CHAPTER8
Lionblaze forgot to breathe as hestared across the vast gray water. Sharp, cold wind buffeted1 his fur; he felt as though it could sweep him off his paws at any moment and hurl2 him down the cliffs to the rocks far below.
“This way,” Brambleclaw ordered. He led the patrol along the edge of the cliff to a narrow gully lined with scrubby grass. Lionblaze gasped4 in relief as he stepped out of the wind.
“Midnight the badger5 lives near here,” Brambleclaw went on, once the patrol was clustered around him at the bottom of the gully.
“How did you know where to find her?” Hollyleaf asked curiously6.
“We didn’t,” the Clan7 deputy admitted. “We didn’t even know we were looking for a badger.” He twitched8 his tail-tip. “I found Midnight’s den9 by falling into it.”
Hazeltail’s eyes stretched wide. “Were you hurt?”
“Weren’t you scared of Midnight?” Birchfall added.
Brambleclaw flicked11 one ear as if he were trying to get rid of a fly. “This isn’t the time for stories. We have to keep going.”
He led his patrol through the gully, every so often climbing the slope to pop his head out and see how far along the cliff they were. Lionblaze and the others stayed crouching12 in the dip, listening to the blast of wind overhead.
At last Brambleclaw beckoned13 them with his tail to join him at the top. “We’re almost there,” he told them. “Follow me closely.”
Lionblaze and the rest of the patrol flattened14 their bellies15 to the short, bristly grass as they padded after Brambleclaw toward the edge of the cliff.
Is he going to jump over?Lionblaze wondered, as each paw step took them closer to the sheer drop.
But just before the land vanished from under their paws, Brambleclaw jumped down into a much deeper, narrower gully, sloping steeply through a dip in the cliffs. Brackenfur and the other cats followed him, with Lionblaze bringing up the rear. The sharp stones that covered the bottom of the gully dug into his pads or skidded16 from under him, nearly carrying him off his paws. Birchfall slipped, crashing into Hazeltail, and Brackenfur had to block the two younger cats before they hurtled down any farther.
“Thanks!” Birchfall gasped.
“Just watch where you’re putting your paws,” Brackenfur mewed.
The gully led down to a rocky shore, the sand almost completely covered with pebbles17. Lionblaze had seen waves on the lake when the wind blew hard, but these waves were much bigger, crashing onto the rocks with spurts18 of foam19. Hazeltail stared at them, wide-eyed, so scared that she could scarcely put one paw in front of another.
“I hate this,” Hollyleaf muttered, backing away toward the cliff face. “My fur’s getting all wet and sticky.” She turned her head to give her shoulder a lick. “Yuck!”
Lionblaze felt the same stickiness in his pelt20; his nose wrinkled at the unfamiliar21 tang in the air. This is no place for cats,he told himself.
With a wave of his tail, Brambleclaw jumped onto a rocky outcrop and instantly disappeared under the edge of the cliff.
“Where did he go?” Birchfall asked, bewildered.
Lionblaze spotted22 the deputy’s amber23 eyes glowing from the shadows at the bottom of the cliff.
“Come on!” Brambleclaw called.
Reluctantly the rest of the patrol followed him beneath the jagged, teethlike rocks and into a low-roofed cave. Lionblaze gazed around at the pale sandy walls and the floor strewn with large, smooth stones. High above them, gray light slanted24 down from a small hole in the roof.
“Is that where you fell?” Lionblaze guessed, remembering how Brambleclaw had said he first found Midnight.
Brambleclaw nodded. “The cave was full of water, and I nearly drowned. Your mother saved my life.”
A cold pang25 swept through Lionblaze, harsh as the booming water outside. She’s not my mother.The words almost forced themselves out of his jaws26, but he bit them back. If Brambleclaw didn’t know, this wasn’t the place to tell him.
Hollyleaf hadn’t heard the exchange between Lionblaze and Brambleclaw. She was sniffing28 curiously around the cave, padding over to where the floor sloped upward at the back, turning soft and sandy. Some branches were tucked in it at the top.
“What are those doing there?” Hollyleaf asked.
“This is Midnight’s den,” Brambleclaw explained.
