CHAPTER 16
Jayfeather shivered. A cold wind hadwoken him. He sat up, feeling rain spatter his pelt2. Where am I?He’d awoken on a grassy3 hillside, the sky darkened by rainclouds and the dismal4 landscape patched together by dying trees and storm-battered5 meadows. Was he in the Dark Forest? StarClan had always seemed to exist in perpetual greenleaf, with only the lightest breeze to stir the prey-scented air. Jayfeather fluffed his pelt against the chill and headed for a cluster of trees lower down the slope. No bird sang, no creature moved. He strained to hear paw steps. Were there cats here?
Fur brushed bark. Heart thumping8, Jayfeather ducked beneath a tangle9 of dripping bracken. He pressed his belly10 to the ground and peered out. Four muddy paws padded toward him. Was it a Dark Forest warrior11? He scrabbled backward, deeper into the bush. A familiar scent7 bathed his tongue. Spottedleaf!Light-headed with relief, he dived out from under the bush.
Spottedleaf stopped. “Jayfeather! What are you doing here?”
“Are these StarClan’s hunting grounds?” Jayfeather gazed up at the browning leaves.
“What’s happened?”
“Leaf-fall.” Spottedleaf hunched15 against the chilly16 wind. “The first StarClan has ever known.” Her mew was flat. “And I can taste leaf-bare on the wind.”
“Leaf-bare in StarClan? That’s impossible!”
“Not anymore. The Dark Forest is rising,” Spottedleaf shivered. “And StarClan could fall.”
Jayfeather whisked his tail. “Not if I can help it!” He scanned the woodland, hoping to see more pelts17. “I’ve come to speak with Flametail.”
Spottedleaf looked surprised. “Why now?”
“I saw the sign,” Jayfeather explained.
Spottedleaf stared at him blankly. “The sign?”
“The one StarClan sent. The burning reed.”
“One of you must have!” Jayfeather shook rain from his pelt. “Last time I tried to find Flametail, I never made it past the Moonpool. But now I’m here!”
“StarClan sent no sign,” Spottedleaf insisted.
Jayfeather padded past her and stared into the trees. “Well, someone did.” Was it Rock?“I have to speak to Flametail. I have to reunite the medicine cats.”
Spottedleaf glanced around warily19. “You know StarClan is divided. You won’t find Flametail. He’ll be in ShadowClan’s part of the hunting grounds.”
Jayfeather snorted. “There are no borders here.”
“There are now,” Spottedleaf snapped.
“They’re not real!” Why was she making this so difficult? “I’m going to find Flametail!”
Spottedleaf narrowed her eyes. “Things have changed!”
“The truth hasn’t,” Jayfeather spat1. “And I’m going to make Flametail tell Littlecloud that I didn’t kill him.”
“It won’t be as easy as you think,” Spottedleaf warned. “ShadowClan won’t let you cross their scent line.”
Frustration20 surged through Jayfeather. “You don’t have to help me!”
He flinched21 as Spottedleaf thrust her muzzle22 close. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you!” she hissed23. “I’m just warning you it won’t be easy. Yellowfang’s been feeding StarClan’s fears like a mother feeding her kits24! The stupid old fleabag!”
Jayfeather backed away, startled by her anger. “Then you’ll take me to Flametail?”
“Of course!” She began to head up the trail. “ShadowClan’s territory is this way.”
“Did you actually think I’d abandon ThunderClan?” Spottedleaf muttered.
They broke from the trees and crossed a meadow. The long grass was crushed, battered flat by wind. Jayfeather narrowed his eyes against the stinging rain, his paws squelching27 over rotting flowers. He heard the river ahead. As they reached the bank, his heart twisted. The water was brown and foaming28, running in full flood, crashing over rocks and swirling29 between the muddy banks.
“Where is everyone?”
