Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10 Firestar led the patrol upriver, keeping close to the border where tempting prey-scent drifted across the water from RiverClan's territory. Squirrelpaw padded behind him in step with Brambleclaw, while Ashfur brought up the rear. It was the first time in days that she and Brambleclaw had left the camp together. Firestar had taken the tabby warrior with him to RiverClan and ShadowClan, to plead with them once more to leave the forest. He'd done his best, but Leopardstar and Blackstar both still refused to believe that their future lay with the other Clans, far from their forest home. Clouds had rolled in overnight, and freezing drizzle hung under the trees, refusing to fall as proper rain but still soaking everything it touched. Squirrelpaw's fur clung uncomfortably to her body as the dampness soaked into her pelt. The trees shone wetly in the bleak leaf-bare light and dripped water onto the fallen leaves below, turning the loose, crisp piles into slippery clumps. Suddenly Firestar stopped and lifted his nose

第十章 火星带领巡逻队沿河岸上游前进，紧靠着边界，诱人的猎物香气正从河对面河族的领地上飘过来。 松鼠爪跟在他身后，和黑莓掌步调一致，蜡毛走在队伍最后。 这是这些天来她和黑莓掌第一次一起离开营地。 火星带上这只虎斑武士前往河族和影族，再次恳求它们离开森林。 他已经尽了全力，但豹星和黑星依旧不肯相信，离开森林、和其他族群一起才是它们未来的出路。 一夜之间乌云聚拢，树林间弥漫着冰冷的细雨，它没有变成大雨落下来，却把所接触的一切都浸透了。 湿气渗进松鼠爪的皮毛，把湿乎乎的毛发贴在她身上，很不舒服。 树木在秃叶季阴沉的天光下泛着湿光，水珠滴落在下方的落叶上，把原本松散爽脆的落叶堆泡成了滑溜溜的团块。 突然，火星停住脚步，抬起了鼻子

to scent the air. Squirrelpaw took a deep breath, hoping to catch the welcome aroma of mouse or thrush or vole. But there was no prey-scent coming from this side of the river, only something that seemed strange and familiar all at the same time. "I think I recognize that smell," she whispered to Brambleclaw. "It smells like a rogue," Brambleclaw growled. "Hush!" Firestar commanded. He paused, then dashed forward with his hackles raised. The bushes ahead shivered and a tawny cat burst out. As it streaked away Brambleclaw yowled a battle cry, joining the chase. "Come on!" he called, but Squirrelpaw was already charging after him. The tawny cat swerved toward the scent- markers at the RiverClan border. Firestar headed after it without slackening the pace. Squirrelpaw felt a jolt of alarm as she neared the warning scents. The ThunderClan cats were gaining on the rogue as she pelted over the border. The moment Firestar's paws crossed the line in pursuit, a furious yowl sounded close by, and a

嗅空气中的气味。 松鼠爪深吸一口气，希望能闻到老鼠、歌鸫或是田鼠那让人开心的香气。 但河这边并没有猎物的气味，只有一种既陌生又熟悉的味道。 “我好像认得这个味道，”她小声对黑莓掌说。 “这是泼皮猫的味道，”黑莓掌低吼道。 “嘘！” 火星下令道。 他顿了顿，接着颈毛倒竖，猛地冲了出去。 前方的灌木丛晃动起来，一只黄褐色的猫冲了出来。 那只猫飞奔逃走时，黑莓掌发出战斗吼叫，加入了追捕。 “快来！” 他喊道，可松鼠爪已经跟在他身后冲出去了。 那只黄褐色的猫猛地转向河族边界的气味标记处。 火星丝毫没有放慢速度，紧追在它身后。 松鼠爪靠近警示气味的时候，心头猛地一惊。 在她冲过边界时，雷族猫已经快追上那只泼皮猫了。 火星的爪子刚跨过边界追上去，附近就响起一声愤怒的咆哮，一只

