Chapter 0 Prologue

POWER OF THREE WARRIORS DARK RIVER ERIN HUNTER #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

三力量 猫武士《暗河》 艾琳·亨特 《纽约时报》畅销榜第一作者

PROLOGUE The indigo sky stretched over the moorland, holding in the night's chill. Wind stirred the heather and set the hillside rippling. Between the low bushes, feline shapes, their fur slicked flat by the breeze, streamed down the slope. Among them, a tabby queen kept pace with a young tom. "Are you sure you are ready for this?" "I'm ready," the tom answered, his green eyes flashing in the moonlight. "You're my eldest, Fallen Leaves," the queen whispered. "The first of mine to face the ordeal." "I'll be fine." "He was trained well!" a low voice called from behind. "Even trainin" can't prepare a softpaw for rain!" growled another. Fallen Leaves glanced up. "But the sky's clear." "I smell rain on the wind, I tell you." Murmurs of alarm spread among the other cats.

序章 靛蓝色的天空笼罩着荒原，裹挟着夜晚的寒意。 风吹动石南花，让山坡泛起层层涟漪。 低矮灌木丛间，猫咪们被风吹顺了皮毛，正成群冲下山坡。 其中，一只虎斑母猫正和一只年轻公猫并肩前行。 “你确定你准备好了吗？” “我准备好了，”公猫回答，绿眼睛在月光下闪闪发亮。 “你是我的长子，落叶，”母猫轻声说。 “你是我第一个迎接考验的孩子。” “我会没事的。” “他训练得非常好！” 一个低沉的声音从身后传来。 “就算训练过，新手猫也应付不了下雨！”另一只猫低吼道。 落叶抬眼望了上去。 “可天空明明很晴朗啊。” “我告诉你，我已经在风里闻到雨味了。” 不安的私语很快在其他猫中蔓延开来。

"The sky's clear!" Fallen Leaves insisted as he stepped out from the swath of heather and halted. The moon lit his ginger-and-white pelt. His Clanmates crowded at his heels, their tails flicking. Beneath his forepaws, the slope fell away steeply. Here, moons of wind and rain had flayed the moorland, peeling away the earth until the stone beneath lay bare, a wall of jagged rock amid the rolling heather. "Good luck, softpaw!" Fallen Leaves bounded down the cliff and landed lightly on the sandy earth at its base. His mother scrambled after him. "Take care!" Fallen Leaves brushed muzzles with the queen. "I will see you at dawn," he promised. Ahead of him, a black gash opened like a wound in the cliff face. The fur along his spine lifted. He had never been inside. Only chosen cats entered the Cave. He padded forward, feeling the darkness swallow him. There must be some light to show the way! He struggled to crush the fear thrashing in his chest like a landed fish. The tunnel will take you to the cave, his

“天空明明很晴朗！” 落叶一边坚持，一边从石南丛中走出来，停下了脚步。 月光照亮了他姜黄白相间的皮毛。 他的族猫挤在他身后，尾巴不停晃动。 他前爪之下，山坡陡然向下倾斜。 无数个月的风吹雨打剥蚀了这片荒原，表层泥土被冲走，底下的岩石裸露出来，在起伏的石南从中立着一堵凹凸不平的岩壁。 “祝你好运，新手猫！” 落叶跃下悬崖，轻轻落在崖底的沙地上。 他的母亲紧跟着爬了下来。 “小心！” 落叶蹭了蹭母猫的口鼻。 “我们黎明见，”他承诺道。 在他前方，崖壁上裂开一道像伤口一样的黑色豁口。 他脊背上的毛都竖了起来。 他从来没进到里面去过。 只有被选中的猫才能进入这个洞穴。 他慢慢向前走去，感觉黑暗将自己吞噬。 肯定会有光线指路的！ 他拼命压下胸口那股像上岸的鱼一样乱撞的恐惧。 隧道会带你到洞穴，他的

tutor's voice echoed in his mind. Let your whiskers guide you. His whiskers shivered, alert to the slightest touch, steering him along the narrow passage. Suddenly, pale light glowed ahead. The tunnel opened into a cave. Its arching walls glowed in the weak moonlight that filtered through a gap in the roof. The sound of rushing water echoed around the rocks. A river? Underground? Fallen Leaves stared at the wide stream that split the sandy floor in two. Its black water glimmered dimly in the half-light. "Fallen Leaves?" A croaking mew made the young tom jump. He jerked his white muzzle up to see who had spoken and his eyes narrowed as he saw a creature crouched on a high ledge, lit by moonlight pooled on the cave wall. Was this Rock? The creature's pelt was like moleskin, the fur gone except for a few tufts along his spine, and his sightless eyes bulged like eggs. His long, twisted claws flexed on the smooth branch that lay at his