Spottedleaf flicked her tail toward a huddle31 of cats crouching32 upstream, beneath a rocky overhang. Whitestorm?Jayfeather hardly recognized the white warrior. His pelt clung to him, showing jutting33 ribs34 beneath the soaked fur.
“Prey’s scarce now,” Spottedleaf explained.
Longtail was sitting beside Whitestorm, staring out from the cramped35 cleft36. His eyes were clear and bright, his eyesight restored, but his gaze was tinged37 with sadness.
Jayfeather broke away from Spottedleaf and headed toward his Clanmates. “Longtail!” He greeted the old tom with a purr.
Longtail dipped his head. “It’s good to see you,” he murmured.
A pelt flashed at the corner of Jayfeather’s vision. Brindleface was picking her way down the steep bank edging the rocks. “Jayfeather? Is that you?” She broke into a trot38 as she drew near. “Something terrible has happened to StarClan! We can’t see the Clans anymore.”
“I know,” Jayfeather mewed. “It’s because of the Dark Forest.”
“He’s fine.”
“What about Mousefur?” Longtail blinked anxiously at him.
“Grumpy.” Jayfeather forced out a purr. He wanted to reassure40 them that nothing had changed in ThunderClan territory. “And Ferncloud rules the nursery as ferociously41 as any warrior.”
“What about Briarlight?” Longtail asked. “Has she recovered?”
“She’s doing well,” Jayfeather promised. “And Brightheart’s expecting kits.”
Whitestorm’s eyes gleamed. “That’s great news!”
“Jayfeather!” Spottedleaf’s mew called from behind. “We should get moving.”
“Where are you going?” Longtail leaned forward.
Whitestorm’s gaze darkened. “Don’t cross the border,” he warned.
Longtail lowered his head. “StarClan shouldn’t have leaf-fall, either.”
“I have to find Flametail.” Jayfeather turned away.
Whitestorm whipped around him, blocking his path. “You can’t go there!”
Whitestorm blinked at her, worry sparking in his gaze. “They’ll force you back.”
Whitestorm backed away, letting Jayfeather pass.
“Be careful!” Brindleface called as he followed Spottedleaf away from the rocks.
She led him downstream, following the river across the meadow till it turned and headed away toward a distant wood, finally stopping beside a tree stump47. “We’ve reached the border.”
Jayfeather could smell the washed-out scent of ShadowClan clinging to the dripping brambles that lined the path. He glanced nervously48 around. This is StarClan!he reminded himself. All cats are safe here.
“Get down!” Spottedleaf suddenly crouched49, signaling to Jayfeather with a flick13 of her tail. Pawsteps sounded ahead. Spottedleaf’s gaze darted50 from side to side. “We should hide,” she warned.
“No! This is ridiculous.” Lifting his chin, Jayfeather marched past her and stood in the center of the path. He lifted his tail as Russetfur rounded the corner and halted.
The ShadowClan deputy curled her lip to show sharp yellow teeth. “What are you doing here?”
Raggedpelt and Hollyflower appeared behind her. Raggedpelt hissed as he caught sight of Spottedleaf. “I thought we told you not to cross the border.”
“This is StarClan!” Jayfeather hissed. “There should be no boundaries.”
Spottedleaf weaved around him. “I know you think you’re doing the right thing,” she meowed. “But we have only come to speak with Flametail. Once we’ve done that, we’ll leave.”
Raggedpelt unsheathed his claws. “What do you want with Flametail?”
Jayfeather let his fur smooth and met the ShadowClan deputy’s gaze. “I had a sign,” he explained. “It told me I should talk with Flametail.”
Jayfeather dipped his head. “With respect, given all these boundaries, how would you know?” he pointed52 out. “A cat from any Clan6 could have sent it. But it wasa sign.”
The brambles behind Russetfur shivered and Cedarheart stepped onto the trail. “Let them pass.”
Russetfur bristled. “Why?”
Cedarheart tipped his head on one side. “What harm can it do to let them speak to Flametail?”
Hollyflower growled, “They crossed our border.”
