Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17 Hollyleaf pushed her way through the thorn tunnel with a vole and two mice dangling from her jaws. Her hunting patrol had done well, but her nose and paws were numb with cold as she padded over to the fresh-kill pile. The leaf-bare sun didn't penetrate the shadows under the trees, and the ground there was still frozen. She was dropping her prey on the pile when she heard a shriek from the base of the cliff, on the far side of the medicine cats" den. Whirling around, she saw Lionblaze bolt into the middle of the clearing, his pelt bristling as if a whole Clan of enemies were on his tail. "Help! Come quick!" he screeched. "Honeyfern's been bitten by a snake!" Icy terror coursed through Hollyleaf's blood as she rushed across the clearing. They'd never had a snake in the hollow before! When she reached the cliff, she saw Briarkit cowering at the base of the rocks; the little kit was trembling, her eyes wide with shock. Millie bounded up and drew her away

第17章 冬青叶叼着一只田鼠和两只老鼠挤过荆棘隧道。 今天狩猎队收获不错，可她走到新鲜猎物堆的时候，鼻子和爪子都冻僵了。 秃季的太阳透不过树下的阴影，那里的地面依旧冻得硬邦邦。 她正把猎物放到猎物堆上，忽然听见巫穴对岸悬崖底部传来一声尖叫。 她猛地转过身，看见狮焰冲进空地中央，他的毛发全都炸了起来，好像有整整一群敌人追在他身后。 “救命啊！ 快来啊！” 他尖声喊道。 “蜜蕨被蛇咬了！” 彻骨的恐惧顺着冬青叶的血液流遍全身，她飞快地朝空地跑去。 咱们山谷里以前从来都没有蛇啊！ 她跑到悬崖边，看见小荆缩在岩壁底下； 这只小幼崽浑身发抖，震惊得眼睛都瞪圆了。 米莉猛地冲过来，把她拉到了一边。

with her tail wrapped protectively around the kit. Berrynose crouched beside Honeyfern, who was lying on her side with her paws splayed out; her breath came fast and shallow, and her eyes were full of terror. A thin line of blood on her shoulder showed where the snake had struck. Sorreltail and Brackenfur raced across from the warriors" den with the same look of horror in their eyes when they saw their wounded daughter. Cinderheart, Honeyfern's littermate, was hard on their paws. As they skidded to a halt, Sorreltail pressed her muzzle into Brackenfur's shoulder. "No... oh, no..." she whispered. "I can't lose another kit! Not after Molepaw! Please, StarClan..." "Where's Poppyfrost?" Hollyleaf muttered to Lionblaze as her brother came running back. Sorreltail needed all her kits right now. "Out on patrol," Lionblaze replied. "She—" He broke off as Leafpool pushed her way through the knot of cats. "Stand back and give me some room," she ordered. Berrynose glared at her. "I'm not leaving," he snarled.

还用尾巴紧紧护着她。 莓鼻蹲在蜜蕨身旁，蜜蕨侧躺着，四肢摊开； 她呼吸又快又浅，眼睛里满是恐惧。 她肩膀上有一道细细的血痕，那就是蛇咬的地方。 蕨尾和蜡毛从武士巢穴飞奔过来，看见受伤的女儿，他俩眼里都满是惊恐。 炭心，蜜蕨的同窝姐妹，紧跟在他们身后。 他们猛地停住脚，蕨尾把脸贴在蜡毛的肩膀上。 “不……哦，不……”她低声呢喃。 “我不能再失去一个孩子了， 继鼹爪之后我不能再失去了！ 求求你，星族……” “罂粟霜在哪儿？” 冬青叶对着跑回来的哥哥狮焰轻声问。 这个时候蕨尾需要她所有的孩子都在身边。 “出去巡逻了，”狮焰回答。 “她——”他话还没说完，叶池已经挤开围拢的猫群走了进来。 “都站开，给我腾点地方。”她命令道。 莓鼻瞪着她。 “我不走。”他低吼道。

