Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 Leafpool let out a yelp of horror. "I'm coming!" She slipped past Jaypaw and raced after Sandstorm. Jaypaw snatched up a couple of the coltsfoot stalks and dashed after her, scrambling up the rocks leading to Firestar's den without stopping to think about where to put his paws. When he reached Highledge the smell of sickness struck him like a blow. Inside his den, Firestar was coughing, and as Jaypaw padded up to him he could feel the heat of fever pulsing from his body. Every hair on Jaypaw's pelt stood on end. What would happen to ThunderClan now that their leader was ill? "Thanks, Jaypaw," Leafpool mewed, taking the coltsfoot from him. "Here, Firestar, eat these." "I'm not that sick," Firestar protested, his voice already roughened from coughing. "You should keep the herbs for cats who need them." "Don't be ridiculous!" Leafpool snapped. "You need them. I'm your medicine cat now, and

第十二章 叶池吓得发出一声恐惧的尖叫 "我来了!" 她从松鸦爪身边滑过，紧跟着沙风跑了出去 松鸦爪抓起几根款冬茎，连忙追了上去，想都没想就爬向通往火星巢穴的岩石 当他抵达高岩时，疫病的气味像重拳一样朝他袭来 火星在巢穴里不停咳嗽，松鸦爪走到他身旁，能感受到发烧的热浪从他身体里散发出来 松鸦爪浑身的毛都吓得竖了起来 现在族长生病了，雷族接下来会怎么样啊？ "谢谢你，松鸦爪。"叶池一边说，一边接过了他手里的款冬 "来，火星，把这些吃了。" "我没病得那么重。"火星反驳道，他的声音已经因为咳嗽变得沙哑 "这些药草还是留给更需要它们的猫吧。" "别胡说了！" 叶池厉声打断他 "你需要它们 我现在是你的巫医，而且

don't you forget it." "You were so quiet when you were a kit." Weary amusement crept into Firestar's voice. "I never thought you would turn out this bossy." "Well, I did, so do as you're told." Leafpool sounded full of affection for her father. "Come on —you know the Clan needs you to be strong and fit." As Firestar chewed up the herbs, Jaypaw slipped out of the den and down into the clearing. Halting at the foot of the rocks, he tasted the air, hoping to find an apprentice to fetch fresh bedding for Firestar. At least the Clan leader could be kept apart in his den, so that he wouldn't pass on the sickness to healthy cats. But instead of an apprentice's, the first scent Jaypaw picked up was Brambleclaw's. "What's going on?" the deputy asked. "You shouldn't go up there." Jaypaw blocked Brambleclaw from climbing the rocks. "Firestar has greencough." "Oh, great StarClan!" Brambleclaw's voice was shocked. "You are helping him, aren't you?" "Leafpool's with him," Jaypaw meowed.

你可别忘了这点。" "你还是幼崽的时候那么安静。" 火星的声音里带上了疲惫的笑意 "我从来没想过你会变得这么专横。" "哼，我就是这样，乖乖照我说的做。" 叶池的声音里满含对父亲的爱意 "快点好起来——你知道雷族需要你强壮又健康。" 等火星嚼碎药草，松鸦爪悄悄走出巢穴，来到下方的空地上 他在岩石脚边停下，嗅了嗅空气，想找个学徒给火星拿新垫草 至少可以把族长安顿在自己的巢穴隔离，这样就不会把病传染给健康的猫了 可松鸦爪最先闻到的不是学徒的气味，而是黑莓掌的 "出什么事了？" 副族长问道 "你不能上去" 松鸦爪挡住黑莓掌，不让他爬上岩石 "火星得了绿咳症。" "哦，伟大的星族啊！" 黑莓掌的声音满是震惊 "你们在救治他，对不对？" "叶池在他身边陪着呢。"松鸦爪说道

"She'll do her best." "I know." His father sounded a little reassured. "Let me pass, Jaypaw. I've got to speak to Firestar about the patrols." "Okay." Jaypaw moved out of the way. "Stay out on the Highledge, though, and talk to him from there. Don't get too close." Jaypaw tasted the air again as Brambleclaw's paw steps receded up the rocks, but he still couldn't pick up Foxpaw's or Icepaw's scent. This time, it was Graystripe who padded up to him. "Jaypaw, how is Millie?" he demanded. "She's really sick, isn't she?" Jaypaw would have liked to find a comforting lie, but he knew that Graystripe would never believe it. He nodded, and was almost knocked off his paws by the strength of the agony that surged over him from the gray warrior. Is that love? he wondered. Does Graystripe care about Millie that much? It's as if his own life was in danger! "The silver cat who died," he mewed. "You loved her, didn't you?" Graystripe caught his breath, startled. "Y-yes.

"她会尽全力的。" "我知道" 他父亲的语气稍稍安心了一些 "让我过去，松鸦爪 我得和火星说巡逻队的事" "好吧" 松鸦爪让到了一边 不过你就待在高岩上，在那儿和他说话 别靠太近" 黑莓掌的脚步声顺着岩石往上远去，松鸦爪又嗅了嗅空气，可还是没闻到狐爪或是冰爪的气味 这次，灰条轻轻走到了他身边 "松鸦爪，米莉怎么样了？"他问道 "她病得很重，对不对？" 松鸦爪本来想编句安慰人的谎话，可他知道灰条绝不会相信 他点了点头，灰条汹涌而出的痛苦几乎把他撞得站不稳，那痛苦传到了他身上 这就是爱吗？ 他暗暗想道 灰条对米莉的爱意竟然这么深吗？ 就好像他自己的生命都受到了威胁一样！ "那只死去的银毛猫"他说道 "你爱过她，对不对？" 灰条吃了一惊，倒吸一口冷气 "是——是的

