Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 "Ow!" Birchfall snatched his paw away from Jaypaw. Jaypaw sighed. "If I don't get the thorn out it's going to hurt a lot more!" Tentatively, Birchfall held out his paw again. Jaypaw leaned down and grasped the fat end of the thorn between his teeth. "It's not that big," he muttered out of the side of his mouth. "That's because most of it is buried in my paw!" Birchfall complained. "It's amazing I made it back to camp at all." Jaypaw braced himself and gave a fierce tug. "Ow!" Birchfall leaped away, then hopped noisily around the medicine den. Jaypaw dropped the thorn, spitting to get rid of the taste of blood. "I told you it was huge!" Birchfall meowed triumphantly. Jaypaw touched it with his pad. The curved barb felt like a claw. "Not exactly deadly, though," he mewed.

第七章 “哎哟！” 桦落猛地从松鸦爪面前抽回了爪子。 松鸦爪叹了口气。 “要是我不把刺拔出来，你会疼得更厉害！” 桦落犹犹豫豫地，又把爪子伸了出来。 松鸦爪俯下身，用牙齿咬住了刺粗粗的底端。 “这刺没多大呀。”他含着刺含糊地嘟囔。 “那是因为它大部分都扎进我爪子里啦！” 桦落抱怨道。 我能走回营地都已经很不容易了。 松鸦爪做好准备，猛地用力一拔。 “哎哟！” 桦落一下子蹦开，接着在巫医巢穴里咚咚地跳来跳去。 松鸦爪丢掉刺，吐了吐口水，想去掉嘴里的血腥味。 “我早就跟你说它很大了吧！” 桦落得意地叫了一声。 松鸦爪用肉垫碰了碰那根刺。 弯弯的倒刺摸起来就和猫爪一样。 不过也算不上要人命啦。”他喵了一声。

Birchfall lapped at his wound. "You're not very sympathetic for a medicine cat." "I'm here to heal you. If you want sympathy, go to the nursery." Jaypaw padded to the back of the den. Warriors! They might be brave in battle, but one thorn and they squealed like kits. He picked up a mouthful of marigold and began to chew the leaves into a pulp. A poultice would make sure Birchfall's paw didn't get infected. Suddenly, he stiffened. Paws were pounding toward the camp. He tasted the air. Hollypaw's fear-scent hit the back of his throat. "Here, wash this into the cut!" He dropped the pulp at Birchfall's paws and pushed through the trailing brambles that screened the den from the rest of the camp. Hollypaw exploded into the camp. "Cinderpaw's fallen out of the Sky Oak!" Jaypaw gasped. "I'll fetch Leafpool!" He pelted for the nursery where she was tending to Foxkit's cold. But Leafpool was already racing out. "Cinderpaw?" Jaypaw skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding

桦落舔着自己的伤口。 “你作为巫医，可一点都不同情我呀。” “我来这儿是给你治伤的。 想要同情的话，就去育婴室找呀。” 松鸦爪轻步走到巫医巢穴的深处。 这些武士啊！ 他们打仗的时候那么勇敢，扎了一根刺就叫得跟幼崽一样。 他叼了满满一口金盏花，开始把叶子嚼成糊糊。 药泥能防止桦落的爪子伤口感染。 忽然，他浑身一僵。 有爪子正朝着营地飞奔过来。 他嗅了嗅空气中的味道。 冬青爪的恐惧气味一下冲到了他的喉咙口。 “来，把这个敷到伤口上！” 他把药泥丢到桦落爪边，拨开挡在巢穴和营地间的悬钩子枝冲了出去。 冬青爪冲进了营地。 “炭爪从天橡树上掉下来了！” 松鸦爪倒抽一口凉气。 “我去找叶池！” 他朝着育婴室狂奔，叶池正在那儿给小狐治感冒。 可叶池已经飞快地冲出来了。 “炭爪？” 松鸦爪猛地刹住脚，差一点撞到

