ALLEGIANCES
ALLEGIANCES
THUNDERCLAN
LEADER
BLUESTAR—blue-gray she-cat, tinged with silver around her muzzle
DEPUTY
FIREHEART—handsome ginger tom APPRENTICE, CLOUDPAW
MEDICINE CAT
CINDERPELT—dark gray she-cat
WARRIORS
(toms, and she-cats without kits)
WHITESTORM—big white tom APPRENTICE, BRIGHTPAW
DARKSTRIPE—sleek black-and-gray tabby tom
APPRENTICE, FERNPAW
FROSTFUR—beautiful white coat and blue eyes
BRINDLEFACE—pretty tabby
LONGTAIL—pale tabby tom with dark black stripes
APPRENTICE, SWIFTPAW
MOUSEFUR—small dusky brown she-cat APPRENTICE, THORNPAW
BRACKENFUR—golden brown tabby tom
DUSTPELT—dark brown tabby tom APPRENTICE, ASHPAW
SANDSTORM—pale ginger she-cat
APPRENTICES
(more than six moons old, in training to become warriors)
SWIFTPAW—black-and-white tom
CLOUDPAW—long-haired white tom
BRIGHTPAW—she-cat, white with ginger splotches
THORNPAW—golden brown tabby tom
FERNPAW—pale gray (with darker flecks) she-cat, pale green eyes
ASHPAW—pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes
QUEENS
(she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
GOLDENFLOWER—pale ginger coat
SPECKLETAIL—pale tabby, and the oldest nursery queen
WILLOWPELT—very pale gray she-cat with unusual blue eyes
ELDERS
(former warriors and queens, now retired)
ONE-EYE—pale gray she-cat, the oldest she-cat in ThunderClan; virtually blind and deaf
SMALLEAR—gray tom with very small ears; the oldest tom in ThunderClan
DAPPLETAIL—once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with a lovely dappled coat
SHADOWCLAN
LEADER
TIGERSTAR—big dark brown tabby tom with unusually long front claws, formerly of ThunderClan
DEPUTY
BLACKFOOT—large white tom with huge jet-black paws, formerly a rogue cat
MEDICINE CAT
RUNNINGNOSE—small gray-and-white tom
WARRIORS
OAKFUR—small brown tom
LITTLECLOUD—very small tabby tom
DARKFLOWER—black she-cat
BOULDER—silver tabby tom, formerly a rogue cat
RUSSETFUR—dark ginger she-cat, formerly a rogue cat
APPRENTICE, CEDARPAW
JAGGEDTOOTH—huge tabby tom, formerly a rogue cat
APPRENTICE, ROWANPAW
QUEENS
TALLPOPPY—long-legged light brown tabby she-cat
WINDCLAN
LEADER
TALLSTAR—black-and-white tom with a very long tail
DEPUTY
DEADFOOT—black tom with a twisted paw
MEDICINE CAT
BARKFACE—short-tailed brown tom
WARRIORS
MUDCLAW—mottled dark brown tom
WEBFOOT—dark gray tabby tom
TORNEAR—tabby tom
TAWNYFUR—golden brown she-cat
ONEWHISKER—brown tabby tom APPRENTICE, GORSEPAW
RUNNINGBROOK—light gray she-cat
QUEENS
ASHFOOT—gray queen
MORNINGFLOWER—tortoiseshell queen
WHITETAIL—small white she-cat
RIVERCLAN
LEADER
CROOKEDSTAR—huge light-colored tabby with a twisted jaw
DEPUTY
LEOPARDFUR—unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat
MEDICINE CAT
MUDFUR—long-haired light brown tom
WARRIORS
BLACKCLAW—smoky black tom
HEAVYSTEP—thickset tabby tom
APPRENTICE, DAWNPAW
STONEFUR—gray tom with battle-scarred ears
MISTYFOOT—gray she-cat with blue eyes
SHADEPELT—very dark gray she-cat
LOUDBELLY—dark brown tom
GRAYSTRIPE—long-haired gray tom, formerly of ThunderClan
QUEENS
MOSSPELT—tortoiseshell she-cat
ELDERS
GRAYPOOL—dark gray she-cat
CATS OUTSIDE CLANS
BARLEY—black-and-white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest
RAVENPAW—sleek black cat who lives on the farm with Barley
PRINCESS—light brown tabby with a distinctive white chest and paws; a kittypet
SMUDGE—plump black-and-white kittypet who lives in a house at the edge of the forest
文前辅文
文前辅文
雷族
族长
蓝星——灰色的母猫，口鼻部呈银色。
副族长
火心——外表英俊的姜黄色公猫。
火心的徒弟是云爪。
巫医
炭毛——灰色母猫。
武士 （公猫和母猫均可成为武士。）
白风——大个头的白色公猫。
白风的徒弟是亮爪。
黑条——处世圆滑的深灰色虎斑公猫，身上长着黢黑的条纹。
黑条的徒弟是香薇爪。
霜毛——漂亮的白色母猫，眼睛为蓝色。
纹脸——漂亮的母花斑猫。
长尾——苍白色的虎斑公猫。
长尾的徒弟是迅爪。
鼠毛——个头矮小的深棕色母猫。
鼠毛的徒弟是刺爪。
蕨毛——姜黄色花斑公猫。
尘毛——棕色虎斑公猫。
尘毛的徒弟是蜡爪。
沙风——姜黄色母猫。
学徒 （学徒都是年龄大于六个月，正在进行武士训练课程的猫。）迅爪——黑白相间的公猫。
云爪——长毛白色公猫。
亮爪——母猫，白色皮毛上长有黄色斑纹。
刺爪——黄色公猫。
香薇爪——灰白色母猫，身上的斑纹为深灰色，浅绿色眼睛。
蜡爪——灰白色公猫，身上的斑纹为深灰色，深蓝色眼睛。
猫后 （怀孕或正在哺乳的母猫。）
霜毛——漂亮的白色母猫，眼睛为蓝色。
纹尾——灰色虎斑猫，是育婴室母猫中年纪最大者。
柳带——灰白色的母猫，长着一对蓝莹莹的眼睛。
长老 （从武士岗位上退休的猫。）
小耳——灰色公猫，双耳奇小，是雷族公猫中最年长者。
一只眼——灰白色母猫，眼花耳背，是雷族所有的猫中年纪最大者。
斑尾——玳瑁色花斑母猫，曾经是族群里的族花。
影族
族长
虎星——个头高大的深棕色虎斑公猫，两只前爪特别修长，曾为雷族副族长。
副族长
黑脚——大个头白色公猫，四爪黢黑。
巫医
奔鼻——小个子公猫，毛色灰白相间。
武士
橡毛——小个头棕色公猫。
小云——个头很小的虎斑公猫。
黑花——黑色母猫。
石头——灰色公猫。
黄毛——深黄色母猫，曾为泼皮猫。
裂牙——大个头花斑公猫，曾为泼皮猫。
猫后
高红——长腿、浅棕色花斑母猫。
风族
族长
高星——黑白相间的公猫，长着一根修长的尾巴。
副族长
坏脚——黑色花斑公猫，一只脚残废了。
巫医
青面——短尾棕色公猫。
武士
泥掌——棕色公猫，身上长有黑斑。
网脚——深灰色公猫。
裂耳——虎斑公猫。
茶毛——金黄色母猫。
一根须——棕色虎斑公猫。
一根须的徒弟是金雀花爪。
奔溪——浅灰色花斑母猫。
猫后
灰脚——灰色母猫。
晨花——花斑母猫。
白尾——小个头白色母猫。
河族
族长
钩星——个头高大的灰白色虎斑猫，下颚扭曲。
副族长
豹毛——身上长有醒目的金黄色斑点的母猫。
巫医
泥毛——长毛、浅棕色公猫。
武士
黑掌——棕黑色虎斑公猫。
巨步——花斑公猫，身上的毛长得十分细密。
石毛——灰色公猫，耳朵在战斗中被撕裂了。
雾脚——深灰色母猫。
影毛——深灰色母猫。
响肚——深棕色公猫。
灰条——长毛、纯灰色公猫，曾为雷族武士。
猫后
藓毛——花斑母猫。
长老
灰池——灰色瘦母猫，皮毛斑驳，口鼻处伤痕累累。
族群以外的猫
巴利——黑白相间的公猫，住在距离森林不远的一处农田里。
乌爪——黑色公猫，尾巴尖儿是白色的。
公主——浅棕色宠物猫，胸脯和爪子均为白色。
斯玛——体态肥胖、性格宽厚的宠物猫，毛色黑白相间，住在靠近森林的一所房子里。
PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE
Inside the kennel-that-moves, everythingwas dark. The pack leader could hear the scrabbling of claws and feel the sleek pelt of the dog next to him, but he could see nothing. Dog scent filled his nostrils, and beyond that the smell of the burned forest.
The pack leader sat uncomfortably on the vibrating floor until the kennel-that-moves bounced to a halt. Outside, he could hear Man voices. He understood some of the words. “Fire…keep watch…guard dogs.”
The pack leader picked up the Men’s fear-scent, along with the bittersweet smell of cut wood. He remembered coming here the night before, and the night before that, more than four paws’ worth of nights. He had prowled the compound with the rest of the pack, sifting through the scents for intruders, ready to drive them away.
The dog snarled softly, his lips drawn back from sharp teeth. The pack was strong. They could run, and kill. They craved warm blood, and the terror-scent of prey before it died. But instead they were penned up, they ate the food the Man threw to them, and they obeyed the Man’s orders.
The dog rose to his powerful paws, rattling the doors as he butted them with his massive black-and-tan head. He lifted his voice in a bark that sounded all the louder in the confined space. “Out! Pack out! Out now!”
The rest of the pack added their voices. “Pack out! Pack run!”
As if in answer, the doors of the kennel-that-moves were flung open. In the twilight the pack leader could see the Man standing there, barking an order.
The leader jumped down first, close to a pile of logs stacked in the middle of the compound. His paws threw up little puffs of ash and soot. The rest of the pack followed in a stream of black-and-brown bodies. “Pack follow! Pack follow!” they barked. The leader padded restlessly along the fence that separated them from the forest. Beyond the fence, burned-out tree trunks leaned against each other or lay on the ground. Farther away a barrier of undamaged trees rustled in the breeze.
Scents flowed enticingly from the leaf-thick shadows. The dog’s muscles tensed. Out there, in the prey-filled forest, the pack could run free. There would be no Man to chain or command them. They would feed as often as they wanted, because they would be the strongest and most savage of all.
“Free!” the lead dog barked. “Pack free! Free soon!”
He walked up to the fence and pressed his nose against the mesh links, drawing the smells of the forest deep into his lungs. Many of the scents he had never smelled before, but there was one he knew well, stronger than the rest, the scent of his enemy and his prey.
Cats!
Night had fallen; the leafless branches of the blackened trees were silhouetted against a full moon. In the darkness the dogs ranged to and fro, deep shadows in the night. Paws padded softly among soot and sawdust. Muscles rippled under shining coats. Their eyes gleamed. Their jaws were parted, revealing sharp teeth, and their tongues lolled.
The pack leader sniffed along the bottom of the fence, searching for a special place on the opposite side of the compound from where the Man stayed at night. Three nights ago the dog had discovered a narrow hole leading under the fence. He knew at once that this would be the route to freedom for the pack
“Hole. Where hole?” he growled.
Then he spotted the place where the earth floor of the compound fell away into a hollow. One massive paw scraped at the ground. The dog raised his head to bark to his followers. “Here. Hole, hole. Here.”
He could feel their eagerness in his own mind, sharp as thorns, hot as carrion. They came bounding up to the lead dog, answering his bark. “Hole. Hole.”
“Bigger, hole bigger,” the pack leader promised. “Run soon.”
He began scraping at the ground again with all the strength in his lean, powerful body. Earth scattered as the hole under the chain-link fence grew wider and deeper. The remaining dogs milled around, snuffling at the night air that carried scents from the forest. They drooled at the thought of sinking their teeth into the warm bodies of living prey
The pack leader stopped, ears pricked for the sound of the Man coming to check on them. But there was no sign of him, and his scent drifted from far away.
The lead dog flattened himself on the ground and squirmed down into the hole. The bottom of the fence scraped along his pelt. The dog thrust hard with his hind paws, propelling himself forward until he could scramble up and stand in the forest outside.
“Free now,” he barked. “Come! Come!”
The hole grew deeper still as each dog forced his way through, to stand beside his leader among the burned-out trees. They padded back and forth, pushing their muzzles into the holes at the roots of trees, gazing into the darkness with eyes that glowed with a cold fire.
As the last dog dragged itself under the fence, the pack leader raised his head and let out a triumphant bark. “Run. Pack free. Run now!”
Turning toward the trees, he bounded away, powerful muscles working in a smooth rhythm. The pack streamed behind, their dark shapes flashing through the forest night.
Pack, pack,they thought. Pack run
The whole of the forest was theirs, and in their minds, there was a single instinct. “Kill! Kill!”
引子
引子
移动狗房内一片漆黑。狗群首领能听见爪子的摩挲声，感觉到同伴身体的温暖，但它看不见任何东西。房里弥漫着狗的浓烈气味，以致掩盖了森林大火后的气味。
狗群首领坐在移动狗房的地板上，地板颠簸得厉害，使它感到很不舒服。忽然来了个急刹车，它听见狗房外有两脚兽说话。那个两脚兽说的话它只能隐隐约约听明白几个字：“大火……注意……看好狗。”
狗群首领嗅到两脚兽身上散发出的恐怖气味，还有木头折断后的那种特别的味道。它记得两脚兽昨天夜里来过这里，还有昨天的昨天夜里也来过，还有好多好多天前的夜里，多到伸出四只爪子也数不过来。它以前带领着狗群到这个院落巡逻过，嗅到有入侵者后就把它们赶走。
首领低吼着，嘴唇往后咧着，露出锋利的牙齿。这个狗群非常壮大，它们能奔跑，能杀戮。它们渴望热乎乎的鲜血，喜欢猎物临死前散发出的恐惧气味。但它们现在却被关在围栏中，吃两脚兽丢给它们的食物，听两脚兽的命令。
首领抬起硕大的黑褐色的脑袋不停地撞门，发出嘎吱嘎吱的声响。它的叫声比周围环境中的嘈杂声还要大。“出去！结伙出去！现在出去！”
其他的狗也跟着叫喊：“结伙出去！结伙奔跑！”
似乎是作为回应，移动狗房的门猛地打开了，两道亮光直射进来。借着灯光，狗群首领看见有两脚兽站在外面，大声喊叫下达命令。
首领第一个从移动狗房跳了下来，落到院落中央的原木堆旁，地上随之腾起一股烟尘和灰烬。其他的狗排成一列跟在它后面，嘴里叫嚷着：“结伙跟随！结伙跟随！”首领脚步不停地沿着那道将它们和森林隔绝开的围栏走动。在围栏外，烧焦了的树木或相互倚靠而立，或倒在地上。更远处，大火中未受殃及的树木形成了一道屏障，微风吹过，发出簌簌的声响。
诱人的香味从黑暗的树林中飘了过来，首领的肌肉紧绷着。在那里，在那猎物丰富的丛林里，狗群能够自由奔跑。那里没有两脚兽，没有狗链，也不必听从谁的命令。它们想吃就吃，因为它们在丛林里是最强壮、最凶狠的动物。
狗群首领大声吠叫：“自由！结伙自由！马上自由！”
它走到围栏边，鼻子紧紧贴在围栏的网孔上，用力深吸森林里飘来的气味。那里面有许多它没有嗅过的气味，但其中最为浓烈的，它知道那是它的敌人，是它的猎物。
是猫！
夜色已深，被大火烧得光秃秃的大树在月光下都变成了黑黢黢的轮廓。深夜里，狗群在黑暗中来回走动，爪子轻轻踏在烟灰和锯屑上。它们的肌肉强壮有力，眼睛发出微光。
它们张着血盆大嘴，露出锋利的牙齿，伸着鲜红的舌头。
狗群首领顺着围栏一路嗅去，寻找一个特殊的地方，那个地方在夜里正好没有两脚兽看守。三个夜晚前，首领在围栏下发现了一个狭窄的小洞，它立刻知道这个洞将使它的狗群获得自由。
它大声吼道：“洞呢，洞在哪儿？”
接着，它看见了地面下凹形成的那个小洞。狗群首领伸出巨大的爪子去扒那个洞口，抬头招呼它的同伴：“在这里！洞，洞，在这里！”
它感到同伴们像它一样热切期盼。它们跑过来，大叫回应着首领：“洞！洞！”
首领自信地说：“洞，更大的洞，马上能逃跑。”
它开始用全身的气力去扒洞里的土。随着洞里的土不断被扒出，围栏下的洞也变得越来越宽、越来越深。其他的狗围在首领身后，大口呼吸着森林里飘来的气息。一想到要把牙齿插进猎物温暖的身体里，它们便直流口水。
狗群首领忽然停了下来，竖起耳朵倾听有没有两脚兽过来查看。没有两脚兽的动静，两脚兽的气味是从远处飘过来的。
首领趴在地上往洞里拱，围栏的下缘刮蹭着它的皮毛。首领用力蹬后腿，使身体一寸一寸地前移，最后它终于从围栏下钻到了外面。
它大声叫：“现在自由了，快！快！”
每一只狗都学着首领的样子从洞里钻出去，站在首领身旁。它们来回走动，把鼻子伸进洞内，黑暗中一双双眼睛闪着寒冷的光芒。
最后一只狗从围栏下钻了出来，狗群首领仰起头发出胜利的号叫：“逃跑，结伙自由，现在逃跑！”
它领先向丛林跑去，强健的肌肉有节律地一伸一缩。狗群跟在身后，漆黑的森林中一条条身影闪过。所有的狗都在想：结伙，结伙，结伙逃跑。
整个丛林都是它们的天下，在它们的心里只有一个发自本能的声音：杀！杀！
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1
Fireheart’s fur bristled with disbeliefand fury as he gazed up at the new leader of ShadowClan standing on the Great Rock. He watched as the cat swung his massive head from side to side. Muscles rippled under his gleaming pelt and his amber eyes seemed to glow with triumph.
“Tigerclaw!” Fireheart spat. His old enemy—the cat who had tried to kill him more than once—was now one of the most powerful cats in the forest.
The full moon rode high above Fourtrees, shedding its cold light over the cats of the four Clans, assembled there for the Gathering. They had all been shocked to learn of the death of Nightstar, the ShadowClan leader. But no cat in the forest had expected that ShadowClan’s new leader would be Tigerclaw, the former ThunderClan deputy.
Beside Fireheart, Darkstripe was rigid with excitement, his eyes glittering. Fireheart wondered what thoughts were going through the mind of his black-pelted Clan mate. When Tigerclaw had been banished from ThunderClan, he had invited his old friend to go with him, but Darkstripe had refused. Was he regretting that decision now?
Fireheart caught sight of Sandstorm weaving her way toward him. “What’s going on?” the pale ginger she-cat hissed as she came into earshot. “Tigerclaw can’t lead ShadowClan. He’s a traitor!”
For several heartbeats, Fireheart hesitated. Shortly after he had joined ThunderClan, Fireheart had discovered that Tigerclaw had murdered Redtail, the deputy. Once Tigerclaw became deputy himself, he had led rogue cats to attack the ThunderClan camp, trying to murder their leader, Bluestar, so that he could take her place. As punishment, he had been banished from their Clan and the forest. It was hardly a noble history for a leader of any Clan.
“But ShadowClan don’t know about all that,” Fireheart reminded Sandstorm now, keeping his voice low. “None of the other Clans know.”
“Then you should tell them!”
Fireheart glanced up at Tallstar and Crookedstar, the leaders of WindClan and RiverClan, respectively, who stood beside Tigerstar on the Great Rock. Would they listen if he told them what he knew? ShadowClan had suffered so much from Brokentail’s bloodthirsty leadership, followed by a devastating sickness, that they probably wouldn’t care whattheir new leader had done, as long as he could forge them into a strong Clan again.
Besides, Fireheart couldn’t help feeling a guilty relief that Tigerclaw had satisfied his hunger for power in a different Clan. Maybe now ThunderClan could stop waiting for him to attack, and Fireheart could walk the forest without constantly glancing over his shoulder.
Yet, as he struggled with his conflicting emotions, he knew that he would never forgive himself if he let Tigerclaw come to power without even making a protest.
“Fireheart!” He turned to see Cloudpaw, his long-furred white apprentice, padding quickly toward him with the wiry brown warrior Mousefur just behind. “Fireheart, are you just going to stand there and let that piece of fox dung take over?”
“Quiet, Cloudpaw,” Fireheart ordered. “I know. I’ll—”
He broke off as Tigerclaw paced to the front of the Great Rock.
“I am pleased to be here with you at the Gathering this night.” The huge tabby spoke with quiet authority. “I stand here before you as the new leader of ShadowClan. Nightstar died of the sickness that took so many of my Clan, and StarClan have named me as his successor.”
Tallstar, the black-and-white leader of WindClan, turned to him. “Welcome, Tigerstar,” he meowed, nodding respectfully. “May StarClan walk with you.”
Crookedstar meowed agreement as the new ShadowClan leader dipped his head in acknowledgment.
“I thank you for your greetings,” Tigerstar replied. “It’s an honor to stand here with you, although I wish the circumstances could have been different.”
“Wait a moment,” Tallstar interrupted him. “There should be four of us here.” He peered down at the crowd of cats below. “Where’s the leader of ThunderClan?”
“Go on.” Fireheart felt a cat nudge him, and glanced aroundto see that Whitestorm had joined the other ThunderClan warriors. “You’re taking Bluestar’s place, remember?”
Fireheart nodded to him, suddenly unable to speak. He bunched his muscles and got ready to spring. A heartbeat later he was scrambling to the top of the Great Rock to stand beside the three leaders. For a moment the unfamiliar viewpoint took his breath away. He seemed to be far above the hollow, watching the changing patterns of light and dark on the cats below as the moon shone through the branches of the four massive oak trees. Fireheart shivered as he caught the pale gleam reflected from countless pairs of eyes.
“Fireheart?” He looked up as Tallstar spoke. “Why are you here? Has something happened to Bluestar?”
Fireheart dipped his head respectfully. “Our leader breathed smoke in the fire, and she’s not yet well enough to travel. But she’ll recover,” he added hastily. “It’s nothing serious.”
Tallstar nodded, and Crookedstar broke in testily, “Are we ever going to start? We’re wasting moonlight.”
Without waiting for a reply, the pale tabby RiverClan leader gave the yowl that signaled the beginning of the meeting. When the murmuring of the cats below had died away, he meowed, “Cats of all Clans, welcome to the Gathering. Tonight we are joined by a new leader, Tigerstar.” He beckoned to the massive warrior with a flick of his tail. “Tigerstar, are you ready to speak now?”
Thanking him with a courteous nod, Tigerstar stepped forward to address the assembled cats. “I stand here before you by the will of StarClan. Nightstar was a noble warrior, but he was old, and he did not have the strength to fight the sickness when it came. His deputy, Cinderfur, died too.”
Fireheart felt his fur prickling with unease as he listened. Clan leaders received nine lives when they went to share tongues with StarClan at Mothermouth, and Nightstar had become leader only a few seasons ago. What had happened to his nine lives? Had ShadowClan’s sickness been so violent that it had taken all of them?
Looking down, Fireheart caught sight of Runningnose, the ShadowClan medicine cat, sitting with his head bowed. Fireheart could not see his face, but his hunched posture suggested that he was lost in misery. It must be hard for him, Fireheart thought, to know that all his skill had not been enough to save his leader.
“StarClan brought me to ShadowClan when its need was greatest,” Tigerstar continued from on top of the Great Rock. “Not enough cats survived the sickness to hunt for the nursing queens and the elders, or to defend their clan, and no warrior was ready to take on the leadership. Then StarClan sent an omen to Runningnose that another great leader would arise. I swear by all our warrior ancestors that I will become that leader.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Fireheart noticed that Runningnose was shifting uncomfortably. For some reason he looked unhappy at the mention of the omen.
Fireheart suddenly realized that his own task had become much harder. If there had been an omen, then StarClan themselves must have chosen Tigerstar as the new leader of ShadowClan. Surely it was not the place of Fireheart or any other cat to question their decisions. What could he say now that would not seem to challenge the will of their warrior ancestors?
“Thanks to StarClan,” Tigerstar went on, “I had other cats to bring with me who have proven themselves willing to hunt and fight for their new Clan.”
Fireheart knew exactly which cats Tigerstar meant—the band of rogues who had attacked the ThunderClan camp! He could see one of them just below the Great Rock, a huge ginger tom, sitting with his tail curled around his paws. The last time Fireheart had seen him, he had been grappling with Brindleface, trying to break into the ThunderClan nursery. Ironically, some of these rogues had grown up in ShadowClan and had supported the tyrannical leader, Brokentail. They had been driven out with their leader when ThunderClan had come to the aid of the oppressed Clan.
Tallstar stepped forward, a doubtful look in his eyes. “Brokentail’s allies were cruel and bloodthirsty, just as he was. Is it really wise to let them back into the Clan?”
Fireheart could understand Tallstar’s misgivings, since these very cats had driven WindClan from their territory and had almost destroyed them. He wondered how many ShadowClan warriors shared his concern. After all, Brokentail’s own Clan had suffered almost as much as WindClan had from their murderous leader’s rule; he was surprised they would take the outlaws back.
“Brokentail’s warriors obeyed him,” Tigerstar replied calmly. “Which of you wouldn’t do the same for your own leader? The warrior code says that a leader’s word is law.” He swiped his tongue around his muzzle before continuing. “These cats were loyal to Brokentail. They will be loyal to me now. Blackfoot, who was Brokentail’s deputy, is my deputy now.”
Tallstar still looked suspicious, but Tigerstar met his gaze steadily. “Tallstar, you are right to hate Brokentail. He did great harm to your Clan. But let me remind you that it was not my decision to take him into ThunderClan and care for him. I spoke against that from the first, but when Bluestar insisted on giving him sanctuary, loyalty to my leader meant that I had to support her.”
The WindClan leader hesitated and then bowed his head. “That’s true,” he meowed.
“Then all I ask is that you trust me, and give my warriors a chance to show that they can honor the warrior code, and prove their loyalty to ShadowClan once more. With the help of StarClan, my first task is to make ShadowClan well and strong again,” Tigerstar vowed.
Perhaps, Fireheart thought hopefully, now that Tigerstar had achieved his ambition, he really would become a great leader. He had said that the outlaws deserved another chance; perhaps the same was true of Tigerstar himself. Yet every hair in Fireheart’s pelt was prickling. He still wanted to make it clear to Tigerstar that ThunderClan was not his for the taking.
He was so deep in thought that he hardly realized that Tigerstar had finished addressing the assembled Clans.
“Fireheart?” Tallstar meowed. “Do you want to speak now?”
Fireheart swallowed nervously and padded forward, the rock cool and smooth beneath his paws. Below, he could see Sandstorm and the other ThunderClan cats looking up at him expectantly; the pale ginger she-cat was watching him with a glow of admiration in her eyes.
Feeling encouraged, Fireheart began to speak. He wasn’t going to pretend that the ThunderClan camp had not been devastated by the recent fire, but he did not want to give the impression that the Clan was weak. Leopardfur, the RiverClan deputy, was listening intently. As Fireheart glanced at her she narrowed her eyes as if she were measuring his words carefully. RiverClan had helped ThunderClan escape from the fire, and no cat knew better than Leopardfur how vulnerable they were.
“A few dawns ago,” Fireheart reported, “fire started in the Treecut place and swept through our camp. Halftail and Patchpelt died, and the Clan honors them. And we especially honor Yellowfang. She went back into the burning camp to rescue Halftail.” He bowed his head, memories of the old medicine cat threatening to overwhelm him. “I found her in her den, and I was with her when she died.”
Wails of dismay broke out among the listening cats. Not only ThunderClan had reason to grieve for Yellowfang’s death. Fireheart noticed Runningnose sitting erect and gazing upward, his eyes clouded with sorrow. He had been Yellowfang’s apprentice when she was ShadowClan’s medicine cat, before Brokentail drove her out.
“Our new medicine cat will be Cinderpelt,” Fireheart went on. “Bluestar suffered from breathing in smoke, but she is recovering. None of our kits were harmed. We are rebuilding our camp.” He did not mention the shortage of prey in the burned stretch of forest, or the way that the camp was still open to attack in spite of their efforts to rebuild the walls. “We must thank RiverClan,” he added, with a respectful glance at Crookedstar. “They gave us shelter in their camp during the fire. Without their help, more of our cats might have died.”
As Crookedstar acknowledged his words with a nod, Fireheart couldn’t resist glancing down at Leopardfur again. The RiverClan deputy hadn’t shifted her amber gaze from him.
Pausing to take a deep breath, Fireheart turned to Tigerstar. “ThunderClan accepts that StarClan has approved your leadership,” he meowed. “As rogues, your followers stole from all four Clans while they roamed the forest, so it is good that they have their own Clan again. We trust that they will be bound by the warrior code and will keep to their own territory.” He thought he could see a gleam of surprise in Tigerstar’s eyes, and continued firmly, “But we will not tolerate any invasions into ThunderClan territory. In spite of the fire, we are strong enough to drive out any cat who sets a paw over our borders. We have no fear of ShadowClan.”
One or two yowls of agreement rose from his own warriors below. Tigerstar gave a slight dip of his head, and spoke in a low rumble that carried no farther than the other cats on top of the Great Rock. “Brave words, Fireheart. You have nothing to fear from ShadowClan.”
Fireheart wished that he could believe him. Bowing his head in acknowledgment, he stepped back again, his fur flattening in relief that his turn to speak was over, and listened while Tallstar and Crookedstar gave the news from their own Clans—word of new apprentices and warriors, and a warning of extra Twolegs by the river.
When the formal part of the meeting was over, Fireheart sprang down to the group of ThunderClan warriors at the base of the rock.
“You spoke well,” meowed Whitestorm. Sandstorm’s eyes shone as she looked at Fireheart, and she pressed her muzzle against his neck.
Fireheart gave her cheek a quick lick. “It’s time to go,” he meowed. “Say your good-byes, and if any cat asks, tell them that ThunderClan is doing fine.”
Throughout the clearing, the groups of cats were breaking up as all four Clans prepared to leave. Fireheart began looking around for the rest of his warriors. He caught sight of a familiar blue-gray shape and bounded across the hollow to join her.
“Hi, Mistyfoot,” he meowed. “How are you? How’s Graystripe? I didn’t see him here tonight.”
Graystripe had been Fireheart’s first friend in ThunderClan; they had trained together as apprentices. But then Graystripe had fallen in love with Silverstream, a young RiverClan warrior, and she had died bearing his kits. Graystripe had left his own Clan to go with them to RiverClan, and though seasons had passed, Fireheart still missed him.
“Graystripe didn’t come.” The RiverClan queen sat down and curled her tail neatly around her paws. “Leopardfur wouldn’t let him. She was furious about the way he behaved during the fire. She says that in his heart, he’s still loyal to ThunderClan.”
Fireheart had to admit that Leopardfur was probably right. Graystripe had already asked Bluestar if he could come back to ThunderClan, but she had refused. “So how is he?” Fireheart repeated.
“He’s fine,” Mistyfoot meowed. “So are the kits. He asked me to find out how you were doing after the fire. Bluestar’s not seriously ill, you say?”
“No, she’ll be better soon.” Fireheart tried to sound confident. It was true that Bluestar was recovering from the effects of breathing smoke, but for some moons now the ThunderClan leader’s mind had been clouded. She had begun to doubt her own judgment, and even to question the loyalty of her warriors. The discovery of Tigerstar’s treachery had shaken her to her core, and Fireheart couldn’t help worrying about how she would react to the news that the deputy she had exiled was now leader of ShadowClan.
“I’m glad to hear that she is recovering.” Mistyfoot’s mew broke into his thoughts.
Fireheart twitched his ears. “How’s Crookedstar?” he asked, changing the subject. The RiverClan leader had seemed frail when he had allowed ThunderClan to shelter in his camp, and tonight, next to Tigerstar, he looked even older than Fireheart remembered. But maybe that wasn’t surprising. The RiverClan leader had had to cope with floods that had driven his cats out of their camp and with a shortage of prey because Twoleg rubbish had poisoned the river. More than all that, Graystripe’s beloved Silverstream had been Crookedstar’s daughter, and her death had caused him much grief.
“He’s okay,” meowed Mistyfoot. “He’s been through a lot recently. Mind you, I’m more concerned about Graypool,” she added, naming the cat who had raised her from kithood. “She seems so old now. I’m afraid she’ll go to StarClan soon.”
Fireheart would have liked to give the young queen a comforting lick, but he was not sure how the RiverClan cat would take that from a cat of another Clan. Apart from Graypool, Fireheart was the only cat who knew that the frail RiverClan elder was not the real mother of Mistyfoot and her brother, Stonefur. Their father, Oakheart, had brought them to RiverClan when they were tiny kits, and Graypool had agreed to take care of them. Their real mother was Bluestar.
As Fireheart murmured sympathetically and said his good-byes to Mistyfoot, he couldn’t help feeling that trouble was still in store for both Clans because of Bluestar’s secret.
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2
The sky was growing pale withthe first light of dawn when Fireheart and his warriors returned to the ThunderClan camp. Although Fireheart knew what he would find, it was still a shock to reach the top of the ravine and gaze down at the devastation. All the covering of gorse and fern had been stripped away by the fire. The earth floor of the camp was left exposed, surrounded by the blackened remains of the wall of thornbushes that was shored up with branches where the Clan cats had begun to repair it.
“Will it ever be the same?” Sandstorm meowed softly as she came to stand beside him.
A wave of exhaustion flooded over Fireheart as he thought of how much time and work it would take before the camp was fully rebuilt. “One day,” he promised. “We’ve been through bad times before. We’ll survive.” He pressed his muzzle against Sandstorm’s flank, taking comfort from her reassuring purr, before he led the way down the ravine.
The bush where the warriors slept was still there, but the thick canopy of twigs had been burned away. Only a few charred branches remained, the gaps between them interwoven with sticks. Brackenfur was crouched outside, while Longtail sat on watch near the entrance to the nursery, and Dustpelt paced back and forth in front of the elders’ den.
Brackenfur sprang to his paws as Fireheart and the others appeared, only to relax a moment later. “It’s you,” he meowed, relief in his voice. “We’ve been expecting Tigerclaw all night.”
“Well, you can stop worrying,” Fireheart meowed. “He’s too busy to worry about us. Tiger staris the new leader of ShadowClan.”
Brackenfur stared in astonishment. “Great StarClan!” he said with a gasp. “I don’t believe it!”
“Whatdid you say?” Fireheart turned to see Longtail loping across the clearing. “Did I hear you right?”
“You did.” Fireheart could see the shock in the tabby warrior’s face. “Tigerstar has taken over ShadowClan.”
“And they let him?” meowed Longtail. “Are they mad?”
“Not mad at all,” Whitestorm replied, coming up to stand beside Fireheart. The elderly warrior scraped the bare earth with his paws and settled down on his haunches with a tired sigh. His thick white fur was stained with soot after the journey back through the forest. “The sickness almost destroyed the ShadowClan cats. They were desperate for a strong leader. Tigerstar must have seemed like a gift from StarClan.”
“It sounds like that’s just what he was,” Fireheart agreed heavily. “Apparently StarClan sent an omen to Runningnose to tell ShadowClan that a great leader would arise.”
“But Tigerstar is a traitor!” Brackenfur protested.
“ShadowClan don’t know that,” Fireheart pointed out.
By this time other cats were appearing. Brightpaw and Swiftpaw ran over from the apprentices’ den; Dustpelt padded up with Darkstripe’s apprentice, Fernpaw; Speckletail peered curiously out from the nursery. As they pressed around Fireheart with their questions, he had to raise his voice to make himself heard.
“Listen, all of you,” he meowed. “There’s something you need to hear.” And I have to tell Bluestar, he added silently, bracing himself for the encounter. “Whitestorm will tell you what happened at the Gathering,” he went on, “and then I want a dawn patrol.” He hesitated, looking around at the assembled cats. All the warriors were tired; those who hadn’t been to the Gathering had stayed awake to guard the camp.
Before Fireheart could decide who to send, Dustpelt spoke. “Ashpaw and I will go.”
Fireheart dipped his head gratefully. The brown warrior had never been friendly toward him, but he was a loyal cat to ThunderClan, and he seemed to accept Fireheart’s authority as deputy.
“I’ll go too,” Mousefur offered.
“And me,” meowed Cloudpaw.
Fireheart let out a purr of appreciation at his apprentice’s words. He was pleased that his sister’s son was working harder for the Clan and showing more commitment to Clan life, after the disastrous episode when he was taken away by Twolegs and had to be rescued. “Dustpelt, Mousefur, Cloudpaw, and Ashpaw, then,” he meowed. “The rest of you get some sleep. We’ll need hunting patrols later on.”
“What about you?” asked Darkstripe.
Fireheart took a deep breath. “I’m going to speak to Bluestar.”
The curtain of lichen had been burned away from the entrance to Bluestar’s den at the base of the Highrock. As Fireheart approached, Cinderpelt, Thunderclan’s medicine cat, emerged into the clearing and paused to stretch. Her dark gray fur was ruffled, and she looked worn out from the strain of caring for the Clan in the aftermath of the fire, but the strength of her spirit still shone in her blue eyes. Fireheart was reminded of the time when she had been his eager apprentice, until she had been lured too close to the Thunderpath, in a trap which Tigerclaw had set for Bluestar. The young cat’s leg had been permanently injured so she could never be a warrior, but she had always kept her commitment to serving her Clan.
Fireheart padded up to her. “How is Bluestar today?” he asked quietly.
Cinderpelt cast a worried glance back into the den. “She didn’t sleep last night,” she replied. “I’ve given her juniper berries to calm her, but I don’t know if they’ll do any good.”
“I need to tell her what happened at the Gathering,” Fireheart meowed. “And she’s not going to like it.”
Cinderpelt’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
As quickly as he could, Fireheart told her.
Cinderpelt listened in shocked silence, her blue eyes wide with amazement. “What will you do?” she asked when Fireheart had finished.
“There isn’t much I cando. Besides, it could be a good thing for ThunderClan. Tigerstar’s got what he wants now, and with any luck he’s going to be far too busy working his new Clan into shape to bother about us.” Seeing that Cinderpelt looked disbelieving, he added hastily, “Who they choose for leader is ShadowClan’s business. We’ll have to keep a watch on our borders, but I don’t believe Tigerstar will be much of a threat, for a while, at least. I’m more worried about how Bluestar is going to take it.”
“This is going to make her worse,” Cinderpaw meowed anxiously. “I only hope I can find the right herbs to help her. I wish Yellowfang were here.”
“I know.” Fireheart pressed himself comfortingly against Cinderpelt’s side. “But you’ll be fine. You’re a great medicine cat.”
“It’s not just that.” Cinderpelt’s voice dropped to a painful whisper. “I missher, Fireheart! I keep waiting for her to tell me I haven’t the sense of a newborn kit—at least when she praised me, I knew she really meant it. I want her,Fireheart—her scent and the feel of her fur and the sound of her voice.”
“I know,” Fireheart murmured. He felt an emptiness inside as memories of the old cat flooded over him. He had been very close to Yellowfang, ever since he had discovered her living as a rogue in ThunderClan territory. “But she hunts with StarClan now.”
And perhaps she had found peace at last, he reflected, as he remembered the torment in Yellowfang’s voice as she died thinking of her son, Brokentail—the murderous cat she had never stopped loving, even though he had grown up without knowing she was his mother. In the end she had killed him to save her adopted Clan from his bloodthirsty scheming. Yellowfang’s pain was at an end, but Fireheart could not imagine that he would ever stop missing her.
“You go to Highstones soon, don’t you?” he reminded Cinderpelt. “To meet the other medicine cats? I think you’ll feel very close to Yellowfang then.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Cinderpelt pushed away from him. “I can just hear Yellowfang now,” she meowed. “‘Why are you standing around moaning when there’s work to be done?’ You go and talk to Bluestar. I’ll look in on her again a bit later on.”
“If you’re sure you’re okay,” mewed Fireheart.
“I’m fine.” Cinderpelt gave his ear a quick lick. “Be strong for her, Fireheart,” she urged. “She needs you more than ever.”
Fireheart watched the medicine cat as she limped rapidly away, and then turned toward Bluestar’s den. Taking a deep breath, he called a greeting and entered through the gap where the lichen used to grow.
Bluestar was crouched on a pile of bedding at the back of the cave, her forepaws tucked under her chest. Her head was raised, but she was not looking at Fireheart. Instead her blue eyes were blank, fixed on something far away that only she could see. Her pelt was rough and unwashed, and she was so thin that Fireheart could see every rib. His heart twisted with pity for her and fear for the rest of his Clan. Their leader had diminished into an old, sick cat, broken by trouble and unable to defend herself, let alone her Clan.
“Bluestar?” Fireheart meowed hesitantly.
At first he thought that Bluestar had not heard him. Then, as he padded farther into the den, she turned her head. Her cloudy blue gaze focused on him, and for a heartbeat she looked puzzled, as if she couldn’t remember who he was.
Then her ears pricked and intelligence flooded back into her eyes. “Fireheart? What do you want?”
Fireheart dipped his head respectfully. “I’m just back from the Gathering, Bluestar. I’m afraid there’s bad news.” He paused.
“Well?” Bluestar sounded irritable. “What is it?”
“ShadowClan has a new leader,” Fireheart meowed. He plunged straight on. “It’s Tigerclaw—Tiger starnow.”
In an instant, Bluestar leaped to her paws. Her eyes blazed cold fire, and Fireheart flinched at the reminder of the formidable cat she had once been. “That’s impossible!” she hissed.
“No, it’s true. I saw him myself. He spoke from the Great Rock, with the other leaders.”
For a few moments Bluestar did not reply. She paced from one side of the den to the other and back again, her tail lashing. Fireheart backed toward the entrance, not at all sure that Bluestar wouldn’t attack him for bringing this terrible news
“How dare ShadowClan do this?” she spat at last. “How dare they shelter the cat who tried to murder me—and make him their leader!”
“Bluestar, they don’t know—” Fireheart began, but the ThunderClan leader was not listening to him.
“And the other leaders?” she demanded. “What did they think? How could they let this happen?”
“No cat knows what Tigerstar did to ThunderClan.” Fireheart struggled to make Bluestar think logically. “Crookedstar didn’t say much, although Tallstar was unhappy at first that Tigerstar had taken Brokentail’s old followers back into the Clan.”
“Tallstar!” Bluestar spat. “We should know by now that we can’t trust him. After all, it didn’t take him long to forget what we did for his Clan, after you and Graystripe risked your lives to find them and bring them home.”
Fireheart started to protest, but Bluestar ignored him. “StarClan have abandoned me!” she went on, still pacing furiously. “They told me that fire would save the Clan, but fire has almost destroyed us. How can I ever trust StarClan again—especially now? They have granted a leader’s nine lives to that traitor. They care nothing for me or for ThunderClan!”
Fireheart flinched. “Bluestar, listen—”
“No, Fireheart, you listen.” Bluestar padded over to him. Her fur was fluffed up and her teeth bared in anger. “ThunderClan is doomed. Tigerstar will lead ShadowClan to destroy us all—and we can expect no help from StarClan.”
“Tigerstar didn’t seem hostile.” Fireheart was desperately trying to get through to his leader. “When he spoke, all he seemed to care about was leading his new Clan.”
Bluestar let out a crack of harsh laughter. “If you believe that, Fireheart, you’re a fool. Tigerstar will be here before leaf-fall; you mark my words. But he’ll find us waiting for him. If we’re all going to die, we’ll take a few of ShadowClan with us.”
She began pacing rapidly back and forth again, while Fireheart watched, appalled.
“Double the patrols,” she ordered. “Set a watch on the camp. Send cats to guard the border with ShadowClan.”
“We haven’t enough warriors for all that,” Fireheart objected. “Every cat is exhausted with the extra work rebuilding the camp. It’s all we can do to keep up the regular patrols.”
“Are you questioning my orders?” Bluestar whipped around to face him again, drawing her lips back in a snarl. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Or are you going to betray me too?”
“No, Bluestar, no! You can trust me.” Fireheart tensed his muscles, half expecting that he would need to dodge Bluestar’s slashing claws.
Suddenly the old leader relaxed. “I know, Fireheart. You’ve always been loyal, not like those others.” As if the strength of her fury had exhausted her, she limped back to her bedding.
“Set the patrols,” she ordered, sinking down in the soft moss and heather. “Do it now, before ShadowClan makes crowfood of us all.”
“Yes, Bluestar.” Fireheart saw no point in arguing any more. He bowed his head and backed out of the den. Bluestar’s gaze was once more fixed on something unseen. Fireheart wondered if she was looking into the future, and watching the destruction of her Clan.
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
Fireheart opened his eyes and blinkedin the uncomfortably bright sunlight. He still couldn’t get used to the way the sun shone straight into the warriors’ den now that the thick covering of leaves had gone. Yawning, he uncurled himself and shook the clinging scraps of moss from his coat.
Close beside him, Sandstorm was still asleep; Dustpelt and Darkstripe were curled up a little farther away. Fireheart padded out into the clearing. It was three days since the Gathering and the discovery of Tigerstar’s new leadership, and there was still no sign of the attack Bluestar had feared. ThunderClan had used the time to rebuild the camp, and although there was still a long way to go, Fireheart couldn’t help feeling pleased when he saw shady walls of fern beginning to grow back around the edge of the camp, and the bramble thicket firmly interlaced with twigs to shelter the nursing queens and their kits.
As Fireheart made his way toward the pile of fresh-kill, he saw the dawn patrol returning with Whitestorm in the lead. Fireheart paused and waited for the white warrior to join him.
“Any sign of ShadowClan?”
Whitestorm shook his head. “Nothing,” he meowed. “Just the usual scent markings along their border. There was one thing, though….”
Fireheart’s ears pricked. “What?”
“Not far from Snakerocks we found a whole stretch of undergrowth trampled down, and pigeon feathers scattered all over it.”
“Pigeon feathers?” Fireheart echoed. “I haven’t seen a pigeon for days. Is some other Clan hunting in our territory?”
“I don’t think so. The whole place reeked of dog.” Whitestorm wrinkled his nose with distaste. “There was dog dirt there too.”
“Oh, a dog.” Fireheart flicked his tail dismissively. “Well, we all know that Twolegs are always bringing their dogs into the forest. They run around, chase a few squirrels, and then the Twolegs take them home again.” He let out a purr of amusement. “The only unusual thing is that it looks as if this one caught something.”
To his surprise, Whitestorm continued to look serious. “All the same, I think you should tell the patrols to keep their eyes open,” he meowed.
“Okay.” Fireheart respected the older warrior too much to ignore his advice, but privately he thought the dog would be a long way away by now, shut up somewhere in Twolegplace. Dogs were noisy nuisances, but he had more important things to worry about.
He was reminded of his anxiety about food supplies as he followed Whitestorm to the pile of fresh-kill. Brightpaw, Whitestorm’s apprentice, and Cloudpaw, who had made up the rest of the patrol, were already there.
“Look at this!” Cloudpaw complained as Fireheart came up. He turned a vole over with one paw. “There’s hardly a decent mouthful on it!”
“Prey is scarce,” Fireheart reminded him, noticing there were only a few pieces of fresh-kill on the pile. “Any creatures that survived the fire can’t find much to eat.”
“We need to hunt again,” Cloudpaw meowed. He bit into the vole and swallowed. “I’ll go as soon as I’ve finished this.”
“You can come with me,” mewed Fireheart, selecting a magpie for himself. “I’m going to lead out a patrol later on.”
“No, I can’t wait,” Cloudpaw mumbled through another mouthful. “I’m so hungry I could eat you. Brightpaw, do you want to come with me?”
Brightpaw, who was neatly tucking into a mouse, glanced at her mentor for permission. When Whitestorm nodded she sprang up. “Ready when you are,” she meowed.
“All right then,” mewed Fireheart. He was slightly annoyed that Cloudpaw hadn’t asked for his mentor’s permission like Brightpaw, but the Clan did need fresh-kill, and both the apprentices were good hunters. “Don’t go too far from camp,” he warned.
“But all the best prey is farther away, where the fire didn’t reach,” Cloudpaw objected. “We’ll be fine, Fireheart,” he promised. “We’ll hunt for the elders first.”
Swallowing the last of his vole in one enormous gulp, he dashed off toward the camp entrance with Brightpaw racing after him.
“Stay away from Twolegplace!” Fireheart called after them, remembering how Cloudpaw had once been all too fond of visiting the Twolegs. The apprentice had paid a harsh price when they had taken him away to their nest on the far side of WindClan’s territory. As greenleaf drew to an end, with the prospect of a hungry leaf-bare to come, Fireheart hoped that his apprentice wouldn’t be tempted back into his old ways.
“Apprentices!” Whitestorm purred as he watched the two young cats bounding away. “Dawn patrol, and now they’re off hunting. I wish I had their energy.” He dragged a blackbird a little way from the pile of fresh-kill and crouched down to eat.
As Fireheart finished his magpie, he saw Sandstorm padding across from the warriors’ den. The sun shone on her pale ginger coat, and Fireheart admired the ripple of her fur as she moved. “Do you want to come and hunt with me?” he asked as she approached.
“Looks as if we need it,” Sandstorm replied, surveying the pitifully few pieces of fresh-kill that remained. “Let’s go now—I can wait to eat until we catch something.”
Fireheart looked around for another cat to join them and noticed Longtail heading for the apprentices’ den, calling for Swiftpaw. “Hey, Longtail!” he meowed as the two cats padded across the clearing. “Come and join our hunting patrol.”
Longtail hesitated, as if he wasn’t sure whether that was an order from his deputy or not. “We were going to the training hollow,” he explained. “Swiftpaw needs to practice his defense moves.”
“You can do that later.” This time Fireheart made it clear that he was giving an order. “The Clan needs fresh-kill first.”
Longtail flicked his tail irritably but said nothing. Swiftpaw was looking more enthusiastic, his eyes bright. The young black-and-white tom had grown almost as big as his mentor, Fireheart noticed; he was the oldest of the apprentices, and he could expect to be made a warrior soon.
I must talk to Bluestar about his naming ceremony, Fireheart thought. Cloudpaw too, and Brightpaw and Thornpaw. The Clan needs more warriors.
Leaving Whitestorm to take a well-earned rest, Fireheart led his hunting party out of the camp and up the ravine. At the top, he turned toward Sunningrocks. Doing his best to carry out Bluestar’s order about doubling the patrols, he had instructed all the hunting parties to do border duty as well, staying alert for other Clans’ scents or any other signs of an enemy presence. In particular, he had warned them to keep a careful watch on the ShadowClan border, but privately he resolved not to neglect RiverClan.
He had an uneasy feeling about their relationship with ThunderClan. With Crookedstar growing old, his deputy, Leopardfur, would have more authority, and Fireheart still expected her to ask for something in return for RiverClan’s help on the night of the fire.
As Fireheart led the way toward the river, he noticed plants pushing their way up through the blackened soil. New ferns were beginning to uncoil and green tendrils spread out to cover the earth. The forest was beginning to recover, but as leaf-fall approached, growth would slow down. Fireheart was still worried that his Clan was heading for a cold and comfortless leaf-bare.
When they reached Sunningrocks, Longtail led Swiftpaw into one of the gullies between the rocks. “You can practice listening for mice and voles,” he told his apprentice. “See if you can catch something before the rest of us.”
Fireheart watched them go approvingly. The pale tabby warrior was a conscientious mentor, and a strong bond had grown between him and Swiftpaw.
Fireheart skirted the rocks on the side that faced the river, where more of the grass and foliage had survived. It was not long before he spotted a mouse scuffling among some brittle grass stems. As it sat up, nibbling a seed clasped in its forepaws, Fireheart sprang and finished it off swiftly.
“Good work,” Sandstorm murmured, padding up to him.
“Do you want it?” Fireheart asked, pushing the fresh-kill toward her with one paw. “You haven’t eaten yet.”
“No, thanks,” meowed Sandstorm tartly. “I can catch my own.”
She slipped off into the shadow of a hazel tree. Fireheart looked after her, wondering if he’d offended her, and then started to scrape earth over his prey so it could be collected later.
“You want to watch out with that one,” a voice meowed behind him. “She’ll claw your ears off if you’re not careful.”
Fireheart spun around. His old friend Graystripe was standing on the border with RiverClan, farther down the slope toward the river. Water gleamed on his thick gray pelt.
“Graystripe!” Fireheart exclaimed. “You startled me!”
Graystripe gave himself a shake and sent droplets sparkling into the air. “I saw you from the other side of the river,” he mewed. “I never thought I’d find you catching prey for Sandstorm. Special to you, is she?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fireheart protested. His fur suddenly felt hot, and prickled as if ants were crawling through it. “Sandstorm is just a friend.”
Graystripe let out a purr of amusement. “Oh, sure, if you say so.” He strolled up the slope and lowered his head to butt Fireheart affectionately on the shoulder. “You’re lucky, Fireheart. She’s a very impressive cat.”
Fireheart opened his mouth and then closed it again. Graystripe wouldn’t be convinced not matter what he said—and besides, maybe he was right. Maybe Sandstorm was becoming more than a friend. “Never mind that,” he meowed, changing the subject. “Tell me how you’re getting on. What’s the news in RiverClan?”
The laughter died from Graystripe’s yellow eyes. “Not much. Every cat is talking about Tigerstar.” When Graystripe had been a ThunderClan warrior, he and Fireheart had been the only cats to know the truth about Tigerstar’s murderous ambition, and that he had killed the former ThunderClan deputy, Redtail.
“I don’t know what to make of it,” Fireheart admitted. “Tigerstar might be different, now he’s got what he wants. No cat can deny that he could make a good leader—he’s strong, he can fight and hunt, and he knows the warrior code by heart.”
“But no cat can trust him,” Graystripe growled. “What’s the point of knowing the warrior code if all you do is ignore what it says?”
“It’s not up to us to trust him now,” Fireheart pointed out. “He’s got a new Clan, and Runningnose reported an omen that seemed to say StarClan would be sending them a great new leader. StarClan must know that ShadowClan needs a strong warrior to build them up again after the sickness.”
Graystripe didn’t look convinced. “StarClan sent him?” He snorted. “I’ll believe that when hedgehogs fly.”
Fireheart couldn’t help agreeing with Graystripe that it would be hard to trust Tigerstar. Making his new Clan healthy again might occupy him for a season or two, but after that…The thought of the fierce warrior at the head of a strong Clan sent a shudder through Fireheart from ears to tail-tip. He couldn’t believe that Tigerstar would settle down to a peaceful life in the forest, respecting the rights of the other three Clans. Sooner or later he would want to extend his territory, and his first target would be ThunderClan.
“If I were you,” meowed Graystripe, echoing his thoughts, “I’d keep a very careful watch on my borders.”
“Yes, I—” Fireheart began. He broke off as he saw Sandstorm coming toward them, a young rabbit dangling from her jaws. She padded across the pebbles, and dropped her prey at Fireheart’s feet. Looking more relaxed, as if she had gotten over her brief annoyance, she nodded to the RiverClan warrior.
“Hi, Graystripe,” she mewed. “How are the kits?”
“They’re fine, thanks,” Graystripe replied. His eyes glowed with pride. “They’ll be apprenticed soon.”
“Will you mentor one of them?” Fireheart asked.
To his surprise, Graystripe looked uncertain. “I don’t know,” he meowed. “If it were Crookedstar’s decision, maybe…but he doesn’t do much these days, except sleep. Leopardfur organizes most things now, and she’ll never forgive me for the way Whiteclaw died. I think she’ll probably give the kits to some other warriors to mentor.”
He bowed his head. Fireheart realized he still felt guilty about the death of the RiverClan warrior who had fallen into the gorge when his patrol attacked a small group of ThunderClan warriors.
“That’s tough,” meowed Fireheart, pressing himself comfortingly against Graystripe’s side.
“But you can see her point,” Sandstorm pointed out mildly. “Leopardfur will want to make sure that the kits are brought up to be completely loyal to RiverClan.”
Graystripe swung his head around to face her, his fur bristling. “That’s just what I would do! I don’t want my kits to grow up feeling torn between two Clans.” His eyes clouded. “I know what that’s like.”
Pain for his friend flooded over Fireheart. After the fire, Graystripe had shown how unhappy he was in his new Clan, and clearly things were no better now. Fireheart wanted to say, “Come home,” but he knew he had no right to offer Graystripe a place in the Clan when Bluestar had already refused.
“Speak to Crookedstar,” he suggested. “Ask him yourself about the kits.”
“And try to stay on the good side of Leopardfur,” added Sandstorm. “Don’t let her catch you crossing the ThunderClan border.”
Graystripe flinched. “Maybe you’re right. I’d better be getting back. Good-bye, Sandstorm, Fireheart.”
“Try to come to the next Gathering,” Fireheart urged.
Graystripe flicked his tail in acknowledgment and padded off down the slope. Halfway to the river he turned, meowed, “Wait there a moment!” and raced down to the edge of the water. For several heartbeats he sat motionless on a flat stone, gazing down into the shallows.
“Now what’s he up to?” Sandstorm muttered.
Before Fireheart could reply, Graystripe’s paw darted out. A silver fish shot out of the stream and fell to the bank, where it lay flopping and wriggling. Graystripe finished it off with a single blow of his paw and dragged it back up the slope to where Fireheart and Sandstorm stood watching.
“Here,” he meowed as he dropped it. “I know prey must be scarce since the fire. That should help a bit.”
“Thanks,” meowed Fireheart, and added admiringly, “That was a neat trick back there.”
Graystripe let out a purr of satisfaction. “Mistyfoot showed me how.”
“It’s very welcome,” Sandstorm told him. “But if Leopardfur finds out you’ve been feeding another Clan, she won’t be pleased.”
“Leopardfur can go chase her own tail,” Graystripe growled. “If she says anything, I’ll remind her how Fireheart and I helped feed RiverClan during the floods last newleaf.”
He turned away and bounded back to the river. Fireheart’s heart ached as he watched his friend launch himself into the water and begin swimming strongly for the opposite bank. He would have given anything to have Graystripe back in ThunderClan, but he had to admit it seemed unlikely that the gray warrior could ever be accepted there again.
Fireheart struggled to carry the slippery fish as the hunting patrol returned to camp, his mouth watering as the unfamiliar scent filled his nostrils. When he entered the camp he saw that the pile of fresh-kill already looked bigger. Cloudpaw and Brightpaw had returned, and were about to go out again with Mousefur and Thornpaw.
“We’ve fed the elders, Fireheart!” Cloudpaw called over his shoulder as he scampered up the ravine.
“And Cinderpelt?” Fireheart called back.
“Not yet!”
Fireheart watched his young kin dash out of sight and then turned back to the pile of fresh-kill. Perhaps Graystripe’s fish would tempt Cinderpelt, he thought. He suspected that the young medicine cat wasn’t eating enough, out of grief for Yellowfang, and because she was so busy caring for the smoke-sick cats and Bluestar.
“Are you hungry, Fireheart?” asked Sandstorm, dropping the last of her catch onto the pile. In the end she had waited to eat until they brought the prey back to camp, and she was eyeing the fresh-kill avidly. “We could eat together, if you like.”
“Okay.” The magpie Fireheart had eaten that morning seemed a long time ago now. “I’ll just take this to Cinderpelt.”
“Don’t be long,” meowed Sandstorm.
Fireheart gripped the fish in his jaws and walked toward Cinderpelt’s den. Before the fire, a lush tunnel of ferns had separated it from the rest of the camp. Now just a few blackened stalks showed above the ground, and Fireheart could clearly see the cleft in the rock that was the entrance to the den.
He stopped outside, dropped the fresh-kill, and called, “Cinderpelt!”
After a moment the young medicine cat poked her head out of the opening. “What? Oh, it’s you, Fireheart.”
She padded out of the den to join him. Her fur was ruffled, and her eyes didn’t have their usual lively sparkle. Instead she seemed distracted and troubled. Fireheart guessed that her mind was on Yellowfang.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she mewed. “There’s something I want to tell you.”
“Have something to eat first,” Fireheart urged her. “Look, Graystripe caught a fish for us.”
“Thanks, Fireheart,” Cinderpelt meowed, “but this is urgent. StarClan sent a dream to me last night.”
Something about the way she spoke made Fireheart uneasy. He was still not used to the way that his former apprentice was growing into a true medicine cat, living without a mate or kits of her own, meeting secretly with other medicine cats and united with them through their bond with the warrior spirits of StarClan.
“What was the dream about?” he asked. He had experienced dreams like this more than once, warning him of things that were going to happen. That helped him to imagine, better than most Clan cats, the mixture of awe and bewilderment that Cinderpelt must be feeling now.
“I’m not sure.” Cinderpelt blinked in confusion. “I thought I was standing in the forest, and I could hear something large crashing through the trees, but I couldn’t see what it was. And I heard voices calling—harsh voices, in a language that wasn’t cat. But I could understand what they said….”
Her voice trailed off. She stood gazing into the distance, her eyes clouded, while her front paws kneaded the ground in front of her.
“What did they say?” Fireheart prompted.
Cinderpelt shivered. “It was really strange. They were calling, ‘Pack, pack,’ and ‘Kill, kill.’”
Fireheart couldn’t help feeling disappointed. He had hoped that a message from StarClan might have given them some hint about how to deal with all his problems—Tigerstar’s reappearance, Bluestar’s illness, and the aftermath of the fire. “Do you know what it means?” he asked.
Cinderpelt shook her head, a lingering look of horror in her eyes, as though she faced a huge threat Fireheart could not see. “Not yet. Maybe StarClan will show me more when I’ve been to Highstones. But it’s something bad, Fireheart, I’m sure of it.”
“As if we haven’t enough to worry about,” Fireheart muttered. To Cinderpelt, he mewed, “I don’t know what I can do, unless we find out more. I need facts. Are you sure that’s all the dream told you?”
Her blue eyes still wide with distress, Cinderpelt nodded. Fireheart gave her ear a comforting lick. “Don’t worry, Cinderpelt. If it’s a warning about ShadowClan, we’re already watching out for them. Just tell me the moment you get any more details.”
He jumped as an irritated yowling sounded from behind him. “Fireheart, are you going to be all day?”
Glancing around, he saw that Sandstorm was waiting for him at the entrance to the burned fern tunnel. “I’ve got to go,” he said to Cinderpelt.
“But—”
“I’ll think about it, okay?” Fireheart interrupted her, his rumbling belly urging him to go and join Sandstorm. “Let me know if you have any other dreams.”
Cinderpelt’s ears twitched in annoyance. “This is a message from StarClan, Fireheart, not just a root digging into my fur or a tough bit of fresh-kill caught in my throat. It could affect the whole Clan. We need to work out what it means.”
“Well, you’ll be better at that than I am,” Fireheart told her, backing away from Cinderpelt’s den and tossing the last words over his shoulder.
Bounding across the clearing toward Sandstorm, he wondered briefly what the dream could have meant. It didn’t sound like an attack from another Clan, and he couldn’t think of anything else that might be a threat. As he tucked into the vole that Sandstorm had saved for him, he managed to put Cinderpelt’s dream out of his mind.
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 4
Fireheart’s flanks heaved as he foughtfor breath, and his cheek stung where claws had raked across it. As he staggered to his feet, Brightpaw took a couple of steps back.
“I haven’t hurt you, have I?” the ginger-and-white apprentice asked anxiously.
“No, I’m fine.” Fireheart gasped. “Did Whitestorm show you that move? I never saw it coming. Well done.”
Trying not to limp, he padded across the training hollow to where Swiftpaw, Thornpaw, and Cloudpaw were watching. He had been assessing the apprentices’ fighting skills, and they had all held their own against him. They had the makings of formidable warriors.
“I’m glad you’re all on my side. I wouldn’t want to meet you in battle,” Fireheart meowed. “I’ve had a word with your mentors, and they think you’re ready, so I’m going to ask Bluestar if you can be made warriors.”
Brightpaw, Thornpaw, and Swiftpaw exchanged excited glances. Cloudpaw tried to look nonchalant, but there was a gleam of anticipation in his eyes too.
“Okay,” Fireheart went on. “Hunt on your way back to camp, and see that the elders and the queens are fed. Then you can eat.”
“If there’s anything left,” mewed Swiftpaw.
Fireheart flicked a glance at him. Swiftpaw sometimes picked up discontented rumblings from his mentor, Longtail, who had once been a close ally of Tigerclaw, but on this occasion he seemed to be trying to make a joke. All four young cats sprang up and dashed out of the training hollow. Fireheart heard Brightpaw yowling to Cloudpaw, “Bet I catch more prey than you!”
It seemed a long time since he had been that carefree, Fireheart reflected as he followed more slowly. Under the weight of his responsibilities as deputy, he sometimes felt older than the elders. The Clan was surviving, managing to find food and to rebuild the devastated camp, but all the warriors were overstretched. Fireheart was on his paws from dawn to sunset, and every night he went to his den with tasks still undone. How long can we go on? he asked himself. It’ll get harder, not easier, when leaf-bare comes.Already the few leaves that the fire had left on the trees were turning red and gold. As Fireheart paused at the top of the hollow, he felt a chill breeze ruffle his fur, though the sun shone brightly.
He slipped quietly back into camp and stood for a moment near the entrance, looking around. Darkstripe, who was in charge of the rebuilding, had started to patch the remaining gaps in the branches of the warriors’ den. Dustpelt was working with him and the two younger apprentices, Fernpaw and Ashpaw.
On the other side of the camp Fireheart saw Cinderpelt making her way to the elders’ den, carrying some herbs in her jaws
In the center of the clearing, Goldenflower’s two kits were playing with Speckletail’s kit, while the queens sat watching them near the entrance to the nursery. Willowpelt was there too, carefully guarding her litter, who were much younger, from the rough play of the older kits.
Fireheart’s gaze rested on Bramblekit, the bigger of Goldenflower’s kits. That strong, muscular body and dark brown pelt were disturbingly familiar; no cat who looked at the kit could doubt that Tigerstar was his father. The thought always made Fireheart uneasy, and he struggled to push it aside. Logically, he knew that he should feel just as suspicious of the kit’s sister, Tawnykit, but though she shared the same father, she didn’t share the misfortune of looking exactly like him. Fireheart knew it was unfair to blame Bramblekit for his father’s crimes.
Yet Fireheart could not banish the memory of the young kit clinging to a branch of a blazing tree, wailing in terror as Fireheart tried to reach him. And he could not forget that while he was rescuing Bramblekit, the fire had trapped Yellowfang in her den. Had he sacrificed Yellowfang to save Tigerstar’s son?
Suddenly a shrill squeal came from the group of kits. Bramblekit had bowled over Snowkit and was holding him down on the ground with his claws. The squealing came from the sturdy white kit, who didn’t seem to be trying to defend himself.
Fireheart shot forward, barreling into Bramblekit and knocking him away from his victim. “Enough!” he snarled. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The dark tabby kit picked himself up, amber eyes glaring with shock and indignation.
“Well?” Fireheart demanded.
Bramblekit shook dust off his fur. “It’s nothing, Fireheart. We’re only playing.”
“Only playing? Then why was Speckletail’s kit crying out like that?”
The glow died from Bramblekit’s amber eyes and he shrugged. “How should I know? He can’t play properly anyway.”
“Bramblekit!” It was Goldenflower who spoke, coming to stand beside her kit. “How many times do I have to tell you? If somebody squeals, you let go. And don’t be so rude to Fireheart. Remember, he’s the deputy.”
Bramblekit’s eyes flicked to Fireheart and away again. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“Yes, well, make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Fireheart snapped.
Bramblekit padded past him to where Snowkit still crouched on the ground. Speckletail was giving his white fur a brisk lick. “Come on, get up,” she meowed. “You’re not hurt.”
“Yeah, come on, Snowkit,” Bramblekit mewed, swiping his tongue over the kit’s ear. “I didn’t mean it. Come and play, and you can be Clan leader this time.”
Bramblekit’s sister, Tawnykit, was sitting a couple of tail-lengths away, her tail curled around her paws. “He’s no fun,” she mewed. “He never has any good games.”
“Tawnykit!” Goldenflower cuffed her lightly across one ear. “Don’t be so nasty. I don’t know what’s gotten into the pair of you today.”
Snowkit was still crouched on the ground, and got up only when his mother nudged him to his feet.
“Maybe you should let Cinderpelt check him,” Fireheart advised the pale tabby queen. “Make sure he’s not hurt.”
Speckletail swung her head around and glared at her Clan deputy. “There’s nothing wrong with my kit!” she growled. “Are you saying that I can’t look after him properly?” Turning her back on Fireheart, she herded Snowkit back into the nursery.
“She’s very protective of her kit,” Goldenflower explained. “I think it comes of having only the one.” She blinked fondly at her two kits, now scuffling together on the ground.
Fireheart went to sit beside her, feeling uncomfortable about the harsh way he had spoken to Bramblekit. “Have you told them that their father is leader of ShadowClan now?” he asked quietly.
Goldenflower gave him a quick glance. “No, not yet,” she admitted. “They would only boast about it, and then some cat would tell them the rest of the story.”
“Sooner or later they’ll find out,” meowed Fireheart.
The ginger queen vigorously washed her chest fur for a few moments. “I’ve seen the way you look at them,” she mewed at last. “Especially Bramblekit. It’s not his fault that he looks exactly like Tigerstar. But other cats look at him like that too.” Thoughtfully she licked her paw and drew it over her ear. “I want my kits to grow up happy, not feeling guilty because of something that happened before they were born. Maybe there’s more hope of that now, if Tigerstar becomes a great leader. Maybe they’ll even be proud of him in the end.”
Fireheart twitched his ears uncomfortably, unable to share her optimism.
“They both respect you, you know,” Goldenflower went on. “Especially since you saved Bramblekit from the fire.”
For a moment Fireheart didn’t know what to say. He felt guiltier than ever about his hostile feelings toward Bramblekit, yet however hard he tried he could not help seeing the murderous father in the young kit.
“I think youshould tell them about Tigerstar,” Goldenflower meowed, turning an intense gaze on him. “You’re the deputy, after all. They would take it well from you—and I know you would tell them the truth.”
“You…you think I should tell them now?” Fireheart stammered. The way Goldenflower spoke made it sound like a challenge.
“No, not now,” replied Goldenflower calmly. “Not until you’re ready. And when you think they’reready,” she added. “But don’t leave it for too long.”
Fireheart dipped his head. “I will, Goldenflower,” he promised. “And I’ll make it as easy for them as I can.”
Before Goldenflower could reply, Bramblekit came skidding up to his mother with Tawnykit just behind him. “Can we go and see the elders?” he asked, eyes shining. “One-eye promised to tell us some great stories!”
Goldenflower let out an indulgent purr. “Yes, of course,” she meowed. “Take her something from the pile of fresh-kill—that’s good manners. And mind that you’re back here by sunset.”
“We will!” meowed Tawnykit. She dashed off across the camp, calling over her shoulder, “I’m going to fetch a mouse for One-eye!”
“No, you’re not, I am!” Bramblekit yowled, scampering after her.
“Well,” Goldenflower meowed, turning back to Fireheart, “if you can see anything wrong with those kits, tell me what it is, because I can’t.”
She got up, obviously not needing an answer, and shook each paw in turn before retreating into the nursery. Fireheart watched her go. Somehow he had managed to make himself unpopular with both Speckletail and Goldenflower; even though Goldenflower trusted him, she clearly found it hard to forgive him for his conflicting feelings about Bramblekit—and he was no nearer to sorting them out.
Sighing, he got to his paws, realizing it was time he sent out the evening patrol. As he turned away from the nursery he caught sight of Brackenfur, who was hovering nearby as if he wanted to speak to him.
“Is there a problem?” he asked the young warrior.
“I don’t know,” Brackenfur replied. “It’s just that I saw what happened there, with Speckletail’s kit, and—”
“You’re not going to tell me I was too hard on Bramblekit, are you?”
“No, Fireheart, of course not. But…well, I think there might be something wrong with Snowkit.”
Fireheart knew that the golden brown tom wouldn’t make a fuss about nothing. “Go on,” he urged.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on him,” Brackenfur explained. He scuffed the ground with his forepaws, an embarrassed look on his face. “I…I sort of hoped Bluestar might choose me to mentor him, and I wanted to get to know him. And I think there’s something the matter with him. He doesn’t play like the others. He doesn’t seem to respond when any cat talks to him. You know kits, Fireheart—noses into everything—but Snowkit’s not like that. I think Cinderpelt ought to have a look at him.”
“I suggested that to Speckletail and practically got my ears clawed.”
Brackenfur shrugged. “Maybe Speckletail won’t admit there could be anything wrong with her kit.”
Fireheart thought for a moment. Snowkit didseem slow and unresponsive compared with the other kits. He was much older than Goldenflower’s litter, but nothing like as well developed. “Leave it with me,” he meowed. “I’ll have a word with Cinderpelt. She’ll find a way of taking a look at the kit without upsetting Speckletail.”
“Thanks, Fireheart.” Brackenfur sounded relieved.
“Meanwhile,” Fireheart mewed, “can you lead the evening patrol? Ask Mousefur and Brindleface to go with you.”
Brackenfur straightened up. “Sure, Fireheart,” he replied. “I’ll go and look for them now.”
He set off across the camp with his tail held high. When he had gone a few fox-lengths, Fireheart called him back. “Oh, and Brackenfur,” he mewed, pleased for once to impart good news, “when Snowkit is ready, I’ll speak to Bluestar about letting you mentor him.”
Before Fireheart went to find Cinderpelt, he visited Bluestar to tell her about the apprentices’ assessment. The Clan leader was seated outside her den in a patch of sunshine, and Fireheart thought hopefully that she might be feeling more like her old self. But her blue eyes looked tired as she blinked at him, and a piece of fresh-kill lay beside her, only half-eaten.
“Well, Fireheart?” she asked as he approached. “What can I do for you?”
“I’ve got good news, Bluestar.” Fireheart tried to sound cheerful. “I assessed all four of the older apprentices today. They did well. I think it’s time they were made into warriors.”
“The older apprentices?” Bluestar’s eyes clouded with confusion. “That would be Brackenpaw, and…and Cinderpaw?”
Fireheart’s heart sank. Bluestar couldn’t even remember which cats were apprentices! “No, Bluestar,” he mewed patiently. “Cloudpaw, Brightpaw, Swiftpaw, and Thornpaw.”
Bluestar shifted a little. “That’s who I meant,” she snapped. “And you want them to be warriors? Just…just remind me who their mentors are, will you?”
“I’m Cloudpaw’s mentor,” Fireheart began, trying to keep his increasing dismay out of his voice. “The others are Longtail—”
“Longtail,” Bluestar interrupted. “Ah, yes…one of Tigerclaw’s friends. Why did we give him an apprentice, when we can’t trust him?”
“Longtail chose to stay in ThunderClan when Tigerclaw left,” Fireheart reminded her.
Bluestar snorted. “That doesn’t mean we can trust him,” she repeated. “We can’t trust any of them. They’re traitors and they’ll train more traitors. I won’t make warriors of any of their apprentices!” She paused as Fireheart stared at her, appalled, then added, “Only yours, Fireheart. You alone are faithful to me. Cloudpaw can be a warrior, but not those others.”
Fireheart didn’t know what to say. Even though the Clan seemed happy to have Cloudpaw back after his escapade with the Twolegs, Fireheart could foresee trouble if his apprentice was made a warrior and the other apprentices were not. Besides, it wouldn’t do Cloudpaw any good to be singled out for an honor that the others deserved just as much as he did.
Fireheart fought with rising panic as he realized that meant noneof the apprentices could be made into warriors yet. Even though the Clan needed them so desperately, he knew there was no reasoning with Bluestar in this mood.
“Er…thanks, Bluestar,” he meowed at last, starting to back away. “But maybe we’ll wait awhile longer. A bit more training won’t hurt.”
He made his escape, leaving Bluestar looking after him with the same vague expression in her eyes.
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 5
The sun was going down, castinglong shadows across the clearing, by the time Fireheart went to look for Cinderpelt. He found the medicine cat in her den, checking her supplies of healing herbs, and sat just outside the entrance to talk to her.
“Speckletail’s kit?” she meowed when Fireheart had told her about Brackenfur’s suspicions. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “Yes, I can see what he means. I’ll take a look.”
“You’ll have to be careful of Speckletail,” Fireheart warned her. “When I suggested she might let you check Snowkit, she practically bit my nose off.”
“I’m not surprised,” remarked Cinderpelt. “No queen wants to believe her kits aren’t perfect. I’ll deal with it, Fireheart; don’t worry. But not right away,” she added, patting her store of juniper berries into a neater pile. “It’s too late to disturb them tonight, and tomorrow I have to go to Highstones.”
“So soon?” Fireheart was surprised; he hadn’t realized how quickly the days were slipping by.
“Tomorrow night is the new moon. All the other medicine cats will be there too. StarClan will give me my full powers.” Cinderpelt hesitated and then added, “Yellowfang should have come with me, to present me to StarClan as a fully trained medicine cat. Now I’ll have to go through the ceremony without her.” Her eyes grew wide and remote as she spoke. Fireheart felt that she was moving far away from him, into a land of shadows and dreams where he could not follow her
“You’ll need to take a warrior with you,” he meowed. “Last time Bluestar tried to go to Highstones, WindClan wouldn’t let her pass through their territory.”
Cinderpelt looked at him calmly. “I’d like to see the patrol that would dare to stop a medicine cat. StarClan would never forgive that.” Her expression changed and her eyes glinted mischievously. “You can come as far as Fourtrees if you like. Assuming you can spare the time from Sandstorm.”
Fireheart felt uncomfortable. “I don’t know what you mean,” he muttered. But he remembered leaving to go and eat with Sandstorm while Cinderpelt was telling him about her dream, and he guessed that the medicine cat had felt unfairly dismissed. “Sandstorm can lead the dawn patrol without me,” he mewed out loud. “I’ll come with you to Fourtrees.”
