Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 "Watch out!" Graystripe's warning was muffled by the bramble stem clasped in his jaws. Hollypaw hopped backward as the trail of brambles swished past her. Millie scurried by, trying to guide Graystripe's prickly load safely across the clearing. "I thought the den was finished," Hollypaw mewed to Hazelpaw, flicking her tail at the addition to the warriors" den. Its walls were thick and its roof pressed firmly into place. Why do they need even more brambles? "It's not for the warriors" den." Hazelpaw shook her gray-and-white head. "They're reinforcing the nursery." Hollypaw's heart sank. Why was everyone so sure there was going to be a battle? Ferncloud began shooing Foxkit and Icekit away from the nursery while Graystripe and Millie wrapped the brambles around the already densely tangled bush. Hazelpaw nodded toward the fresh-kill pile

第十二章 "小心！" 灰条叼着荆棘梗，声音闷得模糊不清。 荆棘串嗖地擦过冬青爪，她往后跳开。 米莉快步跑过，帮着把灰条带刺的负载安全运过空地。 "我还以为巢穴修好了呢，" 冬青爪对着武士巢穴的新增部分甩了甩尾巴，对榛爪说道。 墙壁已经砌得很厚，屋顶也牢牢固定到位了。 他们为什么还需要更多荆棘呢？ "这不是给武士巢穴加的。" 榛爪摇了摇她灰白相间的脑袋。 "他们要加固育婴室。" 冬青的心一下子沉了下去。 为什么大家都笃定一定会开战呢？ 灰条和米莉把荆棘缠在原本就盘结浓密的灌木丛外时，蕨絮正把狐崽和冰崽赶离育婴室。 榛爪朝新鲜猎物堆点了点头

where Mousepaw was choosing his midday snack. "Are you coming?" Hollypaw shook her head. She wasn't hungry. Anxiety had been churning in her belly since the Gathering. Besides, she was hunting with Brackenfur later; she could eat then. She watched Hazelpaw pick a mouse from the pile and settle down beside Mousepaw, their fluffy gray pelts merging into one. Suddenly, the honeysuckle quivered and Brightheart rushed from the elders" den. The one- eyed cat was snapping instructions over her shoulder. "Quick, this way!" Longtail shot out behind her, Mousefur limping after him. "I don't see why we have to practice," Mousefur coughed. "I know the drill." Brightheart halted at the bottom of the tumble of rocks. "You need to know it by heart in case there's an attack at night." Longtail paused beside Brightheart. "Dark or light, it makes no difference to me." His sightless eyes sparkled teasingly. Mousefur padded stiffly past him. "I've been in

鼠爪正在那儿挑选他的午间点心。 "你过来吗？" 冬青爪摇了摇头。 她不饿。 自从森林大会之后，焦虑就一直在她肚子里翻涌。 再说，她待会要跟蕨毛去狩猎，到时候再吃就行。 她看着榛爪从猎物堆里挑了一只老鼠，在鼠爪身边坐下，他俩蓬松的灰色皮毛融成了一片。 忽然，忍冬藤晃了一晃，亮心从长老巢穴里冲了出来。 这只独眼猫一边回头，一边厉声下达指令。 "快，往这边走！" 长尾紧跟着冲了出来，鼠毛一瘸一拐跟在他身后。 "我不明白为什么我们要练这个，" 鼠毛咳了一声。 "我都知道流程了。" 亮心在落石堆脚下停住了脚。 "你得把流程熟记于心，以防夜里遭到袭击。" 长尾在亮心身边停了下来。 "天黑天亮，对我来说都一样。" 他失明的眼睛里闪着打趣的光。 鼠毛僵硬地从他身边走了过去。 "我已经在

this camp long enough to know the way." Hollypaw could hear her begin to wheeze as she clambered up the rocks toward the safety of Highledge. Longtail followed closely, nudging her forward whenever her paws slipped. Greencough had left Mousefur weaker than any cat would admit—Mousefur especially. It wasn't fair to make her drill like this, especially for a battle that might never happen. Thornclaw and Whitewing padded past Hollypaw. Thornclaw glanced at her. "Shouldn't you be helping reinforce the defenses?" "I'm training with Brackenfur soon," Hollypaw explained. "Good." Thornclaw halted beneath Highledge where Stormfur and Brook were sharing tongues. "We need our apprentices sharp." Brook looked up. "Are you so sure the battle will happen?" There was anxiety in her husky mountain mew. "We can't be too careful," Thornclaw growled. Stormfur sat up. "It doesn't make sense," he meowed. "Why would WindClan attack us?" "Yes!" Brook's eyes brightened. "RiverClan's

这个营地待够久了，认得路。" 冬青爪能听见，爬上山石前往高岩安全区的她，已经开始呼哧呼哧喘气。 长尾紧紧跟在后面，只要她爪子一滑，就推她一把。 绿咳症把鼠毛弄得比谁都清楚地虚弱——鼠毛自己尤其不肯承认。 让她这么训练太不公平了，何况还是一场说不定根本不会发生的战斗。 棘爪和白翅从冬青爪身边走过。 棘爪瞥了她一眼。 "你不该去帮忙加固防御工事吗？" "我很快就要跟蕨毛训练了，" 冬青爪解释道。 "很好。" 棘爪在高岩下停住脚，暴毛和溪儿正在那儿互相理毛。 "我们需要学徒都保持状态敏锐。" 溪儿抬起了头。 "你就这么确定一定会开战吗？" 她沙哑的山地嗓音里带着焦虑。 "我们再小心都不为过，" 棘爪低吼道。 暴毛坐直了身子。 "这说不通啊，" 他说道。 "风族为什么要攻击我们？" "没错！" 溪儿的眼睛亮了起来。 "河族才是