dark brown RiverClan warrior leaped from a swath of bracken, snarling viciously. Firestar turned, skidding on the wet leaves, and stopped barely over the border. Brambleclaw and Ashfur almost crashed into him, but managed to stop in time. "Hawkfrost!" Brambleclaw gasped. Firestar took a step backward over the border. But he continued to stare at Hawkfrost, his eyes stretched wide as though he were staring into the face of a StarClan warrior. Squirrelpaw was surprised that Hawkfrost's ambush had shocked her father so much. It was hardly strange to encounter a warrior patrolling this close to the border, when every cat in RiverClan knew how close their neighbors were to starvation. "What are you doing on RiverClan territory?" Hawkfrost demanded. Firestar did not answer at first. Then he seemed to recover himself, letting his fur lie flat and relaxing his shoulders. "I was chasing that rogue out of ThunderClan territory," he replied. He glanced at the tawny she-cat who had halted behind Hawkfrost. "Why challenge me when you

深棕色的河族武士从一片蕨丛中猛扑出来，凶狠地龇牙低吼。 火星转过身，在湿落叶上打滑，堪堪停在边界这边。 黑莓掌和蜡毛差点撞到他身上，不过还是及时停住了。 “鹰霜！” 黑莓掌倒吸一口凉气。 火星往后退了一步，回到边界这边。 可他仍旧盯着鹰霜，眼睛睁得大大的，好像盯着的是星族武士。 松鼠爪很惊讶，鹰霜的伏击居然会让父亲这么震惊。 河族所有猫都清楚，邻族都快饿疯了，遇到在边界附近巡逻的武士根本不足为奇。 “你到河族领地上来做什么？” 鹰霜质问道。 火星一开始没有回答。 接着他似乎回过神来，放平了毛发，放松了肩膀。 “我刚才在追那只泼皮猫，把它赶出雷族领地，”他回答道。 他瞥了一眼停在鹰霜身后的黄褐色母猫。 “你们明明允许泼皮猫跨过自己的边界，为什么还要

have allowed a rogue to cross your borders?" Hawkfrost exchanged a long look with the rogue before he answered. "My mother will always be welcome in RiverClan," he meowed. Sasha! Suddenly Squirrelpaw recognized the rogue she had helped escape from the Twoleg nest. She felt the mild triumph of curiosity satisfied. It was common knowledge that Hawkfrost and his sister, Mothwing, had been left in RiverClan by their rogue mother, though she hadn't stayed in the forest long enough to be known by other Clans. But Firestar seemed to have more unanswered questions, because he stood rigid, staring at mother and son with his ears pricked. With a small dip of her head, Sasha meowed a greeting. "I have heard much about you, Firestar," she murmured. "It is... interesting to meet you at last." Her voice was icy and dignified, and Squirrelpaw felt self-consciously young and awkward by comparison. "So you are Sasha?" Firestar meowed softly, his eyes glittering. "You look as if you expected something else,"

找我麻烦？” 鹰霜和那只泼皮猫对视了很久才开口回答。 “我的母亲永远都能在河族受到欢迎，”他说道。 莎夏！ 松鼠爪一下子认出，这就是当初她帮忙从两脚兽巢穴逃走的那只泼皮猫。 好奇心得到满足，她感到一丝小小的得意。 大家都知道，鹰霜和他妹妹蛾翅是身为泼皮猫的母亲留在河族的，只不过她没在森林待多久，其他族群并不认识她。 可火星似乎还有很多未解的疑问，他僵站在原地，耳朵竖起，盯着这对母子。 莎夏轻轻点了点头，打了声招呼。 “我听过很多关于你的事，火星，”她轻声说道。 “终于见到你，真是……有意思。” 她的声音冰冷又端庄，相比之下，松鼠爪觉得自己又稚气又笨拙，很不自在。 “原来你就是莎夏？” 火星轻声问道，眼睛闪闪发亮。 “你看起来好像本来期待见到别的什么，”

