The Stand at Brannoch Glen
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The BASH reinforcements could HEAR the bedlam long before they were able to SEE the combatants. The air was filled with the frightening snarls of the Tyrannosaurus.... and the replying barks and growls of the Terriers. Desperately, Bo'sun encouraged the Terriers to pick up speed. "HURRY, guys! They need our NUMBERS!" Zoe Gray, Odie, Hamish King, Oliver Knaub, Henry Tucker, Webber Riches, and Margie Mae Velez, followed closely by Reggie Lawrence, increased their pace, their furnishings ruffling from the hectic pace. "HURRY!! FASTER!!!!" Oliver urged. "We may be TOOOO LATE!" That thought, alone, spurred the Terriers to an even faster pace. Kaycee Zale, Mr. Murphy Williamson, Midget Wion, and 'HMB' Wilson tore through the underbrush, their noses raised, searching for the telltale scent of their 'prey'! The Guardian Brigade had never seen the Terriers this intense. They knew that it was the danger that surrounded their friends up ahead that drove these wee warriors on. There would be no holding them back once they reached Bear and her group. Running full out, the reinforcements soon saw the Tyrannosaurus's head looming over the trees ahead. Never slowing, the BASH warriors broke through the bushes, and exploded onto the battlefield. For just a second, the startled dinosaur's attention was drawn away from the small fighting force at his feet. The Guardian Brigade was, for once, overcome with emotion. Up ahead, they saw a tiny force of very brave warriors... 7 furry silhouettes, holding their ground, standing right at the very foot of the enormous dinosaur, snarling and snapping, growling and slashing at the enraged T-Rex. None of the small group had any intention of backing off... their focus was on the dinosaur. They never faltered, they never hesitated, but continued to press forward, crowding under the very NOSE of the vicious carnivore. The Guardian Brigade took only a nano-second to glance at each other....at the seeming futility of this show-down...but not a word was said. The entire BASH contingent was moving to face down a Tyrannosaurus, and not one of the terriers considered this to be anything other than a sure victory. The Guardians had only to look down at their beloved Wee Ones, who were already beginning a full charge.... and as one, the loyal Guardian Brigade joined the attack. They were the Guardians of these wee, brave warriors, and they would defend them with their lives.
Bear and her meager group had withstood several charges by the huge beast, its breath coming in deep, rasping gasps. The smell of death surrounded the Tyrannosaur. Bear didn't know how much longer her brave warriors would be able to continue against the overpowering assault of the dinosaur. Suddenly, Bear felt a strong presence beside her. Chancing a quick look away from the charging teeth of the T-Rex, Bear felt a surge of relief. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her now stood Haley, Callie, Jack, and Jake. They never looked at her, but they pressed closer, their large bodies offering reassurance and comfort in this most desperate hour. Bear took one long, stabilizing breath.... The REINFORCEMENTS had arrived!!! Bear's eyes darted across the battlefield. Where, once, there had been only a meager force of 7, now there were 139 fierce, furry souls, standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder teeth bared, feet braced, eyes intently glaring at the danger before them. The BASH onslaught caught the dinosaur off-guard. The Scotties and their friends, experts at working their prey, continued to surge forward, inflicting sudden and immediate damage to the snarling beast before darting to the side before the large, snapping teeth could connect with a target. The T-Rex began swinging his huge head, hoping to knock away some of the tiny pests at his feet. Several times, the T-Rex made contact, throwing the Terriers head over heels into the nearby bushes. Yet, always... ALWAYS, the Terriers bounced up, and rejoined the fray. The battle there in the grassy glen seemed to be a never-ending struggle. The Tyrannosaurus, thinking his foes to be quite small and insignificant, must have expected to make short work of these creatures. However, the Scotties and their friends were not ones to ever retreat or surrender. They continued their assault on the enormous dinosaur, delivering charge after charge of Terrier Tenacity. Breathing now was coming in loud, raspy gasps...from both the Terriers and their opponent. Jubilee stepped back for a second, to survey the battlefield. She saw her wee ones gasping... they would not be able to maintain this pace forever, yet they would never relinquish this field. She glanced around