The sun began to set forthe third time since Fireheart had almost drowned. The young warrior2 was washing himself outside his den3, scraping his tongue across his fur. He kept imagining that he could still taste the muddy water. As he twisted his head to wash his back, he heard the pad of approaching paws, and looked up to see Tigerclaw looming4 over him.
“Bluestar wants you to go to the Gathering5,” the deputy growled6. “Meet her outside her den—and bring Sandstorm and Graystripe.” He stalked away before Fireheart could reply.
Fireheart got up and stretched. Glancing around, he spotted8 Graystripe and Sandstorm eating beside the patch of nettles9, and hurried over to join them. “Bluestar has chosen us to go to the Gathering,” he announced.
Sandstorm finished off her blackbird and swiped a pink tongue around her jaws10. “But can we get to the Gathering?” she meowed, sounding puzzled. “I thought the stream was impossible to cross.”
“Bluestar said StarClan would be angry if we didn’t try,” Fireheart mewed. “She wants to talk to us now—maybe she has a plan.”
Graystripe spoke12 through a mouthful of vole. “I just hope she doesn’t expect us to swim.” In spite of his words, his eyes shone with excitement as he gulped13 the rest of the fresh-kill and sprang to his paws. Fireheart knew he must be looking forward to a chance to see Silverstream, and he wondered if they had managed to meet in the time since he and Graystripe had been caught crossing the river after their ill-fated hunting mission for RiverClan.
Fireheart thought of Silverstream’s kits14, and he wondered how Graystripe would be able to bear seeing them grow up in another Clan11. Would Silverstream ever be able to tell them that Graystripe, the ThunderClan warrior, was their father? Fireheart tried to put the questions out of his mind as he and his friends crossed the clearing to the Highrock. Bluestar was sitting outside her den, with Whitestorm, Mousefur, and Willowpelt already by her side. A moment later Tigerclaw and Darkstripe joined them.
“As you know, the moon is full tonight,” Bluestar began when all the cats were gathered around her. “It will be hard to get to Fourtrees, but StarClan would expect us to do all we can to find a dry route. So I’ve chosen warriors15 only—this will be no journey for elders or apprentices16, or queens expecting kits. Darkstripe, you led a patrol to examine the stream this morning. Report what you found.”
“The water’s going down,” meowed Darkstripe. “But not fast enough. We patrolled as far as the Thunderpath, and there’s nowhere a cat could cross without swimming.”
“The stream’s narrower up there,” mewed Willowpelt. “Could we jump across?”
“Maybe, if you grew wings,” Darkstripe replied. “If all you’ve got is your own paws…”
“But that has to be the best place to try,” insisted Whitestorm.
Bluestar nodded. “We’ll start there,” she decided17. “Maybe StarClan will lead us to a safe place.” She rose to her paws and led her cats quietly out of the camp.
The sun had gone down, and twilight18 blurred19 the shapes of the forest. In the distance an owl7 hooted20, and Fireheart could hear the rustle21 of prey22 in the undergrowth, but the warriors were too intent on their journey to hunt. Bluestar took them straight through the trees to the place where the stream emerged from a hard stone tunnel underneath23 the Thunderpath. Their usual route to Fourtrees did not pass this close to the Thunderpath, and Fireheart wondered what his leader was planning to do. When they reached the tunnel, he saw that floodwater spread out on either side, reflecting the pale light of the rising moon. Water covered the Thunderpath as well, and as the cats watched they saw a monster pass by, moving slowly, throwing up a filthy24 wave from its round black paws.
Once the monster had disappeared into the distance, Bluestar led her cats to the water’s edge on the hard surface of the Thunderpath. She sniffed25 the water, wrinkling her nose at the stench, and cautiously put one paw into the flood. “It’s shallow enough here,” she meowed. “We can walk up the Thunderpath until we’re on the other side of the stream, and get to Fourtrees along the border with ShadowClan.”
Walk up the Thunderpath! Fireheart felt his coat begin to prickle with fear at the thought of deliberately26 following the tracks of the monsters. Cinderpaw’s accident had shown him what they could do to a cat, and she had only been at the edge.
“What if another monster comes?” asked Graystripe, voicing Fireheart’s fear.
“We will keep to the side,” Bluestar replied calmly. “You saw how slowly that monster was moving. Maybe they don’t like getting their paws wet.”
Fireheart saw that Graystripe still looked doubtful. He shared his friend’s worries, but there was no point in protesting any more. Tigerclaw would just berate27 them for being cowards.
“Bluestar, wait,” called Whitestorm as the Clan leader waded28 into the water. “Remember how low our territory is on the other side of this stream? I can’t help thinking it will be flooded there, too. I don’t think we’ll get to Fourtrees without going onto ShadowClan territory, which is higher.”
A cat close to Fireheart let out a faint hiss29, and Fireheart felt another pang30 of fear. A band of warriors setting paw across the border of a Clan with which they had recently battled? If a patrol caught them, they would think it was an invasion.
