Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 "You lot stay here," Purdy ordered in an undertone. "Let me deal with this." Stormfur stared in dismay as the old tom shuffled forward toward the foxes, his rumpled fur on end, his tail lashing back and forth. Frozen by shock, the others might have let Purdy attack and be torn to pieces if Stormfur had not stepped forward at the last moment and pushed him aside. "Wha'?" Purdy protested. "Let me get at "em. I've chased off more foxes than you've had mice, young fellow." "Then give the rest of us a chance," Stormfur retorted grimly. The two foxes were creeping slowly up the bank, their eyes flicking from one cat to the next. Too late Stormfur realized that he and his friends had been wrong to assume the woods held no danger for them. He saw that Crowpaw had stepped forward to shield Feathertail, while Brambleclaw tried to do the same for Squirrelpaw. But the

第三章 “你们几个留在这里，”珀迪低声命令道。 "让我来处理这件事。" 暴毛惊愕地看着老公猫挪着步子走向狐狸，他蓬乱的毛发炸起，尾巴来回甩动。 众猫都吓呆了动弹不得，要不是暴毛在最后一刻上前把珀迪推到一旁，珀迪早就冲上去被撕成碎片了。 "啥？" 珀迪抗议道。 "让我去收拾他们。" "小家伙，我赶走的狐狸都比你吃过的老鼠还多。" "那也该给我们其他人一个机会，"暴毛冷冷地反驳道。 两只狐狸正慢慢爬上河岸，眼睛不停在众猫身上扫来扫去。 暴毛太晚才反应过来，他和朋友们错以为这片树林对他们没有危险。 他看到鸦爪上前护住羽尾，黑莓掌也同样上前护住松鼠爪。 可这

ThunderClan apprentice slipped out from the shelter of his flank and stood beside him with her ears flattened and one paw extended threateningly. "What are you doing, treading on my tail?" she growled. "I can take care of myself!" "You did say you could eat a fox," Tawnypelt pointed out wryly. "Now's your chance." The foxes crept nearer. Stormfur braced himself, his gaze fixed on their narrow snouts and coldly glittering eyes, trying to guess where they would attack first. Back home, foxes weren't much of a threat to cats who kept alert. They could be avoided, but these were obviously young and spoiling for a fight, eager to defend their territory. Stormfur was sure that the six of them could drive the creatures off eventually, but not without serious injuries. And what would that mean for their journey? StarClan help us! he prayed desperately. Crowpaw, who was nearest to the foxes, crouched to spring. There was barely a tail-length between him and the first of them when Stormfur heard a strange sound behind him, half

这位雷族学徒从他身侧溜出来，站到他身边，耳朵紧紧平贴在头上，一只爪子威胁似的伸了出来。 "你干什么踩我尾巴？"她低吼道。 "我能照顾好自己！" "你不是说过你能吃下一只狐狸吗，"褐皮调侃道。 "现在机会来了。" 狐狸越爬越近了。 暴毛绷紧身体，目光死死锁在狐狸窄长的口鼻和冰冷闪着凶光的眼睛上，猜测它们会从哪里先进攻。 在老家，只要保持警惕，狐狸对猫来说算不上多大威胁。 本来躲开就行，但这两只显然年轻气盛，一心想打架，急着保卫自己的领地。 暴毛清楚，他们六个最终能把这两只狐狸赶走，但免不了都会受重伤。 那他们的旅程该怎么办？ 星族救救我们！ 他绝望地祈祷着。 离狐狸最近的鸦爪压低身子，准备扑击。 他和第一只狐狸之间几乎只剩一根尾巴长度的距离，这时暴毛听到身后传来一阵奇怪的声响，一半是

growling and half barking. The leading fox abruptly lifted its head and stood very still. Stormfur flicked a glance over his shoulder. Midnight had lumbered forward, thrusting her way between Purdy and Feathertail until she stood in front of the foxes. She said something else in the same mixture of barks and growls. Although Stormfur could not understand what she was saying, there was no mistaking the threat in the way her shoulders hunched, or the hostility in her black eyes. Then his ears pricked in shock as the first fox barked what was obviously a reply. "I'd forgotten Midnight told us she could speak fox," he muttered, glancing at Brambleclaw. The ThunderClan warrior nodded without taking his eyes off the foxes. "They say this is their place," Midnight reported. "To come here is to be their prey." "Fox dung to that!" Crowpaw burst out. "Tell them if they try anything, we'll rip their fur off." Midnight shook her head. "No, small warrior. Cat fur be ripped also. Wait." Crowpaw backed off a pace or two, still

低吼，一半是吠叫。 领头的狐狸猛地抬起头，一动不动地站着。 暴毛飞快扫了一眼身后。 午夜迈着沉重的步子上前，挤过珀迪和羽尾中间，站在了狐狸面前。 她又用那种混杂着吠叫和低吼的声音说了句话。 虽然暴毛听不懂她在说什么，但她拱起肩膀的动作满是威胁，黑眼睛里的敌意也藏不住。 接着领头的狐狸吠叫着做出回应，暴毛吃惊得耳朵都竖了起来。 "我都忘了午夜说过她会说狐狸话，"他低声说着，瞥了黑莓掌一眼。 这位雷族武士点了点头，目光没有离开过狐狸。 "它们说这里是它们的地盘，"午夜告诉大家。 "闯进来就是它们的猎物。" "胡扯！" 鸦爪脱口喊道。 "告诉它们，要是它们敢乱来，我们就扯掉它们的皮毛！" 午夜摇了摇头。 "不，小战士。 猫也会被撕破皮毛。 再等等。" 鸦爪向后退了一两步，仍旧

looking furious, and Feathertail pressed her nose against his flank. Midnight said something else to the foxes. "I tell them you only pass through," she explained to the cats when she had finished. "I tell them much prey is here in woods, easier prey that does not rip fur." The leading fox was looking confused now, perhaps out of surprise at hearing a badger speak fox, perhaps because it was taking her arguments seriously. But the second—a lean dog fox with a scarred muzzle—was still glaring past Midnight at the group of cats, his teeth bared. He snarled out something that was a threat in any language. Midnight barked a single word. Taking a step forward, she raised a paw, her massive body poised to strike. Every hair on Stormfur's pelt prickled as he braced himself for a fight. Then the dog fox started to back away, growling a last curse at Midnight before turning and vanishing into the bracken. Midnight's gaze swiveled to his companion, but the other fox paused only to bark out something rapidly before following. "And don't come back, if you know what's

