Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9 Firestar made his way thoughtfully back into the camp. Glancing around, he caught sight of Darkstripe gulping down a piece of fresh-kill beside the nettle patch. Mousefur, Goldenflower, and Frostfur were eating close by, but Firestar noticed that they had all turned their backs on Darkstripe and were not looking at him. Graystripe must have already begun to spread the news of what had happened in the ravine. Frostfur and Goldenflower in particular, who had both raised kits of their own, would be horrified by the very suspicion that a Clan warrior would murder a kit. It was a good sign, Firestar realized, if they seemed to believe Graystripe's version of events. It showed that his friend was becoming accepted by the Clan again, beginning to recover the popularity he had once had. Firestar was heading toward Graystripe when movement by the warriors' den caught his eye. Brackenfur was just emerging from between the branches, gazing wildly around. He spotted Darkstripe, took a step toward him, and then veered away to join Firestar.

第九章火星若有所思地走回营地。 他向四周瞥了一眼，看见“黑条纹”正在荨麻地旁吞下一块新鲜的猎物。 鼠毛、金花和霜毛在附近吃东西，但火星注意到他们都背过身去，没有看他。 “灰条纹”一定已经开始传播在峡谷中发生的事情的消息了。 特别是Frostfur和Goldenflower，他们都养了自己的装备，他们会因为怀疑部落战士会谋杀装备而感到恐惧。 Firestar意识到，如果他们似乎相信Graystripe的说法，这是一个好兆头。 这表明他的朋友又开始被氏族所接受，开始恢复他曾经拥有的声望。 火星正朝灰条纹走去，这时战士巢穴附近的动静引起了他的注意。 蕨草正从树枝间钻出来，疯狂地环顾四周。 他发现了暗条纹，朝他走了一步，然后转向火星。

"I've just heard!" he gasped. "Firestar, I'm sorry. He got away from me. This is all my fault!" "Steady." Firestar let his tail rest a moment on the agitated young warrior's shoulder, gesturing for calm. "Tell me what happened." Brackenfur took a couple of gulping breaths, struggling for self-control. "Darkstripe said he was going out to hunt," he began. "I went with him, but when we got into the forest he said he had to make dirt. He went behind a bush and I waited for him. He was taking a long time, so I went to look—and he'd gone!" His eyes stretched wide with dismay. "If Sorrelkit dies, I'll never forgive myself." "Sorrelkit won't die," Firestar reassured him, though he was not certain that it was the truth. The kit was still very ill. And now there was something else to worry about. Brackenfur's story showed that Darkstripe had realized he was being watched. He had gotten rid of his guard very neatly. He must have had a reason, Firestar reflected. What had the dark tabby meant to do, and why had he tried to kill Sorrelkit?

“我刚听说！”他喘着气说。 “火星，对不起。他从我身边跑开了。 这都是我的错！”“稳定”。 火星让它的尾巴在这个激动的年轻战士的肩膀上停了一会儿，做了个手势示意他冷静下来。 “告诉我发生了什么事。”布莱肯弗吸了几口气，努力控制自己。 “黑条纹说他要出去打猎。”他开始说。 “我和他一起去的，但当我们进入森林时，他说他必须制造泥土。 他走到灌木丛后面，我在等他。 他花了很长时间，所以我去看了看——他已经走了！”他惊愕地瞪大了眼睛。 “如果Sorrelkit死了，我永远不会原谅自己。” “Sorrelkit不会死的。”火星安慰他，尽管他不确定这是不是真的。 那孩子病得还很重。 现在又有别的事情要担心了。 布莱肯弗的故事表明，“暗条纹”意识到自己被监视了。 他很巧妙地摆脱了守卫。 他一定是有原因的，火星想。 那只黑虎斑猫想要做什么？他为什么要杀死索瑞吉？

