Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20 Leafpool paused at the top of a ridge, trying to ignore the ache in her paws as she turned to look back. The lake and the trees were long gone; all around her stretched fold after fold of unfamiliar hills. She opened her mouth, picking up the sharp scent of moorland grass and a hint of rabbit. The sun was going down, but there was no sign of any trees or bushes where she and Crowfeather could shelter for the night. The WindClan warrior followed her up the slope and stood close beside her. Warmth crept back into Leafpool's tired legs as she felt his pelt brush hers. This cat could still give her courage and hope when everything else seemed strange and frightening. And what about everything you've left behind? a small voice mewed inside her. Leafpool tried to imagine what was happening in her Clan. Firestar would be furious that she'd abandoned them without saying a word. Cinderpelt would have to find a new apprentice. Squirrelflight would miss her so

第二十章 叶池停在山脊顶端，转身回望，尽力忽略爪子的酸痛 湖泊和树林早就消失在视野里； 连绵不绝的陌生山丘在她四周铺展开来 她张开嘴，嗅到荒原青草的浓烈气息，还有一丝兔子的味道 太阳正在下沉，可找不到任何树木或灌木丛，够她和鸦羽过夜藏身 这位风族武士跟着她爬上斜坡，紧挨着她站定 感受到他的皮毛蹭过自己，叶池疲惫的双腿重新泛起暖意 当周遭一切都陌生又可怕的时候，这只猫依然能带给她勇气和希望 那你抛下的一切该怎么办呢？ 一个小小的声音在她心底响起 叶池试着想象族群里现在发生着什么 火星肯定会大发雷霆，因为她不告而别 炭毛不得不重新找一个学徒了 松鼠飞一定会非常想念她

much.... A jolt of pain shook Leafpool, almost enough to make her turn her paws back toward the lake. But how could she go back now, when every cat knew what she had done, and that Crowfeather was with her? Nothing mattered as long as she had Crowfeather. Her love for him tingled through her from ears to tail-tip; she had to keep on believing that her decision was the right one. "Just a bit farther." Crowfeather nosed her ear. "We need to find somewhere to sleep before it gets dark." "Okay." Leafpool forced her paws to follow him along the ridge. They had been traveling all day, even though neither of them had gotten any sleep the previous night, and she felt more exhausted than she had ever been in her life. Suddenly Crowfeather stopped and pointed down with his tail. "Look!" When she caught up, Leafpool saw that just ahead the ground fell away into a rocky hollow. A tiny pool lay at the bottom, shaded by a couple of wind-scorched thorn trees. "Thank StarClan!" she exclaimed. "Shelter

想念…… 一阵剧痛猛地扎进叶池心里，差点让她转身往湖边回去 可现在她怎么回去呢？全族都知道她做了什么，也知道鸦羽和她在一起 只要能和鸦羽在一起，别的都不重要 对他的爱意从耳朵到尾尖，麻酥酥流遍全身； 她必须一直相信，自己的选择是对的 "再往前走一点点就好。" 鸦羽用鼻子蹭了蹭她的耳朵 "我们得在天黑前找个睡觉的地方。" "好。" 叶池硬撑着挪动爪子，跟着他沿山脊往前走 他们已经走了一整天，哪怕前一晚两个人都没合眼，她这辈子从来没这么累过 突然鸦羽停住脚步，用尾巴指了指下方 "看！" 叶池追上去一看，前方不远处地面凹陷，形成一块多岩石的凹地 凹地底部有一汪小水潭，被两棵被风吹得干枯的刺树遮着荫凉 "感谢星族！" 她惊呼道 遮身

and water." Summoning up her last scrap of energy, she bounded down the slope, paws slipping on the loose stones, until she could crouch beside the pool and lap from it. The memory of her last visit to the Moonpool flooded her mind. Never again, the inner voice told her. You're not a medicine cat anymore. But that didn't matter either, Leafpool reminded herself. Spottedleaf had told her to follow her heart. She must be doing the right thing. The gray-black warrior joined her beside the pool, peering into the water. "I can't see any fish," he commented. His words reminded Leafpool how hungry she was. The only fresh-kill they'd had all day was a scrawny vole they had shared beside the stream not long after setting out. It seemed like moons ago now. "You can catch us a rabbit in the morning," she mewed, trying to ignore how faint the scent of rabbit had been. "You're good at hunting on moorland like this. You can teach me how too."

和水。" 攒起最后一丝力气，她冲下斜坡，爪子在松动的石块上打滑，最后蹲到水潭边舔起水来 上次到访月亮池的记忆一下子涌进她脑海 再也不会了，心底的声音对她说 你不再是巫医了 可叶池提醒自己，那也不重要了 斑叶告诉过她，要跟随自己的心 她一定做了正确的选择 这只灰黑相间的武士走到水潭边她身旁，往水里张望 "我没看见有鱼，"他说道 他的话提醒了叶池，她有多饿 他们一整天只分享了一只瘦巴巴的田鼠，还是出发没多久在溪边吃的 现在想想，那都像是好几个月前的事了 "你明天可以抓只兔子给我们吃，"她轻声说，没提兔子的气味有多淡 "你很擅长在这种荒原打猎， 你也可以教我呀。"

"Sure. You'll soon learn," Crowfeather replied. "But I don't think we need to wait till morning. There must be some sort of prey around here." He stood with his jaws wide, tasting the air. Leafpool stood beside him, ears standing straight, until she heard the sound of a tiny creature scuffling under the thorn trees. A heartbeat later she spotted a mouse and dropped into the hunter's crouch. With a purr of satisfaction she pounced. At the same moment a second mouse shot out of some dead leaves. Crowfeather grabbed it with one paw. "There, what did I tell you?" he mewed, padding over to Leafpool so they could eat together. They found a patch of sand between the roots of one of the stunted trees, sheltered from the wind by its twisting branches, and devoured the mice in a few famished gulps. "You were right about the prey," Leafpool murmured, swiping her tongue around her mouth. "I'm glad you're here. I would be so

"当然， 你很快就能学会，"鸦羽回答道 "不过我觉得我们不用等到明天， 这附近肯定能找到什么猎物。" 他站定身子，张开嘴辨别空气中的气味 叶池站在他身旁，耳朵直直竖起，很快听见刺树下有小生物蹭动的沙沙声 没过一会儿她就发现了一只老鼠，立刻伏低摆出捕猎姿势 她满足地呼噜一声，猛扑了上去 与此同时，另一只老鼠从枯叶堆里窜了出来 鸦羽一爪子按住了它 "你看，我没说错吧？" 他边说边走到叶池身边，好一起吃猎物 他们在一棵矮树的树根间找到一块沙地，扭曲的树枝能挡风，他俩饥肠辘辘，几口就吃光了老鼠 "你说的没错，这儿确实有猎物，"叶池舔了舔嘴巴，轻声说 "我很高兴你在我身边， 我真的会

scared without you." "I'll always look after you," Crowfeather promised, resting his nose in her fur. "Tomorrow we're bound to find somewhere better to live. After all, the Clans found the lake, and we don't need such a big territory when it's just the two of us." Leafpool nodded. "These hills can't go on forever." Can they? "We'll be fine. You'll see," Crowfeather assured her. "I know." Leafpool's voice faded as she sank exhaustedly into sleep. She was standing in a dark place, her paws cold on dew-drenched grass. She was surrounded by fearful snarling, but she couldn't see where it came from, even though she wrenched her head frantically from side to side. Then she realized that the darkness that surrounded her was a rolling cloud of black fog. It drifted apart for an instant to show her waves lapping the lakeshore. Her dream had taken her home. But the reek of blood engulfed her, and she saw that the water in the lake was a blood-red tide sucking hungrily at

没有你，我好害怕。 “我会永远照顾你。”鸦羽承诺道，把鼻子贴在了她的皮毛上。 “明天我们一定能找到更好的住处。 毕竟族群都找到了大湖，而且现在只有我们两个，也不需要这么大的领地。” 叶池点了点头。 “这些山总不会一直延伸下去吧。” 对不对？ “我们会没事的。 你看着吧。”鸦羽安抚她说。 “我知道。” 叶池的声音渐渐轻了，她疲惫地沉入了梦乡。 她站在一片黑暗中，爪子踩在浸透露水的草地上，冰凉冰凉的。 可怕的嘶吼声包围了她，可她就算拼命来回扭头，也看不见声音来自哪里。 接着她发现，包裹着她的黑暗是一团翻涌的黑雾。 黑雾散开了一瞬间，露出了拍打湖岸的波浪。 她的梦把她带回了家。 但血腥气瞬间吞没了她，她看见湖里的水是血红色的潮水，正贪婪地

the land. "No!" she gasped. Before all is peaceful, blood will spill blood, and the lake will run red. Every hair on her pelt stood on end. She had left her Clan far behind. Why couldn't she escape StarClan's terrible prophecy? The snarling died away, only to break out again behind her, louder than before. Leafpool spun around. The black fog still billowed around her, but she could see huge lumbering shapes moving within it. They were too blurred for Leafpool to make out, although she caught glimpses of blunt claws, snapping jaws, and small, malicious eyes. A huge dark mass loomed over her, and a claw slashed across her face, ruffling her whiskers and barely missing her eye. She leapt back and felt sticky liquid washing around her paws. The stench of blood filled her nose and mouth. "StarClan help me!" she yowled. Her eyes flew open. She was lying in the moorland hollow with thorn branches above her head and Crowfeather at her side. She drew a

岸边。 “不！”她倒抽一口冷气。 和平降临之前，血会染血，湖水将变成红色。 她身上每根毛都竖了起来。 她早就把族群远远抛在身后了。 为什么她就是逃不开星族这个可怕的预言呢？ 嘶吼声渐渐消失，随即又在她身后响起，比之前更响亮。 叶池猛地转过身。 黑雾依旧在她周围翻涌，可她能看见里面有庞大笨重的影子在移动。 影子太模糊了，叶池看不清全貌，只隐约瞥见粗钝的爪子、开合的利颚，还有充满恶意的小眼睛。 一大团黑影朝她压来，一只爪子扫过她的脸，擦乱了胡须，差一点伤到眼睛。 她向后跳开，感觉到黏糊糊的液体漫过了她的爪子。 血腥气填满了她的鼻子和嘴巴。 “星族救我！” 她尖声嚎叫。 她猛地睁开了眼睛。 她躺在荒原的凹坑里，头顶遮着荆棘枝，鸦羽就在她身边。 她吸了