Chapter 15
Lionblaze opened his eyes in his nest in the warriors1’ den3. Gray dawn light was filtering through the branches; a breeze found its way through the gaps and probed his mossy bedding with cold claws. Lionblaze yawned and tried to blink away sleep, then sat up sharply as Cloudtail crashed into him.
“Watch where you’re putting your tail,” the white warrior2 snapped, pushing his way out into the open.
Lionblaze rose to his paws. It’s too crowded in here, he thought. We’re all tripping over one another.
Skirting careful y past Squirrelflight, who was just beginning to stir, Lionblaze headed into the clearing.
Brambleclaw stood in the middle of the camp with warriors gathering5 around him as he sorted out the morning’s patrols. Firestar stood a little to one side, looking on.
“Sandstorm, wil you lead a patrol along the WindClan border?” Brambleclaw was meowing as Lionblaze padded up. “Take Thornclaw and Ivypool.
Cloudtail, you and Brightheart can do the WindClan border as wel , but start from the other end. Take Blossomfal with you. Make sure the scent7 markers are fresh and strong.”
“And make sure there’s no WindClan scent on our side of the stream,” Firestar added. “Report back right away if you find any.”
“Hunting patrols,” Brambleclaw continued, glancing around at his Clanmates, “stay away from the WindClan border. We don’t want to give WindClan any reason to complain about us.”
“What?” Spiderleg’s neck fur bristled8. “Are you tel ing me we can’t hunt on our own territory because of those flea-ridden rabbit-eaters?”
“Yeah,” Thornclaw added, the tip of his tail twitching10. “Why should we have to creep around like mice when we’ve done nothing wrong?” Brambleclaw avoided the question, just continued dividing up the hunting patrols. Lionblaze guessed that Firestar had warned his deputy about Sol’s plot with WindClan, though he had said nothing to the rest of the Clan6.
“What’s Firestar thinking?” Dovewing whispered, padding up to Lionblaze’s side. Her blue eyes were puzzled. “Shouldn’t he tel the Clan that there’s a threat?”
Lionblaze shrugged11. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I guess there’s no point starting a panic when we don’t know what wil happen, or when.”
Lionblaze snorted, feeling his neck fur begin to fluff up. “Are you surprised? He must know that he was seen last night, so he’s staying away.” Guilt12 weighed down his bel y like a stone as he remembered how he had helped Sol escape from the camp al those moons ago. After I helped him, Sol has betrayed us! And I can never tell any cat what I did.
As the cats mil ed around, splitting up into their patrols, Lionblaze noticed that Mil ie was looking around with a confused air. “I don’t see Sol,” she mewed to Dustpelt. “Where do you think he can be?”
“Good riddance is what I say.”
“Sol hasn’t done any harm,” Berrynose argued.
A chorus of arguments broke out, and Brambleclaw had to raise his voice to a yowl to be heard above it. “That’s enough! Can I have a bit of quiet around here?”
Lionblaze felt the tension in the deputy’s voice, and watched his slowly lashing15 tail. I don’t blame him for getting frustrated16, he thought with a stab of sympathy.
“Mil ie,” Brambleclaw went on more quietly as the querulous voices died down. “You’re leading a hunting patrol with Toadstep, Mousewhisker, and Hol yleaf.”
Lionblaze heard several gasps17 of shock as Brambleclaw announced the names, a protest rippling19 like a cold wind through the Clan. Toadstep muttered something to Foxleap.
“What was that, Toadstep?” Brambleclaw’s voice was icy.
Toadstep hesitated for a moment, then raised his head defiantly20. “I don’t want to be on a patrol with Hol yleaf,” he meowed. “I don’t know her! Patrols are supposed to trust one another with their lives, but we have no idea what Hol yleaf has been doing since she vanished.”
Lionblaze stared at the young warrior in dismay.
Did he really say that? As more murmurings broke out around him he realized that Toadstep wasn’t the only cat who was suspicious about Hol yleaf.
“She could have been anywhere,” Icecloud whispered.
