Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 "Have you seen Cloudpaw?" Fireheart emerged from the fern tunnel and called to Thornpaw, Mousefur's apprentice. The ginger tom was trotting toward the pile of fresh-kill with two mice dangling from his jaws. He shook his head, and Fireheart felt a flash of annoyance. Cloudpaw should have been back ages ago. "All right. Take those mice straight to the elders," he ordered Thornpaw. The apprentice gave a muffled mew and padded quickly away. Fireheart felt his tail bristle with anger at Cloudpaw, but he knew it was fear that made him so furious. What if Tigerclaw has found him? Feeling his alarm grow, Fireheart hurried to Bluestar's den. He would tell her his decision about the mentors and then he could go and look for Cloudpaw. At the Highrock, Fireheart didn't pause to smooth his ruffled fur; he just called out and pushed his way through the lichen as soon as he heard Bluestar's reply. The ThunderClan leader was crouching in her nest where he had left her, staring at the wall.

第三章“你看见云爪了吗？”火心从蕨类植物的地道里钻出来，向鼠毛的徒弟刺爪喊了一声。 姜黄色的汤姆嘴里叼着两只老鼠，正小跑着向那堆新鲜的猎物走去。 他摇了摇头，火心感到一阵恼怒。 云爪早就该回来了。 “好吧。把这些老鼠直接交给长老们。”他命令桑爪。 学徒闷声叫了一声，快步走开了。 火心感到自己的尾巴因对云爪的愤怒而竖了起来，但他知道，让他如此愤怒的是恐惧。 如果虎爪找到他了怎么办？ 火心感到自己越来越惊慌，急忙奔向蓝星的巢穴。 他会告诉她关于导师的决定，然后他就可以去找云爪了。 在海岩酒店，火心没有停下来抚平他那皱巴巴的皮毛；他一听到蓝星的回答，就喊了一声，从地衣中挤了过去。 雷霆氏族的首领蹲在他离开她的巢穴里，盯着墙壁。

"Bluestar," Fireheart began, dipping his head. "I thought Dustpelt and Darkstripe would be good mentors." The elderly she-cat turned her head and looked at Fireheart, then heaved herself up onto her haunches. "Very well," she answered flatly. A wave of disappointment broke over Fireheart. Bluestar looked as if she didn't care whom he chose. "Shall I send them to you so you can tell them the good news?" he asked. "They're out of the camp just now," he added. "But when they return, I can—" "They're out of camp?" Bluestar's whiskers twitched. "Both of them?" "They're on patrol," Fireheart explained uncomfortably. "Where's Whitestorm?" "Out training Brightpaw." "And Mousefur?" "Hunting with Brackenfur and Sandstorm." "Are all the warriors out of camp?" Bluestar demanded. Fireheart saw the muscles in her shoulders tense and his heart lurched. What was Bluestar

“蓝星。”火心低下头说。 “我认为Dustpelt和Darkstripe会是很好的导师。” 老母猫转过头看了看火心，然后仰起身子。 “很好，”她平淡地回答。 一阵失望的情绪席卷了火心。 蓝星看起来好像不在乎他选谁。 耶稣说：“我打发他们到你那里去，你可以将好消息告诉他们吗？” “他们刚刚离开了营地，”他补充说。 “可是等他们回来，我就可以——”“他们离开营地了？”蓝星的胡须抽搐了一下。 “他们两个？”“他们在巡逻。”火心不安地解释道。 “Whitestorm在哪?”“出去训练亮爪。” “Mousefur呢?”“和布拉肯弗和沙暴一起打猎。” “所有的战士都离开营地了吗？”蓝星问道。 火心看到她肩膀上的肌肉绷紧了，他的心怦怦直跳。 蓝星是什么

afraid of? His thoughts darted back to Cloudpaw and the fear he had felt this morning in the silent forest. "The patrol's due back soon." Fireheart fought to stay calm as he tried to reassure his leader. "And I'm still here." "Don't patronize me! I'm not some frightened kit!" spat Bluestar. Fireheart shrank back and she went on: "Make sure you stay in camp until the patrol returns. We've been attacked twice in the past moon. I don't want the camp to be left unguarded. In the future I want at least three warriors to remain in camp all the time." Fireheart felt a chill shudder through his pelt. For once he did not dare meet his leader's eyes, afraid that he wouldn't recognize the cat he saw there. "Yes, Bluestar," he murmured quietly. "When Darkstripe and Dustpelt return, send them to my den. I wish to speak to them before the ceremony." "Of course." "Now go!" Bluestar flicked her tail at him, as if she thought he was putting the Clan in danger by wasting time. Fireheart backed out of the den. He sat down

害怕什么?他的思绪又回到了云爪和他今天早上在寂静的森林里感受到的恐惧。 “巡逻队很快就要回来了。” 火心努力保持冷静，试图安抚他的领袖。 “我还在这里。”“别对我颐指气使！”我不是什么受惊的小鬼！”蓝星啐道。 火心退缩了，接着说：“你一定要待在营地里，直到巡逻队回来。 我们在过去的一个月里被袭击了两次。 我不想让营地无人看守。 将来我希望至少有三名战士一直留在营地里。” 火心感到全身打了个寒战。 这一次，他不敢直视他的首领的眼睛，害怕他认不出他在那里看到的那只猫。 “是的，蓝星。”他低声说。 “等黑条和灰尘回来，把它们送到我的窝里去。 我想在仪式开始前跟他们说几句话。” “当然。”“现在去!”蓝星朝他甩了甩尾巴，好像她认为他浪费时间会把氏族置于危险之中。 火心从洞穴里退了出来。 他坐了下来

in the shade of the Highrock and twisted his head to lick the fur on his tail. What should he do? His pounding heart told him to race into the forest, find Cloudpaw, and bring him home to the safety of the camp. But Bluestar had ordered him to stay here until one of the patrols returned. Just then he heard the crashing of cats through the undergrowth outside the camp and he smelled the familiar scents of Darkstripe, Runningwind, and Dustpelt on the warm air. Their pawsteps slowed as they trotted through the gorse entrance, Runningwind leading the way. Fireheart sprang to his paws with relief. Now he could leave the camp and find Cloudpaw. He hurried across the clearing to meet them. "How did the patrol go?" he called. "No signs of the other Clans," reported Runningwind. "But we did smell your apprentice," added Darkstripe. "Near Twolegplace." "Did you see him?" Fireheart meowed as casually as he could. Darkstripe shook his head. "I expect he was looking for birds in one of the

