CHAPTER 24
Squirrelflight leapt around at the soundof pawsteps behind her. Crowfeather was emerging from the nursery.
“What’s happening in there?” she demanded.
The WindClan warrior2 stared at her as if he were looking straight through her. “Cinderpelt’s dead,” he meowed hoarsely5.
Squirrelflight’s belly6 clenched7. It couldn’t be true! StarClan couldn’t be that cruel! She wanted to rush into the nursery to see for herself and comfort her sister, but she knew she had to stay where she was, guarding Sorreltail while her kits8 arrived.
In front of her, the hollow was emptying as if some of the badgers9 had been chased off, but the cats still weren’t winning the fight. There were too many unmoving heaps of fur sprawled11 on the ground, too much blood sinking into the paw-trodden earth.
A few fox-lengths away Squirrelflight could see Firestar and Brackenfur battling a long-legged male badger10, darting13 forward in turn to confuse it. The badger swiped at them with massive paws; it couldn’t be long before one of the blows landed, hard enough to smash a cat’s skull14 or break a limb. Her belly churned as she looked for Brambleclaw, but she couldn’t see him.
“You wouldn’t think he’d be so upset about the death of another Clan1’s medicine cat,” Ashfur muttered into Squirrelflight’s ear.
Squirrelflight didn’t say anything. She knew the gray-black warrior wasn’t just grieving for Cinderpelt.
Another badger lumbered17 out of the shadows, its jaws18 open to reveal two rows of pointed19 yellow teeth. It was bleeding heavily from one shoulder; Squirrelflight’s belly twisted as she imagined what might have happened to the warrior who had inflicted20 the wound. Ashfur leapt out to confront the creature before it got too close to the nursery, and Squirrelflight sprang up to follow. “Crowfeather, guard the entrance!” she yowled.
But before she could join Ashfur, she was distracted by a terrified wail21. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Whitepaw flat on the ground by the trampled22 barrier, frozen with terror as a badger loomed23 over her. Squirrelflight swerved24 and pelted25 over to the apprentice’s side. She aimed outstretched claws, then pulled back without striking and stared up in disbelief
“It’s okay, Whitepaw,” she choked out after a moment. “This is Midnight.”
“Greetings, small warrior,” Midnight rasped.
Squirrelflight’s instinctive26 reaction had been relief, but then her suspicions flared27 up. Was Midnight here to fight on behalf of her kin3? Squirrelflight took a pace backward until she was standing28 protectively over Whitepaw.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
She cocked her head to one side as if she were listening to something, then stepped aside to let a river of cats stream into the camp: strong, fresh warriors30 who fell on the badgers with yowls of fury. Tornear, Ashfoot, Whitetail, Onestar…
WindClan had come to help them!
The badger that had been fighting with Firestar and Brackenfur staggered back, turned tail, and ran. Firestar and Webfoot chased after it, hissing31. Nightcloud and Onestar joined Ashfur to chase off the badger that had come too close to the nursery. Squirrelflight dashed forward to help, but she realized all the invaders32 were fleeing from the clearing. She skidded33 to a halt and watched them blunder through the broken branches that lay across the entrance to the hollow.
Relief stabbed Squirrelflight as she spotted34 Brambleclaw standing a little way off, his sides heaving with effort. She caught his eye and saw her own surprise reflected at the arrival of the Clan who had so recently rejected their friendship.
Ashfur’s badger lumbered past her with Nightcloud and Onestar hard on its paws. Onestar halted in front of Brambleclaw as the badger scrambled35 over the remains36 of the thorn barrier and vanished into the trees.
“You came,” Brambleclaw meowed.
“Of course we came.” Pride kindled37 in Onestar’s eyes. “There are fourClans in the forest, but we can still help one another.”
Ashfur staggered to a stop beside Squirrelflight, and she turned to lick his wounds. He had lost fur from his shoulder and one side, and there was a deep gash38 on his foreleg. Even as she took care of him she tried to push aside the thought that she hadn’t been as frightened for him as she’d been for Brambleclaw.
“You’d better let Leafpool have a look at that,” she told him. She’d almost said “Cinderpelt.”
“Later,” he meowed. “It’s nothing serious. I couldn’t believe it when I saw Onestar and his warriors,” he added. “I thought we were all going to join StarClan.”
“Not yet,” Squirrelflight assured him. But the grim truth of what had happened swept over her, and she felt like wailing39 aloud. How many cats were dead besides Cinderpelt and Sootfur? How many more would die of their injuries?
The last of the badgers were disappearing with WindClan in pursuit. The exhausted40 ThunderClan warriors began to gather in the center of the camp around Midnight. Their eyes were stunned41 with horror, as if they couldn’t believe the battle was over.
Whitepaw scrambled to her paws and ran over to Cloudtail and Brightheart, who were slowly approaching from the direction of the elders’ den12. Cloudtail’s white fur was caked with blood and dust, and he leaned heavily on Brightheart’s shoulder. Mousefur guided Longtail down from the Highledge, glancing around with narrowed eyes as if she wasn’t sure all their enemies had gone. Goldenflower followed a moment later; Brambleclaw, Thornclaw, and Sandstorm joined them.
Dustpelt limped up, fear in his eyes as he scanned the clearing. “Ferncloud?” he rasped. “Birchpaw?”
“They’re fine,” Squirrelflight reassured him. “They got out of the camp. They’re looking after Daisy and her kits.”
