CHAPTER 24
Yellowfang turned and pushed her wayinto the bracken. Whitestorm and the others followed her.
Firepaw was tingling1 with excitement. He didn’t feel the damp chill in the air, and his weariness was long forgotten.
Yellowfang guided them to a small hollow surrounded by thick undergrowth and pointed2 out the entrance to the ShadowClan camp. The tangled4 mass of brambles looked very different from the neat gorse tunnel that led into the ThunderClan camp. The camp boundary was full of holes and gaps and the stench of rotting meat wafted5 toward them.
“You eat crow food?” whispered Graypaw, curling his lip.
“ThunderClan, hide in that clump8 of bracken over there,” hissed9 Yellowfang. “It’s full of toadstools that will disguise your scent10. Wait here till you hear me call.”
She stepped back to let the other ShadowClan cats lead the way, tucking herself into the center of their group as though she were their prisoner. They headed silently into the camp.
The ThunderClan cats settled themselves among the toadstools, tense and alert. Firepaw could feel his coat prickling. He looked at Graypaw beside him. The thick fur on the back of his friend’s neck was standing11 on end, and Firepaw could hear him panting with suppressed excitement.
Suddenly yowling erupted from the ShadowClan camp. Without hesitating, the ThunderClan cats sprang from their hiding places and raced through the entrance.
Yellowfang, Ashfur, Dawncloud, and Nightpelt were in a well-trodden, muddy clearing, wrestling with six vicious-looking warriors. Firepaw recognized Brokenstar and his deputy, Blackfoot, among them. The warriors looked hungry and battle-scarred, but Firepaw could see the hard muscles pounding beneath their patchy fur.
Around the edge of the clearing, groups of scrawny cats stared uncertainly at the mayhem. Their skinny bodies seemed to recoil12 at the violence, while their dull eyes looked on, shocked and confused. Out of the corner of his eye, Firepaw saw Runningnose back away and hide beneath a bush.
At Whitestorm’s nodded signal, the ThunderClan cats leaped into the battle.
Firepaw grasped a silver tabby with his claws, but was shaken loose. He tumbled over and the ShadowClan warrior6 turned on him and gripped him with claws as sharp as blackthorns. Firepaw managed to twist and sink his teeth deep into the cat’s flesh. The warrior’s yowl told him he had found a tender spot, and he bit harder. The warrior screeched14 again, ripping himself free, and ran off into the bushes.
Firepaw stood up. A young ShadowClan apprentice15 leaped at him from the edge of the camp, its soft kitten fur fluffed up with fear.
Whitestorm already had Blackfoot pinned to the ground. He gave him a vicious bite and the injured deputy raced away toward the camp entrance and out into the safety of the forest.
“Firepaw!” Firepaw heard Dawncloud screech13 his name. “Watch out! Clawface is—” He didn’t hear the rest. A heavily built brown cat crashed into him. Clawface!Firepaw dug his claws into the ground and whirled around to fight. The warrior that killed Spottedleaf! Rage surged through him and he flung himself onto the brown tom.
Firepaw pushed the warrior to the ground and pressed his head into the dirt. Blinded by fury, he prepared to sink his teeth into Clawface’s neck. But before he could deal his death blow, Whitestorm knocked him aside and grasped the ShadowClan warrior.
“ThunderClan warriors do not kill unless they have to,” he growled18 in Firepaw’s ear. “We just need to let them know not to show their faces here again!” He gave Clawface a fierce bite that sent him screaming out of the camp.
Still raging, Firepaw looked around wildly. Brokenstar’s warriors had gone.
An angry screech sounded from behind Graypaw. Graypaw leaped out of the way and Firepaw saw Yellowfang gripping Brokenstar with muddy, bloodstained paws. His body bled from several wounds. His ears were flattened20 against his head, and his whiskers were drawn21 back as he crouched22, flattened beneath Yellowfang’s powerful grasp.
Yellowfang recoiled24 as if she had been stung by a bee, her face twisted suddenly by shock and grief. She loosened her grip on Brokenstar, and instantly he threw her aside with a twist of his powerful body.
Brokenstar eyed her coldly. “You found his body. Didn’t you recognize my fur between his claws?” Yellowfang stared in horror as he continued. “He was a soft and foolish leader. He deserved to die.”
“No!” hissed Yellowfang, her head dropping. Then she gave herself a shake. She looked up at Brokenstar, arching her back. “And Brightflower’s kits27? Did they deserve to die too?” she rasped.
Brokenstar growled and hurled28 himself at Yellowfang, forcing her onto her belly29. Yellowfang didn’t even attempt to struggle against his thorn-sharp claws. Firepaw saw with alarm that her eyes were glazed30 with sadness.
“Those kits were weak,” Brokenstar hissed, bending his face toward Yellowfang’s ear. “They would have been no use to ShadowClan. If I hadn’t killed them, some other warrior would have.”
A wail25 of grief went up from a black-and-white ShadowClan queen. Brokenstar ignored her. “I should have killed youwhen I had the chance,” he spat31 at Yellowfang. “It seems I must have some of my father’s softness. I was a fool to let you leave ShadowClan alive!” He lunged, teeth bared, ready to sink them into her neck.
