CHAPTER 13
Ferns brushed Brambleclaw’s pelt1 as heraced through the forest of shadows toward his meeting with Tigerstar. Strength flowed through him now that his shoulder was fully2 healed, and his paws itched3 to show off his fighting skills to his father and Hawkfrost. He was sure Tigerstar would be pleased by what he had to tell.
Reaching the clearing, he came to an abrupt4 halt in the shadow of a thorn tree. His father was sitting on the rock in the center, his head bent5 to speak to a slender tortoiseshell warrior6.
Tawnypelt! What’s she doing here?
Curiosity sank its claws into his heart. With his belly7 fur brushing the ground, he crept around the clearing until he could get closer to the rock in the shelter of a clump8 of long grass. With his ears pricked9, he could just make out the other cats’ voices.
“I’ve told you before,” Tawnypelt snapped. “I don’t want any part of your ambitions. I have my own plans.”
But the massive tabby didn’t seem angry. His tone was pleased as he replied, “You have my spirit, Tawnypelt, and you’re a brave warrior. But there are times when spirit becomes foolishness. Don’t throw away what I can offer you. I can make you a leader.”
“Fox dung!” Tawnypelt snarled11. “I’m a loyal ShadowClan cat. If I’m ever made deputy or leader it will be because I have earned it myself—and because my Clanmates and StarClan wish it. You’re twisting the warrior code to get what you want, just like you did when you were alive.”
A growl13 rumbled14 in Tigerstar’s throat. Brambleclaw caught the gleam of unsheathed claws and his heart pounded in fear for his sister.
But Tawnypelt held her head high. “You don’t frighten me,” she meowed calmly. “And I don’t want anything you can give me.”
Spinning around, she stalked across the clearing and straight into the clump where Brambleclaw crouched15 in hiding.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Brambleclaw retorted, peering through the grass stems to make sure Tigerstar hadn’t spotted18 him. To his relief, the huge tabby had turned away.
Tawnypelt’s eyes were cold as she gazed at her brother. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” she meowed. “You think he can give you power. Have you got thistledown for brains? You know what he did when he was alive.”
“That was then.” Brambleclaw twitched19 his ears uncomfortably. “Now he’s just helping20 us to become good warriors21—me and Hawkfrost. We train together. Tigerstar teaches us stuff.”
“I bet he does!” Tawnypelt let out a snort of contempt. “Brambleclaw, think, will you? You’re an amazing cat already; you’re brave and loyal and you have tremendous warrior skills. Why do you need Tigerstar?” Without giving her brother a chance to reply, she swept on. “We’ve spent a long time trying to break free of our father’s legacy22. When we were kits24 in ThunderClan, most cats didn’t trust us. Our Clan12 leaderdidn’t trust us, for StarClan’s sake! That’s why I left to join ShadowClan. Tigerstar welcomed me, but then I saw what his leadership was like, and I was gladwhen Scourge25 killed him! I don’t want any part of his blood. I’ve survived just fine without him, and so have you.”
“Maybe,” Brambleclaw mewed defensively. “But he died before I had a chance to know him. Maybe this is my chance now.”
His sister’s eyes narrowed. “That’s not what’s happening here and you know it.” She let out a sigh, part weariness, part exasperation26. “Brambleclaw, I think you’d make a fantastic leader. But only if you go about it the right way.” She touched her nose to his ear in farewell. Her voice was more affectionate as she added, “Think about it, mouse-brain.”
Brambleclaw watched her stalk away. He wondered if Tigerstar had summoned his other daughter Mothwing to meet him here. He doubted it; Mothwing was a medicine cat, and all her dreams would be spent with StarClan. Besides, medicine cats couldn’t lead their Clans27; their paws were set on another path.
Part of Brambleclaw wanted to listen to Tawnypelt. He knew Squirrelflight would say the same thing, if she knew about these meetings. But there was nothing wrong with accepting his father’s help, he argued with himself; every warrior thought about leading their Clan one day. And if StarClan approved of his relationship with Squirrelflight, surely that meant they knew about his ambitions as well? He crushed down the small voice of his conscience and stepped out into the clearing to greet Tigerstar.
