Lionpaw stood beside his sister, gazingdown at the lake and the familiar Clan1 territories. A ripple2 of excitement pulsed through him as he turned his back on his home and saw for the first time a wide stretch of unknown country.
“What are we waiting for?” he complained to Hollypaw. “Why can’t we keep going?”
“Didn’t you hear Brambleclaw?” his sister meowed. “He told us all to rest, and he said we could hunt if we want to eat.”
Lionpaw had been so focused on their journey that he hadn’t noticed his father giving the order. His forepaws tore up the short grass of the ridge3. “I don’t want to sit around. We’ve hardly started.”
“It’s the traveling herbs giving you all that energy,” Hollypaw mewed practically. “The mountains won’t go away.” She turned with a flick4 of her tail and began to stalk toward a gorse bush, her ears and whiskers alert for signs of prey5.
Lionpaw’s paws were sore from the stiff climb up the ridge, but he had never felt so alive, so eager to keep traveling. In front of him, dark forest covered the downward slope, and beyond it Lionpaw could see flat green stretches like the grass at the horseplace. It was sliced through by Thunderpaths and dotted with Twoleg nests—some of them close together, whole clusters of red stone dens6.
Lionpaw bounded over the short, springy grass to a rocky outcrop, the highest part of the ridge. At the top of the rocks, wind flattened7 his fur along his sides. He felt as powerful as a warrior8 of LionClan! If he stretched out a paw, he could blot9 out whole Twoleg nests. The biggest Thunderpath looked as thin as a strand10 of bramble or a twig11 that he could snap with his teeth.
I could run farther than a hare! I could fight the fiercest fox that ever lived. Spotting the dark gray stain that hovered12 on the horizon, he added, I could climb the highest mountain faster than an eagle could fly.
He wondered if the other cats felt like this. When he looked down at his traveling companions dozing13 peacefully below him, he suspected that they didn’t.
Lionpaw strained his ears to pick up Tigerstar’s voice in the sighing of the wind and looked for the dark tabby shape in the shadows cast by rocks and bushes. This was exactly how Tigerstar had told him he should feel, as if his enemies were no bigger than beetles14. But there was no trace of the former warrior. All these turbulent feelings seemed to come from inside Lionpaw himself.
“Lionpaw! We’re waiting for you.”
His father’s voice made him jump. The other cats had finished resting and were getting to their paws.
“Coming!” he called.
He leaped down from the outcrop and joined his littermates as the cats began to make their way into the trees. His father and mother took the lead with Tawnypelt and Crowfeather.
“Remember how we felt when we first climbed up here?” Tawnypelt meowed.
“I remember how sore my paws were,” Squirrelflight replied with a twitch16 of her tail.
Brambleclaw skirted a huge clump17 of bracken. “Tallpoppy’s kit18 fell over here. Ferncloud picked her up and carried her. We all helped one another then.”
“But it can’t be like that anymore.” Lionpaw thought Crowfeather sounded wistful, the familiar edge missing from his voice. “It’s natural for Clans19 to be rivals.”
Lionpaw thought sadly about Heatherpaw; he guessed that all four of the senior warriors20 missed the friendships they had forged on their journeys. He was relieved that they seemed to know the way. Now that he couldn’t see his home anymore he was daunted21 by the vast stretches of unknown territory. His pelt15 grew hot with embarrassment22 when he remembered his dreams of power on the hilltop, and he was thankful that no other cat knew what he’d been thinking.
Unless Jaypaw knows. Lionpaw’s pelt grew hotter still at the idea that his brother might have been eavesdropping23 on his thoughts.
“Come on, pick up your paws,” Brambleclaw called back. “I want to be out of these trees by nightfall.”
Lionpaw stifled24 a sigh. His paws were dragging already and his belly25 was yowling with hunger. The energy from the traveling herbs seemed to have worn off. He wished he’d taken the chance to rest and eat after all.
“Here.” Squirrelflight’s voice was muffled27; Lionpaw glanced back to see her padding up to him with a mouse hanging from her jaws28. “Eat as quickly as you can,” she added, dropping her prey at his paws.
“Thank you!” Lionpaw touched his nose gratefully to his mother’s shoulder.
“I was tired of listening to your belly growling,” Squirrelflight mewed, her tail curling up in amusement. “I reckon they could hear it back in ThunderClan.”
She ran ahead to join Brambleclaw, while Lionpaw crouched29 over the mouse and devoured30 it in a few famished31 bites.
By the time he had finished his companions were out of sight, but he could hear their voices ahead and followed their scent32 trail until he caught up. Strength had flooded back into his paws. Passing the rest of the group, he bounded up to his father.
“What do you know about these invading cats?” Brambleclaw was asking Talon33. “How many are there?”
“Too many,” Talon replied.
Brambleclaw twitched34 his ears. Lionpaw guessed that he didn’t find the Tribe cat’s answer much use in planning what they would do when they reached the mountains.
