Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 A chilly wind was blowing from the moor when Firestar and his patrol reached the stream that marked the border with WindClan. Lionblaze's paws tingled as he padded up to the edge of the bank. This was close to where they had found Ashfur. He tried to shut out the memories of Ashfur's slick gray body, wedged behind a rock and bobbing in the current. Yet he could not regret Ashfur's death. Each cat leaped across the stream and raced into WindClan territory without even checking for scent. Lionblaze guessed that they, too, were spooked by the memory of the dead warrior. Firestar led them on, still at a run, until the stream was hidden behind them by rocks and reeds. Lionblaze tasted the air and shivered. There was a tang of snow that must have come from the mountains. A dark haze like storm clouds crouched on the horizon; Lionblaze knew he was looking at the distant home of the Tribe of Rushing Water. How are they managing? he

第二章 火星带着巡逻队抵达作为和风族分界的小溪时，荒原吹来阵阵寒风。 狮焰迈步走到河岸边上时，爪子隐隐有些发麻。 这里离他们发现烬毛的地方不远。 他拼命不去回想，烬毛滑溜溜的灰身子卡在岩石后、在水流里上下浮动的模样。 可他并不觉得烬毛的死值得遗憾。 所有猫都跳过小溪，连嗅探气味都没做，就冲进了风族领地。 狮焰猜测，他们也一想起这位死去的武士就心里发毛。 火星带着他们继续奔跑，直到小溪被岩石和芦苇挡在身后看不见了。 狮嗅了嗅空气中的味道，不由得打了个哆嗦。 空气中有雪的清寒气，肯定是从群山那边飘过来的。 天边笼着一层像暴风云一样的暗雾； 狮焰知道，那就是远方急水部落的家园。 他们现在过得怎么样啊？ 他

wondered. Leaf-bare would be even harder where snow lay thick on bare rock and prey was scarce. But I wish I could go back, he added to himself, knowing he meant not just back to the mountains, but back in time as well. When I was with the Tribe, I knew who I was and where my destiny was leading. "There are WindClan cats nearby," Firestar meowed. Lionblaze jumped guiltily; thinking about the Tribe, he had never noticed the WindClan scent, though it was strong and fresh. For the first time he started to wonder how their mission would turn out. There was still hostility between ThunderClan and WindClan; Onestar was bound to see an accusation behind Firestar's questions. The ThunderClan leader headed across the moor toward the WindClan camp with his warriors at his flanks. Wind buffeted their fur, and a strong gust nearly carried Sorreltail off her paws. "I can't imagine why cats would choose to live here!" she hissed as she struggled to regain her balance. "We like it here!" A loud meow rang out across

心里暗想。 秃叶季的日子本就难熬，那里裸岩上积着厚雪、猎物又少，肯定更加辛苦。 可我真希望能回去，他暗自想着，他知道自己不光想回到山里，还想回到过去的时光。 我和急水部落在一起的时候，清楚自己是谁，也知道命运指引我去往何方。 “附近有风族猫，”火星开口道。 狮焰猛地一惊，满心愧疚； 他一直想着急水部落的事，竟然没察觉到风族的气味，那气味明明又浓又新鲜。 他这才第一次开始担心，这次任务不知道会是什么结果。 雷族和风族之间依旧敌意未消； 一星肯定会觉得，火星的提问背后藏着指责。 这位雷族首领带领武士们穿过荒原，武士们分立他两侧，一同朝风族营地走去。 狂风拍打着他们的皮毛，一阵强风差点把栗尾吹得站不稳脚。 “我真搞不懂怎么会有猫愿意住在这里！” 她一边挣扎着重新站稳，一边气呼呼地说。 “我们就喜欢住这儿！” 一声响亮的猫叫传遍了

the moorland. Lionblaze looked up to see a WindClan patrol appearing over the shoulder of the hill. Tornear, the cat who had spoken, was in the lead, followed by Crowfeather, Whitetail, and Heathertail. Meeting Heathertail's gaze, Lionblaze saw nothing but cold contempt in the eyes of the cat who had once been his friend—and even more than that. Bitter regret surged through him. As he looked back, those times had been the happiest and easiest of his life, even though he had broken the warrior code to meet Heathertail in the tunnels beneath the forest. Now she looked as if she would have killed him for a couple of mousetails; Lionblaze shuddered as he pictured his own body lying in the stream. "Greetings, Tornear." Firestar dipped his head as the WindClan patrol approached. "What are you doing here?" Tornear sounded wary but not hostile, though Crowfeather's neck fur was bristling and Whitetail had unsheathed her claws. "I need to speak with Onestar," Firestar explained. "May we visit your camp?"

整个荒原。 狮焰抬眼望去，只见一支风族巡逻队从山丘顶走了过来。 说话的托尼尔走在最前面，身后跟着鸦羽、白尾和石楠尾。 迎上石楠尾的目光，狮焰只看到冰冷的轻蔑，可这只猫曾经是他的朋友，甚至不止是朋友。 苦涩的悔意涌上了他的心头。 现在回想起来，那段日子是他这辈子最开心轻松的时光，哪怕当初他为了在森林地下的隧道见石楠尾，违反了武士守则。 可现在她那眼神，好像为了几口老鼠肉都能杀了他； 狮焰一想到自己的尸体躺在小溪里，就忍不住打了个寒颤。 “你好，托尼尔。” 风族巡逻队走近时，火星低头致意。 “你们来这里做什么？” 托尼尔的语气警惕却没有敌意，可鸦羽后颈的毛已经炸起，白尾也露出了利爪。 “我要找一星谈一谈，”火星解释道。 “我们可以进入你们的营地吗？”

