Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13 Ferns brushed Brambleclaw's pelt as he raced through the forest of shadows toward his meeting with Tigerstar. Strength flowed through him now that his shoulder was fully healed, and his paws itched to show off his fighting skills to his father and Hawkfrost. He was sure Tigerstar would be pleased by what he had to tell. Reaching the clearing, he came to an abrupt halt in the shadow of a thorn tree. His father was sitting on the rock in the center, his head bent to speak to a slender tortoiseshell warrior. Tawnypelt! What's she doing here? Curiosity sank its claws into his heart. With his belly fur brushing the ground, he crept around the clearing until he could get closer to the rock in the shelter of a clump of long grass. With his ears pricked, he could just make out the other cats" voices. "I've told you before," Tawnypelt snapped. "I don't want any part of your ambitions. I have my own plans." Brambleclaw tensed. No cat spoke like that to

第十三章 蕨叶蹭过黑莓爪的皮毛，他在暗影森林里飞奔，赶去赴与虎星的会面 他的肩膀已经完全痊愈，浑身充满力量，早就迫不及待想向父亲和鹰霜展示自己的格斗本领 他笃定虎星会对他带来的消息感到满意 走到空地后，他猛地在一棵刺树的树荫下停住脚 他的父亲正坐在空地中央的岩石上，低着头对一只纤细的玳瑁武士说话 褐皮！ 她来这里做什么？ 好奇心像爪子一般揪着他的心 他贴着肚皮伏在地上，悄悄绕着空地挪动，躲到一丛长草后面，离岩石更近了些 他支起耳朵，勉强能听清另外两只猫的声音 "我早就跟你说过了，"褐皮怒气冲冲地说 "我才不想掺和你的野心 我有我自己的计划。" 黑莓爪瞬间绷紧了身体 没有哪只猫敢这样对

Tigerstar! But the massive tabby didn't seem angry. His tone was pleased as he replied, "You have my spirit, Tawnypelt, and you're a brave warrior. But there are times when spirit becomes foolishness. Don't throw away what I can offer you. I can make you a leader." "Fox dung!" Tawnypelt snarled. "I'm a loyal ShadowClan cat. If I'm ever made deputy or leader it will be because I have earned it myself— and because my Clanmates and StarClan wish it. You're twisting the warrior code to get what you want, just like you did when you were alive." A growl rumbled in Tigerstar's throat. Brambleclaw caught the gleam of unsheathed claws and his heart pounded in fear for his sister. But Tawnypelt held her head high. "You don't frighten me," she meowed calmly. "And I don't want anything you can give me." Spinning around, she stalked across the clearing and straight into the clump where Brambleclaw crouched in hiding. She let out a hiss of surprise. "What are you doing here?"

虎星！ 可这只大块头虎斑猫看起来并不生气 他语气愉悦地答道："你继承了我的血性，褐皮，你是个勇敢的武士 但有些时候，血性也会变成愚蠢 别丢掉我能给你的好机会 我能帮你当上族长。" "胡扯！" 褐皮怒吼道 "我是忠诚的影族猫 如果我哪天能当上副族长或族长，那一定是我自己挣来的——是我的族猫和星族认可我 你扭曲武士守则满足私欲，就和你活着的时候一模一样。" 虎星的喉咙里滚出一声低吼 黑莓爪看见他亮出了闪着寒光的爪子，心怦怦直跳，替姐姐捏了把汗 可褐皮依旧昂着头 "你吓不倒我，"她平静地说 "我也不想要你给我的任何东西。" 她转过身，大步穿过空地，径直闯进了黑莓爪藏身的草丛 她惊讶地嘶了一声 "你在这里做什么？"

"I could ask you the same thing," Brambleclaw retorted, peering through the grass stems to make sure Tigerstar hadn't spotted him. To his relief, the huge tabby had turned away. Tawnypelt's eyes were cold as she gazed at her brother. "You've been here before, haven't you?" she meowed. "You think he can give you power. Have you got thistledown for brains? You know what he did when he was alive." "That was then." Brambleclaw twitched his ears uncomfortably. "Now he's just helping us to become good warriors—me and Hawkfrost. We train together. Tigerstar teaches us stuff." "I bet he does!" Tawnypelt let out a snort of contempt. "Brambleclaw, think, will you? You're an amazing cat already; you're brave and loyal and you have tremendous warrior skills. Why do you need Tigerstar?" Without giving her brother a chance to reply, she swept on. "We've spent a long time trying to break free of our father's legacy. When we were kits in ThunderClan, most cats didn't trust us. Our Clan leader didn't trust us, for StarClan's sake! That's why I left to join ShadowClan. Tigerstar welcomed me, but then I

"这话我该反过来问你，"黑莓爪回嘴道，一边从草叶缝里张望，确认虎星没发现自己 让他松了口气的是，那只大虎斑猫已经转过身去了 褐皮冷冷地看着自己的弟弟 "你之前就来过这里，对不对？" 她说道 "你觉得他能给你权力 你脑子里面全是蓟绒吗？ 你明明知道他活着的时候都做了什么。" "那都是过去的事了。" 黑莓爪不自在地抖了抖耳朵 "现在他只是帮我和鹰霜成为优秀的武士 我们一起训练 虎星教我们很多本领。" "我当然知道他教你！" 褐皮轻蔑地哼了一声 "黑莓爪，你动动脑子行不行？ 你本来就很优秀了，勇敢忠诚，武士本领又超强 你为什么非要依靠虎星不可呢？" 没等弟弟回答，她就接着说道 "我们花了很久才摆脱父亲留下的坏名声 我们还是雷族幼崽的时候，大多数猫都不信任我们 连我们的族长都不信任我们，星族在上啊！ 所以我才离开雷族，加入了影族 虎星欢迎了我，可后来我

saw what his leadership was like, and I was glad when Scourge killed him! I don't want any part of his blood. I've survived just fine without him, and so have you." "Maybe," Brambleclaw mewed defensively. "But he died before I had a chance to know him. Maybe this is my chance now." His sister's eyes narrowed. "That's not what's happening here and you know it." She let out a sigh, part weariness, part exasperation. "Brambleclaw, I think you'd make a fantastic leader. But only if you go about it the right way." She touched her nose to his ear in farewell. Her voice was more affectionate as she added, "Think about it, mouse-brain." Brambleclaw watched her stalk away. He wondered if Tigerstar had summoned his other daughter Mothwing to meet him here. He doubted it; Mothwing was a medicine cat, and all her dreams would be spent with StarClan. Besides, medicine cats couldn't lead their Clans; their paws were set on another path. Part of Brambleclaw wanted to listen to Tawnypelt. He knew Squirrelflight would say the

看清了他的统治是什么样子，长鞭杀了他的时候我可高兴了！ 我一点都不想沾染他的血脉 没有他我也过得好好的，你也一样。" "或许吧，"黑莓爪辩解道 "可我还没来得及了解他，他就死了 说不定这就是我的机会。" 他姐姐眯起了眼睛 "你心里清楚事情根本不是这么回事 她叹了口气，带着疲惫又恼怒的情绪 "黑莓爪，我相信你能成为很棒的族长 但前提是你得走正路。" 她用鼻子碰了碰他的耳朵道别 她的语气柔和了些，补充道："好好想想吧，傻猫。" 黑莓爪看着她大步走开 他好奇虎星有没有召另一个女儿蛾翅来这里见面 他觉得不太可能，蛾翅是巫医，她一心都向着星族 再说，巫医不能统领族群，他们注定要走另一条路 黑莓爪心里其实有一部分愿意听褐皮的话 他知道松鼠飞会说

same thing, if she knew about these meetings. But there was nothing wrong with accepting his father's help, he argued with himself; every warrior thought about leading their Clan one day. And if StarClan approved of his relationship with Squirrelflight, surely that meant they knew about his ambitions as well? He crushed down the small voice of his conscience and stepped out into the clearing to greet Tigerstar. Brambleclaw woke with a start at the sound of a piercing cry from outside the warriors" den. He sprang to his paws, his neck fur bristling. "Keep your fur on," Spiderleg mewed from his mossy nest. "It's only Ferncloud. She was in here just now, looking for that horseplace cat." "Daisy? Is she missing?" "Well, Ferncloud says she wasn't in the nursery," Spiderleg explained. "But she must be around here somewhere. She'd be the last cat to go wandering off. She's hardly left the hollow since the badger attack." That was true, which made it all the more unsettling. Brambleclaw pushed his way out

要是她知道这些会面，肯定也会这么想。 可他暗自争辩：接受父亲的帮助又没什么错； 每个武士都曾憧憬过有一天统领自己的部族。 要是星族认可他和松鼠飞的感情，肯定也就说明他们知道他的野心，对不对？ 他压下良心那点微弱的声音，迈步走出空地去迎接虎星。 武士巢穴外传来一声刺耳叫喊，黑莓掌一下子惊醒了。 他猛地站起身，颈毛全都根根竖起。 “沉住气，”蜘蛛腿从自己的苔藓窝开口说道。 “只是蕨云而已。 她刚才就在这儿，找那个马场来的猫。” “黛西？ 她不见了吗？” “唔，蕨云说她没在育婴室，”蜘蛛腿解释道。 “可她肯定就在这附近啊。 她才不会乱跑呢。 自从獾群袭击之后，她几乎没出过山谷。” 这话没错，正因如此，这件事才更让人不安。 黑莓掌挤了出去

through the thorns to see Ferncloud standing in the middle of the clearing, with Cloudtail beside her. The white tomcat was awkwardly stroking her shoulder with his tail, trying to calm her down. "She can't be far away," he comforted her. "Remember how scared she was when Berrykit wandered off." "But the kits have gone too," Ferncloud pointed out fretfully. "She must have taken them away deliberately." As Brambleclaw padded toward her, another yowl rose from behind him. He turned to see Sorreltail bounding over from the apprentices" den. "Whitepaw and Birchpaw haven't seen them either," she panted. "I don't think they're in the camp." Brambleclaw stood for a moment, thinking. The sun had barely risen above the tops of the trees. If Daisy had left the camp she must have done so as dawn was breaking. What could have been important enough to draw her out into the forest, when she was so frightened of what she

穿过荆丛，他看见蕨云站在空地中央，云尾就在她身旁。 这只白色公猫正笨拙地用尾巴蹭着她的肩膀，想让她冷静下来。 “她肯定走不远的，”他安慰她道。 “你还记得小莓迷路时她有多害怕吗？” “可是幼崽们也不见了，”蕨云焦虑地说道。 “她肯定是故意把他们带走的。” 黑莓掌朝她走去时，身后又传来一声嚎叫。 他转过身，看见榛尾从学徒巢穴那边奔了过来。 “白爪和桦爪也没见过她们，”她喘着气说道。 “我觉得她们根本不在营地里。” 黑莓掌站了片刻，思索着。 太阳才刚刚升到树梢之上。 如果黛西离开了营地，那她肯定就是破晓时分走的。 究竟是什么要紧的事，会把本就害怕林中她所认为