Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16 Leafpaw stood at the edge of the clearing and watched the four Clans slip back and forth, cautiously greeting old friends and looking for good places to sit. She wanted to ask Crowfeather how Morningflower was getting on, and if she had eaten the herbs Leafpaw had left for her. She knew he was here, because she had seen him with his Clanmates when ThunderClan and WindClan met beside the horseplace. But he had been padding along with his head down, as if he didn't want to talk to her or any other cat. Now he had vanished. He couldn't be more annoying if he tried! Leafpaw thought in frustration. "Leafpaw! Leafpaw, are you dreaming?" A paw prodded her in the side. Leafpaw jumped as she realized that Cinderpelt was calling to her. At the same moment she spotted Crowfeather across the clearing. "Sorry, Cinderpelt," she murmured. "When the Gathering's over," Cinderpelt

第十六章 叶爪站在空地边缘，看着四个族群来来往往，小心翼翼地和老友打招呼，寻找合适的位置坐下。 她想问问鸦羽，晨花现在恢复得怎么样，有没有吃下她留下的草药。 她确定鸦羽就在这里，因为雷族和风族在马场旁会合时，她就见过他和同族在一起。 但刚才他一直低着头走路，好像不想跟她，也不想跟任何猫说话。 现在他彻底不见了。 他就算故意找麻烦，也不会比现在更烦人了！ 叶爪沮丧地想。 “‘叶爪！叶爪，你在发呆吗？’” 一只爪子推了推她的侧腰。 叶爪吓了一跳，才反应过来是炭毛在叫她。 与此同时，她瞥见鸦羽就在空地对面。 “‘对不起，炭毛，’她小声嘟囔道。 “‘森林大会结束后，’炭毛

meowed, "the medicine cats are going to stay behind." Leafpaw pricked her ears. "Has one of them had a sign about the new Moonstone?" "I don't know. Maybe." Then she added more briskly, "Come on, let's find somewhere to sit. The Gathering will start shortly." Leafpaw glanced at Crowfeather, wondering if she'd have a chance to speak with him first. Cinderpelt's gaze followed hers. "Take care where your affections fall, Leafpaw," she warned quietly. "Remember that you are a medicine cat." "I do remember," Leafpaw protested. "You don't think I feel any affection for that bad- tempered furball, do you? Every time we see each other he tries to make trouble. I just wanted to know if Barkface had given Morningflower the rest of the watermint; that's all." Cinderpelt looked at her with the faintest hint of disbelief in her pale blue eyes before leading the way over to the other cats. Leafpaw trailed behind, thinking furious thoughts about the WindClan warrior. Affection? She hated every last hair on his pelt!

说道，巫医们都要留下来。” 叶爪一下子竖起了耳朵。 “‘是有谁得到关于新月石的预兆了吗？’” “‘我不清楚。 也许吧。’” 接着她语气轻快地补充道：“来吧，我们找个地方坐下， 森林大会马上就要开始了。’” 叶爪瞥了一眼鸦羽，不知道自己能不能先找机会和他说句话。 炭毛顺着她的目光看了过去。 “‘当心你动心的对象，叶爪，’她轻声警告道。 “‘别忘了你是一名巫医。’” “‘我当然没忘，’叶爪不服气地说。 你不会觉得我对那个坏脾气毛球有好感吧？ 我们每次见面他都要找麻烦。 我只是想问问橡脸有没有把剩下的留兰香给晨花，仅此而已。’” 炭毛淡蓝色的眼睛里掠过一丝难以置信，她看了叶爪一会儿，才带头走向其他猫。 叶爪跟在后面，满肚子都是对这个风族武士的火气。 动心？ 她讨厌他全身上下每一根毛！

Cinderpelt settled down near the tree stump, hitching her injured leg underneath her. Leafpaw was about to sit down as well when she spotted Squirrelflight padding over to Ashfur. Tingling pulses of distress were coming off her; Leafpaw felt them as painfully as if they were her own. As Blackstar yowled for silence, Leafpaw darted over and sat down on Squirrelflight's other side. "What's the matter?" she whispered. "Have you fallen out with Brambleclaw again?" "Don't mention his name! It's over between us!" Leafpaw stared at her. "Tell me what happened," she mewed. "He was talking to Hawkfrost. He actually stood up for him—a warrior from another Clan! Why won't he listen to me when I tell him that cat can't be trusted?" "Is that all?" "What do you mean, is that all?" Squirrelflight lashed her tail. "I've told him you know Hawkfrost is untrustworthy, but he won't take any notice. It all comes down to trust, and Brambleclaw obviously trusts Hawkfrost more

炭毛在树桩旁坐下，把受伤的腿收在身子底下。 叶爪刚要跟着坐下，就看见松鼠飞轻步走向灰毛。 一阵阵不安的颤动从她身上散发出来； 叶爪清晰地感受到了，难受得就像那是自己的情绪一样。 黑星大声呼号要求安静时，叶爪连忙跑过去，坐在松鼠飞的另一侧。 “‘出什么事了？’她小声问道。 “‘你又和黑莓掌吵架了吗？’” “‘别提他的名字！ 我们俩彻底完了！’” 叶爪惊讶地盯着她。 “‘告诉我发生了什么，’她说道。 “‘他居然和鹰霜说话， 他还帮鹰霜说话——那可是别的族群的武士啊！ 我都跟他说了那只猫不可信，他为什么就是不听呢？’” “‘就这点事吗？’” “‘你这是什么话，就这点事？’” 松鼠飞用力甩了甩尾巴。 我跟他说了连你都清楚鹰霜不可信，可他就是不听， 说到底就是信任的问题，黑莓掌显然就是更信任鹰霜

