Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19 "We'd better go straight to the camp," Brambleclaw decided. "And hope that Onestar is in a welcoming mood." "I'm not going home without talking to Leafpool," Squirrelflight mewed determinedly. She hoped Onestar wouldn't try to stop them from seeing her sister. The WindClan leader had been so hostile at the last Gathering that she felt very vulnerable crossing the open moorland where they could be spotted so easily. She kept scanning the bare slopes for approaching cats, but it was still a shock when a patrol leaped out from behind a jutting rock and raced across the turf toward them. She let out a hiss. "Look—it's Webfoot and Weaselfur." They stopped and waited for the WindClan cats to reach them. As well as the two warriors, there was an apprentice Squirrelflight didn't recognize. Her belly clenched when she saw the hostility in Webfoot's eyes and the way his neck fur bristled as he skidded to a halt in front of

第19章 “我们最好直接去营地。”黑莓掌做出决定。 “同时祈祷一星愿意接待我们。” “不和叶池说上话我就不回去。”松鼠飞坚定地说。 她暗暗祈祷一星不会阻止她们去见自己的姐姐。 这位风族族长在上次森林大会就满怀敌意，所以穿过这片极易被发现的开阔荒原时，松鼠飞一直惴惴不安。 她一直扫视着光秃秃的山坡，提防有猫靠近，可当一支巡逻队从突出的岩石后跃出，冲她们跑来时，她还是大吃一惊。 她嘶了一声。 “看——是网脚和鼬毛。” 她们停住脚步，等风族猫过来。 除了这两名武士，还有一名松鼠飞不认识的学徒。 看到网脚眼里的敌意，还有他刹停在面前时颈毛倒竖的样子，松鼠飞的心一下子揪紧了

them. "What are you doing on our territory?" he snarled. "We need to speak to Onestar," Brambleclaw told him. Webfoot's tail lashed from side to side. "More ThunderClan interference? What does Firestar want this time?" "We'll tell that to Onestar." Webfoot and Weaselfur exchanged a glance. Squirrelflight wondered if they were going to have to fight their way past. Then Webfoot let out a faint snort of disgust. "We don't need you to tell us why you're here. We already know. And I guess Onestar will want to hear what you have to say." He and Weaselfur fell back to let Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight keep going, while the apprentice watched them with hot, accusing eyes. Squirrelflight shot a questioning glance at Brambleclaw, but the tabby warrior looked as bewildered as she felt. Webfoot must have been talking about Leafpool, but it didn't make sense that they'd be so angry about a cat wanting to

她们面前。 “你们在我们领地上做什么？”他低吼道。 “我们要见一星。”黑莓掌对他说。 网脚的尾巴来回甩动。 “又是雷族来捣乱？ 火星这次又想干什么？” “我们会亲自跟一星说。” 网脚和鼬毛对视了一眼。 松鼠飞忍不住担心，她们得打过去才行。 接着网脚发出一声轻蔑的哼气。 “我们不用你说也知道你们来干什么。 我们早就知道了。 而且我想一星也想听你们说。” 他和鼬毛退到一旁，让黑莓掌和松鼠飞继续前进，那名学徒用愤怒责备的目光盯着她们。 松鼠飞用询问的眼神瞥了黑莓掌一眼，可这只虎斑武士和她一样困惑。 网脚说的肯定是叶池，可一只猫想要加入他们族群，他们这么生气实在说不通

join their Clan. The two WindClan warriors flanked them all the way to the camp, one on each side. As they climbed toward the hollow, the apprentice ran ahead to warn Onestar. By the time Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw reached the edge of the hollow, Onestar was waiting for them beside the pile of rocks in the center. His deputy, Ashfoot, and a couple of other warriors stood beside him, all looking up expectantly as Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw started to climb down into the hollow. There was no sign of Leafpool and Crowfeather, and Squirrelflight gulped. Surely Onestar wasn't keeping them under guard? "Here they are," Webfoot mewed. Onestar stepped forward, his ears flattened. "Well, I presume Firestar sent you. Have you come to explain why ThunderClan has stolen one of our warriors?" "What?" Fury raced through Squirrelflight like flame through dry grass. She stepped forward until she was nose to nose with Onestar. "How dare you call us thieves? It's WindClan who—" She broke off when Brambleclaw slapped his

加入他们族群。 两名风族武士一左一右夹着她们，一路走到营地。 她们往凹地爬去时，那名学徒跑上前给一星报信。 等松鼠飞和黑莓掌走到凹地边缘，一星已经在中央的石堆旁等着她们了。 他的副族长灰脚和几名武士站在他身旁，松鼠飞和黑莓掌往下走时，所有人都抬着头望着她们。 完全看不到叶池和鸦羽的影子，松鼠飞不由得咽了口口水。 一星该不会把他们关押起来了吧？ “他们来了。”网脚说道。 一星走上前，耳朵紧紧平贴在头上。 哼，我猜是火星派你们来的。 你们是来解释雷族为什么偷走我们一名武士的吗？” “什么？” 怒火像火苗窜过干草一般，瞬间冲遍松鼠飞全身。 她走上前，和一星鼻尖对着鼻尖。 你竟敢说我们是小偷？ 明明是风族——话刚说到这儿，黑莓掌就挥起他的

tail across her mouth; she glared at him but his amber eyes clearly signaled a warning. Flexing her claws, she reluctantly took a pace back. The tabby warrior dipped his head to Onestar. "ThunderClan hasn't stolen any WindClan warriors," he meowed. "Why? Has one gone missing?" "It's Crowfeather, isn't it?" Squirrelflight's heart started pounding hard. Onestar's eyes narrowed, but before he could speak, Ashfoot interrupted. "Yes—do you know where he is?" She sounded desperate, and Squirrelflight remembered she was Crowfeather's mother. "Keep quiet!" Onestar snarled, glaring at Ashfoot, but the gray she-cat didn't flinch. "When did you last see him?" Brambleclaw asked, breaking the tension between the WindClan leader and his deputy. "We might be able to help." "We don't want help from ThunderClan!" Webfoot spat. Onestar silenced him with a wave of his tail. "Crowfeather did not sleep in the warriors" den

