CHAPTER17
Hollyleaf pushed her way through thethorn tunnel with a vole and two mice dangling1 from her jaws3. Her hunting patrol had done well, but her nose and paws were numb4 with cold as she padded over to the fresh-kill pile. The leaf-bare sun didn’t penetrate5 the shadows under the trees, and the ground there was still frozen.
She was dropping her prey6 on the pile when she heard a shriek7 from the base of the cliff, on the far side of the medicine cats’ den8. Whirling around, she saw Lionblaze bolt into the middle of the clearing, his pelt9 bristling10 as if a whole Clan11 of enemies were on his tail.
“Help! Come quick!” he screeched12. “Honeyfern’s been bitten by a snake!”
Icy terror coursed through Hollyleaf’s blood as she rushed across the clearing. They’d never had a snake in the hollow before! When she reached the cliff, she saw Briarkit cowering14 at the base of the rocks; the little kit13 was trembling, her eyes wide with shock. Millie bounded up and drew her away with her tail wrapped protectively around the kit.
Berrynose crouched15 beside Honeyfern, who was lying on her side with her paws splayed out; her breath came fast and shallow, and her eyes were full of terror. A thin line of blood on her shoulder showed where the snake had struck.
Sorreltail and Brackenfur raced across from the warriors17’ den with the same look of horror in their eyes when they saw their wounded daughter. Cinderheart, Honeyfern’s littermate, was hard on their paws.
As they skidded18 to a halt, Sorreltail pressed her muzzle19 into Brackenfur’s shoulder. “No…oh, no…” she whispered. “I can’t lose another kit! Not after Molekit! Please, StarClan…”
“Where’s Poppyfrost?” Hollyleaf muttered to Lionblaze as her brother came running back. Sorreltail needed all her kits20 right now.
“Out on patrol,” Lionblaze replied. “She—”
He broke off as Leafpool pushed her way through the knot of cats. “Stand back and give me some room,” she ordered.
Berrynose glared at her. “I’m not leaving,” he snarled21.
Ignoring him, Leafpool crouched beside Honeyfern and rested one paw on her shoulder. “Try not to move,” she meowed.
Hollyleaf waited expectantly for Leafpool to start helping22 Honeyfern. Surely she would know what to do? But she hadn’t brought any herbs with her, and she wasn’t doing anything more than sitting beside the trembling tabby warrior16.
Leafpool looked up, her gaze sweeping23 over the crowd of cats and coming to rest on Cinderheart. There was a pleading look in her eyes, so desperate and hopeful that it made Hollyleaf wince24. I don’t understand,she thought. What does she want from Cinderheart?
“Help me!” Honeyfern had begun to twitch25 and writhe26 in pain. “My blood is on fire! Help me, please! It hurts so much!”
Berrynose stared at Leafpool. “Do something!” he begged. His gaze swept over the cluster of cats. “One of you, do something!”
Leafpool didn’t seem to hear him; she just dragged her gaze away from Cinderheart and looked down at Honeyfern as she struggled for breath.
Sorreltail slid out her claws, her disbelieving gaze fixed27 on the medicine cat. “Why aren’t you doing anything?”
Leafpool bowed her head. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “There’s nothing I can do. The poison has taken hold of her.”
Sorreltail raised her head and let out a yowl of anguish28, while Brackenfur wrapped his tail around her shoulders and drew her close.
Honeyfern’s legs folded into her belly29, and her back arched in agony. When the spasm30 passed she lay limply, her chest hardly moving to show that she was still breathing. Her legs continued to twitch; her eyes had begun to glaze31 over.
In silence, Hollyleaf and the rest of the cats shuffled32 backward to give Berrynose space to help Honeyfern on her journey to StarClan. The cream-colored tom crouched over her, stroking her fur with one paw. “We would have had wonderful kits together,” he murmured. “Just as strong and beautiful as you. And one day I’ll see you in StarClan.”
Honeyfern’s jaw2 moved and a rasping sound came from her throat, as if she was trying to reply.
“You saved Briarkit’s life,” Berrynose went on, bending his head to lick the dying she-cat’s head. “Every cat in StarClan will honor you.”