For the first time Lionblaze noticed the scent29 of badger underlying30 the smell of the water. His neck fur bristled31, but he made himself relax. The scent was stale, and besides, Brambleclaw had told them that Midnight was friendly to cats.
“Will she come and find us?” Hazeltail mewed nervously33.
“I hope she does,” Hollyleaf replied. “Jayfeather told us all about her. She knows so much.”
Her green eyes flashed at Lionblaze from the shadows. Is that what she really wants?he wondered. Does she think Midnight can tell us who our parents are?
“Midnight isn’t here.” Brambleclaw sounded disappointed. “And her scent is stale, so there’s no point in waiting for her. She’s been gone for several days. We’d better get back.”
When they emerged from the cave, the water had risen even farther up the shore. A wave crashed onto the rocks and licked over the pebbles; Lionblaze jumped back as water swirled34 around his paws before retreating with a rattling35 hiss36.
“Back to the gully, quickly,” Brambleclaw ordered.
He took the lead as the patrol scrambled37 back across the rocks. Lionblaze staggered as water foamed39 around him as high as his belly40 fur, but he managed to stay on his paws and drag himself to safety, up the steep slope of the gully where Brambleclaw and Hazeltail had already taken refuge. Hollyleaf dragged herself after him, her black pelt soaked and flattened to her sides from the spray.
“I hate this place!” she spat41 as she tried to shake herself dry. “Midnight must be mouse-brained to live here.”
A sharp cry of alarm cut through her words. As Birchfall tried to leap up into the gully, a huge wave crashed over him. Hollyleaf stretched out a paw, but before she could grab him, the wave swept him back out of reach. Lionblaze caught a glimpse of him struggling in the gray water, his jaws wide in a yowl of terror, before his head went under.
“He’ll drown!” Hollyleaf screeched43.
At the same instant a dark shadow flashed over Lionblaze’s head; Brambleclaw had leaped down into the water and was swimming strongly to where Birchfall had disappeared. Brackenfur, still precariously44 balanced on the rocks below, launched himself after the Clan deputy.
Lionblaze bunched his muscles to leap down and join them, only to find Hollyleaf blocking his way. “You can’t,” she rasped. “More cats will die!”
“There must be something we can do,” Lionblaze meowed desperately45.
Glancing around, he saw a straggling bush growing between the rocks a couple of tail-lengths above them.
“Hazeltail,” he called. “Can you break a branch off that bush?”
The young she-cat was staring at the sun-drown water, frozen with horror as she watched her Clanmates struggling in the waves. She started as Lionblaze spoke46, then turned and began tugging47 at the longest branch.
Lionblaze scrambled up to help her. To his relief the bush was dry; the branch cracked away from the main trunk, so that he and Hazeltail could claw it free and drag it down the gully to the edge of the water. Lionblaze let out a gasp3 of relief when he saw that Birchfall had resurfaced; Brambleclaw had his teeth fastened in the younger warrior48’s neck fur, while Brackenfur swam on his other side, trying to push him toward the cliff.
Dropping the branch at the bottom of the gully, Lionblaze beckoned his sister with his tail. “Grab the end,” he directed. “Sink your teeth and claws in, and don’t let go.”
Hollyleaf obeyed, pushing the branch so that it stuck out into the water as far as it would go. Lionblaze and Hazeltail crouched49 beside her, all three cats hanging on to the end of the branch, trying to keep it steady among the crashing waves. More water swirled around them.
We can’t keep this up for long,Lionblaze thought grimly. We’ll be swept away as well
He narrowed his eyes to peer across the roaring water and spotted his Clanmates bob above the surface as a wave drove them inshore. The short leaf-bare day was drawing to an end; the sinking sun flooded the surface of the water with scarlet50 so that the cats’ heads were just shadows bobbing in a sea of blood.
The wave swept them closer still; Brackenfur reached out and managed to sink the claws of one paw into the end of the branch. “Grab it!” he yowled to Birchfall.
The young tom looked frozen with fear, his eyes staring vacantly, but as Brambleclaw let go his scruff, he clutched wildly at the branch and dragged himself along it until he could scramble38 onto the rocks at the bottom of the gully. Lionblaze let go of his end of the branch to haul Birchfall’s limp body up higher; water streamed from his pelt and he vomited51 up a huge mouthful of liquid.