导师的声音在他脑海中回响。 让你的胡须给你指路。 他的胡须微微颤动，感知着最细微的触碰，引着他沿着狭窄通道前行。 突然，前方透出淡淡的光。 隧道尽头豁然开阔，进入了一个洞穴。 拱形洞壁在从顶部缝隙透进来的微弱月光下泛着光。 流水的声音在岩石间回荡。 一条河？ 在地下？ 落叶盯着把沙质洞底劈成两半的宽溪流。 黝黑的河水在半明半暗之中泛着微光。 “落叶？” 一声沙哑的叫唤把这只年轻公猫吓了一跳。 他猛地抬起白色的口鼻去看是谁在说话，当看到一个生物蹲在高处岩架上，被洞壁上汇聚的月光照亮时，他眯起了眼睛。 这就是岩石吗？ 这个生物的皮像鼹鼠皮，除了脊背上几撮毛，其他地方的毛都掉光了，失明的眼睛像蛋一样鼓出来。 他弯长的爪子在放在他

paws. The branch was stripped of its bark and, even in this light, Fallen Leaves could see claw marks etched along it, a crowded series of straight lines scarring the pale wood. This must be Rock. "I can feel your surprise," the blind creature croaked. "It pricks my pelt like gorse." "I—I'm sorry," Fallen Leaves apologized. "It's just I did not expect—" "You did not expect a cat could grow so ugly." Fallen Leaves froze with embarrassment. Had Rock read his mind? "A cat needs wind and sun to shine his fur and good hunting to trim his claws," Rock went on, his mew rasping like stones on stone. "But I must stay close to our warrior ancestors; those who have taken their place beneath the earth." "And for that we thank you," Fallen Leaves murmured respectfully. "Don't thank me," Rock growled. "It was a destiny I was bound to follow. Besides, you may not feel so grateful to me once your initiation has begun." As he spoke he ran a long claw over the lines scratched into the smooth branch. A second

爪子旁的光滑树枝上动了动。 树枝被剥掉了树皮，即便在这样的光线下，落叶也能看到上面刻满爪印，一道道直线刻在浅色木头上，密密麻麻，全是伤痕。 这一定就是岩石了。 “我能感觉到你的惊讶，”这个盲生物哑着嗓子说。 “它像荆豆一样扎得我皮毛发紧。” “对……对不起，”落叶连忙道歉。 “我只是没想到……”“你没想到一只猫会长得这么丑。” 落叶尴尬地僵住了。 岩石能读透他的心思吗？ “猫需要风吹日晒才能让皮毛光亮，需要捕猎来磨利爪子，”岩石继续说，他的声音沙哑得像石头摩擦石头。 “但我必须留在我们武士祖先身边； 那些已经安息在地下的先祖们。” “我们为此感谢你，”落叶恭敬地轻声说。 “不用谢我，”岩石吼道。 “这是我必须遵循的宿命。 而且，你的入会考验开始后，你说不定就不会这么感激我了。” 他一边说，一边用长爪子划过光滑树枝上的刻痕。 另一道

scratch crossed some lines, but not all. "The uncrossed lines mark the cats who went into the tunnels but did not come out." Fallen Leaves stared at the dark holes lurking like mouths at the edge of the cave. If they did not lead to air and safety, where did they end up? "Which tunnels did they go into?" Rock shook his head. "I cannot help you. To become a sharpclaw, you must find your own way out. I can only send you on your way with the blessing of our ancestors." "Can't you give me any advice?" "Without light, you will have only your instincts. Follow them and if they are true, you will be safe." "What if they are not true?" "Then you will die in darkness." Fallen Leaves squared his shoulders. "I'm not going to die." "I hope not," Rock mewed. "You know you are not allowed to return to this cave? You must find a tunnel that leads straight back to the moor. Is it raining?" he asked suddenly. Fallen Leaves stiffened. Should he mention the

斯克拉奇划掉了一些线，但没有划完所有。 “没划掉的线标记的就是那些进了隧道却再也没出来的猫。” 落叶盯着那几个黑洞口，它们像一张张大嘴伏在洞穴边缘。 如果这些隧道不通向透气的安全地带，那它们尽头是哪里呢？ “它们进了哪条隧道？” 岩石摇了摇头。 “我帮不了你。 要成为锐爪，你必须自己找到出路。 我只能带着祖先的祝福送你出发了。” “你连一点建议都不能给我吗？” “没有光，你只能依靠自己的直觉。 跟着直觉走，如果直觉没错，你就会安全。” “要是直觉错了呢？” “那你就会死在黑暗里。” 落叶挺了挺肩膀。 “我才不会死。” “我希望不会，”岩石轻声说。 “你知道你不能再回这个洞穴了对不对？ 你必须找到一条直通荒原的隧道。 外面在下雨吗？”他突然问道。 落叶身子一僵。 他该不该提起