Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 Hollyleaf whirled around. Behind her, in an arched opening, a tall, well-muscled cat was outlined against the dusk. The white patches on his pelt shone very brightly. "Sol!" Hazeltail's gasp was amazed and terrified all at once. She really thinks Sol is the killer! Hollyleaf thought. She was aware of bristling pelts and stiff limbs around her. But as soon as she looked into Sol's glowing amber eyes, Hollyleaf felt herself relaxing. How could she have forgotten how wise he was, how calm and certain he was about the future? Nothing troubled him, because he already knew what to expect. "Greetings, Sol." Brambleclaw stepped forward. "Yes, we're looking for you. You need to come back to ThunderClan." Sol looked into the eyes of each cat in turn. "Something has happened." Hollyleaf felt a jolt in her belly, as if a stone

第十四章 冬青叶猛地转过身来 在她身后的拱形洞口，暮色勾勒出一只高大健壮猫咪的轮廓 他皮毛上的白斑亮得格外耀眼 "索尔！" 榛尾抽了一口冷气，又惊又怕 她真觉得索尔就是凶手！ 冬青叶心想 她能感觉到四周同伴毛发炸起、四肢僵硬 可当她对上索尔那双发光的琥珀色眼眸，冬青叶不由得放松下来 她怎么会忘了他有多睿智，对未来有多从容笃定呢？ 没什么能难倒他，因为他早就预知了一切 "你好，索尔。" 黑莓掌走上前来 "没错，我们正在找你 你得跟我们回雷族。" 索尔挨个扫过每只猫的眼睛 "出事了。" 冬青叶的心猛地一沉，就像一块石头

had struck her. What does he know about Ashfur? "We just need you to come with us," Brambleclaw meowed. "Firestar wants to talk to you." Sol's eyes narrowed. "Something has happened that you think concerns me. Something bad. You wouldn't come all this way to thank me." He paused thoughtfully. "A cat has died..." Behind Hollyleaf, Birchfall caught his breath. "No," Sol corrected himself. "A cat has been killed. And you think I'm responsible." The tip of his tail twitched, but he betrayed no other emotion. I'd be terrified if any cat accused me, Hollyleaf thought, scraping her claws against the cold stone. But Sol just surveyed the patrol calmly and waited for them to speak. "He must be guilty!" Hazeltail whispered to Hollyleaf. "He didn't even ask who died!" "Sol? Is that you?" A frail voice broke the silence, and Purdy appeared in the entrance, dragging a scrawny rabbit behind him. He was thinner than when Hollyleaf had last seen him, and his tabby pelt looked messier than ever.

砸在了她的心口 他关于灰毛的事知道些什么？ "我们只需要你跟我们走一趟，"黑莓掌说道 "火星要找你谈话。" 索尔眯起了眼睛 "出了一件你们觉得和我有关的事 是件坏事 你们才不会大老远跑来这儿谢我。" 他若有所思地顿了顿 "有只猫死了……" 冬青叶身后的桦落倒吸了一口凉气 "不对，"索尔纠正自己 "有只猫被杀害了 你们觉得是我干的。" 只有他的尾尖轻轻动了动，除此之外没有露出任何其他情绪 换做别的猫被指控肯定吓坏了，冬青叶一边想，一边把爪子抓进冰冷的石头里 可索尔只是平静地打量着巡逻队，等着他们开口 "他肯定就是凶手！" 榛尾悄声对冬青叶说 "他连谁死了都没问！" "索尔？是你吗？" 一个虚弱的声音打破沉默，普迪拖着一只瘦巴巴的兔子出现在洞口 他比冬青叶上次见他时更瘦，虎斑皮毛也比之前越发凌乱了

