Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23 Leafpaw padded into the cave, blinking at the gloom. The roar of the waterfall made the air tremble, and the light filtering through the sheet of tumbling water quivered on the rocky walls. A stream sparkled like frost as it trickled down the mossy rocks and ran into a pool in the cave floor. Two tunnels led away into darkness, one at each end of the back wall, and narrow claws of stone hung down from the shadowy roof far above. Leafpaw felt the Tribe cats staring at her, their eyes gleaming in the darkness. She padded over to Squirrelpaw. "They don't seem frightened of us." Squirrelpaw blinked. "Why should they be? We hardly look threatening, as thin as we are. And besides, there are no other cats around here. Now that Sharptooth is dead, the only enemies the Tribe knows are eagles." "I'd forgotten about Sharptooth," Leafpaw mewed. "All this would have been so much worse if he were still prowling the mountains." "Yes," Squirrelpaw agreed, her gaze softening.

第23章 叶爪缓步走进洞穴，在昏暗中眨了眨眼。 瀑布的轰鸣震得空气发颤，透过奔涌水帘透进来的光线，在岩壁上微微晃动。 一道溪流像霜花般闪闪发亮，顺着长满苔藓的岩石淌下，流入洞底的水潭。 后墙两端各有一条隧道伸向黑暗，高处暗影笼罩的洞顶垂下嶙峋石尖。 叶爪感觉到部落猫都在盯着自己，他们的眼睛在黑暗里泛着光。 她慢慢走到松鼠爪身边。 “他们好像不怕我们。” 松鼠爪眨了眨眼。 “他们为什么要怕我们？ 我们都瘦成这副样子，哪看起来像有威胁的。 再说了，这附近也没有别的猫了。 现在尖牙已经死了，部落认识的敌人就只有老鹰了。” “我都忘了尖牙了，”叶爪开口说道。 “要是他还在山里游荡，情况可比现在糟糕太多了。” “是啊，”松鼠爪赞同道，目光软了下来。

"When Feathertail died, she did more than save the Tribe. She helped to protect us, too." As her eyes adjusted, Leafpaw began to pick out individual shapes, some lithe and sleek, others well muscled and broad shouldered. Yet they were all smaller than the Clan cats—even WindClan—leaner, with broad heads and slender necks. The kits playing outside the entrance to one of the tunnels stopped and gazed at the Clan cats as they filed into the cave, their eyes wide and curious. A gray-and-white queen padded over to Leafpaw and sniffed her pelt. "This is Wing," Squirrelpaw explained. "She looked after Tawnypelt last time we were here, when she was sick from a rat bite." The Tribe queen dipped her head. "Stoneteller said you were coming," she meowed. "The Tribe of Endless Hunting told him that old friends would return and bring new friends with them." Despite her tiredness and hunger, Leafpaw's fur prickled with curiosity. "How did he know?" she whispered to Squirrelpaw.

“羽尾牺牲的时候，她不只是救了整个部落。 她也帮了我们，保护了我们啊。” 等眼睛适应了昏暗，叶爪渐渐看清了每只猫的轮廓，有的轻盈顺滑，有的健壮宽肩。 但他们都比族群猫更小——哪怕是风族——也更精瘦，长着宽脑袋细脖子。 在一条隧道洞口玩耍的幼崽停了下来，睁着好奇的大眼睛，盯着鱼贯进洞的族群猫看。 一只灰白相间的母猫走到叶爪身边，闻了闻她的毛。 “这是翼，”松鼠爪解释道。 “上次我们来这儿，褐皮被老鼠咬伤生病的时候，就是她照顾的。” 这只部落母猫点了点头。 “青石说过你们会来，”她喵声道。 “无尽狩猎部落告诉他，老朋友会回来，还会带着新朋友一起来。” 尽管又累又饿，叶爪还是好奇得浑身毛发都竖了起来。 “他怎么会知道？” 她轻声问松鼠爪。

"Stoneteller shares with the Tribe's ancestors like you do with StarClan," Squirrelpaw replied quietly. Talon padded over. "There's caught-prey here," he offered, flicking his tail toward a pile of fresh-kill. Leafpaw blinked. "Surely there can't be enough to share with us all?" "Eat." Talon flicked his tail once more to the pile of fresh-kill. "Crag is organizing a hunt. There will soon be enough." The smell of rabbit rising from the fresh-kill pile made Leafpaw's stomach growl, but she couldn't eat until she knew the rest of the Clan was all right. Dipping her head respectfully, she left Squirrelpaw with her mountain friends and found Cinderpelt among the other medicine cats gathered near the entrance. "A cat called Crag said we can use the nests over there." Cinderpelt gestured to a cluster of shallow scoops in the earth floor, lined with moss and feathers. "Will there be enough room?" Littlecloud wondered.

“青石和部落先祖沟通，就像你们和星族沟通一样，”松鼠爪轻声回答。 利爪走了过来。 “这儿有现成的猎物，”他甩甩尾巴指向那堆鲜食，邀请道。 叶爪眨了眨眼。 “这么多人分，真的够吃吗？” “吃吧。” 利爪再次甩了甩尾巴指向那堆鲜食。 “克拉格正在组织狩猎。 很快就够吃了。” 鲜食堆飘出兔子的香气，引得叶爪肚子咕咕叫，但她得确认其他族猫都平安才能进食。 她恭敬地点点头，把松鼠爪留在她的山地朋友身边，自己走到洞口，在聚集的其他巫医里找到了炭毛。 “一只叫克拉格的猫说，我们可以用那边的窝。” 炭毛指了指泥地上那一片凹窝，里面铺着苔藓和羽毛。 “地方够吗？” 小云疑惑地问道。

