Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 Lionpaw tugged another sprig of moss from his pelt. Hauling the stuff in and out of dens had left his fur itching. His muscles were knotted from the tedious work. Sighing, he watched the sun sliding behind the trees. The sunset patrol had left without him. What a boring day! Frustrated, he headed to the apprentices" den. There was nothing left to do but sleep, though he longed to run through the forest, stretch his legs, and feel the wind in his fur. He ducked under a branch of the low- spreading yew. Inside, Foxpaw and Icepaw were chattering like sparrows. "Whitewing taught me how to do a roll," Icepaw boasted. "I can fight on my hind paws," Foxpaw countered. "Do you want to watch me?" Lionpaw realized the young apprentice was talking to him. Wearily, he nodded and watched Foxpaw rear up on wobbly back legs and stagger around his nest before toppling onto the moss.

第七章 狮爪又从自己的皮毛里扯下一小枝苔藓 来回搬运这些东西把他的毛皮弄得痒乎乎的 枯燥的活儿让他肌肉都僵住了 他叹着气，看着太阳落到树丛后面 日落巡逻队没带他就出发了 真无聊的一天啊！ 他满心沮丧，朝学徒巢穴走去 除了睡觉没别的事可做，可他多想去森林里奔跑，舒展腿脚，感受风拂过皮毛 他弯下腰，钻过低矮舒展的紫杉枝 巢穴里，狐爪和冰爪正像麻雀一样叽叽喳喳聊天 “白尾教我做滚翻了！”冰爪骄傲地说 “我能用后腿站立战斗”狐爪不服气地说 “你要不要看我表演？” 狮爪这才反应过来小学徒是在跟自己说话 他疲惫地点点头，看着狐爪晃悠悠踮起后腿，在窝边晃了几圈，一头栽倒在苔藓上

"I was better this afternoon!" Foxpaw scrambled to his paws, looking flustered. "I'm sure you were," Lionpaw mewed. He was jealous of Foxpaw's excitement. Since he'd returned from the mountains it seemed as though life were entirely made up of dull chores. It was all very well feeding the Clan and clearing out its dens, but when would he have a chance to use the power he felt pulsing through his paws? He curled into his nest. "Look!" Foxpaw called. "I'm doing it properly this time!" Lionpaw didn't bother lifting his head. "Show him your new hunting crouch," Icepaw encouraged. Moss rustled, and Lionpaw jerked as Foxpaw pounced on him, grappling with his tail as though it were a snake. Crossly, Lionpaw heaved the apprentice out of his nest with a shove of his hind paws. "Hey!" mewed Icepaw, protective of her littermate. "Keep to your own nest and let me sleep!" Lionpaw growled.

“我下午练得好多了！” 狐爪慌慌张爬起身，满脸窘迫 “我当然信你”狮爪轻声说 他其实很羡慕狐爪这份兴冲冲的劲儿 自从从山区回来，他的生活好像就全是无聊的杂活 喂饱族群、打扫巢穴当然重要，可什么时候他才能用上爪子里涌动的力量呢？ 他蜷进自己的窝里 “快看！” 狐爪喊道 “这次我肯定做对了！” 狮爪连头都懒得抬起来 “给露一手你的新捕猎蹲伏呀”冰爪怂恿道 苔藓一阵沙沙响，狐爪扑向狮爪，狮爪猛地一缩——狐爪把他的尾巴当成蛇，扭打个不停 狮爪气坏了，抬起后爪一把把小学徒推出自己的窝 “喂！”冰爪叫起来，护着自己同窝的伙伴 “回你自己窝去，让我睡觉！” 狮爪低吼道