Brackenfur clawed his way along the branch to safety, and stood shaking the water out of his ginger52 fur. “Brambleclaw!” he yowled. “Brambleclaw, where are you?”
Cold horror flooded over Lionblaze as he realized that the deputy had disappeared. He can’t have drowned. What will we do without him?
Then he spotted Brambleclaw’s dark head break the surface a couple of fox-lengths away from the end of the branch. He was trying to swim, but his efforts were much feebler now.
Waves were tugging at Hollyleaf and Hazeltail as they clung to the branch. Hollyleaf’s tail streamed out into the water.
“Get back, but don’t let go!” Lionblaze ordered, his heart pounding as hard as the waves on the shore. Then he raised his voice to a yowl. “Brambleclaw! Over here!”
The deputy heard him and seemed to find new strength. Struggling to keep afloat, he let the next wave carry him up to the branch, then struck out toward it. He managed to fasten his claws into it and haul himself out before the retreating wave swept him back again.
“Fox dung!” he spat, standing53 on the stones of the gully with water eddying54 around his paws. “I thought I was on my way to StarClan for sure.”
The cats began to retreat from the hungry water. Brambleclaw scrambled up the gully until he stood beside Birchfall, who was still slumped55 on the stones with his eyes closed. Only his heaving chest showed that he was alive.
Brambleclaw prodded56 him with one paw. “Birchfall?”
The young tabby’s eyes opened and he let out a shuddering57 sigh. “I might have drowned.” His voice shook with fear. “I might never have seen Whitewing again—or our kits58!”
“But you’re fine now.” Brambleclaw’s voice rasped in his throat, rubbed raw by the bitter water. “It’s time we started moving.”
The Clan deputy didn’t allow his patrol to rest until they reached the shallow gully that ran along the top of the cliff. Out of the wind, with the waves booming against the cliffs below, they could collapse59 and try to groom60 the water out of their fur. Lionblaze winced61 at the bitter taste of salt, and saw that his Clanmates were making faces as they licked.
“Thanks, Brambleclaw and Brackenfur,” Birchfall mumbled62. “You saved my life back there.”
Brackenfur touched the young tom’s shoulder with the tip of his tail. “It’s all over, and thank StarClan, no cat died. Brambleclaw, what do you think we should do next, seeing that Midnight isn’t here?”
Brambleclaw accepted his Clanmate’s tactful change of subject with a flick10 of his ears. “We’ll keep looking for Sol. There’ll be cats in the Twolegplace who have seen him.”
The hair on Brackenfur’s neck lifted at the mention of Sol’s name. “Yes, he had a look of kittypet about him.”
That cat’s no kittypet.Lionblaze didn’t dare say the words out loud, in case some cat asked him how he knew so much about Sol. He exchanged a doubtful glance with Hollyleaf. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to visit the Twolegplace, and he could tell that his sister felt the same. Hazeltail was looking nervous, too, but it was Birchfall who spoke what they were all thinking
“Do we have to go so close to Twolegs? It’s not right for Clan cats.”
“We’ve got no choice,” Brambleclaw growled63. “We’re not going back to ThunderClan without Sol!”
I wonder whether Brambleclaw would be so keen to hunt down Ashfur’s killer64 if he knew that Ashfur had tried to destroy Squirrelflight?Lionblaze thought.
But Brambleclaw also didn’t know that Squirrelflight had lied to him. She let him believe he was our father. Would he be so loyal to her if he found out the truth?
Lionblaze shook his head, trying to clear it of all the lies. He had to fix his mind on the one thing he could control: being the best warrior for ThunderClan that he could possibly be. Iknow I can still fight without being hurt. I just need a chance to prove it….
“What’s the matter?” Hollyleaf muttered into his ear. “Have you heard something?” Her black pelt was bristling65.
Lionblaze realized that he had sunk his claws into the ground as if he were about to attack. “No, it’s okay,” he replied, forcing himself to relax. “I was just thinking about Sol.”
Brambleclaw hadn’t heard their exchange. “This is what we’re going to do,” he announced. “There’s nowhere for cats to live near the edge of the cliff, and nowhere to catch prey66. So we’ll have to head for the outskirts67 of the Twolegplace and look for any cats who might have seen Sol.”
