Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25 Jayfeather curled up in his nest in the medicine cats" den and waited for sleep to take him. Lionblaze had told him how he had confronted Ashfur in the forest, and how the gray warrior had refused his pleas and Squirrelflight's. If that didn't do any good, Jayfeather thought, it's time to try another way. Yawning, he burrowed deeper into the soft moss. He pictured himself brushing past the bramble screen, out into the camp, and padding across the clearing to the warriors" den. Sliding through the branches, he picked his way carefully among the sleeping forms until he stood beside the mound of gray fur that was Ashfur. In his mind, Jayfeather scraped at the moss until he had made a place for himself, then curled up beside Ashfur and matched his breathing to the sleeping warrior's. Soon he felt a stiff breeze blowing across his fur, and woke to find himself in the forest, not far from the ShadowClan border. There was no sign of Ashfur, but the forest seemed subtly different.

第25章 松鸦羽蜷在巫医巢穴的窝里，等着睡意将自己带走。 狮焰已经告诉他，自己在森林和阿什弗对峙，这只灰毛武士拒绝了他和松鼠飞的恳求。 如果这都没用，松鸦羽想，那该试试别的办法了。 他打了个哈欠，往柔软的苔藓里钻得更深了。 他在脑海里想象自己擦过荆棘帘，走出营地，缓步穿过空地走到武士巢穴。 他挤过枝丫，小心地在沉睡的猫儿间穿行，最后站在那团属于阿什弗的灰色毛团旁。 松鸦羽在意识里扒开苔藓腾出位置，接着蜷在阿什弗身边，让自己的呼吸和这只睡梦中的武士同步。 很快他感觉到劲风拂过毛发，醒来后发现自己身在森林，离影族边界不远。 阿什弗不见踪影，但森林隐隐透着不一样的感觉。

It wasn't just that he could see; there was something else. The scent of ShadowClan made his fur bristle as if he was anticipating a fight; he slid his claws out so he would be ready. He was more aware than usual of the scent of prey. Wind flattened the grass, driving dead leaves ahead of it. Jayfeather pounced on one of them, enjoying the crackling sound beneath his paws; in the waking world he couldn't see blowing leaves to play with them. "But you're not a kit anymore," he muttered. In the same heartbeat he heard the sound of a cat pushing his way through the undergrowth. Fronds of bracken parted in front of Jayfeather, and Ashfur pushed his way into the open. He halted, startled. "What are you doing here?" Jayfeather shrugged. "I could ask you the same thing." He padded forward until he was close enough to flick a scrap of bracken off Ashfur's shoulder with the tip of his tail. Ashfur's neck fur rose. "You can see!" "Sure. You're dreaming, Ashfur. Don't you know that?"

这不只是因为他能看见了，还有别的异样。 影族的气味让他毛发倒竖，仿佛预感到一场争斗即将到来； 他伸出爪子，做好了应对准备。 他比往常更清晰地嗅到了猎物的气味。 风把草压平，吹着枯叶朝前滚。 松鸦羽扑向一片枯叶，享受着爪子下枯叶裂开的脆响； 在现实世界里，他可看不到飘飞的叶子来玩。 “可你已经不是幼崽啦。”他低声喃喃道。 就在这时，他听见一只猫穿过灌丛的声响。 蕨叶在松鸦羽面前分开，阿什弗挤到了空地上。 他停住脚步，吃了一惊。 “你到这儿来做什么？” 松鸦羽耸耸肩。 “这话我该问你才对。” 他走上前，凑到足够近后，用尾尖弹掉了阿什弗肩上的一片蕨屑。 阿什弗颈后的毛竖了起来。 “你能看见！” “当然。 你在做梦呢，阿什弗。 你难道不知道吗？”

The gray warrior took a pace back; his blue eyes looked troubled. "Why would I dream about you?" "Because I want to talk to you where no cat can interrupt us. Where you have to listen to me." Ashfur let out a snort. "I don't have to listen to any cat, let alone a scrawny excuse for a medicine cat. Besides, I already know what you're going to say. You're going to beg me not to say anything at the next Gathering. Well, you can save your breath. I'll say what I want. That lying she-cat will be driven out of ThunderClan for good, and no other Clan will want her, either." Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. "You'll regret it, Ashfur." The warrior loomed over him, anger smoldering in his gaze. "Are you threatening me? I could break your neck with one swipe." "Try," Jayfeather invited him. "This is a dream, remember?" Ashfur looked briefly disconcerted; then he lashed his tail. "Yes, it's a dream. I'm imagining

