Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 Jaypaw slid out through the thorn tunnel and stalked into the forest. The night scents and noises seemed sharper than ever, just because he was on his own. There were no other cats to fuss over him, and if he tripped over a branch or put his paw into a hole, he could recover just fine by himself. By now the territory was familiar, especially since he had taken part in the battle. Soon he had left ThunderClan territory behind and was climbing the rocky ridge. Ahead of him he scented other cats, and identified them as Willowshine from RiverClan and Barkface from WindClan with his apprentice, Kestrelpaw. Littlecloud wasn't with them. The scents quickly grew stronger, and Jaypaw realized that the other medicine cats were waiting for him to catch up. He halted in front of them, dipping his head. "Greetings." "Greetings, Jaypaw," Barkface meowed. "How's the prey running?" He sounded awkward, and Jaypaw picked up a strong sense of regret, as

第五章 松鸦爪溜出荆棘隧道，轻手轻脚走进了森林。 只因为他是独自出行，夜晚的气息和声响都比往常清晰得多。 没有其他猫围着照顾他，就算绊倒树枝、爪子踩进洞，他自己也能处理好。 如今这片领地他已经很熟悉，更何况他还参加了那场战斗。 很快他就走出雷族领地，开始攀爬岩石山脊。 他闻到前方有其他猫的气味，认出对方是河族的柳光，还有风族的疤脸和他的学徒雀爪。 小云并没有和他们在一起。 气味很快变得越来越浓，松鸦爪意识到其他巫医正在等他赶上来。 他停在他们面前，低下了头。 "你们好。" "你好，松鸦爪，"疤脸开口说道。 "猎物还好捕吗？" 他的语气有些生硬，松鸦爪清晰感受到一股强烈的愧疚，就

if the WindClan medicine cat wanted to apologize for the hostility between their Clans. Jaypaw dipped his head in acknowledgment of what the older cat couldn't say out loud. "Fine, thanks." "And where's Leafpool?" Willowshine added. "She couldn't come," Jaypaw replied. "She had stuff to do." Even though medicine cats lived by different rules, he didn't want to tell the other Clans that ThunderClan had greencough in the camp. It made them sound weak. Surprise came from all three cats, with an edge of annoyance from Willowshine. "I had to wait until I had my name before Mothwing allowed me to come here alone," she mewed. I bet Mothwing lets you come alone all the time now. It's a wasted journey for her. Jaypaw itched to make the retort, but he stopped himself. The RiverClan medicine cat didn't believe in StarClan; she could spend the night of the half-moon in her den without all the trouble of the journey to the Moonpool. "It doesn't look as if Littlecloud is coming,"

仿佛这位风族巫医想要为两族之间的敌意道歉。 松鸦爪低下头，领会了这只年长猫没法说出口的心意。 "挺好的，谢谢。" "那叶池在哪里？" 柳光补充问道。 "她来不了，"松鸦爪回答。 "她还有事要做。" 虽说巫医遵守不同的规则，他还是不想告诉其他族雷族营地爆发了绿咳症。 这会让他们看起来很弱小。 三只猫都感到惊讶，柳光还带上了一丝不快。 "当初得等我得到正式名号，蛾翅才允许我独自来这里，"她说道。 我打赌蛾翅现在肯定一直允许你独自来了。 她这一趟可不就是白跑。 松鸦爪已经快要反驳回去，但还是忍住了。 这位河族巫医并不信仰星族； 她大可以在自己的巢穴里度过半月之夜，根本不用辛苦跋涉赶到月亮池来。 "看样子小云是不会来了，"

Barkface muttered. "I thought he at least would stay faithful to StarClan." He's trying, Jaypaw wanted to tell him, but there was no way he could reveal his expedition into ShadowClan territory. Littlecloud had protested against what Sol was telling his Clan, but it hadn't made any difference. ShadowClan had turned their back on their warrior ancestors, and Blackstar must have forbidden his medicine cat to come to the meeting. "Perhaps he can share tongues with StarClan from his own territory," Willowshine murmured. "And maybe StarClan will show us what to do about Sol," Jaypaw suggested, though privately he didn't think it was likely. Barkface grunted agreement. "We'd better go on without him. We're wasting moonlight." Jaypaw could hear the sound of falling water and the soft pad of paw steps as he followed the others down the spiral path to the Moonpool. He felt very close to Rock and Fallen Leaves and the other ancient cats as he felt his paws slip into the hollows they had made so long ago. I hope I get a good dream tonight, he

疤脸低声说道。 "我以为他至少会对星族保持忠诚。" 他已经尽力了，松鸦爪想告诉疤脸，但他没办法透露自己潜入影族领地的事。 小云已经反对过日神对影族的说辞，但根本没有用。 影族已经背弃了他们的武士祖先，肯定是黑星禁止自己的巫医来参加聚会。 "说不定他可以在自己的领地里和星族交流，"柳光轻声说道。 "说不定星族会指示我们该怎么对付日神，"松鸦爪提议，尽管他私下觉得这事希望渺茫。 疤脸咕哝着表示同意。 "我们最好别等他了，继续往前走。 我们在浪费月光了。" 松鸦爪跟在其他猫身后沿螺旋小路走向月亮池，他听到了流水声和其他猫轻柔的脚步声。 当爪子踩进远古猫咪许久之前踩出的凹痕，他觉得自己离岩石、落叶和其他远古猫咪格外亲近。 真希望我今晚能做个好梦，他

