Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 Fireheart woke at dawn with the image of his sister still clear in his mind. He pushed his way out of the den, hoping the routine of the day would distract him. It was another cold, frosty morning. Whitestorm and Longtail were waiting near the camp entrance, preparing to leave on patrol. Mousefur padded past on her way to join them and greeted Fireheart with a cheery mew. Whitestorm called for Sandpaw, who came racing out of her den just in time to follow the patrol as it pounded out of the camp. It was a scene Fireheart had watched many times, but for once he didn't yearn to join them as they thundered away into the morning-fresh forest. He padded across the clearing, wondering if Cinderpaw was awake yet. Brindleface was just squeezing out of the narrow nursery entrance. A speckled kit followed her, then one more. A third kit, pale gray with darker flecks like the other, tumbled out and fell onto the ground. Brindleface picked it up by its scruff and placed it gently back on its paws. The tenderness of Brindleface's action brought Fireheart's dream

第十章火心在黎明醒来，他妹妹的形象仍然清晰地浮现在他的脑海里。 他挤出了洞穴，希望一天的例行公事能分散他的注意力。 这又是一个寒冷的早晨。 “白风暴”和“长尾”等在营地入口附近，准备出去巡逻。 鼠毛在去加入他们的路上蹑手蹑脚地走过，跟火心愉快地打招呼。 白风暴呼唤Sandpaw， Sandpaw从她的窝里跑出来，正好赶上巡逻队冲出营地。 这一幕火心已经看过很多次了，但这一次，他并不渴望加入他们的行列，看着他们轰隆隆地进入清晨清新的森林。 他蹑手蹑脚地走过空地，不知道Cinderpaw是否醒了。 斑脸正从狭窄的育儿室入口挤出来。 一套斑点套装跟在她后面，然后又是一套。 第三件衣服，浅灰色的，和另一件一样有更深的斑点，从衣服里滚了出来，掉在地上。 斑脸抓住它的颈毛把它捡起来，轻轻地放回到爪子上。 布林德尔菲斯的温柔举动给火心带来了梦想

flooding back. His mother had probably done the same for him. He knew that Brindleface's fourth kit had died soon after it was born, and she seemed to love the remaining kits even more fiercely now. Fireheart was overwhelmed by a pang of envy at the thought that the other cats here all shared something he did not—they were all Clanborn. Fireheart had always been proud of his loyalty to the Clan that had taken him in and given him a life he would never have known as a kittypet. He still felt that loyalty—he would die to protect ThunderClan—but no one in the Clan understood or even respected his kittypet roots. Fireheart felt certain the she-cat he had seen yesterday would. With an ache in his heart, he wondered what memories they might share. Fireheart heard Graystripe's heavy pawsteps behind him. He turned to greet his friend, stretching his head to touch Graystripe's nose, and asked, "Could you take Cinderpaw for the day?" Graystripe looked curiously at Fireheart. "Why?" "Oh, it's nothing important," replied Fireheart

洪水。他的母亲可能也为他做过同样的事。 他知道布林德尔菲斯的第四个孩子出生后不久就死了，她现在似乎更爱剩下的几个孩子了。 火心一想到这里的其他猫都有他没有的东西——它们都是氏族出身，就感到一阵嫉妒。 火心一直为自己对氏族的忠诚感到自豪，氏族收留了他，给了他一种他作为小猫永远不会知道的生活。 他仍然觉得忠诚——他会为保护雷霆氏族而死——但氏族中没有人理解甚至尊重他的小猫血统。 火心觉得他昨天看到的母猫肯定会。 他心里一阵疼痛，不知道他们会分享什么样的回忆。 火心听到身后传来格雷条纹沉重的脚步声。 他转过身来和他的朋友打招呼，伸出头去摸灰条的鼻子，问道：“你能把灰爪带走一天吗？”灰条好奇地看着火心。 “为什么?”“哦，没什么大不了的。”火心回答

as casually as he could. "I just wanted to check out something I saw yesterday. Watch out for Cinderpaw, though; she doesn't listen to orders very well. Don't take your eyes off her or she'll be charging off in every direction." Graystripe's whiskers twitched with amusement. "She sounds like a pawful! Still, it'll be good for Brackenpaw. He never charges off anywhere without thinking about it carefully first." "Thanks, Graystripe!" Fireheart bounded away toward the camp entrance before his friend could remember to ask him where he was going. As the Twolegplace came into view through the trees, Fireheart dropped into a crouch. He opened his mouth and breathed in the cold morning air. No sign of a ThunderClan patrol, and no Twoleg scents either. He relaxed a little. Slowly he approached the Twoleg fence where he had seen the she-cat disappear. He hesitated at the bottom and looked around, sniffing the air once more. Then he leaped, landing on a fence post in one easy jump. No Twolegs to be seen— just an empty garden with its strongly scented

尽可能随意。“我只是想检查一下我昨天看到的东西。 不过要小心灰姑娘的爪子；她不太听命令。 不要把眼睛从她身上移开，否则她会向四面八方冲去的。” 灰条的胡须好笑地抽搐了一下。 “她的声音听起来像一只爪子！”不过，这对Brackenpaw还是有好处的。 他去任何地方都要先仔细考虑一下。” “谢谢,Graystripe !”他的朋友还没来得及问火心要去哪里，火心就向营地入口跳去了。 树林中出现了双龙广场，火心蹲了下来。 他张开嘴，吸了一口早晨寒冷的空气。 没有雷族巡逻队的迹象，也没有特沃莱格的气味。 他放松了一点。他慢慢地走近特沃雷格篱笆，他看到母猫消失在那里。 他在底部犹豫了一下，环顾四周，再次嗅了嗅空气。 然后他跳了起来，轻轻一跳就落在了篱笆柱子上。 没有两条腿——只有一个散发着浓郁香味的空花园

