CHAPTER 30
The air in the clearing washeavy with the scent1 of WindClan and RiverClan. Fireheart felt a tremor3 of anxiety. In just a few moments he was going to have to stand on the Great Rock and address these cats. There was no sign of ShadowClan. Had the sickness taken such a firm hold that they couldn’t make it to the Gathering4? A pang5 of pity for Whitethroat reminded Fireheart of Tigerclaw, and of the terror in the young warrior6’s eyes as the massive cat loomed7 at the edge of the Thunderpath. Suddenly his paws itched8 to mount the Great Rock and warn the other Clans9 about the dark warrior’s presence in the forest.
“Fireheart!” Onewhisker bounded up to Fireheart’s side. He felt a flicker10 of surprise at Onewhisker’s friendly purr. The last time he had seen a WindClan cat it had been Mudclaw screeching11 angrily away into the heather. But Onewhisker clearly hadn’t forgotten how Fireheart had brought his Clan2 back from exile. The two warriors12 had grown close on that journey, and both cats still valued the bond they had forged.
“Hi, Onewhisker,” Fireheart greeted the brown tabby. “You’d better not let Mudclaw see you talking to me, truce13 or no truce. We didn’t part on very good terms last time we met.”
“Mudclaw takes pride in defending his territory,” replied Onewhisker, shifting uncomfortably from paw to paw. He’d obviously heard about the two attacks on ThunderClan cats in WindClan territory.
“Maybe,” Fireheart admitted. “But that’s no excuse for turning Bluestar away from Highstones.” He found himself wishing Bluestar had been able to share with StarClan at the Moonstone that day. Things might be very different now if she had received some assurance that her warrior ancestors had not turned against her.
“Tallstar wasn’t happy when he heard about that. Even if you were sheltering Brokentail, it was no excuse—”
“Brokentail was deadby then,” Fireheart interrupted him, regretting his tone when he saw Onewhisker’s ears flicking14 uncomfortably. “I’m sorry, Onewhisker,” he meowed more gently. “It’s good to see you again. How are you?”
“Fine,” answered Onewhisker, looking relieved. “I’m sorry to hear about the fire. I know how bad it is for a Clan to be driven from its home.” His eyes met Fireheart’s sympathetically.
“We’ve returned to our camp and we’ve rebuilt it the best we can. It won’t be long before the forest recovers.” Fireheart tried to sound confident.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Onewhisker meowed. “You know, it’s as if we’ve never been away from our camp now. There have been plenty of kits16 this greenleaf, and Morningflower’s kit15 is here as an apprentice—it’s his first Gathering.” Fireheart remembered the tiny wet bundle of fur he had helped to carry through the rain, out of Twoleg territory and back to WindClan’s home. He followed Onewhisker’s gaze across the clearing to a young brown tom. Although small like the rest of his Clan, the apprentice’s muscles were already lean and well developed beneath his short, thick fur.
Fireheart noticed Onewhisker suddenly dip his head. He turned to see Tallstar approaching them. The WindClan leader looked at Fireheart with narrowed eyes. “We’ve been seeing a lot of you lately, Fireheart,” he remarked. “Just because you once led us home doesn’t give you the freedom to wander around our territory.”
“So I’ve been warned,” replied Fireheart. He forced himself to stay calm, keeping his resentment17 at Bluestar’s treatment out of his voice—after all, the Gathering was held under a truce, and this was a warrior he had learned to respect on their journey together through Twoleg territory. But Fireheart held the black-and-white leader’s gaze and meowed firmly, “However, I must put the needs of my Clan first.”
Tallstar’s eyes glittered back at him; then he gave a tiny nod. “Spoken like a true warrior. Having traveled with you, I wasn’t surprised when Bluestar made you her deputy.” The WindClan leader glanced around the clearing and added, “There are those who thought such a young cat would never carry off such a great responsibility. I was not among them.”
Fireheart was taken aback. He hadn’t expected such a compliment from the leader of WindClan. He stifled18 a delighted purr, and nodded his thanks.
“Where is Bluestar?” asked Tallstar. “I can’t see her among your cats.” His voice was casual but his eyes betrayed a keen interest.
“She’s not feeling well enough to travel yet,” Fireheart answered lightly.
“Was she injured in the fire?”
“Nothing she won’t recover from,” Fireheart meowed, hoping with all his heart that he was telling the truth.
Beside him, Onewhisker looked up sharply. Fireheart followed his gaze to the slope on the other side of the valley. Three ShadowClan cats were charging into the clearing, Runningnose at the head. Fireheart felt a glimmer19 of relief as he recognized one of the two warriors behind the gray-and-white medicine cat. It was Littlecloud, clearly recovered from the sickness—thanks to Cinderpelt.
