Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26 Yellowfang, Dustpaw, and Sandpaw rushed forward in a defensive row, and the queens lined up behind them. Fireheart saw Cinderpaw hobbling to join them, but Dustpaw spat angrily at the small gray cat as she neared, and Cinderpaw scrabbled clumsily away, ears flat, back into Yellowfang's den. The elders grabbed the kits, bundled them into the nursery, and squeezed inside after them. Brindleface picked up Cloudkit in her jaws and pushed him in last. She tugged at the brambles with her paws, ignoring the thorns, and covered the entrance before turning to join the rest of her Clan in the clearing. Fireheart leaped down from the Highrock and raced to Yellowfang's side. He arched his back and hissed at Brokenstar, "You lost the last time we fought, and you'll lose again!" "Never!" Brokenstar spat back. "You might have taken my Clan away from me, but you can't kill me—I have more lives than you!" "One ThunderClan life is worth ten of yours!" Fireheart growled. He gave a warrior's yowl and

第二十六章黄牙、尘埃爪和沙爪冲到前面，排成一排防御，皇后们在他们后面排成一排。 火心看见灰爪子一瘸一拐地向他们走去，但灰尘爪子一走近，就生气地朝那只小灰猫啐了一口。灰爪子耷拉着耳朵，笨拙地爬开了，回到了黄牙的窝里。 长老们抓起小工具箱，把它们塞进育儿室，然后挤进去跟在他们后面。 Brindleface用嘴叼起Cloudkit，最后把它推了进去。 她不顾荆棘，用爪子拽着荆棘，遮住了入口，然后转身加入了她部落的其他成员。 火心从海岩上跳下来，跑到黄牙身边。 他弓起背，对布罗肯斯塔嘶嘶地说：“上次我们打架你输了，你还会再输的！”“从来没有!”布罗肯斯塔反驳道。 “你可以把我的家族从我身边夺走，但你不能杀了我——我的命比你多！”“一个雷霆族的生命抵得上你们十个！”Fireheart咆哮道。 他发出一声战士般的嚎叫

the clearing exploded into battle. Fireheart leaped straight for Brokenstar and grasped the dark brown tabby with his claws. Life as an outlaw had treated the former Clan leader harshly—Fireheart could feel the ribs of the flea- bitten tom beneath his fur. But Brokenstar was still strong. He twisted around and sank his teeth into Fireheart's hind leg. Fireheart yowled and hissed with rage, but kept his grip. Brokenstar struggled forward, scrabbling with his paws on the frozen ground. Fireheart felt his claws raking along Brokenstar's bony flanks as the rogue warrior ripped himself free. Fireheart lunged after him, but other claws were grasping at his hind leg. He looked over his shoulder to see who it was. Clawface crouched there, staring at Fireheart with narrowed, mocking eyes. Fireheart looked back at him in disbelief. He had never expected to see this cat again. He forgot Brokenstar instantly. It was Clawface who had killed Spottedleaf six moons ago; he had murdered the ThunderClan medicine cat in cold blood so that Brokenstar could steal Frostfur's kits. Rage roared in Fireheart's ears. As he twisted

空地上爆发了战斗。 火心直奔布罗肯斯塔，用爪子抓住了这只深棕色的虎斑猫。 作为一个亡命之徒的生活对这位前氏族首领很残酷——火心可以感觉到皮毛下被跳蚤咬过的汤姆的肋骨。 但是布罗肯斯塔仍然很坚强。 他转过身来，咬住了火心的后腿。 火心愤怒地嚎叫着，发出嘶嘶声，但还是抓住了他。 布罗肯斯塔挣扎着向前，用爪子在冰冻的地面上抓来抓去。 火心感到他的爪子在布罗肯斯塔骨瘦如柴的两翼上抓来抓去，这个无赖战士挣脱了自己。 火心扑向他，但其他爪子正在抓他的后腿。 他回头看看是谁。 爪脸蹲在那里，眯着讥讽的眼睛盯着火心。 火心难以置信地回头看着他。 他从没想过会再见到这只猫。 他立刻忘记了布罗肯斯塔。 六个月前，是爪子脸杀死了斑点叶；他残忍地杀死了雷霆氏族的药猫，这样布罗肯之星就可以偷走霜佛的工具包。 火心的耳朵里怒吼。 当他扭动的时候

