Stormfur crouched1 on a jutting3 spurof rock and looked down into the valley a couple of tail-lengths below. The sun was going down on the fourth day since he and his friends had come to the cave of the Tribe cats. Although the thought of what was happening in the forest hung over their heads like a swollen4 rain cloud, they had been unable to move on. Tawnypelt’s shoulder was healing again, thanks to the herbs Stoneteller had given her, but it was still too stiff for her to walk.
Meanwhile, Stormfur was beginning to think he had gotten the hang of the Tribe cats’ way of hunting. It depended much more on keeping still and silent than on stalking prey6, for among the rocks there was not as much cover as in the forest or even by the river where he used to fish.
His ears pricked7 as he caught the faint sound of fluttering wings, and he peered down into the shadows. A bird had landed just below him and was pecking at the ground. Bunching his muscles, Stormfur sprang. His claws met feathers, and the bird’s frantic8 alarm call was cut off as he killed it with one blow of his paw.
Stormfur stood up, his prey in his jaws9, and saw the dim shape of one of the mud-covered cave-guards approaching up the valley. The fresh-kill in his mouth masked the scent10, and he did not recognize Crag until the cat spoke11.
“Good catch! You’ll make a great prey-hunter.”
Stormfur nodded his thanks, but Crag’s words made him slightly anxious; did he really mean “you will make a good prey-hunter,” or had he meant to say “you would”? The cave-guard sometimes seemed to assume that Stormfur intended to stay with the Tribe for good. But there was no opportunity to ask him what he meant; Brook12 and the rest of the prey-hunters had just appeared, and the whole patrol set off back to the cave, collecting the prey they had caught earlier on their way.
When they reached the pool, Stormfur set down his load for a brief rest before climbing the rocks and negotiating the ledge13 behind the waterfall. The sun had set and the peak was outlined against a sky the color of blood. Stormfur shivered, trying not to picture blood being shed back home in the forest. However happy he felt to be hunting with the Tribe, they had to move on as soon as they could.
Brook padded up beside him, her eyes shining in the evening light. “A good day’s hunting,” she purred. “You have learned our ways well, Stormfur.”
A warm glow spread through him from ears to tail-tip. Even more than before, he knew how much he would miss her when he had to leave. In these last few days she had become a friend; even her strange accent had begun to sound familiar. He guessed she felt the same; at least, she always asked him to go hunting with her, while the rest of the forest cats, if they hunted at all, went with other groups. Stormfur wondered what Brook really thought of him. Would she miss him when he had to go?
He opened his jaws and picked up a strong rank scent. It was like nothing he had ever smelled before: a bit like a cat’s, but harsher and tinged15 with carrion16. He felt his neck fur rise with a premonition of danger.
“What’s that?”
Brook’s eyes stretched wide with fear, but she did not reply. Already the rest of the hunting patrol were gathering17 up their prey, hurrying for the safety of the cave. Crag bounded over and almost pushed Stormfur up the rocks. Glancing up, Stormfur thought he spotted18 a shadowy movement near the top of the waterfall, but he wasn’t sure. Then he had to concentrate on keeping his footing on the slick, wet stones of the ledge, struggling to see around the half-grown falcon19 in his jaws. No cat tried to explain the reason for the sudden panic, and Stormfur had learned by now that there would be no point in asking.
In the cave, he carried his prey over to the fresh-kill pile and went to find his friends. Spotting them near their sleeping hollows, he headed toward them, dodging21 around a couple of to-bes who were training with one of the cave-guards. They were using unfamiliar22 fighting moves; Stormfur’s pelt5 itched23 to join in and learn, and teach the Tribe cats a few RiverClan tricks too. Maybe later, he promised himself.
The other Clan24 cats were all gathered around Tawnypelt, who was on her paws, twisting her head to examine her shoulder. Feathertail’s tongue rasped busily over her fur.
“It’s much better,” she meowed. “There’s no swelling25 at all, and the wound’s healing cleanly. How does it feel, Tawnypelt?”
The ShadowClan warrior26 flexed27 the injured shoulder, then dropped into the hunter’s crouch2 and crept a few tail-lengths along the cave floor. “Stoneteller certainly knows his stuff,” she reported. “I don’t know the herbs he used, but they’re just as good as burdock root. The shoulder’s a bit stiff, that’s all,” she added, springing up again. “It’ll be fine if I keep exercising it. I just wish I could get my claws on that rat!”
