Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21 "Stop!" Jaypaw swerved in front of Hollypaw and Lionpaw as they began to head down the slope toward the thorn barrier. He ignored the surprise flashing from their pelts. "We can't tell any cat what's happened or where we've been." "Of course not," Lionpaw agreed. "Not about Sol, or being in ShadowClan's camp. Not anything!" He had to know that they understood. "I wasn't going to," Hollypaw mewed. He could sense her puzzlement and hurt—directed not at him, but at Sol. The stranger had abandoned them. Jaypaw was confused by Sol's change of heart too, but he refused to let Sol's behavior change what he believed. It wasn't Blackstar who was more powerful than StarClan. They were. Evening shrouded the camp as they padded through the entrance. Jaypaw was relieved to hear the Clan only just beginning to stir. The warriors"

第二十一章 “停下！” 冬青爪和狮爪正要往斜坡下走，前往荆棘屏障，杰爪猛地冲到他俩面前 他完全不在意他俩毛发透出的惊讶 “我们不能告诉任何猫发生了什么，也不能说我们去过哪儿。” “那当然，”狮爪附和道 “不能说索尔，也不能说我们去过影族营地 半件事都不能提！” 他必须确认他俩都听懂了 “我本来就没打算说呀，”冬青爪轻声说 他能感觉到冬青爪的困惑和难过——不是冲着他，是冲着索尔 那个陌生猫抛弃了他们 杰爪也对索尔的变心摸不着头脑，但他不肯让索尔的行为改变自己的信念 比星族更强大的不是黑星 是他们自己 当他们走进营地入口时，夜幕已经笼罩了营地 杰爪松了口气，族群才刚刚开始活动 武士

den rustled as Brambleclaw and Graystripe padded out. Kits mewled inside the nursery, and Icepaw and Foxpaw were nosing through the few remaining morsels on the fresh-kill pile. "Where've you been?" Foxpaw called. "Out," Lionpaw replied. "Did you bring back any prey?" Jaypaw could hear Foxpaw's belly rumbling. "Afraid not." Graystripe padded, yawning, across the clearing toward them. "Have you been out long?" he asked sleepily. "No," Jaypaw lied. He hoped no one noticed their nests hadn't been slept in. "Any sign of prey out there?" Brambleclaw put in. Jaypaw shrugged. He had been too lost in his own thoughts to notice. "Lionpaw!" Ashfur was stretching outside the warriors" den. "I think we should hunt for our Clan, don't you? Hollypaw? Why don't you go wake Brackenfur? You might as well come with us." Jaypaw sensed Hollypaw's heart sink. He felt

巢穴里一阵响动，黑莓掌和灰条走了出来 育婴室里幼崽喵喵叫，冰爪和狐爪正扒着猎物堆找剩下的碎肉 “你们去哪儿了？” 狐爪大声问 “出去了，”狮爪回答 “你们带猎物回来了吗？” 杰爪都能听见狐爪肚子咕噜噜叫 “恐怕没有。” 灰条打着哈欠，穿过空地朝他们走来 “你们出去很久了吗？”他困乎乎地问 “没多久，”杰爪撒谎道 他希望没人发现他们的窝根本没睡过 “外面有猎物的踪迹吗？” 黑莓掌插嘴问道 杰爪耸了耸肩 他刚才满脑子都是心事，根本没注意 “狮爪！” 蜡毛正伸着懒腰在武士巢穴门口 “我觉得我们该为族群打猎，你说对不对？ 冬青爪？ 你怎么不去叫醒蕨毛？ 你不如跟我们一起走” 杰爪感觉到冬青爪的心沉了下去 他觉得

sorry for his littermates. They'd managed to sneak out of camp unnoticed, but it seemed they were going to be punished anyway. "You'll soon be in your nests," he whispered to them. "Not soon enough," Hollypaw hissed back. Jaypaw padded to his den, feeling a twinge of guilt. He was the one who'd made them leave camp, after all. He nosed through the brambles, breathing in the comforting smells of home— Leafpool's scent, herbs, the damp rock where water dripped into the pool. Spiderleg was snoring in Cinderpaw's old nest. And another cat scent drifted from the back of the den. "Jaypaw? Is that you?" "Squirrelflight?" "We moved her inside." Leafpool padded from beside the pool. "It was too cold to leave her out all night." Jaypaw stiffened. "What about her wound?" "We moved her slowly," Leafpool reassured him. "There was a little fresh bleeding, but I treated it once we'd got her settled." Ferns rustled around Squirrelflight. "Have you eaten, Jaypaw?"

对不起他的同窝手足 他们好不容易偷偷溜出营地没被发现，结果看来还是免不了要受罚 “你们很快就能回窝了，”他低声对他俩说 “快也不够快，”冬青爪低声回怼 杰爪走向自己的巢穴，心里泛起一丝愧疚 毕竟，是他拉着他俩离开营地的 他穿过黑莓丛，吸着家园让人安心的气味——叶池的味道、药草的味道，还有水滴入池打湿岩石的潮味 蛛足正打着呼噜睡在炭爪原来的窝里 还有另一只猫的气味从巢穴深处飘出来 “杰爪？是你吗？” “松鼠飞？” “我们把她挪进来了” 叶池从池子边走了出来 “整夜把她放在外面太冷了” 杰瓦尔一下子僵住 “她的伤口怎么样了？” “我们挪得很慢，”叶池安慰他 “出了一点新血，但安顿好之后我已经处理过了” 松鼠飞身旁的蕨叶晃了晃 “你吃过东西了吗，杰爪？”

