Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16 Jaypaw pressed his nose to Sorreltail's paw. Leafpool had swathed it in damp comfrey leaves, and it seemed cooler already. "How does it feel?" Sorreltail lifted it. "Much better." She glanced toward the barrier. "I should get back to the fighting." "No." Leafpool was cleaning up Mousewhisker's eye beside them, soaking away the blood with wet moss. "ShadowClan is helping us now and, by the sound of it, there are going to be enough injuries to treat without you getting another." "But the fighting's getting closer," Sorreltail argued. Leafpool shook water from the moss. "In that case we might need you here." Although the camp felt empty, the forest rang with the chilling sounds of battle. Jaypaw pricked his ears to listen more closely. Firestar's patrol was fighting WindClan just above the hollow. Had they really been driven back that far?

第十六章 松鸦爪把鼻子贴在炭毛的爪子上。 叶池用浸了水的聚合草叶包住它，现在已经感觉凉快多了。 "感觉怎么样？" 炭毛抬起爪子。 "好多了。" 她往边界那边瞥了一眼。 "我得回去打仗了。" "不行。" 叶池就在旁边清理鼠须的眼睛，用湿苔藓擦去了血污。 "影族现在帮我们呢，听动静，就算你不添新伤，要治的伤也够多了。" "可是战火越来越近了，"炭毛争辩道。 叶池把苔藓上的水挤掉。 "这样的话我们反倒更需要你留在这里。" 营地虽然空荡荡的，森林里却回荡着战斗冰冷的声响。 松鸦爪竖起耳朵仔细听。 火星的巡逻队就在山谷上方和风族打仗。 他们真的被逼退到这么远了吗？

"Shouldn't we take the injured cats into the den?" he prompted. Spiderleg was already resting there, calmed by poppy seeds, his bleeding stanched by cobwebs. "It'll be safer." If the camp is overrun. "The light's better out here now that the sun's up," Leafpool meowed. "Besides, I think they like to see us." He knew she meant Daisy and the kits. Millie was organizing them on Highledge. "Now, who can remember what we do if strangers come into the camp?" Millie prompted. "Take Millie's kits to the back of Firestar's cave," Rosekit squeaked. "Then what?" Millie was drilling them carefully. "We stay with them inside in case strangers come in," Toadkit mewed. "Where will I be?" "Just outside the cave, keeping guard with Daisy," Rosekit mewed. Mousefur's pelt brushed the rock beside Millie. "Longtail and I will be defending the top of the rocks, to stop any cat from getting onto

"我们不应该把伤猫都送到巢穴里去吗？"他提醒道。 蜘蛛足已经在那儿休息了，罂粟籽让他平静下来，蜘蛛网止住了他的流血。 "那里会更安全。" 万一营地被攻占了。 "现在太阳升起来了，这儿光线更好，"叶池喵声道。 "再说了，我觉得他们也愿意看到我们在这儿。" 他知道叶池说的是黛西和小猫们。 米利在高岩安排好了他们。 "好了，谁还记得如果陌生人闯进营地我们要做什么？" 米利提醒道。 "带米利的小猫去火星洞穴的后面，"玫瑰爪尖声说。 "然后呢？" 米利认真地训练他们。 "要是陌生人进来，我们就和他们待在里面，"蟾蜍爪说。 "那我要待在哪里？" "就在洞穴外面，和黛西一起放哨，"玫瑰爪说。 鼠毛的皮毛蹭过米利旁边的岩石。 "长尾和我会守在岩石顶端，阻止任何猫进到

Highledge." "And I'll be at the bottom!" Brightheart called up from the clearing. Graystripe and Whitewing were still on guard outside the thorn tunnel. Icepaw had come inside the camp to practice battle moves with Cinderpaw and Ferncloud. "You will be careful of your leg, won't you?" Leafpool warned Cinderpaw. "No heroics." "No heroics," Cinderpaw promised. "But if we're invaded, I'm not hiding inside the medicine den!" Fear flashed from Leafpool's pelt. "We won't be invaded, I'm sure." Would the ThunderClan patrols really be able to hold WindClan and RiverClan at bay? "Don't forget ShadowClan is helping us now!" Mousewhisker meowed. "I was fighting beside one of their apprentices when Tawnypelt dragged me away. They're pretty good fighters. We were about to overpower a WindClan warrior." His tail swished over the ground. "Sit still," Leafpool chided. Mousewhisker was obviously itching to get

高岩上。" "我会守在最下面！" 亮心从空地上喊上来。 灰条和白翅还在荆豆隧道外放哨。 冰爪进了营地，和炭爪、蕨云一起练习战斗动作。 "你会小心你的腿，对不对？" 叶池警告炭爪。 "别逞英雄。" "我不逞英雄，"炭爪保证道。 "但如果营地被入侵了，我才不躲在巫医巢穴里！" 叶池的毛皮透出惧意。 "我们不会被入侵的，我肯定。" 雷族巡逻队真的能挡住风族和河族吗？ "别忘了影族现在在帮我们！" 鼠须开口说。 我之前和他们的一个学徒并肩作战，后来褐尾把我拖走了。 他们都是很不错的战士。 我们那时候都快制服一个风族武士了。" 他的尾巴扫过地面。 "坐好别动，"叶池责备道。 鼠须显然迫不及待想要

back into battle. Didn't he understand how serious this was? All four Clans fighting. No warning from StarClan. No clear reason for the battle. Jaypaw headed for the medicine cats" den to soak more leaves for Sorreltail's dressing, but as he neared the entrance, the air grew chilly around him. His fur fluffed, prickling along his spine. "Why is it getting dark?" Rosekit's mew echoed around the hollow from above his head. Was a storm coming? Graystripe and Whitewing were hurrying through the tunnel. "What's happening?" Graystripe called. "Why's the camp getting dark?" Daisy's mew trembled. "The sky's still light." "The sun's disappearing!" Brightheart's terrified wail made Jaypaw stiffen. This couldn't just be a cloud passing over the sun. The birds in the forest had fallen silent. Even the fighting had stopped. What was going on? He darted back to Leafpool. "What does she mean?" "Something's swallowing the sun!" Leafpool

