Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23 "Dawn's coming," Leafpool whispered to Jaypaw. "You should get some rest." Jaypaw shook his head. "Not while we have so many sick cats to look after." He sniffed Poppypaw. The apprentice had developed a fever during the night and come to the medicine den. She lay now in a nest beside Ferncloud, her eyes sticky with pus, her breathing labored. The heat flooding from her frightened Jaypaw. He listened, his pelt pricking with panic. The medicine den was crowded, the sound of wheezing and coughing jarred his ears, and the smell of sickness made his paws tremble with frustration. He had done everything he could to help his Clanmates, but no one was any better. "Should we move them to the elders" den?" he suggested to Leafpool, who was massaging Mousefur's flank to try to help clear her breathing. "There's more room there." "Mousefur and Ferncloud are too sick to

第23章 “天要亮了。”叶池低声对松鸦爪说。 “你该休息一会儿了。” 松鸦爪摇了摇头。 “还有这么多生病的猫要照顾，我不能休息。” 他嗅了嗅罂粟爪的状况。 这位学徒夜里发起高烧，被送到了药穴。 她现在躺在蕨心旁边的窝里，眼睛粘满脓液，呼吸十分困难。 她身上散发的热气让松鸦爪十分害怕。 他仔细听着周围，浑身毛发因为恐慌都竖了起来。 药穴里拥挤不堪，喘息和咳嗽声刺得他耳朵发疼，病气的味道让他的爪子因为挫败感不住发抖。 他已经竭尽所能帮助族伴，可没有一只猫有所好转。 “我们要不要把他们移到长老巢穴去？”他向正在按摩鼠毛肋部帮她通畅呼吸的叶池提议。 “那儿的空间更大。” “鼠毛和蕨心病得太重了，没法

move," Leafpool pointed out. "Besides, there is water here." The pool of fresh water that trickled down the rock wall and gathered in a dip made it easy to soak moss for the thirsty cats. Jaypaw fetched a dripping ball of it for Poppypaw. He nudged her in an attempt to make her drink, but the tortoiseshell's eyes were half closed, and she only groaned and pushed him away. "If you won't rest, at least get some fresh air," Leafpool urged. Jaypaw nodded. Wearily he padded out of the den. The air outside was clean and cold after the stuffy stench of the den. Even though it was barely dawn, Firestar was already below Highledge with Brambleclaw. They were organizing the patrols. Ashfur and Birchfall paced restlessly around them. "We need to keep the patrols short," Brambleclaw meowed to the ThunderClan leader. "But we must make sure the ShadowClan border remains well guarded," Ashfur pointed out. "We don't want them to take advantage of our weakness."

移动，”叶池说道。 “再说，这里有水。” 岩壁渗下的淡水汇聚在凹陷处，方便浸湿苔藓给口渴的猫饮用。 松鸦爪给罂粟爪拿来一团浸满水的苔藓。 他轻推罂粟爪想让她喝点水，可这只玳瑁猫半闭着眼，只呻吟着把他推开了。 “你要是不休息，至少出去透透新鲜空气，”叶池劝道。 松鸦爪点了点头。 他疲惫地走出了巢穴。 和巢穴里闷臭的气味比起来，外面的空气干净又清冷。 天刚蒙蒙亮，火星就已经和黑莓掌在高岩下了。 他们正在组织巡逻队。 蜡毛和桦落在他们身边不安地来回踱步。 “我们得缩小巡逻队的规模，”黑莓掌对雷族族长说道。 “但我们必须保证影族边界巡逻到位，”蜡毛提醒道。 “我们可不能让他们趁虚而入。”

"Lots of small patrols would be more efficient," Birchfall suggested. "Yes," Firestar agreed. "I don't want our warriors to wear themselves out when there's so much sickness around. We need them fit." "I can do two patrols a day." Millie's mew rang around the frozen hollow. The gray kittypet padded out from behind the warriors" den, Graystripe at her side. "Are you sure?" Firestar checked. "I was given medicine by the vet to stop me from getting sick," Millie explained. "Whenever other cats fell ill in Twolegplace, I always stayed well." Brambleclaw looked confused. "Vet?" "The Cutter," Graystripe explained. "Well, it seems the Cutter has done me a favor," Firestar meowed. "He has given me a healthy warrior." Firestar had called Millie a warrior. Pleasure glowed from the she-cat, and Jaypaw heard Graystripe's proud purr as his fur swished against hers. "But," Firestar went on, "I don't want

“多支小巡逻队会更高效，”桦落提议。 “没错，”火星同意道。 “现在疫情这么严重，我不想让我们的武士过度劳累。 我们需要他们保持健康。” “我一天可以巡逻两次。” 米莉的声音传遍了冻硬的山谷。 这只灰色宠物猫从武士巢穴后面走出来，灰条跟在她身边。 “你确定吗？” 火星确认道。 “兽医给过我药，能防止我生病，”米莉解释道。 “之前在两脚兽地盘，别的猫生病的时候，我一直都安然无恙。” 黑莓掌听得一头雾水。 “兽医？” “就是割理者，”灰条解释道。 “看来割理者帮了我一个大忙，”火星说道。 “他给我送来了一位健康的武士。” 火星刚刚认可米莉是武士了。 这只母猫满心欢喜，松鸦爪听到灰条骄傲的呼噜声，他的皮毛蹭过她的身子。 “不过，”火星接着说道，“我不想让

Graystripe to go with you." Graystripe's purr died in his throat. "Why not?" "You're still weak from your journey," Firestar replied. "And I can't afford to lose you again. There are plenty of ways you can help in camp." The ThunderClan leader's voice was firm, and though Jaypaw felt Graystripe bristle with indignation, he did not challenge his old friend. The yew bush quivered as Hollypaw and Lionpaw slid out of their den. Anxiously Jaypaw lifted his muzzle to taste their scent. He relaxed when it was clean and healthy. "We want to go on the first patrol," Lionpaw mewed. "Unless the Clan needs us in camp," Hollypaw added. "Firestar?" Brambleclaw looked to the ThunderClan leader to decide. Firestar swept his tail thoughtfully over the ground. "Lionpaw, you can patrol the border with Ashfur and Millie," he meowed. "Hollypaw can hunt with Birchfall." "I'll do my best," Hollypaw promised.

灰条和你一起去。” 灰条的呼噜声一下子卡在了喉咙里。 “为什么不行？” “你长途跋涉归来，身体还很虚弱，”火星回答道。 “我不能再失去你了。 营地里还有很多地方需要你帮忙。” 这位雷族族长语气十分坚定，松鸦爪能感觉到灰条气得毛发倒竖，但他没有反驳这位老朋友。 紫杉丛晃动起来，冬青爪和狮爪从他们的巢穴走了出来。 松鸦爪不安地抬起鼻子，嗅闻他们的气味。 闻到气味干净健康，他松了一口气。 “我们想加入第一支巡逻队，”狮爪说道。 “除非营地需要我们留下帮忙，”冬青爪补充道。 “火星？” 黑莓掌请雷族族长做决定。 火星若有所思地将尾巴扫过地面。 “狮爪，你可以和蜡毛、米莉一起巡逻边界，”他说道。 “冬青爪可以和桦落一起去狩猎。” “我会好好完成任务的，”冬青爪承诺道。

Jaypaw padded over to her. "Make sure you stay away from the sick cats," he warned. "Don't share fresh-kill with any cat." He glanced at Lionpaw. "And drink water as far from the camp as you can." How would he cope if he had to watch them suffer along with his other patients? If only they had more catmint! "Come on, Hollypaw!" Birchfall's call was edgy with impatience, and she shot away to join him. "We'll join the hunt as soon as we've checked the border!" Ashfur called after them as they raced out of the camp. "Don't tire yourselves out," Firestar warned. "We won't." Lionpaw raced away from Jaypaw and pounded out of the camp behind his mentor. A dark sense of dread pulsed across the clearing and swept Jaypaw like an icy wind. He jerked his head around and stared at Firestar. He's terrified for us. Paws hammered outside the thorn barrier. Squirrelflight and Sandstorm were returning to camp. Jaypaw smelled fresh-kill. They had been hunting. "Is that all you could find?" Firestar's greeting

杰爪悄悄走到她身边。 “一定要离生病的猫远点儿，”他提醒道。 “不要和任何猫分享猎物。” 他扫了狮爪一眼。 “还有，尽量去离营地远的地方喝水。” 如果他得眼睁睁看着它们和其他病人一起受苦，他该怎么办呢？ 要是他们有更多猫薄荷就好了！ “走吧，冬青爪！” 桦落的叫声带着急不可耐的烦躁，冬青爪立刻窜出去找他了。 “我们巡查完边界就去打猎！” 他们冲出营地的时候，蜡毛在他们身后喊。 “别把自己累着了，”火星提醒道。 “我们不会的。” 狮爪离开杰爪，跟在他导师身后咚咚地跑出了营地。 一股不祥的恐惧感传遍了空地，像寒风一样卷过杰爪的全身。 他猛地转过头，盯着火星。 他在为我们害怕。 荆棘屏障外传来咚咚的脚步声。 松鼠飞和沙风回到营地来了。 杰爪闻到了猎物的气味。 他们刚才去打猎了。 “你们就找到这么点儿？” 火星开口问道

was sharp with shock. A mouse and a sparrow. Jaypaw heard the two small bodies drop onto the empty space where the fresh-kill pile used to be. "Shall we go out again?" Squirrelflight offered. "Rest first," Firestar meowed. "Birchfall and Hollypaw are hunting, too." His pelt swished as he wove around Sandstorm. Jaypaw sensed that her touch soothed some of the anxiety pounding through his body. The smell of fresh-kill made his belly rumble; he hadn't eaten since yesterday. But Icekit and Foxkit needed food more than he did. "Shall I take the mouse to the nursery?" he called to Firestar. "Yes, please—" Firestar's answer was cut short by a rustling on the slope outside the thorn barrier. Jaypaw tensed. He smelled WindClan. Firestar padded to the entrance and sniffed the air. "There's only two of them," Jaypaw called. He did not recognize the scents of the two WindClan cats who were padding toward the entrance of the hollow, but he sensed their anxiety as they

话音里满是震惊。 只有一只老鼠和一只麻雀。 杰爪听到这两具小小的猎物掉在原本放猎物堆的空地上。 “我们还要再出去一次吗？” 松鼠飞提议道。 “先休息，”火星说。 “桦落和冬青爪也在打猎。” 他蹭着沙风走来走去，皮毛沙沙晃动。 杰爪感觉到，沙风的触碰抚平了火星身体里翻涌的焦虑。 猎物的香味让杰爪肚子咕咕叫，他从昨天起就没吃过东西了。 但是小冰和小狐比他更需要食物。 “我把老鼠送去育婴室好不好？” 他朝火星喊道。 “好的，麻烦你——”火星的话被荆棘屏障外山坡上的沙沙声打断了。 杰爪绷紧了身体。 他闻出是风族的气味。 火星走到入口处，嗅了嗅空气。 “只有两只猫，”杰爪喊道。 他闻不出来这两只走向山谷入口的风族猫是谁，但是他能感觉到它们也很焦虑