CHAPTER 11
Firepaw returned with a chaffinchgripped firmly between his teeth. He dropped it in front of Tigerclaw, who stood waiting in the hollow.
A swish of bushes announced Graypaw’s return. He was carrying a small squirrel in his mouth, which he dropped beside Firepaw’s chaffinch. “Yuck!” he spat4. “Squirrels are too furry5. I’ll be picking hairs out of my teeth all evening.”
Tigerclaw paid no attention to Graypaw’s grumbling6. “Ravenpaw’s late,” he observed. “We’ll give him a bit longer and then return to camp.”
“Then it’s his own fault,” Tigerclaw replied coldly. “There’s no room for fools in ThunderClan.”
They waited in silence. Graypaw and Firepaw exchanged glances, worried about Ravenpaw. Tigerclaw sat motionless, apparently9 lost in his own thoughts.
Firepaw was the first to scent10 Ravenpaw’s arrival. He jumped to his paws as the black cat leaped into the clearing, looking unusually pleased with himself. Dangling11 from his mouth was the long, diamond-patterned body of an adder.
“Ravenpaw! Are you okay?” Firepaw called.
“Hey!” meowed Graypaw, rushing forward to admire Ravenpaw’s catch. “Did that bite you?”
“I was too quick for it!” Ravenpaw purred loudly. Then he caught Tigerclaw’s eye and fell silent.
Tigerclaw fixed12 all three excited apprentices13 with a cold stare. “Come on,” he said shortly. “Let’s collect the rest of your prey and get back to camp.”
Firepaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw entered the camp, strolling behind Tigerclaw. Their impressive day’s catch hung from their mouths, although Ravenpaw kept tripping over his dead snake. As they emerged from the gorse into the camp, a group of young kits14 scrambled16 out of the nursery to watch them pass.
“Look!” Firepaw heard one of them say. “Apprentices, just back from hunting!” He recognized the little tabby Yellowfang had hissed17 at the day before. Sitting next to him was a fluffy18 gray kit15, no more than two moons old. A tiny black kit and a small tortoiseshell stood beside them.
“Yeah! Look at his orange fur!” mewed the black one.
“They say he’s a good hunter,” the tortoiseshell added. “He looks a bit like Lionheart. Do you suppose he’s as good as him?”
“I can’t wait to start my training,” mewed the tabby. “I’m going to be the best warrior ThunderClan has ever seen!”
Firepaw lifted his chin, feeling proud at the kits’ admiring comments. He followed his two friends into the center of the clearing.
“An adder!” Graypaw mewed again, as the apprentices dropped their catch for the other cats to share.
“What shall I do with it?” asked Ravenpaw, sniffing20 the snake’s long body as it lay beside the heap.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to eat it,” murmured Ravenpaw. “I mean, my mouth tastes pretty foul23 after carrying it back.”
“Let’s put it on the tree stump24, then,” suggested Graypaw, “so that Dustpaw and Sandpaw can see it when they get back.”
They each carried a piece of their fresh-kill, and the adder, back to their den25. Graypaw carefully placed the adder on the stump, arranging the snake so that it could be seen clearly from all sides. Then they ate. When they had finished they sat close together to groom26 one another and talk.
“I wonder who Bluestar will choose to go to the Gathering27?” Firepaw meowed. “It’ll be full moon tomorrow.”
“Sandpaw and Dustpaw have been twice already,” replied Graypaw.
“Perhaps Bluestar will choose one of us this time,” mewed Firepaw. “After all, we’ve been training for almost three moons now.”
Firepaw nodded. “And this Gathering will be an important one. It’ll be the first time the Clans30 have met since WindClan disappeared. No cat knows what ShadowClan is going to say about it.”
Tigerclaw’s low meow interrupted them. “You are right, youngster.” The warrior had strolled up to them unnoticed. “By the way, Firepaw,” he added smoothly31, “Bluestar wants to see you.”
Firepaw looked up, startled. Why would Bluestar want to see him?
“Now—if you can spare the time,” Tigerclaw meowed.
