Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21 Lionpaw's muscles still hurt from the race through the tunnels and the long swim to the shore, but he couldn't rest in the den any longer. He had slept till midday and Ashfur had refused to take him training until he'd had another good night's sleep. But Lionpaw's heart ached to the point of making him fidget and shuffle his paws in the dried-up moss in his nest. Finally, he gave up trying to get comfortable and pushed his way through the barrier of thorns, into the forest. "You need to stretch your legs?" Brook's mew surprised him. Lionpaw had been lost in thought as he padded out of the camp entrance. The evening sun was glittering through the trees as it sank toward the horizon. "I'm bored with resting," Lionpaw told her. "You look better," she commented. "Last night you looked like you'd been as far as the mountains and back." Lionpaw looked at his paws. "The kits were hard to find."

第二十一章 狮爪刚刚钻隧道跑了一路，又游了很长时间才上岸，肌肉还酸着，但他再也没法在巢穴里待下去了 他一觉睡到正午，灰毛说他得再好好睡一整晚，才肯带他训练 可狮爪心里堵得发慌，坐立不安，忍不住在窝里的干苔藓上蹭动爪子 最后，他再也不想硬熬着了，挤过荆棘屏障，走进了森林 “你出来活动腿脚呀？” 溪儿的声音吓了他一跳 狮爪轻步走出营地入口时，正沉浸在自己的思绪里 傍晚的太阳沉向地平线，金光穿过树叶闪闪发亮 “一直歇着我都腻了”狮爪对她说 “你看上去气色好多了”她说道 “昨晚你那副样子，就跟翻了一趟大山回来似的” 狮爪低头看着自己的爪子 “那些幼崽找得可太苦了”

"But you found them," Brook reminded him. "Yes," Lionpaw murmured. He began to pad up the slope, treeward. "I'll watch for you!" Brook called after him. "I won't be long," Lionpaw promised. He headed for the tunnel entrance, weaving slowly through the trees. As he saw the brambles that guarded the tunnel entrance, the pang in his belly grew stronger. He wriggled beneath the prickly branches and climbed the slope, pausing in front of the small burrow where Heatherpaw had once called to him. He imagined her now, her blue eyes shining with excitement. He would never see her again in that way. As a friend. As a fellow member of DarkClan with their own hidden territory. He couldn't have all that and still be a loyal ThunderClan warrior. He closed his eyes, imagining he could still smell her scent drifting from the tunnel entrance. He knew that was impossible. A mudslide blocked the way now. It marked the end of the most precious friendship he'd ever known. "Good-bye, Heatherpaw," he whispered into the tunnel, hoping the wind would carry his

“可你还是找着他们了呀”溪儿提醒他道 “嗯”狮爪低声应道 他迈步朝坡上的树林走去 “我会帮你盯着的！” 溪儿在他身后喊道 “我去去就回”狮爪答应道 他朝着隧道入口走去，慢悠悠在树林里穿梭 当他看见挡着隧道入口的黑莓丛时，心口的抽痛变得更剧烈了 他从带刺的枝桠下挤过去爬上山坡，停在了那个小洞口前——从前石楠爪就在这儿唤过他 他此刻仿佛看见了她，那双蓝眼睛亮闪闪的，满是兴奋 他再也不能那样见到她了 以朋友的身份 暗族同袍，拥有属于他们自己的隐秘领地 他不可能既要拥有这一切，又做一名忠诚的雷族武士 他闭上眼睛，恍惚觉得还能闻到隧道入口飘来她的气味 他知道这不可能 现在泥石流已经把路堵死了 这也标志着，他这辈子最珍贵的友谊结束了 “再见了，石楠爪”他对着隧道轻声说，希望风能把他的

words through the darkness, picturing her waiting at the other end.... There will be no borders between us in StarClan. He remembered the moment they'd shared in the tunnels when he'd thought they might die. The intensity of it still throbbed in his paws. How could he turn his back on their friendship? He had to. So must she. A half-moon hung in the sky as Lionpaw headed home through the shadowy forest. The wind brushed the treetops, and the ferns crackled as they slowly began to unfurl bright new leaves. Fur brushed his flank. Lionpaw jumped, tail bristling. "We're proud of you." Tigerstar's mew drifted on the evening air. Lionpaw turned his head and saw the dark warrior's shimmering outline and his amber eyes glowing in the twilight. A second pelt brushed his other flank. Hawkfrost. "You made the right decision," the tabby warrior told him. He nudged Lionpaw with his

话语吹过黑暗，想象她就在隧道那头等着他…… 在星族里，我们之间就不会有边界了 他想起当初他们困在隧道里，都以为自己活不成了的那个时刻 当时那种揪紧的感觉，至今还在他爪间隐隐作痛 他怎么能就这样背弃他们的友谊呢？ 可他必须这么做 她也必须一样 狮爪沿着阴影重重的森林往家走的时候，半弯明月挂在了天上 风吹过树梢，蕨类沙沙作响，慢慢舒展开鲜嫩的新叶 有皮毛蹭过了他的侧腹 狮爪吓了一跳，尾巴瞬间炸了毛 “我们为你骄傲。” 虎星的声音飘在晚风里 狮爪转过头，看见那名深色武士闪着微光的轮廓，还有他琥珀色的眼睛在暮色里发亮 又一块皮毛蹭过了他另一侧的侧腹 鹰霜 “你做了正确的选择”这只虎斑武士对他说 他用自己的

shoulder, and Lionpaw shivered at his ghostly touch. "I've lost my best friend," he murmured. "I never thought I would feel so empty." "Friendship is worthless," Tigerstar growled. "You have learned an important lesson, one that I could never have taught you. But I will teach you much more. There'll come a day when you'll be so powerful, you'll have no need of friends. And when that day comes, I promise you will never regret that you chose to be a warrior."

肩膀蹭了蹭狮爪，这幽灵般的触碰让狮爪打了个寒颤 “我失去了我最好的朋友”他低声说道 “我从来没想过会这么空虚” “友谊一文不值”虎星低吼道 “你学到了重要的一课，这一课我永远没法亲手教给你 但我还会教你更多东西 总有一天你会变得无比强大，根本不需要朋友 等到那一天到来，我保证你绝不会后悔当初选择成为一名武士”