than me. How can we be together, if that's how he feels?" Leafpaw felt totally helpless. She was a medicine cat—what did she know about relationships like this? She could understand why Squirrelflight might feel hurt if Brambleclaw preferred spending time with Hawkfrost rather than her, but she was puzzled by the way Squirrelflight seemed so quick to reject Brambleclaw altogether. She pressed her muzzle comfortingly against her sister's. "Don't forget they're half brothers. It's natural for them to enjoy each other's company now and then." Squirrelflight's green eyes flashed in the moonlight. "This is about trust! I don't care that Tigerstar was their father. This is about much more than shared blood!" Blood... The word echoed in Leafpaw's ears, and she recoiled. Blood will spill blood, and the lake will run red. She had forgotten about her terrible dream, but now it flooded back into her mind, the water lapping thick and slow like a seeping wound. What did it mean? Whose blood would be spilled?

胜过我。 他都这么想了，我们还怎么在一起呢？’” 叶爪只觉得完全无能为力。 她是个巫医，哪里懂这种感情上的事呢？ 她能理解，如果黑莓掌宁愿陪鹰霜也不陪松鼠飞，松鼠飞肯定会伤心，但她不明白为什么松鼠飞这么快就要彻底和黑莓掌一刀两断。 她把鼻子贴在姐姐身上，轻轻安慰她。 “‘别忘了他们是同父异母的兄弟， 他们偶尔聚在一起，不是很正常的事吗。’” 松鼠飞绿色的眼睛在月光下闪着怒火。 “‘这就是信任的问题！ 我不在乎虎星是他们的父亲， 这可比血缘关系重要太多了！’” 血…… 这个词在叶爪耳边回荡，吓得她往后一缩。 血将溅血，湖水会被染成通红。 她早就忘了那个可怕的梦，可现在噩梦一下子涌回脑海，湖水缓缓涌动，粘稠得就像慢慢渗血的伤口。 这到底是什么意思？ 又会是谁的血要被溅洒出来呢？

She looked around for Cinderpelt, desperate to ask her about it, but Firestar, Blackstar, and Leopardstar were standing on the tree stump, ready to begin. Leafpaw had to settle down beside her sister, trying to send wordless comfort to her through the warmth of her fur. Onewhisker ran over to the stump, but when he tried to leap up his paws slipped and he fell back awkwardly. There wasn't room for four cats to stand up there together. Firestar and Leopardstar exchanged an uncomfortable glance, but Blackstar meowed roughly, "Stay down there, Onewhisker. We must get on with the Gathering." Onewhisker sat among the roots and bent his head to lick the ruffled fur on his chest. "It looks as if he isn't a proper leader," Squirrelflight mewed. "I know," Leafpaw agreed quietly. "The sooner we find another Moonstone the better, so he can receive his nine lives and his name." Blackstar addressed the Gathering first. "As we agreed before, we have set our boundary markers along the small Thunderpath leading to

她四处寻找炭毛，急着想问她这件事，可火星、黑星和豹星已经站在树桩上，准备开始集会了。 叶爪只好在妹妹身边坐下，靠皮毛的暖意给她传递无言的安慰。 一根须跑向树桩，可他跳上去时爪子一滑，别扭地摔回了地上。 树桩上根本容不下四只猫一起站。 火星和豹星不自在地对视了一眼，黑星粗声吼道："一根须，待在下面。 我们得继续开集会了。" 一根须坐在树根间，低下头舔平胸口弄乱的皮毛。 "看起来他根本不像个合格的族长，"松鼠飞说。 "我也觉得，"叶爪轻声赞同道。 "我们越早找到另一块月光石越好，这样他就能得到九条命和正式名号了。" 黑星第一个在集会上发言。 "就像我们之前说好的，我们已经在通往

the lake," he announced. "Leopardstar, I hope that suits you?" His gaze bored into the RiverClan leader as if he were daring her to argue. Leopardstar dipped her head. "Perfectly, thank you, Blackstar." Blackstar looked surprised, and for a moment Leafpaw couldn't understand why Leopardstar was being so cooperative. Squirrelflight had told her the small Thunderpath wasn't all that far from RiverClan's camp. The new boundaries had been only roughly agreed upon at the previous meeting, and she thought Leopardstar might have tried to extend her territory. Then she realized that if the Thunderpath were left as the boundary, the Twoleg halfbridge and the little nest Squirrelflight had described to her would be in ShadowClan territory. If the Twolegs caused any trouble it would be ShadowClan's problem. "Our boundary with ThunderClan has been scent-marked as well," the ShadowClan leader went on. "We have claimed the territory as far as the stream that flows into the lake, and farther away from the lake, as far as the dead tree on the

湖边的小雷鬼路旁做好了边界标记，"他宣布道。 "豹星，我希望这样你能满意？" 他死死盯着这位河族族长，仿佛在挑衅她提出异议。 豹星点了点头。 "完全没问题，谢谢你，黑星。" 黑星一脸惊讶，一时间叶爪也不明白豹星为什么这么配合。 松鼠飞告诉过她，这条小雷鬼路离河族营地不算远。 新边界上次集会只是大致商定，叶爪本来以为豹星会趁机扩张领土。 接着她反应过来，如果把雷鬼路定为边界，那松鼠飞跟她说过的两脚兽半桥和小窝就都归影族了。 要是两脚兽惹出麻烦，那就是影族要处理的问题了。 "我们和雷族的边界也做好气味标记了，"这位影族族长继续说道。 我们宣称的领土一直延伸到流入湖中的小溪，再往远离湖泊的方向，一直到那棵枯树的