"Look what I got!" Purdy dropped the prey and looked up. He blinked in astonishment as he recognized the Clan cats. "If it ain't Brambleclaw!" he exclaimed. "And Hollypaw and Lionpaw! I hope you two young "uns are behaving yourselves." "Yes, we are," Lionblaze replied, padding forward to touch noses with the old loner. "And we're warriors now. Lionblaze and Hollyleaf." "Well, who'd have thought it?" Purdy's eyes gleamed. "Well done, youngsters." For a few heartbeats, Hollyleaf felt like an apprentice again. She should have been insulted, that Purdy still thought of her and her brother as young cats who were always getting into mischief. Instead she yearned for the days when everything had seemed so simple, and all she had to do was make herself the best warrior she could. "How's that brother o" yours?" Purdy asked. "He's Jayfeather now," Hollyleaf replied. "He's a full medicine cat." Purdy shook his head again. "Who'd have thought it?" he repeated. Brambleclaw padded forward and dipped his

"看我抓到了什么！" 普迪放下猎物抬起头 认出这些族群猫后，他惊讶地眨了眨眼 "这不是黑莓掌吗！" 他惊呼道 "还有冬青爪和狮爪！ 我希望你们两个小家伙都乖乖听话哦。" "我们是的，"狮焰回答，一面走上前和这只老独行猫碰了碰鼻子 我们现在已经是武士了 我是狮焰，她是冬青叶。" "唔，真没想到啊！" 普迪的眼睛亮了起来 "干得好啊，小家伙们。" 有那么一瞬间，冬青叶觉得自己又变回了学徒 普迪还把她和哥哥当成总闯祸的小猫，她本应该觉得被冒犯 可她反倒怀念起过去的日子：那时一切都很简单，她只要努力做个最好的武士就够了 "你那个弟弟还好吗？" 普迪问道 "他现在叫松鸦羽了，"冬青叶回答 他已经是正式的巫医了。" 普迪又摇了摇头 "真没想到啊！"他重复道 黑莓掌走上前，低下了他的

head to the old loner. "Greetings, Purdy. It's good to see you again. Come and meet my other Clanmates. This is Birchfall, and this is Hazeltail and Brackenfur." "Good to know you," Purdy mumbled, looking a bit embarrassed to be among so many strangers. "I'm sorry, Purdy." Sol stepped forward, to stand in front of the old cat. "I have to go." Purdy blinked in astonishment. "What? Why?" When Sol didn't reply, he added, "I know you've only been here a couple o" days, but I reckoned we were getting on fine. This old nest don't feel half as empty wi" you around. And look—" He waved his tail toward the rabbit he had dragged in. "I found us some prey. It's a bit old and scrawny, but it could make a good meal..." His voice trailed off, and he hunched his shoulders. "You enjoy the rabbit, Purdy," Sol mewed gently, his amber eyes glowing. "I think the ThunderClan cats want to leave at once." "What's all the rush?" Purdy turned to Brambleclaw. "Why do you need Sol to leave with you right now? Couldn't you all stay here a bit longer? You'd be right welcome."

脑袋，向这位老独行猫致意 "你好，普迪 很高兴再次见到你 来认识一下我的其他族伴 这是桦落，这是榛尾和蕨毛。" "很高兴认识你们，"普迪咕哝道，在这么多陌生人中间他有些不好意思 "抱歉了，普迪。" 索尔走上前，站到老猫的面前 "我得走了。" 普迪惊讶地眨了眨眼 "什么？ 为什么？" 索尔没有回答，他便接着说道："我知道你才来了这儿几天，可我还以为我们相处得不错 有你在，这个旧窝都一点不觉得空了 你看——"他冲自己拖回来的兔子摆了摆尾巴 "我给咱们找着猎物了 它虽然有点老还瘦巴巴的，但也能凑一顿饱饭……" 他的声音越来越小，耷拉下了肩膀 "你好好享用这只兔子吧，普迪，"索尔温柔地说，琥珀色的眼眸闪着光 "我觉得雷族的猫们现在就得出发了。" "干嘛这么着急呀？" 普迪转向黑莓掌 为什么你们现在就要索尔跟你们走？ 你们就不能在这儿多待一会儿吗？ 我们非常欢迎你们留下来呀。"

