Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 Brambleclaw leaned down and snarled into Crowpaw's face. "You would rather join a dead warrior than fight to save live ones?" Squirrelpaw felt the fight drain from Crowpaw's body, but Brambleclaw went on. "Your Clan needs you more now than ever! Use your head and follow Firestar's orders! Squirrelpaw, you can take your claws off him now." Gingerly she let go, half expecting Crowpaw to dart off into the trees again, but the WindClan apprentice only stood up and shook himself. Behind them, the elm-killing monster attacked its victim. Thorn-sharp splinters of wood shot through the air, and Squirrelpaw felt searing pain as a tiny sliver of bark stabbed into her flank. "Now!" yowled Firestar. The cats leaped forward just as the monster tore a branch from the elm, sending it crashing onto the forest floor where the cats had stood a heartbeat before. Firestar stopped when they reached the bramble thicket. "Sandstorm, take Leafpaw and

第十四章 黑莓掌俯下身，对着鸦爪的脸低吼。 “你宁愿投奔死武士，也不愿意战斗救下活下来的猫？” 松鼠爪感觉到鸦爪身上的斗志全消，可黑莓掌还在继续说。 “你的族群现在比任何时候都更需要你！ 动动脑子，遵守火星的命令！ 松鼠爪，你现在可以松开爪子放他走了。” 她小心翼翼地松开爪子，本来还以为鸦爪会再次冲进树林，可这只风族学徒只是站起身抖了抖身子。 他们身后，摧毁榆树的怪物正攻击着它的目标。 荆棘般锋利的木碎片四处飞溅，一小块树皮扎进了松鼠爪的侧腹，火辣辣的疼蔓延开来。 “动手！” 吼道 火星。 怪物刚从榆树上扯下一根粗枝，猫咪们就向前扑出，粗枝重重砸在方才猫咪们站着的林地之上。 他们走到黑棘灌木丛时，火星停了下来。 “沙风，你带叶爪

the rest of your patrol and get the kits and queens out," he ordered. "Mousefur, take Tornear and Crowpaw with your patrol and find the elders." Squirrelpaw turned to follow her mother, but Firestar called her back. "Squirrelpaw, I need you here!" he commanded. "Thornclaw, you help the apprentices to get out. RiverClan warriors, go with him, please." Mistyfoot nodded and darted off with the ThunderClan cat. "Dustpelt, wait at the entrance and make sure everyone escapes. Don't let any cat block the way." "What about me?" Onewhisker demanded as the others charged away. "I'll get to you soon," Firestar promised. He turned to Tawnypelt, who was tearing at the ground with her long, hooked claws. "You know this part of the forest better than us. We can't go back the way we came. Which way's the quickest out of here?" "That way!" Tawnypelt answered at once, nodding to a break in the trees. "If we're quick, we'll get to it before the monsters and pick up a trail that will take us to the tunnel under the Thunderpath."

带上你巡逻队剩下的猫，把幼崽和猫后都撤出去，”他命令道。 “鼠毛，你带巡逻队里的迅爪和鸦爪，去找长老们。” 松鼠爪转身跟着妈妈走，可火星叫住了她。 “松鼠爪，我需要你留在这里！” 他下令道。 “棘爪，你帮忙带学徒们撤离。 河族的武士们，请跟着他走吧。” 雾脚点了点头，跟着这只雷族猫冲了出去。 “尘毛，你在入口守着，确保所有猫都逃出去。 别让任何猫堵住出口。” “那我呢？” 其他猫都冲出去后，单须开口问道。 “我很快就会安排你的任务，”火星承诺道。 他转向褐皮，褐皮正用带弯钩的长爪子刨着地面。 “你比我们更熟悉这片森林。 我们没法从来路回去了。 哪条路是离开这里最快的？” “那边！” 褐皮立刻回答，一边朝树林的缺口点了点头。 “如果我们动作快，就能赶在怪物过来前到位，顺着小路走到雷鬼路底下的隧道。”

