CHAPTER24
Tallstar spoke1 up, a dim silhouetteon top of the Great Rock. “This Gathering2 is over, by the will of StarClan.” The crowd murmured in agreement. The air was thick with the scents5 of fear and hostility6.
“Come, ThunderClan.” Fireheart could barely see Bluestar as she leaped down from the Great Rock and headed for the edge of the clearing. He pushed his way through the other cats and hurried after her. He saw the massive outline of Tigerclaw as the deputy fell in step beside his leader, and the pale gray shapes of the other ThunderClan cats as they gathered behind the two great warriors9. No cat spoke as they trekked10 solemnly up the slope toward home. Fireheart glanced over his shoulder. The other Clans11 were withdrawing too. By the time he reached the top of the slope, Fourtrees was deserted12.
The Clan3 ran silently through the forest, following the familiar scent4-lined trail. Fireheart spotted13 Graystripe at the back and he slowed his pace. Maybe Graystripe would be more prepared to talk about Silverstream, now that it was clear how tense things were between the Clans. His scent had been detected in RiverClan territory! Graystripe was putting himself and the Clan in danger with his secret meetings.
Fireheart searched for the right words but Graystripe hissed14 first, “I know what you’re going to say. And I won’t stop seeing her!”
“You’re a mouse-brained fool!” Fireheart spat15 back. “They’ll soon work out it’s you. Bluestar will guess, or some cat from RiverClan’ll recognize your scent. Tigerclaw’s probably guessed already!”
Graystripe shot Fireheart an anxious glance. “Do you really think so?”
“I don’t know,” Fireheart admitted, relieved to hear a note of fear in Graystripe’s voice. Graystripe had been acting16 as if he had no idea what might happen if the Clan found out about his affair. “But once he starts thinking about it . . .”
“Okay, okay!” spat Graystripe. He was silent for a moment. “What if I promise we’ll meet only at Fourtrees? That way our scent will be hard to detect, and I won’t have to go into RiverClan territory. Will you leave me alone then?”
Fireheart felt his heart sink. Graystripe was not going to give up Silverstream that easily. Then he nodded. This had to be better than creeping into hostile Clan territory to see her.
“Satisfied?” Graystripe’s eyes flashed in the gloom, but his voice sounded shaky. Fireheart felt a pang17 of regret for their lost friendship, and a rush of sympathy for the gray warrior8. He stretched his head forward to nuzzle Graystripe’s flank, but Graystripe ran on ahead, leaving Fireheart alone at the back of the group.
Even though the cats were tired from the journey, Bluestar called a meeting as soon as they were home. Most of the Clan was still awake anyway. The Gathering had been shorter than usual, and the sudden cloud cover had alarmed even the cats left in the camp.
While Bluestar and Tigerclaw settled themselves on the Highrock, Fireheart hurried over to the nursery. He wanted to know how Cloudkit was. He poked20 his head through the entrance. It was pitch black and warm inside.
“Hello, Fireheart,” Brindleface whispered, a faint shadow shifting in the gloom. “Cloudkit’s much better. Yellowfang gave him feverfew. It was just a chill.” The queen sounded relieved. “What happened at the Gathering?”
“StarClan sent clouds to cover the moon. Bluestar’s called a meeting. Can you come?”
Fireheart listened to Brindleface sniffing21 her kits22. “Yes, I think I can,” she answered finally. “My kits will sleep for a while.”
Fireheart withdrew his head, and together they joined the cats gathered in the clearing. Fireheart felt fur brush against him, and Cinderpaw glanced up at him with wide, worried eyes.
Bluestar had already begun. “The greatest threat seems to be from RiverClan and ShadowClan. We must be prepared for the possibility that these two Clans have united against us.”
“Do you really think they’ve joined together?” Yellowfang rasped. “RiverClan has the best sources of prey24, but I can’t imagine they’d want to share with ShadowClan.” Fireheart remembered Silverstream’s words about RiverClan’s hunger after the Twoleg invasion, but he held his tongue, fearful that Bluestar would want to know where he’d heard such a story.
Bluestar nodded. “Whatever the truth, we must be on full alert. From tonight, each patrol will have four cats, at least three of them warriors. The patrols will be more frequent, two each night, and one during the day, as well as the dawn and dusk patrols. We must put a stop to RiverClan’s and ShadowClan’s raids on our territory, and since they have chosen to ignore our words, we must be prepared to fight.”
