[drifty/taint] living on a prayer.

[•Ta!ntedestpool♂]

Taintedpool sat quietly on the edge of the Thunderpath, on a sea of dead grass killed by the smoke and exhaust the Twoleg Monsters distributed. Among the dead grass were many haps of trash and papers, deposited on the ground. Many were scooped up by the wind and were found on WindClan terriotory; on the moor. Some were dangerous. There were poisonous liquids, things that cats could get entangled in... but Taintedpool was too clever to get hurt here.

Several monsters sailed past. The tabby cat's ears swiveled as amidst the roaring of the beasts, he picked up the padding sound of a cat's feet on the other side of the Thunderpath. ShadowClan. He hissed inwardly. Of course, there were some Shadowclanners that he didn't mind. But most of them were a rotten, evil bunch that he couldn't stand. If there was more than one cat here, he would run and sound the alarm, and alert WindClan of an ambush. But if it was just one cat... We'll have a little talk.

[»Ðriftshadow«]

A shadow crawled out of the entrance of the ShadowClan camp. Driftshadow didn't get her name for nothing; she was the stealthiest cat in the camp. (Unless, of course, she got a thorn in her paw. Then she pounded around the camp like a bat with two broken wings, and pretended to be about to join StarClan within minutes.)
The sable colored cat crept through the territory, dodging behind a pine tree or small bush every time some creature appeared from the gloom. Finally she reached the Thunderpath: a huge winding flat snake, hot and rough to the touch, and smelling vile. It was also her favorite place to be, since nobody was ever there. Hardly any prey was about, and cats were usually sensitive to the noise of the roaring monsters.
Driftshadow was less cautious here. She placed her paws louder than her soft hunter's tread, and sneezed frequently from the putrid fumes. She padded out of the bushes on the ShadowClan side and looked at the WindClan side.
"What fun," she declared brazenly, "is it to live on the open moors with wind constantly threatening to push you over and bitterly cold leaf-bare nights?"
The black she-cat sat down after saying that, her unique green-yellow eyes peering into the dark mists on the other side of the Thundepath: WindClan territory.

[•Ta!ntedestpool♂]

Taintedpool was surprised to find that he was disapointed, for the cat that stood on the other side of the Thunderpath was a single cat. A she-cat, too. However, her pelt was a beautiful ebony color...and those unique eyes. Not as unique as mine. The tabby sighed. Normally, Spottedshadow or Ghastlytail would be with him on this marvelous adventure. However, they were both dead and gone. Little talk it will be.

"What fun, is it to live on the open moors with wind constantly threatening to push you over and bitterly cold leaf-bare nights?" The she-cat meowed. Then Taintedpool realized she could not see him. He laughed. Of course. My pelt blends in perfectly with the scenery. He leaped off of the trash heap and headed towards the very edge of the Thunderpath. He sat there, and inclined his head politely at this ShadowClan cat. "Ahem. Are you insulting, I believe, 'dissing' as you ShadowClanners call it, you and your vile use of language, my Clan? My Moor?"

[»Ðriftshadow«]

Driftshadow stiffened as she could sense something across the Thunderpath. Then suddenly, a cat meowed, "Ahem. Are you insulting, I believe, 'dissing' as you ShadowClanners call it, you and your vile use of language, my Clan? My Moor?"
The sable she-cat was so startled at first by the cat's appearance, that she forgot how to speak. He had a brown tabby pelt, with longish fur that seemed almost curled at the tips. But he had the strangest eyes, even stranger than her own, for one of his eyes was a different color than the other! And he looked very handsome when the monster roared past and he just stood his ground... Oh yeah. She was brutally jealous of this WindClan cat now.
Driftshadow sniffed at the WindClanner. "Well, we DO have the right to speak, am I correct?" she stated boldly across the Thunderpath, waiting for him to challenge her back. "I am Driftshadow of ShadowClan, of course! What may your name be, WindClan cat?" She did not say "WindClan" in an offensive way, she said it in a cautious way. Driftshadow did not know what this tom's personality was like, as he could be unpredictable and might attack her! Abolish the thought! she repeated to herself again.
Then the black she-cat pondered again. "Why don't you come over here?" she meowed. "It would be easier to talk, and it wouldn't ruin my lovely voice." She laughed openly at that last part. But she REALLY did want him to come over to her side. Or maybe she to his...?

[[OOC: What color is his other eye? ]]

[•Ta!ntedestpool♂]

Taintedpool blinked at the she-cat, for she seemed to be taking in every detail of him. Of course, there was not much to take in of her. Sleek dark pelt, yellow-green eyes. "Well, we DO have the right to speak, am I correct?" Taintedpool shifted his paws. "So the code says." The ebony cat said, "I am Driftshadow of ShadowClan, of course! What may your name be, WindClan cat? The tabby tom licked his paw, running it over his sleek, smooth tabby fur at the top of his head. The white fur on his chest puffed up. "I don't recall asking who you were. But, since you've told me, Driftshadow, allow me to introduce myself. I am the warrior Taintedpool of WindClan.