her. She stopped, trembling, in the middle of the clearing. Horror pulsed from her like blood from a wound. No, not again! Her silent plea sliced into Jaypaw's thoughts, as clear as if she'd cried out loud. "You have to come at once!" Hollypaw wailed. "What's happened?" Firestar pounded across the clearing. Paw steps sounded on every side as the Clan came running to see what was wrong. "Cinderpaw was helping Mousepaw down the Sky Oak and she fell!" Hollypaw's words came in great gulps. "Leafpool, go to her!" Firestar ordered. Come on! Jaypaw willed his mentor to move, but she seemed rooted to the spot, her terror blocking out every other thought. "What herbs will we need?" he prompted. He could feel Hollypaw trembling behind him. "Poppy seeds?" he pressed when Leafpool didn't answer. Just as panic threatened to overwhelm him, Leafpool snapped out of her daze. He felt her mind clear, like rain lifting. "Poppy seeds, yes. Rushes and cobweb to bind any broken legs, and

她。 她停了下来，浑身发抖，站在空地中央。 恐惧从她身上涌出来，就像鲜血从伤口涌出一样。 不，不要再这样了！ 她无声的祈求刺进松鸦爪的思绪，清晰得就像她亲口喊了出来。 “你快过来看看啊！” 冬青爪哀嚎着。 “出什么事了？” 火星大步穿过空地。 族猫都跑来查看情况，四面八方都是脚步声。 “炭爪帮鼠爪爬下天橡树，结果她掉下去了！” 冬青爪上气不接下气地说道。 “叶池，快去救她！” 火星下令道。 快走啊！ 松鸦爪在心里催导师动身，可她好像钉在了原地，恐惧盖过了所有其他念头。 “我们需要什么草药？” 他提醒道。 他能感觉到冬青爪在自己身后抖个不停。 “要罂粟种子吗？”叶池没回答，他又催促道。 就在恐慌快要淹没松鸦爪的时候，叶池终于从恍惚中回过神来。 他感觉到她的脑子清醒了，就像雨过天晴一样。 “对，要罂粟种子。 灯心草和蜘蛛网用来固定断腿，还有

thyme for the shock." "I'll fetch them," Jaypaw offered. "Please hurry!" Hollypaw begged. "Who's with her?" Leafpool demanded. "Mousepaw, Ashfur, Cloudtail, and Brackenfur." "Good. She'll need carrying." Jaypaw pushed past Millie and Graystripe and raced to the medicine den, his tail bristling. He barged past Birchfall standing, fur spiked, in the entrance and darted to the herb storeroom. Lapping up several poppy seeds, he tucked them safely under his tongue, then grabbed a sprig of thyme and quickly wrapped it up in a fat wad of cobweb along with a pawful of rushes. He picked the bundle up in his jaws and hurtled back into the clearing. "Got everything?" Leafpool asked. Jaypaw nodded. "Hurry!" Hollypaw called. She led them out of the camp at a run. The forest floor felt soft beneath Jaypaw's pads. Hollypaw plunged up the slope, Leafpool on her heels. Jaypaw ran after them, every sense

百里香用来舒缓惊吓。” “我去拿草药。”松鸦爪主动说。 “请快点！” 冬青爪恳求道。 “现在谁在她那边？” 叶池问道。 “鼠爪、阿什毛、云尾和蕨毛。” “好的。 得有人把她抬回来。” 松鸦爪从米莉和灰条身边挤过去，朝着巫医巢穴狂奔，尾巴都竖了起来。 他冲过站在入口、炸着毛的桦落，一头扎进草药储藏室。 他叼起几颗罂粟种子，稳稳地藏在舌头底下，又抓起一小枝百里香，连同满一爪灯心草，一起裹进一大团蜘蛛网盘里。 他用嘴叼起这捆草药，飞快冲回空地。 “东西都齐了？” 叶池问道。 松鸦爪点了点头。 “快点！” 冬青爪喊道。 她带头跑着出了营地。 森林地面踩在松鸦爪的肉垫下软软的。 冬青爪一头冲上斜坡，叶池紧紧跟在她身后。 松鸦爪跟在她们身后跑，所有感官都

