Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 Leafpaw gazed along the line of hostile WindClan cats, and locked eyes with a bracken- colored apprentice. The young cat drew its lips back in a snarl; Leafpaw's fur prickled. She was a medicine cat and supposed to be outside normal Clan rivalries. But she found her claws instinctively flexing into the soft moorland grass; if it came to a fight, that apprentice would soon discover that she was not lacking in warrior skills. "Well?" When Firestar did not immediately answer his question, Tallstar repeated it. "Why have you come? Do you think we're so weak that you can drive us out as Brokenstar did?" Defiant yowls and hisses broke out from the warriors behind him, and it was a moment before Firestar could make himself heard. "Tallstar, you have known nothing but friendship from me since the time that Graystripe and I found you and brought you home," he replied. "Have you forgotten that? I think you must have, or you wouldn't accuse me of being like Brokenstar."

第十章 叶爪望向一排充满敌意的风族猫，和一只蕨色学徒对上了目光。 那只年轻猫龇牙低吼，叶爪的毛发都竖了起来。 她是一名巫医，本该置身族群的常规争斗之外。 可她还是不由自主地绷紧爪子，抠进柔软的荒原草地里； 真要是打起来，那学徒很快就会发现，她可一点都不缺武士的本事。 "嗯？" 火星没有立刻回答他的问题，高星又问了一遍。 "你为什么来这里？ 你觉得我们弱到能让你像断星那样把我们赶出去吗？" 他身后的武士爆发出不服的吼叫与嘶声，过了好一会儿火星才能开口说话。 "高星，自从灰条和我找到你、送你回家之后，我对你一直只有友好，"他回答道。 "你难道忘了这件事吗？ 我想你肯定是忘了，不然你不会把我说成和断星一样的人。"

Leafpaw thought she detected a flash of guilt in the older cat's eyes, but there was still a challenge in his voice as he meowed, "Then why have you come here with so many warriors?" "Don't be absurd, Tallstar," Firestar growled. "I haven't enough warriors to take on your whole Clan. We want to talk to you, that's all. WindClan has been stealing prey from ThunderClan territory, and you know as well as I do that that's against the warrior code." Tallstar looked taken aback, as if he genuinely hadn't known what his warriors were up to. Before he could reply, his deputy Mudclaw called out, "Prove it! Prove that WindClan has stolen so much as a sniff of prey!" "What?" Leafpaw saw Graystripe's whole body stiffen. "We saw you ourselves just now! And we found prey bones reeking of WindClan scent." "So you say," Mudclaw sneered. "If you ask me, it's just an excuse to attack us." Furious, Graystripe launched himself across the border, his claws reaching out as he bowled over the WindClan deputy. Mudclaw let out a

叶爪察觉这只年长老猫的眼里闪过一丝愧疚，但他开口时声音依旧带着挑衅："那你为什么带这么多武士来这里？" "别胡说了，高星，"火星低吼道。 "我根本没带够能对抗你们整个族群的武士。 我们只是想和你谈谈，仅此而已。 风族一直在雷族领地偷猎物，你我都清楚这违反了武士守则。" 高星一脸惊讶，看起来他是真不知道手下武士做了这种事。 他还没来得及回答，副族长泥掌就喊了起来："拿出证据！ 拿出证据证明风族偷过哪怕一口猎物！" "什么？"叶爪看见灰条整个身体都僵住了。 我们刚才亲眼看见了你们！ 我们还找到沾着风族气味的猎物骨头。" "你就瞎扯吧，"泥掌嗤笑道。 "要我说，这不过是你攻打我们的借口罢了。" 灰条怒不可遏，纵身跃过边界，伸出爪子一把扑倒了风族副族长。 泥掌发出一声

screech and the two cats rolled on the short moorland grass. Tallstar gazed down at the two battling warriors with a look of contempt, as if he had found maggots in his fresh-kill. Warriors on both sides were poised to spring, their teeth bared and the light of battle in their eyes. Leafpaw's heart beat faster as she tried to remember the fighting moves her mentor had taught her. Firestar stepped forward with a fierce hiss. "Stop!" At once Graystripe broke away from Mudclaw's raking claws and stood back, breathing heavily. Mudclaw scrambled to his paws and glared at him. "Graystripe, I told you we were not here to fight," Firestar meowed. The deputy's yellow eyes were smoldering. "But did you hear the lies he told?" "Yes. But that doesn't change my orders. Get back onto our side of the border. Now." His tail twitching angrily, Graystripe obeyed. Leafpaw understood how he must feel, especially when he was still worrying about his missing

尖叫，两只猫在低矮的荒原草地上滚打起来。 高星低头看着两只打斗的武士，满脸不屑，就像在新鲜猎物里发现了蛆虫一样。 双方武士都蓄势待发，龇着牙，眼睛里闪着开战的光芒。 叶爪心跳加速，努力回忆导师教给她的格斗招式。 火星上前一步，发出凶狠的嘶声。 "住手！" 灰条立刻避开泥掌抓来的爪子，退到一边，大口喘着气。 泥掌爬起身，怒视着灰条。 "灰条，我说过我们不是来打架的，"火星说道。 这位副族长的黄眼睛冒着怒火。 "可你难道没听到他说的瞎话吗？" "我听到了。 但这不能改变我的命令。 退回到我们这边边界来。 现在。" 灰条气得尾巴直抖，还是服从了命令。 叶爪明白他的感受，尤其是他还在担心自己失踪的

