Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 Frost lay thick on the ground as Brambleclaw's patrol headed through the forest toward the lake. The cats trotted in silence through the silver bracken, their breath clouding around their muzzles. Above Hollyleaf's head the sky was lightening to a pale dove-gray. Hollyleaf felt as though her paws would freeze to the ground at every step. Icy claws seemed to rake through her fur; the bitter cold numbed the tips of her ears. She felt light-headed—ever since Squirrelflight's revelation, she had found it hard to choke down even the smallest piece of fresh- kill. All that kept her going was a burning need to find out what Sol knew. Lionblaze trotted alongside her, grim-faced and strong, his amber gaze fixed on the forest ahead. His presence comforted Hollyleaf, though she felt Jayfeather's absence like the stab of a thorn. Maybe it's best that he stayed behind, she thought. It's not like he can look for Sol himself.

第四章 黑莓掌的巡逻队穿过森林前往湖边时，地上积着厚厚的霜。 猫们静悄悄地小跑在银亮的蕨丛中，口鼻边呼出的气凝成了白雾。 冬青叶头顶的天空渐渐泛亮，变成了柔和的鸽灰色。 冬青叶每走一步都觉得爪子要冻在地上了。 寒气像利爪一样刮透她的皮毛，刺骨的寒冷冻麻了她的耳尖。 她头昏沉沉的——自从松鼠飞说出真相后，她连一小块新鲜猎物都咽不下。 支撑她走下去的，是一定要弄清索尔知道什么的强烈渴望。 狮焰和她并肩小跑，神情坚定严肃，琥珀色的目光牢牢盯着前方的森林。 有他在身边冬青叶很安心，可松鸦羽的缺席却像刺扎一样让她难受。 也许他留下来才最好，她想。 他本来就没法自己去找索尔。

Brambleclaw led the way to the stream, and they followed it downhill until they reached the edge of the lake, where the water was still and shallow, with a delicate covering of ice. Are we mouse-brained, to set out on a long journey in leaf-bare? But in spite of the cold, tension within the patrol ebbed as they headed along the shore on the edge of WindClan territory. Hazeltail dropped back to pad along beside Hollyleaf, her eyes shining. "Isn't this great?" She gave a little bounce, like an excited kit. "We're going somewhere no cats have been before." "Actually they have," Hollyleaf pointed out, not wanting to listen to Hazeltail's chatter. "Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight went to the sun-drown-place with the other cats chosen by StarClan." "That must have been so exciting!" Hazeltail sighed. "Your mother and father have traveled farther than any cats, ever. They're so adventurous!" No, they're just liars, Hollyleaf thought

黑莓掌领头走到小溪边，他们沿着小溪下山，一直走到湖边。这儿水面平静又清浅，结着一层薄薄的冰。 我们是不是傻了，居然在寒冬出远门？ 不过虽然天冷，沿着风族领地岸边往前走的时候，巡逻队的紧张气氛慢慢消散了。 榛尾落在后面，走到冬青叶身边，眼睛亮晶晶的。 "这是不是超棒？" 她轻轻蹦了一下，就像只兴奋的小奶猫。 "我们要去从来没猫去过的地方！" "其实早就有猫去过了，"冬青叶打断她，不想听榛尾唠叨。 "黑莓掌和松鼠飞当年和其他星族选中的猫一起去过太阳沉没之地。" "那肯定太刺激了！" 榛尾感叹道。 "你的父母比任何猫走得都远， 他们真的太爱冒险了！" 不对，他们就是骗子，冬青叶心想。

bitterly. There was no sign of any WindClan cats as they skirted the territory, but as they approached the horseplace Hollyleaf began to pick up a strong WindClan scent. Brambleclaw halted, raising his tail to tell his patrol to do the same. He stood with head raised, his jaws parted to taste the air. Aware of the pelts bristling around her, Hollyleaf realized how jumpy they all were. They weren't doing anything to break the warrior code by keeping close to the edge of the lake, but a single whiff of WindClan scent had them all unsheathing their claws. Ashfur's death has done this to us. "Why should there be any trouble?" Hazeltail asked, puzzled. "We're allowed to walk beside the lake, aren't we?" Before Hollyleaf could respond, a gray she-cat appeared at the top of the bank and padded down toward the patrol. "Ashfoot!" Brambleclaw relaxed. "Greetings." "Greetings, Brambleclaw." The WindClan deputy dipped her head as she reached the group of ThunderClan cats. "I wondered if you would go

满心苦涩。 他们沿着风族领地边缘走，一路上没看到半个风族猫的影子，可快到马场的时候，冬青叶闻到了一股很浓的风族气味。 黑莓掌停下脚步，抬起尾巴示意巡逻队也停下。 他站着抬起头，张开嘴分辨空气中的气味。 冬青叶感觉到身边同伴的毛都炸起来了，才发现大家都这么紧张。 只是沿着湖边走，又没有违反武士守则，可仅仅是闻到了风族的气味，大家就已经亮出了爪子。 灰毛的死把我们都变成这样了。 "能有什么麻烦呀？" 榛尾满是困惑地问道。 "我们可以在湖边走，对不对？" 冬青叶还没来得及回答，一只灰毛母猫出现在堤岸顶，朝着巡逻队走了过来。 "阿什富特！" 黑莓掌放松下来。 "你好。" "你好，黑莓掌。" 风族副族长走到这群雷族猫面前，低下了头。 "我就猜你们是要去

looking for Sol. That is why you're here, isn't it?" Brambleclaw nodded. "Whether or not he killed Ashfur, he has questions to answer." "Then I've something to show you," Ashfoot meowed. "Follow me." She led the way along the edge of the lake until they reached the Twoleg fence around the horseplace; the mesh shone like a huge cobweb in the strengthening daylight. "There." Ashfoot flicked her ears toward a rough place on the mesh where a long, silky strand of reddish fur was caught. Brambleclaw padded up to it and sniffed it, then turned to the patrol with his amber eyes wide. "Sol." Hollyleaf's heart pounded harder in her chest. The evidence of Sol's presence brought his memory back to her more strongly than ever. He had seemed to know so much, had prophesied so much... and yet he had turned out to be a traitor. "Then he went this way!" Brackenfur exclaimed, his eyes gleaming. "We're on the right track."