"What do you want me to do now?" Brackenfur asked miserably. "Stop blaming yourself, to begin with," Firestar replied. "Darkstripe was bound to let us know where his loyalties lie sooner or later." Except for his anxiety over Sorrelkit, Firestar wasn't sorry that Darkstripe had shown his true self in a way that no cat could ignore. Although he had hoped to keep the dark warrior in the Clan, where he could watch him for signs of treachery, now he knew that Darkstripe would never be loyal, to him or to ThunderClan, and there could be no place for a cat who would poison a defenseless kit. Let him go to Tigerstar, where he belongs, Firestar thought. "Carry on guarding Darkstripe," he went on to Brackenfur. "You can let him know you're doing it now. Tell him from me he's not to leave camp until Sorrelkit can tell her story." Brackenfur gave a tense nod and hurried across to the nettle patch, where he crouched beside Darkstripe and spoke to him. The warrior snarled something in reply and went back to tearing apart his piece of fresh-kill.

“你现在想让我做什么？”布莱肯弗痛苦地问。 “首先，不要责怪自己，”Firestar回答道。 “黑条纹迟早会让我们知道他的忠诚所在。” 除了对Sorrelkit的焦虑之外，火星并不为暗条纹以一种猫都无法忽视的方式展示自己的真实自我而感到遗憾。 虽然他曾希望把黑暗战士留在氏族，这样他就可以观察他是否有背叛的迹象，但现在他知道，黑暗条纹永远不会忠于他，也不会忠于雷霆氏族，也不可能有一只猫会给毫无防备的装备下毒。 让他去找虎星吧，那是他的归宿，火星想。 “继续保护黑条。”他继续对布莱肯弗说。 “你可以让他知道你现在正在这么做。 替我告诉他，在索瑞吉讲完她的故事之前，他不能离开营地。” 布莱肯弗紧张地点了点头，匆匆走向荨麻地，蹲在黑条纹身边，跟他说话。 武士咆哮了一声作为回应，然后继续撕扯他那块刚杀的肉。

As Firestar watched, a pawstep sounded behind him and he turned to see Sandstorm; the ginger she-cat pressed her muzzle against his, a purr deep in her throat. Firestar drew in her scent, comforted for a moment just by being close to her. "Are you coming to eat?" she asked. "I waited for you. Graystripe told me what happened," she continued as they padded together over to the nettle patch. "I said I'd relieve him later, to guard Cinderpelt's den." "Thanks," Firestar mewed. He shot a glance at the black-striped warrior as they walked past him to the pile of fresh-kill. Darkstripe had finished his meal; he rose to his paws and stalked toward the warriors' den without acknowledging Firestar's presence. Brackenfur followed with a determined look on his face. Dustpelt emerged from the den just as Darkstripe reached it; Firestar couldn't help noticing that the brown tabby veered sharply away as he went to join Fernpaw outside the apprentices' den. The cats of ThunderClan were

就在火星注视着的时候，身后响起了脚步声，他转过身来，看到了沙暴；那只姜黄色的母猫把她的嘴紧贴在他的嘴上，在她的喉咙深处发出咕噜声。 火星吸进了她的气味，仅仅靠在她身边就得到了片刻的安慰。 “你来吃饭吗？”她问。 “我在等你。格雷stripe告诉我发生了什么事。”她继续说，他们一起向荨麻地走去。 “我说过以后我来接替他，看守灰姑娘的窝。” “谢谢，”火星叫道。当他们从他身边走过，走向那堆新鲜的猎物时，他瞥了黑条纹战士一眼。 “黑条纹”已经吃完了饭；他踮起脚尖，大步走向战士的巢穴，连火星的存在都没打招呼。 布莱肯弗跟在后面，脸上带着坚定的神情。 黑条刚走到洞里，尘土就从洞里出来了；当火星走到徒弟窝外面和Fernpaw会合时，他不禁注意到棕色虎斑猫突然转向别处。 雷霆家族的猫是

