Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13 A rising wind stirred the forest. Branches rattled and leaves showered down onto the patrol as Hollypaw followed her Clanmates through the woods. It's so dark! She glanced up. No starlight glittered through the leaves, and clouds had hidden the moon. Brackenfur's tail brushed her cheek. He was only a few paw steps ahead of her, but she could hardly see him. "Stay close," he whispered. The patrol was moving slowly, picking its way through the forest. WindClan might be hiding anywhere, waiting for them to pass by. "Ow!" Mousewhisker's muted yelp from behind made Hollypaw jump. "Are you all right?" she hissed over her shoulder. "Scratched my eye on a bramble." Hollypaw stopped and peered through the darkness at Mousewhisker's cut. Blood was

第十三章 狂风渐起，吹动了整片森林 冬青爪跟着族伴穿过树林，树枝哗哗作响，落叶纷纷落在巡逻队身上 天好黑呀！ 她抬头瞥了一眼 树叶透不出一点星光，云也遮住了月亮 棘皮的尾巴扫过她的脸颊 他只走在她前面几步远，可她几乎看不见他 “跟紧我。”他低声说 巡逻队慢慢前进，在森林里小心穿行 风族可能藏在任何地方，等着他们经过 “哎哟！” 身后传来鼠须压低的痛呼，吓了冬青爪一跳 “你没事吧？” 她扭过头低声问道 “我的眼睛被荆棘刮到了。” 冬青爪停下脚步，在黑暗中凑近查看鼠须的伤口 鲜血正

welling around his eye and it was already puffed up. Mousewhisker brushed away the drips with his paw. "I'll be okay," he mewed. "Keep up!" Brackenfur called to them. Falling in beside Mousewhisker to guide him, Hollypaw quickened her pace. It was like running blind. Her paws fell on leaves, then mud, then tangled roots. She sniffed the air, her heart racing as she tried to picture where she was. This was how Jaypaw must feel all the time. Only when her paws scraped against stone did she realize they had reached the old Twoleg path. It was dotted with tufts of weeds, and she had to be careful not to trip. "Stay close together," Brambleclaw warned. Hollypaw could only just make out his shadow in the darkness. "It'll be easy for WindClan to surprise us." What does WindClan want? The question whirled in Hollypaw's mind. All of our territory? But where would we go? We don't deserve this! Only ThunderClan had tried to help when other Clans refused. Daisy, Millie, Stormfur, and Brook

从他眼周的伤口渗出来，眼睛已经肿起来了 鼠须用爪子抹掉了血珠 “我没事的。”他喵声道 “跟上！” 棘皮朝他们喊道 冬青爪走到鼠须身边给他带路，加快了脚步 这简直像摸着黑瞎跑 她的爪子先后踩到落叶、烂泥，还有盘绕的树根 她嗅了嗅空气，心怦怦直跳，努力辨认自己的位置 松鸦爪一直都是这种感觉啊 直到她的爪子刮到石头，她才反应过来，他们已经走到旧两脚兽小径了 小径上零散长着一丛丛野草，她得小心别绊倒 “大家靠紧点。”黑莓掌警告道 冬青爪在黑暗里勉强才看清他的影子 “风族很容易偷袭我们。” 风族到底想要什么？ 这个问题在冬青爪脑海里打转 要夺走我们整片领地吗？ 那我们能去哪里呢？ 我们不该遭遇这种事！ 其他族群都不肯帮忙的时候，只有雷族伸出了援手 黛西、米莉、石毛和溪儿

would have had to survive as loners if ThunderClan hadn't welcomed them. And Firestar would never have been able to save ThunderClan—to save all the Clans—if Bluestar hadn't taken him in as a kittypet all those moons ago. Why did the other Clans make such a fuss about it? Because the warrior code rejects kittypets, loners, and rogues. As the grim answer flashed in Hollypaw's mind, the ground seemed to rock beneath her paws. Her Clan had been ignoring the warrior code forever! Glancing ahead, she could just make out the abandoned Twoleg nest looming darkly against the black sky. It seemed to sway in front of her. "Ambush!" Brambleclaw's yowl snapped her back to alertness and she realized the nest was not swaying, but swarming with the shadows of WindClan warriors. They streamed from the openings, their night-grayed pelts ghostly in the darkness.

如果雷族没有收留他们，他们就得像独行者一样艰难度日了 而且，如果许多月前蓝星没有接纳还是宠物猫的火星，火星根本不可能拯救雷族——拯救所有族群 其他族群为什么要对这件事大动干戈呢？ 因为武士守则不接纳宠物猫、独行者和泼皮猫 这个残酷的答案闪进冬青爪脑海时，她脚下的地面好像都晃动起来 她的族群竟然一直都在无视武士守则！ 她朝前望去，勉强看见废弃的两脚兽巢穴黑沉沉地立在夜空下 它好像在她眼前晃动起来 “有埋伏！” 黑莓掌的吼声让她立刻警觉，她这才发现巢穴根本没晃动，里面挤满了风族武士的黑影 他们从出口涌出来，被夜色染灰的皮毛在黑暗里像幽灵一般

