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Brambleclaw heaved a sigh of relief to come down from Highstones and feel grass under his paws again. They were alone now, a tiny band of cats in a vast, unknown territory. Ravenpaw had pointed1 out a path across fields divided by sharp, shiny Twoleg fences, and there were many scents3 of Twolegs and dogs, though none of them were fresh. Wooly4 faced sheep stared at the traveling cats as they slipped past, their heads low and their ears flat, uncomfortable at being out in the open.
“You’d think they’d never seen a cat before,” Stormfur grunted5.
“Maybe they haven’t,” Tawnypelt replied. “There’s no reason for cats to come here. I haven’t had so much as a sniff7 of prey8 since we left the barn.”
“Well, I’ve never seen a sheep before,” Squirrelpaw pointed out. She padded a little closer to the nearest one, and Brambleclaw unobtrusively moved up behind her; as far as he knew sheep were not dangerous, but he was taking no chances. Squirrelpaw paused a tail-length away, took a good sniff, and wrinkled her nose. “Yuck! They might look like 1 6 4
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fluffy9 clouds on legs, but they smell horrible!”
Tawnypelt yawned. “Can we get on, for the love of StarClan?”
“I wonder why StarClan are sending us to the sun-drown place,” Feathertail meowed, swerving11 to avoid a grass-cropping sheep that was too close for comfort. “Why couldn’t they have told us what we need to know back in the forest? And why do we have to hear the message at midnight?”
Crowpaw snorted. “Who knows?” He narrowed his eyes and stared at Brambleclaw. “Maybe the ThunderClan warrior12 can tell us. After all, he’s the only one of us who has seen this place—or so he says.”
Brambleclaw gritted13 his teeth. “You know as much as I do,” he meowed. “We just have to trust StarClan that it will all come clear in the end.”
“Easy enough for you to say,” Crowpaw retorted.
“Leave him alone!” To Brambleclaw’s amazement14, Squirrelpaw darted15 forward and planted herself in front of the WindClan apprentice16. “Brambleclaw didn’t ask for the second dream. It’s not his fault that StarClan chose him.”
“And what do you know about it?” Crowpaw growled17. “In WindClan, apprentices18 know when to keep their mouths shut.”
“Oh, so you’ll be quiet from now on?” Squirrelpaw mewed cheekily. “Good.”
With his top lip drawn19 back in a snarl20, Crowpaw stalked around her and went on.
Brambleclaw padded across to his Clan10 mate. “Thanks for backing me up there,” he murmured.
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Squirrelpaw’s eyes flashed angrily at him. “I’m not doing it for you!” she snapped. “I’m just not letting that stupid furball think WindClan is so much better than ThunderClan.” She dashed off with an annoyed hiss21, past Feathertail and Stormfur, who had stopped to watch.
“Don’t get too far ahead!” Brambleclaw called after her, but she ignored him.
As he set off in pursuit, Brambleclaw was uncomfortably aware that none of the other cats had tried to defend him, not even Tawnypelt. They must all be full of doubts about his vision of the sun-drown place, and why they had to go there, just like Feathertail. A sense of responsibility was settling more heavily on Brambleclaw with every step he took, and he knew that if any of his companions were injured or even killed on the journey, it would be his fault. Perhaps StarClan had gotten it wrong this time. Perhaps in the end, not even the faith and courage of warriors22 would be enough to bring them through safely.
Not long after sunhigh, they came to their first Thunderpath. It was narrower than the one they were used to, and curved so that they could not see monsters approaching until the last moment. On the opposite side, a tall hedge stretched as far as they could see in both directions.
Crowpaw approached cautiously and sniffed23 the hard black edge of the Thunderpath. “Ugh!” he exclaimed, wrinkling his nose. “It’s foul24 stuff. Why do Twolegs spread it all over the place?”
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“Their monsters travel on it,” Stormfur told him.
“I know that!” Crowpaw snapped. “Their monsters stink25, too.”
Stormfur shrugged26. “That’s Twolegs for you.”