Bluestar paused with water lapping over her paws, and looked back at Whitestorm. “Maybe,” she acknowledged, “but we’ll have to risk it, if it’s the only way.”
She set off again without giving her cats any time to protest. There was nothing to do but follow. Fireheart splashed along the edge of the Thunderpath just behind Whitestorm. Tigerclaw brought up the rear to keep a lookout32 for monsters coming up from behind.
At first everything was quiet, except for a single monster traveling in the other direction on the opposite side of the Thunderpath. Then Fireheart heard the familiar growling33 and the splash of an approaching monster.
“Look out!” Tigerclaw yowled from the end of the line.
Fireheart froze, pressing himself against the low wall that edged the Thunderpath as it crossed the stream. Darkstripe scrambled34 on top of it and crouched36 there, baring his teeth at the monster as it passed. For a moment its strange, glittering colors were reflected in the stinking37 water, and a wave washed out from it, soaking Fireheart as far as his belly38 fur.
Then it was gone, and Fireheart could breathe again.
As they reached the other side of the stream Fireheart could see that Whitestorm was right. The low-lying land on the ThunderClan side was covered with water. There was nothing to do but continue along the edge of the Thunderpath until the land rose and was dry enough to walk on.
Stepping thankfully off the paw-achingly hard Thunderpath, Fireheart raised his head and opened his jaws. A strong, rank stench filled his scent39 glands—the scent of ShadowClan! They had followed the Thunderpath out of ThunderClan territory, and now a swath of ShadowClan land lay between them and the Gathering at Fourtrees.
“We shouldn’t be here,” Willowpelt murmured uneasily.
If Bluestar heard the comment, she ignored it, quickening the pace until they were racing41 across the sodden42 turf. There were few trees here, and the close-cropped grass offered no cover for trespassing43 cats. Fireheart’s heart was beating fast, and not only from the speed of their journey. If ShadowClan cats caught them, they would be in trouble, but Fourtrees was not far away, and their luck might hold.
Then he caught sight of a dark shadow streaking45 over the ground ahead of them, on a course to intercept46 Bluestar at the head of her patrol. More shadows followed, and a furious yowling split the quiet of the night.
For a heartbeat Bluestar quickened her pace, as if she thought she could outrun the challengers. Then she slowed to a stop. Her warriors did the same. Fireheart stood panting; the shadows drew closer, and he saw that they were ShadowClan cats, headed by their leader, Nightstar.
“Bluestar!” he spat47 as he halted in front of the ThunderClan leader. “Why have you brought your cats onto ShadowClan land?”
“In these floods, it was the only way to reach Fourtrees,” Bluestar replied, her voice low and steady. “We mean no harm, Nightstar. You know there’s a truce48 for the Gathering.”
Nightstar hissed49, his ears flattened50 against his head and his fur bristling51. “The truce holds at Fourtrees,” he snarled52. “There is no truce here.”
Instinctively53, Fireheart dropped into a defensive54 crouch35. The ShadowClan cats—apprentices and elders as well as warriors—slipped silently into a semicircle around the smaller band from ThunderClan. Like Nightstar, their coats were bristling and their tails lashed31 in anger. Their hostile eyes reflected the cold light of the moon. Fireheart knew that if it came to a fight, ThunderClan was hopelessly outnumbered.
“Nightstar, I’m sorry,” meowed Bluestar. “We would never trespass44 on your territory without good reason. Please let us pass.”
Her words did nothing to appease55 the ShadowClan cats. Cinderfur, the ShadowClan deputy, moved up beside his leader, a dim shape in the moonlight. “I think they’re here to spy,” he growled softly.
“Spy?” Tigerclaw shouldered his way forward to stand next to Bluestar, his head thrust out toward Cinderfur until their noses were less than a mouse-length apart. “What can we spy on here? We’re nowhere near your camp.”
Cinderfur curled back his lip to reveal thorn-sharp teeth. “Give us the word, Nightstar, and we’ll tear them apart.”
“You can try,” growled Tigerclaw.
For a few heartbeats Nightstar was silent. Fireheart’s muscles tensed. Beside him, Graystripe growled low in his throat. Mousefur bared her teeth at the nearest ShadowClan warrior, and Sandstorm’s pale golden eyes shone with readiness to fight.
“Keep back,” Nightstar grunted56 at last to his warriors. “We’ll let them pass. I want ThunderClan cats at the Gathering.” Though his words were friendly, he hissed them through bared teeth. Suddenly suspicious, Fireheart whispered to Graystripe, “What does he mean by that?”
Graystripe shrugged57. “Dunno. We’ve seen nothing of ShadowClan since the floods started. Who knows what they’re up to?”
“We’ll even give you an escort,” Nightstar went on, narrowing his eyes. “Just to make sure you get to Fourtrees safely. We wouldn’t want ThunderClan to be scared off by an angry mouse, would we?”
