Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9 Brambleclaw slipped through the trees, jaws parted to distinguish ThunderClan scent from among the mingled Clan scents that hovered in the air. It wasn't easy; they had traveled together for so long that the Clans no longer kept their separate, distinctive scents. Cats were darting everywhere, trying to say good-bye to friends in other Clans. There was so much activity, so much tension crackling between different cats that Brambleclaw could almost imagine he was in the thick of a battle—except in this battle there were no enemies. Already it was sunhigh, and Firestar was eager to set out for the new territory. He had sent Brambleclaw to make sure no cat was left behind when they set out for their new home. Brambleclaw spotted Mousefur saying goodbye to Heavystep from RiverClan. The ThunderClan warrior looked thin and tired. Perhaps when they reached their new camp it would be time for her to join the elders.

第九章 棘爪穿过树林，张开嘴分辨，想从空气中混杂的各族气味里找出雷族的味道。 这可一点都不容易； 他们一起同行太久，各族早已没了各自独特分明的气味。 猫儿们四处跑动，忙着和其他族群的朋友道别。 这里满是动静，不同猫儿之间张力拉满，棘爪几乎觉得自己身在激战——只不过这场仗没有敌人。 此时太阳已经升到头顶，火星急着出发前往新领地。 他派棘爪来确认，出发去新家时没有猫落队。 棘爪看见鼠毛正和河族的褐步道别。 这位雷族武士看起来消瘦又疲惫。 说不定等他们到新营地，就该让她加入长老队伍了。

"Hi, Mousefur," he meowed. "Firestar would like us all to gather near the stump now." He carefully avoided giving her a direct order; Mousefur had a short temper, and he didn't want his tail snapped off. "Okay, I'm coming." Mousefur gave Heavystep's ear a quick lick. "Go safely," she told him. "I'll see you at the Gathering." "Good-bye, Mousefur." Heavystep watched her go before nodding to Brambleclaw and slipping into the trees where RiverClan was gathering. Brambleclaw almost ran into Squirrelflight, who skidded around the trunk of a tree right under his paws. "Hi, I was looking for you," she panted. "Come with me." She doubled back and led him down into a small hollow where Tawnypelt and Crowfeather were waiting. "We have to say good-bye properly," she meowed. "This is the end of our journey, now the Clans are separating." A thorn of sorrow pierced Brambleclaw's heart. Squirrelflight was right. Their quest was at

"你好呀，鼠毛，"他喵道。 "火星叫我们大家现在到树桩那边集合啦。" 他小心翼翼没给她下直接命令； 鼠毛脾气火爆，他可不想惹得对方咬断自己的尾巴。 "好啦，我这就来。" 鼠毛飞快舔了舔褐步的耳朵。 "一路平安，"她对他说。 "森林大会上见哦。" "再见了，鼠毛。" 褐步目送她离开，冲棘爪点点头，就钻进树林里，往河族集合的地方去了。 棘爪差点撞到松鼠飞，她擦着树干滑出来，正好到了他爪子底下。 "嗨，我正在找你呢，"她喘着气说。 "跟我来。" 她折回身，带着棘爪走进一处小洼地，褐皮和鸦羽正在这儿等着。 "我们得好好地道个别，"她喵道。 "我们的旅程结束了，现在族群就要分开了。" 棘爪心头被一阵悲伤刺中。 松鼠飞说得没错。 他们的探险任务已经到

an end. They had faced danger side by side, and somewhere amid the fear, the darkness, and the desperate race to save their Clanmates, they had found true friendship. But their first loyalty had to be to their Clans. It seemed like nine lifetimes ago that they had first left the forest, and sometimes it was even hard to remember how strong their friendship had been on their long journey to the sun-drown-place. Brambleclaw looked at Squirrelflight and wondered if she would still trust him with her life. He padded over to Crowfeather and Tawnypelt and touched noses with them. Gazing into their eyes, he saw memories swimming there like fish. "We'll never forget what we did," Tawnypelt murmured. "We'll be stronger all our lives for it." All four cats stood in silence until Crowfeather mewed somberly, "We should be six." Brambleclaw flinched as he thought of the two cats who would never return to their Clan: Feathertail, who had selflessly given her life, and Stormfur, left behind with the Tribe of Rushing

尽头了。 他们曾并肩面对危险，在恐惧、黑暗和拯救族伴的拼命赶路途中，收获了真挚的友谊。 但他们最先要忠于的，是自己的族群。 他们第一次离开森林好像是好几辈子前的事，有时候都很难想起，在前往太阳沉水之地的漫长旅途中，他们的友谊有多深厚。 棘爪看向松鼠飞，不知道她还会不会愿意以性命相托。 他走到鸦羽和褐皮身边，和他们碰了碰鼻子。 望进他们的眼睛，他看见回忆像鱼儿一样在里面浮动。 "我们永远不会忘记一起经历的一切，"褐皮轻声说。 "这件事会让我们一辈子都变得更强大。" 四只猫静静站着，最后鸦羽沉郁地喵道："我们本该是六只猫的。" 棘爪心头一震，想起了那两只永远回不了族群的猫：无私献出生命的羽尾，还有留在急水

