“Stop!” Jaypaw swerved1 in front ofHollypaw and Lionpaw as they began to head down the slope toward the thorn barrier.
He ignored the surprise flashing from their pelts2. “We can’t tell any cat what’s happened or where we’ve been.”
“Of course not,” Lionpaw agreed.
“Not about Sol, or being in ShadowClan’s camp. Not anything!” He had to know that they understood.
“I wasn’t going to,” Hollypaw mewed. He could sense her puzzlement and hurt—directed not at him, but at Sol. The stranger had abandoned them.
Jaypaw was confused by Sol’s change of heart too, but he refused to let Sol’s behavior change what he believed. It wasn’t Blackstar who was more powerful than StarClan. Theywere.
Evening shrouded5 the camp as they padded through the entrance. Jaypaw was relieved to hear the Clan4 only just beginning to stir. The warriors’ den6 rustled7 as Brambleclaw and Graystripe padded out. Kits8 mewled inside the nursery, and Icepaw and Foxpaw were nosing through the few remaining morsels9 on the fresh-kill pile.
“Where’ve you been?” Foxpaw called.
“Out,” Lionpaw replied.
“Did you bring back any prey10?”
Jaypaw could hear Foxpaw’s belly11 rumbling12. “Afraid not.”
Graystripe padded, yawning, across the clearing toward them. “Have you been out long?” he asked sleepily.
“No,” Jaypaw lied. He hoped no one noticed their nests hadn’t been slept in.
“Any sign of prey out there?” Brambleclaw put in.
Jaypaw shrugged13. He had been too lost in his own thoughts to notice.
“Lionpaw!” Ashfur was stretching outside the warriors’ den. “I think we should hunt for our Clan, don’t you? Hollypaw? Why don’t you go wake Brackenfur? You might as well come with us.”
Jaypaw sensed Hollypaw’s heart sink. He felt sorry for his littermates. They’d managed to sneak14 out of camp unnoticed, but it seemed they were going to be punished anyway. “You’ll soon be in your nests,” he whispered to them.
“Not soon enough,” Hollypaw hissed15 back.
Jaypaw padded to his den, feeling a twinge of guilt16. He was the one who’d made them leave camp, after all. He nosed through the brambles, breathing in the comforting smells of home—Leafpool’s scent17, herbs, the damp rock where water dripped into the pool. Spiderleg was snoring in Cinderpaw’s old nest. And another cat scent drifted from the back of the den.
“Jaypaw? Is that you?”
“Squirrelflight?”
“We moved her inside.” Leafpool padded from beside the pool. “It was too cold to leave her out all night.”
Jaypaw stiffened18. “What about her wound?”
“We moved her slowly,” Leafpool reassured19 him. “There was a little fresh bleeding, but I treated it once we’d got her settled.”
Ferns rustled around Squirrelflight. “Have you eaten, Jaypaw?”
“Not yet.” He was starving.
“Make sure you do.” Squirrelflight’s mew sounded a little stronger.
Leafpool’s tail brushed the ground. “I know how to take care of my apprentice20.”
Jaypaw was surprised. There was a sharp edge to his mentor’s mew. She was never bad-tempered21 with her patients. But he was too tired and hungry to figure out what was bothering her. His mother sounded better, and that was all he cared about right now.
He padded to the fresh-kill pile and gulped22 down a dry sparrow, coughing as the feathers caught in his throat. Swallowing, he returned to the den. He padded to his mother’s nest and pressed his nose to her pelt3. “See you later, Squirrelflight. I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
She stirred sleepily. “Okay, Jaypaw.”
Jaypaw crawled into his nest and closed his eyes.
“Jaypaw!”
A harsh mew woke him.
Branches crisscrossed overhead, glimmering23 silver in the starlight. StarClan’s hunting grounds.He got to his paws, feeling soft, moon-washed grass caress24 his pads.
“You’ve been looking for answers again, haven’t you?” Yellowfang was sitting beside him. Her eyes gleamed accusingly.
Jaypaw stretched and yawned. “I wouldn’t be much of a medicine cat if I didn’t.”
Her paw clouted25 his ear.
“Ow!”
“I’m still your elder!” Yellowfang glared at him. “And I’m trying to teach you something important.”
Jaypaw rubbed his ear, indignant. “What?”
“Be patient!” She shook out her disheveled fur. “Answers will come to you in time.”
“Why shouldn’t I know what’s going on?” Jaypaw dug his claws into the grass. “It’s not fair if I can’t even be curious!”
“Curiosity must be tempered with patience,” Yellowfang insisted. “Knowledge is wasted on those without the wisdom to know how to use it. And wisdom comes only with time.”
The same old excuses.Frustration26 welled in Jaypaw’s belly. You think you know everything, but one day I’ll be more powerful than you.He stared at the battered27 old she-cat, the words ready on his tongue. She stared back, her chin high, her gaze unflinching. Jaypaw let his fur lie flat. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her about the prophecy now.
Yellowfang leaned closer, and Jaypaw had to force himself not to duck away from her foul28 breath. “Serve your Clan,” she murmured. “Trust StarClan, and everything will be revealed in good time.”
Jaypaw looked up. The glade29 was crowded with cats, their fur sparkling with starlight.
“Listen to Yellowfang,” Bluestar urged him.
Whitestorm gazed down at him, his eyes glowing with warmth. “She’s telling you the truth.”
“All will be revealed in time.” Lionheart swished his thick tail.
“We are watching you,” Yellowfang reminded him.
Jaypaw snorted softly. What was starry30 fur but a trick of the light? They were just a bunch of dead cats. Hewas alive. So were Lionpaw and Hollypaw. And Sol. Didn’t that make them stronger than StarClan already?
Yellowfang leaned forward, hissing31 as though she could tell what he was thinking. “You don’t know what’s best for your Clan, Jaypaw! Just remember that!”
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收听单词发音
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1
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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pelts
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| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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shrouded
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| v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 )；保密 | |
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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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rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle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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morsels
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| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
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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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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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rumbling
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| n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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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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15
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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16
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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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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stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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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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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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bad-tempered
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| adj.脾气坏的 | |
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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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23
glimmering
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| n.微光，隐约的一瞥adj.薄弱地发光的v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的现在分词 ) | |
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24
caress
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| vt./n.爱抚，抚摸 | |
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clouted
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| adj.缀补的，凝固的v.（尤指用手）猛击，重打( clout的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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28
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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30
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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31
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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