Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23 Brambleclaw hurled himself down the hill in pursuit of Mudclaw and Hawkfrost. Rain filled the air, as if the whole lake had been flung into the sky. It washed away the scent of the fleeing cats, and in the darkness Brambleclaw wasn't even sure he was going the right way. But fury lent speed to his paws and sent energy surging through him from ears to tail-tip until he was hardly aware of being cold and soaked to the skin. A flash of lightning lit up the hillside, and Brambleclaw spotted his enemies streaking ahead of him: Mudclaw had almost reached the lakeshore, and Hawkfrost was a couple of tail- lengths behind. Two or three other dark shapes ran alongside them. In the chaos of the storm Brambleclaw couldn't be sure if any of his Clanmates had followed him, but he kept going, forcing his paws into an extra burst of speed. The next flash of lightning showed he had halved the distance between himself and his

第23章 黑莓掌冲下山丘，追捕泥爪和鹰霜。 空气中满是雨水，仿佛整个湖都被泼到了天上。 雨水冲掉了逃跑猫咪的气味，黑暗里黑莓掌甚至不确定自己走的方向对不对。 但是怒火给他的脚掌添了速，从耳朵到尾巴尖都涌着劲儿，他几乎没感觉到浑身冰冷，湿透了。 一道闪电照亮了山坡，黑莓掌看到敌人在他前方奔逃：泥爪已经快到湖边了，鹰霜落后他大概两三个尾长的距离。 还有两三个黑影跟着他们一起跑。 暴风雨里乱糟糟的，黑莓掌不确定有没有自己的族猫跟来，但他还是继续往前，逼着脚掌再猛地加速。 又一道闪电闪过，显示他已经把自己和他

quarry. He pelted past the horseplace, glimpsing a yellow gleam of light in the Twoleg nest on the far side of the field. He was briefly aware that there were no kittypets nearby as he hurtled along the shore close to the Gathering place. He was forced to slow down when he came to the marsh, and his paws kept slipping from the rain-soaked tussocks of grass into pools of peaty water. Mud plastered his legs and belly fur. Snarling in frustration, he imagined Mudclaw and Hawkfrost escaping him. His sense of kinship with Hawkfrost had vanished, and he felt hollow with the sense of betrayal. If his half brother thought he would escape a fight because they were kin, he was wrong! He heard the sound of another cat splashing ahead of him, and made out a dark shape floundering in mud. Letting out a yowl of triumph, Brambleclaw leaped, but as he took off his hind paws slipped on the soft ground and his straining forepaws barely grazed the other cat's fur. He landed awkwardly on one side; before he could recover a heavy weight landed on him,

之间的距离缩短了一半。 他飞快跑过马场，瞥到田野另一端的两脚兽巢穴里透出一点黄光。 他沿着靠近聚会场的岸边狂奔的时候，隐约察觉到附近没有宠物猫。 走到沼泽的时候他不得不放慢速度，被雨水泡软的草墩很滑，爪子不停滑进泥炭水坑里。 泥糊满了他的腿和肚子上的毛。 他挫败地咆哮，脑子里想着泥爪和鹰霜要从他手里逃走了。 他对鹰霜那点亲缘感已经消失，背叛的感觉让他心里空落落的。 如果他这个同父异母的兄弟以为因为是亲戚就能逃过一战，那他可大错特错了！ 他听到前面有另一只猫蹚水的声音，分辨出一个黑影在泥里挣扎。 黑莓掌发出胜利的嚎叫，猛地扑上去，可是起跳的时候后爪在软地上打滑，紧绷的前爪仅仅擦到了那只猫的毛。 他歪歪扭扭侧身落地；还没等他回过神，一个沉重的身躯就扑了上来，