Firepaw jumped up immediately and bounded off across the clearing toward Bluestar’s den.
Bluestar was sitting outside, her tail flicking32 restlessly back and forth33. When she saw Firepaw she stood up and looked steadily34 down at him. “Tigerclaw has told me that he saw you talking with a cat from the Twolegplace today,” she meowed quietly.
“But—” Firepaw began.
“He said that you began by fighting with this cat but ended up sharing tongues with it.”
“That’s true,” Firepaw admitted, feeling his fur prickle defensively. “But he was an old friend. We grew up together.” He paused and swallowed. “When I was a kittypet.”
Bluestar looked at him for a long moment. “Do you miss your old life, Firepaw?” she asked. “Think carefully, now.”
“No.” How can Bluestar think that?Firepaw wondered. His head was spinning. What was Bluestar trying to make him say?
“Of course not!” Firepaw was shocked by her question.
Bluestar didn’t seem to hear the passion in his answer. She shook her head, looking suddenly old and tired. “I won’t judge you if you leave us, Firepaw. Perhaps I expected too much of you. Perhaps my judgment35 has been clouded by the Clan’s need for new warriors36.”
Panic swept through Firepaw at the thought of leaving the Clan forever. “But my place is here! This is my home,” he protested.
“I need more than that, Firepaw. I need to be able to trust in your loyalty37 to ThunderClan, especially now that it looks like ShadowClan is planning an attack. We don’t have room for anyone who isn’t sure whether their heart lies in the past or the present.”
Firepaw took a deep breath and chose his next words carefully. “When I saw Smudge today—that’s the house cat Tigerclaw saw me talking with—I saw what life would have been like if I had stayed with the Twolegs. I felt happy that I had not stayed. I was proud I left.” He held Bluestar’s gaze without flinching38. “Meeting Smudge made me certain I made the right decision. I could never have been satisfied with the soft life of a kittypet.”
Bluestar looked closely at him for a moment, her eyes narrow. Then she nodded. “Very well,” she said. “I believe you.”
Firepaw dipped his head respectfully and let out a silent sigh of relief.
“I spoke39 to Yellowfang earlier,” meowed Bluestar in a lighter40 tone. “She thinks a lot of you. She’s a wise old she-cat, you know. And I suspect she wasn’t always bad-tempered41. Indeed, I think that I could grow to like her.”
Firepaw felt an unexpected glow of pleasure at these words. Maybe, in caring for Yellowfang, his admiration42 for her had grown into affection, despite the she-cat’s ill temper. Whatever the reason, he was glad Bluestar liked her too.
“But there is something about her that I don’t trust,” Bluestar went on quietly. “She will stay with ThunderClan for now, but remain as a prisoner. The queens will care for her. You must concentrate on your training.”
Firepaw nodded and waited to be dismissed, but Bluestar hadn’t finished. “Firepaw, although you showed bad judgment today in talking to a house cat, Tigerclaw wasimpressed by your hunting skills. In fact, he reported that you all did well. I am pleased with your progress. You will come to the Gathering—all three of you.”
Firepaw could hardly stand still. His body tingled43 with excitement. The Gathering! “What about Sandpaw and Dustpaw?” he mewed.
“They will remain behind and guard the camp,” replied Bluestar. “Now you may go.” She flicked44 her long tail to show he was dismissed, and returned to her grooming45.
Graypaw and Ravenpaw looked stunned46 to see Firepaw bounding happily toward them. They had been waiting nervously47 for him beside the tree stump. Firepaw sat down and looked at his friends.
“Well?” Graypaw demanded. “What did she say?”
“Tigerclaw told us you’d been sharing tongues with a kittypetthis morning,” burst out Ravenpaw. “Are you in trouble?”
“No. Although Bluestar wasn’t pleased,” Firepaw admitted ruefully. “She thought I might want to leave ThunderClan.”
“You don’t, do you?” asked Ravenpaw.
“Of course he doesn’t!” mewed Graypaw.
