Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6 The sound of coughing woke Hollyleaf. Raising her head, she peered across the warriors" den. A few tail-lengths away, Thornclaw was sitting up, his head bent as he coughed. His sister Brightheart pressed her muzzle into his shoulder fur. "Don't worry," she murmured. "I'll fetch you something from Leafpool to make you feel better." "Get a move on," Spiderleg rasped. "Then maybe the rest of us can get some sleep." "Yeah, it's like trying to sleep with a monster in here," Berrynose added. Brightheart gave them a furious glare, her teeth drawn back in a snarl. "See if I help you if you get ill," she snapped, and slid out between the branches. Thornclaw coughed again. "Sorry." "Don't apologize to the stupid furballs," Hollyleaf told him. "If they don't like it, they can go out and do something useful." Both Spiderleg and Berrynose ignored her, curling up again and wrapping their tails over

第六章 咳嗽声吵醒了冬青叶 抬起头，她望向武士巢穴的另一端 几尾远的地方，荆爪坐起身，弯着脑袋不停咳嗽 他的姐姐亮心把口鼻贴进他的肩毛里 “别担心，”她轻声说 “我去找叶池拿点药，让你舒服些” “赶紧去吧，”蜘蛛腿哑着嗓子说 “这样我们剩下的猫才能睡个安稳觉” “就是啊，这简直跟怪物同屋睡觉，根本睡不着，”莓鼻补充道 亮心怒视着他俩，龇牙低吼 “你们生病的时候，看我还帮不帮你们，”她厉声说完，从树枝缝溜了出去 荆爪又咳了一声 “抱歉。” “别跟这群蠢毛球道歉，”冬青叶对他说 “他们要是看不惯，出去做点有用的事不就行了” 蜘蛛腿和莓鼻都没搭理她，重新蜷起身子，把尾巴搭在

their ears. Thornclaw lay down, too, but a cough shook him every time he tried to breathe. Hollyleaf was too anxious to go back to sleep. She curled up in her nest, listening to the rain beating steadily on the branches of the den. How many more cats would fall ill before Leafpool got the greencough outbreak under control? Her thoughts jumped to what she and Lionblaze had discussed with Jaypaw the day before. Did they truly need to fake a sign to make ShadowClan believe in StarClan again? Wouldn't that make StarClan angry with them? Perhaps they ought to find another way to show that Sol wasn't a worthy leader. Unwillingly, Hollyleaf remembered how she had felt when Sol talked to her; she had basked in the warmth of his gaze, and his calm, deep voice made her feel as if everything would be fine as long as she listened to him. And yet he had taken a whole Clan away from StarClan. That couldn't be right! StarClan has always been there! None of the Clans should turn away from them. Arguing with herself was making Hollyleaf

自己的耳朵上 荆爪也躺了下来，可他每喘一口气，都会被咳嗽震得发抖 冬青叶满心不安，根本睡不着 她蜷在自己的窝里，听着雨点不断打在巢穴的树枝上 还要有多少猫病倒，叶池才能控制住这次绿咳症的爆发啊 她想起昨天自己和狮焰、松鸦羽讨论的那件事 他们真的需要伪造一个征兆，让影族重新相信星族吗 那样做难道不会惹星族生气吗 也许他们该换个方法，证明索尔不配当族长 冬青叶不情愿地想起索尔和她说话时，自己的感受； 她沉醉在他温和的目光里，他沉稳低沉的声音让她觉得，只要听他的话，一切都会好起来 可他硬是把一整个族群带得远离了星族 这绝对不对！ 星族一直都守护着我们啊！ 任何族群都不该背弃他们 独自翻来覆去纠结，只让冬青叶

dizzy. In spite of the pounding raindrops, she got up and squeezed out through the branches of the den. Rain had turned the floor of the clearing to mud; it splashed up over Hollyleaf's legs and belly fur as she sprinted across to the thorn tunnel and stood shivering in its shelter. Her paws itched to race through the forest, as if she could find the answers she was looking for by tracking them down like prey. Gray dawn light seeped reluctantly into the hollow. No other cat was stirring, until Brightheart emerged from Leafpool's den and pelted back across the clearing with some leaves in her mouth. Soon after, movement on the Highledge caught Hollyleaf's eye and she spotted Sandstorm leaping down the tumbled rocks. The ginger she-cat headed for the dirtplace tunnel, then swerved when she saw Hollyleaf and bounded over to join her. "What are you doing up so early?" she meowed. "There won't be any patrols until the sun is up." Twitching her tail, she added, "With any luck, the rain will ease off by then." "Thornclaw was coughing," Hollyleaf replied,

头晕脑胀 哪怕雨点噼里啪啦下个不停，她还是站起身，挤出了巢穴的树枝缝隙 雨水把空地的地面泡成了烂泥； 她冲向荆藤隧道时，泥水溅了她一腿和一肚子的毛，她站在隧道里躲雨，冻得直发抖 她爪子发痒，恨不得冲进森林，就像追踪猎物一样把想要的答案找出来 灰蒙蒙的晨光慢悠悠渗进了山谷 一开始没有别的猫醒过来，直到亮心从叶池的巢穴出来，叼着几片叶子快步跑回空地 没过多久，高岩台上的动静吸引了冬青叶的注意，她看见沙风从乱石堆上跳了下来 这只姜黄色母猫本来要往厕所隧道走，看见冬青叶就转了方向，蹦过来和她待在一起 “你怎么起这么早？” 她喵声道 “太阳出来之前不会安排巡逻队” 她抖了抖尾巴，又说：“运气好的话，那时候雨就会变小了” “荆爪一直在咳嗽，”冬青叶回答，