“No offense22, Hol yleaf.” Mousewhisker stepped forward and confronted the black she-cat. “I know we were friends before, but you’ve hardly said anything about where you’ve been. And now you’ve come back just when Sol reappears—is there a connection?”
Hol yleaf looked startled.
“There’s no need for this,” Brambleclaw meowed, before any other cat could say anything. “The past is the past. You’re making a fuss about nothing.”
“Real y, Brambleclaw? Nothing?” Birchfal padded up to the deputy, his amber23 eyes serious. “Why won’t Hol yleaf tel us where she’s been? And why did she leave in the first place?”
Lionblaze took a breath for an indignant protest, but left it unspoken. Perhaps these questions would have to be answered before Hol yleaf could stay in the Clan.
“Yes, why did you leave?” Thornclaw sounded much more bel igerent than his Clanmates.
Brightheart let her tail rest lightly on the tabby warrior’s shoulder. “No need to ruffle25 your fur, Thornclaw,” she mewed. To Hol yleaf she added gently, “If you tel us, we’l understand, whatever it is.
Did some cat do something to hurt you? We need to know.”
Hol yleaf was stil silent.
Thornclaw shook off Brightheart’s tail. “You left not long after Ashfur was kil ed.” He spoke24 slowly, as if he was thinking about every word. “Hol yleaf, did it have something to do with that?”
Lionblaze thought that his heart had stopped beating. A thick silence hung in the clearing, as though every cat had been turned to ice.
Then Poppyfrost cal ed out, “No, of course it doesn’t! If Hol yleaf had seen who had kil ed Ashfur, she would have told us back then.” Thornclaw blinked. “I’m not asking if she witnessed another cat kil ing him.” This time Lionblaze thought that the silence would last forever. Berrynose turned to Thornclaw. His whisper sounded throughout the clearing like the shriek26 of trapped prey27. “You think Hollyleaf was the kil er?”
Poppyfrost’s eyes stretched wide. “She can’t be!”
“I won’t believe it,” Cinderheart declared.
“Nor wil I,” Leafpool agreed. “Oh, Hol yleaf . . .” Her voice faded into silence.
Birchfal ’s gaze was fixed28 on Hol yleaf. “I don’t want to believe it,” he rasped. “But it makes sense.” More voices rose around Hol yleaf where she stood, hunched29 and smal , in the middle of the clearing. Lionblaze stared desperately30 at his Clanmates, wondering what in the name of StarClan he could say; he felt as if a piece of fresh-kil was lodged31 in his throat, choking him. He glanced at Firestar for help, but the Clan leader was standing32 in silence, his eyes slightly narrowed and his gaze fixed on Hol yleaf. There was nothing to tel Lionblaze what he was thinking.
“Hol yleaf, you have to speak for yourself,” Graystripe cal ed out.
“Yes, let’s hear what happened,” Thornclaw demanded, sliding out his claws with a menacing look at Hol yleaf.
Lionblaze stepped forward, putting himself between his sister and the tabby warrior. “Stop!” he snarled33. “This is ridiculous. There’s no way that Hol yleaf knows anything about Ashfur’s death.” Hol yleaf took a pace toward Lionblaze until they were so close that their pelts35 brushed. Her green eyes were ful of misery36, and she was gaunt from the hardship of her life as a loner, but Lionblaze could read determination in every hair on her pelt.
“No, Lionblaze,” she whispered. “I know you’re only trying to help, but you must let me speak. I think it’s time for the truth to come out.” Lionblaze heard a whimper from somewhere at the back of the crowd. Without turning to look, he knew that it had come from Squirrelflight. The rest of the Clan was silent, pressing around Hol yleaf in a circle, a barrier of eyes.
Hol yleaf raised her head and spoke clearly to her Clan. “Thornclaw is right. I was there when Ashfur died. And his death was my fault.” Her confession37 was greeted with a horrified38 gasp18 from the cats. As if at a word of command, they shrank back, widening the circle. Lionblaze spotted39 Foxleap swiftly thrusting Cherrypaw behind him.
Sorreltail, who had brought Lilykit and Seedkit into the clearing for the first time, gathered them close to her with a sweep of her tail.
Hol yleaf looked terrified, her glance darting40 around the clearing as if she expected some cat to leap on her and rip her throat out. Lionblaze suddenly wished that she had never come back, that she had gone away to the mountains if that would have kept her safe. Dovewing and Ivypool would have found their own way out of the tunnels, he thought, his bel y shaking from the force of his fear and anger. She didn’t have to help them!
“I was there . . .” Hol yleaf’s faltering41 voice began again. “I saw Ashfur, beside the stream. He had threatened to kil me and my littermates. Most of you know how much Ashfur wanted Squirrelflight to be his mate. He hated us al because he thought we were Squirrelflight’s kits42 with Brambleclaw. Even when he knew he was wrong, he stil hated us.
So . . .”
Lionblaze stared at his sister in horror, wanting to hold back the words he knew she was about to speak. She can’t confess to killing43 Ashfur! She mustn’t!
But while Hol yleaf was gathering herself to go on, Brambleclaw pushed his way to the front of the crowd and stood beside her.
“I was there, too, that day, beside the stream,” he announced. He glanced at Hol yleaf as she opened her jaws44 to protest, and added, “You didn’t see me there, but I saw you, and Ashfur.” He paused for a moment, letting his glance rake across the Clan.
“When Ashfur saw Hol yleaf alone by the stream,” he continued, “he sprang at her. He was determined45 to hurt one of the three cats Squirrelflight loved most, to punish her for not loving him. Hol yleaf fought bravely, but before I could help her, Ashfur slipped on the edge of the stream and fel in. He was stil alive when he hit the water. There was nothing Hol yleaf could do to save him. She was only defending herself.” The clearing exploded as the tabby warrior finished speaking.
“Why didn’t you tel us that at the time?” Thornclaw demanded.
“Yes, we spent moons suspecting one another,” Berrynose growled. “Firestar, they should both be punished for not tel ing the truth back then.”
“No!” Leafpool protested, her amber eyes ful of pain.
Lionblaze stepped forward and glared at Berrynose. “You might want to know that it was Hol yleaf who saved your kits, not Sol,” he snarled.
“Think about that before you start meowing about punishment.”
Berrynose stared at him in disbelief. “It was Hol yleaf?”
“Then we have to let her back into the Clan!” Poppyfrost mewed. “She risked her life for my kits!”
“Besides, Ashfur only got what he deserved,” Dustpelt declared. “He tried to kil four cats—his own Clanmates! If you ask me, Hol yleaf did us a favor.” Firestar padded into the middle of the crowd, raising his tail for silence. His fur was bristling46 and his tail twitched47. “What happened was a tragic48 accident,” the Clan leader began as soon as he could make himself heard. “I agree that Hol yleaf should have spoken up at the time.” His green gaze rested sternly on Hol yleaf. “She should have trusted us to believe her, and deal with her fairly. But she has been punished enough by living away from her Clan for so many moons.” Firestar transferred his gaze to his Clan. “She wil not be punished again, and nor wil Brambleclaw for not speaking out before. Their silence has been a burden for both of them, and that has eased now.” With a drawn49-out sigh he added, “What’s done is done. Let Ashfur be judged by our ancestors.”
Lionblaze puffed50 out a breath of relief, but he could see that not al the cats were satisfied. And Hol yleaf stil looked as if she wished the ground would open up and swal ow her.
Firestar beckoned51 her with his tail. “You should have told the truth back then,” he meowed quietly; Lionblaze strained to overhear. “It’s going to be hard for you now, do you understand that?” Hol yleaf nodded, her eyes bleak52. “I shouldn’t have tried to come back—”
“Never say that,” Firestar interrupted. “You are back, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The Clan wil settle down now that the truth is out.” He paused, but Hol yleaf had nothing to add. “I won’t include you on any patrols today,” Firestar went on more briskly.
“Go to the elders’ den and see what you can do for them.”
“They’l know, won’t they?” Hol yleaf asked, glancing around at the rapidly dispersing53 Clan.
Firestar nodded. “News travels fast around here, you know it does. But you are strong enough to deal with this. Put it behind you, Hol yleaf. Your Clan stil needs you.”
Hol yleaf bowed her head. “Thank you,” she whispered.
As Lionblaze watched his sister padding away toward the elders’ den, he was aware of Cinderheart coming up beside him. “Poor Hol yleaf!” she murmured, her eyes wide with shock and excitement. “Who would have expected that?” She doesn’t know I knew, Lionblaze thought.
“I feel so sorry for her,” Cinderheart went on. “She must have felt so terrible, al the time she was away.
And I never realized Ashfur felt that way about Squirrelflight.”
“It happened before we were born,” Lionblaze replied shortly. He didn’t want to talk about any of it, and to his relief Cinderheart seemed to understand that.
“Brambleclaw wants you to lead a hunting patrol,” she meowed. “Foxleap and Rosepetal are coming, with their apprentices54.”
“Good,” Lionblaze grunted55. It would feel good to work off some of his tension with his claws in prey.
Turning toward the thorn tunnel, he saw that the rest of the patrol was already waiting. Cherrypaw and Molepaw were bouncing up and down in front of their mentors56.
“How did it happen?” Molepaw was asking, his eyes wide with excitement. “What did you do when you found out that Ashfur was dead?”
“Hol yleaf’s a kil er!” Cherrypaw breathed out.
Rosepetal stood over her with her lips drawn back in a snarl34. “If I ever hear either of you say that again, you’l see nothing but Mousefur’s hindquarters and ticks for a moon! Firestar said that the past is to be left behind. I don’t want any gossiping from you, I don’t want any more bouncing about, and I definitely don’t want to hear any more accusations57. Have I made myself clear?”
Lionblaze was grateful for Rosepetal’s loyalty59, but he could see how shocked the she-cat had been by Hol yleaf’s confession.
“They’l calm down soon, you’l see,” Cinderheart whispered into his ear.
Lionblaze nodded, though he wasn’t sure that Cinderheart was right. Will my Clanmates ever get used to Hollyleaf being back in the hollow?
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
warriors
|
|
| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
warrior
|
|
| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
den
|
|
| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
yelped
|
|
| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
gathering
|
|
| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
clan
|
|
| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
scent
|
|
| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
bristled
|
|
| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
twitch
|
|
| v.急拉，抽动，痉挛，抽搐；n.扯，阵痛，痉挛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
twitching
|
|
| n.颤搐 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
shrugged
|
|
| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
guilt
|
|
| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
pelt
|
|
| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
growled
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
lashing
|
|
| n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
frustrated
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
gasps
|
|
| v.喘气( gasp的第三人称单数 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
gasp
|
|
| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
rippling
|
|
| 起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
defiantly
|
|
| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
clans
|
|
| 宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
offense
|
|
| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
amber
|
|
| n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
ruffle
|
|
| v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
shriek
|
|
| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
fixed
|
|
| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
hunched
|
|
| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
desperately
|
|
| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
lodged
|
|
| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
snarled
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
snarl
|
|
| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
pelts
|
|
| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
misery
|
|
| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
confession
|
|
| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
horrified
|
|
| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
spotted
|
|
| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
darting
|
|
| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
faltering
|
|
| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
kits
|
|
| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
killing
|
|
| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
jaws
|
|
| n.口部；嘴 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
determined
|
|
| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
bristling
|
|
| a.竖立的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
twitched
|
|
| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
tragic
|
|
| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
puffed
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
beckoned
|
|
| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
bleak
|
|
| adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
dispersing
|
|
| adj. 分散的 动词disperse的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
apprentices
|
|
| 学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
grunted
|
|
| （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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
mentors
|
|
| 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 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
accusations
|
|
| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
subdued
|
|
| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
loyalty
|
|
| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |