CHAPTER 16
Fireheart’s claws felt rooted to theThunderpath as he stared at the cat that had cast a menacing shadow over his life for so long. There was no need for any pretense1 of shared Clan2 loyalty3 now. Tigerclaw was an outcast, the enemy of all cats who followed the warrior4 code.
The fiery5 evening sun bled through the tips of the trees, its orange rays glowing on the dark pelt6 of the massive tabby. Across the silence of the deserted7 Thunderpath, Tigerclaw sneered8 at Fireheart.
Fireheart’s mind cleared in a heartbeat, leaving his body pulsing with strength and cold fury. He stared straight into Tigerclaw’s eyes as the thundering of another monster stirred his ear fur. He held his ground as it whipped by him, another roaring at its heels. But Fireheart felt no fear. In the fleeting10 gap between the two monsters he focused on Tigerclaw and sprang.
Tigerclaw’s eyes widened with surprise as Fireheart crashed into him, claws unsheathed and hissing12 with rage. They rolled together across the grass into the cover of the trees. Fireheart drew strength from the familiar scents13 of the forest—his territory now, not Tigerclaw’s—and the pair struggled wildly, flattening14 the brittle15 undergrowth and gouging16 deep scars in the ground with their claws.
Fireheart had gotten a good grip on Tigerclaw in his first pounce17. He could feel every one of the tabby’s ribs18. Tigerclaw had lost weight, but his muscles felt hard beneath his thick pelt, and Fireheart quickly realized that exile had not diminished the warrior’s strength. Tigerclaw crouched19 and leaped upward, twisting in midair. Fireheart felt himself being flung from Tigerclaw’s back, felt the impact of the parched20 ground as he landed on his side. He gasped21 for the air that had been knocked from his lungs and struggled to his paws. He wasn’t fast enough. Tigerclaw pounced22 on him, pinning him to the ground with claws that seemed to pierce Fireheart to the bone.
Fireheart yowled in agony, but the massive tom held him down, and he smelled the stench of crowfood as Tigerclaw stretched his neck forward to hiss11 into Fireheart’s ear, “Are you listening, kittypet? I will kill you, and all your warriors23, one by one.”
Even in the heat of battle, his words sent a chill through Fireheart. He knew Tigerclaw meant what he said. He suddenly became aware of new noises and smells around him—the rustle24 of unfamiliar25 paws and strange cat scents. They were surrounded. But by whom? Confused by the scents of the Thunderpath, Whitethroat’s blood, and his own fear, Fireheart wondered bleakly26 if these could be the remaining cats from Brokentail’s band of outcasts, who not long ago had helped Tigerclaw attack the ThunderClan camp. Had Whitethroat chosen to join these rogues28 rather than return to his own disease-ridden Clan?
In desperation Fireheart pushed up with his hind29 legs, his claws raking for a hold on Tigerclaw’s belly30. His old enemy must have underestimated how strong Fireheart had grown, for his grip loosened and he slithered onto the ground. Fireheart scrabbled away from him, lifting his head in time to see Mousefur and Whitestorm hurl31 themselves from the undergrowth onto two of the cats that had surrounded them. He glanced back at Tigerclaw, who had sprung to his paws and was rearing onto his hind legs, towering over Fireheart with his teeth bared and his amber32 eyes gleaming with hatred33. He ducked as Tigerclaw lunged, darting34 forward and turning to swipe the dark warrior on the nose. Beside him he could hear the yowls and hisses35 of Whitestorm and Mousefur as they battled with the courage of StarClan. But they were badly outnumbered. As Fireheart dodged36 Tigerclaw once more, he looked around desperately37 for any means of escape. Claws raked at his hind legs, and he turned to see one of Tigerclaw’s rogues grasping him and snarling38 viciously. He was skinny and ungroomed like the others, his eyes glittering with spite.
Tigerclaw reared up again with a furious hiss. Fireheart was bracing39 himself for Tigerclaw’s blow when he saw a blaze of gray. A broad pair of shoulders flashed past, and Fireheart recognized a warrior he had fought alongside many times before.
Graystripe!
The gray warrior lunged at Tigerclaw’s exposed belly, knocking him backward. Fireheart whipped around and bit the shoulder of the cat that clung to his hind leg until he felt his teeth scrape against bone. He released the rogue27 when he squealed40, and spat41 out the blood that had dripped into his mouth.
Astounded42, Fireheart looked at the battle that raged around him. Graystripe must have brought a whole RiverClan patrol, for now it was the rogue cats who were outnumbered as they struggled against the sleek-furred warriors. He turned to see Graystripe twisting free of Tigerclaw’s grasp and sprang to help his friend. Together they reared at Tigerclaw, swiping at him to drive him backward, matched step for step as they had practiced so many times in training. Then, without even exchanging a glance, they lunged as one and forced the massive tabby onto the ground. Tigerclaw let out a muffled43 hiss as Fireheart pressed his foe’s muzzle44 into the dirt while Graystripe grasped the tabby’s shoulders and pounded his flank with his hind legs.
Fireheart heard screeches45 fading into the woods and realized that the rogue cats were fleeing the battle. Tigerclaw took advantage of Fireheart’s lapse46 of attention and wriggled47 free. He fled toward the brambles, spitting with fury, and disappeared among the barbed stems.
As the wails48 of the rogue cats faded away, the warriors shook the dust from their pelts49 and licked their wounds. Fireheart realized for the first time that Bluestar’s son, Stonefur, was among the RiverClan cats. “Is anyone badly hurt?” he gasped.
The cats shook their heads, even Mousefur, who was still bleeding from the first attack.
“We should return to our own territory,” meowed Stonefur.
“ThunderClan thanks you for your help.” Fireheart dipped his head respectfully.
“Rogue cats threaten all of us,” Stonefur replied. “We couldn’t leave you to fight them alone.”
Whitestorm shook his muzzle, scattering50 drops of blood. He looked at Graystripe. “It’s good to fight beside you again, friend. What brought you here?”
“He heard Fireheart’s yowl from Fourtrees, where we were patrolling,” Stonefur answered for Graystripe. “He persuaded us to come and help.”
“Thanks,” answered Fireheart warmly. “All of you.”
Stonefur nodded and turned away into the trees. His patrol followed. Fireheart touched Graystripe with his muzzle as he passed, sorry to see him leave, and painfully aware that there was no time to say as much as he wanted. “See you, Graystripe,” he meowed.
Fireheart shivered as the sun finally disappeared from the forest. He could see Mousefur’s eyes shining in the dark, tense with pain. Then he felt a fresh wave of sorrow as he remembered the price that had been paid for the rogue cats’ attack. Runningwind’s body would be growing cold by now. And this was not the only untimely death Tigerclaw had brought to the forest that day.
Fireheart looked at Whitestorm. “Can you and Mousefur get Runningwind back to camp without me?”
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1
pretense
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| n.矫饰，做作，借口 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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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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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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flattening
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| n. 修平 动词flatten的现在分词 | |
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brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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gouging
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| n.刨削[槽]v.凿( gouge的现在分词 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出… | |
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pounce
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| n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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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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parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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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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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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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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bleakly
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| 无望地，阴郁地，苍凉地 | |
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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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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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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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hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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hisses
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| 嘶嘶声( hiss的名词复数 ) | |
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dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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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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bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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squealed
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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astounded
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| v.使震惊(astound的过去式和过去分词)；愕然；愕；惊讶 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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screeches
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| n.尖锐的声音( screech的名词复数 )v.发出尖叫声( screech的第三人称单数 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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wails
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| 痛哭，哭声( wail的名词复数 ) | |
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pelts
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| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
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scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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51
rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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