Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24 Hollyleaf's pelt prickled with frustration as she and her brothers headed back toward their own territory. They had been so close to discovering who their father was! But Sol had enjoyed holding his knowledge out of their reach, like a juicy bit of prey that he meant to keep for himself. I could have made him tell us, if Lionblaze hadn't interfered! She was so angry that she was hardly aware of her surroundings; suddenly Jayfeather nudged her hard in the side, nearly knocking her off her paws. "What—?" she began. Lionblaze slapped his tail over her mouth. "ShadowClan!" he hissed. "Hide!" All three cats dived for cover into a bramble thicket. Hollyleaf spat in annoyance as a thorn pierced one of her pads, and she tried to lick it out as ShadowClan scent wreathed around her. "Ivytail, Smokefoot, and Owlpaw," Lionblaze reported, peering out through the bramble tendrils. "They're patrolling the border. I hope

第24章 冬青叶和哥哥们往自己领地赶时，满心沮丧，浑身皮毛绷得发紧 他们本来都快查出父亲是谁了！ 可索尔偏偏把真相藏着掖着，就像叼着一块鲜美的猎物，只想留给自己吃 要不是狮焰从中捣乱，我早就逼他说出真相了！ 她怒冲冲的，根本没留意周围的动静； 突然松鸦羽狠狠撞了她侧身，差点把她撞得站不稳摔倒 “怎——么了？”她刚开口问道 狮焰猛地把尾巴甩过来捂住了她的嘴 “影族！”他低声嘶吼道 “快躲起来！” 三只猫立刻一头扎进荆棘丛躲了起来 一根刺扎进冬青叶的肉垫，她气恼地啐了一口，影族的气味裹住了她，她一边试着把刺舔出来 “是常春藤尾、烟足和猫头鹰爪，”狮焰扒着荆棘藤蔓往外看，低声汇报道 “他们正在边界巡逻。 希望

they didn't scent us." No challenging yowls came from the patrol, and the scents gradually died away, leaving only the smell of the border markers. "I guess it's safe to come out now," Lionblaze mewed after a few heartbeats. "Let's get back into our own territory as quickly as we can." He took the lead, racing over the rough grass, weaving his way around hazel thickets and clumps of fern, until they flashed past their own border markers and drew to a panting halt several fox- lengths into ThunderClan territory. "We'd better hunt on our way back," he told them. "That way we can pretend we went out to restock the fresh-kill pile." Jayfeather nodded. "And I'll look for yarrow. If I come back empty-pawed, Leafpool will want to know why." Though she did as Lionblaze suggested, padding softly through the undergrowth with her ears pricked and her jaws gaping for the first scent of prey, Hollyleaf's pelt crawled with resentment. We shouldn't have to lie and deceive like this! Why can't we be proud of what we can do?

他们没闻到我们的气味。” 巡逻队没有发出挑战的吼叫，气味也渐渐散去，只留下边界标记的气味 “我看现在可以出来了，”过了一会儿，狮焰开口说道 “我们赶紧回自己的领地去吧。” 他带头在粗糙的草地上飞奔，绕开榛树丛和蕨丛，冲过自家的边界标记，一直跑进雷族领地内几个狐身长的位置，才气喘吁吁地停了下来 “我们回去路上最好顺便捕点猎，”他对两个伙伴说 “这样我们就能假装是出来补新鲜猎物堆的。” 松鸦羽点了点头 “我去找点蓍草。” “要是我空着手回去，叶池肯定会问原因的。” 尽管冬青叶照着狮焰说的做了，轻脚轻手走在灌丛里，支起耳朵，张着嘴嗅猎物的气味，可她满心怨愤，浑身都不自在 我们根本不该像这样撒谎骗人！ 为什么我们不能光明正大地为自己的能力骄傲？