“So long as we stayon the outskirts,” Hollyleaf muttered.
The patrol slunk cautiously over the edge of the gully and made for the red blur68 of Twoleg nests on the far side of the open stretch of cliff. Lionblaze felt thankful that the noise of crashing water was dying away behind him, though the wind still thrust at him.
The sun had vanished, swallowed up by the sun-drown-place, and shadows were stretching across the grass. Lionblaze’s stomach growled, and he remembered that he hadn’t had so much as a sniff27 of fresh-kill since early that morning.
“We’ll look for prey as soon as we get to the Twolegplace,” Brackenfur promised when he heard the rumble69 of Lionblaze’s belly.
And what sort of prey will we find there?Lionblaze wondered. I’m not eating kittypet food!
As they drew closer to the Twoleg nests, Lionblaze grew more and more anxious; he could tell from his Clanmates’ bristling fur and flickering70 glances that they felt the same. Something black swooped71 down on them with a high-pitched chittering sound; Lionblaze threw himself to the ground and rolled over, his teeth bared and his claws extended, in time to spot a bat fluttering away and vanishing into the growing darkness.
Birchfall suppressed a small mrrowof laughter. “I wish you’d caught it,” he mewed. “Then we might all have had a bite to eat.”
“A pretty small bite for the six of us,” Lionblaze growled.
Lights were beginning to appear in the Twoleg nests, and the sky above them was lit by an eerie72 orange glow. Lionblaze wrinkled his nose against the strange scents73 and felt his neck fur bristle32 at the harsh, unfamiliar sounds.
Beside him, Hollyleaf’s eyes were glowing and her tail was fluffed out to twice its size. Even Brambleclaw and Brackenfur were moving more cautiously as the huge Twoleg dens74 loomed75 up ahead.
“I don’t think Sol lives with Twolegs,” Brambleclaw meowed, “so we’re more likely to find him—or cats who have seen him—near the edge.”
He led the way across a stretch of softer grass, and halted in front of a tall fence made out of flat strips of wood. Lionblaze tasted the air; among many smells he couldn’t identify, he picked up the scents of Twoleg and dog.
“Each Twoleg nest has a small piece of territory attached to it,” Brambleclaw explained. “It’s enclosed by a fence made of wood or red stones. I think that’s the Twoleg way of marking their borders.”
“How does he know so much about it?” Hollyleaf muttered suspiciously.
“There was a Twolegplace in the old forest,” Brackenfur told her. “Right up against our territory. Don’t you remember the story of how Firestar wandered away from his Twolegs and met Graystripe in the forest?”
Hollyleaf shrugged76. “I guess.”
Brambleclaw led the way alongside the fence, toward a gap that was flooded by orange light. Before they reached it, loud barking exploded from the other side of the fence; Lionblaze jumped as two dogs slammed their bodies against the flimsy wood. He exchanged an alarmed glance with Hollyleaf. What if the fence gives way?
“Run!” Brambleclaw yowled.
The patrol bolted along the fence and swerved77 through the gap. As soon as he set paw on the hard black stone at the end of the fence, Lionblaze was engulfed78 in a beam of piercing white light. A monster was charging straight for them!
Some cat let out a screech42 of terror. For a heartbeat, Lionblaze spotted his Clanmates outlined against the glare from the monster’s eyes. Then he leaped back to the side of the Thunderpath, landing with a thump79 in the middle of some thorns.
When he dared to look up, the monster had slowed down and was turning into a gap behind one of the Twoleg nests. Sharp orange light shone down from tall stone trees standing in lines along both sides of the Thunderpath. Just opposite, Lionblaze spotted Birchfall sprawled80 at the foot of the fence, and Brackenfur balanced on top of it, his back arched and his tail straight up and bristling. Hollyleaf and Brambleclaw emerged side by side from the deep shadows under a tree.
“Birchfall?” Lionblaze called softly. “Are you okay?”
To his relief, the young tabby tom scrambled to his paws and gave his whiskers a shake. “I’ve got all the warriors81 in StarClan inside my head,” he meowed. “That thing was fierce!”
The thorns where Lionblaze had landed grew beside another gap in the Twoleg fence. His belly lurched when he spotted another monster in front of the Twoleg den. Then his breathing steadied and his heart slowed down as he realized that this monster was asleep.
