Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15 On the day after Daisy's return, Brambleclaw emerged from the warriors" den to see Berrykit wrestling with his brother and sister outside the nursery. He padded across to watch; Berrykit cuffed Mousekit over the head and sent the smaller kit sprawling in the dust. "Well done," Brambleclaw mewed approvingly. "But if Mousekit were your enemy, would you stand there staring at him? Mousekit, what are you going to do?" "Attack him!" Mousekit sprang up, shook rumpled fur, and lunged at his brother. "Dodge!" Brambleclaw directed Berrykit. "Trip him as you go by." Berrykit flashed out a paw, but Mousekit sidestepped and landed a blow on his ear. Berrykit crouched, snarling, and pounced on Mousekit's tail. "Well done, both of you," Brambleclaw meowed. "You'll both make good fighters one day." Leaving the kits to scuffle, Brambleclaw

第15章 黛西回来的第二天，棘爪从武士巢穴出来，看见莓崽正在育婴室外和哥哥姐姐摔跤 他轻步走过去观看； 莓崽一巴掌拍在鼠崽脑袋上，把这只更小的幼崽打得摔在尘土里 "干得好，"棘爪赞许地喵道 "可如果鼠崽是你的敌人，你还会站在那儿盯着他吗？ 鼠崽，你打算怎么做？" "进攻他！" 鼠崽一跃而起，抖了抖乱蓬蓬的毛，朝哥哥猛扑过去 "躲开！" 棘爪指挥着莓崽 "经过的时候把他绊倒。" 莓崽飞快伸出一只爪子，可鼠崽侧身躲开，还一巴掌打在了他的耳朵上 莓崽弓起身子低吼着，扑向了鼠崽的尾巴 "你们俩都干得好，"棘爪喵道 总有一天你们都会成为出色的战士 留下幼崽们继续扭打，棘爪

turned away and saw Firestar in the center of the clearing, listening to a report from the dawn patrol. A moment later the patrol separated in search of rest and fresh-kill, and Firestar beckoned with his tail for Brambleclaw to join him. "Dustpelt reports Twolegs on our border," he began. Brambleclaw felt his neck fur begin to rise. "They're not building another Thunderpath, are they?" "No, nothing like that," Firestar replied. "Dustpelt says there are some green pelt-things propped up on sticks, like little dens, in the clearing between us and ShadowClan. Twolegs have been sleeping in them." Brambleclaw's eyes widened. "That's mouse- brained! Why would Twolegs come and sleep here when they have perfectly good nests of their own?" Firestar shrugged. "Why do Twolegs do anything? I'm not too worried about the green pelt-things," he went on. "They don't sound permanent. What bothers me is how

转过身，看见火星正站在空地中央，听黎明巡逻队做报告 没过一会儿，巡逻队就散开各自去休息、寻找猎物，火星甩尾巴招呼棘爪过去 "尘毛报告说咱们边界出现了两脚兽，"他开口说道 棘爪感觉自己后颈的毛都竖起来了 "他们不是又要修雷路吧，对不对？" "不，不是这种事，"火星回答 "尘毛说，咱们和影族之间的空地里，木棍撑着好些绿色皮子样的东西，就像小巢穴 两脚兽一直睡在里面。" 棘爪睁大了眼睛 这可太蠢了！ 两脚兽自己有好好的巢穴，为什么要来这儿睡觉呢？" 火星耸耸肩 两脚兽做事情哪有道理可讲？ 我并不太担心那些绿皮子东西，"他继续说道 听起来他们不会长久待在这里 让我烦心的是

ShadowClan is going to react. We all know they're looking for an excuse to take some of our territory." Brambleclaw flexed his claws. "I'd like to see them try." "I'd rather settle this peacefully if we can," Firestar told him. "Listen, I want you to see exactly what's happening in the clearing, then go around the lake and find out what the Twolegs are up to on the border between RiverClan and ShadowClan. I want to know how serious the disturbance is, and how likely it is that Blackstar and Leopardstar will demand more territory at the next Gathering." Brambleclaw knew that made sense. As the weather grew warmer, more and more Twolegs had appeared, roaring across the lake in their water-monsters or bobbing around in the boats with white pelts. The air was filled with buzzing, and when the wind was in the right direction the cats could hear the yelps and yowls of Twolegs even in the stone hollow. "Do you think the Twolegs will come here next?" he asked Firestar.

影族会是什么反应 我们都知道，他们一直找借口想夺走咱们的一部分领地。" 棘爪绷紧了爪子 "我倒要看看他们敢试试。" "如果可以的话，我更愿意和平解决这件事，"火星对他说 听着，我要你去查清那片空地的实情，然后绕湖一圈，摸清河族和影族边界的两脚兽在做什么 我要知道这次的骚乱有多严重，以及下次森林大会上，黑星和豹星有多大概率会索要更多领地。" 棘爪知道这话很有道理 随着天气渐渐转暖，越来越多的两脚兽出现了，他们开着水怪在湖面上呼啸，或是坐着带白帆的小船漂来漂去 空气中满是嗡嗡声，风向对的时候，哪怕在石谷里，族猫都能听到两脚兽的大呼小叫 "你觉得两脚兽接下来会来这儿吗？"他问火星

"They might," Firestar replied seriously. "But I think the forest comes too close to the water's edge in our territory for them to land their water- monsters. That might keep them away—but that's part of what I want you to find out. Have a good sniff around, and don't get caught. I don't want ShadowClan or RiverClan to know you've set paw on their territory." "They won't," Brambleclaw promised, and set off with a wave of his tail. He felt his head swim with pride as he brushed through the thorn tunnel. Firestar must trust him a lot to have chosen him for such an important mission! Tigerstar was right: he could achieve great things by following the warrior code and being loyal to his Clan. He cut through ThunderClan territory until he came to the clearing. The stream bordered it on one side, then veered away into ShadowClan territory. The tabby tom crouched at the water's edge, screened by a clump of bluebells, and peered across. The green pelts Firestar had mentioned were dotted all across the clearing. Since at this point

"他们有可能，"火星严肃地回答 不过咱们领地的森林太靠近水边，两脚兽的水怪没法靠岸 这或许能把他们挡在外头——但这正是我要你去查清的内容之一 好好四处探查，千万别被发现 我不希望影族或是河族发现你踏足过他们的领地。" "不会的，"棘爪保证道，随后甩了甩尾巴出发了 他穿过荆藤隧道的时候，心里满是自豪 火星选他执行这么重要的任务，一定是非常信任他！ 虎星说得对：只要遵守武士守则，忠于族群，他就能做成大事 他抄近路穿过雷族领地，来到了那片空地 空地一侧以小溪为界，之后小溪拐向影族领地流去 这只虎斑公猫蹲在水边，躲在一丛蓝铃花后面，往对岸张望 火星提到的那些绿皮子，零零散散布满了整片空地 就在这里

the stream marked the border, they were actually in ShadowClan territory. "ShadowClan is welcome to them," he muttered. But he wasn't so sure; Blackstar might see the Twoleg invasion as another reason to extend his territory. Dustpelt seemed to be right that the Twolegs were sleeping under the pelts. At least, as Brambleclaw watched, several Twolegs crawled in and out, and Twoleg kits were playing between the little dens, tossing something brightly colored from one to another, and yowling in delight when they caught it. A shiver went through Brambleclaw when he spotted flame spurting up from the opposite side of the clearing. Were the Twolegs really mouse- brained enough to light a fire among the trees? Then he noticed that the fire was encased in some shiny Twoleg thing that seemed to stop it from spreading. He could smell the strange, acrid scent of Twoleg food drifting across, mixed with the tang of charred wood. Brambleclaw watched the scene for a while longer, but nothing else seemed to be happening.

这条小溪就是边界线，他们此刻其实已经踏入了影族的领地。 "影族尽管收下这些家伙吧，" 他咕哝道。 但他心里其实没什么把握； 黑星说不定会把两脚兽入侵当成扩张领地的又一个借口。 看来尘皮说得没错，这些两脚兽确实睡在兽皮底下。 至少黑莓掌观察到，好几只两脚兽在进进出出，两脚兽幼崽在小巢穴间玩耍，互相抛扔一个亮闪闪的东西，接住的时候就开心地大叫。 当黑莓掌看见空地对面窜起火苗时，不由得打了个寒颤。 这些两脚兽真蠢得像老鼠，居然敢在树林里生火吗？ 接着他发现，火被圈在一个发亮的两脚兽玩意里，并不会往外蔓延。 他闻到飘来一股奇怪刺鼻的两脚兽食物气味，还混着烧焦木头的味道。 黑莓掌又观察了一会儿眼前的场景，没发现别的异常动静。

At last he eased back from the water's edge, being careful to tread silently and stay out of sight until he was well away from the clearing. He had learned all he could from these Twolegs; now it was time for the more dangerous part of his mission. A mouse scuttled across open ground just in front of him; Brambleclaw flashed out a paw and pinned it down, killing it and devouring it quickly. He was about to leave his own territory, and he wouldn't risk stealing prey from a rival Clan. He followed the stream down toward the lake, tasting the air for the scent of ShadowClan patrols. The border markers were strong and fresh here, but the scent of cats was fading; he guessed that a patrol had been that way at dawn. When he reached the edge of the trees, there were no ShadowClan cats visible along the lakeshore. Brambleclaw waded cautiously across the stream, his pelt prickling. Blackstar had agreed only grudgingly to allow cats from other Clans to cross his territory; besides, Firestar had ordered Brambleclaw not to let ShadowClan

最后他慢慢从水边退开，一直放轻脚步躲在隐蔽处，直到离那块空地很远才停下。 他已经从这些两脚兽身上摸清了所有能摸清楚的情况； 现在该去执行任务里更危险的部分了。 一只老鼠窜过他面前的空地； 黑莓掌猛地伸出爪子按住它，杀死后就飞快吃进了肚子。 他马上就要离开自己的领地了，绝不会冒险偷猎敌对族群的猎物。 他沿着小溪朝湖边走，嗅着空气中有没有影族巡逻队的气味。 这儿的边界标记气味浓烈新鲜，但猫的气息正在慢慢变淡； 他猜黎明时分巡逻队刚来过这儿。 他走到树林边缘时，湖岸上看不到半只影族猫的影子。 黑莓掌小心翼翼蹚过小溪，浑身的毛都绷得发紧。 黑星本来就很不情愿允许别族猫穿越他的领地； 更何况，火星命令黑莓掌绝对不能让影族