Brambleclaw woke with a start at the sound of a piercing cry from outside the warriors’ den28. He sprang to his paws, his neck fur bristling29.
“Keep your fur on,” Spiderleg mewed from his mossy nest. “It’s only Ferncloud. She was in here just now, looking for that horseplace cat.”
“Daisy? Is she missing?”
“Well, Ferncloud says she wasn’t in the nursery,” Spiderleg explained. “But she must be around here somewhere. She’d be the last cat to go wandering off. She’s hardly left the hollow since the badger31 attack.”
That was true, which made it all the more unsettling. Brambleclaw pushed his way out through the thorns to see Ferncloud standing32 in the middle of the clearing, with Cloudtail beside her.
The white tomcat was awkwardly stroking her shoulder with his tail, trying to calm her down. “She can’t be far away,” he comforted her. “Remember how scared she was when Berrykit wandered off.”
“But the kits have gone too,” Ferncloud pointed33 out fretfully. “She must have taken them away deliberately34.”
As Brambleclaw padded toward her, another yowl rose from behind him. He turned to see Sorreltail bounding over from the apprentices35’ den.
“Whitepaw and Birchpaw haven’t seen them either,” she panted. “I don’t think they’re in the camp.”
Brambleclaw stood for a moment, thinking. The sun had barely risen above the tops of the trees. If Daisy had left the camp she must have done so as dawn was breaking. What could have been important enough to draw her out into the forest, when she was so frightened of what she believed was lurking38 there?
“What happened?” he asked Ferncloud.
The gray she-cat’s eyes were wide with distress39. “I went into the nursery with some fresh-kill for Daisy and Sorreltail,” she explained. “The nest was still warm, but Daisy and the kits were gone.”
“We’ve searched the whole camp,” Sorreltail added, lashing40 her tail. “We’ll have to send out patrols to look for them.”
“Well, youwon’t be going,” Ferncloud told her, brushing her muzzle41 against Sorreltail’s shoulder. “You need to stay with your kits.”
“Brackenfur’s with them,” the young tortoiseshell queen mewed. “I want to help look for Daisy.”
“Yes, but—”
Ferncloud broke off as a flash of flame-colored fur announced the appearance of Firestar from his den on the Highledge. The Clan leader ran down the rocks and across the clearing toward them.
“What’s going on?”
Ferncloud explained; before she had finished speaking, Brambleclaw spotted Dustpelt emerging from the thorn tunnel, at the head of the returning dawn patrol. Squirrelflight, Sandstorm, and Brightheart were with him.
“Yes, she slipped out of camp just behind us,” Dustpelt replied, looking puzzled. “Why—is there a problem?”
“She’s gone!” Ferncloud pushed her way through the cats to his side. “Why didn’t you stop her?”
“For StarClan’s sake!” Dustpelt hissed43. “I thought she was going to make her dirt. Why would I want to stop her?”
“Were the kits with her?” Cloudtail asked.
“I didn’t notice them,” Dustpelt replied.
“I did,” meowed Sandstorm. “They followed her out.”
“Berrykit was complaining about something,” Squirrelflight added, “but we didn’t stop to listen.”
“It’s obvious what’s happened.” Firestar spoke with deep concern, and every other cat turned to look at him. “Daisy has been talking about taking her kits back to the horseplace to live. Berrykit’s being caught in that trap must have made up her mind. As soon as he was fit to travel, she left.”
“No!” Cloudtail sounded outraged44. “After the badger attack, I promisedthat the Clan would look after her.”
“And then her kit23 lost half his tail in a fox trap,” Firestar pointed out. “I’m sorry, Cloudtail. I know you did your best.” His green eyes looked regretful. “For a while, I really thought it was going to work. Her kits were settling in well.” He twitched his ears. “I’d better tell the Clan.”
He bounded off toward the rocks beneath the Highledge. Cloudtail and Brambleclaw exchanged a glance; Cloudtail’s blue eyes were sparking with anger.
“Is that it?” he meowed. “Isn’t Firestar going to do anything to find Daisy?”