thought. It's about time. Ever since his vision in ShadowClan territory and his talk with Leafpool he had hoped to meet the strange badger Midnight again. If she didn't come here, in this special place under the half- moon, then maybe she didn't mean to come at all. The other cats were settling down at the edge of the pool. Jaypaw took his place beside Barkface. Kestrelpaw crouched on the other side of his mentor, while Willowshine found a spot farther around the rim of the water. Jaypaw stretched out his neck and dipped his nose into the Moonpool; its cold touch shivered through him. Curling up, he let sleep take him. When he opened his eyes he found himself on a rough stretch of open ground; a precipice plunged down at his paws and he took a pace back, dizzy from his glimpse of the depths. Wind whined among the rocks, and Jaypaw dug his claws into the gritty soil, scared that he might be blown away. Dim light illuminated the mountaintop; peering around him, Jaypaw couldn't decide whether it was twilight or early

心想。 早就该来了。 自从他在影族领地看到幻象，又和叶池谈过之后，他一直希望能再见到那只奇怪的獾午夜。 如果她不来半月之下这片特殊的地方，那说不定她根本就不打算来了。 其他猫都在池边安顿了下来。 松鸦爪在疤脸身旁找了位置。 雀爪蹲在他师父的另一侧，柳光则在水池边缘更远的地方找了块地方。 松鸦爪伸长脖子，把鼻子浸进月亮池； 池水的寒意让他浑身一颤。 他蜷起身子，渐渐睡了过去。 睁开眼睛时，他发现自己站在一片崎岖的开阔地上； 脚边就是陡峭的悬崖，他连忙后退一步，刚才瞥见深渊让他头晕目眩。 风在岩石间呼啸，松鸦爪把爪子抓进粗糙的土壤，害怕自己被风吹下去。 昏暗的光线照亮了山顶； 松鸦爪环顾四周，分不清这是黄昏还是早

dawn. He thought at first he was alone until something moved on top of one of the boulders, and he recognized the bald, distorted body and unseeing eyes of Rock. "You're here!" Jaypaw gasped. "Do you have something to tell me?" Rock shook his head. "I have brought someone who wishes to meet you." A black shape loomed up behind Rock, moving slowly into the open. Jaypaw gripped even harder with his claws, and his neck fur began to bristle. He was gazing into the berry- bright eyes of the badger. "Midnight?" he meowed, furious that he couldn't stop his voice from quivering. "You're the badger who helped ThunderClan?" The huge creature dipped her head; the pale stripe down her head gleamed in the half-light. "Is nothing to fear, small one. Speak with me you will?" "Yes, I... I wanted to ask why you appeared to me the night we went to ShadowClan. It was you, wasn't it?" Midnight nodded. "I went that way, find out

黎明时分。 松鸦爪一开始以为只有自己，直到一块巨石顶上有东西动了动，他认出那是岩石——光秃秃变形的躯体，还有看不见东西的眼睛。 “你居然在这儿！” 松鸦爪倒吸一口凉气。 “你有话要对我说吗？” 岩石摇了摇头。 “我带了一位想见你的朋友来。” 一个黑影从岩石身后渐渐逼近，慢慢走到了空地上。 松鸦爪把爪子攥得更紧，颈后的猫毛都竖了起来。 他正盯着獾那双浆果般明亮的眼睛。 “午夜？”他喵呜叫着，控制不住声音发颤。 “你就是帮过雷族的那只獾？” 这只大块头低下头，额头的浅色条纹在昏光里闪着光。 “没什么好怕的，小家伙。 你愿意和我聊聊吗？” “是的，我…… 我想问，我们去影族那天晚上，你为什么出现在我面前。 是你，对不对？” 午夜点了点头。 “我往那边去，是为了查清

what Sol say to Clans." "You know Sol?" Jaypaw was astonished. "Past my den near the sea he came. He had heard of cats by the lake, and many questions he asked." "And you answered him?" Was this how Sol had known so much about the Clans? "Why? Leafpool told me you were our friend!" Jaypaw protested. Midnight shrugged her heavy shoulders. "Is more than one way to be friend. True, I give Sol knowledge. But knowledge not always bring power." "It's brought Sol enough power," Jaypaw mewed bitterly. "He's already convinced one Clan to give up their faith in StarClan." "Perhaps will be StarClan's task to restore faith of ShadowClan." Jaypaw blinked. He thought Rock had been teaching him that StarClan didn't have that kind of power. "How can they?" Midnight's eyes shone with black light. "Faith is strong enough, it achieve anything," she assured him.

索尔对族群说了什么。” “你认识索尔？” 松鸦爪大吃一惊。 “他来过我海边的巢穴。 他听说了湖畔猫的事，问了我一大堆问题。” “你都回答他了？” 难道索尔就是这么知道族群这么多事的吗？ “为什么要这样？ 叶池告诉我你是我们的朋友啊！” 松鸦爪抗议道。 午夜耸了耸她宽厚的肩膀。 “做朋友不止一种方式。 没错，我给了索尔知识。 但知识不总能带来力量。” “这已经给了索尔足够多的力量了，”松鸦爪苦涩地说。 “他已经说服一个族群放弃了对星族的信仰。” “或许重建影族的信仰，本就是星族的使命。” 松鸦爪眨了眨眼。 他原本以为岩石早就告诉过他，星族没有这种力量。 “他们怎么可能做得到？” 午夜的眼中闪着幽幽黑光。 “只要信仰足够坚定，就能成就一切，”她向松鸦爪保证道。