“And they’ll cross it again to return to their own territory before long,” Cedarheart told her.
Russetfur padded closer to Jayfeather. “What’s the point of boundaries if we let any cat cross?”
Cedarheart didn’t move. “Jayfeather isn’t just any cat. You knowthat.”
There was a pause. Then Russetfur lowered her head and took a step backward. “I guess we can make an exception,” she muttered.
Jayfeather nodded. “Thank you.” He padded past the ShadowClan patrol, feeling their gaze burn his fur. He glanced back for Spottedleaf. The ThunderClan medicine cat was following, eyeing the ShadowClan cats warily as she passed. Once they rounded the corner, Jayfeather picked up the pace. “Come on,” he urged over his shoulder.
“Do you know where to look for him?”
“The vision was a burning reed,” Jayfeather told her. “He must be near reeds.”
Spottedleaf looked doubtfully at the pine trees that loomed53 ahead. “Reeds? In ShadowClan territory? That sounds more like RiverClan.”
It was a fair point. Jayfeather scanned the brambles, wondering if there was any water close by.
“Wait.” Spottedleaf halted, her tail lifted. “The river runs through this part of the hunting grounds.” She veered54 off the path and slid between the rambling55 bushes. Jayfeather followed, his fur snagging on thorns. Spottedleaf twisted between the stalks, seeking out gaps they could squeeze through. The ground sloped down beneath their paws and before long, Jayfeather heard the whispering of the river once more.
“There.” Spottedleaf nodded to the muddy river swirling ahead. The slope flattened into reed beds at the river’s edge. “ShadowClan claimed this land just to spite the RiverClan cats.”
Jayfeather scanned the swath of pale stalks, hoping for a flash of orange. “Can you see him?” he asked Spottedleaf, but she was already bounding down the bank. As she slid between the reeds, Jayfeather raced after her. “Flametail?” He nosed his way into the thicket56, shivering as cold water swallowed his paws.
He glimpsed Spottedleaf’s tortoiseshell pelt through the reeds. “Any sign?” he called. Then he paused. A scent touched his nose. ShadowClan, definitely, and fresh. Could it be Flametail? He headed onward57, the ground growing softer beneath his feet. Water brushed his belly fur and he began to struggle with every step as the spongy peat sucked him down. “Flametail?” He strained to see through the stalks. “Flametail!”
Jayfeather tried to take another step but his hind42 leg was stuck. He tugged58, trying to pull it out of the black peat, but the mud sucked harder and he sank deeper. He stretched his shoulders, trying to pull out his forepaws, but they slid farther down until he was buried to his knees. “Spottedleaf! Help!” Panic flooded him. With every tug59 on one paw, another sank deeper. Wetness rose past his belly, soaking his flanks. He lifted his chin as mud began to climb his chest.
Spottedleaf lunged forward and tried to grasp Jayfeather’s scruff in her jaws62, but her teeth clacked shut beside his ear. She scrambled63 back onto firmer ground. “I can’t reach!”
“Stay there!” Jayfeather hissed at her. “We can’t both drown!”
Spottedleaf’s eyes glittered. “Keep as still as you can! I’ll find a stick. You can grab it with your teeth.” She turned, her tail whipping past Jayfeather’s nose as she hared away.
“You look as if you’re in trouble.” A voice sounded from the reeds. Jayfeather jerked his head around and saw an orange face peering at him through the stalks.
“Flametail!” The ShadowClan cat was watching him coldly. “Help me! I’m drowning!”
Flametail took a step forward, then stopped, his eyes burning. “I know how you feel.”
“Can you reach me?” Jayfeather strained to see the ground behind him. Perhaps it was solid enough there to take Flametail’s weight.
“Why should I?” Flametail’s mew was icy. “You didn’t save me.”
“I tried!” Jayfeather felt his whiskers brush the surface of the mud. He tipped his head back, feeling the peat suck at his chin. “But I couldn’t! It wasn’t my time to die. I had to survive!”
