Flare nibbled on some grass with Shadow a few feet away. Her stomach was always aching for more food.

Though the rays of the sun were almost intolerably bright, Flare enjoyed it. Shadow had his head down and was trying to sleep, but Flare was far too bored and energetic to join him. He'd been quite reserved since Flare had rejected him, but the scents and noises of spring could entertain her now.

She listened to a neighborhood dog bark, and for the first time, let out a small yip of her own. With Mocha gone and Grey Dog in a state of loss, that was two less dogs to notice and interfere with her.

Flare watched the tree limbs that were visible above the fence line, twitching in the breeze. As she supervised, the tan dog licked the dust and grass seeds off her paws.

Jax was the only dog active, who trotted around The Yard, sniffed, and went to urinate in his usual spots. Flare soon became bored of watching him, and directed her view onto White Dog's sleeping back. His hip-bones were poking through his taunt skin as he laid in the heat.

The male's ears twitched and he lifted his head, seeming to sense another dog watching him. While White Dog stood up, his lungs suddenly inflated, and he was wracked by a gasping cough.

I've never seen a dog cough before, Flare thought, but she doesn't show her concern. It's best not to point out White Dog's imperfections anyways, seeing as how Jax does it enough.

"It's so boring out here, with nothing to do!" Jax howled out randomly. Shadow's good ear flicked but he didn't awaken, and Flare gave Jax a tiny nod of agreement as he looked her way.

Across The Yard, the stout young male is a smudge of black-and-white against the grass. He approaches, low-to the ground gait causing his belly to brush the stems.

"So you're bored too, huh? I'm so bored I could start barking, but, you know how that usually goes." Flare silently agreed. The Man would scream at any and all of the dogs if they carried on with more than the occasional yip. His screams always seemed to split the air, and effectively shock any of the dogs into silence. If there was one thing the man was good at, it'd be that.

"We could, uhh...."

Flare let her mind wander as Jax squinted his eyes on his last letter, thinking. She wondered what was going on outside of The Yard, in different places to different dogs. Were they stuck outside all day, like her? Was it possible for a dog to live with their family forever?

A mother-dog and siblings, for your whole life, she let herself imagine. None of the dogs here looked anything like her, in any way. Her ears were pointy and intact- unlike Shadow's floppy ones and the other's triangular, thin flaps of skin that just barely enveloped the ear canal. Flare had long legs like Shadow and White Dog, sure... But she was much furrier.

And none of them act like me. Is it normal for dogs to question why things are the way they are? Or to be nervous, and rarely speak a word?

Poor Flare, in her young yet ignorant innocence, had no way of knowing that her environment over the last year- not her genetics, had caused her collapsible state of mind.

But I don't need my old pack, she finalized with less emphasis on her emotions. I just need to get out of this yard.

Flare hadn't heard a word of Jax's brainstorming about how to banish bordem. So when The Man pulled his car into the driveway mid-day, the tan dog didn't notice that either.

She heard the front door open, but was still deep in her thoughts. When the back door was flung open, her adrenaline spiked with excitement- were they finally getting more scraps?

Grey Dog rushed over first, meeting The Man at the back door. The male's body was wiggling with energy- he seemed excited, and it took Flare a moment to realize that he hoped Mocha would be following behind. After all, this was something other than the daily dog food feeding ritual.

While the other dogs followed close behind, Flare and Shadow kept their positions near the porch- but didn't approach it. Flare's nose twitched as she detected the scent of an unfamiliar, intact male dog overlaid with The Man's. She completely forgot about hoping for scraps just then.

The tan female moved closer but could see nothing; White Dog, Jax, and Grey Dog were nearly inside of the doorway- all three had high hackles. Jax was already yipping.

"What's the ruckus?" Shadow said, struggling to wake. Flare didn't answer him, craning her neck to see. All she could make out was a dark mass of black fur, from what she could see through a multitude of legs.