Firestar’s yowl sounded before Brambleclaw could reply. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey45 join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting.”
Brambleclaw waited, his claws flexing46 in and out, while the rest of the Clan emerged from their dens47. Leafpool came out from behind her screen of brambles. Brightheart darted48 across to her and began mewing quietly, obviously telling her what had happened. Mousefur and Goldenflower appeared from beneath the hazel bush, one on each side of Longtail. Mousefur’s eyes were sharp with curiosity as the cats found a place to sit near the rockfall.
At the sound of Firestar’s yowl, Brackenfur poked49 his head out of the nursery, then bounded across to Sorreltail. “What are you doing?” he demanded, covering her ears with anxious licks. “Look at you, you’re shaking with exhaustion50! You shouldn’t be wearing yourself out like this.”
Sorreltail leaned against his shoulder. Brambleclaw could see that she was quivering, though whether it was from tiredness or distress at losing Daisy, he couldn’t tell.
“I thought I’d be able to find her,” she mewed softly. “But she must have gone back to the horseplace.”
“Then there’s nothing else you can do,” Brackenfur told her. “Come back to the nursery. The kits are all wailing51 their heads off. They’re hungry, and I can’t feed them!”
“Why didn’t you sayso?” Sorreltail whisked around and headed for the nursery, her tail high as if her weariness was forgotten.
Squirrelflight slipped past Sandstorm and Dustpelt to join Brambleclaw. “If only I’d stopped to talk to Daisy this morning, I might have persuaded her to stay.”
“It’s not your fault,” Brambleclaw murmured, fighting down his own disappointment. He had always doubted that Daisy had the makings of a true Clan cat, but the loss of her kits was disastrous52. What about my apprentice36?He guessed from what Squirrelflight said that Berrykit hadn’t wanted to go. That just proved the kit’s spirit; thanks to Daisy, a fine warrior had been lost to the Clan.
“Daisy must have decided53 that she and her kits belong in the horseplace,” Firestar was explaining. “We’ll all miss her and her kits, but we have to respect her wish to leave.”
“That’s mouse-brained!” Cloudtail burst out.
Firestar gazed down at him, the tip of his tail twitching54, but Cloudtail didn’t seem bothered about showing disrespect toward his Clan leader.
“Daisy is no safer in the horseplace than she is out here,” he protested. “She came here in the first place because she was worried the Twolegs would take her kits away. Besides, there hasn’t been a sniff55 of a badger in the territory since the attack. I think we should go and bring her back.”
Squirrelflight let out a soft hiss. “Look at Brightheart,” she murmured, flicking57 her tail in the direction of the scarred she-cat. “I bet she doesn’t want Daisy to come back.”
Brambleclaw took a swift glance. Squirrelflight was right. Brightheart’s expression was a mixture of anger and distress.
“Cloudtail,” Firestar began, “we can’t force Daisy to do anything. She—”
“We should at least go and talk to her,” Cloudtail interrupted. “Then we could make sure she got back safely.”
“I agree,” Brambleclaw meowed, taking a pace forward to stand beside the white warrior. He knew he might regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t make an effort to retrieve58 Berrykit. “If it’s okay with you, Firestar, I’ll go with Cloudtail.”
Squirrelflight twitched her whiskers in surprise. “I seem to remember some cat making rude remarks about kittypets joining the Clan.”
A wave of embarrassment59 flooded over Brambleclaw. “Yeah, well, I’m sorry about that,” he replied. “But ThunderClan needs more kits, and Daisy’s would have made good warriors.”
“Very well,” Firestar meowed. “You can go, but if Daisy says she wants to stay where she is, come straight back and leave her in peace. Best wait until sunset,” he added. “There won’t be so many Twolegs around.”
“Great!” Cloudtail’s tail shot up in delight.
Brambleclaw glanced across at Brightheart again, in time to see her vanish behind the bramble screen into Leafpool’s den.
The sun was going down over the lake, turning the water scarlet60, as Brambleclaw and Cloudtail padded down to the shore. The pine forest in ShadowClan’s territory was a black outline against a sky the color of blood. Brambleclaw hoped that wasn’t a bad omen37 for their journey to the horseplace.
