Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 Fox! Brambleclaw lifted his head to taste the air more carefully. The scent clung to the bramble thicket beside him, strongest around a rough- edged tunnel that looked as if it had been made by slender bodies pushing regularly through it. "It was here not long ago," he warned Brackenfur. "There might be a den nearby." They were leading a patrol to find landmarks for the boundaries of the new territory, and to put down the first scent markers. Rainwhisker was with them, and Dustpelt had come too, leaving Whitepaw and Spiderpaw dragging thorns into place to block the camp entrance. "We'll report it to Firestar," Brackenfur decided. "We need to be careful until we find out whether it lives here or was just passing through." Brambleclaw nodded. His fur tingled with excitement, all his doubts about the hollow forgotten now that it was daylight and the cats could see what a good place it made for a camp.

第十二章 狐狸！ 棘爪抬起头，更仔细地嗅辨空气中的气味 这股气味沾在他身旁的荆棘丛上，那道边缘粗糙的洞口气味最浓，那洞口看着就像是瘦长身子经常挤蹭出来的 "它不久前还在这里，"他警告蕨毛说 "这附近说不定有它的窝" 他们带队巡逻，是为了给新领地找边界地标，还要留下第一批气味标记 雨须和他们同行，尘毛也来了，留下白爪和蜘蛛爪拖荆棘堵住营地入口 "我们得把这事报告给火星，"蕨毛决定道 "在搞清楚它是住在这里还是只是路过之前，我们都得小心" 棘爪点了点头 他的皮毛因为兴奋微微发麻，天亮了，众猫都看出这山谷做营地有多合适，他之前对山谷的所有疑虑都烟消云散了

He had been glad when Firestar chose him to patrol the new boundaries; every pawstep made the woods feel more like ThunderClan territory, and he deliberately brushed against brambles and tree trunks as he walked along, to leave a scent trail that was unmistakably theirs. He let Brackenfur take the lead as they padded on. As they skirted a clump of hazel, Dustpelt stopped to sniff a low-hanging branch. He looked up, and his eyes were so full of concern that the other three went over to examine the scent as well. They looked apprehensively at each other as they scented Twolegs. "At least it's stale," Brackenfur pointed out. "Days old, I'd say." "But they come here." Dustpelt curled his lip. "If I never see another Twoleg, it'll be too soon." Brambleclaw took a deep breath to stop his heart pounding. He felt exactly the same way, but it would be a sign of weakness to show his fear in front of these warriors. This was their home now, and they couldn't live every day expecting to have it snatched away from them.

火星选他巡逻新边界的时候，他十分开心 每走一步，这片森林都更像雷族的领地，他走路时故意蹭过荆棘和树干，好留下清清楚楚属于他们的气味痕迹 他们继续前进的时候，他让蕨毛走在前面带路 他们绕过一丛榛树，尘毛停下来嗅一根低垂的树枝 他抬起头，满脸担忧，另外三只猫也走过去检查这股气味 他们闻出是两脚兽的味道，都不安地看着彼此 "至少气味已经淡了，"蕨毛提醒大家 "要我说，已经放了好几天了" "可他们来过这儿" 尘毛撇了撇嘴 "我就算再也见不到两脚兽，都嫌不够" 棘爪深吸一口气，才压下狂跳的心脏 他其实也这么想，但在这些武士面前露出恐惧，就等于承认自己软弱 这里现在是他们的家了，他们不能天天活在家园会被抢走的恐惧里

He let his tail-tip rest briefly on the older warrior's shoulder. "This is the first scent we've picked up since leaving the hollow," he pointed out. "And we're a long way away from a Thunderpath. There won't be any monsters." Dustpelt flicked his ears and padded on without speaking. The others followed, Brambleclaw keeping to the back, half-afraid the others would see the terror in his eyes as he tried to push away images of the forest crashing down around them. "Let's hunt!" Brackenfur suggested. "Good idea," Rainwhisker agreed. No cat mentioned that it would be a welcome diversion from thoughts of Twolegs and monsters, but they all concentrated on tracking prey as if they had been starving for a moon. Brambleclaw slowed down to drink in the mingled scent of squirrel and rabbit and birds. He jumped when he heard an alarm call, and saw that Rainwhisker had brought down a starling. Nodding appreciatively, he headed past the young warrior, farther into the forest, until he spotted a thrush pecking among the gnarled roots

他把尾尖轻轻搭在这位年长武士的肩膀上 "这是我们离开山谷后发现的第一股陌生气味，"他说道 "而且我们离雷路远得很 不会有怪兽的" 尘毛抖了抖耳朵，没说话，继续往前走了 其他猫跟了上去，棘爪走在队尾，他生怕同伴看见自己眼里的恐惧，他好不容易才甩开森林坍塌压向自己的画面 "我们来捕猎吧！" 蕨毛提议道 "好主意，"雨须附和道 没有猫说破，捕猎能让他们不去想两脚兽和怪兽，但所有人都全神贯注追踪猎物，就像饿了整整一个月似的 棘爪放慢脚步，闻着松鼠、兔子和鸟儿混在一起的气味 听到警报声他吓了一跳，才发现雨须已经捕获了一只椋鸟 他赞赏地点点头，从这位年轻武士身边走过，继续往森林深处走，直到看见一只鸫鸟在扭曲的树根间啄食

of a dead tree. Crouching low enough for his belly fur to brush the fallen leaves, he crept forward until he could pounce on it and dispatch it with a swift blow to the neck. As he lowered his head to take a bite, a weight landed on his back and he felt claws digging into him. Instinctively he flung himself sideways and rolled over to dislodge his attacker. Scrambling away from slashing claws, he caught a glimpse of ginger fur and at first thought it was Brackenfur. Had his Clanmate gone mad? But when he scrabbled for a foothold and managed to spin around, he saw that he was facing a snarling ShadowClan warrior. "Rowanclaw! What are you doing?" "What do you think?" growled the ginger tom. "Defending the ShadowClan boundary, of course." "What?" Brambleclaw looked around and realized that the beeches and oak trees that grew around the ThunderClan camp were mixed with pine here. "Don't pretend you didn't know! You crossed our scent markers."

