CHAPTER 5
Firestar’s yowl halted Leafpool on her way back from the elders’ den3, where she had been checking Mousefur’s wound. The brown-furred elder was still complaining of stiffness, but the claw marks had begun to heal, and there was no sign of infection.
Leafpool made her way toward the edge of the clearing, stopping beneath the ledge2 where Firestar stood looking down at his Clan4. Sandstorm and Thornclaw got up from the fresh-kill pile and padded over, while Cloudtail and Rainwhisker left their work on the thorn barrier. Uneasiness gnawed5 in Leafpool’s belly6. The dawn patrol had just returned and gone straight to Firestar; had they discovered more badgers7, or maybe signs that ShadowClan was trying to take over part of the territory?
Trying to stifle9 her anxiety, Leafpool sat down beside Ferncloud, who mewed a greeting and asked anxiously, “How’s Birchpaw?”
“He’ll be fine,” Leafpool replied. Birchpaw was Ferncloud’s kit10, the only one of his litter to survive the famine in the old forest; she could understand how worried his mother must be about his injuries. “The swelling11 around his eye is going down. But I’ll keep him with me for a few more days until I’m sure there’s no infection.”
Ferncloud gave Leafpool’s ear a grateful lick. “You’re a wonderful medicine cat, Leafpool. I’m so glad you came back.”
I haven’t been wonderful, Leafpool thought. I abandoned my Clan!
The elders emerged from their den and settled down near the rock wall, glancing nervously12 at one another like they expected bad news. Stormfur and Brook13 hovered14 on the edge of the clearing, as if they weren’t sure whether they were meant to be there or not.
Leafpool beckoned15 to them with her tail. “Come and sit here,” she invited them. “You’re welcome to join in while you’re staying with us.”
Nodding gratefully, Stormfur and Brook came over to join her. Daisy brought her three kits16 out, and Brackenfur sat in the entrance to the nursery, where he could listen and still be close to Sorreltail.
Brambleclaw and the rest of the dawn patrol were standing17 together at the foot of the tumbled rocks. Leafpool saw their tails were fluffed out and their eyes alert, as if they could sense danger on its way.
“Cats of ThunderClan,” Firestar began, “Brambleclaw and the dawn patrol found something you need to know about. Brambleclaw, will you tell them?”
Brambleclaw leaped up onto one of the rocks. “We found a Twoleg trap on a fox track,” he meowed. “It’s a loop of thin, shiny stuff, fastened to a stick driven into the ground. When you touch the loop, it pulls tight. Any cat who got their head stuck in it could be killed.”
Before he had finished speaking, wails18 of dismay began to rise from the cats who sat around him. Ashfur crouched19 down with his neck fur bristling20 as if he were about to leap onto an enemy, while Whitepaw pressed her belly to the ground in terror. Beside her, Cloudtail lashed21 his tail and bared his teeth in a snarl22.
Mousefur’s voice rose above the rest. “Are these traps all over the territory?”
Brambleclaw waved his tail for silence so that he could reply. Leafpool thought how commanding he looked, standing on the rock. It wasn’t difficult to imagine him becoming Clan deputy. Is Firestar right to keep on hoping that Graystripe will return? Would it be better for the Clan to accept that he has gone, and appoint a new deputy?
“We only found one trap,” Brambleclaw was meowing. “But it makes sense there would be more.”
“Why?” Rainwhisker demanded. “Why would Twolegs want to trap foxes, anyway?”
The cats glanced at one another, murmuring in bewilderment. Then a new, trembling voice spoke23 up. “I can tell you why.”
Leafpool glanced over her shoulder and saw that Daisy had risen to her paws. It was the first time the horseplace cat had spoken in a Clan meeting, and she looked almost as terrified as when the badgers had broken into the camp.
“Go on, Daisy,” Firestar mewed encouragingly.
“The Nofurs—I mean, the Twolegs—keep birds on their farms for fresh-kill. Not little birds like the ones we eat, but bigger. But foxes come and steal them, so the Twolegs want to kill the foxes to protect their birds.” She sat down again, blinking in embarrassment25, and wrapped her tail around her paws.
“Thanks, Daisy,” Firestar told her. “At least now we understand what’s going on.”
“But what are we going to do about it?” Cloudtail demanded.
“What can we do?” Goldenflower challenged him. “No cat can stop Twolegs from doing what they want. We saw that in the old forest, and this place is worse!”