"Why don't you come over here? It would be easier to talk, and it wouldn't ruin my lovely voice." Taintedpool inclined his head curiously once more. Why was he making conversation with this cat? And why did she, a Shadowclanner, want to talk to him? Of course, he was incredibly handsome; but he did not think so. Maybe she should come overhere. "No, it's too dangerous. You might get run over by a monster." He meowed, voicing his thoughts. "I can't have a dead Shadowclan cat on my hands." A large twoleg monster was heading down the Thunderpath. Bravely, the tabby stepped out onto the Thunderpath, and as the monster zoomed towards him, he darted right under the monster and onto the other side of the road, never flinching. "Hello."

[»Ðriftshadow«]

Driftshadow was taken aback. Yeah, she was astonished that this WindClan cat Taintedpool would even DARE to do something that brave! The dramatic ShadowClan cat was confused though.
"Why did you come over here? Most cats wouldn't trust a ShadowClan cat. They would think it was an ambush." Her black brow furrowed as she tried to come up with things to say.

[•Ta!ntedestpool♂]

"Why did you come over here? Most cats wouldn't trust a ShadowClan cat. They would think it was an ambush." Taintedpool hissed. "You think I can't take care of myself?" The tabby extended his claws and bared his fangs. "I have these. Besides, I'm larger than most cats. I could easily deal with some ShadowClanners." He added, "Besides, you're a she-cat. I find they don't trick cats that often." He glanced around, letting out a low growl as he realized his light pelt didn't blend in with the dark trees of ShadowClan. WindClan cats are more suited for Windclan... Curiously, he asked, "What happens if I get caught here? It would be easy for us to hide on my side, with the tall grass...but it's far too dangerous for you to cross the Thunderpath."

[»Ðriftshadow«]

The WindClan cat, Taintedpool, hissed. He hissed at her! She didn't do anything to him! Now he was looming over her like some crazy long-furred, bad-tempered rabbit! And he said that she-cats don't trick others often! Cold, hard anger replaced her jealousy and amazement.
"Well," Driftshadow spat, "us she-cats DO trick others often, more often than you lot! And I am NOT a little kit! I can cross the Thunderpath by MY-SELF!" And with her little statement said, she darted across the Thunderpath, not even glancing to see if monsters were coming.

[•Ta!ntedestpool♂]

When Driftshadow raced across the Thunderpath without even looking, Taintedpool's heart skipped a beat. "Driftshadow-no!" A red monster was zooming towards her. It was one of those cars that didn't have a top, and there was a twoleg listening to loud music inside the monster, oblivious to the fact that at any moment, he would run over a ShadowClan she-cat. Taintedpool-quick as lightning, as the WindClan cats were, dashed into the middle of the Thunderpath. As the monster neared, he crouched down and leaped into the air, landing square on the Twoleg's face.

The twoleg shrieked and swerved off the side of the road, onto the trees in ShadowClan territory. Moments later, an earsplitting crack was heard. A tree was falling straight onto the monster. Taintedpool yowled, alerting the twoleg. The tabby leaped out of the car, the twoleg close behind, just as the tree fell onto the monster. "Run, Driftshadow!" Taintedpool meowed, dashing into the tall grass of the moor.

[»Ðriftshadow«]

The black-pelted she-cat stopped abruptly. Why was Taintedpool yelling at her NOW?! she grumbled to herself. Then she saw it.
It was huge, red, and very, very fast, this monster was. Looming up towards her, she let out a shriek of fear, something she almost never did. Driftshadow closed her eyes, crouched down, and waited for StarClan to welcome her.
But suddenly there was a snarl and a yelp from the twoleg inside the monster. The monster veered off course into the ditch on the ShadowClan side. While it was veering off course, though, it ran over the tip of Driftshadow’s tail. She screeched and darted into the WindClan side, not caring if she ran into a patrol or not.
But she did glance back and saw a tree falling onto the twoleg, the monster, and Taintedpool. “Taintedpool!” she yowled, again not caring if anyone heard her. The WindClan cat shot past her in a whirl of brown and fur, almost bowling her over.

[•Ta!ntedestpool♂]

“Taintedpool!” He heard her yowl. "That's my name." The tabby panted, out of breath. Then he noticed that the tip of the sable she-cat's tail was flattened by the monster. "How..." He gasped, unable to take his eyes off of a waste of a perfectly good tail-tip. The flattened part was about two inches long. He hoped it hadn't crushed her bone. "We need to get you to a medicine cat at once!"