driving him into the mud, and he felt claws gouge deeply into his shoulder. Mudclaw's eyes, glaring with hatred, were a mouse-length from his own, and the WindClan cat's scent flooded over him. "Traitor!" Brambleclaw gasped. He tried to heave upward and throw his enemy off, but the sodden ground yielded under him, and he felt the icy touch of liquid mud soaking into his pelt. He battered helplessly against Mudclaw's belly with his hind paws. Mudclaw let out a snarl, baring his teeth. Brambleclaw braced himself as he waited for the shining fangs to meet in his throat. Then a darker shadow reared up beyond Mudclaw, and a massive tabby paw swatted the WindClan warrior on the side of the head. Mudclaw jerked back, off balance, and Brambleclaw managed to slide out from under him to see him grappling with Hawkfrost in a clump of reeds. Utterly confused, Brambleclaw staggered to his paws, feeling the drag of wet mud plastered over his pelt. The next flash of lightning showed Hawkfrost standing over Mudclaw with one paw on his belly and the other pinning him by the

把他按进泥里，他感觉到爪子深深抠进了自己的肩膀。 泥爪满是恨意的眼睛，离他只有一个老鼠脑袋那么远，这只风族猫的气味一下子涌进他鼻子里。 “叛徒！” 黑莓掌喘着气骂道。 他想要拱起身把敌人甩下去，可是泡软的地面往下陷，冰冷的稀泥浸透了他的皮毛。 他只能用后爪无助地蹬着泥爪的肚子。 泥爪咆哮一声，露出了锋利的牙齿。 黑莓掌绷紧身体，等着那尖牙咬进自己的喉咙。 这时，泥爪身后冒出来一个更深的影子，一只大大的虎斑爪子拍在了这只风族武士的脑袋侧面。 泥爪失去平衡往后退，黑莓掌趁机从他身子底下滑出来，看到他和鹰霜在一丛芦苇里扭打起来。 满脑子混乱的黑莓掌摇摇晃晃站起来，感觉湿泥糊满了全身，沉甸甸地拽着他。 又一道闪电闪过，映出鹰霜站在泥爪身边，一只爪子按在泥爪的肚子上，另一只爪子按住了他的

throat. His pelt was soaked in mud, and his ice- blue eyes blazed. He and Brambleclaw gazed at each other. "You saved my life," Brambleclaw's voice shook. "Why, Hawkfrost? Why did you help me and not him?" Mudclaw writhed under Hawkfrost's paws and spat out an insult, but Hawkfrost's gaze never left Brambleclaw. Even in the darkness the young ThunderClan warrior could not break away from the compelling ice-blue eyes. For a few moments the two of them seemed alone in the world, enclosed by the turmoil of the storm. "You helped Mudclaw," Brambleclaw stammered. "You attacked WindClan, but now..." Hawkfrost bowed his head. "True," he meowed. "I joined with Mudclaw because I believe he is the rightful leader of WindClan. But you're my brother, Brambleclaw. How could I let him kill you?" His words struck Brambleclaw with the force of a blow. It was as if Hawkfrost had known all along that Onewhisker had not been appointed as

喉咙。 他的皮毛浸满了泥，冰蓝色的眼睛燃着怒火。 他和黑莓掌静静地对视着。 “你救了我的命，”黑莓掌的声音发着抖。 “为什么，鹰霜？” “你为什么帮我，不帮他？” 泥爪在鹰霜的爪子下扭动，啐着骂人的话，但是鹰霜的目光一直没有离开黑莓掌。 哪怕在黑暗里，这位年轻的雷族武士也没法从那双勾人的冰蓝色眼睛上移开目光。 有那么一会儿，整个世界仿佛只剩下他们两个，只有呼啸的暴风雨包围着他们。 “你之前帮过泥爪，”黑莓掌结结巴巴地说。 “你攻打风族，可是现在……” 鹰霜低下了头。 “没错，”他喵声说道。 “我和泥爪联手，是因为我觉得他才是风族合法的族长。” “可你是我的兄弟，黑莓掌。” “我怎么能让他杀了你？” 他的话像重击一样击中了黑莓掌。 这感觉就好像，鹰霜一直都知道，一星并没有被任命为

