Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16 The rain continued through the night and into the next morning. But by sunhigh, the clouds began to clear. A somber air hung over the clearing as the Clan waited for news of their leader. Fireheart crept out from the patch of brambles by the boundary wall, where he'd sheltered since dawn. He padded over to Bluestar's den in the side of Highrock. There was no sound from inside. As he turned away, he ran into Willowpelt carrying food to the nursery. She tipped her head questioningly to one side. Fireheart knew she was hoping for news of Bluestar. "Nothing to report, I'm afraid." He shrugged. Fireheart had given Cinderpaw and Brackenpaw a day's rest from training. He could see them now, lounging outside their den, looking bored. Fireheart knew he had let them down, but he wanted to stay in camp while Bluestar was sick. At least Tigerclaw wasn't here to criticize his decision. The great deputy had taken out the dawn patrol.

第十六章雨下了一夜，一直下到第二天早晨。 但到了太阳出来的时候，乌云开始散去。 在氏族等待首领的消息时，空地上笼罩着一种阴沉的气氛。 火心蹑手蹑脚地从边界墙旁的荆棘丛中爬了出来，他从黎明起就躲在那里。 他蹑手蹑脚地走到海岩那边蓝星的窝里。 里面一点声音也没有。 当他转身离开的时候，他碰到了威洛佩尔特，她正在往育儿室送食物。 她疑惑地把头歪向一边。 火心知道她在等蓝星的消息。 “恐怕没什么可报告的。” 他耸了耸肩。火心让灰姑娘和爪子在训练结束后休息了一天。 他现在可以看见他们在洞穴外面闲逛，一副厌烦的样子。 火心知道他让他们失望了，但他想在蓝星生病期间留在营地。 至少虎爪不在这里批评他的决定。 这位伟大的副警长已经出动了黎明巡逻队。

Suddenly the lichen at Bluestar's den twitched and Frostfur burst through. She raced across the clearing to Yellowfang's den and reappeared within moments with the medicine cat behind her. Fireheart bounded over to Bluestar's den just as Frostfur and Yellowfang pushed through the hanging lichen. He stopped outside and sat down, his heart racing. Frostfur peered out. "What's wrong?" Fireheart asked, his voice trembling. Frostfur closed her eyes. "She has greencough," she told him bleakly. "Stand watch and make sure no one comes inside." She ducked back inside. Fireheart sat motionless as shock flooded through him. Greencough! Bluestar really was in danger of losing another life. A sharp yowl outside the camp made him turn and look toward the gorse tunnel. Dustpaw exploded into the clearing and skidded to a halt beside Fireheart. "I've come from Tigerclaw," he panted. "I have a message for Bluestar." "She's sick," Fireheart replied. "You can't go in."

突然，蓝星洞穴里的地衣抽搐了一下，霜毛冲了出来。 她跑过空地，来到黄牙的窝里，不一会儿又出现了，药猫跟在她后面。 就在霜毛和黄牙穿过悬挂的地衣时，火心跳进了蓝星的巢穴。 他在外面停下来坐下，心跳加速。 弗罗斯特向外张望。“怎么了?”火心问道，声音颤抖。 弗罗斯特弗闭上了眼睛。“她已经够绿了，”她沮丧地告诉他。 “站岗放哨，确保没人进来。” 她躲回屋里。火心一动不动地坐着，震惊淹没了他的全身。 Greencough !蓝星真的有失去另一个生命的危险。 营地外面一声尖锐的嚎叫使他转过身，朝金雀花隧道望去。 尘埃爪冲进空地，在火心旁边滑了下来。 “我是从虎爪那儿来的。”他喘着气说。 “我有话要对蓝星说。” “她病了。”火心回答。 “你不能进去。”

Dustpaw flicked his tail impatiently. "Tigerclaw needs to see her at the Thunderpath. It's very urgent." "What's wrong?" Dustpaw glared at him. "Tigerclaw asked for Bluestar," he sneered. "Not some kittypet pretending to be a warrior!" Fury shot through Fireheart and he unsheathed his claws. "Bluestar can't leave the camp," he growled. He flattened his ears and moved so that he blocked the entrance to his leader's den. "Fireheart is right." Yellowfang's rough meow sounded behind him. She had come out of Bluestar's den. Dustpaw looked at the medicine cat, shrinking beneath her orange gaze. "Tigerclaw has found evidence of ShadowClan warriors in our territory," he meowed. "They've invaded our hunting grounds!" In spite of his fear for Bluestar, Fireheart felt his lip curl in anger. How dared they? After what ThunderClan had done for them! But Yellowfang wasn't interested in Dustpaw's report. She turned to Fireheart, her eyes filled

尘埃爪不耐烦地摇着尾巴。 “虎爪要去雷道见她。 事情非常紧急。”“怎么了?”尘埃爪瞪着他。 “虎爪要蓝星。”他冷笑着说。 “不是什么假装成战士的小猫！”怒火穿透了火心，他拔出了爪子。 “蓝星不能离开营地，”他咆哮道。 它竖起耳朵，移动着，堵住了首领巢穴的入口。 “火心说得对。”黄牙粗暴的喵喵声在他身后响起。 她从蓝星的窝里出来了。 尘埃爪看着那只药猫，在她橙色的目光下畏缩了。 “虎爪在我们的地盘上发现了暗影族战士的证据。” “他们侵入了我们的狩猎场！”尽管他很担心蓝星，火心还是感到自己的嘴唇愤怒地卷了起来。 他们怎么敢？雷霆氏族为他们做了那么多！但是黄牙对灰尘爪的报告不感兴趣。 她转向火心，眼里充满了泪水