The next day dawned damp and misty. Tendrils of fog curled between the trees as Fireheart and Cinderpelt made their way to Fourtrees. The clinging white clouds dampened the sound of their pawsteps and beaded their fur with tiny droplets. In the silence Fireheart jumped at the sudden alarm call of a bird above his head. He felt half-afraid that theymight lose their way in this eerily unfamiliar-looking forest
But by the time they crossed the stream and began to climb the slope to Fourtrees, the mist had begun to clear, and at the top of the hollow they emerged into bright sunlight. The four massive oaks stood straight ahead of them, their leaves turning red-gold with the approach of leaf-fall.
Cinderpelt let out a noisy breath and shook the moisture from her fur. “That feels good! I was starting to think I’d have to scent my way to Highstones, and I’ve only been there once before, with Yellowfang.”
Fireheart too enjoyed the feeling of warm sun on his fur. He stretched luxuriously and opened his jaws to taste the air, hoping to pick up the scent of prey.
Instead, the scent of other cats flooded over him. ShadowClan!he thought, his muscles tensing as his gaze flicked from side to side. A moment later he relaxed as he spotted Runningnose, the ShadowClan medicine cat, padding up to the hollow from ShadowClan territory with another cat beside him. This was no hostile warrior. StarClan raised medicine cats above the level of Clan rivalry.
“It looks as if you won’t have to travel alone after all,” he meowed to Cinderpelt.
They waited until the ShadowClan cats came up to them. As they drew nearer, Fireheart recognized the other cat. It was Littlecloud, a small tabby tom who had almost died in his Clan’s recent sickness. He and another warrior, Whitethroat, had tried to seek refuge with ThunderClan. Bluestar had refused to take them in, but Cinderpelt had secretly sheltered them and cared for them until they were fit enough to travel back to their own territory.
Whitethroat had died soon after, when Tigerstar and his rogues had attacked a ThunderClan patrol. A monster had cut the young cat down on the Thunderpath as he was fleeing from the fight. Reliving the shock of that moment, Fireheart was glad to see that Littlecloud at least looked strong and healthy again.
“Hello, there!” Runningnose greeted the ThunderClan cats cheerfully. “Well met, Cinderpelt. It’s a good day to travel.”
Littlecloud nodded respectfully to Fireheart and went to touch noses with Cinderpelt.
“It’s good to see you on your paws again,” she meowed.
“All thanks to you,” Littlecloud replied. With a touch of pride he added, “I’m Runningnose’s apprentice now.”
“Congratulations!” Cinderpelt purred.
“And that’s because of you too,” Littlecloud went on enthusiastically. “When we were ill, you knew just what to do. And then you gave us healing herbs to take back to the Clan—and they worked! I want to do more stuff like that.”
“He has real talent,” Runningnose mewed. “And it took courage to come back to us with the herbs. I’m only sorry Whitethroat didn’t come back with him.”
“He didn’t?” Fireheart asked, seizing the chance to find out how much the ShadowClan cats knew about the young warrior’s fate.
Sadly, Littlecloud shook his head. “He wouldn’t come back with me to camp. He was scared of catching the sickness again, even though we had the healing herbs with us.” He blinked as if the memory caused him pain. “We found his body beside the Thunderpath a few days later.”
“I’m sorry,” Fireheart meowed. He wondered whether to tell him the truth about how Whitethroat had died, but decided it would be too harmful to reveal that Littlecloud’s new leader had been partly responsible for his friend’s death. It was clear that Whitethroat must have joined the rogues for a short time, and paid with his life.
Cinderpelt pressed her muzzle comfortingly against Littlecloud’s flank. Settling down on the warm grass, she beckoned with her tail for the apprentice to sit beside her and began to ask him about his training.
“Are things better now?” Fireheart carefully asked Runningnose. He would have liked to warn the medicine cat about Tigerstar, but there was so little he could say without revealing what had happened in ThunderClan.
“It seems so,” meowed Runningnose, sounding equally guarded. “The apprentices are getting a proper training for the first time in moons, and our bellies are always full.”
“That’s good news,” Fireheart mewed, forcing himself to add, “What about the rogues?”
Runningnose frowned. “Not every cat was happy about their coming into our Clan,” he admitted. “I wasn’t happy about them myself. But they haven’t caused any trouble—and they’re strong warriors; no cat can deny that.”
“Then maybe Tigerstar will be a great leader, just like the omen said,” Fireheart mewed.
The medicine cat met his gaze evenly. “It seems strange that ThunderClan got rid of a strong cat like that.”
Fireheart took a deep breath. Perhaps he should take this chance to tell Runningnose the truth about Tigerstar. “It’s a long story,” he began.
“No, Fireheart,” Runningnose interrupted. “I’m not asking you to betray your Clan’s secrets.” He edged closer to Fireheart, then scraped the ground with his paws and crouched down beside him. “Whatever happened in ThunderClan, I’m certain of one thing,” he mewed softly. “StarClan did send Tigerstar to us.”
“You mean the omen?”
“Actually, there’s something else.” Runningnose glanced sideways at Fireheart. “Our last leader was never accepted by StarClan,” he admitted. “When Nightstar became leader, StarClan did not grant him nine lives.”
“What?” Fireheart stared at the medicine cat in disbelief. If Nightstar had had only one life, it explained why the sickness had claimed him so quickly. Fireheart found his voice again. “Why didn’t he get nine lives?”
“StarClan have not explained that to me,” meowed Runningnose. “I wondered if it was because Brokentail was still alive, and StarClan still recognized him as Clan leader. By the time we learned that Brokentail had died, Nightstar was too weak to make the journey to the Moonstone to receive his nine lives. And since Tigerstar came, I think maybe he was StarClan’s choice of leader for us all along. Nightstar was not the right cat.”
“Yet the Clan still accepted him as leader?” Fireheart asked.
“The Clan never knew that he had not been given his nine lives,” Runningnose confessed. “Nightstar was a noble cat, and loyal to his Clan. We decided to keep StarClan’s rejection a secret. What else could we do? There was no other cat fit to be leader. If we had told the truth, the Clan would have panicked.”
There was a kind of relief in Runningnose’s voice as he told the story. Fireheart guessed how relieved the medicine cat must have felt to be able to share the secret at last.
“The Clan cats thought the sickness was so bad it took all of Nightstar’s lives at once,” Runningnose continued. “They were scared—very scared. They had never been in greater need of a strong leader.”
So they accepted Tigerstar without question.Fireheart added what the medicine cat had not said. But there was no need for Runningnose to voice his doubts about his new leader. “Has Tigerstar said anything about attacking ThunderClan?” Fireheart asked hesitantly.
Runningnose let out a purr of amusement. “Do you really expect me to answer that? If he wasplanning anything, I’d be betraying my Clan if I told you. As far as I know, you haven’t anything to worry about, but whether you believe me or not is up to you.”
Fireheart discovered that he believed him—at least, he believed that Runningnose knew nothing about any plans that Tigerstar might be making. Whether the medicine cat was right was another question altogether.
“Fireheart!” The voice was Cinderpelt’s. She had risen to her paws and was gazing across the hollow to the swell of moorland beyond. This was the WindClan territory that the medicine cats would have to cross to reach Highstones for the ceremony. “Are you and Runningnose going to sit there gossiping all day like a couple of elders?”
Her paws worked impatiently in the grass. Littlecloud was standing beside her, his head raised and his eyes shining eagerly.
“All right,” Runningnose meowed, getting up and going to join them. “We’ve got all day, you know. Highstones isn’t going anywhere.”
The four cats padded around the top of the hollow until they reached the edge of the windswept moor. Cinderpelt paused and touched noses with Fireheart. “I’ll be fine from here,” she meowed. “Thanks for coming this far. I’ll be back tomorrow night.”
“Take care,” Fireheart replied.
He had stood here once before and said good-bye to Cinderpelt when she first went to face the mysteries of the Moonstone. A shiver ran through his fur as he thought of her plunging down through the underground tunnels to the glittering crystal for her silent communion with StarClan. He said nothing more, only gave the gray she-cat’s ear a swift lick in farewell, and stood watching as she limped across the moorland turf with the two ShadowClan cats.
第一章
第一章
火心愤怒地盯着巨岩上影族的新任族长，简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。只见虎掌硕大的脑袋从一边摆向另一边，在他光滑的皮毛下，肌肉的线条凹凸分明，琥珀色的眼睛里仿佛放射出胜利的光彩。
火心愤愤地说了句：“虎掌！”他的宿敌——曾三番五次欲置火心于死地——现在已成为丛林里最有势力的猫之一了。
圆圆的月亮高挂在“四棵树”上空，四大族群的猫沐浴着它清冷的月光，齐聚在这里召开森林大会。他们都为影族族长夜星的死感到震惊，但是他们更没有想到，影族的新任族长竟然会是雷族的前任副族长虎掌。
黑条站在火心身边，兴奋得两眼放光。火心摸不透他到底打什么主意。当初虎掌被逐出雷族时，曾邀请老朋友黑条和他一同离开，但黑条拒绝了。难道他现在后悔当初的决定了？
沙风走到火心身边，附在他耳边说：“这是怎么回事？虎掌不能领导影族，他是个叛徒！”
火心一时间迟疑不决。他加入雷族后不久便发现了虎掌杀害副族长红尾的秘密。虎掌当上副族长后，又和泼皮猫勾结在一起袭击雷族营地，妄图杀死族长蓝星以取而代之。事情败露后，他被逐出雷族。作为一族族长，对虎掌来说这可是一段不光彩的历史啊。
火心压低嗓门儿说：“但影族不知道事情的原委，其他族群的猫也不知道。”
“那你可以告诉他们啊！”
火心望着风族族长高星和河族族长钩星，他们神色庄严地和虎掌并肩站在巨岩上。如果他把事情的真相告诉他们，他们会听吗？影族在断尾的残暴统治下受了那么大的罪，随后又遭到瘟疫的摧残，因此只要他们的新族长能带领影族重振雄风，他们可能不会在乎他过去做过什么。
况且，火心一想到虎掌的权力欲望在别的族群里得到满足，心里便一阵轻松。也许现在雷族不用再小心防范虎掌的袭击了，而他自己走在丛林里时也不用再提心吊胆、一步三回头了。
不过，火心仍很矛盾，他知道，如果他任由虎掌不受阻拦地登上族长之位，他是不会原谅自己的。
“火心！”火心转头看见云爪向他快步走来，鼠毛跟在后面。“火心，难道你就眼睁睁地看着那个浑蛋接任族长逍遥法外吗？”
火心呵斥说：“闭嘴，云爪，我知道，我……”
这时虎掌走到巨岩前面。
他从容自若、神态威严地说：“我很高兴今晚在森林大会上和大家见面。我是以影族族长的身份站在你们面前的，一场瘟疫夺去了影族许多猫的生命，夜星也未能幸免，因此星族指名我来接替他的位置。”
风族族长高星转过身，冲他恭敬地点头行礼说：“欢迎你，愿星族与你同在。”
钩星也低头向虎掌表示祝贺。
虎掌回答说：“多谢多谢。虽然这件事实在出人意料，但能和你们一同站在这里是我的荣幸。”
高星插言说：“请稍等，这里应该是四位族长才对。”他望着巨岩下的猫群，高声喊道：“雷族族长在哪里？”
“去呀。”火心感觉有猫顶了自己一下，扭头看见白风站在身后，“你暂替蓝星的位置，还记得吗？”
火心冲他点了点头，突然间说不出话来。他绷紧肌肉攀上巨岩，站在三位族长旁边。
站在这个全新的位置上，火心紧张得屏住了呼吸。月光透过橡树的枝叶照进会场，火心感觉自己仿佛高高立于山谷之上，俯视着脚下颜色深浅不一、花纹繁杂的猫群。无数的目光射过来，火心有些不寒而栗。
只听高星开口说：“火心？你为什么站在这儿？蓝星出事了吗？”
火心恭敬地低头行礼说：“我们族长在大火中吸入烟雾过多，身体还没有完全康复，不能来参加森林大会。”说完，他又飞快地加了一句，“但她没什么大碍，很快就会好的。”
高星点了点头，钩星说：“我们可以开始了吗？别浪费了这大好月光。”
说完，他不等回答便发出一声号叫，示意大会开始。猫群中的议论声渐渐止息，钩星说：“所有族群的猫们，欢迎参加森林大会。今晚我们当中新加入了一位族长，这位新族长就是虎星。”说着，他向虎掌晃了一下尾巴以示致意，“虎星，你有什么要说吗？”
虎掌彬彬有礼地点头致谢，走上前对群猫讲话：“今天我能站在这里，站在大家面前，这是星族的意愿。夜星是一位高尚的武士，但他年老体弱，无力抵抗疾病。他的副族长灰毛也病亡了。”
火心听了心里隐隐感到不安。每一位族长在继位后都要去月亮石接受星族赐予的九条性命，夜星当上族长也不过才几个月，他的九条性命去哪里了？难道发生在影族的瘟疫那么厉害，把他的九条性命全都夺走了吗？
火心向下望，看见影族巫医奔鼻垂着头坐在那里。火心看不见奔鼻脸上的表情，但从他坐立的姿势上判断，显然正沉浸在强烈的悲痛中。火心想，奔鼻没能凭借自己的医术救活他的族长，心里一定很难过。
虎掌继续说：“在影族最艰难的时刻，星族把我带给了它。许多猫在瘟疫中死去，老年猫和分娩的母猫得不到赡养照顾，族群得不到保护，就连族长之位也没有武士来继承。于是，星族发给奔鼻一个预兆，告诉他丛林里将产生一位伟大的族长。我以我们所有武士祖先的名义起誓，我将成为那位族长。”
火心用眼角余光看见奔鼻的身体不安地抖动了一下。当虎掌提到预兆时，奔鼻不知什么原因显得很愁闷。
火心突然意识到自己的任务变得更艰巨了。如果确实存在那个预兆，就说明虎掌之所以当上影族族长，完全是星族的选择。这样一来，火心或者其他任何猫都不可能再提出反对意见。他现在该说些什么才能显得自己并不违背武士祖先们的意愿呢？
虎掌继续说：“在星族的保佑下，我还带了几名武士一同加入了影族，他们已经用行动证明，他们愿为新的族群捕猎和战斗。”
火心很清楚虎掌说的是哪些猫——就是那帮和他狼狈为奸、袭击雷族营地的泼皮猫！
他看见巨岩下就盘尾坐着一只，那是只姜黄色的大公猫。火心见过他，那时因为他企图闯入育婴室而和纹脸扭打起来。具有讽刺意味的是，这些泼皮猫当中有一些本身就是在影族中长大的，后来成为残暴的族长断尾的支持者。饱受压制的影族在雷族的协助下赶走断尾时，这些猫跟随他一起被流放。
高星走上前，一脸怀疑地问：“断尾的同伙野蛮凶残，跟断尾一个德行，让他们重回影族合适吗？”
火心明白高星的担忧，因为正是这些猫曾霸占过风族的领地，几乎令风族家毁人亡。
他还知道有许多影族武士也有类似的担忧，毕竟，他们不但给风族带来灾难，就连他们本族的猫也深受其害。没想到影族的猫竟然能容忍他们重回族群。
虎掌镇定地回答：“断尾的武士们只是奉命行事罢了。你们不也遵从本族族长的命令吗？武士守则上说，族长的话就是法律。”他伸出舌头舔了一下口鼻，“这些猫曾经对断尾忠心耿耿，如今他们效忠于我。黑脚曾是断尾的副族长，现在他是我的副族长了。”
高星的脸上仍显出一副怀疑的样子，于是虎掌直勾勾地盯着他说：“高星，你有理由憎恨断尾，他给你的族群造成了巨大的伤害。但我要提醒你的是，雷族庇护断尾并不是我的决定。我一开始就竭力反对，但蓝星一意孤行。既然我效忠于蓝星，那么我就得支持她的决定。”
高星迟疑了一下，然后弯下头说：“这话说得倒也有些道理。”
虎掌发誓说：“那么，我所要的就是请你信任我，给我的武士们一个机会，让他们证明自己能够严格遵守武士守则，能够再次忠于影族。在星族的保佑下，我的首要任务就是振兴影族，令影族重振雄风。”
火心抱着希望想：也许虎掌的野心已经得到了满足，他可能真的会成为一位伟大的族长。他说应该给那些泼皮猫一个机会，也许同样也应该给他一个机会。但火心仍然疑虑未消，他想让虎掌明白雷族绝不会任由他胡作非为。
他想得出神，竟没有意识到虎掌的演讲已经结束了。
高星说：“火心？你现在有什么要说的吗？”
火心紧张地吞了口唾沫，迈步上前，感觉脚下的石头冰凉光滑。站在巨岩上，他看见沙风和其他雷族猫正满怀期待地仰头望着自己，沙风的目光里更是充满了崇拜的神色。
火心精神一振，开始讲话了。他不打算隐瞒雷族最近遭遇火灾的事实，但他不想给别的族群留下一个虚弱的印象。河族的副族长豹毛全神贯注地听着，她眯缝着眼睛，似乎想从火心的话里琢磨出点儿什么来。雷族是在河族的帮助下逃离火灾的，没有谁比豹毛更清楚雷族所面临的困境了。
火心大声说：“几天前，伐木场燃起了大火，殃及到我们的营地。半尾和团毛在那次大火中牺牲了，雷族以他们为荣，尤其以黄牙为荣。她为了救出半尾，义无反顾地回到燃烧起熊熊大火的营地。”他低下头，眼前浮现出黄牙的音容笑貌，“我在她的巢穴里发现了她，陪着她走完了生命里的最后一段路程。”
猫群中发出一片悲凉的嘶叫声。为黄牙的死感到伤心的不只是雷族的猫，火心注意到奔鼻身体笔直地坐在下面，眼睛里充满了悲痛。黄牙在被断尾逐出影族以前曾经是影族的巫医，她是奔鼻的老师。
火心继续说：“炭毛将会是我们新的巫医。蓝星由于吸入过多烟雾导致身体不适，但她很快就能痊愈。我们的幼崽没有伤亡，我们正在重建营地。”他没有提到大火后森林里猎物短缺的情况，也没有明说虽然他们努力重筑营地围墙，但营地的防御工事仍然十分脆弱。
他恭敬地看了钩星一眼，补充说：“我们必须感谢河族的大力帮助。在火灾期间，他们为我们提供了住宿和食物。没有他们的慷慨相助，我们也许会遭受更大的伤亡。”
钩星点了点头以示答谢。火心忍不住瞥了豹毛一眼，看见她死死地盯着自己。
火心深吸了口气，转头对虎掌说：“既然星族已经承认了你的地位，雷族对此表示接受。你的同伴们在当泼皮猫的时候时常从各个族群的领地里偷取猎物，如今他们有了自己的族群，这倒未尝不是件好事。我们相信他们会遵守武士守则，老老实实地待在自己的领地内。”虎掌的眼睛里掠过一丝惊讶的神色。火心继续语气坚定地说：“但我们绝不会容忍雷族的领地遭到任何侵犯。虽然经历了这场大火，但我们有信心、有实力赶走任何一个胆敢踏入我们领地的入侵者，我们不怕影族。”
雷族猫群中响起了一两声附和。虎掌微微低下头，压低嗓门儿说：“好一番豪言壮语！
火心，你不必担心影族，我们没有恶意。”
火心希望虎掌说话算话，他低下头以示感谢，然后退回到原来的位置。讲完了这些话，他感到浑身轻松，静静倾听高星和钩星向大家通报他们本族的事情——诸如增添了新学徒和新武士，两脚兽毁坏河流之类的话。
大会结束后，火心从巨岩上跳下来，走到雷族武士们中间。
白风说：“你说得真好。”沙风神采飞扬地看着火心，将鼻子轻轻抵在他的脖子上。
火心舔了一下沙风的脸颊，说：“现在该回去了。大家去和别族的朋友们道别吧，如果有谁问起，就说雷族一切安好。”
各个族群开始准备散场，会场上乱成了一锅粥。火心瞅了瞅周围的武士，看见一个蓝灰色的身影，急忙跑过去。
他说：“嘿，雾脚！你还好吗？灰条怎么样？今晚我没有看到他。”
灰条是火心在雷族里的第一个朋友，他们一起参加学徒训练。后来灰条爱上了河族武士银溪，银溪怀上了他的孩子，却不幸死于难产。于是灰条离开自己的族群，带着他的孩子加入了河族。虽然经年日久，但火心仍思念着他。
“灰条没有来。”河族母猫雾脚坐下来，卷过尾巴盖住爪子，“豹毛不让他来参加大会，她还在为灰条在那场火灾中的表现生气，她说灰条的心仍然忠于雷族。”
火心不得不承认豹毛的判断。灰条已经问过蓝星是否能够重回雷族，但蓝星拒绝了。
火心接着说：“那么他还好吗？”
雾脚说：“他很好，孩子们也都好。他要我帮忙问问你们在大火后的情况怎么样。蓝星病得不重，是吗？”
“是啊，她很快就痊愈了。”火心努力使声音听起来显得自信。蓝星的确从吸入烟雾的不适中恢复过来了，但这几个月来她的心智有些失常。她开始怀疑自己的判断力，甚至质疑她的武士们的忠诚，虎掌的背叛从根本上打击了蓝星的自信心。火心很担心，当她听到曾经被她判处流放的虎掌如今当上了影族族长后，会作何反应。
雾脚打断他的思绪说：“我很高兴听到她痊愈了。”
火心抽动了一下耳朵，转换话题问：“钩星的情况怎样？”当初雷族遭遇火灾躲进河族营地避难时，这位河族族长看上去非常虚弱。今晚钩星往虎掌身边那么一站，更是倍显苍老。但这也许没什么可大惊小怪的。河族最近几个月来遇到的麻烦太多：洪水逼得他们离开营地，两脚兽往河里倾倒垃圾污染了河水，以致河里的猎物越来越短缺。雪上加霜的是，灰条深爱的银溪正是钩星的女儿，她的死一定令钩星伤心欲绝。
雾脚说：“他还好，最近他遇到太多的不幸。不瞒你说，我更担心灰池的身体。”雾脚说的灰池就是她的养母，“她现在看上去老多了，恐怕过不了多久她就要去星族了。”
火心很想舔一下雾脚以示安慰，但他不知道河族猫是否接受外族猫的这种安抚。除了灰池以外，只有火心知道雾脚和她兄弟石毛的生身母亲并不是灰池。他们的父亲橡心从小就把他们带入河族，灰池收养了他们。他们的生身母亲其实是蓝星。
火心满怀同情地和雾脚道别。他心里隐隐觉得，蓝星的秘密对雷、河两族来说仍然是个隐患。
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
The forest was dark. No moonshone down that night, and when Fireheart looked up he could see nothing but a faint pattern of branches against the sky. The trees looked taller than he remembered, hemming him in. Brambles and ivy tangled around his paws.
“Spottedleaf!” he mewed. “Spottedleaf, where are you?”
There was no answer to his cries, only the rush of water from somewhere ahead of him. He was afraid of stepping forward and finding nothing but black emptiness under his paws as the raging torrent swept him down with it.
In some part of his mind Fireheart knew he was dreaming. He had lain down in the warriors’ den in the hope that he would be able to meet with Spottedleaf in sleep. When Fireheart had first come to ThunderClan, Spottedleaf had been the medicine cat, but she had been killed by one of Brokentail’s vicious followers. Now she visited Fireheart in his dreams, so that once again he could find in her gentle wisdom the answers to much that troubled him.
But now, though he searched more and more desperately in the black forest, he could not find her. “Spottedleaf!” he cried again. This was not the first time in his recent dreams that she had been invisible to him. The last time, he had only heard her voice, and he fought with the terrible fear that she was drawing away from him. “Spottedleaf, don’t leave me!” he begged.
A heavy weight landed on him from behind. Fireheart writhed on the forest floor, trying to free himself. Then the scent of another cat was in his nostrils, and he opened his eyes to find himself scuffling in his mossy bedding with Dustpelt cuffing him around the shoulders.
“What’s the matter with you?” Dustpelt growled. “No cat can get a wink of sleep with you yowling like that.”
“Leave him alone.” Sandstorm put her head up from her nest, blinking sleep from her eyes. “It was only a dream. It’s not his fault.”
“You would say that,” Dustpelt sneered. He turned his back on them and made his way out through the overhanging branches
Fireheart sat up and began grooming scraps of moss out of his coat. Through the charred branches overhead, he could see that the sun was already up. Whitestorm must have left already with the dawn patrol; there were no other warriors sleeping in the den.
The darkness of his dream was fading, but he could not forget it. Why had the forest seemed so black and terrifying? Why had Spottedleaf not come to him, not even as a scent or the sound of her voice?
“Are you all right?” asked Sandstorm, anxiety showing in her green eyes.
Fireheart shook himself. “I’m fine,” he meowed. “Let’s go and hunt.”
The day was bright, though the chill of leaf-fall was in the air. Fireheart was relieved to see that grass and ferns were growing back thickly as the forest recovered. If only the fine weather would last! Then the growth could continue and prey would return.
He led the way up the ravine and through the forest toward Tallpines. Since the fire, most cats had avoided the stretch of territory closest to Treecutplace, where the devastation was worst. The fire had started there, and whole stretches of the forest had been reduced to nothing but gray ash, dotted with tree stumps. Fireheart wondered if there was a chance of prey there yet, but as he and Sandstorm approached the edge of Tallpines he guessed that he was going to be disappointed.
The pines, charred to tapering trunks, were still a jumble, with fallen trees caught up against others that still stood. The few remaining branches stirred uneasily in the breeze. The ground was black, and no birds sang.
“It’s useless here,” Sandstorm meowed. “Let’s go and—”
She broke off as another cat appeared through the trees, a small tabby-and-white shape stepping nervously over the debris of the fire. With a gasp of surprise Fireheart recognized his sister, Princess.
She spotted him at the same moment and bounded toward him, calling, “Fireheart! Fireheart!”
“Who’s that?”Sandstorm spat. “She’ll scare off all the prey between here and Fourtrees.”
Before Fireheart could reply, his sister came up to him. She was purring as if she would never stop, pressing her face against his and covering him with licks. “Fireheart, you’re alive!” she mewed. “I was so frightened when I saw the fire! I thought you and Cloudpaw were dead.”
“Yes, well, I’m okay,” Fireheart meowed awkwardly, giving Princess a quick lick in return and taking a step back, acutely conscious of Sandstorm’s eyes on him. “And Cloudpaw’s fine too.”
Glancing at Sandstorm, he saw that a look of disgust had appeared on the ginger warrior’s face and her fur was fluffed out. “That’s a kittypet,” she snarled. “She’s got kittypet scent all over her.”
Princess gave her a scared look and edged closer to Fireheart. “Is…is this one of your friends, Fireheart?” she stammered.
“Yes, this is Sandstorm. Sandstorm, this is my sister, Princess, Cloudpaw’s mother.”
Sandstorm took a step or two away from them, though she let the fur lie flat on her neck again. “Cloudpaw’s mother?” she repeated. “She still sees you both, then?” She shot a glance at Fireheart, clearly wondering how much he had told Princess about Cloudpaw’s escapade with the Twolegs.
“Cloudpaw is doing really well,” Fireheart meowed. “Isn’t he?” He met Sandstorm’s gaze, silently willing her not to say anything tactless about the wayward apprentice.
“He hunts well,” Sandstorm admitted. “And he’s got the makings of a fine fighter.”
Princess didn’t realize how much Sandstorm was leaving unsaid. Her eyes glowed with pride and she meowed, “I know he’ll be a good warrior with Fireheart to mentor him.”
“But you haven’t told me what you’re doing out here,” Fireheart mewed, eager to change the subject. “You’re a long way from your Twoleg nest.”
“I was looking for you. I had to know what had happened to you and Cloudpaw,” explained Princess. “I saw the fire from my garden, and then you didn’t come to see me, and I thought—”
“I’m sorry,” Fireheart meowed. “I would have come, but we’ve been so busy since the fire. We have to rebuild the camp, and there’s not much prey left in the forest. And I have more duties since I was made deputy.”
“You’re deputy now? Of the whole Clan? Fireheart, that’s marvelous!”
Fireheart felt hot with embarrassment as Princess gazed at him.
Sandstorm gave a dry little cough. “There’s prey to be caught, Fireheart….”
“Yes, you’re right,” Fireheart mewed. “Princess, you’re very brave to have come so far, but you’d better get home now. The forest can be dangerous if you’re not used to it.”
“Yes, I know, but I—”
The roar of a Twoleg monster interrupted her, and at the same moment Fireheart’s nostrils were blasted with its harsh reek. The roaring grew louder, and a moment later the monster burst out of the trees, bouncing along the rutted track.
Instinctively, Fireheart and Sandstorm crouched beneath a blackened tree trunk, waiting for the monster to pass. Princess merely sat watching it curiously.
“Get down!” Sandstorm hissed at her.
Princess looked puzzled, but she pressed herself obediently to the ground next to Fireheart.
Instead of passing, the monster stopped. The roaring was abruptly cut off. Part of the monster unfolded, and three Twolegs jumped out of its belly.
Fireheart exchanged a glance with Sandstorm and flattened himself even further. Princess might feel at home with the Twolegs and their monster, but they were too close for his liking, and the undergrowth was still not thick enough to provide decent cover. All Fireheart’s instincts were to run, but curiosity kept him pinned to the ground.
The Twolegs wore matching dark blue pelts. They had no Twoleg kits with them, or dogs, unlike most of the Twolegs who came to the forest. They spread out among the burned trees, yowling and stamping so that their paws threw up puffs of dust and ash. Sandstorm lowered her head and stifled a sneeze as one of them passed within a fox-length of where the three cats were crouching.
“What are they doing?” Fireheart murmured.
“Frightening off all the prey,” hissed Sandstorm, spitting out dust. “Honestly, Fireheart, who cares what Twolegs do? They’re all mad.”
“I don’t know….” Fireheart couldn’t help feeling that these Twolegs had a purpose, even if he didn’t understand what it was. The way they pointed with their paws and yowled at each other seemed to suggest they were moving deliberately through the forest.
Another Twolegs stamped past. He had picked up a branch and was using it to poke into hollows and under clumps of charred undergrowth. It almost looked as if he were hunting for prey, except for the noise he was making, which would have scared away the deafest rabbit.
“Do you know what it’s all about?” Fireheart asked Princess.
“I’m not sure,” his sister replied. “I understand a bit of their Twoleg talk, but it’s not words that my housefolk use. I think they’re calling for somebody, but I don’t know who.”
As Fireheart watched, the Twolegs threw the branch down. There was frustration in the movement. He yowled again, and the other Twolegs appeared from the trees. All three of them went back to the monster and climbed into its belly. The roar started up again, and the monster jerked into motion and vanished into the trees.
“Well!” Sandstorm sat up and began licking fastidiously at her ash-stained fur. “Thank StarClan they’ve gone!”
Fireheart got to his paws, keeping his gaze fixed on the place in the trees where the monster had disappeared. The sound had died away and the acrid smell was fading. “I don’t like it,” he meowed.
“Oh, come on, Fireheart!” Sandstorm padded to his side and gave him a nudge. “Why are you bothering about Twolegs? They’re weird, and that’s all there is to it.”
“No, I think theyknow what they’re doing, even if it looks weird to us,” Fireheart replied. “They usually bring their kits or their dogs to the forest—but these Twolegs didn’t. If Princess is right and they were looking for something, they didn’t find it. I’d like to know what it was.” He paused and then added, “Besides, we don’t normally see Twolegs in this part of the forest. They’re too close to the camp for my liking.”
Sandstorm’s impatient look softened, and she pressed her muzzle reassuringly against his shoulder. “You can tell the patrols to keep a lookout,” she reminded him.
“Yes.” Fireheart nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll do that.”
As he said good-bye to Princess, he struggled to push his growing anxiety out of his mind. Something was going on in the forest that he didn’t understand, and he could not help fearing that it meant danger for his Clan.
Cutting across the corner of Tallpines, Fireheart and Sandstorm made for the river and Sunningrocks. There was no sign of prey anywhere among the scorched trees; the noise made by the Twolegs had seen to that.
“We’ll follow the RiverClan border up toward Fourtrees,” Fireheart decided. “There might be something there worth catching.”
But as they came within sight of Sunningrocks, Fireheart stopped at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name. He looked up to see Graystripe poised on top of the nearest rock; the gray warrior scrambled down and bounded over to him.
“Fireheart! I was hoping to catch you.”
“A good thing a patrol didn’t catch you,” Sandstorm growled. “You’re very comfortable in our territory, for a RiverClan warrior.”
“Come off it, Sandstorm,” Graystripe meowed, giving her a good-natured push. “This is me, Graystripe, remember?”
“Only too well,” retorted Sandstorm. She sat down, licked a paw, and started washing her face.
“What’s the problem, Graystripe?” Fireheart asked, worried that his old friend wouldn’t have ventured into ThunderClan territory without good reason.
“It’s not exactly a problem,” replied the gray warrior. “At least, I hope it isn’t. Just something I thought you ought to know.”
“Spit it out, then,” meowed Sandstorm.
Graystripe flicked his tail at her. “Crookedstar had a visitor yesterday,” he told Fireheart. He narrowed his amber eyes. “It was Tigerstar.”
“What? What did he want?” Fireheart stammered.
Graystripe shook his head. “I don’t know. But Crookedstar is very weak now. The whole Clan knows he’s on his last life. Tigerstar spent only a short time with him, but he had a long talk with Leopardfur.”
The mention of the RiverClan deputy increased Fireheart’s fears. What did she and Tigerstar have to say to each other? Visions of an alliance between ShadowClan and RiverClan raced through his mind, with ThunderClan trapped between the two of them. Then he tried to tell himself he was worrying unnecessarily. He had no reason to think that the two cats were planning anything.
“It’s not unknown for leaders to visit each other,” he pointed out. “If Crookedstar is dying, Tigerstar might want to pay his last respects.”
“Maybe.” Graystripe snorted. “But then why spend so much time with Leopardfur? I tried to get close enough to listen, and I heard Tigerstar say something about coming again to our camp.”
“Was that all he said?” Fireheart asked.
“That’s all I heard.” Graystripe ducked his head in embarrassment. “Leopardfur saw me and told me to stay out of her fur.”
“Perhaps Tigerstar’s just getting to know her,” Fireheart guessed. “She’ll be Clan leader, after all, when Crookedstar dies.”
He turned as he heard another cat calling his name, and saw Mistyfoot pulling herself up out of the river.
“Oh, great StarClan!” exclaimed Sandstorm. “Are we going to have all of RiverClan over here?”
“Fireheart!” Mistyfoot panted, shaking off her fur; Sandstorm jumped back crossly as some of the spinning drops spattered against her paws. “Fireheart, have you seen Graypool anywhere?”
“Graypool?” Fireheart echoed, picturing the short-tempered elder whom Mistyfoot believed to be her mother. Fireheart still felt gratitude to the RiverClan queen for telling him the truth about the two ThunderClan kits she had brought up as her own, but he hadn’t seen her for a long time. “What would Graypool be doing here?”
“I don’t know.” Mistyfoot padded up the slope from the river, her face creased with anxiety. “I can’t find her in the camp. She’s so weak and confused these days, I’m afraid she’s wandered off and doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
“She won’t be here,” Graystripe objected. “She’s not strong enough to swim the river.”
“Then where has she gone?” Mistyfoot’s voice rose into a wail. “I’ve looked in all the places I can think of near the camp, and she isn’t there. Besides, the river’s low just now, and it’s not too hard to swim across.”
Fireheart thought rapidly. If Graypool had somehow crossed the river into ThunderClan territory, she would need to be tracked down as soon as possible. His Clan mates were scared enough already of an invasion. He didn’t like to imagine what would happen if an aggressive cat like Darkstripe found her first.
“Okay,” he meowed. “I’ll follow the border up to Fourtrees to see if she’s gone that way. Sandstorm, you go back to camp. Tell the others what’s happened, and warn them not to attack Graypool if they see her.”
Sandstorm rolled her eyes. “All right,” she mewed as she got to her paws. “I’ll hunt on the way back, though. It’s time someone caught some fresh-kill for the Clan.” With her tail high she stalked off into the trees.
Mistyfoot dipped her head gratefully toward Fireheart. “Thank you,” she meowed. “I won’t forget this. And Fireheart—if you need to cross onto RiverClan territory to bring Graypool home, you can tell any cat who sees you that I gave you permission.”
Fireheart nodded his thanks. He could just imagine what would happen if he were caught on the wrong side of the border by a RiverClan patrol with Leopardfur at its head.
“Come on, Mistyfoot,” Graystripe meowed encouragingly. “I’ll swim back with you. We’ll check the camp again.”
“Thanks, Graystripe.” Mistyfoot pressed her nose briefly to the gray warrior’s fur, and both RiverClan cats bounded down the bank toward the river.
Graystripe glanced back swiftly to yowl good-bye, then launched himself into the water behind Mistyfoot. Fireheart watched them swimming strongly for the far bank before heading upstream toward Fourtrees.
He followed the border, renewing the scent markings as he went, until he was not far from Fourtrees. He found it hard to believe that the fragile elder could have made it this far. But then, looking down a rocky slope toward the river, he caught sight of a skinny gray shape limping slowly over the Twoleg bridge that crossed the river on the route that RiverClan cats took to Fourtrees.
Graypool!
Fireheart opened his jaws to call out to her, and closed them again without making a sound. The old cat had crossed the bridge and was tottering along the very edge of the river. He was afraid that if she heard a strange cat calling to her, she would slip and fall to her death. Instead he began to make his way down the slope, creeping carefully under cover of the rocks in a hunting crouch so she would not see him and be startled.
After a few moments, he saw to his relief that Graypool had turned away from the river and was trying to climb the steep slope toward Fourtrees. Her claws scrabbled feebly on the boulders, and Fireheart wondered where she thought she was going. Did she imagine it was full moon and she was on her way to a Gathering?
Fireheart straightened up and opened his mouth once more to call to her, but again he bit back her name and slipped rapidly into the shelter of the nearest rock. Another cat had appeared, bounding confidently from the direction of Fourtrees. There was no mistaking that huge, muscular body and dark tabby coat.
It was Tigerstar!
第二章
第二章
火心和他的武士们返回雷族营地时，天边已经泛起了鱼肚白。虽然火心已经见过多次，但当他站在山沟上俯瞰营地时，仍感到震惊不已，所有遮蔽营地的金雀花和香薇都在大火中付之一炬，焦黑的土地裸露在外。所幸营地周围的荆棘丛没有被大火烧光，雷族猫们把树枝堆在上面充当围墙。
沙风走到火心身边柔声问：“营地会恢复原貌吗？”
一想起重建营地所要花费的时间和精力，火心就感到头痛，但他向沙风保证说：“会有那么一天的。在营地建好前我们要过一段苦日子，但我们会熬过来的。”他把鼻子抵在沙风的脸颊上，从她的柔声细语中获得了一些安慰，然后就爬下沟去。
大火没有烧掉武士们睡觉的灌木丛，但细枝搭成的巢穴顶棚却没能幸免，只剩下几根烧得焦黑的主干，大伙儿只好用树枝把空隙填充好。蕨毛正趴在巢穴外，长尾坐在育婴室门口，尘毛则在老年猫巢穴外走来走去。
火心他们刚踏进营地大门，蕨毛立刻跳起身，但随即又放松下来，欢叫道：“是你们呀！我们整晚都在提防虎掌。”
火心说：“哦，你们可以不必再担心了，虎掌现在忙得根本顾不上我们，他如今是影族的新族长了。”
蕨毛听得目瞪口呆，倒吸了口凉气说：“我的妈呀！我不相信！”
“你说什么？”长尾一边大步走来一边说，“我没听错吧？”
“你没有听错。”火心看见长尾脸上显出吃惊的神色，“虎掌已经接掌了影族。”
长尾说：“他们就任由他胡来？他们疯了吗？”
白风来到火心身边，说：“他们一点儿也没有疯。”他坐在地上，疲倦地叹了口气。从森林大会回来的路上，他身上厚厚的白毛已沾满了炭灰。他说：“瘟疫几乎毁灭了影族，他们迫切需要一位强有力的族长。在他们眼里，虎掌一定是星族赐给他们的礼物。”
火心心情沉重地说：“听起来像是那么回事。星族好像给奔鼻送达了一个预兆，告诉影族将会有一位伟大的族长产生。”
蕨毛争辩说：“但虎掌是个逆贼啊！”
火心告诉他：“影族不知道这件事。”
这时，其他的猫纷纷围了过来。亮爪和迅爪从学徒巢穴跑了出来，尘毛和香薇爪走过来，纹尾从育婴室里好奇地探出脑袋。大家七嘴八舌地向火心问这问那。火心不得不提高嗓门儿好让大伙儿都听见。
“大家都听好了，有些事情需要告诉大家。”他小声地附加了一句，“而且我还得告诉蓝星。”他站起来继续说：“白风将会把森林大会上的事向大家通报，我要组织一支早班巡逻队。”他迟疑了一下，抬眼扫视猫群。所有的武士都很疲惫，没有去参加森林大会的猫都守了一夜营地。
就在火心不知该派谁去巡逻的时候，尘毛说：“蜡爪和我一起去吧。”
火心感激地点了点头。尘毛一向和火心合不来，但他对雷族倒是忠心耿耿，而且似乎已经接受了火心作为副族长的权威。
鼠毛自告奋勇地说：“我也去。”
云爪说：“还有我。”
听了云爪的话，火心十分高兴。自从云爪被两脚兽掳走又被火心救出后，他工作更加努力了，对族群生活也更加尽心了。火心看在眼里，喜在心上。他说：“那么，尘毛、鼠毛、云爪还有蜡爪去好了，其余的猫去睡一觉。迟些时候我们还要组织一支捕猎队。”
黑条问：“你呢？”
火心深吸了口气，说：“我去找蓝星谈谈。”
高岩下族长巢穴门口挂着的苔藓已经被大火烧光了。火心走到跟前，恰巧看见巫医炭毛伸着懒腰走进会场。她身上的灰毛蓬松散乱，看上去这些天的超负荷工作让她疲惫不堪，但她那两只蓝色大眼睛依然炯炯有神。炭毛曾经是火心的徒弟，有一次虎掌在雷鬼路边设下圈套谋害蓝星，却不料炭毛误打误撞中了圈套，致使她废了一条腿，再也不能做武士。但她仍然坚持把自己的全部力量都奉献给族群。
火心走到她身边，平静地问：“蓝星今天的情况怎么样？”
炭毛担忧地回头瞅了眼族长巢穴，回答说：“她昨晚一宿没睡，我给她吃了些有安神效果的杜松浆果，但不知道对她管不管用。”
火心说：“我需要向她禀报森林大会上所发生的事，不过她应该不会喜欢听的。”
炭毛眯缝起眼睛：“为什么不喜欢？”
于是火心把虎掌的事简要地向炭毛讲述了一遍。
炭毛默不做声地听着，吃惊地睁大眼睛。等火心讲述完毕，她问：“你将如何应对此事？”
“我也没什么可做的，何况，这对雷族有可能是件好事。虎掌现在得到了他想要的东西，而且他忙着将影族生活导入正轨，不会有时间来搅扰我们的。”看见炭毛脸上显出不以为然的样子，他赶紧补充说，“影族选择谁当族长是他们的内部事务，我们能做的只是守好边界罢了，而且我不相信虎掌会对我们构成威胁，至少暂时不会。我更担心蓝星会怎样看待这件事。”
炭毛忧心地说：“这件事将使她的情况变得更糟，我只希望能找出适当的草药来帮助她。要是黄牙还在这里就好了。”
火心贴在她身上安慰道：“我知道，但你能行的，你是一位了不起的巫医。”
炭毛痛苦地低声说：“我指的不光是这个。我非常想念她，火心！我等着她再来说我连刚生下来的幼崽都不如。至少当她夸奖我的时候，我知道她是真心的。我想她，火心——她身上的气味，触碰她的感觉，还有她说话的声音。”
对黄牙的回忆瞬时涌入火心的脑海，他感觉心里空荡荡的。最初还是他发现黄牙在雷族的领地里流浪，自那以后，他们的关系便十分亲密。火心喃喃说：“我知道，但她现在和星族在一起。”
火心想，也许黄牙最终获得了安宁。他回忆起黄牙临死前谈到她的儿子断尾时的痛苦神情——断尾从小到大都不知道黄牙就是他的母亲。黄牙一直都深爱着他，虽然她最后为了让雷族不再遭受断尾的祸害忍痛杀了他。黄牙的痛苦结束了，但火心知道自己将永远怀念她。
他提醒炭毛说：“你很快就要去石林了，是吗？去和其他的巫医会面，你会感到黄牙就在你的身边。”
“也许你说得对。”炭毛从他身边走过，边走边说，“我现在就能听见黄牙在说‘族里有这么多事等着你去干，你干吗还要在这里徒自伤感呢？’你去和蓝星说话吧，我一会儿再来看她。”
火心说：“你确定自己没事吗？”
“我很好。”炭毛飞快地舔了他一下，催促说，“为了蓝星，你要坚强起来，火心，她现在比任何时候都需要你。”
火心看着炭毛一瘸一拐地走开，转身向蓝星的巢穴走去。他深吸了口气，朝内通禀了一声便走进洞内。
蓝星卧在石洞最深处的铺垫上，前爪枕在胸口下。她抬着头，但没有看火心，两眼茫然，怔怔地盯着远处。她的毛又脏又乱，身子瘦得厉害，火心都能看清她每一根肋骨了。
他的心紧缩成一团，既同情蓝星，又为族群里的猫忧心。他们的族长已经退化为一只体弱多病、心智失常的老猫，她连自己都保护不了，更何谈她的族群。
火心犹犹豫豫地叫了一声：“蓝星？”
他以为蓝星没有听见，于是又往里走了几步。只见蓝星转过头来，神色迷惘地看着火心，似乎记不得他是谁了。
蓝星的耳朵抽动了一下，回过神来，问：“是火心吗？你有什么事？”
火心恭敬地低头行礼说：“我刚从森林大会上回来，蓝星，只怕我带来了坏消息。”说到这里，他迟疑了一下。
“嗯？”蓝星的声音听上去有些急躁，“是什么事？”
火心开门见山地说：“影族有了一位新族长，那就是虎掌——现在叫虎星了。”
蓝星一下子跳起身，眼睛里闪着寒光。火心见她突然恢复往日那令人敬畏的模样，不由得吓了一跳。蓝星低嘶着说：“这不可能！”
“这是真的，我亲眼看见了，他和其他族长们站在巨岩上讲话。”
蓝星没有说话，她从巢穴的一边走到另一边，然后又走了回来，尾巴猛力摆动着。火心退到洞口，生怕蓝星迁怒于他，拿他出气。
突然蓝星怒喝道：“影族好大的胆子啊！他们怎么敢庇护一个曾企图谋害我的凶手，而且还让他当上了族长！”
火心开口说：“蓝星，他们不知道……”但蓝星没有听他说话。
她问：“其他族群的族长呢？他们什么态度？他们怎么能任由这种事发生呢？”
“没有猫知道虎星对雷族做的事情。”火心竭力想使蓝星思考问题时理性一些，“钩星没有多说，高星起初对虎星把断尾的旧时同伙收进影族一事表示不满。”
蓝星狠狠地说：“高星！我们现在已经知道不能信任他了。不管怎么说，是你和灰条冒着生命危险找到风族，并把他们带回高地，这才没几天他就把我们的好处全忘了。”
火心争辩了几句，但蓝星没有理睬他，仍然一边怒气冲冲地走来走去，一边说：“星族已经抛弃我了！他们告诉我说大火将拯救族群，但大火几乎令我们全族覆灭。我怎么还能再信任星族呢。尤其是现在！他们赐给了那个叛徒九条性命，他们根本就不关心我，不关心雷族！”
火心心里一沉，说：“蓝星，听我说……”
“不，火心，你听着。”蓝星走到他面前，身上的毛根根直立，面容凶狠狰狞，“雷族的末日到了。虎星将领导影族把我们一网打尽，而我们却从星族那里得不到任何帮助。”
火心努力劝说道：“虎星看上去并没有敌意。他说起话来，似乎全部心思都放在如何领导影族上面。”
蓝星发出一阵冷笑：“如果你相信那个，火心，你就是个笨蛋。在落叶季到来前虎星就会来的，你记住我这句话，但他将会发现我们正在严阵以待。如果我们都会死，至少也要拉几个影族的猫当垫背。”
她又开始迅速地来回走动，火心越看越胆寒。
她下命令说：“巡逻次数要加倍，营地内设一个岗哨，派一些猫去镇守我们与影族接壤的边界。”
火心反对说：“我们抽不出那么多的武士。重建营地的工作搞得大家都精疲力竭了，现在只能维持住日常巡逻。”
“你敢不服从我的命令吗？”蓝星猛地转身面对他，摆出一副凶巴巴的样子。她的眼睛眯缝起来，充满了怀疑的神色：“要么就是你也准备背叛我了？”
“不，蓝星，不！你可以信任我。”火心绷紧肌肉，随时防备蓝星挥来的利爪，保住性命要紧。
蓝星听了火心的话，立即放松下来，说：“我知道，火心，你一直很忠心，不像其他那些猫。”大怒之后她显得特别疲倦，摇摇晃晃地回到窝里。
她一屁股坐在软和的苔藓和干草上，命令说：“派出巡逻队吧，趁着影族还没有来杀光我们，现在就派。”
“是，蓝星。”火心不想再同她争论，低头退出族长巢穴。蓝星又开始怔怔地看着什么。火心暗想：她是不是看到了未来，看到了她的族群遭到覆灭时的景象？
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7
Fireheart peered out from behind hisrock. Tigerstar had spotted Graypool and had changed direction toward her. As the dark tabby approached, Graypool reared back in surprise and fell, only to struggle back onto her paws and face Tigerstar. The ShadowClan leader padded up to her and meowed something, but Fireheart was too far away to make out the words.
Flattening his belly to the ground, he crept toward them, using all his hunting skills to stay undetected. Fortunately the wind was blowing toward him, so Tigerstar was unlikely to scent him. Fireheart was unwilling to meet the ShadowClan leader unless he had to. With any luck, Tigerstar was on his way to visit Leopardfur again and would help Graypool back to the RiverClan camp.
Fireheart prowled closer, flattening himself against the turf until he reached the shelter of another rock almost on a level with the other two cats. Graystripe had said that Tigerstar had visited RiverClan the day before. Why should he need to return so soon?
“Don’t pretend you don’t know me.” Fireheart hardly recognized the quavering voice as Graypool’s. “I know who you are, right enough. You’re Oakheart.”
Fireheart stiffened. Oakheart was the name of the cat who fathered Mistyfoot and Stonefur, and took them to RiverClan when Bluestar gave them up. He had been killed in battle just before Fireheart joined ThunderClan, but he had looked a little like Tigerstar—a big tom with a dark pelt.
With infinite caution, Fireheart raised his head to peer over the rock where he was sheltering. Graypool was crouched on a sparse patch of grass just above an outcrop of stones. She was looking up at Tigerstar, who loomed over her a couple of tail-lengths farther up the slope.
“I haven’t seen you for moons,” Graypool went on. “Where have you been hiding yourself?”
Tigerstar stared down at her with narrowed eyes. Fireheart waited for him to tell the elderly she-cat that she had made a mistake. His blood ran cold when Tigerstar just meowed, “Oh…here and there.”
What in StarClan’s name is he playing at?Fireheart wondered.
“You might at least have come to see me,” Graypool complained. “Don’t you want to know how those kits are doing?”
The massive tom’s ears pricked up, and his amber eyes glowed with interest. “What kits?”
“What kits, he says!” Graypool broke into rusty laughter. “As if you didn’t know! The two ThunderClan kits that you asked me to take care of.”
Fireheart froze. Graypool had just given away Bluestar’s most deeply buried secret!
Tigerstar’s muscles tensed, and he gazed at Graypool more intently still, his interest clear in every line of his body. He thrust his head forward and meowed something so softly that Fireheart could not catch it.
“Seasons ago,” replied Graypool, sounding puzzled. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. You…No, Oakheart wouldn’t need to ask that.” She staggered forward a couple of steps to peer more closely at Tigerstar.
“You’re not Oakheart!” she exclaimed.
“Never mind that,” Tigerstar mewed soothingly. “You can still tell me all about it. What ThunderClan kits? Who was their real mother?”
Fireheart was close enough to see the dazed look in Graypool’s eyes. She put her head on one side, gazing confusedly at the ShadowClan leader. “They were beautiful kits,” she meowed vaguely. “And now they’re fine warriors.”
She broke off as Tigerstar thrust his muzzle into her face. “Tell me whose kits they were, old crowfood,” he demanded, losing his patience.
Fireheart stared in horror as, flustered, Graypool took a step back. Her paws slid from under her. She rolled down the steep slope in a scramble of legs and tail, and landed hard against one of the rocks that poked out of the turf. There she lay, and did not move again.
Dismay and fury pulsed through Fireheart. As Tigerstar padded down to Graypool’s motionless body and sniffed it, he sprang to his paws and raced across the slope. But before Fireheart reached him the ShadowClan leader spun around, without seeing his former enemy, and bounded away in the direction of Fourtrees and his own territory.
Fireheart reached Graypool and gazed down at her. A trickle of blood came from her small gray head where it had struck the rock. Her eyes stared sightlessly at the sky. The she-cat was dead.
Fireheart lowered his head. “Good-bye, Graypool,” he mewed softly. “StarClan will honor you.”
He stood in silent grief, wishing he had known Graypool better. Her sharp tongue and noble heart reminded him of Yellowfang, and he would never stop feeling grateful to the RiverClan queen for sharing her deepest secret with him, even though he came from another Clan.
His sad reverie was interrupted by the voices of two cats, and he looked up to see Mistyfoot and Graystripe racing toward him from the river. Mistyfoot let out a desperate wail when she saw the dead elder and flung herself down on the turf to press her nose against Graypool’s side.
“What happened?” asked Graystripe.
In an instant, Fireheart decided to keep quiet about Tigerstar. Any mention of the ShadowClan leader would risk exposing the truth about Bluestar’s kits, and Fireheart knew Graypool would never want that, not even within her own Clan. He glanced at the still gray body and asked forgiveness from StarClan for the half-truth he was about to tell.
“I saw Graypool climbing the slope,” he replied. “She slipped, and I couldn’t reach her in time. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Fireheart.” Mistyfoot looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with sorrow. “I have been afraid for a while that something like this would happen.”
She bent her head to touch Graypool’s body again. Fireheart felt sympathy well up inside his chest. Graypool had taken Mistyfoot and Stonefur when Bluestar, their real mother, had given them up. Without Graypool they would have died. She had suckled them and reared them until they were ready to become apprentices. She was the only mother they had ever known, and no cat could have done more for them.
“Come on, Mistyfoot.” Graystripe gently nudged his friend. “Let’s take her back to camp.”
“I’ll help you,” Fireheart offered.
Mistyfoot sat up. “No,” she meowed. “You’ve done enough, Fireheart. Thank you, but this is for her own Clan to do.”
With great care she grasped Graypool’s scruff in her jaws. Graystripe took hold of the elder’s body, and together the two cats carried her down the slope toward the Twoleg bridge. Graypool’s limp form sagged between them, and her tail trailed in the dust.
When they reached the other side of the river, Fireheart turned away, back to his own territory and the ThunderClan camp. His thoughts were churning. Tigerstar had found out that two RiverClan warriors had come from ThunderClan! Fireheart had no idea what Tigerstar would do with this knowledge. But he knew, as sure as the sun would rise the next morning, that the ShadowClan leader would make some use of it, and he had a sinking feeling the outcome could be disastrous for Bluestar and the whole of ThunderClan.
Fireheart stopped to hunt on the way home and arrived at the top of the ravine with a rabbit clamped firmly in his jaws. Looking down at the entrance to the camp, he saw that Goldenflower had brought her kits out into the bottom of the ravine; the two of them were chasing each other among the rocks, pretending to attack Brightpaw, who flicked her tail at them and frisked about just out of their reach. As Fireheart padded down the ravine and dropped the rabbit to watch for a moment, Bramblekit bounded up to him and laid a mouse at his paws.
“Look, Fireheart!” he meowed triumphantly. “I caught it all by myself!”
“His first prey,” Goldenflower added with a fond look at her son.
Bramblekit’s amber eyes blazed with excitement. “Mother says I’ll be just as good a hunter as my father,” he told Fireheart.
Fireheart felt an unpleasant jolt in his belly. His eyes narrowed, and he gave Goldenflower a sharp glance. Goldenflower kept her eyes fixed on her son, but Fireheart could tell from her twitching tail tip that she knew he was watching her.
“Fireheart?” Bramblekit was looking puzzled. “May I give my mouse to the elders?”
Fireheart shook himself angrily. The kit had done very well to catch a mouse when he was still so young, and he deserved a bit of praise. Yet Fireheart couldn’t help remembering Tigerstar bending over Graypool’s limp body, and he had a hard struggle not to vent his fury on the innocent Bramblekit.
“Yes, of course,” he mewed. “And well done for catching it. See if One-eye would like it. She might think it’s worth a story.”
Bramblekit’s eyes lit up. “Good idea!” he yowled. He snatched up the mouse and tore down the ravine to the camp entrance. His sister, Tawnykit, scampered after him.
Goldenflower was looking fiercely at Fireheart, and he knew that she saw very clearly how forced his praise had been. Frostily she mewed, “I told you before, Fireheart, I won’t tell the kits anything bad about their father. We’re loyal to the Clan—allof us.”
She spun around, switching her tail across Fireheart’s face as she did so, and stalked back to the camp.
Fireheart retrieved his rabbit and followed, deciding that he would take his prey to Cinderpelt and talk to her about Bramblekit at the same time. She might have some ideas about how best to handle the kit. The gray she-cat had limped back into the camp very late the night after the medicine-cat gathering at Highstones; Fireheart knew that she had been exhausted, but it had seemed that the light of the Moonstone still glimmered in her eyes.
As Fireheart pushed his way into the clearing through the newly growing gorse tunnel, he saw that Cinderpelt was sitting with Speckletail outside the nursery. The medicine cat was watching Snowkit, who patted at something on the ground a few tail-lengths from his mother.
Good,Fireheart thought. Now we should be able to find out if there’s something wrong with Snowkit.He padded over to the two she-cats and dropped the rabbit beside Cinderpelt. “That’s for you,” he meowed. “How do you feel after your journey?”
Cinderpelt turned to look at him. Her blue eyes were tranquil. “I’m fine,” she purred. “Thanks for the rabbit. Speckletail and I were just having a chat about Snowkit.”
“There’s nothing to chat about,” Speckletail muttered, hunching her shoulders. She sounded cranky, but there was a new sense of authority about Cinderpelt, and Fireheart guessed that the older she-cat hadn’t dared to refuse outright to talk to her.
Cinderpelt dipped her head. “Just call him to you, would you?” she asked.
Speckletail snorted and called out, “Snowkit! Snowkit, come here!”
She beckoned with her tail as she spoke. Snowkit got up, abandoning the ball of moss he had been playing with, and padded over to his mother. Speckletail bent down and gave his ear a lick.
“Good,” meowed Cinderpelt. “Now, Fireheart, go over there and call him to you, will you?” She nodded toward a spot a few fox-lengths away. In a lower voice she added, “Don’t move. Just use your voice.”
Puzzled, Fireheart did as she asked. This time, although Snowkit was looking straight at him, he didn’t move. There was no response from him at all, even when Fireheart called three or four times.
A few other cats paused on their way to the pile of fresh-kill and came to see what was going on. Bluestar—roused by the sound of voices, Fireheart guessed—emerged from her den and sat watching near the base of the Highrock. Dappletail, who was strolling back to the elders’ den, stopped beside Speckletail and said something to her. Speckletail spat an irritated reply, but Fireheart was too far away to hear what the two cats had said to each other. Dappletail ignored Speckletail’s snappishness and sat down next to Cinderpelt to watch closely.
Fireheart kept on calling Snowkit until Speckletail gave the kit a nudge, nodding in his direction, and the kit came bounding across.
“Well done,” Fireheart meowed, and repeated his praise when Snowkit looked at him blankly.
After a pause the kit mewed, “S’all right,” but the words sounded so distorted that Fireheart could hardly understand him.
He led Snowkit back to his mother and Cinderpelt. By now he was beginning to suspect what the trouble was, and he felt no surprise when Cinderpelt turned to Speckletail and meowed, “I’m sorry, Speckletail—Snowkit is deaf.”
Speckletail worked her paws on the ground in front of her. Her expression was a mixture of grief and anger. “I know he’s deaf!” she snapped at last. “I’m his mother. Do you think I wouldn’t know?”
“White cats with blue eyes are often deaf,” Dappletail mewed to Fireheart. “I remember one of my first litter…” She sighed.
“What happened to him?” Fireheart asked, relieved that Cloudpaw, who was also white with blue eyes, had good hearing.
“No cat knows,” Dappletail told him sadly. “He disappeared when he was three moons old. We thought a fox must have gotten him.”
Speckletail gathered Snowkit closer to her, fiercely protective. “Well, a fox won’t get this one!” she vowed. “I can look after him.”
“I’m sure you can,” Bluestar mewed, padding over to them. “But I’m afraid he can never be a warrior.”
This was one of Bluestar’s good days, Fireheart realized. Her voice was sympathetic but determined, and her eyes were clear.
“Why can’t he be a warrior?” Speckletail demanded. “There’s nothing else wrong with him. He’s a good, strong kit. He gets on just fine if you signal what he’s got to do.”
“That’s not enough,” Bluestar told her. “A mentor couldn’t teach him to fight or hunt by signals. He couldn’t hear commands in a battle, and how could he catch prey if he can’t listen, or hear the sound of his own pawsteps?”
Speckletail leaped to her paws with her fur bristling, and for a few moments Fireheart thought she might spring at Bluestar. Then she whipped around, nudged Snowkit to his paws, and vanished with him inside the nursery.
“She’s taking it badly,” Dappletail remarked.
“How do you expect her to take it?” asked Cinderpelt. “She’s getting old. This could well be her last kit, and now she learns he can’t ever be a warrior.”
“Cinderpelt, you must talk to her,” Bluestar ordered. “Make her see that the needs of the Clan must come first.”
“Yes, of course, Bluestar,” Cinderpelt mewed, with a respectful nod to her leader. “But I think it’s best for her to have a little time alone with Snowkit first, to let her get used to the idea that the rest of the Clan knows about his deafness.”
Bluestar grunted agreement and padded back toward her den. Fireheart couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Not long ago Bluestar would have talked to Speckletail herself, and perhaps considered some options about Snowkit’s future in the Clan. Where had that compassion and understanding gone?Fireheart wondered. His fur prickled as he realized that his leader hardly seemed to care about the deaf kit or his mother
第三章
第三章
火心睁开眼睛，明亮的阳光晃得他直眨眼。武士巢穴没有了原先那厚密的顶棚，太阳光便直射进来，火心对此仍然感到很不习惯。他打着哈欠站起来，将沾在身上的苔藓碎片抖掉。
身边的沙风正在熟睡，尘毛和黑条躺在稍远的地方，火心走出巢穴进入会场。森林大会已经过去三天了，蓝星担忧的事情一直没有发生。雷族利用这段时间重建营地，虽然距离完全恢复还差很远，但营地周围的香薇围墙已开始重新生长，育婴室的荆棘丛也用细枝加固了。火心看着这一切，心里感到十分高兴。
火心正往猎物堆走，一抬眼看见白风带领着早班巡逻队执行完任务回来了。火心停下脚步，等候走过来的白风。
“影族方面有什么动静？”
白风摇了摇头说：“没有，他们边界上的气味标记和往常一样。不过，有一件事……”
火心立刻竖起耳朵：“什么？”
“在离蛇岩不远处，我们发现那里的灌木丛被踩塌了一大片，周围还散落着鸽子的羽毛。”
火心说：“鸽子羽毛？这些天我连一只鸽子都没有见过，是其他族群的猫在我们领地里捕猎吗？”
“我想不是，那里到处都是狗的臭味。”白风厌恶地皱起鼻子，“还有狗拉的大便呢。”
“哦，一只狗嘛。”火心不屑地晃了晃尾巴，“嗯，众所周知，两脚兽总是牵着狗进入丛林里。那些狗经常来回奔跑，追逐几只麻雀，然后被两脚兽牵回家。”他呵呵笑道，“唯一不同寻常的是，这只狗居然会小有收获。”
白风的表情依然很严肃，他说：“按照老规矩，我想你应该让所有的巡逻队眼睛放亮一点儿。”
“好吧。”火心非常尊重这位武士，不敢不听他的忠告。但他私下里认为那只狗现在应该在很远的地方，被关在两脚兽的某个院落里。虽然狗吵吵嚷嚷的很讨厌，但他现在有更重要的事情去考虑。
他和白风向猎物堆走去，为食物供应问题愁眉不展。亮爪和云爪执行完早班巡逻任务后休息了一会儿，也在猎物堆那里找东西吃。
云爪见火心走过来，向他抱怨说：“看看这个！”说着，他用爪子把一只水老鼠翻过来，“这个连塞牙缝都不够！”
“现在都在闹饥荒呢。”火心注意到猎物堆里只有寥寥可数的几只猎物，“从大火中逃生的猎物在森林里也找不到什么吃的东西。”
云爪说：“我们需要再去捕猎。”他咬着水老鼠往肚子里咽，“吃完这个我马上就去。”
火心为自己挑了只喜鹊，说：“你可以和我一起去，待会儿我就要带队出去巡逻了。”
“不行，我等不及了。”云爪又咽了口鼠肉，“我太饿了，连你都能吃进肚里去。亮爪，你想和我一起去吗？”
亮爪正在吃一只老鼠，闻声向白风看去，等待师父的允许。见白风点了点头，她才跳起身对云爪说：“就等你了。”
火心说：“那么好吧。”云爪没有像亮爪那样事事先向师父请示，令火心感到很生气，但族群确实需要猎物，而这两个学徒又都是好猎手。他提醒说：“别走得太远了。”
云爪反驳说：“但所有最好的猎物都在较远的地方，因为大火没有烧到那里。我们没事的，火心，我们先为老年猫捉些猎物回来。”
他大口吞下最后一块水老鼠肉，和亮爪一道向营地门口冲去。
火心想起云爪曾三番五次地去两脚兽那里讨食吃，赶紧在他们身后喊道：“你们给我离两脚兽的地盘远点儿！”当初云爪因为贪图两脚兽的几口食物，竟然被两脚兽掳走，小云爪吃了大苦头。如今绿叶季即将结束，眼看着食物匮乏的枯叶季就要到来，火心不希望他的徒弟在食物诱惑下又回到老路上去。
白风看着这两只年轻的小猫蹦蹦跳跳地远去，乐呵呵地说：“这些学徒们！刚从早班巡逻回来，现在又出去捕猎了。我要有他们那么充沛的精力就好了。”他从猎物堆里拖了一只画眉鸟，趴在地上吃了起来。
火心吃完喜鹊，看见沙风正从武士巢穴走出来。太阳照在她姜黄色的皮毛上，活动时如波浪一般此起彼伏，火心越看越喜欢。等沙风走近，他问：“你想和我一起出去捕猎吗？”
沙风瞥了眼猎物堆里剩余的猎物，说：“看起来有这个必要。我们现在就走吧——捕到猎物后再吃饭也不迟。”
火心向周围望了望，想再找一个同伴。他看见长尾正往学徒巢穴那边走，于是叫道：“喂，长尾！”他一边喊着一边和沙风走过去，“和我们一起去捕猎吧。”
长尾迟疑了一下，似乎吃不准火心是不是在以副族长的身份下命令，他解释说：“我们正要去沙坑训练，迅爪需要练习一下他的防卫动作。”
“你们可以迟些再训练。”这回火心明确下达了命令，“族群的当务之急是捕来猎物。”
长尾烦躁地晃了晃尾巴，但没有吱声。迅爪两眼放光，看上去要比他师父热心得多。
火心注意到，这只毛色黑白相间的小公猫个头几乎和他师父一般大，他是学徒中年纪最大的一个，不久就能成为一名武士了。
火心心想：我得去和蓝星谈谈迅爪命名典礼的事，还有云爪、亮爪和刺爪，族群需要更多的武士。
火心让白风好好休息一下，自己则带着沙风他们走出营地大门，爬上山沟，向太阳石奔去。他尽可能地遵从蓝星的命令，使巡逻次数加倍，让所有的捕猎队也担负起巡逻边界的任务，时刻对外族猫以及其他敌人的气味保持高度警惕。他还特别叮嘱他们多加注意影族边界的情况，但私下里他也在密切关注河族的动向。
他时常为雷、河两族的关系感到不安。钩星的年纪越来越大，而副族长豹毛的地位越来越高，火心认为她会因为河族曾经帮助雷族逃过那一夜的大火而向他们索取回报。
火心带领沙风他们向河边奔去，他注意到焦黑的土壤上已经长出了植物。新的香薇正在生长蔓延，绿色的藤蔓覆盖了地面，森林正在焕发生机。但随着落叶季的临近，植物的生长速度会变得越来越慢。火心仍然担心雷族将要面临一个饥寒交迫的落叶季。
四只猫来到太阳石，长尾带着迅爪在石缝间钻来钻去。他告诉迅爪说：“你可以训练听力，看你能不能当着大家的面露一手，捉点儿什么东西。”
火心看着他们远去，心里暗暗赞叹。长尾是一位懂得循循善诱的老师，他和迅爪间的师徒情意很深。
火心沿着岩石面对河流的一侧行走，这一带植物在大火中幸存下来的较多。没过多久他便看见一只老鼠在草丛间找食吃，它坐在地上，前爪抱着一粒树种。火心扑过去迅速将它杀死。
沙风走过来说：“干得好。”
火心把老鼠推到她面前，说：“想吃吗？你还没有吃饭呢。”
沙风干脆地说：“不，多谢美意，我自己能捉到猎物。”
说完，她走进一棵榛子树的树荫里。火心看着她的背影，不知道自己哪里得罪她了。
他扒了些土盖在老鼠上，留待回家时带走。
“你可要看好自己的猎物。”一个声音在火心背后响起，“如果你粗心大意，她会撕下你的耳朵。”
火心猛地转身，看见老朋友灰条站在河族边界上，身上湿淋淋的。
火心又惊又喜，叫道：“灰条！你吓了我一跳！”
灰条抖掉身上的水珠，说：“我在对岸看见你，没想到正赶上你在为沙风捕猎。你们两个关系不一般呐，是吗？”
火心的脸刷地红了，感觉浑身又热又痒。他强辩说：“我不知道你在胡说什么，沙风只不过是我的朋友罢了。”
灰条哈哈一笑，说：“哦，当然了，如果你非要那么说的话。”他走上来低头撞了撞火心的肩膀，“你小子运气不错，火心，她是一只很有魅力的猫。”
火心张张嘴，随即又合上。不管他说什么，灰条都不会信的——况且灰条说得也许没错，他与沙风越来越不限于普通朋友关系了。火心转移话题，说：“无所谓啦。和我说说你近来过得如何，河族有什么新闻吗？”
灰条的眼睛里一下子变得笑意全无：“也没什么事，所有的猫都在谈论虎星。”当初灰条还是雷族武士时，只有他和火心知道虎星的野心，知道虎星杀害了雷族前任副族长红尾。
火心坦白地说：“我不知道事情怎么到了这个地步。虎星也许和以前不同了，他现在已经得到自己想要的东西。没有猫能否认他可以做一个优秀的族长——他身体强壮，能征善战，长于捕猎，而且他对武士守则理解颇深。”
灰条吼道：“但没有猫信任他。如果他行事违反武士守则，那么就算精通武士守则又有什么用呢？”
火心说：“现在的情况并不取决于我们是否信任他。他现在有了新的族群，奔鼻说虎星似乎就是星族送给他们的一位伟大的族长。星族一定是觉得影族在瘟疫中遭到重创，因此需要一位强壮的族长来重振族威。”
灰条脸上露出不以为然的神情，鼻子里发出哧的一声，说：“星族安排的？要我相信这种鬼话除非刺猬飞到天上去。”
火心心里也像灰条一样认为虎星不可信。重建影族的工作也许会占去虎星一到两个季节，但一想起那个残暴的武士统治了一个强有力的族群，火心就感到一股寒意从耳朵根一直传到尾巴尖儿。他不相信虎星能尊重其他族群的权利，安分地过丛林生活。他迟早要扩张地盘，而雷族则是首当其冲。
灰条说出了火心的念头：“如果我是你，就严密看守自己的边界。”
火心说：“是的，我……”刚要说话，便看见沙风衔着一只兔子向他们走来。她把猎物放在火心脚边，面容平和，似乎已经怒火全消。
她冲灰条点了点头，说：“嘿，灰条，孩子们怎么样？”
灰条的眼睛里立刻放出自豪的光彩，说：“他们都很好，多劳挂念。他们不久就要当学徒了。”
火心问：“你会做他们其中一个的老师吗？”
不料灰条竟有些吃不准地说：“我不知道，如果这事让钩星做主，也许会，但他近来除了睡觉不干别的。现在族里的大部分事务都是豹毛说了算，她一直为白掌的死耿耿于怀，仍不肯原谅我。我想她可能会选别的武士来做孩子们的老师。”
说着，他低下头去。火心知道他对那个名叫白掌的河族武士的死始终不能释怀。那天，火心、灰条他们途经河族领地时遭到河族巡逻队的袭击，激战中白掌意外掉进山涧身亡。
火心贴在灰条的身上，难过地说：“唉，这件事真倒霉。”
沙风温和地说：“但你可以看出豹毛的考虑，她要确保这两个幼崽日后能对河族忠诚。”
灰条看着她，有些生气地说：“我就是这么想的啊！我可不想孩子们长大后在两个族群之间左右为难。”说着，转而神色黯然，“我知道那种感觉。”
火心为他的朋友感到难过。那场大火后，灰条在河族里已经生活得很不快乐，现在看起来情况并没有改观。火心真想说“回家吧”，可蓝星已经拒绝让灰条重回雷族，他也无能为力了。
火心建议说：“找钩星谈谈，求他让你做孩子们的老师。”
沙风补充说：“而且试着站在豹毛的角度想想，别让她发现你到雷族边界这边来了。”
灰条猛地一惊，说：“也许你说得对，我最好回去。再见了，沙风，火心！”
火心急切地说：“尽量参加下一次的森林大会啊。”
灰条晃了一下尾巴，走下岸坡。快到河边时，他转身说：“请等一会儿！”然后冲进河里。他像尊石像般一动不动地站在河里，眼睛死死盯着水面。
过了半晌，沙风嘀咕道：“他到底在搞什么鬼？”
没等火心回答，灰条的爪子猛然插出，一条银色的大鱼随之飞出水面，摔在岸上。灰条一拳将鱼打死，衔着它回到火心和沙风跟前。
他放下大鱼，说：“给你们，我知道大火后猎物一定很短缺，这条大鱼就算是我的小小心意吧。”
火心说：“多谢了。”接着羡慕地补充了一句，“刚才你干得真漂亮！”
灰条得意地说：“这都是雾脚教我的。”
沙风说：“多谢你的美意，不过如果豹毛发现你为外族提供食物，她会不高兴的。”
灰条吼道：“见她的鬼吧。如果豹毛敢说什么，我就提醒她那次发洪水时火心和我是如何为河族提供食物的。”
他转身回到河边。火心看着灰条跳进河里向对岸游去，心里如针扎一般疼痛。只要能够使灰条重回雷族，他愿做任何事情，但他不得不承认灰条重归雷族的可能性微乎其微。
火心衔着又黏又滑的大鱼回到营地，一路上他被鱼腥味熏得直流口水。走进营地大门，他看见猎物堆大了些。云爪和亮爪已经回来了，现在正准备再和鼠毛、刺爪一起出去呢。
云爪爬到山沟半坡，回头喊道：“我们已经给老年猫送过吃的了，火心！”
火心喊：“那炭毛呢？”
“还没有！”
火心看着他的小外甥奔出视线，这才转身向猎物堆走去。他心想，也许灰条抓的大鱼能刺激一下炭毛的胃口。他怀疑炭毛根本就没有吃饱肚子，一方面她要承受黄牙的死给她带来的伤痛，另一方面她还要忙着照顾蓝星和那些被烟雾熏病的猫。
沙风把猎物放进猎物堆里，问：“你饿吗，火心？”他们捕完猎物后便带回营地，一直没有吃东西。此时她望着猎物堆，眼里冒出了饥火。“我们一起吃吧，可以吗？”
“好吧。”火心觉得早上吃的那只喜鹊似乎是很久以前的事了，“我先把这个给炭毛送去。”
沙风说：“快点儿回来。”
火心衔着大鱼朝巫医巢穴走去。在发生火灾前，巫医巢穴与会场之间是由一排茂盛的香薇丛隔开的，如今地上只剩下一些焦黑的枝干，火心能一眼看见巫医巢穴所在的那块大石头。
他走到巫医巢穴外面放下大鱼，喊道：“炭毛！”
过了一会儿，炭毛从巫医巢穴探出头来：“什么事？哦，是你呀，火心。”
说着，她从巫医巢穴里走出来。她身上的毛乱蓬蓬的，眼睛里也失去了往日的光彩，看上去心事重重。火心猜她一定又在想黄牙了。
炭毛说：“我有些事情要对你说。”
火心说：“你先吃点儿东西吧。看，这是灰条为我们抓的大鱼。”
炭毛说：“多谢了，火心，但这件事非常紧急，星族昨晚托梦给我了。”
她说话的口吻令火心感到很不舒服。在他的眼里，炭毛仍然是他的徒弟，而不是一位真正的巫医。因为巫医没有配偶，不能生育，和其他族群的巫医们秘密集会，通过星族的纽带联合在一起。
火心问：“是关于什么的梦？”他曾多次做过类似的梦，在梦里得到关于即将发生的事的警示，所以他现在最能理解炭毛那种又恐惧又迷惘的感受。
炭毛困惑地眨了眨眼睛，说：“我确定不了。梦里，我站在森林里，听见树林间有噼里啪啦的声音，但我看不清是什么东西发出的那种声音。而且我还听到叫声——冷酷的声音，不是猫的语言，但我能听明白它们在说什么。”
她的话戛然而止，茫然地看着远方，前爪轻轻抠地上的土。
火心催问：“它们说什么了？”
炭毛打了个寒战，说：“是些很奇怪的话，‘结伙，结伙’，还有‘杀，杀’。”
火心心里一阵失望。他原本希望星族送来的消息是帮助他解决问题的——虎星的出现，蓝星的反常，还有大火后的困境。他问：“这是什么意思？”
炭毛摇了摇头，眼里掠过一丝恐惧的神色，似乎她感觉到了一种火心看不见的威胁。
她说：“现在还不知道。也许星族会在我去月亮石时展示给我，但我敢说，这肯定不是件好事，火心。”
“好像还嫌我们的麻烦不够多似的。”火心嘟囔了一句，转而对炭毛说，“除非我们发现更多的线索，否则我不知道该做什么，我需要事实。你肯定那是梦的全部吗？”
炭毛忧伤地点了点头。火心舔了她一下，宽慰她说：“别担心了，炭毛，如果这个警示是关于影族的，我们已经在密切注意他们了，等你发现更多的细节时记得告诉我就行了。”
他身后忽然响起一声怒吼：“火心，你还要在那里待上一整天吗？”
火心吓了一跳，转身看见沙风站在被烧焦的香薇通道入口处。他对炭毛说：“我得走了。”
“但……”
火心饿得肚子咕咕直叫，急着要和沙风吃饭。他打断炭毛的话说：“我再好好想想，好吗？再做什么梦的话，一定记得告诉我。”
炭毛恼怒地说：“这是星族发来的信息，不是乱七八糟、鸡毛蒜皮的小事，它可能影响到整个族群，我们需要找出梦里隐藏的真意。”
火心往外走着，回头说了一句：“嗯，这种事你比我在行。”
他一边奔向沙风，一边寻思那个梦的含义。那个梦听上去不像是别的族群要来袭击他们，他看不出威胁在哪儿。当他和沙风一起吃上可口的水老鼠时，这件事立刻被他抛在了脑后。
CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8
The sun was rising over thetrees as Fireheart and his patrol approached Snakerocks, on the opposite side of the territory to the river. The fire had not reached this far; the undergrowth was still lush and green, though leaves had begun to fall.