On the other side of the gap, a shiny Twoleg thing had tipped over, spilling out a pile of rubbish. Lionblaze’s nose wrinkled at the scent of crow-food. Then the heap heaved and Hazeltail emerged from the middle of it, shaking debris82 from her pelt.
“I knocked the thing over,” she complained, “and now I’m covered with all this yucky stuff.”
Lionblaze padded across to help her. Clinging to her pelt were scraps83 of something that smelled like a plant, but they were cold and slimy, like herbs picked and left in the rain to rot. Cautiously he stretched out a paw to knock them off; Hollyleaf and Brambleclaw bounded up to help.
“They taste vile84.” Hazeltail licked her shoulder and swiped her tongue around her lips as if she was trying to get rid of a disgusting taste. “I’d rather eat fox dung.”
Brackenfur padded up and stood at the edge of the Thunderpath, keeping watch for more monsters. His fur still hadn’t settled down; Lionblaze noticed that Brambleclaw looked just as ruffled85 as he helped Hazeltail clean her pelt.
Seeing the senior warriors’ confidence shaken made Lionblaze feel a bit braver. “There can’t have been dogs in the Twolegplace near the old forest,” he murmured to Hollyleaf. “Even Brambleclaw was surprised.”
“I wonder what else will surprise us,” Hollyleaf responded.
Meanwhile Birchfall had crossed the Thunderpath and was nosing around in the heap of debris that had fallen out of the shiny Twoleg thing. “Hey, look at this!” he meowed. “Brambleclaw, can we eat it?”
Lionblaze wasn’t sure at first what his Clanmate was dragging out of the pile of rubbish. It was smooth and pale and smelled a little like fresh-kill, though it was no kind of prey that he had ever seen before. The stink86 of Twolegs clung to it as well; Lionblaze knew he didn’t want to eat it, but at the same time his belly growled at the thought of food.
Brambleclaw sniffed87 the thing carefully and nibbled88 a bit from one side. “It tastes a bit like blackbird,” he reported after a moment. “I don’t think it will hurt us to eat it, and we need food.”
“I guess that means he doesn’t think we’ll catch much prey around here,” Hollyleaf whispered into Lionblaze’s ear.
Brambleclaw clawed the Twoleg prey into fair shares for each cat. Birchfall checked the rubbish again, but he didn’t find any more prey.
“This isn’t bad,” Lionblaze mumbled to Hollyleaf around a mouthful of the stuff, “if you ignore the scent of Twolegs.”
Hollyleaf was crouched over her share, eating it in neat, rapid bites. “Huh! Give me a good plump vole any day.”
With the edge taken off his hunger, Lionblaze felt stronger, but as Brambleclaw led them farther into the Twolegplace, he started to feel trapped. The red stone nests reared up on either side, closer than the walls of the hollow and higher than the trees in the forest. His pads ached from walking on the hard stone. How can any cat live here?
The orange glare from the stone trees cast the cats’ shadows huge and wavering on the wall beside them as they slunk along the edge of the Thunderpath. Suddenly Hollyleaf stiffened89, flicking90 out her tail to touch Brambleclaw on the shoulder. “There’s something up ahead!” she hissed91.
Lionblaze froze as Brambleclaw raised his tail for the patrol to halt. He half expected the roar of another monster, but nothing broke the silence except for the patter of approaching paws.
Hazeltail drew closer to his side; Lionblaze could feel her pelt quivering. “What if it’s a dog?” she murmured.
“Then we fight it.” Lionblaze flexed92 his claws.
He relaxed with a sigh as a small black-and-white cat appeared from around the next corner. It halted and stared at the patrol in horror, its back arched and every hair on its pelt standing on end.
Almost immediately the newcomer started to back away, its terrified gaze still fixed93 on the forest cats. Before it could turn and flee, Brambleclaw took a single pace forward.
“We’re not going to hurt you,” he called, lifting one forepaw to show his claws were sheathed94. “We just want to talk to you.”
“That’s what hesaid!” The little cat looked almost frightened out of its fur. “And look what happened!”