“That’s not true.” Ferncloud spoke gently to the elder. “Even if it was, we can’t go back. There’ll be nothing left of the old forest by now. Here we have to learn new things. StarClan wouldn’t have brought us somewhere that’s too dangerous for us to live.”
“Then maybe StarClan can tell us what to do about the traps!” Goldenflower flashed back at her.
“We can do that,” Brambleclaw meowed. “Squirrelflight worked it out. Squirrelflight, come up here and tell them.”
Leafpool watched her sister leap up onto the rock beside Brambleclaw. The sunlight gleamed on her dark ginger26 fur, turning it to flame, and for an instant she looked just like their father. “It’s easy,” she meowed. “You get a stick—as long as you can manage—and poke24 it into the loop. The loop snapstight around the stick, and there you are—no more problem.”
Pride flooded over Leafpool. Their mother Sandstorm’s green eyes shone with admiration27 too.
“The real danger,” Firestar warned, “is that cats will come across these things when they aren’t expecting it. All patrols will have to keep a lookout28, and report back if they find anything.”
“And if we spring a trap with a stick,” Brambleclaw added, “we should check it regularly in case the Twolegs set it again.”
“Good thinking,” Firestar meowed. “We’ll do that. Every cat who goes outside the clearing should watch their paws and check for scent29. Fox scent and Twoleg scent together means danger.”
“How are we supposed to hunt, then?” Rainwhisker muttered. “We can’t watch and scent and chase prey all at the same time.”
Leafpool knew he was partly right. She shivered at the thought of a cat racing30 along, intent on bringing down fresh-kill for the Clan, only to run into one of the shining loops. StarClan help us!she thought. Sooner or later, some cat is going to be killed
Her worries had distracted her briefly31 from the meeting and when she started listening again, Firestar was talking about hunting patrols.
“Stormfur and Brook, ThunderClan thanks you,” he meowed. “Feeding the Clan after the attack would have been a lot tougher without you.”
Stormfur dipped his head in acknowledgment, while Brook studied her paws, looking embarrassed to be praised in front of the whole Clan.
“I want all cats who are fit to go out on hunting patrol,” Firestar went on. “By sunset I’d like all the Clan to be well fed and the fresh-kill pile stocked up.”
“Cloudtail and I went out yesterday,” Sandstorm meowed, rising to her paws. “I’ll go again, but I think Cloudtail should rest that injured paw. I spotted32 you limping,” she added to Cloudtail as he sprang up with a yowl of protest, “and your pad is bleeding again.”
“I’ll come with you,” Brambleclaw offered.
Instantly Ashfur was on his paws. “So will I.” He spoke to Sandstorm, but he was glaring at Brambleclaw.
Stupid tomcats!Leafpool thought. She got up, signaling with her tail to Firestar that she wanted to speak.
“Yes, Leafpool?” her father mewed.
“Brambleclaw’s shoulder is badly hurt, and he’s already been out on patrol today,” Leafpool explained. “And Ashfur’s injuries are some of the worst in the Clan. I want to check them both before they set paw outside the camp.”
“Quite right,” meowed Firestar. “In that case, I don’t think either Brambleclaw or Ashfur should go. And Leafpool, please check all the other cats. No cat should leave camp until Leafpool approves it. Sandstorm, will you see to the patrols?”
Sandstorm agreed, and the meeting broke up.
“Hey, Leafpool,” Thornclaw meowed, “take a look at my injuries first, will you? I want to go hunting.”
“And mine,” Spiderleg added, thrusting forward to stand beside his Clanmate. “Look, the scratches are healing. I’m fine, honestly.”
“You’re fine if I say you are,” Leafpool retorted. She began rapidly checking wounds, sending the worst-injured cats to her den for more treatment, while Sandstorm organized the others into patrols.
In the end, two patrols left camp: Thornclaw with Dustpelt and Ferncloud, and Sandstorm leading Squirrelflight and Spiderleg.
“Wait!” Firestar called, climbing down the tumbled rocks to join Sandstorm in the clearing. “I’ll come with you.”
Sandstorm looked at him with narrowed eyes. “I suppose it’s no good telling you to go back to your den and rest?”
“No good at all,” Firestar agreed, giving her shoulder an affectionate flick35 with his tail. “Every cat is injured, and my scratches aren’t as bad as most.”
“That should be for Leafpool to say,” Sandstorm mewed, turning to their daughter.