“Hold on,” Fireheart meowed to Thornpaw as the apprentice dashed toward the rocks. “Don’t forget there are adders around here.”
Thornpaw skidded to a halt. “Sorry, Fireheart.”
Since Bluestar had refused to make them warriors, Fireheart had made a point of spending time with all the apprentices in turn, including at least one of them in every patrol, in an attempt to show them that the Clan still valued them. Swiftpaw’s scowl suggested that he was resentful of the delay, but Thornpaw did not seem to mind waiting for full warrior status.
Mousefur, Thornpaw’s mentor, padded up to him. “Tell me what you can smell.”
Thornpaw stood with his head raised and jaws parted, drinking in the air. “Mouse!” he mewed almost at once, swiping his tongue around his mouth.
“Yes, but we’re not hunting now,” Mousefur reminded him. “What else?”
“The Thunderpath—over there.” Thornpaw gestured with his tail. “And dog.”
Fireheart, who had been lapping water from a hollow in the ground, pricked up his ears. Tasting the air, he realized that Thornpaw was right. There was a strong scent of dog, and it was fresh.
“That’s odd,” he commented. “Unless the Twolegs were up very early, that scent should be stale. Last night at the latest.”
He remembered Whitestorm’s report of finding trampled undergrowth and scattered pigeon feathers near Snakerocks. The place had smelled of dog then, but that scent would not have survived for this long.
“We’d better take a good look around,” he meowed.
Ordering Thornpaw not to leave his mentor, Fireheart sent the other cats into the trees while he crept closer to the rocks. Before he reached them, he was called back by Mousefur.
“Come and look at this!”
Skirting a bramble thicket, Fireheart joined the brown warrior and looked down into a small, steep-sided clearing. There was a stagnant pool of greenish water at the bottom, choked with fallen leaves. The sharp scent of crushed ferns reached Fireheart’s scent glands, but it was barely noticeable under the overpowering stench of dog. Pigeon feathers were scattered all around, and scraps of fur that might have been squirrel or rabbit. A little way down the slope, Thornpaw sniffed at a pile of dog dung, and recoiled with a snort of disgust.
Fireheart forced himself to take in every detail of the scene. Twoleg dogs didn’t usually stay in the forest long enough to leave this many traces, trampling the undergrowth and scattering the remains of prey until the forest reeked like a fox’s hole. Seeing it with his own eyes made him realize that something was definitely wrong.
“What do you think?” asked Mousefur.
“I don’t know.” Fireheart was reluctant to voice his worries. “It looks as if there might be a dog loose in the forest, free from the Twolegs.”
Wasthat what those Twolegs had been looking for?he wondered, suddenly remembering the three who had come in the monster when he was hunting in Tallpines with Sandstorm. But that had been a long way from here, on the other side of ThunderClan territory.
“What are we going to do?” Thornpaw piped up, looking unusually serious.
“I’ll report it to Bluestar,” Fireheart decided. “If there is a dog wandering around in our territory, we’ll need to do something about it. Maybe we can lead it away somehow.”
The dog was clearly taking prey that ThunderClan couldn’t spare, and Fireheart didn’t like to think of what might happen if it met one of the Clan warriors face-to-face.
As he turned away from the clearing and led the way back toward the camp, Fireheart could not help feeling that the forest around him had become strangely hostile. He knew every tree and stone, yet there was something in its depths—not quite a scent, nor a sound, more like an echo on the edge of hearing—that he did not understand. Was it just a dog? Or were Bluestar’s fears about to come true after all? Did StarClan have some other disaster in mind for ThunderClan?
The patrol had almost reached the camp when Fireheart scented ThunderClan cats behind him. Turning, he saw Whitestorm, Brightpaw, and Cloudpaw picking their way through the blackened debris on the forest floor. All of them were carrying fresh-kill.
“Good hunting?” Fireheart asked as they caught up with him.
Whitestorm dropped the rabbit he was carrying. “Not bad,” he replied. “But we had to go all the way to Fourtrees to find it.”
“Still, it looks good and fat,” Fireheart meowed approvingly. “Well done,” he added to Brightpaw and Cloudpaw, who were both dragging squirrels.
“We saw something I think you ought to know about,” mewed Whitestorm. “Let’s get back to camp.”
The white warrior picked up his rabbit again and fell in behind Fireheart as he led the way down the ravine. Once they had deposited the fresh-kill on the pile and Fireheart had sent the apprentices off to feed the elders, he took a piece for himself and crouched beside Whitestorm to eat it. Mousefur picked out a blackbird from the heap and came to join them.
“So what did you see?” Fireheart asked, when a few mouthfuls of vole had taken the edge off the hunger in his belly.
He saw Whitestorm’s expression darken and guessed the answer before the white warrior spoke. “More scattered prey,” Whitestorm meowed. “Scraps of rabbit fur. And more dog scent. Not far from Fourtrees this time, near the border with RiverClan.”
“Fresh scent?”
“Yesterday’s, I’d guess.”
Fireheart nodded, anxiety prickling in his paws. Clearly the dog had ranged much farther than he had first thought. Gulping down the last of his vole, he told Whitestorm what his dawn patrol had found that morning.
“The whole place stank,” Mousefur contributed, looking up from her meal. “There’s a dog in our territory, isn’t there, killing our prey?”
“Yes, I think so.” Fireheart turned to Whitestorm. “When you told me about the first lot of scent you found, I hoped that the dog would have gone home by now with its Twolegs. But it obviously hasn’t.”
“We’ll have to get rid of it somehow,” Whitestorm meowed grimly.
“I know. I’m going to report it to Bluestar. She’ll probably want to hold a Clan meeting.”
Leaving Whitestorm and Mousefur, Fireheart padded across the camp toward the Highrock. As sunhigh approached, the life of the camp went on peacefully around him. Ashpaw and Swiftpaw were scuffling outside the apprentices’ den. Near the warriors’ den, Frostfur and Brindleface were sharing tongues, both of them looking half-asleep after taking the watch the previous night. In the center of the clearing Speckletail was signaling with paws and tail to her kit, while Brackenfur looked on. A pang of fear struck deep into Fireheart as he imagined the havoc that the stray dog could create if it found the camp.
He had almost reached Bluestar’s den when Brackenfur got up and bounded across to him. “Fireheart, may I have a word?”
Fireheart paused. “If it’s quick. I have to speak to Bluestar.”
“It’s Speckletail,” Brackenfur explained. “I’m worried about her. She thinks Snowkit should be an apprentice, and she’s trying to mentor him herself. She thinks that if Bluestar sees that he can learn, she’ll have to make him into a warrior.”
Now that Fireheart looked more closely at the mother and her kit, he could see that they weren’t just playing—at least, Speckletail wasn’t. She was showing Snowkit the hunting crouch. Snowkit seemed to be having fun, rolling over and batting at his mother with his paws, but he wasn’t copying her movements with any accuracy.
Fireheart watched them with growing sadness. “It might be for the best.” He sighed after a moment. “If Speckletail realizes for herself that Snowkit can’t learn, it might help her accept that he’ll never be a warrior.”
“Maybe.” Brackenfur didn’t sound convinced. “I’d like to watch them for a bit, anyway, and see if there’s anything I can do to help.”
Fireheart studied him approvingly. Though Brackenfur had not been a warrior for many moons, he had the serious air of a much older cat. He was ready for an apprentice, and Fireheart was sure he would make a fine mentor—patient and responsible. But not for Snowkit. Fireheart knew that the deaf kit could never have a mentor, would never travel to Gatherings, or know the fierce joy of being a warrior in the service of his Clan.
However, as long as there were no other kits in need of mentors, it wouldn’t hurt to let Brackenfur take an interest in Snowkit. “That’s fine, provided it doesn’t interfere with your warrior duties,” Fireheart mewed. “If you think of anything, let me know. I’ll talk to Cinderpelt again.”
“Thanks, Fireheart,” meowed Brackenfur. He settled himself on the ground, paws tucked neatly under his chest, and went on watching Speckletail and Snowkit.
Fireheart hesitated, feeling sad for the deaf kit and his mother, and for Brackenfur, whose hopes of becoming a mentor would be disappointed this time. Then he turned away to go and find Bluestar.
The Clan leader was lying on her bedding in the far corner of her den. The sunlight did not reach her there, and she looked like a gray shadow. But the remains of a squirrel showed that she had eaten, and as Fireheart paused on the threshold, she was twisting her head around to wash her back. Fireheart felt encouraged by these signs of a normal routine.
He scraped his claws on the ground to draw her attention, and when she turned to look at him he meowed, “Bluestar, may I come in? I’ve something to report.”
“Nothing good, I suppose,” Bluestar mewed sourly. Fireheart flinched at her tone, and the leader seemed to relent. “All right, Fireheart, come in and tell me what’s on your mind.”
“We think there’s a dog loose in the forest.” Fireheart described the first time Whitestorm had discovered the scattered prey near Snakerocks, what his patrol had seen that morning, and the rabbit remains that Whitestorm had found near Fourtrees.
Bluestar sat in silence, staring at the wall, until Fireheart finished. Then her head snapped around to face him. “Near Fourtrees? Where?”
“By the RiverClan border, Whitestorm said.”
Bluestar let out a snarl and dug her claws into the floor of her den. “Yes—I see it all!” she spat. “WindClan have been hunting on our territory.”
Fireheart stared at her. “I’m sorry, Bluestar. I don’t understand.”
“Then you’re a fool!” Bluestar growled. Suddenly she seemed to relax. “No, Fireheart, you are a good and noble warrior. It’s not your fault that you can’t imagine the treachery of others.”
What does she mean?Fireheart thought. Has she forgotten that I was the one who told her about Tigerstar?
His mind spinning, he realized that this wasn’t one of Bluestar’s good days. Her eyes were staring and her fur bristling as if rows of enemies stood in front of her. Perhaps, in her confusion, she thought they were.
“But Bluestar,” Fireheart protested, “everywhere we found the scraps of prey, we scented dog. There’s no reason to think that other Clans are responsible.”
“Mouse-brain!” Bluestar hissed, her tail lashing from side to side. “Dogs don’t behave like that. They come here with their Twolegs, and their Twolegs take them away again. Whoever heard of a dog roaming free in the forest?”
“Just because it hasn’t happened before, doesn’t mean it can’t happen now,” Fireheart meowed desperately. “Why do you believe it was WindClan?”
“Can’t you see?” Bluestar’s voice was taut with fury. “WindClan warriors were hunting rabbits, and the rabbits must have crossed the RiverClan border by Fourtrees. RiverClan’s territory is narrow there. The WindClan cats chased their prey across both borders, onto ThunderClan territory, before they caught it and killed it.” She spoke with absolute certainty, as if she had witnessed it herself. “It’s so obvious, a kit could see it.” Her paws started working again. “Well, WindClan had better watch out!”
Fireheart’s heart lurched. It sounded as if Bluestar were planning to attack WindClan. We can’t bear any more trouble!he thought despairingly. An image popped into his head, of Tigerstar on his way to visit Crookedstar and Leopardfur. With a possible alliance in the air between RiverClan and ShadowClan, the last thing they needed right now was a war with WindClan.
“You may be right, Bluestar,” he admitted diplomatically, “but we shouldn’t blame WindClan without any real proof. It could have been RiverClan, couldn’t it?”
“Nonsense!” Bluestar’s voice was scornful. “The cats of RiverClan would never cross a border in pursuit of prey. They know the warrior code better than that. Have you forgotten how they helped us in the fire? We would all have been burned or drowned if not for RiverClan.”
Yes, and Leopardfur won’t let us forget it in a hurry,Fireheart added silently. He couldn’t help thinking that RiverClan might believe a few rabbits were only the beginning of payment for their help.
Fireheart shook his head to clear it. There was no point in trying to blame RiverClan. He knew what scents he had picked up. A dog was responsible for the scattered prey, and he had to make Bluestar see that. “Bluestar, I really think—” he began.
Bluestar dismissed his words with a sweep of her tail. “No!” she insisted. “It was you, Fireheart, who came to me after the last Gathering and told me how Tallstar welcomed Tigerstar as leader of ShadowClan.”
“Hardly welcomed!” Fireheart tried to protest, but Bluestar ignored him.
“Have you forgotten how WindClan warriors stopped me from traveling to Highstones? And how they attacked you when you brought Cloudpaw home? They show no gratitude, none, for what ThunderClan did for them, when you and Graystripe brought them home from exile! Tallstar is working with StarClan against me! He has allied himself with my greatest enemy, and now he and his warriors invade my territory. He’s a disgrace to the name of warrior; he…” Her eyes were wild and her voice sank to a rough choking, as if she could hardly get the words out.
Thoroughly alarmed, Fireheart started to back out of the den. “Bluestar, don’t,” he begged. “You’ve been ill; this is bad for you. I’m going to fetch Cinderpelt.”
But before he could leave, a loud yowling broke out from the clearing. It was the sound of many cats raising their voices in a terrible screech of fear. Fireheart spun around and raced out of Bluestar’s den.
The center of the clearing was almost deserted, bathed in bright light where the normally leafy cover had been burned away. Cats crouched around the edges in the scant shelter of the charred fern walls. Fireheart caught a glimpse of Goldenflower and Willowpelt pushing their kits into the nursery. Brackenfur was nudging a couple of the elders toward their den, urging them to hurry.
The cats at the edge of the clearing were staring up at the sky, their eyes huge with fear. As he looked upward, Fireheart heard the beating of wings and saw a hawk circling above the trees, its harsh cry drifting on the air. At the same time he realized that one cat had not taken shelter; Snowkit was still tumbling and playing in the middle of the open space.
“Snowkit!” Speckletail yowled desperately.
She was just emerging from behind the nursery, the place where the queens went to make dirt, and she darted toward her kit as soon as she realized what was happening. In the same heartbeat the hawk plunged down toward the clearing. Snowkit screamed as the cruel talons fastened onto his back. The great wings flapped. Fireheart raced forward, but Speckletail was faster still. As the hawk lifted off, she sprang upward and snagged her claws in the white kit’s fur.
For a couple of agonizing moments both cats dangled from the hawk’s claws. Fireheart launched himself into the air, but they were too high. Then the hawk released the kit with one foot and scored its talons across Speckletail’s face. The she-cat lost her grip and fell back, landing heavily on the ground. Without her weight, the hawk mounted rapidly to treetop height and flew off toward Fourtrees. Snowkit’s terrified crying died away.
“No!” Speckletail threw her head back and let out a yowl of pure desperation. “My kit! Oh, my kit!”
Brackenfur dashed past Fireheart, leaping the camp wall at a place where the rebuilding had barely started, and vanished into the forest. Even though Fireheart knew the pursuit was hopeless, he swung around and caught the eye of the nearest cat. “Swiftpaw, go with him.”
Swiftpaw opened his mouth to protest, clearly aware that the pursuit would be hopeless, then closed it again and took off after Brackenfur. The rest of the cats, stunned by shock, gradually crept out into the clearing again and formed a ragged circle around Speckletail.
“He couldn’t hear,” Sandstorm murmured, touching her nose to Fireheart’s cheek. “He couldn’t hear the hawk, and he couldn’t hear us when we tried to warn him.”
“It’s my fault!” Speckletail wailed. “I left him…and nowhe’s gone. The hawk should have taken me instead!”
Sandstorm moved closer to the tabby queen, pressing herself comfortingly against her side, and Cinderpelt came up and gave her ears a gentle lick. “Come to my den,” she mewed softly. “We’ll look after you. We won’t leave you.”
But Speckletail refused to be comforted. “He’s gone and it’s my fault,” she whimpered.
“It’s not your fault,” meowed Bluestar.
Fireheart turned to see his leader pacing toward them. The broad-shouldered gray she-cat looked strong and determined, more like a warrior than any of the other cats, crushed as they were by the tragedy of Snowkit’s loss.
“It’s not your fault,” she repeated. “Whoever heard of a hawk that dared to swoop down and take a kit from the middle of a camp, with so many other cats around? This is a sign from StarClan. I cannot deny the truth any longer.” Bluestar gazed at her shocked, assembled Clan, and her voice vibrated with anger. “StarClan is at war with ThunderClan!”

第四章
第四章
火心大口喘气，脸颊上被抓得火辣辣的疼。他摇摇晃晃地站起身，亮爪后退两步，担心地问：“我没有伤着你吧？”
火心声音沙哑地说：“没有伤着，我很好。是白风教你那个动作的吗？我从没见过这一招，干得漂亮！”
他忍着痛走过训练沙坑，迅爪、刺爪和云爪在一旁看着。火心正在逐个评估这几名学徒的格斗技能，他们已经具备武士的不凡身手了。
火心说：“幸亏咱们是一伙的，我可不想有你们这样的敌人。我和你们的师父谈过，他们认为你们已经准备好了，所以我将和蓝星说说你们成为武士的事。”
亮爪、刺爪和迅爪交换了一个兴奋的眼神，云爪则显出一副满不在乎的样子，不过目光中也流露出期盼的神情。
火心继续说：“好吧，回家的路上再捕些猎物。等老年猫和母猫吃完后，你们就可以吃了。”
迅爪说：“那得看能不能剩下什么了。”
火心瞥了他一眼。迅爪有时像他的师父长尾那样爱发点儿牢骚，不过这次他显然是想开个玩笑。四名学徒跳起来冲出训练沙坑，火心听见亮爪对云爪大叫：“我肯定比你捉的猎物多！”
火心慢慢跟在众学徒后面，感觉自己好久没有像他们这样无忧无虑了。自从挑起副族长这副重担，他有时觉得自己比老年猫还要老。族群正在奋力求生，找寻食物，重建被烧得一塌糊涂的营地，所有的武士都在疲劳作战。火心从早忙到晚，工作总是多得做不完。
他有时想：我们还能撑多久？落叶季一天天临近，情况会变得更恶劣。大火后新长出的叶子已经开始变成红色和金黄色，火心站在山沟上，虽然艳阳当头，但吹来的风里已经有了凉意。
他回到营地，站在营地大门处向四周张望。只见负责重建营地的黑条已经把武士巢穴的漏洞填上了。尘毛和香薇爪、蜡爪正在黑条的指挥下工作。
营地的另一边，火心看见炭毛衔着一捆草药正向老年猫巢穴走去。
会场中央，金花的两个幼崽正在和纹尾的幼崽玩耍，两只母猫则坐在育婴室门口观看。柳带也在那里，小心翼翼地守着自己的孩子。她的幼崽还小，不能玩这种激烈的游戏。
火心的目光盯在黑莓崽的身上。黑莓崽长得结实健壮，身上深棕色的皮毛十分扎眼，任谁见了都看得出他的父亲是虎星。这个想法时常令火心感到不安，他也不想有这个想法。按理说，他对黑莓崽的妹妹黄崽也应该抱有同样的疑虑，但尽管她也是虎星的后代，长得却不像父亲那样凶恶。火心知道把虎星的罪孽牵累到黑莓崽身上是不公平的。
他至今仍不能忘记黑莓崽吊在树枝上，哭着喊着叫救命的那一幕。而且他也不能忘记当自己爬上树去救黑莓崽的时候，大火将黄牙困在了营地里。难道黄牙的牺牲换来的就是虎星儿子的性命？
忽然，幼崽中间发出一声凄惨的尖叫。只见黑莓崽正骑在雪崽身上，用爪子将他死死按在地上。雪崽吓得动也不敢动，只是发出尖叫声。
火心急忙冲上去，猛地将他从雪崽身上撞开。他厉声喝道：“够了！你知道自己在做什么吗？”
黑莓崽站起来，脸上显出一副又惊又怒的样子。
火心问：“说啊？”
黑莓崽抖了抖身上的土，说：“什么也没干，我们只是在玩耍罢了。”
“只是在玩耍？那纹尾的孩子为什么哭成那样？”
黑莓崽的目光暗淡下来，耸了耸肩膀说：“我怎么知道？这只能怪他玩不好。”
金花走到黑莓崽身边，训斥说：“黑莓崽！我给你说过多少次了？如果别的猫发出尖叫，你就应该放开爪子。还有，不许对火心无礼，记住，他是副族长。”
黑莓崽瞥了火心一眼，目光移向别处，小声说：“对不起。”
火心生气地说：“哼，这种事情一定不能再发生了。”
黑莓崽走到仍趴在地上的雪崽身边。纹尾舔了一下雪崽，说：“好了，站起来，你没有受伤。”
黑莓崽舔了舔雪崽的耳朵，说：“是啊，站起来，雪崽，我不是故意的，咱们一起玩吧，这回我让你当族长。”
黑莓崽的妹妹黄崽一直盘着尾巴坐在一旁，这时说：“他不好玩，总是扫大家的兴。”
“黄崽！”金花轻轻拍了一下她的耳朵，“别那么讨厌，真不知道你们两个今天是怎么了。”
雪崽仍然趴在地上，直到他的妈妈纹尾顶了顶他的脚，这才站起来。
火心向纹尾建议说：“也许你该带他去炭毛那里检查一下，以确保他没有受伤。”
纹尾猛地转头狠狠瞪着火心，吼道：“我的孩子没有毛病！你在说我不能照顾好他吗？”说完，她转身背冲着火心，赶着雪崽回到育婴室里。
金花解释说：“她对孩子很护短，我想是因为只生了一个幼崽的缘故吧。”说着，她深情地看着又扭打在一起的两个幼崽。
火心刚才冲黑莓崽发了火，这时讪讪的有些不好意思，他走到金花身边问：“你把他们的父亲现在当上影族族长的事告诉他们了吗？”
金花瞥了他一眼，说：“还没有。但影族会到处吹嘘，然后就会有某只猫把他们父亲的事情全部说给他们听。”
火心说：“他们迟早会知道的。”
金花用力舔着胸前的毛，过了半晌才说：“我注意到你看他们的眼光了，特别是看黑莓崽，他长得像虎星并不是他的错。不过，其他猫看他时目光也有些异样。”她舔着爪子，边想边说，“我希望我的孩子们能快快乐乐地长大，不会因为发生在他们出生前的任何事情而怀有负罪感。现在虎星当上了影族族长，也许这种希望实现的可能性大了些，也许他们最终会为自己的父亲感到骄傲。”
火心不自在地动了动耳朵，对金花的乐观想法不以为然。
金花继续说：“他们都很尊重你，特别是黑莓崽，是你把他从大火中救了出来。”
火心一时间不知道该说什么好，更为自己对黑莓崽抱有的敌视态度而感到惭愧，不过他仍然感觉到黑莓崽身上隐隐有虎星的影子。
金花目不转睛地盯着他，说：“我想应该由你来告诉他们虎星的事，你毕竟是副族长，从你那里知道虎星的事，他们更容易接受些。我知道你会把真相告诉他们的。”
火心结结巴巴地说：“你……你认为我该现在告诉他们吗？”金花说话的口气使得这件事更像一个挑战。
金花镇静地回答说：“不，不是现在。在你没有准备好之前先不要给他们讲，等你认为自己已经准备好之后再说。”接着她又补充了一句，“但时间不要拖得太久。”
火心低头行礼，承诺说：“我会的，金花，而且我会尽量照顾到他们的感受。”
金花还没来得及回答，便见黑莓崽带着黄崽跑到她面前，忽闪着大眼睛问：“我们能去看看老年猫吗？一只眼说要给我们讲一些很好听很好听的故事！”
金花慈爱地说：“当然可以啦，给她带些猎物过去——这是一种礼貌。还有，要在太阳落山前回来。”
黄崽说：“放心吧。”说着，她边跑边回过头喊，“我给一只眼拿只老鼠去！”
黑莓崽蹦蹦跳跳地跟在后面，大声嚷嚷说：“不，不要你拿，我去拿！”
金花转身对火心说：“嗯，如果你看到这两只幼崽有什么不妥，麻烦你告诉我一声，反正我是看不出。”
她站起来，显然不打算听火心的回答，轮流抖掉四只爪子上的灰土，然后钻进育婴室。火心看着她离开，哭笑不得，他今天也不知怎么就同时招惹了纹尾和金花。金花信任他，但显然不满他对黑莓崽抱有偏见——而且他也确实无法摒弃这些偏见。
他叹了口气，站起来准备带领队伍出去巡逻。就在他转身离开育婴室之际，他发现蕨毛在附近徘徊，一副欲言又止的样子。
火心问蕨毛：“有什么事吗？”
蕨毛吞吞吐吐地说：“我说不清，只是刚才发生的事，嗯，纹尾的幼崽，还有……”
“你不是想说我对黑莓崽太严厉了吧？”
“不，火心，当然不是了。不过……唉，我想雪崽可能有点儿毛病。”
火心知道蕨毛一向处事谨慎，不会小题大做，于是催促道：“说下去。”
蕨毛解释说：“我一直在关注雪崽。”他一边说，一边用爪子搓着地面，显出一副不好意思的样子，“我……我想蓝星也许会选我做雪崽的老师，所以对他的注意便多了些。我觉得他好像有些不大对劲，不会像别的幼崽那样玩耍，别的猫和他说话，他也没有反应。火心，你知道幼崽们的特点——无论遇到什么东西都要伸鼻子嗅嗅，但雪崽好像没有表现出来。我想应该让炭毛给他检查一下。”
“我向纹尾提过这件事，结果耳朵险些被她撕烂。”
蕨毛耸了耸肩膀，说：“也许是纹尾不肯承认她的孩子有毛病罢了。”
火心细想起来，也觉得雪崽与别的幼崽相比，反应似乎迟钝了些。雪崽比金花的两个幼崽年龄还大，但发育程度却与年龄大不相符。火心说：“这件事交给我来处理，我和炭毛谈谈，她应该能找出一种办法来，既为雪崽检查了身体，又不伤及纹尾的面子。”
蕨毛舒了口气，说：“那就拜托了，火心。”
火心说：“还有，你能带队巡逻吗？叫上鼠毛和纹脸一同去。”
蕨毛凛然遵命：“没问题，火心，我现在就叫她们一起去。”
说完，他翘着尾巴转身离开。等他走出几步后，火心忽然想起一件事，又叫住他说：“哦，蕨毛，如果雪崽没有什么问题，我就去和蓝星谈谈，请她选你教导雪崽。”
火心没有急着去找炭毛，而是打算先去向蓝星汇报一下他对学徒们评估的情况。这位雷族族长此时正坐在巢穴外晒太阳，看上去似乎有些恢复了，但她蓝色的眼睛里却显露出疲惫的神色，面前放着的猎物仅吃了一半。
看见火心走过来，蓝星冲他眨了眨眼睛，说：“是火心呀！有什么事吗？”
火心强打精神说：“蓝星，我带来了好消息。今天我给四名大龄学徒都做了评估，他们表现得非常好，我想他们已经具备武士的资格了。”
蓝星迷惘地说：“大龄学徒？那是蕨爪，还有……还有炭爪吗？”
火心心里一沉，蓝星居然连谁是学徒都记不清了！他耐心地说：“不是他们，蓝星，是云爪、亮爪、迅爪和刺爪。”
蓝星身子震了一下，随即厉声喝道：“我说的就是他们，你想让他们成为武士？把……把他们老师的名字报上来。”
火心努力压住内心的悲伤，告诉她说：“我是云爪的老师，其他的老师是长尾……”
蓝星立刻打断他的话说：“长尾！没错，虎掌的狐朋狗友嘛。他这么不可信，为什么还让他带学徒？”
火心提醒说：“虎掌离开营地时，长尾选择留下来了呀。”
蓝星嗤之以鼻：“那我们也不能信任他，我们不能信任他们当中的任何一个，我绝不会让他们的徒弟成为武士的！”她顿了顿，接着又说：“只有你的徒弟可以，火心，只有你对我忠心耿耿，所以云爪可以成为武士，其他的几个不行。”
火心不知道该说什么好。虽然大家对云爪的看法还不错，但如果只有他成为武士而其他学徒不行的话，肯定会出大麻烦的。况且，别的学徒不比云爪差，太过突出对云爪没有好处。
火心心乱如麻，他知道在这种情形下，所有的学徒都不宜成为武士。尽管族群迫切需要武士，但他知道蓝星现在已经不可理喻。
最后他说：“哦，谢谢你这么看重我，蓝星，但这件事不妨先放一放，多一点儿训练总不是坏事。”
说完，他急忙转身离开，只留下蓝星在那里迷茫地看着他远去。
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 9
As her Clan stared at herin horror, Bluestar spun around and stalked away to her den. Fireheart took a pace after her, but without turning her head she snapped, “Leave me alone!” There was so much venom in her voice that Fireheart stopped in his tracks.
What am I supposed to do now? he asked himself. He could see that the Clan was on the edge of panic. The shock of the hawk’s attack, and Bluestar’s interpretation of it, was turning them into frightened kits. His own legs were shaking, but he pushed his fears away and sprang onto the Highrock.
“Listen!” he called. “Gather ’round, all of you.”
Gradually the cats obeyed him, creeping into a huddle at the base of the rock. Several of them glanced fearfully up at the sky, as if they expected the hawk to return. Fireheart noticed Fernpaw pressing close to Dustpelt, and Longtail crouched on the ground as if he thought StarClan were going to start raining fire on them there and then.
And then Fireheart spotted Cloudpaw. The apprentice was gazing around in bewilderment. “What’s all the fuss about?” he meowed to Brightpaw. “Every cat knows StarClan is just a tale for kits. They can’t really do anything to us.”
Brightpaw faced him with shock in her eyes. “Cloudpaw, that’s not true!” she exclaimed.
“Come on!” Cloudpaw gave her an affectionate flick with his tail. “You don’t really believe that load of thistledown, do you?” He showed his indifference by sitting down and giving his paws a thorough wash.
Fireheart stared down at his apprentice with cold dread chilling the blood in his veins. He had known for a long time that Cloudpaw had no respect for the warrior code, but he had not realized that his apprentice did not believe in StarClan at all.
On the other side of the clearing, Cinderpelt and Brindleface were gently guiding Speckletail in the direction of Cinderpelt’s den. Cinderpelt stopped, mewed something rapidly to Brindleface, and came limping back toward the rock.
“I think you might need me, Fireheart,” she mewed. “But make it quick. I have to take care of Speckletail.”
Fireheart nodded. “Cats of ThunderClan,” he began, raising his voice, “we’ve just seen something terrible. No cat can deny that. But we have to be careful about what meaning we give to this tragedy. Cinderpelt, is Bluestar right? Does this mean that StarClan have abandoned us?”
Cinderpelt spoke up clearly from where she sat at the base of the rock. “No,” she meowed. “StarClan haven’t shown me anything to suggest this. The camp is more exposed since the fire, so it’s not surprising that the hawk could see its prey.”
“So it was just an accident that we lost Snowkit?” Fireheart prompted.
“Just an accident,” Cinderpelt repeated. “Nothing to do with StarClan.”
Fireheart saw the Clan begin to relax and realized that Cinderpelt’s certainty had reassured them. The cats still looked shocked and grief-stricken that Snowkit had been snatched away, but the wild stares of panic were fading.
But along with his relief came the worry that once the Clan had recovered from their shock, they would start asking themselves why Bluestar had gone so far as to declare war on their warrior ancestors in StarClan. “Thank you, Cinderpelt,” Fireheart meowed.
Cinderpelt flicked her tail and limped quickly toward her den
Fireheart took a step forward on top of the rock and gazed down at the upturned faces. “There’s something else I need to tell you,” he began. He wasn’t at all sure he should be saying this, since Bluestar insisted that WindClan was responsible for the dead rabbits, but with the safety of the Clan at stake he couldn’t keep silent. “We think there’s a loose dog on ThunderClan territory. We haven’t seen it, but we’ve scented it at Snakerocks and near Fourtrees.”
An anxious murmur rose from the cats, and Sandstorm called out, “What about the dogs at the farm beyond WindClan territory? Maybe it’s one of those.”
“Maybe,” Fireheart agreed, remembering how the savage creatures had chased him and Sandstorm while they were searching for Cloudpaw. “Until it goes away again,” he went on, “we all have to be especially careful. Apprentices mustn’t go out without a warrior. And all cats who leave camp have an extra duty. Look for traces of this dog—scent, pawmarks, scattered scraps of prey….”
“And dung,” Mousefur put in. “The filthy creatures never think of burying it.”
“Right,” meowed Fireheart. “If you come across anything like that, report it to me right away. We need to find out where the dog has made its den.”
As he gave his orders he did his best to hide his growing sense of dread. He could not stifle the feeling that the forest was watching him, concealing a deadly enemy somewhere among the trees. At least the threat from Tigerstar was a straightforward fear of attack from a known enemy. This hidden dog was another matter, unseen and unpredictable.
Dismissing the Clan, Fireheart leaped down from the Highrock and made his way toward Cinderpelt’s den. On the way, he spotted Brackenfur limping back into the camp with Swiftpaw just behind him. The ginger warrior’s fur was torn where he had forced his way through briers and undergrowth in his pursuit of the hawk. One look at his lowered head and dejected expression told Fireheart all he needed to know, but he waited for Brackenfur to come up and make his report.
“I’m sorry, Fireheart. We tried to keep up, but we lost it.”
“You did your best,” Fireheart replied, pressing his head against the younger warrior’s shoulder. “There was never much hope.”
“A waste of time and effort right from the start,” Swiftpaw growled, though his eyes betrayed his frustration at their failure to save the kit.
“Where’s Speckletail?” asked Brackenfur.
“With Cinderpelt. I’m just going to check on her. You two help yourself to fresh-kill and then get some rest.”
He waited to see that the two cats obeyed his order before continuing to Cinderpelt’s den. Sandstorm fell into step beside him. When they reached the clearing outside the medicine cat’s den, they found Speckletail lying there with Brindleface crouched beside her, licking her gently.
Cinderpelt emerged from the cleft in the rock carrying a folded leaf in her mouth, which she set down on the ground in front of Speckletail. “Poppy seeds,” she mewed. “Eat them, Speckletail, and they’ll make you sleep.”
At first Fireheart thought Speckletail had not heard her; then she half sat up, turned her head, and slowly licked up the poppy seeds from the leaf.
“I’ll never have any more kits,” she mewed, her voice hoarse. “I’ll be going to join the elders now.”
“And they’ll welcome you,” Sandstorm murmured, crouching beside the older cat as the poppy seeds took effect and her head gradually lowered into sleep. Fireheart glanced admiringly at Sandstorm; she was a skilled warrior, and he had reason to know the sharpness of her tongue, but she had a gentle side too.
He was roused from his thoughts when he heard Cinderpelt clearing her throat, and he saw that the medicine cat had padded over to sit beside him. From the look she was giving him he realized that she must have spoken to him and was waiting for a response.
“Sorry—what?” he mewed.
“Ifyou’re not too busy to listen,” Cinderpelt meowed dryly, “I said that I’ll keep Speckletail with me overnight.”
“Good idea, thanks.” Fireheart remembered that Cinderpelt had been with Speckletail when he had been telling the Clan about the loose dog. “There’s something else you need to know, and I’d like you to have another look at Bluestar.”
“Oh? What’s the matter with her?”
Speaking softly so that Sandstorm did not hear him, Fireheart told Cinderpelt about the evidence that a dog was loose in the forest, and how Bluestar was convinced that it must be WindClan invading ThunderClan territory to steal prey. “She’s so confused,” he finished. “She must be, to declare war on StarClan like that. And there’s a Gathering in a few nights. What’s going to happen if she starts accusing WindClan in front of the other cats?”
“Now wait a minute,” Cinderpelt meowed. “This is your Clan leader you’re talking about. You should respect her opinions even if you don’t agree with them.”
“This isn’t just a disagreement!” Fireheart protested. “There isn’t a scrap of proof for what she suggests.” His raised voice made Sandstorm prick up her ears as she lay beside Speckletail, and he lowered it again as he added, “Bluestar was a great leader. Every cat knows that. But now…I can’t trust her judgment, Cinderpelt. Not when she isn’t making any sense.”
“You should still try to understand her. Show her a bit of sympathy, at least. She deserves that from every cat.”
For a few heartbeats Fireheart felt outrage that Cinderpelt, who had once been his apprentice, should be talking to him like this. It wasn’t Cinderpelt who had to defend Bluestar’s decisions and try to hide her confusion so that her own Clan still trusted her. Not to mention making excuses for her to all the other Clans so that no cat would guess the weakness at ThunderClan’s heart.
“Do you think I haven’t tried?” he snapped. “If I’m any more sympathetic, my fur will fall out!”
“Your fur looks fine to me,” Cinderpelt remarked.
“Look…” Fireheart made one last effort to suppress his annoyance. “Bluestar missed the last Gathering. If she doesn’t go to the next one, every cat in the forest will know something’s wrong. Can’t you give her something to make her a bit more reasonable?”
“I’ll try. But there’s a limit to what my herbs can do. She’s gotten over the effects of the fire, you know. This trouble started long before that, when she first found out about Tigerstar. She’s old and tired, and she thinks she’s losing everything she believed in, even StarClan.”
“Especially StarClan,” Fireheart agreed. “And if she—”
He broke off, realizing that Sandstorm had left Speckletail and was walking toward him. “Finished talking secrets?” she mewed with an edge to her voice. Flicking her tail toward Speckletail, she added, “She’s asleep. I’ll leave her to you, Cinderpelt.”
“Thanks for your help, Sandstorm.”
Both she-cats were being very polite to each other, but somehow Fireheart felt it wouldn’t take much for them to unsheathe their claws. He wondered why, then decided he didn’t have time to worry about petty squabbles.
“We’ll go and eat, then,” he meowed.
“And afterward you need to rest,” Sandstorm told him. “You’ve been on your paws since dawn.”
She gave him a nudge, propelling him toward the main clearing. Before he had taken more than a couple of paces, Cinderpelt called after him, “Send some fresh-kill for me and Speckletail. If you’ve got time, that is.”
“Of course I’ve got time.” Fireheart felt completely baffled by the tension that had chilled the air. “I’ll see to it right away.”
“Good.” Cinderpelt gave him a curt nod, and Fireheart felt her blue gaze trained on his back all the way across the clearing.
第五章
第五章
太阳西沉，会场上的影子被拉得越来越长。火心去找炭毛，发现她正坐在巫医巢穴里检查草药储备，于是他坐在巫医巢穴门口和她说话。
他把蕨毛的疑虑讲了一遍。“纹尾的幼崽？”炭毛说，然后她眯缝起眼睛想了一会儿，“是的，我明白他说的是什么了，好吧，我去检查一下。”
火心提醒她：“纹尾那边你要妥善应对。我建议她带雪崽找你看看时，她差点儿把我的耳朵撕烂。”
炭毛说：“这不稀奇，所有的母亲都相信自己的孩子是完美无缺的。我来处理这件事，火心，别太担心了。”接着，她一边把杜松浆果聚拢成一堆，一边补充道，“不过眼下我暂时还顾不上。天色已晚，我不方便再去打扰他们，而明天我又要去石林一趟。”
火心惊讶地问：“这么快？”他这才意识到时间就在不知不觉中过去了。
“明晚是新月之夜，所有的巫医都会去那里，星族将赐给我全部的力量。本来应该是由黄牙陪我去，将我引荐给星族的，现在我只能独自参加这场仪式了。”她说着话，眼神变得遥远飘忽。火心感觉到她正离自己远去，去一个自己达不到的地方——那是一个黑暗和梦的世界。
他说：“你需要一位武士陪同。上次蓝星想去石林，风族就不让她经过他们的领地。”
炭毛淡淡地说：“我倒要看看谁敢阻拦巫医的去路，星族永远不会原谅这种行为。”接着，她神色一变，调皮地说：“不知道你能不能从陪沙风的时间里抽出那么一点点来，屈驾陪我到‘四棵树’呢。”
火心发窘地说：“我都不知道你在说什么。”不过他知道自己没有等炭毛把做梦的事说完就去和沙风吃饭，炭毛想必特别难过。想到这里，火心大声说：“没有我，沙风也能带领夜班巡逻队，我陪你去‘四棵树’。”
第二天，火心和炭毛向“四棵树”进发。森林里大雾弥漫，雾气在他们的毛上凝结成无数的水珠。一声鸟鸣突然划破沉寂，火心冷不丁被吓了一大跳。如今森林里早已不是旧日模样，他生怕自己迷路。
两只猫跨过小溪走到“四棵树”的山谷时，大雾开始消散，阳光再度洒满大地。四棵巨大的橡树耸立在他们面前，由于枯叶季的临近，橡树的叶子开始变成金黄。
炭毛长长出了口气，抖掉身上的雾水说：“这种感觉真棒！我得在去往石林的路上留下自己的气味，此前我只去过一次，还是和黄牙一起去的。”
阳光照在火心身上，他也很喜欢这种温暖的感觉。他伸了个大懒腰，张开嘴巴深吸一口空气，想要嗅到猎物的气味。
忽然，一股猫的气味扑面而来，是影族！火心紧张地四下里张望。片刻后，只见影族巫医远远现出身影，身后还跟着一只猫。火心顿时松了口气。各族巫医之间不像武士那般相互敌视，他们的关系超越了族群争斗。
他对炭毛说：“看起来你路上有伴儿了。”
等那两只影族猫走过来，火心立刻认出了跟在奔鼻身后的那只影族猫——正是从瘟疫中捡回一条性命的小云。他和白喉为了躲避瘟疫曾逃到雷族，蓝星拒绝收留他们，但炭毛私下里把他们藏了起来并为他们治病，直到他们病好后回到影族的领地。
就在虎星和泼皮猫们袭击雷族巡逻队后不久，白喉就因一场意外事故死了。当时他正逃避雷族的追赶，慌不择路地跑到雷鬼路上，被迎面驰来的怪物碾成了两截。如今白喉已死，但看到小云恢复了健康，火心仍感到十分高兴。
奔鼻热情地向他们打招呼：“嘿，你们好啊！这么凑巧遇见你，炭毛，今天是出门的好天气。”
小云尊敬地向火心点了点头，走过来和炭毛触了触鼻子。
炭毛说：“很高兴看到你恢复了健康。”
小云回答：“这一切还不都是托了你的福。”然后他又自豪地补充了一句，“我现在是奔鼻的徒弟了。”
炭毛高兴地说：“这可真是一件大喜事啊！”
小云兴高采烈地说：“这也是你的缘故。你给我们治好病后，还让我们为族里带回了治病的草药，结果把他们全治好了！我想多做一些这样的善事。”
奔鼻说：“他确实很有天分。在瘟疫流行的情况下，为我们带回草药需要很大的勇气。
白喉没能和他一起回来，这让我感到很遗憾。”
火心问：“白喉没有回去？”他想抓住机会查清楚影族对白喉的事知道了多少。
小云悲伤地摇了摇头，说：“虽然我们带着治病草药，但他生怕再感染上瘟疫，说什么也不敢和我一起回营地去。”他回想起当日的情景，伤心地眨了眨眼睛，“几天后，我们在雷鬼路边发现了他的尸体。”
火心说：“别太难过了。”他一时间决定不了是否该把白喉的死因告诉小云。不过这件事牵扯到影族的新族长虎星，实在是事关重大。照当时的情形看，白喉显然加入了泼皮猫的队伍，而且还为此赔上了一条性命。
炭毛轻轻抵在小云身上，低声宽慰他。她坐在暖和的草地上，招呼小云在身边坐下，开始询问他训练的情况。
火心谨慎地问奔鼻：“现在情况好些了吗？”他很想让奔鼻提防虎星，但这么一来势必连带出发生在雷族内部的事。
奔鼻有些保守地说：“还凑合吧，学徒们恢复了训练，我们也终于能吃饱肚子了。”
火心说：“这是好消息啊。那些泼皮猫的情况怎么样？”
奔鼻皱着眉头承认说：“有些猫对他们加入族群感到很不满，我自己就感到不高兴。不过他们倒也安分守己，又都是身强体壮的武士，大家都不否认这一点。”
火心说：“这么说，虎星果真如预言中说的那样，将会成为一位伟大的族长了。”
奔鼻盯着他说：“雷族竟会赶走这么一只强壮的猫，这倒令我百思不得其解。”
火心深吸了口气，也许他该把虎星的事原原本本地告诉奔鼻了，他说：“说来话长。”
奔鼻打断他的话：“不，火心，我无意要你泄露你们族群的秘密。”他凑近火心坐下来，“无论他在雷族里做过什么，我只肯定一件事，那就是虎星是星族送给我们的。”
“你指那个预言吗？”
奔鼻移开目光，说：“老实说，还有别的一些事。我们的旧族长从没有被星族接受过。
夜星成为族长后，星族没有赐给他九条性命。”
“什么？”火心惊得目瞪口呆，简直不敢相信自己的耳朵。如果夜星只有一条性命，这也就解释了他为什么会在瘟疫中丧命。火心问：“他为什么没有得到九条性命？”
奔鼻说：“星族没有向我解释为什么。我猜大概是因为断尾还活着的缘故吧，而星族仍然认定断尾是影族族长。后来我们得知断尾死了，但夜星却病入膏肓，不能去月亮石那里接受九条性命了。恰在这时虎星来了，我想这一切也许都是星族的安排吧，夜星命里不该做影族族长。”
火心问：“既然星族不同意，为什么影族还认夜星做族长呢？”
奔鼻坦白地说：“大家并不知道夜星没有得到九条性命的事。他品格高尚，对族群尽心尽力，因此我们决定把这件事隐瞒下来。除此之外我们还能怎样呢？别的猫都不是当族长的料。如果我们说出真相，必然在族群里引发恐慌。”
奔鼻把整件事情说出来，口气变得轻松了许多。火心猜测他的心里一定憋闷了很久，终于能一吐为快了。
奔鼻又说：“所有的猫都以为这场瘟疫十分厉害，竟然夺走了夜星九条性命，他们都害怕了——非常非常害怕。他们极需要一位强有力的族长。”
所以他们便毫无异议地接受虎星做族长了。火心心里暗暗把奔鼻没有说的话说了出来，不过奔鼻也没有必要当着外族猫的面说出自己对新族长的疑虑。火心迟疑了一下，问：“虎星说过什么关于袭击雷族的事吗？”
奔鼻笑眯眯地说：“你真的以为我会告诉你吗？如果他有此计划，我告诉你岂不就背叛族群了？据我所知，目前你没有什么可担心的，不过我说归说，信不信由你。”
火心知道自己可以信任奔鼻——至少，他相信奔鼻对虎星的计划并不知情，至于他说得对不对那是另外一回事了。
这时炭毛叫：“火心！”她站起来向山谷对面的高地眺望，巫医们要想去石林，必须经过风族的领地。她问：“你和奔鼻打算坐在那里像两只老年猫一样聊一整天吗？”
她不耐烦地在草地上走来走去，小云坐在一旁，抬着头，眼睛里闪着期盼的目光。
“好啦好啦。”奔鼻说着，站起来走到他们面前，“我们有一整天的时间呢，石林又不会自己长脚跑了。”
四只猫绕着山谷一直走到风族的高地边缘。炭毛停下脚步，和火心触了触鼻子说：“放心吧，我不会有事的，谢谢你送了这么远的路，我明天晚上就回去了。”
火心叮嘱她说：“路上多保重。”
炭毛第一次去月亮石时，火心也是站在这里和她道别。此时他想到，炭毛将要穿过那条幽深黑暗的地下隧道，在那块闪闪发光的水晶石头边和星族会面，不由得感到寒意阵阵。他什么也没有说，舔了一下炭毛的耳朵以示告别，然后默默地目送她一瘸一拐地和其他两只猫消失在高地远处。
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 10
The stars of Silverpelt blazed froma clear sky, and the full moon rode high. Fireheart crouched at the top of the hollow leading down to Fourtrees. Beneath the four great oaks, the ground was carpeted with fallen leaves, glittering in the first frost of leaf-fall. Black shapes of cats moved to and fro against the pale shimmer.
This time Bluestar had insisted on leading her Clan to the Gathering. Fireheart couldn’t decide whether that was a good thing or not. True, now he didn’t have to invent excuses for her, but he was also worried about what she might say. As ThunderClan’s problems piled up, it was becoming more and more difficult to present a strong face to their rival Clans, and his apprehension bit deeper when he admitted to himself that he could no longer trust his leader’s judgment.
He edged toward her, out of earshot of Cloudpaw and Mousefur, who were beside him. “Bluestar,” he murmured. “What will you—”
As if she hadn’t heard him, Bluestar signaled with her tail and the ThunderClan cats sprang to their paws and raced down through the bushes into the hollow. Fireheart had no option but to follow. Before they left the camp, Bluestar had refused to talk about the coming Gathering, and now his last chance to discuss it with her had gone.
Down in the hollow there were fewer cats than Fireheart had expected, and he realized they were all from WindClan and ShadowClan. He spotted Tallstar and Tigerstar seated side by side at the base of the Great Rock. Bluestar walked straight past them, her tail as stiff as if she were advancing on an enemy. Without acknowledging them with so much as the flick of a whisker, she leaped up to the Great Rock and sat there, her gray-blue fur glowing in the moonlight.
Fireheart took a deep breath and tried to calm the fears that welled inside him. Bluestar had already convinced herself that Tallstar was her enemy; to see the WindClan leader talking privately with Tigerstar, the traitor Bluestar feared most, would make her surer that she was right.
As he watched, Fireheart saw Tallstar lean over to Tigerstar and meow something; Tigerstar flicked his tail dismissively. Fireheart wondered if he should creep closer to listen to what they were saying, but before he could move he felt a friendly nudge at his shoulder and looked around to see Onewhisker, a warrior of WindClan.
“Hi, there,” Onewhisker meowed. “Do you remember who this is?”
He pushed a young cat forward, a tabby with bright eyes and ears pricked with excitement. “This is Morningflower’s kit,” Onewhisker explained. “He’s my apprentice now—Gorsepaw. Isn’t he big now?”
“Morningflower’s kit, of course! I saw you at the last Gathering.” Fireheart still found it hard to believe that this well-muscled apprentice was the same scrap of fur whom he had carried across the Thunderpath when he and Graystripe brought WindClan home.
“Mother told me about you, Fireheart,” Gorsepaw mewed shyly. “How you carried me, and everything.”
“Well, I’m glad I don’t have to carry you now,” Fireheart replied. “If you grow much more, you’ll be able to join LionClan!”
Gorsepaw purred happily. Fireheart was sharply aware of the warm friendship that he felt for these cats, which had survived all the skirmishing and disagreements since that long-ago journey.
“We should be starting the meeting,” Onewhisker went on. “But there’s no sign of RiverClan.”
The words were hardly out of his mouth when there was a stir among the bushes at the other side of the clearing. A group of RiverClan cats appeared, padding close together into the open. Stalking proudly at their head was Leopardfur.
“Where’s Crookedstar?” Onewhisker wondered out loud.
“I heard he’s ill,” Fireheart meowed, realizing that he wasn’t surprised to see Leopardfur taking her leader’s place. From what Graystripe had told him by the river half a moon ago, he hadn’t expected the RiverClan leader to be well enough to attend a Gathering.
Leopardfur walked straight toward the base of the Great Rock, where Tallstar and Tigerstar were sitting. She dipped her head courteously and settled down beside them.
Fireheart was too far away to hear what they were saying, and he was distracted a moment later as a familiar gray warrior bounded across the clearing to his side.
“Graystripe!” Fireheart gave a welcoming mew. “I thought you weren’t allowed to come to Gatherings.”
“I wasn’t,” replied Graystripe, touching noses with his friend. “But Stonefur said I should have a chance to prove my loyalty.”
“Stonefur?” Fireheart echoed. He had noticed both of Bluestar’s kits, Stonefur and his sister, Mistyfoot, among the cats who followed Leopardfur. “What’s it got to do with him?”
“Stonefur’s our new deputy,” meowed Graystripe. He frowned. “Oh, of course, you don’t know. Crookedstar died two nights ago. Leopardstar is our leader now.”
Fireheart was silent for a moment, remembering the dignified old cat who had helped ThunderClan during the fire. The news of Crookedstar’s death didn’t surprise him, but it still brought a pang of anxiety. Leopardstar would be a strong leader, good for RiverClan, but she had no love for ThunderClan.
“She’s already started to reorganize the Clan, even though it’s barely a day since she went to the Moonstone to speak with StarClan,” Graystripe went on, pulling a face. “Supervising the apprentice training, ordering more patrols. And—” He broke off, his paws working on the ground in front of him.
“Graystripe!” Fireheart was alarmed at his friend’s clear agitation. “What’s the matter?”
Graystripe lifted anguished yellow eyes to gaze at his friend. “There’s something you ought to know, Fireheart.” He took a quick glance around to make sure no RiverClan cats were within earshot. “Ever since the fire, Leopardfur has been planning how to get Sunningrocks back.”
“I…I don’t think you should be telling me that,” Fireheart stammered, staring at his friend in dismay. Sunningrocks was a long-disputed territory on the border between ThunderClan and RiverClan. Oakheart and the former ThunderClan deputy, Redtail, had both died in battle over them. For Graystripe to tell Fireheart of his new leader’s intentions was an act of betrayal that went completely against the warrior code.
“I know, Fireheart.” Graystripe couldn’t meet his gaze, and his voice shook with the weight of what he was doing. “I have tried to be a loyal warrior of RiverClan—no cat could have tried harder!” His voice was rising in desperation, but with a huge effort he managed to control himself and go on in a lower voice. “But I can’t sit by and do nothing while Leopardstar plans to attack ThunderClan. If it comes to a battle, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Fireheart moved closer, trying to comfort the gray warrior. He had always known, ever since Graystripe had crossed the river, that sooner or later his friend would have to face the ordeal of fighting against his birth Clan. Now it seemed as if that day had suddenly drawn closer.
“When is this attack going to happen?” he asked.
Graystripe shook his head. “I’ve no idea. Even if Leopardstar has decided, she wouldn’t tell me. I only know about the plan from what the other warriors have said. But I’ll see what I can find out, if you like.”
For a moment Fireheart was excited by the thought of having a spy in the RiverClan camp. Then he realized what a fearful risk Graystripe would be taking. He couldn’t put his friend in that much danger, or add to the pain of his divided loyalties. Unless ThunderClan struck first, without waiting for Leopardstar to attack—which Fireheart didn’t want to do—they would just have to deal with the threat when it arose.
“No, it’s too dangerous,” Fireheart replied. “I’m grateful for the warning, but think what Leopardstar would do to you if she found out. She doesn’t exactly like you as it is. I’ll tell all the hunting patrols to keep checking Sunningrocks for RiverClan scent, and make sure our scent markings are strong there.”
Yowling from the top of the Great Rock interrupted him. He turned to see that the other three leaders had joined Bluestar, who still refused to look at Tigerstar, and were waiting to begin the meeting. When the cats had fallen silent, Tigerstar nodded to Leopardstar, indicating that she should speak first. The golden tabby took a place at the front of the rock and looked down.
“Our former leader, Crookedstar, has gone to join StarClan,” she announced. “He was a noble leader and all his Clan mourns his passing. I am leader of RiverClan now, and Stonefur is my deputy. Last night I traveled to Highstones and received my nine lives from StarClan.”
“Congratulations,” meowed Tigerstar, while Tallstar mewed, “Crookedstar will be missed by all the Clans. But may StarClan grant that RiverClan thrives under your leadership.”
Leopardstar thanked them and looked expectantly at Bluestar, but the ThunderClan leader was gazing down into the hollow. There was an expression of pride on her face, and when Fireheart followed her gaze he saw that she was looking at Stonefur. The obvious admiration for her son shocked him, and his heart grew cold when he remembered that Tigerstar knew a pair of ThunderClan kits had once been taken in by RiverClan. Fireheart couldn’t help noticing that Tigerstar’s gaze was trained on Bluestar, and the massive tabby had a thoughtful look on his face. What would it take for him to guess who the mother of those kits had been?
“I have one more piece of Clan news,” Leopardstar meowed, obviously deciding that she had waited long enough for Bluestar to speak. “One of our elders, Graypool, is dead.”
Fireheart’s ears pricked. He wondered what Mistyfoot and Graystripe had told their leader about Graypool’s death, and if he had left any of his own scent on her body. Leopardstar could possibly use that to accuse ThunderClan of killing the old cat, to give her Clan an excuse to attack.
But when Leopardstar went on, it was only to say, “She was a brave warrior and the mother of many kits.” She paused to cast a sympathetic glance at Mistyfoot and Stonefur. “Her Clan mourns her,” she finished.
Fireheart relaxed, then felt himself tense again as Tigerstarstepped forward. Would the ShadowClan leader announce what he knew about two of Graypool’s kits?
To his relief, Tigerstar made no mention of the secret. Instead he gave news of ShadowClan kits that had been made into apprentices and the birth of a new litter—details that showed how ShadowClan was beginning to recover its strength, but nothing that suggested hostility to any other Clan.
Hope flared in Fireheart again. Perhaps there really was no need to keep worrying about a threat from Tigerstar. It would be a relief to forget him and concentrate on the lurking threat of the dog in the forest. Then Fireheart remembered the ShadowClan leader’s brutal treatment of Graypool, which had led to her death, and all his suspicions returned.
When Tigerstar had finished speaking, Tallstar moved to take his place, but Bluestar thrust herself in front of the WindClan leader. “Iwill speak next,” she growled, giving Tallstar a hard stare.
She stalked to the front of the rock. “Cats of all Clans,” she began, her voice coldly angry, “I bring news of theft. WindClan warriors have been hunting in ThunderClan territory.”
Fireheart’s heart lurched as angry yowling broke out all over the hollow. The WindClan cats sprang to their paws, furiously denying the ThunderClan leader’s accusation.
Cloudpaw scrambled around two bigger warriors and came to a halt beside Fireheart, his blue eyes wide with shock and excitement. “WindClan!”he meowed. “What’s she talking about?”
“Be quiet!” Fireheart snapped. He glanced at Onewhisker, afraid that he might have overheard Cloudpaw’s outburst, but the tabby warrior was on his paws, yowling defiance at Bluestar.
“Prove it!” he called, his fur bristling. “Prove that WindClan have taken so much as a mouse!”
“I have proof.” Bluestar’s eyes blazed cold fire. “Our patrols found remains of rabbit scattered not far from here.”
“You call that proof?” Tallstar shouldered his way forward to stand nose-to-nose with Bluestar. “Did you see my cats on your territory? Did your patrols find WindClan scent?”
“I don’t need to see or smell thieves to know what they have done,” Bluestar retorted. “Every cat knows that only WindClan hunts rabbits.”
Fireheart’s muscles tensed, and he instinctively unsheathed his claws.
“All this is a pile of mouse dung,” Tallstar insisted. His black-and-white fur was fluffed out, and his lips were drawn back in a snarl. “WindClan have lost prey as well. Wehave found rabbit remains on our territory too. And there are far fewer rabbits than usual at this season. I accuse you, Bluestar, of letting your warriors hunt on our land and making false accusations to cover up the theft!”
“That seems far more likely,” Tigerstar put in, his amber eyes gleaming. “Every cat knows that prey has been scarce on ThunderClan territory since the fire. Your Clan is hungry, Bluestar, and someof your warriors know WindClan territory very well.”
Fireheart felt the ShadowClan leader’s gaze rest on him, and knew Tigerstar meant him and Graystripe.
Bluestar whipped around to face the ShadowClan leader. “Silence!” she hissed. “Stay away from me and my Clan. This is no business of yours.”
“It is the business of every cat in the forest,” Tigerstar replied calmly. “The Gathering is supposed to be a time of peace. If StarClan are angered, we will all suffer.”
“StarClan!” Bluestar spat back at him. “StarClan have turned away from us, and I will fight them if I have to. I care only for feeding my Clan, and I will not stand by while other cats steal our prey.”
Her speech was almost drowned by the shocked gasps of the cats listening below. Fireheart couldn’t help glancing up to see if StarClan would show their fury by sending a cloud to cover the moon and end the Gathering, as they had done once before. But the sky remained clear. Did that mean StarClan had accepted Bluestar’s declaration of war?
Graystripe nudged him. “What’s the matter with Bluestar? Does she wantto pick a fight with WindClan? And what’s all this about fighting StarClan?”
“I don’t know what she wants,” Fireheart muttered.
“I think she’s right about the rabbits, and who cares what a stupid old tradition says about keeping the peace at the Gatherings?” meowed Cloudpaw. “Let’s face it, StarClan was just thought up by some leader to scare the other cats into being obedient.”
Fireheart shot his apprentice a disapproving glance, but there was no time to discuss his attitude toward their warrior ancestors. His heart thudded as if he were about to leap into battle. There was no way of hiding Bluestar’s madness—and ThunderClan’s vulnerability—from the other Clans now. Tallstar bristled with fury. So far Leopardstar had not joined in the argument, but she wore the expression of a cat who was about to sink her teeth into a juicy piece of fresh-kill.
When the noise in the hollow had died down, Tallstar made himself heard. “Bluestar, I swear by StarClan that no cat from WindClan has hunted on your territory.” His tail lashed from side to side. “But if you insist on fighting with us, we will be ready.” He retreated from the edge of the rock and turned his back on Bluestar, a pointed refusal to defend himself any further.
Before Bluestar could retaliate, Leopardstar stepped forward. “The fire was a terrible misfortune,” she meowed. “Every cat in the forest knows that, but yours is not the only Clan to suffer recently. Your forest will grow back as rich in prey as it ever was. But Twolegs have invaded our territory and they show no signs of leaving. Last leaf-bare the river was poisoned and cats who ate the fish fell ill. Who can guarantee it won’t happen again? I cannot speak for WindClan’s needs, but RiverClan needs better hunting ground even more than ThunderClan.”
A few RiverClan cats yowled their agreement, and Fireheart’s fur bristled with apprehension. He shot a glance at Graystripe, remembering his friend’s warning about Sunningrocks. The new RiverClan leader meant to expand her territory, and the logical direction was across the river into ThunderClan land. The gorge cut her off from WindClan territory, and all her other borders were bounded by Twoleg farms.
But Bluestar had not understood the veiled threat. When the RiverClan leader fell silent she dipped her head graciously. “You’re right, Leopardstar,” she meowed. “RiverClan has endured hard times. Yet your cats are so strong and noble that I know you will survive.”
Leopardstar looked taken aback—as well she might, Fireheart thought. The old Bluestar would never have missed the ominous promise in Leopardstar’s words.
Tigerstar took a step toward the ThunderClan leader. “Think carefully before you threaten WindClan, Bluestar,” he warned. “There will never be peace in the forest if—”
Bluestar bared her teeth and snarled at him, her fur bristling with fury. “Don’t talk to me about peace!” she hissed. “I told you to keep out of this. Unless you’re allying yourself with that thief over there.”
Fireheart watched Tallstar stalk over to Bluestar, and he guessed that the WindClan leader was barely managing not to spring at her throat. “If you want a fight, you’ll have one, Bluestar,” he growled. Not waiting for a reply, he leaped down from the rock.
Tigerstar exchanged a glance with Leopardstar and both leaders followed, leaving Bluestar alone. Fireheart glanced at the sky again, hardly able to believe there was no sign from StarClan to show that they had seen the Gathering descend into hostility. Did that mean StarClan wanteda war between the Clans?
As Bluestar scrambled down from the rock, Fireheart looked around for the other ThunderClan warriors. “Cloudpaw,” he instructed urgently, “round up as many of our warriors as you can find and send them to the base of the Great Rock. Bluestar will need an escort.”
His apprentice nodded and slipped away into the crowd. Fireheart saw Stonefur thrusting his way through the crowd toward Graystripe.
“Are you ready?” the RiverClan deputy meowed. “Leopardstar wants to leave quickly.”
“On my way,” Graystripe mewed, springing to his paws. His voice shook as he added, “Good-bye, Fireheart.”
“Good-bye,” Fireheart replied. There was so much more he wanted to say, but once again he had to face the fact that his best friend belonged to another Clan, and the next time they met could be in battle.
Before the two RiverClan cats turned away, he sought desperately for the right words to speak to Stonefur. “Congratulations,” he stammered at last. “I was glad to hear Leopardstar chose you as deputy. ThunderClan don’t want trouble, you know.”
Stonefur met his eyes. “Nor do I,” he meowed. “But sometimes trouble comes anyway.”
Fireheart watched them as they headed for the edge of the clearing, and noticed with a jolt that another cat had his gaze fixed on the RiverClan deputy. It was Tigerstar!
Fireheart wondered what his thoughtful look meant. Was the ShadowClan leader sizing up a future ally? Or could he possibly suspect that the tom was one of the kits Graypool had told him of, the kits that came from ThunderClan? After all, it was common knowledge that Stonefur and Mistyfoot had been raised by Graypool. If so, it wouldn’t be long before Tigerstar realized who their real mother was. Both Stonefur and Mistyfoot looked very much like Bluestar.
Fireheart was so preoccupied that it was a few moments before he realized that the cat sitting in the shadows beside Tigerstar was Darkstripe. He told himself that it was only natural for Tigerstar’s oldest friend to seek him out at a Gathering, but Fireheart didn’t like it. He still wasn’t sure of Darkstripe’s loyalty.
Springing to his paws, he pushed through the cats toward them. As he approached, he heard Tigerstar meow to his companion, “Are my kits well?”
“Very well,” the ThunderClan warrior replied warmly. “Growing big and strong—especially young Bramblekit.”
“Darkstripe!” Fireheart interrupted him. “The Gathering’s over, or hadn’t you noticed? Bluestar will want to leave shortly.”
“Keep your fur on, Fireheart.” Darkstripe’s voice was an insolent drawl. “I’m coming.”
“Go on, Darkstripe; you mustn’t keep your deputy waiting,” meowed Tigerstar. He nodded to Fireheart; his amber gaze was carefully neutral.
Fireheart padded across the clearing to join Bluestar with Darkstripe just behind him. The rest of her warriors were clustered around her, shielding her from the hostile glares and mutterings of WindClan. Her blue eyes still glowed with defiance, and Fireheart realized with a sinking heart that war between the two Clans could not be far away.
第六章
第六章
森林一团漆黑，没有一丝月光。火心抬起头，只能依稀看见一些树枝的轮廓。周围的树木比他记忆中的要粗大许多。地上长满了刺藤和常春藤。
他大喊道：“斑叶，斑叶！你在哪里？”
前方哗哗的流水声不绝于耳，但他的呼喊声却如石沉大海。他看不见周围的景物，不敢贸然前进。突然，一股巨大的洪流向他涌来，一下子把他冲走了。
火心知道自己是在梦境中。当他躺在武士巢穴里入睡时便希望能见斑叶一面。斑叶曾是雷族的巫医，后来被断尾的一名手下杀害了。现在，火心只有在梦里才能见到她。每当遇到麻烦事，他都能从斑叶那里得到睿智的答案。
但如今，尽管他一遍又一遍歇斯底里地呼喊斑叶的名字，却怎么也得不到回应。近来，火心在梦里总也找不到斑叶，就在上一次的梦里他也只听见斑叶的声音。他真害怕斑叶就此离开自己，赶紧乞求说：“斑叶，别离开我！”
忽然，火心感觉自己身后压过来一个重物。他拼命挣扎，想从重压下挣脱出来。就在他心急如焚的时候，他嗅到了猫的气味，立刻睁开了眼睛。他发现自己躺在苔藓窝里，尘毛正在用力拍打他的肩膀。
尘毛大声叫嚷：“你犯什么病呢？你这样吵个不停，谁还能睡成觉呀！”
沙风从窝里抬起头，睡眼惺忪地说：“别管他，他不过是在做梦罢了，这又不是他的错。”
尘毛生气地说：“你倒会说好话。”一扭身走出巢穴外。
火心坐起来把沾在身上的苔藓舔掉。透过焦黑的树枝，他看见太阳已经从天边升起来。白风必定一早带着巡逻队出去了，此时巢穴里没有别的武士。
他定了定神，但梦里的黑暗记忆犹新。森林里为什么会变得那么黑暗可怕？为什么斑叶不来见他，就连她的气味和声音也找不到？
沙风担心地问：“你还好吗？”
火心抖了抖身子，说：“我很好，咱们去捕猎吧。”
这一天阳光明媚，但空气中已带着一丝凉意。青草和香薇逐渐恢复繁茂，森林里正重现生机。如果好天气能够持续下去，森林里的植物就会继续生长，猎物也将回到这里。
火心带着沙风爬出山沟，向松林走去。自大火过后，大部分的猫都远远避开伐木场，因为那里的火情最为严重，大火就是从伐木场向周围蔓延的，那里的树木被烧得只剩下了残桩。火心原本心存侥幸，期望能捕到一些猎物，但他和沙风一直走到松林的边缘处，也没有发现猎物的影子。
松林里一片狼藉，一棵棵焦黑的松树东倒西歪，一些残存的枝干在风中摇摇欲坠。地上都是黑黢黢的炭灰，树林里也听不到鸟鸣。
沙风说：“这里算是毁了，我们去……”
话音未落，忽然一只猫出现在树林里。只见那只猫一边走一边焦急地东张西望。火心认出那只猫是自己的姐姐公主，顿时吃了一惊。
公主同时也看见了火心，急忙跑过来叫喊着：“火心！火心！”
沙风恼火地说：“她是谁？她把从这里到‘四棵树’之间的猎物都惊跑了。”
火心未及回答，公主已冲到他的面前。她激动地舔着火心的脑袋，说：“火心，你还活着！那场大火可把我给吓坏了！我以为你和云爪都死了呢。”
火心尴尬地说：“是的，哦，我很好，云爪也没事。”他飞快地舔了一下姐姐，向后退了一步，被沙风瞅得局促不安。
沙风身上的毛竖立起来，一脸厌恶地说：“原来是只宠物猫。她浑身上下都是宠物猫的气味。”
公主怯懦地看了她一眼，又往火心身边凑近了些，结结巴巴地说：“这位……这位是你的朋友吗，火心？”
“没错，她叫沙风。沙风，她是我的姐姐公主，是云爪的妈妈。”
沙风从他们身边退开两步，身上的毛落了下去，说：“云爪的妈妈？这么说，她是来看你们的？”她瞥了火心一眼，显然是在猜疑火心有没有向公主讲述云爪被两脚兽掳走的事。
火心说：“云爪干得确实不赖，是吗？”他向沙风使了个眼色，恳求她不要把云爪的丑事抖搂出来。
沙风承认说：“他是个好猎手，而且身手也不错。”
公主没有注意到沙风语气中的不快，自豪地说：“我就知道，他在火心的教导下准能成为一名好武士。”
火心急忙转换话题：“你还没有告诉我，为什么你大老远从两脚兽的巢穴跑到这里来？”
公主解释说：“我在找你啊，我想看看你和云爪有没有出什么意外。那天我在花园看见森林里发生火灾，事后你又没来看我，所以我以为……”
火心说：“真对不起，我该去向你报个平安的。不过自从发生火灾后我们一直忙个不停，我们不得不重建营地，而且森林里的猎物也都死的死逃的逃，没剩下几只。再加上我当上副族长后，责任又重了许多。”
“你现在是副族长了？是整个族群的？哇，火心，你可真了不起啊！”
火心不好意思地瞅了瞅沙风。
沙风轻轻干咳了一声，说：“火心，我们还得捕捉猎物。”
火心说：“对，你说得没错。公主，我没想到你竟然这么勇敢，大老远的跑到这里，不过你现在最好回家吧，你不了解森林里的情况，这里很危险。”
“是，我知道，但我……”
没等公主说完，远处忽然传来怪物的轰鸣声，紧接着一股刺鼻的气味飘了过来。轰鸣声越来越响，片刻过后，一个怪物从树林里冲了过来。火心和沙风本能地趴在一棵烧焦的树桩后面，等待怪物经过。公主则不知闪躲，好奇地看着怪物冲过来。
沙风低声喝道：“趴下！”
公主显出一副迷惑不解的样子，不过她还是乖乖地趴在火心身边。
那个怪物并没有继续奔驰，而是猛地停在距离他们不远的地方。接着，怪物的一侧打开了，从它的肚子里跳出三个两脚兽。
火心和沙风交换了一个目光，身子趴得更低。公主也许是在家里和两脚兽们混熟了，因此并不十分害怕。但火心和沙风却怕得要死，他们距离这些两脚兽太近了，而新长出的灌木还不足以藏身。要不是因为好奇，火心早就溜之大吉了。
两脚兽们穿着深蓝色的衣服，它们不像往常进入丛林中的两脚兽那样，手里牵着狗或者别的宠物。它们在森林的废墟间往来行走，大声叫喊着，踢起阵阵烟灰。一个两脚兽从距离三只猫藏身处仅两步远的地方走了过去，沙风吓得一动不动。
火心小声说：“它们在干什么？”
沙风轻轻吐出嘴里的烟灰，说：“吓跑猎物呗。老实说，谁管两脚兽干什么呢？它们都是疯子。”
“我不知道。”火心隐隐觉得这些两脚兽必定有什么目的，不过他们不明白罢了。只见有两个两脚兽指着某个方向，相互间大声争论，似乎在讨论它们该往哪个方向走。
另一个两脚兽捡起一根树枝，在灌木丛里东戳西戳，看样子它似乎是在寻找猎物，不过它发出的噪声就连耳朵最聋的兔子也被惊跑了。
火心问公主：“你知道它们在干什么吗？”
公主回答：“我也不能确定，我懂一些两脚兽的语言，不过这些两脚兽们说的话和我主人说的不太一样。我想它们是在召唤什么吧，但我不知道它们在召唤谁。”
火心看见那个两脚兽沮丧地扔掉手中的树枝，不知道喊了一句什么。然后便见另外两个两脚兽从树林里走了出来，它们一起回到怪物那里，钻进它的肚子里。一阵轰鸣声过后，怪物很快消失在森林里。
沙风站起来，生气地舔净身上的烟灰，说：“哼！感谢星族，它们终于走了！”
火心望着怪物远去的方向呆呆出神。轰鸣声已消失在远方，刺鼻的气味也变得淡了。
他说：“我不喜欢这种事情。”
沙风走到他身边顶了顶他，说：“哦，算了吧，火心！你还在想两脚兽的事吗？它们做起事来一向这么疯疯癫癫的。”
火心说：“不，我觉得它们知道自己在干什么，只是在我们眼里显得特别古怪罢了。它们往常总是带着狗或者别的宠物来森林里，但这些两脚兽没有。假若公主说得不错，它们是在找什么东西，不过没有找到。我真想知道它们到底在找什么。”他顿了顿，想了一会儿，“况且，两脚兽也从不在附近出没，它们简直快到我们的营地了。”
沙风脸上不耐烦的神色缓和下来，她用鼻子轻轻触了触火心的肩膀：“你可以让巡逻队对此事多留个心眼儿。”
火心若有所思地点了点头，说：“对，就这么办吧。”
他努力按压住内心的焦虑，和公主道别。虽然森林里发生了一些他不能理解的事情，但他隐隐觉得这些事关乎着族群的安危。
火心和沙风走出松林，直奔太阳石。一路上，他们没有找到任何猎物，估计猎物们都被两脚兽惊走了。
火心建议：“我们沿着河族边界去‘四棵树’，在那里也许能有些收获。”
就在他们还没有走到太阳石的时候，火心听见有猫在呼喊他的名字。他停下脚步，抬头看见灰条站在附近的一块岩石上。灰条从石头上下来，跑到火心身边说：“火心！我正想找你呢。”
沙风大声吼道：“你没被巡逻队发现就算不错了，看来，你这个河族武士在我们雷族领地里待得挺舒服呀。”
灰条笑呵呵地顶了她一下，说：“别那么认真嘛，沙风，我是灰条呀，还记得吗？”
沙风说：“化成灰我都认得。”她坐下来，开始舔自己的爪子和脸。
火心知道他的老朋友不会无缘无故地冒险深入雷族领地，此番前来必有重大情况，于是他问：“出什么事了，灰条？”
灰条回答说：“也不是什么大事，至少我希望不是，不过我认为还是应该给你通个气。”
沙风说：“那就别拐弯抹角了。”
灰条冲她晃了下尾巴，告诉火心说：“昨天钩星迎来了一位客人。”他眯缝起眼睛，“这位客人就是虎星。”
火心吃了一惊，说：“什么？他想干什么？”
灰条摇了摇头，说：“我不知道，不过钩星现在的身体状况很差，大家都知道他只剩下最后一条命了。虎星只和他谈了一小会儿，却在豹毛身上花了很长时间。”
听到豹毛的名字火心就感到头疼。她和虎星之间能谈些什么呢？他心里浮现出一幅影、河二族联合对付雷族的画面，但随即他告诉自己这不过是在杞人忧天罢了。他想不出这两只猫在一起能计划什么事情。
于是他说：“族长之间相互拜访的事也不是没有过，如果钩星快要死了，虎星去向他表示一下慰问也不是稀奇事。”
灰条不以为然地说：“也许吧，但他为什么花那么长时间和豹毛谈话呢？我有意凑过去听他们的谈话，听到虎星说什么还要再来我们营地。”
火心问：“他还说了些什么？”
灰条尴尬地说：“我就听到这么多，豹毛发现我在听他们的谈话，立刻叫我离她远一点儿。”
火心猜测说：“也许虎星只是在和她套近乎吧。毕竟，钩星一死，她就是河族族长了。”
这时，火心又听见有猫在喊他的名字，转头看去，只见雾脚正从河里爬上岸来。
沙风叫道：“噢，星族啊！是不是河族的所有武士都要到这里来呀？”
“火心！”雾脚气喘吁吁地抖了抖身子，水滴四处飞溅，沙风急忙后跳，唯恐避之不及。“火心，你看见灰池了吗？”
火心眼前立刻浮现出一只脾气暴躁的母猫形象。灰池并不是雾脚的亲生母亲，这还是灰池自己告诉火心的，就连雾脚都不知情。他奇怪地问：“灰池？灰池来这里干什么？”
雾脚焦急地说：“我不知道，我在营地里没找到她。最近她的身子骨很弱，神志也不大清醒，我害怕她走迷了路，连自己在干什么都不知道。”
灰条说：“她不会到这里来的，她不可能有那么大的力气游过河来。”
火心的脑筋急速转动。如果灰池果真游过河来到雷族的领地，那她就有可能遭到巡逻队的攻击。雷族现在正处在草木皆兵的状态，假若灰池遇到像黑条那样心地不善的猫，会发生什么后果简直难以想象。
他说：“这样吧，我沿着边界往‘四棵树’那边走，看看她是不是朝那个方向去了。沙风，你回营地去，把这件事通知大家，告诉他们假若看见灰池的话不要攻击她。”
沙风眼珠骨碌碌转了两下，站起来说：“好吧，不过回去的路上我还得捉些猎物，总得有猫为族群找吃的吧。”说着，她翘着尾巴走进树林里。
雾脚感激地向火心低头行礼，说：“这件事真是麻烦你了，大恩大德永记不忘。还有……如果你带着灰池回家时遇上河族的猫，你就说是我允许你在河族领地里行走的。”
火心点头称谢，他知道假若自己在族界的河族一侧遇上豹毛带领的巡逻队，肯定是要吃苦头的。
灰条为雾脚打气说：“打起精神，雾脚，我和你一起游回去，咱们再去营地里查看一番。”
“谢谢你，灰条。”雾脚用鼻子轻抵了一下灰条，两只猫向河边走去。
灰条回头说了声“再见”，就跟着雾脚跳进河里。火心看着他们稳稳地游向对岸，然后向逆着河流的方向前往“四棵树”。
他沿着族界走，路上时不时地停下来更新气味标记。当他快要到“四棵树”的时候，根本不相信年老体弱的灰池能走这么远的路。他朝河边的石滩望去，忽然看见一个瘦削的灰色身影正一瘸一拐地走在桥上。那座桥是两脚兽修建的，正好位于通往“四棵树”的路线上。
是灰池！
火心张大嘴巴正要呼喊她的名字，话到嘴边又硬生生咽了回去。那只老猫正紧贴桥的边缘走着，火心害怕她听到自己的喊声，一惊之下掉到河里，那样的话就糟了。他爬下坡岸，像平时捕猎那样俯下身子利用石头作掩护，避免灰池因冷不丁看见自己而受到惊吓。
过了一会儿，他看见灰池从桥上下来往坡岸上爬去，去的方向正是“四棵树”。她颤颤巍巍地扒紧坡岸上的石头，看上去似乎不知道该往哪里走了。难道她以为今天是月圆之夜，要去参加森林大会吗？
火心坐直身体，刚张嘴想喊她的名字又咽了回去，迅速藏在岩石后面。只见一只猫踏着自信的脚步从“四棵树”方向走了过来。火心永远也不会认错那身结实健壮的肌肉和深棕色的虎斑皮毛。
是虎星！
CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 11
The sun was rising over thetrees as Fireheart emerged from the warriors’ den. Shaking a scrap of dead leaf from his fur, he took a deep breath of the crisp air and extended his forelegs in a long stretch.