Her name was Silverstream. She was Stormfur and Feathertail's mother." He fell silent, wreathed in sad memories. "You couldn't have done anything to save her," Jaypaw told him. "She lives in StarClan, and she's watching over Millie now. She doesn't want Millie to join her in StarClan yet, not when she has your kits to care for." "You know all this?" Graystripe asked, shocked. Jaypaw nodded. "I heard her in a vision." "It's so like Silverstream to care," Graystripe murmured, "but it's not much comfort right now. StarClan can't fight greencough any better than we can here." He sounded defeated, as if he had made up his mind that he was going to lose Millie as he had lost Silverstream. Anger scorched through Jaypaw like a devouring flame. Cats won't die! I'll do something! He wanted to battle the sickness, not only for the dying cats of his own Clan, and for warriors like Graystripe who loved them, but for all the cats of StarClan, who didn't want any more cats in their ranks, not so many and so soon.

她叫银溪 她是暴毛和羽尾的母亲。" 他陷入沉默，笼罩在悲伤的回忆里 "你当时已经救不了她了"松鸦爪对他说 "她住在星族，现在正照看着米莉 她还不想让米莉这么早去星族找她，米莉还要照顾你的幼崽呢。" "这些你都知道？" 灰条震惊地问道 松鸦爪点了点头 "我在幻象里听到她这么说过。" "这确实是银溪会做的事"灰条轻声说道，"可这现在安慰不了我 星族对付绿咳症也不比我们强多少。" 他听起来十分绝望，就好像已经认定自己会像失去银溪一样失去米莉 愤怒像吞噬一切的火焰一样扫过松鸦爪全身 猫不会死的！ 我一定会想办法的！ 他要和这场疫病战斗，不光是为了自己族里病危的猫，为了像灰条这样深爱他们的武士，也为了星族的所有猫——星族也不想这么快一下子接纳这么多新成员呀。

And for Brightspirit, he added. She came to help me. And somehow I'll work out the meaning of what she said. Still looking for Foxpaw and Icepaw, Jaypaw padded over to the apprentices" den. Before he reached it, he scented a hunting patrol returning through the thorn tunnel: Brackenfur, Lionblaze, Cloudtail, and Cinderheart. All four of them were carrying prey, but Jaypaw could sense their weariness and discouragement. It's happening just like Leafpool said, he thought. So many cats are sick, there aren't enough for all the patrols. Jaypaw stuck his head through the bracken that grew against the entrance to the apprentices" den. Little snuffling sounds told him Foxpaw was asleep. His breathing was even; the day before, Leafpool had given him a dose of tansy, and it seemed to have cleared up his cough. One less cat to worry about. "Hey!" Jaypaw slipped inside the den and poked Foxpaw with one paw. "Wake up!" "Wha...?" Foxpaw raised his head. "I need you to fetch fresh bedding for

他还补充道，这也是为了亮灵。 她是来帮我的。 我总会想明白她话里的意思的。 松鸦爪还在寻找狐爪和冰爪，缓步走向学徒巢穴。 还没走到地方，他就嗅到一支狩猎巡逻队正从荆棘通道返回：蕨毛、狮焰、云尾和炭心。 四只猫都叼着猎物，但松鸦爪能感觉到他们疲惫又沮丧。 他心想，事情真的和叶池说的一模一样。 太多猫生病了，所有巡逻队都人手不足。 松鸦爪把头探过挡在学徒巢穴入口的蕨丛。 轻微的呼噜声告诉他，狐爪已经睡着了。 他的呼吸十分平稳； 前一天，叶池给了他一剂艾菊，看上去已经治好他的咳嗽了。 这下又少一件需要担心的事了。 “喂！” 松鸦爪溜进巢穴，伸出一只爪子碰了碰狐爪。 “快醒醒！” “什…什么？” 狐爪抬起了脑袋。 “我需要你去给

Firestar." The ginger apprentice let out a huge noisy yawn. "Can't some other cat do it? I did the dawn patrol, and a hunting patrol with Sandstorm. She said I could have a rest." Jaypaw couldn't help feeling a twinge of sympathy. "Every cat is overworked," he meowed. "Icepaw could help you if you can find her." "She's out hunting with Whitewing," Foxpaw told him, scrambling to his paws and grunting as he stretched. "Okay, I'm coming." "Make sure the bedding's dry," Jaypaw instructed as Foxpaw brushed past the ferns into the clearing. "And get rid of the old stuff well away from camp. Firestar's sick." "Why didn't you say so?" Foxpaw's voice was full of dismay. His paw steps receded, racing toward the tunnel. Jaypaw padded over to the fresh-kill pile and collected a squirrel for the elders. Before he reached their den under the hazel bush, he could hear Longtail coughing, and a comforting murmur from Mousefur.

火星换些新垫草。” 这只姜黄色学徒打了个又大又响的哈欠。 “就不能让别的猫去做吗？ 我参加了黎明巡逻，还和沙风一起出了狩猎巡逻。 她说我可以休息了。” 松鸦爪忍不住对他生出一丝同情。 “每只猫都超负荷工作了，”他说道。 “你要是能找到冰爪，她可以帮你。” “她和白翅出去打猎了，”狐爪一边回答，一边爬起身伸懒腰，哼了一声。 “好吧，我这就来。” “一定要找干燥的垫草，”狐爪擦过蕨草走进空地时，松鸦爪叮嘱道。 还要把旧垫草扔到离营地远远的地方， 火星生病了。” “你怎么不早说？” 狐爪的声音里满是惊愕。 他的脚步声渐渐远去，朝着通道飞快跑去。 松鸦爪走到新鲜猎物堆，挑了一只松鼠带给长老们。 还没走到榛树下的长老巢穴，他就听见长尾在咳嗽，还有鼠毛温柔的安慰声。