Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19 Leafpaw leaped across the stream by the stepping stones and began to climb the hill toward the WindClan camp. Firestar had offered her an escort, but she didn't think she needed one to visit WindClan. She'd thought of asking Sorreltail to go with her, but when she went to look for her friend she was sharing tongues with Brackenfur, and Leafpaw hadn't wanted to disturb them. The wind ruffled the short moorland grass, bringing with it a strong scent of rabbits and flattening Leafpaw's fur against her sides. Even though she had slept for only a short time since coming back from the Moonpool, the news she carried sent energy surging through her like the water of the starlit stream. She was nearly at the camp when she caught the scent of cats, and a patrol appeared from behind a gorse bush. It was Mudclaw and Webfoot with his apprentice, Weaselpaw. Leafpaw tensed. All the Clans were extra- sensitive about their boundaries at the moment,

第19章 叶爪踩着垫脚石跃过小溪，开始朝着风族营地的山丘攀爬。 火星本来要给她安排护卫，可叶爪觉得去一趟风族用不着。 她原本想邀栗尾同去，可找这位朋友时，栗尾正和蕨毛顺毛聊天，叶爪不想打扰他们。 风吹过荒原短短的草叶，带来浓郁的兔子气息，把叶爪的皮毛吹得贴在了身侧。 尽管从月亮池回来后她只睡了没多久，但她带来的消息让浑身充满力气，就像星光下奔流的溪水。 快到营地时，她闻到了猫的气味，一支巡逻队从荆豆丛后走了出来。 是泥爪、网脚，还有网脚的学徒鼬爪。 叶爪瞬间绷紧了身体。 眼下所有族群对自己的边界都格外敏感，

and she hoped the WindClan cats would give her a chance to explain her mission before chasing her out. "What are you doing here?" Mudclaw growled. "This is our territory." "I have a message for Barkface." Mudclaw hesitated, then here?" his head. "Come on, then." He led her over the top of the rise and down into the hollow. Onewhisker was sitting under a bush near the center of the camp, sharing a tough-looking rabbit with Ashfoot. Leafpaw glanced around, looking for Crowfeather. Barkface wasn't the only cat getting an important message from StarClan. "Onewhisker, we have a visitor," Mudclaw announced. The WindClan leader stood up, swiping his tongue around his jaws. "What can we do for you, Leafpaw?" "I need to speak to Barkface," she mewed. Onewhisker pricked his ears. "A message from StarClan?" he guessed. Leafpaw nodded, though she couldn't say

她希望风族猫能在赶她走之前，给自己一个解释来意的机会。 “你来这里做什么？” 泥爪低吼道。 “这是我们的领地。” “我有消息要带给斑脸。” 泥爪犹豫片刻，歪了歪头。 “那跟我来吧。” 他带着叶爪翻过丘顶，下到了营地凹地中。 一根须正坐在营地中央附近的灌木丛下，和灰脚分吃一只结实的大兔子。 叶爪扫了一圈四周，寻找鸦羽。 要从星族得到重要消息的，可不只有斑脸。 “一根须，我们来了位客人。”泥爪通报说。 这位风族族长站起身，舔了舔嘴巴四周。 “叶爪，我们能为你做什么？” “我需要和斑脸谈一谈。”叶爪轻声说。 一根须竖起了耳朵。 “是星族带来的消息吗？”他猜道。 叶爪点了点头，尽管她还不能说出

anything more. It was Barkface's duty to pass the message on to his Clan. "That's great news!" Onewhisker's eyes shone. "Weaselpaw, go and ask Barkface to come right away." Webfoot's apprentice disappeared down a tunnel at the foot of the slope. It looked as if it might once have been a rabbit burrow or a badger set. He reappeared a moment later with the medicine cat behind him. Leafpaw bounded over to him. Barkface dismissed the apprentice with a flick of his tail and beckoned Leafpaw to sit beside him. "What's all this?" he asked. Leafpaw's excitement bubbled over, and her words spilled out like water tumbling over the shining starlit stones. "And tomorrow night is the half moon," she finished. "Cinderpelt has gone to tell Mothwing and Littlecloud, so we can all go to the Moonpool together." Barkface stretched forward and rested his muzzle against the tip of Leafpaw's ear. "This is the best news I've ever heard," he murmured. "Thank you for bringing it to me." He heaved

更多内容了。 把消息传递给族群，本就是斑脸的职责。 “真是太棒了！” 一根须的眼睛亮了起来。 “鼬爪，快去叫斑脸立刻过来。” 网脚的学徒一下消失在坡脚的隧道中。 那隧道看着曾经要么是兔洞，要么是獾洞。 没过一会儿他就钻了出来，巫医斑脸跟在他身后。 叶爪蹦跳着迎了上去。 斑脸甩了下尾巴打发走学徒，招手让叶爪坐在自己身边。 “这是怎么一回事？”他问道。 叶爪难掩激动，话语像流水冲过星光石子一般，一下子全涌了出来。 “而且明天晚上就是半月了。”她讲完道。 “炭毛已经去通知蛾翅和小云了，我们可以一起去月亮池。” 斑脸探过身，把鼻尖贴在了叶爪的耳尖上。 “这是我听过最好的消息了。”他轻声说。 “谢谢你把它带来给我。” 他撑起

himself up and padded over to Onewhisker and Ashfoot. Others had joined them, guessing there was an important announcement coming. Quickly Barkface told them about Leafpaw's journey. "Tomorrow night all the medicine cats will meet at the Moonpool," he meowed. "The night after that, Onewhisker, you and I will go together so that you can receive your nine lives and your leader's name." For a moment Leafpaw thought she saw a flicker of panic flash through Onewhisker's eyes. Surely he should be relieved to know he would finally be able to share tongues with StarClan and have his leadership recognized by his warrior ancestors. What reason could he have for wanting to put it off? Onewhisker blinked and shook his head. Leafpaw decided she must have imagined the panic in his expression. "From what Leafpaw tells us, it's a long journey," Onewhisker mewed. "You can't travel there twice in two days; you'll be worn out. I've waited this long for my nine lives and my name. I can wait awhile longer."