After the previous night’s Gathering, he was almost surprised to see life in the camp going on as usual: Ashpaw and Cloudpaw were busily patching the outer wall with twigs; Goldenflower and Willowpelt were watching their kits just outside the nursery, where Brightpaw had stopped to play with them; and Whitestorm was padding into the clearing with his jaws full of fresh-kill. Fireheart could sense tension in the air, but so far none of his fears of attack seemed to have come to anything.
He looked around for Sandstorm, who had led the dawn patrol, but she didn’t seem to be back yet. She had not been among the cats who had gone to the Gathering, and Fireheart desperately wanted to talk to her about what had happened.
“Fireheart!”
The voice was Bluestar’s. Fireheart swung around to see his leader trotting across the clearing from her den.
“Yes, Bluestar, what is it?”
Bluestar jerked her head. “Come to my den. We need to talk.”
As Fireheart followed her he noticed her jerky steps and twitching tail. She looked like a cat about to launch herself into battle, yet there was no enemy in sight.
Reaching her den, the blue-gray she-cat padded across to her bedding and sat there facing Fireheart. “You heard that hypocrite Tallstar last night,” she hissed. “He refused to admit that his cats have been stealing our prey. So there’s only one thing for ThunderClan to do. We must attack!”
Fireheart stared at her, jaws gaping. “But, Bluestar,” he stammered, “we can’t do that! Our Clan isn’t strong enough.” He couldn’t help remembering that they would have had four extra warriors by now if Bluestar had agreed to promote the apprentices, but he didn’t dare mention that to her. “We can’t afford to have warriors injured or maybe killed.”
Bluestar fixed her eyes on him in a look of fierce hostility. “Are you saying that ThunderClan is too weak to defend itself?”
“Defending ourselves is very different from launching an attack,” Fireheart meowed desperately. “Besides, there’s no real proof that WindClan stole—”
Bluestar bared her teeth. Her fur bristled as she rose to her paws and took a threatening step toward Fireheart. “Are you questioning me?” she snarled.
With an effort, Fireheart stood his ground. “I don’t want needless bloodshed,” he told her quietly. “All the signs tell us that there’s a dog loose in the forest, and that’s what has been taking the rabbits.”
“And I tell you that dogs don’t wander alone! They come and go with their Twolegs.”
“Then where did the dog scent come from?”
“Silence!”Bluestar lashed out with one paw, barely missing Fireheart’s nose. He forced himself to stand still. “We will travel tonight and attack WindClan at dawn.”
Fireheart’s heart lurched. It was an honor for a warrior to fight for his Clan, but never before had he been faced with such an unjust battle. He did not want to shed ThunderClan or WindClan blood for no good reason.
“Did you hear me, Fireheart?” Bluestar demanded. “You will choose the warriors and give them their orders. They must be ready by moonset.” Her eyes were blue flames; Fireheart almost felt they could sear him to ash, just as the fire had destroyed the forest.
“Yes, Bluestar, but—” he began.
“Are you afraid of WindClan?” the old leader spat. “Or are you so used to cringing before StarClan that you won’t defy them and fight for the rights of your Clan?” She paced to one side of her den, spun around, and paced back again, thrusting out her muzzle toward her deputy. “You disappoint me, you, out of all my warriors. How can I believe you will fight with all your strength when you question my order like this?” she hissed. “You leave me no choice, Fireheart. I will lead this attack myself.”
Objections raced through Fireheart’s mind. Bluestar was growing old and losing strength; she was on her last life; she wasn’t thinking clearly. But in the face of her fury he could voice none of them. Instead he dipped his head respectfully. “If you wish, Bluestar.”
“Then go and do as I ordered.” She kept that fiery gaze trained on him as he backed out of the den. “You will come with us, but remember that I will be watching you,” she growled after him.
In the clearing outside, Fireheart shivered as if he had just dragged himself out of icy water. His duty was to choose the warriors for the attack on WindClan, and tell them what Bluestar had ordered so that they would be ready to leave after moonset. Yet every hair on his pelt protested against this. A dog had stolen the rabbits, not WindClan. It could notbe the will of StarClan to attack an innocent Clan! Bluestar was simply wrong.
Fireheart found that his paws were taking him to Cinderpelt’s den. Perhaps she could advise him. The medicine cat’s wisdom and her special bond with StarClan might help her to see the way forward more clearly than he could. But when he reached Cinderpelt’s clearing and called out to her, there was no reply. Fireheart stuck his head a little way into the cleft in the rock and saw that the den was empty, except for the neat piles of herbs stacked along one side.
As he pushed his way out of the fern tunnel, not sure what to do now, he caught sight of Thornpaw padding past with a load of moss for the elders’ bedding. The apprentice dropped his burden when he saw the deputy and meowed, “Cinderpelt’s out collecting herbs, Fireheart.”
“Where?” Fireheart asked. If she was near the camp, he could go and find her.
But Thornpaw shrugged. “Dunno, sorry.” He picked up the moss and went on.
Fireheart stood motionless for a few moments, his head spinning with fear and confusion. He could not ask any of the other cats for advice, because a deputy should never question his leader’s orders. He could not even talk to Sandstorm, much as he wanted to, because she was bound by the warrior code to obey her leader. There was only one hope left.
Slowly he padded back to the warriors’ den, meeting Brindleface on her way out. “I’m going to catch up on some sleep,” he explained in answer to her inquiring look. “I want to be fit for a night patrol.” He couldn’t bring himself to tell her what was really planned for that night.
Brindleface’s eyes softened with sympathy. “You do look a bit tired,” she meowed. “You’re working too hard, Fireheart.”
She gave his ear a quick lick and padded off toward the pile of fresh-kill. To Fireheart’s relief, no other cats were inside the den, and he did not have to answer any more questions as he curled himself deeply into the moss and fern. If he could just sleep for a while, he might be able to meet with Spottedleaf and ask for her guidance.
Then he remembered his previous dream, when he had searched for Spottedleaf in the dark and fearful forest and failed to find her.
“Oh, Spottedleaf, come to me now,” he murmured. “I need you. I have to know what StarClan wants me to do.”
Fireheart found himself standing on the border of WindClan territory and looked across the stretch of bare moorland. A stiff breeze rippled over the grass, blowing through his fur. The moor was bounded by an eerie light, hiding the horizon and the land behind Fireheart; he looked back, expecting to see the oaks of Fourtrees, though he could not remember traveling through the forest, but there was nothing there but the pale yellow glow. No cats were in sight.
“Spottedleaf?” he mewed uncertainly.
There was no reply, but he thought he caught a faint trace of the sweet scent that always announced her presence. He stiffened, raising his head and parting his jaws so that he could drink in the beloved smell.
“Spottedleaf!” he repeated. “Please come—I need you so much.”
A sudden warmth crept over him. A soft voice murmured, “I am here, Fireheart.” He sensed that Spottedleaf was somewhere behind him, and that if he turned his head, he would see her. But he could not move. It was as if cold jaws were gripping him, keeping his gaze fixed on the windswept moorland.
As he stood rigid, Fireheart gradually realized that Spottedleaf was not alone. Another scent wafted over him, painful in its familiarity.
“Yellowfang?” he whispered. “Is that you?”
A faint breath stirred his pelt, and he thought he could hear Yellowfang’s rusty purr. “Oh, Yellowfang!” he exclaimed. “I’ve missed you so much. Are you okay? Have you seen how well Cinderpelt is doing?”
The words spilled out of him in his joy at the reunion with his old friend, but there was no reply, though Fireheart thought the purring grew stronger.
Then Spottedleaf’s voice whispered softly into his ear, “I have brought you here for a reason, Fireheart. Look at this place; remember it. This is where a battle will not be fought, and blood will not be spilled.”
“Then tell me how to stop it,” Fireheart pleaded, knowing that she spoke of Bluestar’s planned raid on the WindClan camp.
But there was nothing more, only a gentle sigh that faded and became one with the wind. The paralysis that had gripped Fireheart released him, and he whipped around, but Spottedleaf and Yellowfang had vanished. He drank in the air, desperate for the last trace of their scent, but there was nothing.
“Spottedleaf!” he wailed. “Yellowfang! Don’t go!”
The light began to change, became the ordinary sunlight of a morning in leaf-fall, and instead of the moorland Fireheart saw above him a ragged pattern of branches against the sky, the fire-damaged covering of the warriors’ den. He lay on his side among the moss, panting.
“Fireheart?” An anxious voice came from just beside him and he turned his head to see Sandstorm. She licked the fur around his ear. “Are you all right?”
“Yes—yes, I’m fine.” Fireheart dragged himself into a sitting position and flicked his ears to shake off the clinging moss. “Just a dream, that’s all.”
“I’ve been looking for you,” Sandstorm went on. “We didn’t see anything suspicious on the dawn patrol. Mousefur told me what happened at the Gathering. And the pile of fresh-kill is practically all gone. I thought we could go and hunt.”
“I can’t, not just now, Sandstorm. I’ve things to do. But if you could take a patrol out, that would be great.”
Sandstorm gazed at him, the sympathetic look in her eyes fading. “Well, okay, if you’re too busy.” She sounded offended, but Fireheart didn’t know how he could explain. “I’ll get Brindleface and Brackenfur to come.” She rose to her paws and stalked out without looking back at him.
Fireheart licked his paw and rubbed it over his face, clinging to the precious memory of his dream.
A battle will not be fought, and blood will not be spilled, he repeated to himself. Was Spottedleaf trying to tell him not to worry, that somehow StarClan would stop the fighting? Or did she mean that it was up to him to see that no blood was spilled?
Fireheart was tempted to leave it all in the paws of StarClan. What couldhe do, when his Clan leader had given him her orders? But if he obeyed Bluestar, wouldn’t he be going against the will of StarClan? And even more, against all his instincts of what was right for his Clan?
Fireheart made up his mind. Whatever he had to do, ThunderClan must not fight WindClan.

第七章
第七章
火心躲在石头后面张望。虎星也看见了灰池，立刻改变方向朝她走过来。灰池看见一只深棕色虎斑猫走来，吓得腿脚发软，摔倒在地。虎星走过去和她说了几句话，但火心离得太远听不清他说了什么。
他俯低身子悄悄爬过去，使出捕猎时的浑身解数力求不被发觉。所幸他处于虎星的下风向，虎星嗅不到他的气味。非到万不得已，火心实在不想和这位影族族长碰面，只盼虎星这是去拜访豹毛，顺带把灰池领回河族营地。
火心又爬近了些，躲到离虎星不远的一块石头后。灰条说虎星前一天刚刚拜访过河族，他为什么要在这么短的时间内进行第二次拜访呢？
“别假装不认识我。”火心依稀听见灰池颤抖的声音，“我知道你是谁，错不了，你是橡心。”
火心惊得目瞪口呆。橡心是雾脚和石毛的父亲，受蓝星所托把他们带入河族，但在火心加入雷族之前，橡心便在一次战斗中牺牲了。他长得和虎星有些相像——都是体型高大的虎斑公猫。
火心小心翼翼地抬头望过去。只见灰池趴在一块石头上，石头上稀稀落落地长了些青草，她正抬头瞅着三四步开外的虎星。
灰池继续说：“我已经好几个月没见你了，这些日子你都躲到哪里去了？”
虎星盯着灰池，眯缝起双眼。火心以为他会告诉灰池认错了，不料却听虎星说：“哦，还不是东躲躲西躲躲。”
火心疑心大起：“他到底在玩什么鬼把戏？”
灰池抱怨说：“你至少该来看看我吧，难道你不想知道孩子们的情况吗？”
虎星的耳朵竖立了起来，饶有兴趣地问：“什么孩子？”
“你竟然问什么孩子！”灰池发出一连串干涩的笑声，“好像你不知道似的！就是你让我抚养的那两个雷族幼崽呗。”
火心大吃一惊，灰池竟然把蓝星最隐秘的秘密泄露出去了！
虎星也吃了一惊，死死盯着灰池，全身肌肉都绷紧了。他伸长脖子，柔声细语地说了几句什么，火心听不清。
只听灰池迷惘地说：“几年前的事了，别告诉我你已经忘记了。你——不，橡心不会问这个问题的。”她摇摇晃晃地上前几步，细看之下顿时尖叫起来：“你不是橡心！”
虎星淡淡地说：“那有什么关系，你还不是一样要告诉我。什么雷族的幼崽？他们的亲生母亲是谁？”
灰池眼里充满了惊骇的神色，歪着头打量着虎星，含含糊糊地说：“他们长得很漂亮，现在都已成为优秀的武士了。”
没等她把话说完，虎星猛地抵住她的脸，不耐烦地问：“快告诉我他们是谁的孩子，你这老不死的。”
灰池吓得后退了一步，却冷不丁从石头上摔了下去，顺着坡一路往下滚，最后被一块石头挡住。她躺在那里，身体再也没有动弹一下。
虎星走下去来到灰池旁边，伸出鼻子嗅了嗅。火心把这一切看在眼里，心里又悲又怒，他跳起身向虎星冲过去。虎星没有看见他，转身向“四棵树”方向跑去，看样子是要回影族领地。
火心跑到灰池身边低头探视，只见她的头上被石头磕了一个大窟窿，鲜血源源不断地涌出。她的双眼无神地望着天空，显然已经死了。
火心低下头，轻声说道：“再见了，灰池，星族会以你为荣。”
他站在那里默默哀悼，只盼自己能对灰池多了解一些。灰池那犀利的言辞和高尚的心灵都使他想起黄牙，而且灰池把自己隐藏最深的秘密告诉给他这么个外族猫，更令他感念不已。
正当他沉浸在悲伤之中时，忽然听到身后传来两只猫的声音，他转头看见雾脚和灰条正从河边向他跑来。雾脚望见灰池的尸体，立时发出一声撕心裂肺的尖叫，冲过来扑到灰池身上。
灰条问：“出什么事了？”
火心觉得还是不说出虎星的事好，因为那势必会牵带出蓝星的孩子们的身世真相。火心知道灰池在天有灵绝不愿看见这种事发生。他望着灰池的尸体，默默祈求星族不要怪他只说出部分事实。
火心说：“我看见灰池正从坡岸下往上爬，她滑了一跤，我没能及时赶来扶住她，真对不起。”
雾脚抬头看着火心，痛苦地说：“这不是你的错，火心，我一直害怕这种事情发生，结果还是不能避免。”
她弯下腰又趴在灰池身上。火心非常同情雾脚，雾脚和石毛都是蓝星的孩子，蓝星抛弃这两个孩子后，是灰池把他们养大，直至他们成为学徒。如果不是灰池，他们早就死了。在雾脚和石毛的心里，他们只有一位母亲，而灰池也确实尽到了一个母亲的责任。
灰条轻轻撞了撞雾脚，说：“别太伤心了，雾脚，我们把她搬回营地吧。”
火心主动说：“我来帮你们。”
雾脚站起来说：“不用，你做得已经够多了，火心，谢谢你的好意，但这种事该由她本族同胞来做。”
她小心翼翼地咬住灰池颈背处的皮毛，灰条则拖住灰池的身子，两只猫一起拖着灰池的尸体往桥上走。灰池的身体悬在两只猫中间，尾巴耷拉下来拖在地上。
火心一直目送他们过了河后，才转身向营地走去。他一路上心潮起伏。虎星已经发现有两名河族武士来自雷族了！火心不知道虎星将会怎样对待这个意外发现，但他确信这位影族族长一定会利用它，正如他确信明天早晨太阳会升起来一样。一想到这件事的后果将会给蓝星以及整个雷族带来沉重的打击，火心就感到自己的心如同跌进了万丈深渊。
火心在回营的路上顺带捉了一只兔子。他衔着兔子站在山沟上往营地望去，看见金花正带着她的孩子们在营地大门口玩耍。她的两个孩子在石头间钻来钻去，佯装攻击亮爪，而亮爪则晃动着尾巴逗弄他们。火心爬下山沟，放下嘴里的兔子，站在一旁观看。黑莓崽看见火心回来，立刻叼着一只老鼠向他跑过来。
他得意扬扬地说：“看，火心！这是我自己捉到的！”
金花欣喜地看着儿子，告诉火心说：“这是他捉到的第一只猎物。”
黑莓崽兴奋地说：“妈妈说我会成为爸爸那样的好猎手。”
火心听到这句话，顿时如遭电击。他眯缝起眼睛狠狠瞪了金花一眼。金花的目光一直停留在儿子身上，不过她身子颤抖了一下，显然知道火心在看她。
黑莓崽一脸迷惑地说：“火心，我能把我的老鼠送给老年猫吗？”
火心恼火地抖了抖身子。这个小家伙年纪轻轻就能捉住老鼠，应该得到一些夸奖。不过火心眼前不停地浮现出虎星弯腰察看灰池尸体的一幕，他竭力不使这股怒火发泄在无辜的黑莓崽身上。
于是他说：“当然了，你干得很漂亮，我建议你给一只眼送过去，也许她会给你讲个好听的故事呢。”
黑莓崽两眼放光，大喊道：“这个主意太好啦！”他衔起老鼠向营地冲去，他的妹妹黄崽蹦蹦跳跳地跟在后面。
金花狠狠地瞪着火心，显然对他言不由衷的夸赞感到愤愤不平。她冷冷地说：“我告诉过你，火心，我不会告诉这两个孩子任何有关他们父亲的事情，我忠于族群——我们都忠于族群。”
说完，她猛地转身，尾巴从火心脸上扫过，大步流星走回营地。
火心衔起兔子跟在后面，决定把这只兔子给炭毛送过去，同时和她谈谈黑莓崽的事，炭毛也许会给他出一些主意，使他能恰当地处理自己与黑莓崽的关系。巫医们在石林聚会后的第二天，直到很晚炭毛才一瘸一拐地回到营地，她一脸疲惫，但火心依然能从她的眼睛里看到月亮石的光彩。
火心穿过新长出的金雀花通道，看见炭毛和纹尾就坐在育婴室外面。纹尾的孩子雪崽正拍打着地上的什么东西，炭毛在一旁认真地看着。
火心心想：太好了，现在她可以查查雪崽到底有什么毛病了。他走过去，把兔子放在炭毛身边，说：“这是给你的，这一路的情况怎么样？”
炭毛扭头瞅了他一眼，蓝色的眼睛里流露出安详的神态，她说：“还行吧，谢谢你给我送来兔子，纹尾和我正在聊雪崽的事。”
纹尾拱着肩膀坐在那里嘟囔说：“没什么可聊的。”她的语气有些不耐烦，但其中又包含着对炭毛的尊敬。火心猜想她是不敢公然拒绝炭毛的谈话。
炭毛歪着头问：“纹尾，你仅仅把他叫到身边就成了，好吗？”
纹尾的鼻子里发出嗤的一声，唤道：“雪崽，雪崽，来这里！”
她一边喊着一边晃着尾巴。雪崽立刻站起来，丢下地上的苔藓球向妈妈走过来。纹尾低头在他的耳朵上舔了一下。
“很好，火心，现在你去那边召唤他，好吗？”炭毛朝几步远的地方仰了仰头，接着低声补充了一句，“身体不要晃动，仅用声音召唤他。”
火心迷惑不解地按照炭毛的要求呼唤雪崽。这一次，尽管雪崽抬头看他，但却没有走动。火心接连召唤了几声，雪崽都没有任何反应。
有几只猫本来要去猎物堆，这时也不去了，过来看热闹。蓝星也从巢穴里走出来——火心猜测她听见了这边的动静——坐在高岩下往这边瞅。斑尾走到纹尾旁边，对她说了几句话。纹尾恼怒地回答了一句。火心离得太远，听不到她们在说什么，只见斑尾没有理会纹尾的不快，而是坐在炭毛旁边观望。
火心不停地召唤雪崽，直到纹尾推了一下他，向他示意火心的方向，他这才向火心跑过来。
火心说：“做得好。”见雪崽一脸迷惘地看着自己，于是又重复夸了一句。
雪崽停了一会儿才说：“切切你。”他的发音很古怪，火心几乎听不出他在说什么。
他带着雪崽回到纹尾和炭毛身边，开始隐隐猜到雪崽的问题出在哪里了。果然，炭毛转头对纹尾说：“我很遗憾，纹尾，雪崽是个聋子。”
纹尾在炭毛面前走来走去，脸上显出又悲又怒的神情。最后她愤愤地说：“我知道他是个聋子！我是他的妈妈，你以为我不知道吗？”
斑尾对火心说：“长蓝眼睛白毛的通常都是聋子，我记得我生的第一胎……”她叹了口气。
火心问：“发生什么事了？”他想到云爪也是蓝眼睛，但听力却很好，不由得暗自庆幸。
斑尾悲伤地说：“没有猫知道，当他三个月大的时候失踪了。我们认为他一定是被狐狸捉走了。”
纹尾紧紧搂住雪崽，发狠说：“哼，我绝不会让狐狸拖走他！我会照顾好他的。”
蓝星走过来说：“我相信你能照顾好他，但他恐怕永远也不能成为武士了。”
这些天蓝星表现得还算正常。火心听出她也很同情纹尾，但她的语气却很坚决，眼神也明白无误。
纹尾问：“他为什么不能成为武士？他没有其他的毛病，是一个身体健壮的乖孩子。如果你把要他做的事情向他比画清楚，他一样能做得很好。”
蓝星告诉她：“这还不够，他的老师不可能靠比画来教他捕猎或格斗。他听不到战斗的命令，而且如果他听不到猎物的声音，或者听不到自己的脚步声，又怎么能捕猎呢？”
纹尾一下子跳起身，身上的毛都竖立起来。一时间，火心还以为她要朝蓝星扑过去呢。不料纹尾猛地转身，推着雪崽走进育婴室里。
斑尾说：“她把自己的孩子看得太重了。”
炭毛问：“你期望她怎么看待这个孩子呢？她年纪大了，雪崽也许是她生的最后一个孩子，而她却听到我们说这个孩子永远不能成为武士。”
蓝星命令说：“炭毛，你必须和她谈谈，务必要让她明白，族群的利益高于一切。”
炭毛尊敬地向蓝星点了点头，说：“是，放心吧，蓝星，但我以为现在大家都知道雪崽耳聋的事了，应该先让她和孩子单独待一会儿，以便能有个适应过程。”
蓝星同意了，转身向族长巢穴走去。火心心里感到很失望，倘若在从前，蓝星必定亲自和纹尾谈这件事，也许还能为雪崽的将来提前做一些安排。火心暗想：她的同情心到哪里去了？一想到族长竟然丝毫不顾念那个耳聋的孩子以及他妈妈的感受，火心就觉得暗暗心惊。
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 12
Fireheart padded swiftly out of thecamp, hoping no other cats would see him and ask him where he was going. The warrior code said that a Clan leader’s orders should be obeyed without question. Until now, Fireheart had always accepted that. He had never imagined that he would ever disobey Bluestar, and yet the time had come when he must challenge her orders or watch the destruction of his Clan. The only way he could see of avoiding the battle was for Tallstar and Bluestar to meet together and talk about the evidence of prey-theft in both their territories. Once Bluestar understood that WindClan was suffering in just the same way as ThunderClan, Fireheart was sure she would call off the attack.
He did not know what Bluestar would do to him afterward, if she realized that he had gone to see Tallstar without her permission. He just hoped she would eventually understand it was for the good of her Clan.
At the entrance to the gorse tunnel Fireheart took a last look around at the camp. For a moment he watched Brightpaw, practicing the hunting crouch all by herself outside the apprentice’s den. She crept lightly up on a dead leaf and pounced on it, trapping it with outstretched paws.
“Well done!” Fireheart called.
Brightpaw looked up, her eyes glowing. “Thank you, Fireheart!”
Fireheart nodded to her, then turned and headed through the gorse tunnel. The short meeting had strengthened his resolve, for the eager young apprentice represented all that was important within the Clan. Fireheart knew that he could not let that be destroyed.
By sunhigh, Fireheart was approaching the stream that lay on the route to Fourtrees. He stopped for a moment to rest. In his confusion and anxiety he had not taken time to eat before he left the camp, and a rustle in the undergrowth reminded him of how hungry he was. He dropped into the hunter’s crouch, only to realize a couple of heartbeats later that the sounds were not made by prey. He caught a glimpse of a familiar dark pelt, and breathed in the scent of ThunderClan cats.
Puzzled, Fireheart pressed himself to the ground behind a clump of fern. He hadn’t ordered a patrol in this direction, so why were his Clan cats here now? Then the undergrowth parted and Darkstripe emerged, mewing sharply over his shoulder, “Follow me. Try to keep up, can’t you?”
Two small shapes appeared out of the bracken. Fireheart’s eyes widened in surprise as he recognized Goldenflower’s two kits. Bramblekit bounced into the open, batting at a fallen leaf, while Tawnykit followed more slowly.
“I’m tired. My paws ache,” the little tabby kit complained
“What, a strong kit like you?” Darkstripe meowed. “Don’t be silly. It’s not far now.”
What isn’t far? Fireheart wondered in alarm. What are you doing out here, and where are you taking these kits? He expected to see Goldenflower with them—surely her kits had never been this far from the nursery before?—but she did not appear.
Bramblekit scampered over to his sister and gave her a nudge. “Come on—it’ll be worth it!” he urged.
Both kits hurried after Darkstripe to a shallow place where they crossed the stream, squealing in fear and excitement as the water swirled around their paws. On the far side of the stream, Darkstripe veered away from the route that led to Fourtrees, and headed instead along a much narrower path that twisted away under the trees. A burst of outrage shook Fireheart. He knew exactly where that path led. Darkstripe was taking the kits toward the border with ShadowClan.
Fireheart had to wait for them to climb the slope beyond the stream before he dared to emerge from the ferns and follow. By the time he caught up they were approaching the border. The strong reek of ShadowClan reached Fireheart, and he saw the kits stop and start sniffing the air.
“Yuck, what’s that?” Tawnykit squealed.
“Is it a fox?” asked Bramblekit.
“No, it’s ShadowClan scent,” Darkstripe replied. “Come on, we’re nearly there.” He led the kits across the border, Tawnykit complaining that she was getting the horrid scent all over her paws.
Growing angrier still, Fireheart slid into the shelter of a hawthorn bush just on the ThunderClan side, where he could watch without being seen.
Close by, Darkstripe had come to a halt. The kits flopped down on the grass, exhausted, only to spring to their paws again a moment later when a clump of bracken rustled and another cat stepped into the open.
The newcomer was Tigerstar. Fireheart froze, though he was hardly surprised. He had guessed that Darkstripe had been hoping to curry favor with Tigerstar by bringing his kits to see him, but the ShadowClan leader’s prompt appearance suggested that this meeting had been arranged all along.
Fireheart wondered if Goldenflower knew about this. She was not here with her kits, so perhaps she didn’t even know that Darkstripe had taken them away. She might just think they had gone missing. She must be frantic,Fireheart thought. He tensed his muscles, ready to leap out and confront Darkstripe, but he stayed in his hiding place and made himself concentrate on what was happening in front of him.
Tigerstar padded forward, the muscles rippling under his dark tabby pelt, until he stood in front of his two kits. For a moment he inspected them, and then bent his head to touch noses, first with Bramblekit and then with Tawnykit. Even though they could never have seen such a massive cat before, both kits stood bravely before him and met his gaze without flinching.
“Do you know who I am?” meowed Tigerstar.
“Darkstripe said he would take us to meet our father,” replied Bramblekit.
“Are you our father?” Tawnykit added. “You smell a bit like us.”
Tigerstar nodded. “I am.”
The kits exchanged a wondering glance as Darkstripe mewed, “This is Tigerstar, the leader of ShadowClan.”
Their eyes grew huge, and Bramblekit breathed, “Wow! You’re really a Clan leader?”
When Tigerstar dipped his head in agreement, Tawnykit mewed excitedly, “Why can’t we come and live with you in your Clan? You must have a really nice den.”
Tigerstar shook his head. “Your place is with your mother for now,” he told them. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not proud of you. They seem fine, strong kits,” he meowed to Darkstripe. “When will they be apprenticed?”
“In a moon or so,” Darkstripe replied. “It’s a pity I have an apprentice already, or I could mentor one of them myself.”
Fireheart’s claws dug into the ground as a jolt of anger shot through him. Bluestar and I decide who the mentors will be, not you, Darkstripe!He almost hissed the words aloud. And you’re the last cat we would choose,he added silently.
Tigerstar turned his gaze back to his kits. “Can you hunt?” he asked them. “Can you fight? Do you want to be good warriors?”
Both the kits nodded vigorously. “I’m going to be the best warrior in the Clan!” Bramblekit boasted.
Tawnykit refused to be outdone. “And I’ll be the best hunter!”
“Good, good.” Tigerstar gave each kit a quick lick on the head.
Fireheart couldn’t help remembering Graystripe, and how his friend had left the Clan of his birth so that he could stay with the kits he loved. Was it possible that Tigerstar was suffering just as much at being parted from Bramblekit and Tawnykit?
Then Fireheart’s blood ran cold as Bramblekit asked, “Please, Tigerstar, why are you the leader of ShadowClan when our mother is a ThunderClan cat?”
“They don’t know?” Tigerstar asked Darkstripe. The warrior shook his head. “Well, then,” Tigerstar meowed, turning back to the kits, “That’s a long story. Sit down and I’ll tell you.”
Fireheart realized this was the moment when he had to interrupt. The last thing he wanted was for Tigerstar to tell the kits a biased account of how he came to leave ThunderClan. One thing was certain: Tigerstar would never admit that he had been a murderer and a traitor.
Rising to his paws, Fireheart stepped out of the shelter of the hawthorn bush. “Good day, Tigerstar,” he meowed. “You’re a long way from your camp. And so are you, Darkstripe.” His tone sharpened. “What are you doing here with these kits?”
As he padded up to join them, he had the satisfaction of realizing that both Tigerstar and Darkstripe were dumb-founded by his appearance. For a heartbeat they both gaped at him, while the kits bounced across the grass to meet him.
“This is our father!” Tawnykit announced excitedly. “We came all the way from camp to see him.”
“Why did no cat tell us he was the leader of a Clan?” Bramblekit piped up.
Fireheart did not want to answer that question. Instead he confronted Darkstripe with his eyes narrowed. “Well?”
“How did you know we were here?” Darkstripe blustered.
“I saw you crossing the stream. You were making enough racket to wake the whole forest.”
“Fireheart.” Tigerstar dipped his head, the courteous greeting of a leader to the deputy of another Clan. There was no hostility in his tone. “Blame me, not Darkstripe. I wanted to see my kits. You wouldn’t deny me that, surely?”
“That’s all very well,” Fireheart replied in confusion. “But Darkstripe shouldn’t have taken them without permission. It’s dangerous to let kits wander so far away from their camp.” Especially with that dog loose in the forest,he added to himself.
“They’re not wandering—they’re with me,” Darkstripe pointed out.
“What if a hawk attacked? There’s still little cover in some parts of the forest. Have you forgotten Snowkit?” One of the kits let out a whimper and Fireheart stopped; he didn’t want to frighten them. “Take them back to camp, Darkstripe. Now.”
Darkstripe exchanged a glance with Tigerstar and shrugged. To the kits, he meowed, “Come on. Fireheart has spoken, and we must obey.”
The two kits backed away from their father and followed Darkstripe as he set off back to the camp.
“Say good-bye to your father before you go,” Fireheart meowed, forcing himself to speak in a friendly tone. “You’ll see him again when you’re apprentices and can go to Gatherings.”
Both kits turned to mew good-bye.
“Good-bye,” Tigerstar replied. “Work hard, and I shall be proud of you.”
He and Fireheart stood side by side as Darkstripe led the kits back down the slope and across the stream. When they had disappeared into the undergrowth, Tigerstar meowed, “Take care of those kits, Fireheart. I’ll be keeping an eye on them.”
Fireheart’s heart was pounding. When he had exposed the former deputy’s treachery, Tigerstar had threatened to kill him. Now they were alone once more, with no help nearby for Fireheart if the ShadowClan leader attacked. Fireheart’s muscles tensed, but Tigerstar made no move toward him.
“I’ll see they’re looked after,” Fireheart meowed at last. “I’m sure they will be loyal to their Clan. ThunderClan takes care of all its kits.”
“Really?” Tigerstar narrowed his amber eyes. “I’m glad to hear it.”
Tigerstar knew about the two kits who had been taken to Graypool, Fireheart remembered with a jolt. He waited for the ShadowClan leader to challenge him about them. But Tigerstar did not question him, though his knowing expression chilled Fireheart. It was as though he were well aware that Fireheart could tell him more.
Instead Tigerstar dipped his head again and mewed, “We shall meet at the next Gathering. I must return to my Clan now.” Then he turned and padded away.
Fireheart made sure the ShadowClan leader had really gone before he turned away too, following the border toward Fourtrees. Much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t see that Darkstripe had done any real harm by taking the kits out of the nursery. Fireheart would have had to tell them eventually that their father was the leader of ShadowClan. And Tigerstar himself had behaved with more restraint than Fireheart would have believed possible.
Firmly he put the episode out of his mind. Time was running out. Before sunset, Fireheart knew, he must speak with Tallstar and find another way to solve the dispute over the stolen prey.
第八章
第八章
火心带着巡逻队一路巡视至蛇岩的时候，天已经大亮了。蛇岩与太阳石分别位于雷族领地的两端，因此大火没有烧到这里，尽管这里的灌木丛叶子有些凋落，但颜色倒还鲜绿。
火心见刺爪向石头群跑过去，急忙喊道：“等一等，别忘了这里有毒蛇。”
刺爪刹住脚步，说：“对不起，火心。”
自从蓝星拒绝为这些学徒举行武士典礼后，火心时常留出一些时间带着学徒们外出走走，包括每次出来巡逻，他至少带一名学徒，以向学徒们表明族群对他们的重视。虽然迅爪对武士典礼的延迟有些怨言，但刺爪似乎并不介意再多等等。
刺爪的老师鼠毛走过来对他说：“告诉我你都闻到了什么？”
刺爪仰头嗅了嗅，张口即答：“老鼠！”说着，他的舌头在嘴里吧嗒了几下。
鼠毛提醒他说：“没错，但我们现在还不能捕猎。你还嗅到了什么？”
刺爪翘着尾巴说：“有雷鬼路——在那边，还有狗的气味。”
火心正站在一个水坑边喝水，听到刺爪的话，他用鼻子嗅了嗅，随即发觉刺爪说得不错，这里确实有一股浓烈的狗的气味，而且还很新鲜。
他说：“真奇怪，除非两脚兽们起得非常早，否则这股气味应该很淡才对，最迟也应该是昨晚的呀。”
火心回忆起白风曾报告说蛇岩这里的灌木丛被践踏了一大片，四处还散落着鸽子的羽毛。那时这里便有狗的气味了，按说这股气味存留不了这么长时间的。
他说：“我们最好在四周查看一番。”
他让鼠毛和刺爪进树林里瞧瞧，并命令刺爪不得离开师父，自己则向石头群爬去。没爬出几步远，就听鼠毛叫他。
“快来看看这个！”
火心绕过一簇浓密的荨麻，跑到那两只猫旁边，朝坡下的一小块空地望去。那里有一小摊绿油油的水，里面积满落叶，一股浓郁的香薇气味扑鼻而来，但中间隐隐夹杂着狗的气味。鸽子的羽毛散落一地，还有些不知是松鼠还是兔子的毛。刺爪嗅了嗅地上的狗屎，恶心得差点儿当场呕吐。
火心仔细辨别空气中的气味，两脚兽的狗通常不会跑到这么远的地方来，践踏灌木，丢弃猎物的残骨，到处留下痕迹，把森林弄得一塌糊涂。火心看着眼前的一切，意识到情况有些不妙。
鼠毛问：“你怎么看这件事？”
火心有些焦虑地说：“我不清楚，依眼下的情形看，似乎有一只狗从两脚兽那里跑到森林里了。”
他猛然想起那天和沙风在松林捕猎时，看见三个两脚兽在树林里游逛。他心里暗想：
难道那些两脚兽们就是在找这只狗吗？不过松林在雷族领地的另一端，距这里很远。
“我们该做些什么？”刺爪脸上的神情显得异常严肃。
火心说：“我去向蓝星报告，如果我们的领地里果真有狗出没，我们就得采取些措施，也许我们能把它引到别的地方去。”
这只狗显然在掠夺雷族并不富余的猎物，而且万一族里的猫不幸撞见了这只狗，那事情可就闹大了。
火心转身向营地走去，隐隐觉得这片丛林里危机四伏。尽管他熟悉这里的每一棵树，每一块石头，但他仍感觉到其中隐藏着某种东西——既不是气味，也不是声音，而是一种看不到听不着的东西——目前他还无法确定这种东西是什么。仅仅是一只狗吗？还是蓝星的担心终于成了现实？难道星族又要降祸于雷族吗？
巡逻队快要走到营地的时候，火心嗅到身后有雷族猫的气味。他转头看见白风、亮爪和云爪衔着猎物走了过来。
火心问他们：“捉了不少猎物吧？”
白风放下嘴里的兔子，说：“还不错，只是我们一直走到‘四棵树’才小有收获。”
火心夸赞说：“这只兔子倒是挺肥大啊。”他又对衔着松鼠的亮爪和云爪说：“干得漂亮。”
白风说：“我们发现了一些情况，回到营地后我告诉你。”
说完他衔起兔子随着火心爬下山沟。他们把猎物放进猎物堆里，火心立刻吩咐学徒们给老年猫送些吃的去。他自己挑了一只猎物坐在白风身边开始用餐，鼠毛选了只喜鹊，也凑了过来。
火心先吃了一小口老鼠肉，压了压饥火然后说：“你都看到什么了？”
他看见白风面色阴郁，料想不是好消息。果然，白风说：“越来越多的猎物残骸，被撕得稀烂的兔子皮毛，还有越来越多的狗的气味。这一次是在河族边界附近发现的，连‘四棵树’都不到。”
“是新鲜的气味吗？”
“我猜是昨天留下的。”
火心忧心忡忡地点了点头。那只狗走得显然比他原先认为的还要远。他吞下最后一口鼠肉，把今早巡逻时发现的情况给白风说了一遍。
鼠毛也插言说：“那里一片狼藉，是不是有一只狗在我们的领地里杀戮我们的猎物啊？”
火心说：“我想是的。”他转头对白风说：“上次你说你嗅到狗的气味，我还心存幻想，希望那是两脚兽出来遛狗时留下的，依照现在的情形来看，显然不是那么回事。”
白风面色凝重地说：“我们必须把它赶走。”
“我知道，我去把这件事报告给蓝星，她可能会为此专门开一个族群大会。”
火心离开白风和鼠毛，向高岩走去。此时已将近中午，营地内呈现出一派祥和的气氛。蜡爪和迅爪正在学徒巢穴外玩耍。霜毛和纹脸守了一夜岗哨，这时正疲惫地坐在武士巢穴外有一搭没一搭地聊天。纹尾正晃动着尾巴逗孩子玩，蕨毛则在一旁观看。假若那只流浪狗发现这处营地，将会带来多么大的浩劫啊。火心连想都不敢想。
就在他将要走到蓝星巢穴门口时，蕨毛跑过来说：“火心，我能和你说个事吗？”
火心停下脚步，说：“那就拣紧要的说吧，我还要去向蓝星汇报些事情。”
蕨毛解释说：“是有关纹尾的，我很担心她。她认为雪崽能够成为一名学徒，正亲自教他，她觉得如果蓝星看见雪崽孺子可教，一定会让他成为一名武士的。”
现在火心离纹尾母子距离很近，看得也更清楚了。他发现他们并不是在玩耍——至少纹尾不是。她正在给雪崽演示捕猎时的俯卧动作。雪崽似乎觉得很好玩，在地上滚来滚去，不时拍打一下纹尾，模仿母亲的动作显得很拙劣。
火心越看越伤心，隔了半晌叹口气说：“这也许是最好的解决办法，如果纹尾自己意识到雪崽不可能学会捕猎，她就有可能接受雪崽不能成为武士的事实。”
蕨毛不以为然地说：“也许吧，不管怎么说，我再看一会儿，看看我能不能帮上什么忙。”
火心赞许地打量着他。尽管蕨毛成为武士没有几个月，却已显得颇为老成持重。火心敢肯定，如果蕨毛当老师，一定能教好徒弟，因为他具有耐心和责任感，不过教雪崽是不可能了。火心知道那个耳聋的小家伙永远也不会当上学徒，不会去参加森林大会，永远也不会知道一名武士为族群作出贡献时的那种无比欢乐的心情。
不过，现在雪崽既然没有长到学徒的年龄，就不必挫伤蕨毛对他的兴趣。火心说：“那好吧，但不要影响你履行武士的职责。你有什么想法只管对我说，我会再找炭毛谈谈的。”
蕨毛说：“谢谢你，火心。”说完，他坐下来，爪子垫在胸口下，继续观察纹尾和雪崽。
火心没有立刻离去，站在原地为那个耳聋的小家伙和他的妈妈、还有蕨毛感到悲伤。
蕨毛一心想当一名老师，这下他可要失望了。火心站了一会儿，这才转身去找蓝星。
蓝星正躺在洞穴最深处的窝里。太阳光照不到那里，因此看过去就是一团灰影。不过她的面前摆着一堆松鼠的残骸，显然她已经吃过饭了。火心站在洞口，看见蓝星正扭头舔自己的后背。火心见她已经能够料理自己的日常生活，不由得感到非常欣慰。
他故意用爪子在地上扒了两下，引得蓝星回过头。他说：“蓝星，我能进来吗？我有些事情向你汇报。”
蓝星哀怨地说：“我猜准不是什么好事。”她的口气令火心吃了一惊。蓝星的情绪随即缓和下来，她说：“好吧，火心，进来说说你有什么烦心事。”
“我们认为森林里有一只流浪狗。”火心把白风第一次在蛇岩附近发现猎物残骸的事和巡逻队今天上午发现的情况，以及白风在“四棵树”附近看到兔子残骸的事详细叙述了一遍。
蓝星坐在石壁边，一言不发地听着。等火心讲述完，她才说：“在‘四棵树’附近？具体是哪里？”
“据白风说，是在河族边界处。”
蓝星立刻发出一声怒吼，爪子深深插进土里，厉声喝道：“是的——这下我全明白了！
是风族在我们领地里捕猎。”
火心凝视着她说：“对不起，蓝星，我不明白你说的话。”
蓝星吼道：“那你就是笨蛋！”忽然，她的情绪缓和下来，“不，火心，你是一个优秀的、品格高尚的武士，你想象不出那种可耻的背叛行径，这不是你的错。”
火心暗想：她这话什么意思？难道她忘记了虎掌的事还是我告诉她的？
火心心乱如麻，意识到蓝星今天的状态不好。她瞪着眼睛，身上的毛竖立起来，似乎面前站着成群结队的敌人。也许，在她浑浑噩噩的意识里，面前确实站着许多敌人吧。
火心分辩说：“但是我们在每一处猎物的遗骸附近都发现了狗的气味呀，别的族群不可能与这件事有关吧。”
蓝星摆动着尾巴生气地说：“真是蠢货！狗从来就没有过这种表现，它们总是随两脚兽而来，又被两脚兽带走。有谁听说过狗在森林里游荡的？”
火心急切地说：“以前没有发生过的事情不代表现在也不会发生啊，你为什么坚信是风族干的？”
蓝星越来越生气，厉声喝道：“这你还看不出吗？风族武士捕捉兔子时，不料兔子跑到‘四棵树’那边河族的领地里，河族那里的领地很狭窄，于是风族武士便一路追赶着进入雷族领地，这才捉住兔子将其杀死。”她说话的语气非常肯定，就如亲眼所见一般。“这件事显而易见，就连小孩子都看得出来。”说着，她又开始在洞穴里来回走动，“哼，该给风族点儿颜色看看！”
火心心里一沉。听蓝星的口气，她似乎是想袭击风族。火心心急如焚，暗想：我们不能再惹麻烦了！他想到了虎星拜访钩星和豹毛的事，河、影二族之间已经出现了联盟的苗头，雷族现在最需要避免的就是和风族发生冲突。
于是他委婉地说：“蓝星，也许你说得不错，但我们在没有任何切实证据的情况下不应该仅怀疑风族，这件事也可能是河族干的，对吗？”
蓝星不屑地说：“胡说八道！河族的猫永远也不会干出跨境追击猎物的事来，他们都是遵守武士守则的典范。难道你忘了他们在大火中是怎样帮助我们的吗？如果不是河族及时救助，我们早已被大火烧死或者被水淹死了。”
火心默想：是的，所以豹毛才急着要索取回报啊。不过，他也认为河族绝不会仅仅把这么几只兔子当做回报的。
他晃了晃脑袋，让自己冷静下来。现在责怪河族毫无意义，他知道自己嗅到的是什么气味。那些猎物残骸都是狗留下的，他必须要让蓝星清楚这一点。于是他说：“蓝星，我真的认为……”
蓝星扫了下尾巴，没有让他把话说完。她固执地说：“不！火心，上次森林大会后，是你回来告诉我说高星对虎星出任影族族长一事深表欢迎。”
“我没有说他欢迎啊！”火心想辩驳，但蓝星没有理睬他。
“难道你忘了风族武士是如何阻止我前往石林的吗？而在你带云爪回家时，他们又是怎样刁难你们的？你和灰条把他们带回家园，使他们结束了流亡生涯，而他们却忘恩负义！
高星是受了星族的指使来和我作对的！他已经和我最大的敌人结盟了，现如今，他和他的武士们又侵入了我的领地。他根本不配用武士的名号，他……”蓝星的眼神变得狂乱，说到最后竟然连声音也哽咽了。
火心诚惶诚恐，一直退到巢穴门口，央求说：“蓝星，别生气，你还没有康复，别气坏了身子，我这就去叫炭毛来。”
他刚要离开，忽然会场上传来众猫的齐声惊呼，火心急忙转身冲出蓝星巢穴。
只见会场中间空荡荡的没有一个猫影，由于树枝树叶都被大火烧光了，阳光把这里照得通亮。大家都退缩到会场周边的围墙下。金花和柳带正把孩子们往育婴室里推。蕨毛顶着两只老年猫向巢穴走，不停地催促他们加快脚步。
大家都抬头朝天空望去，眼睛里充满了恐惧的神色。火心还没来得及抬头，便听见翅膀的扑扇声，接着看见一只老鹰在营地上空盘旋，不时发出尖厉的呼啸。忽然，他发现还有一只猫没有躲起来，那是雪崽，他仍浑然不觉地在会场中央的开阔地带玩耍。
这时纹尾从育婴室后面母猫们排泄大小便的地方走出来，看见眼前的情景，急得她大声喊道：“雪崽！”随即向雪崽冲过去。与此同时，那只老鹰也俯冲下来，一双爪子抓住雪崽后背的皮毛，雪崽立刻发出一声尖叫，老鹰巨大的翅膀连连扇动。火心冲过去，但纹尾奔得更快。就在老鹰离开地面的瞬间，纹尾奋力一跳抓住了雪崽的皮毛。
两只猫同时被老鹰带上半空，火心纵身跳起想抓住纹尾，但老鹰飞得太高了。只见那只老鹰腾出一只爪子来抓纹尾的脸，纹尾只好松开爪子闪避，身体重重落回地面。那只老鹰减轻了负担，振翅高飞，向“四棵树”方向飞去，雪崽的哭叫声越来越远。
纹尾仰天发出撕心裂肺的惨叫：“不！我的孩子！天哪，我的孩子！”
蕨毛擦着火心身边疾奔出去，跳上营地围墙没有合拢的部分，一转眼消失在丛林里。
尽管火心知道追赶也是无济于事，但他还是转头对最靠近他的迅爪说：“迅爪，快跟上他！”
迅爪显然也认为此时追赶纯属白费力气，但他张了张嘴却没有说话，奉命紧追蕨毛而去。众猫还没有从惊吓中恢复过来，大家渐渐回到会场，在纹尾周围围成一圈。
沙风用鼻子轻触着火心的脸颊，小声说：“雪崽听不见，他听不见老鹰的声音，也听不见我们发出的警告。”
纹尾凄惨地说：“都是我的错！我把他独自丢在那里——现在他被捉走了。老鹰为什么要捉那个可怜的孩子，它该把我捉去啊！”
沙风走到纹尾身边，轻轻抵在她的身上以示安慰。炭毛走过来舔了一下纹尾的耳朵，柔声说：“我们都会照顾你的，我们不会离开你。”
纹尾恍若不闻，只是不住地喃喃自语：“他被捉走了，这全是我的错。”
“这不是你的错。”蓝星的声音忽然响起。
火心转头看见族长向他们走过来。在大家都为失去雪崽而痛心疾首的时候，蓝星显出一副坚毅果敢的神情，气度之沉静比别的猫更像一名武士。
她重复了一句：“这不是你的错。有谁听说过老鹰胆敢在众目睽睽之下公然闯进营地掳掠幼崽的？这是星族给我们发出的信号，我再也不能向大家隐瞒真相了。”蓝星看着惊魂未定的众猫，高声怒喝，“星族已经向雷族宣战了！”
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 13
Fireheart darted from one clump ofgorse to the next as he crossed the moor toward the WindClan camp. He ran with his belly brushing the turf, trying to stay out of sight and longing for the thick undergrowth of his own territory. The last time he had visited the camp, when ThunderClan helped WindClan in a battle against the other two Clans, there had been no need to hide. Now he dared not show himself until he reached Tallstar, or at least met with one of the cats he could call his friends—if any of them were still friendly, after the recent disastrous Gathering. WindClan patrols had attacked him on their territory before; they would be even more hostile now.
The scent of WindClan was all around him, but so far he hadn’t seen any cats. The sun had nearly finished crossing the sky. Fireheart tried not to think about that. He came close to panic when he remembered how little time was left before Bluestar would launch her attack.
He was crossing one of the shallow moorland streams, bounding from rock to rock, when a stronger scent of WindClan cats flooded over him, along with the scent of rabbit. Fireheart’s belly growled in complaint, but he had to ignore it. There was no way he could take WindClan’s prey now—and it smelled as if there was a hunting patrol not far behind anyway. Diving into a clump of bracken at the water’s edge, he peered out cautiously to spot the source of the scent.
Three cats were making their way upstream toward him. At the front of the patrol was his old friend Onewhisker, and Fireheart’s heart lifted. Gorsepaw was with his mentor; they were both carrying rabbits. But to Fireheart’s dismay, the third cat was Mudclaw, the dark, mottled warrior who had stopped Bluestar when she tried to cross WindClan territory to get to Highstones. This cat would never allow Fireheart to bring his message to Tallstar.
But it seemed that luck—or the favor of StarClan—was on Fireheart’s side. With their jaws full of prey, the WindClan cats were unable to pick up his ThunderClan scent, and they passed within a couple of tail-lengths of him. Then Gorsepaw, who was struggling with a rabbit almost as big as he was, stopped to adjust his grip on it and fell behind the others.
Fireheart spotted his chance. “Gorsepaw!”
The young cat raised his head, ears pricked.
“Over here, in the bracken.”
Gorsepaw turned, and his eyes stretched wide when he saw Fireheart poking his head out from the rusty fronds. His mouth opened, but Fireheart urgently signaled to him to keep silent.
“Listen, Gorsepaw,” he mewed. “I want you to tell Onewhisker I’m here, but don’t let Mudclaw know, okay?” The apprentice hesitated, looking troubled, and Fireheart added urgently, “I have to talk to him. It’s important for both our Clans. You’ve gotto trust me.”
The desperation in his tone reached Gorsepaw, who paused a moment longer and then gave a quick nod. “All right, Fireheart. Wait here.”
He picked up his rabbit again and hurried to catch up to the two warriors. Fireheart crept deeper into the bracken and crouched there, waiting. Before long he heard another cat approach his hiding place and murmur, “Fireheart? Is that you?”
To his relief, Fireheart recognized Onewhisker’s voice. He peered warily out of the shelter of the bracken, and straightened up when he saw that his friend was alone.
“Thank StarClan!” he exclaimed. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“This had better be good, Fireheart,” Onewhisker meowed. He gave Fireheart a hard stare, with no trace of his usual friendliness. “It took me a while to get rid of Mudclaw. If he knew you were on our territory, you’d be crowfood, and you know it.” He padded up to Fireheart. “I’m sticking my neck out for you,” he growled. “I hope it’s worth it.”
“It is, I promise. I’ve come to tell you something. I’ve got to speak to Tallstar. It’s important,” he added, as Onewhisker went on staring at him.
For a few heartbeats he was afraid that his friend was going to refuse, or even attack him and drive him off WindClan territory.
Then Onewhisker spoke, and to Fireheart’s relief he sounded less hostile, as if he were beginning to realize the urgency of Fireheart’s request. “What’s it all about? Tallstar will have my fur off if I take a ThunderClan cat into camp without a very good reason.”
“I can’t tell you, Onewhisker. I can’t tell any cat except Tallstar. But believe me, it’s for the good of both our Clans.”
Once again Onewhisker hesitated. “I wouldn’t do this for any cat but you, Fireheart,” he meowed at last. Spinning around, he beckoned with his tail and bounded off across the moor.
Fireheart sprang after him. Onewhisker halted at the top of the slope, looking down into the WindClan camp. The rays of the dying sun cast long shadows over the gorse bushes that lined the sides of the hollow. As Fireheart and Onewhisker stood there, a patrol slipped past them. Fireheart was conscious of their stares, where curiosity mingled with antagonism.
“Come on,” meowed Onewhisker. He led the way through the tough stems of gorse until they came to a sandy clearing in the middle of the bushes.
As he emerged through a narrow gap in the thorns, Fireheart saw Tallstar crouched at one side of the clearing near a pile of fresh-kill. More WindClan warriors clustered around him. It was the Clan deputy, Deadfoot, who looked up first and then nudged his leader, mewing something rapidly into his ear.
Tallstar rose and padded across the clearing to where Fireheart and Onewhisker waited. Deadfoot hovered at his shoulder, and other cats followed close behind. Fireheart recognized Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat, and Mudclaw, his lips drawn back in a snarl.
“Well, Onewhisker.” Tallstar’s voice was level, giving nothing away. “Why have you brought Fireheart here?”
Onewhisker dipped his head. “He says he has to talk to you.”
“And that means he can just stroll into our camp?” Mudclaw spat. “He’s from an enemy Clan!”
Tallstar waved his tail at Mudclaw, a sign for silence, while his eyes looked deep into Fireheart’s. “I’m here,” he mewed simply. “Talk.”
Fireheart glanced around him. The crowd was growing larger, as more WindClan cats heard about the intruder in their midst and came out to see what was going on. “What I have to say is not for all ears, Tallstar,” he stammered.
For a heartbeat he thought he heard a faint growl in Tallstar’s throat, but then the WindClan leader nodded slowly. “Very well. We will go to my den. Deadfoot, you come with us—and you, Onewhisker.” Turning, he stalked toward the rock at the far end of the clearing, his long tail held high, while the two warriors herded Fireheart after him.
The WindClan leader’s den was sheltered under a deep overhang in the rock, on the side away from the main camp. Tallstar entered and made himself comfortable in a nest of heather, facing Fireheart. “Well?” he meowed.
Shadows were gathering in the den, and Fireheart could feel rather than see the shapes of the cats who guarded him. Tension crackled between them, as if they were waiting for the tiniest excuse to attack him. During his journey across the moor he had thought hard about what he would say, but he still didn’t know whether he would manage to convince Tallstar that there was a way to avoid Bluestar’s attack.
“You know that Bluestar is unhappy about the loss of prey,” Fireheart began.
Instantly the fur on the WindClan leader’s shoulders began to bristle. “WindClan did notsteal prey from ThunderClan!” he snapped.
“We’ve found scattered remains too,” Deadfoot asserted, limping forward and thrusting his muzzle close to Fireheart’s. “Are you sure ThunderClanhaven’t been stealing prey from us?”
Fireheart forced himself not to flinch. “No!” he protested. “I don’t believe any cats have stolen prey.”
“What happened to it, then?” Onewhisker asked.
“I think there’s a dog living in the forest. We’ve smelled it, and found its dung.”
“A dog!” Onewhisker echoed. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “What, loose from its Twolegs?”
“I’m certain of it,” Fireheart meowed.
“Could be…” mewed Tallstar. To Fireheart’s relief, the fur on his shoulders was lying flat again. “We’ve certainly scented dog in our territory recently, but then, they’re always up here with their Twolegs.” Sounding more confident, he went on: “Yes, it could be a dog killing the rabbits. I’ll see that our patrols keep a lookout.”
“But you didn’t come all this way to tell us that,” Deadfoot meowed. “So what’s on your mind, Fireheart?”
Fireheart took a deep breath. He didn’t want to betray Bluestar by telling Tallstar of her plans to attack—but he wanted to suggest to the WindClan leader that future battle could be avoided if he would just talk to Bluestar about the prey theft.
“I can’t convince Bluestar about the dog,” he explained. “She feels threatened by WindClan, and sooner or later this will all end in battle unless we can do something.” He could not tell the WindClan warriors how much sooner the battle would take place if he failed now. “Cats will be injured—killed, even—for nothing.”
“Then what do you expect me to do?” Tallstar asked testily. “She’s your leader, Fireheart. This is your problem.”
Fireheart dared to take a couple of steps toward the WindClan leader. “I’ve come to ask you to hold a meeting with Bluestar. If you could discuss things in private, you might be able to make peace.”
“Bluestar wants a meeting?” It was Deadfoot who spoke, sounding disbelieving. “Last time we saw her, she looked as if she would like to claw our throats out.”
“This isn’t Bluestar’s idea—it’s mine,” Fireheart confessed.
All three WindClan cats stared at him. Finally it was Onewhisker who broke the silence. “Does that mean you’re going behind your leader’s back?”
“It’s for the good of both our Clans,” he insisted.
He half expected to be chased out of the camp, but to his relief Tallstar was looking thoughtful. “I’d certainly rather talk than fight,” the leader meowed, “but how are we going to arrange it? How willing to listen will she be if she knows that you have talked to us first, without her knowledge?” Not waiting for Fireheart to reply, he went on: “Perhaps it would be best if I sent a messenger to ask her to meet me at Fourtrees—but can you guarantee the safety of a WindClan cat on ThunderClan territory?”
Fireheart was silent, which was answer in itself.
Tallstar shrugged. “I’m sorry, Fireheart. I won’t risk one of my warriors. If Bluestar decides that she’s willing to talk, she knows where to find us. Onewhisker, you’d better take Fireheart back to Fourtrees. “
“Wait!” Fireheart protested. An idea had just slid into his mind—or perhaps StarClan had sent it to him. “I know what you can do.”
Tallstar’s eyes gleamed in the gathering darkness. “What?”
“Do you know the cat Ravenpaw? He’s a loner who lives on a farm on the edge of your territory, near Highstones. He sheltered us on the journey to bring you home—remember?”
“I know him,” meowed Onewhisker. “He’s a decent cat, even if he’s not a warrior. What about him?”
Fireheart turned to him eagerly. “He could take the message for you. And Bluestar has given him permission to enter ThunderClan territory—as he used to be a ThunderClan cat.”
Tallstar shifted in his nest of heather. “That sounds like it might work. What do you think, Deadfoot?”
A reluctant rumble of agreement came from the deputy.
“Then go!” Fireheart urged Onewhisker, realizing once again how quickly time was running out. “Go now. Tell him to ask Bluestar to meet Tallstar at dawn, at Fourtrees.” There was barely enough time for Onewhisker to find Ravenpaw, and for Ravenpaw to carry the message all the way to the ThunderClan camp before Bluestar would be leaving to launch her attack. Fireheart sent a silent prayer to StarClan that Onewhisker would be able to find Ravenpaw easily on the Twoleg farm.
Onewhisker glanced at his leader, who nodded. At once the brown tabby warrior turned around and disappeared into the darkness outside the den.
Tallstar gazed at Fireheart with narrowed eyes. “Why do I think there’s something you’re not telling me?” he mewed. To Fireheart’s relief, he did not press for more answers. “It’s time for you to go,” he continued. “Deadfoot, escort him off our territory. And Fireheart—I’ll be at Fourtrees at dawn, but that’s all I can do. If Bluestar wants peace, she must be there.”
“Fourtrees at dawn,” Fireheart repeated, and followed the deputy out.
Fireheart made good time back to Fourtrees and onto his own territory. He had not eaten since before the Gathering on the previous night; his belly ached with hunger, and he was beginning to feel shaky on his paws, so he forced himself to stop and hunt.
He paused to listen when he reached the stream, and his ears caught the sound of a vole scuffling among the reeds at the water’s edge. Lifting his head to taste the air, Fireheart pinpointed the creature more by scent than sight. He pounced, and his claws sank into his prey. Gulping it down, he felt strength flow back into him, and he headed for his own camp with renewed speed. The moon had risen above the trees by the time he slipped down the ravine, reminding Fireheart that he had until moonset to choose warriors for Bluestar’s planned attack. His optimism was returning. Tallstar had agreed to talk; surely Bluestar would realize that war with WindClan was unnecessary.
He had almost reached the entrance to the clearing when he heard a cat call his name. He turned to see Whitestorm following him down the ravine at the head of the evening patrol. Brightpaw, Cloudpaw, and Frostfur were with him.
“Everything quiet?” Fireheart asked as Whitestorm came up to him.
“Quiet as a sleeping kit,” the white warrior replied. “No sign of the dog. Maybe its Twolegs found it after all.”
“Maybe,” Fireheart meowed. Suddenly he decided to tell Whitestorm where he had been. He wanted at least one other warrior to share the hope that they might not have to go into battle against WindClan. “Actually, Whitestorm, I wanted a word with you about that. Can you give me a moment?”
“Of course—if you don’t mind my eating while I listen.”
Whitestorm sent the two apprentices to go take prey for themselves; they bounded over to the pile of fresh-kill and fell into a friendly scuffle over a magpie. Frostfur padded off to the warriors’ den with a vole, while Whitestorm chose a squirrel for himself and carried it over to a quiet corner by the newly sprouting nettle patch.
Fireheart followed him. “Whitestorm, Bluestar sent for me this morning….” Quietly he told the older warrior the whole story, from Bluestar’s obsessive belief that WindClan had been stealing prey and her order to attack, to Fireheart’s decision to ask WindClan for a meeting.
“What?” Whitestorm stared at Fireheart in disbelief. “You went behind Bluestar’s back?” His voice failed, and he shook his head in confusion.
Fireheart immediately felt defensive. “What else could I do?”
“You could have consulted me.” The fur on Whitestorm’s shoulders bristled angrily. “Or some of the other senior warriors. We would have helped you find a solution.”
“I’m sorry.” Fireheart’s heart was pounding. “I didn’t want anyone else to get in trouble. I did what I thought was best.” It was because of the warrior code that he had acted alone, knowing that he could not ask any other cat to challenge Bluestar’s orders like this.
Whitestorm’s gaze was intensely thoughtful. “I think we need to tell the other warriors about this,” he meowed at last. “They’ll need to be ready for Bluestar’s attack in case Ravenpaw doesn’t get here—and even if Bluestar agrees to meet Tallstar, she might want a patrol behind her. I’d bet a moon’s worth of dawn patrols that Tallstar guesses something’s up. We can’t be sure he won’t ambush us.”
Fireheart nodded respectfully. “You’re right, Whitestorm. I trust them, but we should be prepared.”
“I’ll find some apprentices to guard the camp,” Whitestorm meowed. “You gather the warriors.”
Fireheart ran across the clearing to the warrior’s den. Most of them were already there, curled up in their nests, asleep. Fireheart prodded Sandstorm with a paw to rouse her. She blinked up at him. “What is it?”
“Wake the others, please, Sandstorm,” Fireheart meowed. “Whitestorm and I have something important to tell everyone.”
Sandstorm scrambled to her paws. “What do you mean, something important? It’s the middle of the night!”
Fireheart went out again without answering, to look for the remaining warriors. He found Brindleface visiting the queens in the nursery and Mousefur coming into camp with her jaws full of fresh-kill after a late-night patrol. He wondered whether he ought to call Cinderpelt, but decided it would be better to explain the situation to her individually
By the time he returned to the warriors’ den the other cats were fully awake. A moment later Whitestorm padded under the shelter of the branches and sat down at Fireheart’s side.
“What’s all this about?” Darkstripe asked bad-temperedly, flicking moss off one ear. “It had better be good.”
Fireheart felt his stomach churn with nervousness as he wondered how his Clan mates would react when they heard what he he done. Whitestorm nodded at him, nudging him to speak.
Taking a deep breath, Fireheart began. He explained Bluestar’s plan to attack, and how he had tried to work out a peaceful solution instead. His Clan mates listened in stunned silence. Fireheart was acutely conscious of their eyes fixed on him, glowing in the moonlight that filtered through the gaps in the den’s roof. In particular he was aware of Sandstorm’s pale green gaze, where she sat crouched near the outer branches, but he could not bring himself to look directly at her. He just hoped that the warriors would understand he had done this for the best of reasons, to avoid battle and save lives.
“So Tallstar agreed to meet Bluestar at Fourtrees,” he finished. “Ravenpaw should be here anytime now to tell her about the meeting.”
He braced himself for an outburst from the other warriors, but no cat seemed to know what to say; they merely looked at each other in bewilderment.
Eventually Mousefur asked, “Whitestorm, do you agree with what Fireheart has done?”
Fireheart waited, his eyes fixed on his paws. He desperately needed Whitestorm’s support because of the respect he commanded from the other warriors, but he knew that Whitestorm did not completely approve of his actions, however well-intentioned.
“I wouldn’t have done it.” Whitestorm spoke with his usual quiet authority. “But I think he’s right about not attacking WindClan. I don’t believe they have taken any of our prey. There is a dog loose—I’ve scented it myself.”
“So have I, around Snakerocks,” confirmed Mousefur.
“At Fourtrees too,” meowed Brackenfur. “We can’t blame WindClan for that.”
“But you’re asking us to keep secrets from Bluestar!” Sandstorm rose to her paws, and at last Fireheart had to meet her challenging green stare.
A jolt of dismay ran through Fireheart. He had not expected Sandstorm to be the first cat to object to what he had done. “I’m sorry,” he mewed. “I didn’t think I had a choice.”
“Just what I would expect from a kittypet,” growled Darkstripe. “Do you have any idea of what the warrior code means?”
“I know very well what it means,” Fireheart defended himself. “It is because of my loyalty to the Clan that I don’t want to fight an unnecessary battle. And I respect StarClan as much as any cat. I don’t believe it’s their will that we attack tonight.”
Darkstripe twitched his ears scornfully, but he said no more. Fireheart glanced around, wondering whether he was winning the support of his warriors. When Bluestar gave up her last life and went to join StarClan, he realized uncomfortably, he might have to lead this Clan, and if he could not command their loyalty and respect, the task would be impossible.
“This is what’s important,” he went on desperately. “WindClan haven’t done anything wrong. And we have enough to do, rebuilding the camp and keeping up the patrols, without fighting an unnecessary, dangerous battle. How will we keep ourselves fed and prepare for leaf-bare if we have warriors injured or even killed?”
“He’s right.” Brindleface spoke up, and the others turned to look at her. “Our children would be in the battle,” she went on quietly. “We don’t want them hurt for nothing.”
Frostfur added her agreement, but the rest of the warriors were still murmuring among themselves. Again he was aware of Sandstorm, and the distress in her pale green eyes. He could understand how torn she must feel now, between her loyalty to Bluestar and her commitment to him. Right now Fireheart wanted nothing more than to press himself against her flank and forget all this in the sweet scent of her fur, but he had to go on standing in front of his warriors, waiting for their verdict on whether they would support him or not.
“So what do you want us to do?” Longtail meowed at last.
“I’ll need a party of warriors ready to go with Bluestar to Fourtrees,” Fireheart replied. “If Ravenpaw doesn’t come, or if Bluestar doesn’t agree to talk, then she’ll lead us into battle. And if that happens…” His voice failed; he swallowed.
“Yes, what then?” Sandstorm demanded. “Do you want us to disobey Bluestar’s direct orders? Turn around and run away? Dustpelt, tell Fireheart what a mouse-brained idea that is!”
Dustpelt’s ears pricked in surprise. Fireheart knew very well that part of the brown warrior’s antagonism toward him was because Sandstorm so clearly preferred Fireheart now. He braced himself for more criticism, but Dustpelt meowed hesitantly, “I don’t know, Sandstorm. Fireheart’s right that it’s a bad time for a battle, and besides, no cat can seriously believe that WindClan is stealing our prey. If Bluestar thinks so, then…well…” He broke off, scuffling his paws in confusion.
“It’s understandable that Bluestar can’t trust WindClan,” Fireheart mewed, instinctively defending his leader. “Not since they stopped her going to Highstones. And we’ve never known dogs loose in the forest before. But there is no evidence at all that WindClan took those rabbits, and plenty of evidence that a dog did.”
“So what do you suggest if it comes to battle, Fireheart?” asked Mousefur. “Come back to the camp when Bluestar gives the order to attack?”
“No,” Fireheart replied. “Tallstar seemed willing to meet Bluestar in peace, and if we’re lucky he’ll have only one or two warriors with him. It won’t come to a fight.”
“That’s a pretty big if,”mewed Mousefur with a skeptical flick of her tail. “What if WindClan assume the same thing, and set an ambush for us? We’d be crowfood.” Fireheart winced as she voiced Whitestorm’s own doubts about whether they could trust Tallstar.
“I’m not going,” Longtail announced loudly. “Let WindClan tear us apart? I’m not mouse-brained!”
Dustpelt, who was sitting next to him, turned his head and gave him a scorching look of contempt. “No, you’rea coward,” he meowed.
“I’m not!” Longtail’s protest was shrill. “I’m a loyal ThunderClan cat!”
“Fine, Longtail,” Fireheart broke in. “We don’t need every warrior to go. You can stay and guard the camp. And that goes for the rest of you,” he added. “If you don’t want to be part of this, stay here.” He waited tensely for his warriors’ response, looking around at their troubled faces in the dim light of the den.
“I’ll go,” meowed Whitestorm at last. “I think we can trust Tallstar not to fight, if there is an alternative.”
Fireheart shot him a grateful glance as the other warriors hesitated, murmuring to each other or shifting uncomfortably among the mossy bedding.
“I’ll go too.” Brackenfur sounded nervous to be the first to speak among so many older warriors.
“So will I,” mewed Dustpelt. His tail lashed once in Fireheart’s direction. “But if WindClan attack, I’ll fight. I’m not going to be clawed apart for any cat.”
The rest of the warriors joined in. To Fireheart’s surprise, Darkstripe agreed to go, while Mousefur refused.
“I’m sorry, Fireheart,” she meowed. “I think you’re talking sense, but that’s not the point. The warrior code isn’t something you stick to just when you feel like it. I don’t think I could disobey my leader if she ordered me to attack.”
“Well, I willgo,” Brindleface asserted. “I don’t want to see my kits torn to pieces in a battle we don’t have to fight.”
“I’ll go too,” meowed Frostfur. Her gaze swept over the warriors around her as she added, “We don’t raise kits to fight in unjust battles.”
At last Fireheart had to face Sandstorm, who so far had said nothing. He could not imagine what he would do if she refused to support him.” Sandstorm?” he mewed hesitantly.
Sandstorm crouched with her head down, not meeting his eyes. “I’ll go along with you, Fireheart,” she muttered. “I know you’re right about the dogs—but I still hate lying to Bluestar.”
Fireheart moved to her side and gave her ear a quick lick, wanting to thank her, but she jerked her head away without looking at him.
“What about the apprentices?” Darkstripe asked. “Do you want them to come with us? Fernpaw’s too young to get involved.”
“I agree,” Dustpelt mewed swiftly.
For all his tension Fireheart had to suppress a purr of amusement to hear Dustpelt betraying the soft spot he felt for Darkstripe’s apprentice.
“I’d prefer to keep Brightpaw out of it,” meowed Whitestorm.
“But won’t Bluestar think there’s something odd if we don’t take any apprentices with us?” asked Brackenfur.
“That’s a good point.” Fireheart nodded at the young warrior. “Okay, we’ll take Swiftpaw and Cloudpaw. But only if Bluestar wants to take that many cats with her, and we’ll tell them what’s going on afterwe leave. The news will be all around the camp otherwise.”
Fireheart realized to his surprise that he had more warriors on his side than he needed. If Ravenpaw made it to the camp on time and Bluestar agreed to go and talk to Tallstar, it would seem odd if a whole fighting patrol of warriors offered to go with her. Besides, he didn’t want to leave the camp vulnerable to attack, especially now. “Why don’t Frostfur and Brackenfur stay to help guard the camp?” he suggested. “I am grateful for your support, but you may be needed here.”
Brackenfur and Frostfur exchanged a glance and then nodded.
“Now the rest of you had better get some sleep,” he continued. “We leave at moonset.”
He watched the warriors settle down in their bedding, but he did not join them. He knew he had no chance of sleeping, and he wanted to tell Cinderpelt what was going on before she heard it from any other cat. If it weren’t for his faith in Spottedleaf, he would have started to doubt long ago that he could stop this battle. There seemed to be so much that could go wrong: Ravenpaw might not bring the message in time; Bluestar might refuse to talk to Tallstar; WindClan might ambush them at Fourtrees….
Giving himself a shake, Fireheart emerged into the clearing. He glanced around for any sign of Ravenpaw, but the camp lay silent in the moonlight. A pair of eyes gleamed from the entrance to the gorse tunnel, and as Fireheart padded closer he made out the pale shape of Ashpaw, on guard.
“Do you know who Ravenpaw is?” he asked, and when the apprentice nodded, he went on: “He hasn’t been here tonight, has he?”
Looking puzzled, Ashpaw shook his head.
“If he comes,” Fireheart instructed him, “let him in, and take him straight to Bluestar, okay?”
“Okay, Fireheart.” Ashpaw was clearly bursting with curiosity, but he didn’t ask any questions.
Fireheart nodded to him and went off to find Cinderpelt. Padding up to the medicine cat’s den, he saw her sitting outside, deep in conversation with Mousefur.
Both cats looked around at his approach.
“Fireheart?” Cinderpelt meowed, rising slowly to her paws. “What’s all this Mousefur is telling me? Why wasn’t I invited to the meeting?” Her blue eyes blazed with annoyance.
“It was just for the warriors,” Fireheart replied, though the explanation sounded feeble even to him.
“Oh, right,” mewed Cinderpelt dryly. “You thought I wouldn’t be interested in keeping secrets from Bluestar?”