deputy in the right way. Brambleclaw felt a strange stab of relief that he was not the only cat to fear StarClan would never approve him as the leader of WindClan. "Mudclaw persuaded me to join with him," Hawkfrost went on. "He promised to leave RiverClan in peace if I and some of my Clanmates helped him drive out Onewhisker." "Tell him what else I promised," Mudclaw snarled from beneath Hawkfrost's paws. "Tell him how you came to me and offered your help if I made you WindClan's deputy... and helped you take over RiverClan later." "What?" Hawkfrost's eyes widened. "Brambleclaw, don't listen to him. Why would I want to leave RiverClan? And why would I need to ask any cat for that kind of help?" He lifted his head; Brambleclaw thought he had never seen a cat look so noble, even bleeding and muddy from the battle. "If I am to lead RiverClan one day, it will be by the warrior code, or not at all." "Liar!" Mudclaw spat. Hawkfrost shook his head. "I did only what I thought was right," he meowed to Brambleclaw.

名正言顺当上副族长。 黑莓掌心头莫名一松，原来不止他担心，星族绝不会批准他当风族族长。 “泥爪说服我和他联手，”鹰霜继续说道。 “如果我和几个族友帮他赶走一星，他就承诺让河族安然无事。” “告诉他我还承诺了什么，”泥爪被鹰霜按在爪下，嘶吼道。 “告诉他，你当初来找我，说只要我让你当风族副族长...之后还帮你夺权拿下河族，你就助我一臂之力。” “什么？” 鹰霜一下子瞪大了眼睛。 “黑莓掌，别听他胡说。 我为什么要离开河族？ 我又何须找其他猫帮我做这种事？” 他抬起头， 黑莓掌心想，哪怕刚打完架浑身是伤沾满泥，他也从没见过哪只猫看起来这么正气凛然。 “如果我有一天能领导河族，肯定是遵循武士法典得来的位置，不然我宁可不做。” “骗子！” 泥爪啐骂道。 鹰霜摇了摇头。 “我只是做了我认为对的事，”他对黑莓掌喵声道。

"Can you honestly say you never had any doubts about Onewhisker's leadership?" Brambleclaw could not reply. His half brother's words struck too close to home. As he hesitated, Mudclaw let out a hiss of triumph and heaved himself up, thrusting Hawkfrost back into a reedy pool. Brambleclaw crouched to fight back as the WindClan warrior leaped at him, but Hawkfrost, recovering rapidly, dived between them and lashed out furiously at Mudclaw with teeth and claws. Mudclaw veered to one side, then turned and fled, his dark shape soon lost in the night. Without another word, Hawkfrost spun around and splashed off after him, leaving Brambleclaw to follow. Lightning flashed again, and above the answering roll of thunder Brambleclaw heard a cat calling his name. He glanced back to see Squirrelflight standing behind him, her eyes wide with horror. "What are you doing?" she gasped. "You're letting him go!" "No—you don't understand—" Brambleclaw

“你敢说你从来没怀疑过一星的领导能力吗？” 黑莓掌无言以对。 同父异母弟弟的话一下子说到了他的心坎里。 就在他犹豫的时候，泥爪发出一声得意的嘶鸣，猛地挣扎起身，一把把鹰霜推进了芦苇塘里。 风族武士扑向黑莓掌，黑莓掌伏低身子准备反击，可鹰霜很快回过神，扑到他俩中间，张牙舞爪朝着泥爪狠狠猛攻。 泥爪转向一侧，转身就跑，他黑色的身影很快消失在夜色里。 鹰霜二话不说转身追了上去，溅得水花四溅，留下黑莓掌跟在后面。 又是一道闪电划过，滚滚雷声中，黑莓掌听到有猫在喊他的名字。 他回头一看，松鼠飞站在他身后，眼睛瞪得大大的，满是惊恐。 “你在干什么？” 她喘着气惊问。 “你居然放他走！” “不——你听不懂——”黑莓掌