Leafpool sniffed36 the scratches on Firestar’s flanks and shoulders. She knew she had to forget he was her father and Clan leader, and treat him like any other injured cat. He wouldn’t thank her for trying to keep him safe by insisting that he stay in the hollow. Fortunately, though his body was laced with scratches, none of them was very deep. She had treated them with marigold right after the battle, and they were beginning to heal.
“You should be okay,” she meowed at last. “I’ll fetch yousome more marigold before you go, and if the scratches start bleeding again, come straight back.”
Firestar gave a grunt37 of acknowledgment. StarClan only knew whether he would actually do as he was told.
Leafpool went back to her den to fetch the marigold. As she emerged with the leaves in her jaws38, she saw Firestar had followed her, meeting her a couple of fox-lengths from her den.
“You’ve noticed how Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw have been since the battle?” he asked as she chewed up the leaves and began patting them on his wounds. “They seem to be getting over their fight.”
Leafpool went on working for a moment; she didn’t particularly want to discuss her sister, but Firestar was obviously waiting for a response. “Yes,” she mewed after a busy pause. “I think the badger8 attack made them realize what’s important.”
“Ashfur must be disappointed.”
“I suppose he is.” Leafpool wondered whether to tell her father about her dream of Tigerstar with his sons in the dark forest. Wasn’t that what a medicine cat was for? To warn her Clan leader of possible trouble?
“I used to find it hard to have a cat in the Clan who looks exactly like Tigerstar,” Firestar went on. Leafpool knew he meant Brambleclaw. “But when Tawnypelt left to join ShadowClan, I realized that she and Brambleclaw belonged by birth to ThunderClan. Whoever their father was, that doesn’t change. Besides, StarClan wouldn’t have sent Brambleclaw on the quest to the sun-drown-place if they didn’t trust him.”
Leafpool murmured agreement, moving around Firestar to trickle39 the healing juices onto the scratches on his other side.
“I need to trust Squirrelflight’s judgment40. She’s not a kit anymore,” Firestar continued. “She values Brambleclaw for the warrior41 he is now. Judging him for being Tigerstar’s son would be like judging me for being a kittypet.”
“You haven’t been a kittypet for many seasons!” Leafpool protested. She still found it hard to imagine her father, of all cats, eating the hard kittypet food and letting Twolegs handle him.
“And Brambleclaw hasn’t seen his father for many seasons,” Firestar countered.
That’s where you’re wrong!Leafpool wanted to say, but before she could speak, her father went on more gently, “I’m glad you came back, Leafpool. I think you made the right decision, and I hope you think so too. Cinderpelt had great faith in you.”
When she had finished dabbing43 on the marigold, Firestar thanked her and padded away to join Sandstorm, who was waiting near the thorn barrier with the rest of the hunting patrol.
Frustrated44, Leafpool watched him go. She couldn’t tell him about the dream or voice her fears about Brambleclaw now. It might sound as if she were jealous of her sister’s happy relationship, because she had been forced to give up Crowfeather.
Sighing, she turned back to her den and the cats who were waiting for her.
It was almost sunhigh by the time Leafpool had finished treating the injured cats. Most of them had gone back to their dens45 to rest. Apart from Birchpaw, only Cloudtail remained, holding out his paw while Leafpool put a poultice of horsetail on the wound.
“You have to stay off it as much as you can,” she scolded him. “No wonder the bleeding won’t stop. Going hunting yesterday was mouse-brained.”
“The Clan is being fed. Now, do you want to stay here where I can keep an eye on you, or will you rest in the warriors’ den?”
“I’ll rest in the warriors’ den,” Cloudtail promised with a sigh. “And thanks, Leafpool. You’re doing a fantastic job.”
“It would be easier if some cats had the sense of a newborn kit,” Leafpool retorted. “And if I see you—”
She broke off as Squirrelflight brushed past the screen of brambles in front of the den, a vole in her jaws.
“Here—fresh-kill,” she meowed, after dropping it at Leafpool’s paws.
She turned to leave again, but not before Leafpool had seen the misery48 in her eyes. She hardly needed to see it; she could feel her sister’s churning emotions like the crackles in the air before a thunderstorm.
“Wait, Squirrelflight. What’s the matter?” she asked.
For a moment she thought Squirrelflight would stalk off without replying. Then her sister turned back, cast a rapid glance at Cloudtail, and mewed in a low voice, “It’s Ashfur. I passed him just now, and when I said hi he stared through me as if I wasn’t there. Rainwhisker was with him,” she went on as Leafpool laid her tail comfortingly on her shoulder. “The whole Clan must be talking about me!”