“Are we going to sit here until sunset discussing the habits of Twolegs?” Tawnypelt interrupted. “Or are we going to cross this Thunderpath?”
Brambleclaw crouched27 on the grass verge28, ears pricked29 to catch the sound of approaching monsters. “When I say ‘now,’
run,” he told Squirrelpaw, who was crouching30 beside him.
“You’ll be fine.”
Squirrelpaw didn’t look at him. She had been in a bad mood ever since her earlier quarrel with Crowpaw. “I’m not scared, you know,” she hissed31.
“Then you should be,” Tawnypelt grunted from her other side. “Didn’t you listen to what we told you when we crossed the Thunderpath near Highstones? Get this straight: they’re dangerous even for experienced warriors. Cats have died on them.”
Squirrelpaw glanced up at her and nodded, her green eyes huge
“Good,” mewed the ShadowClan warrior. “So listen to Brambleclaw, and when he tells you to go, run like you’ve never run before.”
“Before we cross”—Brambleclaw raised his voice so all the cats could hear him—“I think we should decide what we are going to do on the other side. We can’t see beyond that hedge, and I can’t pick up any scents for the reek32 of the Thunderpath.”
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Stormfur raised his head and opened his jaws33 to taste the air
“Nor can I,” he agreed. “I suggest we cross, go straight through the hedge, and meet up again on the other side. If there is anything dangerous through there, the six of us together should be able to deal with it.”
Brambleclaw was impressed by Stormfur’s sensible thinking.
“Okay,” he meowed, and the rest of the cats, even Crowpaw, murmured their assent34.
“Brambleclaw, you give the word,” Stormfur mewed.
Once more Brambleclaw strained to listen. A low growl-ing in the distance quickly grew into a roar, and a monster leaped around the bend, its unnatural35, shiny pelt6 gleaming as it swept past. It buffeted36 the cats with a hot, gritty wind and left them choking in the reek it left behind.
Almost at once another monster passed, going in the other direction. Then quiet fell again, heavy like a blanket of snow; when Brambleclaw pricked his ears he could hear nothing but the distant barking of a dog.
“Now!” he yowled.
He sprang forward, aware of Squirrelpaw keeping pace with him on one side and Feathertail on the other. His paws pattered on the hard surface of the Thunderpath; then he reached the narrow strip of grass on the other side and was thrusting through the hedge, spiky37 branches snagging in his fur.
Pushing hard, he burst through into the open. For a moment he could not make sense of what he saw, and almost froze in panic. He caught a glimpse of leaping flame, and the W A R R I O R S : T H E N E W P R O P H E C Y : M I D N I G H T
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acrid38 tang of smoke filled his throat. There was a high-pitched shout and a Twoleg kit39 came running toward him, not much taller than a fox, with thick, unsteady legs. The barking of the dog was suddenly much louder.
“Squirrelpaw, stay with me!” He gasped40, but when he turned to look for her the ginger41 apprentice had disappeared.
He heard Stormfur yowling, “Stay together! Over here!”
Brambleclaw glanced around, but he could not see any of his companions, and his paws were carrying him into the depths of a holly42 bush, the closest refuge he could see. His belly43 brushing the earth, he crawled into shelter, and felt himself pressing up against fur. He heard a frightened whimper; in the dim light he made out a flecked gray pelt and recognized Feathertail.
“It’s only me,” he murmured.
“Brambleclaw!” Feathertail’s voice was shaking. “For a moment I thought it was that dog.”
“Have you seen the others?” Brambleclaw asked her. “Did you see where Squirrelpaw went?”
Feathertail shook her head, her blue eyes wide with fear.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’re fine,” he mewed, giving her ear a comforting lick. “I’ll see what’s happening out there.”
He crept forward a couple of tail-lengths until he could peer out. The fire, he realized thankfully, was only a heap of burning branches, confined to a small area not far from where he had broken in; a fully-grown Twoleg was feeding more branches to it. The Twoleg kit had joined him.