"Not yet." He was starving. "Make sure you do." Squirrelflight's mew sounded a little stronger. Leafpool's tail brushed the ground. "I know how to take care of my apprentice." Jaypaw was surprised. There was a sharp edge to his mentor's mew. She was never bad- tempered with her patients. But he was too tired and hungry to figure out what was bothering her. His mother sounded better, and that was all he cared about right now. He padded to the fresh-kill pile and gulped down a dry sparrow, coughing as the feathers caught in his throat. Swallowing, he returned to the den. He padded to his mother's nest and pressed his nose to her pelt. "See you later, Squirrelflight. I'll be right here if you need anything." She stirred sleepily. "Okay, Jaypaw." Jaypaw crawled into his nest and closed his eyes. "Jaypaw!" A harsh mew woke him.

“还没” 他饿坏了 “一定要记得吃” 松鼠飞的声音听起来有力了一点 叶池的尾巴扫过地面 “我知道怎么照顾我的学徒” 杰爪有点惊讶 他导师的声音带着一丝尖锐 她从来不会对自己的病人发脾气 但他又累又饿，没空想她到底为什么烦心 他妈妈听起来好多了，这就是他现在唯一在乎的事 他走到猎物堆旁，狼吞虎咽吃下一只干麻雀，羽毛卡喉咙里呛得他直咳嗽 咽下去之后，他回到巢穴 他走到妈妈的窝边，把鼻子贴在她的皮毛上 “晚点来看你，松鼠飞 你要是需要什么，我就在这儿” 她睡眼惺忪动了动 “好的，杰爪” 杰爪爬进自己的窝，闭上了眼睛 “杰爪！” 一声粗哑的叫唤叫醒了他

Branches crisscrossed overhead, glimmering silver in the starlight. StarClan's hunting grounds. He got to his paws, feeling soft, moon-washed grass caress his pads. "You've been looking for answers again, haven't you?" Yellowfang was sitting beside him. Her eyes gleamed accusingly. Jaypaw stretched and yawned. "I wouldn't be much of a medicine cat if I didn't." Her paw clouted his ear. "Ow!" "I'm still your elder!" Yellowfang glared at him. "And I'm trying to teach you something important." Jaypaw rubbed his ear, indignant. "What?" "Be patient!" She shook out her disheveled fur. "Answers will come to you in time." "Why shouldn't I know what's going on?" Jaypaw dug his claws into the grass. "It's not fair if I can't even be curious!" "Curiosity must be tempered with patience," Yellowfang insisted. "Knowledge is wasted on those without the wisdom to know how to use it. And wisdom comes only with time."

树枝交错在头顶，星光下闪着银辉 这里是星族的狩猎场 他站起身，月光浸润的软草蹭着他的爪垫 “你又在找答案了，对不对？” 黄牙坐在他身旁 她的眼睛闪着责备的光 杰爪伸了个懒腰，打了个哈欠 “我要是不找，还算什么巫医呀” 她一爪子拍在他耳朵上 “嗷！” “我还是你的长辈呢！” 黄牙瞪着他 “我要教你一件很重要的事” 杰爪揉着耳朵，愤愤不平 “什么事？” “耐心点！” 她抖了抖乱糟糟的皮毛 “答案迟早会来找你” “我为什么不能知道发生了什么？” 杰爪把爪子扎进草里 “我连好奇都不行，太不公平了！” “好奇心得用耐心来调和，”黄牙坚持说 “对没智慧懂得用知识的猫来说，知识毫无用处 而智慧只能随着时间得来”

The same old excuses. Frustration welled in Jaypaw's belly. You think you know everything, but one day I'll be more powerful than you. He stared at the battered old she-cat, the words ready on his tongue. She stared back, her chin high, her gaze unflinching. Jaypaw let his fur lie flat. He couldn't bring himself to tell her about the prophecy now. Yellowfang leaned closer, and Jaypaw had to force himself not to duck away from her foul breath. "Serve your Clan," she murmured. "Trust StarClan, and everything will be revealed in good time." Jaypaw looked up. The glade was crowded with cats, their fur sparkling with starlight. "Listen to Yellowfang," Bluestar urged him. Whitestorm gazed down at him, his eyes glowing with warmth. "She's telling you the truth." "All will be revealed in time." Lionheart swished his thick tail. "We are watching you," Yellowfang reminded him. Jaypaw snorted softly. What was starry fur but

又是老一套借口。 挫败感在松鸦爪心底翻涌。 你以为你什么都懂，总有一天我会变得比你更强。 他盯着这只饱经创伤的老母猫，话已经到了嘴边。 她回望着他，下巴高高抬起，目光毫不退缩。 松鸦爪把身上的毛发顺平了。 他现在实在没法把预言的事告诉她。 黄牙凑得更近，松鸦爪拼命克制才没躲开她难闻的口气。 "为你的族群效力。"她轻声说道。 "相信星族，一切都会在合适的时机水落石出。" 松鸦爪抬起了头。 林间空地挤满了猫，它们的皮毛闪着星光。 "听黄牙的话。"蓝星劝他道。 白风低头望着他，眼睛里闪着温暖的光。 "她说的都是实话。" "一切迟早都会水落石出的。" 狮心甩了甩他粗壮的尾巴。 "我们一直在看着你。"黄牙提醒他。 松鸦爪轻轻哼了一声。 这些闪着星光的皮毛，无非就是