"You're no fun anymore!" Foxpaw sulked. The yew rustled as Hollypaw padded into the den. "Lionpaw's been pushing Foxpaw around!" Icepaw appealed to Hollypaw. "I can look after myself," Foxpaw objected. "I think Lionpaw's tired," Hollypaw soothed. "I'm sure he'll want to play in the morning." She curled in beside Lionpaw, and he felt the gentle lap of her tongue on his pelt. Gratefully he let her wash the last scraps of moss from his fur, calmed by the rhythmic licking. "Cheer up," she mewed. "Brackenfur just told me we're both going out on patrol in the morning." Lionpaw pricked his ears. "Firestar's sending extra patrols to the WindClan border to check for invaders," she explained. At last! Lionpaw felt a dark thrill at the thought of confronting the prey-thieves. "We'd better get some sleep," Hollypaw advised. "We have to be at the border by dawn." Lionpaw closed his eyes, relieved that at last

“你现在一点都不好玩了！” 狐爪闷闷不乐地说 冬青爪走进巢穴，紫杉枝沙沙晃动 “狮爪欺负狐爪！” 冰爪连忙向冬青爪告状 “我能照顾自己，不用帮忙”狐爪反驳道 “我想狮爪就是累了”冬青爪安抚道 “明天早上他肯定就想玩了” 她蜷到狮爪身边，狮爪感觉到她温柔的舌头舔过自己的皮毛 他感激地让她舔掉毛上最后一点苔藓碎渣，规律的舔舐让他渐渐平静下来 “开心点呀”她说道 “蕨毛刚刚告诉我，明天早上咱们俩一起出去巡逻” 狮爪一下子竖起了耳朵 “火星派了额外的巡逻队去风族边界，搜查入侵者”她解释道 终于等到了！ 一想到要对抗偷猎物的盗贼，狮爪心里就涌起一阵激动 “咱们最好赶紧睡觉”冬青爪提醒道 “天亮前咱们就得赶到边界” 狮爪闭上双眼，终于松了一口气，

he could be useful to his Clan in the only way that made sense. "Lionpaw!" Tigerstar's deep yowl roused him. He blinked open his eyes to find himself lying on bare ground, surrounded by close, whispering pine trees. He was dreaming. Scanning the gloomy forest, he spotted his nighttime mentor padding from the trees. Hawkfrost was already sitting in the needle-strewn hollow, his ice-blue eyes glowing in the half-light. "I hope you're ready," Tigerstar warned. "I'm going to teach you how to knock any warrior off his paws, no matter how big." He beckoned Hawkfrost forward with a flick of his striped tail. Lionpaw stretched his claws. "What do I do?" "You don't have the weight yet to overpower every cat," Tigerstar told him. "That will come in time. Until it does, use your size to your advantage. You'll have to be fast. Dart underneath your enemy's belly, slashing the back of their forepaws as you go. They'll twist, expecting you on one side, but you'll be at the other to catch

他终于能做对族群有用的事，这才是他该做的事 “狮爪！” 虎星低沉的吼声惊醒了他 他慢慢睁开眼，发现自己躺在光秃秃的地上，四周环绕着茂密、轻响的松树 原来他在做梦 他扫视这片阴暗的森林，看见他的暗夜导师从树林里缓缓走出 鹰霜已经坐在铺满松针的凹地里，冰蓝色的眼睛在昏暗中发着光 “希望你已经准备好了”虎星提醒道 “我要教你怎么掀翻任何武士，不管对方块头有多大” 他甩了甩条纹尾巴，招呼鹰霜上前 狮爪张开爪子活动了一下 “我该怎么做？” “你现在还没足够的力气制服每一只猫”虎星告诉他 力气早晚都会有的 在那之前，你要活用自己的体型优势 你必须动作敏捷 冲到对手的肚子底下，顺势划开他们前爪的后侧 他们会猜错你所在的方位扭身，而你已经到另一侧，趁机

