Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20 Were any more of the medicine cats dreaming ordinary dreams? Jaypaw let his vision flit back to StarClan's hunting grounds. He wanted to see the other cats, find out which ones truly shared with StarClan. Sunlight flickered once again through the trembling canopy of leaves and warmed his pelt. He was back. "Spottedleaf was right." A rasping purr sounded from the long grass beside him. The grass quivered as a disheveled she-cat padded out. Her long, pale fur was matted in places, and her paw steps were heavy. Jaypaw recognized her broad, flat face at once. It was the face that had stared directly at him from the ranks of StarClan when he had first seen them at the hollow. "What did Spottedleaf say?" he asked. "She warned me not to leave you to your own devices too long." "I wasn't doing anything," he mewed defensively.

第20章 还有其他巫医做普通的梦吗？ 松鸦爪的视线飘回了星族的猎场。 他想见到其他猫，弄清哪些猫真的和星族同心。 阳光再次透过晃动的林叶洒下来，温暖了他的皮毛。 他回来了。 “斑叶是对的。” 一阵沙哑的呼噜声从他身旁的长草里传来。 一只毛发凌乱的母猫走出来，草叶被蹭得微微发颤。 她浅淡的长毛多处打了结，脚步也十分沉重。 松鸦爪一眼就认出了她宽阔扁平的脸。 当初他第一次在凹地见到星族众猫，就是这张脸直直盯着他。 “斑叶说什么了？” 他问道。 “她提醒我，不能放任你自己瞎胡闹太久。” “我什么都没做呀。”他带着防备说道。

"I've lived long enough to learn the look of mischief on a kit's face," she grunted. "I'm not a kit!" Jaypaw retorted. "At my age, you all appear like kits." The old cat's mew croaked with amusement. "Who are you?" he meowed. "Yellowfang. I was ThunderClan's medicine cat before Cinderpelt. You've heard of Cinderpelt, I assume?" "Of course," Jaypaw mewed, lifting his chin. "Leafpool keeps looking for her among StarClan, but she can't find her." He narrowed his eyes. "Have you seen her?" "Yes, I've seen her," Yellowfang answered. "But I didn't come here to talk about Cinderpelt." She cleared her throat. "You're trying to walk in other cats" dreams, aren't you?" "So what if I am?" "You should be careful," she warned. "A cat with big ears sometimes hears more than he should." "And who decides what I should and should not hear?" Jaypaw countered. "You do." Yellowfang's gaze burned into his.

“我活了这么大，幼崽搞鬼的样子我一眼就能看出来”，她哼了一声。 “我才不是幼崽！” 松鸦爪反驳道。 “在我这个年纪看，你们全都像幼崽。” 老猫的声音带着笑意，沙哑得厉害。 “你是谁？”他问道。 “我是黄牙。 炭毛之前，我曾是雷族的巫医。 我猜，你听说过炭毛吧？” “那当然，”松鸦爪抬起下巴说道。 “叶池一直在星族里找她，可怎么也找不到。” 他眯起了眼睛。 “你见过她吗？” “是的，我见过她，”黄牙回答。 “但我来这儿不是聊炭毛的。” 她清了清嗓子。 “你在尝试走进其他猫的梦里，对不对？” “那又怎么样？” “你得小心点，”她警告道。 “耳朵大的猫，有时候会听到不该听的东西。” “那轮得到谁来管我该听什么不该听什么？” 松鸦爪反驳道。 “你自己。” 黄牙的目光带着锋芒，牢牢盯在他身上。

"But you are young, and curiosity can be dangerous. Be careful where you tread." Jaypaw bristled. Why was this old fleabag telling him what to do? "Leafpool knows I can walk in other cats" dreams," he snapped. "She told me it was a special gift." "It is," Yellowfang agreed. "Then why shouldn't I use it?" "You have claws?" Yellowfang's eyes glinted as she asked him the question. "Of course!" "Then why don't you silence me by shredding me with them?" What a stupid question. "You're a member of StarClan!" he retorted. "I wouldn't attack you." "Why not?" "It would be wrong!" What did she think he was? A weasel? "You're my ancestor and my elder—" "And I'm three times your size." Amusement rumbled once more in Yellowfang's mew. Jaypaw stared at her. What was she trying to say? "There are many reasons why we don't use

“可你还太年轻，好奇心有时候会招来危险。 走路当心点，别踩错地方。” 松鸦爪一下子炸毛了。 这只老跳蚤凭什么对他指手画脚？ “叶池知道我能走进其他猫的梦里，”他怒冲冲地说。 “她说这是一份特殊的天赋。” “没错，”黄牙认同他的说法。 “那我为什么不能用它？” “你有爪子吧？” 黄牙问出这句话的时候，眼睛闪着光。 “那当然！” “那你怎么不用爪子把我撕碎，让我闭嘴呢？” 这问题可太蠢了。 “你可是星族的成员啊！” 他反驳道。 “我不会攻击你。” “为什么不？” “那样做不对！” 她把他当成什么了？ 一只黄鼠狼吗？ “你是我的祖先，也是我的长辈——”“而且我比你大三倍。” 黄牙的声音里再次滚过笑意。 松鸦爪盯着她。 她到底想说什么？ 有很多原因让我们不会使用

every power we have. Sometimes the warrior code guides us, sometimes instinct, sometimes common sense." She leaned closer toward Jaypaw, and he tried not to shrink away from her stale breath. "You have a remarkable gift, Jaypaw, but you must think before you use it." Was she calling him stupid? Jaypaw lashed his tail mutinously. Yellowfang narrowed her eyes and sighed. "Kits!" she muttered. "I'm wasting my breath." She turned, ready to leave. "Wait!" Jaypaw wasn't going to lose a chance to speak with StarClan. He wanted to solve the puzzle of Mothwing. "Do you often share things with the medicine cats?" Yellowfang glanced back at him, her eyes glittering with suspicion. "Sometimes. Why?" "Have you spoken with Mothwing?" Yellowfang's ears twitched. "You want me to waste more words on answers you won't understand?" "I just want to know if you've spoken to her." "You are driven only by curiosity," Yellowfang hissed. "That is not a good enough reason."

