Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 "I can't believe I'm doing this," Fireheart muttered as he pushed through the gorse tunnel into his own camp. He had found some fresh fox dung in the forest, and rolled in it until he reeked. No cat would ever guess he had been into RiverClan territory now. Whether they would let him into the warriors' den was another matter. At least he had managed to catch a squirrel on his way back, so he wasn't returning empty-pawed. As he emerged from the gorse tunnel, Fireheart saw Bluestar standing on top of the Highrock. He realized he had just missed hearing her call the Clan together, because other cats were appearing from their dens to gather below her. Fireheart left his squirrel on the pile of fresh- kill and padded over to join them. Across the clearing, Brindleface's kits tumbled out of the nursery, followed by Brindleface herself. Fireheart could easily pick out his sister's son, Cloudkit, by his gleaming white fur. Princess, Fireheart's sister who still lived in Twolegplace, had no wish to leave the comfortable life of a kittypet, but

第五章“我真不敢相信我要这么做。”火心咕哝着穿过金雀花隧道，回到自己的营地。 他在森林里发现了一些新鲜的狐狸粪，就在里面打滚，直到浑身散发出臭味。 现在没有猫会想到他已经进入河族的领地了。 他们是否会让他进入勇士的巢穴是另一回事。 至少他在回来的路上抓到了一只松鼠，所以他没有空手而归。 从金雀花隧道出来时，火心看见蓝星站在海岩城堡顶上。 他意识到自己刚刚错过了听到她把猫族召集在一起的声音，因为其他猫也从洞穴里出来，聚集在她下面。 火心把他的松鼠留在那堆刚宰完的肉上，蹑手蹑脚地走过去和他们会合。 穿过空地，布林德菲斯的工具箱从育儿室里滚了出来，布林德菲斯自己也跟着出来了。 火心一眼就能认出他妹妹的儿子云kit，因为他身上有闪闪发光的白色皮毛。 火心公主的妹妹仍然住在Twolegplace，她不希望离开小猫的舒适生活，但是

Fireheart's tales of Clan life had captivated her, and she had given her eldest son to the Clan. So far the Clan cats were finding it hard to accept another kittypet among them even though Brindleface treated him like one of her own kits. Fireheart knew from experience how much determination Cloudkit would need to make a place for himself. As he drew closer, Fireheart heard the white kit complaining loudly to Brindleface. "Why can't I be an apprentice? I'm nearly as big as that dumb ginger kit of Frostfur's!" Fireheart's interest quickened. Bluestar must be about to perform the apprentice-naming ceremony for Frostfur's two remaining kits. Their brother and sister, Brackenpaw and Cinderpaw, had been named apprentices a few moons ago, and Fireheart could guess that these two must be desperate for their own naming. He was glad that he had returned in time to witness it. "Shh!" Brindleface whispered to Cloudkit, as she gathered her kits around her and found them a place to sit. "You can't be an apprentice until you're six moons old."

火心的部落生活故事深深吸引了她，于是她把自己的大儿子献给了部落。 到目前为止，尽管Brindleface把他当作自己的小猫咪一样对待，但猫咪家族的猫们还是很难接受他们中的另一只小猫。 根据经验，火心知道Cloudkit需要多大的决心才能为自己创造一个位置。 当他走近时，火心听到白色小工具箱在大声地向斑脸抱怨。 “为什么我不能当学徒？” 我几乎和弗罗斯特弗那套愚蠢的姜黄色套装一样大了！”火心的兴趣更大了。 蓝星一定要为弗罗斯特弗剩下的两件装备举行学徒命名仪式了。 他们的哥哥和妹妹，布拉肯爪和灰姑娘爪，几个月前被封为徒弟，火心可以猜到，这两个人一定非常想要自己的名字。 他很高兴自己及时回来目睹了这一切。 “嘘!”Brindleface低声对Cloudkit说，她把她的工具箱放在身边，找了个地方坐下。 “六个月大的时候才能当学徒。”