A long sigh came from Honeyfern. Hollyleaf watched helplessly as her friend’s limbs grew still and the rise and fall of her chest faded away. Finally, her blue eyes stared sightlessly into the sky.
Pain as sharp as the snake’s bite pierced Hollyleaf. She gazed at Cinderheart’s horrified34 expression, trying to imagine how she would feel if she lost one of her littermates.
No!Hollyleaf dug her claws into the earth. That must never happen!
Leafpool moved toward Honeyfern’s body, but Brackenfur stopped her. Instead he padded up to Berrynose and rested his tail on the young warrior’s shoulder. “She’s gone,” he told him. “She hunts with StarClan now.”
As gently as if he were Berrynose’s father, Brackenfur nudged him to his paws and led him away, then nodded to Leafpool. The medicine cat crouched beside Honeyfern with a paw on her chest to check for any signs of breathing. Shaking her head slightly, she mewed to Lionblaze, “Find some warriors to help carry her body into the clearing. We need to get her away from the cliff in case the snake is still around.”
“I’ll help,” Hollyleaf offered instantly.
Lionblaze beckoned35 with his tail to Spiderleg and Thornclaw, and together the four cats lifted Honeyfern’s limp body and carried it to a shaded spot not far from the warriors’ den.
As they were crossing the clearing, Graystripe appeared through the thorn tunnel, his jaws full of prey. Poppyfrost and Mousewhisker followed him into the camp. As soon as she saw her sister’s body, Poppyfrost dropped her fresh-kill and raced over.
“What happened?” she wailed36. “Honeyfern, wake up!”
Sorreltail padded up to her and guided her along after Honeyfern’s body, their pelts37 brushing, until the warriors set the dead she-cat down and her kin33 could huddle38 together around her, comforting one another as they kept vigil.
The sun still shone, but Hollyleaf felt as if ice were creeping through the hairs on her pelt, and she couldn’t stop shivering. “Are you okay?” she asked Lionblaze. “You saw it all happen.”
Lionblaze gave her a bleak39 nod but didn’t speak.
“Honeyfern will be a great loss to her Clan.”
Hollyleaf started as she heard Sol’s voice, and turned to see that the loner had left his nest. Thornclaw must have left him unguarded when he came to see what was happening. Sol’s amber40 eyes shone with sadness and his head was bowed as if he genuinely grieved for the young she-cat.
“It’s hard when a life is cut off so early,” he added.
Hollyleaf knew she should send him back to his nest, but she couldn’t summon the energy. All the other cats seemed too distracted by their grief to worry about what Sol was up to.
He might as well stay,she thought. What harm is he doing?
Purdy and the elders had appeared, too, padding up and mingling41 with their Clanmates.
“There’s nothin’ worse than losin’ a young cat,” Purdy meowed. “She’d all her life stretchin’ in front of her.”
“She was a fine cat,” Mousefur agreed. “The last thing she ever did was fetch me some fresh-kill.”
All the cats were milling around in the center of the clearing, unsure what to do. Hollyleaf was relieved when Graystripe strode into the middle of them, raising his tail for silence.
“Mousewhisker,” he directed, “go and fetch Firestar. He took a hunting patrol toward the old Twoleg nest. Brambleclaw is on a border patrol, so we’ll have to wait for him to come back, as I don’t know where he’ll be right now,” he added as Mousewhisker pelted42 off. “Leafpool, can you check Briarkit, to make sure she’s okay?”
Leafpool nodded; she looked glad to have something to do. Millie guided her kit over to the medicine cat and waited, her claws scraping the ground and her eyes frantic43 with worry. Daisy followed, keeping a watchful44 eye on all the other kits, who seemed as shocked as Briarkit.
As Leafpool sniffed45 the kit all over, Hollyleaf murmured to Lionblaze, “She mustbe all right. Honeyfern can’t have died for nothing.”
Finally Leafpool nodded. “She’ll be fine,” she told Millie. “I’ll give her a poppy seed so she gets a good night’s sleep.”
“But what about the snake?” Daisy wailed. “We’ve never had one in the camp before.”
