Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 "My kits!" Jaypaw felt a prickle of annoyance. Daisy only ever worried about her kits. The rest of her Clanmates could starve, for all she cared. It was obvious she wasn't Clanborn. Firestar's announcement that WindClan were definitely stealing prey had set the camp fizzing with worry and excitement. The remains of the blackbird lay in the center of the clearing where Brackenfur had dropped it. Daisy swept her bushy tail around Rosekit and Toadkit. "Get off!" Toadkit's tiny paws scraped against the ground as he struggled out of his mother's clutches. Good for you! Jaypaw padded away from the nursery, where he had been checking on Millie. "We need to teach them a lesson about boundaries," Thornclaw growled. Dustpelt's tail swished over the ground. "I hope I meet Onestar in battle," he growled. "He's

第8章 “我的幼崽！” 松鸦爪感到一阵恼火。 黛西永远只操心她自己的幼崽。 在她眼里，其他族猫就算饿死，都不关她的事。 明摆着她不是在族群里出生的。 火星宣布风族肯定在偷猎物，整个营地立刻充满了焦虑又兴奋的躁动。 黑莓落下在空地中央的画眉残骸还放在那里。 黛西甩开蓬松的大尾巴，把玫瑰爪和蟾蜍爪圈在了怀里。 “滚开！” 蟾蜍爪挣开妈妈的束缚，小小的爪子扒着地面往外爬。 好样的！ 松鸦爪探望完米莉，迈步离开了育儿室。 “得给他们点教训，让他们懂规矩，”棘爪低吼道。 尘皮的尾巴在地上来回扫动。 “我希望能在战场上碰到一星，”他低吼道。 “他

stolen from us too many times, the fox-hearted thief." Mousefur was pacing outside the elders" den. "WindClan has changed so much since Tallstar was leader," she meowed wistfully. Firestar was standing on Highledge with Brackenfur at his side, still panting after his dash through the forest. "There'll be extra patrols," he reassured his Clan, "including a predawn patrol to protect our prey." His voice was steady, but Jaypaw could feel waves of anxiety pulsing from him, bouncing off the walls of the hollow like distant thunder. WindClan! Jaypaw bristled. They might be struggling to feed their Clan, but stealing was the cowardly solution. Onestar was a leader of warriors. How could he make thieves of his Clan? He padded back to his den, relieved to find that Leafpool was gone. She must have left the camp to search for herbs. He wasn't surprised that she hadn't asked him to join her. Since their argument, they had spoken only when necessary. Why did she have to be so obsessed with making Cinderpaw a warrior? She was just being

偷我们的东西已经太多次了，这个狼心狗肺的小偷。” 鼠毛在长老巢穴外踱来踱去。 “自从高星卸任后，风族变了太多太多，”她惆怅地轻声说。 火星站在高岩上，黑莓掌站在他身侧，刚穿过森林飞奔回来，还在不停喘气。 “我们会加派巡逻队，”他安抚族猫们，“包括一支破晓前的巡逻队，守护我们的猎物。” 他语气平稳，但松鸦爪能感受到他身上翻涌着阵阵焦虑，像远处的雷声，在营地峡谷的岩壁间来回回荡。 风族！ 松鸦气得浑身炸毛。 他们或许真的养不活自己的族猫，但偷东西就是懦夫的选择。 一星可是武士的族长啊。 他怎么能纵容自己的族群当小偷呢？ 松鸦爪走回自己的窝，发现叶池已经走了，不由得松了口气。 她肯定是出营地找药草了。 她没叫上自己一起，松鸦爪一点都不意外。 自从那次吵架后，他们只在必要的时候才说话。 她为什么非要执着于把炭爪训练成武士呢？ 她就是太