around and threw himself on top of the scrawny brown tom, Fireheart glimpsed a flash of tortoiseshell fur out of the corner of his eye, and the sweet scent of Spottedleaf hit the roof of his mouth. He felt her spirit beside him. She had come to help him avenge her death. Fireheart hardly noticed the pain in his leg as he tore it free from Clawface's grasp and flew at him. The tom reared up and flailed his wide front paws. Thorn-sharp claws caught Fireheart behind his ear. Pain ripped through him like fire, and he staggered. Clawface was on him in an instant, pinning Fireheart to the ground and sinking his teeth into the back of his neck. Fireheart screeched in agony, "Help me, Spottedleaf! I can't do it!" Suddenly the weight was wrenched off his back. Fireheart sprang to his paws and spun around. Graystripe! The gray warrior stood motionless, his eyes filled with horror. Clawface's body hung limply from his jaws. Graystripe opened his mouth and Clawface fell to the ground, dead. Fireheart took a step forward. "He killed

火心转过身，扑到那只瘦骨嶙峋的棕色汤姆身上，眼角瞥见龟甲皮毛的闪光，点点叶的清香扑鼻而来。 他感到她的灵魂在他身边。 她是来帮他报仇的。 火心几乎没有注意到腿上的疼痛，他把腿从爪脸的手中夺了出来，朝他扑去。 那只汤姆直立起来，挥舞着它宽大的前爪。 尖利的爪子抓住了火心的耳后。 疼痛像火一样刺透了他，他摇摇晃晃。 爪子脸立刻扑向他，把火心按倒在地，用牙齿咬住了他的后颈。 火心痛苦地尖叫着：“救救我，斑点叶！我做不到！”突然间，他背上的重量被扯掉了。 火心跳了起来，转过身来。 Graystripe !灰衣武士一动不动地站着，眼里充满了恐惧。 爪子脸的身体瘫软地挂在他的下巴上。 灰条张开嘴，爪子脸倒在地上，死了。 火心向前迈了一步。 ”他死亡

Spottedleaf, Graystripe!" This was no time for remorse. "Is Bluestar with you?" he went on urgently. Graystripe shook his head. "She sent me back to fetch Tigerclaw," he replied. "We found bones. Bluestar recognized Brokenstar's stench and guessed he must be leading the rogue cats." A hiss sounded nearby and two cats crashed into Fireheart. He leaped out of the way. It was Frostfur battling with another of the attacking cats. The queen was fighting with all the power of StarClan. These were the cats who had stolen her kits. Hate shone in her eyes as she struggled. Fireheart held himself back—Frostfur didn't need his help. A moment later the rogue warrior was sent screeching away, through the bracken camp wall. Frostfur chased after him, but Fireheart called her back. "You have given him enough wounds to remember you!" The queen skidded to a halt by the bracken wall and turned, her sides heaving and her white fur stained with her enemy's blood. Another rogue warrior screeched past Fireheart and headed for the camp wall. Dustpaw

Spottedleaf Graystripe !”现在不是悔恨的时候。 “蓝星和你在一起吗？”他急切地问。 灰条纹摇了摇头。 “她让我回去找虎爪。”他回答。 “我们发现了骨头。蓝星认出了布罗肯斯塔的恶臭，猜想他一定是在带领那些流浪猫。” 附近传来一阵嘶嘶声，两只猫撞到了火心。 他跳开了路。这是弗罗斯特弗在和另一只攻击猫搏斗。 女王用星族所有的力量在战斗。 这些猫偷走了她的幼崽。 她挣扎着，眼中闪着仇恨的光芒。 火心忍住了，弗罗斯特不需要他的帮助。 过了一会儿，这个流氓战士尖叫着被送走了，穿过了长满蕨类植物的营地墙。 霜佛追着他，但火心把她叫了回来。 “你给他的伤已经够多了，让他记住你了！”王后在长满蕨菜的墙边停住脚步，转过身来，身体上下起伏，雪白的皮毛上沾满了敌人的鲜血。 另一个无赖战士尖叫着从火心身边经过，冲向营地的围墙。 Dustpaw