我们拥有的每一种能力。 “有时候是武士守则指引我们，有时候是直觉，有时候是常识。” 她朝松鸦爪凑得更近，他拼命忍住没躲开她陈旧的气息。 “你拥有了不起的天赋，松鸦爪，但你动用天赋前一定要三思。” 她这是在说他蠢吗？ 松鸦爪不服气地甩了甩尾巴。 黄牙眯起眼睛，叹了口气。 “这些幼崽！” 她嘟囔着。 “我真是白费口舌。” 她转过身，准备离开。 “等等！” 松鸦爪可不想错过和星族猫对话的机会。 他想解开蛾翅的谜题。 “你经常和巫医们分享事情吗？” 黄牙回头看向他，眼睛里闪着怀疑的光。 “偶尔会， 怎么了？” “你和蛾翅说过话吗？” 黄牙的耳朵抖了一下。 “你还想让我浪费口舌，讲你听不懂的答案吗？” “我只想知道你有没有和她说过话。” “你就只是被好奇心驱使，”黄牙嘶声说。 “这个理由可不够充分。”

Jaypaw plucked at the ground with annoyance. "Why won't you tell me?" "Because," Yellowfang growled, "if the answers are there, you will find them anyway." Before he could say anything else, the old cat stalked away into the grass. It quivered, then fell still, and her scent disappeared like mist in the wind. Jaypaw itched with crossness. There was so much he wanted to know; why couldn't StarClan just be open with him? Well, he decided, if the answers are there to be discovered, I'll discover them! He padded through the trees, trying to draw the scent of another medicine cat to him. A WindClan odor, earthy as moorland air, hit him. Barkface. Eagerly, Jaypaw followed his scent. He ducked low and crept through a clump of ferns, weaving carefully between the stems so as not to set them rustling. Peeking out the other side, he spied Barkface. The medicine cat's eyes were shadowed with worry. Another tom stood with him— WindClan by his scent, his pelt black and white.

松鸦爪烦躁地扒着地面。 “你为什么不肯告诉我？” “原因嘛，”黄牙低吼道，“如果答案真的存在，你总归自己找得到。” 他还没来得及再说什么，这只老猫就大步走进草丛不见了。 草叶晃了晃，接着归于平静，她的气味就像风里的雾一样消散了。 松鸦爪气得浑身发痒。 他有那么多问题想知道，星族为什么就不能痛痛快快告诉他？ 行吧，他暗下决心，既然答案摆在那儿等着被发现，那我就自己去找！ 他在树林里穿行，试着引出其他巫医的气味。 一股风族的气味飘来，像荒原空气一样带着泥土气息。 是褐斑。 松鸦爪迫不及待地跟着气味往前走。 他俯低身子，从一丛蕨类里爬过，小心地在茎秆间穿行，没弄出沙沙声。 他从另一边探出头，看见褐斑就在那儿。 这位巫医的眼睛蒙着一层担忧的阴影。 另一只公猫站在他身边——闻气味是风族猫，皮毛是黑白相间的。

"How many dogs will come, Tallstar?" Barkface asked fearfully. "I don't know," Tallstar replied. "When will they reach us?" "The Twolegs will bring them when they bring the sheep to eat the newleaf grass," Tallstar told him. "You must be ready." "I will warn Onestar." As Jaypaw watched Barkface dip his head to the Clan leader, he felt soft fur brush his pelt. Startled, he jerked his head around. Spottedleaf was beside him. "This is not your dream," she mewed sharply. Jaypaw bristled. Everywhere he went, there were cats telling him what to do! "I'm only watching," he objected. "You were not given this gift so you could spy on other Clans," Spottedleaf scolded. "Then tell me why I was given this gift at all," Jaypaw demanded. Before Spottedleaf could answer, another voice called his name. "Jaypaw?" He felt a muzzle nudging his shoulder.

“会有多少狗来啊，高星？” 巴脸怯生生地问道。 “我也不清楚。”高星回答。 “他们什么时候会到这儿？” “两脚兽带羊来吃新叶青草的时候，就会把狗带来。”高星告诉他。 “你们必须做好准备。” “我会去提醒一星。” 松鸦爪看着巴脸向族群首领低头，忽然感觉柔软的皮毛蹭过了自己的毛。 他吓了一跳，猛地扭过头去。 斑叶就站在他身旁。 “这不是你的梦。”她厉声说道。 松鸦爪炸毛了。 不管他走到哪儿，都有猫对他指手画脚！ “我只是看看而已。”他反驳道。 “给你这个天赋，不是让你刺探别的族群的。”斑叶责备道。 “那你说，给我这个天赋到底是为什么？”松鸦爪追问道。 斑叶还没来得及回答，另一个声音喊起了他的名字。 “松鸦爪？” 他感觉有个口鼻轻轻推了推他的肩膀。