Chapter 0 Prologue

PROLOGUE One by one, the cats crept into the cave. Their fur was streaked with mud and their eyes stretched wide with fear, reflecting the cold moonlight that filtered through a crack in the roof. They crouched low with their bellies close to the ground, their gazes flickering from side to side as if they expected to see danger lurking in the shadows. The glimmer of moonlight was caught in pools of water on the cave floor. It lit up a forest of pointed stones, some rising from the ground and others hanging from the cave roof. Some of the stones joined in the middle to form slender trees of gleaming white rock. Wind gusted through them, ruffling the cats" fur. The air smelled damp and clean, and was filled with the distant roar of falling water. A cat stepped out from behind one of the pointed stones. He was long-bodied, with lean, muscular limbs, and his pelt was completely covered in mud that had dried into spikes, so that he looked like a cat carved in stone.

序幕 猫咪们一只接一只悄悄钻进了山洞。 它们的皮毛沾着泥污，眼睛因恐惧圆睁，倒映着从洞顶裂缝透进来的清冷月光。 它们伏低身子，肚皮紧贴地面，目光不停左右扫动，仿佛预感危险就藏在阴影之中。 月光落在洞底的水洼里，泛着微光。 亮光照出一片尖石林，有些尖石从地面突起，有些垂挂在洞顶。 有些石块在中间连接，形成了一棵棵由亮白石构成的纤细石树。 一阵风刮过石缝，吹得猫咪们的皮毛微微晃动。 空气潮润清新，远处还传来瀑布轰隆的轰鸣声。 一只猫咪从一块尖石后面走了出来。 他身形修长，四肢精壮结实，皮毛上全是干硬的泥块，根根竖起，看起来就像一尊石雕的猫。

"Welcome," he meowed in a rasping voice. "Moonlight lies on the water. It is time for a Telling, according to the laws of the Tribe of Endless Hunting." One of the cats crept forward, dipping his head to the mud-covered cat. "Stoneteller, have you had a sign? Has the Tribe of Endless Hunting spoken to you?" Another cat spoke from behind him. "Is there hope at last?" Stoneteller bowed his head. "I have seen the words of the Tribe of Endless Hunting in the pattern of moonlight on rock, in the shadows cast by the stones, in the sound of raindrops as they fall from the roof." He paused, letting his gaze sweep over the cats around him. "Yes," he went on. "They have told me there is hope." A faint murmur, like the rustle of leaves in the wind, passed through the group of cats. Their eyes seemed to grow brighter, and their ears pricked. The one who had come forward first mewed hesitantly, "Then you know what will rid us of this dreadful danger?" "Yes, Crag," Stoneteller replied. "The Tribe of

"欢迎，"他用沙哑的声音喵呜说道。 "月光落在水面上。 按照无尽狩猎部落的规矩，现在该讲述谕示了。" 一只猫慢慢走上前，对着这只满身泥污的猫低下头。 "石预言家，你得到预兆了吗？ 无尽狩猎部落给你传谕示了吗？" 另一只猫在他身后开口说话。 "终于有希望了对吗？" 石预言家低下了头。 "我在岩石的月光纹路里，在石块投下的阴影里，在洞顶滴落的雨声里，看到了无尽狩猎部落的谕示。" 他顿了顿，目光扫过身边所有的猫咪。 "没错，"他继续说道。 "他们告诉我，希望真的存在。" 猫群里响起一阵轻轻的低语，就像风吹过树叶的沙沙声。 它们的眼睛变得更亮，耳朵也竖了起来。 第一个走上前的猫迟疑地喵道："那你知道该怎么除掉这可怕的危险了吗？" "没错，克雷格，"石预言家回答道。 "部落的

Endless Hunting has promised me that a cat will come, a silver cat not from this Tribe, who will rid us of Sharptooth once and for all." There was a pause, then: "Are there other cats, not in the Tribe of Rushing Water?" a voice asked from the back of the group. "There must be," another cat replied. "I have heard tell of strangers," meowed Crag, "though we've seen none here in our lifetimes. But when will the silver cat come?" he added desperately, and other mews rose from all around him. "Yes, when?" "Is it really true?" Stoneteller signaled for silence with a twitch of his tail. "Yes, it is true," he meowed. "The Tribe of Endless Hunting has never lied to us. I have seen the sheen of his silver fur myself, in a moonlit pool." "But when?" Crag persisted. "The Tribe of Endless Hunting has not shown that to me," Stoneteller replied. "I do not know when the silver cat will come, or from where, but we will know it when he arrives."

无尽狩猎向我承诺，会有一只银毛猫到来，他不属于我们部落，将会彻底帮我们除掉尖牙兽。" 一阵沉默后，传出问话："急水部落之外，还有别的猫吗？" 一个声音从猫群的后方问道。 "肯定有的，"另一只猫回答道。 "我听说过外乡猫的存在，"克雷格喵声道，"虽然我们这辈子都没在这里见过。 可那只银毛猫什么时候才会来呢？" 他焦急地追问，四周纷纷响起其他猫咪的附和声。 "是啊，什么时候来？" "这真的是真的吗？" 石预言家甩了甩尾巴，示意大家安静。 "没错，这是真的，"他喵声道。 "无尽狩猎部落从来没有骗过我们。 我亲眼在月光笼罩的水洼里，看到了他银毛的光泽。" "那到底是什么时候？"克雷格追问。 "无尽狩猎部落没有把这件事展示给我，"石预言家回答道。 "我不知道银毛猫什么时候来，从哪里来，但他到来的时候我们一定能认出他。"

He raised his head toward the cave roof, and his eyes shone like two tiny moons. "Until then, cats of my Tribe, we can only wait."

他抬起头望向洞顶，眼睛亮得像两颗小小的月亮。 "在那之前，我的部落子民们，我们只能等待。"