at the Guardians, who were spending all of THEIR time protecting and defending the TERRIERS, rather than mounting their own assaults on the Tyrannosaurus. Giving her head one quick shake to ease the pain, she dove back into the chaos.They were in this battle for the duration, and would be until the very end. Then....... over the din of the battle, came another sound, deep and rumbling. It grew in intensity until the very ground beneath their paws began to tremble. The Tyrannosaurus stopped in mid-step, raised his huge head, and stared toward the tree line behind him. The Terriers, too, paused. The rumble grew until it was a deafening roar that seemed to come from the very bowels of the earth. It was becoming hard to even maintain their footing, as the ground, and even the AIR seemed to quake from the impact. The Guardian Brigade immediately rounded up the Terriers, moved them to one side of the field, then placed themselves outside the group, protecting the terriers with their own bodies. The Tyrannosaurus had chosen to ignore the increasingly thunderous rumble, and had turned his attention back to the Terriers. He lowered his head, and snarled loudly, his mouth open wide, his teeth bared as he seemed to select a target. The Terriers surged forward, trying to push their way past the Guardians who were desperately trying to hold them back. The T-Rex never saw it coming. The sound had suddenly intensified, as if a thousand thundering paws were all running in their direction... and then IT burst through the trees. The Beast stood 30 feet tall at the shoulders, had coarse, grizzled fur, with spines running the length of its back. Sharp barbs lined the ends of its tail, providing a dangerous weapon against predators. Its face was covered with fur, yet did not conceal the mouth full of lethal teeth. The Beast issued one great roar, surveyed the field, then focused its attention solely on the dinosaur. It seemed to take one flying leap, turn in mid-air, and snatched the Tyrannosaurus off the ground as if lifting a mere twig. One quick shake, and it was done. The Beast moved toward the trees, where it dropped the T-Rex into the thick undergrowth. Turning back toward the Scotties and their friends, its demeanor changed completely. It moved to within a few steps of the wee warriors, then simply sat down.... and watched. Katie Wild Child stepped to the front of the BASH group, and stood for a moment, deep in thought. Suddenly, she jerked upright, turned to her Terrier friends and shouted "THAT'S ITTTTTTT!!!" Smiling, she announced.... "I know who this ISSSSSSS!!! We ALLLL do!!!" Moving boldly forward, she stood at the Beast's feet, then rested a paw on the giant foot beside her. Patting it, she continued, "This is our ORIGINAL ancestor..... this is the Scottiesaurus!! The undiscovered ancestor that has been only myth and legend!!!" A sly grin spread across her face as she added, "Now, if you remember 'Digger', you may remember THIS creature here by ANOTHER name!" She patted the giant foot one more time, then looked up to see the Beast watching her curiously. "THIS........ my dear friends........ is the fabled 'BEAST of BRANNOCH'!!!!!!" Gasps of wonder and awe were heard as the BASH Terriers crowded around the enormous Beast. The Scotties began to cheer wildly. This was their legendary ancestor, the great and noble Scottiesaurus, from which all Scotties were descended. They crowded closer, everyone eager to lay a paw on this creature of legendary status. The Guardian Brigade stood quietly, off to one side, as the Terriers spent some time with their huge relative. They watched as the huge Beast of Brannoch sat near the very wee Terriers, watching the group with great curiosity. Then, after a few minutes, the Beast stood, gave one loud 'whuff', and began to move back toward the trees. He never looked back, he never slowed as he swaggered across the field, his gait obvious and recognizable. The Scotties and their friends watched the departing Beast until he disappeared among the trees. Then, the Guardian Brigade began to urge the Terriers back toward camp. They now had to find a way to get HOME! "But," Callie thought to herself. "After what WE'VE been through, getting HOME should be a CINCH!" Smiling, she and her Guardian friends began to herd the happily chattering Terriers back toward the safety of camp.The "Stand at Brannoch Glen" was to become the stuff of legend. Scotties, for years to come, would retell the story.... of the Scotties and their BASH friends, and the courageous STAND they made that day in Brannoch Glen... and of the mythical Beast of Brannoch. 
The Beast of Brannoch Ancestor of all Scotties, brave and bold Legend of the Scottish Terrier
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