CHAPTER19
Jayfeather padded in Leafpool’s paw stepsas she climbed to the ridge1 where the trees thinned out and pine needles prickled under paw. He felt the ground grow damp and his paws slipped as he scrambled3 down the other side into a tangle4 of undergrowth. As he regained5 his balance, he picked up the tang of yew6 bark and berries.
“Here we are,” Leafpool meowed. “I’m going to climb the tree and bend down a branch so you can reach it.” She nudged him forward a couple of paw steps. “Stand just there.”
Jayfeather listened to his mentor7 scramble2 up the tree, and a few heartbeats later felt the touch of the yew branch on the top of his head. His fur bristled8 at the overwhelming scent9 of deathberries.
“Reach up as high as you can.” Leafpool’s voice came from just above him. “There’s a stem with berries just there. Be very careful.”
Like you need to tell me!Jayfeather thought.
He stretched upward, his front paws lifting from the ground, until a feathery twig10 poked11 him in the face and he felt the heavy clump12 of deathberries touch his fur. He managed to fasten his teeth into the stem where it met the branch, and felt Leafpool’s muzzle13 press close to his as she helped him bite it through.
Waves of unhappiness were flooding from the medicine cat, shocking Jayfeather so much that he almost lost his balance. He had to shuffle14 his hind15 paws, wedging them more firmly among the damp pine needles, before he could go on nibbling16 at the twig with its deadly load. Leafpool was filled with gnawing17 anxiety about bringing more death into the hollow; she was saturated18 with sorrow, so full of grief that she could hardly move.
Yet her voice was steady as she mewed, “That’s it,” and Jayfeather felt the twig fall to the forest floor just beside his paws. He relaxed, rolling his shoulders to get rid of the strain of stretching, then picked up the clump of berries by the end of the twig, careful not to let any of the deathberries touch his mouth.
A light thump19 beside him told him that Leafpool had leaped down from the tree. “If you carry that,” she told him, “I’ll follow behind and make sure that none of the berries fall off. It doesn’t matter so much up here, but I don’t want to scatter20 any of them near the camp.”
When they emerged from the thorn tunnel, the clearing seemed full of cats, their voices buzzing like an angry swarm21 of bees. Jayfeather located Lionblaze and padded up to him, setting the deathberries down for a moment to ask, “What in StarClan’s name has happened now?”
“The other three Clan22 leaders were here.” Lionblaze’s voice was a low, furious growl23. “They told Firestar he has to get rid of Sol by the next Gathering24, or they’ll get rid of him themselves.”
“What?” Jayfeather lashed25 his tail. “What right do they have to tell ThunderClan what to do?”
He could feel sparks of anger coming from Lionblaze. “They don’t care that Ashfur was killed,” his brother snarled26. “They’re like scared rabbits, convinced that Sol is going to leap out and tear them apart. Firestar can’tgive in to them!”
Jayfeather murmured agreement, but his paws tingled27 with unease. He didn’t like that the other Clans28 knew all about Ashfur’s murder. The ripples29 of the gray warrior30’s death were spreading farther and farther, and there was no sign that the effects would fade away.
He tried to shrug31 off the uneasy feeling as he heard Leafpool calling him. “Jayfeather, put the berries on this leaf. We have to make sure that all the kits32 know how dangerous they are.”
She set a flat leaf down in front of Jayfeather, who laid the clump of deathberries on top of it. Then he followed his mentor as she dragged the leaf across the camp to the nursery. “Fetch Foxpaw and Icepaw, too,” she added.
Jayfeather tasted the air and located the two apprentices33 near the cliff where Dustpelt was building the barrier. “Foxpaw! Icepaw!” he called, jerking his head. “Leafpool wants you.”
“Coming!” Icepaw called.
Jayfeather caught a grumble35 from Dustpelt. “I supposewe’ll get this barrier built this side of greenleaf. Come right back when Leafpool’s finished with you!” he ordered the two apprentices.
“Millie! Daisy!” Leafpool called when Jayfeather caught her up outside the nursery. “Bring the kits out here, please.”
“Why?” Daisy’s voice was drowsy36 from the poppy seeds.
“There’s something I need to show all of you.”
Leafpool and Jayfeather waited while the two queens herded37 their kits outside; Whitewing followed them, crouching38 in the entrance tunnel.
“Now,” Leafpool began, “do you see these berries?”
Jayfeather could feel the kits’ curiosity, though they were still subdued40 and didn’t answer Leafpool.
“They look tasty,” Bumblekit ventured after a heartbeat.
“No! They’re not tasty!” Leafpool’s voice quivered with anger and disgust. “These berries are evil. They’re called deathberries, and if you eat just one of them, you won’t just get a bellyache, you’ll die. There won’t be anything a medicine cat can do for you.”
Jayfeather knew that wasn’t entirely42 true. Mousefur had told him that Cinderpelt had saved Sorreltail after she ate deathberries by making her sick, but it had been a close call. Leafpool had to scare the kits thoroughly43, though, so they wouldn’t dream of going near the deathberries.
“Then why have you brought them into the camp?” Daisy fretted44.
“Because Firestar wants to use them to kill the snake,” Leafpool replied. “I need to make sure that every cat knows not to go near them.”
“Did you hear that?” Millie asked the kits sharply. “Take a good look, so you’ll recognize them again.”
“We’ll be careful,” Rosekit mewed, sounding scared. The rest of the kits murmured agreement.
“Foxpaw? Icepaw?” Leafpool prompted.
“We’ll remember,” Foxpaw meowed. “We won’t touch them.”
“We’ll keep a lookout45 for them when we’re out in the forest, too,” Icepaw added.
“Good. Then you can go. But don’t forget what I said.” Leafpool began to drag the leaf with its deadly load back across the camp, but halted and turned to Jayfeather. “Bring me a mouse from the fresh-kill pile, please.”
Jayfeather bounded off, returning with the mouse to the medicine cats’ den46. “It’s a good plump one,” he meowed.
“I’m not going to eat it,” Leafpool told him. “This is for the snake. I’m going to stuff it with deathberries. Put it down and keep your paw on it to hold it steady.”
“You’ll get poison on your paws!” Jayfeather exclaimed.
“No, I’m going to use a stick to push the berries down the mouse’s throat.”
As he clamped his paw firmly over the mouse, Jayfeather could feel his mentor’s revulsion at what she was doing. He could almost read her thoughts. I’m a medicine cat! I’m supposed to cure, not kill!But he said nothing while Leafpool went on shoving the deadly berries into the body of the mouse.
I’ll only get my fur clawed off if I try to talk to her.
Finally Leafpool let out a sigh. “There, that should do. I’ve poked some thorns in there, too. They’ll cut the snake from inside and send the poison more quickly around its body.”
Jayfeather nodded. He was surprised by how much his mentor hated using her skills like this, seeing as her victim was the snake that had killed Honeyfern. He had been fascinated to discover that there were plants that would harm instead of healI wonder if there are others.…
Leafpool laid the prepared mouse back on the leaf and dragged it out into the clearing again, over to where Dustpelt was building the bramble barrier around the snake’s hole. Lionblaze and the two apprentices were helping47 him.
Jayfeather padded over to his brother, while Leafpool explained to Dustpelt what she had done.
“Good idea,” the brown tabby warrior grunted48. “I’ll put it behind the barrier near the hole.”
“Be careful,” Leafpool warned him.
“I’ll be fine,” Dustpelt meowed, sounding unusually gentle as he reassured49 the medicine cat. “Look, I’m picking it up by the tail.” Jayfeather heard him leap across the barrier and a moment later leap back. “There,” he meowed. “All done. Right, what are you waiting for?” he added, swinging around to face his helpers. “Let’s get this barrier finished.”
Back in their den, Jayfeather and Leafpool wrapped the rest of the deathberries in the leaf. “We’d better store them in case the mouse doesn’t work the first time,” Leafpool explained. “I don’t like it, but—”
A loud wail50 interrupted her. “Leafpool! Leafpool!”
“What now?” Jayfeather groaned51.
He picked up Birchfall’s scent as the young warrior crashed past the bramble screen. “Leafpool, you’ve got to come at once!” he panted. “Whitewing has pains in her belly41.”
“All right, don’t panic.” Leafpool rose to her paws. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Maybe her kits are coming. Jayfeather, put that leaf wrap away,” she instructed as she brushed past him. “Right at the back of the store where no cat will pick it up by mistake.”
Gingerly Jayfeather pushed the leaf wrap in front of him and crept all the way to the back of the store, among a litter of old folded leaves and piles of shriveled herbs. “We need to clear this lot out,” he muttered as he pushed the deathberries into the farthest corner.
Crawling back into the den, he twitched52 his whiskers with disgust. His pelt34 was covered with herb dust and clinging stems. He had just begun to groom53 one shoulder when Leafpool returned.
“Whitewing’s fine,” she reported. “It’s just a bellyache. I’ll take her a couple of juniper berries.” She ducked quickly into the store and out again with the berries in a leaf wrap. “I’ve just remembered,” she mumbled54 around her mouthful. “With all this trouble, I forgot to check on Purdy’s sore pads. Can you go and do it now?”
“Sure,” Jayfeather sighed, resigning himself to putting up with a messy pelt for a bit longer. He fetched the ointment55 of yarrow from the store and padded over to the elders’ den.
As he crawled under the outer branches of the hazel bush, he heard Purdy’s voice. “What I don’t understan’ is why you’re all against Sol. Those other leaders who came here today, they want Firestar to get rid of him!” The old tabby sounded flustered56. “Why won’t any of you listen when I tell you he’s a good cat?”
“Purdy, you’re not listening when other cats tell you what Sol did here.” Mousefur sounded as if her patience was wearing thin.
And there was never that much of it anyway,Jayfeather thought as he paused at the edge of the den.
Purdy snorted. “Some nonsense about tellin’ other cats what to believe in. They didn’ have to listen if they didn’ want to.”
True!Jayfeather suppressed a mrrowof amusement. Purdy’s not as stupid as some cats seem to think!
“StarClan is very important to us, Purdy,” Longtail murmured. “You’ll understand if you stay with us.”
“Cats in the sky!” Purdy snorted again. “Hedgehogs will fly before I believe that. Anyway,” he went on, “that’s nothin’ to do with how Firestar is treatin’ Sol now. It’s not natural, keepin’ a cat penned up like that. Firestar needs to come to his senses an’ let Sol live with the rest of the Clan.”
Jayfeather padded forward; he could sense Mousefur’s anger growing and wanted to prevent a quarrel. Spotting him, Mousefur let out a hiss57 of annoyance58 and went to crouch39 in the farthest corner of the den.
“Hi, Purdy. I’ve come to look at your pads,” Jayfeather announced.
“About time,” the old cat grumbled59. “My paws feel as if they’re burnin’ off.” He lay down on his side, sticking out his paws for Jayfeather to examine.
Jayfeather felt carefully over all four of the elder’s feet. They were cracked—probably from his long journey—and they felt hot and swollen60. “This ointment will help,” he mewed, beginning to smooth it on. “Try to stay off your paws as much as you can. The apprentices will bring you fresh-kill.”
Purdy let out a long sigh. “That’s much better, young ’un. You may be a scrawny young piece o’ nothin’, but you know what you’re doin’.”
“Thanks a bunch,” Jayfeather muttered. “I’ll come every day and—” He broke off as Longtail stretched out his neck to sniff61 the young cat’s pelt.
“Jayfeather, that herb…”
“What herb?”
“Sticking to your pelt. I’m not sure, but I think—Mousefur, come over here,” the blind elder called.
“What?” Mousefur still sounded grouchy62, but she padded back to Jayfeather and sniffed63 at his fur. Then he felt her lick off one of the stems he must have picked up when he crawled into the back of the store. She chewed slowly.
“What are you doing?” Jayfeather asked.
“That’s it!” Mousefur’s voice was shrill64 with surprise. “Jayfeather, that’s the herb Leafpool mixed in with my tansy!”
收听单词发音 |
1
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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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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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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yew
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| n.紫杉属树木 | |
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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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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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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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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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shuffle
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| n.拖著脚走，洗纸牌；v.拖曳，慢吞吞地走 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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gnawing
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| a.痛苦的，折磨人的 | |
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saturated
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| a.饱和的，充满的 | |
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thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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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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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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tingled
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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clans
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| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
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ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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shrug
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| v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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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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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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drowsy
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| adj.昏昏欲睡的，令人发困的 | |
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herded
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| 群集，纠结( herd的过去式和过去分词 )； 放牧； （使）向…移动 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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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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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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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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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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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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49
reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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50
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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51
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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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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groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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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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ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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flustered
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| adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词) | |
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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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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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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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grouchy
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| adj.好抱怨的；愠怒的 | |
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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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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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