They crossed WindClan territory swiftly, staying within two tail-lengths of the water’s edge. Brambleclaw scented61 a patrol, but as the sun slipped below the trees the moorland slopes were shadowed, and they saw no sign of any cats.
Darkness was gathering63 by the time they arrived outside the horseplace, and clouds had filled the sky, covering the moon. Cloudtail halted, tasting the air, while Brambleclaw peered through the Twoleg fence. At the far side of the field was the Twoleg nest, a dark mass with one yellow light gleaming. Brambleclaw hoped they wouldn’t have to go near it.
Much closer was another, smaller building with no lights showing. Brambleclaw remembered passing it in daylight, and thinking it looked a bit like the barn where Barley64 and Ravenpaw lived.
“Over there, maybe?” he suggested, gesturing with his tail.
“Yes, Daisy said they lived in a barn,” Cloudtail replied. “Let’s go.”
He flattened65 himself to the ground and crept under the fence. Brambleclaw followed, feeling his pelt prickle as he entered this strange Twoleg territory. He padded after the blur66 of Cloudtail’s white pelt in the gathering darkness, then froze as he heard the high-pitched cry of a horse. A heartbeat later the ground shook with the thudding of hooves.
Fighting panic, Brambleclaw whipped his head back and forth67, trying to see where the noise was coming from. Then two horses burst out of the night almost on top of him, a whirl of glossy68 pelts69 and gleaming hooves. Their eyes were rolling back; something had spooked them into flight.
Cloudtail took off with a yowl of terror. Brambleclaw dashed after him. “No! This way! Keep together!”
He wasn’t sure where the barn was anymore. The horses had disappeared into the darkness again but he could still hear the thunder of their hooves. He and Cloudtail might run straight into them and be pounded into the grass.
Then he spotted a pale shape dashing across the field. It was Smoky, the horseplace tomcat who had fathered Daisy’s kits.
“Follow me!” Smoky gasped70, skidding71 to a halt and spinning around to run back the way he had come. “Quick!”
Brambleclaw and Cloudtail raced in his pawsteps. Brambleclaw caught another glimpse of the horses, storming past with manes flying. Then they were gone, and Smoky was slowing down, leading them up to the wall of the barn.
“In here,” he meowed.
The barn was built of piled-up stone, with a door made of strips of wood. There was a narrow gap at the bottom; Smoky slipped inside, followed by Cloudtail, and Brambleclaw squeezed after them, finding it hard to fit his shoulders through the small space. He stood panting, trying to catch his breath and letting his fur lie flat again.
Inside, the barn was almost completely dark. It was smaller than Ravenpaw’s home, but Brambleclaw could just make out familiar stacks of hay and straw. Their scent62 filled the air, along with the smell of mice and cats. Relief swept over Brambleclaw as he distinguished72 the well-known scents73 of Daisy and all three kits; at least they had made it back safely.
“Well, I never expected to see you here,” Smoky mewed.
“What do you want?” Another cat had come up beside Smoky, gazing at the two forest cats with curious eyes. Her pelt was gray and white; Brambleclaw wondered whether they might be littermates.
“This is Floss,” Smoky told them.
“I’m Cloudtail and this is Brambleclaw.” The white warrior flicked74 his tail at his Clanmate. “We’ve come to see Daisy.”
He broke off at the sound of heavy footsteps outside the door of the barn. Brambleclaw’s heart started to pound again as it opened. Twolegs!He and Cloudtail flashed a glance at each other, and dived for the cover of the straw bales.
As he pulled the end of his tail into a tiny space hardly big enough to contain him, Brambleclaw heard an amused mrrowcoming from Smoky. “There’s no need to hide. It’s only the Nofurs.”
Brambleclaw managed to wriggle75 around in his cramped76 hiding place so that he could peer out. At first he could hardly see anything because a bright yellow light was shining straight in his eyes. Then the beam shifted, and he realized the dark shape behind it was carrying the light in its paw. In the other forepaw it held a bowl like the ones Brambleclaw had seen in a Twoleg nest on his journey to the sun-drown-place. The Twoleg shook it and something rattled77 inside. He heard Floss meow, “Dinner! And about time, too.”