"But I want to be an apprentice now!" Fireheart left Brindleface trying to explain Clan customs to the insistent Cloudkit and went to sit near the front of the gathering, next to Sandstorm. Her head whipped around in alarm as he took his place. "Fireheart! Where have you been? You smell like a fox that's been dead for a moon!" "Sorry," Fireheart mumbled. "It was an accident." He hated the stench as much as any cat, and he didn't like having to lie to Sandstorm about how he came to smell like that. "Well, stay away from me till it wears off!" Though Sandstorm's words were firm, there was laughter in her eyes as she shifted a tail-length away from him. "And clean yourself up before you come into the den," growled a familiar voice. Fireheart turned to see Tigerclaw standing behind him. "I'm not going to sleep with that stink in my nose!" Fireheart dipped his head in embarrassment as Tigerclaw stalked away, then looked up as Bluestar began to speak. "We are gathered here to give two Clan kits

“但我现在想当学徒！”火心离开了Brindleface，试图向坚持己见的Cloudkit解释部落的习俗，然后去坐在集会的前排，沙暴旁边。 当他坐到他的位置上时，她惊恐地转过头来。 “Fireheart !你去哪儿了？ 你闻起来像死了一个月的狐狸！”“对不起。”火心咕哝道。 “这是个意外。”他和任何一只猫一样讨厌这种臭味，他也不愿意向沙暴撒谎，告诉他自己是怎么染上这种臭味的。 “好吧，离我远点，直到药效过去！”虽然沙暴说得很坚定，但当她把尾巴从他身边挪开时，眼里却充满了笑声。 “进洞穴之前把自己弄干净。”一个熟悉的声音咆哮道。 火心转过身来，看见虎爪站在他身后。 “我不想带着鼻子里的臭味睡觉！”虎爪大步走开时，火心尴尬地低下头，蓝星开始说话时，他抬起头来。 “我们聚集在这里是为了赠送两个氏族工具包

their apprentice names." She glanced down to where Frostfur was sitting proudly, with her tail curled neatly over her paws. The two kits sat one on each side of her, and as Bluestar spoke, the bigger of them, a ginger kit like his brother Brackenpaw, sprang impatiently to his paws. "Yes, come forward, both of you," Bluestar invited warmly. The ginger kit dashed forward and skidded to a stop at the foot of the Highrock. His sister followed more sedately. She was white like her mother, except for ginger patches along her back, and a ginger tail. Fireheart closed his eyes for a moment. Not long ago, he had been given Cinderpaw as his apprentice. He half wished that he could be mentor to one of these kits, but he knew that if Bluestar had chosen him for this honor, she would have already told him to expect it. Perhaps she would never choose him again, he thought with a pang that chilled his heart, after he had failed Cinderpaw so badly. "Mousefur," meowed Bluestar, "you have told me that you are ready to take on an apprentice.

他们徒弟的名字。”她低头看了一眼，看到霜佛正骄傲地坐着，尾巴整齐地卷在爪子上。 两只小山羊分别坐在她的两边，蓝星说话的时候，个头较大的那只像他哥哥布拉肯爪一样的姜黄色小山羊不耐烦地跳了起来。 “是的，你们两个都过来。”蓝星热情地邀请道。 姜黄色的装备向前冲去，在海岩脚下打滑停了下来。 他的妹妹更镇定地跟在后面。 她和她母亲一样白，除了背上有几块姜黄色的斑点，还有一条姜黄色的尾巴。 火心闭了一会儿眼睛。 不久前，他得到了灰姑娘的爪子作为他的学徒。 他有点希望自己能成为其中一个工具包的导师，但他知道，如果蓝星选择他来承担这项荣誉，她早就告诉他要做好准备了。 也许她再也不会选择他了，他心里一阵剧痛，在他如此彻底地辜负了灰姑娘爪子之后。 “鼠毛，”蓝星叫道，“你告诉我你准备收一个徒弟。

