CHAPTER29

CHAPTER29
Jaypaw lay in the sleeping hollowwhere the scents¹ of his littermates still lingered. He did not try to sleep; his ears were pricked³ for the first sounds of the returning warriors⁴. His belly⁵ churned with apprehension⁶. What if Hollypaw or Lionpaw died in the battle? What would happen to the prophecy then, if three suddenly became two—or even one? How could he bear to be without them?
The endless thunder of the waterfall sounded different, hollow and echoing, with the cave almost empty. The two kit-mothers were with their litters in the nursery. The elders, Cloud With Storm in Belly and Rain That Rattles⁷ on Stones, had retreated to their sleeping places at the other side of the cave. Wing Shadow Over Water, the prey-hunter who had been badly injured in the fight over the eagle, was sleeping nearby. Every other cat had gone to fight, for there was no point in leaving guards to protect the cave when all the intruders would be caught up in the battle.
Eventually Jaypaw couldn’t bear to keep still any longer. He rose to his paws and padded across the cave, pausing to lick up a few icy drops where they trickled⁸ from the rock into the pool of fresh water. Then he slipped down the passage that led to the Cave of Pointed⁹ Stones.
Inside, all was silent. Jaypaw felt the faint stir of wind against his face and drew in the scent² of the Tribe’s Healer, strong and fresh.
“Stoneteller?” he mewed.
“I am here, Jaypaw.” The old cat’s voice came from the far end of the cave; it sounded sad and defeated. “What do you want?”
“Is there any word from the Tribe of Endless Hunting?” Jaypaw asked.
“None. I stare into the puddle¹⁰, and I see nothing but moonlight upon water.”
A pang¹¹ tore through Jaypaw’s belly, sharp as thorns. He knew that Stoneteller had lied to his Tribe about the Tribe of Endless Hunting. He had tried to manipulate the Tribe into choosing to flee, to show Brambleclaw and the Clan¹² cats how little influence they had. But his plan had failed. The Tribe had chosen to fight, and left him here to face the knowledge that if they survived it would be without the support of their ancestors. The Healer’s pain flowed through the cave like a river; Jaypaw couldn’t help pitying him.
“I’m sorry,” he mewed.
“Perhaps they have lost faith in us,” Stoneteller responded, his voice flat.
“I’m sure it’s not that.” Jaypaw pictured the pool among the sheer crags, where he had confronted the Tribe of Endless Hunting. He had revisited the dream over and over in his waking mind, and he thought he understood what it meant. But what use the knowledge would be to him, he wasn’t sure.
“Jaypaw.” The rasping voice spoke¹³ behind him.
Jaypaw spun¹⁴ around. Every hair on his pelt¹⁵ rose as he saw the sagging¹⁶, hairless body and sightless eyes of Rock. But I’m not asleep!The ancient cat glimmered¹⁷ as if he stood in moonlight, though all around him was dark; he seemed to float in shadow.
His heart beginning to race, Jaypaw reached out all his senses to Stoneteller, but there was no change in the old cat’s scent or the dull pain that came from him. He made no sound.
“Stoneteller cannot hear or see me,” Rock mewed. “Only you can.”
“Why have you come?” Jaypaw’s voice shook.
“The battle has been won. You can go home now—all of you.”
Jaypaw forced down his delight. Hollypaw and Lionpaw were safe! But he was sure that Rock hadn’t come just to tell him something that he would discover for himself before morning. There had to be another reason.
“The Tribe must have fought well,” he meowed. “Perhaps now the Tribe of Endless Hunting will have more faith in them.”
“Why should they?” Rock retorted. His voice was sour. “It was the Clans¹⁸ who saved the Tribe of Rushing Water.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Jaypaw demanded. Back at the lake, he had longed to speak with Rock again, but each time he encountered the ancient cat was more frustrating¹⁹ than the last.
“StarClan did not send you,” Rock replied, “and the Tribe of Endless Hunting did not summon you.”
“But—”
“Silence!” Rock hissed²⁰ with a sweep of his bare tendril of a tail. “You came and won—for this battle, at least. But do you think the borders will hold? The Tribe is not a Clan, with experience of defending its territory, and the trespassers have no code of honor that will make them keep their word.”
“Then we came for nothing?” Jaypaw asked, dismayed.
Rock shook his head. “No. You have learned much. And the Tribe will eat well, for a while at least.” His bulging²¹ eyes seemed to gaze into the shadows at something hidden from Jaypaw
Jaypaw took a deep breath. “You knew the Tribe cats before they came here, didn’t you? They came from the lake.”
He had the satisfaction of seeing Rock’s start of surprise. “Yes. How did you know?”
“It was the pool in the mountains that the Tribe spirit showed me,” Jaypaw explained. “They found another Moonpool, just like the one near the lake.”
