Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 Lionpaw twitched in his sleep. He was dreaming. Standing on a craggy peak, he felt the mountain breeze tug at his fur. Above, a starless sky stretched black as a raven's wing to the distant horizon. In front of him ridge upon ridge lay like ripples on a wind-ruffled lake. Though no moon shone, the mountaintops glowed like moonstone. All this is mine! Exhilarated, Lionpaw bounded forward, his powerful hind paws sending stones cracking into the shadowy valleys below. He cleared the gorge in one easy jump, landing on the ridge beyond. His claws scraped the rock, holding his paws firm. He leaped again, light as air, the breath hardly stirring in his chest. His tail seemed to brush the pelt-soft sky and, with the blood rushing in his ears, he lifted his chin and yowled, his voice echoing like thunder around the empty mountains. I have the power of the stars in my paws! "Lionpaw!" Ashfur's call jolted Lionpaw awake. "Hunting patrol!"

第三章 狮爪在睡梦中抽动了一下。 他正在做梦。 站在崎岖的山峰上，他感觉到山风吹扯着自己的毛发。 头顶没有星星，天空像渡鸦的翅膀一样漆黑，一直延伸到远方的地平线。 他面前一座接一座的山脊，就像被风吹皱的湖面泛起的涟漪。 虽然没有月光照耀，山顶却像月光石一样闪着微光。 这一切都是我的！ 狮爪兴奋极了，向前奔跃，有力的后爪蹬得碎石滚落，掉进下方幽暗的山谷里。 他轻松一跃跳过峡谷，落在对面的山脊上。 他的爪子抠进岩石，稳稳撑住身体。 他再次跃起，轻得像风一样，胸口的呼吸几乎都没乱。 尾巴好像蹭到了兽皮般柔软的天空，热血在耳边轰鸣，他扬起下巴大声号叫，声音像雷鸣一样在空荡的群山间回荡。 我的爪子里藏着群星的力量！ “狮爪！” 灰毛的呼唤一下子惊醒了狮爪。 “狩猎巡逻队！”

Lionpaw blinked open his eyes. Sunshine pierced the branches of the den, yellow sunbeams spearing straight downward. The other nests were empty. It's sunhigh already! Lionpaw clambered groggily to his paws. And then he remembered: They hadn't reached camp until well past moonhigh. Surely Ashfur wouldn't be angry with him for sleeping late today? Arching his back in a trembling stretch, he yawned. His paws still ached from the long trek from the mountains, and he licked gingerly at a forepaw to check whether the grazing had begun to heal. No taste of blood. The scabs were hard. The soft forest floor would be no problem. "Lionpaw!" Ashfur called again, more sharply. Lionpaw stumbled out of the den. Surely he deserved some rest! Heavy-pawed, he padded into the clearing, narrowing his eyes against the greenleaf sun. It flooded the camp and warmed his pelt. A light breeze stirred the trees encircling the top of the hollow. In the mountains, the only shelter from the wind had been in the damp and chilly cave behind the waterfall. How in the name of StarClan did the Tribe survive leaf-bare?

狮爪眨了眨眼睛，睁开了眼。 阳光透过窝穴的树枝照进来，金黄色的光束直直地射向地面。 其他窝都空了。 都已经到正午了！ 狮爪昏昏沉沉地爬起来站好。 然后他想起来了：他们昨天过了午夜才回到营地。 今天睡过头，灰毛总不会生气吧？ 他拱起背，抖了抖身子伸了个懒腰，打了个哈欠。 从远山长途跋涉回来，他的爪子还在疼，他小心翼翼地舔了舔前爪，看看擦伤是不是开始愈合了。 没有尝到血的味道。 痂已经结硬了。 在柔软的林地上走路肯定没问题。 “狮爪！” 灰毛又叫了一声，语气更严厉了。 狮爪跌跌撞撞地走出窝穴。 他明明就该多休息一会儿的啊！ 他拖着沉重的爪子走进空地，被绿季的太阳晃得眯起了眼睛。 阳光洒满营地，暖得他的毛发舒舒服服的。 微风吹拂着环绕山谷顶端的树木。 在山区里，只能躲到瀑布后方又湿又冷的洞穴里避风。 以星族之名，部落究竟是怎么熬过枯季的啊？