“Then it’s time we were leaving,” Brambleclaw mewed. “I’ll have a word with Stoneteller, and we’ll set off first thing tomorrow.”
“Right!” Crowpaw’s eyes flashed. “And they’d better not try to keep us here.”
“They won’t.” Feathertail pressed her muzzle29 against his side. “I’m sure you’re worrying about nothing. The Tribe cats have been nothing but kind to us ever since we got here.”
“They’ll probably be glad to see the back of us,” Squirrelpaw agreed cheerfully. “They’re bound to be short of prey when leaf-bare comes.”
“It’s nearly here,” mewed Feathertail. “The rocks were white with frost this morning.”
“Right.” Squirrelpaw waved her tail. “So they won’t want us sitting here stuffing ourselves.”
Stormfur could see from the look Brambleclaw gave his Clanmate that he was still worried, but he said nothing. Instead, it was Crowpaw who spoke, noticing for the first time that Stormfur had padded up to join them.
“There you are!” he exclaimed, his lip curling unpleasantly. “Decided to join us, have you? Getting bored with your new friends in the Tribe?”
“Don’t,” Feathertail murmured, flicking30 him with her tail.
Stung, Stormfur stalked up to the young WindClan apprentice31. “If he’s got something to say, let him say it.”
“Only that you spend all your time with them. Maybe you’d like to stay with them for good. After all, things are going to be pretty tough when we get back to the forest.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Stormfur retorted. Turning his back on Crowpaw, he saw that all the others were looking at him gravely, as if they half agreed with what the WindClan cat had said. “Come on,” Stormfur went on, alarmed. “What have I done? Gone out hunting a couple of times, that’s all. You said yourself, Brambleclaw, that we should catch our own prey while we’re here. What makes you think that I care any less than you about what happens to the forest?”
“No cat thinks that,” Feathertail mewed soothingly32.
“Hedoes.” Stormfur twitched33 his ears at Crowpaw. “This isn’t about the dreams, is it? Just because I wasn’t chosen by StarClan . . . You haven’t had more dreams, have you, and not told me?”
He unsheathed his claws, hating that they scraped against stone rather than soft riverside earth or a tangle35 of reeds. Crowpaw he could understand; the apprentice had always been difficult, and he would fight with StarClan themselves. But that the others might think him less than loyal—even his own sister . . . It was almost as bad as the time when Tigerstar had merged36 two Clans37 together, and he and Feathertail had nearly been killed for being half-Clan. Feathertail at least should remember that and understand. Stormfur stifled38 a flash of guilt39 as he remembered how comfortable he felt among the Tribe, but he was determined40 to remain loyal to RiverClan.
“No, we haven’t had any more dreams,” Brambleclaw replied. “Settle down, Stormfur, and Crowpaw, stop annoying him. We have problems enough without that.”
“It’s that waterfall,” Tawnypelt meowed unexpectedly. “The noise of it, day and night, is driving me mad. StarClan could be sending us every sign under the sun, but we’d never hear them. I’ll be glad when we’re out in the open again, and well away from this place.”
There was a soft snarl41 in Crowpaw’s voice. “We need to go back to the forest, and defend it like warriors42 should. Stormfur can come or not.”
“Shut up, mouse-brain,” Squirrelpaw snapped. “Stormfur’s just as loyal as you.”
Stormfur blinked gratefully at her. “Of course I’m coming with you,” he meowed.
“Then let’s eat, and get a good night’s sleep,” Brambleclaw growled43. “It might be our last chance for a while.”
Stormfur looked up and flinched44, surprised to see that while they had been talking several of the Tribe cats had gathered and were watching them with serious faces.
Crag stepped forward. “Why do you talk about leaving?” he meowed. “You’ll never make it through the mountains in the season of frozen-water. Stay with us until the sun returns.”
“We can’t do that!” Squirrelpaw exclaimed. “There’s trouble back home—we told you that when we arrived.”
“We’re grateful for the offer,” Brambleclaw meowed more diplomatically, brushing his tail across Squirrelpaw’s mouth to silence her. “But we have to go.”
The Tribe cats glanced at one another, their neck fur starting to bristle45. Suddenly they looked threatening. Several of the powerful cave-guards moved to stand between them and the entrance, and two or three of the kit46-mothers began anxiously herding47 their kits49 toward the nursery tunnel. The meaning was clear; Stormfur knew that if they tried to leave now they would have a fight on their paws.
Spotting Brook near the back of the group, he thrust past a cave-guard to stand in front of her. “What’s going on?” he demanded. “Why are you treating us like prisoners?”