You will be mentor to Thornpaw." Fireheart watched as Mousefur, a wiry, compact she-cat with brown fur, stepped forward and went to stand beside the ginger kit, who scampered up to meet her. "Mousefur," Bluestar went on, "you have shown yourself a brave and intelligent warrior. See that you pass on your courage and wisdom to your new apprentice." While Bluestar spoke, Mousefur looked just as proud as the newly named Thornpaw. The two of them touched noses and withdrew to the edge of the clearing. Fireheart could hear Thornpaw meowing eagerly, as if he was already plying his mentor with questions. The ginger-and-white kit was still standing beneath the Highrock, looking up at Bluestar. Fireheart was close enough to see her whiskers quivering with anticipation. "Whitestorm," Bluestar announced, "you are free to take a new apprentice now that Sandstorm has become a warrior. You will be mentor to Brightpaw." The big white cat, who had been stretched out

你将成为桑爪的导师。” 火心看着鼠毛——一只长着棕色毛、结实结实的母猫——走上前去，站在姜黄色小猫咪旁边，后者蹦蹦跳跳地迎了上来。 “鼠毛，”蓝星接着说，“你表现出了你是一个勇敢而聪明的战士。 一定要把你的勇气和智慧传授给你的新徒弟。” 蓝星说话的时候，鼠毛看起来和新取名的刺爪一样骄傲。 他们俩碰了碰鼻子，退到空地的边缘。 火心听得见桑爪在急切地喵喵叫，好像它已经在向它的导师提问了。 那套姜白色的装备还站在海岩酒店下面，抬头看着蓝星。 火心离得很近，可以看到她的胡须因期待而颤抖。 “白风暴，”蓝星宣布，“既然沙暴已经成为一名战士，你就可以自由地招收新徒弟了。 你将成为亮爪的导师。” 那只大白猫，被伸直了身子

at the front of the gathering, stood up and padded over to Brightpaw. She waited for him with her eyes shining. "Whitestorm," meowed Bluestar, "you are a warrior of great skill and experience. I know that you will pass on all you know to this young apprentice." "Certainly," Whitestorm purred. "Welcome, Brightpaw." He bent to touch noses with her, and escorted her back to the assembled cats. The other cats began to gather around, congratulating the two new apprentices and calling them by their new names. As he went to join them, Fireheart caught sight of Graystripe at the back of the crowd, beside the tunnel. His friend must have returned to camp unseen while the rest of the Clan were listening to Bluestar. "It's all arranged," Graystripe mewed softly, padding over to Fireheart. "If it's sunny tomorrow, Silverstream and Mistyfoot will persuade Graypool to leave the camp for some exercise. They'll meet us at sunhigh." "Where?" Fireheart asked, not sure that he wanted to go far into RiverClan territory two days

站起身来，向亮爪走去。 她两眼放光地等着他。 “白风暴，”蓝星叫道，“你是一个技能高超、经验丰富的战士。 我知道你会把你所知道的一切传授给这个年轻的徒弟。” “当然，”怀特斯托姆咕噜着。 “欢迎,Brightpaw。”他弯下腰去摸她的鼻子，然后把她护送回聚集在一起的猫那里。 其他的猫开始围过来，祝贺这两个新学徒，并叫他们的新名字。 当他走过去和他们会合时，火心看到了灰条纹站在人群的后面，在隧道旁边。 他的朋友一定是在部落的其他人都在听蓝星乐队的时候偷偷地回到了营地。 “都安排好了。”灰条轻声叫道，朝火心走去。 “如果明天天气晴朗，银溪和雾凇就会劝格雷普离开营地去锻炼。 他们会在太阳出来的时候和我们见面。” “在哪里?”火心问道，他不确定自己是否愿意在这两天里深入河族的领地