Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 A line as pale as spilled milk gleamed on the horizon as Hollypaw followed her Clanmates back into the hollow. The excited whispering, which had buzzed along with them like a swarm of bees during the long trek home, ceased as they padded through the thorn tunnel. Moonlight bathed the clearing, but the edges of the camp lay in shadow. Hollypaw's pelt pricked with anticipation as she saw two small shapes hurrying from the apprentices" den. "How was the Gathering?" Cinderpaw called. Firestar halted, Graystripe beside him. "You should be asleep," he meowed to the apprentice. "You will be too tired for your training in the morning." "Sorry, Firestar," Cinderpaw apologized. "But we couldn't sleep until we'd heard about the Gathering." Graystripe's whiskers twitched with amusement. "We would have done the same when we were apprentices," he reminded Firestar.

第十二章 冬青爪跟着族猫回到山谷时，地平线上闪着一道像泼洒的牛奶一样苍白的光。 长途返程路上，像蜂群一样一直嗡嗡不停的兴奋窃语，在他们迈进荆刺隧道时都停了下来。 月光洒满营地空地，而营地边缘仍笼罩在阴影中。 冬青爪看见两个小小的身影匆匆从学徒巢穴跑出来，满心期待，毛发都竖了起来。 “集会怎么样呀？” 炭爪大声问道。 火星停了下来，灰条站在他身边。 “你们早就该睡觉了，”他对学徒说。 “明天训练的时候你会累坏的。” “对不起，火星，”炭爪连忙道歉。 “可我们没听到集会的消息，根本睡不着呀。” 灰条的胡须因为忍俊不禁轻轻抽动着。 “我们当学徒的时候，不也会这么做嘛，”他提醒火星。

"Who are you?" Cinderpaw's eyes grew round as she stared at the gray warrior. "He was ThunderClan's deputy before you were born," Firestar told her. "Graystripe?" Cinderpaw guessed, tipping her head to one side. "Graystripe!" Poppypaw echoed excitedly. Cinderpaw ran in an excited circle. "Can I tell Cloudtail? Oh, please?" Without waiting for an answer, she charged toward the warriors" den, calling her mentor's name. Cloudtail appeared at the den entrance, his sleep-ruffled pelt glowing in the moonlight. "What's the matter, Cinderpaw?" he complained. "Graystripe is back!" Brackenfur pushed past Cloudtail and stood outside the den. "Graystripe?" He stared, blinking, across the clearing, then raced toward his old friend. "Graystripe's back!" Cloudtail yowled. As he bounded over to greet his Clanmate, Stormfur and Whitewing burst from the den, mewing excitedly. "I thought I'd never see you again," Brackenfur murmured, touching muzzles with Graystripe.

“你是谁呀？” 炭爪睁圆了眼睛，盯着这只灰色武士。 “在你出生前，他就是雷族的副族长了，”火星告诉她。 “你是灰条？” 炭爪歪着脑袋猜道。 “灰条！” 罂粟爪兴奋地跟着喊道。 炭爪激动地绕着圈跑起来。 “我能去告诉云尾吗， 求求你了？” 不等得到回答，她就冲向武士巢穴，一边喊着她导师的名字。 云尾出现在巢穴门口，睡乱的皮毛在月光下泛着光。 “怎么了呀，炭爪？”他不满地问。 “灰条回来了！” 蜡毛推开云尾，站到巢穴洞口。 “灰条？” 他眨着眼，怔怔地望着空地对面，然后朝这位老朋友奔了过去。 “灰条回来了！” 云尾大声嗥叫。 当他蹦跳着过来迎接族友时，暴毛和白翅从巢穴里冲出来，兴奋地喵喵叫着。 “我以为我再也见不到你了，”蜡毛轻声说着，和灰条碰了碰鼻子。

"Firestar was right!" Stormfur added, pushing past Brackenfur. "He told us you'd find your way back!" Graystripe stared at Stormfur—his son—in astonishment. "Do you live with ThunderClan now?" "What's all this noise?" Mousefur's grumpy mew sounded as the old she-cat squeezed stiffly out through the tangled entrance of the elders" den. Longtail appeared behind her, his blind eyes staring blankly ahead. He sniffed the air. Even in the dim light of the moon, Hollypaw saw the fur prick along his spine. "I smell Graystripe," he meowed. "Graystripe?" Mousefur scoffed. "You're dreaming." "He's not dreaming," Firestar promised. Graystripe pushed his way out through the knot of warriors in the center of the clearing. "It really is me," he meowed. "Great StarClan!" Mousefur raced over to Graystripe and ran her tail along his flank. "How in Silverpelt did you find us?"

“火星说得没错！” 暴毛说着，从蜡毛身边挤了过来。 “他早就说过你一定能找回来！” 灰条惊讶地盯着暴毛——他的儿子。 “你现在住在雷族吗？” “吵吵嚷嚷的干什么？” 鼠毛暴躁的声音响了起来，这只年迈的母猫僵硬地从长老巢穴缠结的入口挤了出来。 长尾跟在她身后走出来，失明的眼睛茫然地望着前方。 他嗅了嗅空气。 哪怕在朦胧的月光下，冬青爪也看见他背上的毛发竖了起来。 “我闻到灰条的味道了，”他说。 “灰条？” 鼠毛嗤笑一声。 “你在做梦吧。” “他没有做梦，”火星肯定地说。 灰条从空地中央围拢的武士群里挤了出来。 “真的是我，”他说。 “伟大的星族啊！” 鼠毛连忙跑到灰条身边，尾巴轻轻扫过他的身侧。 你究竟是怎么循着银带找到我们的？

Sandstorm stepped forward. "It's a long story that can wait till morning," she meowed softly. "Graystripe and Millie are exhausted." "Millie?" Mousefur glanced at the stranger standing beside Graystripe. "Millie helped me make the journey here," Graystripe explained. "She is my mate now." Mousefur narrowed her eyes, and Hollypaw's belly tightened with anxiety. How would the crotchety elder react? Warriors were not supposed to find mates outside their Clan, and certainly not kittypet mates. But Mousefur only dipped her head to Millie. "Still breaking the rules, I see, Graystripe," she mewed. Hollypaw flicked the tip of her tail uneasily. The Clan seemed ready to accept Millie, but what did StarClan think about it? She glanced at Firestar. Perhaps having a leader with kittypet roots meant it was okay. The most important thing was that Millie had proved herself a warrior by helping Graystripe find his way back to the Clan. They had both survived, and that must mean StarClan approved of her.

沙风走上前来。 “说来话长，等到明天再说吧，”她轻声说。 “灰条和米莉都累坏了。” “米莉？” 鼠毛瞥了一眼站在灰条身边的陌生母猫。 “米莉帮我一路走到这里，”灰条解释道。 “她现在是我的伴侣了。” 鼠毛眯起眼睛，冬青爪的心也一下子揪紧了。 这脾气古怪的长老会作何反应呢？ 武士本来不该找族外的伴侣，更别说是宠物猫了。 但鼠毛只是对着米莉点了点头。 “我看你还是老样子，总不守规矩，灰条，”她喵声道。 冬青爪不安地甩了甩尾尖。 族里看起来都准备接受米莉了，但星族会怎么想呢？ 她瞥了一眼火星。 也许有个出身宠物猫的族长，这件事就没问题吧。 最重要的是，米莉帮助灰条找到回族群的路，已经证明了她是个合格的武士。 他俩都活了下来，这一定就意味着星族认可她了。

A shadow by the warriors" den caught her eye. Brook had woken up. The mountain cat padded over to Stormfur and murmured in his ear. Jaypaw emerged from the apprentices" den, his nose twitching. "What's going on?" Lionpaw bounded over to him. "Graystripe's back!" Jaypaw turned his sightless gaze toward Graystripe and Millie. "Who's with him?" "His new mate," Cinderpaw explained. "From Twolegplace." Jaypaw wrinkled his nose. "Well, tell Leafpool she's got an infected wound. I can smell it from here." "Brambleclaw!" Firestar called to his deputy. "Find nests for Graystripe and Millie in the warriors" den." Brambleclaw padded away with a nod. Hollypaw was aware of a growing murmuring among the cats. "Graystripe's not as big as I imagined," Cinderpaw whispered. "He looks small next to Brambleclaw." "He smells of crow-food," Jaypaw mewed.

武士巢穴边的一个影子引起了她的注意。 溪儿醒了。 这只山地猫走到暴毛身边，对着他的耳朵轻声低语。 松鸦爪从学徒巢穴里走出来，鼻子不停抽动着。 “出什么事了？” 狮爪蹦跳到他身边。 “灰条回来了！” 松鸦爪把看不见的目光转向灰条和米莉。 “他身边是谁？” “他的新伴侣，”炭爪解释道。 “从两脚兽地盘来的。” 松鸦爪皱了皱鼻子。 “对了，告诉叶池，她有一个伤口感染了， 我在这儿都闻到味道了。” “黑莓掌！” 火星喊他的副族长。 “给灰条和米莉在武士巢穴里找两个窝。” 黑莓掌点了点头，缓步走开了。 冬青爪察觉到猫群里的窃窃私语越来越响。 “灰条没有我想象的那么高大，”炭爪小声说。 “站在黑莓掌旁边，他看起来挺小的。” “他闻起来有腐肉的味道，”松鸦爪说。

"He must have been eating like a loner for moons," Lionpaw pointed out. "Once he starts eating like a warrior again, he won't seem so small." Whitewing looked uneasily at Squirrelflight. "What will happen now? Who is our deputy?" Squirrelflight's gaze flicked anxiously from Graystripe to the warriors" den entrance, where Brambleclaw had disappeared. "I don't know." Firestar gazed steadily at his Clanmates. "Nothing is going to change right now. We should just be grateful that Graystripe has returned to his Clan." "There's no room in the den for two new nests," Brambleclaw informed Firestar, returning. "One, maybe, but that's all." "It doesn't matter where we sleep, but I want to stay with Millie," Graystripe mewed wearily. "You shall," Firestar promised. "We were going to expand the den anyway." "We'd rather sleep separate from the others at first," Graystripe told him. "Just till we get used to being around so many cats again." "There's an alcove behind the warriors" den,"

“他肯定独自觅食好多个月亮了，”狮爪开口说。 “等他重新像武士一样好好吃饭，就不会看着这么瘦小啦。” 白翅不安地看向松鼠飞。 “现在会怎么样？ 谁来当我们的副族长呀？” 松鼠飞不安地把目光从灰条移向武士巢穴入口，黑莓掌刚走进那里。 “我不知道。” 火星平静地望着自己的族猫。 “现在什么都不会改变。 我们该感恩灰条终于回到族群了。” “巢穴里放不下两个新窝，”黑莓掌回来后对火星说。 “放一个或许还行，只能这样了。” “我们睡哪儿不重要，我只想和米莉待在一起，”灰条疲惫地喵道。 “就如你所愿，”火星承诺道。 “我们本来就打算扩建巢穴了。” “我们刚开始想和其他猫分开住，”灰条告诉他。 “先等我们重新适应和这么多猫相处再说。” “武士巢穴后面有个小凹洞，