The Twoleg put the bowl down in front of the two horseplace cats and went out again, taking the glaring light with it.
Once the door had closed, Brambleclaw crept out, feeling slightly embarrassed. Smoky turned toward them, while Floss plunged78 her face into the food bowl.
“You’ve come to see Daisy?” He sounded surprised. “I didn’t think you’d want to see her again, once she left.”
“We like Daisy a lot,” Cloudtail mewed.
“Yes, we wanted to make sure she and the kits are okay,” Brambleclaw added.
Before he had finished speaking, shrieks79 of delight erupted from the far corner of the barn. Daisy’s three kits dashed out, wild with excitement, and hurled80 themselves at Brambleclaw and Cloudtail.
“You came, you came!” Berrykit squealed82. “I said you would.” He crouched down in front of Brambleclaw, his fur fluffed up and his teeth bared in a pretend growl. “I chased a mouse on the way here,” he boasted.
“Did you catch it?” Brambleclaw asked.
Berrykit looked downcast. “No.”
“Never mind, you will next time.”
The young kit brightened up, waving the stump83 of his tail. “I’m going to catch all the mice in this barn!”
“Leave some for us!” Hazelkit protested. She had charged into Cloudtail, knocking him off his paws, and now she was scrambling84 over him. “We want to catch mice too. We want to be apprentices like Birchpaw and Whitepaw.”
“Are they warriors yet?” Mousekit asked.
“Warriors!” Cloudtail let out a mrrowof laughter. “Come on! You’ve only been away for a day.”
“But it’s safe.” Brambleclaw looked up at the sound of Daisy’s voice. The she-cat padded over to join them, sweeping86 her tail around to flick56 Hazelkit on the shoulder. “Get off at once! Is that any way to show respect for a warrior?”
Hazelkit bounced to the floor, allowing Cloudtail to get up and shake scraps87 of straw from his pelt. “Hi, Daisy,” he meowed.
Daisy halted a couple of tail-lengths away and steadily88 held his gaze. “I know why you’re here. Please don’t ask me to come back to the forest. I’ve made up my mind.”
“But every cat misses you, and your kits,” Cloudtail mewed. “ThunderClan needs new warriors. And you know we’ll do everything we can to make you feel at home.”
“Wewant to go back,” Berrykit added, nudging his mother. Mousekit and Hazelkit squeaked89 their agreement.
Daisy shook her head. “No, you don’t. You’re too young to understand.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” Brambleclaw put in. “When you brought them into the forest they were so young that they won’t be able to remember much about this place. Living in our camp is all they know. They’re almost Clanborn, like the other warriors. Of course they want to go back.”
Daisy let out a long sigh. “It can’t possibly work. I’ve always lived close to Nofurs. I’m used to regular feeding times and a roof over my head. You warriors despisethat way of life.”
“We don’t despise you, Daisy,” Cloudtail promised quietly.
“But everything in the forest is so strange!” Daisy protested. “I don’t understand half of what’s in that warrior code of yours. I don’t feel like I could ever belong.”
Her eyes, fixed90 on Cloudtail, were huge with sorrow. Understanding struck Brambleclaw like a flash of lightning. She was in love with the white warrior! And she must know that there would never be any cat for him but Brightheart. He let out a purr of sympathy. Perhaps Daisy was right to leave. It must hurt to see Cloudtail every day and know he would never be more than her friend.
Cloudtail didn’t seem to realize the strength of Daisy’s feelings. “I still think you should come,” he argued. “There’ll always be a place for you. And every cat misses you. I know Brightheart does.”
Daisy winced91. Brambleclaw thought Cloudtail was being a little optimistic in mentioning Brightheart. “But I’m so useless out there,” she meowed. “I feel like every cat in the Clan is fed up with looking after me.”
“That’s not true.” Brambleclaw tried to reassure92 her. “You’ve helped Sorreltail with her kits, haven’t you?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll look after you. I’ll protect you from the badgers93. And I’ll teach you the warrior code,” Berrykit promised his mother, the stump of his tail quivering. “When I’m an apprentice, I’ll tell you everything my mentor94 teaches me.”