While stalking a squirrel, she thought about how she could make Sol tell them the name of their father. I'd do anything. Anything! she thought fiercely. She remembered how easily her jaws had met in Ashfur's throat... No, don't think of that! Ashfur had to die because he would have ruined everything. He's not important now. We're the ones who matter! Hollyleaf's claws tore at the mossy ground under her paws; alerted, the squirrel started up and shot to safety in the nearest tree. "Mouse dung!" Hollyleaf spat. "What's the matter with you?" Lionblaze asked, padding up with a blackbird in his jaws. "Do you expect the prey to come and throw itself onto your claws?" Hollyleaf shrugged and turned away. When our father learns who we are, he'll be so proud of us! Maybe he doesn't even know about us! Maybe he's always wanted kits, and now he has three warriors to be his kin for the rest of his life. Closer to the camp, she managed to catch a mouse, though she had to admit to herself that it looked ready to die of old age and hadn't even

悄悄跟踪松鼠的时候，她一直在琢磨，要怎么逼索尔说出父亲的名字 我什么都愿意做 不管付出什么代价！ 她在心里狠狠地想 她想起自己的利齿咬穿梣毛喉咙时，那轻松的劲儿…… 不，别想这个！ 梣毛必须死，他差点毁了一切 他现在一点都不重要了 我们才是最重要的！ 冬青叶的爪子不停抓挠着脚下长苔藓的地面； 松鼠被惊动，一下子窜出来，逃到最近的树上躲了起来 “鼠屎！” 冬青叶啐了一口 “你怎么搞的？” 狮焰叼着一只乌鸫走过来问道 “你还等着猎物自己跑到你爪边来吗？” 冬青叶耸耸肩，转身走开了 等父亲知道我们是谁，一定会为我们骄傲的！ 说不定他根本不知道我们的存在！ 说不定他一直想要幼崽，现在一下子有三个武士做他的亲人，相伴一辈子 快到营地的时候，她好不容易抓到一只老鼠，可她不得不承认，这只老鼠看起来本来就快老死了，甚至都没

tried to run. Prey was scarce, and by the time they reached the stone hollow she and Lionblaze hadn't caught anything else, but Jayfeather had found a clump of yarrow and now padded along with a bunch of the herb in his jaws. When Hollyleaf pushed her way into the clearing, followed by her littermates, she spotted Spiderleg, Birchfall, and Hazeltail clustered together near the fresh-kill pile. "I don't think Sol's gone," she heard Birchfall meow as she padded across with her prey. "He's lurking about somewhere." Hazeltail shivered. "I hope not. I knew all along we should never have brought him back." Spiderleg shrugged. "He can't do any more harm. Let him go where he likes." "And kill more cats?" Hazeltail's neck fur rose. "That's mouse-brained!" "If he's here, our patrols will find him," Birchfall reassured her, touching her shoulder with his tail. "And Firestar—" He was interrupted by a call from Dustpelt, who came bounding over from the barrier around the snake's hole. "I'm alerting every cat," the

试着逃跑。 猎物本来就稀少，等他们走到石山谷时，她和狮焰再也没捕到别的猎物，松鸦羽却找到了一丛蓍草，此刻正叼着一大把草药往前走 冬青叶跟着同窝的哥哥们挤进营地空地，一眼就看见蜘蛛腿、桦落和榛尾挤在新鲜猎物堆旁边 她叼着猎物走过去，听见桦落说道：“我觉得索尔没走 他肯定还躲在这附近什么地方。” 榛尾打了个冷颤 “希望不是这样。 我从一开始就说，我们根本不该带他回来。” 蜘蛛腿耸耸肩 “他也做不了什么更坏的事了。 他想去哪儿就去哪儿吧。” “那他再杀猫怎么办？” 榛尾颈后的毛都竖了起来 “这真是鼠脑子！” “要是他真在这儿，巡逻队会找到他的，”桦落安慰她，尾巴碰了碰她的肩膀 “还有火星——” 话还没说完，蛇坑外围屏障那边传来尘毛的呼喊，他正快步跑过来 “我正通知所有猫，”