the one they're going to have trouble with." "What happens to RiverClan will affect us all," Whitewing meowed. Thornclaw flicked his tail. "If RiverClan is driven from their territory, where will they go?" "They'll need to settle somewhere," Whitewing pointed out. Stormfur sighed. "None of the borders will be safe." Hollypaw's pelt pricked with anxiety. How could the four Clans survive if RiverClan lost their territory? "Hollypaw?" Brackenfur was heading toward her. "Are we going hunting?" "Change of plan." Brackenfur nodded toward Mousepaw and Hazelpaw. "We'll be battle training with your denmates instead." Battle training! He started to hurry away. "I'll meet you at the training hollow." Hollypaw padded halfheartedly to the camp entrance. She didn't want to train for a battle that might lead to the end of four Clans living around

他们会遇到麻烦的一方。" "河族的遭遇会影响我们所有人，" 白翅说道。 棘爪甩了甩尾巴。 "如果河族被赶出他们的领地，他们能去哪儿？" "他们得找地方安顿下来，" 白翅指出。 暴毛叹了口气。 "所有边界都不会安全了。" 冬青爪的皮毛因为焦虑绷了起来。 如果河族丢了领地，四大族群要怎么活下去？ "冬青爪？" 蕨毛正朝她走来。 "我们要去狩猎了吗？" "计划改了。" 蕨毛朝鼠爪和榛爪点了点头。 "我们改和你的同巢伙伴一起做战斗训练。" 战斗训练！ 他说完就快步走开了。 "我在训练空地等你们。" 冬青爪无精打采地朝营地入口走去。 她不想为这场可能终结四大族群生活在

the lake. Stormfur's words rang in her ears: None of the borders will be safe. She had to stop this! She turned and almost crashed into Mousepaw. His green eyes were shining. "Did Brackenfur tell you?" Hazelpaw clawed the ground behind him. "We're battle training!" Hollypaw stared at them. "Go ahead without me," she whispered. "What are you doing?" Mousepaw asked. "It doesn't matter," she mewed. "I'll catch up with you when I've finished." "But what will we tell Brackenfur?" Hollypaw didn't answer Hazelpaw's anxious question. She had already pushed past her denmates and was halfway across the clearing. Brackenfur had stopped to talk with Stormfur. Hollypaw quickly ducked behind the elders" den. "Imagine thinking I couldn't find my way up to Highledge." She heard Mousefur's croaking mew from inside. "They'll have us practicing washing next." "Well, at least we're ready now," Longtail

湖畔。 暴毛的话在她耳边回响：所有边界都不会安全了。 她必须阻止这一切！ 她转身差点撞到鼠爪。 他的绿眼睛闪闪发亮。 "蕨毛告诉你了吗？" 榛爪在他身后挠了挠地面。 "我们要进行战斗训练啦！" 冬青爪盯着他们俩。 "你们先去吧，" 她低声说。 "你要去做什么？" 鼠爪问道。 "没关系的，" 她说道。 "我办完事情就去找你们。" "可我们该怎么跟蕨毛说？" 冬青爪没有回答榛爪焦虑的问题。 她已经挤过同巢伙伴，快走穿过了大半个空地。 蕨毛停下脚步，正在和暴毛说话。 冬青爪赶紧躲到了长老巢穴后面。 "想想看，他们居然觉得我找不到去高岩的路。" 她听见鼠毛沙哑的声音从里面传出来。 "接下来他们该让我们练习洗脸了。" "好了，至少我们现在准备好了，" 长尾

mewed soothingly. "I was born ready!" Mousefur grumbled. Hollypaw's pelt bristled with anticipation as Brackenfur finally nodded to Stormfur. "See you later." The golden warrior headed away toward the camp entrance. Hollypaw slipped out from behind the honeysuckle and scurried up the rocks to Highledge. "Firestar!" She rushed into the cave, blinking against the sudden darkness. Firestar's eyes flashed in the shadows. Sandstorm was plucking the feathers from a sparrow carcass on the other side of the cave. "What is it, Hollypaw?" Firestar sat up straight. "You can't just let it happen!" Hollypaw mewed. Sandstorm padded to Firestar's side. "Let what happen?" "The battle that everyone's preparing for!" "The battle might not happen." Firestar meowed calmly. "There's nothing wrong with being prepared." "But why are we getting ready to fight WindClan when we should be helping

温柔地喵呜叫着。 “我生下来就准备好了！” 鼠毛嘟囔着。 当蕨毛终于对暴毛点头时，冬青爪的皮毛因满心期待奓了起来。 “回头见。” 这头金棕色的武士朝营地入口走去了。 冬青爪从忍冬丛后溜出来，急急忙忙爬岩石上到高岩。 “火星！” 她冲进洞穴，猛地进入黑暗，不停地眨着眼睛。 火星的眼睛在阴影里闪着光。 沙风在洞穴另一侧，正啄掉麻雀尸体上的羽毛。 “怎么了，冬青爪？” 火星坐直了身子。 “你们不能就这么任由它发生！” 冬青爪喵声说道。 沙风轻步走到火星身边。 “让什么事发生？” “就是大家都在准备的那场战斗啊！” “这场战斗未必会发生。” 火星平静地说道。 “做好准备没什么不对。” 可为什么我们本该帮忙，却要准备和风族开战