The other Clan cats backed away from the ShadowClan warriors as they skidded21 to a halt in front of the Great Rock. News of their disease had obviously spread through the forest.
“It’s all right,” Runningnose meowed, panting, as if he could read their minds. “ShadowClan is free of the sickness. I have been sent ahead to tell you to wait before you begin the meeting. ShadowClan’s leader is on his way.”
“What makes Nightstar so late?” called Tallstar from Fireheart’s side.
“Nightstar is dead,” answered Runningnose bluntly.
A stunned22 ripple23 spread through the other cats like a breeze through trees, and Fireheart blinked. How could the ShadowClan leader be dead? He had only recently received his nine lives. What a terrible sickness! No wonder Littlecloud and Whitethroat had been so afraid to return to their camp.
“Is Cinderfur coming instead?” Whitestorm called, referring to the ShadowClan deputy.
Runningnose looked at his paws. “Cinderfur was one of the first to die of the sickness.”
“Then who is your new leader?” demanded Crookedstar, emerging from the shadows on the other side of the Great Rock.
Runningnose glanced at the RiverClan leader. “You’ll see for yourselves soon enough,” he promised. “He’ll be here shortly.”
“Excuse me,” Fireheart murmured to Tallstar and Onewhisker. “There is something I must share with Runningnose.”
Fireheart padded to where the ShadowClan medicine cat stood, surrounded by warriors and apprentices24, all anxious to discover who ShadowClan’s new leader was. He wondered how the old cat would react to hearing about Yellowfang’s death. Runningnose had seen so much death lately that perhaps it wouldn’t mean much to him anymore, but Fireheart felt he should break it to him privately25, before he made an announcement from the Great Rock. After all, Yellowfang had trained Runningnose when she had been ShadowClan’s medicine cat. The bond between the two cats must once have been very close, if only for the short time before Brokentail drove Yellowfang out of her Clan.
Fireheart signaled with his tail to the ShadowClan medicine cat. Runningnose looked relieved to be leaving the circle of inquiring faces as he followed Fireheart to a quieter spot beneath one of the oaks. “What is it?” he asked.
“Yellowfang’s dead,” Fireheart meowed gently, feeling a fresh thorn of sorrow drive itself into his heart.
Runningnose’s eyes clouded with grief. The gray-and-white tom bowed his head as Fireheart went on: “She died trying to save a Clanmate from the fire. StarClan will honor her bravery.”
Runningnose didn’t reply, just swung his head slowly from side to side. Fireheart felt his own throat tighten26 with sadness, but he couldn’t afford to let grief overwhelm him here. He touched the tom’s head with his nose and padded quickly away.
The rest of the cats were beginning to weave anxiously around one another, their mews growing louder. “We can’t wait any longer!” Fireheart heard a RiverClan warrior mutter to his neighbor. “The moon will be setting soon.”
“If this new leader is going to be late, that’s his problem,” Mousefur agreed. Fireheart knew the real reason for her keenness to get on with the meeting and return to camp. With Tigerclaw loose in the forest, none of the Clans were safe.
He saw a flash of white fur at the center of the clearing as Tallstar leaped onto the Great Rock. He had obviously decided27 to start the meeting without ShadowClan’s leader. Crookedstar started toward the rock. Fireheart braced28 himself, ready for his first Gathering at the head of his Clan, and desperate to warn the other cats about the threat that lurked29 in the woods.
“Good luck.” Fireheart felt Sandstorm’s breath ruffle30 his ear fur. He turned and gently touched her warm cheek with his muzzle31, knowing that their quarrel had been forgotten. Then he threaded his way through the other cats toward the Great Rock.
He was stopped in his tracks by a yowl called from the slope behind him. “He’s here!”
Fireheart turned and saw Darkstripe craning his neck beside him, but their view was blocked by the other cats peering and rearing up on their hind20 legs to get a look at ShadowClan’s new leader as he passed through the crowd. Darkstripe’s ears suddenly pricked32 with surprise. The striped warrior was staring up at the Great Rock, his eyes glittering with barely suppressed excitement. Fireheart twisted his head to see what had prompted such a strong reaction from his Clanmate.
Framed by the cold light of the moon, Fireheart saw the powerful shoulders and broad head of the cat who had leaped onto the rock beside Tallstar. The other leader seemed puny33 and frail34 beside this massive figure. And with a cold shiver of dread35, Fireheart realized that the new leader of ShadowClan was Tigerclaw.
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1
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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itched
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| v.发痒( itch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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screeching
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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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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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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flicking
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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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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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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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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stifled
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| （使）窒息， （使）窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 )； 镇压，遏制； 堵 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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skidded
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| v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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23
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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24
apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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30
ruffle
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| v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边 | |
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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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32
pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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35
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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