Then The Man cut through the path of dogs, and the dark mass of fur followed. She caught view of the new dog, flat head, ears pointy and furry. His gaze, pinpointed on White Dog, rusty brown and piercing. The male had jet-black shiny fur that was at least two inches long. His fur shimmered from the light hitting it as he moved, shaping the male's long legs from his torso. He had a thick chest, and looked clean. And he eats better than us, Flare thought with a jealous twinge as she eyed his belly. No ribs poked through his side. The male took tiny steps, swinging his face nervously away from one dog- only to have another get in his face; barking, sniffing or even nipping his ears.

Flare noticed that he was a very large male, nearly as formidable in height as well as weight compared to White Dog. And although dogs have no knowledge about their own breeds, The Man knew he'd bought this young German Shepherd Dog because of it's rare black coat- well, that, and because he was the host of a weekend dog-fighting show. And this young dog, he'd been told, could thrive in a Yard with repetitive fights.

In the next few seconds, though, things unfolded a lot slower than Flare would've liked to watch. The Man took the leash off this new dog before leaving the porch, and retreated back inside whilst all of The Yard's current residents barked up a frenzy.

She saw Grey Dog come close to the male's face- close enough to bump into his muzzle, accidentally. Though the pitbull was only sniffing the black dog's face, the black dog's head bucked, clipping Grey Dog in the forehead. As he turned his head, Flare noticed that the German Shepherd's muzzle was riddled with scars. Even from this distance, the tan dog caught a flash of pink against the black, and realized that the dog's ears were also scattered with bald patches from old wounds.

That must have stung like a swarm of bees! Is there more scars under his fur? Was his old Yard even worse than here? She didn't have time to think into it further.

The male began growling from deep in his chest; a clear threat that made Flare nervous. His growls caused the other dog's barking to cease.

She watched his small-set eyes upon his narrow face. Scars were visible through the thinner fur around his muzzle and nose- in particular, it looked like the male's leathery upper portion of nose had once been split open. Far more noticeable, though, was the shade of his eyes. They were copper-brown with a rusty orange hue- a stark contrast of color against his jet-black pelt.

Jax barked some sort of encouragement- something like "show 'em, Grey Dog!" but Flare's ear didn't even twitch as she ignored him, watching the two dogs instead.

As Grey Dog moved in to snap near the male's triangular ears, his opponent stepped back. His tail, thicker and fluffier than hers, did not lower- Flare watched him, beseeched. The newcomer had his eyes narrowed, ears flicked back- but he was not submitting.

As the male opened his mouth to speak, he glanced around at each dog. Flare felt her pelt stand up when he glanced at her, but nothing more. The male's solid-colored fur and pointy muzzle greatly contrasted the more rounded shapes and lighter, mixed colors of the bully-breed dogs.

"Who's the leader here?" He asked. Rather than give an impulsive and untrue answer, the dogs in the yard all looked at each other silently. Even Shadow, who was now wide awake.

Flare felt like this was a peculiar situation for the males. A stranger may think their ways were odd, not having an alpha or omega specially established.

When it was clear none of the dogs would reply, the black male let his teeth show. The white fangs gleamed as they caught the light, looking menacing. With such a long muzzle, he'd find it easy to damage another dog's weak spots. He could probably fit his muzzle around Shadow's whole neck, she thought with foreboding. But so could I. I have a long and pointy muzzle, too. Shadow had a sharp nose, of course- but his jowls were floppy from his hound dog genetics.

So what now?

Since Mocha had left, Grey Dog had recessed further and further from the leader position, and resigned himself to a quieter, less dominant version of himself. Though Flare liked this Grey Dog more, she knew he probably felt hollow and lonely inside. His mate was gone; although that seemed not to affect his fighting ability. Grey Dog hadn't lost a fight to any other dog in The Yard since Flare could remember.

