CHAPTER8
Hollyleaf could sympathize; she remembered very well how it felt to be a new apprentice3, doing something to help her Clan4.
“Do you think we’ll get to be warriors5, after it’s all over?” Tigerpaw mewed. “Because we saved our Clan?”
“No,” Hollyleaf replied gently. “Don’t forget, no cat must know we’re doing this. Besides, you’re too young to be warriors yet. You still have a lot to learn.”
The six cats were heading toward the far end of ThunderClan territory, following the same route Hollyleaf and her littermates had taken when they went to find Sol. Already the ShadowClan scent6 marks were fading along the border, and there was no sign of cats from either Clan. The only sounds were the drip of water from leaves and the rustle7 of ferns and grasses as the cats brushed through them.
All three of the apprentices8 were bouncing with excitement, rushing off into the undergrowth or dabbing9 at one another in the beginnings of a play fight.
“That’s enough,” Lionblaze ordered, rounding up Flamepaw with his tail and nudging him forward. “Do you think warriors chase each other around like that?”
The young ShadowClan cats settled down and padded along quietly, but Hollyleaf could see that their paws were still itching10. They were acting11 as if Blackfoot had already seen the sign and decided12 that his Clan would return to StarClan and the warrior code.
But it’s not as easy as that
Hollyleaf’s belly13 churned as she wondered what would happen if they failed. They would only get one chance. If Blackfoot realized he was being tricked, he would be twice as careful afterward14. ShadowClan would be lost forever. Even worse, Blackfoot might decide to invade ThunderClan, to punish them for interfering15.
What if cats die because of what we’re doing?
“Jaypaw, have you decided what—”
Her brother flicked16 his ears irritably17. “I can’t decide anything until we get to where we’re going. Now keep your tail over your jaws18 and let me think.”
“This is where we should cross the border,” Tigerpaw announced, stopping and looking around. “The marshy19 place is only a few fox-lengths away.”
Even though she could hardly taste the ShadowClan scent marks, Hollyleaf still felt guilty as she crossed into the rival Clan’s territory.
I don’t know whyIf they cared about their border, they would mark it. They couldn’t care less about the warrior code.
But we do, she answered herself. Going into another Clan’s territory is wrong
Tigerpaw led them through some trees where brambles snagged their fur, then into a more open patch of ground. “Here we are,” he declared.
Water welled up around Hollyleaf’s paws as she gazed at the marsh20 ahead. Long-stemmed clusters of reeds grew around pools covered with bright green pondweed. Between them were tussocks of brittle21 grass and sedge, and a few spindly saplings grew with their roots in the water. There was a dank, musty scent, and the air was heavy with silence.
“What can you see?” Jaypaw mewed as the cats drew to a halt
“Marshy ground and water,” Lionblaze replied.
“Any cover?”
“Yes, reeds and long grass. And a few trees.”
“What are the trees like? How big are they?” Jaypaw was beginning to sound excited. “What are their roots like?”
“Small trees,” Hollyleaf replied, wondering what was going through her brother’s mind. “Their roots look quite long and shallow, at least as far as I can see.”
Jaypaw fell silent, motionless except for his whiskers quivering.
“I don’t see what we can do here,” Hollyleaf mewed anxiously, wondering if they should have chosen somewhere else. “There’s nothing to—”
“Shut up, I’m thinking,” Jaypaw snapped.
Hollyleaf exchanged a glance with Lionblaze.
“Leave him alone,” her brother whispered. “If any cat can work this out, he can.”
Hollyleaf hoped he was right. Trying to push down her impatience22, she kept an eye on the three apprentices, who were stalking around the edge of the marshy ground, looking for prey23.
“Nothing but pond flies!” Dawnpaw exclaimed indignantly.
“These trees.” Jaypaw broke his silence at last. “Do any of them look as if they could be knocked over?”
What? Has he gone completely mouse-brained?Hollyleaf flexed24 her claws and forced herself not to speak.
“I’ll check,” Lionblaze mewed. “There might be a few.”
He splashed off into the marsh with water brushing his belly fur and pondweed sticking to his golden pelt. The three apprentices left their hunt to watch, and Hollyleaf waited anxiously while Lionblaze circled several of the trees, giving their trunks a good sniff25, then came splashing back.
“I think we could do it,” he reported. “I could feel roots under my paws, so we should be able to dig them up.”
Jaypaw’s sightless blue eyes gleamed. “We’re going to make it look as if ShadowClan’s territory is falling down around them.”
