Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22 Squirrelpaw glimpsed movement on the ledge above. She stopped, her paws sinking into the banked snow, and glanced up. A falcon was feasting on a shrew a few tail-lengths up the rocky outcrop. Squirrelpaw knew her ginger pelt must stand out like a sunset in a pale sky, and she stood motionless, hoping that the falcon hadn't noticed her. The snow felt soothing against her raw pads. She wondered if she had the power to leap up the short distance and catch the falcon. Probably not. The past few days had sapped her strength until she almost couldn't be bothered to hunt at all. The falcon flattened the shrew against the rock and stooped to pull the flesh from it. Squirrelpaw felt a wrench of envy as hunger clawed at her belly. Slow as melting ice, she prowled forward, praying the thickly falling snow would camouflage her pelt. She had to catch some prey. The cold would start killing cats faster than any eagle if the Clans

第二十二章 松鼠爪瞥见上方岩架有动静 她停住脚步，爪子陷进积雪里，抬头望去 几尾身长外的岩丘上，一只游隼正在享用一只鼩鼱 松鼠爪知道，自己姜黄色的皮毛在白茫茫的雪地里就像浅空中的落日一样显眼，于是她一动不动，祈祷游隼没发现她 积雪贴着她磨红的肉垫，让她感觉舒缓了不少 她暗自琢磨，自己有没有力气纵身跃过那小段距离抓住游隼 大概不行 过去几天已经耗尽了她的力气，她现在连捕猎都提不起劲了 游隼把鼩鼱按在岩石上，低头撕扯它的肉 饥饿啃噬着松鼠爪的肚子，她不由得涌起一阵羡慕 她像融冰一样慢慢悄悄往前挪，祈祷纷飞的大雪能掩护住她的皮毛 她必须捕到猎物 严寒杀死猫的速度会比任何雄鹰都快，如果族群

grew any hungrier. Despite their bold promises to Tallpoppy, the shock of losing Smokepaw and then nearly losing Marshkit had shaken the confidence of even the strongest warriors. Squirrelpaw felt a flood of regret so strong it stopped her in her tracks. She had helped to lead the Clans to their death. She was not even sure she would be able to find her way back to them if she caught the falcon. She knew only that they were somewhere near, huddled in the snow, praying to StarClan for deliverance. If only she could be sure they had reached the place where the Tribe hunted, then at least they might get help from the cats they had met before. Stormfur had taken to ranging out at night, among the snowy crags. He alone seemed comfortable in this barren territory. She knew he was searching for Brook, or any sign of the Tribe, but he had found nothing so far. The Tribe had no need for borders or scent markers. No other cat wanted their unforgiving hunting grounds. The falcon ruffled its feathers, shaking off some snow, and brought Squirrelpaw's wandering thoughts back to the hunt. She tensed her tired

再饿下去的话 尽管他们向高罂粟许下了大胆的承诺，可失去烟爪、又差点失去沼崽的打击，就连最强壮的武士都被动摇了信心 松鼠爪涌起一阵强烈的悔恨，猛地停住了脚步 是她带族群来送死的 她甚至不确定，就算抓住了游隼，自己能不能找到回族群的路 她只知道族群就在附近，挤在雪堆里，向星族祈祷获救 要是她能确定他们已经到了部落的狩猎地就好了，那样至少能从之前认识的猫那里得到帮助 暴风毛习惯了夜里在积雪岩壁间搜寻 只有他在这片贫瘠的领地里过得自在 她知道他在找溪，或是任何部落的踪迹，但迄今为止什么都没找到 部落不需要边界，也不需要气味标记 没有别的猫想要这片难捱的狩猎场 游隼抖了抖羽毛，抖掉落雪，把松鼠爪飘远的思绪拉回了狩猎上 她绷紧了疲惫的

muscles and prepared to leap. Suddenly a flash of fur above her made her draw back. Three lean, mud-streaked cats hurled themselves from the rocks above the falcon. One snared the falcon in its long claws, while the other two bundled Squirrelpaw backward, knocking the breath from her. She felt strong paws pinning her under the snow and struggled, but they were too strong for her, and after a few terrified moments she lay still, her breath hoarse and ragged. "Squirrelpaw?" She heard a familiar voice growl her name and felt paws tug her out of the snow. She blinked cold flakes of ice from her eyes and saw Talon staring at her in undisguised surprise. Two more cave-guards stood behind him, wide-eyed with astonishment. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. As Squirrelpaw tried to gather her confused thoughts, she recognized one of the cave-guards. It was Jag, one of the outcasts who had returned to save their Tribemates from Sharptooth. Knowing two of the cats who stood in front of

肌肉，准备起跳 突然，上方闪过一道毛影，吓得她往后一缩 三只精瘦、沾满泥污的猫从游隼上方的岩石猛扑下来 一只用长爪牢牢扣住游隼，另外两只把松鼠爪撞得后退，撞得她喘不上气 她感觉到有力的爪子把自己按在雪下，拼命挣扎，可对方力气太大，恐惧地挣扎了几秒后，她躺着不动了，呼吸粗重又嘶哑 “松鼠爪？” 她听到熟悉的声音低吼出她的名字，接着感觉到爪子把她拉出了雪堆 她眨掉眼睛里冰冷的雪屑，看见猛爪正毫不掩饰惊讶地盯着她 另外两名洞穴守卫站在他身后，惊讶地瞪大了眼睛 “你怎么会在这里？” 他质问道 松鼠爪努力理清混乱的思绪，认出了其中一名洞穴守卫 是锯齿，就是那群回来把族人从锐齿手中救出来的流亡者之一 认出站在面前

her made her feel a little better. "We've left the forest," she explained. "We're traveling over the mountains." Talon narrowed his eyes. "Again?" "We're all going this time." "All?" "The four Clans," Squirrelpaw mewed. "We couldn't stay in the forest any longer. There was too much destruction. But we never thought the journey would be this hard! Smokepaw fell into a ravine, and then an eagle tried to carry off Marshkit...." She trailed off breathlessly. "Kits?" Talon demanded. "Out here? Are you mad? You must bring all of these cats to the Cave of Rushing Water and rest. Where did you leave them?" "We sheltered under some rocks. There was a tree jutting out above them like a giant claw." Talon glanced at the cave-guards. "Tree-rock," he meowed. "Go there." The cave-guards bounded away across the snowdrift, their ears flattened against the falling snow. "Let's find these Clans of yours before they

