Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29 Jaypaw lay in the sleeping hollow where the scents of his littermates still lingered. He did not try to sleep; his ears were pricked for the first sounds of the returning warriors. His belly churned with apprehension. What if Hollypaw or Lionpaw died in the battle? What would happen to the prophecy then, if three suddenly became two—or even one? How could he bear to be without them? The endless thunder of the waterfall sounded different, hollow and echoing, with the cave almost empty. The two kit-mothers were with their litters in the nursery. The elders, Cloud With Storm in Belly and Rain That Rattles on Stones, had retreated to their sleeping places at the other side of the cave. Wing Shadow Over Water, the prey-hunter who had been badly injured in the fight over the eagle, was sleeping nearby. Every other cat had gone to fight, for there was no point in leaving guards to protect the cave when all the intruders would be caught up in

第29章 松鸦爪躺在睡穴里，同窝手足的气味还残留在这儿 他没有试着睡去，耳朵直直竖起，等着出战武士归来的第一声动静 他满心惶恐，胃里翻搅个不停 要是冬青爪或是狮爪战死了怎么办？ 要是三个预言之子一下子变成两个——甚至只剩一个，那预言又会变成什么样呢？ 失去他们，他怎么受得了啊？ 瀑布不停轰隆作响，今天听着格外不同，洞穴几乎空了，只余下空洞的回声 两位猫后正和幼崽一起待在育儿室 长老“腹藏风云”和“石上鸣雨”，已经退回洞穴另一侧自己的睡处 捕猎手“影覆水翼”之前在抢老鹰的战斗里受了重伤，此刻正睡在附近 其他所有猫都出战去了，因为既然所有入侵者都会投入战斗，留守卫守洞穴毫无意义

the battle. Eventually Jaypaw couldn't bear to keep still any longer. He rose to his paws and padded across the cave, pausing to lick up a few icy drops where they trickled from the rock into the pool of fresh water. Then he slipped down the passage that led to the Cave of Pointed Stones. Inside, all was silent. Jaypaw felt the faint stir of wind against his face and drew in the scent of the Tribe's Healer, strong and fresh. "Stoneteller?" he mewed. "I am here, Jaypaw." The old cat's voice came from the far end of the cave; it sounded sad and defeated. "What do you want?" "Is there any word from the Tribe of Endless Hunting?" Jaypaw asked. "None. I stare into the puddle, and I see nothing but moonlight upon water." A pang tore through Jaypaw's belly, sharp as thorns. He knew that Stoneteller had lied to his Tribe about the Tribe of Endless Hunting. He had tried to manipulate the Tribe into choosing to flee, to show Brambleclaw and the Clan cats how little influence they had. But his plan had failed.

战斗之中 终于，松鸦爪再也没办法安安静静待着了 他站起身，轻步穿过洞穴，停下来舔了几口从岩石滴进清水池的冰水滴 接着他溜进通往尖石洞穴的通道 洞穴里一片寂静 松鸦爪感觉到微风拂过脸庞，他吸了口气，闻到了部落巫医强烈清晰的气味 “尖石巫师？”他轻唤道 “我在这里，松鸦爪。” 老猫的声音从洞穴尽头传来，听起来悲伤又挫败 “你想要什么？” “有来自无尽狩猎部落的消息吗？” 松鸦爪问道 没有 我盯着水洼看，除了水面上的月光，什么都看不见 一阵刺痛猛地扎进松鸦爪的肚子，锋利得像荆棘 他知道，尖石巫师对自己的部落隐瞒了无尽狩猎部落的真相 他原本想撺掇部落选择逃走，好向黑莓掌和族群猫证明，祖先对部落已经没什么影响力了 可他的计划失败了

The Tribe had chosen to fight, and left him here to face the knowledge that if they survived it would be without the support of their ancestors. The Healer's pain flowed through the cave like a river; Jaypaw couldn't help pitying him. "I'm sorry," he mewed. "Perhaps they have lost faith in us," Stoneteller responded, his voice flat. "I'm sure it's not that." Jaypaw pictured the pool among the sheer crags, where he had confronted the Tribe of Endless Hunting. He had revisited the dream over and over in his waking mind, and he thought he understood what it meant. But what use the knowledge would be to him, he wasn't sure. "Jaypaw." The rasping voice spoke behind him. Jaypaw spun around. Every hair on his pelt rose as he saw the sagging, hairless body and sightless eyes of Rock. But I'm not asleep! The ancient cat glimmered as if he stood in moonlight, though all around him was dark; he seemed to float in shadow. His heart beginning to race, Jaypaw reached out all his senses to Stoneteller, but there was no

部落选择了开战，留下他独自面对这个事实：就算他们活下来，也再也得不到祖先的庇佑了 巫医的痛苦像河水一样漫过整个洞穴，松鸦爪忍不住怜悯他 “我很抱歉。”他轻声说 “或许他们已经对我们失去信心了。”尖石巫师答道，语气平淡无力 “我肯定不是这样的。” 松鸦爪想起了那片藏在陡峭岩壁间的水潭，他就是在那里和无尽狩猎部落对峙的 他醒着的时候一遍又一遍回想那个梦，他觉得自己明白那是什么意思了 可他不确定这份认知能派上什么用场 “松鸦爪。” 沙哑的声音在他身后响起 松鸦爪猛地转过身 看见岩石松弛枯瘦、没毛的身体和那双失明的眼睛时，他全身的毛都竖了起来 可我根本没在睡觉啊！ 这只远古猫周身泛着微光，就像站在月光里，哪怕他四周全是黑暗； 他仿佛飘浮在阴影之中 松鸦爪的心开始狂跳，他调动所有感官感知尖石巫师，可完全没有