That being said, who controlled the resources? Certainly not Shadow, who wasn't respected because of his neuter- and not a possessive dog in any way. But White Dog had a water bucket, and although he shared it with Jax, he did not let Shadow come near it. Flare looked at him now, tall but spindly. The old male's hip and ankle bones were more profound against his skin, and White Dog didn't react. He didn't look aggressive; if anything, the male seemed a bit tired.

"I am," Jax said recklessly. This time, White Dog's face twisted into annoyance. He was quick to reply, being the oldest dog in The Yard- and seeming how Grey Dog was not responding yet.

"He wishes he could be."

The black-and-white bully breed puffed out his chest. He had thicker legs than any other dog, but his height was much less intimidating. Jax stood so close to the ground that the others couldn't see him as a big dog; let alone the leader.

"I know I could be," Jax stated matter-of-factly.

"Your muzzle is too short to do some real damage. And you're a runt," the newcomer said in a drawn-out snarl. Flare was startled and felt her hackles lift. Though the black dog was menacing, his hate did not seem to spray out of him. Too often, the other dogs let their anger out quick, like a lashing whip- but this male spoke quieter, and slower. Why's he so careful with his words? 

Flare was bewildered that no other dog had replied by now. Perhaps the way he looked was intimidating them. The male's slim build and jet-black fur was contrasting the other's dogs pelts, all lighter or splashed with white. Black Dog's tail was high and at an angle, but his head wasn't raised above the rest. His ears weren't forward like that of a dog with a high ego... They were defensively laid back.

"He's not as confident as he seems," Shadow said over his shoulder at Flare. He had his voice lowered, but Grey Dog caught hear of it anyways. He looked back at Shadow without expression, then squared his shoulders. The grey Pitbull was far closer to the new male than the others, and his hackles had long-since been lifted. Shadow stood a few feet in front of Flare, between her and the others. Jax was close to White Dog, but also just a few feet the new male's back legs. He looked as if he could hardly contain his anger.

"If there is not an Alpha here, I'll assume the position myself."

"Fat chance," Grey Dog spat immediately. The male went after him, and Flare was astounded when the black dog turned tail to run.

"He's running away!" Shadow exclaimed, to which Flare nodded. She, too, was astounded. Just a moment ago he was uncertain, but hostile. And now he runs? Flare was a bit confused.

He skimmed across the ground on long legs, crossing the yard in a few seconds. Jax started barking encouragement, and White Dog jogged across The Yard to follow them.

Shadow glanced at Flare, and they both got up to follow much slower. When Flare reached the others, she had to step around Grey Dog and Jax to see. Shadow pushed against her shoulder, ushering her away from the violence, but Flare stayed put to watch.

Grey Dog was snarling in the black dog's face, who in turn cowered against the fence. He had backed himself into a corner, and Grey Dog showed no sign of relenting regardless of the submission.

"You don't just come into my yard and claim it as your own, pup!" Flare looked at the cowering male closer. Although he had a nervous expression, and his lip was curled fearfully, he couldn't have been younger than Flare or Shadow. Grey Dog had simply insulted him to fan the fire.

The male began pacing, but he didn't move around enough to let the other dog escape. Flare was reminded of how she had been barked at, and even nipped on the head when she'd first arrived. Sorry, Black Dog. If you come in here like that you'll have an even worse welcome.

"I shouldn't have to deal with this," Grey Dog snarled at seemingly no-one. Then he glared down at the male. His piercing brown eyes locked onto the male's, and then a specific spot above his head. Before anyone could react, Grey Dog had nipped a tufty black ear. It was not enough to draw blood, but seemingly it hurt because the dog flinched against the fence. He trembled, seemingly as terrified as Flare had been the first day she'd arrived.

Jax, being just by Grey Dog's shoulder as well, joined in and showed his teeth. Though Jax's actions were not a lesson-teaching intent, he leaned forward and bit on the black dog's ear eagerly. He tugged on it, yanking it this way and that- but the black dog initially didn't react.