满脸怒容，羽尾把鼻子贴在了他的侧腹上。 午夜又对着狐狸说了些话。 "我告诉它们你们只是路过，"说完她向众猫解释道。 "我告诉它们林子里有很多猎物，更好抓，还不用撕破皮毛。" 领头的狐狸现在一脸困惑，或许是没想到獾会说狐狸话，或许是它在认真考虑午夜的话。 可另一只——那只口鼻带疤的精瘦公狐——依旧绕过午夜怒瞪着这群猫，露出了尖牙。 它吼出了一段话，不管哪种语言都能听出那是威胁。 午夜吠叫着吐出一个词。 她向前迈一步，抬起一只爪子，庞大的身子蓄势待发。 暴毛浑身的毛都绷紧了，做好了开战的准备。 接着那只公狐开始后退，对着午夜低吼着骂了最后一句，转身钻进蕨丛不见了。 午夜转头看向另一只狐狸，那只狐狸只匆匆叫了几声，就跟着跑了。 "识相的就别回来，要是你们懂

good for you!" Crowpaw yowled after them. Stormfur relaxed, feeling his fur lie flat again. Squirrelpaw flopped down on the ground with a noisy sigh. All the cats, even Purdy, were looking at the badger with new respect. Brambleclaw padded over to her and dipped his head. "Thanks, Midnight," he meowed. "That could have been nasty." "They might have killed us," Feathertail added. "I suppose it's a bad time for a fight," Crowpaw admitted. Stormfur sighed at the aggressive note in the apprentice's voice as he went on, "All the same, I'd like to know why you didn't warn us about the foxes. You said you can read everything in the stars, so why didn't you tell us they'd be here?" Even though he would never have asked the question, Stormfur waited tensely for Midnight's reply. She had told them so much already about the threat to the forest and how they must go home and lead the Clans to safety. If they did not trust her, they and all their Clanmates would be helpless in the face of destruction. Could she

真有你的！” 鸦爪在他们身后吼道。 风暴毛放松下来，身上的毛也重新平复了。 松鼠爪呼地瘫坐在地上，大声叹了口气。 所有猫，就连普蒂也不例外，都对这只獾刮目相看了。 荆爪轻轻走到她面前，低下头。 “谢谢你，午夜，”他喵声道。 “刚才那场面可太凶险了。” “他们差点就杀了我们，”羽尾补充道。 “我知道现在不是打架的时候，”鸦爪承认道。 听到这个学徒语气里带着冲劲，风暴毛叹了口气，只听鸦爪继续说道：“可我还是想知道，你为什么不提醒我们有狐狸。 你说你能读懂星族的一切预兆，那为什么不告诉我们狐狸会在这儿呢？” 风暴毛虽然绝不会问出这种问题，但也紧张地等着午夜回答。 她已经说了太多：森林面临的危机，还有他们必须回家带领族群逃去安全之地。 如果他们不信任她，那他们和所有族猫面对毁灭时都会孤立无援。 她会不会

have warned them about the foxes? For a moment the badger loomed over the WindClan apprentice, her black eyes furious. Crowpaw could not hide a flash of alarm in his eyes, though to his credit he did not back down. Then Midnight relaxed. "I not say everything. Everything indeed StarClan not want me to say. Much, yes, how Twolegs tear up forest, leave no place for cats to stay. But many answers lie within ourselves. This you have already learned, no?" "I suppose," Crowpaw muttered. Midnight turned away from him. "Foxes say you must go now," she told the cats. "If you still here at sunset, they attack. That dog fox, he says he tasted cat once, liked it fine." "Well, he's not going to taste it again!" snapped Tawnypelt. "We have to leave anyway," Brambleclaw pointed out. "And we're not looking for trouble from foxes. Let's go." They paused for a few moments to gulp down the rest of the prey. Then Midnight took the lead, and brought them after a short time to the

早点提醒我们有狐狸吗？ 有那么一瞬间，这只獾猛地逼近风族学徒，黑眼睛里满是怒火。 鸦爪眼里藏不住一丝惊慌，但他还算硬气，没有后退半步。 接着午夜放松了下来。 “我不会把所有事都说出来。 星族本来就不想让我把所有事都说出去。 该说的我都说了，比如两脚兽怎么毁掉森林，不给猫留立足之地。 但很多答案得我们自己去找。 这一点你们早就体会到了，对不对？” “大概吧，”鸦爪嘟囔道。 午夜转过身，不再对着他。 “狐狸说了，你们现在就得走，”她对猫们说。 “要是日落的时候你们还在这儿，他们就会攻击你们。 那只公狐狸说，他尝过猫肉，觉得可好吃了。” “哼，他才别想再尝到！” 褐皮怒声道。 “反正我们本来就要走，”荆爪说道。 “我们也不想去找狐狸的麻烦。 我们走吧。” 他们停下来歇了一会儿，匆匆吃完了剩下的猎物。 接着午夜走在前面带路，没走多久就把他们领到了