chased after him and managed to give the mottled tabby a fierce bite before he let him scrabble out of the camp. Only Brokenstar and one warrior left, Fireheart thought. Sandpaw had the rogue warrior pinned to the ground. The tom was lying motionless beneath her. Watch out! thought Fireheart, remembering his favorite trick of letting an enemy think he had won. But Sandpaw was not deceived. When the tom leaped to his paws, she was ready. She sprang off him, and then lunged, grasping the warrior with her claws to flip him over and rake his belly with her hind legs. Only when he squealed like a kit did she let go of him. The rogue tore out of the camp entrance, still wailing. There was an eerie moment of stillness. The ThunderClan cats stood in silence and stared at the blood and fur that was scattered around the clearing. In the middle lay Clawface's body. Where was Brokenstar? Fireheart spun around in alarm, scanning the camp. Could he have broken into the nursery? He was about to spring toward the bramble den when a wretched howl from Yellowfang's den tore the air. Fireheart tore

他追着他，狠狠地咬了这只斑驳的虎斑猫一口，然后让它爬出了营地。 只剩下失恋星和一名战士了，火心心想。 沙爪把那个无赖战士按倒在地。 汤姆一动不动地躺在她身下。 小心!火心想，想起了他最喜欢的让敌人以为自己赢了的把戏。 但是Sandpaw并没有受骗。 当汤姆跳起来时，她准备好了。 她从他身上跳下来，然后猛扑过去，用爪子抓住勇士，把他翻过来，用后腿耙他的肚子。 直到他像一只小猫一样尖叫，她才放开了他。 那流氓冲出营地入口，还在嚎啕大哭。 有一个令人毛骨悚然的寂静时刻。 雷族的猫们静静地站着，盯着空地上散落的血和毛。 中间躺着爪脸的尸体。 布罗肯斯塔在哪里？火心惊慌地转过身来，扫视着营地。 他会不会闯进育儿室？ 他正要向荆棘窝扑去，突然一声惨叫从黄牙窝里传来，撕裂了空气。 Fireheart撕

across to the fern tunnel. Cinderpaw! He raced into the den, expecting the worst, but saw instead Brokenstar lying in a heap on the ground. The old medicine cat stood over him. Brokenstar's eyes were closed and bloody. Fireheart saw his sides heave once, and stop moving. He recognized from the deep stillness in the rogue warrior's body that Brokenstar was losing a life. Yellowfang's claws were unsheathed and glistened red. Her face was twisted and her eyes glazed. Suddenly Brokenstar gasped and began to breathe again. Fireheart waited for Yellowfang to lunge at him with another killing bite, but she hesitated. Brokenstar didn't get up. Fireheart ran to the medicine cat's side. "Is this his last life? Why don't you finish him off?" he urged. "He murdered his father, banished you from your Clan, and tried to kill you." "It's not his last life," she rasped, "and even if it were, I couldn't kill him." "Why not? StarClan would honor you for it." Fireheart could not believe her words. The name

穿过蕨类植物的隧道。 Cinderpaw !他冲进洞穴，以为会发生最坏的情况，却看到布罗肯斯塔躺在地上，堆成一堆。 那只老猫站在他旁边。 布罗肯斯塔的眼睛闭着，满是血。 火心看到他的身体上下起伏了一下，然后停止了移动。 他从盗贼战士的身体深处的寂静中意识到布罗肯斯塔正在失去一条生命。 黄牙伸出爪子，发出红光。 她的脸扭曲着，目光呆滞。 布罗肯斯塔突然喘了口气，又开始呼吸了。 火心等着黄牙又朝他扑去，狠狠地咬了他一口，但她犹豫了。 布罗肯斯塔没有站起来。火心跑到药猫身边。 “这是他的最后一生吗？”你为什么不干掉他？”他催促道。 “他谋杀了他的父亲，把你驱逐出氏族，还想杀了你。” “这不是他的最后一生，”她厉声说，“即使是，我也不能杀了他。” “为什么不呢?《StarClan》会为此向你致敬的。” 火心不相信她的话。 这个名字