找索尔。 你们来这儿就是为了这个，对不对？" 黑莓掌点了点头。 "不管灰毛是不是他杀的，他都有些问题要回答。" "那我有东西给你们看，"阿什富特说道。 "跟我来。" 她沿着湖边带路，一直走到马场周围的两脚兽栅栏那儿； 栅栏网在越来越亮的日光下，像一张大蜘蛛网一样闪着光。 "就在那儿。" 阿什富特把耳朵歪向栅栏网上一处破洞，那儿挂着一缕长长的、滑溜溜的红棕色毛。 黑莓掌走过去闻了闻，然后转过身，琥珀色的眼睛睁得大大的看着巡逻队。 "是索尔。" 冬青叶的心脏在胸口砰砰狂跳。 索尔来过这里的痕迹，比任何时候都更清晰地让冬青叶想起了他。 他曾经好像什么都知道，还预言了那么多事…… 结果到头来，他原来是个叛徒。 "那他就是往这边走了！" 棕爪兴奋地喊道，眼睛亮闪闪的。 "我们找对路了。"

"The scent's stale," Brambleclaw warned, "but not that old. Sol certainly passed this place not many sunrises ago." Ashfoot took a pace back, toward her own territory. "Good-bye, then, and good luck." "Thanks, Ashfoot," Brambleclaw responded. "You've helped us a lot—what made you do it?" Ashfoot twitched her ears. "I want my own Clan to be safe. Sol must be dealt with before he causes more trouble." Without waiting for a reply, she padded back up the bank and disappeared over the shoulder of the hill. "Or else she wants us to stop blaming WindClan," Birchfall muttered as soon as she was out of earshot. "That may be," Brambleclaw mewed. "But we don't need to bother about that now. All of you, get a good sniff of this fur, and fix the scent in your minds. Then we can be on our way." Sliding under the Twoleg fence, he led the way across the field. The ground was hard as stone, and the grass crunched underneath their paws. Their route led them close to the wooden horse nests. Hollyleaf felt her neck fur begin to

“这气味不新鲜了，”黑莓掌警告道，“但也没放很久。 索尔肯定没几天前才经过这儿。” 灰脚往后退了一步，退向她自己的领地。 “那再见了，祝你好运。” “谢谢你，灰脚，”黑莓掌回应道。 “你帮了我们这么多——你为什么要这么做呢？” 灰脚抖了抖耳朵。 “我希望我的族群能平安无事。 得在索尔惹出更多麻烦之前解决掉他。” 没等回答，她就轻步走回河岸，消失在山丘坡顶后。 “要么就是她想让我们别再责怪风族，”桦落等她走远听不到了，立刻小声嘀咕。 “有这个可能，”黑莓掌轻声说。 “但我们现在没必要操心这件事。 大伙都好好闻闻这团毛，把这个气味牢牢记在脑子里。 然后我们就可以出发了。” 他从两脚兽的围栏底下钻过去，带头穿过了田野。 地面硬得像石头，草在他们爪下嘎吱作响。 他们的路线紧挨着木马巢走。 冬青叶感觉到自己后颈的毛发开始

bristle as she caught the scents of Twoleg and dog, but nothing moved and there was no sound. She expected Brambleclaw to pass by quickly, but instead he halted at the entrance to the horse nest. "Why are we stopping?" she asked. "We won't stay long," Brambleclaw replied, "but there are some cats here I want Hazeltail to meet. Hello!" he called softly through the opening. Hazeltail looked up, puzzled, but before she could speak, two cats appeared from the shadows. In the lead was a muscular gray-and-white tom, with a smaller, paler she-cat just behind him. "Brambleclaw!" The tom sounded surprised but welcoming. "What are you doing here—and all these others? I hope there's no trouble in your Clan." "Nothing that need worry you," Brambleclaw replied. "Who are they?" Hollyleaf whispered in Lionblaze's ear. Lionblaze shrugged. "No idea." "Smoky, Floss," Brambleclaw went on, "this is Hazeltail, Daisy's daughter." He twitched his ears

竖起来，因为她闻到了两脚兽和狗的气味，可四周没有动静，也没有声响。 她以为黑莓掌会快速走过去，可他却在马巢入口停了下来。 “我们为什么停下？” 她问道。 “我们不会待很久，”黑莓掌回答，“但这里有几只猫，我想让榛尾见见他们。 喂！” 他对着入口轻声叫唤。 榛尾困惑地抬起头，可还没等她开口，阴影里就走出来两只猫。 走在最前面的是一只健壮的灰白公猫，身后跟着一只体型更小、毛色更浅的母猫。 “黑莓掌！” 公猫的语气带着惊讶，但十分欢迎。 “你们来这儿做什么——还带了这么多猫？ 我希望你的族群没出麻烦吧。” “没什么需要你担心的事，”黑莓掌回答。 “他们是谁呀？” 冬青叶凑在狮焰耳边小声问。 狮焰耸了耸肩。 “不知道。” “斯莫基，弗洛丝，”黑莓掌接着说道，“这位是榛尾，黛西的女儿。” 他动了动耳朵