Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17 When the meeting was over, Leafpool retreated to her den and busied herself making a poultice of yarrow for Goldenflower, who was complaining of cracked pads. Uneasiness wreathed her like fog. Firestar had never faced a challenge to his leadership like this. What had happened to ThunderClan's trust in him that had brought them through their long journey to their new home? Had they really forgotten everything Firestar had done for them? She had other worries, too, suspicions that troubled her even more deeply. She remembered Feathertail's warning, and how Bluestar had told her in a dream that her path would twist in ways she could not foresee. It can't be true, she told herself. If it is, what will I do? Pushing the troubling thoughts firmly out of her mind, Leafpool scooped up the poultice on a leaf, ready to take to the elders" den. Suddenly she heard pawsteps just beyond the bramble screen. Expecting a sick or injured cat, she popped her head out of her den and found

第17章 会议结束后，叶池退回自己的巢穴，忙着给脚掌开裂的金花调制欧蓍草药膏 不安像浓雾一样包裹着她 火星从未遭遇过这样直指他领袖地位的挑战 那份曾陪着雷族走完漫长旅途、抵达新家园的对他的信任，究竟出了什么问题 他们真的彻底忘了火星为他们做过的一切吗 她还有别的担忧，一些更让她心神不宁的猜疑 她还记得羽尾的警告，还记得蓝星在梦中对她说，她的前路会有她意想不到的转折 这不可能是真的，她告诉自己 如果这是真的，我该怎么办 叶池把这些烦人的念头狠狠压出脑海，将药膏舀到一片叶子上，准备送去长老巢穴 突然，她听见荆棘屏障外传来脚步声 她以为是生病或受伤的族猫，连忙探出头，竟看到

herself face-to-face with her father. "Firestar!" she exclaimed. "Are you sick?" He looked ill, his green eyes dull and his tail drooping. Firestar shook his head. "I'm fine," he mewed unconvincingly. "Your mother said I should come and talk to you. I need a medicine cat's advice." Leafpool motioned to him to sit in the bracken outside the entrance to her den. It was warm here in the sun, but they were hidden from the rest of the camp by the screen of brambles. Sitting beside him, she curled her tail neatly over her paws and murmured, "I'm here if you need me. I'll do anything I can to help." Firestar heaved a sigh. "Brambleclaw spoke to me. He thinks Graystripe is dead, and I should appoint a new deputy. Sandstorm agrees with him. Do you think they're right?" Leafpool's pelt prickled. However much she tried to ignore her personal feelings, she still found it hard to trust Brambleclaw after she had seen him in the dark forest with Hawkfrost and Tigerstar. But how could she tell that to Firestar? What could Firestar do about it, when in the

自己竟和父亲面对面撞在了一起 “火星！” 她惊呼道 “你生病了吗？” 他看起来气色很差，绿色的眼睛黯淡无神，尾巴也耷拉着 火星摇了摇头 “我没事，”他说得毫无底气 “你母亲说我应该过来找你聊聊 我需要巫医的建议。” 叶池示意他坐到巢穴入口外的蕨丛里 这里晒着太阳很暖和，荆棘屏障挡住了营地其他猫的视线 她挨着他坐下，将尾巴整齐地搭在爪上，轻声说：“如果你需要我，我就在这里 我会尽我所能帮你。” 火星重重叹了口气 “黑莓掌找我谈过 他认为灰条已经死了，我应该任命一位新副族长 沙风也同意他的看法 你觉得他们说得对吗？” 叶池的皮毛一下子绷紧了 不管她怎么努力抛开私人成见，自从在黑暗森林看到他和鹰霜、虎星在一起后，她始终很难信任黑莓掌 可她怎么能把这件事告诉火星呢 这件事就算告诉火星，又能有什么用，毕竟在

waking world Brambleclaw was a loyal and energetic ThunderClan warrior? Besides, what true medicine cat would walk beyond StarClan? How could it be part of her duties to pass on what she had seen in the forest of shadows? She wondered whether Brambleclaw had brought this up because he hoped Firestar would choose him as the new deputy. She had seen ambition gleaming in his amber eyes, and she knew he wanted power. But she reminded herself that Brambleclaw couldn't be made deputy because he had never had an apprentice. He must have put his own ambition aside for the good of the Clan; perhaps she was being unfair when she looked for the darkness in him. Firestar was waiting for an answer, his green gaze fixed patiently on her. "Is there no hope for Graystripe?" he prompted. "Hasn't StarClan shown you any sort of sign about him?" Leafpool shook her head. But she knew she trusted her own inner voice this time. "I think you should accept that Graystripe is gone," she told her father, her voice shaking as she saw the pain in his eyes.

清醒世界里，黑莓掌明明是雷族忠诚又能干的武士呀 再说了，哪有真正的巫医会违背星族行事 把在黑暗森林看到的一切说出去，怎么会是我的职责呢 她忍不住猜测，黑莓掌提这件事，是不是希望火星选他当新副族长 她见过他琥珀色的眼睛里闪着野心的光，也清楚他渴望权力 但她提醒自己，黑莓掌不可能被选为副族长，因为他还从没带过学徒 他一定是为了族群的利益放下了个人野心 也许是自己太不公平，总揪着他身上阴暗的地方不放 火星正耐心地用绿色的目光注视着她，等待她的回答 “难道灰条真的一点希望都没有了吗？”他提醒道 “星族有没有给过你任何关于他的征兆呢？” 叶池摇了摇头 但这一次，她清楚自己要相信内心的声音 “我觉得你该接受灰条已经离开的事实，”她对父亲说，看到他眼中的痛苦，她的声音忍不住发颤

"We've lost so many cats," he murmured. "Graystripe and Cinderpelt were my closest friends." "The whole Clan will grieve for him," Leafpool told him. "Stormfur, too." As if her words had called him up, she caught a glimpse of the gray warrior padding across the clearing with Brook and Squirrelflight, bringing prey for the fresh-kill pile. "Wait here," she told her father, and bounded out to meet him. She caught up to Stormfur as he deposited his fresh-kill on the pile. "I want you to come and talk to Firestar," she meowed. "I think he needs you. He... he is trying to decide whether he should appoint a new deputy or keep waiting for Graystripe to come back." Stormfur hesitated, confusion clouding his eyes for a moment. Then he nodded. "Will you be okay?" he asked Brook. The Tribe cat nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." "Sure she will," Squirrelflight added. "We'll go to the clearing and practice some fighting moves."

“我们已经失去太多猫了，”他低声说 “灰条和炭毛都是我最亲密的朋友。” “全族都会为他悲伤的，”叶池对他说 “还有暴毛，也是一样。” 好像她的话音刚落，她就瞥见这只灰色武士正跟着溪儿和松鼠飞穿过空地，往猎物堆送猎物 “你在这儿等着，”她对父亲说，随即跳出去迎他 在暴毛把猎物放到猎物堆上时，她追上了他 “我想请你过去和火星聊聊，”她说 “我觉得他需要你 他……他正纠结，到底是该任命新副族长，还是继续等灰条回来。” 暴毛犹豫了片刻，眼中瞬间蒙上了一层困惑 然后他点了点头 “你一个人没问题吧？” 他问溪儿 这位来自急水部落的猫点了点头 “别担心，我会没事的。” “她当然没事啦，”松鼠飞补充道 “我们会去空地练习格斗招式的。”

Stormfur waited until the two she-cats were heading out of camp again, then fell in beside Leafpool as she padded back to her den. Firestar was still sitting in the bracken, his eyes unfocused. "Graystripe was the first Clan cat I ever met," he meowed absently. "He jumped on me when I strayed out of my house-folk's garden. I'd heard tales of the wild cats that lived in the forest, but I'd never seen one. No cat ever had a better friend." "Or a better father." With a glance at Leafpool to show he understood exactly what was going on, Stormfur went to sit beside Firestar. "If he were still alive, not even StarClan could stop him from coming to find us." "Not if Twolegs have kept him shut up somewhere," Firestar argued. "I won't believe that I'll never see him again." Stormfur rested the tip of his tail on Firestar's shoulder. "I know it's hard. I want Graystripe to be alive as much as any cat, but life has to go on." For a long moment Firestar was silent. Then he turned his head to look directly at Stormfur.

风毛一直等到那两只母猫走出营地，才在叶池返回巢穴的时候跟到了她身旁 火星仍旧坐在蕨丛里，目光涣散 “灰条是我遇见的第一只族群猫，”他心不在焉地说 “我当时跑出两脚兽的花园，他一下子就扑住了我 我听过森林里野猫的传说，可我从来没见过真的野猫 再也没有比他更好的朋友了” “也没有比他更好的父亲。” 风毛看了叶池一眼，明白眼下的情况，便走过去坐在火星身边 “如果他还活着，就算星族也拦不住他来找我们。” “就算两脚兽把他关在什么地方也一样，”火星反驳道 “我才不信我再也见不到他了。” 风毛把尾尖搭在了火星的肩膀上 “我知道这很难受 我和所有猫一样都希望灰条还活着，可日子总得继续过下去。” 火星沉默了好长一会儿 接着他转过头，直视着风毛

"Do you think I should appoint another deputy?" Stormfur met his gaze. "You must do whatever you think best," he began. "But I know one thing. Nothing meant more to Graystripe than your friendship and his Clan. Even when he was in RiverClan, he longed to go home. He would want to see ThunderClan as strong as it could possibly be, even if that meant accepting that he's not coming back." Leafpool thought her heart would break. It was so, so hard to imagine that Graystripe was dead. Firestar let out a long sigh. "You're just like him, you know," he told Stormfur. Pride glowed in Stormfur's eyes. "I wish I could believe it. But I'll never be half the warrior my father was." Then he twitched his ears and sat straighter, as if dismissing his dark thoughts. "I'm sorry, Firestar," he meowed. "Brook and I have made things difficult for you. We never intended to stay in ThunderClan forever." "I know," Firestar responded, "but you're welcome to stay as long as you want. I know you have loyalties elsewhere, but until the time is

“你觉得我该再任命一位副族长吗？” 风毛迎上了他的目光 “你觉得怎么做最好就怎么做，”他开口说道 “但我清楚一件事 对灰条来说，没有什么比他和你的友谊、还有他的族群更重要了 哪怕他之前待在河族的时候，也一直渴望回家 他肯定也希望雷族能尽可能保持强大，哪怕要接受他再也回不来的事实。” 叶池觉得自己的心都要碎了 真的太难接受灰条已经不在了这个事实 火星长长地叹了一口气 “你知道吗，你真像他，”他对风毛说 骄傲的光芒在风毛的眼睛里泛起 “真希望我真能配得上这句话 可我连我父亲一半优秀都赶不上。” 接着他抖了抖耳朵，坐直身子，仿佛要挥走这些悲伤的念头 “对不起，火星，”他说道 “我和溪儿给你添了这么多麻烦 我们从没想过要一直留在雷族不走。” “我知道，”火星回答道，“但你想待多久都欢迎 我知道你心向别处，但在你准备好