Brook would not meet his eyes. “Please . . .” she murmured. “Are you so unhappy here that staying is such a terrible thing?”
“‘Unhappy’ isn’t the point. We’re on a mission; we don’t have any choice.” Stormfur whirled around to question Crag, but the cave-guard avoided his gaze, and he knew that their friendship was being brushed aside out of loyalty50 to the Tribe, for reasons he could not begin to guess. He had believed that the Tribe cats liked him for himself, and pain at their betrayal tore him like an eagle’s talons51.
“Fox dung to this!” Crowpaw muttered, trying to force his way past the cave-guards.
Crag raised his paw, and another cave-guard thrust Crowpaw back with a furious hiss52. The WindClan apprentice’s bristling53 fur and lashing54 tail showed that he was ready to attack both of them at once.
“Wait,” Feathertail murmured, pushing between Crowpaw and the guards. “Let’s find out what all this means.”
“It means trouble,” Crowpaw snarled55. “No cat is going to stop me from leaving.”
He shouldered his way past Feathertail and leaped on Crag, bowling56 the huge cave-guard over. Crag’s hind14 paws battered57 his belly58, but before the fight could go any further, Brambleclaw fastened his teeth into Crowpaw’s scruff and dragged him off.
The apprentice spun59 around to face him, eyes blazing. “Get off me!” he snarled.
“Then stop being so mouse-brained!” Brambleclaw hissed60, just as furious. “These guards could turn you into crow-food. We have to find out what they want.”
Stormfur hated to admit defeat, but if they fought their way out tonight—even supposing they could—they would have to face a cold night on an unfamiliar mountainside. And looking around at the lean, well-muscled cave-guards, barely out of breath from the tussle61 with Crowpaw, Stormfur knew they could not hope to survive a fight without injury, and that would make their journey harder than ever. Why didn’t Midnight foresee this?he wondered desperately62. Or had she foreseen it, and kept it hidden from them?
He saw that Stoneteller had emerged from his tunnel. Now perhaps we’ll get some answers, he thought.
The cave-guards stepped back to allow their leader to come closer to the Clan cats; Brambleclaw padded forward to face him. “I think there must be some misunderstanding,” he began. Stormfur could see his efforts to stay calm. “We have to leave tomorrow, and your Tribe doesn’t seem to want us to go. We’re grateful for your help and shelter, but—”
He broke off; Stoneteller wasn’t listening. His eyes glimmered64 like pebbles65 on a streambed as he gazed around the group of cats. Raising his voice, he meowed, “I have received a sign from the Tribe of Endless Hunting. It is time for a Telling.”
“A Telling? What’s that?” Squirrelpaw mewed.
“Maybe it’s like a Gathering,” Stormfur murmured.
“But there aren’t any other Tribes to meet with.”
“Then maybe it’s something to do with the Tribe of Endless Hunting.” In spite of his fears that they would not be allowed to leave the cave, Stormfur couldn’t help feeling curious about discovering more of the Tribe’s strange beliefs.
The cave-guards gathered more closely around the Clan cats and began to herd48 them toward the tunnel from where Stoneteller had just emerged.
“Back off!” Tawnypelt snapped at one of them. “Where are you taking us?”
Stormfur wondered that too. Until now he had assumed that the second tunnel just led to Stoneteller’s private den20.
“To the Cave of Pointed66 Stones,” Stoneteller replied. “There, many things will be made clear to you.”
“And what if we don’t want to go?” Without waiting for a reply, Crowpaw launched himself at the nearest cave-guard, a cat almost twice his size. The cave-guard casually67 swatted him with a huge paw, sending him half stunned68 to the floor of the cave. Feathertail spat69 at the guard and lashed28 out a paw, claws extended.
Stormfur felt his neck fur stand on end, but before a real fight could break out Brambleclaw hissed, “No! If we’re going to get an explanation, we’ll listen to it. Then we’ll decide what to do. Do you hear me, Crowpaw?”
The apprentice, scrambling70 to his paws with his fur torn and his tail fluffed out, glared at him but said nothing.
“Get a move on,” growled one of the guards.
Stormfur stumbled, almost losing his balance as the nearest guard butted71 him toward the tunnel. It took all his self-control to move on quietly. Then he realized that Brook was beside him. There was something like relief in her eyes as she mewed, “Don’t worry. Everything will become clear soon.”
“I’m not worried.” Stormfur’s voice was cold. He had thought they were friends, and she had betrayed him. “You can’t keep us here forever.”