Before Brambleclaw could ask what it meant, the black-and-white cat spun95 and fled back around the corner where it came from. Brambleclaw launched himself after it, with the whole patrol hard on his paws, but when they rounded the corner, the Thunderpath was empty. Nothing moved under the harsh orange light.
“Mouse dung!” Brambleclaw spoke through gritted96 teeth.
“What in the name of StarClan was he talking about?” Brackenfur asked, looking mystified.
Lionblaze exchanged a glance with Hollyleaf. He could see she shared the idea that had instantly flashed into his mind: Sol!
“I wonder who ‘he’ is,” Brambleclaw mused97 aloud, his ears twitching98 as he surveyed the silent Thunderpath. “Could it be Sol, do you think?”
“I bet a moon of dawn patrols it is!” Birchfall mewed excitedly.
“We don’t look anything like Sol,” Brambleclaw continued, his tone thoughtful. “But we’re strangers, just as Sol must have been.”
“And what happened?” Hazeltail shivered. “From the way that cat behaved, it must have been something bad.”
No cat replied. Lionblaze’s belly fluttered. His Clanmates were looking edgy99, their eyes wide with fear, as if they expected to find Sol under the next fallen leaf.
Finally Brambleclaw broke the silence. “It’s too late to go on looking now. Let’s get some rest and start a proper search in the morning.”
He led the way back around the corner and along the Thunderpath, past the fence where the dogs had tried to attack. Everything was quiet now, though the scent of dog was still strong; Lionblaze slid out his claws, ready to rip them along the vicious creatures’ pelts100. But there was no sound from behind the fence. Eventually they reached the stretch of soft grass and trees they had crossed on their way to the Twolegplace.
Lionblaze and Hollyleaf settled into a makeshift den among the roots of one of the trees; the rest of the patrol found places nearby.
“I’m so tired my paws could drop off,” Hollyleaf mumbled, stretching her jaws in a huge yawn.
“Mine, too.” Lionblaze had been afraid that his worries and the strangeness of their surroundings would keep him awake, but when his aching body curled up among the dead leaves, he felt exhaustion101 pressing on him like a heavy pelt. As he drifted into sleep, he could still hear the distant roaring of the sun-drown-place.
收听单词发音 |
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buffeted
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| 反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去 | |
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hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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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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badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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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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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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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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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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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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bellies
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| n.肚子( belly的名词复数 )；腹部；（物体的）圆形或凸起部份；腹部…形的 | |
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skidded
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| v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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spurts
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| 短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 )； 突然奋起 | |
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foam
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| v./n.泡沫，起泡沫 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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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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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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slanted
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| 有偏见的； 倾斜的 | |
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pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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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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28
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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29
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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31
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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bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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33
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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34
swirled
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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36
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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37
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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38
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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39
foamed
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| 泡沫的 | |
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40
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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41
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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42
screech
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| n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
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43
screeched
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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44
precariously
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| adv.不安全地；危险地；碰机会地；不稳定地 | |
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45
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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46
spoke
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| 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 | |
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47
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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48
warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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49
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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51
vomited
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52
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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53
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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54
eddying
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| 涡流，涡流的形成 | |
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slumped
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| 大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的过去式和过去分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下] | |
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prodded
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| v.刺，戳( prod的过去式和过去分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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57
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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58
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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59
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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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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64
killer
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| n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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66
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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outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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68
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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rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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70
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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swooped
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| 俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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eerie
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| adj.怪诞的；奇异的；可怕的；胆怯的 | |
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73
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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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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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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76
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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77
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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78
engulfed
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| v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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79
thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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80
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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81
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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82
debris
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| n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片 | |
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83
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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84
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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85
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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86
stink
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| vi.发出恶臭；糟透，招人厌恶；n.恶臭 | |
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87
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；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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88
nibbled
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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89
stiffened
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| 加强的 | |
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90
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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91
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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92
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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93
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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94
sheathed
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| adj.雕塑像下半身包在鞘中的；覆盖的；铠装的；装鞘了的v.将（刀、剑等）插入鞘( sheathe的过去式和过去分词 )；包，覆盖 | |
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95
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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96
gritted
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| v.以沙砾覆盖（某物），撒沙砾于( grit的过去式和过去分词 )；咬紧牙关 | |
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97
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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98
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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99
edgy
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| adj.不安的；易怒的 | |
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100
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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101
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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