“You can hardly blame Ashfur,” Leafpool told her. “He really cares for you.”
“I never meant to hurt him!” Squirrelflight’s voice, though quiet, was anguished49, and her green eyes were filled with guilt50. “He’s a great cat, and I thought it would work out, being with him. But Brambleclaw . . . Oh, Leafpool, do you think I’m doing the right thing?”
Leafpool moved closer to her so that their pelts51 brushed. “Last night I went down to the lake,” she meowed carefully. “StarClan sent me a dream: two sets of starry52 paw prints on the water, wound so closely I couldn’t tell which was which. And then I saw you and Brambleclaw, walking together at the end of the trail, the paw prints spilling out behind you. You were side by side, keeping pace with each other, step for step, until you vanished into the sky.”
Squirrelflight’s eyes stretched wide. “Really? StarClan showed you that? Then it must mean that Brambleclaw and I are meant to be together!”
“That’s right, I think so.” Leafpool tried not to sound fearful.
“Oh, wonderful! Thank you so much, Leafpool.” Squirrelflight’s tail went straight up and she flexed53 her claws as if she couldn’t keep still. “I’m going to tell Brambleclaw. Then he’ll know that we don’t have to worry about Ashfur. Nothing can stop us being together, nothing!”
She dashed off, passing Brightheart and Whitepaw as she raced past the bramble screen.
“Thanks for the fresh-kill!” Leafpool called after her.
“I just saw Daisy,” Brightheart meowed, setting down her bunch of marigold. “She says she’s got bellyache.”
When she returned, Cloudtail had risen to his paws, carefully holding the injured one clear of the ground. “I’ll take the watermint to Daisy if you like,” he offered.
Leafpool was about to remind him that she had told him to rest, but before she could open her mouth Brightheart snapped, “I don’t see you being so keen to help the cats who actually did some fighting.” She turned her back on Cloudtail. “Come on, Whitepaw. Let’s go and look for juniper.”
The apprentice55 followed her out, casting a bewildered glance back at her father as they went.
Leafpool rolled her eyes. If he didn’t know, there was no point in trying to tell him. Besides, she didn’t want to get involved in his tangled58 relationships. She couldn’t figure out whether he really wanted to be with Daisy, or whether he still loved Brightheart and was just being a mouse-brained tom.
She dropped the watermint in front of Cloudtail. “Okay, you can take this to Daisy,” she meowed. “And after that, make sure you get some rest.”
She followed the white warrior as far as the bramble screen, and watched him limping across to the nursery. In the center of the clearing, Squirrelflight stood beside Brambleclaw. She was meowing to him urgently, her tail waving in excitement. After a few heartbeats Brambleclaw touched noses with her and twined his tail with hers.
Leafpool suppressed a sigh. The sign of the mingled59 paw prints couldn’t have been clearer. Yet her pelt34 still prickled with fear when she saw him with her sister.
“Oh, StarClan!” she murmured. “Was I right to tell her?”
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1
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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clan
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| n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派 | |
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gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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belly
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| n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛 | |
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badgers
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| n.獾( badger的名词复数 )；獾皮；（大写）獾州人（美国威斯康星州人的别称）；毛鼻袋熊 | |
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badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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stifle
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| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
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kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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swelling
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| n.肿胀 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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brook
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| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
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hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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kits
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| 衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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wails
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| 痛哭，哭声( wail的名词复数 ) | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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pelt
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| v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火 | |
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flick
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| n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动 | |
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sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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37
grunt
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| v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝 | |
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38
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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trickle
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| vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散 | |
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40
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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warrior
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| n.勇士，武士，斗士 | |
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42
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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43
dabbing
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| 石面凿毛，灰泥抛毛 | |
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44
frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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dens
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| n.牙齿，齿状部分；兽窝( den的名词复数 )；窝点；休息室；书斋 | |
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mutinously
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| adv.反抗地，叛变地 | |
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47
twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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48
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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49
anguished
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| adj.极其痛苦的v.使极度痛苦(anguish的过去式) | |
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50
guilt
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| n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责 | |
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51
pelts
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| n. 皮毛，投掷, 疾行 vt. 剥去皮毛，（连续）投掷 vi. 猛击，大步走 | |
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52
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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53
flexed
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| adj.[医]曲折的，屈曲v.屈曲( flex的过去式和过去分词 )；弯曲；（为准备大干而）显示实力；摩拳擦掌 | |
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54
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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55
apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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56
sagging
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| 下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度 | |
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57
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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58
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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59
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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