Ignoring him, Leafpool crouched beside Honeyfern and rested one paw on her shoulder. "Try not to move," she meowed. Hollyleaf waited expectantly for Leafpool to start helping Honeyfern. Surely she would know what to do? But she hadn't brought any herbs with her, and she wasn't doing anything more than sitting beside the trembling tabby warrior. Leafpool looked up, her gaze sweeping over the crowd of cats and coming to rest on Cinderheart. There was a pleading look in her eyes, so desperate and hopeful that it made Hollyleaf wince. I don't understand, she thought. What does she want from Cinderheart? "Help me!" Honeyfern had begun to twitch and writhe in pain. "My blood is on fire! Help me, please! It hurts so much!" Berrynose stared at Leafpool. "Do something!" he begged. His gaze swept over the cluster of cats. "One of you, do something!" Leafpool didn't seem to hear him; she just dragged her gaze away from Cinderheart and looked down at Honeyfern as she struggled for breath.

叶池没理他，她蹲在蜜蕨身边，把一只爪子放在她的肩膀上。 “尽量不要动。”她说道。 冬青叶满怀期待地等着叶池开始救治蜜蕨。 她肯定知道该怎么做对不对？ 可是叶池什么草药都没带，她除了坐在浑身发抖的虎斑武士身边，什么都没做。 叶池抬起头，目光扫过围拢的猫群，最后停在了炭心身上。 她眼里带着恳求的神情，那么急切又充满希望，看得冬青叶都心头一紧。 我不明白，她心想。 她想让炭心做什么呢？ “救救我！” 蜜蕨已经开始疼得抽搐扭动了。 “我的血像着火一样！ 求求你救救我！ 疼得太厉害了！” 莓鼻盯着叶池。 “快做点什么啊！” 他哀求道。 他的目光扫过围拢的猫群。 “你们谁快来做点什么啊！” 叶池好像没听见他的话； 她只是把目光从炭心身上移开，低头看着挣扎呼吸的蜜蕨。

Sorreltail slid out her claws, her disbelieving gaze fixed on the medicine cat. "Why aren't you doing anything?" Leafpool bowed her head. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "There's nothing I can do. The poison has taken hold of her." Sorreltail raised her head and let out a yowl of anguish, while Brackenfur wrapped his tail around her shoulders and drew her close. Honeyfern's legs folded into her belly, and her back arched in agony. When the spasm passed she lay limply, her chest hardly moving to show that she was still breathing. Her legs continued to twitch; her eyes had begun to glaze over. In silence, Hollyleaf and the rest of the cats shuffled backward to give Berrynose space to help Honeyfern on her journey to StarClan. The cream-colored tom crouched over her, stroking her fur with one paw. "We would have had wonderful kits together," he murmured. "Just as strong and beautiful as you. And one day I'll see you in StarClan." Honeyfern's jaw moved and a rasping sound came from her throat, as if she was trying to reply.

蕨尾亮出爪子，难以置信地盯着这位巫医。 “你为什么什么都不做？” 叶池低下头。 “我很抱歉，”她轻声说。 “我什么都做不了。 毒液已经扩散全身了。” 蕨尾仰起头，发出一声痛苦的哀嚎，蜡毛把尾巴圈住她的肩膀，把她拉到自己身边。 蜜蕨的腿蜷到肚子上，后背因为痛苦弓了起来。 抽搐过去之后，她无力地躺着，胸口只有微弱的起伏，证明她还在呼吸。 她的腿还在不停抽搐，眼睛已经开始发直了。 冬青叶和其他猫都默默退后，给莓鼻留出空间，送蜜蕨最后踏上前往星族的路。 这只浅棕色的公猫蹲在蜜蕨身旁，用一只爪子轻轻梳理她的毛。 “我们本来会有很棒的孩子的，”他低声说。 “他们会像你一样强壮美丽。 总有一天我会在星族和你相见。” 蜜蕨的下巴动了动，喉咙里发出沙哑的声音，好像想要回应他。

