Wolf Brother: Chapters 18–23

by Michelle Paver
Twelve-year-old Torak and his wolf cub companion must defeat the demon-bear of the Forest to fulfill an oath to his father and to save his present world. Torak and Wolf face many dangers but also make friends that help them along the way.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–9, Chapters 10–17, Chapters 18–23, Chapters 24–32
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. carrion
    the dead and rotting body of an animal; unfit for human food
    Every time Torak went to look, there was nothing but a stink of carrion and an uneasy feeling of being watched.
  2. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    Next morning dawned colder and foggier than ever, and even Wolf seemed dejected as he led them upstream.
  3. dank
    unpleasantly cool and humid
    Soon afterwards, the trail forked. To the left, it wound into a valley of misty beech trees; to the right, it disappeared up a dank gully, its steep sides an uninviting jumble of moss-covered boulders.
  4. twinge
    a sudden sharp feeling
    Looking at Wolf waiting patiently, Torak felt a twinge of guilt.
  5. rancid
    having an offensive smell or taste
    In an instant he took in a ruined face as rough as tree bark; waist-length hair matted with filth; a rancid cape of slimy yellow reeds.
  6. acrid
    strong and sharp, as a taste or smell
    The cave floor sloped away steeply. Cold flowed from it: an acrid uprush of air like the breath of some ancient creature that has never seen the sun.
  7. pith
    spongelike central cylinder of the stems of flowering plants
    ‘You’ll need light,’ said Renn, glad to be doing something practical. From her pack she brought out two rushlights: the peeled pith of rushes that had been soaked in deer fat, then dried in the sun.
  8. noisome
    offensively malodorous
    The floor sank beneath his boot: a noisome softness sucking him down. ‘The killing earth that gulps and swallows ...’
  9. stealthy
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    His cry rang round the walls, and far above him he heard a stealthy movement. Something dark detached itself from the roof and swooped towards him.
  10. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    For a heartbeat, Torak was back with Fa on the night of the attack, transfixed by the malice of those demon haunted eyes ...
  11. malice
    the quality of threatening evil
    For a heartbeat, Torak was back with Fa on the night of the attack, transfixed by the malice of those demon haunted eyes ...
  12. uproarious
    marked by boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter
    Because of the Nanuak, Wolf might be dead.
    No more grooming-nibbles in the morning; no more uproarious games of hide and hunt… Torak bit his knuckle, fighting his fear. He couldn’t lose Wolf.
  13. half-hearted
    feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm
    She sat up and took a half-hearted bite of her day meal.
  14. overarching
    forming a curved shape above something
    It was as if a great, overarching wave had been frozen by one touch of the World Spirit’s finger.
  15. torrent
    a violently fast stream of water or other liquid
    The way to the west was blocked by a torrent of meltwater that had carved a deep blue gully.
Created on Wed Dec 31 20:09:18 EST 2025 (updated Mon Mar 02 12:54:46 EST 2026)

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