with urgency. "Fireheart," she meowed. "Tell me, do you know whether there is any catnip in the Twolegplace?" "Catnip?" Fireheart echoed. "I need it for Bluestar," Yellowfang explained. "It's an herb I haven't used for moons, but I think it will help her." The medicine cat had Fireheart's full attention now. She continued, "It has soft leaves and an irresistible scent…." Fireheart interrupted her. "Yes, I know where to find some!" He had never seen it in the woods, but as a kit he had rolled in a patch in his Twoleg home. "Good," replied Yellowfang. "I need as much as you can carry, and fast." "What about Tigerclaw?" demanded Dustpaw. "Tigerclaw will have to deal with it on his own for the moment!" Yellowfang snapped. Cinderpaw had been watching them from the tree stump. She bounded up. "Deal with what himself?" she mewed excitedly. Fireheart signaled her to be quiet with an urgent flick of his tail. Dustpaw ignored the apprentice. "ShadowClan could be in our territory by now!" he hissed.

与紧迫感。“火心。”她叫道。 “告诉我，你知道巴黎有猫薄荷吗？”“猫薄荷?”Fireheart回荡。 “我需要它给蓝星，”黄方解释道。 “这是一种我好几个月没用过的草药，但我想它会对她有帮助。” 这只药猫吸引了火心的全部注意力。 她接着说：“它有柔软的叶子和令人难以抗拒的香味....” 火心打断了她的话。 “是的，我知道在哪里可以找到！”他从来没有在树林里见过它，但作为一个工具包，他在特沃列格家里的一块地方打滚。 “很好，”黄牙回答。 “我需要你能拿多少就拿多少，而且要快。” “虎爪呢？”簸箕问。 “虎爪暂时得自己对付它了！”Yellowfang厉声说。 Cinderpaw一直在树桩上看着他们。 她跳了起来。“他自己处理什么？”她兴奋地叫道。 火心急切地甩了甩尾巴，示意她安静下来。 尘埃爪没有理睬徒弟。 “影子氏族现在可能已经进入我们的领土了！”他嘶嘶地说。

Cinderpaw's eyes widened but she held her tongue. Yellowfang paused to think. "Where's Whitestorm?" she asked. "Patrolling Sunningrocks with Sandpaw and Mousefur," Dustpaw answered. Yellowfang nodded. "With Bluestar sick and Fireheart fetching catnip, we can't risk sending any more warriors out of the camp. If ShadowClan is in our territory, they might attack here. They've done it before," she reminded him grimly. "If I'm quick getting the catnip," Fireheart put in, "I could meet Tigerclaw afterward and bring back his message for Bluestar." Dustpaw's eyes flashed. "But he wants Bluestar to see the evidence for herself. ShadowClan has left the remains of fresh-kill on our side of the Thunderpath!" Yellowfang silenced him with a growl. "Bluestar doesn't need to see the evidence," she rasped. "The word of her deputy ought to be enough." "Tigerclaw just needs to be told that Bluestar

灰姑娘的眼睛睁大了，但她没有说话。 黄牙停下来想了想。 “白风暴在哪儿？”她问。 “和Sandpaw和鼠毛一起在太阳岩巡逻，”Dustpaw回答。 Yellowfang点点头。“蓝星病了，火心又在取猫薄荷，我们不能再冒险派战士出营地了。 如果影帮在我们的地盘上，他们可能会攻击这里。 他们以前也干过。”她严肃地提醒他。 “如果我能快点拿到猫薄荷，”火心插嘴说，“我就能在事后见到虎爪，把他给蓝星的信带回来。” 尘埃爪的眼睛闪着光。但他希望蓝星能亲眼看到证据。 暗影氏族在我们这边的雷电之路留下了新鲜杀戮的残骸！”黄牙咆哮了一声，让他闭嘴。 “蓝星不需要看证据，”她厉声说。 “她副手的话就够了。” “虎爪只需要被告知蓝星

can't come," meowed Fireheart. "I'll take the message to him after I've fetched the catnip. Where is he?" "I'll go!" Dustpaw spat. "Do you think you're a better messenger than me because you're a warrior and I'm just an apprentice?" He threw Fireheart a look of pure hatred. But Yellowfang had no time for quarrels. "The Clan will need protecting while Fireheart is gone!" she hissed at Dustpaw, flattening her ears. "Isn't that duty important enough for you? Now, where is Tigerclaw?" "Beside the burned ash tree that overhangs the Thunderpath," Dustpaw replied sulkily. "Right," Yellowfang growled. "Go now, Fireheart! Quickly!" As Fireheart sped away across the clearing, he heard small pawsteps sprinting after him. "Fireheart, wait!" "Go back to your den, Cinderpaw," he meowed over his shoulder without slowing down. "But I could go and give Tigerclaw the message while you get the catnip!" Fireheart stopped in his tracks and turned to

我不能来。”火心叫道。 “我去取猫薄荷后，就带口信给他。 他在哪儿？”“我去!”Dustpaw口角。 “你觉得你比我更适合当信使吗，因为你是个战士，而我只是个学徒？”他恨恨地瞪了火心一眼。 但黄方没有时间争吵。 “火心不在的时候，氏族需要保护！”她压低耳朵对灰尘爪说。 “难道这个责任对你来说还不够重要吗？” 现在，虎爪在哪儿？”“就在那棵烧过的灰树旁边，那棵树悬在雷道之上。”尘埃爪不高兴地回答。 “对。”黄牙咆哮道。 “去吧，火心！”快!”当火心在空地上飞奔而去时，他听到身后有小脚步声。 “Fireheart,等等!”“回你的窝里去，灰姑娘的爪子。”他从他的肩膀上喵喵地叫着，丝毫没有放慢脚步。 “但我可以去把消息告诉虎爪，你去拿猫薄荷！”火心停下脚步，转身