回到战场了。 难道他不明白这事有多严重吗？ 四个族群全都打起来了。 星族没有给任何警告。 连开战的明确理由都没有。 松鸦爪往巫医巢穴走，想给炭毛再浸些药叶，可快走到入口的时候，身边的空气突然变冷了。 他的毛发炸起来，脊梁一阵发麻。 "天怎么变黑了？" 玫瑰爪的叫声从头顶上方的山谷传下来。 是暴风雨要来了吗？ 灰条和白翅快步穿过隧道。 "出什么事了？" 灰条喊道。 "营地怎么变黑了？" 黛西的声音带着颤抖。 "天上还亮着呢啊。" "太阳不见了！" 亮心惊恐的哭喊让松鸦爪僵住了。 这不可能只是一块云挡住了太阳。 森林里的鸟儿都静了下来。 连打斗声都停了。 到底出什么事了？ 他飞快跑回叶池身边。 "她这话是什么意思？" "有东西把太阳吃掉了！" 叶池

whispered. Millie's kits started mewling, their cries muffled as their mother gathered them to her. Leafpool pressed against Jaypaw. "We have to stay calm." Her body was shaking but her mew was steady. "It's probably a message from StarClan. It will pass." "What message?" Ferncloud demanded. Graystripe leaned closer. "Are they trying to stop us from fighting?" "I-I don't know," Leafpool stammered. "They've never hidden the sun, only the moon." Why send a message now? They hadn't given any warning before. Jaypaw's blood turned to ice. This was nothing to do with StarClan. It was Sol who had warned them about this. Sol who had told them a darkness was coming, a darkness that was beyond the control of StarClan, beyond even their powers of sight. Sol had tried to warn them that the sun would disappear, but they hadn't listened to him. Wailing swept down toward the camp, and paws thundered near the barrier.

低声说。 米利的小猫们开始叫起来，妈妈把他们拢到身边，叫声都闷住了。 叶池紧紧贴着松鸦爪。 "我们必须保持冷静。" 她的身子在发抖，但声音很稳。 "这可能是星族给我们的讯息。 一切都会过去的。" "什么讯息？" 蕨云追问。 灰条凑得更近了。 "他们是想让我们停止战斗吗？" "我……我不知道，"叶池结结巴巴地说。 "他们从来没遮住过太阳，只遮住过月亮。" 为什么现在要传讯息？ 之前他们一点警告都没给过。 松鸦爪的血液都冻成冰了。 这事和星族一点关系都没有。 是索尔提前警告过他们这件事， 索尔告诉他们，有黑暗要来了，这黑暗连星族都控制不了，连他们的预见能力都没用。 索尔警告过他们太阳会消失，可他们没人听他的。 哭号声顺着山谷往营地飘来，边界附近传来轰隆隆的爪子跑动声。

Were they being attacked? Graystripe's claws sprayed earth as he dashed to the camp entrance. Brightheart hurtled after him. Jaypaw held his breath as the thorn barrier rattled and cats exploded into the clearing. ThunderClan. Jaypaw smelled the raw fear-scent of his Clanmates returning from battle, along with the stench of blood. Wounded cats, too scared to worry about their injuries. "Why is this happening?" "Where's the sun gone?" "Has StarClan abandoned us?" Terror pulsed from every pelt. "Can we hide in the nursery?" Icepaw begged Ferncloud. Lionpaw tore through the thorn tunnel and skidded to a halt beside Jaypaw. Hollypaw was at his heels. Jaypaw sniffed them quickly, relieved to find they weren't badly wounded. "Has the sun really gone out?" "Yes." Lionpaw kneaded the ground.

难道他们遭到袭击了？ 灰条冲向营地入口，爪子刨得泥土四处飞溅。 亮心紧跟着猛冲了过去。 松鸦爪屏住呼吸，荆刺屏障哗哗摇晃，猫儿们冲进了空地。 是雷族。 松鸦爪闻到了战罢归来的族猫身上浓烈的恐惧气味，还有刺鼻的血腥味。 受伤的猫儿慌得根本顾不上自己的伤口。 “为什么会发生这种事？” “太阳去哪儿了？” “星族抛弃我们了吗？” 每一只猫的周身都透着恐惧。 “我们能躲去育婴室吗？” 冰爪向蕨云哀求道。 狮爪冲过荆刺通道，滑步停在松鸦爪身旁。 冬青爪紧跟在他身后。 松鸦爪快速嗅了嗅他俩，发现他俩伤得不重，顿时松了口气。 “太阳真的熄灭了吗？” “没错。” 狮爪不住揉搓着地面。