He was almost pleased when she winced72. “Please . . .” she whispered. “You don’t understand. It’s for the sake of the Tribe.”
Stormfur curled his lip and turned away. He padded after Tawnypelt into the passage, with a couple of cave-guards close behind.
In the darkness he heard Stoneteller’s voice raised in a soft chant. “When the Tribe of Endless Hunting calls, we come to listen.”
More voices answered him from behind Stormfur, not just the cave-guards but more of the Tribe cats pressing into the tunnel. “In rock and pool, in air and light on water, through fall of prey and cry of kit, through scrape of claw and beat of blood, we hear you.”
The voices echoed through the shadows. Stormfur saw moonlight filtering in from somewhere ahead, and Tawnypelt’s pricked ears outlined in gray. He stepped out into another cave, and for a moment all his fears and frustrations74 vanished and he stood with his mouth dropped open in awe75.
This cave was much smaller than the one they had just left. A jagged rift76 high in the roof let in a shaft77 of moonlight that bathed the floor in watery78 gray light. Stormfur was standing63 amid a forest of pointed stones, many more than in the main cave; some of them grew up from the floor while others hung down above his head. A few of them had joined together as if they were propping79 up the roof, pale yellow and rippled80 with tiny streams of water trickling81 down to pool on the hard stone floor.
Earlier that day rain had fallen through the hole to leave a pattern of puddles83 around Stormfur’s paws. The roar of the waterfall, so loud in the outer cave, had sunk to a whisper, faint enough that he could hear drops of water falling from the roof.
All the Clan cats were silent, the same awe, which Stormfur felt, shining in their eyes. The place reminded Stormfur of Mothermouth; as well as being in a moonlit cave, there was the same sense of being in the presence of something greater than himself. But this was not the home of StarClan, but of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, and would they even care about cats from territories far away? A shiver went through him and in his mind he formed a prayer to StarClan. Guard us and guide us, even here
The cave-guards nudged the Clan cats farther into the cave, while Stoneteller stalked ahead of them until he stood in the center of the forest of stones. There he turned to face the rest of the cats. “We stand in the Cave of Pointed Stones,” he meowed; his voice was high and expressionless. “Moonrise is here, caught in rock and in water as it has always been and always will be. It is time for a Telling. We call on the Tribe of Endless Hunting to show us their will.”
“Show us your will,” the other Tribe cats responded in chorus. Almost all of them had pushed into the cave behind the Clan cats; the air was growing warm with their bodies and damp, misty84 breath.
Moving like a shadow, Stoneteller padded to and fro, peering into the puddles. His eyes shone in the moonlight, and the mud on his fur looked more sinister85 and stonelike than ever. Brook had told Stormfur that her leader had been given nine lives by the Tribe of Endless Hunting, just as the Clan leaders were given nine lives by StarClan, but he had found it hard to believe until now. Outlined in watery light and surrounded by strange points of rock, Stoneteller looked in possession of more power than all the forest cats put together.
At last the leader of the Tribe paused beside one of the biggest pools, and murmured, “We greet you, Tribe of Endless Hunting, and we thank you for your mercy in saving us at last from Sharptooth.”
“We thank you,” the Tribe cats murmured in response.
Stormfur tensed. Exchanging glances with his friends, he saw his own confusion reflected in their eyes. What did Stoneteller mean? What was Sharptooth, and why did the Tribe need to be saved from it?
“Why is—” Squirrelpaw began, only to be reduced to silence by a hiss from a nearby cave-guard.
Stoneteller went on. “Tribe of Endless Hunting, we thank you for sending the promised cat.”
“We thank you,” the Tribe cats responded again, their voices growing stronger.
Raising his head, Stoneteller commanded, “Let him stand forth86.”
Before Stormfur could protest, two of the burly cave-guards thrust him forward. Taken by surprise, he slid sideways into a puddle82, shattering the moonlight into glittering splinters. A gasp87 of shock rose from the Tribe, and he heard a cat mutter, “An evil omen73!”
Fighting to stay calm, he shook the water off his paws and walked forward until he stood beside Stoneteller in the center of the pointed stones.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
Stoneteller raised a paw for silence. His eyes glowed in the moonlight with unconcealed triumph as he murmured, “Do not question. This is your fate.”
Glancing around, Stormfur saw that all the Tribe cats were gazing at him with the same expectation in their eyes and a kind of joy, as if he were the most wonderful sight they had ever seen. “It is your fate,” they repeated.
