Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 Stormfur opened his eyes, blinking away sleep, and struggled to remember where he was. Instead of his nest of reeds in the RiverClan camp, he was lying curled in dry, crunchy bracken. Above his head was the earth roof of a cave, crisscrossed with tangled roots. He could hear a rhythmic roaring sound faintly in the distance. At first it puzzled him; then he remembered how close they were to the sun-drown water, washing endlessly onto the edge of the land. He flinched as a vision burst into his mind, of how he and Brambleclaw had struggled in the water for their lives; he spat, still tasting the salty tang at the back of his throat. At home in RiverClan he was used to water—his was the only Clan that could swim comfortably in the river that ran through the forest—but not this surging, salty, pushingand- pulling water, too strong even for a RiverClan cat to swim in safely. Other memories came rushing back. StarClan had sent cats from each of the four Clans on a long, dangerous journey, to hear what Midnight

第一章 石毛睁开眼睛，驱散睡意，努力回想自己身在何处。 他不是躺在河族营地的芦苇巢里，而是蜷卧在干燥松脆的蕨叶中。 头顶是泥土筑成的洞穴顶，交错缠绕着乱根。 他能听到远处隐隐传来有节奏的轰鸣声。 一开始他还摸不着头脑； 接着他想起他们离太阳沉海已经很近了，海水永不停歇地冲刷着岸边。 一段画面猛地冲进他脑海，他和黑莓掌在水中拼命挣扎求生，他不由得浑身一缩； 他啐了一口，喉咙后还留着咸腥的味道。 在河族家乡他早就习惯了水——河族是唯一能自在游过穿林河流的族群——可绝不是这种汹涌、咸涩、来回冲荡的海水，它太强了，就算河族猫也没法安全游过去。 其他的记忆也纷纷涌了回来。 星族从四个族群各选出一只猫，派他们踏上漫长危险的旅程，去聆听午夜

had to tell them. They had fought their way across unknown country, through Twoleg nests, facing attacks from dogs and rats, to make the last incredible discovery: that Midnight was a badger. Stormfur felt ice creeping along his limbs as he recalled Midnight's dreadful message. Twolegs were destroying the forest to make a new Thunderpath. All the Clans would have to leave, and it was the task of StarClan's chosen cats to warn them and lead them to a new home. Stormfur sat up and looked around the cave. Faint light filtered down the tunnel that led out onto the clifftop, along with a gentle current of fresh air that carried the scent of salt water. Midnight the badger was nowhere to be seen. Close beside Stormfur, his sister, Feathertail, was sleeping, her tail curled over her nose. Just beyond her was Tawnypelt, the fierce ShadowClan warrior; Stormfur was relieved to see that she was resting quietly, as if the rat bite she had suffered in the Twolegplace was troubling her less. Midnight's store of herbs had yielded something to soothe the infection and help her sleep. On the opposite side of the cave,

要告诉他们的事。 他们一路奋战穿过陌生地界，途经两脚兽巢穴，一路面对狗和老鼠的袭击，最终得到了惊人的发现：原来午夜是一只獾。 石毛回想起午夜可怕的预言，冻得四肢都发僵。 两脚兽正在摧毁森林，修一条新的雷路。 所有族群都必须离开，星族选中的猫的任务就是警示大家，带领他们去往新家园。 石毛坐起身，环顾整个洞穴。 微光顺着通往悬崖顶的隧道渗进来，还带着一股清新的微风，裹挟着海水的咸腥气味。 獾午夜不见了踪影。 紧挨着石毛，他的妹妹羽尾正在熟睡，尾巴卷在鼻子上。 羽尾旁边就是凶猛的影族武士褐皮； 看到她安静休息，石毛松了口气，看来她在两脚兽地盘被老鼠咬伤的伤口没那么疼了。 午夜储存的草药刚好能缓解感染，帮她安睡。 在洞穴的另一边，

a little way apart, was the WindClan apprentice Crowpaw, his dark gray pelt barely visible among the fronds of bracken. Nearest the cave entrance, Tawnypelt's brother, Brambleclaw, was stretched out beside Squirrelpaw, who slept in a tight ball. Stormfur felt a stab of jealousy at the sight of the two ThunderClan cats close together, and tried to push it away. He had no right to admire Squirrelpaw, and her courage and bright optimism, as much as he did, when they came from different Clans. Brambleclaw would make her a much better mate. Stormfur knew that he ought to rouse his companions so that they could begin their long journey back to the forest. Yet he was strangely reluctant. Let them sleep a little longer, he thought. We'll need all our strength for what lies ahead. Shaking scraps of bracken from his pelt, he picked his way across the sandy floor of the cave and out through the tunnel. A stiff breeze ruffled his fur as he emerged onto the springy grass. He was dry at last, after his near-drowning the night before, and sleep had refreshed him. He stood

