CHAPTER24
Dovepaw sank her claws into abranch as the wave of floodwater swept her downstream. The yowling of terrified cats was all around her, but she could see nothing except the heaving dark water and the tops of the trees as they spun1 past. Her pelt2 was drenched3, she was shivering with cold, and she was more afraid than she had ever been in her life.
A wave crashed over her, filling her mouth and nose with water. Still managing to cling to the branch, she forced her head to the surface, spluttering and coughing as she fought to breathe. Harsh yellow light flashed across her vision, and Dovepaw realized that she was being carried past the dens7 of the Twolegplace. I hope the kittypets get home safe, she thought fuzzily.
Something dark loomed8 up ahead of her: the branches of an overhanging tree, dipping down and trailing in the surge of water. Dovepaw kicked out frantically9, trying to avoid it, but the floodwater drove her right into the middle of the branches.They scraped at her fur as she was carried past, almost sweeping10 her off her branch.
Gripping as hard as she could, until she thought her claws would be ripped out, Dovepaw was suddenly jerked into open water again. A bundle of tabby fur, dark from the water, whisked past her with a wail6.
Tigerheart!
Blinking water out of her eyes, Dovepaw watched with horror as the young ShadowClan warrior11 vanished under the surface.
StarClan, no!
Taking a deep breath, she let go of her branch and plunged12 after him. Catching13 at memories of Rippletail and Petalfur swimming in the pool behind the dam, she tried to copy their movements. But it was hard. Her soaked fur was heavy and her legs ached with exhaustion14. She kept banging into more floating branches that pushed her under the water, and when she resurfaced, waves spat15 in her eyes.
Dovepaw had almost given up hope of ever finding her friend when she caught a glimpse of Tigerheart bobbing up again less than a tail-length from her, before vanishing almost at once. She swam toward him, then dived under the surface.
Above, the water had been dark, with only fitful gleams of moonlight flickering16 on the surface. Down here, Dovepaw felt as blind as Jayfeather, sending out her senses to locate Tigerheart and pushing through the murky17 water until her paws touched his pelt.
He’s not moving! Am I too late?
Grabbing a mouthful of his fur, Dovepaw paddled frantically upward. As her head broke the surface, a branch bobbed past her and she wrapped her front legs around it. Tigerheart’s weight threatened to drag her under the water again, but Dovepaw wouldn’t let go. Relief flashed through her when she spotted18 Petalfur swimming strongly toward her.
“Rippletail will not die in vain,” the RiverClan cat hissed19 through gritted20 teeth. “StarClan will not take any more warriors21 from us.”
She gripped Tigerheart by the scruff, relieving Dovepaw of his weight. Dovepaw was able to haul herself a little higher out of the water, where she caught sight of a flat piece of wood being whirled toward them on the current. Floundering through the flood, she managed to grab it and pushed it toward Petalfur.
Together the two she-cats hauled Tigerheart onto the flat wood and crouched22 beside him, clinging on as the water carried them across the stretch of green grass at the edge of the Twolegplace, and into the woods beyond.
Dovepaw realized that she could see more clearly; the rain-filled sky was growing gray with the first pale light of dawn. The water was calmer now; it still overflowed23 the stream banks, but the first terrifying wave had died down. Looking around, Dovepaw spotted branches scattered24 over the surface, and here and there, bobbing up and down, the heads of cats.
“Yes!” she gasped25, reaching out her tail to touch Petalfur on the shoulder. “There’s Toadfoot! And Lionblaze! And there’s Whitetail and Sedgewhisker, hanging on to the same branch.”
“Thank StarClan,” Petalfur mewed. “They’re all safe!”
As she spoke26, Tigerheart began to thrash and splutter, tilting27 the piece of wood dangerously so that water surged over them.
“Lie still,” Dovepaw told him. “You’re safe. And we’ll be home soon.”
At last the current slowed enough for the cats to leave the branches they were clinging to and wade28 through the shallows to solid ground. All seven cats huddled29 together, panting and watching as the floodwater gradually washed back between the banks of the stream.
Rain was still pouring steadily30 down, but Dovepaw scarcely noticed it. She was wetter than she had ever been, and she had swallowed so much water she couldn’t imagine ever being thirsty again. Drawing a deep breath, she listened to the water glugging and pooling and splashing through the woods, through ShadowClan territory, and finally down to the lake, where it swelled31 over the dried mud and stones, rippling32 into every crack and hollow, spreading silvery twigs33 across the parched34 surface.
We did it, she thought. We brought back the lake.
Tigerheart was sprawled35 on the ground, coughing up mouthfuls of water while Petalfur rubbed his back.
“Will he be okay?” Dovepaw asked anxiously.
“He’ll be fine,” Petalfur assured her. “This is what we do in RiverClan if kits36 fall into the lake before they can swim. It always seems to work.”
Tigerheart coughed up more water, then turned his head to look blearily up at Dovepaw. “Thanks,” he rasped.
When he had recovered enough to stagger to his paws, all the cats gathered and stood in a circle with their heads bowed.
“StarClan, we thank you,” Whitetail meowed. “You helped us to destroy the dam and protected us in the flood. We ask you to honor Rippletail, the warrior who will never come home.”
Dovepaw lifted her head and caught Lionblaze’s eye. She wondered if he was thinking the same thing.
StarClan didn’t save us. We did.
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1
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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2
pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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3
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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4
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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5
wailed
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
wail
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| vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸 | |
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7
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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8
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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9
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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10
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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12
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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13
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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14
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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15
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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16
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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17
murky
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| adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗 | |
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18
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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19
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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20
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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21
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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22
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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23
overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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24
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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25
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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26
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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27
tilting
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| 倾斜，倾卸 | |
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28
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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29
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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30
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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31
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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32
rippling
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| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
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33
twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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34
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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35
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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36
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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