Firepaw was quicker. He jumped onto Brokenstar’s back before he could clamp his jaws32 shut. Firepaw dug his claws into the matted tabby fur and pulled him off the exhausted33 queen, flinging him to the edge of the clearing.
Brokenstar twisted around in midair to land on his feet and looked into Firepaw’s eyes, spitting viciously. “Don’t waste your time, apprentice! I’ve shared dreams with StarClan. You will have to kill me nine times over before I join them. Do you really think you’re strong enough for that?” His eyes glowed with confidence and defiance34.
Firepaw stared back at him. His belly tightened35. Brokenstar was a Clan3 leader! How on earth could he expect to defeat him? But the watching ShadowClan cats had begun to pad slowly toward their defeated leader, snarling36 and hissing37 with hatred38. They were battered39 and half-starved, but Brokenstar was outnumbered, and he seemed to realize this with a nervous flick40 of his tail. He crouched and backed away through the bushes. His eyes glittered menacingly from the shadows, his gaze finding Firepaw through the crowd.
“This isn’t over, apprentice,” he hissed before he turned and vanished into the forest after his broken warriors.
Firepaw looked to Whitestorm. “Should we go after them?” he meowed.
The warrior shook his head. “I think they got the message that they are not welcome here.”
Nightpelt, the ShadowClan warrior, nodded in agreement. “Leave them. If they dare to show their faces here again, ShadowClan will be strong enough by then to tackle them alone.”
The rest of ShadowClan was huddled41 together in the ruins of their camp, as if numbed42 by the realization43 that their leader had gone. It will take time to rebuild this Clan,Firepaw thought.
“The kits!”
Firepaw heard Graypaw’s meow from a far corner of the clearing. He rushed over to his friend, Mousefur and Whitestorm bounding at his heels. As they approached, they could hear the pitiful mewling of kits coming from beneath a pile of leaves and twigs44. Quickly Graypaw and Mousefur dug down through the foliage45 until they had uncovered the missing ThunderClan kits at the bottom of a small pit.
“They’re fine,” replied Graypaw. “Most have only a few scratches. But that little tabby has a pretty nasty wound on his ear. Can you take a look, Yellowfang?”
The old she-cat was licking her own wounds, but at Graypaw’s call she raced to the side of the pit, where Graypaw had carefully deposited the tabby kit16.
Firepaw helped Graypaw to lift out the rest of the kits. The last one was gray, like the embers of an old fire. She mewled and squirmed as Firepaw placed her on the ground. Mousefur gathered all the kits to her and comforted them with licks and caresses47.
Yellowfang looked closely at the torn ear. “We need to stop this bleeding,” she meowed.
Runningnose stepped out of the shadows. His forepaw was coated in a layer of cobwebs, which he silently passed to Yellowfang. She nodded her thanks and began to treat the kit’s wound.
Nightpelt approached the group of ThunderClan cats. “You helped ShadowClan rid itself of a brutal48 and dangerous leader, and we are grateful. But it is time you left our camp and returned to your own. I promise your hunting grounds will be free of ShadowClan warriors as long as we can find enough food in our own territory.”
Whitestorm nodded. “Hunt in peace for one moon, Nightpelt. ThunderClan knows you need time to rebuild your Clan.” He turned to Yellowfang. “And you, Yellowfang?” he asked. “Do you wish to return with us, or stay here with your old comrades?”
Yellowfang looked up at him. “I will make the journey back with you.” She glanced at a deep gash49 on Whitestorm’s hind19 leg. “You will need a medicine cat, for yourself as well as your kits.”
“Thank you,” purred Whitestorm. He signaled to the ThunderClan cats with a sweep of his tail and led them out of the clearing. Mousefur and Willowpelt helped the kits, who stumbled along, exhausted and bewildered. Yellowfang walked close to the wounded tabby kit, lifting him by the scruff of his neck every time he slipped. Firepaw and Graypaw followed them through the brambles, past the camp scent-line and out into the forest.
The moon was still rising in the quiet sky as the ThunderClan party began the long trudge50 home, while around them showers of brown leaves fluttered to the forest floor.
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1
tingling
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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9
hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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10
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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11
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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recoil
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| vi.退却，退缩，畏缩 | |
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screech
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| n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
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screeched
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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18
growled
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| 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 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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24
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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25
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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kits
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| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
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28
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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29
belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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30
glazed
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| adj.光滑的，像玻璃的；上过釉的；呆滞无神的v.装玻璃( glaze的过去式)；上釉于，上光；（目光）变得呆滞无神 | |
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31
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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36
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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37
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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38
hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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39
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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40
flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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41
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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42
numbed
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| v.使麻木，使麻痹( numb的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43
realization
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| n.实现；认识到，深刻了解 | |
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44
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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45
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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46
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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47
caresses
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| 爱抚，抚摸( caress的名词复数 ) | |
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48
brutal
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| adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的 | |
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49
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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50
trudge
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| v.步履艰难地走；n.跋涉，费力艰难的步行 | |
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