How? Then everyone will know that I was talking to a ShadowClan cat! He swatted his head with his paw. "Of course, our medicine cat is a former apprentice of mine. She won't tell a soul that we were talking." He licked the flattened tail, trying to determine how flat it was...and if the bone was damaged. He spluttered and gagged. "Gross, Driftshadow! It tastes like a monster's paws..." The warrior mewed comfortingly; "It will be okay. Come."

TO::next thread/somewhere o.o

[»Ðriftshadow«]

"We need to get you to a medicine cat at once!" Taintedpool meowed. Was that shock in his voice?
"Well, of course I know that! I'm not stupid," she retorted. Then he licked the injured part of her tail said, "Gross, Driftshadow! It tastes like a monster's paws! It will be okay. Come."
Driftshadow felt horribly insulted. "No, I will not come! I will go to MY medicine cat in MY Clan, even if your medicine cat was your former apprentice." She flicked her utterly flattened tail away from the stupid WindClan cat. "My tail will never heal itself again, so what's the point?"

[[OOC: So...do you want to post in Wolfeh's thread then, when we have permission? o:]]

[•Ta!ntedestpool♂]

"No, I will not come! I will go to MY medicine cat in MY Clan, even if your medicine cat was your former apprentice." Taintedpool flattened his ears, his unique eyes glaring. "1. Mine is closer. 2. Do you want to go back and face that twoleg and the fallen tree? 3. I suppose YOUR medicine cat won't wonder where you've been or how your tail was squased? And if you told her the truth, she wouldn't tell anyone?" The tabby puffed out his creamy chest fur. "You are my responsibility right now, and you are coming with me, stubborn, angry, or not."

"My tail will never heal itself again, so what's the point?" Taintedpool snarled, "Don't say that! That may not be true. Besides, without a proper tail, how are you supposed to hunt in ShadowClan with all your trees, and be able to balance? See, if you were a WindClan cat, it wouldn't really matter. We rely on running and speed. But you're not a WindClan cat, and you're obviously not going to be." The warrior cat looked at his long, curving claws.Then-he thought of something that he could do to make her come with him. The thought of it almost made him gag, but he did it anyways. "Please?" He mewed in a tiny, cute, un-Taintedpool-like voice. He then licked her muzzle. "For me?"

[»Ðriftshadow«]

Driftshadow wanted to scream. This cat was making her so-o-o-o mad, she just wanted to claw his face to shreds. And then he just had to nuzzle her? Gross!
"Just leave me alone," she snapped. "I want to go to MY Clan medicine cat, even if yours is closer. I don't care if I have to face that Twoleg and that stupid monster. And I am NOT your responsibility! I am NOT angry, or stubborn, or any of what you just said to me! I. Don't. Care!" Everything Driftshadow had been feeling since she was an apprentice flooded out. It felt good slashing her words out at this cat. "I hate it when cats order me around, telling me, 'Driftshadow, do this,' or 'Driftshadow, do that,' and I'm just plain SICK OF IT!" The dark colored she-cat screeched out the last words, so high in pitch it was almost unable to hear.
She sank into a crouch. "And if you don't get that WindClan stench OUT OF HERE by my count of three, I swear you'll regret that you saved me."

[[OOC: Don't you love her speech? :3 She's very ticked off.]]

[•Ta!ntedestpool♂]

"Just leave me alone! I want to go to MY Clan medicine cat, even if yours is closer. I don't care if I have to face that Twoleg and that stupid monster. And I am NOT your responsibility! I am NOT angry, or stubborn, or any of what you just said to me! I. Don't. Care!" For the first time since meeting this sable she-cat, Taintedpool flinched. No, a monster couldn't make him flinch, nor a twoleg, or a falling tree. Only she-cats could cause the warrior to flinch, with their sharp tongues. Driftshadow was acting like a snapping turtle. Not angry, huh? He wanted to spit in her face. But that wasn't polite.

"I hate it when cats order me around, telling me, 'Driftshadow, do this, or 'Driftshadow, do that,' and I'm just plain SICK OF IT! And if you don't get that WindClan stench OUT OF HERE by my count of three, I swear you'll regret that you saved me." Taintedpool stood his ground. "Driftshadow. I'm not ordering you around. I'm trying to save you. I want what's best for you. Okay? I take back what I said. And I won't order you now-I'll ask you. Driftshadow, if we are going to save your tail, you need to come with me, but only if you want to. So, will you please trust me and come with me to my medicine cat? We had a case of something like this once, so Wolfcry will know just what to do, if you'll come with me." He inclined his head at her, waiting patiently for an answer.