“So will we,” Hazelkit added. “Pleasetake us back! We want to be warriors and catch our own prey. We don’t like that yucky Twoleg food.”
Smoky, who had listened in silence until now, padded up to Daisy and brushed his muzzle against hers. “Maybe you should go,” he mewed.
Daisy turned toward him, her eyes questioning and a little hurt. “I thought you missed me.”
“I did. I missed all of you. But it’s obvious that our kits aren’t going to settle here. They’ve done nothing but talk about the forest ever since they set paw in the barn.” The gray-and-white tomcat blinked affectionately at her. “You could always come back yourself once they’re fully grown.”
“Me!” Smoky’s eyes opened wide with astonishment97. “Live in the open in the pouring rain and have to catch every mouthful of food? No thanks! Besides,” he added, “it sounds way too crowded. I’d never remember all your names.” He glanced back at the other she-cat, who had finished eating and was washing her face with one paw. “And I couldn’t leave Floss all by herself, could I?”
Berrykit nudged Daisy again. “Can we go back? Can we?”
Daisy looked at her kits. “You really want to go live in thecold and wet with no proper food in a forest full of badgers and traps?”
“Yes!” All three kits bounced up and down, eyes blazing with excitement. “Yes! Yes!”
“Well, I suppose . . .”
Berrykit let out a high-pitched yowl of triumph. He and his littermates scurried98 around in a circle, their tails held high. “We’re going back to the forest! We’re going back to the forest!”
“That’s great!” Cloudtail looked nearly as pleased as the kits. “These three are just what ThunderClan needs. They’ll be fine warriors one day.”
Brambleclaw spotted a flash of pain in Daisy’s eyes. Cloudtail seemed more pleased that the kits were coming back than that their mother was coming with them.
He touched her shoulder with his tail. “Ferncloud and Sorreltail will be really glad to see you,” he mewed. “They were both terribly upset when they found you’d gone.”
Daisy blinked at him, a faint glow in the depths of her eyes. “They’re good friends,” she murmured.
“When can we go?” Berrykit demanded, halting in front of his mother. “Now?”
“No, not now.” Cloudtail stepped forward before Daisy could answer. “It’s dark out there. We’ll go in the morning.”
“You’re welcome to spend the night here,” Smoky offered. He swept his tail toward the food bowl. “Help yourselves.”
“Okay, thanks.” Cloudtail padded over to the bowl and plunged his muzzle into it.
Brambleclaw remembered hearing about how the white warrior used to sneak99 off to eat food the Twolegs gave him, until they made him a prisoner and shut him up in their nest. He had come back to the Clan when Firestar helped him to escape, but he obviously still had a fondness for kittypet food.
“Not for me, thanks,” he meowed to Smoky with a polite dip of his head. “I’ll catch my own.”
“Show us how,” Berrykit pleaded, at the same time Mousekit asked, “Can we watch?”
“You don’t learn how to hunt until you’re apprenticed,” Brambleclaw told them. “But you can watch if you like.”
The three kits crouched down together, gazing at him with huge eyes as he tasted the air. Now that they were quiet, the whole barn seemed to be filled with the scuffling and squeaking100 of mice. Brambleclaw soon spotted a plump one, nibbling101 on a seed at the foot of a pile of straw bales. Very cautiously, not letting his claws scrape on the stone floor of the barn, he crept toward it. This is one mouse I can’t afford to miss, he thought as he pounced102 and swiftly bit it on the back of the neck.
All three kits let out a squeal81 of excitement as he turned back with his limp prey in his jaws103. Berrykit dropped into the hunter’s crouch16, waggling his haunches just as Brambleclaw had done. He almost had the position exactly right. He’ll be a great hunter, Brambleclaw thought.
“Here,” he meowed, after dropping the mouse in front of the three kits. “You can share that one, if your mother says it’s okay. I’ll catch another.”
Daisy gave her permission, shaking her head slightly as she watched her kits eat the fresh-kill. A moment later she turned away and joined Cloudtail at the food bowl.