Hollyleaf’s heart thumped29 harder. Only Jaypaw would have thought of digging up treesas a message from StarClan. If it worked, it should really convince Blackfoot that following Sol was wrong.
Under Jaypaw’s direction, Hollyleaf and Lionblaze chose two saplings, not too far from each other.
“I want them still upright, but ready to fall. And when I give the word, I want them to fall toward each other, so their branches are joined together,” Jaypaw explained. “Okay, get digging.”
Hollyleaf waded30 out into the marsh, flinching31 as cold mud and water soaked into her fur. Dawnpaw joined her at one of the trees, while Lionblaze and Tigerpaw tackled the other.
As Lionblaze had said, Hollyleaf found that she could easily feel the roots of the tree under her paws. She clawed at them vigorously, trying to dislodge them from the mud. At first she thought she wouldn’t be able to shift them at all.
“This is hopeless!” Dawnpaw gasped32. She was belly deep in the thick mud, and drops of it were spattered over her head and shoulders. “We’ll never do it.”
She staggered as the root she was tugging34 at gave way, barely saving herself from sliding under the mud. Her pelt burned with urgency as she scrabbled around to find another root and dug her claws into it.
A few fox-lengths away, Lionblaze was struggling with the other tree. Tigerpaw worked alongside him, but Flamepaw was standing35 back with a troubled look in his eyes.
“I still don’t know…” Flamepaw mewed doubtfully. “I’m not sure it’s right to fake a sign from StarClan.”
Dawnpaw glanced over her shoulder. “We’ve been through this,” she hissed37 in exasperation38. “We already agreed to try anything. This might just work, and let us go back to our own Clan.”
Flamepaw hesitated, then took a deep breath. “Okay.” He floundered forward into the mud beside Lionblaze and his brother
Hollyleaf couldn’t shift the next root however hard she clawed. Growing desperate, she gulped39 in air, then plunged40 her head below the surface of the mud and bit down on the stubborn tendril. Mud oozed41 into her mouth as she gnawed42 at it. Her chest ached with the need to breathe, but at last the bitter strands43 parted. Hollyleaf resurfaced, coughing and spitting out mud. Her fur was plastered with it and a foul44 taste clung to her tongue, but she didn’t care. Triumph flared45 through her from ears to tail-tip. I’ll do whatever it takes to save ShadowClan!
“I think we’ve done it!” Dawnpaw exclaimed. “The trunk feels unsteady.”
Hollyleaf gave the sapling an experimental push. The trunk tilted46 and a sucking sound came from under the surface of the mud.
“Stop!” Jaypaw ordered. He had been sniffing47 at Lionblaze’s tree; now he splashed across to Hollyleaf and stretched out a paw to touch the trunk of her tree. Hollyleaf saw it wobble again.
“That’s it,” Jaypaw meowed. “You can stop now.”
“Thank StarClan!” Dawnpaw sighed.
Jaypaw splashed back to Lionblaze, while Hollyleaf and Dawnpaw headed for the nearest dry spot where they could crawl out and shake some of the mud from their pelts48.
“I thought I was going to turn into a frog!” Dawnpaw gave her chest fur a couple of quick licks. “Ugh! It’ll take moons to get this stuff off.”
Lionblaze and the other two apprentices were still struggling with their tree, while Hollyleaf flexed her claws impatiently. Rays of weak sunlight slanted49 through the forest; if they didn’t manage to uproot50 the trees before nightfall, Jaypaw’s plan would fail. Several sunrises seemed to pass before Jaypaw announced, “That’ll do.”
“Now one of us has to fetch Blackfoot and Littlecloud,” Lionblaze meowed, hauling himself out onto dry ground.
“I’ll go,” Tigerpaw offered immediately.
“No, I will,” Dawnpaw protested.
“But I’m the strongest,” Tigerpaw insisted. “And the best fighter. If some cat attacks me I’m most likely to get out alive.”
Lionblaze nodded. “But you need a warrior for backup. I—”
“I’llgo,” Hollyleaf interrupted. She didn’t think she could stand waiting here wondering what was happening, while some other cat went deeper into ShadowClan territory to fetch Blackfoot. “You know I’m the best at stalking and keeping hidden. I’ve got light paws and a black pelt.”
“Whatever. The mud should help disguise my scent.” Hollyleaf sprang to her paws. “Let’s go, Tigerpaw.”
The ShadowClan apprentice led the way, skirting around the marsh and heading deeper into ShadowClan territory.