“Well, what have you done so far?” Brambleclaw went on. “Have you worked out their ways of hunting and fighting? And what about regular patrols—”
“We’re not Clan cats, you know.” Talon’s neck fur bristled35. “We need help, but that doesn’t mean we want to be treated like a bunch of to-bes.”
“Calm down, Talon.” Night touched her Tribemate’s shoulder with the tip of her tail. “Brambleclaw’s only trying to work out the best way of helping36 us.”
For a heartbeat Lionpaw thought that the tabby cave-guard would snap at her too, but then his fur lay flat again and he gave Brambleclaw an awkward nod as if he was trying to apologize.
“We’ve never needed to set boundaries before,” he explained. “We just chose some rocks around our cave and set guards to keep watch for the intruders. Stoneteller said…”
Growing bored with this talk of strategy, Lionpaw let his father and the others go ahead and waited for his littermates to catch up.
“The Tribe cats seem really tense,” he meowed as he fell in beside Hollypaw. “I thought Talon was going to claw Brambleclaw’s ear off.”
Hollypaw blinked thoughtfully. “I think it’s because they never told Stoneteller what they planned to do. He might be angry when a bunch of Clan cats turn up in his territory.”
“Angry?” Lionpaw’s pelt grew hot with outrage37. “He should be grateful to us!”
His sister let out a snort. “Maybe his pride would be hurt. Leaders ought to be able to deal with problems without asking for help from outside. How do you think Firestar would feel if we were having trouble and you went to ask for help from WindClan?”
“He would probably line his nest with my pelt,” Lionpaw admitted.
“So what would youdo if you were Stoneteller?” Jaypaw’s voice was curious as he flicked38 his sister’s shoulder with his tail tip.
Hollypaw paused for a few heartbeats before she replied. “I’d set up border patrols—”
“But they don’t have borders,” Lionpaw reminded her.
“Then I’d mark some.” Hollypaw’s ears twitched. “I’d make sure they were patrolled regularly, and I’d teach all my cats to fight. That would keep the intruders out.”
Jaypaw shook his head. “You’re thinking like a Clan cat. The Tribe’s ways are different. I’m not sure we should try to change them.”
“We should if they’re being driven out of their territory and starved to death,” Lionpaw argued. “What the Tribe needs is the warrior code, and we’re going to teach it to them!”
The setting sun cast long shadows in front of them as they came to the edge of the trees. Lionpaw fluffed out his pelt against the breeze that whispered through the undergrowth. Ahead he could see a stretch of dusty grass sloping down into a narrow valley. More trees stretched up the far side, and beyond them hung the gray smudge of the mountains. Over to one side Lionpaw spotted39 the reddish stone of Twoleg nests, just visible through the trees.
“We’ll stop here for the night,” Brambleclaw announced. “It’s sheltered, and there’ll be plenty of prey.”
Before he had finished speaking, Crowfeather broke away from the group, streaking40 across the open ground with his belly fur brushing the grass. Breezepaw raced after him. Lionpaw didn’t spot the rabbit they were chasing until it broke for cover. The two WindClan cats separated, and as the rabbit dodged41 away from Crowfeather, it practically threw itself under Breezepaw’s paws. The WindClan apprentice42 dispatched it with a swift bite to the neck.
“Great catch!” Lionpaw meowed as he came back dragging his prey.
Breezepaw ignored him, but Crowfeather gave him a nod as the two WindClan cats settled down to share their prey.
Lionpaw turned back into the woodland to find some prey of his own. Tasting the air, he found a mouse scrabbling among the debris43 at the edge of a bramble thicket44. He leaped with paws outstretched, but as he sank his claws into the little creature he felt a tendril of bramble wrap itself around his shoulders. He pulled away, leaving a tuft of orange fur behind. His pelt prickled with embarrassment at the clumsy kill, and as he padded back to the edge of the trees with his prey he hoped that Breezepaw hadn’t been watching.
Hollypaw and Jaypaw were already crouching45 in the shelter of a clump of bracken with their fresh-kill; Hollypaw was devouring46 a plump vole, while Jaypaw gulped47 down a sparrow.
“I wish we could stay here a bit longer,” Hollypaw mumbled48 with her mouth full. “This place is crawling with prey!”
“Well, we can’t,” Jaypaw mewed unsympathetically. “And I don’t think some of us would be happy if we did.”
He flicked his tail toward Talon and Night, who had finished eating and were trying to settle down for the night between two gnarled tree roots. They were turning around uneasily, as if they couldn’t get comfortable.
Night stiffened49 as the hoot50 of an owl26 sounded from somewhere close by. “What was that?”
“Only an owl.” Brook51 padded up to her Tribemate and touched her nose to the black she-cat’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Squirrelflight is going to keep watch, then Stormfur.”
