Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 Leafpool and Cinderpelt emerged from the trees beside the lake to see the small figure of a single cat making its way along the shore in ShadowClan territory. "There's Littlecloud," Cinderpelt meowed, pointing with her tail. Leafpool let out a faint sigh of relief. The sun had gone down over the lake, and the half moon already shone pale in the darkening sky. It was time for the medicine cats to meet at the Moonpool. Leafpool had been afraid that if she and Cinderpelt had to make the journey alone, the medicine cat would start questioning her about her visit to RiverClan two days earlier. When Leafpool had returned, Cinderpelt was furious. She wanted to know why Leafpool had stayed away for a whole night. "Do you realize that Firestar ordered a patrol to search for you?" she hissed. "Do you think cats have nothing better to do? Honestly, Leafpool, I thought you were more responsible." "I'm sorry." Leafpool scuffled with her

第八章 叶池和炭毛走出湖边的树林，看见影族领地岸边有一只猫咪孤单的瘦小身影正沿路前行 “那是小云，”炭毛用尾巴指着方向，轻声说道 叶池轻轻松了口气，放下心来 太阳已经落往湖的另一边，暗下来的天空中，半月已经透出淡淡的清光 巫医们该到月池聚会了 叶池一直担心，如果她和炭毛要独自走这段路，这位巫医一定会追问她两天前去河族的事 叶池上次回来后，炭毛十分生气 她想弄清楚叶池为什么一整晚都没回来 “你知不知道火星派了巡逻队去找你？”她嘶声说 “你以为众猫没别的事要做了吗？ 说真的，叶池，我原来以为你更有责任心呢。” “对不起。” 叶池蹭了蹭自己的

forepaws in the dry leaves outside Cinderpelt's den. "I wanted to take some catmint to Mothwing. She gave me the horsetail in exchange." She gestured to the pile of fleshy stalks she had picked on her way back across the marshy ground. Cinderpelt made an exasperated noise. "Leafpool, the Clans have to start living independently again. I know Mothwing's your friend, but that doesn't mean you can swap herbs whenever you feel like it. Next time, ask me for permission first." "Yes, Cinderpelt." Leafpool was pretty sure the permission wouldn't be forthcoming. She knew Cinderpelt would be even angrier if she knew the real reason for Leafpool's visit. But Mothwing deserved to be a medicine cat because of her skill at healing, and if StarClan spoke to her through Leafpool, it didn't matter if Mothwing couldn't believe in them. Now, as they waited for Littlecloud beside the lake, Cinderpelt's blue gaze was fixed on her again. "Are you sure you only went to RiverClan that day? There's nothing else I should know

前爪，就在炭毛巢穴外的枯落叶堆里 “我给蛾翅送了些猫薄荷过去 她用木贼跟我交换。” 她抬爪指了指那堆她穿过沼泽返程路上摘的肥厚茎秆 炭毛不满地叹了一声 “叶池，各族现在得重新学着独立过活了 我知道蛾翅是你的朋友，但这不代表你就能随心所欲交换药草 下次，先征得我的同意再去。” “好的，炭毛。” 叶池心里清楚，自己肯定得不到这份许可 她明白，如果炭毛知道她去河族的真正原因，会更加生气 但蛾翅凭她的治病本事就配当巫医，就算星族通过叶池向她传话，蛾翅不信星族也没关系 此刻，她们在湖边等小云的时候，炭毛的蓝眼睛又牢牢落在了她身上 “你那天真的只去了河族吗？ 没有别的事是我该知道的

about?" Stung, Leafpool looked up. "No, Cinderpelt. I'm quite sure." Did the medicine cat suspect her of sneaking off to meet Crowfeather? Leafpool felt even more indignant because she had told Cinderpelt the truth about going to RiverClan. She hadn't seen a single hair on Crowfeather's pelt! Leafpool told herself that her mentor couldn't know for sure about the feelings she tried so hard to hide. But it would be hard to defend herself if Cinderpelt made a more direct accusation. To her relief the ShadowClan medicine cat was close enough to hear them now. Cinderpelt wouldn't say anything about Crowfeather in front of him. Littlecloud waded through the stream that marked the border, shook water drops off each paw in turn, then bounded along the shore until he reached the other two medicine cats. "May StarClan light your paths," he greeted them. "Is all well with your Clan?" "Everything's fine," Cinderpelt replied. "How about ShadowClan?"

了吗？” 叶池被这话刺中，抬起头来 “没有，炭毛 我确定没有别的事。” 这位巫医难道怀疑她偷偷溜走去见鸦羽了吗？ 叶池心里更气了，因为她说的去河族本来就是真话 她连鸦羽的一根毛都没见过！ 叶池告诉自己，导师不可能确定她拼命藏起来的心意 但要是炭毛直接开口指责，她就很难为自己辩解了 让她松口气的是，这位影族巫医已经走得够近，能听到她们说话了 炭毛不会当着他的面提起鸦羽 小云趟过作为边界的小溪，依次抖掉每只爪子上的水珠，接着蹦跳着沿岸边走到另外两位巫医面前 “愿星族照亮你们的道路，”他向她们问好 “你的族群一切都好吗？” “一切都好，”炭毛答道 “影族怎么样呢？”

"Oh, yes, fine, fine." Leafpool thought that the small tabby tom looked distracted. If Cinderpelt noticed, she didn't say anything, and the three cats headed toward the stream on the WindClan border that they would follow to the Moonpool. "Mothwing didn't come with you?" Leafpool meowed. "No." Littlecloud twitched his whiskers. "I expect she's coming through WindClan." There was no sign of the RiverClan cat traveling along the shore from the other direction. Leafpool's paws felt heavy with secrets as she followed the others upstream through the woodland. She wondered if Mothwing had finally decided that she couldn't be bothered coming to share tongues with cats she didn't believe in. Or maybe the trouble foretold by Feathertail had already come, and the RiverClan medicine cat couldn't leave her Clan. Her anxiety deepened when they met Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat, at the point where the trees gave way to open moorland. He hadn't seen Mothwing either.

“哦，没事，都好，都好。” 叶池觉得这只小个子虎斑公猫看起来心不在焉 就算炭毛察觉到不对，也什么都没说，三只猫动身朝风族边界的小溪走去，它们要顺着这条溪前往月池 “蛾翅没跟你一起来吗？” 叶池出声问道 “没有。” 小云抖了抖胡须 “我猜她从风族那边过来。” 对岸的路上完全没有这只河族巫医的影子 叶池爪子揣着一堆秘密，沉甸甸的，她跟着其他猫逆溪上行，穿过林地 她琢磨着，蛾翅是不是终于懒得过来，和这些她不相信的伙伴聚会交流了 要么就是羽尾预言的麻烦已经来临，这位河族巫医没法离开自己的族群 它们走到树林尽头的开阔荒原边，遇到风族巫医疤脸时，叶池的焦虑更深了 他也没见过蛾翅

"She can still catch up," Cinderpelt mewed, as she limped farther up the hill. As they skirted WindClan territory, Leafpool scanned the moorland slopes. She told herself it was Mothwing's golden pelt she wanted to see, not the lean gray shape of Crowfeather. "How are things in WindClan?" Cinderpelt asked Barkface. "Onestar seemed confident at the Gathering." "Onestar will make a strong leader." Barkface's tone was neutral. If there were still difficulties within WindClan, he obviously wasn't going to talk about them, not even to other medicine cats. "You know what I found up on the moors?" Barkface went on, his voice growing more friendly as he changed the subject. "Of course I don't, mouse-brain!" Cinderpelt flicked his ear gently with the tip of her tail. "But I can see you're dying to tell me." "Goldenrod—huge tall clumps of it." The older cat let out a satisfied purr. "Very good for healing wounds." "That's excellent news, Barkface," Cinderpelt

"她还能赶上来的，"炭毛喵呜道，一边跛着脚往山丘上方走去。 他们绕过风族领地时，叶池扫视着荒原的坡地。 她告诉自己，她想看到的是蛾翅的金色皮毛，不是鸦羽精瘦的灰色身影。 "风族近来一切可好？" 炭毛问疤脸。 "一星在森林集会上看起来信心十足。" "一星会成为一位强大的族长。" 疤脸的语气平淡，听不出情绪。 如果风族内部仍有矛盾，他显然不打算对外说起，哪怕是对其他巫医也一样。 "你猜我在荒原上发现了什么？" 疤脸接着说道，转开话题后他的声音变得愈发友善。 "我当然不知道啦，你这鼠脑袋！" 炭毛用尾巴尖轻轻弹了弹他的耳朵。 "不过我看得出，你急着想告诉我呢。" "一枝黄——好大丛，长得老高了。" 这只年长的公猫发出一声满足的呼噜。 "治伤口特别管用。" "这可真是好消息，疤脸，"炭毛

meowed. "Let's hope you don't need to use it too soon." The WindClan medicine cat agreed with a rumble deep in his throat. "But it's good to know where it is." Leafpool felt a sudden chill. Even counting the fox and the badger, so far they hadn't encountered many enemies in their new home. They wouldn't need a supply of goldenrod unless the cats started fighting each other. We all journeyed together not long ago, she thought despairingly. Why do we have to split into four again? Night had fallen by the time the four medicine cats reached the Moonpool. Ahead of them rose a cliff of black rock, hung with ferns and shaggy moss. A stream cascaded from a cleft about halfway up; stars glittered on its surface and on the bubbling water of the pool. Leafpool felt calmer as she pushed through the barrier of bushes that guarded the hollow. Whatever the future would bring, they were all in the paws of StarClan now.

喵道。 "希望你们不会太快用到它。" 这位风族巫医喉咙里发出低沉的咕噜声，表示赞同。 "但知道它长在哪里总归是好事。" 叶池突然感到一阵寒意。 就算算上狐狸和獾，他们在新家园至今也没遇到多少敌人。 除非族群间开战，否则他们根本不需要用到这么多一枝黄。 不久前我们还一同跋涉，她绝望地想。 为什么我们非得重新拆成四个族群？ 等四位巫医抵达月亮池时，夜幕已经降临了。 他们前方矗立着一座黑岩悬崖，崖上垂挂着蕨类和蓬松的苔藓。 一道溪流从半腰的石缝中倾泻下来； 星光在溪面和池子冒泡的水面上熠熠闪烁。 叶池拨开挡在凹地入口的灌木丛，心情平复了不少。 无论未来会发生什么，他们如今都掌握在星族的爪中了。