“I’ll be a few paces behind you,” Hollyleaf murmured. “Don’t expect to see me unless there’s trouble.”
Tigerpaw nodded. “I’m going to try for Littlecloud first. If he listens to me, he’ll help persuade Blackfoot.”
“Okay. Good luck.”
Hollyleaf fell back a few tail-lengths, keeping the apprentice in sight as he slid through the undergrowth in the direction of the ShadowClan camp. Her ears were pricked53 for the sound of other cats, and she paused now and again to taste the air. The silence of the forest raised the hairs on her pelt. Usually she would have expected to spot a patrol by now; her muscles were braced54 to leap into hiding, but the ShadowClan scent trails wandered faintly here and there, as if cats were hunting by themselves, and she caught a glimpse of only one tabby pelt, so far away that she couldn’t tell which cat it was.
This isn’t the way for warriors to live
Tigerpaw headed for the stream and leaped lightly across on stepping-stones. Hollyleaf followed, more cautious than ever as the trees she was familiar with on ThunderClan territory gave way to pines, and the undergrowth became sparser55. Her paws made no sound on the soft covering of pine needles.
At last she began to pick up the mingled56 scents57 of herbs. Tigerpaw trotted58 briskly up a rise and paused at the top. Without looking back, he raised his tail to beckon59 before vanishing down the other side of the ridge60.
Hollyleaf crept after him, then clawed her way up a tree that grew near the top of the slope and crouched61 on a branch from where she could look down. The ground fell away below her into a shallow bowl, thickly carpeted with bushes covered in bright green leaves. Littlecloud, the ShadowClan medicine cat, was standing near the bottom, biting off some stems and laying them carefully to one side.
“Littlecloud!” Tigerpaw bounded toward him.
The small tabby tom leaped to his paws, his neck fur bristling62 in surprise. “Tigerpaw! Are you okay? And Tawnypelt and the others?”
“Yes, we’re all fine, thanks.” Tigerpaw halted in front of the medicine cat and dipped his head. “Littlecloud, I need to ask you something.”
The medicine cat bit off one more spray of leaves and laid it with the others. “Go ahead.”
“I brought Flamepaw and Dawnpaw to the border,” Tigerpaw began, gesturing with his tail. “We all want to come back to ShadowClan, but…well, we’re scared that we’ll get into trouble with Blackfoot.”
Littlecloud nodded. “I see.”
“Will you help us? Please?”
“What does Tawnypelt think about this?” Littlecloud asked.
“She doesn’t know we’re here. If Blackfoot will take us back, then we’ll talk to her about it. But she might not come. She’s really unhappy that ShadowClan doesn’t follow the warrior code anymore.”
Littlecloud heaved a deep sigh. “She’s not the only cat to feel like that.”
Hollyleaf tensed, digging her claws into the rough bark beneath her. Tigerpaw might be tempted63 to share the plan with Littlecloud, and that would ruin everything. But the apprentice said nothing about it, only repeating, “Please help us.”
“Of course I will,” Littlecloud purred. “Wait here. I’m not sure Blackfoot will listen to me, but I’ll do my best to bring him.” Picking up his bundle of stems, the medicine cat turned and bounded up the opposite side of the hollow.
“Don’t let Sol know what’s happening!” Tigerpaw called after him.
Littlecloud glanced back and nodded in acknowledgment, then trotted off among the pine trees.
Tigerpaw looked up into Hollyleaf’s tree and waved his tail excitedly.
Thank StarClan!Hollyleaf thought. The plan’s working!
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1
pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，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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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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dabbing
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| 石面凿毛，灰泥抛毛 | |
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itching
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| adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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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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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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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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irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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brittle
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| adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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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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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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sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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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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thumped
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| v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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flinching
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的现在分词 ) | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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tugging
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| n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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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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flicking
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| （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） | |
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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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exasperation
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| n.愤慨 | |
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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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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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41
oozed
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的过去式和过去分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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strands
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| n.（线、绳、金属线、毛发等的）股( strand的名词复数 )；缕；海洋、湖或河的)岸；（观点、计划、故事等的）部份v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 ) | |
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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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45
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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tilted
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| v. 倾斜的 | |
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sniffing
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| n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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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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49
slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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uproot
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| v.连根拔起，拔除；根除，灭绝；赶出家园，被迫移开 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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glimmered
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| v.发闪光，发微光( glimmer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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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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sparser
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| adj.稀疏的，稀少的( sparse的比较级 ) | |
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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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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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trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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beckon
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| v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意，召唤 | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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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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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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