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not see it, and the smoke prevented him from scenting44 it.
More important, he could not see any of his missing companions.
Wriggling45 back to Feathertail, he whispered, “Come on, follow me. The Twolegs aren’t paying any attention.”
“What about the dog?”
“I don’t know where it is, but it isn’t here. Listen, this is what we’ll do.” Brambleclaw knew that he had to come up with a plan right away, to get Feathertail out of there before panic froze her completely. Their holly bush was growing close to a wooden fence, and a little farther along a small tree stretched its branches into the next garden. “Over there,” he meowed, twitching47 his ears toward it. “Climb the tree; then we can get on top of the fence. We can go anywhere from there.”
He wondered briefly48 what he would do if Feathertail was so spooked that she refused to move, but the gray she-cat nodded determinedly49.
“Now?” she asked.
“Yes—I’ll be right behind you.”
At once Feathertail dived out of their refuge, raced along the bottom of the fence, and took a flying leap into the tree.
Brambleclaw, hard on her paws, heard the Twoleg kit shout again. Then he was clawing at the trunk, scrabbling hard until he reached the safety of a branch and the shelter of thick leaves. He caught Feathertail’s scent2 and saw her blue eyes peering worriedly at him.
“Brambleclaw,” she mewed, “I think we’ve found the dog.”
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She twitched50 her whiskers to point down into the next garden. Brambleclaw peered out of the leaves and saw the dog—a huge brown brute—leaping up and scraping the fence with blunt claws in its efforts to climb up and attack them. As Brambleclaw peered down it let out a flurry of hysterical51 barking.
“Fox dung!” Brambleclaw spat52 at it.
He wondered what their chances would be of escaping along the top of the fence, but it was flimsier than the ones he had scaled at the edge of ThunderClan territory, and the dog was shaking it so much that any cat trying to balance there was likely to be flung off into the garden. Brambleclaw imagined those teeth meeting in his leg or neck and decided53 they were better off staying put.
“We’ll never find the others at this rate,” Feathertail whimpered.
Then Brambleclaw heard the door of the Twoleg nest open. A full-grown Twoleg stood there, shouting at the dog.
Still barking wildly, the creature kept up its attack on the fence. The Twoleg shouted again and strode into the garden, grabbed the dog by its collar, and dragged it, protesting, into the nest. The door slammed shut; the barking continued for a moment longer and then stopped.
“See?” Brambleclaw meowed to Feathertail. “Even Twolegs have their uses.”
Feathertail nodded, her eyes filled with relief. Brambleclaw slipped out of the tree to the top of the fence and, balancing carefully, padded along it until he reached the hedge W A R R I O R S : T H E N E W P R O P H E C Y : M I D N I G H T
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that bordered the Thunderpath. From here he had a good view of the gardens on either side. Everything seemed quiet.
“I can’t see or hear the others,” Feathertail mewed as she joined him.
“No, but that could be a good sign,” Brambleclaw pointed out. “If the Twolegs had caught them, they would make such a racket we’d be bound to hear.”
He wasn’t sure that was quite true, but it seemed to reassure54 Feathertail.
“What do you think we should do?” she asked.
“The danger is inside these gardens,” Brambleclaw decided. “We’ll be safer on the other side of the hedge, beside the Thunderpath. The monsters won’t bother us if we stick to the verge, and once we get to the end of these Twoleg nests there won’t be any more problems.”
“But what about the others?”
That was the question Brambleclaw couldn’t answer. It was impossible to look for their companions with dogs and Twolegs all around. Anxiety stabbed deep in his belly when he thought of Squirrelpaw alone and bewildered in this strange and frightening place.
“They’ll probably do the same,” he meowed, hoping he sounded convincing. “They might even be waiting for us. If not, I’ll come back and have a look after dark, when the Twolegs will be in their nests.”