的两只猫，让她感觉好了一点 “我们离开森林了，”她解释道 “我们要翻越大山” 猛爪眯起了眼睛 “又来？” “这次我们全体都来” “全体？” “四个族群，”松鼠爪轻声说 “我们没法再留在森林里了 那里被破坏得太严重了 可我们从没想过旅途会这么难！ 烟爪掉进了峡谷，然后还有鹰想抓走沼崽…… 她气喘吁吁地停了下来 “还有幼崽？” 猛爪质问道 “在这种野地里？ 你们疯了吗？ 你们必须带所有猫去急水岩洞休息 你们把他们留在哪里了？ “我们在一块岩石下躲着， 那里有一棵树从岩缝伸出来，就像一只大爪子” 猛爪看了看其他洞穴守卫 “是岩树那里，”他说 “去那边” 洞穴守卫们跃过雪堆，耳朵贴着头迎着落雪跑去 咱们得赶在你们的族群

freeze to death," Talon meowed, picking up the still-warm falcon in his jaws. Squirrelpaw struggled to keep up with the tom as he raced after the guards. "They'll be safe once we get them to the Cave of Rushing Water," Talon called over his shoulder. Hope gave Squirrelpaw new strength, and she scrambled on until she was clear of the drift and pounding after him along a rock ledge that had been shielded from the snow by a sharp overhang. Her paws sent stones showering down the steep slope, but she kept running. "Eagle!" The cave-guards skidded to a halt where the ledge came to an abrupt end. Looking along the side of the valley, Squirrelpaw saw the rocky outcrop where she had left the Clans. Their pelts looked like dark smudges through the driving snow. Above them, Squirrelpaw recognized the predatory circling motion of the eagle and felt her belly twist in dread. The cave-guards sank back onto their haunches, then sprang over the deep cleft that lay between them and the Clan cats. Talon followed, leaping easily over the gap even though he was

“会冻死的。”利爪叼起那只还留着余温的隼，轻声说道。 松鼠爪拼命跟上这只公猫，他正追着洞穴守卫们猛跑。 “把他们送到急水岩洞就安全了。”利爪回头喊道。 希望给了松鼠爪新的力气，她拼命往前赶，终于走出雪堆，沿着被陡崖挡了积雪的岩架追着利爪奔跑。 她的爪子带得石块顺着陡坡哗哗滚落，可她还是不停往前跑。 “鹰！” 岩架到了尽头，洞穴守卫们猛地刹住了脚。 松鼠爪沿着谷壁望去，看见了她安置族群的那片岩丘。 纷飞大雪中，他们的皮毛就像一团团深色的污印。 在他们头顶，松鼠爪认出那只鹰正盘旋捕猎，她吓得肚子揪紧，满心恐惧。 洞穴守卫们蹲下后爪，猛地跃起，跳过了他们和族群猫之间的深裂缝。 利爪跟着跃出，轻轻松松跳过了裂口，哪怕他正——

carrying the dead falcon. Squirrelpaw looked across the divide, then down at the long drop beneath her. Rocks sharp as teeth pierced the snow that pooled in the chasm beneath. Summoning up every last bit of her strength, she leaped toward the rocky ledge where Talon waited. Reaching out desperately with her forepaws, she grasped the ledge, her hind legs churning empty air. Talon lunged forward, and she felt his teeth sink into her scruff as he pulled her up to safety. The moment she felt solid ground beneath her paws, Squirrelpaw raced after the Tribe cats. Above them, the eagle folded its wings and started to drop toward the ground. "Birchkit!" Ferncloud's shriek tore through the air. Russetfur leaped forward to scoop up the kit and thrust him and his mother into the shadows of the rock. Brambleclaw herded Dawnflower and her kits after them. Hawkfrost leaped to Onewhisker's side, and together they shielded Tallstar from the attack. As the eagle swooped down, its talons raking the air, the cave-guards plunged among the

叼着那只死去的隼。 松鼠爪望了望对面的裂谷，又低头看向身下那深得吓人的落差。 像牙齿一般锋利的岩石刺破了积在谷底的积雪。 她拼尽最后一丝力气，朝着利爪等候的岩架跳了过去。 她拼命伸出前爪抓住岩架，后爪却只能在半空乱蹬。 利爪猛冲上前，她感觉到对方的牙齿咬住自己的后颈，把她拉到了安全的地方。 刚踩实地面，松鼠爪就立刻追着部落猫跑了起来。 在他们头顶，那只鹰收拢翅膀，开始朝着地面俯冲。 “桦崽！” 蕨云的尖叫划破了天空。 红柳向前一跃，叼起幼崽，把他和他妈妈推到了岩石的阴影里。 黑莓掌把晨花和她的幼崽也赶进了阴影。 鹰霜跳到一根须身边，他俩一同挡住高星，抵挡老鹰的攻击。 老鹰猛扑下来，利爪在空中乱抓，洞穴守卫们冲进了——