“They turned their back on so many of their old ways.” There was pain in the ancient cat’s voice. “Yet they still sought for peace beside the water.”
Jaypaw’s heart thumped²² harder, but he had to continue. “The Tribe knew me, just as you did. The prophecy comes from when you all lived together, doesn’t it?”
Rock bowed his head. “Yes. We have been expecting you for a long time. And now you have come.” A shiver of mingled²³ fear and delight passed through Jaypaw as he returned the stare of the old cat’s sightless eyes. “The others deserve to know,” Rock continued. “This is not just your destiny, and you cannot walk this path alone.”
“Jaypaw! Jaypaw, where are you?” Hollypaw’s voice echoed from the main cave. “Come quickly!”
As if a dark wing had folded over him, Rock was gone. Jaypaw was left alone in the Cave of Pointed Stones, except for the silent presence of Stoneteller. He found the entrance to the passage and raced out to meet his sister.
“It’s Lionpaw!” she gasped²⁴, bounding up to meet him and giving his ear a hurried lick. “He’s covered in blood. He says he’s not hurt, but the blood must have come from somewhere. You’ve got to help him.”
“Where is he?”
“Outside, by the pool,” Hollypaw mewed. “I told him to rest.”
Jaypaw followed her across the cave to the waterfall. Clan and Tribe cats poured past them, yowling the good news to those who had stayed behind. Jaypaw detected Crag’s scent and heard the big cave-guard meow, “I’ll go and tell Stoneteller.”
Hollypaw dashed along the path beneath the tumbling water, for once not worrying about whether Jaypaw could manage it on his own. Jaypaw followed hard on her paw steps, his pelt pressed against the rock, feeling the cold spray on his exposed flank.
His heart had begun to pound again. After believing that both Hollypaw and Lionpaw had come back safe, was his brother’s life to be snatched away from him after all?
Reaching the pool, he nosed at Lionpaw’s fur. Shock clawed at him as he realized how thickly it was clotted²⁵ with drying blood. “We’ve got to get this off him,” he mewed crossly, trying to hide his fear. “How can I tell what’s underneath²⁶ all that?”
“Come closer to the waterfall,” Hollypaw suggested. “The spray will help us clean off the blood.”
All three cats moved around the edge of the pool until Jaypaw could feel the spray soaking into his fur.
“I wish you wouldn’t fuss,” Lionpaw protested, raising his voice to make himself heard above the thunder of the falls. “I keep telling you, I’m perfectly²⁷ all right.”
His voice sent another shiver of fear through Jaypaw. His brother sounded distant, stunned²⁸, as if the battle had affected²⁹ not only his body but his mind. “You’re all right when I say you are,” he snapped.
“I’m not hurt….” Lionpaw sounded almost puzzled. “No cat could touch me.”
“Shut up and let me lick,” Hollypaw scolded him.
As he and Hollypaw cleaned the blood from Lionpaw’s fur, Jaypaw began to realize that his brother was right. He wasn’thurt, except for a bitten ear and sore pads.
“I don’t think you need any herbs,” Jaypaw mewed, trying to hide that his paws were shaking with relief. “Just keep that ear clean. I’ll give it a sniff³⁰ every day until it heals.”
“You’re really okay!” Hollypaw’s voice was unsteady. “All that blood came from other cats! Jaypaw, I wish you could have been there. Lionpaw fought like a whole Clan of cats!”
“We won the battle.” Lionpaw was beginning to sound more like his usual self, as if the licking of his brother and sister had brought him back from some distant place.
“For what it’s worth”—Hollypaw sounded troubled—“I don’t trust the trespassers. And I don’t know if the Tribe will be able to defend its new borders.”
Jaypaw’s belly lurched to hear his sister echoing the warning that Rock had given him in the Cave of Pointed Stones.
“I don’t know why we came here if we weren’t going to succeed,” she continued, sounding a little desolate³¹. “Did the Tribe of Endless Hunting get it wrong?”
Jaypaw reached out with his tail to touch her shoulder. “The Tribe’s ancestors didn’t want us here,” he mewed. “And StarClan did not send us. We came so that we could win the battle, and because we needed answers to our questions.” When neither Hollypaw nor Lionpaw responded, he added, “We all wanted to come to the mountains, didn’t we?” There was a murmur³² of agreement from his brother and sister. “Then don’t you understand? That’s why things happened so that we came. This is all about us, the three of us. Without us the Tribe might survive, or it might not, but that doesn’t matter now. They’ve all been waiting for us—StarClan, the Tribe of Endless Hunting, Rock—”
“Who?” Hollypaw asked.
“What are you talking about?” Lionpaw meowed. “Have you got bees in your brain?”
Jaypaw crouched³³ on the edge of the pool and motioned with his tail for his brother and sister to draw closer. “Listen,” he murmured. “There’s something I have to tell you….”

