Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18 Lionpaw swallowed his last mouthful. He had hardly tasted the mouse, but it had quieted his rumbling belly. He glanced up at the sun shining high in the clear blue sky. Would it disappear again? What's happening? Heatherpaw's terrified mew echoed in his mind. He could not trust her. He could not trust the sun. He could only trust himself and his Clan. The clearing was slowly emptying as Firestar moved from cat to cat, sending them to their dens to rest. Squirrelflight lay in her makeshift nest with Hollypaw and Jaypaw curled beside her. Leafpool was checking her again. "You must rest," Firestar urged the medicine cat. Leafpool was swaying on her paws. "What about the other injuries?" "Brightheart will see to them and fetch you if

第十八章 狮爪咽下了最后一口食物 他几乎没尝出老鼠的味道，但咕噜叫的肚子总算安稳下来了 他抬头望向澄澈蓝天里高悬的太阳 它还会再消失吗？ 到底出什么事了？ 石楠爪惊恐的叫声还在他脑海里回响 他不能相信她 他不能相信太阳 他只能相信自己和他的族群 火星挨个安排猫回巢穴休息，空地渐渐变得空空荡荡 松鼠飞躺在临时搭好的窝里，冬青爪和松鸦爪蜷在她身旁 叶池正在给她再做一次检查 "你必须休息。"火星催促巫医道 叶池站在爪子上，身子晃个不停 "那其他的伤患怎么办？" "亮心会处理的，如果需要你她会来找

you're needed." Firestar looked at the one-eyed she-cat who was prowling from den to den, peering in to check on the cats inside. "She'll need rest too," Leafpool argued. "And she'll get it, once you've had some sleep." Leafpool blinked, her whiskers trembling as she stifled a yawn. "Okay," she agreed. "But wake me if there's any problem." She was looking at Squirrelflight. Hollypaw nuzzled closer to her mother, pressing her nose against Squirrelflight's ear as though she could make her better by wishing it so. Lionpaw's shoulders tensed, and he dug his claws into the soft earth. If he could fight Squirrelflight's battle for her, he knew he would win. Frustration stung his paws. This was a battle she must fight alone. Firestar's muzzle brushed his ear. "Shouldn't you be resting too?" "I'm not tired." He stared into Firestar's clear green gaze. Firestar blinked first. "Come on, then. We need to decide what happens now."

你。" 火星望向那只独眼母猫，她正挨个巢穴巡逻，探头检查里面的猫 "她也需要休息呀。"叶池反驳道 "等你睡过一觉，她就能休息了。" 叶池眨了眨眼，她胡须发颤，强忍住了哈欠 "好吧。"她答应了 "不过要是出任何问题，一定要叫醒我。" 她说这话时眼睛一直看着松鼠飞 冬青爪往妈妈身边挤得更近，鼻子贴在松鼠飞的耳朵上，好像靠着心愿就能让她好起来 狮爪的肩膀绷紧，爪子深深抠进松软的泥土里 要是能替松鼠飞打这一仗，他知道自己一定会赢 焦躁刺痛了他的爪子 这一仗必须由她自己打 火星的口鼻蹭了蹭他的耳朵 "你怎么不也去休息呢？" "我不累。" 他直直盯着火星清澈的绿色眼眸 火星先眨了眨眼 "那走吧，" 我们得商量商量接下来怎么办。"

Lionpaw followed him to where Dustpelt, Ashfur, and Brambleclaw were sharing a rabbit with Cloudtail and Sandstorm. Sandstorm looked up as they approached, and nudged a mouthful of the prey toward Firestar. "You must be hungry." "I'll eat once the fresh-kill pile's been restocked," Firestar replied. Sandstorm stared at him, then glanced down at the morsel she'd offered. "You need your strength as much as any cat." Firestar sat down, his shoulders sagging, and took the piece of rabbit. "Thank you." Brambleclaw was sitting uncomfortably, the thorn stab in his side clearly hurting. Lionpaw swallowed the growl rising in his throat. No other cat was going to suffer because of Heatherpaw's betrayal! He sat down. Now they would plan revenge on WindClan and RiverClan. The cowards! Their sneaky attack wasn't worthy of true warriors. ThunderClan would make them pay for what they'd done. "Do you think it'll disappear again?" Dustpelt's tail was bushed out.

狮爪跟着火星走过去，尘毛、蜡毛和黑莓掌正和云尾、沙风一起分吃一只兔子 他们走近时沙风抬起头，把一块兔肉推到火星面前 "你肯定饿了。" "等新鲜猎物堆补满了我再吃。"火星回答 沙风盯着他看了看，又低头看向那块她递出来的兔肉 "你和任何猫一样都需要力气呀。" 火星坐下，肩膀耷拉下来，叼过了那块兔肉 "谢谢你。" 黑莓掌坐得很不舒服，侧腹被刺扎的伤口显然疼得厉害 狮爪把涌到喉咙口的怒吼咽了回去 绝不能让别的猫因为石楠爪的背叛受罪！ 他坐了下来 现在他们该计划向风族和河族复仇了 一群胆小鬼！ 他们偷偷偷袭根本不配做真正的武士 雷族会让他们为所作所为付出代价 "你觉得它还会再消失吗？" 尘毛的尾巴蓬得炸开