Firestar turned back to Onewhisker and Tallstar. "You two must defend our escape route," he meowed. It was the least dangerous of all the tasks, and Squirrelpaw guessed that her father was trying to preserve the WindClan leader's last life. Firestar looked at Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw. "You two, let Tawnypelt take you into the camp. She'll know which den is which. Make sure that no cat remains inside the camp. If you hear me yowl, get out at once. It'll mean the monsters have reached the brambles." Brambleclaw pressed his muzzle to Squirrelpaw's ear. "Are you okay with this?" "Of course I am! What do you take me for—a kit who's never left the nursery?" Squirrelpaw jerked indignantly away. He blinked at her, his eyes glittering with concern, and she realized with a jolt that he was just worried about her. "I'm fine," she promised. "It feels like a battle, and I need to fight for the forest—even if we can't win. We can't let Tawnypelt down." She whirled around and raced for the camp entrance. Tawnypelt was already scrambling

火星转身回到单须和高星身边。 “你们俩必须守住我们的逃生路，”他说道。 这是所有任务里最安全的一个，松鼠爪猜到，爸爸这是想保住风族族长的最后一条命。 火星看向黑莓掌和松鼠爪。 “你们俩，让褐皮带你们进营地。 她清楚每个巢穴的位置。 要确保营地里没有留下一只猫。 如果听到我吼叫，就立刻出来。 那代表怪物已经冲到黑棘丛这里了。” 黑莓掌把嘴凑到松鼠爪的耳边。 “你没问题吧？” “我当然没问题！ 你把我当成什么了——一个连育婴室都没出过的幼崽吗？” 松鼠爪气呼呼地一下挣开了。 他眨着眼看着她，眼睛里满是担忧，松鼠爪猛地反应过来，他只是在担心自己。 “我没事，”她保证道。 “这就像一场战斗，我要为森林而战——就算我们赢不了也没关系。 我们不能让褐皮失望。” 她猛地转身，朝营地入口冲去。 褐皮已经在攀爬了

through the prickly tunnel that led into the camp. As Squirrelpaw pounded after her into the clearing, the stench of terror nearly stopped her dead in her tracks. Pelts flashed everywhere as the ShadowClan cats bolted in blind panic. Terrified yowls tore through the air as queens called for their kits, and warriors shrieked orders. Amid the chaos, the newly arrived warriors were somehow managing to stay calm: Squirrelpaw spotted Sorreltail and Tornear flanking a group of confused ShadowClan elders to herd them across the clearing; on the far side, Leafpaw urged Runningnose, the old ShadowClan medicine cat, toward the camp entrance. Blackstar's white coat stood out among the shadows. A gray apprentice crouched beside him, his fur standing on end. "Don't be afraid!" the ShadowClan leader growled, nudging the apprentice to his paws. "I won't let you die." He began to push the petrified apprentice toward the tunnel. Suddenly a kit squealed from the far end of the clearing. Blackstar turned to look, and Squirrelpaw followed his gaze. The tiny

穿过通往营地、布满尖刺的隧道。 松鼠爪跟在她身后冲进空地，恐惧的腥气几乎让她当场僵住。 影族猫慌不择路奔逃，到处都是晃动的皮毛。 恐惧的嘶吼响彻天空，猫后呼唤幼崽，武士尖声发号施令。 一片混乱中，刚来的援军武士反而维持着镇定：松鼠爪看见，蕨尾和迅爪一左一右陪着一群慌神的影族长老，把他们领过空地； 在空地另一头，叶爪催促着影族老巫医奔鼻，朝营地入口走。 黑星白色的皮毛在黑影里格外显眼。 一只灰色学徒蹲在他身边，浑身的毛都炸了起来。 “别害怕！” 这位影族族长低吼着，把学徒拱得站了起来。 “我不会让你死的。” 他推着吓呆的学徒往隧道走。 突然，空地那头传来幼崽的尖叫声。 黑星转过头去看，松鼠爪也跟着他的目光看去。 那只小小的