Then he stopped trembling, lowered his hackles, and stood up straight to dislodge Jax. This new dog had no doubt realized that the attack was over, if  you could even call it that.

"Hope that taught you something," Grey Dog said with a guttural growl. When it was clear the male wouldn't retaliate to him again, let alone Jax, Grey Dog turned to walk away.

"Oh, it did."

Confused, Flare flicked her gaze back to the black dog- but he was already a blur of motion. He'd flung his back legs against the ground hard enough to propel himself as fast as a rabbit, leaving Jax in the dust.

Grey Dog was turning to respond to this rebellion, but was headbutted in the shoulder full-force. The black dog had his jaws wide as he arched his neck and bared his teeth. He lurched for Grey Dog's neck, and found purchase.

Grey Dog's legs crumpled from beneath him almost immediately. His muzzle wrinkled as he tried to bite the other male's face, but he could hardly reach. When the black dog bit down harder, Flare saw Grey Dog's head flop against the ground as he whimpered. His attempts to get free were no more.

Shocked spread over Flare, giving her the experience of seeing everything slightly slower, as well as through a haze of disbelief. What kind of dog attacks when the other is walking away?!  Hackles straight up, she continued watching the scene unfold from beside Shadow. Her friend had not spoken a word for quite some time.

As Jax sped over, Shadow's legs seemed taunt as he gauged the situation through narrowed brown eyes. Though Flare hadn't so much as flicked an ear, her adrenaline was high. She knew she was not directly apart of this. But something like this could drastically affect The Yard.

"You can't do that to Grey Dog!" Jax's sudden cry was full of rage as he leaped on the male's back, clawing and biting. The black and white dog's mouth was soon full of fur, so he spit it out and went to attack the dog's belly instead.

This time, Black Dog released- but Grey Dog did not get up right away. He swallowed nervously, his neck bloodstained. Though Flare couldn't see a rip in his skin from her distance, she knew there must be deep teeth-holes causing the bleeding.

"You shouldn't have showed me mercy." Spiteful, he peered down at Grey Dog. With an arrogant snarl he flicked out his back legs to kick Jax away. The young bully dog backed up, but only until the futile attempts to get him away stopped.

Randomly, White Dog coughed, a strange noise coming from a dog.

At this point Flare was praying for Jax to stop. His only friend was reserved off to the side, and didn't try to help. He looked torn. If he wants to step in, what's preventing him?  Flare willed White Dog to do something, but... There he sat.

Jax was then grabbed by the neck and nearly lifted completely off the ground. He was heaved away from the black dog, but as soon as he was released he charged back again.

This time the black dog stilled right in front of his face. He didn't show his teeth or snarl. He looked at the much shorter male and spoke, instead;

"The next second that you charge at me is going to result in my teeth going through your nose." Jax stayed where he was this time, falling silent. He seemed to glance at the scar across the German Shepherd's nose, and kept thinking.

"But... You can't hurt Grey Dog anymore." His voice was tiny and quiet, and Flare hardly heard it.

"Well, I'm not going to do that." He raised his head and peered back at the male whom he'd defeated. Grey Dog had lifted his head, and was trying to lick at the still-bleeding wounds on his neck. Obviously it wasn't working- because a dog could hardly touch its own neck without scratching it with a hind-paw.

But the black dog picked his way backwards and idly kicked up dirt over Grey Dog's back and neck. Flare winced, hoping that the action hadn't put dirt into his wounds.

Grey Dog's ears flicked back, but he knew when he was defeated. And so he sauntered away over to his tire.

"That's where I'll be laying," Black Dog commented in a clipped voice. Grey Dog halted, looking as if he was going to say something. Then he turned towards the other tire, which was resting beside the other.

"That one too," the German Shepherd stated. His eyes swept over all of the remaining dogs triumphantly, and Flare couldn't have been more aware that things had just drastically changed.

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image shown is Black Dog