aware that she wasn't telling the whole truth. Concern filled Sandstorm's green eyes. "The last thing we need is illness in the camp. A lot of the cats are still weak from the battle—especially Squirrelflight." Hollyleaf flinched. Her mother had been terribly injured in the battle; her wound was only just beginning to heal. Although she wasn't sleeping in Leafpool's den anymore, she wasn't allowed to leave the camp. If she caught a bad cough she wouldn't have the strength to fight it. Sandstorm bent down and nuzzled Hollyleaf's head; for a heartbeat Hollyleaf felt like a kit again, safe and comforted. "Don't look so worried," the older cat purred. "There are plenty of warriors to take care of the Clan, and Leafpool's a great medicine cat. You just need to concentrate on learning everything you can to serve ThunderClan." "That's what I try to do," Hollyleaf meowed, painfully aware of how far she fell short of what she would like to be. "You made a great start in the battle," Sandstorm encouraged her. "Firestar is very

她清楚自己没有说出全部实话 沙风的绿眼睛里满是担忧 “我们营地最不需要的就是疾病 好多猫打完仗还身子虚——尤其是松鼠飞。” 冬青叶身子一颤 她母亲在战斗中受了重伤，伤口才刚刚开始愈合 虽然她不用再住叶池的巢穴，但还不能离开营地 要是染上严重的咳嗽，她根本没力气扛过去 沙风弯下身子，蹭了蹭冬青叶的脑袋； 那一瞬间，冬青叶觉得自己又变回了幼崽，安稳又安心 “别这么担心，”年长的沙风咕噜着说 “有很多武士照顾族群，而且叶池是个很棒的巫医 你只要专心学好所有本领，好好为雷族效力就够了。” “我一直都在这么做，”冬青叶喵声道，难受地明白自己离想要成为的样子还差很远 “你在战斗里已经开了个好头，”沙风鼓励她 “火星非常

proud of you. But you mustn't take on more responsibility than you need to." Hollyleaf stifled a snort of bitter laughter. Sandstorm had no idea what responsibilities she had to cope with. "Don't forget what I said." Sandstorm stroked her tail-tip gently over Hollyleaf's shoulder, then pushed her way out of the tunnel and headed for the dirtplace. The morning light was growing stronger, though clouds still covered the sky and rain still hissed down into the clearing. Hollyleaf saw Graystripe bound across the clearing to Leafpool's den, though he didn't go farther than the bramble screen. Checking on Millie, Hollyleaf guessed. A couple of heartbeats after Graystripe, Ashfur emerged from the warriors" den, closely followed by Cloudtail and Cinderheart. All three cats headed for the tunnel. Ashfur gave Hollyleaf a nod as they approached, curiosity in his blue eyes. "You look frozen," he meowed. "Do you want to come on the border patrol to warm up?"

为你骄傲。 但你绝不该承担超出你本分的责任。” 冬青叶憋住了一声苦笑。 沙风根本不知道她要扛下多少责任。 “别忘了我说的话。” 沙风用尾尖轻轻蹭过冬青叶的肩膀，随后走出隧道，往方便处去了。 晨光越来越亮，可天空依旧乌云密布，雨还在哗哗落进营地空地。 冬青叶看见灰条跃过空地，去到叶池的巢穴，他没越过荆棘帘往里走。 冬青叶猜，他是来看米莉的。 灰条走后没过多久，灰毛从武士巢穴走了出来，云尾和炭心紧随其后。 三只猫都往隧道走去。 他们走近时，灰毛朝冬青叶点了点头，蓝眼睛里满是好奇。 “你看起来冻坏了，”他开口说。 “要不要跟我们去边境巡逻暖个身子呀？”

"Sure!" She didn't want to go back to the warriors" den, and she knew Jaypaw wouldn't plan anything about the fake sign without her. Ashfur led the way out into the forest, making for the old Twoleg path. The rest of the patrol followed him, the rain muffling their paw steps. Cinderheart fell in beside Hollyleaf. There was a hint of nervousness in her blue eyes. "I don't like going this way," she confessed. "It reminds me too much of the battle." Hollyleaf let out a murmur of agreement. Her memories disturbed her, too, especially when they came in sight of the abandoned Twoleg nest. The blood had been washed away from the stones, but it was easy to imagine that the stench still hung in the air, and the shrieks of battling cats still echoed from the crumbling walls. Hollyleaf's neck fur rose as she eyed the moss-covered walls and thick clumps of bracken, half expecting WindClan warriors to leap out at them. "Stop!" Cloudtail's command jerked her back to the present. The white warrior was standing with his tail raised to halt the rest of the patrol.

“当然好呀！” 她不想回武士巢穴，而且她知道，松鸦爪不会瞒着她策划那个假征兆的事。 灰毛带路走进森林，往旧两脚兽小径走去。 其他巡逻队员跟着他，雨声盖住了他们的脚步声。 炭心走在了冬青叶的身侧。 她的蓝眼睛里透出一丝紧张。 “我不喜欢走这条路，”她坦白说。 “它总能让我想起那场战斗。” 冬青叶低声表示同意。 那些回忆也让她心神不宁，尤其是当他们看到那座废弃的两脚兽巢穴时。 石头上的血迹早就被冲走了，可仍能感觉血腥味还飘在空气里，断壁残垣间还回荡着战猫的嘶吼。 冬青叶盯着覆满苔藓的墙壁和茂密的蕨丛，颈毛都竖了起来，总觉得风族武士会突然跳出来袭击他们。 “站住！” 云尾的命令一下子把她拉回了现实。 这只白武士站在原地，尾巴高高抬起，示意其他巡逻队员停下。