Flametail hissed. “And I didn’t?”
Jayfeather searched desperately64 for something to say to convince the ShadowClan cat that his death wasn’t Jayfeather’s fault, but bitter-tasting water was bubbling into the corners of his mouth.
“But you still have a destiny to fulfill66!” Jayfeather shook his head and spat out a mouthful of black water. “You are the only one who can save ShadowClan now! A darkness is coming that will wipe out all your Clanmates if you let it! I need you to unite the Clans. It’s the only way we’ll survive!” He coughed again as a lump of mud hit the back of his throat. “You have to tell Littlecloud I didn’t drown you!”
“Why should I believe you?” Flametail spat. “ThunderClan is full of murderers! Even if you didn’t drown me, your Clanmate tried to kill me as soon as I arrived here.”
“Here?” Jayfeather struggled to speak. “Who?”
“Ivypool!” Flametail thrust his muzzle through the reeds. “I was looking for the path to StarClan and she tried to claw my throat out! She would have succeeded if Tigerheart hadn’t stopped her! Now I’m going to let you die instead!”
Water flooded Jayfeather’s mouth. He slammed his jaws shut, drawing air desperately through his nose as the mud seeped67 up around his cheeks.
“Flametail!” Spottedleaf’s yowl cut through the air. “Stop making threats like a warrior! You’re a medicine cat!” Flametail’s gaze shot toward the tortoiseshell she-cat. She glared at him, a twisted branch at her paws. “You have more power than you ever dreamed of,” she snarled. “You only need to tell the truth.”
Flametail flattened his ears as if he didn’t want to hear.
“Help the medicine cats work together again.” Spottedleaf was begging now. “If our code is broken, the Clans will fall. We are the heartbeat of the Clans, not the warrior code. Think of the promises you made.”
Water bubbling at his nose, Jayfeather watched Flametail shift his paws. Mud slid over his spine and he could no longer feel his legs. A strange peace had washed over him, as if he knew there was no point fighting anymore.
“Is it really in my power?” Flametail murmured.
Jayfeather tried to nod. Yes! You have the power of the stars in your paws!But his muscles wouldn’t work and he closed his eyes, suddenly feeling more tired than he had ever felt in his life. He was dimly aware of a blur68 of movement in front of him, but it seemed a long way off.
Suddenly he felt something jabbing against his forepaws. Spottedleaf had pushed the branch deep into the mud and was prodding69 him with it. “Wake up, Jayfeather! Come on!” she hissed. “I will not let you die like this!”
There was a crackle of reeds and the sound of splashing as Flametail forced his way through the reeds to join her. He crouched down and held the end of the stick in his teeth, steadying it while Spottedleaf steered70 the other end closer to Jayfeather.
“Come on!” Spottedleaf yowled.
Jayfeather blinked. He couldn’t give up. He had found Flametail! There was still hope! Fighting through the mud, he flailed71 his paws until he hooked a claw around the tip of the branch. Dragging it closer, he wrapped both front legs around it. Sodden72 peat splashed into his face, forcing his eyes to close and making him retch, but he didn’t let go.
“Pull!” Spottedleaf gave the order and the two medicine cats began to heave on the branch.
Jayfeather felt himself being hauled forward and upward. He gasped73 as his mouth surfaced, gulping74 in air. Spottedleaf and Flametail grunted75 with effort as they slowly dragged him from the mud. Kicking out with his hind legs, Jayfeather managed to scrabble out of the bog76. He collapsed77, panting among the reeds, and felt Spottedleaf’s paws massaging78 his chest.
“I’m okay,” he gasped. “I only swallowed a bit.” A hacking79 cough cut him off and he spewed up muddy water.
“We should go.” Spottedleaf turned away. “There isn’t much time.”
Flametail nudged Jayfeather to his paws. “Time for what?”
“To speak to the medicine cats!” Spottedleaf called over her shoulder as she bounded up the slope. Flametail shot after her.
