CHAPTER25
Jayfeather curled up in his nestin the medicine cats’ den1 and waited for sleep to take him. Lionblaze had told him how he had confronted Ashfur in the forest, and how the gray warrior2 had refused his pleas and Squirrelflight’s. If that didn’t do any good, Jayfeather thought, it’s time to try another way
Yawning, he burrowed3 deeper into the soft moss4. He pictured himself brushing past the bramble screen, out into the camp, and padding across the clearing to the warriors’ den. Sliding through the branches, he picked his way carefully among the sleeping forms until he stood beside the mound5 of gray fur that was Ashfur.
In his mind, Jayfeather scraped at the moss until he had made a place for himself, then curled up beside Ashfur and matched his breathing to the sleeping warrior’s.
Soon he felt a stiff breeze blowing across his fur, and woke to find himself in the forest, not far from the ShadowClan border. There was no sign of Ashfur, but the forest seemed subtly different. It wasn’t just that he could see; there was something else. The scent8 of ShadowClan made his fur bristle9 as if he was anticipating a fight; he slid his claws out so he would be ready. He was more aware than usual of the scent of prey10.
Wind flattened11 the grass, driving dead leaves ahead of it. Jayfeather pounced12 on one of them, enjoying the crackling sound beneath his paws; in the waking world he couldn’t see blowing leaves to play with them.
“But you’re not a kit13 anymore,” he muttered.
In the same heartbeat he heard the sound of a cat pushing his way through the undergrowth. Fronds14 of bracken parted in front of Jayfeather, and Ashfur pushed his way into the open. He halted, startled.
“What are you doing here?”
Jayfeather shrugged15. “I could ask you the same thing.” He padded forward until he was close enough to flick16 a scrap6 of bracken off Ashfur’s shoulder with the tip of his tail.
Ashfur’s neck fur rose. “You can see!”
“Sure. You’re dreaming, Ashfur. Don’t you know that?”
The gray warrior took a pace back; his blue eyes looked troubled. “Why would I dream about you?”
“Because I want to talk to you where no cat can interrupt us. Where you have to listen to me.”
Ashfur let out a snort. “I don’t haveto listen to any cat, let alone a scrawny excuse for a medicine cat. Besides, I already know what you’re going to say. You’re going to beg me not to say anything at the next Gathering17. Well, you can save your breath. I’ll say what I want. That lying she-cat will be driven out of ThunderClan for good, and no other Clan7 will want her, either.”
Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. “You’ll regret it, Ashfur.”
The warrior loomed18 over him, anger smoldering19 in his gaze. “Are you threatening me? I could break your neck with one swipe.”
“Try,” Jayfeather invited him. “This is a dream, remember?”
Ashfur looked briefly20 disconcerted; then he lashed21 his tail. “Yes, it’s a dream. I’m imagining all of this. I still don’t have to listen to you.”
“Take warning, Ashfur.” Jayfeather drew himself up and locked his gaze with his Clanmate’s. “I’m a medicine cat, and I speak with the voice of StarClan. If you go ahead with what you plan to do, you will regret it.”
Ashfur backed away again until his haunches brushed against the bracken. “My conscience is clear, and StarClan knows that,” he blustered22. “It’s Squirrelflight who lied. She doesn’t deserve the loyalty23 of any cat.”
Whipping around, he plunged24 back into the undergrowth.
Jayfeather stood looking after him until the waving fronds of fern were still once more. Ashfur had heard his warning, but would it make any difference to him when he woke?
Jayfeather spent the next morning sorting herbs with Leafpool. His mentor25 seemed oddly distracted, as if her mind was on something else.
“We need more water mint,” she murmured. “We used up so much when the cats were hurt after the storm.”
“No, this is water mint.” Jayfeather shoved a bunch of it under her nose. “We’ve plenty of it. It’s yarrow we’re out of.”
“Oh yes…sorry.”
Fed up of trying to work with her if she couldn’t tell yarrow from water mint, Jayfeather headed out of the den. “I’ll go fetch more,” he tossed back over his shoulder.
At the entrance to the tunnel he heard the rustle26 of cats coming in, and stood back to wait for them. Cloudtail was the first to emerge into the clearing, followed by Ashfur.
“What do youwant?” To Jayfeather’s satisfaction, the gray warrior sounded thoroughly27 spooked. Feelings of anger and uncertainty28 crackled through his fur.
“I’m waiting to go out,” Jayfeather replied calmly.
A snort came from Ashfur, followed by Whitewing’s voice. “Ashfur, you’re blocking the entrance.” There was a hiss29 of annoyance30 from Ashfur and he bounded away.
Returning with the yarrow, Jayfeather picked up Ashfur’s scent near the fresh-kill pile. Instead of going straight to the medicine cats’ den, he headed toward the gray warrior. His sense of satisfaction returned as he heard Ashfur get to his paws and pad away, thrusting through the branches into the warriors’ den.
I’ve got him worried,Jayfeather realized, veering31 off to his own den. But will it be enough to keep him quiet?
收听单词发音 |
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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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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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burrowed
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的过去式和过去分词 )；翻寻 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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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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bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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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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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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pounced
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| 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） | |
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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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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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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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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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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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smoldering
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| v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 ) | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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22
blustered
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| v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 | |
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23
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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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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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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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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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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31
veering
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| n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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