“It’s not like that!” Fireheart protested. “I was coming to tell you now. Mousefur,” he added, giving the she-cat a hostile glance, “aren’t you supposed to be resting?”
Mousefur returned his glare, then spun around and vanished into the darkness.
“Well?” prompted Cinderpelt.
“It sounds as if Mousefur has told you already. I don’t like this situation any more than you, but what choice is there? Do you really think that StarClan want war in the forest—especially an unjust war?”
“StarClan have shown me nothing about any battles,” Cinderpelt admitted. “And I don’t want bloodshed, but is this the only way to stop it?”
“If you can think of a better idea, tell me.”
Cinderpelt shook her head. Moonlight shone on her gray fur, giving her a ghostly appearance, as if she were already halfway into the world of StarClan. “Whatever you do, Fireheart, be careful of Bluestar. Be gentle with her. She was a great leader—and she might be again.”
Fireheart wanted so much to believe the medicine cat. But each day Bluestar seemed to slide further into confusion. The wise mentor he had respected when he first came to ThunderClan seemed very far away.
“I’ll do my best,” he promised. “I don’t wantto deceive her. But that’s why I’ve organized this meeting with Tallstar. I want her to realize we don’t have to fight. And she won’t listen to me.” Tensely, he added, “Do you think I’m wrong?”
“It’s not for me to say.” Cinderpelt met his gaze steadily. “This is your decision, Fireheart. No cat can make it for you.”
第九章
第九章
众猫听了蓝星的话，都惊得目瞪口呆。只见蓝星猛地转身，昂首阔步地走回巢穴。火心跟上几步，蓝星头也不回地厉声喝道：“别来烦我！”语气中饱含着怨恨，吓得火心急忙刹住脚步。
他问自己：我现在该怎么办呢？他看见大家处在极度的惶恐之中。老鹰的突然袭击，加上蓝星对此事的解释，使他们变得像受到惊吓的幼崽。火心的腿也在发抖，但他强行振作精神，跳到高岩上喊道：“听我说！大家都围过来。”
众猫渐渐在高岩下聚拢。有些猫仍胆怯地望着天空，似乎生怕那只老鹰会二次偷袭。
火心看见香薇爪紧紧靠在黑条身边，长尾趴在地上，仿佛认为星族会随时随地降下一场灾难。
云爪茫然四顾，对亮爪说：“这到底有什么可大惊小怪的？所有的猫都知道星族不过是拿来哄小孩子的传说罢了，他们根本不可能有什么作为。”
亮爪吃了一惊，叫喊道：“云爪，你说得不对！”
云爪冲她晃了晃尾巴，说：“省省吧！你不会真的相信那个荒诞不经的故事吧？”说着，他若无其事地坐下来，开始舔自己的爪子。
火心低头看着这个徒弟，全身的血液都变得冰凉。虽然他一直都知道自己的这个徒弟不怎么尊重武士守则，但他并没有发觉云爪居然干脆不相信有星族这码子事。
会场的另一边，炭毛和纹脸正引着纹尾朝巫医巢穴走去。炭毛停下脚步对纹脸说了几句话，就一瘸一拐地回到高岩下。
她说：“火心，我想你可能需要我，但请你抓紧时间，我还得照顾纹尾呢。”
火心点了点头，提高嗓门儿说：“雷族同胞们，我们刚刚经历了一件可怕的事件，事情是明摆着的，没有猫能否认。但我们必须小心对待这场悲剧背后所隐藏的深意。炭毛，蓝星说得对吗？这是不是意味着星族已经抛弃我们了？”
炭毛站在高岩下声音洪亮地说：“不是，星族并没有对此事给出任何暗示。大火之后营地暴露在外，所以老鹰才能够看见我们这里的情况，这没什么可奇怪的。”
火心进一步问：“这么说，雪崽的事只是一个意外了？”
炭毛说：“只是意外，这和星族没什么关系。”
火心看见大家的情绪稳定下来，知道炭毛坚定的口吻使得大家相信星族并没有抛弃他们。众猫仍在为雪崽的遭遇感到伤心难过，但那种群体性的恐慌已渐渐消退。
不过，火心同时又感到非常担心，因为大家一旦平静下来，必然对蓝星的反常行为产生疑问，她竟然要和他们的武士祖先开战。
火心说：“谢谢你，炭毛。”炭毛晃动了一下尾巴，一瘸一拐地向巫医巢穴走去。
火心上前一步，俯视着群猫说：“我还有一些别的事情要对大家说。”他不知道自己究竟该不该说，虽然蓝星坚持那些兔子都是风族杀死的，但为了全族的安全着想，他不能再保持沉默了。“我们认为雷族的领地里有一只流浪狗，虽然我们没有亲眼看见，但蛇岩和‘四棵树’那里都有它的气味。”
猫群中顿时乱成了一锅粥。沙风大声喊道：“是不是风族领地那边农田里的狗呀？有可能是它们当中的一只呢。”
火心想起他和沙风去寻找云爪时，曾被那两只凶猛的狗追得几乎无处藏身，于是同意说：“有这个可能性。在这只狗被赶走之前，我们应当特别小心。学徒们没有武士的陪伴不得离开营地。外出的猫附带履行一项职责，那就是寻找这只狗的蛛丝马迹——它的气味、爪印，猎物的残骸。”
鼠毛插嘴说：“还有大便，这些肮脏的动物从来就不知道把自己的大小便给掩埋起来。”
火心说：“说得不错。如果你们遇到上述情况，请立即向我汇报，我们一定要找出这只狗的藏身地。”
在下达这些命令时，火心费了好大的劲才把自己的惶恐掩饰起来。他越来越感觉到森林深处正潜伏着一个致命的敌人，至少他可以肯定虎星是他们公开的敌人。如今又多了这么一只来无影去无踪的恶狗。
火心解散会议，从高岩上跳了下来，向巫医巢穴走去。半路上他看见蕨毛一瘸一拐地和迅爪回到营地，蕨毛由于追赶老鹰心切，身上的毛被树枝和灌木扯得稀烂。看他们那副垂头丧气的样子，火心不用问也知道结果是什么，不过他仍然希望能亲耳听听蕨毛的汇报。
蕨毛走过来说：“对不起，火心，我们实在赶不上老鹰。”
火心低头轻轻抵住蕨毛的肩膀，说：“你们已经尽力了，这种事本来就没什么希望。”
迅爪悲愤之下，气急败坏地说：“我们从一开始就是在浪费时间和力气。”
蕨毛问：“纹尾在哪儿？”
“和炭毛在一起，我正要去看看她。你们两个去吃点儿东西，然后休息一下。”
他目送两只猫离开，这才继续走向巫医巢穴。沙风过来和他结伴而行，他们走到巫医巢穴外的空地里，瞅见纹尾正躺在地上，纹脸在一旁轻舔安慰。
炭毛衔着一捆草药从巫医巢穴里走出来，把草药放在纹尾面前说：“把这些罂粟籽吃下去，能够帮助你睡眠。”
起先火心以为纹尾没有听炭毛说话，过了一会儿，却看见她撑起身子扭头把罂粟籽全吃了。
她声音沙哑地说：“我再也生不了孩子了，我这就去和老年猫住在一起。”
沙风低声说：“他们都欢迎你呢。”纹尾吃下的罂粟籽开始发挥效用，她的头渐渐低沉，终于睡着了。火心赞许地看着沙风，在他的眼里，沙风是一个身手高超的武士，说起话来言辞犀利，没想到她还有温柔的一面。
火心正在沉思之际，忽然听见炭毛清了清喉咙，他一惊之下看见炭毛已经来到身边。
从她脸上的表情来看，火心知道对方一定是和自己说了什么，并且正在等待回应。
他说：“请原谅，你刚才说什么？”
炭毛生气地说：“你不会忙得连听我说话的工夫都没有吧。我刚才说今晚由我陪伴纹尾吧。”
“好主意，谢谢你。”火心想起他对全族讲话时，炭毛一直陪着纹尾，“我还有些别的事对你说，你去看一看蓝星吧。”
“哦？她出什么事了？”
火心附在炭毛耳边，小声告诉炭毛他如何在森林里发现狗的气味，蓝星又如何认定是风族跑到雷族领地里偷猎。他最后说：“她现在神志很不清楚，你从她竟然向星族宣战这件事就能看出来。再过几天就要召开森林大会了，如果她在大会上当众责难风族怎么办？”
炭毛说：“等一等，你正在谈论的是你的族长啊！即使你不同意她的观点，你也应该对她表现出一些尊重才是。”
火心反驳说：“这不仅仅是意见不合的问题！她的猜测简直就是主观臆断嘛。”他提高了嗓门儿，引得卧在纹尾旁边的沙风竖起耳朵。火心又压低嗓门儿说：“蓝星是一位伟大的族长，所有的猫都知道这一点，但现在我无法信任她的判断，炭毛，她现在根本不可理喻。”
“你应该试着去理解她，起码该对她抱有一点儿同情心。我们大家都该理解她、同情她。”
火心顿时火冒三丈，他觉得炭毛曾经是他的徒弟，现在竟然用这种口吻和他讲话。炭毛说得倒轻巧，但如今既要为蓝星的决策辩护，又要在族群面前掩藏蓝星神志迷乱的事实，维护蓝星权威的是他火心，而不是炭毛。
他生气地说：“你以为我没有试过吗？如果我再多一点儿同情心的话，我的毛就要愁得都掉光了！”
炭毛说：“在我看来，你的毛很好啊。”
“听着，”火心强抑住怒火，“蓝星没有参加上次森林大会，如果她再不参加这次大会的话，森林里所有的猫都会知道她出问题了。你就不能给她吃点儿什么草药，让她恢复些理智吗？”
“我试试吧，不过草药的效用终究有限。她已经从那场大火的影响中恢复过来了，问题的根源还在虎星背叛她的事情上面。她已经年老体衰，而且她认为所有的事情，甚至星族都变得不可信。”
火心同意道：“尤其是星族，如果她……”
他看见沙风离开纹尾向他们走来，于是闭口不言。沙风有些气恼地说：“不说你们的秘密了？”她向纹尾晃了一下尾巴，“她睡着了，炭毛，我把她交给你了。”
“谢谢你的帮忙，沙风。”
这两只母猫之间表现得非常客气，但火心却觉得其中充满了火药味儿。他想不透个中原因，索性把这件事抛到脑后。
他说：“那我们去吃饭吧。”
沙风说：“饭后你需要睡一觉，自打天亮后你就一直忙个不停。”
她一边说着，一边推着火心往会场走。火心刚迈出两步，就听炭毛在身后喊道：“如果你有时间，请给我和纹尾送些猎物来。”
“我当然有时间啦。”火心实在搞不懂这里的气氛为什么会冷冰冰的，“我现在就去办。”
“很好。”炭毛彬彬有礼地冲他点了点头。火心前往会场，一路上都感到炭毛的目光盯在自己后背上。
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 14
When Fireheart returned to the clearing,there was still no sign of Ravenpaw. His belly churned. The moon was high in the sky. Before long, Bluestar would lead her warriors into battle against WindClan, and all hope of a peaceful solution would be lost.
Where was Ravenpaw? Perhaps Onewhisker hadn’t been able to find him. Or perhaps he couldn’t come—or he was on his way but would arrive too late. Fireheart wanted to dash out into the forest and look for him, but he knew that would serve no purpose.
Then he saw a flicker of movement at the entrance to the camp, and heard a mewed challenge from Ashpaw. Another cat answered, and Fireheart shivered with relief as he recognized Ravenpaw’s voice. Springing forward, he bounded across the clearing.
“Okay, Ashpaw,” he meowed to the apprentice. “I’ll look after Ravenpaw—you stay on guard.” He touched noses with the sleek cat who emerged from the gorse tunnel. “It’s good to see you, Ravenpaw. How are you?”
Even as he asked the question he could see that the former apprentice was looking well. His black pelt shone in the moonlight and his strong muscles rippled beneath the fur.
“I’m fine,” Ravepaw replied. He looked around the clearing, his amber eyes very wide. “It seems strange to be here again, Fireheart. I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with WindClan. Onewhisker told me everything, and he swore they haven’t been stealing prey.”
“Try convincing Bluestar of that,” Fireheart meowed grimly. “Look, I hate to rush you—I know you must have run like the wind to get here so fast—but we don’t have much time. Follow me.”
He led the way to Bluestar’s den. The ThunderClan leader was curled in her nest, but when Fireheart looked closely at her he could see a gleam of moonlight reflected from her narrowed eyes. She was not asleep.
“What’s the matter, Fireheart?” she asked, sounding annoyed. “It’s not time to go yet. And who’s that with you?”
“It’s Ravenpaw, Bluestar,” the loner meowed, stepping forward. “I’ve come with a message from Windclan.”
“WindClan!”Bluestar sprang to her paws. “What does that Clan of thieves want to say to me?”
To Ravenpaw’s credit, he didn’t flinch, though Fireheart knew he must remember the days when he was a Clan apprentice and Bluestar’s anger was something to be feared. “Tallstar wants to meet with you, to discuss the loss of prey,” he told her.
“Doeshe?” Briefly Bluestar glared at her deputy, her eyes blazing with blue fire. For a heartbeat Fireheart was sure she had guessed what he had done. There was an ominous pause.
“Bluestar, surely it would be better to talk than fight?” he ventured.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Bluestar snapped. Her tail-tip twitched irritably. “Get out of here. Ravenpaw and I will discuss this together.”
Fireheart had no choice but to leave the den. He hovered around outside, listening to the murmur of voices but unable to make out what Bluestar and Ravenpaw were saying.
After a while Whitestorm emerged from the warriors’ den and padded over to join him. “The moon’s going down,” the white warrior meowed. “Bluestar will want to leave soon. Is Ravenpaw here yet?”
“Yes, he is,” mewed Fireheart. “But I don’t know whether—”
He broke off at a movement from inside the den. A heartbeat later, Bluestar stalked out with Ravenpaw behind her. She paced forward until she reached Fireheart, her tail lashing. “Gather a patrol,” she ordered. “We go to Fourtrees.”
“Does that mean you are going to talk with Tallstar?” Fireheart asked bravely.
His leader’s tail lashed again. “I will talk,” she meowed. “But if there is no agreement, then we will fight.”
The night was still dark when Bluestar led her warriors into the hollow where the four great oaks stood. Fireheart padded at her shoulder; the smallest of rustles told him that the other cats were following. His heart lurched as an owl hooted in the distance. He had barely had a chance to murmur his thanks to Ravenpaw for bringing Tallstar’s message before the black cat had slipped away from the ThunderClan warriors. He would follow a different route back to his farmland home, keeping well clear of Fourtrees.
Bluestar paused at the top of the slope. As the other warriors caught up with her, starlight cast a faint sheen on their fur, touching their pricked ears and reflecting from their wide eyes. Fireheart could almost taste their anticipation.
When he looked across the border into WindClan territory, he thought at first that the sweep of moorland was empty, stretching up to the night sky. Wind swept across it and rustled the oak trees in the hollow behind him. Then he caught sight of movement up ahead, and he realized that a line of cats was standing there, with Tallstar at their center. His stomach clenched as Fireheart realized that Tallstar, too, had brought his warriors with him.
“What’s that?” Bluestar hissed, turning to glare into his eyes. “So many WindClan cats? I thought I was coming here to talk.” Her eyes glared furiously at Fireheart, some sharpened instinct flooding her expression with understanding. “This looks more like an ambush than a meeting of leaders.”
At a flick of her tail, the ThunderClan warriors moved up in purposeful silence to form a tight line on either side of their leader, facing the WindClan cats. Fireheart felt the air crackle with tension, and he realized that it would be all too easy for fighting to break out, even if WindClan did not attack first. Would Tallstar keep his word, and try to talk to Bluestar rather than fight?
“Tallstar?” Bluestar meowed coldly. “What have you to say to me?”
Waiting for the WindClan leader’s response, Fireheart nervously sheathed and unsheathed his claws. He did not know if the line would hold. If just one cat moved forward, battle could engulf them all. He saw Dustpelt exchange a tense glance with Brindleface, as if both cats were thinking the same as he was. Next to him, Sandstorm kept her gaze fixed on the WindClan cats, her ears flat to her head. Swiftpaw stared nervously at his leader, but he held his place in the line. Cloudpaw, on Fireheart’s other side, had dropped into the hunter’s crouch, his rump wriggling as if he were about to spring.
“Keep still!”Fireheart hissed.
A few fox-lengths away, Tallstar stood a pace or two ahead of his own warriors. As the first pale light of dawn crept into the sky, Fireheart could make him out more clearly. His black-and-white fur was fluffed up, and his tail held erect. Behind him Fireheart spotted Onewhisker and Morningflower, and the young apprentice Gorsepaw. I don’t want to fight these cats,he thought. He waited, feeling his heart pound like that of a trapped bird.
“No cat is to move,” Tallstar ordered his warriors at last, his voice carrying easily in the still air.
“You must be mad!” That was Mudclaw, padding to Tallstar’s side. “That’s a fighting force she’s brought with her. We’ve got to attack!”
“No.” Tallstar took another pace forward, flicking his tail to summon Deadfoot, his deputy, to his side. Looking directly at Bluestar, he dipped his head. “No battle will be fought here today. I said that I would come here to talk, and that’s what I intend to do.”
Bluestar did not respond. She crouched on the ground, her fur bristling and her teeth bared in a snarl of defiance. Fireheart was suddenly afraid that she had changed her mind, and wondered what would happen if she launched herself at the WindClan leader. He sent up a fervent prayer to StarClan that she would not order her warriors to attack.
Meanwhile, Onewhisker came up to Mudclaw and nudged him roughly back into line. For a moment that seemed to Fireheart to last several moons, the two lines of cats faced each other, their fur blowing in the wind, their eyes gleaming with a tension that teetered on the brink of breaking out into squalling, biting rage.
“Bluestar,” Tallstar spoke again. “Will you come here to me, between our warriors? Bring your deputy with you, and let us see if we can make peace.”
“Peace?” Bluestar spat. “How can I make peace with prey stealers and rogues?”
Yowls of protest rose from the WindClan cats. Mudclaw sprang forward, but Onewhisker leaped after him and bowled him over, holding him writhing on the turf. Fireheart saw Darkstripe lashing his tail to and fro; if Mudclaw attacked, Darkstripe would meet him, and all hope of peace would be over.
“Do as Tallstar says,” Fireheart mewed desperately to Bluestar. “That’s why we’re here. WindClan have suffered from stolen prey, just like ThunderClan.”
Bluestar rounded on him, a look of venomous hatred blazing in her blue eyes. “It seems we have no choice,” she hissed at him. “But there’ll be a reckoning for this, Fireheart. You can be sure of that.”
Stiff-legged, her fur bristling, she paced forward until she stood in front of Tallstar, right on the border of WindClan territory. Fireheart followed, murmuring to Sandstorm, “Keep an eye on Darkstripe,” as he left the line of warriors.
Tallstar watched Bluestar coolly as she approached. The WindClan leader had never forgiven her, Fireheart knew, for sheltering his old enemy Brokentail, but he had the wisdom not to let his grudge influence him now. “Bluestar,” he meowed, “I swear by StarClan that WindClan have not hunted on your territory.”
“StarClan!” Bluestar sneered. “What’s the worth of an oath by StarClan?”
The black-and-white tom looked taken aback, his gaze flickering to Fireheart as if he were looking for an explanation. “Then I will swear it by anything you hold sacred,” he went on. “By our kits, by our hopes for our Clans, by our honor as leaders. WindClan did not do what you accuse us of.”
For the first time his words seemed to reach Bluestar. Fireheart saw her fur begin to lie flat. “How can I believe you?” she rasped.
“We have lost prey too,” Tallstar told her. “It may be dogs, or rogues. It is not cats from WindClan.”
“So you say,” meowed Bluestar. She sounded uncertain now. Fireheart thought that perhaps Tallstar was beginning to convince her, but she did not know how to back down without losing dignity.
“Bluestar,” Fireheart mewed urgently, “a noble leader doesn’t take her warriors into battle without need. If there’s the least doubt that—”
“Do you think you know more than I do about how to lead a Clan?” Bluestar interrupted. Her fur had bristled again, but this time it was Fireheart who was the target of her anger. He caught a glimpse of the old, formidable ThunderClan leader, and it was all he could do not to flinch from her.
“Young cats think they know everything,” Tallstar meowed. There was a hint of sympathetic humor in his voice, and Fireheart felt a flash of gratitude toward the WindClan leader for his sensitivity to Bluestar’s fears. “But sometimes we have to listen to them. There is no need for this battle.”
Bluestar’s ears twitched irritably. “Very well,” she mewed reluctantly. “I accept your word—for now. But if my patrols scent WindClan one tail-length over our border…” She whipped around and called to the ThunderClan cats. “Back to camp!” she ordered, leaping ahead of them.
As Fireheart turned to follow her, Tallstar dipped his head to him. “Thank you, Fireheart. You did well, and my Clan honors your courage in averting this battle—but I don’t envy you now.”
Fireheart shrugged, and followed the rest of his Clan. Just before he plunged into the hollow at Fourtrees, he glanced over his shoulder to see the WindClan cats racing back across the open moor toward their camp. The turf gleamed pale in the soft dawn light, unstained by the blood of any cat.
“Thank you, Spottedleaf,” Fireheart murmured as he turned away.
Bluestar led her warriors back to camp in tense silence. At the entrance to the clearing, Fireheart bounded ahead to talk to Mousefur, who was sitting outside the warriors’ den.
“Any problems?” he asked.
Mousefur shook her head. “No trouble at all,” she reported. “Frostfur has taken out the dawn patrol with Brackenfur and a couple of the apprentices.” Looking him over, she added, “You don’t seem to be missing any fur. I suppose the peace talk worked.”
“Yes, it did. Thanks for taking care of things here, Mousefur.”
Mousefur dipped her head. “I’m going to get some sleep,” she meowed. “You’ll need to send some cats out to hunt. There’s hardly any fresh-kill left.”
“I’ll lead a hunting party,” Fireheart promised.
“No, you won’t.” Bluestar came padding up behind him. Her eyes were chips of blue ice. “I want to see you in my den, Fireheart. Now.” She stalked across the clearing without looking back to see if he was following.
Fireheart’s fur prickled with dread. He had expected some sort of recrimination from his leader, but that didn’t make itany easier now that it was about to happen.
“I’ll see to the hunting party,” Whitestorm meowed, giving him a sympathetic look as he came up with Sandstorm and Dustpelt.
Fireheart nodded his thanks and headed toward Bluestar’s den. By the time he reached it, his leader was seated on her bedding with her paws tucked under her. The tip of her tail twitched back and forth.
“Fireheart.” Her voice was quiet; Fireheart would have been less afraid if she had yowled at him. “Tallstar couldn’t have picked a more convenient time to talk to me about the prey theft than if StarClan had told him themselves. That was your doing, wasn’t it? You’re the only cat who knew that I was planning to attack WindClan. Only you could have betrayed us.”
She sounded as if her mind was clearer than it had been for some time, as if the instinct that had sharpened her senses on the moor had settled into hard certainty. She was behaving like the noble leader he had once respected, giving Fireheart an even more agonizing sense of what they had lost. He still believed that he had not betrayed his Clan, but he had given away the advantage of surprise, because Tallstar had been wise enough to realize that battle must be close. Would Bluestar send him into exile? Fireheart shivered at the thought of being forced to live as a rogue, stealing prey and with no Clan to call his own.
He came to stand in front of Bluestar and dipped his head. “I thought it was the right thing to do,” he meowed quietly. “Neither of the Clans needed to fight this battle.”
“I trusted you, Fireheart,” Bluestar rasped. “You, out of all my warriors.”
Fireheart forced himself to meet her flinty gaze. “I did it for the good of the Clan, Bluestar. And I didn’t tell him about the attack. I only asked him to try making peace. I thought—”
“Silence!”Bluestar hissed, lashing her tail. “That is no excuse. And why should I care if the whole Clan had been slaughtered? Why should I care what happens to traitors?”
A wild light was growing in her eyes again, and Fireheart realized that the moment’s clarity had gone.
“If only I’d kept my kits!” she whispered. “Mistyfoot and Stonefur are noble cats. Far nobler than any of this ragtag bunch in ThunderClan. My children would never have betrayed me.”
“Bluestar…” Fireheart tried to interrupt, but she ignored him.
“I gave them up to become deputy, and now StarClan are punishing me. Oh, StarClan are clever, Fireheart! They knew the cruelest way to break me. They made me leader and then let my cats betray me! What is it worth, now, to be leader of ThunderClan? Nothing! It’s all empty, all…” Her paws worked furiously among the moss. Her eyes were glazed, staring at nothing, and her mouth gaped in a soundless wail.
Fireheart shuddered in dismay. “I’ll fetch Cinderpelt,” he meowed.
“Stay…where…you…are.” Each word was rasped out separately. “I need to punish you, Fireheart. Tell me a good punishment for a traitor.”
Nearly sick with fear and shock, Fireheart forced himself to reply. “I don’t know, Bluestar.”
“But I do.” Now her voice was a low purr, with a strange note of amusement in it. Her gaze locked with Fireheart’s. “I know the best punishment of all. I’ll do nothing. I’ll let you be deputy still, and leader after me. Oh, that should please StarClan—a traitor leading a Clan of traitors! May they give you joy of it, Fireheart. Now get out of my sight!”
The last words were spat out. Fireheart backed away from her, into the clearing. He felt as if he had been in a battle after all. Bluestar’s despair pierced him like sharpened claws. But he couldn’t help feeling that Bluestar had let him down too, by not even trying to understand his motives; she had labeled him a traitor without even considering what would have happened if they had fought WindClan.
Head down, Fireheart padded across the clearing, not even aware that another cat had approached him until he heard Sandstorm’s voice.
“What happened, Fireheart? Has she sent you away?”
Fireheart looked up. Sandstorm’s green eyes were anxious, though she did not move close enough to comfort him with her touch.
“No,” he replied. “She didn’t do anything.”
“Then that’s all right.” Sandstorm sounded as if she were forcing optimism into her voice. “Why are you looking like that?”
“She’s…ill.” Fireheart couldn’t begin to describe what he had just witnessed in Bluestar’s den. “I’m going to get Cinderpelt to see her. Then maybe we can eat together.”
“No, I…I said I’d go hunting with Cloudpaw and Brindleface.” Sandstorm scuffled her front paws, not looking at him. “Don’t worry about Bluestar, Fireheart. She’ll be all right.”
“I don’t know.” Fireheart couldn’t repress a shiver. “I thought I could make her understand, but she thinks I betrayed her.”
Sandstorm said nothing. Fireheart saw her give him a quick glance and then look away. There was longing in her eyes, but it was mingled with uneasiness, and he remembered how she had resented deceiving Bluestar.
Does Sandstorm think I’m a traitor too? he thought desperately.
After Fireheart had sent Cinderpelt to Bluestar, he headed for the warriors’ den. He felt as if his legs could hardly hold him up, and he could think of nothing except sinking into the soft darkness of sleep. His heart sank when he saw Longtail stalking across the clearing toward him.
“I want a word with you, Fireheart,” he growled.
Fireheart sat down. “What is it?”
“You ordered myapprentice to go with you this morning.”
“Yes, and I told you why.”
“He didn’t like it, but he did his duty,” Longtail meowed harshly.
That was true, Fireheart reflected. He had admired the apprentice’s courage in a tough situation, but he wasn’t sure why Longtail was making such a fuss now.
“I think it’s time he was made a warrior,” Longtail went on. “In fact, Fireheart, he should have been a warrior long ago.”
“Yes, I know,” Fireheart replied. “You’re right, Longtail, he should.”
Longtail looked taken aback at his ready agreement. “So what are you going to do about it?” he blustered.
“Right now, nothing,” Fireheart meowed. “Don’t flatten your ears at me, Longtail. Just think, will you? Bluestar is distressed at the moment. She didn’t like what happened this morning, and she won’t want to think about promoting apprentices. No, wait.” He flicked his tail to silence Longtail as the pale warrior opened his mouth to protest. “Leave it with me. Sooner or later Bluestar has to realize that what happened was for the best. Then I’ll talk to her about making Swiftpaw a warrior, I promise.”
Longtail sniffed. Fireheart could see he wasn’t happy, but he couldn’t think of any reason to object. “All right,” the pale tabby warrior mewed. “But it had better be soon.”
He stalked off again, leaving Fireheart to head for his nest. As he curled into the soft moss, shutting his eyes tight against the early morning light, he couldn’t help worrying about the four older apprentices. Cloudpaw, Brightpaw, and Thornpaw all deserved to be warriors as well as Swiftpaw. And the Clan desperately needed them to take on full warrior duties. But in her present mood, convinced that she was surrounded by traitors, Bluestar would never agree to give them warrior status.
Fireheart’s dreams were dark and confused, and he woke to find that a cat was nudging him. A voice meowed, “Wake up, Fireheart!”
Blinking, he focused his eyes on Cinderpelt’s face. Her gray fur was ruffled and her eyes wide with anxiety; Fireheart was awake in a heartbeat.
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s Bluestar,” Cinderpelt replied. “I can’t find her anywhere!”
第十章
第十章
一轮圆月高挂在夜空，银河中的繁星璀璨明亮。火心趴在通往“四棵树”的山坡顶上。
山谷里，四株巨大的橡树下面积了厚厚一层落叶。这是落叶季以来的第一次霜降，每一片结霜的叶子都在闪着微光。黑暗处有许多猫的影子来回窜动。
这一次蓝星坚持要带领族群参加森林大会，火心不知道这究竟是好事还是坏事。说实话，他现在不必再煞费苦心地帮蓝星遮遮掩掩，但他仍害怕蓝星冷不丁地会冒出一句骇人听闻的话来。雷族面临的难题堆积如山，如今要想以强者的姿态出现在别的族群面前实在是难上加难。而且，火心一想到自己不能再信任蓝星的判断，便感到心急如焚。
他向蓝星走过去，用小得连他身边的云爪和鼠毛都听不见的声音说：“蓝星，你准备怎么……”
蓝星似乎没有听见他在说话，她晃动了一下尾巴，雷族群猫纷纷站起向山谷冲去。火心无可奈何，只得随大家一起冲下山谷。在营地里，蓝星一直拒绝谈论任何关于森林大会的事，现在他连最后的一次机会也没有了。
谷内的猫比火心原先估计的要少，而且都来自风族和影族。他看见虎星和高星肩并肩坐在巨岩下，蓝星翘着尾巴从他们身边擦肩而过，形同陌路。她连抽动须子这种简单的招呼都没有打，就直接跳上巨岩坐下，灰蓝色的毛在月光下闪闪发光。
火心深吸了口气，强压住内心的恐慌。蓝星已经把高星当做敌人，如今看见他和自己最恨的敌人虎星这么亲密，必定会更加坚信自己的想法。
火心看见高星斜过身子对虎星说了几句话，虎星不屑地晃了一下尾巴。他正犹豫着是否该凑过去探听究竟，突然感觉到肩膀被轻轻撞了一下，回头一看原来是风族武士一根须。
一根须说：“喏，你还认得他是谁吗？”
说着，他把一只小猫推到身前。那只小虎斑猫忽闪着明亮的大眼睛，耳朵兴奋地支棱着。一根须解释说：“这就是晨花的孩子，他现在是一名学徒了，名叫金雀花爪。你看他长多大了！”
“晨花的孩子，当然记得了！我在上次森林大会上便见到你了。”火心很难相信，眼前这个发育结实的学徒，居然就是当日他和灰条带领风族返回家园的路上，嘴里衔着的那只小猫崽。
金雀花爪扭捏地说：“火心，妈妈把你如何衔着我以及一切一切的事情都告诉我了。”
火心开玩笑说：“嘿，还好我现在不用再衔着你了。”
金雀花爪呵呵直笑。火心突然感觉到尽管两族之间发生过一系列的冲突和不快，但他和这些猫之间依然存在着温馨的情谊。
一根须继续说：“大会快要开始了，可河族还没有露面。”
话音未落，会场另一边的灌木丛里一阵晃动，一群河族猫从里面走进会场，昂首阔步走在队伍最前面的是豹毛。
一根须吃惊地问：“钩星去哪儿了？”
火心说：“我听说他病了。”由于他从灰条那里已得知河族的近况，原来就料想钩星不可能抱病参加森林大会，因此他看见豹毛走在最前面便一点儿也不感到奇怪。
豹毛径直走到巨岩下，向坐在那里的高星和虎星礼貌地点了点头，然后坐下来。
火心离得太远，听不清他们在说什么。这时，他看见一个熟悉的灰色身影穿过会场向他跑过来。
火心兴高采烈地说：“灰条！我还以为他们不让你来参加森林大会呢。”
灰条和老朋友触了触鼻子，说：“本来是不让的，但后来石毛说应该给我一个表明忠心的机会。”
“石毛？”火心看见蓝星的两个孩子——石毛和他的姐姐雾脚，也在大会的队伍里，“他说话能顶事吗？”
“石毛是我们新的副族长。”灰条皱了皱眉头，“哦，当然了，你还不知道，钩星已经在两天前死了，豹星（豹毛成为族长后改名为豹星）现在是我们的新族长。”
火心半晌没有说话，心里默默哀悼这位在大火中帮助过雷族的老猫。虽然钩星的死并不令火心感到惊奇，但仍使他产生了一些焦虑。豹星将会是一位强硬的族长，这对河族是件好事，对雷族却不那么乐观了。
灰条阴沉着脸，继续说：“她刚从月亮石回来一天，就已经开始重组族群，监管督促学徒们的训练进度，增加巡逻次数，还有……”他没再说下去，爪子在地上一个劲儿地蹭来蹭去。
灰条的愤慨令火心感到有些紧张，他问：“出什么事了？”
灰条抬头看着火心，眼里闪着怒火：“有些事必须要让你知道，火心。”他向四周扫了一眼，见身边没有河族的猫，就小声说：“自从那场大火过后，豹星便一直在密谋夺取太阳石。”
火心大吃一惊，结结巴巴地说：“我……我想你不该告诉我这些事。”太阳石一直是雷、河两族之间长期以来有着争议的领地，橡心和雷族前副族长红尾就是在争夺太阳石的战斗中身亡的。如今灰条把河族新族长的计划告诉火心，这是一种完全违反武士守则的背叛行为。
灰条不敢看火心的眼睛，他心里承受着巨大的心理压力，声音都变得颤抖了：“我知道，火心，我一直努力做一个忠于河族的武士——没有猫能比我做得更好了！”灰条的声音越来越大，他缓了口气，竭力压低嗓门儿说：“但我不能袖手旁观，眼睁睁地看着豹星计划攻击雷族。如果两族之间果真发生冲突，我不知道该怎么办。”
火心凑上前轻声安慰老朋友。自从灰条穿过那条小河加入河族开始，火心就知道这种事迟早要发生，他的朋友将不得不经受同母族战斗的痛苦。如今，这一天忽然就来了。
火心问：“豹星计划在什么时候发动攻击？”
灰条摇了摇头说：“我不知道，就算豹星已经计划好攻击时间也不会告诉我，这件事我还是从别的武士口中得知的。如果你真的想知道，我可以帮你打听出来。”
想到能在河族营地里安插一个密探，火心非常兴奋，但他随即意识到干这种事情灰条要冒很大的风险，他不能将老朋友置于巨大的危险之中。灰条本来就在两个族群之间左右为难，自己不能再添加他的痛苦了，除非雷族抢先下手——火心并不想这么做——否则他们只能随机应变了。
于是火心回答说：“不行，这太危险了。我很感激你的警告，但想想如果你被豹星发现，她会怎样对付你呢？她绝对不会放过你的。我会告诉所有的巡逻队在太阳石附近多加注意河族的气味，并随时更新我们在那里的气味标记。”
巨岩上传来召唤声，火心转头看见其他三位族长已经站到了高岩上，蓝星依旧对虎星不理不睬。等群猫安静下来后，虎星向豹星点了点头，请她先说话。豹星走到巨岩前端，俯视着猫群。
她大声说：“我们的前族长钩星已经升往星族了，他是一位品格高尚的族长，他的子民都为他的离去而感到伤心悲痛。我现在是河族族长，我的副族长是石毛。昨天晚上我去了月亮石，接受了星族赐予的九条性命。”
虎星和高星都说：“恭喜恭喜，所有的族群都会怀念钩星，愿星族保佑河族在你的领导下繁荣昌盛。”
豹星向他们答谢，然后期待地看着蓝星。但蓝星只是低头往巨岩下看去，脸上显出一副骄傲的神情。火心顺着她的目光看见了石毛，立刻明白她是在为自己的儿子当上副族长而感到自豪。他猛然想起虎星已经知道河族抚养了一对雷族幼崽的事情，顿时心头一下子变得冰凉。他看见虎星若有所思地打量着蓝星，虎星会不会猜到那两只幼崽的母亲是谁呢？
豹星等了半天，见蓝星没有反应，于是继续说：“我们族群还有一个消息，我们一个名叫灰池的老年猫死了。”
火心的耳朵顿时竖立起来。他不知道雾脚和灰条怎样向河族族长讲述灰池死亡的事，也不知道灰池的尸体上是否残留有他的气味。豹星有可能诬蔑雷族杀了灰池，以便制造袭击雷族的借口。
但豹星仅简单说了句：“她是一位勇敢的武士，是许多孩子的母亲。”她顿了顿，同情地望了望雾脚和石毛，最后说：“她的族群向她表示哀悼。”
火心刚松了口气，却见虎星走上前，随即又紧张起来。这位影族族长会把那两只幼崽的事情说出来吗？不料虎星一句也没提幼崽的秘密，只是向各族通报了一下影族的日常事务，如有多少幼崽成为学徒，影族又增添了几只幼崽。诸般琐事无非是为了显示影族正在恢复实力，不过其中倒没有暗藏敌意。
火心心里又升起一线希望，也许真的不用担心来自虎星的威胁了，如果这样，他就能专心致志地应付森林里的那条恶狗。但当火心回想起虎星残忍地对待灰池，致使灰池摔死的那一幕，不禁又疑虑丛生。
虎星讲完话，高星走上前，但蓝星抢先站在高星前面，大声吼道：“接下来我要讲话。”说着，她狠狠瞪了高星一眼。
蓝星走到巨岩前端，冷冷地说：“各族的猫们，我有一个关于雷族遭到偷窃的消息。风族武士一直在雷族领地里进行偷猎。”
猫群中顿时响起一片怒吼声。风族猫都跳起身，愤怒地指责雷族族长在无端污蔑。
云爪走到火心身边，睁着大眼睛又是吃惊又是兴奋：“风族！她在说什么？”
火心呵斥道：“快闭嘴！”他瞅了眼一根须，生怕他听见云爪口无遮拦的话，却见他也站了起来，高声抗议蓝星的讲话。
一根须高声喊道：“拿出证据来！只要能证明风族哪怕偷了你们一只老鼠也算数！”
蓝星冷冷地说：“我有证据，我们的巡逻队在离这里不远的地方发现了兔子的残骸。”
高星走上前质问蓝星：“那也能算证据吗？你在你们的领地里看见我们的武士了吗？你们的巡逻队发现风族的气味了吗？”
蓝星反唇相讥：“我不需要看见或者嗅到小偷后才知道他们做了什么，所有的猫都知道只有风族才会捉兔子吃。”
火心肌肉紧绷，本能地伸出利爪。
高星气得浑身的毛都竖立起来，恶狠狠地说：“真是一派胡言！风族一样丢猎物，我们也在领地里发现了兔子的残骸。这个季节的兔子本来就少，蓝星，我还没有说是你放任手下来我们领地偷猎，你居然反倒说我们是小偷！”
虎星插言说：“高星的话听上去有道理得多！每只猫都知道，自从大火之后雷族领地里的猎物便很稀少。蓝星，你的族群吃不饱肚子，而且你手下的一些武士对风族领地的情况相当熟悉。”
火心发觉虎星的目光盯在他的身上，顿时明白虎星原来在暗指他和灰条。
蓝星斜睨虎星，低吼着说：“住口！离我和我的族群远点儿，这不关你的事。”
虎星淡淡地说：“这件事关乎森林里所有的猫，森林大会上各族应该和平相处，如果星族发怒，我们都会遭灾。”
蓝星恨恨地说：“星族！星族已经抛弃我们了，如果迫不得已，我就要和他们血战到底！我只关心我族群的生计，绝不会任由外族来偷取我们的猎物！”
她的话在巨岩下的猫群中引起一片哗然。火心连忙抬头望了望天空，看看星族是否发怒。星族发怒的时候会降下一团乌云遮住月亮，迫使森林大会草草结束，他们以前就遇到过这种情况。不过天空依然明朗，难道这表明星族已经接受了蓝星的宣战吗？
灰条撞了撞他，问：“蓝星这是怎么了？难道她想挑起雷、风两族之间的战端吗？这又关星族什么事？”
火心小声嘟囔说：“我不知道她想干什么。”
云爪说：“我觉得蓝星在兔子的问题上说得没错，而且森林大会上和平相处是一个愚蠢的旧传统，星族高不高兴关咱们什么事？星族只不过是某些族长拿来吓唬别的猫，使别的猫都俯首帖耳的工具罢了。”
火心责怪地瞪了云爪一眼，不过现在他没有时间来追究云爪对待武士祖先的态度问题。他的心扑通乱跳，仿佛就要投身于战斗一般。如今已经不可能在各个族群面前隐瞒蓝星精神失常的情况了。高星气得火冒三丈，豹星虽然没有加入争吵，不过她脸上的神情简直就像将要大口吞吃肥美多汁的猎物似的。
山谷内的吵嚷声渐渐止息。高星朗声说：“蓝星，我以星族的名义发誓，风族绝对没有去雷族领地里偷猎。”他的尾巴左右晃动，“但是，如果你一意孤行，坚持要与我们为敌的话，我们将奉陪到底。”他后退两步，转身背对蓝星，摆出一副不再为自己分辩的架势。
还没等蓝星开口，豹星已经走上前说：“那场大火是个悲剧，森林里的每一只猫都深表同情，但近来遭灾的不只是你们雷族。森林终归有恢复生机的一天，那时猎物又如往常一样丰富了，但两脚兽们侵入我们的家园，丝毫没有离去的迹象。在上个落叶季里，我们的河流变成了一条毒河，我的同胞们吃了河里的鱼都生病了。谁能保证这种事不会重演呢？
我无意为风族说话，但河族比雷族更需要狩猎地盘。”
巨岩下有几只河族猫大声呼应，火心甚感焦虑。他瞅了眼灰条，想起他的警告。河族这位新族长既然想扩张领地，首当其冲的必然是雷族。因为河族和风族之间隔着一条山涧，而河族其余的边界都与两脚兽的农田接壤。
但蓝星并没有听出河族族长言辞背后的威胁。等豹星说完话，蓝星亲切地说：“你说得没错，豹星，河族的日子过得确实很不容易。不过你们身体强壮、品格高贵，我知道你们一定能渡过难关的。”
豹星大概有些意外，老蓝星居然没听出她话中有话。
虎星上前一步对蓝星说：“蓝星，在你恫吓风族之前请三思而行，森林里将永无安宁，如果……”
蓝星怒不可遏，厉声喝道：“别和我谈什么安宁！我告诉过你别插手这事，否则你就是和那个小偷一伙的。”
高星走过来，火心猜他强忍着不向蓝星扑去。高星吼道：“如果你想要战斗，那咱们就来吧，蓝星。”说完，他不等蓝星搭话，纵身跳下巨岩。
虎星和豹星交换了一个眼色，跟在后面跳下去，只留下蓝星孤零零地站在上面。火心又看了看天空，居然没有发现星族发怒的迹象，完全不同于上次各个族群闹僵时所显露出的那样。难道说星族有意要让族群之间发生战争吗？
火心看见蓝星从巨岩上爬下来，急忙对云爪说：“云爪，快去把我们的武士召到巨岩下来，一定要保护蓝星的安全。”
云爪点了点头，转身钻进猫群中。火心看见石毛挤开猫群走到灰条面前说：“准备好了吗？豹星现在就要走。”
灰条立刻跳起身说：“马上就来。”他担心地望着火心说：“火心，再见了。”
火心心里有千言万语想对灰条说，但他只说了声“再见”，他不得不再次面对最好的朋友已经身属外族的事实，也许下次见面就是在战场上了。
他想了半天，最后结结巴巴地对石毛说：“祝贺你荣升副族长，雷族不想惹麻烦，你知道的。”
石毛凝视着火心的眼睛，说：“我也不希望有麻烦，可有些麻烦终归要来。”
火心目送他们走到会场边，忽然发现还有一只猫在盯着石毛，是虎星！
火心琢磨不透他脸上那副若有所思的神情。这位影族族长在寻找未来的同盟者吗？还是他猜到石毛就是灰池所说的那两只雷族幼崽中的一只呢？毕竟，大家都知道雾脚和石毛是由灰池抚养长大的。那么虎星不久就能觉察出他们的亲生母亲是谁了，因为石毛和雾脚长得非常像蓝星。
火心只顾想这件事，过了老半天才发现坐在虎星身边的居然是黑条。他告诉自己黑条不过是来见见老朋友罢了，但他终究不喜欢看到这一幕，因为他仍不能确定黑条的忠心。
火心站起来穿过猫群向他们走去，走到近前时听见虎星对黑条说：“我的孩子们还好吧？”
黑条亲热地说：“都很好，他们都长得高大结实——尤其是小黑莓崽。”
火心一下子打断他的话说：“黑条！大会结束了，难道你没有注意到吗？蓝星想马上就走。”
黑条慢吞吞地说：“别急嘛，火心，我这就走。”
虎星说：“走吧，黑条，别让你的副族长等你。”他向火心点了点头，脸上没有什么表情。
火心向蓝星走去，黑条跟在后面。雷族武士们聚集在蓝星周围，护着蓝星穿过充满敌意的风族猫群。蓝星依然摆出一副高傲的样子，火心心里一沉，知道两族之间的战争已经不远了。
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 15
Fireheart sprang to his paws. “Tellme what happened.”
“When I saw her earlier this morning, I took her poppy seeds to calm her down,” Cinderpelt explained. “But when I went to her den just now, she wasn’t there, and she hadn’t eaten the poppy seeds. I tried the elders’ den and the nursery, but she isn’t there either. She isn’t anywhere in camp, Fireheart.”
“Did anyone see her leave?”
“I haven’t asked yet. I came to tell you first.”
“Then I’ll get the apprentices to search, and find out if—”
“Bluestar’s not a kit, you know.” The interruption came from Whitestorm, who had padded into the warriors’ den in time to hear Cinderpelt’s news. “She might have gone on patrol. For all you know, other cats are with her.” He spoke calmly as he bared his teeth in a yawn and settled into his nest.
Fireheart nodded uncertainly. What Whitestorm said was sensible, but he would have liked to be sure. After the state Bluestar had been in that morning, she could be anywhere in the forest. She might even have gone to RiverClan in search of her kits.
“There’s probably no need to worry,” Fireheart reassured Cinderpelt, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. “But we’ll look anyway, and find out if any cat has seen her.”
Leaving the den, he spotted Fernpaw and Ashpaw sharing tongues near the blackened remains of the tree stump outside the apprentices’ den. Quickly Fireheart explained that he had a message for Bluestar, but he wasn’t sure where she was. The two apprentices dashed off willingly to look for her.
“You go and ask if any cat has seen her,” he suggested to Cinderpelt, who had followed him out of the den. “I’ll go up the ravine and see if I can pick up her scent. I might be able to track her.”
Privately he didn’t have much hope. While he had slept, clouds had covered the sky and a thin rain was drizzling down. It was not good weather for following scent. Before he could leave, Fireheart noticed that Sandstorm was just returning to camp, along with Cloudpaw and Brindleface. All three of them carried fresh-kill, which they went over to drop on the pile.
Fireheart raced up to them, with Cinderpelt limping behind. “Sandstorm,” he meowed, “have you seen Bluestar?”
Sandstorm swiped her tongue around her mouth to remove the prey juices. “No. Why?”
“She isn’t here,” mewed Cinderpelt.
Sandstorm’s eyes widened. “Are you surprised? After what happened this morning? She must feel like she’s losing control of her Clan.”
That was so close to the truth that Fireheart didn’t know how to answer.
“We’re going out again,” meowed Cloudpaw. “We’ll keep a lookout for her.”
“Okay, thanks.” Fireheart blinked gratefully at his apprentice.
The young white tom raced off again, with the two warriors following more slowly. Brindleface paused to meow, “I’m sure she’ll be fine, Fireheart,” as she left, but Sandstorm didn’t look back.
Fireheart’s problems were about to overwhelm him, but then he felt Cinderpelt’s breath soft against his ear. “Don’t worry, Fireheart,” she murmured. “Sandstorm’s still your friend. You need to accept that she doesn’t always see things the way you do.”
“You don’t either.” Fireheart sighed.
Cinderpelt let out an affectionate purr. “I’m still your friend too,” she told him. “And I know you’ve done what you believe to be right. Now, let’s see what we can do to find Bluestar.”
By the time the sun set, Bluestar was still missing. Fireheart had tracked her as far as the top of the ravine, but after that, with the rain coming down more heavily, the scent was lost among the tang of charred branches and the musty smell of fallen leaves.
Too anxious to sleep, Fireheart put himself on watch. The night was far gone, and the moon was setting when he spotted movement by the camp entrance. The last rays of moonlight picked out a silver-gray coat as Bluestar limped back into the camp. Her fur was soaked, plastered to her body, and her head was low. She looked old, exhausted, defeated.
Fireheart hurried across to her. “Bluestar, where have you been?”
The Clan leader raised her head and looked at him. A jolt ran through Fireheart; her eyes, faintly glowing in the dim light, were clear and bright in spite of her exhaustion. “You sound like a queen scolding her kit,” she rasped, an edge of humor in her voice. She jerked her head in the direction of her den. “Come with me.”
Fireheart obeyed, pausing only to snatch a vole from the pile of fresh-kill. Bluestar needed to eat, wherever she had been. When he reached Bluestar’s den, his leader was seated in her mossy nest, washing herself with long, careful strokes. Fireheart would have liked to sit beside her and share tongues with her, but after their last encounter he did not dare. Instead he dropped the vole in front of her and respectfully dipped his head. “What happened, Bluestar?” he asked.
Bluestar stretched her neck to sniff the vole, half turned away from it, and then began to gulp it down as if she had suddenly realized how hungry she was. She did not answer until she had finished it.
“I went to speak with StarClan,” she announced, flicking the last traces of vole from her whiskers.
Fireheart stared. “To Highstones? On your own?”
“Of course. Which of this pack of traitors could I ask to escort me?”
Fireheart swallowed. Gently he meowed, “Your Clan are loyal, Bluestar. All of us.”
Bluestar shook her head stubbornly. “I went to Highstones, and I spoke with StarClan.”
“But why?” Fireheart was feeling more and more confused. “I thought you no longer wanted to share tongues with StarClan.”
The old cat drew herself up. “I do not. I went to challenge them. I wanted to ask how they could justify what they have done to me, when I have served them all my life and tried to do their will. And to demand an explanation for the things that are happening in the forest.”
Fireheart gazed at her in disbelief, amazed that his leader had dared to challenge the spirits of their warrior ancestors.
“I lay beside the Moonstone and StarClan came to me,” Bluestar went on. “They did not justify themselves—how could they? There is nojustification for what they have done to me. But they told me something….”
Fireheart leaned closer. “What?”
“They said that there is evil loose in the forest. They spoke of a ‘pack.’ They told me that it will bring more death and destruction than the forest has ever seen before.”
“What did they mean?” Fireheart whispered. Surely there had been enough death and destruction already, with the fire and the floods?
Bluestar lowered her head. “I don’t know.”
“But we mustfind out!” Fireheart exclaimed, his mind whirling. “Perhaps they mean the dog—but a dog couldn’t do damage on that scale. And what about ‘pack’? Maybe…yes, maybe they were talking about ShadowClan. You know how Tigerstar vowed to take revenge on us. Maybe he’s planning an attack. Or Leopardstar,” he added, still trying to cling to his hope that Tigerstar had lost interest in harming his old Clan.
Bluestar shrugged. “Maybe.”
Fireheart narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to work out the meaning of what StarClan had told her and make plans to stop the attack if it came. “We have to do something,” he insisted. “We could set a watch on the borders, and we should increase the patrols.” He wasn’t sure how he was going to that with so few warriors. “We need to make sure there’s always a guard on the camp when…”
His voice trailed off as he realized Bluestar wasn’t listening. She crouched motionless, her eyes fixed on her paws. “Bluestar?”
The ThunderClan leader looked up at him, her eyes bottomless pools of despair. “What is the point?” she rasped. “StarClan have decreed that death will come. A dark force walks this forest, and even StarClan themselves cannot control it. Or willnot. There is nothing we can do.”
A shudder went through Fireheart. Was Bluestar right that StarClan were not powerful enough to avert the doom that was coming? For a few heartbeats he almost shared his leader’s despair.
Then he raised his head. He felt as though he were clawing his way up from the depths of black water. “No,” he growled. “I won’t believe that. There is always something that a cat can do, as long as he has courage and loyalty.”
“Courage? Loyalty? In ThunderClan?”
“Yes,Bluestar.” Fireheart tried to put all the force of his belief into his reply. “No cat but Tigerstar has ever wanted to betray you.”
Bluestar held his gaze for a moment before looking away. Her tail flicked wearily. “Do what you want, Fireheart. It won’t make any difference. Nothing will. Now leave me.”
Fireheart murmured a farewell. Backing away, he noticed the poppy seeds Cinderpelt had left earlier, still lying neatly on a leaf. He nodded toward them. “Eat your poppy seeds, Bluestar,” he mewed. “You need to rest. Tomorrow everything will look better.”
He took the leaf between his teeth and carefully moved it into Bluestar’s reach. Bluestar gave a disdainful sniff, but as Fireheart left the den he glanced back to see her bend over and lick up the seeds.
Outside, he gave his pelt a shake, trying to get rid of the creeping horror he had felt as Bluestar revealed the message of StarClan. His paws carried him instinctively in the direction of Cinderpelt’s den. He would have to tell the medicine cat that Bluestar was back, and he wanted to discuss what his leader had told him.
Only then did he remember that more than a moon ago, Cinderpelt had told him of a dream in which she heard the words pack, pack,and kill, kill
第十一章
第十一章
火心从武士巢穴里走出来的时候，太阳已经爬上了树梢。他抖掉沾在身上的枯叶，深吸了口清爽的空气，伸了个大大的懒腰。
尽管昨晚的森林大会上发生了那么大的变故，但营地里的生活仍如往常一样：蜡爪和云爪正忙着用细枝修补围墙，金花和柳带在育婴室外看着孩子们玩耍，蕨毛干完了自己的活儿和他们一起玩，白风衔着满嘴的猎物正往营地内走。虽然火心仍感到惴惴不安，但他担心的偷袭并没有发生。
他向四周望了望，没看到沙风的影子。沙风一大早就领着巡逻队出去了，直到现在还没回来。她没有去参加森林大会，火心很想找她聊聊森林大会上的事。
“火心！”
是蓝星的声音。火心急忙转头，看见蓝星从族长巢穴里走了出来。
“是，蓝星，有什么事？”
蓝星伸着脖子说：“到我巢穴里来，我们商量点儿事情。”
火心跟在后面，发现她的脚步很急促，尾巴也晃个不停。虽然眼前并没有敌人，但她显出一副跃跃欲试的神情，仿佛要投入战斗一般。
回到族长巢穴，蓝星走到铺垫上，面对火心坐下，低声说：“昨晚你听到高星那些歇斯底里的话了，他死活不承认风族偷猎的事实！所以我们只能做一件事情，必须发动攻击！”
火心张大嘴巴看着她，隔了半晌方才结结巴巴地说：“可是，蓝星，我们不能这么做啊！我们的族群现在实力不足。”他又想起增添武士的事来，如果不是蓝星拒绝，他们现在会多出四名武士，但他可不敢和蓝星提这件事。“我们承受不了武士的伤亡。”
蓝星凶巴巴地瞪着他说：“你说雷族已经虚弱到不能保卫自己的地步了？”
火心焦急地说：“保卫自己和发动进攻完全是两码事呀！蓝星，我们还没有确切证据证明风族偷了……”
蓝星开始变得面目狰狞，身上的毛都竖了起来。她走上前逼视着火心，厉声喝道：“你在质疑我的判断吗？”
火心平静地说：“我不想看到无谓的流血，所有的迹象都表明森林里有一只流浪狗，是它在捕猎兔子。”
“我说过狗不会独自游荡！它们总是跟在两脚兽身边。”
“那么狗的气味又是从何而来呢？”
“住口！”蓝星挥了一下爪子，擦着火心的鼻尖而过，他硬着头皮站在原地一动不动。“我们今晚出发，明天一早便向风族发动攻击。”
火心心里一沉。为族群而战本来是武士的荣耀，但他从没有遇到过这样稀里糊涂的战斗，他不想让雷族或者风族为此付出血的代价。
蓝星问：“你听到我说的话了吗，火心？你去挑选武士，给他们下达命令，他们必须在月亮落山前准备完毕。”她的眼睛里闪着熊熊的火焰，就像摧毁森林的那场大火，仿佛要将火心烧成灰烬一般。
他说：“是，蓝星，但……”
蓝星生气地打断他的话：“你害怕风族吗？还是你只会对星族唯唯诺诺，连自己族群的权利都不敢捍卫了？”她走到洞穴的石壁边，然后又走了回来，把脸凑到火心面前低声说：“你太令我失望了，你，就像族里其他武士一样。像你这样质疑我的命令，我怎么还能相信你会把全部力量都投入战斗中呢？火心，你让我没有选择了，我将亲自带队攻击风族。”
火心对蓝星这一决定持一百二十个反对意见。蓝星一天比一天衰老，气力也在一点一滴地失去，她只有最后一条性命了，而且还神志不清。不过看见蓝星那副火冒三丈的样子，他还是不敢提这些情况。“一切按您说的办，蓝星。”
蓝星说：“那么就照我的命令做吧。”火心退出巢穴，蓝星狠狠地盯着他，在他背后大吼道：“你和我一起去，但是记住，我会一直监视你的。”
火心走到巢穴外，顿时打了个寒战，就像刚从冰水里爬出来一样。他的任务是挑选攻击队成员，并且命令他们准备月亮落山后出发，但他打心眼儿里不愿意执行这项任务。偷猎兔子的是狗，而不是风族，攻击一个清白无辜的族群绝不是星族的心愿！蓝星犯了大错误。
火心下意识地向巫医巢穴走去，也许炭毛能给他一些建议。她聪明睿智，而且和星族保持着特殊联系，应该比他更清楚下一步该怎么走。他走到巫医巢穴外的空地上，喊了几声炭毛的名字，里面却没有应答。他把头伸进巫医巢穴，才发现除了沿着石壁整齐摆放的草药外，里面空荡荡的。
他走出香薇通道，一时间不知道该怎么办。这时，他看见刺爪拖着一捆苔藓往老年猫巢穴那边走。刺爪看见火心，立刻放下嘴里的苔藓说：“火心，炭毛外出采药了。”
火心问：“在哪里采药？”如果炭毛在营地附近，他就去找她。
刺爪耸了耸肩膀说：“不知道，抱歉。”说完，他衔起苔藓走了。
火心站在那里一动不动，心里既恐惧又迷惘。他不能向别的猫寻求建议，因为副族长绝对不能质疑族长的命令。他甚至不能和沙风谈这件事，因为她严格遵守武士守则，对族长奉若神明。现在他只有一个希望了。
他缓缓走回武士巢穴，恰巧碰见纹脸出来。看见纹脸疑惑的样子，火心解释说：“我想睡一觉，积攒了力气好晚上外出巡逻。”他决定先不把晚上的计划告诉给她。
纹脸同情地说：“你看上去很疲惫，火心，你工作得太投入了。”
她舔了一下火心的耳朵，然后向猎物堆走去。武士巢穴里空荡荡的，火心正需要这样的环境，他可不想再回答更多的问题。他蜷起身子躺进苔藓窝里，如果他能睡上一会儿，也许能遇见斑叶，可以请她指点迷津。
他想起上一次梦里的情景：黑暗恐怖的树林里，怎么也找不到斑叶。
火心喃喃自语：“哦，斑叶，请来看看我吧，我需要你，我必须要知道星族想让我怎么做。”
火心发现自己站在风族领地的边界，面前是广袤的荒原。微风阵阵，吹皱了他身上的毛，遥远的地平线上透出一线诡异的亮光。他不记得自己是怎么穿过丛林来到这里的，回头望去，已不见山谷里的那四棵橡树，只有一团淡黄色的光芒。这里一只猫都没有。
他试探着叫道：“斑叶？”
周围没有回应，不过他嗅到一股熟悉的淡雅香味。他仰起头，张大嘴巴想多吸一些。
他又叫道：“斑叶！请出来见见我吧——我是多么需要你啊。”
忽然一阵温暖涌遍全身。一个温柔的声音在低语：“火心，我在这里。”火心感觉到斑叶就在身后，只要他一回头就能看见。但他的身体却不能动弹，他望着眼前秋风飒飒的荒原，感觉自己仿佛被一双冰冷的爪子紧紧攥住。
他身体僵硬地站在那里，渐渐发现身后不仅有一只猫，他还嗅到了另一股气味，那是一股引发他痛苦回忆的熟悉气味。
他喃喃说：“黄牙？是你吗？”
他感觉到了黄牙那微弱的呼吸，甚至能听见她喉咙间沙哑的喘息声。他叫喊道：“哦，是黄牙！我非常想念你，你还好吗？你看到炭毛做得多么好了吗？”
能和老朋友重逢，火心感到欣喜不已，但黄牙却没有回答他，只是呼吸声变得粗重了。
他的耳边又响起斑叶温柔的声音：“我带你到这里来是有原因的，火心，仔细记住这个地方，这里不会有战争和流血。”
火心知道斑叶说的是蓝星计划攻击风族的事，于是恳求说：“那么就请告诉我该怎样阻止这场战争吧。”
斑叶没有说话，只听得一声叹息逐渐隐去，最后消散在风中。火心的身体忽然能够动弹了，他急忙转身，但斑叶和黄牙已不见踪影。他急切地大口呼吸空气，却丝毫嗅不到她们的气味。
他痛苦地叫喊道：“斑叶！黄牙！不要走！”
周围的光亮发生了变化，变成了通常在落叶季的清晨都能见到的阳光。荒原不见了，天空被大火烧得支离破碎的树枝顶棚遮住了。他气喘吁吁地躺在苔藓窝里。
“火心？”他身边响起沙风担忧的声音。沙风舔了一下他的耳朵，说：“你没事吧？”
“没……没事，我很好。”火心撑起身子坐起来，抖掉沾在耳朵上的苔藓，“我只不过在做梦罢了。”
沙风继续说：“我在到处找你。我们早班巡逻队没有看见任何可疑情况。鼠毛把昨天森林大会的事情告诉我了，现在猎物堆里的猎物不多了，我们出去捕猎吧。”
“我现在不能去，下次好吗？我有点儿事情要做。不过，如果你能带领一只捕猎队出去，那就太好了。”
沙风凝视着他，眼里的同情渐渐没了，她有些气恼地说：“嘿，好吧，如果你实在忙得不可开交，我可以带纹脸和蕨毛去捕猎。”说完，她头也不回地走了。
火心知道她很生气，但苦于无法向她解释。他舔了舔爪子，在脸上抹了几把，仔细回味刚才做的梦。“这里不会有战争和流血”，是不是斑叶想告诉他不用担心，星族自有阻止战争的办法？或者她是在说这件事完全取决于他能否想出一个不必流血的解决方法？
火心打定主意，不论怎样，雷族和风族之间绝对不能发生战争。
第十二章
第十二章
火心不想让其他猫看见他并询问他的去向，就加快脚步往营地外走去。武士守则教导他们，族长的命令不可违抗。在此之前，火心一直把这一条奉为金科玉律，严守不悖，从未想到自己竟然会违抗蓝星的命令。但是他现在处于两难选择：要么违抗命令，要么坐视族群覆灭。他唯一能想出的避免战争的办法就是让高星和蓝星坐到一起，把两族领地内兔子失踪的事说清楚，说透彻。一旦蓝星明白风族也和雷族一样是受害者，她肯定会取消攻击行动。
他不知道，如果蓝星发现他私下去见高星将会怎样处罚他，他只希望蓝星最终能够理解自己的良苦用心。
火心站在金雀花通道出口处最后看了眼营地，他看见亮爪正在学徒巢穴外练习捕猎动作，她轻轻爬向地上的一片落叶，然后扑上去按住它。
火心大声夸赞说：“干得漂亮！”
亮爪抬起头，欣喜地说：“过奖了，火心！”
火心冲她点了点头，然后转身走出金雀花通道。和亮爪之间的简短对话使他更加坚定了自己的决心。这些对生活充满热情的学徒正代表了族群的未来，火心决不能让这一切毁掉。
将近中午时分，火心来到横在去往“四棵树”路上的小溪边，他停下来歇息片刻。由于心情焦虑，他离开营地前连饭都没有吃，这时灌木丛里传出的沙沙声响，顿时勾起了他的饥火。他俯下身子正要扑过去，忽然瞥见一个熟悉的身影，同时嗅到了雷族猫的气味。原来刚才的沙沙声不是猎物发出来的。
火心疑心大起，赶紧躲到一簇香薇丛后面。他并没有往这个方向派出队伍啊，雷族怎么会有猫来这里呢？过了一会儿，黑条分开灌木丛走了出来，还回头催促说：“尽力跟上我，行吗？”
两个小小身影也从灌木丛里走出来。火心一见顿时大吃一惊，竟然是金花的那两个孩子！黑莓崽跑到空旷地带和一片落叶打得热火朝天，黄崽则慢吞吞地跟在后面。
黄崽抱怨说：“我在尽力啊，我的脚又酸又痛。”
黑条说：“什么？像你这么健壮的小猫腿脚也会酸痛？别捣蛋了，这点儿路又不算远。”
那什么才算远呢？火心纳闷地想，你到这里来干什么，你要把这两只幼崽带往何处？
他以为金花也会跟在后面——她以前是不是也带幼崽走这么远过——但金花始终没有现身。
黑莓崽蹦蹦跳跳地跑到妹妹身边顶了她一下，催促说：“好啦——这点儿累还算值！”
两只小猫跟在黑条后面，沿着小溪找了一处较为狭窄的地方渡溪。小家伙们走到小溪中间，受到溪流的冲击后都大声尖叫起来，那模样又是害怕又是兴奋。黑条爬到对岸，并没有径直往“四棵树”走，而是拐上了一条非常狭窄的小路。火心见了顿时勃然大怒。他知道这条小路通向何处，黑条正引着两只幼崽朝影族边界走去。
火心一直等他们爬上岸，才从香薇丛后钻出来并跟在后面。等到他赶上黑条时，他们已经接近影族边界了。一股浓烈的影族气味扑面而来，火心看见两只幼崽停下脚步嗅空气。
黄崽嚷嚷说：“呸，这是什么气味？”
黑莓崽问：“是狐狸吗？”
黑条回答：“不是狐狸，这是影族的气味。走吧，我们就快到了。”他带着幼崽们穿过边界，黄崽不停抱怨自己的爪子沾上了这种恶心的气味。
火心心中的怒火越来越大，他钻进雷族边界上的一簇矮山楂树丛，在那里能够一览无余地观察他们。
黑条没走几步便停了下来，两只幼崽一步一滑地走在草地上。刚站住脚步，就听见一簇灌木丛里传来一阵沙沙声，有一只猫走了出来。
是虎星！尽管这种事早在火心意料之中，但他还是吃了一惊。他早就猜到黑条带着这两只幼崽是来见虎星的，但虎星出现的时机恰到好处，说明他们之间早有预谋。
火心不知道金花知不知道这件事，她并没有和孩子们一起来，也许她并不知道黑条领走了她的孩子们，也许她还以为孩子们失踪了。火心暗想：金花一定快要急疯了。他绷紧肌肉，准备跳出去质问黑条，但他考虑再三，决定还是藏在暗处先看个究竟。
虎星走上前，皮毛下的肌肉线条波动起伏。他走到两个孩子面前，先是打量了他们一会儿，然后才低头和黑莓崽触了触鼻子，又和黄崽触了触鼻子。尽管两只幼崽从未见过这么高大的猫，但他们勇敢地站在虎星面前，一点儿也不胆怯。
虎星说：“你们知道我是谁吗？”
黑莓崽回答：“黑条说他带我们来见爸爸。”
黄崽说：“你是我们的爸爸吗？你身上的气味和我们的有点儿像。”
虎星点了点头，说：“我就是你们的爸爸。”
两只幼崽面面相觑。黑条说：“这位就是虎星，是影族族长。”
他们的眼睛顿时睁得浑圆，黑莓崽惊呼说：“哇！你真的是一位族长吗？”
虎星点了点头。黄崽兴奋地说：“为什么我们不生活在你的族群里呢？你的巢穴一定很漂亮。”
虎星摇摇头说：“你们现在和妈妈生活在一起，但我仍然为你们感到骄傲。”他对黑条说：“他们看起来长得很健壮，什么时候成为学徒啊？”
黑条说：“大约还要一个月吧。很遗憾我现在收了徒弟，否则我就能亲自教导他们其中的一个了。”
火心怒火冲天，差点儿骂出声来：谁当老师要由蓝星和我决定，什么时候轮到你了，黑条！
虎星转头瞅着孩子们，问：“你们会捕猎吗？会格斗吗？你们想做一名优秀的武士吗？”
两只幼崽拼命点头，黑莓崽吹嘘说：“我要成为族群里最优秀的武士！”
黄崽不甘落后地说：“我要成为最好的猎手！”
“很好，很好。”虎星分别舔了他们一下。
火心不由得想起灰条来。灰条深爱着他的孩子们，为了和孩子们生活在一起，甘愿离开族群。虎星是不是也承受着和孩子们分离的痛苦呢？
黑莓崽问：“求求你告诉我们，虎星，为什么你是影族族长而我们的妈妈却是一只雷族猫呢？”
虎星问黑条：“他们不知道吗？”黑条摇了摇头。于是虎星对两只幼崽说：“嗯，说起来话可就长了。快坐下，让我来告诉你们。”
火心知道自己再也藏不住了，他最不愿看到的事情就是虎星在他离开族群的话题上向孩子们编一套谎话。有一件事可以肯定，虎星绝不会承认自己是凶手和叛贼。
火心站起来走出矮山楂树丛，说：“别来无恙啊，虎星，你大老远地跑到这里来。”他转头瞅着黑条，口气严厉地说：“还有你，黑条，你带着这两只幼崽到这里来干什么？”
他一边说着，一边走过去。他看见虎星和黑条都目瞪口呆，心里对这个效果非常满意。就在虎星和黑条张大嘴瞪着火心的时候，两只幼崽迎了上来。
黄崽兴奋地喊道：“他就是我们的爸爸！我们大老远地走到这里就是为了见他。”
黑莓崽大声嚷嚷：“为什么没有猫告诉我们他是族长啊？”
火心不想回答这个问题，他眯缝起眼睛责问黑条：“说啊？”
黑条气势汹汹地大吼道：“你怎么知道我们来这里了？”
“我看见你们渡溪，你们搞出的声音足够惊天动地了。”
虎星依照一族族长对待别族副族长的礼节，低头行礼说：“火心，这件事不怪黑条，都怪我，我想看看孩子们，你一定不会拒绝这个请求吧，是吗？”
火心说：“这个请求当然不过分，但黑条不该未经允许私自把他们带出来，幼崽们在离营地这么远的地方游逛是很危险的。”说完，他心里又默默地附加了一句：特别在森林里有一只流浪狗的情况下。
黑条分辩说：“他们不是在游逛——他们和我在一起。”
“如果老鹰袭击你们怎么办？森林里的树冠都还没有长出来，难道你忘记雪崽的惨剧了吗？”一只幼崽吓得发出惊呼，火心不想吓着他们，于是扯开话题，“黑条，把他们带回营地，现在就走。”
黑条和虎星交换了一个眼色，对两只幼崽说：“走吧，火心发话了，我们必须遵命。”
两只幼崽离开他们的父亲，跟在黑条后面往回走。
火心勉强作出一副友好的样子说：“和你们的爸爸说声再见。等你们成为学徒后，你们会在森林大会上见到爸爸的。”