在海岩的树荫下，扭动着头舔着尾巴上的毛。 他该怎么办呢？他怦怦直跳的心告诉他要冲进森林，找到云爪，把他带回安全的营地。 但蓝星命令他待在这里，直到其中一个巡逻队回来。 就在这时，他听到了营地外的灌木丛中猫的碰撞声，他闻到了温暖的空气中熟悉的黑条纹、奔风和灰尘的气味。 他们放慢了脚步，小跑着穿过金雀花的入口，跑风在前面带路。 火心如释重负地跳了起来。 现在他可以离开营地去找云爪了。 他匆匆穿过空地去迎接他们。 “巡逻怎么样？”他喊道。 “没有其他氏族的迹象。”奔风报告。 “但我们确实闻到了你学徒的味道。”暗条纹补充道。 “Twolegplace附近。”“你看见他了吗？”火心尽可能随意地喵喵叫着。 “黑条”摇了摇头。 “我想他是在找鸟。

Twoleg gardens." Dustpelt smirked. "They're probably more to his taste." Fireheart ignored Dustpelt's kittypet jibe. "Was the scent fresh?" he asked Runningwind. "Fairly. We lost his trail when we started to head back to camp." Fireheart nodded. At least he had an idea where to begin looking for Cloudpaw. "Darkstripe and Dustpelt," he meowed, "Bluestar wants to see you in her den." As the warriors padded away, Fireheart wondered whether to go with them, just in case Bluestar was still acting strangely. Then he noticed that Runningwind was leading Thornpaw toward the camp entrance. "Where are you going?" he called anxiously. Bluestar wanted three warriors to remain in camp; he couldn't go and look for Cloudpaw if Runningwind was going out again. "I promised Mousefur I'd teach Thornpaw how to catch squirrels this afternoon," Runningwind meowed over his shoulder. "But I…" Fireheart's voice trailed away as the lean warrior eyed him curiously. He couldn't bring himself to admit how worried he was about

Twoleg花园。”Dustpelt傻笑。 “它们可能更合他的口味。” 火心没有理会达斯特佩特小猫的嘲笑。 “香味新鲜吗？”他问奔风。 “相当。当我们开始返回营地时，我们失去了他的踪迹。” Fireheart点点头。至少他知道从哪里开始寻找云爪。 “黑条和灰尘，”他叫道，“蓝星要你们去她的窝里。” 当战士们慢慢离开时，火心不知道是否要和他们一起去，以防蓝星仍然表现得很奇怪。 这时他注意到，奔风正领着桑爪向营地入口走去。 “你要去哪儿？”他焦急地问。 蓝星希望三名战士留在营地；如果跑风又要出去，他就不能去找云爪了。 “我答应鼠毛今天下午教桑爪抓松鼠。”风跑过他的肩膀叫道。 “但我……”火心的声音越来越小，瘦削的战士好奇地看着他。 他无法让自己承认他有多担心

Cloudpaw. He shook his head. "Nothing," he meowed, and Runningwind and Thornpaw disappeared into the gorse tunnel. A twinge of guilt shot through Fireheart as he watched Mousefur's apprentice padding obediently after the warrior. Why couldn't he inspire that sort of behavior in his own apprentice? The rest of the afternoon dragged. Fireheart settled himself beside the nettle clump outside the warriors' den and strained his ears, scanning the sounds of the forest for any sign of Cloudpaw's return. But the fear that Bluestar had stirred in him had eased slightly since Darkstripe reported scenting only the young apprentice on the patrol, and no intruders in ThunderClan territory. As the sun began to sink below the treetops, the hunting party returned. It was followed by Whitestorm and Brightpaw, drawn away from the training hollow, no doubt, by the scent of fresh- kill. Longtail and Swiftpaw returned soon afterward, but there was still no sign of Cloudpaw. There was plenty of prey to go around, but no

Cloudpaw。他摇了摇头。 “没什么。”他叫了一声，跑风和桑爪消失在了金雀花的隧道里。 火心看着鼠毛的徒弟乖乖地跟在勇士后面，一阵内疚的刺痛涌上心头。 他为什么不能在自己的徒弟身上激发出这种行为呢？ 下午剩下的时间过得很慢。 火心在战士洞穴外的荨麻丛旁坐了下来，竖起耳朵，仔细倾听森林里的声音，寻找云爪归来的任何迹象。 但是，自从暗条纹报告说，他只闻到了巡逻中的年轻学徒的气味，而且没有人闯入雷霆氏族的领土，蓝星在他心中激起的恐惧就稍微减轻了一些。 当太阳开始落在树梢下时，狩猎队回来了。 “白风暴”和“亮爪”紧随其后，毫无疑问，它们是被新鲜猎物的气味吸引而离开训练场地的。 长尾和雨燕很快就回来了，但还是没有云爪的踪影。 有很多猎物可供选择，但没有