Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19 As Leafpool set out for her meeting at the Moonpool, her pelt still prickled with uneasiness. Brambleclaw's first day as deputy had gone well; he gave orders with quiet authority and he worked harder than any cat on his own patrols. But she couldn't forget her vision of Tigerstar shadowing him as Firestar announced that he would be deputy. Somehow, she knew, Brambleclaw was still in contact with his murderous father. And that meant the whole Clan could be in danger. Hoping for a sign when she shared tongues with StarClan at the Moonpool, she padded through the forest and emerged from the trees near the stream where it gurgled around the stepping-stones. Barkface and Mothwing were waiting for her, and in the twilight Leafpool could just make out the shape of another, smaller cat—Willowpaw! Leafpool had forgotten that this was the night when the young gray she-cat would be officially received by StarClan as Mothwing's apprentice.

第19章 当叶池出发前往月亮池赴约时，她浑身的皮毛都因不安绷得发紧 黑莓掌当上副族长的第一天一切顺利； 他发号施令沉稳威严，带队巡逻时比任何猫都要卖力 可她忘不掉那个幻象：火星宣布黑莓掌出任副族长时，虎星就跟在他身后 不知怎的，叶池清楚，黑莓掌仍然和他嗜杀的父亲有所联系 这意味着整个族群都可能陷入危险 她盼着在月亮池和星族交流时能得到启示，便缓步穿过森林，走到溪边——溪水正淙淙环绕着垫石流淌 斑皮和蛾翅已经在等她，暮色中叶池勉强分辨出另一只更小猫咪的轮廓——是柳爪！ 叶池早就忘了，今晚这只年轻的灰色母猫就要被星族正式接纳，成为蛾翅的学徒了

"Hi," she meowed, bounding up to them. "Willowpaw, it's great to see you." Willowpaw ducked her head shyly. Her eyes shone; she looked almost too excited to speak. "Hi, Leafpool," she mewed. "It's great to be here." To Leafpool's relief the apprentice didn't mention the dream they had shared about finding the catmint. Barkface might overhear, and he would think it very strange that another Clan's medicine cat had to guide Mothwing's apprentice. "Where's Littlecloud?" Leafpool asked. "He isn't usually late." Barkface shrugged. "No idea. He may have gone ahead." "We'd better get on. The moon will be up soon," Mothwing added. Leafpool could see tension in every hair of her friend's pelt. She could understand why. Mothwing was about to present her apprentice to StarClan when she herself didn't believe in them. She must be terrified of what would happen. Perhaps StarClan wouldn't even accept

“嗨，”她喵呜叫着，蹦跳到她们面前 “柳爪，真高兴见到你。” 柳爪害羞地低下了头 她眼睛闪闪发亮，兴奋得几乎说不出话来 “嗨，叶池，”她轻声叫着 “能来这里我太开心了。” 让叶池松口气的是，柳爪没有提起她们一同梦到寻找猫薄荷的事 万一被斑皮听见，他肯定会奇怪，为什么要别族巫医来指导蛾翅的学徒 “小云在哪里？” 叶池问道 “他平常从来不迟到。” 斑皮耸耸肩 “不知道。 他可能已经先走一步了。” “我们该出发了。 月亮马上就要升起来了。”蛾翅补充道 叶池看得出来，她朋友全身上下每根毛都透着紧张 她明白这是为什么 蛾翅自己都不相信星族，却要把自己的学徒交给星族接纳 她肯定对接下来要发生的事怕得要命 说不定星族甚至不会接纳

Willowpaw when her mentor couldn't reach them. No, Leafpool comforted herself. Feathertail came to Willowpaw in my dream, and promised her she would have lots more dreams of StarClan. She wished she could comfort Mothwing, but in front of Barkface she couldn't even admit that the problem existed. The four cats had just crossed the ThunderClan border when a yowl sounded behind them and Littlecloud raced up to them. "Sorry," he panted. "Cedarheart turned up with a thorn in his paw just as I was about to leave. Welcome," he added, dipping his head to Willowpaw. "Don't be nervous about tonight. You'll be fine; you've got a great mentor." Mothwing said nothing, but Leafpool didn't miss the flash of panic in her eyes. The moon floated high in the sky by the time the medicine cats pushed their way through the barrier of bushes and stood at the top of the hollow. Willowpaw stared in delight at the silver stream pouring down the rock in front of her, and

柳爪，毕竟她的导师没法联系上星族 不对，叶池安慰自己 羽尾在我的梦里去找了柳爪，还答应她，会让她做很多很多星族的梦 她多想安慰蛾翅，可当着斑皮的面，她连承认这个问题存在都做不到 四只猫刚跨过雷族边界，身后就传来一声号叫，小云飞奔着赶了过来 “对不起，”他喘着气说 “我刚要出发，杉心就来了，他爪子里扎了一根刺 欢迎你。”他说完，朝柳爪点了点头 “今晚别紧张 你一定会顺利的，你的导师非常棒。” 蛾翅什么也没说，但叶池看见了她眼中一闪而过的恐慌 等巫医们挤过灌木丛的屏障，站到山谷顶端时，月亮已经高高飘在天空了 柳爪欣喜地盯着眼前顺着岩石流下来的银色溪水，而

the bubbling Moonpool that seemed to be full of starlight. "It's so beautiful!" she whispered. Barkface took the lead down the dimpled path to the waterside. Mothwing followed with Willowpaw just behind her, while Leafpool and Littlecloud went last. Beside the pool, Mothwing turned and faced her apprentice. "Willowpaw," she meowed, "is it your wish to enter into the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?" Whatever she believed privately, she knew the words for this ritual well enough—and sounded as if she meant every one of them, too. Willowpaw's gray fur, turned to silver in the moonlight, was fluffed out in excitement and she held her tail high. Her eyes were filled with awe as she replied solemnly, "It is." "Then come forward." Willowpaw padded up to her until both cats stood on the very edge of the Moonpool. Mothwing raised her head to gaze at Silverpelt; Leafpool wondered what she saw there. Her voice was high-pitched and almost shaking as she

咕嘟冒泡的月亮池，池水里仿佛装满了星星的光芒 “这里太美啦！” 她小声惊叹道 斑皮带头走下坑坑洼洼的小路，来到水边 蛾翅走在前面，柳爪跟在蛾翅身后，叶池和小云走在最后 在月亮池边，蛾翅转过身，面对自己的学徒 “柳爪，”她喵呜说道，“你是否愿意成为一名巫医，探寻星族的奥秘？” 不管她自己私下怎么想，这套仪式的台词她记得滚瓜烂熟——而且听起来每一句都十分诚恳 柳爪的灰色皮毛被月光染成了银色，兴奋得蓬松开，她还高高翘起了尾巴 她满眼敬畏，郑重地回答道：“我愿意。” “那到前面来吧。” 柳爪轻步走到她跟前，两只猫都站在了月亮池的最边缘 蛾翅抬头凝视着银带星空，叶池好奇她在那里看到了什么 她的声音又尖，几乎发着抖，就在她

went on with the ceremony; she looked more nervous than her apprentice. "Warriors of StarClan, I present to you this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will." Leafpool's heart twisted with pity for her friend, recognizing what each word was costing her. Every day she lived a lie, but this was worse than anything else, to call on starry spirits she did not believe in where all the other medicine cats could hear her. Mothwing waved her tail at Willowpaw. "Crouch down and drink from the pool." Blinking, Willowpaw obeyed her. Her mentor and the rest of the medicine cats took their own places around the edge of the pool, and stretched out to lap up a few drops of the silvery water. To Leafpool it tasted like liquid starshine, icy cold, piercing her to the bone. As the drops touched her tongue she sank into darkness; for a few heartbeats she seemed to float in nothingness.

仪式继续进行；她看上去比自己的学徒还要紧张。 “星族的武士们，我将这位学徒带到你们面前。 她选择了巫医的道路。 恳请赐给她你们的智慧与远见，好让她通晓你们的道路，遵行你们的意志医治自己的族群。” 叶池心中对朋友充满怜悯，她清楚说出这些话对蛾翅来说有多煎熬。 她每一天都活在谎言里，但这一回比任何时候都难熬——当着所有其他巫医的面，召唤她根本不相信的星灵。 蛾翅朝柳爪甩了甩尾巴。 “蹲下来喝口池里的水。” 柳爪眨了眨眼，照她的话做了。 她的导师和其他巫医都在水池边各自站定，伸舌头舔了几滴银光闪闪的池水。 对叶池来说，这水尝起来像液态星光，冰冷刺骨，直透骨髓。 水滴落在她舌尖上，她便陷入了黑暗； 有短短几次心跳的功夫，她仿佛漂浮在一片虚无之中。

Then her eyes opened and she found herself crouched on the edge of a pool whose waters glimmered with the reflection of Silverpelt. But it was not the Moonpool. It lay in a forest clearing; ferns and flowers grew around the edge and studded the grass, shining with a pale light. Leafpool gazed upward, tasting the cold night air with the wild scent of wind and stars. She felt as if only the tiniest leap would carry her into the sky, to share tongues with StarClan in their own territory. Then above her head she saw the three tiny stars that she had seen twice before. They seemed to shine more brightly than ever. Beside Leafpool, Willowpaw was curled up asleep, and on the opposite side of the pool sat a beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat, her eyes glowing softly as she gazed at the apprentice. "Spottedleaf!" Leafpool exclaimed. She raced up to the starry spirit, drinking in the familiar sweet scent, and pressed herself against Spottedleaf's soft tortoiseshell flank. "I'm so glad to see you. Can you tell me about those three stars?" She pointed upward with her tail. "I

接着她睁开眼睛，发现自己蹲在一池水边，水面闪着银毛带的倒影。 但这里不是月池。 水池坐落在森林的空地上； 边缘长着蕨类和野花，星星点点散落在草丛里，泛着淡淡的柔光。 叶池抬起头，呼吸着清冷的夜风，风中混着旷野、和风与星辰的气息。 她觉得自己只要轻轻一跃，就能飞上天空，去星族的领地和他们交谈。 接着她在头顶看见了那三颗小星星，那是她之前已经见过两次的。 它们比以往任何时候都要明亮。 叶池身旁，柳爪蜷着睡着了，水池对面坐着一只漂亮的玳瑁色母猫，她正温柔凝视着这位学徒，眼睛闪着柔光。 “斑叶！” 叶池惊呼。 她奔向这位星灵，贪婪地吸着那熟悉的甜香，将身体贴在斑叶柔软的玳瑁侧腹上。 “真高兴见到你。 你能告诉我那三颗星星是什么意思吗？” 她用尾巴指了指上方。 我