were heard all over the ship, the clash of steel against steel, the shouts of encouragement, and laughter....always the laughter!! The Wee Warriors never noticed their audience... the group of Guardians who had quietly moved in to stand within paw's reach of the enthusiastic Scotties as they wielded the mammoth swords. Jake, Belle, and Callie stood close to the warriors, braced and ready to intervene... Callie smiled at Jake and Belle, and whispered softly, "Don't you just LOVE a leisurely vacation cruise!!" Jake laughed, glanced around the deck at the relative peace and quiet around him.... and added, "Yep, this IS peaceful!!!" just as he leaped forward to grab the wayward Claymore that had slipped out of someone's wee paws. Handing it back to an impatient Scottie, Jake stepped back, to stand beside Callie and Belle. "Yep, quiet and peaceful!! UH HUH!!" The Guardians settled down to watch in comfort, as the Aberdeen Star continued its journey across the Caribbean... on its leisurely BASH cruise. Chapter 4 Paws in the Rigging The Guardian Brigade was on a roll!! "WOW, we're GOOOOOOOOOD!" proclaimed one Guardian (whose ego mandates that we withhold the NAME). "We're SUPER heroes!!!" Sadie turned, rolled her eyes and said," You're KIDDING, RIGHT??? We've only been out here a day and a half!!! They're not even warmed UP YET!" Jubilee nodded, then added," These Terriers live on the edge... you blink, you look away for even a SECOND, and they're GONE... OFF on another adventure! Trust me.... I can tell you stories that would CURL your FUR!" The newest Guardians' eyes widened in amazement. They'd apparently greatly UNDER-estimated these wee dynamos. Exchanging glances with other Guardians, they agreed that perhaps they HAD been a TAD over-confident. Jake advised," Do NOT take your eyes off those Terriers. You MUST anticipate... you MUST be pro-active in your Guardian duties! We ALL live with Terriers of our own....we all KNOW what they're capable of!" Groans and nodding heads agreed with Jake's statement. The Guardians began quietly making plans for duty stations for the remainder of the day.... When, suddenly..... they heard a SCREAMMMMMM!!! "LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOK"! shouted Willow Clarkson from across the deck. The Guardians leaped to their paws and raced across the deck. Everyone was pointing UPPPPPP! Their gazes rose to stare at the Crow's Nest at the top of the mast...... "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, my GOSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" groaned Belle........ Chapter 5 Dragging Paws OUT of the Rigging The Guardian Brigade raced to the main mast and stared up, up, to the very TOP... the crow's nest, where two scotties were hanging precariously from the rigging. But what stunned the Guardians even MORE, were the three OTHER terriers who were half-way UP the mast and making fast progress toward the TOP!! Austin Tucker stood atop the Crow's Nest, one paw gripping the mast as he leaned WAY out over the edge of the platform, as far as he could reach. Just out of his paw reach was Jaimie Sugar, upside down, hanging by his rear paws. "A little MORE!" Austin shouted. "Stretch out a little MORE!!!" Jaimie bent his knees to get a better grip on the ladder, then reached up and took the steak knife out of his mouth. Grasping the knife tightly in one paw, he stretched his front paws out wide. Turning his head only slightly, he called back over his shoulder, "How's THAT?" Austin looked down the mast at the three terriers headed UP toward the Crow's Nest, and called "Check it NOW. Working NOW????" Linus Smith, Tosh II, and Bonnie Belle Bush scrambled up the last several feet, then clambored up onto the narrow platform of the Crow's Nest. "LEMME see!" Bonnie Belle mumbled as she unhooked her cellphone from her collar. Flipping it open, she put it to her ear.... and smiled broadly. "GREAT! THAT's PERFECT! Hold it RIGHT THERE, Jaimie!! Don't MOVE!" Bonnie Belle instructed, as she eagerly began scrolling through her contact list. "HURRY UP, Bonnie!!" Tosh II ordered. "They're beginning to SNARL!" The Crow's Nest Callers looked down to see all of the Guardians standing at the base of the mast, all looking up, and all looking VERY unhappy with the situation. "OHHHHHH, they'll be FINE!" Bonnie predicted. "They'll want pizza, TOO!!! I'll just order a couple of 'double meat, extra cheese' pizzas, that'll settle 'em RIGHT DOWN!" She turned her attention back to her cellphone...."Yes, Pizza Palace? Hi, I'd like an order to GO, please!" Linus urged, "Bonnie, HURRY!!!! We've gotta GOOOOOO! NOW!! The "Big Guys" are NOTTTT happy!!" Turning to look back down toward the deck, Linus waved boldly. "Be RIGHT THERE!!!" he announced brashly. "BE RIGHT THERE?!?!?!?!?!" Jake repeated, through clenched teeth. "RIGHT THEREEEEEEEE?" Jake turned around to his fellow Guardians. "Okay, who's going UP there to bring 'em DOWN??" Belle laughed out loud!! "YEAH, RIGHT!" She spread her paws wide....."I'm a Great Pyrenees, for pete's sake. YEAH, like I can shinny up that pole, UH HUH!!" Eddie chuckled and raised his paw. "I'll go," he volunteered, as he flexed his Greyhound muscles for the GB group. "I'm agile." The Greyhound Guardian had just wrapped his paws around the mast and had begun to climb, when Jubilee put her paw on his shoulder to halt his progress. "They're coming down, wait a second," she