"The coldest and weakest can use the nests," Barkface suggested. "The rest must sleep where they can find space. At least we're safe from the snow and wind in here." "And there's food." Leafpaw nodded toward the pile of fresh-kill. Some of the Tribe cats were already taking pieces of prey and bringing them over to the Clans. Talon dropped a rabbit at Mudclaw's paws. The WindClan deputy looked at it with hungry eyes and nodded a curt thanks to the cave-guard before taking the rabbit to his queens and apprentices. "We should get the kits into nests to warm up," Mothwing mewed. Leafpaw joined the other medicine cats as they began to usher the youngest cats and their mothers toward the soft hollows in the cave floor. As she helped to settle Tallpoppy and her kits into a nest, a long-bodied Tribe tom padded toward her. His fur was so streaked with mud she could not make out the color of his pelt. Only the white whiskers around his muzzle betrayed his age. "Who among you is healer?" he asked.

“最冷最弱的猫睡窝，”树皮提议道。 “剩下的随便找地方睡就行， 至少我们在这儿不用挨冻受风吹了。” “而且还有吃的。” 叶爪朝鲜食堆点了点头。 已经有部落猫拿了猎物，送到族群这边来了。 利爪把一只兔子放在泥爪脚边。 这位风族副族长饿得眼都直了，他简短点头谢过洞穴守卫，就把兔子拿给了自己这边的母猫和学徒。 “我们得把幼崽抱进窝里暖和暖和，”蛾翅说道。 叶爪和其他巫医一起，领着年纪最小的猫和他们的妈妈往洞底柔软的凹窝走。 她帮高罂粟和她的幼崽安顿好窝的时候，一只长身的部落公猫朝她走了过来。 他的毛沾了太多泥污，根本看不出原本的毛色。 只有嘴周的白胡须显露了他的年纪。 “你们当中谁是巫医？” 他问道。

Startled, Leafpaw looked back at him. Squirrelpaw had told her that the same cat was both healer and leader among the Tribe. Which did he wish to meet? She glanced toward Cinderpelt, but she was busy examining Dawnflower's kits. "I'll take you to meet Firestar," she decided. She led him to where her father stood in quiet discussion with the other Clan leaders. "We must not stay long," Blackstar was muttering. "The snows will only get worse." He looked around as Leafpaw approached. "This is Stoneteller." Leafpaw dipped her head and backed away. "You are healer?" Stoneteller asked Firestar. "I'm leader of ThunderClan," he replied. "Cinderpelt is our Clan healer." He flicked his tail toward Cinderpelt, who was watching them with interest from the other side of the cave. "This is Blackstar, Leopardstar, and Tallstar." Firestar nodded to the three leaders in turn. "You are all leaders?" "Yes, we are," Leopardstar meowed. Stoneteller's gaze rested on Tallstar, whose

叶爪吃了一惊，回头看向他。 松鼠爪曾告诉她，部落里同一只猫既是医者也是族长。 他想见哪一位呢？ 她瞥了一眼炭毛，可炭毛正忙着检查晓花的幼崽。 “我带你去见火星，”她下定了决心。 她领着他走到父亲身边，父亲正和其他族群的族长静静议事。 “我们不能久留，”黑星低声嘟囔着。 “雪只会越下越大。” 叶爪走近时，他环顾了四周。 “这是石歌。” 叶爪低伏脑袋，退到了一旁。 “你是医者吗？” 石歌问火星。 “我是雷族的族长，”火星回答。 “炭毛才是我们族群的医者。” 他摆了摆尾巴，指向正从洞穴另一头饶有兴致望着他们的炭毛。 “这几位是黑星、豹星和高星。” 火星挨个向三位族长点头致意。 “你们全都是族长？” “没错，我们都是，”豹星开口说。 石歌的目光落在了高星身上，他的

eyes were half-closed with exhaustion. "You are not well," he meowed. "We give you herbs." He glanced over his shoulder, catching the eye of a gray tabby she-cat. "Bird, bring strengthening herbs." The tabby slipped away down one of the tunnels. "The Tribe is grateful to your friends for killing Sharptooth. To Feathertail most of all. Her spirit will always be remembered by us." "She had her father's courage," Firestar agreed, and Leafpaw winced to hear the grief still raw in his voice when he thought of Graystripe. "You must eat and rest," Stoneteller went on. "But after that we must continue our journey," Blackstar meowed. Stoneteller dipped his head. "We would not delay you." Bird returned with a mouthful of herbs and laid them in front of Tallstar. Leafpaw felt her whiskers twitch with curiosity. "What herbs are those?" Stoneteller's amber eyes gleamed in the half- light.

双眼因疲惫半合着。 “你身体不舒服，”他说。 “我们给你拿些药草来。” 他回头一瞥，对上了一只灰虎斑母猫的目光。 “鸟儿，去拿强身的药草来。” 这只虎斑猫顺着一条通道悄悄走开了。 “部落很感激你们的同伴杀死了锐齿， 我们最感激的是羽尾。 我们会永远铭记她的灵魂。” “她继承了父亲的勇气，”火星赞同道，叶爪心头一紧，听出火星想起灰条时，语气里还带着未消的悲痛。 “你得吃点药，好好休息，”石歌继续说道。 “但休息完我们就得继续赶路了，”黑星说。 石歌点了点头。 “我们不会耽误你们的。” 鸟儿叼着药草回来了，把药草放在高星面前。 叶爪好奇得胡须都忍不住抖了抖。 “这些是什么药草？” 石歌琥珀色的眼睛在昏暗中闪闪发亮。