plants. Fireheart felt exposed on the post. The branch of a tree hung low overhead. Its leaves had gone, but it would be easier to hide there. Silently he pulled himself up and lay down to wait, flattening himself against the rough bark. Fireheart could see a swinging flap in the entrance to the Twolegplace. He had used one just like it as a kit. He fixed his gaze on the flap, hoping his sister's face would appear at any moment. The sun rose slowly into the morning sky, but Fireheart started to feel cold. The damp branch was drawing the heat from his body. Perhaps the Twolegs were keeping his sister shut in. After all, her kitting would be soon. Fireheart licked a paw and wondered if he should go back to the camp. Suddenly he heard a loud clatter. Fireheart looked up and saw his sister pop out through the swinging flap. The fur along his spine rippled with anticipation, and Fireheart fought to stop himself leaping down into her garden straightaway. He knew he would frighten her, as he had done yesterday. He smelled like a forest cat now, not a

植物。火心觉得自己在柱子上暴露了。 一根树枝低垂在头顶。 它的叶子已经不见了，但躲在那里会更容易一些。 他默默地爬了起来，躺下来等着，把自己压在粗糙的树皮上。 火心看见双格广场的入口处有一个晃动的门扇。 他曾经用过一个一模一样的工具。 他目不转睛地盯着门扉，希望妹妹的脸随时出现。 太阳慢慢地升上了早晨的天空，但火心开始感到寒冷。 潮湿的树枝吸走了他身上的热量。 也许特立格兄弟把他妹妹关在家里了。 毕竟，她很快就会穿上衣服。 火心舔了舔爪子，不知道该不该回营地去。 突然，他听到一声巨响。 火心抬起头来，看见妹妹从摇摆的门缝里钻了出来。 他脊椎上的毛因期待而起伏，火心挣扎着不让自己立刻跳进她的花园。 他知道他会像昨天那样吓着她的。 他闻起来像森林里的猫，而不是

friendly kittypet. Fireheart waited until his sister had reached the end of the grass; then he crept to the tip of the branch and slipped down onto the fence. Quietly he jumped into the bushes below. The she-cat's scent brought his dream flooding back to him. How could he get her attention without frightening her? Desperately he searched his mind, trying to think of the name his sister had been given. He could remember only his own kittypet name. Fireheart called softly from the bushes, "It's me, Rusty!" The she-cat stopped dead and looked around. Fireheart took a deep breath and crept out from the bushes. The cat's eyes widened with terror. Fireheart knew how he must appear to her—lean and wild, with the sharp forest scents on his pelt. The she- cat raised her hackles and hissed ferociously. Fireheart couldn't help feeling impressed by her courage. In a flash he remembered his sister's name. "Princess! It's me, Rusty, your brother! Do you

友好的kittypet。火心一直等到妹妹走到草地的尽头；然后他爬到树枝的顶端，滑到篱笆上。 他悄悄地跳到下面的灌木丛里。 母猫的香味使他的梦如潮水般涌上心头。 他怎样才能引起她的注意而又不使她害怕呢？ 他拼命地在脑子里搜索，试图回想起他妹妹的名字。 他只记得自己的小猫名字。 火心从灌木丛中轻声叫道：“是我，罗斯蒂！”母猫停了下来，环顾四周。 火心深吸一口气，从灌木丛中爬了出来。 那只猫惊恐地瞪大了眼睛。 火心知道自己在她面前会是什么样子——又瘦又野，皮毛上散发着刺鼻的森林气味。 母猫竖起鬃毛，发出凶恶的嘶嘶声。 火心忍不住对她的勇气印象深刻。 刹那间，他想起了妹妹的名字。 “公主!是我，罗斯蒂，你哥哥！你

remember me?" Princess remained tense. Fireheart guessed she was wondering how this strange cat could know these names. He dropped into a submissive crouch, hope soaring in his chest as he watched his sister's expression slowly change from fear to curiosity. "Rusty?" Princess sniffed the air, wide-eyed and wary. Fireheart took a careful step forward. Princess did not move, so Fireheart edged closer. Still, his sister held her ground until Fireheart was standing only a mouse length away. "You don't smell like Rusty," she mewed. "I don't live with Twolegs anymore. I've been living in the forest with ThunderClan. I carry their scent now." She's probably never heard of the Clans, Fireheart realized, remembering his own innocence before he'd met Graystripe in the woods. Princess stretched her nose forward and rubbed her muzzle cautiously along his cheek. "But our mother's smell is still there," she murmured, half to herself. Her words filled Fireheart with happiness, until her eyes narrowed

还记得我吗?”公主仍然很紧张。 火心猜她在想，这只奇怪的猫是怎么知道这些名字的。 他顺从地蹲下身子，看着妹妹的表情慢慢地从恐惧变成好奇，心中充满了希望。 “生锈的?”公主嗅了嗅空气，睁大了眼睛，小心翼翼。 火心小心地向前迈了一步。 公主没有动，于是火心慢慢靠近。 尽管如此，他的妹妹还是坚守着阵地，直到火心站在只有一只老鼠那么远的地方。 “你闻起来不像罗斯蒂，”她叫道。 “我不再和Twolegs住在一起了。 我一直和雷霆家族住在森林里。 我现在还带着它们的气味。”“她可能从来没听说过氏族，”火心意识到，他想起了自己在树林里遇见灰条纹之前的纯真。 公主把鼻子向前伸，小心翼翼地在他的脸颊上摩擦。 “但是我们母亲的气味还在，”她喃喃地说，几乎是自言自语。 她的话让火心充满了幸福，直到她眯起了眼睛