Ashfur hadn't washed the blood from his paws yet. He scored a line in the dust with one red- stained claw. "This might just be the start." "We mustn't panic," Firestar meowed, swallowing. "We have to believe this was simply a message, nothing more." Is that all they're going to talk about? The vanishing sun? Lionpaw could hardly believe his ears. "But what if it wasn't a message?" Dustpelt argued. "What if the sun is starting to fail?" "It's never failed before," Sandstorm argued. "Why should it fail now?" "It's never disappeared before," Ashfur pointed out. "But it just did." "Surely it must just have been StarClan's way of warning us to stop fighting?" Brambleclaw meowed. "Why warn us?" Dustpelt growled. "We didn't start the battle!" "Perhaps it was just a strange cloud that hid it," Cloudtail reasoned. Lionpaw knew the warrior had been born in a Twoleg nest and had never really believed in StarClan.

蜡毛还没洗掉爪子上的血 他用一只沾着血的爪子在尘土里划了一道线 "这说不定只是个开始。" "我们不能慌。"火星边说边咽下嘴里的肉 "我们得相信这只是个警示，仅此而已。" 他们就只打算说这个吗？ 消失的太阳？ 狮爪简直不敢相信自己的耳朵 "可万一这不是警示呢？" 尘毛反驳道 "万一太阳开始要消失了呢？" "它从来没消失过呀。"沙风反驳 "为什么偏偏现在消失？" "可它之前也从来没消失过啊。"蜡毛指出 "但它这次就是消失了。" "这肯定就是星族在警告我们别再打仗了，对不对？" 黑莓掌说道 "为什么要警告我们？" 尘毛吼道 "这场仗又不是我们挑起来的！" "说不定只是一片怪云挡住了太阳呀。"云尾分析道 狮爪知道这名武士出生在两脚兽的巢穴，从来没真正相信过星族

"Where did the cloud come from?" Ashfur challenged. "Where did it disappear to? The sky was clear." Cloudtail shrugged. "There must be some explanation." Dustpelt flicked his tail. "StarClan," he insisted. "Who else could it be?" What does it matter? Lionpaw's belly churned with fury. The battle with WindClan hadn't been won. It had to be finished once and for all if they were ever to sleep soundly in their dens. The sun didn't matter. Enemies had to be dealt with. He scraped the ground with his claws. "Have you got something to say?" Lionpaw realized that Brambleclaw was staring at him. I've got plenty to say! He got to his paws. "We need to teach WindClan a lesson!" he declared. "They can't invade us without suffering the consequences." Brambleclaw shook his head. "Enough blood has been spilled, Lionpaw." "The battle's finished," Firestar agreed. "We need to find out what the vanishing sun means."

"那片云从哪来的？" 蜡毛质问道 "它又消失到哪去了？ 现在天空明明干干净净。" 云尾耸了耸肩 "肯定会有合理的解释的。" 尘毛甩了甩尾巴 "是星族。"他笃定地说 "除了他们还能是谁？" 这有什么关系 狮爪的肚子因为怒气不停翻腾 和风族的仗还没有打完 必须做个了断，他们以后才能安心在巢穴睡觉 太阳有没有事根本不重要 必须解决掉敌人 他用爪子刮了刮地面 "你有话要说吗？" 狮爪才发现黑莓掌正盯着他看 我有一大堆话要说！ 他站起身子 "我们得给风族一个教训！" 他大声宣布 "他们入侵我们，不能不付出代价。" 黑莓掌摇了摇头 "已经流了够多血了，狮爪。" "仗已经打完了。"火星附和道 "我们得先弄清楚太阳消失到底是什么意思。"

"Will Leafpool go to the Moonpool and share tongues with StarClan?" Sandstorm asked. Firestar glanced at Squirrelflight on the far side of the clearing. "Once our wounded cats are well enough to manage without her." "I hope that's soon," Dustpelt muttered. Ashfur's pelt smoothed. "The sooner the better." Lionpaw pawed the ground. Why wait to find out if their ancestors knew the answer? This wasn't the time for questions. This was the time for action! There was a battle to be fought. A betrayal to avenge. "Why can't we just—" He stopped. He'd interrupted Sandstorm. She was staring at him with her mouth open. "Sorry." Lionpaw backed away, suddenly conscious that he was only an apprentice. "Perhaps you should rest," Firestar suggested gently. Lionpaw nodded and turned away, leaving the circle of warriors to fret and worry without his interruptions. He kicked sand out behind him with every paw step. One day they'd listen to

“叶池会去月亮池和星族交流吗？” 沙风问道。 火星望向空地另一端的松鼠飞。 “等我们受伤的猫能不靠她照料，就去。” “我希望能快点。”尘毛嘟囔道。 蜡毛的皮毛平复了下来。 “越快越好。” 狮爪扒了扒地面。 干嘛还要等，难道祖先早就知道答案了？ 现在不是问问题的时候。 现在该行动起来！ 还有一场大战要打。 还有背叛要血债血偿。 “我们为什么不能——”他停住了。 他打断了沙风的话。 她正张着嘴盯着他看。 “对不起。” 狮爪往后退开，突然反应过来自己还只是个学徒。 “你或许该去休息一下。”火星温和地提议。 狮爪点点头转身离开，留下这群武士继续忧心忡忡，不用再被他打断了。 每走一步，他都把身后的沙子踢飞。 总有一天他们会听