instructed, and stepped back. The Guardians, along with the entire BASH contingent of terriers, backed up to encircle the mast. Tosh II and Linus were the first to reach the deck, followed closely by Bonnie Belle, Jaimie, and Austin. They began congratulating each other happily, clapping each other on the back. Bonnie Belle smiled broadly as she raised her cellphone in her paw, said, "Thank YOU! We'll be waiting!" then briskly snapped the phone closed. "Okay, what were you DOING?" Jubilee asked, a stern expression on her face. Austin volunteered, "We wanted pizza, and we couldn't get a clear signal... so we just wanted to get more than one BAR on our cellphone!" Jaimie added, "Hey, the signal is GREAT up THERE!!" He pointed back up to the Crow's Nest. "And pizza is coming for ALLLLLLL!!!" Bonnie Belle announced, holding her paws up, as if scoring a touchdown. Wild cheering erupted from the BASH terriers. They surrounded the Crow's Nest Callers and escorted the swaggering heroes inside to prepare the Lounge for their 'take-out' meal. The Guardian Brigade stood in mute silence as they watched the Terriers sashay away happily. They gazed at each other, their eyes wide. "Tell me they just DID THAT", Callie said, shaking her head. "They don't think those 5-star chefs in that huge kitchen can't make pizza??" Reggie asked, trying to understand the Terriers' reasoning. Jubilee held up her paw. "It's no use. Don't even TRY to get into a Terrier's thinking processes. It's just too scary to contemplate! Let's just go get ready for our pizzas. She DID say she was ordering us the "double meat"!!!" Laughing, the Guardians shrugged, and followed the noise to the Forward Lounge. Jubilee was the last to leave the deck. She shook her head again.... what ELSE could go wrong??? A LEISURELY BASH?? Not HARDLY!! Chapter 6 BASH on the Rocks The storm seemed to come out of nowhere. The BASH guests hadn't noticed it at first. They'd been much too busy enjoying the pizzas, fresh out of the oven, and delivered at great expense... still hot. Laughter and happy conversation had filled the Forward Lounge as the Terriers and their friends had eaten their fill, with cheese and sauce coating beards, paws, and muzzles. It was the way the Aberdeen Star began rolling with the waves that drew the attention of the BASH partiers. Before, the sailing sloop had slipped effortlessly through the calm water. Now, the yacht rolled and pitched from side to side, signaling a definite change in the weather. The Guardian Brigade hurried up on deck, to check with the ship's captain. The crew was scrambling to lower and secure the sails before the gale struck. The Guardian Brigade was told to remain in the Lounge, that all would be well, and that the yacht was equipped with huge, powerful engines that would serve them well in the coming storm. As the gale reached the yacht, the Aberdeen Star found it harder and harder to maintain a steady heading. The Terriers were hard pressed to maintain their footing in the Lounge, and found themselves grasping the nearest solid structure... anything was permanently bolted to the floor. The Guardians hurried around the room, looking for terriers who were having difficulty with the wild movements of the sailing sloop. They soon had their paws full....some BASH guests were seasick, others were determined to use the violently rolling deck as a 'slip-sliding playground'. The Guardian Brigade devoted most of their efforts to the wee'est BASH guests, worried that the youngsters would not understand and possibly be afraid. The youngest terriers, however, considered this "high adventure", and were riding out each roll of the ship with shouts of "Look Ma, NOOO paws", as they threw their paws high overhead and bent their wee knees to absorb the roll of the deck. The storm continued to build and strengthen, its power being felt with each roll of the sloop. The wave heights continued to build, creating mountains and valleys on the ocean, as the Aberdeen Star fought to maintain its course. The yacht rose dramatically to the crest of each tall wave, only to crash down into the trough, before climbing again to the next, even taller wave. The wind screamed outside as it tried to tear the sleek sailing yacht apart. Suddenly, the voice of the Captain was heard above the storm, warning the passengers...."BRACE...BRACE... IMPACT!" The Guardian Brigade immediately herded their Terriers into a tight group, tucked behind the solidly built bar. It was only seconds later that they heard it... a deep, screeching sound, as if the entire bottom was being torn out of the Aberdeen Star... followed almost immediately by an abrupt, violent COLLISION that threw everyone to the floor. It took several moments for the Guardians to inspect all of the BASH guests, make sure that all was well, and begin to regroup. The storm seemed to lose strength as suddenly as it had appeared. The Terriers cautiously peeked through the doorway to the main deck, and were shocked by what they saw. "UH OH!!!!!!! NOWWWWWWWWWW WHAT???" Sorbet asked, as the terriers began to scatter in all directions. They sensed another adventure!! Chapter 7 Island - Friend or Foe? CLICK on FISH to read Chapter 7 This ORIGINAL story has been created and written by Carol Johnson. ORIGINAL illustrations are done by Karen Donnelly. They are NOT to be reproduced in ANY way ....PERIOD!!!! 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