Not much time?Jayfeather pushed through the reeds and struggled up the slope. When he reached the top, he saw Spottedleaf and Flametail pelting80 toward the pines. He raced after them, gathering81 speed as the shock of his soaking began to fade. What’s the hurry?
Then he remembered. They’ll be dreaming like I am. We must speak to them before they wake up!He pushed harder against the ground, closing the gap on Flametail and Spottedleaf until he caught up with them at the edge of the pines.
Spottedleaf stopped and stared into the trees wild-eyed. “We have to find them!” she panted. “Before the sun rises.”
Flametail’s eyes widened. “Quick!” He hared along a trail that swerved82 among the pines. “I know where Littlecloud visits!”
The ShadowClan medicine cat was standing in a hollow. He jerked around, blinking in surprise. “Flametail? Jayfeather?”
Jayfeather bounded down the slope toward him. “I know,” he mewed quickly. “I’m not supposed to be a medicine cat anymore, but Flametail has something to tell you!”
Littlecloud’s gaze flicked to the orange medicine cat. “Where have you been? I’ve been searching for you.”
Flametail dipped his head. “I’ve been staying out of sight since I died,” he meowed apologetically.
“But now I know you’re safe with our ancestors.” Littlecloud touched his Clanmate’s cheek with his muzzle.
Spottedleaf nosed between them. “We can’t stay here. We have to tell all the medicine cats while they’re still sharing dreams with StarClan. Littlecloud, come with us.” She turned to Flametail. “What’s the quickest way to WindClan’s part of the hunting grounds?”
“Out of the pines and head for the gorse.” Spottedleaf nodded and raced away.
Jayfeather paused before following her. He held Flametail’s bright blue gaze for several long heartbeats. There was so much he could say, but he had a feeling Flametail knew what it was already. “Thank you,” he murmured.
Flametail nodded. “For the Clans,” he meowed.
“For the Clans,” Jayfeather echoed. Then he spun85 around and sent pine needles spraying behind him as he dashed after Spottedleaf. He heard Flametail and Littlecloud racing86 after him, their paws ringing hollow on the damp earth.
They broke from the pines onto a hillside crowded by heather; it rose toward a glowering87, purple-gray sky. Spottedleaf plunged88 through a gap between the bushes and disappeared. Jayfeather raced after her, Flametail and Littlecloud at his heels. The path wound steeply upward, walled by prickly bushes on either side. Jayfeather sensed they were not alone: Pelts flashed between the stems, eyes shining in the shadows, but no cat stopped them.
As they neared the summit, a thick swath of gorse blocked their path. Zigzagging90 frantically91, Jayfeather spotted12 an opening and darted through. He exploded out onto a rocky plateau.
Spottedleaf burst out after him. “There he is!” She raced toward a lone89 figure that sat at the edge of the rock. Kestrelflight turned to face them, his ears flat.
Spottedleaf scrambled to a halt beside him. “We need to talk to you!”
Jayfeather skidded92 on the smooth stone, gasping93 as he saw the ground drop away. He dug in his claws and stopped just in time. Kestrelflight’s front paws were curled over the edge of a steep cliff. Far below, a wide valley rolled toward a distant horizon where it was swallowed by billowing cloud.
Kestrelflight frowned. “What’s going on?”
“We need Willowshine!” As Littlecloud and Flametail caught up, Spottedleaf scanned the valley. “Is that RiverClan land down there?”
“There’s no need to go there.”
A voice sounded behind them. Willowshine was stalking across the hilltop toward them. “I saw you and wondered what you were doing.” She stared at Jayfeather. “Are you here because of Mothwing? She said you’d visited RiverClan today.”
“Yes.” Jayfeather could hardly get his breath. “There was a sign for me.”
Willowshine nodded. “That’s why she told me to share dreams with StarClan tonight. I thought it was strange. She doesn’t usually mention StarClan.”
