CHAPTER 27
“Run!” Fireheart ordered his apprentice1. “Runlike you’ve never run before!”
Already he was pelting2 through the trees, not waiting to see if Cloudpaw could keep up. There was just a faint hope that he could outpace Tigerclaw and the rogues4, and warn the Clan5.
He sent out all those patrols this morning, Fireheart thought, fighting back panic. And he told me to follow Cloudpaw. He left the camp with barely a warrior6 to defend it. He’s been planning this all along!
Fireheart hurtled through the trees, his powerful muscles bunching and stretching as he drove himself on. But when he reached the ravine, he realized that he had not run fast enough. The hindquarters and tails of the last of the rogues were just vanishing into the gorse tunnel.
Launching himself down the steep side of the ravine, with Cloudpaw scrabbling down behind him, Fireheart let out a yowl. “ThunderClan! Enemies! Attack!” He hurled7 himself into the tunnel and at the same moment he heard another yowl from the camp ahead.
“To me, ThunderClan!”
It was the familiar battle cry, but the voice was Tigerclaw’s. A thought flickered8 into Fireheart’s shocked mind: What if he had made a mistake? What if the rogues had been chasing Tigerclaw, not following him?
He burst into the clearing just as Tigerclaw whirled on the band of rogues, who scattered9, yowling, from his attack. The deputy certainly looked as if he were trying to drive enemies from the camp, but Fireheart was close enough to see that his claws were sheathed10. His heart plummeted11. Tigerclaw’s brave defense12 was all a sham13. He had brought these enemy cats here, but he was cunning enough to conceal14 his own treachery.
There was no time for any more thought. However they had come here, the rogue3 cats were now attacking the camp. Fireheart turned swiftly to Cloudpaw.
“Go and find the patrols and tell them to come back,” he ordered. “Whitestorm is somewhere along the RiverClan boundary, and Sandstorm went to Snakerocks.”
“Yes, Fireheart.” Cloudpaw raced back into the tunnel.
Fireheart sprang at the nearest rogue, a dark mottled tabby, and raked his claws down his side. The rogue snarled15 and twisted toward him, paws splayed for attack. He tried to pin Fireheart down; Fireheart’s hindpaws pummeled his belly17, and the rogue broke away howling.
Fireheart scrambled18 to his paws and crouched19 with tail lashing20 and fur bristling21 as he looked around for another enemy. Outside the entrance to the nursery, Graystripe was wrestling a rogue with a pale coat, the two of them rolling over and over as they tried to get hold with teeth and claws. Brindleface and Speckletail were fighting against a warrior twice their size. Near the warriors’ den22, Mousefur dug her front claws into the shoulder of a huge tabby, while her back claws shredded23 his flank.
Then Fireheart froze with shock. At the other side of the clearing, Brokentail had pounced24 on his guard, Dustpelt, fastening his teeth in the younger cat’s throat. Dustpelt was struggling furiously to free himself. Though Brokentail was blind, he was still a formidable fighter, and he hung on. Fireheart realized with dread25 that he was fighting on the side of his old rogue companions, the cats who had left ShadowClan with him—not for ThunderClan, who had risked so much to defend him when he was injured and alone.
A tiny picture flashed into Fireheart’s mind, of Tigerclaw and Brokentail lying side by side, sharing tongues. That had not been evidence of the deputy’s compassion26. Tigerclaw had been planning this with the former ShadowClan tyrant27!
There was no time to think about that now. Fireheart plunged28 across the clearing to help Dustpelt, but before he got halfway29 he was bowled over by a rogue cat. His flank stung as claws raked down it. Green eyes glared a mouse-length from his own. Fireheart bared his fangs30 and tried to bite down into the enemy’s shoulder, but the rogue cat batted him away. Claws ripped into his ear. His belly was exposed and he couldn’t twist free. Suddenly his attacker let out a wail31 and released him. Fireheart caught a glimpse of the young apprentice Thornpaw with his teeth fastened into the rogue’s tail; the rogue dragged him through the dust until Thornpaw released him and the enemy fled.
Panting, Fireheart scrambled to his paws. “Thanks,” he gasped32. “Well done.”
Thornpaw nodded briefly33 before racing34 off to where Graystripe still battled in front of the nursery. Fireheart looked around again. Dustpelt had vanished and Brokentail was stumbling farther into the clearing, letting out a weird35 wailing36 that struck a chill into Fireheart’s heart. Even blind, the former ShadowClan leader possessed37 a terrifying power that seemed driven by something more than mortal.
The clearing heaved with struggling cats, but as Fireheart poised38 himself to rejoin the fray39 he realized something that sent an even colder pang40 of fear along his spine41. Where was Bluestar?
In a heartbeat, Fireheart realized that he couldn’t see Tigerclaw either. Every instinct told him that danger was looming42. He dodged43 around Willowpelt, who was clinging to the back of a much bigger rogue, her teeth fastened in his ear, and made for Bluestar’s den. To his relief, as he approached the entrance he heard Bluestar meow from inside, “We can worry about that later, Tigerclaw. The Clan needs us now.”
For a few heartbeats there was no reply. Then Fireheart heard Bluestar’s voice again, surprised. “Tigerclaw? What are you doing?”
An answering snarl16. “Remember me to StarClan, Bluestar.”
“Tigerclaw, what is this?” Bluestar’s meow was sharper now, edged with anger, not fear. “I’m the leader of your Clan, or have you forgotten that?”
“Not for much longer,” Tigerclaw growled44. “I’m going to kill you, and kill you again. As many times as it takes for you to join StarClan forever. It’s time for me to lead this Clan!”
Bluestar’s answering protest was suddenly cut short by the sound of paws thudding against the hard floor of the den, followed by a dreadful snarling45.
收听单词发音 |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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rogues
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| n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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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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flickered
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| （通常指灯光）闪烁，摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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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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plummeted
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| v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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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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snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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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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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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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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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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shredded
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| shred的过去式和过去分词 | |
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pounced
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| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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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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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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fray
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| v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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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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43
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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44
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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45
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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