The brown tabby warrior visibly relaxed, collapsing42 on the ground to lick a wound on his shoulder.
Firestar staggered up and halted in front of Midnight, gazing up uncertainly as if he wondered why this badger wasn’t fleeing. As he tensed his muscles, ready to attack, Squirrelflight stepped forward quickly.
“Firestar, this is Midnight,” she meowed. “The badger we met at the sun-drown-place. Midnight, this is our Clan leader, Firestar.”
Relief flooded Firestar’s green eyes. “The badger who warned us to leave the forest?” He dipped his head. “You’re welcome here.”
“Good is it to be here,” Midnight told him. “And to see again friends from journey. Yet I wish time was happier.”
“So do we all.” Firestar let out an exhausted sigh. “You knew about this, then? You came to warn us?”
“No, she came to warn us.” Onestar padded up to Firestar’s side. “And to ask for our help.”
“Attack come before I expect,” Midnight explained. “No use come alone to ThunderClan. Best to find more fighting cats first.”
Firestar blinked gratefully. “We’re very glad you did. Thank StarClan you found out what your kin were planning.”
“First in stars I see it,” the old badger told him. “Then I go to my kin, try to speak of peace, but they not listen, and little they tell me. They call me ‘cat-friend,’ and other insults more worse.”
The badger shrugged44. “Is not important. Except I might have got here more sooner. RiverClan they hate most,” she added. “Warriors there drive them out first.”
“We’d better send a message to Leopardstar,” Firestar meowed. “The badgers could still attack there.”
Squirrelflight’s shoulders sagged45 at the thought of trekking46 all the way around the lake to RiverClan.
“No need,” rasped Midnight. “My kin in no state fight more. They think twice before bother cats again.”
“Thank StarClan for that,” Squirrelflight murmured. She was wondering how soon she would be able to crawl into what remained of the warriors’ den to sleep when she heard her sister’s voice behind her. “Brackenfur? Is Brackenfur here?”
The ginger47 warrior was lying in a patch of ferns at the edge of the clearing. His blood was trickling48 into the dust and he looked barely conscious. He lifted his head as Leafpool came up to him.
“Sorreltail?” He lurched unsteadily to his paws. “It’s Sorreltail, isn’t it? Is she all right?”
Leafpool brushed against his pelt4. She looked exhausted too. “She’s fine. She has four healthy kits.”
“Four?” Brackenfur’s tail curled up. “That’s great! Thanks, Leafpool.” He raced across the camp and into the nursery
Squirrelflight watched him go. Thanks to WindClan they had won the battle. ThunderClan had survived greater disasters than this, and sooner or later the Clan would be as strong as ever. The four scraps50 of new life in the nursery seemed like a promise from StarClan.
Yet life had ended too. ThunderClan would mourn Cinderpelt’s death for a long time. But it would have been even worse if Leafpool hadn’t returned.
Squirrelflight rasped her tongue over her sister’s ear. “I’m so glad you came back.”
Leafpool glanced over at Crowfeather, who was still crouched outside the nursery, then turned back to her sister. “I’m glad to be back, too.”
Crowfeather stood up as the WindClan cats came back into the camp.
“Look, it’s Crowfeather!” Whitetail exclaimed. “What’s he doing here?”
Onestar stalked over to stand in front of the gray-black warrior. “Crowfeather, you came back…but not to your own Clan.”
Crowfeather looked at him steadily49. “I wanted to bring Leafpool safely to her own camp first. I’m ready to come home now.”
“We have things to talk about, but now is not the time,” Onestar meowed.
Crowfeather dipped his head and fell in behind his leader as Onestar padded over to Firestar.
“Onestar, every cat in ThunderClan thanks you,” Firestar meowed. “Without you, StarClan would have gained many more warriors.”
“You’ve helped WindClan in the past,” Onestar replied. “It’s only right that we should come and help you.”
“We won’t forget—” Firestar began.
He was interrupted by a startled yowl from Thornclaw, who was closest to the camp entrance. Squirrelflight stiffened51. Had the badgers come back? She didn’t think she could lift a single paw now, even to save her life.
But her exhaustion52 vanished when she saw two cats carefully picking their way through the scattered53 thorn branches. The first of them, a powerful warrior with a thick gray pelt, stopped at the edge of the clearing and looked around.
“This isn’t what I expected to find,” he meowed. “What happened?”
Squirrelflight stared in disbelief. After the badger attack, she had thought nothing else could shock her, but for a heartbeat she forgot how to breathe.
Gazing curiously54 around them, sleek55 furred and calm among the shattered Clan, were Stormfur and Brook56.
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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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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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hoarsely
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| adv.嘶哑地 | |
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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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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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badgers
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| n.獾( badger的名词复数 )；獾皮；（大写）獾州人（美国威斯康星州人的别称）；毛鼻袋熊 | |
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badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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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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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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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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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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lumbered
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| 砍伐（lumber的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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23
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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24
swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pelted
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| （连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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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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reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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30
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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invaders
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| 入侵者，侵略者，侵入物( invader的名词复数 ) | |
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33
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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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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38
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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39
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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40
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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41
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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42
collapsing
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| 压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂 | |
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43
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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44
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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sagged
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| 下垂的 | |
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46
trekking
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| v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的现在分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水 | |
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47
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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48
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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49
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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50
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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51
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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52
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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53
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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54
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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56
brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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