Chapter 0 Prologue

WARRIORS FIRE AND ICE ERIN HUNTER

猫武士 寒冰烈火 艾琳·亨特

PROLOGUE Orange flames lapped at the cold air, throwing sparks up into the night sky. The firelight flickered across a wasteland of ragged grass, making silhouettes of the Twolegs huddled there. A pair of white lights appeared in the distance, heralding the approach of a monster. It roared past on a Thunderpath that rose high into the sky, filling the air with sour fumes. At the edge of the wasteland, a cat moved, its eyes glinting in the shadows. Pointed ears twitched, then flattened against the noise. More cats followed one by one, onto the filthy grass. They carried their tails low and sniffed the bitter air with their lips curled. "What if the Twolegs see us?" hissed one of the cats. A large tom answered, his eyes like amber disks reflecting the firelight. "They won't. Their night sight is weak." As he padded forward the flames lit up the black-and-white fur on his powerful shoulders. He held his long tail straight up, sending a message of courage to his Clan. But the other cats crouched low against the

序章 橙红色的火舌舔舐着冷空气，将点点火星溅向夜空。 火光在长满荒草的废地上摇曳，照出了缩在那里的两脚兽的剪影。 远方亮起一对白灯，预示着怪兽正在逼近。 它沿着高耸入云的雷鬼路轰鸣而过，酸臭烟雾弥漫了空气。 荒原边缘，一只猫动了动，眼睛在阴影里闪闪发亮。 尖尖的耳朵抖了抖，接着为抵挡噪音平贴了下去。 更多猫一只接一只走出来，踏上这片污秽的草地。 它们垂着尾巴，皱起鼻子嗅着苦涩的空气。 “要是两脚兽看见我们怎么办？”一只猫嘶声问道。 一只大个子公猫开了口，他的眼睛像琥珀圆盘，倒映着火焰的光。 “不会的。 他们夜视能力很差。” 他迈步向前，火焰照亮了他强健肩头的黑白皮毛。 他把长尾巴笔直竖起，向族群传递着勇气的信号。 但其他猫还是紧紧伏在

grass, trembling. This was a strange place. The noise of the monsters battered their sensitive ear fur, and the acrid stench stung their nostrils. "Tallstar?" A gray queen flicked her tail uneasily. "Why have we come here?" The black-and-white tom turned to the she- cat. "We've been driven from every place we've tried to settle, Ashfoot. Perhaps we can find some peace here," he meowed. "Peace? Here?" Ashfoot echoed in disbelief. She pulled her kit toward her and sheltered it beneath her belly. "With fire and monsters? My kits won't be safe!" "But we weren't safe at home," meowed another voice. A black tom pushed his way forward, limping heavily on a twisted paw. He held Tallstar's amber gaze. "We couldn't protect them from ShadowClan," he spat. "Not even in our own camp!" Anxious yowls rose from some of the cats as they remembered the terrible battle that had driven them from their home in the uplands, at the edge of the forest. A young apprentice wailed, "Brokenstar and his warriors may still be hunting

草地上，浑身发抖。 这是个陌生的地方。 怪兽的噪音冲击着它们敏感的耳绒毛，刺鼻臭味刺激着它们的鼻腔。 “高星？” 一只灰色母猫不安地甩了甩尾巴。 “我们为什么要来这儿？” 这只黑白公猫转向了这只母猫。 “我们试过落脚的每一个地方都把我们赶出来了，灰脚。 也许我们能在这儿寻得安宁。”他轻声说道。 “安宁？ 这儿？” 灰脚不敢相信地重复道。 她把幼崽拉到身边，护在了自己腹下。 “这儿有火还有怪兽？ 我的幼崽根本不安全！” “可我们在老家也不安全。”另一个声音开口道。 一只黑色公猫挤上前来，扭曲的爪子让他步履蹒跚，一瘸一拐。 他迎上高星琥珀色的目光。 “我们挡不住影族，保护不了它们。”他恨恨地说。 “就算在我们自己的营地都做不到！” 不少猫发出焦虑的号叫，它们想起了那场可怕的战斗，正是那场战斗把它们赶出了森林边缘高地上的家园。 一名年轻学徒哀嚎道：“断星和他的武士说不定还在追

us!" The cry alerted one of the Twolegs around the fire. It stood unsteadily and stared toward the shadows. At once the cats fell silent, crouching lower; even Tallstar lowered his tail. The Twoleg shouted into the darkness and flung something toward them. The missile flew over their heads and exploded in a burst of thorn-sharp pieces on the Thunderpath behind. Ashfoot flinched as a shard grazed her shoulder, but she stayed silent, curling her body around her terrified kit. "Keep down," hissed Tallstar. The Twoleg at the fire spat on the ground, then sat back down. The cats waited for a few moments before Tallstar stood once more. Ashfoot stood too, wincing at the new pain in her shoulder. "Tallstar, I fear for our safety here. And what will we eat? I can't smell any prey." Tallstar stretched his neck and rested his muzzle gently on the queen's head. "I know you're hungry," he meowed. "But we'll be safer here than back in our old territory, or in the