Sasha suggested. Firestar's gaze swept along her well-groomed pelt. "You don't look like a rogue." "And you don't look like a kittypet," Sasha countered. Squirrelpaw winced, but her father showed no anger. Instead he met Sasha's proud gaze evenly. "I have often wondered why a rogue would choose to leave her kits with a Clan." "Why would a Clan make a kittypet their leader?" Sasha responded. She did not wait for an answer. "Not all cats are true to their birthright, Firestar. Some choose their own path." Firestar narrowed his eyes. "Are you such a cat?" "Maybe," Sasha meowed. "Maybe not. But I hope my kits are." She glanced at Hawkfrost, and Squirrelpaw saw a flash of pride in her eyes. "Will you stay with RiverClan awhile?" Hawkfrost invited her. "We have plenty of prey." He cast a mocking glance at Firestar, but Firestar didn't react. He simply watched, his eyes still narrowed in thought as Sasha gave her answer. "I won't stay long," she told him. But I would

萨沙提议道。 火星的目光扫过她打理得顺滑整洁的皮毛。 “你看起来可不像是流浪猫。” “你也不像是宠物猫呀。”萨沙反驳道。 松鼠爪不由得缩了缩身子，可她的父亲却一点都没有生气。 反倒平静地迎上了萨沙骄傲的目光。 “我一直很好奇，为什么流浪猫会把自己的幼崽留给族群抚养。” “那为什么族群会选一只宠物猫当领袖呢？” 萨沙反问。 她并没有等着对方回答。 “不是所有猫都要遵从天生的宿命，火星。 有些猫会自己选择要走的路。” 火星眯起了眼睛。 “你就是这样的猫吗？” “也许吧。”萨沙轻声说。 “也许不是。 但我希望我的孩子是。” 她瞥了鹰霜一眼，松鼠爪在她眼中看到了一闪而过的骄傲。 “你要不要在河族待一阵子呀？” 鹰霜邀请她。 “我们这儿猎物多的是。” 他嘲弄地扫了火星一眼，可火星毫无反应。 他只是静静望着，一直眯着眼睛思索，等着萨沙给出回答。 “我不会待太久的。”她告诉鹰霜。 不过我愿意

like to see Mothwing before I leave." Hawkfrost curled his lip at Firestar. "I shall send a patrol as soon as I get back to the camp to make sure you have not been stealing RiverClan prey," he warned. "We have no need to steal," Firestar retorted. He looked at his patrol. "Come on." Though the air still crackled with tension, Squirrelpaw knew that the danger had passed. Hawkfrost and Firestar turned from each other and padded away from the border. She prepared to follow her father, but before they had reached the safety of the trees, Firestar halted and called out to Sasha. His voice was strangely calm. "Tigerstar was their father, wasn't he?" Sasha didn't seem surprised by the question. She nodded. "Yes, he was." The ground lurched beneath Squirrelpaw. No wonder Firestar had looked so surprised when Hawkfrost had leaped out in front of him. He must have thought it was Tigerstar himself, granted a tenth life. He'd seen Hawkfrost before at moonlit gatherings, and at the disastrous meeting at Fourtrees the other night, but perhaps

动身离开前见见蛾翅。” 鹰霜对着火星撇了撇嘴。 “等我回营地就立刻派一支巡逻队过来，看看你们有没有偷河族的猎物。”他警告道。 “我们才用不着偷猎物。”火星反驳道。 他看向自己的巡逻队。 “走吧。” 虽然空气中还紧绷着一触即发的紧张感，可松鼠爪知道危险已经过去了。 鹰霜和火星转身分开，各自沿着边界走开了。 松鼠爪准备跟上父亲，可还没走到安全的树林，火星就停了下来，出声叫住萨沙。 他的声音出奇地平静。 “虎星是孩子们的父亲，对不对？” 萨沙听到这个问题，好像一点都不惊讶。 她点了点头。 “没错，他就是。” 松鼠爪只觉得脚下的地面猛地晃了一下。 难怪刚才鹰霜跳到火星面前时，火星会那么惊讶。 他刚才准是以为那就是虎星本人，多得一条命回来了。 之前在月光下的集会，还有前几天四树区那场糟糕的会面，他都见过鹰霜，可也许