A murmur40 of agreement rose from the ShadowClan warriors. They shifted so that they surrounded the ThunderClan cats on all sides. With a faint nod, Nightstar set off beside Bluestar. The other cats followed, the ShadowClan patrol matching ThunderClan step for step.
ThunderClan headed for the Gathering completely encircled by their enemies.
The moon was at its height as Fireheart and the other ThunderClan cats were herded58 into the hollow beneath the four oak trees. A fierce, cold light poured down over the members of RiverClan and WindClan who were already assembled. All of them turned to stare curiously59 at the group descending60 the slope. Fireheart knew that he and the rest of his Clan must look like prisoners. He stalked along proudly, head and tail held high, defying any cat to say that they had been beaten.
To his relief, the ShadowClan cats slipped away into the shadows as soon as they reached the hollow. Bluestar headed straight for the Great Rock with Tigerclaw at her side. Fireheart looked around for Graystripe, and found that his friend had already disappeared; a moment later he caught sight of him approaching Silverstream, but the silver tabby was surrounded by other RiverClan cats, and Graystripe could only hover61 nearby, looking frustrated62.
Fireheart suppressed a sigh. He knew how much Graystripe must be longing63 to see Silverstream again, especially now she was expecting kits, but there was a huge risk in meeting at a Gathering, where any cat could catch them together.
“What’s up with you?” Mousefur made him jump. “You look as if you’ve got something on your mind.”
Fireheart stared at the brown warrior. “I…I was thinking about what Nightstar said,” he improvised64 rapidly. “Why did he say he wants ThunderClan cats here?”
“Well, I’m sure of one thing. He’s not being kind and helpful,” Sandstorm mewed, coming up with Willowpelt beside her. She licked one paw and drew it over her ear. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
“Trouble’s coming,” Willowpelt meowed over one shoulder as she went to join a group of WindClan queens. “I can feel it in my paws.”
Uneasier than ever, Fireheart padded back and forth1 under the trees, listening with one ear to the cats around him. Most of them were sharing harmless gossip, catching65 up on news from other Clans66, and he heard nothing about what ShadowClan were planning. He noticed, though, that all the ShadowClan cats he passed glared at him, still fiercely hostile. And he caught one or two of them glancing up at the Great Rock as if they were impatient for the meeting to start.
At last a yowling sounded from the top of the rock, and the murmuring from the cats below died away. Fireheart found a place at the edge of the hollow where he had a good view of the four Clan leaders, their silhouettes67 black against the sky.
Sandstorm settled herself beside him, crouching68 with her paws tucked under her chest. “Now for it,” she whispered expectantly.
Nightstar stepped forward, stiff-legged with barely suppressed fury. “Cats of all Clans, listen to me!” he demanded. “Listen, and remember. Until last greenleaf, Brokenstar was leader of ShadowClan. He was—”
Tallstar, the leader of WindClan, stepped forward to stand beside Nightstar. “Why do you speak that hated name?” he growled. His eyes flashed, and Fireheart knew he was remembering how Brokenstar and his warriors had driven WindClan out of their territory.
“Hated, yes,” Nightstar agreed. “And with good reason, which you know as well as any cat, Tallstar. He stole kits from ThunderClan. He forced kits from his own Clan into battle too early, and they died. In the end he was so bloodthirsty that we—his own Clan—drove him out. And where is he now?” Nightstar’s voice rose to a shriek69. “Was he left to die in the forest, or scavenge a living among the Twolegs? No! Because there are cats here tonight who have taken him in. They are traitors70 to the warrior code, and to every other cat in the forest!”
Fireheart exchanged an uneasy glance with Sandstorm. He could see what was coming, and by the troubled look she gave him in return, so could she.
“ThunderClan!” Nightstar yowled. “ThunderClan are sheltering Brokenstar!”
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1
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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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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looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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5
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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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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7
owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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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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9
nettles
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| n.荨麻( nettle的名词复数 ) | |
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10
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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12
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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13
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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14
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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15
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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17
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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18
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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19
blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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20
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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21
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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22
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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23
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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24
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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25
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；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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26
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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berate
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| v.训斥，猛烈责骂 | |
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28
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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30
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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31
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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32
lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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33
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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34
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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35
crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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36
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
stinking
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| adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透 | |
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38
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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39
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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40
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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41
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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42
sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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43
trespassing
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| [法]非法入侵 | |
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44
trespass
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| n./v.侵犯，闯入私人领地 | |
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45
streaking
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| n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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46
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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47
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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48
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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49
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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50
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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51
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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52
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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53
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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54
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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55
appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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56
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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57
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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58
herded
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| 群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动 | |
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59
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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60
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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61
hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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62
frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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63
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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64
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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65
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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66
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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67
silhouettes
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| 轮廓( silhouette的名词复数 )； （人的）体形； （事物的）形状； 剪影 | |
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68
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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69
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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70
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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