两只幼崽回身道别。
虎星说：“再见！努力学习，你们一定能成为优秀的武士。”
他和火心并肩站在那里目送黑条带着幼崽们爬下坡渡过小溪。等他们走后，虎星说：“好好照顾这两个孩子，火心，我会时时关注他们的。”
火心心里扑通一跳。当日他揭发虎星的阴谋时，虎星曾经恫吓要杀死他，如今这里只有他们两个，如果虎星意图动手，他连个求救的地方都没有。火心全身肌肉紧绷，却不见虎星有动手的意思。
火心说：“我会照顾好他们的，我敢肯定他们都会忠于雷族，雷族对每个幼崽照顾得都很细心。”
“真的吗？”虎星眯缝起眼睛，“很高兴听到你说这些。”
火心猛然想起虎星知道灰池抚养那两只幼崽的事，他以为虎星会用这件事来刁难他，但虎星并没有这么做。尽管如此，火心还是吓出了一身冷汗。
虎星再次低头行礼说：“我们在下次森林大会上见，现在我得回去了。”
火心一直等到虎星确实离开，才转身沿着两族边界向“四棵树”走去。尽管不情愿，但他还是得承认，黑条把那两只幼崽带到这里，并没有造成什么危害，反正他最终也要告诉那两只幼崽他们的爸爸是影族族长这件事，而且虎星今天的表现也相当克制，完全出乎火心的意料。
但他得把这些事都抛诸脑后。时间如流水般飞逝而去，火心必须在天黑前和高星谈谈，找出一个能和平解决危机的方法来。
第十三章
第十三章
火心向风族营地前进，一路上不停地从一簇金雀花丛冲到另一簇金雀花丛。这里不像雷族领地那样有茂盛的灌木丛做遮掩，他在奔跑时只得尽量俯低身子。他上次去风族营地是在雷族帮助风族抵御影族和河族进攻的时候，那时他不必躲躲藏藏的。如今他在没有见到高星或者风族里的朋友前，不敢贸然现身。不过，经过上次森林大会上的冲突之后，他不知道风族里还有没有朋友了。他以前就在风族领地里遭到过巡逻队的攻击，现在他们肯定更不会客气了。
火心的周围到处都是风族的气味，不过到目前为止他还没有遇见一只风族猫。太阳已落至地平线，火心心急如焚，一想到蓝星不久就要发动攻击，他就感到惶恐无比。
他踩着石头渡过荒原上的一条小溪，忽然嗅到一股浓烈的风族气味，其中还夹杂有兔子的气味。火心的肚子饿得咕咕作响，但他不得不忍住饥饿，因为他现在决不能偷取风族的猎物。依据气味来判断，附近应该有一支风族捕猎队。火心急忙跳进溪边的灌木丛里，小心翼翼地朝气味飘来的方向望去。
只见有三只猫沿着小溪逆行向这边走来，走在队伍最前面的是他的好朋友一根须，其后是一根须的徒弟金雀花爪，他们嘴里都衔着兔子。但不幸的是第三只猫却是泥掌，就是他曾经阻止蓝星穿过风族领地前往石林，泥掌是不会允许火心去见高星的。
不过火心还算走运——要么就是星族在相助吧，因为那三只风族猫的嘴里都衔着猎物，即使近在咫尺，他们也没有嗅到火心身上的雷族气味。金雀花爪衔的猎物几乎和他一般大，他停下脚步调整了一下姿势，所以落在其他两只猫的后面。
火心抓住机会，小声唤道：“金雀花爪！”
小家伙立刻抬起头，耳朵支棱着。
“这边，在灌木丛里。”
金雀花爪转身看见火心从灌木丛里探出头来，不由得大惊失色。他张开嘴巴，火心急忙示意他别出声。
他说：“听着，金雀花爪，我需要你把一根须叫来，但是不要让泥掌知道，好吗？”
金雀花爪犹豫不决，脸上显出左右为难的样子。火心急切地说：“我有话对他讲，这件事对我们两个族群都很重要，你务必要相信我。”
金雀花爪从他的语气中听出了事态紧急，想了片刻后猛一点头说：“好吧，火心，你在这里等着。”
他衔起兔子朝一根须赶去，火心又躲进灌木丛里耐心等待。不久，他听到一只猫走过来轻声唤道：“火心？是你吗？”
火心认得这是一根须的声音，不由得松了口气。他先朝灌木丛外瞅了瞅动静，才坐直身子，看见一根须单独坐在外面。
他高兴地说：“星族保佑！我还以为你不会来呢？”
一根须说：“火心，希望你不是在胡闹。”他瞪了火心一眼，语气不像往常那么友好。
他走到火心面前说：“我是从泥掌身边偷偷溜走的。如果他发现你竟然来我们的领地，你就死定了，你知道我说的是实话。我是提着脑袋来见你的，希望你不会让我空跑一趟。”
火心说：“我不会令你空跑一趟的，我保证。我来这里是有要事的，我要和高星谈谈，这件事非常重要。”
一根须一言不发地瞪着他，火心生怕他会拒绝这个请求，甚至二话不说将他赶出风族领地。
过了老半天，一根须似乎意识到火心必定有紧急事情才来，于是语气中的敌意少了许多：“到底是什么事情？如果我随随便便就领一只雷族猫进入营地，高星会把我的毛都拔光的。”
“我不能告诉你，一根须，除了高星以外我不能告诉任何猫，但是请你相信我，我来这里绝非为了一点儿小事。”
一根须又犹豫了一会儿，最后说：“火心，要不是看在以前的情分上，我绝对不会这么做的。”说完，他猛地转身，晃了晃尾巴示意火心跟上，然后迅速向风族营地奔去。
火心紧随其后。一根须带着他一口气跑到山坡上，才停下脚步俯视凹地内的风族营地。夕阳余晖从他们身后照来，使他们长长的身影投射在凹地周边的金雀花丛上。一支巡逻队从他们身边经过，一个个都瞪着大眼睛瞅着火心，眼中充满了敌意，还有点儿好奇。
一根须说：“跟我来。”他在前头领路，穿过金雀花丛，走进一片空地里。
火心刚从金雀花中走出来，便看见高星卧在会场边缘的猎物堆旁，许多风族武士围着他，其中就有风族的副族长坏脚。坏脚首先发现火心，他顶了顶高星，附在高星耳边说了几句话。
高星站起来走到火心和一根须面前，坏脚随后上前站在高星旁边，其他的猫也都跟了过来。火心认出了风族巫医青面以及龇牙咧嘴的泥掌。
高星面无表情地说：“哦，一根须，你为什么把火心带到这里？”
一根须低头行礼说：“他说有要事来找你商谈。”
泥掌斥责说：“那就能让他大摇大摆地走进我们的营地吗？他可是我们的敌人啊！”
高星晃了晃尾巴，示意泥掌闭嘴。他打量着火心，简短地说：“我就在这里，说吧。”
火心看了看周围，只见猫群越聚越大，所有的猫都听说营地来了一个入侵者，因此都过来瞧热闹。火心结结巴巴地说：“我的话不能让所有的猫都听到，高星。”
高星哼了一声，缓缓点头说：“那好，我们去我的巢穴里谈吧。坏脚，你也来——还有你，一根须。”他转身向会场尽头的一块岩石走去，尾巴翘得高高的。火心在坏脚和一根须的看押下跟在后面。
风族族长的巢穴位于岩石下，面朝营地周围的围墙。高星走进巢穴，舒舒服服地躺在一堆干草上说：“什么事？”
巢穴内光线昏暗，火心仅能看见他的身体轮廓。这里的气氛非常紧张，似乎一言不合，他们就要对火心大打出手。在来的路上，火心已经想好了措辞，但他不知道是否能够说服高星，最终化解这场危机。
他说：“你知道蓝星对我们丢失猎物的事情感到非常不快。”
高星肩膀上的毛一下子竖了起来，怒气冲冲地说：“风族没有偷雷族的猎物。”
坏脚一瘸一拐地上前几步抵住火心的鼻子说：“我们也发现猎物残骸了，你能肯定雷族没有从我们这里偷猎物吗？”
火心强压住内心的惶恐，分辩说：“不！我相信大家都没有偷猎物。”
一根须问：“那么究竟出什么事了？”
“我认为森林里来了一只恶狗，我们嗅到了它的气味，还发现了它的粪便。”
“一只狗！”一根须眯缝起眼睛，若有所思地说，“从两脚兽那里溜出来的？”
火心说：“我敢肯定是这样。”
高星的怒火消了下去，说：“有这个可能。我们最近也在领地内嗅到了狗的气味，可是，它们总是随着两脚兽来这里呀。”高星停顿了一下，又多了几分肯定，“是的，有可能是狗杀了那些兔子，我会让巡逻队留意此事的。”
坏脚说：“但你不会为了这件事专程来此吧，你到底在打什么主意，火心？”
火心深吸了口气。他不想泄露蓝星的攻击计划——但如果他能说动风族族长和蓝星见上一面，彼此把事情说清楚，这场战争也许就能避免。
于是他解释说：“我不能说服蓝星相信这一切都是狗造成的。她把风族当做了敌人，如果我不做些什么的话，双方迟早要引发战争。”他没有说如果自己失败，这场战争就近在眼前了，“我们大家都会有伤亡，最后只能落得个两败俱伤的下场。”
高星试探性地说：“那你想要我做什么呢？她是你的族长，火心，这是你们的问题。”
火心壮着胆子上前一步，说：“我来请你和蓝星见个面，如果你们能私下里好好谈谈，也许就能够避免冲突。”
坏脚怀疑地说：“蓝星想见面？我们上次见她的时候，她的样子似乎要把我们都吃了。”
火心坦白地说：“这不是蓝星的主意——而是我的。”
在场的三只风族猫都睁大眼睛看着他，最后还是一根须打破了沉默：“这么说你是背着你们族长偷偷来这里的？”
火心坚持说：“这对我们双方都有利。”
他本以为自己会立刻被赶出去，不料高星沉思了一会儿。“我相信对话比战争更能解决问题，但我们怎么来安排这件事呢？如果蓝星知道你未经同意先来和我们商谈，她会听从你的建议吗？”不等火心回答，高星继续说，“也许我该给她传个口信，约她见面——但你能保证风族猫最终能安安全全地离开雷族营地吗？”
火心沉默不言。
高星见状耸了耸肩膀说：“对不起，火心，我不能让我的武士冒险，如果蓝星想和我谈谈，她知道能在哪里找到我们。一根须，你把火心送回到‘四棵树’吧。”
火心灵机一动——也许是星族保佑吧——急忙说：“等一等！我知道这件事怎么办。”
高星的眼睛在黑暗中闪着微光，问：“什么办法？”
“你还记得一只名叫乌爪的猫吗？他是一个独行者，就住在石林附近的两脚兽农田里。
在你们回归家园的路上，他曾帮我们找了一处避雨的地方，记得吗？”
一根须说：“我认识他，他是一只很不错的猫，只可惜不是武士。你提他做什么？”
火心急切地说：“他能给你们传信呀！他以前是雷族猫，而且蓝星允许他自由出入雷族领地。”
高星动了动身子，说：“这个办法听起来可行。你说呢，坏脚？”
坏脚不情愿地点头同意。
火心觉得时间过得越来越快，他催促一根须说：“那就赶快去吧！现在就走，让乌爪通知蓝星和高星一大早在‘四棵树’见面。”现在留给一根须去找乌爪的时间不多了，因为在他找到乌爪之后，乌爪还要在蓝星出发前把信传到，而且一根须能否顺利在两脚兽农田里找到乌爪，就要看星族保佑了。
一根须看着高星，见他点了点头，于是转身冲出巢穴，消失在夜幕中。
高星眯缝起眼睛打量火心，说：“为什么我觉得你还有事瞒着我啊？”不过他没再进一步追问，“你现在该离开了。坏脚，你把火心送出我们的领地。火心，明天早晨我会在‘四棵树’等候，但我只能做到这一步了。如果蓝星想要和平，她必须出现在那里。”
“明天早晨‘四棵树’见。”火心重复了一句，跟着坏脚出去了。
火心抓紧时间返回“四棵树”，回到雷族领地。自从昨晚森林大会前吃了一顿饭后，他到现在还空着肚子。由于饥饿的缘故，他的腹中隐隐作痛，走起路来步子也变得轻浮，于是他决定先捉些猎物来吃。
他走到小溪边凝神倾听，溪边的芦苇丛里传出一只水老鼠的声音。火心仰头嗅了嗅，单凭气味就已确定了水老鼠的位置，他猛地扑过去擒住猎物。吃过饭后，他觉得体力有所恢复，于是抖擞精神朝营地奔去。等他跑到山沟时月亮已经爬上树梢了，而蓝星的攻击计划是在月亮落山时发动。火心感到事情有些转机，高星同意会谈，蓝星一定会意识到和风族开战已无必要。
就在他到营地大门时，听到有猫喊他的名字。他转头看见白风率领着一支夜班巡逻队正从山坡上下来。亮爪、云爪和霜毛跟随在后。
火心问白风：“一切都还平静吗？”
白风回答说：“平静得就像熟睡的幼崽，没有发现狗的踪迹，也许它的两脚兽主人找到它了吧。”
火心说：“也许吧。”他突然决定把自己做的事情向白风通个气，多一个武士知道，也许避免冲突的希望就多一分。于是他说：“白风，我有些话想对你说，你能抽一点儿时间吗？”
“当然可以——如果你不介意我边吃边听的话。”
白风遣开两名学徒，让他们自己去猎物堆里找吃的。两个学徒跑向猎物堆，同时扑向一只喜鹊，争夺打闹起来。霜毛衔着一只水老鼠向武士巢穴走去，白风则选了一只松鼠，走到新长出的荨麻丛旁。
火心走过去说：“白风，蓝星今天早上把我叫过去——”他原原本本地把整个事情经过向白风讲述了一遍，从蓝星固执地认为风族偷窃了雷族猎物并且下命令发动攻击开始，一直讲到他想方设法安排让两位族长见面为止。
白风难以置信地看着火心：“什么？你背着蓝星偷偷去了？”他茫然不解地摇了摇头。
火心委屈地说：“除此之外我还能做些什么呢？”
白风怒气冲冲地说：“你应该先和我商量一下，或者和别的高级武士商量也行啊！我们会帮你找出解决办法的。”
火心心里扑通直跳，说：“对不起，我不想把别的猫牵带进来。我觉得这是最好的办法，所以就去做了。”在武士守则的约束下，他只能单独行事，因为他知道自己不可能让别的猫违抗蓝星的命令。
白风紧蹙眉头想了一会儿，最后说：“我们应该把这件事告诉其他武士们。如果乌爪不能及时把话传到，他们得遵照蓝星的命令为攻击行动作好准备——况且即使蓝星同意和高星见面，她也可能需要一支队伍跟随身后。人心难测，我们不能肯定高星是不是想打伏击。”
火心尊敬地点了点头，说：“你说得不错，白风，我相信他们，但我们应该有所防备。”
白风说：“我去找一些学徒守卫营地，你把武士们都叫到一起。”
火心跑到武士巢穴，看见大部分的武士都躺在里面睡觉。他推了推沙风，沙风迷迷糊糊地睁开眼睛问：“有事吗？”
火心说：“沙风，请你把其他武士叫醒，白风和我有重要事情通知大家。”
沙风爬起来问：“你说什么，重要事情？”
火心来不及回答便走出巢穴寻找其他的武士。他在育婴室里找到了纹脸，而且恰巧撞见执行完夜班巡逻任务衔着猎物回来的鼠毛。他本想去通知炭毛开会，但转念一想，又觉得和她单独谈谈会更好些。
等他回到武士巢穴时，武士们都已经醒了。过了一会儿，白风也走进来坐在火心身边。
黑条抖了抖身上的苔藓，烦躁地说：“这到底是怎么回事？还让不让我们睡觉了。”
火心心里忐忑不安，不知道大伙听到他做的事情后会如何反应。白风冲他点了点头，意思是请他讲话。
火心深吸了口气，把蓝星计划发动攻击，而他又如何想方设法寻找和平化解危机的方法向大家做了一番解释。大伙惊得目瞪口呆，都一言不发地听着。月光透过巢穴顶棚的裂缝照了进来，火心看见他们的目光齐刷刷地射向自己。他特别注意到坐在巢穴门口的沙风，但他不敢和沙风目光相接。他只盼众武士们能够明白他的良苦用心。
最后他说：“所以高星同意在‘四棵树’和蓝星会面，乌爪会随时到来通知蓝星会面的消息。”
说完，他硬着头皮等待大家的痛斥。但大家似乎都不知道该说什么，他们带着迷惘的目光面面相觑。
最后鼠毛问：“白风，你同意火心的做法吗？”
火心垂头看着自己的爪子，他知道白风在武士们中间德高望重，能够得到白风的支持至关重要。但他知道白风并不完全赞同他的做法，尽管他的出发点是好的。
白风像往常一样镇定地说：“我不会这么做的，但我认为他说得没错，我们不该攻击风族，我不相信猎物是被风族偷走的。森林里有一只流浪狗——我亲自嗅到过。”
鼠毛口气坚定地说：“我也嗅到了，就在蛇岩附近。”
蕨毛说：“‘四棵树’也有。我们不能把这笔账算在风族头上。”
“但是你在要我们瞒着蓝星啊！”沙风站起来，使得火心不得不看她。
火心心里非常难过，他没想到沙风会首先站起来反对他。他说：“对不起，我别无选择。”
黑条怒吼道：“我早料到宠物猫就是这副德行，你脑子里到底还有没有武士守则啊？”
火心分辩说：“我时刻谨记武士守则，就是因为我忠于族群，所以我才不愿让族群陷于一场没有意义的战争。我和任何猫一样都信仰星族，我不相信今晚的攻击符合星族的意愿。”
黑条轻蔑地动了动耳朵，却没有再说什么。火心向四周扫了一眼，不知道自己是否赢得了众武士的支持。他忽然意识到，如果蓝星失去了最后一条性命，领导族群的重担也许就会落到他的肩膀上。假若他不能赢得他们的忠心和拥戴，这将是一项不可能完成的任务。
他焦急地说：“这件事事关重大，风族没有做错什么。而且我们现在的任务也很重，既要重建营地，还要不停地巡逻，我们不能引发一场无谓的、危险的战争。如果我们的武士在战斗中流血牺牲，我们又将如何准备过冬的粮食啊？”
纹脸说：“他说得对。”其他猫都朝纹脸望去，她神色镇定地说：“我们的孩子将会饱受战火之殃，我们不能让孩子们受到无谓的伤害。”
霜毛附和了一声，但其他的武士仍在小声议论。火心看到沙风脸上痛苦的神色，他知道沙风现在的感受：既要忠于蓝星，又要信任他。那一瞬间，火心真想抵住她的脸颊，沉醉在她温馨的气味中，把这一切烦恼都抛诸脑后。可他现在却不得不站在武士们面前，惴惴不安地期待着他们的支持。
长尾最后说：“那么你想让我们怎么做呢？”
火心回答说：“我需要组织一支队伍陪同蓝星前往‘四棵树’。如果乌爪不能及时赶到，或者蓝星不同意会面，那么她就会带领我们投入战斗。可是如果事情到了那个地步……”他越说声音越小，最后咽了口唾沫。
沙风问：“那又怎样？难道你想要我们不听蓝星的命令，转头逃走吗？尘毛，你快告诉火心这个想法有多愚蠢！”
尘毛吃了一惊。火心知道由于沙风对自己有好感，尘毛一直心存芥蒂。不料尘毛并没指责火心，只是迟疑了一下，说：“我不知道，但火心说得对，现在不是打仗的时候。况且没有猫真的相信猎物是被风族偷走的，如果蓝星固执己见，那么……唔……”说到最后，他不知所措地蹭着爪子。
火心说：“蓝星不信任风族是可以理解的。风族阻止她去石林，而且我们以前也从没听说过森林里会有流浪狗的事情。可是我们没有证据证明风族在偷猎我们的兔子，而且大量证据都证明狗才是罪魁祸首。”
鼠毛问：“如果战争不可避免，你打算怎么做，火心？在蓝星下令攻击的时候逃回营地吗？”
火心回答说：“不，高星似乎想和平解决争端，如果我们运气好的话，他身边只会带上一两名武士。这种情况下是不会打仗的。”
鼠毛晃动了一下尾巴，说：“好一个‘如果’。如果风族也这么想而且设下埋伏怎么办？
那我们就死定了。”火心听出她和白风一样都怀疑高星的诚意。
长尾大声说：“反正我不去，让风族把我们撕成两半吗？我可不是傻瓜！”
尘毛一直坐在长尾旁边，这时扭头逼视着他，说：“你不是傻瓜，却是个胆小鬼。”
长尾分辩说：“我不是胆小鬼！我对雷族忠心耿耿！”
火心插言说：“好了，长尾，我们不需要每个武士都去，你可以留下来驻守营地。其他诸位也都自便，如果你们不愿去，就留下来好了。”他紧张地等待众武士的反应，看见大家的脸上都显出矛盾的神情。
白风说：“我去。我认为如果有选择的余地，高星也不希望打仗。”
火心感激地看了他一眼。其他武士仍犹豫不决，纷纷低声议论。
过了一会儿，蕨毛说：“我也去。”但还有这么多年长的武士没有表态，他有些紧张。
“我也一样。”尘毛的尾巴朝火心摆了一下，“但是如果风族攻击我们，我决不客气，我可不想被别的猫撕成两半。”
其余的武士也都要求前往。令火心惊讶的是，黑条同意参加这次行动，而鼠毛竟然拒绝了。
鼠毛说：“对不起，火心，虽然我认为你的话很有道理，但都不是根本，我们不能依据自己的喜好来决定是否遵守武士守则。如果族长命令我攻击，我就不能违抗她的命令。”
纹脸坚决地说：“嗯，我去，我不想看着孩子们在一场无谓的战争中被撕成碎片。”
“我也去。”霜毛看了看周围的武士说，“我们不能让孩子们陷入一场不公正的战争。”
最后火心向沙风看去，她一直远远地坐在那里一言不发。火心生怕她不支持这次行动，迟疑了一下问她：“沙风？”
沙风垂着头小声说：“我和你一起去，火心，我知道你说得没错，可我仍痛恨对蓝星撒谎的行为。”
火心走过去舔了一下她的耳朵，他想谢谢沙风，但她却没有看他，而是把头转向一边。
黑条问：“学徒们怎么办？你想让他们和我们一起去吗？香薇爪年纪太小，不能参加这次行动。”
尘毛连忙说：“我同意。”
火心看到尘毛这么关心黑条的那个小徒弟，强忍住没有笑出声来。
白风说：“我希望别让亮爪参与进来。”
蕨毛问：“可是如果我们一名学徒都不带的话，蓝星不会觉得奇怪吗？”
火心朝蕨毛点了点头，说：“想得好。好吧，我们带迅爪和云爪一起去，如果蓝星想再多带些猫去，我们就在路上把计划告诉他们，否则这个消息很快就会传遍营地的。”
火心没想到竟然有这么多武士支持自己的决定。如果乌爪能够及时赶到，而蓝星又同意去和高星见面，那么她带着这么一大帮武士就显得很奇怪了。况且，他也不想将营地置于防守空虚的境地，尤其在现在这种情况下。于是他提议说：“霜毛和蕨毛为什么不留下来驻守营地呢？我很感激你们的支持，但这里也许更需要你们。”
蕨毛和霜毛交换了一下目光，然后点了点头。
火心说：“现在，各位好好去睡上一觉，我们在月落时出发。”
武士们纷纷回到各自的窝里躺下来。但火心不打算睡觉，他想在炭毛从别的猫嘴里知道这个消息前，亲自去向她说明。如果不是对斑叶的信念坚定不移，他早就怀疑自己能否阻止这场战争了。乌爪也许不能及时把消息传到，蓝星有可能拒绝和高星会谈，风族也许会在“四棵树”设下埋伏……
火心抖了抖身体后走进会场。他向四周望了望，想看看乌爪来了没有，但营地里除了清冷的月光，一点儿动静都没有。火心看见金雀花通道的出口处有一双眼睛闪闪发亮，于是他过去，发现是蜡爪在站岗放哨。
他问蜡爪：“你认得乌爪吗？”见蜡爪点头，他又说，“他今晚一直没有来过，是吗？”
蜡爪神情迷惘地摇了摇头。
火心说：“如果他来，你不要阻拦他，而且要带他直接去见蓝星，好吗？”
“好的，火心。”虽然蜡爪显出一副好奇的样子，但他没有多问。
火心冲他点了点头，转身去找炭毛。刚走近巫医巢穴，他就看到炭毛坐在外面和鼠毛低声交谈。
两只猫都朝他看过来。
炭毛缓缓站起身，恼火地说：“火心吗？这究竟是怎么一回事啊？为什么没有叫我参加会议？”
火心回答：“那是个武士间的会议。”不过这个理由连他都觉得站不住脚。
炭毛不快地说：“哦，好吧，你以为我对欺瞒蓝星的事情不感兴趣吗？”
火心分辩说：“事情不是这个样子的！我就是为了这件事特意来找你的。”他狠狠瞪了一眼鼠毛，说：“鼠毛，你不打算去歇息一下吗？”
鼠毛也瞪了他一眼，转身消失在夜色中。
炭毛说：“有何贵干啊？”
“听你的口气，似乎鼠毛已经告诉你了。我也不想让事情走到这个地步，但我有选择吗？你真的认为星族想让森林里发生战争——尤其是一场非正义的战争吗？”
炭毛承认说：“星族没有告诉我任何关于战争的事，但我不希望发生流血冲突，可这是唯一阻止战争的方法吗？”
“如果你有更好的主意，请告诉我好啦。”
炭毛摇了摇头，月光照在她灰色的皮毛上，令她看上去如同鬼魅一般：“不论你做什么，火心，一定要善待蓝星，她曾是一位伟大的族长——也许将来还是。”
火心非常希望相信炭毛说的话。可每过一天，蓝星的神志就多一分迷糊，昔日那位睿智的长者和今天的蓝星截然不同。
火心保证说：“我会尽力而为的。我不想欺骗她，这也就是我安排她和高星见面的原因。我想让她意识到我们没有必要打仗，但她却听不进我的话。你觉得我做错了吗？”
炭毛凝视着他，说：“我没有资格下结论，这是你的决定，火心，没有猫能够评判你。”
第十四章
第十四章
火心回到会场，仍然没见乌爪来，他忧心如焚。月亮高挂在天上，再过不久，蓝星就要带领武士们出发了，到那时，所有和平解决争端的希望将全部破灭。
乌爪在哪里呢？也许一根须没能找到他，也许他没能过来，也许他已经上路了但终于未能及时赶到。火心真想冲进森林里去找他，但他知道这只是自己一时冲动的想法，不能解决任何问题。
忽然，他看见金雀花通道里有一些动静，随即听到蜡爪的喝问声。对方应答了一句，火心马上认出那是乌爪的声音，心里的大石头顿时落了地。他急忙跑过去，对蜡爪说：“好了，蜡爪，把乌爪交给我吧，你留在这里站岗。”他和钻出金雀花通道的乌爪对触了下鼻子，兴奋地说：“可把你盼来了，乌爪，你近来可好啊？”
其实他完全不必问这个问题，因为乌爪的气色好极了，他那黑色的皮毛在月光下闪闪发光，优美的肌肉线条波动起伏。
乌爪回答说：“我很好。”他睁大眼睛向四周打量了一番，“火心，这里完全变了个模样。我听说你们和风族之间有麻烦了，一根须把所有的事情都告诉了我，他发誓风族没有偷雷族的猎物。”
火心心情沉重地说：“这话你去对蓝星说吧。听着，我不想催你，我知道你一口气跑到了这里。可我们的时间不多了，跟我来。”
他带着乌爪向族长巢穴走去。蓝星正躺在窝里，火心走近时，才发觉蓝星似闭非闭的双眼里反射着月光。她没有睡着。
蓝星恼火地说：“什么事啊，火心？现在还不到走的时候。你带谁来了？”
独行者走上前说：“我是乌爪，蓝星，我帮风族给您带个口信。”
“风族！”蓝星一下子跳起身，“那群小偷想对我说什么？”
乌爪面不改色地说：“高星想和你见个面，谈谈丢失猎物的事情。”
“是吗？”蓝星瞪了火心一眼，目光中充满了怒火。火心知道她已经猜到这是他的主意了，那一刻谁都没有说话。
过了一会儿，火心试探性地说：“蓝星，对话总比打仗要好吧？”
蓝星怒叱说：“别对我指手画脚。”她生气地摆了一下尾巴，“你出去，我和乌爪谈谈这件事。”
火心无可奈何地离开洞穴。他在门外徘徊，听见里面不时传出小声议论的声音，但他听不清具体内容。
半晌过后，白风从武士巢穴里出来，走近他问：“月亮开始落山了，一会儿蓝星就要出发，乌爪来了吗？”
火心说：“他来了，但我不知道是否……”
话未说完，他听见洞穴里有了动静。过了一会儿，蓝星大步走出巢穴，乌爪跟在后面。她径直走到火心面前，甩着尾巴说：“集合队伍，我们去‘四棵树’。”
火心壮着胆子问：“你同意和高星会谈了？”
蓝星又甩了一下尾巴，说：“没错，但如果不能达成一致，我们立即发动进攻。”
蓝星带着武士们趁着夜色赶到“四棵树”。远处传来猫头鹰的叫声，叫得火心心里发虚。乌爪离开雷族时，火心连说声谢谢的机会都没有。乌爪知道“四棵树”这里将要发生大事，所以换了条路回家。
蓝星率领众武士站在山坡上，微弱的星光洒在他们的皮毛和耳朵上，从他们的大眼睛里折射出来。大家的心情都很迫切。
火心朝山谷对面的风族领地望去，只见那里是一望无际的荒原。凉风阵阵，四株巨大的橡树时不时发出沙沙的声响。忽然他感觉前方有些动静，定睛细看，有一排猫站在那里，高星站在正中间。看到高星也带来了队伍，火心心里感到一阵紧张。
蓝星转头瞪着火心问：“这是怎么回事？来了这么多风族猫？我以为我是来会谈的。”她的眼睛里闪着凶光，那一刻，凶狠的本能战胜了理智。
蓝星晃动了一下尾巴，训练有素的雷族武士们列队站在她的两边，面对风族众猫。形势十分危机，战争一触即发。高星会遵守诺言和蓝星会谈吗？
蓝星冷冷地说：“高星？你又有什么话对我说？”
火心忐忑不安地等待风族族长回答。他不知道双方的心理防线是否坚守得住。只要有一只猫稍有异动，战火会立刻将双方吞噬掉。他看见尘毛和纹脸紧张地相互对视，似乎大家都有和他一样的念头。沙风站在火心身边，眼睛死死盯着对面的风族众猫，耳朵紧紧贴在脑门儿上。迅爪紧张地望着族长，但脚步却纹丝不动。站在火心另一边的云爪则像捕猎般俯低身子，后腿蜷曲，似乎就要扑出去一般。
火心低声说：“站着别动！”
在雷族对面，高星站在风族队列前方，距队伍一两步远。此时天边已经透出曙光，火心看得更加清楚。高星身上的毛都竖了起来，尾巴翘得笔直。一根须、晨花以及小学徒金雀花爪站在高星身后。火心暗想：我可不想和他们打仗。他静静等待着，心里就如中了圈套的小鸟般疯狂地扑腾。
高星命令他的武士们说：“大家都不许动。”他的声音非常平静。
泥掌走到高星旁边说：“你一定是疯了！你看看他们的架势，分明是来打架的，我们应当主动进攻！”
“不。”高星又向前迈出一步，向副族长坏脚晃了晃尾巴，示意他站过来。高星冲蓝星低头行礼说：“今天这里不会有战争，我说过我是来对话的，我的初衷没有改变。”
蓝星没有回应。她趴在地上，身上的毛竖立着，龇牙咧嘴地摆出一副凶狠的样子。火心生怕她改变主意，一旦她向风族族长扑过去，后果将不堪设想。他暗暗祈求星族不要让蓝星下达攻击命令。
这时，一根须走到泥掌前面将他用力顶了回去。那一刻对火心来说就好像过了好几个月，双方的猫剑拔弩张，他们的毛在风中飘动，他们的眼睛如电光般凌厉，仿佛即将迎来一场狂风骤雨一般。
高星又说：“蓝星，你能到这里来，到我们双方的武士中间来吗？你的副族长可以随从，我们来看看能不能找到和平解决的方法。”
蓝星叱责说：“和平？我怎么能和一群小偷、泼皮们谈和平呢？”
风族猫群中顿时响起一片怒吼。泥掌跳到前面，但一根须急忙赶上来将他拦了回去。
火心看见黑条来回甩动尾巴，如果泥掌出手，黑条必定会冲上去和他对决，届时所有的和平希望都将破灭。
火心焦急地对蓝星说：“照高星说的做吧，我们来这里就是为了对话啊，风族和雷族一样也丢失了许多猎物。”
蓝星恶狠狠地瞪了他一眼，低声说：“看起来我们别无选择了。回头再找你算账，等着瞧吧。”
她一步一步地走到高星面前，正好站在河族边界上。火心小声叮嘱沙风说：“好好看住黑条。”说完，急忙跟随蓝星走过去。
高星平静地看着蓝星走近。火心知道，这位风族族长永远也不会原谅蓝星庇护断尾的行为，不过高星是一只充满智慧的猫，不会在这个时候做出不明智的举动。高星说：“蓝星，我以星族的名义发誓，风族没有偷你们的猎物。”
蓝星讥讽说：“星族！星族值得我们用他们的名义发誓吗？”
高星看起来着实吃了一惊，他瞅了瞅火心，似乎想从火心那里得到解释。高星又说：“那么你信仰什么，我们以它的名义发誓好了。我们的孩子们，我们对族群的希望，或者我们作为族长的荣誉。风族没有做你们指责的事情。”
他的话似乎触动了蓝星，只见她的毛开始落了回去。蓝星声音沙哑地说：“我怎么能相信你呢？”
高星说：“我们也丢失了不少猎物，也许是狗或者泼皮猫干的，但绝对不是风族猫。”
蓝星说：“说得倒好听。”听语气，她似乎有些拿不定主意。火心认为她可能已经被高星的话说服了，却不知道该如何找个台阶下才好。
于是他急切地说：“蓝星，一位高贵的族长不会平白无故地让武士们流血牺牲。如果这件事有一星半点儿的疑问……”
蓝星打断他的话，厉声喝道：“你以为自己比我更懂得如何领导族群吗？”她的毛又竖立起来，但这一次她是冲着火心发怒的。火心诚惶诚恐地瞥了一眼这位年老可怕的族长，吓得不敢再说话。
高星说：“年轻猫总认为他们无所不知。”这句玩笑话中隐含着一丝同情。火心知道他是在为自己解围，不由得感激地瞅了他一眼。“不过有时候我们不得不听他们的，这场战争毫无必要。”
蓝星怒气冲冲地抽动了一下耳朵，不情愿地说：“我接受你说的话，不过是暂时的。假若我的巡逻队在我们的边界内发现风族的影子……”她猛地转身对雷族武士们下命令说：“回营！”随即冲到队伍前面。
高星朝火心低头行礼说：“谢谢你，火心，你做得很好，是你将这场战争化解于无形，我的族群十分钦佩你的勇气，不过你回去后要小心才好。”
火心耸了耸肩膀，尾随雷族武士们而去。就在他进入山谷前，他回头望了一眼，风族猫已经踏上了归程。天边泛起了鱼肚白，这里没有洒落一滴猫的鲜血。
火心喃喃说：“谢谢你，斑叶。”
蓝星带领武士们返回营地，路上一言不发。走到会场入口时，火心看见鼠毛正坐在武士巢穴外，急忙跑过去。
他问：“有什么情况吗？”
鼠毛摇了摇头，报告说：“没出任何问题。霜毛带着蕨毛和两名学徒外出巡逻了。”她打量了火心一眼，“看起来你身上一根毛也没有掉，我猜和平对话进行得很顺利吧。”
“没错，很顺利。谢谢你照顾这里，鼠毛。”
鼠毛低头行礼说：“我要去睡觉了，你得派些猫去捕猎，猎物堆里没有猎物了。”
火心保证说：“我这就派出捕猎队。”
“不行，你不能去。”蓝星从他身后走上来，眼睛里闪着寒光，“火心，你到我的巢穴里来，就现在！”说完，她大步向巢穴走去，连头都不回一下。
火心吓得头皮发麻。虽然他已经作好了接受惩罚的心理准备，但事到临头才发觉一点儿用处都没有。
白风领着沙风和尘毛走过来，他同情地瞅了火心一眼，说：“让我来安排捕猎吧。”
火心点头道谢，朝蓝星巢穴走去。走进洞里，只见蓝星已经坐在铺垫上，尾巴前后晃动。
“火心，”她的声音很平静，如果蓝星一上来就劈头叱骂，火心的恐惧倒少一些，“就算星族在梦里通知高星，他也不可能偏偏在这个时候要和我会谈。这是你一手安排的，是吗？只有你知道我计划攻击风族的事情，只有你能做出背叛我们的事来。”
听口气她的心智似乎清楚了许多，也许昨夜发生的事令她多少恢复些神志。火心仿佛又看到他昔日崇敬的族长，他意识到这位高贵的族长正是雷族无比珍贵的财富。火心仍然认为自己没有背叛族群，但他并不感到十分委屈，因为以高星的精明，一定从他的言辞中察觉到了战争。蓝星会判处他流放吗？想到自己成为一只泼皮猫，靠偷取猎物为生，没有族群收留，他就直冒冷汗。
他走到蓝星面前，低头行礼说：“我觉得我没有做错事，谁都不想打这场仗。”
蓝星声音沙哑地说：“火心，在众武士里面，我是最信任你的。”
火心硬着头皮看着她冷若寒冰的目光，说：“我这么做都是为了族群着想啊，蓝星，而且我没有告诉他们攻击的消息，我只请求他和你见一面，我以为……”
蓝星甩着尾巴，低声说：“住口！不要强词夺理。族群是否遭到屠杀与我何干？我为什么要关心这帮叛徒们会有什么下场？”
她的目光又开始显得迷乱，火心知道这位族长旧病复发了。
蓝星声音低沉地说：“假如我没有把孩子们送走，雾脚和石毛就是这里品格高尚的猫，比雷族这些乌合之众高尚得多，他们永远都不会背叛我。”
“蓝星……”火心想插话，但蓝星没有理会他。
“为了当上副族长我放弃他们，现在星族开始惩罚我了。哦，星族非常聪明，他们知道什么事情能够让我最痛苦。他们让我当上族长，然后又让属下们背叛我！雷族族长一文不值！都是假的，都……”她烦躁不安，眼神空洞，嘴巴大张着发出无声的嘶叫。
火心惊慌失措，说：“我去找炭毛来。”
“站在——那里——别动。我要处罚你，火心，告诉我该怎样惩罚叛徒！”
火心又惊又怕，硬着头皮说：“我不知道，蓝星。”
“但是我知道。”她的声音里竟然有一丝戏谑之意，她死死盯着火心说，“我知道最好的处罚措施，我什么都不做，让你继续当副族长，在族里的地位仅次于我。噢，星族一定很高兴——一个叛徒领导一族叛徒！也许你们都能自得其乐。现在给我滚出去吧！”
火心如蒙大赦，赶紧退了出去，他感觉自己就像打了一场大仗。蓝星的绝望如同利爪一般刺痛了他，她还没有询问清楚他的动机便轻易放过了他。她给火心贴上了叛徒的标签，却不想想如果他们和风族作战，将会是怎样的结果啊。
火心只顾低头沉思，浑然不觉沙风已经走到面前。
“出什么事了，火心？她把你赶走了吗？”
火心抬头看见沙风眼里焦虑的神情，不过她并没有贴上来安慰他。
火心回答说：“没有，她什么也没做。”
“那就万事大吉了。”听口气她似乎是在强颜欢笑，“你为什么还是这副失魂落魄的模样？”
“她——生病了。”火心不能把刚才洞里的情形说出来，“我这就去找炭毛看看。我们也许能一起进餐。”
“不行，我……我是说，我要和云爪、纹脸出去捕猎。”沙风有些局促不安，不敢抬头看火心，“别担心蓝星，火心，她会好起来的。”
火心不由得打了个寒战，说：“我不知道，我以为能够得到她的理解，但她却认为我背叛了她。”
沙风没有吱声，她瞥了一眼火心，然后就移开目光，脸上的神情颇不自然。火心猛然想起沙风非常痛恨自己欺瞒蓝星的行为。
火心绝望地想：难道沙风也认为我是叛徒吗？
火心派炭毛去给蓝星看病后，自己向武士巢穴走去。他感觉四肢发软，头脑昏昏沉沉的，除了睡觉什么也不想。这时长尾走过来，火心心里一沉。
长尾吼道：“我有话对你说，火心。”
火心坐下问：“什么事？”
“你让我的徒弟今天上午和你一起外出捕猎。”
“是的，我告诉你原因了。”
长尾怒气冲冲地说：“尽管他会照你吩咐的办，但他心里并不情愿。”
火心心想这话倒也不错。他很欣赏迅爪在目前这么危险的情况下所表现出来的勇气，不过他不知道长尾为什么要小题大做。
长尾继续说：“我认为他现在应该成为武士了，其实他早就该成为武士了。”
火心回答说：“是的，我知道，你说得没错，长尾，他早该成为武士了。”
长尾没想到火心居然会同意自己的意见，不由得吃了一惊，冲口而出说：“那你打算怎么做？”
火心说：“暂时什么都不做。别冲我发火，长尾，你好好想想，好吗？现在蓝星的情绪很消极，清晨的事情令她很生气，而且她不想考虑晋升学徒的事。”他见长尾张开嘴巴，连忙止住长尾，“不，你听我说，把这件事交给我来办，蓝星迟早会明白这是解决问题的最佳方式，那时我就和她谈谈晋升迅爪的事，我保证。”
长尾哼了一声，心里感到很不快，但又说不出什么反对的理由，于是说：“好吧，但你得抓紧时间办。”说完，他转身离去。
火心走到他的窝里躺下，早晨的阳光照射进来，使得他不得不闭紧眼睛。他不仅担心迅爪，还担心其他三个年龄较大的学徒：云爪、亮爪和刺爪。但蓝星现在认为族里的猫都是叛徒，她不会同意给予他们武士地位。
这一觉噩梦不断，昏昏沉沉。火心忽然感觉到有猫在顶他，只听一个声音说：“快醒醒，火心！”
火心眨眨眼睛，看见炭毛站在面前。她身上的毛十分凌乱，一脸焦急的神色。火心一下子清醒过来，问：“出什么事了？”
炭毛回答说：“是蓝星，我到处都找不到她！”
第十五章
第十五章
火心一惊，急忙跳起来：“快说说到底怎么回事。”
炭毛解释说：“今天一早我给了她几粒罂粟籽，但我刚才去看她的时候，她已经不在那里了，而且她也没有吃罂粟籽。我去老年猫巢穴和育婴室都找过了，她也不在。火心，她不在营地里。”
“有谁见到她离开了吗？”
“我直接就来找你了，还没来得及问。”
“那我让学徒们去找找，找到了就……”
恰在这时，白风走了进来，刚好听见炭毛的话。他平静地说：“她也许去巡逻了，有可能和其他猫去的。”说着他打了个哈欠，躺进窝里。
火心将信将疑地点了点头。白风说得虽有道理，可火心的心里仍不踏实。从今早蓝星的表现来看，她可能在森林里的任何地方，也许她去河族找自己的孩子们了。
火心装出自信的样子，安慰炭毛说：“没什么可担心的，我们再去找找，看有没有谁见到她了。”
他走出巢穴，一抬眼看见香薇爪和蜡爪正在学徒巢穴外的树墩旁聊天。火心急忙走过去说他有事找蓝星，但不知道她在哪里。两个学徒听完后，二话不说奔出去寻找蓝星。
火心对身后的炭毛说：“你去问问是否有猫看见她了，我到沟外找找，看能不能嗅到她的气味，也许顺着气味能找到她。”
其实他心里并不抱什么希望。就在他刚才睡觉的时候，乌云已经遮住了天空，天上淅淅沥沥下起了小雨，这种天气不利于搜寻气味。刚走到营地门口，火心便看见沙风和云爪、纹脸外出回来了，他们三个嘴里都衔着猎物。
火心急忙奔过去，炭毛一瘸一拐地跟在后面。火心说：“沙风，你们看到蓝星了吗？”
沙风舔了舔沾在嘴边猎物的汁水，说：“没看见啊，怎么了？”
炭毛说：“她不在营地里。”
沙风生气地说：“经过昨晚的事情，这还有什么可奇怪的？她一定是觉得族群里的猫都不听她的话了。”
云爪说：“我们正好还要再出去一趟，顺带找找看。”
“好的，有劳了。”火心感激地对他的徒弟眨了眨眼睛。
云爪疾奔出去，两位武士缓缓跟在后面。纹脸走了几步停下来说：“火心，我敢肯定蓝星不会有事的。”沙风则连头都没有回。
火心急得几乎要吐血，忽然听到炭毛在他耳边温柔地说：“别担心，火心，沙风仍然是你的朋友。你应该明白，她不会每件事都和你的看法一样。”
火心叹了口气，说：“你也是啊。”
炭毛深情地说：“我也仍然是你的朋友啊，而且我知道你在做自己认为正确的事。现在，我们来想想怎样才能找到蓝星吧。”
直到太阳落山的时候，蓝星还是没有回来。火心循着她的气味一直找到沟外，可这时雨越下越大，蓝星的气味都被焦炭味和落叶的腐臭味掩盖住了。
火心回去后，急得睡不着觉，不停地往外张望。这一夜即将过去，月亮也开始落下去了。忽然，火心看见营地门口出现了一些动静，借着微弱的月光，他看见蓝星一瘸一拐地走进营地。她的毛都湿透了，紧紧贴在身上。她低垂着头，显得苍老、疲惫和失意。
火心急忙赶过去问：“蓝星，这一晚你到哪里去了？”
蓝星抬头瞅了瞅他，虽然她神情疲倦，但双眼却炯炯有神。蓝星声音沙哑、半开玩笑地说：“听你的口气就好像母猫在训斥自己的孩子。”她径直朝族长巢穴走去，“跟我来。”
火心乖乖地跟在后面，经过猎物堆时，他衔起一只水老鼠。不论蓝星去哪里了，她现在需要吃点儿东西。火心走进巢穴，看见蓝星已经坐在松软的苔藓里，正在舔去身上的雨水。火心很想过去帮她舔干身上的毛，但经过昨天的事情后，他不敢贸然行事。他把水老鼠放在蓝星面前，恭敬地低头行礼问：“出什么事了，蓝星？”
蓝星伸长脖子嗅了嗅水老鼠，头稍微偏了一下，她似乎突然意识到自己有多么饥饿，一口就把水老鼠吃进嘴里。她连话都顾不上说，只是低头狼吞虎咽。
吃完了饭，蓝星舔净胡须，这才说：“我去和星族见面了。”
火心吃了一惊，问：“去月亮石吗？就你自己？”
“当然了，我还能叫哪个叛徒陪我去呢？”
火心咽了口唾沫，轻声说：“大家都对你忠心耿耿，蓝星。”
蓝星固执地摇了摇头，说：“我去石林了，而且去和星族见面了。”
“可是为什么呀？”火心越来越感到不解，“我还以为你不再想和星族说话了。”
蓝星撑起身体：“我去那里不是为了对话，而是为了质问他们。为了贯彻他们的意愿，我付出了自己的一生，可你看看他们对我又做了什么，我去向他们讨个说法，而且近来森林里发生了这么多的事情，我想听听他们的解释。”
火心简直不敢相信自己的耳朵，蓝星居然敢挑战武士祖先的灵魂！
蓝星继续说：“我躺在月亮石边，梦见了星族。他们没有对自己的行为给出任何解释——他们怎么可能呢？他们居然对我做的事情只字不提，不过他们倒告诉了我一些事——”
火心凑近问：“什么事？”
“他们说森林里有一个游荡的魔鬼。他们提到‘结伙’这个词。他们说那个魔鬼将会带来更多的死亡和毁灭，是森林里从未有过的。”
火心小声问：“他们这话什么意思？”大火和洪水已经带来了死亡和毁灭，星族指的是这个吗？
蓝星低下头说：“我不知道。”
火心叫道：“可我们必须找出来那是什么！”他心念急转，“也许他们指的是那只恶狗——可是单凭一只狗不可能造成那么大的伤害啊。而且‘结伙’是什么意思？也许……也许他们指的是影族？你知道虎星曾经扬言要向我们复仇，也许他正在计划袭击我们。要么就是豹星。”他又补充了一句。他仍然心存侥幸，期望虎星已经放弃了向雷族复仇的打算。
蓝星耸了耸肩膀，说：“也许吧。”
火心眯缝起眼睛，他不明白蓝星为什么不想找出星族这一番话中所隐含的真意，并想方设法阻止灾祸的降临。火心坚持说：“我们必须做些事情。我们可以在边界处设立岗哨，增加巡逻次数。”他不知道面对这么一大堆任务，眼下的几个武士能不能够安排过来，“我们还要加强营地的守卫……”
他忽然发觉蓝星并没有在听他说话，她趴在窝里一动不动，呆呆地看着地上。
“蓝星？”蓝星抬头看了看火心，双眼充满了绝望的神情，如同一潭深水。她声音沙哑地说：“这有什么用呢？星族已经宣布死亡将要降临了，一股黑暗的力量正在森林里游荡，即使是星族也控制不住它，我们什么事情也做不了。”
火心顿时如中雷击。星族难道真的没有足够的力量去扭转即将到来的厄运吗？那一瞬间，火心几乎像蓝星一样感到彻底绝望了。
过了一会儿，他努力抬起头，仿佛正在从一个黝黑的水池中爬出来一般。他大声说：“不，我不相信会那样。只要我们有勇气有忠诚，就一定能够做出些什么的。”
“勇气？忠诚？在雷族里？”
火心诚恳地说：“是的，蓝星，除了虎星以外，没有猫想背叛你。”
蓝星凝视了他半晌，然后移开目光，尾巴焦躁地晃了晃：“你想干什么就干什么吧，火心，反正也没什么区别，一切都注定了。你现在出去吧。”
火心小声道别。他正要退出去，一瞥眼瞅见树叶上几粒炭毛早先带来的罂粟籽，于是他对蓝星说：“把这些罂粟籽吃下去，蓝星，你需要休息。到了明天，所有的事情都会好起来的。”
他衔着树叶，小心翼翼地移到蓝星面前，蓝星嫌恶地嗅了嗅。不过在火心走出洞穴的时候，他回头看见蓝星弯下脖子吃了那些罂粟籽。
火心走出洞穴，蓝星从星族那里得到的信息仍使他感到心惊胆战。他抖了抖身体，想要把内心的恐惧抖掉。他下意识地朝巫医巢穴走去，一方面他要把蓝星回来的消息告诉炭毛，另一方面他想和炭毛谈谈星族的信息。
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 16
Cinderpelt could tell Fireheart nothing more,nor suggest what the evil in the forest might be.
“StarClan wouldn’t repeat the warning if it weren’t important,” she meowed, her troubled blue gaze resting on Fireheart. “All we can do is keep watch.”
“At least Bluestar is back safely.” Fireheart tried to encourage her, but it was a poor effort. Both cats were aware of the shapeless, voiceless threat hanging over the Clan they loved.
In the days that followed, Fireheart did his best to set up a system of patrols that would give the Clan ample warning if ShadowClan or RiverClan decided to attack. There were barely enough warriors for the regular patrols and sentry duties, and Fireheart felt his fur grow thin with worry as the season moved on. The rain gave way to crisp, dry weather, but there was a thin rime of frost on the ground each morning and the remaining leaves dropped steadily from the trees. The brief recovery of the forest was over, and prey became scarce again.
One morning, about half a moon after the confrontation with WindClan, Fireheart was about to lead out the dawn patrol with Brackenfur and Cloudpaw when Bluestar came padding from her den. “I’ll lead the patrol this morning,” she meowed, and went to wait by the entrance to the camp.
“Bluestar leading a patrol?” muttered Cloudpaw. “That ought to go well. Watch out for flying hedgehogs!”
Fireheart aimed a cuff at the side of his head, but he couldn’t help feeling as surprised as his apprentice that Bluestar should start taking up Clan duties again. “Show some respect,” he ordered. “She’s your leader, and she’s been ill.”
Cloudpaw grunted. Fireheart was about to join his leader when an idea struck him. “Listen, Cloudpaw, you want to be a warrior, don’t you?” The white cat nodded eagerly. “Well, then, this is your chance to impress Bluestar. We’ll take another apprentice as well. Go and find Swiftpaw.”
Cloudpaw’s eyes lit up with excitement, and he dashed off toward the apprentices’ den.
Fireheart watched him go, then turned to Brackenfur. “Can you get Longtail?” He knew the pale tabby warrior would be pleased to have a chance to show off his apprentice’s skills. “He’s due to go out on hunting patrol—you don’t mind swapping duties with him, do you?”
“No, that’s fine, Fireheart.”
Brackenfur disappeared into the warriors’ den, and a moment later Longtail appeared. The two apprentices joined their mentors, and all four cats padded over to where Bluestar was waiting.
Her tail twitched. “Sure you’ve got the right cats, Fireheart?” she inquired acidly. Without waiting for a reply she led the way out of the camp and up the ravine.
As he followed the blue-gray she-cat toward the RiverClan border, Fireheart could almost imagine that the last few seasons had never happened, and he was still a young warrior going out on patrol without any of the responsibilities that troubled him now. But the fire-scarred forest reminded him that there was no going back.
The frost was beginning to melt as the sun rose over the river, though the leaves still crackled beneath the cats’ paws as they padded through the shadows. As they went, Fireheart tested the two apprentices on what they could see and scent, hoping to demonstrate their hunting abilities to their leader. They answered confidently, but Bluestar gave no sign that she had heard.
The ThunderClan leader paused when they came within sight of the river and stood gazing at the opposite bank. “I wonder where they are,” she murmured, almost too quietly for Fireheart to hear. “What are they doing now?”
Fireheart did not need to see the sadness in her eyes to know that she was thinking of Mistyfoot and Stonefur. He glanced uneasily at the other cats to see if they had noticed, but Swiftpaw and Cloudpaw were sniffing at an old water-vole hole, while Longtail was watching the movements of a squirrel high in the branches of a tree.
After a few moments Bluestar turned and followed the border upstream toward Sunningrocks. Fireheart noticed that she kept casting glances into RiverClan territory. But everything was quiet. They saw no RiverClan cats at all.
Eventually Sunningrocks came within sight. The smoothly sloping boulders seemed deserted. Then, as Fireheart watched, a cat climbed up from the opposite side and stood silhouetted against the sky.
Fireheart stopped dead, his fur prickling with the sense of danger. Though he could not make out the color of her fur, there was no mistaking that aggressive stance, the arrogant tilt of her head, and her long, winding tail. It was Leopardstar.
A couple of other cats had joined Leopardstar, and as the ThunderClan patrol drew closer, Fireheart recognized Stonefur, the RiverClan deputy, and the warrior Blackclaw. “Bluestar!” he hissed. “What are RiverClan doing on Sunningrocks?” But Fireheart felt his heart sink with dread when he saw the way that Bluestar was looking at the RiverClan deputy—not the challenging glare of a leader faced with enemy cats on her territory, but the admiring gaze of a queen who has seen her beloved kit become a noble warrior.
Bluestar padded forward until she reached the base of the rock where Leopardstar waited. Fireheart followed.
“What do they think they’re doing?” Cloudpaw muttered indignantly behind him. “Sunningrocks is ours!”
Fireheart shot him a warning glance to keep silent, and the apprentice dropped back beside Swiftpaw and Longtail, while Fireheart went to stand at Bluestar’s shoulder.
“Good day, Bluestar,” Leopardstar meowed, her voice confident. “I’ve been waiting since moonset to see ThunderClan cats, but I never hoped that one of them would be you.”
There was an edge of mockery in her tone, and Fireheart winced that the head of his Clan could be scorned so openly by other leaders.
“What are you doing here?” Bluestar asked. “Sunningrocks belongs to ThunderClan.” But her voice was low and unchallenging, as if she did not really believe what she was saying—or did not care.
“Sunningrocks has always belonged to RiverClan,” Leopardstar retorted, “even though we allowed ThunderClan to hunt here for a while. But ThunderClan stands in our debt after the help we gave you at the time of the fire. Today we claim that debt, Bluestar. We are taking Sunningrocks back.”
Fireheart’s fur bristled with fury. If Leopardstar thought she could stroll onto Sunningrocks without a fight, she was mistaken! Whipping around, he hissed, “Swiftpaw, you’re fastest. Run back to camp and fetch reinforcements.”
“But I want to fight!” Swiftpaw protested.
“Then get back here fast!”
The apprentice dashed off into the trees. Leopardstar tracked him with narrowed eyes, and Fireheart knew she must realize why he had gone. It was essential to hold off the battle for as long as possible. “Keep her talking,” he murmured to Bluestar. “Swiftpaw’s gone for help.”
He was not sure if Bluestar had heard him. She was staring at Stonefur again.
“Well, Bluestar?” Leopardstar challenged. “Do you agree? Do you allow RiverClan the right to Sunningrocks?”
For a few heartbeats Bluestar did not reply. As the silence stretched out, more RiverClan cats crept up to the top of the rock and emerged to stand beside their leader. Fireheart’s heart lurched when he saw that one of them was Graystripe. His gaze locked with his friend’s, and he saw in Graystripe’s appalled face a message as clear as if the gray warrior had yowled it to the skies. I don’t want to fight you!
“No.” Bluestar spoke at last, and to Fireheart’s relief her voice was firm. “Sunningrocks belongs to ThunderClan.”
“Then you’ll have to fight us for it,” growled Leopardstar.
Fireheart heard Longtail whisper at his shoulder, “They’ll make crowfood of us!”
At the same moment, Leopardstar uttered a bloodcurdling yowl and launched herself down the face of the rock at Bluestar. The two cats crashed to the ground, spitting and clawing. Fireheart sprang forward to help his leader, but before he reached her a warrior crashed into his side, bowling him over and sinking his teeth into Fireheart’s shoulder. Fireheart scrabbled against the RiverClan cat’s belly with his hind paws, desperate to break his grip, and slashed his claws at his enemy’s throat. The tabby warrior let go and backed off, yowling.
Fireheart spun around, looking for Bluestar, but she was nowhere to be seen. He spotted Longtail in the midst of a heaving mass of cats, but before he could do anything to help he caught a glimpse of Blackclaw springing toward him. He managed to avoid the warrior’s outstretched claws, and as the RiverClan cat fell awkwardly Fireheart sprang on him and bit hard into his ear.
Blackclaw scrabbled on the ground, trying to escape Fireheart’s grip. Fireheart raked his claws across his back, only to lose his hold as another cat barreled into him from the side. He went down and felt teeth meet in his tail.
Longtail was right, he thought despairingly. They’ll tear us into strips!
The ThunderClan cats were hopelessly outnumbered, and there had been no time for Swiftpaw to reach the camp and return with help. Long before reinforcements could arrive, the patrol would have been driven off or killed, and Sunningrocks would belong to RiverClan again.
Fireheart writhed helplessly, struggling for enough space to use teeth and claws. Suddenly the weight lifted as the cat lying across his legs was yanked away. He sprang to his paws to see Cloudpaw perched on Blackclaw’s back, his claws fastened deep in the warrior’s black fur and the wild light of battle in his eyes. Blackclaw reared up on his hind legs, but he couldn’t shake the apprentice off.
“See, Fireheart!” Cloudpaw yelled. “Do it this way—it’s easy!”
There was no time for Fireheart to answer. He spat an insult after the other warrior, who vanished wailing among the rocks, and threw himself into the whirling mass of cats around Longtail. Fireheart dragged one warrior off him, and suddenly came face-to-face with Brackenfur as the younger warrior burst out of the trees.
He gasped with surprise and gave fervent thanks to StarClan. Swiftpaw must have met the hunting patrol scouting near Sunningrocks, as Fireheart had ordered after Graystripe’s warning—and sent them along, bringing help long before Fireheart had dared to hope for it.
“Where’s Bluestar?” Brackenfur called.
“Don’t know.”
In the moment’s respite, Fireheart looked around for his leader. There was still no sign of her, though he caught sight of Leopardstar facing up to Whitestorm on top of a rock a few fox-lengths away.
Longtail staggered to his paws, panting for breath as he leaned against the rock face. Blood trickled from a gash on his forehead and he had lost a strip of fur along his flank, but his lips were still drawn back in a snarl, and he followed Brackenfur willingly as the ginger warrior leaped into the battle.
Fireheart was about to join them when he heard a voice calling out urgently above the noise of the fighting: “Fireheart! Fireheart!”
He spun around to see Graystripe crouched on top of the nearest rock, a look of anguish on his broad face. “Fireheart, come here!” he yowled.
For a heartbeat Fireheart wondered if this was a trap, and then felt ashamed of himself. His friend had avoided fighting him face-to-face; he would never snare him with a trick.
Fireheart bounded up the smooth slope of the rock to Graystripe’s side. “What is it?”
Graystripe pointed with his muzzle toward the other side of the rock. “Look.”
Fireheart peered over the edge. The rock sloped down more steeply there into a narrow gully. Bluestar was crouching almost directly below him. Her fur was ruffled, and she was bleeding from one shoulder. Coming along the gully on either side, cutting off any possible escape, were Mistyfoot and Stonefur.
The RiverClan deputy slashed his claws at Bluestar without touching her. “Defend yourself!” snarled the gray tom. “Or I swear by StarClan I’ll kill you.”
On Bluestar’s other side, Mistyfoot crept closer, her belly flat to the ground. “Are you scared to fight us?” she hissed.
Bluestar did not move, except to turn her head from one to the other. Fireheart could not see her expression from his vantage point, but he knew she would never be able to attack her own kits.
“I had to tell you,” Graystripe whispered beside Fireheart. “They’ll call me a traitor—but I couldn’t let them kill Bluestar.”
Fireheart shot his friend a look of gratitude. Graystripe had no idea of the real relationship between Bluestar and these two RiverClan cats. His only motive was loyalty to his former leader.
But Fireheart had no time to think for long about Graystripe’s tangled loyalties. He had to save Bluestar. The RiverClan cats had advanced until they were almost touching her, their fur bristling and their teeth bared in a snarl.
“Call yourself a leader?” Stonefur sneered. “Why won’t you fight?”
He drew back a paw to bring it raking down over Bluestar’s shoulder. At the same instant, Fireheart launched himself down the rock face. He landed hard in the gully, practically on top of Stonefur, forcing him away from Bluestar. On the Clan leader’s other side, Mistyfoot let out a screech of defiance and unsheathed her claws.
“Stop!” Fireheart yowled. “You can’t harm Bluestar—she’s your mother!”
第十六章
第十六章
炭毛既没有给火心提供更多的情况，也猜不出森林里的那个魔鬼是什么东西。
她呆呆地瞅着火心，困惑地说：“如果不是事关重大，星族是不会再三发出警告的，我们所能做的就是保持高度警惕。”
“至少蓝星已经安全回来了。”火心想给炭毛鼓鼓劲，但没什么效果。他们两个都十分清楚，一种无声无形的威胁正向雷族渐渐逼来。
接下来的几天里，火心为了提防影族或者河族的可能袭击，努力增加巡逻次数。如今既要维持日常巡逻，又要安排站岗值班，族里的武士显然不够用。秋雨一洗往日干燥的空气，每天早上地面上都会结一层霜，森林里的树叶也开始大片大片地凋落。树木的生长停滞了，猎物变得更稀少了。
半个月后的一天早晨，火心正要带领蕨毛和云爪外出巡逻，忽然看见蓝星从洞穴里走了出来。她走到营地门口说：“今天早上我亲自带队巡逻。”
云爪小声说：“蓝星带队？这倒不错，太阳从西边出来了！”
火心拍了云爪一巴掌，不过他也像云爪一样感到惊奇。蓝星居然重新开始履行职责，这确实是件稀罕事。他说：“放尊重些，她是你的族长，而且她的病还没好。”
云爪嘟囔了几句。火心正要向蓝星走过去，忽然间灵机一动，对云爪说：“听着，云爪，你是不是想成为武士呀？”小家伙热切地点了点头。“好，现在就有一个让你在蓝星面前显露的机会。我们也叫上其他学徒，去把迅爪找来。”
云爪立时两眼放光，一溜烟向学徒巢穴冲去。
火心看着他远去，然后转头对蕨毛说：“你能把长尾叫来吗？”他知道长尾肯定希望他的徒弟能有一个展示技能的机会，“他正要出去捕猎——你能和他交换一下任务吗？”
“没问题，火心。”
蕨毛消失在武士巢穴里，过了一会儿，长尾从里面走了出来。两名学徒加上各自的师父一共四只猫，一起向在营地门口等候的蓝星走去。
蓝星的尾巴摆了摆，尖刻地问：“火心，你当然会选最合适的猫了，是吗？”不等火心回答，她便奔出营地大门，向山沟外跑去。
火心跟随蓝星直奔河族边界，路上的景象勾起了他往日的回忆。那时他还只是一名年轻气盛的武士，每天随着队伍外出，无忧无虑地生活。看着大火后满目疮痍的森林，他知道那些快乐的日子一去不复返了。
太阳已经高高升起，夜间凝结的霜开始融化，脚下的枯枝败叶嘎吱作响。一路上，火心时不时地测试两个学徒的眼力和嗅觉，希望他们能够在族长面前一展身手。两个学徒回答问题时表现得相当不错，可蓝星听后一点儿表示都没有。
蓝星走到河边，停下脚步朝对岸望去。她喃喃说：“真想知道他们在哪里，他们现在在做什么呢？”
火心知道族长心里又在惦念雾脚和石毛了。他不安地瞅了瞅别的猫，看看他们是否注意到族长的异常。不过迅爪和云爪都在嗅一个陈旧的水老鼠洞，而长尾则盯着树上一只活蹦乱跳的松鼠看。
过了半晌，蓝星转身沿着边界向太阳石走去，边走边往河族领地里瞅。对岸非常安静，没有一只河族猫。
太阳石终于渐渐在望，火心突然看见一只猫从对岸游过来爬上太阳石。
他猛地刹住脚步，身上的毛一下子竖了起来。对方傲慢地昂着头，长尾巴来回摆动，显出一副咄咄逼人的样子。是豹星！
豹星身后又上来两只猫。雷族众猫走近了一些，火心一眼认出了河族副族长石毛和武士黑掌。火心低声说：“蓝星！河族到太阳石来干什么？”他瞅了蓝星一眼，心里顿时一沉。只见蓝星望着石毛——眼里哪有半分敌对的神色，分明是一只母猫在欣喜地看着自己终于长大成才的儿子。
蓝星径直走到豹星站着的石头下，火心跟在后面。
他身后的云爪气愤地小声说：“他们在这里干什么？太阳石是我们的！”
火心瞪了他一眼，示意他闭嘴。云爪吓得退到迅爪和长尾身边。火心上前和蓝星并肩站在一起。
豹星说：“今天的天气不错啊，蓝星。”她的声音里充满自信，“我一大早就在这里等候雷族的巡逻队，没想到你居然大驾光临。”
豹星的口气里隐隐带有戏谑的意味，火心见她竟敢公然蔑视蓝星，不由得怒火暗生。
蓝星问：“你们在这里干什么？太阳石属于雷族。”她的声音又低又软，也不知是不自信呢，还是不关心。
豹星反驳说：“尽管我们容忍雷族暂时在这里捕猎，但太阳石一直都是河族的领地。上次森林大火雷族欠了我们一笔账，今天我们就是讨债来的。蓝星，我们要把太阳石收回去。”
火心怒火冲天。如果豹星以为她可以轻易地把太阳石据为己有，那可就大错特错了！
火心猛地转身悄声说：“迅爪，你跑得最快，现在立刻回营搬援兵。”
迅爪争辩说：“可我想打仗啊！”
“那你就快去快回！”
迅爪一溜烟冲进丛林里。豹星眯缝眼睛瞅了瞅他，火心知道她一定猜到迅爪干什么去了，现在要尽可能拖延时间。于是他小声对蓝星说：“不停地和她讲话，迅爪去搬援兵了。”
他不知道蓝星是否听进了他说的话，只见她又朝石毛看过去。
豹星挑战似地说：“怎么样，蓝星？你同意吗？你承认河族对太阳石的主权吗？”
蓝星没有应答。过了一会儿，沉默被打破，越来越多的河族武士出现在太阳石上。火心看见灰条也在其中，顿时心里一沉。只见灰条脸上显出一副矛盾的样子，似乎随时都可能仰天长啸：“我不想和你们打仗！”
这时，蓝星语气坚决地说：“不行，太阳石属于雷族！”
豹星吼道：“那你们就等着挨揍吧！”
火心听见长尾小声说：“他们会把我们杀光的！”
这时，豹星发出一声恶狠狠的号叫，随后从岩石上向蓝星扑过来。两只猫摔倒在地，立刻拳脚相加。火心奔过去想要助蓝星一臂之力，不料半路杀出一只河族猫，一口咬住了他的肩膀，火心后腿急蹬。那只河族猫吃痛松了口，火心反爪扫向对方的咽喉，那只河族猫一声惨叫退了回去。
火心转身寻找蓝星，但蓝星已经踪影全无。长尾被围在一群猫中间，火心还没来得及赶过去救援，就看见黑掌冲他扑了过来。火心急忙闪躲，黑掌扑了个空，重重摔在地上。
火心趁机跳过去狠狠咬住他的耳朵。
黑掌拼命挣扎想摆脱火心，火心在他的后背上一通猛抓。突然另一只猫冲向他，将他撞翻在地，火心立刻感觉到自己的尾巴被咬住了。
他在绝望中想：长尾说得不错，他们会把我们撕成碎片的！
雷族猫在数量上大大吃亏，寡不敌众，根本撑不到迅爪搬来救兵。还没等援兵到来，这几只雷族猫恐怕就被杀得一干二净了，太阳石终将落入河族手里。
火心竭力想挤出一点儿空间以便施展拳脚，忽然，他感觉抓住自己后腿的爪子松开了，于是急忙跳起身来。只见云爪骑在黑掌的背上，紧紧抓住他的黑色皮毛，眼睛里闪着狂野的光。黑掌后腿直立，却怎么也不能把云爪甩开。
云爪大声叫喊：“快看哪，火心！就这么干——简直太容易了！”
火心哪里顾得上应答他，刚才和黑掌一同夹击他的河族猫此时已经惨叫着逃进石头群中。火心冲着他的背影呸了一声，赶过去帮助长尾解围。他把一名河族武士从长尾身上拖开，忽然看见蕨毛从丛林里飞奔出来。
火心大喜，连声默念星族保佑，迅爪必定是撞见了在太阳石附近逗留的捕猎队。自从灰条发出警告后，火心便命令捕猎队顺带注意太阳石这边的动静，如今果然增添了一支奇兵。
蕨毛高喊：“蓝星在哪儿？”
“不知道。”
火心四下张望寻找蓝星，他看见豹星和白风在一块岩石上激斗，不过却不见蓝星踪影。
长尾摇摇晃晃地站起来，倚靠在一块石头上大口喘着粗气。他的前额有一道深深的血口，腹部上的皮毛也少了一大块，但是他脸上毫无惧色，跟在蕨毛后面又投入战斗。
火心正要赶过去，忽然听见一声叫喊：“火心！火心！”
他转身看见灰条趴在旁边的一块石头上，脸上充满了痛苦的神色：“火心，快来啊！”
那一瞬间，火心怀疑其中是否有诈，但他随即为这个念头感到羞愧，他的朋友一直避免和他正面冲突，更不会引他上钩。
火心跳上灰条旁边的石头，问：“什么事？”
灰条朝石头的另一侧仰了仰头，说：“快看。”
火心抬眼望去，只见石头的另一侧十分陡峭，底部凹陷进去形成一道裂沟。蓝星身上的毛蓬松散乱，肩上有一道血口。雾脚和石毛站在裂沟两端，堵住了蓝星的逃路。
石毛朝蓝星挥了一下爪子，擦着蓝星的身体而过，他恶狠狠地喊道：“还手啊！否则我一定会杀了你！”
雾脚肚皮贴在地上走近蓝星的另一侧，低声嘶叫：“你害怕和我们打仗吗？”
蓝星没有动弹，只是转头瞅瞅石毛，又看看雾脚。火心看不到她脸上的表情，但他知道蓝星绝不会攻击自己的孩子。
灰条小声对火心说：“实话告诉你吧，就算背负叛徒的骂名，我也绝不可能任由他们杀了蓝星。”
火心感激地看了他一眼。灰条并不知道蓝星和这两名河族武士之间的关系，他之所以这么做完全是出于对前族长的忠诚。
火心没有时间去细想灰条这种矛盾的忠诚，他必须救出蓝星，雾脚和石毛气势汹汹，已经逼近蓝星了。
石毛讥讽说：“你还像个族长的样子吗？为什么不战斗？”
他的一只爪子往回猛扯，在蓝星肩膀上划了一道口子。火心立刻跳了下去，恰好落在石毛的身上，把石毛从蓝星身边撞开。雾脚发出一声怒吼，张开利爪。
火心大喊：“住手！你们不能伤害蓝星——她是你们的妈妈！”
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 17
The RiverClan warriors froze, their blueeyes wide with shock.
“What do you mean?” Stonefur rasped. “Graypool was our mother.”
“No, listen…” Fireheart bundled Bluestar against the rock face and stood in front of her. He could still hear the yowls and spitting of the battle on the other side of the rock, but suddenly it seemed to have nothing to do with the confrontation in this gully.
“Bluestar gave birth to you in ThunderClan,” he meowed desperately. “But she couldn’t keep you. Your father, Oakheart, brought you to RiverClan.”
“I don’t believe you!” Stonefur drew his lips back in a vicious snarl. “It’s a trick.”
“No, wait,” mewed Mistyfoot. “Fireheart doesn’t lie.”
“How would you know?” her brother demanded. “He’s a ThunderClan cat. Why should we trust him?”
He advanced on Fireheart, claws out, and the ThunderClan warrior braced himself for the attack, but before Stonefur could spring, Bluestar slipped out from behind him and faced the two RiverClan cats.
“My kits, oh, my kits…” Bluestar’s voice was warm, and when she turned her head Fireheart saw that her eyes were blazing with admiration. “You’re such fine warriors now. I’m so proud of you.”
Stonefur glanced at Mistyfoot, uncertainty showing in his twitching ears.
“Leave Bluestar alone,” Fireheart urged quietly.
A sudden yowling interrupted him. “Fireheart! Watch out!” The voice was Graystripe’s.
Fireheart looked up in time to see Leopardstar plunging down the rock toward him. Graystripe’s warning gave him just enough time to scramble backward, so that her outstretched claws only raked his shoulder. Spitting, she flung herself at him, driving the breath out of his body as she hurled him to the ground.
Fireheart gripped the RiverClan leader’s neck with his front paws and felt her powerful hind paws raking at his belly. Pain stabbed through him, and he slashed out blindly, feeling his claws score through fur. For a few heartbeats all he could see was Leopardstar’s spotted pelt; his face was pressed into it, half smothering him, and he struggled to breathe.
Suddenly Leopardstar jerked her head back, and Fireheart lost his hold on her neck. Her stifling weight was lifted off him. Scrambling to his paws, he backed against the rock, ready for her to spring at him again. His head whirled with exhaustion, and he could feel blood pulsing out of a wound on his leg. Suddenly he wasn’t sure that this was a battle he could win.
He looked around for Bluestar, but she had disappeared, and so had Mistyfoot and Stonefur. The RiverClan leader crouched on the ground in front of him, breathing hard, bleeding from her neck and side. To Fireheart’s astonishment, Graystripe stood over her, pinning her down with his front paws.
“I had him,” Leopardstar panted, almost incoherent with fury. “I heard you just now. You warnedhim.”
Graystripe released his leader so she could stagger to her paws again. “I’m sorry, Leopardstar, but Fireheart’s my friend.”
Leopardstar shook drops of blood from her golden tabby fur and glared at the gray warrior. “I was right about you all along,” she hissed. “You were never loyal to RiverClan. All right, you’ve got a choice. Attack your friendfor me now, or leave my Clan for good.”
Graystripe stared at her in dismay. Fireheart’s breath caught in his chest. Was Leopardstar going to force him to fight his former Clan mate? He knew that he didn’t have the strength to beat a cat who was still relatively fresh—and much more than that, how could he lift a claw against his best friend?
“Well?” snarled Leopardstar. “What are you waiting for?”
Graystripe glanced at Fireheart, his amber eyes filled with anguish. Then he bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Leopardstar. I can’t do it. Punish me if you want.”
“Punish you?” Leopardstar’s face was contorted in fury. “I’ll claw your eyes out; I’ll set you loose in the forest for the foxes to track down. Traitor! I’ll—”
A chorus of yowling drowned her threats. Fireheart looked up, almost despairing at the thought of more enemies to fight. He could hardly believe what he saw. A wave of ThunderClan cats was streaming over the rock and down into the gully. He spotted Mousefur, Darkstripe, Sandstorm, and Dustpelt, and Swiftpaw leading the other apprentices. His message had gotten through, and help had come at last!
Leopardstar took one look and fled. The ThunderClan warriors gave chase at once with furious yowls. Fireheart and Graystripe were left looking at each other.
“Thank you,” Fireheart mewed after a few moments.
Graystripe shrugged and padded over to him. He was limping slightly, and his fur was torn and thick with dust. “There was no choice,” he whispered. “I couldn’t hurt you, could I?”
Fireheart drew himself up. As his head cleared, he realized that the sounds of battle were fading and a heavy silence was gathering over Sunningrocks, filled with the reek of blood. “Come on. I’ve got to see what’s happening.”
He turned and padded along the gully, aware that Graystripe was following close behind. Coming to the open ground beyond the rocks, he saw the RiverClan warriors retreating down the slope that led to the river. At the head of the patrol, Blackclaw launched himself into the river and began swimming toward the opposite bank.
Brackenfur and Sandstorm stood nearby, and more ThunderClan cats crouched on top of Sunningrocks, watching their enemies depart. Cloudpaw raised his head and let out a yowl of pure triumph.
Bluestar padded after the retreating cats as far as the RiverClan border, her ears pricked with determination. Fireheart saw with a twinge of distress that she was following Mistyfoot and Stonefur. “Now that you know the truth, we must talk,” she called after them. “You will be welcome in the ThunderClan camp. I will tell my warriors to bring you to my den whenever you want to see me.”
But both warriors turned away from her and stalked down to the edge of the water. Stonefur glanced back before he waded out into the river. “Leave us alone,” he growled. “You’re no mother of ours, whatever you say.”
Leopardstar was the last cat to retreat across the border. “Look there!” she snapped at her warriors, flicking her tail toward Graystripe, who was standing beside Fireheart. “If it weren’t for that traitor, Sunningrocks would be ours again. He’s no longer a member of RiverClan. If you catch him on our territory, kill him.”
Without waiting for any response, she spun around and limped rapidly toward the river.
Graystripe said nothing. He stood as motionless as the rocks behind him, with his head hanging.
Sandstorm padded across to Fireheart. “What happened?” she asked. She was bleeding from a scratch on her shoulder, but her eyes were clear and questioning.
Fireheart longed to go back to camp and curl up in the warriors’ den to share tongues with her, but he knew he had too much to do. “Graystripe saved my life,” he explained. “He pulled Leopardstar off me.”
“So that’s why he can’t go back.” The pale ginger she-cat turned her head to watch the last of the RiverClan cats plunging into the river. Then she looked back at Graystripe, her eyes huge with concern. “What is he going to do, then?” she murmured.
Sudden joy stabbed through Fireheart. Whatever Graystripe felt for his kits, if he could not go back to RiverClan, he could come home. Then the joy faded and anxiety twisted Fireheart’s belly. That decision wasn’t his to make. Would Bluestar now allow the gray warrior to come back to the Clan he had left? And how would the other warriors react?
Looking around for his leader, Fireheart saw her padding wearily up the slope, and went to meet her. “Bluestar…”
She raised her head, and he saw that her eyes were puzzled. “They hate me, Fireheart.”
Sorrow flooded over Fireheart. With his own worries about Graystripe, he had almost forgotten what his leader must be suffering. “I’m sorry, Bluestar,” he murmured. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have told them. But I couldn’t think of what else to do.”
“That’s all right, Fireheart.” To his amazement Bluestar reached out and gave his shoulder a swift lick. “I always wanted them to know. But I didn’t think they would hate me for what I did.” She let out a long sigh. “Let’s go back to camp.”
She showed no sense of triumph that ThunderClan had succeeded in defending their claim to Sunningrocks. When she reached the place where her warriors were gathered, she said nothing about the victory, not even to congratulate them for fighting so well. Her mind still seemed fixed on her kits.
Fireheart fell in beside his leader as she padded up the slope. “Well done,” he meowed to Cloudpaw as his apprentice leaped off the rock and landed neatly at his side. “You fought like a warrior. So did all of you,” he added, raising his voice as he glanced around, hoping to make up for their leader’s indifference. “Bluestar and I are both proud of you.”
“Thank StarClan we managed to beat RiverClan off,” mewed Brackenfur.
“No, thank us,”Cloudpaw put in. “Wedid all the fighting. I didn’t notice any StarClan warriors on our side.”
Bluestar turned her head at that and fixed an intent gaze on the white apprentice, her eyes narrowed. Fireheart expected her to rebuke him, but her expression showed interest rather than anger. She gave a little nod but said nothing.
As the warriors began to move off toward their camp, Fireheart went to stand beside Graystripe. “Bluestar,” he mewed nervously, “Graystripe’s here.”
Bluestar’s gaze flickered vaguely over the gray warrior. For a moment Fireheart was afraid that her mind was drifting again, and she wouldn’t even remember that Graystripe had ever left ThunderClan.
Then Darkstripe shouldered his way forward. “Get off our territory!” he spat at Graystripe, adding to Bluestar, “I’ll drive him off, if you want.”
“Wait,” Bluestar ordered with a touch of her old authority. “Fireheart, explain what’s going on.”
He told her how Graystripe had warned him about Leopardstar’s attack and pulled her away when Fireheart was losing their fight. “He brought me to help you when Mistyfoot and Stonefur were attacking you,” he explained. “And I owe him my life. Bluestar, please let him come back into ThunderClan.”
Graystripe looked at his former leader with a glimmer of hope in his amber eyes. But before Bluestar could reply, Darkstripe broke in roughly. “He left ThunderClan of his own free will. Why should we let him come crawling back now?”
“I’m not crawling to you or any cat,” Graystripe retorted. He turned to face the gray she-cat again. “But I’d like to come back, if you’ll have me, Bluestar.”
“You can’t take back a traitor!” Darkstripe spat. “He just betrayed his leader—how do you know he won’t betray you the first chance he gets?”
“He did it for Fireheart!” Sandstorm protested.
Darkstripe snorted contemptuously.
Bluestar fixed a cold look on him. “If Graystripe is a traitor,” she meowed, with all the ice of leaf-bare in her voice, “then he’s just the same as the rest of you. The Clan is full of traitors, so one more won’t make any difference.” She whirled on Fireheart, power and strength seeming to flow back into her body. “You should have let Mistyfoot and Stonefur kill me!” she spat. “Better a quick death at the claws of noble warriors than a life dragged out in a Clan I can’t trust—a Clan doomed to destruction by StarClan!”
There were gasps from the other cats as she spoke, and Fireheart realized that few of the Clan had any idea how distrustful and despairing Bluestar had become. He knew there was no point in trying to argue with her now. “Does that mean Graystripe can stay?” he asked.
“Stay or go, whatever he likes,” Bluestar responded indifferently. Her flash of strength ebbed, leaving her looking more exhausted than ever. Slowly, not meeting the troubled gazes of any of her warriors, she padded away in the direction of the camp.