stubborn. And Cinderpaw still lay in the den, a constant reminder of their quarrel. As he nosed his way in through the brambles, a voice called weakly to him from inside. "Can you fetch me some water?" Cinderpaw hadn't even tried to leave her nest since she'd been brought in. Not even when Firestar had summoned the Clan to share the news about WindClan's prey-stealing. "You can drink from the pool yourself," he mewed crossly. There was a moment's silence, then, "Please!" How could she beg like that? She was almost a warrior! Jaypaw padded to her nest and leaned in till he felt his whiskers brush hers. "Your leg's going to be fine," he snapped. "But only if you use it!" "But what if it isn't?" Cinderpaw mewed pitifully. As she spoke, Jaypaw's mind filled with a violent swirl of images and noise. His heart seemed to pitch in his chest like a leaf tossed on waves. He was standing on a thin strip of grass, a Thunderpath as wide as the lake stretching in

固执。 炭爪还一直躺在窝里，时刻提醒着他们那场争吵。 他用鼻子分开荆棘钻进去的时候，洞里传来一声虚弱的呼唤。 “能帮我打点水来吗？” 炭爪被抬回来后，就从没试过离开自己的窝。 就连火星召集全族宣布风族偷猎的消息时，她都没出来。 “你自己可以去水潭喝呀，”他没好气地说。 沉默了片刻，接着传来一声：“求你了！” 她怎么能这样哀求呢？ 她都快成为武士了呀！ 松鸦爪走到她窝边，探进身子，直到胡须碰到了她的胡须。 “你的腿会好起来的，”他厉声说。 “但前提是你得用它！” “可如果好不了呢？” 炭爪可怜巴巴地喵声道。 她说话的时候，松鸦爪的脑海里猛然涌入一大团杂乱的画面和声响。 他的心就像浪涛里飘着的叶子，在胸口剧烈地晃荡。 他站在狭长的草地上，一条和湖泊一样宽的雷鬼路延伸在

front of him. A roar filled his ears, and he crouched in terror as a silver monster hurtled by, so close its wind flattened his fur. Another roared in the opposite direction. His eyes stung with their choking scent as monster after monster howled by. Suddenly one broke from its path, careering toward him. He struggled to flee, but his paws wouldn't grip the slippery grass. Then a lightning bolt of pain pierced his leg and the world turned black. He blinked open his eyes. Brightness flooded his gaze, sharper than sunlight. Ferns sprang around him, and the ground was soft with fragrant grass. He was lying in a glade, the clear blue sky glittering through the leaves overhead. Squinting, he recognized Bluestar and Yellowfang muttering together near the entrance to a narrow tunnel. Every now and then one of them would steal an anxious glance toward him. A dull pain throbbed in his leg and when he tried to move, it felt limp and lifeless. "You're doing really well." Firestar was leaning over him, his face framed with soft fur like that of

他的面前。 吼声灌满了他的耳朵，他恐惧地伏低身子，一辆银色怪物呼啸而过，离得极近，带起的风把他的毛都压平了。 另一辆怪物朝着相反方向呼啸而去。 一辆接一辆怪物呼啸而过，呛人的气味熏得他眼睛生疼。 突然，一辆怪物偏离了路线，直直冲向了他。 他拼命想要逃跑，可爪子抓不住滑溜溜的草地。 接着，一道闪电般的剧痛刺穿了他的腿，他眼前一黑，失去了知觉。 他睁开了眼睛。 光亮涌入他的视线，比阳光还要刺眼。 蕨草在他四周生长，脚下的草地柔软芬芳。 他躺在一片林中空地上，清澈的蓝天透过头顶的树叶闪闪发亮。 他眯起眼，认出蓝星和黄牙在一条窄隧道入口旁低声说话。 她们时不时会不安地偷偷瞥向他。 他的腿阵阵闷痛，他试着动了动，腿软得没有一点力气。 “你做得已经很好了。” 火星俯身在他上方，他的脸衬着柔软的毛发，就像