change in the old cat's scent or the dull pain that came from him. He made no sound. "Stoneteller cannot hear or see me," Rock mewed. "Only you can." "Why have you come?" Jaypaw's voice shook. "The battle has been won. You can go home now—all of you." Jaypaw forced down his delight. Hollypaw and Lionpaw were safe! But he was sure that Rock hadn't come just to tell him something that he would discover for himself before morning. There had to be another reason. "The Tribe must have fought well," he meowed. "Perhaps now the Tribe of Endless Hunting will have more faith in them." "Why should they?" Rock retorted. His voice was sour. "It was the Clans who saved the Tribe of Rushing Water." "What's wrong with that?" Jaypaw demanded. Back at the lake, he had longed to speak with Rock again, but each time he encountered the ancient cat was more frustrating than the last. "StarClan did not send you," Rock replied, "and the Tribe of Endless Hunting did not

这只老猫的气味，还有他身上散发出的钝痛，都没有任何变化 他没有发出一点声音 “尖石巫师听不到也看不见我。”岩石说道 “只有你能做到。” “你为什么来这里？” 松鸦爪的声音都在发抖 战斗已经打赢了 你们现在可以回家了——你们全都可以 松鸦爪硬生生压下了心中的喜悦 冬青爪和狮爪平安无事！ 可他肯定，岩石不会专门跑来，告诉他这件天亮前自己就能发现的事 肯定另有原因 “部落一定打得很好。”他说道 “说不定现在，无尽狩猎部落会对他们多一些信心了。” “他们凭什么要？” 岩石反驳道 他的语气带着酸意 是族群救了急水部落 “这有什么不对吗？” 松鸦爪质问道 回到湖边之后，他一直渴望能再和岩石说话，可每一次遇上这只远古猫，都比上一次更让人憋屈 “星族没有派你来，”岩石回答，“而无尽狩猎部落也没有

summon you." "But—" "Silence!" Rock hissed with a sweep of his bare tendril of a tail. "You came and won—for this battle, at least. But do you think the borders will hold? The Tribe is not a Clan, with experience of defending its territory, and the trespassers have no code of honor that will make them keep their word." "Then we came for nothing?" Jaypaw asked, dismayed. Rock shook his head. "No. You have learned much. And the Tribe will eat well, for a while at least." His bulging eyes seemed to gaze into the shadows at something hidden from Jaypaw. Jaypaw took a deep breath. "You knew the Tribe cats before they came here, didn't you? They came from the lake." He had the satisfaction of seeing Rock's start of surprise. "Yes. How did you know?" "It was the pool in the mountains that the Tribe spirit showed me," Jaypaw explained. "They found another Moonpool, just like the one near the lake."

唤你前来。” “可是——” “闭嘴！” 岩石甩动着光秃秃、像卷须一样的尾巴，嘶声说道。 “你来了，还打了胜仗——至少这场仗是赢了。” 可你觉得边界能守得住吗？ 部落不是族群，没有守卫领地的经验，入侵者也不讲荣誉，不会遵守承诺。” “那我们白跑一趟了？” 松鸦爪沮丧地问道。 岩石摇了摇头。 “才不是。你学到了很多东西。 而且部落至少能饱餐一阵子了。” 他凸起的双眼仿佛望向阴影里松鸦爪看不见的隐秘东西。 松鸦爪深吸了一口气。 “你在部落猫来这儿之前就认识他们了，对不对？ 他们就是从湖区来的。” 看到岩石露出惊讶的神色，松鸦爪心里一阵满足。 “没错。 你怎么知道？” “是山里的水潭，部落的魂灵展示给我的，”松鸦爪解释道。 “他们找到了另一座月亮池，和湖区边那座一模一样。”

"They turned their back on so many of their old ways." There was pain in the ancient cat's voice. "Yet they still sought for peace beside the water." Jaypaw's heart thumped harder, but he had to continue. "The Tribe knew me, just as you did. The prophecy comes from when you all lived together, doesn't it?" Rock bowed his head. "Yes. We have been expecting you for a long time. And now you have come." A shiver of mingled fear and delight passed through Jaypaw as he returned the stare of the old cat's sightless eyes. "The others deserve to know," Rock continued. "This is not just your destiny, and you cannot walk this path alone." "Jaypaw! Jaypaw, where are you?" Hollypaw's voice echoed from the main cave. "Come quickly!" As if a dark wing had folded over him, Rock was gone. Jaypaw was left alone in the Cave of Pointed Stones, except for the silent presence of Stoneteller. He found the entrance to the passage and raced out to meet his sister. "It's Lionpaw!" she gasped, bounding up to

“他们抛弃了太多旧习俗。” 这只老猫的声音里透着痛苦。 “可他们依然在水边追寻安宁。” 松鸦爪的心跳得更厉害了，可他必须继续说下去。 “部落认识我，就像你认识我一样。 预言从你们全都住在这里的时候就有了，对不对？” 岩石低下了头。 “没错。 我们已经等你很久了。 现在你终于来了。” 对上这只老猫失明的双眼，松鸦爪浑身一颤，既害怕又欣喜。 “其他猫也该知道这件事，”岩石继续说道。 “这不只是你的命运，你也不能独自走这条路。” “松鸦爪！松鸦爪，你在哪儿？” 冬青爪的声音从主洞穴传了过来。 “快来！” 仿佛有黑翼收拢罩住，岩石转眼就消失了。 只剩松鸦爪独自留在尖石洞穴，身边只有静静伫立的尖石巫师。 他找到通道入口，冲出去迎接妹妹。 “是狮爪出事了！” 她喘着气，蹦跳着上前