Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 "Hey, Firepaw, wake up!" Graypaw's meow broke into Firepaw's dream. He had been chasing a squirrel, up and up, into the topmost branches of a tall oak. "Training begins at sunrise. Dustpaw and Sandpaw are already up," Graypaw added urgently. Firepaw stretched sleepily, then remembered: today was his first day of training. He leaped to his paws. His drowsiness evaporated as excitement surged through his veins. Graypaw was giving himself a hasty wash. Between licks, he meowed, "I've just spoken to Lionheart. Ravenpaw won't be training with us till his wound is better. He'll probably stay at Spottedleaf's den for another day or two. Dustpaw and Sandpaw are on hunting duty. So Lionheart thought you and I could train with him and Tigerclaw this morning. We'd better hurry, though," he added. "They'll be waiting!" Graypaw led Firepaw quickly through the gorse entrance of the camp and up the side of the rock-strewn valley. As they climbed over the crest

第五章“嘿，火爪，醒醒！”灰爪的喵喵声打破了火爪的梦。 他一直在追一只松鼠，一直追到一棵高橡树的最顶端。 “训练从日出开始。 灰爪和Sandpaw已经起来了。”灰爪急切地补充道。 火爪睡眼惺忪地伸伸懒腰，然后想起来：今天是他训练的第一天。 他跳了起来。兴奋在他的血管里涌动，他的睡意消失了。 格雷paw正在匆匆地给自己洗澡。 在舔的间隙，他喵喵地说：“我刚刚和狮心王说过话。 拉文爪的伤好了才会和我们一起训练。 他可能还会在斑点叶的窝里待一两天。 Dustpaw和Sandpaw正在执行狩猎任务。 所以狮心王觉得你和我今天早上可以跟他和虎爪一起训练。 不过我们最好快点，”他补充说。 “他们会等着的！”灰爪领着火爪迅速穿过了长满金雀花的营地入口，爬上了布满岩石的山谷。 当他们爬过山顶时

of the ravine, a cool breeze ruffled their fur. Fat, white clouds raced across the blue sky overhead. Firepaw felt fierce joy well up inside him as he followed Graypaw down a tree-shaded slope and into a sandy hollow. Tigerclaw and Lionheart were indeed waiting, sitting a few tail-lengths apart on the sun-warmed sand. "In future, I expect you both to be punctual," growled Tigerclaw. "Don't be too severe, Tigerclaw; it was a busy night last night. I expect they were tired," meowed Lionheart gently. "You have not yet been assigned a mentor, Firepaw," he went on. "For now, Tigerclaw and I will share your training." Firepaw nodded enthusiastically, his tail held high, unable to disguise his delight at having two such great warriors as his mentors. "Come," meowed Tigerclaw impatiently. "Today we are going to show you the edges of our territory, so that you know where you will be hunting and what boundaries you need to protect. Graypaw, it won't do you any harm to remind yourself of the Clan's outer limits."

在山谷中，一阵凉风吹皱了它们的皮毛。 厚厚的白云在头顶的蓝天上掠过。 火爪跟着灰爪下了一个有树荫的斜坡，进入了一个沙洞，他心里涌起了强烈的喜悦。 虎爪和狮心确实在等着，它们坐在阳光温暖的沙滩上，相距几尾远。 “以后，我希望你们俩都能准时。”虎爪咆哮道。 “别太严厉了，虎爪；昨晚真是个繁忙的夜晚。 我想他们一定是累了。”狮心温柔地喵喵叫道。 “你还没有被指派导师呢，火爪。” “现在，虎爪和我将分享你的训练。” 火爪热情地点点头，尾巴高高翘起，无法掩饰有两位如此伟大的战士作为他的导师的喜悦。 “来吧。”虎爪不耐烦地叫道。 “今天，我们将向你展示我们领地的边缘，这样你就知道你将在哪里狩猎以及你需要保护的边界。 格雷paw，提醒自己氏族的外部界限对你没有什么坏处。”