“Yes, what about it?” Millie added. “We’ve got to do something. More cats might die.”
Graystripe turned to Lionblaze. “Show me exactly where the snake struck.”
Hollyleaf followed her brother and Graystripe across the clearing toward the basking46 rocks. She admired the way the gray warrior had taken over; he must have been a good Clan deputy back in the forest, she realized.
“That’s the crack that the snake came out of.” Lionblaze pointed47 with his tail toward a deep cleft48 in the cliff face. “I didn’t see if it went back in there.”
Very cautiously, Graystripe approached and sniffed along the cliff, peering into every crack. “No sign of it,” he reported, returning to Lionblaze. “But it could be anywhere. Some of these cracks are very deep. There’s plenty of room for it to hide.”
Hollyleaf’s paws tingled49 with fear. How could they go on living in the stone hollow, when death might come sliding silently out of the cliff at any moment and strike down another cat?
“Millie’s right,” she meowed. “We have to do something.”
Before Graystripe could reply, there was a flash of flame-colored fur at the entrance to the tunnel, and Firestar raced back into the camp. Graystripe bounded over to meet him. Hollyleaf watched as her leader’s expression changed from anxiety to horror, and he padded over to Honeyfern’s body, where he crouched down beside her grieving kin.
Hollyleaf was just close enough to hear what he said. “I’m so sorry.” Firestar’s voice was shaking. “Honeyfern should have been safe here. I promise you I’ll never let anything like this happen again.”
But how can you stop it?Hollyleaf wondered. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known there was a snake hiding under the cliff
Mousewhisker had followed Firestar into the camp, along with Dustpelt and Birchfall, the rest of Firestar’s patrol. They were soon joined by Brightheart and Jayfeather, each carrying a bunch of catmint. Their dazed expressions told Hollyleaf that Mousewhisker must have met them, too, and passed on the terrible news. Last of all, Brambleclaw’s patrol returned from checking the WindClan border; their cries of shock and anguish echoed around the hollow. Hollyleaf longed to go back to her nest in the warriors’ den and bury herself in the moss50 and bracken with her eyes shut tight. Perhaps Honeyfern’s death would turn out to be just a terrible dream.
Before her paws could carry her there, she saw Firestar bounding up the rocks to stand on the Highledge. “Cats of ThunderClan!” He raised his voice to carry to every part of the stone hollow. “A dreadful thing has happened, but we must stay calm. Honeyfern died a warrior’s death, protecting a kit of her Clan. We will mourn her, not just tonight, but for all the moons to come. And we must make sure that the snake doesn’t come back to hurt any other cats.”
“Tell us what to do, and we’ll do it,” Brambleclaw called out.
Firestar dipped his head to his deputy. “To begin with, we’ll make a barrier of brambles across that part of the cliff. Dustpelt, will you take charge of that?” The brown tabby warrior gave a curt51 nod. “No cat must go near it. Millie and Daisy, make sure that your kits understand. And it’s best we don’t use the basking rocks anymore. Snakes usually sleep during leaf-bare, but I think this one must have been disturbed by cats sunning themselves on the stones.”
Hollyleaf saw Purdy and Mousefur exchanging a shocked glance. “That might have been us!” Purdy exclaimed.
Mousefur hung her head, and her eyes filled with sorrow. “Better it had been me, than that poor young cat,” she murmured
“Okay,” Firestar meowed. “Get on with your duties, all of you. Tonight we will keep vigil for Honeyfern.” He ran lightly down the rocks again and bounded across to Brambleclaw.
“Lionblaze!” Dustpelt called. “Help me with the barrier, please. You can take Foxpaw and Icepaw into the forest to collect brambles.”
“Coming,” Lionblaze replied. He paused briefly52 to touch noses with Hollyleaf, then raced off to round up the two apprentices54.
Daisy and Millie were gathering55 their kits together and bundling them back toward the nursery. “Don’t any of you darego near that part of the cliff,” Millie meowed sternly. “You heard what Firestar said.”
“We won’t.” Blossomkit’s mew was high-pitched with fear, and all the kits looked unusually subdued56.