He had been right all along. The Tribe had singled him out as special, and now he was going to find out why.
“The time has come,” Stoneteller intoned solemnly. “The promised cat is here, and at last we will be saved from Sharptooth.”
“I don’t understand!” Stormfur burst out. “I’ve never even heard of Sharptooth.”
As if his words had broken a spell, his friends pressed forward to stand beside him, only to be shoved back again by the cave-guards. Squirrelpaw spat, and both Crowpaw and Tawnypelt flexed their claws on the cold stone, but Brambleclaw held them back with a word of warning. The cave-guards clearly did not want a fight either; they kept their claws sheathed34, only shouldering the forest cats into a tight group.
“Sharptooth is a huge cat,” Stoneteller began, his voice hushed with fear. “He lives in the mountains, and makes the Tribe his prey. For many seasons now he has been picking us off, one by one.”
“He looks like a lion,” Crag added, and asked, “Do you know of lions?”
“We have legends of LionClan,” Stormfur replied, still wondering what Sharptooth could possibly have to do with him. “Lions are known for their strength and wisdom, and they have a golden mane like the sun’s warm rays.”
“Sharptooth has no mane,” Stoneteller meowed. “Perhaps he lost it because he is so evil. He is the enemy of our Tribe.” His voice was bleak88, his eyes shining cold with memories. “We feared that he would not rest until every cat of the Tribe had been killed.”
“But then the Tribe of Endless Hunting sent us the promised cat.” Stormfur’s head whipped around as he heard Brook’s voice. She had drawn89 close to him, and was gazing at him, her eyes filled with admiration90. “Stormfur, you’re the chosen one. You’ll save us all. I know you will.”
“How can I?” A slow anger had begun to burn inside Stormfur, replacing his bewilderment. “What do you expect me to do?”
“Before the last full moon, the Tribe of Endless Hunting sent a prophecy to us,” Stoneteller explained. “They said that a silver cat would save us from Sharptooth. We knew as soon as we saw you by the pool that you must be the cat who was promised to us.”
“But I can’tbe,” Stormfur protested. “I come from a forest a long way away, and I’ve never even seen Sharptooth.”
“That’s true.” Brambleclaw padded forward to stand beside Stormfur. “We’re sorry that Sharptooth is threatening you, but our Clans at home are in danger too.”
“Maybe even worse danger,” Feathertail added anxiously. “We have to go.”
Stoneteller flicked91 his ears. Without a word, the cave-guards surrounded the forest cats and began thrusting them back toward the cave entrance—all except Stormfur, who was surrounded by a separate patrol. Feathertail desperately tried to break through to her brother, but the nearest cave-guard bowled her over with a swipe of his paw.
“Take your paws off her, you piece of fox dung!” Crowpaw spat, hurling92 himself at the cave-guard and raking his claws over the Tribe cat’s ear. The two of them rolled on the ground in a flurry of claws until Brambleclaw hauled Crowpaw away.
“Not now,” he commanded the furious apprentice. “It won’t help any cat for you to get ripped to shreds93.”
“We should fight!” snarled Crowpaw. “I’d rather die fighting than be trapped here.”
“Just say the word,” Tawnypelt hissed at her brother. “I’ll tear their pelts94 off and feed them to the eagles.”
“StarClan, help us!” Feathertail cried out as she was forced back to the tunnel entrance. “Show us you haven’t abandoned us!”
“Do not fear,” Stoneteller meowed reassuringly95. “This is the will of the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”
Stormfur felt as though he were falling into deep, dark water as he saw his friends shoved away from him, back to the main cave. When he tried to follow, Crag and another cave-guard moved to block his way.
“Over there,” Crag meowed, pointing with his tail to the other end of the Cave of Pointed Stones. “You’ll find a sleeping hollow ready for you.” As Stormfur faced him with burning eyes, Crag added awkwardly, “It won’t be so bad. You’ll kill Sharptooth for us—the Tribe of Endless Hunting says so—and then you can leave if you still want to.”
“Kill Sharptooth!” Stormfur exclaimed, remembering the rank scent and the shadowy shape he had seen at the top of the waterfall. That must have been Sharptooth, prowling close to the cave entrance; no wonder Brook and the rest of the patrol had been so frightened. “How can I do that, if all of you have failed? This is a mouse-brained idea. You’re all mad.”
“No.” That was Stoneteller again, padding up to stand at Stormfur’s shoulder. “You must have faith in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The sign was clear, and you came, just as they promised.”