第十七章
第十七章
两位河族武士大吃一惊，立刻僵在那里。
石毛声音沙哑地说：“你这话什么意思？灰池才是我们的妈妈。”
“不是的，听我说……”火心扶着蓝星靠着石头站住。外面杀声震天，而裂沟内却仿佛变成了另外一个世界。
火心焦急地说：“你们是在雷族出生的，蓝星是你们的亲生母亲，可她不能抚养你们。
你们的父亲——橡心把你们带到了河族。”
石毛龇牙咧嘴，凶狠地说：“我不相信！你在骗我们。”
雾脚说：“别急，等等，火心不会说谎。”
石毛问：“你怎么知道？他是只雷族猫，我们为什么信任他？”
他逼近火心，挥爪打了过来，火心急忙护住身体。石毛正要扑过来，蓝星突然迈步站在两位河族武士面前。
蓝星慈祥地说：“我的孩子们，哦，我的孩子们……”火心看见她的眼睛里都是欣喜的光彩。“你们现在是优秀的武士了，我真为你们感到骄傲。”
石毛瞅了瞅雾脚，一时间拿不定主意。
火心轻声催促说：“放过蓝星吧。”
正在这时，灰条突然吼道：“火心！当心！”
火心急忙抬头，恰见豹星从石头上扑了下来。多亏灰条的警告，火心才能够后退避开，豹星这一扑只在他的肩膀上抓了一下。豹星骂了一句，向前疾冲，把火心撞倒在地，撞得他几乎喘不过气来。
火心一把抓住豹星的脖子，同时感到自己的腹部被对方猛踹。火心痛得几乎晕倒，他咬紧牙关拼命抱住对方，爪子狠狠揪住她的皮毛。一时间，他只能看到豹星的花斑皮毛在晃动，他的头顶在豹星身上，呼吸十分不畅。
豹星猛地一扭头，火心猝不及防，不由得松开了爪子，豹星迅速从身边跳了出去。火心爬起来靠在石头上，准备应付豹星第二轮的进攻。鲜血从他腿上的伤口处汩汩冒出。那一瞬间，他突然怀疑自己是否能够打赢这场仗。
他四下里张望寻找蓝星，蓝星又不见了踪影，但雾脚和石毛却在这里。豹星趴在他的正前方，大口喘着粗气，鲜血顺着脖子往下淌。令火心震惊的是，他看见灰条竟然压在豹星的身上，前爪死死地按住她。
豹星气得语无伦次，气喘吁吁地说：“我逮到你了，我听见你刚才说了什么，你向他发出警示。”
灰条放开豹星，这位河族族长摇摇晃晃地站起来。灰条说：“对不起，豹星，可火心是我的朋友啊。”
豹星抖了抖身上的毛，瞪着灰条低声说：“我早就知道你会这样，你一直对河族怀有二心。好吧，再给你一个机会，攻击你的朋友，否则休想再踏进河族领地一步。”
灰条惊惶地看着她，火心紧张地屏住了呼吸。豹星竟然逼灰条攻击他的老朋友？火心现在根本打不过一只力气充足的猫。更何况，他怎么能忍心对他最好的朋友下手呢？
豹星凶巴巴地说：“嗯？你还等什么？”
灰条痛苦地看着火心，然后他低下头说：“对不起，豹星，我下不了手，你惩罚我吧。”
“惩罚你？”豹星的脸因愤怒而变得扭曲，“我要把你的眼珠子抠出来，我要把你放逐到森林里，让狐狸追着吃你！叛徒！我要……”
忽然，她的恫吓被淹没在一片喊杀声中。火心还以为对方来援军了，急忙抬头张望，他几乎不敢相信自己的眼睛。只见一群雷族猫如潮水般涌入石头群中，鼠毛、黑条、沙风和尘毛，还有迅爪率领着一干学徒。迅爪及时传到了口信，他们的援兵终于来了！
豹星见状不妙，立刻转身逃走，雷族武士们乘胜追击。火心和灰条则站在原地面面相觑。
过了半晌，火心说：“谢谢你。”
灰条耸了耸肩膀走过来。他的腿有一点儿跛，毛上沾的都是灰土。灰条小声说：“我没有选择，我不可能伤害你，是吧？”
火心撑起身子，等冷静下来后，他发现喊杀声已渐渐隐去，太阳石到处都是血迹，安静得令他喘不过气来。“唉，我去瞧瞧情况怎么样了。”
他转身沿着裂沟往外走，发觉灰条紧紧跟在他后面。走出石头群，他望见河族众猫已经撤往河边，黑掌跑在最前面跳进河里，朝对岸游去。
蕨毛和沙风站在附近，越来越多的雷族猫登上太阳石，望着敌人四散溃逃，云爪仰头发出一声胜利的号叫。
蓝星一直走到河族边界，她冲着雾脚和石毛的背影大声喊道：“现在你们知道了真相，我们必须谈谈，希望你们都来雷族营地。我会通知雷族武士们，无论你们什么时候来，都直接领你们来见我。”
雾脚和石毛走到河边。石毛回头大吼道：“别来烦我们，不论你怎么说，你都不是我们的妈妈。”
豹星最后一个撤到河族边界内。她朝灰条摆了摆尾巴，对她的武士们厉声喝道：“你们都往那里看！如果不是这个叛徒，太阳石已经属于我们了。他不再是河族的一员，如果你们在河族领地内逮着了他，立即格杀勿论。”
说完这话，她转身跳进河里。
灰条一言不发，就如一块石头般垂着头纹丝不动地站在那里。
沙风问火心：“出什么事了？”鲜血从她肩膀处不停地往下淌，但她两眼炯炯有神，脸上充满了疑问的神情。
火心真想回到营地里对她倾诉衷肠，可现在千头万绪，要做的事情太多了。于是他解释说：“灰条救了我的命，他把豹星从我身上拉开了。”
“唉，那他可回不去了。”沙风转头又瞅了眼纷纷跳进河里的河族猫，然后她关心地看着灰条，喃喃道，“他该怎么办呢？”
火心猛然感觉到一阵狂喜。无论灰条对他的孩子们感情有多深，如果他不能回河族，那他就只能回家了。不过这股喜悦很快就消失了，随之而来的是愁闷，因为灰条能不能重回雷族并不是他火心说了算的。蓝星允许他回来吗？其他的武士们会有什么反应？
火心看见蓝星颓丧地走上坡岸，于是迎过去说：“蓝星……”
蓝星抬起头，眼睛里充满了迷惘的目光：“他们恨我，火心。”
火心心里很难过，他只顾着灰条的事，竟然差点儿忘记族长正在遭受着无比巨大的痛苦。他低声说：“对不起，蓝星，也许我不该告诉他们的，可当时我想不出还能有什么别的办法。”
“没关系，火心，”令火心惊讶的是，蓝星居然在他肩膀上舔了一下，“我一直都想让他们知道这件事，可我没想到他们竟然会恨我。”她长叹了口气，“我们回营吧。”
尽管雷族成功地保卫了太阳石，但蓝星却没有显露出丝毫的喜悦。她走到雷族武士们面前，连句祝贺胜利的话都没有说。她的心思都系在她的两个孩子身上了。
火心见云爪从石头上跳下来落在自己身边，便对他说：“干得漂亮！你今天的表现就像个武士，你们也都一样。”他故意提高嗓门儿，期望能够引起蓝星的注意，“蓝星和我都为你们感到骄傲。”
蕨毛说：“感谢星族，我们才得以击退河族。”
云爪插嘴说：“不，是感谢我们才对，我没有看见任何一名星族武士站在我们这一边。”
蓝星猛地转过头打量着云爪。火心以为她会加以训斥，不料她显出一副饶有兴趣的样子。她轻轻点了点头，但没有说话。
雷族众猫开始返回营地。火心走过去站在灰条身边，紧张地说：“蓝星，灰条在这里。”
蓝星茫然地瞅了灰条一眼。火心生怕她又迷糊起来，连灰条离开族群的事都忘记了。
这时，黑条走上前恶狠狠地对灰条说：“从我们的领地里滚出去！”随即他又对蓝星说：“只要你一声令下，我立刻把他赶走。”
“等一等。”蓝星的语气中又恢复了一点儿往日的威严，“火心，你说说这是怎么回事。”
于是火心就把自己眼看就要被豹星打败时得到灰条及时相救的事说了一遍。他解释说：“雾脚和石毛攻击你的时候，是他叫我过去援手的，而且我这条命也是他救的。蓝星，请允许他回到雷族吧。”
灰条满怀希望地看着蓝星。可没等蓝星回答，黑条却粗暴地说：“当初又没有谁逼他离开雷族，现在我们为什么要让他摇尾乞怜地回来？”
灰条生气地说：“我没有向你或者任何猫摇尾乞怜。”他转头对蓝星说：“可是如果你同意，我很愿意回来，蓝星。”
黑条厉声喝道：“你不能让一个叛徒重回雷族！他刚刚背叛了他的族长——你怎么知道有一天他不会背叛你呢？”
沙风分辩说：“他是为了救火心才那么做的！”
黑条嗤之以鼻，显出一副不屑的样子。
蓝星冷冷地瞅了他一眼，说：“如果灰条是叛徒，那么也只是和你们一个德行罢了。族群里都是叛徒，多一个少一个没什么区别。”她忽然像泄了气的皮球一样蔫了下来，转身叱责火心：“你该让雾脚和石毛杀了我，痛痛快快地死在高贵武士们的爪下，总比苟延残喘地生活在一个我不能信任的族群——一个被星族诅咒毁灭的族群里——要强得多！”
猫群中发出一连串的惊呼声。火心意识到族里大部分的猫还不知道蓝星已经变得绝望、疑神疑鬼了。他知道现在不宜和蓝星争论，于是问她：“这么说，灰条能够留下来了？”
蓝星漠然地说：“去或留，随他的便好了。”她比以往任何时候都显得衰老，对大家惊惶困惑的目光视而不见，只是缓缓向营地走去。
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 18
As Fireheart wearily pushed his waythrough the entrance to the camp he spotted Bramblekit dashing toward him, almost falling over his paws in his eagerness to greet the returning warriors. “Did we win?” he asked. He stopped and stared round-eyed at Graystripe. “Who’s this? Is he a prisoner?”
“No, he’s a ThunderClan cat,” Fireheart replied. “It’s a long story, Bramblekit, and I’m too tired to explain now. Get your mother to tell you.”
Bramblekit took a step back, looking slightly crestfallen. Though he wouldn’t remember it, Fireheart reflected, he had suckled side by side with Graystripe’s two kits. Goldenflower had cared for them in the few days they had spent in ThunderClan after Silverstream’s death.
The dark tabby kit eyed Graystripe suspiciously as the two warriors padded past him, and then turned to Tawnykit as she came bounding up. “Look!” he mewed. “There’s a new cat in the Clan.”
“Who is he?” Tawnykit wondered.
“A traitor,” Darkstripe spat as he stalked past on his way to the warriors’ den. “But then, we’re all traitors, according to Bluestar.”
The two kits stared at him with total bewilderment in their faces. Fireheart fought down his fury; there was no time to start an argument with Darkstripe, but the warrior had no business letting his anger spill over onto the kits. Feeling an unusual pang of sympathy for Bramblekit, he turned back and meowed, “Yes, we did win. We keep Sunningrocks.”
Bramblekit gave a little joyous bounce. “Great! I’m going to tell the elders.” He scurried off with Tawnykit hard on his paws.
“Those are Tigerstar’s kits, aren’t they?” asked Graystripe curiously, watching them go.
“Yes.” Fireheart didn’t want to discuss them now. “Let’s go see Cinderpelt and get patched up.”
Graystripe looked around as the two warriors crossed the burned-out clearing. “It’s never going to be the same,” he muttered despondently.
“Next newleaf, you’ll see,” Fireheart replied, trying to cheer him up. He hoped Graystripe was only referring to the damage caused by the fire, and not a sense that he could never recover his old place within the Clan. “Everything will grow back stronger than before.”
Graystripe didn’t reply. He didn’t look as happy as Fireheart had expected him to be, as if he were beginning to doubt that the rest of his birth Clan would accept him. And Fireheart could see pain in his eyes that suggested he was already beginning to miss the kits he had given up. After all, he hadn’t even had a chance to say good-bye.
The returning warriors were gathering in Cinderpelt’s clearing. As Fireheart and Graystripe approached, the medicine cat looked up from pressing cobwebs against a wound in Cloudpaw’s side. “Here’s Fireheart now,” she mewed, and added, “Great StarClan, you look as if you’ve been fighting monsters on the Thunderpath.”
“It feels like it.” Fireheart grunted. Settling down to wait for Cinderpelt to check him over, he realized how much his wounds hurt. The one in the leg that Leopardstar had given him was still bleeding, and he bent his head to lick it.
“What are you thinking, bringing himback again?” Fireheart looked up to see Dustpelt glaring at Graystripe. “We don’t want him here.”
“Who’s ‘we’?” Fireheart asked, gritting his teeth. “Ithink he belongs here—and so does Sandstorm, and—” He broke off as Dustpelt pointedly turned his back.
Graystripe shot an apologetic look at Fireheart. “They won’t accept me,” he mewed. “It’s true; I left the Clan, and now…”
“Give it time,” Fireheart tried to encourage him. “They’ll come around.”
Privately, he wished he could believe it. Thanks to Bluestar’s indifference, some of the ThunderClan cats would have no qualms about objecting to Graystripe’s return. One more problem, Fireheart thought, to add to his worries about what was really going on in the forest. How could the Clan hope to survive the destruction StarClan had prophesied, unless they were united?
Fireheart wondered if Graystripe knew about the dark threat in the forest from RiverClan’s medicine cat the “pack” that StarClan had warned them of. Though Fireheart’s fur prickled with dread, there was some comfort in knowing that Graystripe was back, and he would have his friend to rely on, whatever lay ahead. Fireheart began to lick his wound again, wishing that he could just enjoy the gray warrior’s return for a few moments.
“That’s right, get it clean,” Cinderpelt meowed as she came up to him. She sniffed at the leg wound and then rapidly checked his other injuries. “You’ll be fine,” she reassured him. “I’ll give you some cobwebs for the bleeding, but apart from that you just need to rest.”
“Have you seen Bluestar?” Fireheart asked as Cinderpelt brought the cobwebs and laid them over the wound. “Is she badly hurt?”
“A bite on her shoulder,” replied the medicine cat. “I gave her a poultice of herbs, and she went back to her den.”
Fireheart struggled to his paws. “I’d better go and see her.”
“Okay, but if she’s asleep, don’t wake her. Clan business, whatever it is, can wait. And while Fireheart does that,” she added to Graystripe, “I’ll have a look at you.” She gave his ear a quick lick. “It’s good to have you back.”
At least some cats would welcome Graystripe, Fireheart told himself as he padded across the clearing. The others would change their minds; Graystripe just needed time to prove that he would to be a loyal member of ThunderClan again.
“Fireheart!” Sandstorm hailed him as he approached Bluestar’s den. “Mousefur and I are going out to hunt.”
“Thanks,” Fireheart mewed gratefully.
“Are you all right?” Sandstorm drew closer, her eyes narrowing. “I thought you’d be pleased—we won the battle, and Graystripe has come home.”
Fireheart pressed his muzzle briefly against her flank. He felt a pang of relief that the ginger she-cat seemed to have forgiven him for going behind Bluestar’s back to arrange the talk with WindClan. “I know—but I’m not sure that all the cats will accept Graystripe. They’ll find it hard to forget that he loved a cat from another Clan, and then left us altogether.”
Sandstorm shrugged. “That’s in the past. He’s here now, isn’t he? They’ll just have to put up with it.”
“That’s not the point!” Pain and weariness made Fireheart more irritable than he intended. “We can’t afford quarrels just now. Can’t you see that?”
Sandstorm stared at him, anger flaring in her pale green eyes. “Sorry, I’m sure,” she spat. “I was only trying to help.”
“Sandstorm, don’t…” Fireheart began, realizing too late that he’d said the wrong thing. But Sandstorm had already turned away and was stalking back toward the warriors’ den, where Mousefur was waiting for her.
Feeling even more despondent than before, Fireheart went on to Bluestar’s den. When he looked through the entrance he thought she was asleep, curled up in her nest, but almost at once her blue eyes blinked open and she raised her head.
“Fireheart.” Her voice was dull. “What do you want?”
“Just reporting, Bluestar.” Fireheart slipped into the den and stood in front of his leader. “All the cats are back. There are no serious injuries, as far as I can see.”
“Good.” Sounding a little more interested, she added, “Your apprentice fought well today.”
“Yes, he did.” Fireheart felt a rush of pride in his kin. Whatever problems there had been with Cloudpaw in the past, no one could question his courage.
“I think it’s time he became a warrior,” Bluestar went on. “We’ll hold his naming ceremony at sunset.”
Hope flared in Fireheart’s chest. Had Bluestar finally accepted the need to make new warriors?
But his optimism ebbed away like water into sand when Bluestar’s lips curled into a sneer, and she added, “There must be a ceremony, I suppose. It means nothing to me, but these cats are so gullible they’ll never accept Cloudpaw without one.”
And how much meaning does the ceremony have for Cloudpaw?Fireheart asked himself. Does he really care about the warrior code?If not, he reflected, then the young cat didn’t deserve to become a warrior, no matter how well he fought.
But Bluestar had made up her mind, and Fireheart wouldn’t try to change it. Instead he suggested, “Swiftpaw should be a warrior too. He did well today.”
“Swiftpaw carried a message back to the camp. That’s apprentice work. He’s not ready to become a warrior yet.”
“But he came back to the battle,” Fireheart objected.
“No!”Bluestar’s tail lashed in anger. “I cannot trust Swiftpaw. Cloudpaw is stronger and braver—and besides, he doesn’t grovel to StarClan like the rest of you. The Clan needs more warriors like that.”
Fireheart wanted to say that Cloudpaw’s lack of respect for the warrior code was the last thing ThunderClan needed, but he did not dare. Instead he dipped his head and backed away. “I’ll see you at sunset,” he meowed, and went to break the news to Cloudpaw.
His apprentice, as Fireheart had guessed, was delighted at the news that he was to become a warrior at last. Fireheart instructed him on what he had to do in the ceremony, and then headed for the warriors’ den and some much-needed sleep. His heart sank right to his paws when he spotted Longtail sitting with the apprentices outside their den. There was one more thing he had to do before he could rest.
Padding toward Longtail, he jerked his muzzle for the tabby warrior to join him, out of earshot of the apprentices. “Longtail,” he began, searching for the right words. “I’m sorry, I’ve got some bad news. Bluestar has agreed to make Cloudpaw a warrior, but—”
“But not Swiftpaw?” Longtail finished angrily. “That’s what you’re going to say, isn’t it?”
“I’m sorry, Longtail,” he meowed. “I tried to persuade Bluestar, but she wouldn’t agree.”
“So you say.” The pale warrior sneered. “But it’s strange that yourapprentice is chosen, and mine is ignored. Swiftpawnever went off to live with Twolegs!”
“I’m not going into all that again,” Fireheart retorted. Cloudpaw had never intended to leave the Clan, but every cat knew that he had visited the Twoleg nest regularly for food before the Twolegs captured him and shut him in. “Bluestar said she’s making Cloudpaw a warrior because he fought well, while Swiftpaw…”
“Took a message.” Longtail’s tabby fur bristled with fury. “And who made him take it? He would have stayed to fight if you hadn’t sent him away!”
“I know that,” Fireheart mewed wearily. “I’m just as disappointed as you are. I’ll do my best to get Swiftpaw made a warrior soon, I promise.”
“If I believed that, I’d believe anything!” Longtail spat. He turned his back on Fireheart, scraped angrily at the ground as if he were covering his dirt, and stalked back to the apprentices.
The sun was sinking behind the wall of the camp when Fireheart emerged from the warriors’ den with Graystripe close behind him. Sleep had restored his body, and he tried to feel optimistic about the coming ceremony, even though he was not looking forward to it.
Shadows were stretching across the camp, and Fireheart saw that Bluestar had emerged from her den. To his relief she was moving easily, and the shoulder wound she had taken in the battle didn’t seem to be bothering her as she sprang up onto the Highrock.
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting,” she called.
Graystripe gave Fireheart a friendly nudge. “You’ve done well with Cloudpaw,” he meowed. “I never thought that pest of a kit would grow up into such a fine warrior!”
Fireheart acknowledged his friend’s praise by pressing his muzzle against the gray warrior’s shoulder. His friend remember how upset he had been when Cinderpelt had her accident, and knew how much it meant to Fireheart to have an apprentice ready to be made a warrior at last. Graystripe had seen his own apprentice, Brackenpaw, made a warrior long ago.
Many of the cats were already in the clearing. News of Cloudpaw’s warrior ceremony must have spread around the camp. Cinderpelt appeared from her den and took her place near the base of the rock, while Goldenflower brought her two kits to sit at the front of the gathering crowd. Willowpelt’s litter stayed with their mother near the entrance to the nursery.
Fireheart couldn’t help noticing that the other apprentices were the last to join the circle around the rock. He saw Brightpaw nudging Swiftpaw out of their den. Even when the black-and-white cat had crossed the clearing, he stayed on the very edge of the crowd, and the other apprentices settled down around him.
A pang of dismay shot through Fireheart. It wasn’t Cloudpaw’s fault that Bluestar had chosen him and none of the others. It would be hard for him not to have the good wishes of his friends when he became a warrior.
But Cloudpaw didn’t seem bothered. He strolled out of the elders’ den and padded across to Fireheart with his tail waving in the air, his eyes shining with excitement.
Fireheart murmured into his ear, “I’m very proud of you, Cloudpaw. Tomorrow you can take a hunting patrol over to Twolegplace and tell Princess.”
Cloudpaw shot him a delighted look, but before he could say anything, Bluestar spoke. “Cloudpaw, you fought well against RiverClan this morning, and I have decided that the time has come for you to take your place as a warrior in ThunderClan.”
The white tom turned to face the Highrock and gazed up at his leader as she began to speak the ritual words. “I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.”
Her voice was harsh, and Fireheart thought that it was obvious that she was merely going through the motions of a ritual that had ceased to have meaning for her. Uneasily he wondered whether StarClan would be willing to watch over Cloudpaw when neither he nor his leader had any respect for their warrior ancestors.
“Cloudpaw,” Bluestar continued, “do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”
“I do,” Cloudpaw meowed fervently.
Did he understand what he was promising? Fireheart wondered. He was sure that Cloudpaw would do his best to protect the Clan, because these cats were his friends, but he knew that the young cat wouldn’t be prompted to act by any sense of loyalty to the warrior code.
“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name,” Bluestar went on, each word dragged out of her like thorns. “Cloudpaw, from this moment you will be known as Cloudtail. StarClan honors your courage and your independence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.”
Leaping down from the Highrock, she padded over to Cloudtail and rested her muzzle on his head. Cloudtail gave her shoulder a respectful lick, then went over to stand beside Fireheart.
This was the moment at which the Clan should have greeted the new warrior by chanting his name, but now there was only silence. Fireheart heard uneasy murmurs start up around him, as if the cats had sensed Bluestar’s lack of conviction when she recited the ritual. Flicking a glance at the apprentices at the edge of the crowd, Fireheart saw that they were all looking at their paws, and Swiftpaw had turned his back on his old den mate.
Cloudtail was beginning to look a little crestfallen when Brindleface, who had suckled him as a tiny kit, padded up and pressed her tabby muzzle against his. “Well done, Cloudtail!” she exclaimed. “I’m so proud of you!”
As if she had given a signal, Cinderpelt and Graystripe came up, and then at last the other cats began to crowd around, greeting Cloudtail by his new name and congratulating him. Fireheart breathed a sigh of relief that the awkward moment was over. But he couldn’t help noticing that Longtail was nowhere to be seen, and the apprentices waited until the very end to come up, led by Brightpaw, each mewing a few quick, subdued words before slipping away again. Swiftpaw was not among them.
“You’re keeping vigil tonight,” Fireheart reminded his former apprentice, trying to sound as if this were like any other warrior naming ceremony. “Remember, you have to stay silent until dawn.”
Cloudtail nodded and padded off to take up a position in the center of the clearing. His head and tail were raised proudly, but Fireheart knew that the ceremony had been shadowed by the jealousy of the other apprentices, and by Bluestar’s transparent loss of faith.
How long could the Clan survive, Fireheart wondered, when their leader no longer honored StarClan?
第十八章
第十八章
火心忧心忡忡地刚踏进营地大门，黑莓崽便冲过来迎接归来的武士们，差点儿把火心撞翻在地。黑莓崽问：“我们赢了吗？”他睁着大眼睛看着灰条，“他是谁？是俘虏吗？”
火心回答说：“不是，他是雷族猫。黑莓崽，这件事说来话长，而且我现在很累，不能给你解释，你去问你的妈妈吧。”
黑莓崽后退一步，显得有些失落。火心暗想，他曾和灰条的两个孩子一起吃奶，不过他现在不记得了。银溪死后，有一段时间是由金花喂养灰条的两个孩子的。
黑莓崽疑惑地看了灰条一眼，转头对跑过来的黄崽说：“快看！族里来了只新猫。”
黄崽问：“他是谁呀？”
黑条正往武士巢穴走，这时怒气冲冲地说：“一个叛徒呗！不过根据蓝星的说法，我们现在都是叛徒了。”
两个小家伙茫然不解地看着黑条。火心压下怒火，他本不想和黑条争论，可黑条也不能把怒气撒在幼崽们头上呀。火心一下对黑莓崽产生一股怜悯之情，于是他回头说：“是的，我们赢了，我们保住了太阳石。”
黑莓崽高兴得蹦了起来：“太棒了！我去告诉老年猫们。”说完，他急匆匆地向老年猫巢穴跑去，黄崽在后面追都追不上。
灰条看着他们远去，好奇地问：“那两个幼崽是虎星的孩子，是吗？”
“是的。”火心现在不想讨论这个话题，“我们去炭毛那儿，把伤口处理一下吧。”
灰条一边走一边向四周打量，沮丧地说：“真是事过境迁啊。”
火心说：“到下一个绿叶季一切都会好的。你等着瞧好了。”他希望帮助灰条振作起来，但愿灰条指的只是大火带来的损坏，而不是物是人非的感触，“所有的一切都会比以前长得更加茂盛。”
灰条没有吱声，他看起来并不像火心原先想象的那么快乐，似乎在怀疑雷族能否接受自己。火心看出灰条眼里隐藏的痛苦，猜到他开始思念孩子们了。灰条可是连句再见都没来得及和他们讲啊。
战斗回来的武士们都聚集在巫医巢穴前面的空地上。火心和灰条走近时，正在为云爪处理伤口的炭毛抬起头说：“回来啦，火心。天哪，你的样子看上去就好像刚和雷鬼路上的怪物们打了场大仗一样。”
火心咕哝说：“那也差不多吧。”他坐下来等候炭毛来检查伤口，这才发觉自己伤得非常重，被豹星咬伤的那条腿还在不住地流血，他扭过脖子去舔伤口。
“你到底是怎么想的，又把他带回来了？”尘毛瞪着灰条对火心说，“我们这里不欢迎他。”
火心生气地说：“你说的‘我们’指谁？我认为他属于这里。而且沙风也这么认为，还有……”他看见尘毛转过身不听他说话，便不说下去了。
灰条歉意地瞅了火心一眼，说：“他们不会接受我的，我离开了族群，而现在……”
火心鼓励他说：“给他们一些时间，情况会好起来的。”
其实他私底下也希望自己说的话能实现。要不是蓝星对此事抱着漠不关心的态度，族里的一些猫必定会阻拦灰条回来。还有一件事更增添了火心的忧虑，那就是雷族如何才能从星族预示的大毁灭中幸存下来呢？
火心想知道灰条是否从河族的巫医那里听过森林里那个可怕的威胁，还有关于所谓“结伙”的事情。所幸灰条回来了，有最好的朋友在身边，火心觉得无论发生什么都不再可怕了。火心又开始舔他的伤口，期盼着能和灰条好好聊聊。
炭毛走过来说：“非常好，把伤口清理干净。”她嗅了嗅火心腿上的伤口，然后又检查了他身上的其他伤口，最后说：“放心吧，没事的，我给你些蛛丝止血，不过你得注意多休息。”
炭毛给火心伤口上裹蛛丝的时候，火心问她：“你看见蓝星了吗？她伤得重不重？”
炭毛回答：“她的肩膀被咬了一口，我给她敷了一些药，她回巢穴里去了。”
火心站起来说：“我最好去看看她。”
“好的，不过如果她睡着了就别吵醒她，无论族里有多大的事情都先往后放放。”她又对灰条说：“让火心去忙他的，我来给你检查一下。”说着，她舔了一下灰条的耳朵，“真高兴看到你回来。”
至少还有些猫欢迎灰条。火心一边想着，一边往外走。其他猫会改变看法的，灰条只是需要些时间来向大家证明他对雷族的忠心罢了。
他走近族长巢穴，忽听沙风喊道：“火心！鼠毛和我正要出去捕猎。”
火心感激地说：“辛苦了。”
沙风走过来，眯缝起眼睛说：“你还好吧？我以为你会很高兴呢——我们打赢了这场仗，而且灰条也回家了。”
沙风似乎已经原谅他背着蓝星安排和风族对话的事了。火心用鼻子轻轻抵了抵她的脸颊，心里感觉到如释重负：“我知道。可是我不能确定大家是否接受灰条，灰条曾经爱上了一只外族猫，而且还离开了我们，大家对这件事很难释怀。”
沙风耸了耸肩膀说：“那些都是过去的事了，他现在回来了，不是吗？无论他们愿意也好不愿意也好，都得接受这个事实。”
“你根本没听明白我的意思！”痛苦和焦虑使得火心说话有些激动，“族里现在不能闹内讧，难道你还看不出来吗？”
沙风瞪了他一会儿，怒气冲冲地说：“对不起，我只是想安慰安慰你罢了。”
火心意识到自己说错了话，急忙说：“沙风，别……”但为时已晚，沙风转身大步向坐在武士巢穴外的鼠毛走去。
火心愈发感到沮丧。他走到族长巢穴门口往里瞅，发现蓝星正在睡觉。火心刚想离去，蓝星忽然睁开眼睛抬起头。
“火心，你有什么事？”她的声音很沉闷。
“只是例行汇报而已，蓝星。”火心钻进洞穴站在蓝星面前，“所有的猫都回来了，据我所知，没有谁受重伤。”
“很好。”她忽然饶有兴趣地补充了一句，“你的徒弟今天打得很漂亮啊。”
“是的，他表现得不错。”火心感到一阵骄傲，不管云爪过去出过什么问题，但他的骁勇善战是无可置疑的。
蓝星又说：“我想他现在应该成为一名武士了，今天晚上我们就给他举行命名仪式。”
火心心中升起一线希望，难道蓝星终于肯任命新武士了？
不过他的乐观就像泼在沙滩上的水一样很快消失了。只听蓝星讥讽说：“仪式是必不可少的，虽然这种仪式对我来说毫无意义，但如果没有这个仪式，那些执迷不悟的猫是不会承认云爪为武士的。”
火心扪心自问：可这种仪式对云爪来说又有多少意义呢？他真的在乎武士守则吗？他觉得，一只没有领悟到武士守则精髓的猫不论多么能打仗，也不应当享有武士的荣誉。
可蓝星心意已决，火心也不便多说。于是他建议说：“迅爪也应该成为武士，他今天表现得很好。”
“迅爪只不过回营地送信罢了，那是学徒们的工作，他没有作好成为武士的准备。”
火心反驳说：“可是他回来参加战斗了呀。”
“不行！”蓝星恼火地甩着尾巴，“我不信任迅爪。云爪比他强壮，比他勇敢。何况，他不像你们那样迷信星族，族里需要更多像他这样的武士。”
火心想说云爪缺乏对武士守则的尊重正是他最大的毛病，可他终究不敢开口，只得低头行礼说：“晚上见。”说完，他退出洞穴，去把这个消息告诉云爪。
正如火心所料，云爪听到自己终于能成为武士的消息后高兴得活蹦乱跳，火心把命名仪式上的规矩教给云爪后，便想回武士巢穴睡一觉。他一抬头，看见长尾和他的徒弟正坐在巢穴门口，不由得心里一沉。看来睡觉之前他还得处理一件事情。
火心走近长尾，伸出脖子附在他耳边小声说：“长尾，对不起，我有个坏消息。蓝星已经同意让云爪成为武士了，但……”
长尾恼怒地接口说：“但迅爪不行？这就是你要说的，是不是？”
火心说：“对不起，长尾，我努力劝说蓝星，可她就是不同意。”
长尾讥讽说：“说得好听，不过奇怪的是你的徒弟可以成为武士，而我的徒弟却被晾在一边。迅爪可从来没有和两脚兽们鬼混过！”
火心分辩说：“我不会再让那种事情发生了。”虽然云爪从未想过离开族群，可大家都知道他曾经多次向两脚兽讨食吃，因此才被两脚兽捉住并关起来。“蓝星说她同意云爪成为武士是因为他打仗时表现得很好，而迅爪……”
“只是送个口信罢了。”长尾顿时火冒三丈，“可是谁派他送信的？如果不是你把他遣开，他本可以留下战斗的！”
火心沮丧地说：“我知道，我和你一样很失望，我一定尽力让迅爪尽快成为武士，我保证。”
长尾生气地说：“如果我相信你的话才真是活见鬼了！”说完，他转身背对着火心，爪子使劲在地上扒了几下，然后大步走回巢穴中。
当火心和灰条从武士巢穴里出来时，太阳已经落到了营地后面。睡了一觉后，火心感到体力已经完全恢复了，虽然这件事有些美中不足，但他仍为即将到来的命名仪式感到高兴。
夜幕降临，火心看见蓝星出现在洞穴门口，她脚步轻快地走到高岩下，纵身跳了上去，似乎肩膀上的伤并不妨碍她的行动。
蓝星喊道：“所有够年龄的猫带上猎物到高岩下开会。”
灰条轻轻顶了一下火心，说：“你这个老师做得很好，想不到那个小淘气鬼居然会成为一名优秀的武士！”
火心抵在灰条的肩膀上表示感谢。他的朋友还记得炭毛出事时他有多苦恼，知道最终教出一名武士对他的意义有多么重大。
云爪即将成为武士的消息早已传遍了营地，会场上聚集了许多猫。炭毛从巫医巢穴里出来走到高岩旁边，金花带着两个孩子坐在猫群最前面。在育婴室门口处，柳带的幼崽依偎在妈妈身边。
火心注意到其他几名学徒最后才走进会场。迅爪是被亮爪推出巢穴的，他在猫群边缘选了个位置坐下，其他的学徒都围在他旁边。
火心心里一阵难过。蓝星没有选其他的学徒并不是云爪的错。看来，在这个仪式上云爪恐怕难以得到朋友们的祝愿了。
不过云爪似乎并不在意，他昂首阔步地从老年猫巢穴里出来，大摇大摆地走到火心身边，眼睛里闪着喜悦的光彩。
火心附在他耳边低声说：“我真为你感到骄傲，云爪，明天你可以带领一支捕猎队，去两脚兽地盘里把这个好消息告诉你的母亲。”
云爪高兴地看了他一眼，这时蓝星说：“云爪，今天早上在太阳石的战斗中你表现得非常英勇，我决定晋封你为雷族武士。”
云爪转头望着太阳石，凝神倾听族长说那些例行惯例的话：“我，雷族族长蓝星，请诸位武士祖先们从天上俯视这名学徒。他经过刻苦训练，终于掌握了你们神圣法典的要旨。
在此，我请求诸位祖先赐予他武士的荣耀。”
蓝星的声音有些刺耳，火心觉得这种仪式对她已经没有任何意义，她分明是在走过场罢了。看着这两个不把武士祖先放在眼里的一老一少，火心忐忑不安，不知道星族是否愿意接纳云爪。
蓝星继续说：“云爪，你能够保证不折不扣地遵行武士守则，努力保卫族群，即使付出生命也在所不惜吗？”
云爪热情地说：“我保证。”
火心暗想：他明白这句话是什么意义吗？他敢肯定云爪会尽全力保卫族群，因为族群里有许多他的朋友，但他知道云爪这么做绝不是出于对武士守则的忠诚。
蓝星一字一句地说：“那么，凭借着星族的力量，我赐予你武士的名号。云爪，从现在起你的名字叫云尾，你无畏的勇气和独立的品格为星族带来了荣耀，欢迎你成为雷族的武士。”
说完，她从高岩上跳下来，走到云尾面前低头吻了一下他的脑门儿。云尾恭敬地舔了舔蓝星的肩膀，然后回身站在火心旁边。
这个时候，大家本该一拥而上，高声欢呼着云尾的名字，可是现场却一片安静。火心不自在地看了看周围，看样子蓝星举行这个仪式根本不能令大家信服。火心看见学徒们都低垂着头，迅爪则干脆转过身去背对着云尾。
云尾这才显出一点儿失落的神情。纹脸毕竟是他的养母，这时走上来抵住他的脸庞，大声说：“干得漂亮，云尾！我真为你感到自豪！”
这仿佛是一个信号，炭毛和灰条也走上来，接下来其他的猫终于过来围住云尾，呼喊他的名字，向他表示祝贺。尴尬的气氛终于被冲破了，火心长长舒了口气。不过他注意到长尾已经不见了，学徒们一直等到将近结束才走过来，简短地说了几句不痛不痒的祝福话，便走开了。迅爪始终没有露面。
火心尽力装出一副若无其事的样子，说：“云尾，今晚你要守夜，记住，在天明之前不许讲话。”
云尾点了点头，走到会场中央正襟危坐，脑袋和尾巴骄傲地高高翘着。不过火心知道其他学徒们的忌妒以及蓝星对星族的蔑视，已经为这场仪式蒙上了一层阴影。
火心暗想：如果族长不再对星族怀有敬意，那么这个族群还能生存多久呢？
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 19
Next morning, Fireheart watched the dawnpatrol leave before going to relieve Cloudtail from his vigil. His injured leg felt stiff, but the bleeding had stopped.
“All quiet?” he meowed. “Do you want to sleep now, or are you up to going hunting? We could go through Tallpines, if you like, and see Princess.”
Cloudtail stretched his jaws in an enormous yawn, but a heartbeat later he had sprung to his paws. “Let’s hunt!”
“Okay,” Fireheart mewed. “We’ll take Sandstorm with us. She has met Princess too.”
Fireheart knew that his closeness to Sandstorm had been trickling away ever since he had stopped the battle with WindClan. He desperately wanted to restore their previous bond, and inviting her to go hunting might be a good way of doing that.
Glancing around to see if she had emerged from the den, he spotted Dustpelt padding toward him, with Fernpaw following. As they drew closer, Fireheart could see that the light brown warrior looked worried.
“There’s something you ought to know,” Dustpelt announced. “Fernpaw, tell Fireheart what you just told me.”
Fernpaw’s head was lowered, and she scuffled in the dust with her front paws. Her hesitation gave Fireheart time to wonder what was troubling her, and why she had chosen to confide in Dustpelt instead of her mentor, Darkstripe.
The second question was answered as Dustpelt bent his head and gave her ear a couple of licks. Fireheart had never seen the prickly young warrior so gentle. “It’s okay,” Dustpelt mewed. “There’s nothing to be scared of. Fireheart won’t be angry with you.” The glare he gave Fireheart, unseen by Fernpaw, said, He’d better not!“Come on, Fernpaw.” Fireheart tried to sound encouraging. “Tell me what is the matter.”
Fernpaw’s green eyes flickered toward him and away again. “It’s Swiftpaw,” she mewed. “He…” She hesitated, this time with a glance at Cloudtail, and then went on: “He was really angry that Bluestar wouldn’t make him into a warrior. Last night he got all us apprentices together in the den. He said we’d never be warriors unless we did something so brave that Bluestar couldn’tgo on ignoring us anymore.”
She paused again, and Dustpelt murmured, “Go on.”
“He said we ought to find out who has been killing prey in the forest,” mewed Fernpaw, her voice shaking. “He said you didn’t seem bothered about finding our enemy. He wanted us to go to Snakerocks because that’s where most of the scraps of prey have been found. Swiftpaw thought we might pick up a trail.”
“What a mouse-brained idea!” Cloudtail burst out.
“And what did the rest of the apprentices think about this?” Fireheart asked, shooting a warning glance at Cloudtail and trying to ignore the cold lump of apprehension that was gathering in his belly.
“We didn’t know. We want to be warriors, but we all knew we shouldn’t do something like that without orders, and without at least one warrior with us. In the end, only Swiftpaw and Brightpaw went.”
“Did you see them go when you were on vigil?” Fireheart demanded, turning to look at Cloudtail.
Beginning to look worried, Cloudtail shook his head.
“Swiftpaw said Cloudtail wouldn’t notice a Twoleg monster roaring through the camp,” Fernpaw mumbled. “He and Brightpaw sneaked out through the ferns behind the elders’ den.”
“When was this?” Fireheart demanded.
“I’m not sure—before dawn.” Fernpaw’s voice rose as if she were about to start wailing like a tiny kit. “I didn’t know what to do. I knewit was wrong, but I didn’t want to give them away. Only I’ve been feeling worse and worse, and so when I saw Dustpelt, I went to tell him.” She gave the brown tabby warrior a grateful glance, and he pressed his muzzle against her speckled gray flank.
“We’ll have to go after them,” Fireheart decided.
“I’m coming,” Cloudtail meowed instantly, startling Fireheart by the blaze in his blue eyes. “Brightpaw’s out there. If anything’s hurt her, I’ll…I’ll shredit!”
“Okay,” Fireheart agreed, surprised to realize that the young warrior cared so transparently for his former den mate. “Go and fetch a couple more cats to come with us.”
As the new warrior shot off, Dustpelt meowed, “We’ll come too.”
“I don’t want the apprentices involved,” Fireheart replied. “Fernpaw is upset enough as it is. Why don’t you take her hunting? Take Ashpaw and Darkstripe as well. The Clan needs fresh-kill.”
Dustpelt gave him a long look. Then he nodded. “Okay.”
Fireheart wondered whether he ought to tell Bluestar what was going on before they left, but he was reluctant to get Swiftpaw into trouble and give the Clan leader another excuse why the young cat shouldn’t become a warrior. If we can fetch them back, Bluestar need never know,he told himself.
Besides, Fireheart didn’t want to waste a single moment. Cloudtail was already returning with Sandstorm and Graystripe hard behind him. Just the cats I’d have chosen,Fireheart thought. He couldn’t ignore the warm feeling at the thought that Graystripe was home again, and they could hunt and fight together as they used to. The gray warrior’s eyes were shining as he fell into his accustomed place at Fireheart’s side. Fireheart wished he could have had Whitestorm, too; he was Brightpaw’s mentor, but he had gone out with the dawn patrol.
Sandstorm looked her usual self, alert and focused on their mission. “Cloudtail told us,” she meowed briskly. “Let’s go.”
Fireheart took the lead out of the camp and up to the top of the ravine. Almost at once he picked up Swiftpaw’s and Brightpaw’s scent leading directly toward Snakerocks. There was no need to spend time trying to track them; all they had to do was get to Snakerocks as soon as possible.
But we’ll be too late,he thought. If they meet whatever’s out there…
He raced through the forest, his paws scattering fallen leaves. The stiffness in his injured leg was forgotten. Graystripe ran close beside him, and Fireheart recognized the comfort of facing danger with his friend by his side once again, even though so much had changed.
As they approached Snakerocks, Fireheart slowed down and signaled with his tail for the other cats to do the same. If they dashed straight in without knowing what they had to face, they would be no help to the apprentices. They had to treat this threat, whatever it was, like any other enemy. But something inside Fireheart screamed that it was unpredictable, far beyond the reach of any Clan code, and that he was in more danger than he had ever been in before. Was this how mice and rabbits felt, he wondered, knowing that death could be stalking through the undergrowth?
Everything was still. Fireheart did not want to risk calling to the apprentices in case he alerted whatever was lurking up ahead. Swiftpaw must be right, he realized; this was the center of the darkness that had poisoned the forest, but he began to doubt his theories about what the threat was. Could one dog really cause so much destruction and fear in the forest?
As cautiously as if he were stalking prey, Fireheart slid through the undergrowth until the smooth, sand-colored sides of Snakerocks came into sight. For a few heartbeats he stood and tasted the air. A mixture of scents reached him: Swiftpaw’s and Brightpaw’s, still fresh; the staler scent of other ThunderClan cats; dog, as Fireheart had expected; but over it all the stench of newly spilled blood.
Sandstorm turned to look at him, her eyes huge with fear. “Something terrible has happened.”
Terror coursed through Fireheart. He was about to confront the source of the fear that had stalked him for more than a moon, the faceless enemy that had invaded their forest. He was barely able to make himself go on.
With a twitch of his tail he gestured for his companions to move forward again; now they crept with their bellies close to the ground, intent on seeing without being seen, until the rocks were only a few fox-lengths away.
A fallen tree barred their way. Scrambling onto the trunk, Fireheart looked out over an open space carpeted with dead leaves. Foul-tasting bile rose into his throat as he took in the scene in front of him. The leaves had been churned up by massive paws, and clots of earth sprayed upward to catch in the branches of the tree. In the middle of the clearing Swiftpaw’s black-and-white body lay motionless, and just beyond him, Brightpaw.
“Oh, no,” whispered Sandstorm, as she drew herself up to crouch on the trunk beside Fireheart.
“Brightpaw!” yowled Cloudtail. Without waiting for Fireheart’s order he launched himself across the clearing toward her.
Fireheart tensed, waiting for whatever had hunted down these apprentices to emerge from the trees and attack, but nothing stirred. Feeling as if his legs hardly belonged to him, he sprang down and stumbled across to Swiftpaw.
The apprentice lay on his side, his legs splayed out. His black-and-white fur was torn, and his body was covered with dreadful wounds, ripped by teeth far bigger than any cat’s. His jaws still snarled and his eyes glared. He was dead, and Fireheart could see that he had died fighting.
“Great StarClan, what did this to him?” he whispered. For moons he had been afraid, and now it was far worse than he ever could have imagined. Swiftpaw had been slaughtered like prey. The hunters in the forest had become the hunted. Something had happened in the forest, the balance of life had changed, and for a moment Fireheart felt the ground beneath his paws shift.
Graystripe and Sandstorm stared down at Swiftpaw’s body, too stunned to reply. Fireheart knew that Graystripe was remembering another bloodstained body, all his grief for Silverstream reawakening.
“What a waste,” Fireheart murmured sadly. “If only Bluestar had made him a warrior. If only I’d let him fight, instead of sending him—”
He was interrupted by a screech from Cloudtail. “Fireheart! Fireheart, Brightpaw isn’t dead!”
Fireheart spun around and raced across the clearing to crouch beside Brightpaw. Her white-and-ginger fur, which she had always kept so neatly groomed, was spiky with drying blood. On one side of her face the fur was torn away, and there was blood where her eye should have been. One ear had been shredded, and there were huge claw marks scored across her muzzle.
Fireheart heard a choking sound as Sandstorm came up behind him. “No…” the ginger she-cat whispered. “Oh, StarClan, no!”
At first Fireheart thought Cloudtail was wrong and that Brightpaw must be dead, until he saw the very faint rise and fall of her breathing, and the blood bubbling in her nostrils. “Fetch Cinderpelt,” he ordered.
Sandstorm dashed off while Graystripe stood beside Swiftpaw’s body, all his senses alert in case their fearsome enemy should return. Fireheart went on looking down at the injured Brightpaw. Somehow his fear had drained away. He felt nothing but an icy calm, and a stern, ferocious determination to avenge the young apprentices. He asked StarClan to be with him and to give him the strength to unleash all their fury on whatever had dared to wreak such havoc.
Cloudtail curled himself close to the motionless apprentice and began licking her face and the fur around her ears. “Don’t die, Brightpaw,” he begged. “I’m with you now. Cinderpelt’s coming. Hold on just a bit longer.”
Fireheart had never heard him sound so distraught. He hoped the white cat would not have to suffer the pain he had felt when Spottedleaf died, or Graystripe’s when he lost Silverstream.
One of Brightpaw’s ears twitched under Cloudtail’s gentle tongue. Her remaining eye opened a slit and closed again.
“Brightpaw.” Fireheart leaned close to her and spoke urgently. “Brightpaw, can you tell us what did this to you?”
Brightpaw’s eye opened wider and she fixed a cloudy gaze on Fireheart.
“What happened?” he repeated. “What did this?”
A thin wailing came from Brightpaw, which gradually formed into words. Fireheart stared at her in horror as he made out what she was trying to say.
“Pack, pack,” she whispered. “Kill, kill.”
第十九章
第十九章
第二天清早，火心等早班巡逻队离开后，才去找守夜的云尾。他的伤腿仍然痛得厉害，不过血已经止住了。
他说：“没有发生什么事吧？你现在想睡觉呢，还是和我出去捕猎？我们可以穿过松林去看望公主。”
云尾伸着懒腰打了个大大的哈欠，随即跳起身来说：“我们去捕猎吧！”
火心说：“好的，我们叫上沙风一起去，她也见过公主。”
火心知道自从风族那件事情过后，他和沙风的关系便出现了裂痕，也许邀请她一同捕猎能够使他们重归于好。
火心向四周扫了一眼，想看看沙风出来没有，却看见尘毛领着香薇爪朝他走来。等他们走近，火心发现尘毛紧皱眉头，一副心事重重的样子。
尘毛说：“有些事情你应该知道。香薇爪，你把刚才对我说的话再给火心复述一遍。”
香薇爪低垂着头，前爪在地上蹭来蹭去。火心见她犹豫的样子，知道她一定遇到了麻烦事，不过他不知道香薇爪有事为什么去找尘毛，而不是找她的师父黑条。
他立刻就知道了答案。尘毛弯下脖子在香薇爪的耳朵上舔了两下，火心还从来没见过脾气暴躁的他竟然会有温柔的一面。尘毛说：“没什么可害怕的，火心不会生你的气的。”说着，他冲火心暗暗使了个眼色，意思是“识相点儿就别生气”。
火心鼓励她说：“别紧张，香薇爪，告诉我发生什么事了。”
香薇爪胆怯地瞅了他一眼，说：“是迅爪啦，他……”她顿了顿，瞥了云尾一眼，然后才说，“他对蓝星不让他成为武士的事感到很恼火。昨天晚上，他把我们叫到一起，说如果我们不做点儿引起蓝星注意的英勇事迹，就永远也做不成武士了。”
说到这里，香薇爪又迟疑了起来。尘毛小声说：“说下去啊。”
香薇爪声音颤抖地说：“他说我们应该去找出杀害猎物的敌人，说你看起来似乎对找出那个敌人的事不怎么放在心上。他让我们去蛇岩找找，因为那里的猎物残骸最多，一定能找到些线索。”
云尾冲口而出：“这真是个馊主意！”
火心瞪了他一眼，强压住内心的恐慌，问：“你们对他这个主意怎么看？”
“我们不知道。我们想做武士，可我们都认为不该在没有接到命令的情况下行动，而且至少也该叫上一名武士和我们一起去呀。到了最后，只有迅爪和亮爪去了。”
火心转头瞅了云尾一眼，说：“你昨晚守夜的时候看见他们出去了吗？”
云尾这才开始显得担心起来，摇了摇头。
香薇爪嗫嚅着说：“迅爪说就算两脚兽从营地里穿过去，云尾也不会察觉的。他和亮爪是从老年猫巢穴后面的香薇丛里钻出去的。”
火心问：“这是什么时候的事？”
“我说不准——在天亮前吧。”香薇爪提高声音，仿佛要哭出来似的，“我不知道该怎么办，可我不想任由他们胡闹。我越想心里越乱，然后看见了尘毛，就赶紧告诉他了。”说着，她感激地看了尘毛一眼，尘毛用鼻子轻轻抵在她带有花斑的灰色脸颊上。
火心想了一下，说：“我们得去找他们。”
云尾立刻说：“算我一个。亮爪在那里，如果谁敢伤害她，我一定要他不得好死！”
火心没想到云尾竟然这么关心他的老朋友，于是同意了，说：“好的，你去再找一两只猫和我们一起去。”
云尾离开后，尘毛说：“我们也去吧。”
火心回答说：“我不想把学徒们牵扯进去，香薇爪的情绪很低落，你为什么不带她出去捕猎呢？再叫上蜡爪和黑条，族里没什么吃的了。”
尘毛看了他半晌，然后点点头说：“好的。”
火心不知道自己是否应该在离开前通知蓝星一声，不过他不想给迅爪惹麻烦，让蓝星又找到一个不允许他成为武士的理由。他心想：如果我们能把他们带回来，这件事就不必向蓝星禀报了。
况且火心也不想浪费时间。云尾已经带着沙风和灰条朝他走来，火心想：正合我意。
一想到灰条终于又回家了，火心就感到心里暖暖的，他们又可以像往日一样外出捕猎战斗了。灰条习惯性地走在火心身边，显得精神百倍。火心也想让白风一起去，他是亮爪的老师，不过他带着队伍外出巡逻了。
沙风看上去和往常没什么区别，对这项任务感到十分紧张。她简短地说了句：“云尾已经告诉我了，我们走吧。”
火心带着其他三只猫奔出营地，刚到山沟外，他立刻嗅到了迅爪和亮爪的气味，他们的气味正是通往蛇岩方向去的。这倒省得花费时间搜寻他们的踪迹了，四只猫必须尽快赶到蛇岩。
火心心想：情况不容乐观，万一他们在那里遇上……他加快速度，地上的落叶被踢得飞了起来，灰条紧紧跟在他身边。火心感到虽然世事变迁，可如今又能和好朋友同甘苦共患难，实在是一件幸事。
接近蛇岩时，火心放慢脚步，冲其他三只猫晃了晃尾巴，示意他们减速。如果他们贸然冲过去，可能会误了大事。无论对方是什么，他们必须像应对其他敌人一样来应对它。
但是火心隐隐感到对方所带来的威胁是不可预知的，是超出武士守则调整权限的。这种威胁将是他们迄今为止所遇到的最危险的东西，他感到四周充满了死亡的气息，觉得自己就像森林里随时都可能被捕获的猎物。
周围鸦雀无声。火心不想冒冒失失地叫喊学徒们的名字，惊动可能潜伏在那里的敌人。迅爪说得没错，蛇岩就是对方频繁出没的地方。不过火心开始怀疑自己以往的判断：
难道仅凭一只狗就能给森林带来这么大的破坏和恐慌吗？
火心开始施展捕猎的身手，小心翼翼地接近蛇岩。他停下脚步嗅了嗅空气，嗅到一股混合的气味：迅爪和亮爪的气味是新鲜的，其他雷族猫的气味则比较淡。正如火心所料，还有狗的气味，但是其中还混杂着一股血腥味。
沙风转头看着他，眼中充满了恐惧的神色，说：“事情有些不妙。”
火心也感到十分害怕。这一个月来，森林里这个无形的敌人就像一个恐怖的幽灵一样萦绕在他的心头，他吓得几乎挪不动脚步。
他朝伙伴们晃了一下尾巴，又往前走了一些。他们将肚皮贴在地面上以隐蔽身形，一直走到蛇岩边。
一棵大树倒在地上挡住了他们的去路。火心爬上树干，看见前方有一片开阔地带，地上落满了树叶。他深吸了口气，一股腐臭味扑鼻而来。落叶被一些巨大的爪子踩得一片狼藉，树干上沾了许多土块。只见迅爪一动不动地躺在空地中央，再往前一点儿便是亮爪。
沙风爬到树干上卧在火心旁边，喃喃说：“噢，不。”
“亮爪！”云尾大叫一声，不等火心的命令便朝亮爪的尸体冲了过去。
火心生怕敌人会突然从树丛里跳出来袭击他们，但周围一点儿动静都没有。他感觉四条腿如同灌了铅一般沉重，跌跌撞撞地朝迅爪跑了过去。
迅爪侧躺在地上，四肢完全展开。他的皮毛被撕扯得稀烂，身上布满了惨不忍睹的伤口，伤口处的牙印比任何猫的都要大。他双目圆睁，张着大嘴。迅爪死了，显然是在战斗中死的。
火心喃喃说：“天哪，怎么会这样？”他担心了一个多月，可没想到事情发生后，竟然比他想象的还要惨。迅爪像一只猎物般被屠宰，森林里的猎手变成了被捕猎的对象。森林平衡已经被打破了，一时间火心感到天旋地转。
灰条和沙风低头看着迅爪的尸体，惊得说不出话来。眼前的景象令灰条想到另一具血肉模糊的尸体——银溪的死给他造成的悲痛瞬间又涌上心头。
火心悲伤地小声说：“这又是何苦呢？如果蓝星允许他成为武士，如果我让他留下战斗，而不是派他……”
云尾突然发出一声惊叫：“火心，火心！亮爪没有死！”
火心急忙赶到亮爪身边，只见一向整洁的亮爪身上沾满了鲜血，血迹已经干了。她的半边脸被撕得稀烂，眼窝里积满了血。一只耳朵被扯掉了，口鼻处有几道巨大的爪印。
火心听见身边的沙风呜咽说：“不——噢，天哪，不！”
亮爪的胸口有微弱的起伏，堵在鼻孔的鲜血也被吹出了一个气泡。火心赶紧下命令说：“快去把炭毛叫来。”
沙风立刻往回疾奔。灰条为了防备敌人卷土重来，留在迅爪的尸体旁等着。火心低头检查受伤的亮爪，最初的恐惧渐渐消退。他的头脑变得异常冷静，同时产生了一股强烈的复仇欲望。他默默祈求星族保佑，祈求星族赐予他力量，无论敌人是什么，他发誓一定要以血还血，以牙还牙。
云尾卧在一动不动的亮爪身边，一边舔她的脸和耳朵周围的毛，一边苦苦哀求：“不要死，亮爪，我现在和你在一起，炭毛就要来了，你只要再坚持一小会儿就行了。”
火心从来没见过云尾这样悲痛过，他只盼云尾不会经历他看见斑叶死时的痛苦，不会重复灰条失去银溪的惨剧。
在云尾温柔的舔梳下，亮爪的一只眼睛动了一下。她那只残存的眼睛睁开一条细缝，随即又合上了。
火心附在亮爪的耳边轻声说：“亮爪，亮爪，你能告诉我们是谁干的吗？”
亮爪的眼睛睁得大了些，呆呆地盯着火心。
火心又问：“发生什么事了？谁干的？”
亮爪发出微弱的声音，渐渐地组成词语。火心听清她说的话后顿时如坠冰窟。
只听她喃喃说：“结伙，结伙。杀，杀。”
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 20
“Will she live?” Fireheart asked anxiously.
Cinderpelt let out a weary sigh. She had come to Snakerocks as fast as her uneven legs could run and done her best to patch up the worst of Brightpaw’s injuries with cobwebs to stop the bleeding and poppy seeds for the pain. At last the apprentice had recovered enough to be dragged back through the forest to the camp, and now she lay unconscious in a nest among the ferns near Cinderpelt’s den.
“I don’t know,” Cinderpelt admitted. “I’ve done the best I can. She’s in the paws of StarClan now.”
“She’s a strong cat,” Fireheart meowed, trying to reassure himself. When he looked at Brightpaw now, curled among the ferns, she looked anything but strong. She seemed smaller than a kit, no more than a scrap of fur. Fireheart half expected each shallow breath to be her last.
“Even if she recovers, she’ll be hideously scarred,” Cinderpelt warned him. “I couldn’t save her ear or eye. I don’t know that she’ll ever be a warrior.”
Fireheart nodded. He felt sick as he forced himself to look at the side of Brightpaw’s face, now swathed in cobwebs. All this reminded him of Cinderpelt’s accident, when Yellowfang had told him that the young she-cat’s leg would never heal properly.
“She said something about the ‘pack,’” he murmured. “I wonder what it was she really saw.”
Cinderpelt shook her head. “It’s what we’ve been afraid of all along. There’s something in the forest hunting us down. I heard it in my dream.”
“I know.” Fireheart’s muscles tensed with regret. “I should have done something long ago. StarClan sent that warning to Bluestar too.”
“But Bluestar has no respect for StarClan anymore. I’m surprised she even listened to them.”
“Do you think that’s why this happened?” Fireheart spun around and faced the medicine cat.
“No.” Cinderpelt’s voice was strained as she moved closer to Fireheart and pressed herself against him. “StarClan did not send the evil; I’m sure of that.”
As she spoke, a rustling in the fern tunnel announced the arrival of Cloudtail.
“I thought I told you to get some rest,” Cinderpelt meowed.
“I couldn’t sleep.” The white cat padded over to settle himself in the ferns beside his friend. “I want to be with Brightpaw.” He bent his head to give her shoulder a gentle lick. “Sleep well, Brightpaw. You’re still beautiful,” he murmured. “Come back to us. I don’t know where you are now, but you have to come back.”
He went on licking her for a moment more and then looked up to fix a hostile glare on Fireheart. “This is all your fault!” he burst out. “She and Swiftpaw should have been made warriors, and then they wouldn’t have gone off on their own.”
Fireheart met his kin’s gaze steadily. “Yes, I know,” he mewed. “I tried, believe me.”
He broke off as he heard the soft pawsteps of another cat, and turned to see that Bluestar was approaching. Fireheart had sent Sandstorm to fetch her, and the ginger warrior followed her into the medicine cat’s clearing.
The Clan leader stood and looked down at Brightpaw in silence. Cloudtail raised his head challengingly, and for a heartbeat Fireheart thought he was going to accuse Bluestar of being responsible for Brightpaw’s terrible injuries as well, but Cloudtail stayed silent.
Bluestar blinked a couple of times and asked, “Is she dying?”
“That’s up to StarClan,” Cinderpelt told her, catching Fireheart’s eye.
“And what mercy can we expect from them?” Bluestar growled. “If it’s up to StarClan, Brightpaw will die.”
“Without ever being a warrior,” mewed Cloudtail; his voice was quiet and sorrowful, and he bent his head again to lick Brightpaw’s shoulder.
“Not necessarily.” Bluestar spoke reluctantly. “There is a ritual—thankfully little used—if a dying apprentice is worthy, she can be made into a warrior so that she may take a warrior name to StarClan.” She hesitated.
Fireheart held his breath in disbelief. Would Bluestar really put aside her anger at their ancestors to acknowledge the importance of StarClan in a warrior’s life? Was she about to admit that Brightpaw had been denied the warrior status she deserved?
Cloudtail looked up at the gray she-cat again. “Then do it,” he growled.
Bluestar did not react to being ordered around by her newest warrior. As Fireheart and Cinderpelt looked on, pelts touching for comfort, and Sandstorm approached to bear silent witness, the Clan leader dipped her head and began to speak. “I ask my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has learned the warrior code and has given up her life in the service of her Clan. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior.” Then she paused, and her eyes blazed with anger that burned like cold fire. “She will be known as Lostface, so that every cat knows what StarClan did to take her from us,” she growled.
Fireheart stared at his leader in horror. How could she use this terribly wounded apprentice in her war against her warrior ancestors?
“But that’s a cruel name!” Cloudtail protested. “What if she lives?”
“Then we will have all the more reason to remember what StarClan have brought us to,” Bluestar replied, her voice barely more than a whisper. “They will have this warrior as Lostface, or not at all.”
Cloudtail held her gaze for a moment longer, the light of challenge in his blue eyes, and then dipped his head as if he knew there was no point in arguing.
“Let StarClan receive her by the name of Lostface,” Bluestar finished. She bent her head and lightly touched her nose to Lostface’s head. “There, it is done,” she murmured.
As if the touch had roused her, Lostface’s eyes opened and a look of terrible fear flooded into them. For a moment she struggled back to wakefulness. “Pack, pack!” She gasped. “Kill, kill!”
Bluestar recoiled, her fur bristling. “What? What does she mean?” she demanded.
But Lostface had sunk into unconsciousness again. Bluestar looked wildly from Cinderpelt to Fireheart and back again. “What did she mean?” she repeated.
“I don’t know,” Cinderpelt mewed uneasily. “That’s all she will say.”
“But, Fireheart, I told you…” Bluestar was struggling to speak. “StarClan showed me an evil in the forest, and they called it ‘pack.’ Is it the pack that has done this?”
Cinderpelt avoided her eyes, going instead to check on Lostface. Fireheart sought for an answer that would satisfy his leader. He did not want Bluestar to know that her cats were being hunted down as if they were prey for some nameless, faceless enemy. But he knew that she would not be satisfied by empty reassurances.
“No cat knows,” he replied at last. “I’ll warn the patrols to be on their guard, but—”
“But if StarClan has abandoned us, patrolswill not help us,” Bluestar finished scornfully. “Perhaps they have even sent this pack to punish me.”
“No!” Cinderpelt faced her leader. “StarClan did not send the pack. Our ancestors care for us, and they would never disrupt the life of the forest or destroy a whole Clan for a single grudge. Bluestar, you mustbelieve this.”
Bluestar ignored her. She padded over to Lostface and stood looking down at her. “Forgive me,” she meowed. “I have brought down the wrath of StarClan on you.” Then she turned away toward her den.
Almost as soon as she had gone, an agonizing wail broke out in the main clearing. Fireheart raced through the ferns to see that Longtail and Graystripe were bringing Swiftpaw’s body back for burial. When the limp black-and-white shape had been laid in the center of the clearing, his mentor crouched beside him, touching his nose to his fur in the ritual position of mourning. Swiftpaw’s mother, Goldenflower, sat next to him, while Bramblekit and Tawnykit, Swiftpaw’s half brother and half sister, looked on with wide, scared eyes.
A fresh wave of grief flooded through Fireheart. Longtail had been a good mentor to Swiftpaw. He did not deserve the pain he was going through now.
Returning to Cinderpelt’s clearing, he saw that Sandstorm had padded over to stand beside the medicine cat, who was pressing fresh cobwebs onto the blood-soaked dressings. “Maybe she’ll pull through,” she mewed. “If any cat can help her, you can, Cinderpelt.”
Cinderpelt looked up and blinked gratefully. “Thanks, Sandstorm. But healing herbs can only do so much. And if Lostface lives, she might not thank me.” She caught Fireheart’s eye, and he saw in her face a fear that the injured cat would be unable to cope with her horrifically changed appearance. What future lay ahead for a cat whose scars would remind her forever of this living nightmare?
“I’ll still look after her,” vowed Cloudtail, glancing up from his gentle licking.
Fireheart felt a burst of pride. If only his former apprentice could show the same unquestioning loyalty to the warrior code, he would be one of the finest warriors in ThunderClan.
Sandstorm gently nosed Lostface and then drew away. “I’ll fetch some fresh-kill for you and Cloudtail,” she meowed to Cinderpelt. “And a piece for Lostface too. She might want something if she wakes up.” Determinedly optimistic, she padded out into the clearing.
“I don’t want anything to eat,” mewed Cloudtail. His voice was dull and exhausted. “I feel sick.”
“You need to sleep,” Cinderpelt told him. “I’ll give you some poppy seeds.”
“I don’t want poppy seeds either. I want to stay with Lostface.”
“I’m not asking you what you want; I’m telling you what you need,” Cinderpelt retorted. “You kept vigil last night, remember?” More gently, she added, “I promise I’ll wake you if there’s any change.”
While she went to fetch the seeds, Fireheart gave his kin a sympathetic glance. “She’s the medicine cat,” he pointed out. “She knows what’s best.”
Cloudtail didn’t reply, but when Cinderpelt came back carrying a dried poppy head and shook a few seeds out in front of him, he licked them up without complaining. Exhausted, he curled himself close to Lostface and was asleep within a few heartbeats
“I never thought he would care for another cat as much as that,” Fireheart murmured.
“You didn’t notice?” For all her anxiety, there was a glint of amusement in Cinderpelt’s blue eyes. “He’s been padding after Brightpaw—Lostface—for a season now. He really loves her, you know.”
Seeing the two young cats curled up together, Fireheart could believe it.
Fireheart headed toward the pile of fresh-kill. It was almost sunhigh, but though the rays poured down brightly into the clearing there was little warmth in them. Leaf-bare had come to the forest.
Days had passed since Swiftpaw had been killed and Lostface injured. Fireheart had just been to check on her, and she still clung to life. Cinderpelt began to be cautiously optimistic that she would survive. Cloudtail spent nearly every moment with her; Fireheart had excused him temporarily from warrior duties so that he could care for the injured cat.
As Fireheart crossed the clearing, he saw Graystripe emerge from the warriors’ den and approach the fresh-kill pile. Darkstripe overtook him before he reached it and shouldered him aside to snatch up a rabbit. Dustpelt, already choosing his own meal, gave Graystripe a hostile glare and the gray warrior hesitated, unwilling to go any closer until the other two warriors had withdrawn to the nettle patch to eat.
Quickening his pace, Fireheart came up beside his friend. “Ignore them,” he muttered. “They keep their brains in their tails.”
Graystripe flashed him a grateful glance before picking a magpie out of the pile.
“Let’s eat together,” Fireheart suggested, choosing a vole and leading the way to a sunny patch of ground near the warriors’ den. “And don’t let those two worry you,” he added. “They can’t stay hostile forever.”
Graystripe did not look convinced, but he said nothing more, and the two warriors settled down to eat. Across the clearing, Tawnykit and Bramblekit were playing with Willowpelt’s three kits. Fireheart felt a pang of grief as he remembered how Lostface had sometimes played with them, as if she were looking forward to having kits herself. Would she ever mother her own litter now?
“I can’t get over how much that kit looks like his father,” meowed Graystripe after watching them for a moment.
“Just so long as he doesn’t behavelike his father,” Fireheart replied. He stiffened when he saw Bramblekit bowl over one of Willowpelt’s much smaller kits, but relaxed again as the tiny tortoiseshell sprang up and hurled herself joyfully on Bramblekit.
“It must be time he was apprenticed,” remarked Graystripe. “He and Tawnykit are older than—” He broke off, and a distant, sorrowful expression clouded his amber eyes.
Fireheart knew that he was thinking of his own kits, left behind in RiverClan. “Yes, it’s time I was thinking about mentors,” he agreed, hoping to distract his friend from his bittersweet memories. “I’ll ask Bluestar if I can mentor Bramblekit myself. Who do you think would—”
“You’ll mentor Bramblekit?” Graystripe stared at him. “Is that a good idea?”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Fireheart asked, feeling his fur start to prickle. “I haven’t an apprentice, now that Cloudtail has been made a warrior.”
“Because you don’t like Bramblekit,” retorted Graystripe. “I don’t blame you, but wouldn’t he be better off with a mentor who trusts him?”
Fireheart hesitated. There was some truth in what Graystripe said, but Fireheart knew that he couldn’t give the task to any other cat. He hadto have Bramblekit under his own guidance to make sure he stayed loyal to ThunderClan.
“My mind’s made up,” he mewed curtly. “I wanted to ask you who you think would be good for Tawnykit.”
Graystripe paused, as if he wanted to go on arguing, then shrugged. “I’m surprised you have to ask. There’s an obvious choice.” When Fireheart didn’t speak, he added, “Sandstorm, you mouse-brain!”
Fireheart took a mouthful of vole to give himself time to think of an answer. Sandstorm was an experienced warrior. She had been an apprentice along with Fireheart himself, Graystripe, and Dustpelt, and she was the only one of the four never to have had an apprentice of her own. Yet something made him reluctant to give Tawnykit to her.
Swallowing the vole, he meowed, “I more or less promised Snowkit to Brackenfur. It’s only fair I should ask Bluestar if he can mentor Tawnykit, seeing as he was disappointed so recently. Besides, he’s a fine warrior, and he’ll do a good job.”
Graystripe’s eyes glowed briefly with pride; Brackenfur had been his apprentice, and he was clearly delighted to hear how well the young warrior was doing. Then he twitched his ears disbelievingly. “Come on, Fireheart. That’s not the real reason, and you know it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t want to give Tawnykit to Sandstorm because you’re afraid of what Tigerstar might do.”
Staring at his friend, Fireheart knew that the gray warrior was right. The reason had been there in his mind, but he had refused to admit it, even to himself.
“You want to protect her,” Graystripe went on, when Fireheart didn’t speak.
“And what’s wrong with that?” Fireheart demanded. “Tigerstar already encouraged Darkstripe to take the kits out of camp to visit him. Do you think that will be the end of it? Do you think he’ll be content just to see them at Gatherings?”
“No, I don’t.” Graystripe gave an exasperated snort. “But what will Sandstorm think? She’s not some pretty little kittypet, hiding behind big, strong warriors. She can take care of herself.”
Fireheart shrugged uncomfortably. “Sandstorm will just have to accept the decision. I’m sure Bluestar will agree to let Brackenfur have Tawnykit.”
Graystripe’s amber eyes gleamed in anticipation of trouble ahead. “You’re the deputy. But Sandstorm isn’t going to like it,” he predicted.
“You want to mentor Bramblekit?” asked Bluestar.
Fireheart stood in her den. He had just raised the question of the new apprentices, suggesting that they should hold the naming ceremony at sunset.
“Yes,” he mewed. “And Brackenfur to mentor Tawnykit.”
Bluestar gazed at him with narrowed eyes. “A traitor to mentor the son of a traitor,” she rasped. Clearly she had no interest in who should mentor Tawnykit. “How suitable.”
“Bluestar, there are no traitors in the Clan now,” Fireheart tried to assure her, pushing down his misgivings about Bramblekit.
Bluestar gave a disdainful sniff. “Do what you want, Fireheart. Why should I care what happens to this nest of rogues?”
Fireheart gave up his attempt to reason with her. Backing out of the den, he returned to the clearing. The sun was already going down, and the Clan had begun to gather in anticipation of the ceremony. Fireheart spotted Brackenfur and called him over.
“I think you’re ready for an apprentice,” he announced. “How would you like to mentor Tawnykit?”
Brackenfur’s eyes glowed. “Do you really mean it?” he stammered. “That would be great!”
“You’ll do a fine job,” Fireheart meowed. “Do you know what to do in the ceremony?”
He paused as Sandstorm appeared from the warriors’ den and began walking toward him. “Hang on, Brackenfur,” he muttered hastily. “I’ll be back in a moment.” Then he went to meet the pale ginger warrior.
“What’s this Graystripe tells me?” Sandstorm demanded as soon as he was in earshot. “Is it true that you asked Bluestar if Brackenfur could mentor Tawnykit?”
Fireheart swallowed. Her green eyes were blazing with anger, and the fur on her shoulders bristled. “Yes, it’s true,” he began.
“But I’m more experienced than he is!”
Fireheart resisted the urge to tell her the truth, so that Sandstorm knew he was doing it for her sake and for no other reason. But telling her that she wasn’t going to mentor Tawnykit because he wanted to protect her from possible trouble with Tigerstar would make her even more furious. She would only think that he had judged her too weak to deal with the threat posed by the ShadowClan leader.
“Well?” Sandstorm insisted. “Don’t you think I’m capable of being a good mentor?”
“It’s not that at all,” Fireheart protested.
“Then what? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t mentor Tawnykit!”
“Because I…” Fireheart cast around desperately for something he could tell her. “Because I want you to lead extra hunting patrols. You’re a brillianthunter, Sandstorm—the best. And with leaf-bare here, prey will be scarce again. We’re really going to need you.” As he spoke, he realized that what he said was true. Extra hunting patrols led by Sandstorm would be one way to solve the problem of feeding the Clan through the bitter moons of leaf-bare.
Sandstorm, however, was not impressed. “You’re just making excuses,” she meowed scornfully. “There’s no reason why I shouldn’t lead hunting patrols andmentor Tawnykit. She’s bright and fast, and I bet she turns out to be a brillianthunter, too.”
“I’m sorry,” Fireheart mewed. “I’ve already asked Brackenfur to take Tawnykit. I’ll ask Bluestar to give you one of Willowpelt’s kits when the worst of leaf-bare is over. Okay?”
“No, it’s not okay,” Sandstorm hissed. “I haven’t done anything to be passed over like this. I won’t forget this in a hurry, Fireheart.”
She turned away and went to join Frostfur and Brindleface. Fireheart took a step after her and then stopped. There was nothing he could say, and besides, Bluestar had just appeared from her den to call the Clan to the meeting.
As the Clan assembled, Fireheart noticed Graystripe crouching alone not far from the Highrock. Mousefur stalked pointedly past him on her way to sit with the other she-cats. Frustrated at the way some of the Clan still refused to accept Graystripe, Fireheart wanted to go over to reassure him, but he had to stay where he was, ready for his part in the ceremony. A moment later Cloudtail and Whitestorm appeared from the fern tunnel leading to Cinderpelt’s den and settled down alongside the gray warrior, to Fireheart’s relief.
Cinderpelt followed them out of the ferns and limped hurriedly over to Fireheart. As she drew closer he saw that her blue eyes were sparkling. “Good news, Fireheart,” she announced. “Lostface just woke up and managed to eat some fresh-kill. I think she’s going to be okay.”
Fireheart let out a delighted purr. “That’s great, Cinderpelt.” But for all his relief at the news, he couldn’t help wondering how Lostface would cope when she learned that her face was so terribly injured.
“She’s already sitting up and trying to groom herself,” Cinderpelt went on, “but she’s still very shaky. She’ll need to stay in my den for a few days yet.”
“Has she said anything about what attacked her?”
Cinderpelt shook her head. “I tried to ask her, but it upsets her too much to think about it. She still cries out ‘pack’ and ‘kill’ in her nightmares.”
“The Clan needs to know,” Fireheart reminded her.
“Then the Clan will have to wait,” Cinderpelt assured sharply. “Lostface needs peace and quiet if she’s going to get better.”
Fireheart wanted to ask her when she thought Lostface would be fit to talk to him, but he had to pay attention to the ceremony as Goldenflower came out of the nursery, flanked by her two kits. Fireheart could see she had groomed both of them especially carefully. Tawnykit’s ginger fur glowed like a flame in the dying sun, and Bramblekit’s dark tabby pelt had a glossy sheen. As they approached the Highrock, Tawnykit bounced around with excitement, but Bramblekit seemed calm, padding forward with his head and tail held high.
Fireheart wondered if this was what Tigerstar had looked like when he had first been made an apprentice. Had he shown the same promise of courage and a long life in the service of his Clan? Had his Clan leader and his mentor had any idea of what he was destined to become?
Bluestar called both kits forward to stand beside her at the foot of the Highrock. Fireheart noticed that she was looking more alert than usual, as if even she could not be indifferent to the prospect of more warriors to fight for her Clan.
“Brackenfur,” she began, “Fireheart tells me that you are ready for your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Tawnypaw.”
Looking nearly as excited as his new apprentice, Brackenfur stepped forward, and Tawnypaw ran up to meet him.
“Brackenfur,” Bluestar continued, “you have shown yourself to be a warrior of loyalty and forethought. Do your best to pass on these qualities to Tawnypaw.”
