Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 Leafpaw raked through the fur at the base of her tail, scraping out the troublesome flea. She cracked its fat body between her teeth, tasting with some satisfaction the blood it had stolen from her. "Got it!" "Don't tell the others you had an extra piece of fresh-kill," Squirrelpaw joked. "They'll all want one." Leafpaw's belly growled. The vole she had just shared with her sister had barely touched her hunger. They were lying side by side in a shallow dip in the stone, watching the sun sink behind Sunningrocks. The clouds had cleared, and a perfect half-moon hung in the blue evening sky. "Has Cinderpelt decided whether you're going to make the journey to the Moonstone tonight?" Squirrelpaw meowed. "She's speaking with Firestar about it now," Leafpaw replied. The medicine cats of every Clan met each half-moon at Mothermouth to share tongues with StarClan. They didn't need the half- moon to secure a truce—medicine cats lived

第十二章 叶爪梳理尾巴根的毛发，挠掉了一只烦人的跳蚤 她用牙咬碎跳蚤圆滚滚的身体，满足地尝到了它从自己身上偷吸的血 “搞定了！” “别告诉别的猫你多吃了一块鲜肉哦，”松鼠爪开玩笑说 “他们都会闹着要一块的” 叶爪的肚子咕噜噜叫了 她刚和姐姐分吃的田鼠，压根压不住她的饥饿 她们并排趴在石头的浅凹里，看着太阳沉到晒太阳岩身后 乌云散了，一轮饱满的半月挂在湛蓝的夜空中 “炭毛决定了你今晚要不要动身去月石了吗？” 松鼠爪喵喵问道 “她现在正和火星商量这件事呢，”叶爪回答 每个族群的巫医每半个月都会在母嘴相聚，和星族交流心得 他们不需要靠半月来维持休战——巫医本来就

outside the differences between Clans that sometimes led to quarrels—but it was an important time for sharing concerns and advice about treating their Clanmates. Leafpaw saw Cinderpelt emerge, and she clambered to her paws, keen to find out if they would be going to Highstones in spite of the dangers that lurked in the forest. But Cinderpelt shook her head as she came over and stood at the edge of the hollow. "Firestar agrees with me," she reported. "We can't risk the journey with so many Twolegs and monsters about." "But we need to share with StarClan now more than ever!" Leafpaw protested. "Firestar says he cannot risk losing us, and he's right. Where would the Clan be without a medicine cat?" Leafpaw sighed and scraped at the rock with her claw. "StarClan will share with us if they wish to," Cinderpelt mewed. Leafpaw shrugged. "Maybe." "Well, I'm glad you're not going," Squirrelpaw

超脱在族群间时不时引发争吵的分歧之外——但这依旧是交流顾虑、分享治族猫心得的重要时刻 叶爪看见炭毛走出来，连忙站起身，迫不及待想知道，哪怕森林暗藏危险，她们到底能不能去高石 可炭毛走过来站在凹地边缘时，摇了摇头 “火星同意我的想法，”她说 “现在这么多两脚兽和怪物出没，我们不能冒这个险” “可我们现在比任何时候都更需要和星族交流啊！” 叶爪不服气地抗议 “火星说他不能冒失去我们的风险，他说得没错 族群没有巫医可怎么办？” 叶爪叹口气，用爪子扒了扒石头 “如果星族想和我们交流，自然会来找我们，”炭毛喵喵说 叶爪耸了耸肩 “也许吧” “唔，我很高兴你不用去，”松鼠爪

meowed as Cinderpelt padded away. "I nearly lost you to the Twolegs once. I don't think I could bear it again." Leafpaw gave her sister a quick, fond lick on her head and settled down again. "Do you think the RiverClan cats will go to Highstones?" she wondered out loud. It was strange to think that the other medicine cats might be making the journey without them. Would StarClan think Cinderpelt and Leafpaw were being cowardly? "I doubt they'll risk it," Squirrelpaw told her. "Last time Brambleclaw and I saw Stormfur, he said Mudfur was pretty sick." "I was just hoping that, if the medicine cats from all the Clans traveled to the Moonstone together, it might bring us closer," Leafpaw admitted. Squirrelpaw nodded. "I know. You'd think trouble like this would unite us, like it did when BloodClan attacked, but instead we seem forests apart." "Each Clan seems to have its own idea about what to do." Leafpaw sighed. "If only StarClan would give us a sign!"

在炭毛走开的时候喵喵说道 “我之前差点永远失去你，被两脚兽抓走 我再也承受不住一次这样的事了” 叶爪亲昵地快速舔了下姐姐的额头，重新趴好 “你觉得河族猫会去高石吗？”她出声问道 一想到其他巫医可能会不等她们就出发，她就觉得心里怪怪的 星族会不会觉得炭毛和我太胆小了？ “我觉得他们也不会冒险，”松鼠爪告诉她 “上次我和黑莓爪遇到暴毛，他说泥毛病得很重” “我只是希望，如果所有族群的巫医一起去月石，或许能让我们各族更亲近，”叶爪坦言 松鼠爪点了点头 “我明白 本来以为这种麻烦会让我们团结，就像血族进攻那次一样，可我们反倒隔了一整个森林那么远” “每个族群对该怎么做都各有各的想法” 叶爪叹了口气 “要是星族能给我们一个指引就好了！”