这只灰毛武士往后退了一步，蓝眼睛里满是不安。 “我为什么要梦到你？” “因为我想找个没猫能打断我们的地方和你谈谈。 在这儿你必须听我说。” 阿什弗嗤了一声。 “我才不用听任何猫的话，更别说你这种不顶用的巫医了。 而且，我早就知道你要说什么。 你就是来求我下次森林大会什么都别说。 算了，你省省力气吧。 我想说什么就说什么。 那只撒谎的母猫会被永远赶出雷族，其他族群也不会收留她。” 松鸦羽眯起了眼睛。 “你会后悔的，阿什弗。” 这只武士逼近他，眼底燃着熊熊怒火。 “你敢威胁我？ 我一爪子就能拧断你的脖子。” “有种你就试试。”松鸦羽挑衅道。 “这是梦，忘了吗？” 阿什弗愣了一下，随即狠狠甩了甩尾巴。 “没错，这是梦。 我在想象

all of this. I still don't have to listen to you." "Take warning, Ashfur." Jayfeather drew himself up and locked his gaze with his Clanmate's. "I'm a medicine cat, and I speak with the voice of StarClan. If you go ahead with what you plan to do, you will regret it." Ashfur backed away again until his haunches brushed against the bracken. "My conscience is clear, and StarClan knows that," he blustered. "It's Squirrelflight who lied. She doesn't deserve the loyalty of any cat." Whipping around, he plunged back into the undergrowth. Jayfeather stood looking after him until the waving fronds of fern were still once more. Ashfur had heard his warning, but would it make any difference to him when he woke? Jayfeather spent the next morning sorting herbs with Leafpool. His mentor seemed oddly distracted, as if her mind was on something else. "We need more watermint," she murmured. "We used up so much when the cats were hurt after the storm." "No, this is watermint." Jayfeather shoved a

这一切。 我还是不用听你胡说八道。” “你最好听我警告，阿什弗。” 松鸦羽挺直身子，和这位族亲对视。 “我是巫医，我传达的是星族的旨意。 如果你非要按计划行事，你一定会后悔。” 阿什弗又往后退，直到屁股贴在了蕨丛上。 “我问心无愧，星族也清楚这一点。”他色厉内荏地吼道。 “撒谎的是松鼠飞。 她根本不配得到任何猫的忠诚。” 他猛地转身，一头扎回了灌木丛里。 松鸦羽站在原地望着他的背影，直到晃动的蕨叶重新恢复平静。 阿什弗听到了警告，可他醒来后，这警告能改变什么吗？ 第二天早上，松鸦羽和叶池一起整理药草。 他的导师看起来出奇地心不在焉，好像在想别的事情。 “我们需要多留一些留兰香。”她低声说。 “暴风雨过后猫儿受伤，我们用掉了太多。” “不对，这才是留兰香。” 松鸦羽把一把

bunch of it under her nose. "We've plenty of it. It's yarrow we're out of." "Oh yes... sorry." Fed up of trying to work with her if she couldn't tell yarrow from watermint, Jayfeather headed out of the den. "I'll go fetch more," he tossed back over his shoulder. At the entrance to the tunnel he heard the rustle of cats coming in, and stood back to wait for them. Cloudtail was the first to emerge into the clearing, followed by Ashfur. "What do you want?" To Jayfeather's satisfaction, the gray warrior sounded thoroughly spooked. Feelings of anger and uncertainty crackled through his fur. "I'm waiting to go out," Jayfeather replied calmly. A snort came from Ashfur, followed by Whitewing's voice. "Ashfur, you're blocking the entrance." There was a hiss of annoyance from Ashfur and he bounded away. Returning with the yarrow, Jayfeather picked up Ashfur's scent near the fresh-kill pile. Instead of going straight to the medicine cats" den, he

挖了一大丛放在她鼻子底下。 “我们这个已经够多了。 我们缺的是欧蓍草啦。” “哦对……抱歉。” 她连欧蓍草和水薄荷都分不清楚，松鸦羽受够了跟她搭档，转身走出了巢穴。 “我去多采些回来，”他头也不回地喊道。 走到隧道入口时，他听见猫咪进来的沙沙声，便退到一旁等候。 云尾第一个走到空地上，身后跟着烬毛。 “你想干什么？” 让松鸦羽满意的是，这只灰色武士听上去完全吓坏了。 愤怒和不安的情绪顺着他的毛发窜动。 “我正等着出去呢，”松鸦羽平静地回答。 烬毛哼了一声，随后传来白翅的声音。 “烬毛，你挡住入口了。” 烬毛恼怒地嘶了一声，纵身跳开了。 带着欧蓍草往回走时，松鸦羽在新鲜猎物堆旁闻到了烬毛的气味。 他没有直接回巫医巢穴，而是

headed toward the gray warrior. His sense of satisfaction returned as he heard Ashfur get to his paws and pad away, thrusting through the branches into the warriors" den. I've got him worried, Jayfeather realized, veering off to his own den. But will it be enough to keep him quiet?

朝那只灰色武士走了过去。 听见烬毛站起身轻步走开，拨开树枝走进武士巢穴，松鸦羽心头再次泛起一阵满足。 我让他慌神了，松鸦羽反应过来，转道回了自己的巢穴。 可这样足够让他闭口不言吗？