Panic flashed through Jayfeather as he realized that the RiverClan medicine cat was beginning to fade. Willowshine was being pulled away from StarClan. Kestrelflight was growing paler, too. And Littlecloud. Jayfeather looked down at his front paws and saw gray stone where his toes should have been.
“The sun is rising over the lake! The medicine cats are leaving us.” Spottedleaf gazed at Flametail. “Quick, tell them!”
“Jayfeather didn’t kill me!” Flametail blurted94 out the truth. “I drowned. Jayfeather was trying to save me. But I was too heavy and the current was too strong. My death was not his fault!”
“Thank you, Flametail.” Jayfeather dipped his head as the landscape around began to swirl30. “You have fulfilled your destiny.”
The flame-colored ShadowClan medicine cat lifted his head. He must be the fourth cat.Jayfeather looked around at the other medicine cats. They were almost transparent95. “Let’s meet at the Moonpool tomorrow.”
“Yes!” Kestrelflight called.
“I’ll be there!” Willowshine promised.
“Me too!” Littlecloud’s mew was no more than a whisper as he disappeared.
Flametail’s orange pelt burned against the fading rock. “How strange that I had to wait until I died to fulfill my destiny.” He stared at Jayfeather. “Thank you for coming to find me.” Peace flooded his gaze. “Whatever happens now, I’ll stand side by side with the Clans. All of them.”
“Jayfeather.” As the world disappeared, Spottedleaf’s breath brushed his ear fur. “He’s not the fourth cat.”
“He must be!” Jayfeather shifted in his nest.
“No! You have to keep looking!” Spottedleaf’s voice echoed in his mind as Jayfeather woke, opening his eyes into blackness.
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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grassy
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| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
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dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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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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thumping
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| adj.重大的，巨大的；重击的；尺码大的；极好的adv.极端地；非常地v.重击(thump的现在分词)；狠打；怦怦地跳；全力支持 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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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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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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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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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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hunched
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| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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pelts
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| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
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seethe
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| vi.拥挤，云集；发怒，激动，骚动 | |
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warily
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| adv.留心地 | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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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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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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scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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squelching
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| v.发吧唧声，发扑哧声( squelch的现在分词 )；制止；压制；遏制 | |
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foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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swirling
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| v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 ) | |
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swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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huddle
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| vi.挤作一团；蜷缩；vt.聚集；n.挤在一起的人 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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tinged
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| v.（使）发丁丁声( ting的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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trot
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| n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧 | |
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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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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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ferociously
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| 野蛮地，残忍地 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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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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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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spine
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| n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊 | |
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flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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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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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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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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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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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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veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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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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tug
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| v.用力拖(或拉)；苦干；n.拖；苦干；拖船 | |
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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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screeched
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| v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
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jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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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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fulfill
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| vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意 | |
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seeped
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| v.（液体）渗( seep的过去式和过去分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出 | |
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blur
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| n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚 | |
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prodding
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| v.刺，戳( prod的现在分词 )；刺激；促使；（用手指或尖物）戳 | |
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steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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flailed
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| v.鞭打( flail的过去式和过去分词 )；用连枷脱粒；（臂或腿）无法控制地乱动；扫雷坦克 | |
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sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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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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gulping
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的现在分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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grunted
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| （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 | |
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bog
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| n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖 | |
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collapsed
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| adj.倒塌的 | |
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massaging
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| 按摩，推拿( massage的现在分词 ) | |
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hacking
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| n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动 | |
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pelting
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| 微不足道的，无价值的，盛怒的 | |
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gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pelted
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| （连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮 | |
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crested
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| adj.有顶饰的，有纹章的，有冠毛的v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的过去式和过去分词 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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glowering
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| v.怒视( glower的现在分词 ) | |
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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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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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zigzagging
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| v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的现在分词 )；盘陀 | |
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frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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skidded
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| v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的过去式和过去分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区 | |
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gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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blurted
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| v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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