CHAPTER 2
Evening was creeping into the hollowand dew dampened his fur as Jayfeather took a mouse from the fresh-kill pile and settled beside the bramble to eat.
The half-moon would be hanging in a clear, pale sky. Would the other medicine cats obey the dire1 warnings from their ancestors and stay away from the other Clans2? Or would they travel to the Moonpool to share their dreams with StarClan?
Should I go?
He felt the moon’s tug4 deep beneath his fur. Ignoring it made his heart ache. But since Dawnpelt had stood at the Gathering6 and accused him of murdering Flametail, the Clans had ordered Jayfeather to give up his medicine-cat duties. Firestar had given him permission to continue helping7 his Clanmates as usual, but he had been forced to surrender all his responsibilities outside the Clan3.
The moon tugged8 harder. The will of StarClan was stronger than any living cat. And according to the prophecy, Jayfeather was stronger than StarClan. Besides, he knew he was innocent. He’d tried to save Flametail when he fell through the ice. No other cat had tried to drag the ShadowClan medicine cat from the freezing depths of the lake. Angrily Jayfeather ripped a bite from his mouse.
The trailing brambles swished beside him as Briarlight hauled herself out of the medicine den9. Her forepaws were so strong now, she could easily pull her crippled hind10 legs around the camp.
“Do you want some of this?” Jayfeather held up his mouse with a claw.
“No thanks.” Briarlight paused beside him. “I’m in the mood for vole.”
He felt the sleekness11 of her fur brush past him as she pulled herself toward the fresh-kill pile. She was the cleanest cat in ThunderClan, washing herself tirelessly, checking for ticks twice a day, and rooting out every flea12. An infected bite would weaken her and she was determined13 to keep exercising until she was the strongest she could be, even without the use of her hind legs.
Jayfeather sensed her fizzing excitement as she rooted through the fresh-kill pile, and her tiny jab of pleasure as she grabbed a vole from the bottom and dragged it out with sharp teeth. Nimbly she crossed the grass and settled beside Jayfeather. “Aren’t you hungry?” She poked14 his barely-touched mouse with her paw. “It’s half-moon. You’ll need your strength to travel to the Moonpool.”
Briarlight scooped17 up her vole and took a bite. “Since when would that stop you?” she asked with her mouth full.
Jayfeather snorted. “None of your business.”
“It’s half-moon but Jayfeather isn’t allowed to go to the Moonpool,” Briarlight chipped in.
“Can’t you share dreams with StarClan in your nest?” Brightheart stroked her tail along Jayfeather’s spine19.
He shook her off. “There’s more to visiting the Moonpool than sharing dreams!”
Jayfeather marched across the clearing. He ducked through the camp entrance, hissing20 as a thorn snagged his ear tip, and stomped21 into the woods.
Paws padded swiftly after him. Jayfeather tasted Firestar’s scent22. The ThunderClan leader had followed him out of the hollow. “I know it’s frustrating,” Firestar began sympathetically.
Jayfeather turned on him. “Really? Do you think the Clans would believe Dawnpelt if I wasn’t half-Clan?”
Firestar stopped.
“Or if Leafpool hadn’t broken the medicine-cat code in kitting me?” He felt Firestar’s surprise. “Had you forgotten?” Jayfeather demanded.
“I don’t think about it.” There was honesty in Firestar’s mew.
Jayfeather blinked. “You don’t think about it?” he echoed. Every time he saw Leafpool or Squirrelflight or Brambleclaw, Jayfeather felt the prick23 of betrayal. He’d believed he was pure ThunderClan, that his parents were Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, until Hollyleaf had discovered that Leafpool was their mother and Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior24, their father.
Firestar’s tail whisked over the fallen leaves. “You’re one of the Three. Your birth was meant to happen.” He padded closer. “Does it matter how you came to be born?”
“Yes!” Lit by rage, Jayfeather paced around Firestar. “I’m cursed by Leafpool’s mistake! Every cat thinks I’m unnatural25 because my birth broke two codes—the warrior code and the medicine-cat code! No wonder they’re so eager to think I’m a murderer. They certainly can’t think I’m blessed by StarClan.”
Firestar shifted his paws. “But we both know you areblessed by StarClan. More than any other cat.”
“No thanks to Leafpool!” Jayfeather clawed the ground. “Or Squirrelflight.”
“Leafpool kept your secret,” Firestar reminded him sternly. “She and Squirrelflight did the best they could for you and your littermates. It was Hollyleaf who told the truth. She believed she had to, and now what’s done is done. Squirrelflight and your mother are not responsible for the prejudices of the other Clans. And neither are you.”
“It’s not fair. Why couldn’t Leafpool have just followed the medicine-cat code?” Jayfeather pushed his way deeper into the trees. “It’s not exactly complicated!”
“And if she had?” Firestar called after him. “What then? If she’d never fallen in love with Crowfeather, where would you be? Think of the prophecy!”
Jayfeather raked the leaf mulch with his claws. “Why can’t I think about mefor once?” With a growl15 he stalked away, ducking through ferns and pacing over tree roots until he sensed dusk turn to dark around him. Suddenly he felt a wall of fur blocking his path. He leaped back. “Who is it?”
As he spoke26, he recognized the foul27 stench of Yellowfang’s breath. Her muzzle28 was less than a mouse-length from his nose.“Why can’t I think about me for once?” she mimicked29.
“You’renot important!” the old cat hissed31. “Only the survival of the Clan matters! You’re one of the Three and you have to find the fourth to defeat the Dark Forest before it’s too late!”
“What do you mean, I’m not important?” Jayfeather spat32 back. How dare she? “How do you know that I’m not the mostimportant one?” His anger was pulsing so hard that the words flooded out of him. “If the Clans stop me from being a medicine cat, the whole prophecy might be wasted.”
Yellowfang wreathed around him, her matted fur brushing roughly against his. “Do you think herbsare going to save the Clans from the Dark Forest?” she snapped.
“There’s more to being a medicine cat than herbs!” Jayfeather tried to push past her but she blocked his way.
“Like what?”
“Like sharing dreams with StarClan!”
Yellowfang’s tail swished the ferns. “What do you think you’re doing now, mouse-brain?”
“You need to find the fourth warrior!”
“We don’t know it’s a warrior!” Jayfeather snapped. “We don’t know which Clan this cat is in. We don’t even know it is a cat!”
“Stop making excuses! You haven’t even told the others there isa fourth cat, have you?”
Jayfeather’s ears twitched34 guiltily. Memory swept his mind clear and suddenly he was back on a dark, windswept mountaintop. The Tribe of Endless Hunting surrounded him, their eyes glowing with hope. Stonetellers from ages past whispered the words that still echoed in his thoughts.
The end of the stars draws near. Three must become four to challenge the darkness that lasts forever.
“You haven’t told them,” Yellowfang repeated.
“No.” Jayfeather sat down. “I’ve been waiting for the right time.”
“Really?” Yellowfang sounded unconvinced. “I think the truth is that you don’t want there to be a fourth cat. You can’t bear the thought that you need help.”
“Then why keep the Tribe’s prophecy a secret when you know time is running out?”
Jayfeather closed his eyes, suddenly weary. “Aren’t our powers enough to save the Clans?”
Yellowfang’s pelt brushed his. “You’re facing the Dark Forest! You need all the help you can get! Find the fourth cat!”
“Okay!” Jayfeather snapped. “But where do I look?”
“If I knew, I’d tell you.” Yellowfang pushed away through the ferns.
“Wait!” Jayfeather dashed after her. A bramble tripped him and he stumbled. “I need you to do something for me.”
“Haven’t I done enough?” Yellowfang kept walking.
“I need you to find Flametail and tell him to visit Littlecloud.” Jayfeather bounded after her. “Flametail’s got to explain that I tried to save him from drowning, not murder him.”
Yellowfang shook her head. “Sorry, Jayfeather. StarClan is divided. I can’t cross Clan lines.”
“But you used to be ShadowClan,” Jayfeather reminded her.
She turned on him, and he felt her eyes blazing. “I am ThunderClan!” she hissed.
“But—” Jayfeather was pleading to empty air. Yellowfang had gone.
“Mouse dung!” Furious, Jayfeather broke into a run. Letting memory of his territory guide him, he raced up the slope till he broke free of the trees and felt the fresh, cold wind from the lake streaming over his pelt. He twitched his whiskers as he smelled another scent. “Leafpool?”
She padded out of the forest and stopped beside him. “Are you okay?”
Jayfeather tensed, ready to argue, but no words came. He felt hollow.
“Firestar seemed flustered35 when he came back to camp,” Leafpool meowed softly. “I was worried about you.”
Leafpool moved closer without touching37 him. “I know how it feels, to lose your place as medicine cat.”
“Firestar says I can keep treating my Clanmates,” Jayfeather reminded her.
“Brightheart could treat the Clan,” Leafpool pointed38 out. “But that doesn’t make her a medicine cat.” Anger suddenly sparked from her pelt. “You need to be able to visit StarClan and share with the other medicine cats and our ancestors.”
Jayfeather jerked away from her, unnerved that she understood so clearly. “I don’t care,” he insisted. He wasn’t going to be tricked into feeling close to her.
“Go to the Moonpool.” Leafpool ignored his protest. “Share your dreams with StarClan. Find Flametail and make him tell the truth to his Clanmates.”
Jayfeather flattened39 his ears. “How can I go? I’m not allowed to be a medicine cat outside ThunderClan!”
“No one can stop you from visiting the Moonpool,” Leafpool argued. “Do you think any cat would risk displeasing40 StarClan by standing41 in your way? Go to them and makeFlametail tell the truth!”
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1
dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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2
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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3
clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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4
tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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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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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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sleekness
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| 油滑； 油光发亮； 时髦阔气； 线条明快 | |
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12
flea
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| n.跳蚤 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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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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15
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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16
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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17
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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18
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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spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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stomped
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| v.跺脚，践踏，重踏( stomp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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23
prick
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| v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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25
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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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
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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28
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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mimicked
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| v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的过去式和过去分词 )；酷似 | |
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30
stinking
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| adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透 | |
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31
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
spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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33
bugging
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| [法] 窃听 | |
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34
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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35
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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36
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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37
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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38
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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39
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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40
displeasing
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| 不愉快的，令人发火的 | |
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41
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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