Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16 Hollypaw wriggled against Willowpaw, trying to get comfortable. There was hardly enough moss in this nest for one cat, never mind two. And how could Willowpaw sleep so soundly with the water constantly washing against the rocks? Rain sprayed the lake, dripping from the overhang, puddling on the floor. Through the entrance to the cave, Hollypaw could see the rocky causeway, slick in the darkness. She strained to see the ThunderClan shore far beyond it, but the air was murky and she could only just make out the shape of the distant forest against the cloudy predawn sky. She had been in the RiverClan camp for two days. Leopardstar still insisted it was not safe for her to travel home, but every cat—Hollypaw included—knew she was being kept on the island to stop her from reporting RiverClan's weakness to her Clanmates. She rolled over, her belly growling with hunger. "Can't you keep still?" Willowpaw sighed

第十六章 冬青爪在柳爪身边扭了扭，想躺得舒服点。 这个窝的苔藓连一只猫都不够铺，更别说两只了。 河水一直不停冲刷着岩石，柳爪怎么还能睡得这么香呀？ 雨水打在湖面，从岩檐往下滴，在地上积出了小水洼。 冬青爪透过洞穴入口，能看见黑乎乎的岩堤道湿淋淋的。 她使劲张望堤道那头远处的雷族岸边，可空气雾蒙蒙的，只能勉强看清黎明前多云天空衬出的远林轮廓。 她已经在河族营地待了两天了。 豹星还坚持说她现在赶路回家不安全，可所有猫——包括冬青爪自己——都明白，留她在岛上就是为了不让她给族里报信说河族现在处境不妙。 她翻了个身，肚子饿得咕咕叫。 “你能不能安分点？” 柳爪叹了口气

sleepily. "Sorry." Hollypaw's heart ached. She was so far from home. Willowpaw must have heard the sadness in her friend's mew. She sat up and stretched, her eyes glowing sympathetically in the half-light. "You'll be able to go back soon," she promised. "How soon?" "The dams should be finished in a quarter moon," Willowpaw mewed. "And we'll be able to move back to our old camp. I'm sure Leopardstar will organize an escort for you then." A quarter moon! She couldn't stay here that long! "But what about my Clan?" "I know they'll be worried," Willowpaw commiserated. "But think how pleased they'll be when you get back." And angry. Hollypaw's heart sank as she imagined Brambleclaw's pelt pricking with annoyance; Squirrelflight's gaze, sharp with disapproval. "You won't say anything, will you?" Willowpaw's eyes grew round. "You won't tell them about the island and the Twolegs?"

困兮兮地说。 “对不起。” 冬青爪心里发疼。 她离家太远了。 柳爪肯定听出了朋友声音里的难过。 她坐起身伸了个懒腰，眼睛在昏暗中透出同情的光。 “你很快就能回去了，”她保证道。 “有多快？” “水坝再过半个月就能修好了，”柳爪说。 “到时候我们就能搬回原来的营地。 我敢肯定那时候豹星会派人护送你回去的。” 还要半个月！ 她可没办法在这里待那么久！ “可是我的族群怎么办？” “我知道他们肯定在担心你，”柳爪安慰道。 “可是你想想，你回去他们该多高兴呀。” 还会生气呢。 冬青爪的心一下子沉了下去，她想象着黑莓掌的毛气得炸起来； 松鼠飞的眼神，满是不悦。 “你不会说出去的，对不对？” 柳爪一下子睁大了眼睛。 “你不会告诉他们小岛和两脚兽的事，对不对？”

"No, not if you don't want me to." Hollypaw could guess why Willowpaw was so frightened about the other Clans knowing how much RiverClan had suffered. It would take at least a moon for them to recover even if they did manage to rescue their old camp. "Promise?" "I promise." "Everything will be back to normal soon," Willowpaw sighed. "Yes." Hollypaw felt the word catch in her throat. Everything will be back to normal. She was no longer so sure that an end to RiverClan's trouble would stop the hostility that had flared between the Clans. It was almost as if the long peace between the Clans had left the younger cats itching for battle and set the older warriors dreaming of past glories. She thought of the WindClan patrol she had faced with the RiverClan cats. They had bristled with so much aggression. They hadn't wanted to hear RiverClan's explanation. Could this hunger for battle simply vanish like mist in the sunshine? The sky was lightening behind the clouds.

“你不想让我说，我就不说。” 冬青爪能猜到为什么柳爪这么害怕其他族群知道河族遭了多大的难。 就算顺利夺回旧营地，河族至少也得一个月才能恢复元气。 “你保证？” “我保证。” “一切很快就能变回原样了，”柳爪叹了口气。 “是啊。” 冬青爪感觉这句话哽在了喉咙里。 一切都会变回原样的。 她现在已经不敢确定，河族的麻烦结束了，族群之间燃起的敌意就会跟着消失。 这就好像族群间长久的和平，让年轻猫盼着打仗，让老武士怀念过去的荣光。 她想起自己跟着河族猫一起面对风族巡逻队的事。 他们当时浑身炸毛，充满了敌意。 他们根本不想听河族的解释。 这种对战斗的渴望，真的能像阳光下的雾气一样说散就散吗？ 云层后的天空已经慢慢变亮了。

Across the causeway, the cats were stirring on the island. Hollypaw could see pelts moving among the trees, pelts already as familiar as those of her own Clan. Graymist was leading Sneezekit and Mallowkit down to the shore to drink. Mosspelt was heading over the tree-bridge with Beechfur and Pebblepaw. Such a small dawn patrol! Hollypaw knew that most of the warriors" effort was being channeled into recovering the old island camp. Mistyfoot padded from the trees and crossed the causeway, a slender fish drooping in her jaws. She dropped it in the puddle at the front of the overhang. Mothwing lifted her head at the splash and stretched in her nest. "Thanks, Mistyfoot," she yawned. Hollypaw knew it was unusual for the Clan deputy to deliver food to the medicine den. She was painfully aware that Mistyfoot had come to check whether Hollypaw had escaped in the night. But she was grateful that Mistyfoot had chosen such a tactful way to do it. "It's not much," Mistyfoot meowed. "But it

堤道对面，岛上的猫们已经醒过来活动了。 冬青爪能看见树丛间晃动的皮毛，这些猫对她来说，已经和自己族群的猫一样熟悉了。 灰雾带着喷嚏爪和锦葵爪去岸边喝水。 藓毛领着山毛榉毛和卵石爪走过树桥。 黎明巡逻队居然这么小！ 冬青爪知道，大部分武士都把精力投入到收复旧营地的事上了。 雾脚从树丛里走出来，穿过堤道，嘴里叼着一条瘦长的鱼，鱼软塌塌垂着。 她把鱼丢在岩檐前的水洼里。 蛾翅听见溅水声抬起头，在窝里伸了个懒腰。 “谢谢你，雾脚，”她打了个哈欠。 冬青爪知道，副族长亲自给巫医送食物很不寻常。 她清楚得很，雾脚是来查岗，看她有没有趁夜里逃走。 但她还是感激雾脚用这么委婉的方式来做这件事。 “没多少东西，”雾脚说。 “不过这

should see you through the day." Hollypaw's belly growled. The whole day! Food was so scarce here that some of the warriors went to bed hungry; she was lucky to be fed at all. But thankful as she was that RiverClan was prepared to feed their unwelcome guest, she couldn't get used to the strange tang of fish and she longed for the musky flavor of forest prey. "Intruder!" Mosspelt yowled from the tree- bridge. Graymist instantly began herding her kits back to the island clearing. Hollypaw stiffened, scenting the air. ThunderClan! Hope fluttered like a bird in her chest. She strained to see through the drizzle. The dawn patrol was circling a cat on the far shore. Squirrelflight! She recognized her mother's pelt and felt the same surge of excitement she used to feel when, as a kit, Squirrelflight returned to the nursery after a spell in the warriors" den. "You'd better come with me," Mistyfoot growled. She turned and padded back along the causeway. Hollypaw leaped after her, forcing

足够撑过这一整天了。” 冬青爪的肚子咕噜噜叫了起来。 整整一整天啊！ 这儿食物太紧缺了，有些武士都饿着肚子睡觉； 能有东西吃她已经够幸运了。 虽说她感激河族愿意招待她这个不受欢迎的客人，可她实在不习惯鱼那奇怪的味道，满心想念森林猎物那带着麝香味的口感。 “入侵者！” 苔藓毛在树桥上厉声咆哮。 灰雾立刻赶着自己的幼崽往岛中央的空地走。 冬青爪绷紧身体，嗅了嗅空气中的气味。 是雷族！ 希望像小鸟一样在她胸口扑腾跳动。 她眯起眼，努力透过细雨望过去。 黎明巡逻队正围着远岸的一只猫。 是松鼠飞！ 她认出了母亲的皮毛，心头涌起和小时候一样的兴奋——那时她还是幼崽，每次松鼠飞从武士巢穴回育婴室都让她这么开心。 “你最好跟我走。”雾脚低吼道。 她转过身，沿着堤道往回走去。 冬青爪纵身跟上去，努力

herself not to race past the RiverClan deputy. Her paws fizzing, she trotted onto the island and followed Mistyfoot to the clearing. Pebblepaw bounded from the undergrowth. "She's come to get Hollypaw!" Behind him, the ferns rustled and Squirrelflight padded calmly into the clearing, flanked by Mosspelt and Beechfur. Hollypaw tensed. Squirrelflight was alone. Would Leopardstar let them leave together? She glanced nervously toward the Great Oak and saw Leopardstar squeeze out from her makeshift den among the roots. The RiverClan leader was staring at Squirrelflight; Hollypaw could see uncertainty in her eyes and her golden pelt pricked along her spine. "Leopardstar." Squirrelflight halted in front of the RiverClan leader and dipped her head. "I have come to fetch one of our apprentices." Hollypaw wanted to race forward and brush muzzles with her mother, but Squirrelflight hadn't even looked at her yet. She was staring steadily at Leopardstar. "I believe she strayed into your territory."

克制着自己没有冲到这位河族副族长前面。 她爪子激动得发飘，小跑着上了岛，跟着雾脚来到空地上。 卵石爪从灌木丛里跳了出来。 “她是来接冬青爪的！” 他身后的蕨丛沙沙作响，松鼠飞从容地走进空地，苔藓毛和山毛榉毛伴在她两侧。 冬青爪绷紧了身体。 松鼠飞是一个人来的。 豹星会放他们一起离开吗？ 她紧张地望向大橡树，看见豹星从树根间的临时巢穴里挤了出来。 这位河族族长正盯着松鼠飞； 冬青爪从她眼里看出了犹豫，背上金色的皮毛都竖了起来。 “豹星。” 松鼠飞在河族族长面前停下，低了低头。 “我是来接我们的一名学徒回去的。” 冬青爪好想冲上去蹭蹭妈妈的脸，可松鼠飞连看都没看她一眼。 她一直稳稳盯着豹星。 “我想她是不小心误入了你们的领地。”