Firepaw gave his gray friend an affectionate swipe. “Yeah, you’d hate that. You need me to catch mice for you! All you can catch these days are hairy old squirrels!”
“You’ll never guess what else she said!” Firepaw went on. He was too excited to waste time play-fighting.
Graypaw immediately dropped back onto all four paws. “What?” he asked.
“We’re going to the Gathering!”
Graypaw let out a yowl of delight and bounded up onto the tree stump. One of his back paws knocked the adder flying. It hit Ravenpaw on the head and wrapped itself around his neck.
Ravenpaw spat with alarm and surprise, and then turned on Graypaw. “Watch it!” he hissed crossly. He shook the adder onto the ground.
“Scared it might try to bite you?” Firepaw teased. He crouched50 down, hissing51, and sidled up to Ravenpaw.
Ravenpaw twitched52 his whiskers and retorted, “Some snake you’d make!” He leaped onto Firepaw and rolled him easily onto his back.
Graypaw reached down from the tree stump and gave Ravenpaw’s tail a tug53. As Ravenpaw turned to thump54 Graypaw with a soft forepaw, Firepaw jumped to his feet and leaped into them both, sending Graypaw flying from the stump. All three cats tumbled into the dirt and tussled on the ground. Finally they fell apart and settled themselves, panting, beside the tree stump.
“Nope!” Firepaw replied, unable to disguise the note of triumph in his voice. “They have to stay behind and guard the camp.”
“Oh, let me tell them!” begged Graypaw. “I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces!”
“Me neither!” Firepaw agreed. “I can’t believe we’regoing instead of them! Especially after Tigerclaw saw me with Smudge today!”
“That was just bad luck,” answered Graypaw. “We all caught a load of prey in the assessment56. That must be what decided57 it.”
“I wonder what the Gathering will be like,” mewed Ravenpaw.
“It’ll be fantastic,” Graypaw replied confidently. “I bet all the great warriors will be there. Clawface, Stonefur…”
But Firepaw wasn’t listening anymore. Instead, he found himself thinking about Tigerclaw and Smudge. Graypaw was right—it wasbad luck that the great warrior had been observing him when he had met his old friend. Why couldn’t he have been watching Graypaw or Ravenpaw instead? In fact, it was bad luck that Tigerclaw had sent him so near the Twolegplace at all.
Suddenly a dark thought entered Firepaw’s mind: Why hadTigerclaw sent him so near his old haunts? Had he wanted to test him? Could it be the great dark warrior didn’t trust his loyalty to ThunderClan?
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
warrior
|
|
| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
growled
|
|
| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
spat
|
|
| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
furry
|
|
| adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
grumbling
|
|
| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
adder
|
|
| n.蝰蛇；小毒蛇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
clan
|
|
| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
scent
|
|
| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
dangling
|
|
| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
apprentices
|
|
| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
kits
|
|
| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
kit
|
|
| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
scrambled
|
|
| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
hissed
|
|
| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
fluffy
|
|
| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
squeaked
|
|
| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
sniffing
|
|
| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
adders
|
|
| n.加法器，（欧洲产）蝰蛇（小毒蛇），（北美产无毒的）猪鼻蛇( adder的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
butting
|
|
| 用头撞人（犯规动作） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
foul
|
|
| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
stump
|
|
| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
den
|
|
| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
groom
|
|
| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
eldest
|
|
| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
clans
|
|
| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
smoothly
|
|
| adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
flicking
|
|
| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
judgment
|
|
| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
warriors
|
|
| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
loyalty
|
|
| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
flinching
|
|
| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
bad-tempered
|
|
| adj.脾气坏的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
admiration
|
|
| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
tingled
|
|
| v.有刺痛感( tingle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
flicked
|
|
| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
grooming
|
|
| n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
stunned
|
|
| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
nervously
|
|
| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
dodged
|
|
| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
retaliate
|
|
| v.报复，反击 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
hissing
|
|
| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
twitched
|
|
| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
tug
|
|
| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
thump
|
|
| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
puffed
|
|
| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
assessment
|
|
| n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |