CHAPTER1
A full moon floated in acloudless sky, casting thick black shadows across the island. The leaves of the Great Oak rustled1 in a hot breeze. Crouched2 between Sorreltail and Graystripe, Lionblaze felt as though he couldn’t get enough air.
“I know,” Graystripe sighed, shifting uncomfortably on the dry, powdery soil. “This season just gets hotter and hotter. I can’t even remember when it last rained.”
Lionblaze stretched up to peer over the heads of the other cats at his brother, Jayfeather, who was sitting with the medicine cats. Onestar had just reported the death of Barkface, and Kestrelflight, the remaining WindClan medicine cat, looked rather nervous to be representing his Clan4 alone for the first time.
“Jayfeather says StarClan hasn’t told him anything about the drought,” Lionblaze mewed to Graystripe. “I wonder if any of the other medicine cats—”
He broke off as Firestar, the leader of ThunderClan, rose to his paws on the branch where he had been sitting while he waited for his turn to speak. RiverClan’s leader, Leopardstar, glanced up from the branch just below, where she was crouching5. Onestar, the leader of WindClan, was perched in the fork of a bough6 a few tail-lengths higher, while ShadowClan’s leader, Blackstar, was visible just as a gleam of eyes among the clustering leaves above Onestar’s branch.
“Like every other Clan, ThunderClan is troubled by the heat,” Firestar began. “But we are coping well. Two of our apprentices8 have been made into warriors10 and received their warrior9 names: Toadstep and Rosepetal.”
Lionblaze sprang to his paws. “Toadstep! Rosepetal!” he yowled. The rest of ThunderClan joined in, along with several cats from WindClan and ShadowClan, though Lionblaze noticed that the RiverClan warriors were silent, looking on with hostility11 in their eyes.
Who ruffled12 their fur?he wondered. It was mean-spirited for a whole Clan to refuse to greet a new warrior at a Gathering13. He twitched15 his ears. He wouldn’t forget this the next time Leopardstar announced a new RiverClan appointment.
The two new ThunderClan warriors ducked their heads in embarrassment17, though their eyes shone as they were welcomed by the Clans18. Cloudtail, Toadstep’s former mentor19, was puffed20 up with pride, while Squirrelflight, who had mentored21 Rosepetal, watched the young warriors with gleaming eyes.
“I’m still surprised Firestar picked Squirrelflight to be a mentor,” Lionblaze muttered to himself. “After she told all those lies about us being her kits22.”
“Firestar knows what he’s doing,” Graystripe responded; Lionblaze winced23 as he realized the gray warrior had overheard every word of his criticism. “He trusts Squirrelflight, and he wants to show every cat that she’s a good warrior and a valued member of ThunderClan.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Lionblaze blinked miserably24. He had loved and respected Squirrelflight so much when he thought she was his mother, but now he felt cold and empty when he looked at her. She had betrayed him, and his littermates, too deeply for forgiveness. Hadn’t she?
“If you’ve quite finished…” Leopardstar spoke25 over the last of the yowls of welcome and rose to her paws, fixing Firestar with a glare. “RiverClan still has a report to make.”
Firestar dipped his head courteously26 to the RiverClan leader and took a pace back, sitting down again with his tail wrapped around his paws. “Go ahead, Leopardstar.”
The RiverClan leader was the last to speak at the Gathering; Lionblaze had seen her tail twitching27 impatiently while the other leaders made their reports. Now her piercing gaze traveled across the cats crowded together in the clearing, while her neck fur bristled28 in fury.
“What?” Lionblaze sprang to his paws; his startled yowl was lost in the clamor as more cats from ThunderClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan leaped up to protest.
Leopardstar stared down at them, teeth bared, making no attempt to quell32 the tumult33. Instinctively34 Lionblaze glanced upward, but there were no clouds to cover the moon; StarClan wasn’t showing any anger at the outrageous35 accusation36. As if any of the other Clans would want to steal slimy, stinky fish!
He noticed for the first time how thin the RiverClan leader looked, her bones sharp as flint beneath her dappled fur. The other RiverClan warriors were the same, Lionblaze realized, glancing around; even thinner than his own Clanmates and the ShadowClan warriors—and even thinner than the WindClan cats, who looked skinny when they were full-fed.
“They’re starving…” he murmured.
“We’re all starving,” Graystripe retorted.
Lionblaze let out a sigh. What the gray warrior said was true. In ThunderClan they had been forced to hunt and train at dawn and dusk in order to avoid the scorching38 heat of the day. In the hours surrounding sunhigh, the cats spent their time curled up sleeping in the precious shade at the foot of the walls of the stone hollow. For once the Clans were at peace, though Lionblaze suspected it was only because they were all too weak to fight, and no Clan had any prey worth fighting for.
Firestar rose to his paws again and raised his tail for silence. The caterwauling gradually died away and the cats sat down again, directing angry glares at the RiverClan leader.
“I’m sure you have good reason for accusing us all like that,” Firestar meowed when he could make himself heard. “Would you like to explain?”
Leopardstar lashed39 her tail. “You have all been taking fish from the lake,” she snarled41. “And those fish belong to RiverClan.”
“No, they don’t,” Blackstar objected, poking42 his head out from the foliage43. “The lake borders all our territories. We’re just as entitled to the fish as you are.”
“Especially now,” Onestar added. “We’re all suffering from the drought. Prey is scarce in all our territories. If we can’t eat fish, we’ll starve.”
Lionblaze stared at the two leaders in astonishment44. Were ShadowClan and WindClan really so hungry that they’d been adding fish to their fresh-kill pile? Things must be reallybad.
“But it’s worse for us,” Leopardstar insisted. “RiverClan doesn’t eat any other kind of prey, so all the fish should belong to us.”
“That’s mouse-brained!” Squirrelflight sprang to her paws, her bushy tail lashing45. “Are you saying that RiverClan can’t eat any other prey? Are you admitting that your warriors are so incompetent46 they can’t even catch a mouse?”
“Squirrelflight.” Brambleclaw, the ThunderClan deputy, spoke commandingly as he rose from the oak root where he had been sitting with the other Clan deputies. His voice was coldly polite as he continued. “It’s not your place to speak here. However,” he added, looking up at Leopardstar, “she does have a point.”
Lionblaze winced at Brambleclaw’s tone, and he couldn’t repress a twinge of sympathy for Squirrelflight as she sat down again, her head bent47 like an apprentice7 scolded in public by her mentor. Even after six moons, two whole seasons, Brambleclaw had not forgiven his former mate for claiming her sister Leafpool’s kits as her own—and therefore his as well. Lionblaze still felt dazed whenever he reminded himself that Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight were not his real mother and father. He and his brother, Jayfeather, were the kits of the former ThunderClan medicine cat, Leafpool, and Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior. Since the truth came out, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight had barely spoken to each other, and although Brambleclaw never punished Squirrelflight by giving her the hardest tasks or the most dangerous patrols, he made sure that their paths never crossed as they carried out their duties.
Squirrelflight’s lie had been bad enough, but everything went wrong when she admitted what she had done. She had told the truth in a desperate attempt to save her kits from Ashfur’s murderous fury at being passed over in favor of Brambleclaw, moons before Lionblaze and his littermates were born. Lionblaze’s and Jayfeather’s sister, Hollyleaf, had killed Ashfur to prevent him from revealing the secret at a Gathering. Then Hollyleaf vanished behind a fall of earth when she tried to escape through the tunnels to start a new life. Now the brothers had to accept that they were half-Clan, and that their father, Crowfeather, wanted nothing to do with them. And, on top of that, there were still suspicious looks from some of their own Clanmates, which made Lionblaze’s pelt48 turn hot with rage.
As if we’re suddenly going to turn disloyal because we’ve found out our father is a WindClan warrior! Who’d want to join those scrawny rabbit-munchers?
Lionblaze watched Jayfeather, wondering if he was thinking the same thing. His brother’s sightless blue eyes were turned toward Brambleclaw, and his ears were alert, but it was hard to tell what was going through his mind. To Lionblaze’s relief, the rest of the cats seemed too intent on what Leopardstar was saying to pay any attention to the rift50 between Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight.
“The fish in the lake belong to RiverClan,” Leopardstar went on, her voice thin and high-pitched like wind through the reeds. “Any cat who tries to take them will feel our claws. From now on, I will instruct our border patrols to include the area around the water on every side.”
“You can’t do that!” Blackstar shouldered his way out of the leaves and leaped down to a lower branch, from where he could glare threateningly at Leopardstar. “Territories have never been extended into the lake.”
Lionblaze pictured the lake as it had been, its waves lapping gently against grassy51 banks with only narrow strips of sand and pebbles52 here and there on the shore. Now the water had shrunk away into the middle, leaving wide stretches of mud that dried and cracked in the merciless greenleaf sun. Surely Leopardstar didn’t want to claim those barren spaces as RiverClan territory?
“If any RiverClan patrols set paw on ourterritory,” Onestar growled53, baring his teeth, “they’ll wish they hadn’t.”
“Leopardstar, listen.” Lionblaze could tell that Firestar was trying hard to stay calm, even though the fur on his neck and shoulders was beginning to fluff up. “If you carry on like this, you’re going to cause a war between the Clans. Cats will be injured. Haven’t we got troubles enough without going to look for more?”
“Firestar’s right,” Sorreltail murmured into Lionblaze’s ear. “We should be trying to help one another, not fluffing up our fur ready for a fight.”
Leopardstar crouched down as if she wanted to leap at the other leaders, letting out a wordless snarl40 and sliding out her claws.
This is a time of truce54!Lionblaze thought, his eyes stretching wide in dismay. A Clan leader attacking another cat at a Gathering? It can’t happen!
Firestar had tensed, bracing55 himself in case Leopardstar hurled56 herself at him. Instead she jumped down to the ground with a furious hiss30, waving her tail for her warriors to gather around her.
“Stay away from our fish!” she spat57 as she led the way through the bushes that surrounded the clearing, toward the tree-bridge that led off the island. Her Clanmates followed her, shooting hostile looks at the other three Clans as they passed them. Murmurs58 of speculation59 and comment broke out as they left, but then Firestar’s voice rang with authority above the noise.
“The Gathering is at an end! We must return to our territories until the next full moon. May StarClan light our paths!”
Lionblaze padded just behind his leader as the ThunderClan cats trekked60 around the edge of the lake toward their own territory. The water was barely visible, just a silver glimmer61 in the distance; pale moonlight reflected from the surface of the drying mud. Lionblaze wrinkled his nose at the smell of rotting fish.
Ahead of him, Brambleclaw trudged63 along next to Firestar, with Dustpelt and Ferncloud on the Clan leader’s other side.
“What are we going to do?” the deputy asked. “Leopardstar willsend out her patrols. What happens when we find them on our territory?”
Firestar twitched his ears. “We need to deal with this carefully,” he meowed. “Isthe bottom of the lake our territory? We would never have thought of claiming it when it was covered with water.”
Dustpelt snorted. “If the dry land borders our territory, it’s ours now. RiverClan has no rights to hunt or patrol there.”
“But they look so hungry,” Ferncloud mewed gently. “And ThunderClan never took fish from the lake anyway. Can’t we let them have it?”
Dustpelt touched his nose briefly64 to his mate’s ear. “Prey is scarce for us, too,” he reminded her.
“We will not attack RiverClan warriors,” Firestar decided65. “Not unless they set paw on the ThunderClan territory within our scent66 marks—three tail-lengths from the shore, as we agreed when we came here. Brambleclaw, make sure that the patrols understand that when you send them out tomorrow.”
“Of course, Firestar,” the deputy replied, with a wave of his tail.
Lionblaze’s pelt prickled. Even though he respected Firestar’s conclusion because he was the Clan leader, Lionblaze wasn’t sure that he had made the right decision this time. Won’t RiverClan think we’re weak if we let them come around our side of the lake?
He jumped at the flick67 of a tail on his haunches and glanced around to see that Jayfeather had caught up to him.
“Leopardstar’s got bees in her brain,” his brother announced. “She’ll never get away with this. Sooner or later, cats will get clawed.”
“I know.” Curiously68, Lionblaze added, “I heard some ShadowClan cats at the Gathering saying that Leopardstar lost two lives recently. Is it true?”
“She never announced it,” Lionblaze commented.
Jayfeather halted, giving his brother a look of such sharp intelligence that Lionblaze found it hard to believe that his brilliant blue eyes couldn’t see anything. “Come on, Lionblaze. When does a Clan leader ever announce they’ve lost a life? It would make them sound weak. Cats don’t necessarily know how many lives their ownleader has left.”
“I suppose so,” Lionblaze admitted, padding on.
“Leopardstar lost a life from a thorn scratch that got infected,” Jayfeather continued. “And then straight after that she caught some kind of illness that made her terribly thirsty and weak, too. She couldn’t even walk as far as the stream to get a drink.”
“Mothwing and Willowshine told you all that?” Lionblaze asked, aware that medicine cats would confide70 in one another without thinking of the Clan rivalries71 that made warriors wary72 of saying too much.
“It doesn’t matter how I found out,” Jayfeather retorted. “I know, that’s all.”
Lionblaze suppressed a shiver. Even though he knew that Jayfeather’s powers came from the prophecy, it still bothered him that his brother padded down paths that no cat, not even another medicine cat, had ever trodden before. Jayfeather knewthings without being told—not even by StarClan. He could walk in other cats’ dreams and learn their deepest secrets.
“I guess that’s why Leopardstar is making such a nuisance of herself about the fish,” Lionblaze murmured, pushing his uneasiness away. “She wants to prove to her Clan that she’s still strong.”
“She’s going about it the wrong way,” Jayfeather stated flatly. “She should know that she can’t make the other Clans follow her orders. RiverClan will be worse off in the end than if they’d just struggled through the drought on their own territory, like the rest of us.”
They were approaching the stream that marked the border between WindClan and ThunderClan. The water that had spilled into the lake with a rush and a gurgle just last newleaf had dwindled73 to a narrow stream of green slime, easily leaped over. Lionblaze drew a breath of relief as he plunged74 into the undergrowth beyond, under the familiar trees of his own territory.
“Maybe it’ll all blow over,” he meowed hopefully. “Leopardstar might see sense when she thinks about what the other leaders told her at the Gathering.”
Jayfeather let out a contemptuous snort. “Hedgehogs will fly before Leopardstar backs down. No, Lionblaze, the only thing that will solve our problem is for the lake to fill up again.”
Lionblaze was padding through long, lush grass, his paws sinking into water at every step. A cool breeze ruffled his fur. Any moment now, he could put down his head and drink as much as he wanted, relieving the thirst that burned inside him like a thorn. A vole popped out of the reed bed in front of him, but before Lionblaze could leap on it, something hard poked75 him in the side. He woke up to find himself in his nest in the warriors’ den49, with Cloudtail standing76 over him. His fur felt sticky, and the air smelled of dust.
“Did you have to do that?” Lionblaze complained. “I was having this really great dream….”
“And now you can go on a really great water patrol.” Cloudtail’s tone was unsympathetic. Since the streams that fed the lake had dried up, the only source of water was the shallow, brackish78 pool in the middle of the lake bed. Patrols went down several times a day to collect water for the Clan, in addition to hunting and patrolling as usual. The greenleaf nights seemed shorter than ever when every cat was tired out from extra duties.
He followed Cloudtail out of the den, shaking scraps81 of moss82 from his pelt. The sky was pale with the first light of dawn, and although the sun had not yet risen the air was hot and heavy. Lionblaze groaned83 inwardly at the thought of yet another dry, scorching day.
Hazeltail, her apprentice, Blossompaw, Berrynose, and Icecloud were sitting outside the den; they rose to their paws as Cloudtail appeared with Lionblaze. None of them had been to the Gathering the night before, but Lionblaze could tell from their tense expressions that they knew about Leopardstar’s threats.
“Let’s go.” Cloudtail waved his tail toward the thorn tunnel.
As Lionblaze padded through the forest behind the white warrior, he overheard Berrynose boasting to Icecloud: “RiverClan had better not mess with us when we get to the lake. I’ll teach any cat not to get in my fur.”
Icecloud murmured something in reply that Lionblaze didn’t catch. Berrynose thinks he’s so great, he thought. But it’s mouse-brained to go looking for trouble when none of us is strong enough for a battle
To his relief, Cloudtail took his patrol to the foot of a huge oak tree and instructed them to collect bundles of moss to soak in the lake. Berrynose couldn’t go on telling Icecloud what a fantastic warrior he was when his jaws were stuffed with fluffy84 green stalks.
When they reached the lake, Cloudtail paused briefly at the edge, gazing out across the lake bottom. It looked dry and powdery near the bank, with jagged cracks stretching across it; farther out it glistened85 in the pale light of dawn. As he tried to work out where the mud ended and the water began, Lionblaze spotted86 the tiny figures of four cats, far out across the mud. He set down his bundle of moss and tasted the air; the faint scent of RiverClan wafted87 toward him, mingled88 with the familiar stink37 of dead fish.
“Now listen,” Cloudtail began, setting down his own bundle. “RiverClan can’t object to us taking water, and Firestar has already said that he doesn’t want any fighting. Have you got that, Berrynose?” He gave the younger warrior a hard stare.
“Make sure you don’t forget.” With a final glare Cloudtail led his patrol out across the mud toward the distant lake.
The surface of the mud was hard at first, but as the patrol drew closer to the water Lionblaze found his paws sinking in at every step. “This is disgusting,” he muttered, his words muffled90 by the moss as he tried to shake off the sticky, pale brown blobs. “I’ll never get clean again.”
As they approached the water’s edge, he saw that the RiverClan cats had clustered together and were waiting for them, blocking their way: Reedwhisker and Graymist, with Otterheart and her apprentice, Sneezepaw. They all looked thin and exhausted91, but their eyes glittered with hostility and their fur was bristling92 as if they would leap into battle for a couple of mousetails.
Reedwhisker stepped forward. “Have you forgotten what Leopardstar told you at the Gathering last night?” he challenged. “The fish in the lake belong to RiverClan.”
“We’re not here to fish,” Cloudtail replied calmly, setting down his moss. “We only want water. You’re not going to deny us that, are you?”
“Are there no streams in your territory?” Graymist demanded
“The streams have dried up, as you know very well.” Lionblaze saw the tip of Cloudtail’s tail twitch14 irritably93 as he answered; the fiery94 white warrior was finding it hard to control his temper. “We need water from the lake.”
“And we’ll take it whether you like it or not,” Berrynose added, dropping his moss and taking a threatening step forward.
Instantly the four RiverClan cats slid out their claws. “The lake belongs to us,” Otterheart hissed.
Blossompaw’s eyes stretched wide in dismay and Hazeltail stepped forward, thrusting her apprentice behind her. Lionblaze braced95 himself and unsheathed his claws, ready to spring.
Cloudtail whipped around to face his patrol. “Keep your jaws shut!” he ordered Berrynose.
“Are you going to let them talk to us like that?” Berrynose challenged. “I’m not scared of them, even if you are.”
Cloudtail stepped forward until he was nose to nose with the younger warrior, his eyes like chips of ice. “One more word and you’ll be searching the elders for ticks for the next moon. Understand?”
Lionblaze felt a tingle96 of shock run beneath his fur. Cloudtail was brisk at the best of times, but he’d never seen him this angry at one of his own Clanmates. It was as if collecting water was the most important thing in the world to Cloudtail—and maybe it was, with his Clan weakened by thirst and getting weaker. Lionblaze wondered what would happen if RiverClan succeeded in preventing the other Clans from getting near the water. Would three of the four Clans die out?
Not waiting for Berrynose’s response, Cloudtail swung around and addressed the RiverClan cats again. “I apologize for my warrior,” he meowed. His voice was tight; Lionblaze could tell what an effort he was making to stay polite. “I think he must have caught a touch of the sun. Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d let us take some water.”
For a heartbeat Reedwhisker paused. Lionblaze felt his paws itch16 with the urge to spring into battle. Cloudtail had warned them that they were too weak to fight, but he didn’t know that Lionblaze was one of the Three and had the power to fight the fiercest battles without getting a single scratch. But I know we’ve got problems enough without fighting one another
Finally Reedwhisker stepped back, gesturing with his tail for the rest of his patrol to do the same. “Take water, but no fish,” he growled.
We’re not here for fish. How many more times will we have to tell you that?Lionblaze thought.
“Thank you.” Cloudtail dipped his head and padded up to the water’s edge. Lionblaze followed, aware of the hostile gaze of the RiverClan cats boring into his back, watching his every move. His fury welled up again. This is just stupid! Do they think I can smuggle97 a fish out under my pelt?
He could see that his Clanmates were angry, too; Cloudtail’s tail-tip twitched and Berrynose’s eyes were blazing, though he had the sense to keep quiet. The she-cats’ fur was bristling, and they glared over their shoulders at the RiverClan cats as they padded past.
Lionblaze soaked his moss in the lake water and lapped up a few mouthfuls. It was warm and tasted of earth and weeds, hardly quenching98 his thirst. He forced himself to swallow, wincing99 as the gritty liquid slid down his throat. The sun had risen, its harsh rays slashing100 across the tops of the trees, and there was no sign of a cloud from one horizon to the other.
How much longer can we go on like this?
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rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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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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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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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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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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hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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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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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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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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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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itch
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| n.痒，渴望，疥癣；vi.发痒，渴望 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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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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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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mentored
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| v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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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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miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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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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courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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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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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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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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hissed
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| 发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对 | |
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32
quell
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| v.压制，平息，减轻 | |
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33
tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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34
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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35
outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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36
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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37
stink
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| vi.发出恶臭；糟透，招人厌恶；n.恶臭 | |
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38
scorching
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| adj. 灼热的 | |
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39
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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40
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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41
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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42
poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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43
foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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44
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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45
lashing
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| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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46
incompetent
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| adj.无能力的，不能胜任的 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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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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rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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51
grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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52
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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53
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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54
truce
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| n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束 | |
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bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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57
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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60
trekked
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| v.艰苦跋涉，徒步旅行( trek的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在山中）远足，徒步旅行，游山玩水 | |
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glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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stinks
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| v.散发出恶臭( stink的第三人称单数 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透 | |
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trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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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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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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curt
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| adj.简短的，草率的 | |
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confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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rivalries
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| n.敌对，竞争，对抗( rivalry的名词复数 ) | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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73
dwindled
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| v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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75
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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76
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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77
prod
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| vt.戳，刺；刺激，激励 | |
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78
brackish
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| adj.混有盐的；咸的 | |
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79
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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80
gaped
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| v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的过去式和过去分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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81
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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82
moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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83
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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84
fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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85
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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86
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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87
wafted
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| v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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88
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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89
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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90
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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91
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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92
bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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93
irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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94
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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96
tingle
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| vi.感到刺痛，感到激动；n.刺痛，激动 | |
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97
smuggle
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| vt.私运；vi.走私 | |
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98
quenching
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| 淬火，熄 | |
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99
wincing
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的现在分词 ) | |
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100
slashing
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| adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减 | |
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