Without another word, Tigerclaw leaped up and bounded out of the sandy hollow. Lionheart nodded to Graypaw and they took off with equal speed. Firepaw scrambled after them, his paws slipping on the soft sand. The trees were thick in this part of the forest, birch and ash trees overshadowed by mighty oaks. The ground was carpeted with crisp dead leaves that rustled beneath their paws. Tigerclaw paused to spray his scent on a thick clump of ferns. The other cats stopped beside him. "There is a Twoleg path here," murmured Lionheart. "Use your nose, Firepaw. Can you smell anything?" Firepaw sniffed. There was the faint scent of a Twoleg, and the stronger smell of a dog, familiar to him from his old home. "A Twoleg has walked his dog along here, but they are gone now," he mewed. "Good," meowed Lionheart. "Do you think it is safe to cross?" Firepaw sniffed again. The odors were weak and seemed overlaid with fresher forest smells. "Yes," he replied.

虎爪二话没说，跳了起来，跳出了沙洞。 狮心向灰爪点点头，他们以同样的速度出发了。 火爪跟在他们后面，爪子在松软的沙子上打滑。 这片森林里树木茂密，桦树和白蜡树被高大的橡树盖住了。 地上铺满了脆脆的枯叶，在它们的脚掌下沙沙作响。 虎爪停下来，把他的气味喷在一丛厚厚的蕨类植物上。 其他的猫停在他身边。 “这里有一条特沃列格小径。”狮心喃喃地说。 “用你的鼻子，火爪。你闻到什么了吗？”Firepaw闻了闻。 有一股特沃列格狗的气味，还有一股更强烈的狗的气味，这是他在老家所熟悉的。 “一个特沃勒格人曾在这里遛狗，但现在他们走了。”他叫道。 “很好，”狮心猫叫道。“你认为过河安全吗？”火爪又闻了闻。 气味很弱，似乎覆盖着更新鲜的森林气味。 “是的，”他回答。

Tigerclaw nodded, and the four cats stalked out from beneath the ferns and crossed the sharp stones of the narrow Twoleg path. The trees beyond were pine. They grew tall and straight, row after row. It was easy to walk silently here. The ground was thick with layers of dead needles, which prickled against Firepaw's pads but felt spongy underneath. There was no undergrowth here to hide in, and Firepaw sensed tension in the other cats as they stalked unprotected between the tree trunks. "Twolegs put these trees here," meowed Tigerclaw. "They cut them down with foul- smelling creatures, which spew enough fumes to make a kit go blind. Then they take the fallen trees to the Treecut place that lies near here." Firepaw stopped and listened for the roar of the tree-eater, which he had heard before. "The Treecut place will be silent for a few moons more, until the time of greenleaf," explained Graypaw, noticing his pause. The cats padded on through the pine forest. "Twolegplace lies in that direction," meowed Tigerclaw, flicking his thick tail to one side. "No

虎爪点了点头，四只猫从蕨类植物下走出来，穿过狭窄的特沃格小路上尖锐的石头。 远处的树是松树。 它们一排接一排地长得又高又直。 在这里静静地走着很容易。 地面上密密麻麻地埋着一层层的死针，刺在火爪的脚垫上，但下面却像海绵一样柔软。 这里没有矮树丛可躲，其他猫在树干间毫无防备地走动时，火爪感觉到了它们的紧张。 “两条腿把这些树放在这里。”虎爪叫道。 “他们用臭气熏天的生物把它们砍倒，这些生物喷出的烟雾足以使一个工具包失明。 然后他们把倒下来的树带到这里附近的砍树处。” 火爪停下来，倾听着吃树兽的吼声，那是他以前听到过的。 “再过几个月，树林子就会安静下来，直到绿叶的时候。”灰爪注意到他的停顿，解释道。 猫蹑手蹑脚地穿过松林。 “两个地方在那个方向。”虎爪叫道，把粗尾巴甩向一边。 “不

