A legend is born in the Forest of Dean

A legend is born in the Forest of Dean on the mystical Welsh border. This is the land of Merlin, and the Forest of Dean claims one of Arthur's caves. On a cold and rainy day we left the cozy breakfast room at the Saracens Head Inn (1)  and took a walk along the flooding Wye river. About two and a half miles to the Arthur's cave and a quarter mile short we turned back. Wrong shoes for climbing and no hiking poles. The ground was wet, muddy and slippery.

On the way back along an old railroad bed I noticed a very large brindle hound walking beside and just behind me. I do mean large. Probably the size of a ridgeback. Muscular with a large square head. The dog was walking between us and the woods. Quiet. Keeping pace. He or she was in my peripheral vision, and when I turned to look directly the dog just was gone. It was clearly there one moment and gone the next, so what is the explanation ? Spirit hound comes to mind. This is an ancient forest where magic still can be felt from time to time, and where the shades of Knights and peasants still roam. This is an old and sacred place and not surprising has many spirits in residence.
I think the hound was a kind of shy gardian, patrolling the paths and keeping naive and unwary strangers from harm.
I could find no tales of a large brindle hound patrolling the paths of the Forest of Dean. There is one now.
1. http://saracensheadinn.co.uk/
Image: http://imgur.com/Ekl7x.jpg