“My faith is in StarClan,” Stormfur retorted, trying to hide how scared he felt inside. Had the spirits of his warrior ancestors really abandoned him?
“Go to your sleeping hollow,” Stoneteller meowed. “We will bring you fresh-kill. Your coming has been long awaited, and you need have no fear that we will ill-treat you.”
No, but you’ll keep me prisoner, Stormfur thought desperately. He padded to the back of the cave to find the sleeping hollow Crag had indicated and found it warmly lined with dried grass and feathers. A couple of tail-lengths away was another scoop96 in the rock, also lined with bedding, where he guessed Stoneteller slept.
Stormfur lapped water from the nearest pool and then lay down with his head on his paws to try to figure out how to escape. But it was hard to think, with the pain of betrayal still throbbing97 through him. He had really believed that the Tribe cats liked him, without any of the questions that shadowed his RiverClan friendships about his parentage or his loyalty. Instead, they only wanted him to fulfill98 their prophecy.
A few moments later Brook appeared, a rabbit in her jaws, and set it down timidly in front of him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Is it really so bad, to stay with the Tribe? I . . . I want to be your friend, Stormfur, if you will let me.” She hesitated, and then added, “I’ll stay with you now, if you like. It is our way to groom99 each other’s fur, especially in times of hardship. We call it the giving of close comfort.”
She must mean sharing tongues, Stormfur realized. Not long before, he would have been delighted at the thought of sharing tongues with Brook. Now the idea outraged100 him. Did she really think he would want to be close to her, when she had betrayed him and lied to him?
“Stormfur . . . ?” Brook’s eyes shone with compassion101, but their glow was like a fire searing Stormfur to the heart. He turned his head away without saying anything.
He heard a faint gasp of pain from Brook, and then her pawsteps vanishing down the tunnel. When she had gone he turned the rabbit over with one paw. He had been hungry at the end of the day’s hunting, but now the thought of eating made him feel sick. Still, he forced himself to choke down the fresh-kill, because he knew that whatever happened next, he would need all his strength.
He curled up in the sleeping hollow and lay staring at the tunnel where his friends had disappeared. Crag and the other cave-guard were on duty at the entrance, and as Stormfur watched, Stoneteller emerged from the shadows and slipped between the guards, back to the main cave. Between them and Stormfur lay pools of shimmering102 water, lit by the cold moonlight. They reminded Stormfur of the river, but he missed its endless murmuring and the glitter and splash of moving water.
As he closed his eyes and tried to sleep he reflected sadly that he need never have come on this journey at all. He hadn’t been chosen by StarClan, had never been summoned by a dream. But right now he would have given anything for the whole adventure to have been a dream, if only he could wake up in the morning to find himself back home in RiverClan.
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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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crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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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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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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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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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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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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carrion
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| n.腐肉 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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falcon
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| n.隼，猎鹰 | |
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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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21
dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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22
unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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23
itched
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| v.发痒( itch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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25
swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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26
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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27
flexed
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| adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
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28
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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29
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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30
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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31
apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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32
soothingly
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| adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地 | |
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33
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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34
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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35
tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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36
merged
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| （使）混合( merge的过去式和过去分词 )； 相融； 融入； 渐渐消失在某物中 | |
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37
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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38
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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39
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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40
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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41
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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42
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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43
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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44
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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46
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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47
herding
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| 中畜群 | |
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48
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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49
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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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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51
talons
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| n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部 | |
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52
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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53
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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54
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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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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56
bowling
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| n.保龄球运动 | |
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57
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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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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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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60
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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61
tussle
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| n.&v.扭打，搏斗，争辩 | |
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62
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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65
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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66
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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67
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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68
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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69
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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71
butted
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| 对接的 | |
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72
winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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73
omen
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| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
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74
frustrations
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| 挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意 | |
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75
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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76
rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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77
shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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78
watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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79
propping
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| 支撑 | |
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80
rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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81
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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82
puddle
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| n.(雨)水坑，泥潭 | |
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83
puddles
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| n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 ) | |
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84
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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85
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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86
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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87
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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88
bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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89
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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90
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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91
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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92
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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93
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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94
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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95
reassuringly
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| ad.安心，可靠 | |
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96
scoop
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| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
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97
throbbing
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| a. 跳动的,悸动的 | |
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98
fulfill
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| vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意 | |
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99
groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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100
outraged
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| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
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101
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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102
shimmering
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| v.闪闪发光，发微光( shimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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