making their feelings very clear. Dustpelt had been Darkstripe's apprentice, and now he didn't even want to speak to his former mentor. Firestar picked out a magpie from the fresh-kill pile and took it over to the nettle patch. "Hey, Firestar," meowed Mousefur as he approached. "Thornpaw said you were going to have a word with me about his warrior ceremony. It's about time." "It certainly is," Firestar agreed. Bluestar's refusal to make the three oldest apprentices into warriors had led to Swiftpaw's death and Lostface's injuries, and there wouldn't be a cat in the Clan who didn't remember that when Thornpaw finally received his warrior name. "Why don't the three of us take the dawn patrol tomorrow? That should give me a chance to see how he's shaping up—not that I have any doubts," he added hastily. "I should think not!" Mousefur mewed. "Will you tell Thornpaw about the patrol or shall I?" "I will," Firestar replied, taking a quick bite of his magpie. "I want a word with Fernpaw and Ashpaw, too."

很清楚地表达他们的感受。 Dustpelt曾经是Darkstripe的徒弟，现在他甚至不想和他以前的导师说话。 火星从刚宰杀的一堆喜鹊中挑出一只，把它带到荨麻地。 “嘿，火星。”他走近时，鼠毛叫道。 “桑爪说你要跟我谈谈他的武士仪式。 是时候了。”“当然是，”Firestar表示赞同。 蓝星拒绝让三个年纪最大的徒弟成为战士，导致了Swiftpaw的死亡和Lostface的受伤，当Thornpaw最终获得他的战士称号时，氏族中没有一只猫不记得这一点。 “为什么我们三个明天不参加黎明巡逻呢？” 这样我就有机会看看他的情况如何了——倒不是说我有什么怀疑，”他急忙补充道。 “我想不会吧！”Mousefur只能。 “你去告诉桑爪巡逻队的事，还是我来？”“我会的。”火星回答，迅速咬了一口喜鹊。 “我也要跟芬帕和阿什帕说句话。”

When he and Sandstorm had finished eating, the ginger she-cat went off to Cinderpelt's den, while Firestar padded over toward the tree stump where the apprentices ate. Dustpelt and Fernpaw were already there with Thornpaw and Ashpaw, and Cloudtail was just strolling over from the elders' den, Lostface close beside him. "Thornpaw." Firestar gave the apprentice a nod as he settled down beside him. "Are your claws sharp? All your warrior skills ready?" Thornpaw sat up straight, his eyes suddenly gleaming. "Yes, Firestar!" "Dawn patrol tomorrow, then," Firestar told him. "If it goes well, we'll hold your ceremony at sunhigh." Thornpaw's ears quivered with anticipation, but then the light in his eyes slowly died and he looked away. "What's the matter?" Firestar asked. "Swiftpaw…and Lostface." Thornpaw spoke in a low voice, with a flick of the tail toward the injured she-cat. "They should both be with me." "I know." Firestar closed his eyes briefly at the memory of so much pain. "But you mustn't let

他和沙暴吃完饭后，姜色母猫去了灰姑娘的洞穴，而火星则蹑手蹑脚地朝徒弟们吃饭的树桩走去。 尘土皮、Fernpaw已经和Thornpaw、Ashpaw在一起了，云尾巴正从长老们的洞穴里走来，loss face紧挨着它。 “Thornpaw。”火星朝徒弟点了点头，在他身边坐下。 “你的爪子锋利吗？”你的武士技能都准备好了吗？”桑爪坐直了身子，眼睛突然发亮。 “是的,Firestar !”“那么，明天黎明巡逻。”火星告诉他。 “如果一切顺利，我们将在太阳升起时为你举行典礼。” 桑爪的耳朵因期待而颤抖，但随后他眼中的光芒慢慢消失，他把目光移开。 “怎么啦？”Firestar问道。 “Swiftpaw…和Lostface。” 桑爪低声说，尾巴朝受伤的母猫甩了甩。 “他们俩都应该和我在一起。” “我知道。”想起这么多的痛苦，火星闭上了眼睛。 “但是你不能让