猎我们！” 这声叫喊惊动了火堆旁的一只两脚兽。 它摇摇晃晃站起身，朝着阴影这边望过来。 猫群立刻安静下来，伏得更低；就连高星都垂下了尾巴。 那只两脚兽对着黑暗大喊，还朝它们扔了个东西。 那东西飞过它们头顶，在身后的雷鬼路上炸开，溅出无数荆棘般锋利的碎片。 一块碎片擦过灰脚的肩膀，她缩了一下但没出声，只是蜷起身体护住吓坏了的幼崽。 “趴下别动。”高星嘶声说。 火堆边的两脚兽往地上吐了点东西，又坐了回去。 猫群等了一会儿，高星才再次站起身。 灰脚也站起来，肩膀新添的疼痛让她忍不住缩了一下。 “高星，我担心我们在这儿不安全。 而且我们能吃什么？ 我闻不到任何猎物的气味。” 高星伸长脖子，把口鼻轻轻贴在这只母猫的头上。 “我知道你饿了。”他说道。 但我们待在这儿，也比回旧领地，或是待在

Twoleg fields and woods. Look at this place! Even ShadowClan wouldn't follow us here. There's no scent of dogs, and these Twolegs can hardly stand." He turned to the black tom with the twisted paw. "Deadfoot," he ordered, "take Onewhisker and see if you can find anything to eat. If there are Twolegs, there must be rats." "Rats?" spat Ashfoot, as Deadfoot and a smaller brown tabby bounded away. "That's no better than crowfood!" "Hush!" hissed a tortoiseshell beside her. "Rat meat is better than starving to death!" Ashfoot scowled and dipped her head to lick her kit behind its matted ears. "We must find a new place to settle, Ashfoot." The tortoiseshell went on more gently: "Morningflower needs to rest and eat. Her kits will be born soon. She needs to be strong." The lean shapes of Deadfoot and Onewhisker emerged from the shadows. "You were right, Tallstar," called Deadfoot. "There are rat scents everywhere, and I think I've found somewhere we can shelter." "Show us," Tallstar ordered, gathering the rest

两脚兽的农田和树林里安全。 看看这地方！ 就算是影族也不会追到这儿来。 这儿没有狗的气味，而且这些两脚兽连站都站不稳。” 他转向那只爪子扭曲的黑色公猫。 “枯足，”他命令道，“带一根须去看看能不能找点吃的。 有两脚兽的地方，肯定就有老鼠。” “老鼠？”灰脚不屑地啐了一声，这时枯足和那只小个子棕斑虎斑猫已经跳着跑远了。 那还不如腐肉呢！” “闭嘴！”她身旁的玳瑁色猫嘶声说。 有老鼠肉吃总比饿死强！” 灰脚皱起眉，低下头舔舐幼崽缠结耳朵后面的毛。 “我们必须找个新地方定居下来，灰脚。” 这只玳瑁猫语气放柔，继续说道：“晨花需要休息和进食。 她的幼崽很快就要出生了。 她必须保持强壮。” 枯足和一根须精瘦的身影从阴影里走了出来。 “你说得对，高星。”枯足喊道。 “到处都是老鼠的气味，而且我找到了一个能让我们遮身的地方。” “带我们去。”高星下令，召集其余

of his Clan with a flick of his tail. Cautiously, the cats padded across the wasteland after Deadfoot. He led them toward the raised Thunderpath, the firelight making their shadows loom against its huge stone legs. A monster roared overhead and the ground shook. But even the tiniest kit sensed the need for silence and trembled without crying out. "Here," meowed Deadfoot, stopping beside a round hole, two cats high. A black tunnel sloped down into the ground. A constant stream of water trickled into it. "The water's fresh," Deadfoot added. "We'll be able to drink it." "We'll have wet paws day and night!" Ashfoot complained. "I've been inside," the black tom told her. "There's some space away from the stream. At least we'll be safe from Twolegs and monsters." Tallstar stepped forward and lifted his chin. "WindClan has traveled for long enough," he declared. "It's nearly a moon since ShadowClan drove us from our home. The weather is turning colder, and leaf-bare will be here soon. We have

尾巴一甩，召集了他全族的猫。 族猫们小心翼翼地跟在死足身后，缓步穿过荒原。 他领着大家往高架雷路走去，火光让他们的影子在巨大石墩上投下硕大轮廓。 一头怪兽从头顶呼啸而过，地面都震颤起来。 可就连最小的幼崽都知道要安静，只浑身发抖，没敢出声。 “就在这儿，”死足停下脚步，站在两猫高的圆洞旁开口道。 一条漆黑的通道顺着斜坡通往地下。 源源不断的溪水缓缓淌进洞里。 “这水很干净，”死足补充道。 “我们可以喝这里的水。” “那我们的爪子就得日夜湿着了！” 灰足抱怨道。 “我进去过，”这只黑公猫对她说道。 “那儿有块远离溪流的空地。 至少我们能在这儿躲开两脚兽和怪兽，很安全。” 高星走上前，扬起了下巴。 “风族已经流浪够久了，”他高声宣布。 影族把我们赶出家园，至今快一个月了。 天气越来越冷，秃季很快就要来了。 我们已经