Greenleaf had been cold enough! "Awake at last!" Ashfur greeted him. "The prey's probably grown old and died while we've been waiting for you." "Then it'll be easier to catch," Lionpaw grumbled. "I know you're tired," Ashfur conceded. "But Icepaw is itching to get out into the forest, and I promised Whitewing we'd go with them." Lionpaw noticed Icepaw for the first time. The young apprentice was bouncing around the clearing like a newleaf hare, leaping and twisting as she darted at invisible prey. Her prey might have been invisible, but Icepaw, with her sleek white pelt and bright blue eyes, certainly wasn't. Perhaps that was why Firestar had made Whitewing her mentor. The white she-cat knew what it was like to stand out like snow in greenleaf. She'd be able to teach Icepaw a few special stalking techniques. And she clearly needed to learn. As he watched Icepaw darting clumsily about, Lionpaw stifled a purr, remembering how excited he had been when he had started his training.

连绿季都够冷的了！ “你可终于醒了！” 灰毛开口对他说。 “我们等你等这么久，猎物怕是都老死了。” “那不是更好抓嘛。”狮爪嘟囔着说。 “我知道你累了。”灰毛松了口。 “但冰爪早就迫不及待想去森林了，我答应了白翅，我们会和她们一起去。” 狮爪这才第一次注意到冰爪。 这个年轻学徒像新叶季的野兔一样在空地上蹦来蹦去，又跳又扭地扑向看不见的猎物。 她的猎物倒是看不见，但长着顺滑白毛和亮蓝色眼睛的冰爪，可显眼得很。 或许这就是火星让白翅当她导师的原因吧。 这只白色母猫知道，像绿季里的雪一样显眼是什么滋味。 她肯定能教冰爪几招特别的潜伏技巧。 而且冰爪显然很需要学。 看着冰爪笨手笨脚地冲来冲去，狮爪忍住了呼噜声，想起自己刚开始训练的时候，也是这么兴奋。

Whitewing padded across the clearing, one eye on her apprentice. "Can we go now?" Lionpaw noticed her tail-tip twitching. Icepaw was Whitewing's first apprentice. Was she worried how to manage such a bundle of energy? Or did she think their matching snow-colored pelts would scare away all the prey as soon as they set foot under the trees? "Where do you want to start?" Ashfur asked. Whitewing eyed Icepaw thoughtfully as the little white cat hurled herself awkwardly at a pile of leaves, sending them scattering in all directions. "Do you think Icepaw would do better by the Ancient Oak or the Old Thunderpath?" Lionpaw's belly rumbled. He gazed at the fresh-kill pile; a plump mouse was lying on top. But the Clan had to be fed before he could eat. It was the first rule apprentices had to learn, and the hardest. "There's usually more prey around the Oak," he suggested. Ignoring Lionpaw, Ashfur dipped his head to Whitewing. "It's your decision." Lionpaw felt a prickle of annoyance. Why bother waking him up at all? They clearly weren't

白翅穿过空地，一只眼睛一直留意着她的学徒。 “我们可以走了吗？” 狮爪注意到她的尾尖正在轻轻抽动。 冰爪是白翅带的第一个学徒。 她是不是在发愁该怎么管住这个精力过剩的小家伙？ 还是她觉得，她们俩同款的雪白皮毛，一踏进树林就会把所有猎物都吓跑？ “你想从哪里开始？” 灰毛问道。 这只小白猫笨笨地扑向一堆落叶，把叶子弄得到处乱飞，白翅若有所思地看着她。 “你觉得冰爪在古橡树那边好些，还是旧雷路那边好些？” 狮爪的肚子咕噜叫了一声。 他盯着新鲜猎物堆，最上面放着一只肥嘟嘟的老鼠。 但得先喂饱族群，他才能吃。 这是学徒要学的第一条规矩，也是最难的一条。 “橡树那边通常猎物更多。”他提议道。 灰毛没理狮爪，对着白翅点了点头。 “你来决定吧。” 狮爪心头泛起一阵恼火。 那干嘛还要把他叫醒啊？ 他们明明根本就不