Feathertail nodded tensely and both cats jumped down from the fence, landing lightly on their forepaws on short, bright green grass. They slipped back through the hedge and W A R R I O R S : T H E N E W P R O P H E C Y : M I D N I G H T
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along the Thunderpath, keeping well away from its smooth black surface. Monsters passed from time to time, but Brambleclaw was so worried about the missing cats that he hardly noticed the guttural roar and the rush of wind that rocked him on his paws.
Eventually they came to the end of the hedge. The Thunderpath curved away to join another one a little way ahead. Between the two was a wedge of open ground, almost covered by a tangle55 of hawthorn56 bushes. On the other side of the Thunderpath, fields stretched away into the distance. A cold breeze ruffled57 the fur on Brambleclaw’s flank as he gazed across the fields to where the sun was beginning to sink.
“Thank StarClan!” Feathertail breathed.
Brambleclaw led the way into the bushes. They would be safer there, and some of their friends might already be waiting. Leaving Feathertail to keep a lookout58, he plunged59 deeper, searching and calling out their names in a low voice. There was no reply, and he could not pick up any familiar scents.
When he returned to Feathertail, she was sitting with her tail wrapped around her paws. A dead mouse lay beside her.
“Do you want to share?” she mewed. “I caught it, but I don’t really feel like eating right now.”
The sight of prey reminded Brambleclaw how hungry he was. He had eaten well that morning in Ravenpaw’s barn, but they had traveled a long way since then.
“Are you sure? I can catch one for myself.”
“No, go on.” She shoved the mouse toward him with one paw.
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“Thanks.” Brambleclaw crouched beside her and took a bite, the warm flavors flooding his mouth. “Try not to worry,”
he mewed as Feathertail bent60 her head to take a halfhearted mouthful. “I’m sure we’ll meet up with the others soon.”
Feathertail stopped eating to give him an anxious look. “I hope so. It feels weird61 being without Stormfur. We’ve always been closer than most littermates. I suppose it comes from having a father in a different Clan.”
Brambleclaw nodded, remembering how close he had felt to Tawnypelt when they were kits62, as they struggled to make sense of their bloodstained heritage from their father, Tigerstar.
“Of course, you’ll understand that.” Feathertail invited him with a twitch46 of her ears to take more of the mouse.
“Yes,” Brambleclaw replied. He shrugged. “But I don’t miss my father as much as you must miss Graystripe. I wish I could honor his memory, but I can’t.”
“That must be very hard.” Feathertail pressed her muzzle63 against his shoulder. “At least we see Graystripe at Gatherings64.
And we were so proud when he was made Clan deputy.”
“He’s proud of you, too,” mewed Brambleclaw, glad to leave the subject of his father behind.
He took his remaining share of the mouse, and while Feathertail forced herself to finish hers he began to plan what they should do next. Venturing out of the bushes he could see the sun setting in rays of fire, blazing out the path that they must take. But there was no hope of continuing until they had found the others.
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“They’re not here,” Feathertail murmured, padding up to join him so that her breath was soft against his ear.
“No, I’ll have to go back. You stay here in case—”
A furious yowling interrupted him: the voices of angry, frightened cats, coming from the last garden in the row.
Springing to his paws, he met Feathertail’s startled glance.
“There they are!” He gasped. “And they’re in trouble!”
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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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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wooly
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| adj.毛茸茸的；糊涂的 | |
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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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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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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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fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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swerving
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 ) | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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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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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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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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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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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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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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foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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stink
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| vi.发出恶臭；糟透，招人厌恶；n.恶臭 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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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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verge
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| n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临 | |
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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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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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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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reek
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| v.发出臭气；n.恶臭 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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spiky
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| adj.长而尖的，大钉似的 | |
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acrid
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| adj.辛辣的，尖刻的，刻薄的 | |
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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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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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ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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holly
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| n.[植]冬青属灌木 | |
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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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scenting
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| vt.闻到（scent的现在分词形式） | |
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wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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determinedly
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| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
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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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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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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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53
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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55
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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56
hawthorn
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| 山楂 | |
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ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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59
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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60
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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61
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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62
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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63
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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gatherings
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| 聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集 | |
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