尾巴捂住了她的嘴；她怒瞪着他，可他琥珀色的眼睛明明白白发出了警告。 她绷紧爪子，不情愿地退了一步。 这只虎斑武士朝一星低下头。 “雷族没有偷走任何风族武士。”他说道。 怎么了？ 有武士失踪了吗？” 是鸦羽对不对？” 松鼠飞的心开始狂跳不止。 一星眯起眼睛，可他还没开口，灰脚就打断了他。 没错——你知道他在哪儿吗？” 她的声音充满绝望，松鼠飞这才想起她是鸦羽的母亲。 “闭嘴！” 一星怒喝着瞪着灰脚，可这只灰色母猫丝毫没有退缩。 你们最后一次见他是什么时候？ 黑莓掌开口问道，打破了风族族长和副族长之间的紧张气氛。 我们说不定能帮忙。” 我们才不需要雷族的帮助！” 网脚啐了一口。 一星摆了下尾巴，让他安静。 鸦羽昨晚没有睡在武士巢穴

last night," he meowed. "This morning we followed his scent trail as far as the border with ThunderClan. There his scent mingled with a ThunderClan cat's. They obviously met there." Weaselfur pushed forward to stand beside his leader. "Wait a moment," he mewed to Brambleclaw. "If you knew nothing about Crowfeather, why are you here? Do you know which ThunderClan cat he met with?" Squirrelflight nodded. There was no use hiding the truth now. "My sister, Leafpool. She's vanished too. We followed her scent trail to the border." "But she's a medicine cat!" Ashfoot exclaimed. "Medicine cats have feelings just like any other cat," Squirrelflight said, defending her sister. Onestar let out an angry hiss. "She has broken the laws of StarClan." "Crowfeather must have persuaded her to go!" Squirrelflight flashed back at him. Brambleclaw shot her a warning glance. "Onestar, you're making a big mistake if you try

「昨晚，」他喵呜叫着。 「今天早上我们顺着他的气味踪迹，一直追到了雷族边界。」 在那儿，他的气味和一只雷族猫的气味混在了一起。 他们显然就是在那儿碰的面。」 鼬毛走上前，站到了他族长的身边。 「等一下，」他对黑莓掌轻声说道。 「如果你对鸦羽一无所知，那你为什么要来这儿？ 你知道他见的是哪只雷族猫吗？」 松鼠飞点了点头。 现在再隐瞒真相已经没有用了。 「是我的妹妹，叶池。 她也失踪了。 我们跟着她的气味踪迹追到了边界。」 「可她是巫医啊！」 灰脚惊声叫道。 「巫医也和其他猫一样有感情呀，」松鼠飞替妹妹辩护道。 一星愤怒地嘶叫了一声。 「她违反了星族的法则。」 「一定是鸦羽劝她走的！」 松鼠飞立刻顶了回去。 黑莓掌警告地瞥了她一眼。 「一星，如果你试图

to turn Firestar and ThunderClan into enemies. We have to work together and find both our missing cats." "How?" Onestar was clearly making a massive effort to control his anger; as it ebbed away, he just sounded bewildered. "If Crowfeather isn't with you, then where have they gone?" "Where could they go?" Ashfoot asked despairingly, as if she didn't expect an answer. "We can try to find out," Brambleclaw meowed. "Maybe we can follow their scent trail." "I'll go and look," Ashfoot offered. Onestar nodded. "Take another warrior with you." "We'll come too," Squirrelflight mewed. To her relief, Onestar didn't object. Ashfoot beckoned to Tornear; the four cats left the camp and headed for the place close to the border where they had last scented their Clanmates. Squirrelflight felt more anxious with every step. Would Leafpool be safe, traveling into unknown territory with only one other cat? How could they live a normal life, without the support of their Clans? We must find them, she vowed.

把火星和雷族变成我们的敌人。 我们必须一起合作，找到我们失踪的猫。」 「怎么找？」 一星显然在拼命克制自己的怒气； 怒气渐渐退去后，他听起来只感到困惑茫然。 如果鸦羽不在你们这儿，那他们到底去哪儿了？ 他们能去哪儿呢？ 灰脚绝望地问道，仿佛她根本没指望得到答案。 「我们可以试着找找看，」黑莓掌说道。 「或许我们可以顺着他们的气味踪迹追。」 「我去寻找，」灰脚主动提议。 一星点了点头。 「再带一个武士和你一起去。」 「我们也一起去，」松鼠飞说道。 让松鼠飞松了口气的是，一星没有反对。 灰脚向高尾招手示意； 四只猫离开了营地，朝着边界附近，他们最后闻到族猫气味的地方走去。 松鼠飞每走一步，焦虑就多一分。 叶池只跟着另一只猫，闯入未知的领地，会安全吗？ 没有族群的支持，他们怎么能过上正常的生活呢？ 我们一定要找到他们，她暗暗发誓。