brown tabby warrior meowed. "That mouse with the deathberries hasn't been touched. The snake must be still around." He dashed off to warn Brambleclaw and his patrol, who had just appeared through the tunnel. A sense of power thrilled through Hollyleaf from ears to tail-tip. ThunderClan had never felt so alive! Every cat was working together to face the threats that surrounded them. There was nothing they couldn't do! And I could do anything too, if I could lead them! "Hollyleaf." The black she-cat started as Leafpool spoke behind her; dropping her prey on the fresh-kill pile, she spun around to see the medicine cat with Squirrelflight at her side. "We need to talk," Squirrelflight mewed. Hollyleaf stared at Leafpool, her heart suddenly thundering in her chest. Is she going to tell the others what I did? Then Leafpool gave a tiny shake of her head, and Hollyleaf relaxed. "What do you want to say to us?" Lionblaze asked; he had come up to deposit his prey in time to hear what Squirrelflight had said.

棕色虎斑武士喵呜叫道。 "那只沾了死亡浆果的老鼠还没人碰过。 "那条蛇肯定还在这附近。" 他连忙冲出去提醒刚刚从隧道出来的黑莓掌和他的巡逻队。 一股力量从耳朵到尾尖，让冬青叶激动得浑身发颤。 雷族从来没有这么生机勃勃过！ 每只猫都齐心协力，对抗包围他们的种种威胁。 没有什么是他们做不到的！ 如果我能带领他们，我也什么都能做到！ "冬青叶。" 这只黑色母猫听到叶池在身后说话，吓了一跳； 她把猎物放到鲜食堆上，转过身，看见巫医身边站着松鼠飞。 "我们需要谈谈，"松鼠飞喵声道。 冬青叶盯着叶池，心脏突然在胸口咚咚狂跳。 她难道要把我做的事告诉大家吗？ 接着叶池轻轻摇了摇头，冬青叶这才放松下来。 "你有什么话要对我们说？" 狮焰问道，他刚好来放猎物，听到了松鼠飞刚才说的话。

"Yes, what have we got to talk about?" Jayfeather added, his challenging tone muffled by his mouthful of yarrow stems. "Not here," Leafpool murmured with a glance at the cats close by. "Come with us into the forest." Hollyleaf hesitated, exchanging a glance with Lionblaze. He seemed to be waiting for her to decide. Then she nodded. "Okay. We'll talk to you." When Jayfeather had deposited the yarrow in the medicine cats" den, Squirrelflight led the way into the forest as far as a huge oak tree with moss- covered roots. "Well?" Jayfeather demanded, an edge to his tone. "What's this all about?" Squirrelflight and Leafpool gave the three littermates a long look. Hollyleaf realized that although they were such different cats, the expression in their eyes was the same. She didn't want to recognize it; she didn't want to admit that it was love. Finally Squirrelflight took a deep breath. "Leafpool is your mother," she began, "but I want

"对啊，你到底有什么事要跟我们说？" 松鸦羽补充道，他嘴里塞满了欧蓍草茎，质问的语气含糊不清。 "别在这儿说，"叶池小声说着，瞥了一眼旁边的猫们。 "跟我们到林子里来。" 冬青叶犹豫了，和狮焰交换了一个眼神。 他看起来在等着她拿主意。 接着她点了点头。 "好吧。 我们跟你谈。" 等松鸦羽把欧蓍草放回巫医巢穴后，松鼠飞带路走进森林，来到一棵树根覆满苔藓的大橡树下。 "然后呢？" 松鸦羽追问道，语气带着尖锐。 "这到底是怎么回事？" 松鼠飞和叶池久久望着这三个同窝手足。 冬青叶发现，虽然她们是截然不同的猫，眼神里的神情却一模一样。 她不愿认出这种神情，不愿承认那就是爱。 终于松鼠飞深吸了一口气。 "叶池是你们的母亲，"她开口道，"但我想说