隔着一点距离，躺着风族学徒鸦爪，他深灰色的皮毛藏在蕨叶间几乎看不清。 离洞穴入口最近的地方，褐皮的哥哥黑莓掌摊开身子，睡在缩成一团的松鼠爪旁边。 看到这两只雷族猫靠在一起，石毛心头一阵妒忌，他努力把这情绪压了下去。 他无权对松鼠爪动心，也无权这么欣赏她的勇气和明朗的乐观，毕竟他们来自不同族群。 黑莓掌会成为她好得多的伴侣。 石毛知道他该叫醒同伴，好让他们踏上返回森林的漫长旅程。 可他莫名地就是不想这么做。 让他们多睡一会儿吧，他想。 前路艰险，我们得养足所有力气。 他抖掉皮毛上的蕨叶碎渣，小心走过洞穴的沙质地层，顺着隧道走了出去。 他走到弹力十足的草地上，一阵劲风吹乱了他的皮毛。 前一夜差点淹死的他终于干透了，睡眠也让他重新恢复了精神。 他站在

gazing around him; just ahead was the edge of the cliff and beyond it lay an endless stretch of shimmering water, reflecting the pale light of dawn. Stormfur opened his jaws to drink in the air and catch the scent of prey. Instead his senses were flooded by a strong reek of badger. He caught sight of Midnight sitting on the highest point of the cliff, her small, bright eyes fixed on the fading stars. In the sky behind her, on the far side of the moorland, a strip of creamy light showed where the sun would rise. Stormfur padded over, dipping his head respectfully before sitting beside her. "Good morning, gray warrior," Midnight's voice rumbled in welcome. "Sleep you have enough?" "Yes. Thanks, Midnight." Stormfur still found it strange to be exchanging friendly greetings with her, when badgers had always been deadly enemies of the warrior Clans. Yet Midnight was no ordinary badger. She seemed closer to StarClan than any warrior, except perhaps the medicine cats; she had

四处眺望； 正前方就是悬崖边缘，悬崖外是望不到头的粼粼波光，反射着黎明的淡光。 石毛张开嘴吸了口气，想捕捉猎物的气味。 可他的感官全被浓烈的獾味占满了。 他看见午夜坐在悬崖最高处，小小的亮眼睛盯着渐渐隐去的星星。 她身后的天空，荒原的尽头，一道奶白色的光带露出，预示太阳即将升起。 石毛缓步走过去，恭敬地低下头，然后坐在她身旁。 “早上好，灰色的武士，”午夜低沉着嗓音欢迎他。 “睡够了吗？” “是的。 谢谢你，午夜。” 石毛还是觉得和她友好打招呼很奇怪，毕竟獾一直都是武士族群的死敌。 可午夜绝不是普通的獾。 她似乎比任何武士都更接近星族，也许除了巫医之外；她已经

traveled far and somehow had found the wisdom to foretell the future. Stormfur gave her a sidelong glance, to see her eyes still fixed on the remaining stars in the dawn sky. "Can you really read signs there from StarClan?" he asked curiously, half hoping that her terrible predictions from the night before would vanish in the light of morning. "Much is to be read everywhere," the badger replied. "In stars, in running water, in flash of light on waves. Whole world speaks, if ears are open to listen." "I must be deaf, then," Stormfur meowed. "The future seems dark to me." "Not so, gray warrior," rasped Midnight. "See." She pointed with her snout across the sun- drown water to where a single warrior of StarClan still shone brightly just above the horizon. "StarClan has seen our meeting. Pleased they are, and help they will give in dark days coming." Stormfur gazed up at the brilliant point of light and let out a faint sigh. He was no medicine cat, accustomed to sharing tongues with their

她走了很远的路，莫名拥有了预言未来的智慧。 暴毛斜瞥了她一眼，见她的目光仍盯着破晓天空中残留的星星。 “你真能从那里读出星族的预兆吗？” 他好奇地问，心底其实盼着她昨晚那可怕预言，会在晨光里烟消云散。 “到处都藏着讯息，”獾回答说。 “在星辰里，在流水中，在波浪的闪光里。 只要你愿意用心倾听，整个世界都在诉说。” “那我肯定是聋了，”暴毛喵声道。 “我觉得未来一片灰暗。” “才不是呢，灰毛武士，”午夜哑声说。 “你看。” 她用鼻子指向远方被阳光浸没的水面，地平线之上，还有一位星族武士正明亮地闪烁着。 “星族见证了我们的会面。 他们很欣慰，在未来的黑暗日子里也会给予我们帮助。” 暴毛凝视着那点明亮的光，轻轻叹了一口气。 他不是巫医，不习惯和

warrior ancestors. His task was to offer his strength and skill in the service of his Clan—and now, it seemed, of all the forest cats. Midnight had made it clear that each and every Clan would be destroyed if they could not ignore the ancient boundaries and work together for once. "Midnight, when we go home—" His question was never finished. A yowl interrupted him, and he turned to see Squirrelpaw burst out of the tunnel that led down into the badger's set. She stood in the entrance, her dark ginger fur fluffed up and her ears pricked. "I'm starving!" she announced. "Where's the prey around here?" "Budge up, and let the rest of us out." Crowpaw's irritable voice sounded behind her. "Then we might be able to tell you." Squirrelpaw bounced forward a few paces, and the WindClan apprentice emerged, followed closely by Feathertail. She stretched with pleasure in the sunlight. Stormfur got up and bounded over the tough moorland grass so he could touch noses with his sister. He had not

武士先祖交流。 他的使命就是为自己的族群贡献力量与本领，而现在，看来他还要为全森林的猫做这些。 午夜已经说得很明白，如果他们不能放下古老的边界，好好合作一次，每个族群都会走向毁灭。 “午夜，我们回家之后——”他的话没能说完。 一声号叫打断了他，他转过身，就看见松鼠爪从通往獾穴的隧道里冲了出来。 她站在洞口，深姜黄色的毛发蓬松炸开，耳朵直直竖着。 “我饿死啦！” 她大声说。 “这附近哪儿有猎物呀？” “让开点，让我们其余的人出去。” 鸦爪不耐烦的声音从她身后传来。 “之后我们才能告诉你。” 松鼠爪往前蹦了几步，这位风族学徒走了出来，身后紧跟着羽尾。 她舒舒服服地在阳光下伸了个懒腰。 暴毛站起身，跃过荒原上坚硬的野草，过去和妹妹碰碰鼻子。 他原本不是