doubt you can smell it, Firepaw. Today, however, we will head the other way." Eventually they reached another Twoleg path that marked the far edge of the pine forest. They quickly crossed over into the safe bushes of the oak woods beyond. But Firepaw still sensed anxiety in the other cats. "We're approaching RiverClan territory," whispered Graypaw. "The Sunningrocks are over there." He pointed with his soft muzzle to a treeless mound of boulders. Firepaw felt his fur stand on end. This was where Redtail had been slain. Lionheart stopped by a flat gray rock. "This is the boundary between ThunderClan and RiverClan territory. RiverClan rules the hunting grounds beside the great river," he meowed. "Breathe deeply, Firepaw." The pungent smell of unfamiliar cats hit the roof of Firepaw's mouth. He was surprised how different it smelled from the warm cat scents of the ThunderClan camp. And he was also surprised to realize just how familiar and comforting the ThunderClan scents seemed to him already.

我想你闻不出来，火爪。 然而，今天我们要走另一条路。” 最后，他们来到了松树林尽头的另一条特沃列格小径。 他们很快就穿过了对面橡树林中安全的灌木丛。 但是火爪仍然感觉到其他猫的焦虑。 “我们正在接近河族领地。”格雷paw悄声说。 “太阳岩在那边。” 它用柔软的口吻指着一堆没有树的大石头。 火爪觉得自己的毛都竖起来了。 这就是红尾巴被杀的地方。 狮心王停在一块平坦的灰色岩石旁。 “这里是雷族和河族的疆界。 河族统治着大河边的狩猎场。”他喵喵地叫道。 “深呼吸，火爪。” 不熟悉的猫的刺鼻气味扑鼻到火爪的上颚。 他惊讶地发现，这种气味与雷电氏族营地里温暖的猫的气味是如此不同。 他也惊讶地发现，雷电氏族的气味对他来说是多么熟悉和安慰。

"That is the smell of RiverClan," Tigerclaw growled beside him. "Remember it well. It will be strongest at the boundary, because their warriors will have scent-marked the trees along here." With these words, the dark tabby lifted his tail and sprayed his own mark on the flat rock. "We'll follow this boundary line, as it leads straight to Fourtrees," Lionheart meowed. He set off quickly, away from the Sunningrocks, followed by Tigerclaw. Graypaw and Firepaw trotted after them. "What is Fourtrees?" Firepaw panted. "It is where the territories of all four Clans meet," replied Graypaw. "There are four great oaks there, as old as the Clans—" "Be quiet!" ordered Tigerclaw. "Don't forget how close we are to enemy territory!" The two apprentices fell silent and Firepaw concentrated on walking silently. They crossed a shallow stream, keeping their paws dry by leaping from boulder to boulder across the pebbly riverbed. By the time they reached Fourtrees, Firepaw was feeling completely out of breath and his paws

“这是河族的味道。”虎爪在他身边咆哮道。 “记住这一点。因为他们的勇士已经在这一带的树上作了记号。” 说完这些话，深色虎斑猫抬起尾巴，在平坦的岩石上喷了自己的印记。 “我们要沿着这条边界线走，因为它直通四棵树。”狮心猫叫道。 他飞快地离开了太阳岩，虎爪跟在后面。 灰爪和火爪跟在他们后面小跑。 “四棵树是什么？”Firepaw气喘。 “这是四个氏族的领地交汇的地方。”灰爪回答。 “那里有四棵大橡树，和氏族一样古老——”“安静！”虎爪命令道。 “别忘了我们离敌人领土有多近！”两个徒弟默不作声，火爪只顾默默地走着。 他们穿过一条浅浅的小溪，在布满卵石的河床上从一块巨石跳到另一块巨石，以保持脚掌不湿。 当他们到达四棵树的时候，火爪已经完全上气不接下气了