a much younger cat. His green eyes were round with grief. "No, you'll never be a warrior," he whispered suddenly. "I'm sorry." This is Cinderpelt's memory! Jaypaw fought the pain that seemed to crack his heart. Despair and panic clawed his belly. I've lost everything. Everything! "Jaypaw!" Cinderpaw's worried mew jolted Jaypaw back to the present. "I thought you didn't know...." Jaypaw breathed, trying to scrabble back to his own reality. "Know what?" Cinderpaw sounded puzzled. "Cinderpelt..." Jaypaw began unsteadily. He paused, feeling Cinderpaw's whiskers brush his paws. "She was the medicine cat before Leafpool, right?" she prompted. "What's going on?" Leafpool burst into the den. "What are you talking about?" Jaypaw turned, battered by the storm of fear and anger flooding from his mentor. "She knows about Cinderpelt," he breathed. The moss in Cinderpaw's nest rustled. "Knows

一只年轻得多的猫。 他的绿眼睛圆圆的，盛满了悲伤。 “不，你永远成不了武士，”他突然低声说。 “对不起。” 这是炭毛的记忆！ 松鸦爪强忍着几乎要撕碎心脏的剧痛。 绝望和恐慌狠狠抓着他的心窝。 我已经失去了一切。 一切啊！ “松鸦爪！” 炭爪担忧的叫声猛地把松鸦爪拉回了现实。 “我还以为你不知道……” 松鸦爪喘着气，努力挣回自己的意识。 “知道什么？” 炭爪的声音带着困惑。 “炭毛……” 松鸦爪颤巍巍地开口。 他顿了顿，感觉到炭爪的胡须扫过他的爪子。 “她是叶池之前的巫医，对不对？”炭爪提醒道。 “出什么事了？” 叶池冲进了巢穴。 “你们在说什么？” 松鸦爪转过身，导师涌出的恐惧与怒火如风暴般击打着他。 “她知道炭毛的事了，”他轻声说。 炭爪窝里的苔藓沙沙作响。 “知道

what?" But Jaypaw hardly heard the apprentice. He could feel Leafpool's hot breath on his face. "She does not know," she hissed. "She must never know, understand?" He flattened his ears, drawing back. "But... but... she remembered!" he stammered. Leafpool shouldered past him. "Don't worry, Cinderpaw," she soothed. "Jaypaw was just wondering if Cinderpelt might have tried a different remedy for your leg." Liar! Jaypaw flushed hot with anger. Why was she so determined to keep this secret? Leafpool's tail swished over her patient's pelt. "I knew you couldn't make it better." Cinderpaw's mew was barely more than a whisper. "I'm never going to be a warrior, am I?" "You need to rest," Leafpool told her. "Your ears feel hot." Moss rustled as she fussed with Cinderpaw's nest. "Jaypaw?" she called over her shoulder. "Bring Cinderpaw some water, please." Jaypaw stomped to the pool, picked a wad of moss from the pile kept beside it, and dipped it into the cold water. If she spoils her like this, of

什么？” 可松鸦爪几乎没听见这位学徒的话。 他能感觉到叶池温热的呼吸喷在他脸上。 “她不知道，”她嘶声说。 “她绝对不能知道，懂吗？” 他耷拉下耳朵，往后退了退。 “可是…… 可是……她记起来了！” 他结结巴巴地说。 叶池用肩膀挤开他走了过去。 “别担心，炭爪，”她安慰道。 “松鸦爪只是在想，炭毛当年有没有试过别的法子治你的腿。” 骗子！ 松鸦爪气得浑身发烫。 为什么她一定要死守这个秘密呢？ 叶池的尾巴扫过病人的皮毛。 “我就知道你治不好我的腿。” 炭爪的声音轻得几乎像耳语。 “我永远都当不成武士了，对不对？” “你需要休息，”叶池对她说。 “你的耳朵发烫了。” 她整理炭爪窝的时候，苔藓沙沙作响。 “松鸦爪？”她回头喊道。 “麻烦给炭爪拿点水来。” 松鸦爪气冲冲地走到池边，从池边的堆里扯了一团苔藓，泡进了冷水里。 如果她这么惯着她，当然