"You saved Briarkit's life," Berrynose went on, bending his head to lick the dying she-cat's head. "Every cat in StarClan will honor you." A long sigh came from Honeyfern. Hollyleaf watched helplessly as her friend's limbs grew still and the rise and fall of her chest faded away. Finally, her blue eyes stared sightlessly into the sky. Pain as sharp as the snake's bite pierced Hollyleaf. She gazed at Cinderheart's horrified expression, trying to imagine how she would feel if she lost one of her littermates. No! Hollyleaf dug her claws into the earth. That must never happen! Leafpool moved toward Honeyfern's body, but Brackenfur stopped her. Instead he padded up to Berrynose and rested his tail on the young warrior's shoulder. "She's gone," he told him. "She hunts with StarClan now." As gently as if he were Berrynose's father, Brackenfur nudged him to his paws and led him away, then nodded to Leafpool. The medicine cat crouched beside Honeyfern with a paw on her chest to check for any signs of breathing. Shaking

“‘你救了小荆的命，’莓鼻一边说，一边低下头舔了舔这只奄奄一息的母猫的头。 “星族的每一只猫都会铭记你。” 蜜蕨长长地叹了一口气。 冬青叶无助地看着朋友的四肢渐渐僵硬，胸口的起伏也慢慢消失了。 最后，她蓝色的眼睛空洞地望向天空。 像蛇咬一样尖锐的痛苦刺穿了冬青叶的心。 她望着炭心惊恐的神情，试着想象如果自己失去一位同窝手足会是什么感受。 不！冬青叶把爪子深深抓进泥土里。 这种事绝对不能发生！ 叶池走向蜜蕨的遗体，蕨毛拦住了她。 他轻步走到莓鼻身边，把尾巴搭在这位年轻武士的肩膀上。 “她已经走了，”他对莓鼻说。 “她现在和星族一起狩猎了。” 蕨毛就像莓鼻的父亲一样温柔，轻轻碰了碰他让他起身，带他离开了，然后朝叶池点了点头。 这位巫医蹲在蜜蕨身边，把爪子放在她的胸口，检查还有没有呼吸。 浑身颤抖着

her head slightly, she mewed to Lionblaze, "Find some warriors to help carry her body into the clearing. We need to get her away from the cliff in case the snake is still around." "I'll help," Hollyleaf offered instantly. Lionblaze beckoned with his tail to Spiderleg and Thornclaw, and together the four cats lifted Honeyfern's limp body and carried it to a shaded spot not far from the warriors" den. As they were crossing the clearing, Graystripe appeared through the thorn tunnel, his jaws full of prey. Poppyfrost and Mousewhisker followed him into the camp. As soon as she saw her sister's body, Poppyfrost dropped her fresh-kill and raced over. "What happened?" she wailed. "Honeyfern, wake up!" Sorreltail padded up to her and guided her along after Honeyfern's body, their pelts brushing, until the warriors set the dead she-cat down and her kin could huddle together around her, comforting one another as they kept vigil. The sun still shone, but Hollyleaf felt as if ice were creeping through the hairs on her pelt, and

她轻轻晃了晃头，对狮焰轻声说：“去找几个武士来，帮忙把她的遗体抬到空地上。 我们得把她挪离悬崖，以防那条蛇还待在附近。” “我来帮忙，”冬青叶立刻主动说道。 狮浪用尾巴招呼蛛足和荆爪，四只猫一起抬起蜜蕨瘫软的身体，把她抬到了武士巢穴不远处的一块阴凉地方。 他们穿过空地的时候，灰条从荆刺通道走了出来，嘴里叼满了猎物。 罂粟霜和鼠须跟在他身后进了营地。 罂粟霜一看到姐姐的遗体，立刻扔下猎物冲了过来。 “这是怎么回事？”她哭嚎道。 “蜜蕨，快醒醒啊！” 栗尾走到她身边，陪着她跟在蜜蕨遗体后面，她们的皮毛轻轻相蹭，直到武士们放下死去的母猫，亲属们挤在她身边，互相安慰着为她守夜。 太阳依旧照耀着，可冬青叶却感觉冰块正顺着她皮毛里的毛发往上爬，