Late Night Stroll (OPEN)

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Crow instantly looked around and was surprised to see a black cat come between them. It was soon hissing at them to stop. Looking at the cat, he realized it was Runningpath. Tensing, he wondered if she was going to help attack him.

He cocked his head in wonder as she started to 'defend' him against this tom. His side started to burn horribly more so and he quickly sat down and began to lick his wounds. While he did, he listened to Runningpath's and Mudstripe's exchange with curiosity. At her questions, he merely looked at the two, made sure to get Mudstripe's eye and smirk as he nodded. This warrior was being told off by a female and he was going to rub it in just a bit more.

Crow felt that there would always be competitive attitude between him and this tom.

At Runningpath's attitude, he couldn't help, but smile. It was very funny to watch this exchange.

His eyes flicked upwards at the word traitor and the names he was called. A growl grew in his chest. When it was clear that Runningpath was telling him to leave, he stood up in anger. He wasn't going to allow this tom to call him and Runningpath such things.

"Warrior! How dare you call me those names, along with Runningpath. She is no flea-bitten traitor, and I'm not a horrible nasty loner. I only see your mangy fur slinking around these parts that even show those traits," he hissed.

Flicking his tail, he began to pad off, but turned around. "I will go now though. I had asked for this before and I'm pleased you've swallowed your pride and are allowing me to."

"I had a reason though Runningpath. I'm sorry for hurting your position and making others feel that way about you." He gave a look at Mudstripe.

In a flash he had dashed towards her side, ignoring Mudstripe, and began to whisper. "Whispers of cats keep driving me here and won't leave me alone anymore."

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Mudstripe spat again. Why was she acting so foolishly? Did this she-cat not understand how serious a crime this was? To go against the warrior code like this was unforgivable. And yet she was rolling her eyes like an apprentice who was listening to an elder scolding them for finding burs in their nests. This was not how noble Clanborn cats were supposed to treat the warrior code.

When Runningpath reached with her muzzle toward his own, Mudstripe hissed and recoiled instantly. "Buzz off, traitor. Don't you think for a heartbeat that I'm going to stand by quietly while you scamper off in the middle of the night to meet up with this loner friend of yours." He glanced toward Crow again, eyes filled with a desire to spill the unclean blood.

The tabby looked back to Runningpath with the same amount of hostility. "Don't you even think it. I'll make sure Spottedstar knows about this. And if I ever catch you or this piece of worthless crowfood within a tree-length of each other, I won't hold back my claws." A growl rumbled in his throat. He would have liked to do just that anyway.

Crow's attitude wasn't helping there, either. The tabby warrior rounded on the black loner with bared fangs. "Shut up, carrion! I call you both those names because they are true. No cat outside ShadowClan is worth the tip of a mouse tail. They're all untrustworthy, backstabbing pieces of crowfood that have no idea how a real cat lives. And any cat that breaks the warrior code is just the same, no matter where they come from." He looked to Runningpath with meaning behind his eyes.

He took a couple paw steps to the side, watching the black she-cat. "You, loner, get off ShadowClan territory before you regret it more than you already should. And you, Runningpath, after you. I'm not going to let you stick around to chat with your buddy, here."

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RunningPath couldn't help but snort at Mudstripe, letting her tail lash across his face in a teasing way. She would have fun for a while. And oh, she will tell SpottedStar, and she didn't think she would mind that much. Maybe a little, but not much.

She smiled at Mudstripe, and then looked over at Crow. She felt utterly surprised at his words and his attitude. Her ears flicked a bit.

"Crow, don't worry about it, nothing will happen I'm sure," she mewed softly, and then looked back at Mudstripe with a smirk.

"Say what you want, furball. I'm not a traitor, I have my reasons. Plus, I am contacting SpottedStar about it, without you," she snorted to herself, and laughed.

"No, after you," she said that rather harshly, "I don't need your eyes boring into my back."

She looked over at Crow, and smiled softly, "Bye, Crow."

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Crow's ears went back and a snarl appeared on his face at Mudstripe's words. "You don't have the proof to say those things, you piece of fox-dung! Maybe its the other way around. Have you ever thought about that?," he hissed at the tom angerily. How dare a clan cat come marching in on this subject, taking down his livelyhood without even knowing how he lived. Just because some loners lived like that didn't mean all were the same. It was like saying clan cats were dumb, fat, and blood hungry from just seeing them from the outside or basing them off of one.

Crow's fur was puffed up as his tail lashed when the tom told him to go. No cat had ever gotten him riled up like this before. His claws eased in an out of his paws. The tom then looked towards Runningpath and felt calmer at her words, but doubt was still hidden in the cracks of his mind. How could she know? These voices just weren't stopping and they got stronger as he got closer to the clans. Even now he could hear a faint whispering. He shook his pelt and hated himself afterwards. His side was still bleeding from the sharp claws of Mudstripe.

Runningpath waited for that same warrior to leave and said goodbye to him.

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Mudstripe growled again, flexing his claws. "You just try that. I'm not going to give you the chance to give Spottedstar your side of the story first." His position was relaxing slightly. He was no longer in preparedness to attack, although he was still wary. The tabby shot another hostile glance back at Crow at his jeering words. "That is completely different. Clan cats live by a noble code that guides our pawsteps. At least most of us do- Runningpath," he growled the last bit with a quick glance at her. "You loners have no idea what that's like."

The ShadowClan warrior shook out his fur, trying to flatten it as best he could before glancing back to Runningpath with an unfriendly look in his eyes. "We'll go together," he settled, a growl still tinging his voice. "Are you going to fight that?"