"Were you hoping that StarClan might share something with you tonight?" Leafpaw gave a small nod, avoiding her sister's gaze. She didn't want to betray the fear that had made her heart pound all day: the cold dread that they would go all the way to the Moonstone and find StarClan silent even there. "It's stupid that the Clans should find it so hard to come together." Squirrelpaw's mew interrupted her thoughts. "They have far more in common than they think." Leafpaw looked thoughtfully at her sister, suddenly wondering what Squirrelpaw was hinting at. "After all, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan even share kin," Squirrelpaw went on. "You mean Tawnypelt and Stormfur?" "Not just them." Squirrelpaw's tail twitched as she spoke. "There are other cats linked to ThunderClan by blood." With a jolt Leafpaw wondered if her sister had discovered a secret she had known for a moon and kept to herself. "Are you talking about

“你本来是不是希望星族今晚能给你们什么启示？” 叶爪轻轻点头，避开了姐姐的目光 她不想暴露自己一整天狂跳不安的恐惧：她一直暗自害怕，就算真走到月石，星族也会一言不发 “族群这么难团结在一起，真是太蠢了” 松鼠爪的声音打断了她的思绪 “我们的共同点比他们想的多得多” 叶爪若有所思地看着姐姐，突然好奇松鼠爪在暗示什么 “毕竟，影族、河族和雷族之间都有血缘联系，”松鼠爪继续说 “你说的是褐皮和暴毛？” “不只是他们” 松鼠爪说话时尾巴抖了一下 “还有别的猫和雷族有血缘关系” 叶爪猛地一惊，心想姐姐是不是发现了她藏了一个月的秘密 “你说的是

Tigerstar being Hawkfrost and Mothwing's father?" Squirrelpaw stared at her in astonishment. "Have you been sharing my dreams again?" Leafpaw shook her head. "I've known for some time," she admitted. "Why didn't you tell me?" Squirrelpaw demanded. "I didn't think it mattered. Not right now, when all the Clans are in danger. Why should it make a difference if Tigerstar is Hawkfrost and Mothwing's father?" Leafpaw knew she was trying to convince herself. The last thing the Clans needed was another cat with Tigerstar's hunger for power. "A warrior like Hawkfrost can't be trusted," Squirrelpaw insisted. Leafpaw felt an uneasy knot twist in her belly. "But Tigerstar is Brambleclaw's father too," she pointed out. "And Brambleclaw is a loyal warrior." "Brambleclaw has nothing to do with this," Squirrelpaw snapped. "Of course not," Leafpaw agreed quickly. "I

虎星竟然是鹰霜和蛾翅的父亲？" 松鼠爪惊讶地盯着她。 "你又偷进我的梦里了？" 叶爪摇了摇头。 "我知道这件事有一阵子了，"她坦白道。 "你为什么不告诉我？" 松鼠爪追问道。 "我觉得这不重要。 现在所有族群都身处险境，这件事算不上什么。 就算虎星是鹰霜和蛾翅的父亲，又能有什么影响呢？" 叶爪知道松鼠爪其实是在说服自己。 族群最不需要的，就是再来一只像虎星那样渴望权力的猫。 "像鹰霜这样的武士根本不能信，"松鼠爪坚持说。 叶爪感觉心里不安地揪了一下。 "可虎星也是黑莓掌的父亲呀，"她提醒道。 "而黑莓掌是忠诚的武士。" "黑莓掌和这事没关系，"松鼠爪厉声说道。 "那当然啦，"叶爪连忙附和。 "我

only meant that having Tigerstar as a father doesn't mean a warrior has to follow in his pawsteps." She prayed this was true. "Good." Squirrelpaw nodded. "Because Brambleclaw is completely different from Hawkfrost. They have nothing in common. Nothing." Leafpaw curled into a ball beside her sister and buried her nose under her paws for warmth. Squirrelpaw's words had sounded like an echo— were they Brambleclaw's, perhaps? "Good night, Squirrelpaw," she whispered, curling up close to Squirrelpaw, their sharp words forgotten. Leafpaw did not need a visit from StarClan to tell her that her sister was falling in love with Brambleclaw. Amid everything else that was going on, and however much Leafpaw missed the connection that once only the two of them shared, this felt right and good for the whole Clan. She closed her eyes. I wonder if StarClan will share my dreams, she thought as sleep tugged at her like a gentle river. It was a half-moon, after all; that had to count for something, even if they

只是想说，有虎星当父亲，不代表武士就一定要走他的老路呀。" 她祈祷这是真的。 "那就好。" 松鼠爪点了点头。 "因为黑莓掌和鹰霜完全不一样。 他们一点共同点都没有。 半点儿都没有。" 叶爪蜷成一团靠在姐姐身边，把鼻子埋进爪子底下取暖。 松鼠爪的话听起来像回声——搞不好这话本就是黑莓掌想说的？ "晚安，松鼠爪，"她轻声说，往松鼠爪身边靠紧，刚才的争执早就抛到脑后了。 叶爪根本不需要星族托梦，就知道姐姐爱上黑莓掌了。 哪怕眼下诸事纷扰，叶爪再怎么怀念从前只有姐妹俩的默契，也觉得这事对整个族群来说都是件好事。 她闭上了眼睛。 睡意像柔缓的河水把她轻轻拉走，她心里想着：不知道星族会不会进我的梦里。 毕竟今天是半月，这总归是有点说法的，就算他们