Brambleclaw soon caught himself a second mouse. By the time he had finished eating, Daisy had gathered her kits together and vanished with them into the straw. Cloudtail clawed at the stiff stems until he had pulled enough out of the bale to make a nest. “I’ll be glad to be back in camp,” he mewed. “This stuff isn’t nearly as comfortable as moss30.”
As Brambleclaw made a nest for himself, he had to agree. The straw poked into him, and a chill seeped104 up from the stone floor underneath105. He curled up and tucked his nose into his tail, missing the warriors’ den, its air warmed by the breath of his Clanmates. Most of all he missed Squirrelflight, her sweet scent and the soft touch of her fur. Sleep was a long time in coming, but out here in the horseplace, far from his Clan, no dreams disturbed it.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
pelt
|
|
| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
fully
|
|
| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
itched
|
|
| v.发痒( itch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
abrupt
|
|
| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
warrior
|
|
| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
belly
|
|
| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
clump
|
|
| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
pricked
|
|
| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
snarled
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
clan
|
|
| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
growl
|
|
| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
rumbled
|
|
| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
crouched
|
|
| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
crouch
|
|
| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
hiss
|
|
| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
spotted
|
|
| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
twitched
|
|
| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
helping
|
|
| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
warriors
|
|
| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
legacy
|
|
| n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
kit
|
|
| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
kits
|
|
| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
scourge
|
|
| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
exasperation
|
|
| n.愤慨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
clans
|
|
| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
den
|
|
| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
bristling
|
|
| a.竖立的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
moss
|
|
| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
badger
|
|
| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
deliberately
|
|
| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
apprentices
|
|
| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
apprentice
|
|
| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
omen
|
|
| n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
lurking
|
|
| 潜在 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
distress
|
|
| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
lashing
|
|
| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
muzzle
|
|
| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
beckoned
|
|
| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
hissed
|
|
| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
outraged
|
|
| a.震惊的，义愤填膺的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
flexing
|
|
| n.挠曲，可挠性v.屈曲( flex的现在分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
dens
|
|
| n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
darted
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
poked
|
|
| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
exhaustion
|
|
| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
wailing
|
|
| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
disastrous
|
|
| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
decided
|
|
| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
twitching
|
|
| n.颤搐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
sniff
|
|
| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
flick
|
|
| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
flicking
|
|
| （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） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
retrieve
|
|
| vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
scarlet
|
|
| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
61
scented
|
|
| adj.有香味的；洒香水的；有气味的v.嗅到(scent的过去分词) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
62
scent
|
|
| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
63
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
64
barley
|
|
| n.大麦，大麦粒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
65
flattened
|
|
| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
66
blur
|
|
| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
67
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
68
glossy
|
|
| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
69
pelts
|
|
| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
70
gasped
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
71
skidding
|
|
| n.曳出，集材v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的现在分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
72
distinguished
|
|
| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
73
scents
|
|
| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
74
flicked
|
|
| （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） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
75
wriggle
|
|
| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
76
cramped
|
|
| a.狭窄的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
77
rattled
|
|
| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
78
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
79
shrieks
|
|
| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
80
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
81
squeal
|
|
| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
82
squealed
|
|
| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
83
stump
|
|
| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
84
scrambling
|
|
| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
85
wailed
|
|
| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
86
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
87
scraps
|
|
| 油渣 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
88
steadily
|
|
| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
89
squeaked
|
|
| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
90
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
91
winced
|
|
| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
92
reassure
|
|
| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
93
badgers
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
94
mentor
|
|
| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
95
flexed
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
96
flinch
|
|
| v.畏缩，退缩 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
97
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
98
scurried
|
|
| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
99
sneak
|
|
| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
100
squeaking
|
|
| v.短促地尖叫( squeak的现在分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
101
nibbling
|
|
| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
102
pounced
|
|
| v.突然袭击( pounce的过去式和过去分词 )；猛扑；一眼看出；抓住机会（进行抨击） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
103
jaws
|
|
| n.口部；嘴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
104
seeped
|
|
| v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
105
underneath
|
|
| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |