Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25 Sunhigh was approaching—Jaypaw could feel the warmth on his back. He padded into the camp with a wad of dock leaves clasped in his jaws. The sour flavor had sucked all the moisture from his mouth. It disguised every other scent, and he had to rely on the memory of his paws to find the path back to the medicine den. As he crossed the clearing, he could hear the paw steps of his Clanmates hurrying around him. The whole Clan had been busy since before dawn preparing for the daylight Gathering. They're only going to spend the day hunting and fighting, Jaypaw thought irritably. Why are they acting like it's something special? They get to do that anyway. "Squirrelflight!" Firestar called down from Highledge. "Yes?" She sounded out of breath. "Did you find a good route for the squirrel hunt?" "I sent Brambleclaw out with a patrol," she

第25章 艳阳季就要来了——松鸦爪能感觉到后背上的暖意。 他叼着一大团酸模叶，轻步走进营地。 酸涩的味道把他嘴里的口水都吸干了。 这味道盖住了所有其他气味，他只能靠爪子的记忆走回巫医巢穴。 他穿过空地的时候，能听见族伴们在他身边匆匆跑过的脚步声。 整个族从天没亮就开始忙着准备白昼集会了。 他们不就是去打猎比武嘛，松鸦爪烦躁地想。 干嘛搞得这么特别啊？ 他们本来就能做这些事啊。 “松鼠飞！” 火星从高岩上喊道。 “怎么了？” 她的声音听着气喘吁吁的。 “你们找好猎松鼠的合适路线了吗？” “我派黑莓掌带一支巡逻队去了，”她

replied. "He's checking it now. The ShadowClan border might be best. The squirrels are still busy there, digging up their nut stores." "What about the tree-climbing contest?" Firestar prompted. "Spiderleg told me that the Sky Oak is in full bud, but he doesn't think it'll be damaged by having so many apprentices climbing it at once." "Good," Firestar meowed. "Are there hunting patrols out? We don't want our visitors to think we are prey-poor." "Two. Birchfall and Thornclaw are leading them." "Jaypaw!" Firestar scrambled down from Highledge and caught up to him. "Leafpool will need your help today in case of any accidents. You won't be able to join in any of the contests, I'm afraid." The whole Clan had been tiptoeing around him like mice since the daylight Gathering had been announced, too scared to say out loud what he knew they'd all been thinking—that he would be useless in any apprentice contest. He had noticed right away how they never mentioned his

答道。 “他现在正在探查。 影族边界那边说不定最合适。 那边的松鼠还在忙着刨藏起来的坚果呢。” “那爬树比赛呢？” 火星追问道。 “蛛足告诉我，天橡树枝条都长满新芽了，不过他觉得这么多学徒一起爬也不会弄坏它。” “好，”火星说。 “打猎巡逻队出去了吗？ 可不能让来的客人觉得我们缺猎物。” “出去了两队。 桦落和棘爪带队。” “松鸦爪！”火星从高岩上爬下来追上了他。 “今天叶池需要你帮忙，以防出意外。 恐怕你没法参加任何比赛了。” 自从宣布要办白昼集会，全族都在他身边小心翼翼像老鼠似的，不敢说破他们心里都在想的事——那就是他参加任何学徒比赛都没用，这点松鸦爪自己清楚。 他立刻就察觉到，他们从来不提他

name as they speculated about which apprentices would win. Jaypaw didn't reply to Firestar and scraped angrily through the bramble entrance to the medicine den. "Oh, good!" Leafpool was waiting for him. "You found lots. Now we'll be ready for any scratches." Jaypaw dropped the dock leaves on the ground. He flicked his tongue, trying to wet it again. "I don't see why we have to be responsible for all the other Clans," he complained. "If their apprentices want to show off on our territory, their own medicine cats should look after them." "All the medicine cats will be working together to make sure every cat is cared for properly," Leafpool reminded him. "I bet Willowpaw and Kestrelpaw haven't spent the morning looking for herbs," Jaypaw muttered. "Even they will have been practicing their hunting skills for the contests." He sensed frustration in Leafpool's quick movements as she stored the dock with the other herbs, but her mew was calm. "I know how much you want to take part, Jaypaw, but I need you to

的名字，哪怕他们在猜测哪个学徒会赢的时候也从不提。 松鸦爪没回答火星，怒气冲冲地挤过巫医巢穴的荆棘入口。 “哦，太好了！” 叶池正在等他。 “你找了这么多。 现在不管什么刮伤我们都能应付了。” 松鸦爪把酸模叶丢在地上。 他舔了舔舌头，想让嘴巴重新变湿润。 “我不明白为什么我们要管其他所有族的事，”他抱怨道。 “要是他们的学徒想来我们地盘炫耀，就该让他们自己的巫医照顾啊。” “所有巫医都会一起帮忙，保证每只猫都得到妥当照顾，”叶池提醒他。 “我打赌柳爪和隼爪一早上都没去找草药，”松鸦爪嘟囔道。 “就连他们都在为比赛练习打猎本领呢。” 他感觉到叶池把酸模叶和其他草药放在一起的时候动作很快，带着烦躁，但她的声音还是很平静。 “我知道你多想参加，松鸦爪，可是我需要你

help me." The fury that had been simmering in Jaypaw's belly suddenly bubbled over. "Don't lie!" he fumed. "I'm not allowed to take part because there's no way I can compete against real apprentices! Firestar doesn't want me embarrassing the Clan." "You know that isn't true!" Leafpool told him, shocked. "Then why doesn't he let me try one of the contests?" "Maybe if you'd had more battle training or hunting experience, he would!" Leafpool's mew was brittle as she tried to keep her temper. "But you started your medicine training late, and the outbreak of greencough has stopped us from working on your other skills." Jaypaw didn't reply. Hollypaw had been a medicine cat apprentice for only the blink of an eye, and she'd had battle training from Leafpool. He was beginning to wonder if his mentor had decided it was a waste of time to teach him any warrior skills at all. Leafpool changed the subject. "Squirrelflight

帮我。” 憋在松鸦爪肚子里闷了好久的火气一下子爆发了。 “别骗人了！” 他怒气冲冲地说。 “不让我参加就是因为我根本没法跟正经学徒比！ 火星是怕我给族里丢脸。” “你知道这不是真的！” 叶池吃惊地对他说。 “那他为什么不让我试哪怕一场比赛？” “要是你有更多战斗训练和打猎经验，他肯定会让你去的！” 叶池压着脾气，声音绷得紧紧的。 “可是你开始巫医训练比较晚，绿咳症爆发之后，我们就没时间练其他本领了。” 松鸦爪没有回答。 冬青爪才做了一小会儿巫医学徒，叶池就教她战斗本领了。 他开始怀疑，他的导师是不是早就觉得教他任何武士本领都是浪费时间。 叶池换了个话题。 “松鼠飞

must be getting tired. She's been busy all morning. Will you take her some herbs?" Jaypaw padded sulkily to the herb store and mixed the leaves Squirrelflight would need, then folded them in a wrap, which he picked up delicately between his teeth. He nosed his way out of the den and listened for his mother's voice. He found her beneath Highledge talking to Brambleclaw. Jaypaw dropped the herbs at Squirrelflight's paws. "Leafpool wants you to eat these." "That's kind of her." Squirrelflight sniffed at the herbs. "Did you mix these yourself? They smell sweeter than usual." "I put in some heather nectar to help with the taste," Jaypaw mumbled. Squirrelflight thanked him with a brisk lick between his ears. "That was thoughtful." "It's nothing," he muttered. He turned away before she could do anything else embarrassing, though he couldn't ignore the small glimmer of happiness that flickered in his chest. Suddenly paw steps drummed through the entrance and skidded to a halt. It was Lionpaw

肯定已经累坏了。 她忙了整整一早上。 你能给她送些药草去吗？" 松鸦爪闷闷不乐地走到药草库，配好松鼠飞需要的叶子，包好后小心地叼在嘴里。 他走出洞穴，竖起耳朵寻找妈妈的声音。 他在高岩下找到了她，她正和黑莓掌说话。 松鸦爪把药草放在松鼠飞的爪边。 "叶池让你吃下这些。" "她真是太贴心了。" 松鼠飞闻了闻药草。 "这些是你亲自配的吗？ 闻着比平时香呢。" "我加了点石楠花蜜调味道，"松鸦爪小声嘟囔。 松鼠飞轻轻舔了舔他的耳根，向他道谢。 "你想得真周到。" "没什么啦，"他咕哝道。 没等她做出更让他不好意思的举动，他就转身走开了，可心里还是忍不住泛起一丝甜甜的开心。 突然，入口传来咚咚的脚步声，猛地停了下来。 原来是狮爪

and Hollypaw; their excitement howled into the camp like a rush of wind, rippling Jaypaw's fur. "They're here!" Lionpaw panted. Hollypaw trotted in circles, unable to keep still. "WindClan is heading down toward the lake!" Foxkit's and Icekit's tiny paws pattered from the nursery. "Are they really here?" Foxkit demanded. "Any sign of ShadowClan?" Icekit's mew was tinged with nervousness. "Not yet," Lionpaw told him. "But it looks like just about the whole of WindClan has come." "I wish we were going!" Foxkit mewed. "We'll have fun here," Ferncloud called from the nursery entrance. "Why do we have to stay in camp?" Icekit wailed. "It's not fair." "Life isn't fair," Jaypaw growled, and padded mutinously back to the medicine den. That's why I'm going to be stuck in camp like a kit! Birchfall and Thornclaw pounded through the thorn tunnel, their patrols crowding after them. Jaypaw smelled the delicious flavors of fresh-kill.

和 冬青爪！他们的兴奋像狂风卷进营地，吹得松鸦爪的皮毛都微微发颤。 "他们来了！" 狮爪喘着气说。 冬青爪来来回回跑圈，根本停不下来。 "风族正往湖边赶过来了！" 狐爪和冰爪迈着小肉爪，啪嗒啪嗒从育婴室跑出来。 "他们真的来了吗？" 狐爪着急地问。 "看到影族的影子了吗？" 冰爪的声音带着一丝紧张。 "还没有，"狮爪告诉他。 "但看起来差不多整个风族都来了。" "真希望我们也能去！" 狐爪叫道。 "我们在这儿也能玩得开心，"蕨云在育婴室门口喊道。 "为什么我们必须待在营地里？" 冰爪哭嚎道。 太不公平了。" "生活本来就不公平，"松鸦爪低吼着，气鼓鼓地走回巫医巢穴。 这就是为什么我要像幼崽一样被困在营地里！ 桦落和棘爪快步穿过荆藤隧道，巡逻队跟在他们身后涌进来。 松鸦爪闻到了新鲜猎物诱人的香气。