children, but she could also guess how uncomfortable it must be for Firestar when his friend and deputy disobeyed a direct order, and in full view of WindClan. She stifled a sigh. Was this part of being a medicine cat, to understand every cat so clearly and want to sympathize with them all? Cinderpelt limped forward to stand beside Firestar. "You know that medicine cats do not lie," she meowed to Tallstar. "You know, too, that it is not the will of StarClan for warriors to trespass on the territory of other Clans and steal their prey." "And is it the will of StarClan for my Clan to starve?" Tallstar asked bitterly. "Yesterday one of our elders died, and he will be the first of many if we don't do something." "If we could help you, we would," Cinderpelt replied with feeling. "But ThunderClan is short of prey too. The whole forest is suffering because of the Twolegs." "We should work together," Firestar added. "I swear to you by StarClan that if ThunderClan finds an answer to these problems, we will share

孩子，可她也能猜到，当着风族的面，自己的朋友兼副族长违抗命令，火星该有多难堪。 她忍住了叹气。 做巫医是不是就是这样：能看清每只猫的心思，还想要共情所有猫？ 炭毛一瘸一拐地走出来，站到火星身边。 "你知道巫医不会说谎，"她对高星说。 "你也清楚，武士闯入其他族群领地偷猎物，违背了星族的意愿。" "那星族愿意看着我的族群挨饿吗？" 高星苦涩地问道。 "昨天我们一位长老去世了，如果我们什么都不做，他只会是第一个。" "如果我们能帮你，一定会帮，"炭毛真诚地回答。 "可雷族也缺猎物。 整片森林都因为两脚兽在受苦呀。" "我们应该一起想办法，"火星补充道。 "我向星族发誓，如果雷族找到解决这些问题的办法，我们一定会分享

it with WindClan." Tallstar met his gaze with a long, thoughtful look, his bitterness dying away and leaving deep sorrow behind it. "An answer? Firestar, I don't think that even you can find an answer to our troubles. Unless you let us hunt on your territory." Even while he was speaking, he shook his head, to show Firestar he did not make that suggestion seriously. "No, you are right to keep your own prey. The warrior code demands that you feed your own Clan first. WindClan does not look to you for help." Firestar dipped his head to the WindClan leader. "Tallstar, we promise you that ThunderClan has not lied to you. There will be no fighting now, but if the prey-stealing doesn't stop, you know what to expect." He turned and walked away, gesturing with his tail for his warriors to follow him. As they withdrew, yowls of derision rose from the WindClan warriors, as if they had fought a battle and driven invaders away from their territory. Leafpaw felt her neck fur rise, half expecting the rival Clan to pursue them like the warriors

和风族一起解决这件事。” 高星久久凝视着他，神色若有所思，心中的怨怼渐渐褪去，只留下深深的哀恸。 “一个答案？ 火星，我觉得就算是你，也找不到解决我们麻烦的办法。 除非你允许我们在你们的领地上狩猎。” 他说这话时摇了摇头，向火星表明这并不是他认真提出的建议。 “没事，你守住自己的猎物没错。 武士守则要求你先喂饱自己的族群。 风族不会向你们求助。” 火星对这位风族领袖低了低头。 “高星，我们向你保证，雷族没有对你撒谎。 现在不会开战，但如果偷猎行为不停止，你清楚会有什么后果。” 他转身走开，甩了甩尾巴示意自己的武士跟上。 他们撤退后，风族武士发出阵阵嘲弄的吼叫，就好像打了胜仗、把入侵者赶出领地一样。 叶爪颈后的毛竖了起来，满心都以为敌对族群会追上来，就像武士们

had pursued her and Sorreltail a few days before. But the sounds died away behind them as Firestar led the way around the top of the hollow at Fourtrees and down the slope toward the stream. "Why didn't we fight it out?" Dustpelt demanded. "We could have taught them a lesson that they wouldn't forget in a hurry!" "I know," Firestar sighed. "But as I said before, the Clans cannot afford to turn on one another." "And when our patrols catch WindClan stealing prey again?" Dustpelt's tail twitched; he was short-tempered at the best of times, and Leafpaw knew how anxious he was about Ferncloud and their kits. "We'll see them off if we catch them trespassing," Firestar promised. "But let's pray to StarClan that Tallstar sees sense and keeps his warriors on their own territory. I don't think he knew what was going on until today." "Maybe not. But he'll back his own warriors now." Dustpelt paused, his brown tabby fur bristling as if he could see his enemy in front of him. "Why don't you go and hunt for a bit?"

几天前追她和蕨尾那样。 但当火星领着队伍绕过四树空地顶端，走下斜坡朝小溪走去时，那些声响渐渐被抛在了身后。 “我们为什么不打一架？” 尘毛质问道。 “我们本来能给他们一个永生难忘的教训！” “我知道，”火星叹了口气。 “但就像我之前说的，族群耗不起内斗。” “那要是我们巡逻队再抓到风族偷猎怎么办？” 尘毛的尾巴抽动着； 他向来脾气急躁，叶爪也清楚他有多担心蕨云和他们的幼崽。 “如果抓到他们越界，我们就把他们赶走，”火星保证道。 “但我们向星族祈祷吧，希望高星能清醒点，让他的武士待在自己领地上。 直到今天，他都不知道这里出了什么事。” “也许吧。 但他现在肯定会站在自己的武士那边。” 尘毛停下脚步，棕花毛炸了起来，就好像敌人已经站在他面前了。 “你怎么不去找会儿猎物？”