Whitewing was following them back to the nursery when Birchfall bounded over to her and pressed his nose into her shoulder. “You will be careful, won’t you?” he fretted57.
The white she-cat blinked at him, her eyes full of love. “Of course I will. You don’t have to fuss.”
Birchfall angled his ears toward Berrynose, still crouched silently over the body of Honeyfern. “I won’t lose you to StarClan,” he insisted. “Not for a long, long time.”
Whitewing and Birchfall leaned into each other, their pelts brushing and their tails twined together.
Hollyleaf stood still as the rest of the cats moved away. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to go and comfort Cinderheart, but she didn’t dare disturb Honeyfern’s grieving kin. She had begun to pad uncertainly toward the warriors’ den when Leafpool trotted58 up to her.
“Hollyleaf, could you help Brightheart to put the herbs away?” she asked. “Jayfeather and I are going to check the queens and kits for signs of shock.”
“Sure.” Hollyleaf was relieved to have something to do. She retrieved59 Jayfeather’s share of the catmint and carried it to the medicine cats’ den, where Brightheart was already sorting through her bundle of stems. Hollyleaf joined her; it was good to breathe in the scent60 of herbs that drifted around the den; it reminded her of when she had been Leafpool’s apprentice53. I used to get worried when I couldn’t remember which herb was which. If only that was all I had to worry about now!
“I wish we knew a herb to cure snakebite,” Brightheart murmured sadly as her forepaws flicked61 through the leaves, deftly62 stripping off any that were shriveled or damaged.
Hollyleaf nodded, but she knew that no amount of wishing would bring Honeyfern back. Her ears flicked up at the sound of a cat brushing past the bramble screen; she glanced over her shoulder to see Leafpool coming in.
“I need some poppy seeds for Daisy,” the medicine cat explained. “She’s getting hysterical63.”
“I can’t say I blame her,” Brightheart mewed. “If I had kits now, I’d be terrified.”
Leafpool collected the seed in a leaf wrap and was about to leave the den when Firestar put his head around the brambles.
“Yes?” Leafpool asked; there was an edge to her tone that Hollyleaf didn’t understand.
“We need to make sure the snake isn’t a threat to us,” Firestar meowed quietly.
Leafpool blinked, puzzled. “What do you want me to do? I can’t summon the snake out of its hole.”
“No,” Firestar replied, “but you can make sure that it never reaches the main part of the camp. I want you to put deathberries around the place where the snake came from.”
Hollyleaf felt her paws freeze to the ground as soon as the Clan leader mentioned deathberries. She exchanged a shocked glance with Brightheart. Every cat knew that Leafpool refused to have deathberries in the camp because they were so dangerous.
“Firestar, you know—” the medicine cat began.
“Explain to the kits, and to every single cat, what the berries are and why they mustn’t be touched or eaten,” Firestar interrupted her. “They’ll understand. We have to do this. I will notlose another cat this way.”
Leafpool hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. “Very well. Jayfeather and I will collect some today. But I don’t like it,” she added more forcefully. “If the deathberries don’t kill the snake within one moon, we’ll have to try something else.”
收听单词发音 |
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dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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numb
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| adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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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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shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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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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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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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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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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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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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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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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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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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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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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snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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twitch
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| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
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writhe
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| vt.挣扎，痛苦地扭曲；vi.扭曲，翻腾，受苦；n.翻腾，苦恼 | |
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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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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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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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spasm
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| n.痉挛，抽搐；一阵发作 | |
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glaze
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| v.因疲倦、疲劳等指眼睛变得呆滞，毫无表情 | |
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shuffled
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| v.洗（纸牌）( shuffle的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚步走；粗心地做；摆脱尘世的烦恼 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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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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wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail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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huddle
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| vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人 | |
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bleak
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| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
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amber
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| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
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mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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pelted
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| （连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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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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basking
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| v.晒太阳，取暖( bask的现在分词 )；对…感到乐趣；因他人的功绩而出名；仰仗…的余泽 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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tingled
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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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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retrieved
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| v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
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60
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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61
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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62
deftly
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| adv.灵巧地，熟练地，敏捷地 | |
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63
hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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