“Well, I don’t like it,” Talon grumbled52, whipping his head around at the sound of a creaking tree. “I’d rather be out in the open, where I can see if something is sneaking54 up on me.”
“We will be soon,” Brook promised. “And that noise was only a branch.” She let out a soft mrrow, a mixture of sympathy and amusement. “Trees don’t sneak53 up on you.”
Lionpaw stretched his jaws in a huge yawn before curling up nose to tail with his littermates in a nest of long grass. He was warm and comfortable, and his belly was full. His eyes closed and the crisp mountain voices of the Tribe cats began to blur55 together with the hooting56 of the owls57, like rain falling into a pool.
Then his ears pricked58 as he heard the complaining tones of Breezepaw, coming from a dip in the ground just beyond the outlying branches of the trees. “I don’t see why we have to come at all. What can wedo to help these weird59 cats—and why does it matter anyway? What has the Tribe ever done for us?”
“Feathertail gave her life saving them from Sharptooth. If they were worthy60 of our help then, they deserve it now. Otherwise she died for nothing,” Crowfeather murmured.
Lionpaw raised his head to see the skinny WindClan cat sitting with his back to the trees, his shape outlined against the darkening sky. Breezepaw was a sprawled61 heap in the grass.
“Well, from the sounds of it we’ve helped them enough,” Breezepaw objected.
Crowfeather sighed; Lionpaw thought he had never heard a cat sound so bone-weary. “You’ll never understand loyalty,” the gray-black tom meowed.
Lionpaw was puzzled. Feathertail had been a RiverClan cat, so why should Crowfeather be especially loyal to her?
He wrapped his tail over his nose. There were so many memories clinging to these warriors, so much that he found hard to understand. He pressed up against his littermates and the forest sounds around him faded as he slipped into sleep.
A paw prodding62 his shoulder woke Lionpaw. He jumped up at once, claws flexing63 as he scrambled64 out of his grassy65 nest.
Brambleclaw was standing66 over him. His tail flicked across Lionpaw’s mouth to warn him to stay quiet. Beside him, Jaypaw and Hollypaw were crouching down with their fur bristling67. Hollypaw’s tail tip twitched as she gazed out from the shelter of the trees, and Jaypaw’s ears were pricked.
“There’s another cat close by,” Brambleclaw murmured.
Lionpaw tasted the air. At first he couldn’t pick up anything beyond the mingled68 scents69 of the other Clan cats. Talon was on his paws, braced70 for a fight, and Squirrelflight bounded across to stand by Brambleclaw’s side. The forest and the hillside beyond seemed peaceful. Early morning sunlight sliced through the trees, turning Lionpaw’s pelt to flame. Dew glittered on the grass and on cobwebs strung across the nearby bramble thicket.
Lionpaw had begun to relax when a breeze sprang up, bringing a new scent with it. “That’s a kittypet!” he exclaimed. “I’m not afraid of kittypets!”
“Shh!”Brambleclaw hissed71. “We might have strayed into a kittypet’s territory, and we don’t want to fight unless we have to.”
“We don’t have to fight kittypets,” Hollypaw mewed scornfully. “I bet if we show it our teeth it’ll go wailing72 back to its Twolegs.”
“And maybe it won’t.” Squirrelflight’s voice was low but stern. “I’ve known kittypets who could fight, and one bad wound out here would be a problem for all of us. Now do as Brambleclaw says and be quiet.”
Lionpaw stiffened as he heard a rustling73 in the undergrowth. The fronds74 of a nearby clump of bracken waved wildly and parted. A plump tabby tom stepped through them into the open. His fur was rumpled75 and covered with burrs, and his muzzle76 was gray with age. He halted just beyond the bracken and stared at the journeying cats.
Brambleclaw was staring back, his amber77 eyes wide with shock. Beside him, Squirrelflight bounced on her paws and let out a little cry of welcome.
“Purdy!”
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收听单词发音
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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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ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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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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dens
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| n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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blot
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| vt.弄脏（用吸墨纸）吸干；n.污点，污渍 | |
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strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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15
pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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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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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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eavesdropping
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| n. 偷听 | |
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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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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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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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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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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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famished
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| adj.饥饿的 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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talon
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| n.爪；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物 | |
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twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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bristled
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| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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outrage
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| n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒 | |
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38
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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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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streaking
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| n.裸奔（指在公共场所裸体飞跑）v.快速移动( streak的现在分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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41
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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45
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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46
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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47
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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48
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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hoot
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| n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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52
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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53
sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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hooting
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩 | |
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owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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58
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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59
weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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61
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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62
prodding
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| v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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flexing
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| 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 | |
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64
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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65
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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66
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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67
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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69
scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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70
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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71
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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72
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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73
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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74
fronds
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| n.蕨类或棕榈类植物的叶子( frond的名词复数 ) | |
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75
rumpled
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| v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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