Firestar leaped up the slope leading into WindClan territory from Fourtrees. Behind him streamed a patrol of his warriors3: Graystripe, Brackenfur, Sandstorm, Cloudtail, and Dustpelt with his apprentice4, Ashpaw. Firestar had not dared bring more cats to WindClan’s aid; he had left Whitestorm in charge of the ThunderClan camp with every other warrior2 on watch, in case Tigerstar planned to attack them as well.
His paws skimmed the springy moorland turf as his legs drove him toward the WindClan camp. A cold wind flattened5 his fur, carrying the distant scent6 of ShadowClan. Although Firestar knew he was still too far away, he imagined he could hear the screeches7 of battle as Tigerstar’s warriors fell on the unsuspecting WindClan.
“We’ll be too late,” panted Graystripe at his shoulder. “Ho w long did it take Mudclaw to reach us, wounded like that?”
Firestar did not waste breath in replying. He knew Graystripe was right. This was not the first time that ThunderClan had raced to help WindClan against an alliance of ShadowClan and RiverClan. But that time they had been given more warning and they had managed todrive the attacking warriors away. No w, by the time they reached the WindClan camp, the battle could be over, and yet Firestar knew that they had to try. The warrior code, his own friendships within WindClan, and the urgency of joining together to resist TigerClan, all forced him to lead his warriors to the rescue as quickly as he could.
As they drew nearer, the scent of ShadowClan was joined by a trace of RiverClan, mingling8 in a new scent that Firestar realized was the distinctive9 odor of TigerClan. They were near enough that he expected to hear the yowls of fighting cats, and the silence gripped his heart like cold claws. The battle must be over. Firestar slowed his pace as he and his patrol climbed the last slope toward the camp, his belly10 filling with dread11 at the thought of what they might find.
Firestar slipped quietly up to the ridge12 where he could look down over the camp. There was a strong scent of WindClan in the air, along with the tang of blood and fear. A single eerie13 wail14 broke the silence as Firestar breasted the rise and saw what Tigerstar had done.
The hollow where the WindClan cats had their camp was lined with gorse bushes. A few yellow flowers still showed on the spiny15 branches. Beyond, in the center of the camp, Firestar could see cats huddled16 together, scarcely moving. As he watched, a tortoiseshell queen raised her head and let out another chilling wail.
“Morningflower!” Firestar exclaimed.
Flicking17 his tail for his warriors to follow him, he raced down through the bushes and into the camp. Bursting out into the open, he was confronted by the WindClan leader, Tallstar. The black-and-white tom’s fur was torn and covered in dust, and his long tail drooped18 with exhaustion19.
“Firestar!” His voice was rough with pain. “I knew you would come.”
“Not soon enough. I’m sorry.”
The WindClan leader shook his head helplessly. “You did your best.” He turned toward the cats who crouched20 on the floor of the clearing, too shocked or injured to move. “You can see what Tigerstar has done.”
“Tell us what happened,” urged Graystripe.
Tallstar twitched21 his ears. “You can see. Tigerstar and his warriors crept up on us…we had no warning, and in any case there were too many for us to fight.”
Firestar padded forward, feeling his stomach turn over. None of the WindClan warriors had escaped with o u t wounds. Deadfoot, the WindClan deputy, was lying very still with blood trickling22 from a gash23 on his flank; next to him lay Runningbrook, a she-cat whose pale gray fur was hanging off her shoulder in clumps24. Their eyes stared at nothing, as if they couldn’t believe what had happened.
Firestar could scarcely believe it either. This had been a completely unprovoked attack. There had been no warning at the last Gathering25. Tigerstar had gained no extra territory for his Clan1. The purpose of this attack had been nothing more than to bring fear to the WindClan cats.
“Hey, Firestar!” A weak voice made Firestar turn to see his old friend Onewhisker. The brown tabby warrior was lying on his side with deep wounds to his throat and shoulder. Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat, was pressing cobwebs to them, but the blood still oozed26 out sluggishly27.
“Onewhisker…” Firestar trailed off, not knowing what to say.
Onewhisker’s eyes were bright with pain. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” He grunted28. “You should have seen the other cat.”
“I wish we’d come in time,” Firestar meowed.
“I wish you had, too. Look over there.”
Onewhisker turned his head, and Barkface snapped, “Keep still!”
Firestar followed the injured warrior’s gaze. Morningflower, the tortoiseshell queen who had been wailing29 aloud, was crouched over the motionless body of another cat. A small body, with torn ginger-and-white fur.
“No…” Firestar’s throat closed so he had to choke out the words. “Not Gorsepaw.”
“Tigerstar killed him.” Onewhisker’s voice was tight with rage. “He pinned him down in the center of the clearing, with his warriors around him so none of us could get close enough to stop him. He…he said he was going to kill him to show the rest of us what we could expect if we refused to join him.”
Firestar closed his eyes, unable to bear the bloodstained scene in front of him, yet all he could see was an image of the massive leader of TigerClan, paws holding down the helpless apprentice while he challenged the WindClan warriors. A shiver ran through him. He thought back to the time that he and Graystripe had traveled to find WindClan and bring them home after ShadowClan had driven them into exile. Firestar had carried Gorsepaw, then a tiny kit30, back across the Thunderpath.
All of that was wasted now, thanks to Tigerstar. Firestar could not help wondering if Tigerstar had deliberately31 chosen Gorsepaw because he knew of Firestar’s bond with the young apprentice.
Opening his eyes, Firestar left Onewhisker and padded softly over to Morningflower, touching32 her shoulder with his nose to draw her attention.
She looked up, her beautiful eyes dulled with grief. “Firestar,” she whispered. “I didn’t ever think you’d saved my son for this. What have StarClan done to us?”
Firestar crouched down beside Morningflower, pressing himself against her side to comfort her, and touched his nose to Gorsepaw’s fur. “He was growing into a fine warrior,” he murmured.
The sound of another cat roused him; he looked up to see Graystripe. His friend bowed his head, too, and touched Gorsepaw’s fur, mewing a few words of comfort to Morningflower.
“Firestar, what do you want us to do?” he asked, raising his head again. “We can’t just leave them like this.”
With a last gentle lick of Morningflower’s ear, Firestar stood up and moved away with his friend. “Take two or three cats on a patrol,” he ordered. “One or two of WindClan, too, if any of them are fit. They’ll know their boundaries better than us. Check to make sure that there are no TigerClan warriors still lurking33 around. If you find any, you know what to do—chase them off, or kill them if you have to. And bring back as much fresh-kill as you can. WindClan need to eat, and they’re not capable of hunting for themselves.”
“Right,” meowed Graystripe. He called Sandstorm, Cloudtail, and Dustpelt, and checked with Tallstar for permission to patrol in his territory. Tallstar agreed gratefully, and ordered Webfoot, who had escaped with torn fur and scratches, to go with them and show them the best places for prey34.
“We need to talk,” the WindClan leader mewed to Firestar as he watched the patrol leave. “Tigerstar left a message for you.”
Firestar pricked35 his ears. “A message?”
“He wants both of us to meet him tomorrow at Fourtrees, at sunhigh,” Tallstar replied. “He says he’s tired of waiting. He wants our decision about whether we’ll join TigerClan or not…and he’s shown us what he’ll do if we refuse.”
He flicked36 his tail toward the wounded warriors and the limp body of the dead apprentice, all his grief contained in the simple gesture.
Firestar met his gaze, and the two leaders shared a long look of understanding.
“I’d rather die than join Tigerstar’s Clan,” Firestar declared at last.
“So would I,” agreed Tallstar. “And I’m glad to hear you say that. Bluestar was right about you all along. Many cats thought you were too young and inexperienced when she made you her deputy, but you’re showing your quality now. The forest needs cats like you.”
Firestar bowed his head, humbled37 by the unexpected praise. “So—we’ll meet tomorrow at Fourtrees,” he meowed.
Tallstar nodded gravely. “Take my advice, Firestar, and bring some of your warriors with you. When we refuse to join Tigerstar, I don’t imagine he’ll let us walk away without a fight.”
Firestar felt chilled to the tip of his tail. He could see that the older cat was right. “Then if we have to, we’ll fight together?”
“Together,” Tallstar promised. “Our Clans38 will join together like a lion to fight the tiger who prowls our forest.”
Firestar stared at him in amazement39. Tallstar could not know of Bluestar’s prophecy, nor of Firestar’s vision by the stream. And yet he had echoed the words of the prophecy.
Four will become two; lion and tiger will join in battle. Had StarClan s p o k en to him as well? Firestar knew that the WindClan leader would not say—what passed between a Clan leader and the spirits of their warrior ancestors was for no other ears. But this echo reminded Firestar that they were leaders together, with the power of two mighty40 Clans behind them.
Gazing steadily41 at the noble black-and-white cat, Firestar meowed, “I swear by StarClan that my Clan will be the friend of yours, to fight this evil side by side.”
“I swear it too,” Tallstar replied solemnly.
Firestar raised his head, tasting the air, which still carried a faint trace of the raiding cats. He knew that this vow42 would run through their blood like cold fire until Tigerstar had been driven from the forest—or until they lost their ninth lives trying.
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1
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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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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6
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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7
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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mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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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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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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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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spiny
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| adj.多刺的，刺状的；n.多刺的东西 | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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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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18
drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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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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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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trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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24
clumps
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| n.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的名词复数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的第三人称单数 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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25
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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26
oozed
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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sluggishly
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| adv.懒惰地；缓慢地 | |
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28
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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29
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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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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deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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32
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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33
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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34
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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35
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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36
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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37
humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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38
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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39
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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40
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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41
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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42
vow
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| n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓 | |
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