CHAPTER 6
Jayfeather jerked awake. The air wasstill damp with night, yet voices were whispering in the clearing. Stones shifted as paws descended1 the rockfall.
Firestar’s awake.
Jayfeather sat up.
He tasted the air.
WindClan
Jayfeather leaped from his nest and nosed his way through the brambles as Lionblaze and Cinderheart slid from the warriors3’ den5.
“What’s going on?” Lionblaze circled his apprentice6.
Dovepaw didn’t answer, but fidgeted beside her sister as they stood as uncomfortable as owlets caught in daylight
Briarpaw pushed her way out of the apprentices8’ den, whiskers twitching9 with curiosity. “Come and see this,” she hissed11 over her shoulder to her denmates as Brambleclaw joined Firestar in the clearing. Nests rustled12 behind him, while Whitewing and Birchfall watched from their den, their tails gently stirring the branches.
Dustpelt pushed past them. “What are they doing here?” The dark tabby tom’s mew rang around the rock walls of the camp, anger aimed like a thorn at the WindClan warriors.
“Keep your voice down, Dustpelt,” Firestar ordered. “We don’t want to wake every cat.”
“Why not?” Daisy marched out of the nursery, her fur bristling15. “There are WindClan cats in the camp!”
“Are you sure?” Dustpelt circled the edge of the clearing, distrust crackling with every pawstep.
Heathertail’s tail brushed the ground. “You seem to have lost two apprentices,” she meowed. “We’re returning them.”
“I’llhandle this.” Firestar’s gaze flashed around his Clanmates. “Any cat not directly involved can go back to their nest.”
Dustpelt halted. The yew19 bush swished as the other apprentices scooted inside. Whitewing and Birchfall backed into their den.
“Lionblaze and Cinderheart, I want you to stay,” Firestar went on. “You too, Jayfeather.”
“What about me?” Brambleclaw meowed.
“Make sure everyone is settled and reassure17 the queens.” Firestar padded toward the thorn barrier. “Follow me,” he called over his shoulder. “I don’t want any more disturbances20 in camp.”
Jayfeather tagged behind Dovepaw, Ivypaw, Lionblaze, Cinderheart, and the WindClan warriors as they followed the ThunderClan leader through the thorn tunnel. The night air felt heavy on his pelt13, and his mind was ablaze21 with the tensions flashing among the cats.
Outside the camp, Firestar sat down. Lionblaze’s paws scuffed22 the fallen leaves. An owl7 hooted23 overhead, then flapped away through the trees. Breezepelt and Heathertail stood stiffly beside each other, while Dovepaw and Ivypaw shifted on their paws. Cinderheart was tense and unhappy; Jayfeather could sense the knot in her belly24. He shivered in the cold breeze.
Firestar cleared his throat. “Now, what’s going on?”
Breezepelt answered. “We found these two outside our camp.”
“Ivypaw?” Firestar’s attention focused on the apprentice. “Is that what happened?”
“We…” Ivypaw hesitated. “We were just exploring.”
“It was my fault!” Dovepaw broke in. “I…I heard a dog on the moor27 while we were tree training and I was worried….”
A growl29 rumbled30 in Breezepelt’s throat. “You were worried?” His tail swished the leaves. “About WindClan? Firestar, don’t you teach your apprentices the warrior4 code?”
Firestar paused, then addressed the WindClan warriors calmly. “Thank you for bringing them back. I am sorry they disturbed you and your Clanmates. Nothing like this will everhappen again.”
Jayfeather sensed irritation31 itching10 beneath Dovepaw’s pelt, but she had the good sense to hold her tongue.
“We dolive by the warrior code,” Firestar assured Breezepelt, his mew tight. “And we will make sure these young cats understand how important that is.” The ThunderClan leader was seething32, embarrassed by his apprentices, but Jayfeather could also sense questions fizzing in his mind. What had these apprentices really been doing in WindClan territory?
Heathertail breathed out slowly. “Make sure you do.” As she turned and began to head away from the ThunderClan camp, Jayfeather felt tension crackle like lightning between her and Lionblaze, and she aimed her final barb33 at the golden warrior. “You should keep a closer eye on your apprentice from now on.”
Breezepelt swished after her through the undergrowth. “WindClan can take care of itself without your help!” he called before the ferns swallowed him.
Firestar waited until their pawsteps had faded. “What in the name of StarClan did you think you were doing?” he demanded, turning on Dovepaw and Ivypaw.
“It was my idea!” Dovepaw insisted.
“Ivypaw isn’t stuck to you like a piece of cobweb!” Firestar pointed34 out. “She could have changed her mind at any time.”
“I wasn’t going to let Dovepaw go alone!” Ivypaw objected.
“That doesn’t explain what you were doing in WindClan territory!” Firestar snorted. “What’s this nonsense about hearing a dog?”
When neither apprentice answered, he sighed. “Very well. Whatever the reason, it was a dumb thing to do!”
Was he really going to leave it at that? Jayfeather tipped his head to one side as Firestar went on.
“I’ll leave your punishment up to your mentors36, but I hope they will make sure you improve your understanding of the warrior code. Your training so far seems to have left little impression.” Leaves rustled beneath his paws. “If you’re going to behave like kits37, then you should be treated like kits. Now go!”
Dovepaw and Ivypaw began to pad away.
“Dovepaw,” Firestar called. “I want an extra word with you.”
Ivypaw halted, puzzled. “Why not me?”
“Never you mind.” Cinderheart nudged her forward. “Just do as you’re told!”
Jayfeather made to leave too, but Firestar called him back. “I want you and Lionblaze to stay.”
He was circling Dovepaw, his mind sharp as a thorn. “How did you know about this dog?” he quizzed the apprentice
Firestar’s attention flashed toward Jayfeather, crackling with suspicion. “What about you? Did StarClan send you a sign or a dream about the dog?”
Jayfeather shook his head. He wished he could lie to hide Dovepaw’s stupid mistake, but Firestar wouldn’t fall for it. “I’ve dreamed about dogs on the moors39 before,” he mumbled40. “But not recently.”
Firestar’s attention shot back to Dovepaw.
“So, how didyou know about it? Did you dream it?”
“I told you,” Dovepaw answered. “I heardit!”
A frustrated41 growl rumbled in Firestar’s throat. “What about you, Lionblaze? You were tree training with her. Did youhear this dog?”
Lionblaze shifted his paws. “I was on the ground,” he mumbled. “There was a breeze. It was impossible to tell.”
Firestar cut him off. “Then it was just Dovepaw.”
Jayfeather shifted his paws, his belly tightening42. What was the ThunderClan leader getting at?
“Have you heard anything else other cats don’t hear?” Firestar’s question came out of the blue. “Like beavers43 blocking a stream, for example? That wasn’t a dream, was it?”
Jayfeather froze. The shock from Lionblaze’s pelt swept over him like an icy wind.
The Clan2 leader sighed. “Dovepaw, I’ve worked out that you know things other cats don’t, and I don’t think you’re having dreams about them. So how doyou know?” His tail-tip was tapping the ground. “I need to know. It’s important. It helped save the lake, but it also just got you into serious trouble. Even worse, it could have caused a battle with WindClan, and that makes it my responsibility.”
Confusion was flooding from Dovepaw, her mind whirling as she searched for something to say.
Firestar snorted and flicked44 his attention back to Jayfeather and Lionblaze. “It looks like I’m going to have to be the one who says it, doesn’t it?”
Lionblaze was holding his breath as Firestar went on.
“I think the three of you have something in common. Something we maybe should have discussed before.”
“Haven’t you wondered why you can slip so easily into other cats’ dreams, Jayfeather? That’s not something every medicine cat can do. And Lionblaze, do you think I haven’t noticed the way you fight? You’re not just brave; you’re completely without fear. You must knowthat you’re safe. That no mortal cat can hurt you. And then we have Dovepaw, who knows what’s going on farther away than any of us can hear or see.” Firestar paused to take a breath.
He knows!Jayfeather’s heart beat faster. He knows we’re the Three!
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1
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...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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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior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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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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apprentices
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| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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itching
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| adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 ) | |
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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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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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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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flinch
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| v.畏缩，退缩 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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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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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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yew
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| n.紫杉属树木 | |
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disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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ablaze
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| adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的 | |
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scuffed
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| v.使磨损( scuff的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚走 | |
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hooted
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot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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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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ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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moor
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| n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊 | |
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stiffen
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| v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬 | |
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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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rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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seething
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| 沸腾的，火热的 | |
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barb
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| n.（鱼钩等的）倒钩，倒刺 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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mentor
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| n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导 | |
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mentors
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| n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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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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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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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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frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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tightening
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| 上紧，固定，紧密 | |
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beavers
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| 海狸( beaver的名词复数 )； 海狸皮毛； 棕灰色； 拼命工作的人 | |
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flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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