The Clan yowled their agreement. Fireheart joined in even though he was worried about what this open hostility might mean for Graystripe. He looked around at the other cats. He could see all their eyes shining—except Graystripe’s. The gray warrior sat with his head bowed in the shadows at the edge of the clearing.
When the noise died away, Bluestar spoke again. “The first patrol will leave before dawn.” She jumped down from the Highrock. Tigerclaw followed, and the rest of the Clan broke up into small groups. Fireheart could hear them murmuring nervously27 as he padded to the warriors’ den18.
Fireheart settled into his nest, kneading the moss28 with his paws to make it comfortable. An owl26 hooted29 at the top of the ravine. He knew he would not sleep yet. His mind was racing30 with the accusations31 that had flown around the Gathering. He understood RiverClan’s anger. They had picked up the scent of ThunderClan cats in their territory, and they were hungry now that their prey had been depleted32 by the Twoleg invasion.
But what about ShadowClan? It was smaller since ThunderClan had helped them to chase out their tyrannical former leader and his band of followers33. Brokenstar had even admitted to killing34 Raggedstar, his own father, to become Clan leader. But the Clan had been left in peace to recover from Brokenstar’s bloody35 rule. And Fireheart couldn’t help thinking that, with fewer mouths to feed, ShadowClan had no need to raid ThunderClan’s hunting grounds, or anyone else’s.
As he puzzled over these thoughts, Whitestorm and Darkstripe pushed their way into the den. Before Whitestorm went to his nest, he stopped beside Fireheart. “You’re to join me with Sandpaw and Mousefur on patrol at sunhigh,” he meowed.
“Yes, Whitestorm,” Fireheart answered before resting his chin on his paws. He had to get some sleep—his Clan needed him to be fit and ready to fight.
The clouds that had covered the moon had rolled away by the next morning. Fireheart enjoyed the faint warmth of the sun on his back as he washed himself in the clearing. Cloudkit jumped out of the nursery entrance opposite him, looking bright and happy.
Fireheart thanked StarClan that he had recovered so quickly. Sandpaw had been right about the kit19’s resilience. He looked around to see if Longtail and Dustpaw were there to see it too, but the clearing was empty.
Fireheart crossed over to the nursery. “Hi, Cloudkit,” he meowed. “Feeling better?”
“Yep,” squeaked36 Cloudkit. He spun37 around in a circle, grasping for his tail with his tiny jaws38. A small ball of moss that had been sticking to his fur fell off and rolled along the ground. Cloudkit leaped on it and pawed it into the air. It bounced onto the ground beside Fireheart.
Fireheart knocked it back toward the kit, and Cloudkit sprang up to catch it in his teeth.
“Well done!” Fireheart was impressed. With one paw he scooped39 the moss ball high into the air, sending it flying across the clearing.
Cloudkit raced after the moss and grabbed it. He rolled onto his back, threw the ball up with his forepaws, and kicked it away with his hind7 legs. It landed next to the nursery. Cloudkit scrambled40 up and scooted after it. He crouched41 a rabbit leap away, his hindquarters bunched in the air.
Fireheart watched as the kit prepared to pounce42. Suddenly his fur prickled. A long, dark foreleg was reaching toward the moss ball from behind the nursery.
Cloudkit sat up and looked around at him, puzzled.
Tigerclaw emerged from behind the kitten, holding the moss ball between his teeth. He carried the ball over to the kit and dropped it by Cloudkit’s fluffy44 white paws. “Be careful,” he growled45. “You wouldn’t want to lose such a precious plaything.” As he spoke, the dark warrior stared at Fireheart over Cloudkit’s head.
Fireheart shivered. What did Tigerclaw mean by that? He seemed to be talking about the moss ball—but did he really mean that Cloudkitwas a plaything? An image of Cinderpaw flashed into Fireheart’s mind, a wounded huddle46 beside the Thunderpath. Was that another playthinghe had lost? A cold feeling of dread47 seeped48 into his heart as once more he wondered if the ThunderClan deputy was somehow responsible for his apprentice’s accident.
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1
spoke
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| 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 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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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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trekked
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| v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水 | |
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clans
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| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
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12
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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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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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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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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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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sniffing
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| 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 | |
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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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rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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hooted
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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32
depleted
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| adj. 枯竭的, 废弃的 动词deplete的过去式和过去分词 | |
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33
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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34
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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35
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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36
squeaked
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| 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 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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38
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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39
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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40
scrambled
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| 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 | |
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41
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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43
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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45
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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46
huddle
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| vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人 | |
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47
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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48
seeped
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| v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出 | |
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