那是一棵枯树的树根 他伏低身子，腹毛都蹭到了落叶，悄悄往前挪，然后猛扑过去，一口利落咬断了鸫鸟的脖子 就在他低头准备下口的时候，一个重物落在他背上，他感觉爪子深深扎进了自己的身体 他本能地往侧面一扑，打了个滚，想把袭击者甩下去 他爬开躲开挥来的利爪，瞥见一团姜黄色的毛，一开始还以为是蕨毛 难道自己的族友发疯了吗 可当他扒住地面站稳、转过身之后，才发现对面是一只龇牙咧嘴的影族武士 "橡爪！" "你在干什么？" 这只姜黄色公猫低吼道："你觉得呢？" "当然是守卫影族的边界" "什么？"棘爪环顾四周，才发现雷族营地周围的山毛榉和橡树，在这里混长着松树 "别装你不知道！" "你越过我们的气味标记了"

"I didn't notice any scent marks at all!" Brambleclaw protested. "They must be too faint." He shied away from the other possibility— that the Clans" scents had become so mixed while they were traveling together that no cat could tell one from the other now. If that were true, it would be impossible to set any boundaries at all. "Too faint!" Rowanclaw sneered. "Mouse dung! Admit it, you were trying to steal our territory." "You're trying to steal ours," Brambleclaw retorted furiously. "Back at the horseplace, we said we'd use the clearing on either side of the stream as the boundary. You must have crossed it, because I certainly haven't." "There isn't a clearing here, mouse-brain," Rowanclaw snarled. "The stream veers deeper into our territory and the trees grow right up to both banks. We have set the boundary in a straight line, carrying on from where the stream runs through the clearing. Try looking out for the scent marks next time, and you'll know exactly where ShadowClan begins." He unsheathed his claws, bunching his

“我根本没发现任何气味标记！” 黑莓掌抗议道。 “它们肯定太淡了。” 他不愿细想另一种可能性——几个族群一路同行，气味早就混在一起，如今没有猫能分清彼此了。 如果真是这样，那根本没法划定任何边界了。 “太淡了！” 花楸掌嗤笑道。 “鼠屎！ 承认吧，你就是想偷我们的领地。” “你才想偷我们的领地呢，”黑莓掌怒冲冲地反驳道。 “当初在马场，我们说好以小溪两侧的空地作为边界。 肯定是你越界了，我可绝对没有。” “这儿根本没有空地，鼠脑袋，”花楸掌吼道。 “小溪拐进了我们领地深处，两岸都长满了树。 我们把边界划成直线，从小溪穿过空地的位置一直延伸过来。 下次记得留意气味标记，你就能清楚影族的领地从哪儿开始了。” 他亮出爪子，绷紧了

hindquarters under him, and Brambleclaw braced himself for a fight. But before Rowanclaw could pounce, a tortoiseshell streak burst out of the bushes and bowled him over. It was Tawnypelt. "What are you doing?" she spat. "It's much too soon to start fighting over territory." Rowanclaw glared at his Clanmate. "What a surprise, it's the half-Clan warrior!" he hissed. "We all know you'd rather defend your brother than your Clan." "That's not true!" Tawnypelt protested. "No, it's not." Brambleclaw padded forward to stand next to his sister. "I know Tawnypelt is loyal to ShadowClan." Rowanclaw's disbelieving gaze raked him like a claw. "If you ask me," he growled, "all the cats who went to see that badger have forgotten which Clan they belong to." With a furious yowl, Brambleclaw was about to spring at him when three more ShadowClan cats appeared: Cedarheart, Oakfur, and Talonpaw. Brambleclaw's belly clenched. He could hardly take on an entire ShadowClan patrol, and what would Tawnypelt do if her

后肢压低蓄势，黑莓掌也摆好架势准备开战。 可花楸掌还没扑出去，一道玳瑁色身影就从灌木丛冲出来，把他撞翻在地。 那是褐皮。 “你在干什么？” 她厉声喝道。 “现在就为领地打架，太早了。” 花楸掌怒视着自己的族猫。 “真想不到啊，你这个半族武士！” 他嘶声说道。 “谁都知道你宁愿帮你兄弟，也不帮自己的族群。” “这不是真的！” 褐皮抗议道。 “没错，这不是真的。” 黑莓掌走上前，站到姐姐身边。 “我知道褐皮对影族忠心耿耿。” 花楸掌满是怀疑的目光像爪子一样扫过他全身。 “要我说，”他吼道，“那些跑去看獾的猫，都忘了自己属于哪个族群了。” 黑莓掌怒号一声正准备扑上去，这时又有三只影族猫出现了：杉心、橡毛和隼爪。 黑莓掌的心一下子揪紧了。 他根本对付不了一整支影族巡逻队，要是褐皮的