them off balance." "How do I get to the other side before they slash me?" Lionpaw wondered. "I told you. Be fast!" Tigerstar padded around Hawkfrost. "Try it on him." Lionpaw dropped into a crouch as Tigerstar stepped out of the way. He focused on the gap beneath Hawkfrost's white-furred belly, letting energy build in his muscles. Then he shot forward. Darting underneath the long-legged warrior, he drew a paw, claws sheathed, across his forepaws, as Tigerstar had instructed. He felt Hawkfrost twist above him. The warrior was rearing, ready to crash down on him as soon as he emerged. But Lionpaw backed sharply, pulling out the way he had come, like a rabbit backing out of its hole. He hooked his claws into Hawkfrost's fur, careful not to prick the skin, and dragged Hawkfrost, now unbalanced, down onto the ground. "Excellent," Tigerstar purred. Hawkfrost scrambled to his paws, shaking pine needles from his fur. Lionpaw lifted his chin and gazed proudly at Tigerstar. "Not bad, huh?"

让他们失去平衡。” “我怎么才能在他们伤到我之前冲到对面去？” 狮爪心里琢磨。 “我告诉过你了。 动作要快！” 虎星绕着鹰霜慢慢走动。 “拿他试试手。” 虎星退到一旁，狮爪俯低身子蹲伏下来。 他盯着鹰霜白腹下的空隙，肌肉暗暗攒足了力气。 接着他猛地冲了出去。 按照虎星的指导，他窜进这个长腿武士的身下，收起爪子，一掌扫过对方的前爪。 他感觉到鹰霜在自己上方扭身。 这位武士抬起身，就等他出来就扑下去压住他。 可狮爪猛地后退，顺着进来的路退了出去，就像兔子退洞一样。 他把爪子勾进鹰霜的毛里，小心没抓破皮肤，把已经站不稳的鹰霜拽倒在了地上。 “干得漂亮，”虎星满足地呼噜道。 鹰霜爬起身，抖掉毛上的松针。 狮爪抬起下巴，骄傲地望向虎星。 “不赖吧？”

Paws slammed into his side, knocking him to the ground. Lionpaw struggled, gasping in surprise, but Hawkfrost held him down, his massive paws pressing hard into Lionpaw's flank. "Never assume you've won until your enemy is dead!" Tigerstar called. Hawkfrost leaned in close. "Found out any more about that prophecy?" he sneered. "I don't think about it anymore," Lionpaw lied. Hawkfrost gave him a pitying look. "Hasn't StarClan made you leader of the forest yet?" Pain seared his side. Hawkfrost's claws tore his flesh, then let go. Jumping to his paws, Lionpaw felt blood welling in his fur. Anger swelled in his belly. Why didn't they take the prophecy seriously? It could be his greatest weapon. A shiver of uncertainty ran down his spine. Unless they were right and it was nothing more than Firestar's dream. "Wake up!" Lionpaw felt a muzzle nudging his flank where Hawkfrost had clawed it. He winced in pain and struggled to his paws.

一只爪子狠狠撞在他腰侧，把他掀翻在地。 狮爪又惊又喘，拼命挣扎，可鹰霜把他按得死死的，大爪子狠狠压在他腰上。 “敌人没咽气，就别以为你赢了！” 虎星高声喊道。 鹰霜凑近了狮爪。 “那个预言，你查出什么新东西了？”他嘲讽道。 “我早就不想这个了。”狮爪撒谎道。 鹰霜怜悯地看了他一眼。 “星族还没让你当上森林的族长吗？” 剧痛顺着腰侧炸开。 鹰霜的爪子抓破了他的肉，随后才松开。 狮爪跳起身，感觉到鲜血渗进了自己的毛里。 怒火在他胸口翻涌。 他们为什么不把那个预言当回事？ 这明明会是他最厉害的武器。 一丝不确定的寒意顺着他的脊梁爬下去。 难道他们才是对的，这一切不过是火星的一场梦？ “快醒醒！” 狮爪感觉到有鼻子蹭了蹭他腰上被鹰霜抓伤的地方。 他疼得缩了一下，挣扎着站了起来。