alert, dodging the trees only by a whisker. A bramble tugged at his paw and he stumbled forward, dropping his bundle. "Here, I'll carry that!" Leafpool turned and swiftly picked up the rushes before speeding away again. Jaypaw hurried after her, keeping close, following her paw steps as she weaved through the forest. "I see the Sky Oak!" Hollypaw called. Her paws beat faster against the ground. "Watch out for the fallen tree!" she warned. Her paw steps fell silent as she leaped over the log and landed with a thump on the other side. Leafpool followed her. Jaypaw didn't hesitate. Tensing, he leaped as high as he could, praying he had timed it right. He felt the rotting bark of the fallen tree brush his paws as he sailed over and landed lightly on the ground beyond. "Over here!" Hollypaw had reached the others. Jaypaw felt Brackenfur's panic flash like lightning from his pelt. He could hear Ashfur pacing around the Sky Oak, could sense Mousepaw trembling. "She's still breathing!" Cloudtail called.

他警觉地躲开树木，差一点点就撞上了。 一根荆棘勾住了他的爪子，他一个趔趄向前摔去，怀里的包袱掉在了地上。 "来，我来拿！" 叶池转身快速捡起灯心草，接着又飞快往前赶去。 松鸦爪连忙跟上去，紧紧贴在她身后，顺着她在森林里穿梭的脚印往前走。 "我看到天橡树了！" 冬青爪喊道。 她的爪子跑得更快了。 "小心那棵倒树！" 她提醒道。 她跃过木头，落在另一边发出砰的一声，脚步声才停了下来。 叶池跟着跃了过去。 松鸦爪毫不犹豫。 他绷紧身体，拼尽全力高高跃起，祈祷自己掐准了时机。 他跃过倒树时，腐烂的树皮擦过他的爪子，随后他轻轻落在了对面的地上。 "这边！" 冬青爪已经找到了大伙。 松鸦爪感觉到蕨毛身上散出的恐慌像闪电一样窜过来。 他能听到蜡毛在天橡树旁踱来踱去，也能感觉到鼠爪在发抖。 "她还有呼吸！" 云尾喊道。

"Good!" Leafpool dropped the bundle. Jaypaw crouched beside her as she leaned over Cinderpaw. He could hear the injured apprentice's breathing. It was quick and shallow. He touched her flank with his nose. She was as limp as a dead mouse. His belly tightened. "She's in shock!" Leafpool pronounced. "Lick her chest while I give her the thyme." Jaypaw spat out the poppy seeds and began to lick Cinderpaw. Her heart beat rapidly beneath his tongue. He smelled the herbs as Leafpool tore open the bundle and chewed the leaves into a pulp that she could drip into Cinderpaw's mouth. "Is she going to die?" Brackenfur's mew trembled. "I won't let her," Leafpool snapped. The medicine cat moved around to Cinderpaw's other side. "Lick more gently now," she ordered. Jaypaw began to lap Cinderpaw delicately, relieved to feel her heart slowing. He could hear Leafpool sniffing Cinderpaw's body, examining her. Suddenly, the medicine cat stiffened. "What's wrong?" Jaypaw whispered.

"太好了！" 叶池放下了包袱。 叶池俯身查看炭爪，松鸦爪蹲在了她身边。 他能听到这个受伤学徒的呼吸声。 呼吸又快又浅。 他用鼻子碰了碰她的侧腹。 她浑身瘫软，就像一只死老鼠。 他的心一下子揪紧了。 "她休克了！" 叶池判断道。 "我给她喂百里香，你舔她的胸口。" 松鸦爪吐出嘴里的罂粟籽，开始舔舐炭爪。 她的心脏在他舌尖下跳得飞快。 叶池拆开包袱，把叶子嚼成碎糊好滴进炭爪嘴里，松鸦爪闻到了药草的香气。 "她会死吗？" 蕨毛的声音都在发抖。 "我不会让她死的，"叶池厉声说。 这名巫医绕到了炭爪的另一侧。 "现在舔轻一点，"她吩咐道。 松鸦爪开始轻柔地舔舐炭爪，感觉到她的心跳慢了下来，不由得松了口气。 他能听到叶池嗅着炭爪的身体，检查她的伤势。 突然，这名巫医浑身僵住了。 "出什么事了？" 松鸦爪低声问。