Water. "We are six," Squirrelflight mewed softly. "They'll always be with us as long as we remember them." Crowfeather's gaze was fixed on the far distance. In a voice almost too low to hear, he murmured, "Sometimes remembering is not enough." Tawnypelt gave herself a shake. "Well, this won't catch any prey," she meowed. "I'd best be off. I'll see you all at the Gathering." She turned and bounded away, the others calling good-byes after her. Crowfeather dipped his head. "May you travel safely," he mewed, beginning to back away. "We'll be traveling together for a while," Brambleclaw pointed out. "We have to cross your territory to reach ours." "But we must keep with our own Clans now." Crowfeather turned and disappeared over the top of the hollow. Brambleclaw stared after him, wishing there were something he could do about Crowfeather's stubborn belief that he had to do everything

部落的暴毛。 "我们就是六只，"松鼠飞轻声说。 "只要我们还记得他们，他们就永远和我们在一起。" 鸦羽的目光望向远方。 他用轻得几乎听不见的声音低语："有时候，光是记得不够。" 褐皮抖了抖身子。 "哎呀，再耗着也抓不到猎物呀，"她喵道。 "我该走了。 森林大会上见。" 她转身蹦跳着离开，其他猫在她身后道别。 鸦羽点了点头。 "祝你一路平安，"他说完，就往后退去。 "我们接下来还会一起走一段路呀，"棘爪提醒他。 "我们得穿过你的领地才能到我们的领地呀。" "但我们现在必须回到自己族群了。" 鸦羽转身消失在洼地尽头。 棘爪望着他的背影，真希望能做点什么，改变鸦羽那固执的想法——他必须每件事都

alone. His grief for Feathertail seemed to have convinced him that friendship brought nothing but pain. Squirrelflight brushed his ear with her tail-tip. "Come on. Firestar will be looking for us." On their way back to the clearing they caught up with Mousefur's apprentice, Spiderpaw, who was saying good-bye to a couple of RiverClan apprentices. Squirrelflight gave him a friendly cuff around the ear and told him to come with them before he got left behind. When they reached the stump they found the rest of ThunderClan sitting in small groups, waiting to leave. Dustpelt was trying to check that every cat was there. "Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight are missing," he meowed irritably to Firestar as Brambleclaw came within earshot. "And Spiderpaw—oh, there you are," he added as he spotted them. "Right, Firestar, that's every cat." "Good," meowed Firestar. He leaped onto the tree stump, where Blackstar was already waiting. Leopardstar joined them a moment later, and Onewhisker raced

孤零零的。 对羽尾的逝去满心悲痛的他，似乎认定友谊只会带来痛苦。 松鼠飞用尾尖轻轻扫过他的耳朵。 “走吧。 火星该找我们了。” 回空地的路上，他们追上了鼠毛的学徒蛛爪，他正和两名河族学徒道别。 松鼠飞友好地拍了拍他的耳朵，叫他赶紧跟上，免得被落下。 他们赶到树桩旁时，看到雷族其他猫三三两两地坐着，等待出发。 尘毛正在清点，确认每只猫都到齐了。 “棘爪和松鼠飞不见了，”棘爪走近时，他正烦躁地对火星说。 “还有蛛爪——哦，原来你们在这儿，”看到他们后，他补了一句。 “好了火星，所有猫都到齐了。” “很好，”火星开口道。 他跳上树桩，黑星已经在那里等候了。 不一会儿豹星也上来了，一根须从风族队伍

across from WindClan and sat below them, among the roots. There was only room for three cats to stand on the stump—but Brambleclaw noticed Mudclaw give a tiny satisfied nod, as if he was pleased Onewhisker hadn't been able to stand with the other leaders. A chill ran through his fur. This was not the start WindClan needed for their new life beside the lake. The rest of the cats stirred restlessly, and one or two stood up and clawed the ground. They were too excited at the prospect of finding their new homes to sit quietly and listen to their leaders. "The four of us have been discussing possible boundaries," Blackstar began, "and we need to tell you what we have decided." Brambleclaw's ears pricked. Wasn't it rather early to settle this? After all, his patrol hadn't had a chance to explore every pawstep of the new territories. But maybe it was better to prepare the cats for the extent of each territory, to avoid one Clan claiming more than their share. "Tawnypelt reported a small Thunderpath running alongside the pine woods," Blackstar

那头飞奔过来，坐在他们下方的树根之间。 树桩上只能容下三只猫——但棘爪注意到泥爪满意地点了下头，仿佛很高兴一根须没能和其他族长站在一起。 一股寒意顺着他的毛皮漫开。 这可不是风族在湖畔开启新生活该有的好开头。 其他猫不安地骚动起来，有一两只站起身挠了挠地面。 一想到马上就能找到新家，他们兴奋得坐不住，没法安安静静听族长讲话。 “我们四个族长已经商量好大致的边界划分了，”黑星开口道，“现在就把决定告诉大家。” 棘爪一下子竖起了耳朵。 现在就定边界，是不是太早了？ 毕竟，他的巡逻队还没来得及把新领地的每一寸都探查清楚。 不过提前让大家清楚各领地的范围也好，能避免某个族群多占份额。 “褐皮汇报说，松树林旁有一条小雷路，”黑星