身体，起身走到一根须和灰脚那边。 其他猫也聚了过来，都猜到要宣布重要消息。 斑脸很快把叶爪此行的来意告诉了大家。 “明天晚上所有巫医都会在月亮池聚会。”他说道。 “后天晚上，一根须，你我一同过去，这样你就能得到九条命，接过你的族长名号了。” 一瞬间，叶爪觉得自己看到一根须眼中闪过一丝慌乱。 按理来说，得知终于能和星族交流、得到祖先对他族长身份的认可，他该松一口气才对。 他能有什么理由推迟这件事呢？ 一根须眨了眨眼，摇了摇头。 叶爪觉得那抹慌乱一定是自己看错，想象出来的。 “按叶爪说的，这段路路程很远。”一根须说道。 “你不能两天里跑两趟，你会累坏的。 我的九条命和名号我已经等了这么久。 我再多等一阵也没关系。”

Leafpaw was impressed by Onewhisker's thoughtfulness. Then she looked more closely at him, and wondered if he could possibly be afraid that StarClan would reject him, after he was appointed in such a hurry by the dying Tallstar. She blinked sympathetically. Every cat knew that the deputy of a Clan succeeded the leader when he lost his ninth life—even if they had been deputy for only a few moments. That was part of the warrior code, and whatever else had changed on their long journey from the forest, the warrior code would always remain at the heart of every Clan. Barkface seemed content to leave some time between his visits to the Moonpool, because he didn't try to change Onewhisker's mind. "I'll see you tomorrow at sunset, Leafpaw," he meowed. "I'll tell Cinderpelt," she replied. "We can meet by the stream at the edge of the trees." Barkface nodded. "Go well," he murmured, before heading back to his den. Onewhisker and Ashfoot began talking quietly together. Mudclaw muttered something to Webfoot, and the pair of them raced for the

叶爪对一根须的体贴周到印象很深。 接着她仔细打量他，不由得好奇，他会不会担心，身为临终的高星匆忙任命的族长，星族不肯接纳他。 她同情地眨了眨眼睛。 所有猫都知道，族长失去第九条命后，副族长就会继任，哪怕才当副族长没一会儿。 这是武士守则的一部分，他们离开森林长途跋涉以来，无论什么变了，武士守则永远扎根在每个族群心底。 斑脸似乎愿意隔些日子再去月池，因此他也没试图改变一根须的想法。 “叶爪，我们明天日落见。”他喵声道。 “我会转告炭毛的。”她答道。 “我们可以在树林边缘的小溪边碰面。” 斑脸点了点头。 “一路顺利。”他轻声说完，就返回自己的窝了。 一根须和灰脚开始轻声交谈起来。 泥爪对蹼足嘀咕了几句，俩猫就朝

top of the hollow, disappearing over it in a couple of heartbeats. Leafpaw felt a light touch on her shoulder. She turned, and was startled to see Crowfeather gazing intensely into her eyes. "Have you really found a place to speak with StarClan?" he asked. "Yes, really." Leafpaw swallowed. "There's something I have to tell you, Crowfeather. Is there somewhere quiet we can talk?" "Come over here." Crowfeather led her to the edge of the hollow and sat down under a stunted tree with leafless, twisted branches. He looked expectantly at Leafpaw with his head to one side. She took a deep breath. "I didn't just dream of the Moonpool last night. I saw Feathertail as well." That was one detail she had left out when she told her story to Barkface. Crowfeather's eyes opened wide. "Feathertail?" "Yes. She gave me a message for you." Leafpaw's heart pounded so loud, she was convinced Crowfeather would be able to hear it. Would he be angry with what she had to say? After all, he might want to carry on grieving for

凹地顶端，几个呼吸间就没了踪影。 叶爪感觉到肩膀被轻轻碰了一下。 她转过身，惊讶地发现鸦羽正目不转睛盯着她。 “你真的找到能和星族交流的地方了？”他问道。 “没错，真的找到了。” 叶爪咽了口唾沫。 “鸦羽，我有件事必须告诉你。 有没有安静的地方我们能聊聊？” “来这边吧。” 鸦羽带她走到凹地边缘，在一棵矮树下坐下，这棵树长着光秃秃扭曲的枝桠。 他歪着头，期待地望着叶爪。 她深吸了一口气。 “昨晚我不光梦到了月池。 我还见到了羽尾。” 这个细节是她告诉斑脸时特意漏掉的。 鸦羽一下子睁大了眼睛。 “羽尾？” “没错， 她托我给你带个话。” 叶爪的心砰砰狂跳，她肯定鸦羽都能听见。 他会不会对自己要说的话感到生气？ 毕竟，他说不定还想一直沉湎在对