scrap of dark brown fur had flattened itself on the ground and screwed its eyes tightly shut. Blackstar glared at Squirrelpaw. "Don't just stand there! Get Smokepaw out while I get that kit!" He shoved the apprentice toward her and headed for the kit. Smokepaw stared at her, too stunned to speak or move. There was no time for formal introductions. Squirrelpaw grasped the scruff of his neck in her teeth and started to haul him across the ground. She pushed him into the tunnel and scanned the clearing. Blackstar had grabbed the kit and was pelting toward her. Squirrelpaw darted out of the way just in time to let the ShadowClan leader hurtle past. She rushed over to the nursery thicket and thrust her head into the nest. Peering into the shadows, she scented the air and listened for mewling above the roaring of the monsters. The nest was empty. "Is everyone out?" Mothwing stood beside her, pelt bristling. As Squirrelpaw nodded, she heard Hawkfrost call to one of his Clanmates, "We've done

一团深棕毛皮贴在地上，紧紧闭着眼睛。 黑星怒视着松鼠爪。 “别站在那儿傻愣着！ 你带烟爪出去，我来救那只幼崽！” 他把学徒推到她面前，自己朝幼崽赶过去。 烟爪盯着她，惊呆了，既说不出话也动不了。 没时间做正式介绍了。 松鼠爪用牙叼住他的后颈，拖着他往前行进。 她把推进地道，接着扫视了一圈空地。 黑星已经叼住幼崽，正朝她狂奔过来。 松鼠爪刚好及时跳开，让这位影族族长冲了过去。 她冲到育婴室的灌丛边，把头探进窝里。 她往阴影里张望，嗅了嗅空气，在怪兽的轰鸣里分辨幼崽的叫声。 窝里空空的。 “所有猫都出来了吗？” 蛾翅站在她身边，毛发都竖了起来。 松鼠爪刚点头，就听见鹰霜对自己的族友喊道：“我们已经

enough. Get out now, before the camp is destroyed!" "We'll stay until every cat is out!" Mistyfoot countermanded instantly, her sharp yowl making Hawkfrost freeze in surprise. "Stop acting like you're in charge!" Mothwing hissed angrily to her brother. "Maybe not now," Hawkfrost spat back. "But one day!" Squirrelpaw felt a shiver chill her fur, but there was no time to think about it. A tortoiseshell ShadowClan queen was struggling to carry her two kits across the clearing. She kept dropping one and dashing back to fetch the other. Squirrelpaw raced over. "I'll take this one!" she breathed, picking up the tiny bundle in her teeth. The queen flashed her a grateful look, and together they made for the entrance. Dustpelt was waiting outside. Squirrelpaw thrust the kit at him and ran back down the tunnel. The camp was emptying quickly, and the roar of the monsters was deafeningly close. Make sure that no cat remains inside the camp. Firestar's

办妥了。 营地毁掉前快出去！” “我们要等到所有猫都出去再走！” 雾脚立刻反驳，她尖利的吼声让鹰霜惊讶地僵住了。 “别装得好像你在掌权一样！” 蛾翅愤怒地对哥哥嘶声说。 “也许现在不是，”鹰霜呛回去。 “但总有一天会是！” 松鼠爪浑身打了个寒颤，可根本没时间细想这件事。 一只玳瑁色的影族猫后正费劲地带着两只幼崽穿过空地。 她总掉下一只，再跑回去接另一只。 松鼠爪立刻跑了过去。 “我来带这一只！” 她轻声说，用嘴叼起这团小小的毛团。 猫后感激地看了她一眼，她们一起往入口走去。 尘毛在外面等着。 松鼠爪把幼崽塞给他，又跑回了地道。 营地的猫很快都走光了，怪兽的吼声震耳欲聋，已经近在眼前。 一定要保证没有猫留在营地里。 火星的