1 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：

• The air was fragrant with scents from the sea and the hills. 空气中荡漾着山和海的芬芳气息。
• The winds came down with scents of the grass and wild flowers. 微风送来阵阵青草和野花的香气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

3 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：

• The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。
• He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

4 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

5 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

6 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。

7 rattles   

（使）发出格格的响声， （使）作嘎嘎声( rattle的第三人称单数 )； 喋喋不休地说话； 迅速而嘎嘎作响地移动，堕下或走动； 使紧张，使恐惧

参考例句：

• It rattles the windowpane and sends the dog scratching to get under the bed. 它把窗玻璃震得格格作响，把狗吓得往床底下钻。
• How thin it is, and how dainty and frail; and how it rattles. 你看它够多么薄，多么精致，多么不结实；还老那么哗楞哗楞地响。

8 trickled   

v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

参考例句：

• Blood trickled down his face. 血从他脸上一滴滴流下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The tears trickled down her cheeks. 热泪一滴滴从她脸颊上滚下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 puddle   

n.(雨)水坑，泥潭

参考例句：

• The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。
• She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。

11 pang   

n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷

参考例句：

• She experienced a sharp pang of disappointment.她经历了失望的巨大痛苦。
• She was beginning to know the pang of disappointed love.她开始尝到了失恋的痛苦。

12 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

13 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：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

14 spun   

v.纺，杜撰，急转身

参考例句：

• His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
• Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。

15 pelt   

v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火

参考例句：

• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
• Crowds started to pelt police cars with stones.人群开始向警车扔石块。

16 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

17 glimmered   

v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "There glimmered the embroidered letter, with comfort in its unearthly ray." 她胸前绣着的字母闪着的非凡的光辉，将温暖舒适带给他人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• The moon glimmered faintly through the mists. 月亮透过薄雾洒下微光。 来自辞典例句

18 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

19 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 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：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

21 bulging   

膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱

参考例句：

• Her pockets were bulging with presents. 她的口袋里装满了礼物。
• Conscious of the bulging red folder, Nim told her,"Ask if it's important." 尼姆想到那个鼓鼓囊囊的红色文件夹便告诉她：“问问是不是重要的事。”

22 thumped   

v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Dave thumped the table in frustration . 戴夫懊恼得捶打桌子。
• He thumped the table angrily. 他愤怒地用拳捶击桌子。

23 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

24 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：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

25 clotted   

adj.凝结的v.凝固( clot的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• scones and jam with clotted cream 夹有凝脂奶油和果酱的烤饼
• Perspiration clotted his hair. 汗水使他的头发粘在一起。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

26 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

27 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

28 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

29 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

30 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

31 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

32 murmur   

n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言

参考例句：

• They paid the extra taxes without a murmur.他们毫无怨言地交了附加税。
• There was a low murmur of conversation in the hall.大厅里有窃窃私语声。

33 crouched   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
• The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。