interested in his opinion. And neither of them had asked about his journey to the mountains. He stared angrily around the camp. No cat seemed the slightest bit interested in his return. Mousefur was sunning herself outside the elders" nest. Ferncloud and Sorreltail were sharing a pigeon beneath Highledge, their hunting clearly finished for the day. Leafpool was disappearing into the nursery, holding leaves between her jaws. Weren't any of them curious about the mountains or his adventure? "Hey, Lionpaw!" Icepaw called to him. "Am I doing this right?" She was creeping forward in a hunting crouch, her tail lashing. "Yeah," Lionpaw mewed absently. Doesn't anyone care about me? "You need to keep your tail still, Icepaw," Ashfur advised. Lionpaw looked at his mentor in surprise. I thought you weren't interested in apprentices. Ashfur met his gaze, eyes narrowed, then turned pointedly back to Icepaw. "If you stir up the leaves, the prey will know you're coming." Clearly he thought that Lionpaw should have

根本没人在乎他的看法。 而且谁都没问过他的高山之行。 他怒冲冲地环顾着营地。 好像没有一只猫在乎他回来。 鼠毛正躺在长老巢穴外面晒太阳。 蕨云和栗尾在高岩底下分吃一只鸽子，显然今天捕猎已经结束了。 叶池叼着草药，走进育婴室不见了。 难道谁都不好奇高山，也不好奇他的冒险吗？ “嘿，狮爪！” 冰爪大声喊他。 “我这个动作做对了吗？” 她压低身子摆好捕猎姿势，慢慢往前爬，尾巴甩个不停。 “嗯，”狮爪心不在焉地回应。 就真的没人在乎我吗？ “冰爪，你得把尾巴放稳，”灰毛提醒道。 狮爪惊讶地看向自己的导师。 我还以为你对带学徒没兴趣呢。 灰毛迎上他的目光，眯起眼睛，接着特意转回头去看冰爪。 “你要是碰得树叶沙沙响，猎物就知道你来了。” 显然他觉得，狮爪本来该

pointed out Icepaw's mistake. Lionpaw's fur bristled. Why did Ashfur expect him to mentor another cat's apprentice? That was Whitewing's duty. Then, with a flash of remorse, he remembered how grateful he'd been when Stormfur or Graystripe had gently pointed out his mistakes. He padded over to the younger cat. "I'll show you what he means." He crouched beside her. "Keep your back down like this. The flatter you are, the less visible you'll be." "Like this?" Icepaw squashed herself against the ground. "Exactly." Icepaw blinked up at him, her eyes like pools of sky. "Thanks, Lionpaw. I'm very nervous about hunting, actually." Lionpaw brushed the tip of his tail over her back. "You'll be fine," he promised. "Just copy our mentors, and don't expect to make a catch on your first try. It took me ages to get it right," he added. Icepaw nodded, looking very earnest, and Lionpaw gave her ear a lick. Was this how it felt being a mentor? He liked the idea of teaching a

指出冰爪的错误。 狮爪气得浑身炸毛。 灰干吗非要让狮爪去带别的猫的学徒呀？ 这明明是白翅的任务。 接着他忽然心生愧疚，想起当初暴毛和灰条温柔给他指出错误时，他有多感激。 他放轻脚步走向年纪更小的冰爪。 “我来给你示范他说的意思。” 他蹲在了冰爪身边。 “像这样把背压低。 你趴得越平，就越不容易被发现。” “这样对吗？” 冰爪把身子紧紧贴在了地面上。 “完全正确。” 冰爪眨着眼睛抬头看他，眼睛蓝得像一汪天空。 “谢谢你，狮爪。 其实我捕猎的时候特别紧张。” 狮爪用尾尖轻轻扫过她的后背。 “你肯定没问题的，”他保证道。 “跟着导师学就好，别指望第一次出手就能抓到猎物。 我练了好久才找准方法呢，”他补充说。 冰爪认真地点点头，狮爪轻轻舔了舔她的耳朵。 当导师就是这种感觉吗？ 他其实很喜欢教导一只