Let Sol stay here. Hollyleaf wanted to speak the words aloud. We don't need to take him back. Purdy needs him more than we do. But she knew that was impossible. "We'll stay for the night," Brambleclaw decided. "But we'll have to leave at dawn." "Fine!" Purdy's ears perked up. "Have some o" this rabbit," he invited proudly. "Thank you," Brambleclaw replied, his voice gentle, "but we can catch our own to add to your fresh-kill pile." "I brought you a mouse," Hollyleaf added, snatching up her prey and dropping it at Purdy's paws. The old tabby's eyes shone. "That's right kind of you." He crouched down and tucked in. The Clan cats headed for the entrance to the den. Brackenfur glanced back at Sol, who was still standing in the middle of the den. "Don't worry," Sol meowed. "I'll be here when you get back." Brackenfur still looked uncertain; as they padded through the entrance, Brambleclaw shouldered his way toward him and murmured

就让索尔留在这里吧。 冬青叶差点把这句话大声说出口。 我们没必要带他回去。 波蒂比我们更需要他。 可她清楚这根本不可能。 "我们今晚留在这里，" 黑莓掌决定道。 "但我们天亮就得出发。" "太好了！" 波蒂一下子竖起了耳朵。 "尝尝这只兔子吧，" 他自豪地邀请大家。 "谢谢你，" 黑莓掌温和地回答，"不过我们可以自己捕猎，添到你的猎物堆里。" "我带了一只老鼠过来，" 冬青叶说着，抓起猎物放到了波蒂的爪边。 这只老虎斑猫的眼睛亮了起来。 "你们可真贴心呀。" 他趴下身子，大口吃了起来。 族群猫朝着洞穴入口走去。 蕨心回头看了一眼索尔，他还站在洞穴中央。 "别担心，" 索尔喵呜道。 "你们回来的时候我肯定在这儿。" 蕨心还是不太放心; 他们钻出洞口的时候，黑莓掌挤到他身边，轻声说道

into his ear. "Stay on guard. But keep out of sight." Brackenfur gave him a relieved nod and crept underneath the low-growing branches of a nearby bush, where he crouched with his gaze firmly fixed on the den. Darkness had fallen while the cats were inside. The harsh orange light of the Twolegplace covered the sky, blotting out the stars. Hollyleaf wished she could have seen the spirits of the Clan's warrior ancestors, to know that they were still watching over her. Once outside, she headed for the thicket of shiny green leaves where she had caught her mice. Hazeltail padded along beside her. "I'm so glad we found Sol," she murmured. "Now we can go home." Hollyleaf nodded. "I feel bad about taking Sol away from Purdy," she confessed. "But Sol is a murderer!" Hazeltail halted, her eyes wide with shock. "What if he kills Purdy, too?" "He wouldn't do that," Hollyleaf replied. "How do you know?" Hazeltail persisted. "We

在他耳边说。 "好好戒备。 别被发现了。" 蕨心放心地点点头，爬进旁边矮灌木丛的底下，蹲伏在那儿，眼睛牢牢盯着洞穴。 猫群在洞里的时候，天已经黑了。 两脚兽地盘那刺眼的橙光铺满天空，遮住了所有星星。 冬青叶多希望能看见族群武士祖先的灵魂，确认他们还在守护着自己呀。 一出洞，她就往刚才捕到老鼠的那片油亮绿叶灌木丛走去。 榛尾悄悄跟在她身旁一起走。 "真开心我们找到索尔，" 她轻声说。 "这下我们可以回家了。" 冬青叶点了点头。 "把索尔从波蒂身边带走，我心里挺不好受的，" 她坦言道。 "可索尔是个杀人犯呀！" 榛尾猛地停下脚步，震惊地睁圆了眼睛。 "万一他把波蒂也杀了怎么办？" "他不会那么做的，" 冬青叶回答。 "你怎么知道？" 榛尾追问道。 我们