"Spread out!" Brambleclaw ordered. Where? Hollypaw tried to make out the signal he must be making with his tail, but it was too dark. Then WindClan was on him, and he disappeared altogether in a mass of shadowy pelts. She stared in terror as two warriors—Weaselfur and Emberfoot—streaked from the gloom, heading straight for her. Their eyes gleamed with hunger for blood. Her paws felt frozen. Then she was tumbling to the ground while claws raked her side like fire in her flesh. Remember your training! Anger shot through her like lightning, and she leaped to her paws, claws unsheathed, and lashed out at her attackers. She caught Weaselfur across the muzzle and felt his blood spatter her fur. Mousewhisker appeared beside her, his injured eye half-closed, and lunged for Emberfoot, while Hollypaw swiped again at Weaselfur. She had to jump back as Brackenfur rolled past, grappling with Tornear. Weaselfur saw his chance and leaped for her, sending her staggering back with a heavy blow to her cheek. Her paws skidded on the stone path, and she fell. The WindClan warrior's

“散开！” 黑莓掌下令道 往哪散？ 冬青爪想看清他用尾巴发出的信号，可是天太黑了 很快风族武士就扑向了他，他彻底消失在一大团黑影里 她惊恐地望着，两名武士——鼬毛和烬足——从黑暗里冲出，直扑向她 他们的眼睛闪着嗜血的寒光 她的爪子僵得像冻住了一样 紧接着她就滚倒在地，对手的爪子划开她的侧腹，疼得像火烧一样 记住你学的本领！ 怒火像闪电般掠过她全身，她一跃而起，亮出爪子，朝攻击者狠狠抓去 她一爪抓中鼬毛的口鼻，感觉到他的血溅在了自己的皮毛上 鼠须出现在她身边，受伤的眼睛半闭着，扑向烬足，冬青爪则再次挥爪打向鼬毛 棘皮和杉针扭打着滚过，她不得不往后跳开 鼬毛抓住机会扑向她，重重一爪拍在她脸颊上，打得她连连后退 她的爪子在石头小径上打滑，摔倒在地 这名风族武士的

eyes flashed with triumph as he dropped on her, lips drawn back in a snarl. Blood roared in Hollypaw's ears as she fought panic. She twisted just in time to avoid the warrior's sharp teeth, and pushed out with her hind legs. Yes! She'd caught him in the belly and sent him lurching backward. Leaping onto her paws, she ducked forward and sank her teeth into his hind leg. "Well done." Brackenfur was beside her. He reared up and slammed Weaselfur to the ground. Hollypaw lunged again, tasting blood as she sank her teeth into his other hind leg. The WindClan warrior yowled in agony and streaked away into the shadows. Hollypaw reared up to scan the battle. Thornclaw was fighting off two WindClan cats. As he batted one away, the other dived in low, nipping at his legs. Cloudtail's white fur glowed in front of the Twoleg nest. WindClan warriors surrounded him. His pelt is giving him away! Beside her, Mousewhisker suddenly shrieked. Emberfoot had pinned him to the ground.

他扑向她时，眼睛闪着胜利的光，龇牙低吼着。 冬青爪耳边嗡鸣，拼命压下恐慌。 她及时扭身躲开武士的尖牙，后腿用力蹬了出去。 好样的！ 她正中对手肚子，把他撞得一个趔趄向后退去。 她一跃起身，俯身冲上前一口咬住了他的后腿。 “干得好。” 蕨毛站在了她身边。 他立起身，把鼬毛狠狠砸在了地上。 冬青爪再次扑上前，一口咬住他另一条后腿，尝到了鲜血的滋味。 这只风族武士痛得嗷叫一声，飞快逃进了阴影里。 冬青爪站起身，扫视着整个战场。 刺掌正在对抗两名风族武士。 他刚把一只打飞，另一只就低扑过来啃咬他的腿。 云尾的白毛在两脚兽巢穴前格外显眼。 风族武士已经把他团团围住。 他的毛色暴露了位置！ 她身旁的鼠须突然发出一声惨叫。 烬足把他按在了地上。

Mousewhisker was flailing desperately, half- blinded by the scratch to his eye. "I'll help him," Brackenfur hissed. "You help Cloudtail." Hollypaw pelted forward, but Brambleclaw was already beside the white warrior. The ThunderClan deputy dragged two WindClan cats from Cloudtail's back and flung them away like dead leaves. His eyes sparked as he spotted Hollypaw. "We're outnumbered," he hissed. "You'll have to ask Blackstar for help!" "Me?" Hollypaw gasped. How could she persuade the ShadowClan leader to fight on behalf of ThunderClan? "Just do it!" Brambleclaw yowled. "Blackstar would rather have us on their borders than this fox-hearted bunch!" The two WindClan warriors had scrambled to their paws and were diving back for revenge. Before Brambleclaw disappeared beneath a fury of bristling pelts, he glanced at her. "Go!" She turned and fled. Fear pulsed in her blood. How would she make it through ShadowClan

鼠须拼命挣扎，眼睛被抓伤，半看不见东西。 “我去救他，”蕨毛低吼道。 “你去帮云尾。” 冬青爪向前猛冲，可黑莓掌已经赶到了白武士身边。 这位雷族副族长把两只风族猫从云尾背上拽下来，像扔枯叶一样把他们甩了出去。 他看见冬青爪，眼睛亮了起来。 “我们寡不敌众，”他低声说。 “你必须去找黑星求助！” “我？” 冬青爪倒吸一口凉气。 她怎么能说服影族首领帮雷族作战呢？ “快去！” 黑莓掌吼道。 “黑星宁可让我们守边境，也不想这帮黑心狐狸过来！” 那两只风族武士已经爬起身，再次扑过来报仇了。 黑莓掌被一群炸毛的敌人淹没前，看向了她。 “走！” 她转身飞奔而去。 恐惧在她血液里翻涌。 她要怎么才能穿过影族