Tornear hesitated, narrowing his eyes in suspicion, then gave a brusque nod. "Very well, but we'll escort you. And you'd better not start anything." "We only want to talk," Firestar promised. Taking the lead, Tornear headed farther up the hill in the direction of the WindClan camp. Crowfeather and Whitetail flanked the ThunderClan patrol on either side, while Heathertail brought up the rear. Lionblaze was acutely conscious of her, padding just behind him, and felt her gaze pierce him like a thorn. At last Tornear led them up the long slope toward the circle of gorse bushes that surrounded the WindClan camp. Pushing through the thorns, Lionblaze paused to look down. It was a bleak place: a wide hollow of rough moorland grass where stones poked up through the thin soil. Twisted thornbushes gave the only shelter, except for the disused badgers" set that was now the elders" den. Lionblaze spotted Onestar sitting near the middle of the hollow, talking to Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat. A few other WindClan

托尼尔犹豫了，满怀疑虑地眯起眼睛，随后生硬地点了点头。 “好吧，但我们会陪同你们。 你们最好别挑起事端。” “我们只是来谈谈的，”火星保证道。 托尼尔走在前面，领着他们往山上走，朝风族营地的方向而去。 鸦羽和白尾分别走在雷族巡逻队的两侧，石楠尾走在队伍最后。 狮焰清晰地感觉到她就跟在自己身后，她的目光像尖刺一样扎着自己。 托尼尔终于带着他们走上长坡，来到了围住风族营地的荆豆丛圈前。 狮焰挤过荆刺，停下脚步往下望去。 这里十分荒凉：宽阔的凹地长满粗硬的荒原草，薄薄的土层露出一块块石头。 除了那个废弃不用、现在改成长者窝的獾洞，只有盘曲的荆棘丛能提供遮蔽。 狮焰看见一星坐在凹地中央，正和风族巫医树皮脸说话。 还有几只风族

cats—including the deputy, Ashfoot, and Crowfeather's son, Breezepelt—stood around listening. Lionblaze's paws pricked with curiosity as he recognized the urgency in Barkface's stance and expression; Lionblaze couldn't hear what he was saying, but it looked as though he was sharing grave news with his Clan leader. What's all that about? Lionblaze wondered. They can't know anything about Ashfur! Onestar glanced up as Tornear raced down the slope to announce the visitors. Seeing Firestar and the others, he hesitated for a few heartbeats, then spoke quickly to Barkface. The medicine cat nodded, and at last Onestar signaled with his tail to let Firestar bring his warriors down into the camp. "Greetings, Onestar." Firestar halted in front of the WindClan leader and bowed his head. "Thank you for allowing us to talk to you." The look Onestar gave to Firestar showed none of their old friendship. "Say what you have to say," he mewed cautiously. His edgy tone made Lionblaze wonder if all

群猫——包括副族长灰脚，还有鸦羽的儿子风皮——都围站在一旁听着。 狮焰看出叶脸的姿态和神情都带着急切，好奇得爪子都绷紧了； 狮焰听不到他说的内容，但看起来他正在给族长通报重大坏消息。 这到底是怎么回事？ 狮焰暗自纳闷。 他们绝对不可能知道灰毛的事！ 旋足冲下山坡通报访客到访时，一星抬了抬头。 看到火星一行人，他迟疑了片刻，随即快速对叶脸说了几句话。 这位巫医点了点头，一星终于摆了摆尾巴，示意火星带武士进营地。 “你好，一星。” 火星在风族族长面前站定，低下了头。 “谢谢你愿意接见我们。” 一星看向火星的眼神里，丝毫找不到旧日的情谊。 “有话直说。”他谨慎地开口。 他尖刻紧绷的语气，让狮焰不禁怀疑一切

was well in WindClan. Maybe there's something he doesn't want us to know about. Glancing around, he saw that all the WindClan cats looked skinny and underfed, but that was just as usual for WindClan. "I'd like to speak to you in private," Firestar began. Onestar's neck fur rose and he shook his head. "Anything you have to say can be said in front of my Clanmates." While he was speaking, Ashfoot padded up and stood by her leader's side. She said nothing, just surveyed the ThunderClan cats with calm, clear eyes. "Well?" Onestar prompted. "If that's how you want it." Lionblaze's belly churned as Firestar continued: "On the night of the Gathering, we found Ashfur's body in the stream that marks our border. There was a gash in his throat; we think a cat killed him." Instantly the WindClan warriors began to bristle, and Breezepelt let out an indignant yowl. Onestar lashed his tail and dug his claws hard into the ground. His eyes blazed with anger. "How

在风族都平安无事。 说不定有什么事他不想让我们知道。 他环顾四周，发现所有风族猫都瘦削饥饿，不过风族一向都是这样。 “我想和你私下谈谈。”火星开口道。 一星颈毛竖了起来，摇了摇头。 “你要说什么，当着我族猫的面说就行。” 他说话时，灰脚走过来站在了族长身边。 她什么也没说，只是用平静清澈的眼睛打量着雷族猫。 “说啊？” 一星催促道。 “既然你非要这样。” 狮焰心里七上八下，听火星继续说道：“集会那晚，我们在边界小溪里发现了灰毛的尸体。 他喉咙有道伤口，我们认为是被猫杀害的。” 风族武士立刻炸了毛，风皮愤怒地号叫起来。 一星甩动尾巴，爪子狠狠抠进地面。 他的眼睛燃着怒火。 “怎