Brackenfur and Tawnypaw touched noses and withdrew to the side of the clearing, while Bluestar turned to Fireheart.
“Now that Cloudtail is a warrior,” she went on, “you are free to take on another apprentice. You will be mentor to Bramblepaw.”
Her eyes glittered as she gazed at Fireheart, and he realized with a flash of horror that she was suspicious of his motives in offering to train Tigerstar’s son. Fireheart tried to meet his leader’s icy gaze steadily. Whatever Bluestar thought, he knewthat he was motivated by loyalty to his Clan.
Bramblepaw padded toward his mentor, and Fireheart went to meet him in the middle of the circle of cats. Looking down into the young cat’s eyes, he felt both stirred and challenged by the blaze of enthusiasm there.
What a warrior he’ll make!Fireheart thought, and then added silently, If only he weren’t Tigerstar’s son!
“Fireheart, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of rare courage and quick thinking,” meowed Bluestar, her eyes narrowed. “I’m sure that you will pass on all you know to this young apprentice.”
Fireheart bent his head to touch noses with Bramblepaw. As he led the new apprentice back to the side of the clearing, Bramblepaw asked, “What do we do now, Fireheart? I want to learn everything—fighting and hunting and all about the other Clans….”
In spite of his misgivings, Fireheart had to admit that Bramblepaw clearly knew nothing about the old hostility between his mentor and his father. That was thanks to Goldenflower, who sat looking at them with an unreadable expression. Fireheart guessed she wouldn’t be too pleased that he had chosen to train Tigerstar’s son himself. And what would happen when Tigerstar found out? He could feel Darkstripe watching him closely and knew that the dark warrior would take the news to Tigerstar at the next Gathering, if not before.
“All in good time,” Fireheart promised the eager apprentice. “Tomorrow we’ll go with Brackenfur and your sister to tour the territory. Then you’ll learn where the borders are and how to recognize the scents of the other Clans.”
“Great!” Bramblepaw let out an excited squeak.
“But for now,” Fireheart went on as Bluestar drew the meeting to a close, “you can go and get to know the other apprentices. Don’t forget you sleep in their den tonight.”
He flicked his tail in dismissal, and Bramblepaw dashed off to his sister’s side as the other cats started to crowd around, congratulating the two new apprentices and calling them by their new names.
Watching them, Fireheart saw Graystripe get up and come toward him, passing Sandstorm on the way. He heard the ginger she-cat meow, “Graystripe, aren’t you sorry you weren’t given an apprentice?”
“In a way,” Graystripe replied. He sounded awkward, shooting Fireheart a sideways glance as he spoke. “I can’t expect one for a while, though. Half the Clan haven’t accepted me yet.”
“Then half the Clan are stupid furballs,” asserted Sandstorm, giving the gray warrior’s ear a lick.
Graystripe shrugged. “I know I’ll have to prove my loyalty before I can mentor an apprentice again. And you’ll have one soon,” he added, as if he could read her mind, “when Willowpelt’s kits are ready.”
An annoyed look flashed across Sandstorm’s face. Fireheart wondered whether he ought to try talking to her again, but as she spotted his hesitant approach she turned to Graystripe and meowed loudly, “Come on; let’s see if there’s any fresh-kill left.”
Fireheart halted and watched miserably as Sandstorm got to her paws and led the way over to the pile of prey. Graystripe followed her, casting a worried glance at Fireheart as he went.
Seeing Sandstorm turn her back on him, Fireheart felt bitter disappointment welling up inside him. However hard he tried, all his attempts to rekindle the old bond between him and Sandstorm seemed to be failing, and he missed her with a loneliness that could not be comforted by any of the other cats that thronged around him.
第二十章
第二十章
火心焦急地问：“她还有救吗？”
炭毛叹了口气。她接到沙风的报信后立刻瘸着腿赶到蛇岩，将亮爪最严重的伤口用蛛丝裹住，又给她喂了几粒罂粟籽止痛。后来，亮爪恢复了些体力，在众猫的搀扶下回到营地。如今她正躺在巫医巢穴边的香薇丛里，昏迷不醒。
炭毛坦白地说：“我不知道，能做的我都做了，至于能不能活下来，只有听天由命了。”
火心心存侥幸地说：“她长得很健壮。”他瞅了瞅奄奄一息的亮爪，哪有半点儿健壮的样子。此时的亮爪几乎只剩下一张皮，看上去比幼崽还要小，每呼吸一次，都仿佛是她的最后一口气。
炭毛说：“就算她能活过来，身上也会留下永久的伤疤，我治不了她眼睛和耳朵上的伤。我想她永远也不能成为武士了。”
火心点了点头。他忍不住看了看亮爪那张裹满蛛丝的脸，眼前的一切使他回想起炭毛出事时的情景：黄牙当时告诉他，炭毛的腿再也不能痊愈了。
他小声说：“她说了‘结伙’这个词，我不知道她究竟看到了什么。”
炭毛摇了摇头，说：“这就是我们一直担心的事情，森林里有个东西正在把我们当做猎物，我在梦中听到它的声音了。”
火心懊丧地说：“我知道，我早该做点儿什么了，星族也给蓝星发出了类似的警告。”
“蓝星不再尊敬星族了，没想到她居然还能和星族对话。”
火心猛然转头看着炭毛，问：“你认为这就是发生这种事情的原因吗？”
“不。”炭毛的口气有些勉强，她凑过来贴在火心身上说，“我敢担保，这个魔鬼绝不是星族派来的。”
这时，香薇通道里传来沙沙声响，云尾走了进来。
炭毛说：“我不是让你去睡一觉嘛。”
“我睡不着。”云尾走到亮爪身边坐下，“我想陪着她。”他低下头在亮爪的肩膀上舔了一下，喃喃说：“好好睡吧，亮爪，你依然美丽。挺住啊，我不知道你现在伤得多重，可你一定要挺住啊。”
他继续舔着亮爪，忽然他抬起头瞪着火心冲口而出：“这都是你的错！她和迅爪都应该成为武士的，如果那样，事情就不会闹到今天这种地步。”
火心看着他的眼睛，说：“是的，我知道，可是我曾努力使他们成为武士的，相信我。”
话音未落，只听外面传来沙沙的脚步声，火心转头看见蓝星从香薇通道走了出来，被火心派去叫她的沙风跟在后面。
蓝星低头默默地看着亮爪。云尾桀骜不驯地翘起尾巴，仿佛在向蓝星兴师问罪似的，但终究没有说出来。
蓝星眨了一会儿眼睛，问：“她快要死了吗？”
炭毛看了火心一眼，对蓝星说：“这要由星族来决定。”
蓝星厉声喝道：“难道我们还能期望他们大发慈悲吗？如果亮爪的性命取决于星族，那她必死无疑。”
云尾悲伤地说：“她死的时候连武士都还不是。”说着，他又低头舔了一下亮爪的肩膀。
蓝星不情愿地说：“那也未必，我可以为一个将要死去的学徒举行那个仪式以聊表心意。她可以成为武士，那样她就能以武士的身份升往星族了。”
火心简直不敢相信自己的耳朵，难道蓝星真的不再恼恨他们的祖先，承认星族在武士生活中的重要地位了吗？难道她后悔当初拒绝授予亮爪武士名号了吗？
云尾抬头看着蓝星，大声说：“那还愣着干什么？”
蓝星没有直接理会这位新武士的话。火心和炭毛紧靠在一起，沙风也走了过来。蓝星垂着头说：“我请诸位武士祖先们从天上俯视这名学徒。她掌握了守则的要旨，为了族群献出了自己的生命，请星族赐予她武士的名号。”她顿了顿，继而双眼里燃起怒火，“她的名字就叫夺面，所有的猫都要记住是星族把她从我们身边夺走的。”
火心顿时惊得目瞪口呆。蓝星为了报复星族，居然给一个生命垂危的学徒起了这么一个恐怖的名字！
云尾争辩说：“这个名字太残忍了！如果她活过来怎么办呢？”
蓝星声音低沉地说：“那我们就更能牢记星族给我们的‘恩惠’了。她要想成为武士，就必须叫这个名字。”
云尾狠狠瞪着蓝星，过了半晌才低下头去，仿佛知道争论已经毫无意义。
“请星族接受这个名叫夺面的武士吧。”蓝星低头轻轻触了触夺面的额头，小声说，“仪式结束了。”
夺面似乎是受到了触动，眼睛忽然睁开，脸上显出一副恐惧的神情。过了一会儿，她清醒过来，声音沙哑地说：“结伙，结伙！杀，杀！”
蓝星吓得后退一步，身上的毛竖立起来。她问：“什么？她说什么？”
这时夺面又陷入了昏迷中。蓝星惊恐地看着炭毛和火心，问：“她这话是什么意思？”
炭毛不安地说：“我不知道，她就说了这么多。”
蓝星鼓足力气说：“可是，火心，我告诉过你，星族说森林里有一个魔鬼，他们称那个魔鬼为‘结伙’，这一切是不是那个叫‘结伙’的干的？”
炭毛避开她的目光，走过去检查夺面。火心不想让蓝星知道她的族群正像猎物一样被某个无影无形的怪物捕杀，他想说些能让蓝星放心的话，可又知道空洞的保证对她毫无用处。
他寻思了半天，最后只好回答说：“大家都不知道，我会让巡逻队提高警惕的，可……”
蓝星不屑地说：“可如果星族已经抛弃了我们，巡逻队也起不了作用。也许这个叫‘结伙’的东西就是星族派来惩罚我们的。”
炭毛立即大声说：“不是的！这个‘结伙’不是星族派来的。我们的祖先爱护我们，他们不会仅因为一些小错而屠戮森林里的生命或者毁掉一个族群。蓝星，你一定要相信这一点。”
蓝星没有理会炭毛。她走到夺面身边低头说：“原谅我，是我触怒了星族，以致牵累了你。”然后，她转身回到了族长洞穴。
这时，会场上传来一片哀哭声。火心急忙跑过去，看见长尾和灰条正拖着迅爪的尸体回来举行葬礼。当迅爪的尸体被拖到会场中央时，他的师父长尾趴在他的身旁，用鼻子触碰他的尸体，场面非常凄凉。迅爪的妈妈金花坐在一旁，黑莓崽和黄 崽看着他们同母异父的哥哥，吓得睁大了眼睛。
迅爪是长尾心爱的徒弟，他们师徒感情一直很好，如今这件事对长尾的打击实在太大了。
等他回到巫医巢穴门前的空地时，沙风正坐在那儿看炭毛为夺面的伤口换蛛丝，她说：“也许她能挺过去，如果还有谁能帮她的话，炭毛，那一定是你了。”
炭毛感激地眨了眨眼睛，说：“谢谢你的赞美，沙风，可药物的疗效毕竟有限，就算夺面能活过来，她也不会感激我的。”火心看见她脸上充满了忧虑的神情，知道她担心夺面无法接受毁容的事实。夺面脸上的疤痕将日日夜夜困扰着她，使她如同活在火灾噩梦中一般，她的未来在哪里呢？
云尾温柔地舔着夺面，仰起脸神情严肃地说：“我仍然会照顾她的。”
他的话令火心感到无比骄傲。如果云尾对武士守则也能表现出同样的忠诚，那么他将是雷族里最优秀的武士。
沙风用鼻子轻轻触了触夺面，然后对炭毛说：“我给你和云尾拿些吃的来，还有夺面的。如果她醒过来想吃点儿东西也说不定。”说完，她走出空地。
云尾疲惫地说：“我感觉不舒服，吃不进东西。”
炭毛说：“你需要睡一觉，我给你取些罂粟籽吃。”
“我不想吃罂粟籽，我想和夺面待在一起。”
炭毛说：“我不是问你想吃什么，我是在告诉你需要什么。你昨晚守了一夜，记得吗？
如果出现什么情况的话，我保证叫醒你。”
炭毛进巫医巢穴去取罂粟籽后，火心同情地对云尾说：“她是巫医，她知道该怎么做。”
云尾没有回答他。不过，当炭毛走回来将罂粟籽放在他面前时，他乖乖地把罂粟籽吃了下去，然后神情疲倦地趴在夺面旁边，不一会儿就睡着了。
火心悄声说：“没想到他竟然这么关心别的猫。”
炭毛顽皮地眨了眨眼睛，说：“你没有注意到吗？这几个月来他一直在追求亮爪——夺面啊。你知道吗？他是真的爱上她了。”
火心看着那对偎依在一起的小猫，顿时恍然大悟。
火心朝猎物堆走去。尽管天上阳光明媚，可空气中透着凉意。落叶季已经到了。
迅爪死去几天了，夺面仍然命悬一线。炭毛对救活她开始有了几分把握。这些天，云尾时时刻刻都陪在夺面身边，火心也是忙里偷闲，尽可能多来看看。
火心走过会场，看见灰条从武士巢穴出来走近猎物堆。这时黑条用肩头将灰条撞开，抢先抓起了一只兔子。已经选好猎物的尘毛狠狠瞪了灰条一眼。灰条停住脚步，看着黑条和尘毛衔着猎物走到荨麻丛旁。
火心加快脚步来到灰条身边，小声说：“别理他们，他们的脑子里都灌水了。”
灰条感激地瞅了他一眼，从猎物堆里挑了只喜鹊出来。
火心提议说：“我们一起吃饭吧。”他选了只水老鼠，领着灰条在武士巢穴附近找了一小块能够晒到太阳的地方。他说：“别往心里去，他们不会永远为难你的。”
灰条将信将疑，不过也没再说什么。两位武士边吃边往会场上望去，只见黄崽和黑莓崽正领着柳带的三只幼崽玩耍。火心想起以往夺面有时也和这些幼崽们玩耍，似乎她一直想要自己的孩子。火心不由得心里一阵伤心难过，夺面以后还能做妈妈吗？
灰条看了半晌，说：“那只幼崽长得可真像他的父亲。”
火心回答说：“只要他做起事来别像他的父亲就行。”这时他看见黑莓崽朝柳带的一只小幼崽身上压去，心里一惊。不过那只玳瑁色的幼崽随即跳起来，欢快地扑到黑莓崽的身上，火心这才放心。
灰条说：“他已经到了做学徒的年龄了，他和黄崽的年龄比……”说到这里，他突然闭住了嘴，眼睛里显出悲伤的神情。
火心知道他想到了自己的孩子，赶快岔开话题说：“是的，我正在考虑老师的人选问题，我去问问蓝星能否让我亲自教导黑莓崽，你认为谁……”
灰条吃惊地问：“你来当黑莓崽的老师？这合适吗？”
火心不自然地说：“我为什么不能当他的老师？如今云尾已经成为武士，我没有徒弟了。”
灰条分辩说：“因为你不喜欢黑莓崽啊。请恕我冒昧，找一个能够信任他的猫来做老师不是更好吗？”
火心迟疑了一下。灰条说的自有他的道理，可火心知道他对此事责无旁贷，他必须亲自督导黑莓崽，以确保黑莓崽对雷族忠心耿耿。
他说：“我心意已决，我想问问你，你认为谁做黄崽的老师比较好。”
灰条还想争论，但此刻只好耸了耸肩膀说：“想不到你竟然问这个问题，答案明摆着的。”看火心没有说话，灰条又说，“是沙风啊，笨蛋！”
火心边吃边想，沙风是一位经验丰富的武士，她和火心、灰条、尘毛都是同一批学徒，而且她是他们四个当中唯一没有收过徒弟的，可是火心心中另有顾虑。
他咽下嘴里的水老鼠肉，说：“我曾经答应过要让蕨毛做雪崽的老师，雪崽死后蕨毛一直闷闷不乐，我觉得把这个机会给他较好些。况且，他是一位优秀的武士，工作起来也十分敬业。”
灰条的眼里闪过一丝骄傲的神色。蕨毛是他的徒弟，现在听到他的徒弟如何如何优秀，他当然很高兴了。他难以置信地动了动耳朵，说：“别假装正经啦，火心，这不是真正的理由，你心里清楚。”
“你这话什么意思？”
“你不想让沙风做黄崽的老师是因为你害怕虎星会对她不利。”火心看着老朋友，知道他说得不错。这个理由一直深埋在他的心里，连他自己都不愿承认。
灰条见火心不吭声，于是继续说：“你想保护她。”
火心问：“这有什么错吗？虎星已经让黑条带着这两只幼崽外出见他了，你以为这件事就到此为止了吗？你以为他会甘心只在森林大会上看看孩子们吗？”
灰条鼻子里发出嗤的一声，说：“我当然不这么认为了，不过沙风会怎么想呢？她可不是一只中看不中用的小宠物猫，她能够照顾自己。”
火心不自在地耸了耸肩膀，说：“沙风只能接受这个决定，我敢担保蓝星会让蕨毛做黄崽的老师的。”
灰条显出一副同情的样子，预言说：“你是副族长，你说了算，不过沙风肯定不会善罢甘休的。”
蓝星问：“你想做黑莓崽的老师？”
火心站在蓝星的巢穴里。他刚才把收新学徒的事情向蓝星汇报了一下，并建议她在天黑后就举行收徒仪式。
他说：“是的，蕨毛做黄崽的老师。”
蓝星眯缝起眼睛盯着他，声音沙哑地说：“一个叛徒来教另一个叛徒的儿子，真是妙不可言呀。”显然她对谁做黄崽的老师没兴趣。
火心强压住对黑莓崽的疑虑，向她保证说：“蓝星，族里现在没有叛徒。”
蓝星不屑地说：“你想干什么就干什么吧，火心，我为什么要替这群泼皮猫操心呢？”
火心不想再争论，无可奈何地退出洞穴。太阳已经落山了，大家都迫不及待地聚集在会场上。火心看见蕨毛，就把他叫了过来。
火心说：“我觉得你已经作好收徒弟的准备了，你想收黄崽做你的徒弟吗？”
蕨毛立刻两眼放光，结结巴巴地说：“你说真的？太棒了！”
火心说：“你会成为一位好老师的，你知道仪式上应该怎么做吗？”
这时他看见沙风从武士巢穴出来正朝这边走，于是他急匆匆地说了句：“等一下，蕨毛，我一会儿就回来。”说完便向沙风迎了过去。
两只猫刚一走近，沙风便大声嚷嚷说：“这到底是怎么回事？你真的向蓝星建议让蕨毛来教黄崽了吗？”
火心见她怒气冲冲的样子，不由得咽了口唾沫，说：“是的，这是真的。”
“可我比他的资历要深得多！”
火心真想告诉她真相，让她知道自己这么做，仅仅是为了使她将来免遭虎星的毒手，不过他知道这么说只会增添沙风的怒火。沙风会认为火心在小看她，认为她不是那位影族族长的对手。
沙风又问：“说啊？你是不是以为我不够资格做一名好老师啊？”
火心分辩说：“不是这样的。”
“那是为了什么？给我一个说得过去的理由来说明我不应该做黄崽的老师！”
“因为我……”火心急着要找些有说服力的理由，“因为我想让你多带捕猎队出去，你是一个优秀的猎手，沙风，是最好的。落叶季到了，猎物接济不上，我们真的很需要你。”说完后就连他自己都觉得这个理由真实可信，由沙风来带领捕猎队，对解决落叶季里的粮食问题会非常有利。
不过沙风并不吃火心这一套，她不屑地说：“真是强词夺理，带领捕猎队和教导黄崽根本就不冲突。她很聪明，行动也很敏捷，将来一定是位好猎手。”
火心说：“对不起，我已经把这件事和蕨毛说过了，等落叶季过去后，我一定请求蓝星让你做柳带幼崽的老师，好吗？”
沙风低沉地说：“不好，我还从来没有受到过这样的羞辱，我不会就这么算了的，火心。”
说完，她转身朝霜毛和纹脸走去。火心迈出一步想追上她，但随即又停下脚步。他还能说什么呢？况且这时蓝星已从巢穴里出来召集大伙儿开会了。
火心注意到灰条趴在距离高岩不远的地方，鼠毛从他身边经过，和其他母猫坐成一堆。看来族里的一些猫仍然没有接受灰条。火心想过去安慰安慰他，不过仪式即将开始，他只得留在原地。过了一会儿，云尾和白风从香薇通道里走了出来，坐在灰条身边。火心见了心里稍稍安慰了些。
炭毛跟在他们后面一瘸一拐地向火心走来，等她走近些，火心看见她的眼里闪着光彩。炭毛说：“好消息，火心，夺面醒过来了，还吃了些东西呢，我想她的性命保住了。”
火心高兴地舒了口长气：“太好了，炭毛。”可欣喜之余，他又担心夺面一旦得知自己毁容的消息后会如何反应。
炭毛又说：“她已经能坐起来梳理身上的毛了，不过她仍很虚弱，还得在巫医巢穴里多待几天。”
“她提到是什么东西袭击她的吗？”
炭毛摇了摇头，说：“我问过她，不过这件事对她的打击很大，她一时间不敢去回忆。
她仍在梦里大喊‘结伙’和‘杀’。”
火心提醒她说：“族群需要知道答案。”
炭毛不快地说：“那族群只好等等了，只有让夺面多安静些时间，她才能恢复得更好。”
火心还想问问炭毛是否能够让他和夺面谈谈，不过他看见金花带着两个孩子正从育婴室里走出来。金花显然为两个孩子精心梳理了一番，黄崽的皮毛在夕阳余晖下就如一团火焰，而黑莓崽的皮毛也显得光滑鲜亮。黄崽抑制不住兴奋，一路上蹦蹦跳跳。黑莓崽则显得非常镇静，昂头翘尾，不慌不忙。
火心心想当初虎星拜师时是不是也是这副模样？他是不是曾经发誓对族群忠心耿耿、至死不渝呢？那时雷族族长和他的老师是否预见到虎星最终会走到这一步呢？
蓝星把两只幼崽召唤到身边，火心注意到她比以往要显得紧张。
只听蓝星说：“蕨毛，火心告诉我说你已经作好收徒弟的准备了，就由你来做黄爪的老师吧。”
蕨毛走上前，黄爪跑过来迎他，师徒两个都很兴奋。
蓝星继续说：“蕨毛，你已经展示了一位武士的忠诚和深思熟虑，希望你将这些优点传授给黄爪。”
蕨毛和黄爪对触了一下鼻子，双双退到会场边。
蓝星转头看着火心，说：“如今云尾已经成为武士，你可以另收一名徒弟，就由你来做黑莓爪的老师吧。”
在说这些话的时候，她的眼中闪过一抹恐惧的神色，火心意识到她在怀疑自己教导虎星儿子的动机。他直视蓝星的目光，无论蓝星怎么想，他知道这么做完全是出于对雷族的忠心。
黑莓爪和火心走到会场中央相遇。火心看着这位徒弟的眼睛，心里如同打翻了五味瓶一般，既感到沉重，又有些激动。
他心想：多好的孩子啊！只可惜是虎星的儿子。
蓝星眯缝着眼睛说：“火心，你已经表现出非凡的勇气和睿智，我希望你能将全部本领都传授给这位年轻的学徒。”
火心低头和黑莓爪对触了一下鼻子，带着徒弟回到会场边。黑莓爪迫不及待地问：“我们现在做什么，火心？我想学所有的本领——格斗、捕猎还有关于其他族群……”
火心发现黑莓爪竟然对师父和父亲之间的宿仇毫不知情，显然金花并没有对黑莓爪说这些往事。火心朝金花望过去，见她脸上的神情十分复杂。火心估计自己做黑莓爪老师这件事很可能令金花感到不快。另外，如果虎星知道这件事后会做何反应？黑条和虎星来往密切，一定会在森林大会上把这件事告诉他的，也许比那还要早。
火心向这位好学的小徒弟说：“我会在合适的时候全部教给你的。明天我们和蕨毛以及你的妹妹在领地里转一圈，带你们看看我们的边界，熟悉一下其他族群的气味。”
黑莓爪激动得尖叫起来：“太棒了！”
火心见蓝星即将结束仪式，急忙说：“现在你可以去结识其他的学徒，别忘了今晚你就要和他们睡在同一个巢穴里了。”
说完，他晃了一下尾巴。黑莓爪得到命令便向妹妹那里跑过去，其他的猫也都围上去向这两名新学徒表示祝贺。
火心看见灰条站起身向他走来，经过沙风身边时，只听沙风说：“灰条，这次拜师没有你的份儿，你不感到遗憾吗？”
灰条尴尬地瞅了火心一眼，回答说：“有一点儿吧，不过族里半数的猫还没有接受我，我暂时也不敢指望什么。”
沙风舔了一下灰条的耳朵，说：“那就说明族里还有一半的猫都是傻瓜。”
灰条耸了耸肩膀，说：“我知道我得先向大家证明我的忠诚，然后才能收徒弟。”他似乎猜到了沙风的心思，“等柳带的幼崽都到了学徒年龄的时候，你就能当师父了。”
沙风听了顿时怒容满面。火心正犹犹豫豫不知道是否该上前搭讪时，沙风一瞥眼看见他，立刻转身对灰条大声说：“走吧，我们去看看还有没有吃的。”
火心停下脚步，难过地看着沙风领着灰条朝猎物堆走去。灰条不放心，又回头瞅了火心一眼。
看见沙风对自己这么冷淡，火心心里又苦涩又失望。无论他付出多么大的努力，他们之间的关系仍在渐渐疏远。此刻虽然周围猫声鼎沸，但他却感到说不出的孤独寂寞。
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 21
“Keep well back,” Brackenfur warned. “Thisis a dangerous place.”
He and Fireheart, with their two apprentices, were standing at the edge of the Thunderpath. Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw wrinkled their noses against its bitter smell.
“It doesn’t look dangerous to me,” meowed Bramblepaw. Tentatively he reached out one paw to place it on the dark, stony surface.
At the same moment, Fireheart felt the ground tremble with the roar of an approaching monster. “Get back!” he snarled.
Bramblepaw leaped back into the safety of the verge as the monster flashed past, buffeting his fur with hot, stinking wind. He was quivering with shock.
Tawnypaw’s eyes were wide with astonishment. “What wasthat?” she mewed.
“A monster,” Fireheart explained. “They carry Twolegs in their belly. But they never leave the Thunderpath, so you’re quite safe—as long as you stay away from it.” He fixed Bramblepaw with a stern gaze. “When a warrior tells you to do something, you do it. Ask questions if you like, but afterward.” Bramblepaw nodded, scuffling his paws. “Sorry, Fireheart.”
He was already recovering from the shock; Fireheart had to admit that many more experienced cats would have been terrified to find themselves so close to a monster. Since they had left camp that morning, Bramblepaw had shown himself to be brave, curious, and eager to learn.
Sandstorm, Graystripe, and Whitestorm had gone out on the dawn patrol, while Fireheart and Brackenfur gave their apprentices the tour of the territory. Fireheart had found himself moving with extra stealth along the once-familiar trails, haunted by shadows and afraid at any moment that he would come face-to-face with the dark presence in the forest
He had kept well away from Snakerocks, unwilling to risk that accursed place with two new apprentices. Soon, he knew, he would have to do something about the threat that lurked there, but he was waiting until Lostface was well enough to tell them exactly what had attacked her. And deep down Fireheart couldn’t help wondering if, even when they knew, his warriors would be able to deal with it.
“What’s over there?” Tawnypaw flicked her tail at the part of the forest on the other side of the Thunderpath.
“That’s ShadowClan territory,” Brackenfur told her. “Can you smell their scent?”
A chill breeze was carrying the scent of ShadowClan toward them. Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw opened their mouths to taste it.
“We’ve smelled that before,” announced Tawnypaw.
“Oh?” Brackenfur shot a startled glance at Fireheart.
“When Darkstripe brought us to the border to meet our father,” explained Bramblepaw.
“I spotted them.” Fireheart wanted Brackenfur to know that this wasn’t news to him. “I suppose we can’t blame Tigerstar for wanting to see them,” he added, forcing himself to be charitable.
Brackenfur didn’t reply, but he looked faintly worried, as if he shared Fireheart’s misgivings about Tigerstar’s relationship with these ThunderClan kits.
“Can we go over there now and see our father?” Tawnypaw asked eagerly.
“No!” Brackenfur sounded shocked. “Clan cats don’t go into each other’s territory. If a patrol caught us, there would be big trouble.”
“Not if we told them Tigerstar’s our father,” Bramblepaw insisted. “He wanted to see us last time.”
“Brackenfur told you no,” Fireheart snapped. “And if I catch either of you setting one paw across the border, I’ll have your tails off!”
Tawnypaw jumped back as if she thought he was going to carry out the threat there and then.
Bramblepaw’s amber eyes searched Fireheart’s face for several heartbeats. “Fireheart,” he meowed hesitantly, “there’s something else, isn’t there? Why will no cat talk to us about our father? Why did he leave ThunderClan?”
Fireheart stared down at his apprentice. He couldn’t see any way of avoiding such a direct question. Long ago, he had promised Goldenflower that he would tell her kits the truth, but he had hoped for a bit more time to think out exactly what he would say.
He exchanged a quick glance with Brackenfur, and the younger warrior murmured, “If you don’t tell them, some other cat will.”
He was right, Fireheart realized. The time had come for him to fulfill his promise to Goldenflower. Clearing his throat, he meowed, “All right. Let’s find a place to rest and I’ll tell you.”
He retreated several rabbit-hops from the Thunderpath until he came to a dip in the ground sheltered by a few clumps of fern, brown and broken now in the frosts of leaf-bare. The two apprentices followed, their eyes wide and curious.
Fireheart checked that there was no smell of dog before settling down in a patch of dry grass, tucking his paws under his chest. Brackenfur remained at the top of the slope, keeping watch for danger, from the dog or from ShadowClan territory so close by.
“Before I tell you about your father,” Fireheart began, “I want you to remember that ThunderClan is proud of you. You’ll both make fine warriors. What I’m going to say now won’t make any difference to that.”
The apprentices’ curiosity changed to uneasiness as they listened. Fireheart knew they must be wondering what was coming next.
“Tigerstar is a great warrior,” he went on. “And he always wanted to be leader of a Clan. Before he left ThunderClan, he was deputy.”
Bramblepaw’s eyes glowed excitedly. “When I’m a warrior, I’d like to be deputy too.”
Fireheart’s fur prickled at this evidence of his apprentice’s ambition, so like Tigerstar’s. “Be quiet and listen.”
Bramblepaw dipped his head obediently.
“As I said, Tigerstar has always been a great warrior,” Fireheart continued, forcing each word into the cold air. “But there was a fight with RiverClan over Sunningrocks, and Tigerstar used the battle to kill Redtail, who was the ThunderClan deputy then. He blamed a RiverClan warrior, but we found out what really happened.”
He paused. Both apprentices were staring at him with disbelief and horror in their eyes.
“You mean…he killeda cat of his own Clan?” Tawnypaw faltered.
“I don’t believe it!” Bramblepaw let out a desperate cry.
“It’s true,” Fireheart meowed, feeling sick with the effort of telling these kits the truth about their father’s treachery in a way that was loyal to their mother’s insistence that the account be unbiased, and would not alienate the kits from their birth-clan. “He hoped he would be made deputy in Redtail’s place, but Bluestar chose a cat called Lionheart instead.”
“Tigerstar didn’t kill Lionheart as well?” asked Bramblepaw, his voice quavering.
“No, he didn’t. Lionheart died in a battle with ShadowClan. Tigerstar became deputy then, but that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to be leader.”
He paused again, wondering how much to say. No need to burden these apprentices, he decided, with the tale of how Cinderpelt had been injured in a trap set by Tigerstar for Bluestar, or Tigerstar’s attempts to murder Fireheart himself.
“He gathered a band of rogues from the forest,” he continued. “They attacked ThunderClan, and Tigerstar tried to kill Bluestar.”
“Kill Bluestar!”Tawnypaw gasped. “But she’s our leader!”
“Tigerstar thought that he could make himself leader in her place,” Fireheart explained, keeping his voice carefully neutral. “The Clan sent him into exile, and that’s when he joined ShadowClan and became their leader.”
The two apprentices looked at each other. “So our father was a traitor?” mewed Bramblepaw softly.
“Well, yes,” Fireheart replied. “But I know it’s hard to think about that. Just remember that both of you can be proud to belong to ThunderClan. And the Clan are proud of you, just as I said. You’re not responsible for what your father did. You can be great warriors, completely loyal to your Clan and the warrior code.”
“But our father wasn’t loyal,” Tawnypaw mewed. “Does that mean he’s our enemy now?”
Fireheart met her scared gaze. “All cats from other Clans have to have their own interests at heart,” he told her gently. “That’s what Clan loyalty means. Your father is loyal to ShadowClan now, just as it is your duty to be loyal to ThunderClan.”
There was silence for a few heartbeats, and then Tawnypaw drew herself up and gave her chest fur a few quick licks. “Thank you for telling us, Fireheart. Is it…is it really true that the rest of the Clan are proud of us?”
“It really is,” Fireheart assured her. “Don’t forget, the Clan discovered all this when you two were only newborns. And they’ve never wanted to punish you, have they?”
Tawnypaw blinked gratefully at him. Glancing at Bramblepaw, Fireheart saw that he was gazing up at the sky between the arching fronds of fern. There was no reading the emotion in his amber eyes.
“Bramblepaw?” Fireheart meowed uneasily. The young cat did not respond. Wanting to reassure him, Fireheart went on, “Work hard and be loyal to your Clan, and no cat will blame you for what your father did.”
Bramblepaw’s head whipped around; his eyes glared at his mentor with all the hostility that Fireheart had once seen in Tigerstar. He had never looked more like his father. “But that’s not true, is it?” he hissed. “Youblame us. I don’t care what you’re saying now. I’ve seen the way you look at me. You think I’ll be a traitor just like he was. You’ll never trust me, whatever I do!”
Fireheart stared at him, unable to deny the young cat’s accusations. For a few heartbeats he had no idea what to say. While he hesitated, Bramblepaw sprang to his paws and blundered through the ferns to the top of the hollow, where Brackenfur was waiting. Tawnypaw cast one scared look at Fireheart and scurried after her brother.
Fireheart heard Brackenfur meow, “Ready to go? Let’s head along the border up to Fourtrees.” He paused and called out, “Fireheart, are you ready?”
“Coming,” Fireheart replied. His heart was heavy as he rose and followed the apprentices. Had he managed to explain to them the true meaning of loyalty, or had he simply succeeded in pushing them further away from ThunderClan, and from him?
As he and Brackenfur led the apprentices back through their territory, Fireheart kept watch for any signs of the mysterious evil in the forest. He saw nothing; there were no unusual scents, and no signs of scattered prey. The evil, whatever it was, had gone to ground again, and somehow that made Fireheart more afraid. What was it that could wreak such terrible damage, and then fade into the depths of the forest as if it had never been?
I must talk to Lostface as soon as I can, he decided. The cats were still being hunted, he was sure of that, and it was only a matter of time before another one was caught.
Early the next morning, Fireheart emerged into the clearing to find the dawn patrol getting ready to leave. Graystripe and Sandstorm were waiting beside the entrance to the gorse tunnel, while Dustpelt was calling Ashpaw from the apprentices’ den. Fireheart hurried toward the entrance, but before he reached it he heard Sandstorm meow loudly to Graystripe, “I’m tired of hanging about. I’ll meet you at the top of the ravine.” Without looking at Fireheart she whipped around and disappeared.
Sadness almost overwhelmed Fireheart, and he halted at the mouth of the gorse tunnel, tasting the last of Sandstorm’s scent as she retreated.
“Give her time,” Graystripe meowed, touching his nose to Fireheart’s shoulder. “She’ll come around.”
“I don’t know. Ever since the meeting with WindClan…”
He stopped as Dustpelt and Ashpaw hurried up, and stood back to let the rest of the patrol follow Sandstorm. At least, Fireheart told himself, Dustpelt seemed to be reconciled to Graystripe’s return, to the extent of going on patrol with him. Perhaps time was all his friend would need to truly be part of the Clan again.
Fireheart padded across the clearing to Cinderpelt’s den. Lostface was seated in a patch of sunlight with Cloudtail beside her, gently washing her. The wounds along her sides were healing cleanly, and her ginger-and-white fur was beginning to grow back, and as he approached Fireheart thought for a single heartbeat that she was almost back to normal. Then she lifted her head, and for the first time he saw the damaged side of her face without its covering of cobwebs.
Freshly healed scars were stretched across Lostface’s cheek, bare flesh where no fur would ever grow. Her eye was gone, and her ear was reduced to a few shreds. Fireheart realized how dreadfully apt the name Lostface was, and remembered her as she had been before, bright and lively. Anger burned deep in his belly. Somehow he must drive this evil out of the forest!
Lostface let out a faint whimper as Fireheart approached, and shrank closer to Cloudtail.
“It’s okay,” Cloudtail mewed softly. “It’s only Fireheart.” Looking up at his former mentor, he explained, “You came up on her blind side. She’s scared when cats do that, but she’s getting better every day.”
“That’s right,” agreed Cinderpelt, emerging from her den. Limping over to Fireheart so she could speak to him without Lostface overhearing, she went on, “To be honest, there’s not much more I can do for her. She just needs time to get strong.”
“How long?” Fireheart asked. “I need to talk to her—and it’s time Cloudtail was going back to his warrior duties. I know Sandstorm wants him for her hunting patrol.” He gave his kin a sympathetic glance, still admiring him for his loyalty to Lostface.
Cinderpelt shrugged. “I’ll have to let Lostface decide when she feels ready to leave my den. Have you thought about what’s going to happen to her now?”
Fireheart shook his head. “Officially she’s a warrior….”
“And you think she’d be happy among you ruffians in the warriors’ den?” Cinderpelt let out a mew of exasperation. “She still needs someone to look after her.”
“I think she could go and live with the elders, at least while she’s still getting stronger.” It was Cloudtail who spoke; he had padded over to join Fireheart and the medicine cat. “Speckletail is still grieving in the elders’ den for Snowkit. It would do her good to have another cat to care for.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Fireheart meowed warmly.
“I’m not sure,” Cinderpelt objected. “What’s Speckletail going to think? You know how prickly and proud she is. She wouldn’t like the idea that you were doing her a favor by trying to distract her from Snowkit’s death.”
“Leave Speckletail to me,” Fireheart meowed. “I’ll tell her that she’sdoing mea favor by looking after Lostface.”
“That might work,” agreed Cinderpelt. “And when Lostface is a bit better, she could help the elders and free up the apprentices for other duties.”
“Let’s ask her,” meowed Cloudtail. He bounded back to Lostface’s side and pressed close to her. “Lostface, Fireheart wants to talk to you.”
Fireheart followed. “Lostface, it’s Fireheart.” Her ravaged face turned slowly toward him. “Would you like to go and stay with the elders for a while?” he suggested. “It would be a load off my mind if you could help look after them—the apprentices have too much to do as it is.”
Lostface gave a nervous start and looked at Cloudtail with her one good eye. “I don’t have to, do I? I’m notan elder.”
Cloudtail pressed his muzzle against her wounded face. “No one will make you do anything you don’t want to.”
“But you’d be doing me a favor,” Fireheart added quickly. “Speckletail’s still grieving for Snowkit, and it will do her good to have a young, energetic cat around.” As Lostface still hesitated, he went on: “It’s just until you get your strength back.”
“And when you’re strong again, I’ll help you train,” Cloudtail added. “I’m sure you’ll be able to hunt with your good eye and ear. It’ll just take a bit of practice.”
Lostface’s eye began to glow with hope, and she nodded slowly. “All right, Fireheart. If that’s the best way I can be useful.”
“It is, I promise. And Lostface”—Fireheart crouched down beside her and gave her a reassuring lick—“is there anything you can tell me about that day in the forest? Did you see what attacked you?”
Lostface’s flicker of confidence died, and she shrank back against Cloudtail again. “I don’t remember,” she whimpered. “I’m sorry, Fireheart; I don’t remember.”
Cloudtail licked her head comfortingly. “It’s all right; you don’t have to think about it now.”
Fireheart tried to hide his disappointment. “Never mind. If you do think of anything, tell me right away.”
“I’lltell you one thing,” Cloudtail growled. “When we find out who did this to her, I’ll make crowfood of them. I promise you that.”
第二十一章
第二十一章
“别往前走，”蕨毛警告说，“这个地方很危险。”
他和火心带着他们的徒弟正站在雷鬼路边，黑莓爪和黄爪被雷鬼路上的刺鼻气味熏得直皱鼻子。
“对我来说，这看起来没什么可怕的。”黑莓爪说着，试探性地将一只爪子放在黑色的石头路面上。
这时，火心感到地面震动，同时听到怪物的呼啸声逐渐接近，他大声喝道：“快回来！”
话音未落，那个怪物飞驰而过，黑莓爪急忙后跳，一股热风卷过来，把他身上的毛都吹得竖起来。一眨眼间那个怪物已经远去，黑莓爪吓得浑身颤抖。
黄爪惊得目瞪口呆，说：“那是什么？”
火心解释道：“一个怪物，两脚兽们就坐在它们的肚子里。不过怪物们从不离开雷鬼路，因此你们不必害怕，但是千万注意不要到雷鬼路上去。”他严厉地看着黑莓爪，训斥说：“做事情要听武士的命令，你可以问问题，不过要先执行命令。”
黑莓爪点点头，难为情地说：“对不起，火心。”
黑莓爪已经从最初的惊吓中恢复过来，火心不得不承认许多经验丰富的猫也比不上他的胆量。他们一大早便离开营地，黑莓爪勤学好问，表现得十分勇敢。
火心和蕨毛带着徒弟们出来增长见识时，沙风、灰条和白风则外出执行早班巡逻任务。这一路火心提心吊胆，疑神疑鬼，生怕突然撞见森林里的那个魔鬼。
他远远绕开蛇岩走，不想带两名新学徒去那个是非之地。虽然躲避不是办法，但他想等夺面恢复过来，从她那里确实了解到是什么东西攻击她后再说。而且，雷族武士们是否能应付得来这个魔鬼，火心实在没有把握。
黄爪朝雷鬼路对面晃了晃尾巴，说：“那边是什么？”
蕨毛说：“那是影族的领地，你能嗅到他们的气味吗？”
一股凉风夹杂着影族的气味吹来，黑莓爪和黄爪张大嘴巴嗅着。
黄爪说：“我们以前闻过这种气味。”
“哦？”蕨毛惊讶地看了看火心。
黑莓爪解释说：“就是黑条带我们去边界见爸爸的时候。”
火心对蕨毛说：“我看到他们了。”他勉强作出大度的样子，“虎星想见见孩子们也在情理之中。”
蕨毛没有说话，但脸上隐隐透着一丝担忧，似乎他也为虎星和这两只雷族幼崽之间的关系感到疑虑。
黄爪急切地问：“我们现在能过去看看爸爸吗？”
蕨毛大吃一惊，说：“不行！我们不能进入外族的领地，如果被巡逻队发现，那可惹下大麻烦了。”
黑莓爪说：“如果我们告诉他们虎星就是我们的爸爸那就没事了，他上次就想见我们。”
火心生气地说：“蕨毛说过不行了，如果我逮到你们有谁敢踏过去一步，我就把你们的尾巴揪下来！”
黄爪吓得往后跳开，以为火心这就要揪掉他们的尾巴。
黑莓爪盯着火心看了一会儿，迟疑地说：“火心，这其中另有隐情，是吗？为什么没有谁向我们谈过我们的爸爸呢？他为什么会离开雷族？”
火心看着他的徒弟，不知道该怎么避开这个问题。很早以前他便向金花承诺把真相告诉她的孩子们，可他一直没有想好该怎么谈这个问题。
他和蕨毛对视了一眼，蕨毛小声说：“就算你不告诉他们，别的猫也会告诉的。”
火心想这话倒也不错。现在是时候履行他对金花的承诺了。他清了清嗓子，说：“好吧，我们找个地方歇息一下，等我慢慢告诉你们。”
他们在距离雷鬼路十几步远的地方找了一块被香薇丛遮蔽的地方，由于落叶季的到来，香薇叶子凋落了大半。两名学徒好奇地跟在后面。
火心仔细查看了一下，没有发现别的气味，才坐在一片干草地上，蜷起爪子垫在身下。蕨毛站在坡上放哨，以防狗或者影族突然袭击。
火心说：“在我说你们父亲的事情之前，我希望你们记住，你们是雷族的骄傲，你们都将成为优秀的武士，这一点并不因为我将要说的话而有任何改变。”
黑莓爪和黄爪越听越感到不安。火心知道他们已迫不及待地想知道他将要说的话。
他说：“虎星是一位伟大的武士，他一直想做族长，在离开雷族之前，他是副族长。”
黑莓爪兴奋地喊道：“我成为武士后，也要当副族长。”
火心听到这个学徒野心勃勃的话，身上的毛一下子竖了起来：“闭嘴，听我说。”
黑莓爪顺从地低下头。
火心一字一句地说：“正如我所说的，虎星是一位伟大的武士，可是，在雷族和河族的一次战斗中，虎星趁乱杀死了雷族当时的副族长红尾，却撒谎说红尾是被一名河族武士杀害的。我们最后发现了事实的真相。”
说到这里，他停顿下来。两个学徒都瞪着他，脸上显出一副不可思议的神情，目光中充满了恐慌。
黄爪说：“你的意思是……他杀了自己的同胞？”
黑莓爪大声喊道：“我不相信这是真的！”
火心说：“这是真的！”告诉他们父亲背叛族群的往事令火心感到十分头痛，他既要遵守对他们母亲的承诺，讲述时尽量保持客观，又要使这两个学徒对母族不能怀有异心。“虎星以为杀了红尾后，他就能接替副族长，可蓝星却选了一只名叫狮心的猫做副族长。”
黑莓爪声音颤抖地问：“虎星不会也把狮心杀了吧？”
“他没有，狮心是在一场和影族的战斗中牺牲的。虎星终于得偿所愿，当上了副族长，可他并不满足，他要当族长。”
他顿了顿，不知道该告诉他们多少。虎星曾经设计想杀害蓝星，不料炭毛却误打误撞中了埋伏，致使炭毛失去了一条腿，而且虎星还想谋害自己。不过他不想告诉两个学徒这些，以免增加他们的心理负担。
火心继续说：“他从森林里纠集了一帮泼皮猫，袭击雷族，还试图杀死蓝星。”
黄爪倒吸了口凉气说：“杀死蓝星！可她是我们的族长啊！”
火心尽量语气平和地解释说：“虎星是想取代蓝星的位置啊。事后，族群将他流放，后来机缘巧合，他加入了影族，成为影族族长。”
两个学徒面面相觑，黑莓爪轻声说：“这么说，我们的父亲是叛徒了？”
火心回答：“哦，是的。我知道这件事令你们难以接受，可你们只要记住你们都属于雷族就行了。而且就像我说的那样，雷族也以你们为荣。你们不必为父亲的错误负责，你们能够成为伟大的武士，完全忠于你们的族群和武士守则。”
黄爪说：“可是我们的父亲是叛徒啊，他现在是我们的敌人了吗？”
火心看着她惊恐的目光，柔声说：“所有猫都把族群的利益放在首位，这就是忠诚的意义。你们的父亲如今忠于影族，就如你们的职责是忠于雷族一般。”
现场陷入一阵沉默。过了一会儿，黄爪站起来舔了几下胸口的毛，说：“谢谢你告诉我们这些事情，火心，族里其他的猫真的……真的会以我们为荣吗？”
火心安慰她说：“是真的，别忘了，大家知道这些事情的时候你们才刚刚出生而已，而且他们从来就没有想过要处罚你们，对吗？”
黄爪感激地冲他眨眨眼睛，黑莓爪仰头望着天空，脸上的神情不可捉摸。
火心不安地说：“黑莓爪？”黑莓爪没有反应。火心又说：“努力工作，忠于雷族，没有猫会因为你们父亲的所作所为而责怪你们。”
黑莓爪低下头，虎视眈眈地盯着火心，那种眼神就和虎星的一模一样。黑莓爪低沉地说：“可这不是真的，是吗？你们都在责怪我们。我不管你现在说什么，我知道你一直都看我不顺眼，你认为我会像我父亲那样成为一个叛徒，不论我做什么，你都不会信任我！”
火心凝视着他，无法否认徒弟的指责，一时之间他也不知道该说什么。就在他迟疑的时候，黑莓爪跳起身冲了出去。黄爪胆怯地瞅了火心一眼，然后追在黑莓爪的后面。
火心听见蕨毛说：“准备走了吗？我们沿着边界去‘四棵树’吧。”
火心回答说：“走吧。”他心情沉重地走出去。经过这一番谈话，他把忠诚的含义向这两个学徒解释清楚了吗？还是让这两个学徒离雷族和他更远了？
在带着徒弟们熟悉环境的同时，火心一直密切留意那个神秘魔鬼的踪迹。可他既没有嗅到不同寻常的气味，也没有发现捕杀猎物的痕迹。那个魔鬼仿佛突然从地面上消失了一般，火心暗暗胆寒。这个魔鬼到底是什么东西？在造成这么可怕的灾祸之后，竟然无影无踪，好像从来没有出现过一样。
火心想：我必须尽快和夺面谈谈。那个魔鬼绝不会就这么放过他们的，迅爪的悲剧迟早会落在另外一只猫的头上。
第二天一大早，火心从武士巢穴出来，发现早班巡逻队已经作好出发的准备了。灰条和沙风在金雀花通道出口处等候，尘毛把蜡爪从学徒巢穴叫了出来。火心快步赶过去，不料沙风看到他过来，突然大声对灰条说：“我等得不耐烦了，咱们山沟外见。”说完，她转身消失在金雀花通道里，瞅都不瞅火心一眼。
火心十分难过，呆呆地盯着金雀花通道，这里仍能嗅到沙风留下的气味。
灰条用鼻子触了触火心的肩膀，说：“给她些时间，她会回心转意的。”
“我不知道，自打风族那件事情过后……”
这时他看见尘毛和蜡爪匆匆赶了过来，于是后退一步让开道路。火心心想，现在尘毛愿意和灰条一同外出捕猎，看上去已经不再刁难他了，也许时间能使灰条重新成为族群里真正的一员。
火心向巫医巢穴走去。夺面正坐在巫医巢穴外晒太阳，云尾则为她梳理皮毛。她的伤已经完全愈合了，身上也长出了新毛，乍一看去，还以为她恢复健康了呢。这时，夺面正好抬起头，火心头一次看见她没有被蛛丝裹住的脸。
夺面的脸颊上布满了疤痕，由于脸上没有皮毛覆盖，鲜红的肉暴露在外。她少了一只眼睛，耳朵也只剩下了几缕残片，火心这才意识到夺面这个名字竟然是如此贴切，令他感到可怕。她以前可是一只活泼开朗的猫啊。他的心中升起一团怒火，无论如何也要把这个魔鬼赶出森林！
夺面发觉火心走近，立刻吓得缩进云尾的怀里。
云尾柔声说：“别害怕，是火心啊。”他抬头对火心解释说：“你是从她看不见的那一侧过来的，她最害怕这样，不过她每天都在好转。”
“没错。”炭毛从巫医巢穴里出来，一瘸一拐地走到火心身边小声说，“说老实话，我现在能做的不多了，她需要时间来静养。”
火心问：“多长时间？我想和她谈谈——而且云尾也该回去履行他的武士职责了，沙风想让他参加捕猎。”说着，火心同情地瞅了云尾一眼，云尾对夺面忠贞不渝的感情令他感到十分钦佩。
炭毛耸了耸肩膀，说：“夺面什么时候离开巫医巢穴要由她自己来决定，你想过她的将来吗？”
火心摇了摇头，说：“按理说她已经是一名武士了……”
炭毛夸张地说：“你认为她会高高兴兴地和你们住在一起吗？她仍需要照顾。”
这时云尾走过来说：“我想至少她在康复之前可以和老年猫住在一起，纹尾仍然在为雪崽的事情伤心，让她照顾一下别的猫对她有好处。”
火心温和地说：“这个主意不错。”
炭毛反对说：“我可不敢保证。纹尾会怎么想？你知道她很敏感而且性格高傲，你们想出这个主意来分散她的悲伤，她不会高兴的。”
火心说：“纹尾那边交给我来办，我就说请她帮忙照顾一下夺面。”
炭毛同意说：“这一招也许管用。等夺面好转一些后，她能帮助老年猫整理巢穴，这样学徒们就能腾出手来干别的事情了。”
云尾说：“我去问问她。”他跑回到夺面身边，说：“夺面，火心想和你谈一谈。”
火心走过来说：“夺面，我是火心啊。”夺面那张惨遭毁容的脸缓缓转过来对着他。火心说：“你想和老年猫住一段时间吗？如果你能照顾他们，可就帮了我的大忙了——学徒们忙得没有时间做这些事情。”
夺面紧张地用那只好眼瞅着云尾，说：“我可以不去，是吗？我又不是老年猫。”
云尾抵住她的脸说：“谁也不会勉强你。”
火心赶紧说：“可你能帮我一个大忙。纹尾仍在为雪崽的事情伤心，如果有一只年轻力壮的猫陪在她身边，她会好过些。”看见夺面仍在犹豫不定，火心又说：“等你完全恢复体力后，你就能离开那里了。”
云尾补充说：“而且等你完全恢复后，我还要帮助你训练呢。我敢肯定你用一只眼睛和耳朵照样能捕猎，只不过需要多练习几次罢了。”
夺面的眼睛里燃起希望的火花，她缓缓点了点头，说：“好吧，火心，如果我还能帮得上忙，那就照你说的办吧。”
“绝对能帮得上忙，我保证。还有件事，夺面……”火心在她身边趴下，舔了舔她，“你能告诉我那天森林里发生的事情吗？你看见是什么东西袭击你们了吗？”
夺面刚刚产生的一点儿自信一下子又消失了，她缩在云尾身边，小声说：“我不记得了，对不起，火心，我不记得了。”
云尾舔了一下她的脑门儿，安慰说：“没关系啦，你现在不必想这件事。”
火心强压住内心的失望，说：“没关系，如果你想起来什么，记得立刻告诉我。”
云尾大声说：“我可以告诉你一件事，如果我们发现是谁伤害你的，我一定要让他们不得好死，我说话算数。”
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 22
A full moon crossed the skybehind thin wisps of cloud as Bluestar led her warriors to the Gathering. Fireheart was already uneasy. In spite of her declaration of war against StarClan, Bluestar had insisted on going. “How can I trust you to lead the Clan?” she had spat at her deputy when he had asked her which warriors he should take. Fireheart had simply bowed his head in obedience, but he could still feel the pain of knowing that his leader was convinced he was a traitor.
He also had his doubts about including Graystripe, but his friend had begged desperately to be allowed to come. “Please, Fireheart! I’ll be able to get news of Featherkit and Stormkit,” he had meowed. Fireheart knew that Graystripe was inviting hostility from RiverClan by appearing so soon after the battle at Sunningrocks, and had half hoped that Bluestar would refuse. But the ThunderClan leader had merely flicked her tail dismissively. “Let him come. You’re all traitors, so what does it matter?”
Now Fireheart bunched together with the other ThunderClan warriors to follow Bluestar down the slope. As they emerged into the hollow, the first thing he saw was Tigerstar and Leopardstar sitting side by side, watching approvingly as a group of their apprentices scuffled playfully with eachother. Fireheart’s fur crawled as he saw those two together. He still had no evidence that Tigerstar was plotting revenge on his former Clan, but Leopardstar would certainly be feeling hostile after her Clan’s defeat at Sunningrocks.
“You’ve done a good job there,” meowed Leopardstar to her companion. “Those are strong young cats, and they’ve learned their fighting moves well.”
A purr rumbled in Tigerstar’s chest. “We’ve made some progress,” he agreed. “But there’s a long way to go yet.”
A pair of tumbling apprentices rolled right up to their leaders’ paws and Leopardstar shifted backwards to give them more room. The young ShadowClan cats were certainly muscular and well fed, Fireheart thought; he could hardly believe they were the same scrawny creatures who had almost died when the sickness swept through their Clan. He exchanged an uneasy glance with Graystripe; sooner or later, he was sure, ThunderClan would have to meet these skilled fighters in battle.
At a word from Tigerstar the apprentices stopped their playful skirmish and sat up, licking their ruffled fur. The two leaders began to make their way toward the Great Rock. Fireheart spotted Bluestar already waiting at its base, but he couldn’t see Tallstar, the WindClan leader.
As the ThunderClan cats dispersed to meet with warriors in other Clans, he noticed Graystripe hurrying up to a plump bracken-colored she-cat, and caught the scent of RiverClan from her. Fireheart felt a pang of anxiety as he watched his friend. He trusted Graystripe absolutely, even though he would always have one paw in RiverClan while his kits were there. But several ThunderClan warriors would doubt his loyalty if they saw him so eager to talk to a RiverClan cat.
“Mosspelt, how are you?” Graystripe greeted the she-cat. “How are Featherkit and Stormkit?”
“Featherpaw and Stormpaw now,” replied Mosspelt proudly. “They’ve just been apprenticed.”
“That’s great!” Graystripe’s yellow eyes were glowing as he turned to Fireheart. “Did you hear what Mosspelt said? My kits are apprentices now.” He glanced around. “They’re not here, are they?”
Mosspelt shook her head. “They’re too newly apprenticed for that. Maybe next time. I’ll tell them you were asking after them, Graystripe.”
“Thanks.” Graystripe’s excitement faded and was replaced by anxiety. “What did they think when I didn’t come back from the battle?”
“Once they knew you weren’t dead, they coped well,” replied Mosspelt. “Come on, Graystripe; it wasn’t much of a shock. Every cat in RiverClan knew you would go back eventually.”
Graystripe blinked in surprise. “Really?”
“Really. All the time you used to spend mooning around on the border or looking across the river. All the stories you told those kits about what you and Fireheart used to get up to when you were apprentices…It wasn’t hard to see that your heart had never left ThunderClan.”
Graystripe blinked again. “I’m sorry, Mosspelt.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” retorted Mosspelt briskly. “And you can be sure that your kits will be well cared for. I’ll keep an eye on them, and Mistyfoot and Stonefur are mentoring them.”
“They are?” Graystripe’s eyes lit up again. “That’s great!”
Fireheart felt a pang of misgiving. Mistyfoot and Stonefur were both fine warriors, but he wondered why they had agreed to mentor Graystripe’s kits. Mistyfoot had been a good friend to their mother, Silverstream, and so she might be expected to take an interest. But she and her brother had reacted with such hostility when he told them that Bluestar was their mother that Fireheart was surprised they wanted anything to do with kits who were half ThunderClan. Or was it possible that they wanted to teach the kits to be especially hostile toward their father’s Clan?
“You’ll tell them how proud I am, won’t you?” Graystripe meowed urgently to Mosspelt. “And remind them to do what their mentors tell them?”
“Of course I will.” Mosspelt let out a reassuring purr. “And I know Mistyfoot will help you keep in touch with them. Leopardstar might not like it, but…well, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
Fireheart had his doubts; after her rejection of Bluestar, Mistyfoot might not want anything more to do with ThunderClan. He suspected she would feel more loyal than ever to RiverClan and Graypool, the cat she had always loved as her mother.
“Thanks, Mosspelt,” mewed Graystripe. “I won’t forget all you’ve done.” He looked around as yowling sounded from the top of the Great Rock to signal the start of the meeting.
Turning, Fireheart saw that all four leaders were now assembled, their pelts shining in the moonlight as they stood looking down at the cats below. He paid little attention as the leaders formally opened the meeting. Instead, he wondered whether Bluestar would mention the terrible assault on Swiftpaw and Brightpaw, and whether any of the other leaders had similar news. Fireheart almost hoped that they had, because that would prove that the dark force in the forest was not a threat to ThunderClan alone, and so had not been sent by StarClan to punish Bluestar’s challenge to them. Fireheart couldn’t help thinking it was something greater even than that, a huge shadow that encompassed the whole forest; something that did not know the warrior code and regarded the cats merely as its prey.
When Tallstar had finished, Tigerstar stepped forward. He gave a quick summary of how ShadowClan’s training program was progressing, that another new litter of kits had been born, and that three apprentices had been made into warriors. “ShadowClan grows strong again,” he finished. “We are ready to take a full part in the life of the forest.”
Fireheart wondered if that meant ready to attack our neighbors.He waited with a sinking heart for Tigerstar to make a case for expanding his territory. The ShadowClan leader had paused and was gazing down at the assembled cats as if he had something particularly important to say.
“I have a request to make,” he began. “Many of you know that when I left ThunderClan, two kits of mine were in the nursery. They were too young then to travel, and I am grateful to ThunderClan for the care they have given them. But now it’s time for them to join me in the Clan where they rightfully belong. Bluestar, I ask that you give me Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw.”
Yowls of protest from ThunderClan warriors broke out before Tigerstar had finished speaking. Fireheart was too stunned to join in. He had been concerned all along that meeting with his kits at Gatherings would not be enough for Tigerstar, but he had never expected a public demand for the kits to be handed over to ShadowClan.
Bluestar drew herself up and waited for the noise to die away before she replied. “Certainly not,” she meowed. “These are ThunderClan kits. They are apprenticed now, and they will stay where they belong.”
“In ThunderClan?” Tigerstar challenged her. “I think not, Bluestar. The kits belong with me, and mywarriors will take care of their apprentice training.”
By that argument, Fireheart thought, Graystripe’s kits should be returned to ThunderClan, although he guessed that Bluestar wouldn’t want to reopen that debate with RiverClan. He was relieved to see that Bluestar was not going to back down easily. “Your concern is natural, Tigerstar. But you can be sure that the kits will receive the best possible training in ThunderClan.”
Tigerstar paused again, his gaze sweeping around the clearing, and when he spoke again it was not just to Bluestar but to the whole audience of cats. “The ThunderClan leader tells me how well my kits will be trained under her guidance—but ThunderClan have a poor record in looking after their young cats. One kit carried off by a hawk. One apprentice savaged to death and another permanently crippled when they were sent out alone without a warrior. Does any cat wonder that I’m concerned about the safety of my kits?”
Gasps of horror came from all around the clearing. Fireheart gaped up at the ShadowClan leader. How had Tigerstar learned about Swiftpaw and Brightpaw? It was too soon for news to have traveled to ShadowClan, except…Darkstripe!Fireheart thought, flexing his claws in anger. That treacherous warrior must have gone straight to Tigerstar and blurted out everything!
In his fury Fireheart missed Bluestar’s reply, and when he made himself concentrate Tigerstar was speaking again. “I don’t see what’s so difficult,” he meowed smoothly. “After all, it won’t be the first time that ThunderClan has handed over kits to other Clans. Will it, Bluestar?”
Fear clenched in Fireheart’s belly. Tigerstar was referring obliquely to Mistyfoot and Stonefur. Graypool had told Tigerstar that they had been born in ThunderClan. Fireheart thanked StarClan that Tigerstar did not know the names of the kits or who their mother was. But what little he knew was more than the rest of ThunderClan.
Fireheart glanced sideways at Stonefur, sitting only a couple of tail-lengths away. The blue-gray tom had drawn himself up, his head erect, and he was staring up at the Great Rock. His gaze was not fixed on Tigerstar, Fireheart noticed, but on Bluestar, and the expression in his eyes was one of pure hatred.
Digging his claws into the ground, Fireheart waited for the ThunderClan leader’s response. He could see how shaken she was, and when she managed to reply every word seemed to catch in her throat like thorns. “The past is the past. We must judge each situation on its own merits. I will think carefully about what you say, Tigerstar, and give you my answer at the next Gathering.”
Fireheart doubted that Tigerstar would consent to wait for a whole moon, but to his surprise the ShadowClan leader dipped his head and stepped back a pace. “Very well,” he agreed. “One more moon—but no longer.”
第二十二章
第二十二章
一轮圆月升上天空，穿梭在薄薄的云层间。蓝星带领雷族武士们前往“四棵树”参加森林大会。尽管她已经向星族宣战了，可她执意要率队参加会议。“我怎么能放心把族群交给你带领呢？”当火心向蓝星询问他该带谁参加森林大会时，蓝星就是这么对他说的。火心无可奈何，只得顺从地低头退出洞穴。蓝星至今仍然认定他是个叛徒，这令他感到十分难过。
他原本不想带灰条来，可灰条一再苦苦哀求。灰条说：“求求你了，火心！这样我可以得到羽崽和风崽的消息啊。”火心觉得太阳石那场战役刚过去不久，灰条出现在河族面前肯定会引发他们的敌意。他曾经寄希望于蓝星的拒绝，不料蓝星却满不在乎地晃了晃尾巴，说：“让他去吧，既然你们都是叛徒，去不去有什么分别呢？”
火心和其他武士们一起跟在蓝星身后走下山坡。刚走进山谷，火心一眼便望见虎星和豹星肩并肩坐在一起，饶有兴趣地观看一群学徒们嬉戏打闹。虎星是不是正在密谋报复雷族他不知道，不过他敢肯定豹星自从太阳石一役战败后一定怀恨在心。
豹星对虎星说：“你这个族长当得真不错，这些猫长得很结实，而且他们的动作也很准确灵活。”
虎星高兴地说：“我们族群确实已经有了一些起色，不过未来还有很多的工作要做。”
两个学徒滚到虎星和豹星的脚边，豹星向后退了一步，让开地方。火心想，影族的这些学徒确实个个长得肌肉发达，很难相信他们就是数月前那些差点儿在瘟疫中死掉的瘦骨嶙峋的小猫。他和灰条相互对视了一眼，均感到有些不安。他敢肯定，雷族迟早要和这些训练有素的战士们打一场大仗。
虎星一声令下，学徒们立刻停止了打斗，舔梳身上蓬乱的毛。两族族长向巨岩走去，蓝星已经等候在巨岩下，不过风族族长高星还没到。
雷族猫四散开来，各自去找外族里比较要好的朋友聊天。火心注意到灰条急匆匆地朝一只体态臃肿的黄褐色河族母猫跑了过去，看见朋友这个样子，火心感到非常忧虑。尽管灰条时常牵挂生活在河族的两个孩子，但火心绝对信任他。可是如果一些雷族武士看到灰条如此急切地去见一只河族猫，他们会怀疑他对族群的忠诚。
灰条向那只母猫打招呼说：“藓毛，近来好吗？羽崽和风崽过得怎么样？”
藓毛欣慰地说：“他们已经当上了学徒，现在叫羽爪和风爪。”
“太棒了！”灰条立刻容光焕发，转头对火心说，“你听到藓毛说什么了吗？我的孩子们现在是学徒了。”他又转过头去，“他们不在这里，是吗？”
藓毛摇了摇头，说：“他们资历太浅，不能来这里，也许下一次就可以了吧。我会把你的问候带给他们的，灰条。”
“有劳了。”灰条的兴奋之情减退，继而变得忧虑起来，“那次战役后我再也没有回去，他们怎么想呢？”
藓毛说：“他们知道你还活着就都放心了。别瞎寻思了，灰条，这件事并没有令大伙儿感到意外，河族里所有的猫都知道你迟早会回到雷族。”
灰条惊讶地眨了眨眼睛：“真的？”
“真的。每天早晨你都在边界处徘徊，向河对岸凝望，你总是对两个孩子讲述你和火心一起做学徒时的故事——任谁见了都知道你的心从来就没有离开过雷族。”
灰条又眨了眨眼睛，说：“对不起，藓毛。”
藓毛轻快地说：“没什么可对不起的。你放心，孩子们会得到很好的照顾，我时刻关注着他们，而且他们的老师是雾脚和石毛。”
灰条眼睛一亮，说：“是他们？那太好了！”
火心心里疑窦丛生。雾脚和石毛都是很优秀的武士，可他们为什么愿意做灰条孩子们的老师呢？考虑到雾脚曾经是孩子们的母亲银溪的好朋友，这倒也有可能。不过上次她和石毛听说蓝星竟然是他们的母亲时，反应相当激烈，火心想不到他们居然肯教这两个具有雷族一半血统的幼崽。他们是不是想把对雷族的刻骨仇恨灌输给这两个孩子呢？
灰条急切地对藓毛说：“我为他们感到骄傲！请叮嘱他们一定要听师父的话，你能把这些话带给他们吗？”
藓毛说：“放心吧，一定带到，而且我知道雾脚会尽量安排你和孩子们见面的。豹星也许不乐意，可……嘿，只要这件事瞒着她，也就眼不见心不烦了。”
火心感到很疑惑，既然雾脚拒绝承认蓝星，那她应该不愿和雷族牵扯上什么瓜葛才对。他怀疑自从雾脚和石毛知道自己的身世后，会更加忠于河族，更加热爱灰池。灰池一直是他们敬爱的母亲。
灰条说：“谢谢了，藓毛，我不会忘记你所做的这些事的。”这时，巨岩上传来开会的召唤声。
火心转头看见四位族长已经齐聚在巨岩上。在月光照耀下，他们身上的毛闪闪发光。
四位族长威风凛凛地俯视着巨岩下的猫群。火心并没有注意听蓝星的开场白，他一直在琢磨蓝星会不会提到迅爪和亮爪的惨剧，其他族长会不会也带来类似的消息。其实他很希望其他族群也发生类似的事情，这就证明森林里的那个魔鬼不单单是针对雷族，也不是星族为了蓝星的挑战而派来惩罚她的。火心感觉到森林正被一团巨大的阴影包围，那个魔鬼不知道武士守则是什么，这些猫在它的眼里不过是猎物罢了。
高星讲完话后，虎星走上前。他简要地通报了一下影族学徒的训练进度，族里新出生幼崽的数量以及学徒晋升武士等情况。最后他说：“影族再次变得强大，我们已经作好全面参与丛林生活的准备了。”
火心不知道他这句话是不是“准备好攻击邻居”的另一种说法，他一直为虎星扩张领地的野心感到忧虑。这时，虎星顿了顿，俯视着巨岩下的猫群，似乎有重大事情要说。
只听他开口说：“我有一个请求。众所周知，我离开雷族的时候留下了两个幼崽，当时他们年龄太小，不能和我一起外出游历。我很感激雷族能够悉心照料他们，可现在他们已经长大了，应该加入我的族群。蓝星，请你把黑莓爪和黄爪还给我。”
虎星话音未落，雷族众武士顿时发出一片抗议的吼叫声，火心惊得说不出话来。虽然他担心虎星不会仅仅满足只在森林大会上见到自己的孩子们，但他万万没有料到虎星竟然在大会上公然索要那两个学徒。
蓝星站起来，等抗议声平息后方才说：“当然不行，他们是雷族的孩子。他们现在已经是学徒了，而且他们会继续留在族群里。”
虎星挑战似的说：“留在雷族吗？我认为不行，蓝星，这两个孩子是我的，而且我的武士们将会精心教导他们。”
火心暗想，按照这个逻辑，灰条的两个孩子也该回到雷族来了，不过他知道蓝星不想在这件事上引发和河族的争执。蓝星毫不退缩地说：“你的关心我能理解，虎星，不过你放心，这两个孩子在雷族里将会接受最好的训练。”
虎星又顿了顿，他扫视了一眼群猫，这一次他不是对蓝星说话，而是面对会场上的所有听众：“雷族族长对我说在她的统治下我的孩子们将会得到优良的教导，可据我所知，雷族根本就照顾不好他们的幼崽！一只幼崽被老鹰叼走了，有两名学徒在没有武士陪同下就被派出去执行任务，一名学徒被残忍地杀害，而另外一名则落下了终身残疾。难道我关心自己孩子的安全有什么错吗？”
虎星的话在会场中引起一片轰动。火心抬头望着这位影族族长，心里感到十分纳闷。
虎星怎么会知道迅爪和亮爪的事？这件事刚发生不久，不可能这么快就传到影族，除非——黑条！火心一惊，立时勃然大怒。那个可耻的叛徒必定见过虎星，把什么事都对他说了！
火心稍一分神，便没有听见蓝星是如何回答虎星的。等他集中精神后，只听虎星又说：“我看不出那有什么困难的。其实，这也不是雷族第一次把幼崽交给别的族群，是吗，蓝星？”
火心惊出一身冷汗，虎星是在暗指雾脚和石毛。灰池曾把他们的身世告诉虎星，不过幸亏虎星不知道这两个孩子的母亲是谁。即使如此，他也比雷族里其他的猫知道得多。
火心瞥了眼站在两步开外的石毛。只见他昂着头，眼睛死死盯着巨岩。他盯的不是虎星，而是蓝星。火心看见他的目光中充满了深深的仇恨。
火心忐忑不安地等待蓝星回应。他看得出来，虎星的话给蓝星造成了多么大的震惊，当她回答时，每一个字都如同尖刺一般哽在她的喉咙间：“过去的事就让它过去吧，我们应当尽量照顾彼此间的最大利益。我会认真考虑你的话，虎星，下次森林大会我会给你答复。”
火心本以为虎星等不了一个月的时间，不料这位影族族长却做出妥协说：“很好，我可以再等一个月，但就此为限。”
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 23
Fireheart padded warily through Tallpines towardthe Twolegplace. Heavy rain had fallen the night before, so that wet ash and burned debris clung to his paws. All his senses were alert, not for prey, but for any sign that the dark threat in the forest would emerge to attack his small group of cats as it had attacked Swiftpaw and Lostface.
The injured she-cat was following Fireheart now, with Cloudtail at her side, while Graystripe brought up the rear, watchful for anything that might come upon them from behind. They were on their way to visit Cloudtail’s mother, Princess. The young warrior had insisted on bringing Lostface with them.
“You have to leave camp sooner or later,” he had meowed. “We’re not going anywhere near Snakerocks. I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
Fireheart was amazed at how much Lostface trusted Cloudtail. She was obviously terrified by the thought of venturing outside the shelter of the camp. She jumped at every sound, every crackle of leaves under her paws, yet she kept going, and Fireheart thought he saw in her a return of the courage she had shown when she was Brightpaw.
When they came in sight of the fence at the end of the Twoleg gardens, Fireheart signaled with his tail for his companions to stop. He could not see Princess, but when he opened his mouth to taste the air, he caught her scent.
“Wait here,” he told the others. “Keep a lookout and call me if there’s trouble.”
Checking again to make sure there were no fresh scents of dogs or Twolegs, he raced across the stretch of open ground and leaped up to the top of Princess’s fence. A flash of white among the bushes in her garden alerted him, and a moment later his sister appeared, picking her way fastidiously across the wet grass.
“Princess!” he called softly.
Princess halted and looked up. As soon as she saw Fireheart she bounded over to the fence and scrambled up to sit beside him.
“Fireheart!” she purred, pressing herself against him. “It’s so good to see you! How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Fireheart replied. “I’ve brought you some visitors—look.”
He pointed with his tail to where the other three cats were crouching on the edge of the trees.
“There’s Cloudpaw!” Princess exclaimed delightedly. “But who are the others?”
“That big gray tom is my friend Graystripe,” Fireheart told her. “You don’t need to worry—he’s much gentler than he looks. And the other cat”—he flinched—“is called Lostface.”
“Lostface!” Princess echoed, opening her eyes wide. “What a horrible name! Why did they call her that?”
“You’ll see,” Fireheart mewed grimly. “She’s been badly hurt, so be kind to her.”
He jumped down from the fence, and after a moment’s hesitation Princess followed him and padded across to where the three cats waited.
Cloudtail ran out to meet his mother, leaving Graystripe with Lostface, and touched noses with her.
“Cloudpaw, it’s ages since I’ve seen you,” Princess purred. “You’re looking wonderful, and haven’t you grown?”
“You’ve got to call me Cloudtail now,” her son announced. “I’m a warrior.”
Princess let out a little trill of joy. “A warrior already? Cloudtail, I’m so proud of you!”
While the tabby queen eagerly questioned her son about his life in the Clan, Fireheart did not forget that danger might be near. “We can’t stay long,” he meowed. “Princess, have you heard anything about a dog loose in the forest?”
Princess turned to him, her eyes wide and scared. “A dog? No, I don’t know anything about that.”
“I think that might have been what the Twolegs were looking for that day Sandstorm and I met you in Tallpines,” Fireheart went on. “I don’t think you should come into the forest alone anymore, not for the time being, anyway. It’s too dangerous.”
“Then you’re in danger all the time,” mewed Princess. Her voice rose in distress. “Oh, Fireheart…!”
“There’s nothing for you to worry about.” Fireheart tried to sound confident. “Just stay in your garden. The dog won’t bother you there.”
“But I worry about you, Fireheart, and Cloudtail. You haven’t got a nest to—Oh!”
Princess had just caught sight of Lostface’s damaged side and could not restrain a squeak of horror. Lostface heard her and crouched closer to the ground, uneasiness showing in her bristling fur.
“Come and meet Lostface,” Cloudtail meowed, giving his mother a hard stare.
Nervously Princess took the few paces that brought her to where Graystripe and Lostface waited. Graystripe nodded to her in greeting, and Lostface gazed up at her with her one good eye.
“Oh, my goodness, whatever happened to you?” Princess blurted out, her paws working on the ground.
“Lostface went out to tackle the dog,” Cloudtail answered. “She was very brave.”
“And it did that to you? Oh, you poor thing!” Princess’s eyes were huger still as she took in the full horror of Lostface’s injuries—the ravaged face, the lost eye, and the shredded ear. “And the same thing could happen to any of you….”
Fireheart gritted his teeth. His sister was saying all the wrong things, and Lostface was gazing at her with deep sadness in her remaining eye. Cloudtail pressed his flank against her and nosed her comfortingly.
“It’s time we were going,” Fireheart decided. “Cloudtail just wanted to give you his news. You’d better get back into your garden.”
“Yes—yes, I will.” Princess backed away, her eyes still fixed on Lostface. “You’ll come and see me again, Fireheart?”
“As soon as I can,” he promised, and added silently, alone.
Princess retreated another pace or two, then turned and dashed for her fence, swarming up it and pausing briefly on the top to meow, “Good-bye!” before vanishing into the safety of her garden.
Cloudtail let out a long breath. “That went well,” he meowed bitterly.
“You can’t blame Princess,” Fireheart told him. “She doesn’t really understand what Clan life is all about. She’s just seen some of the worst of it, and she doesn’t like it.”
Graystripe grunted. “What can you expect from a kittypet? Let’s get home.”
Cloudtail gently nosed Lostface. As she got to her paws, the young cat mewed timidly, “Cloudtail, Princess looked as if she were scared of me. I want—” She broke off, swallowed, and began again. “I want to see myself. Is there a puddle nearby I can look into?”
Fireheart felt a pang of sorrow for the young she-cat, and admiration at her courage in facing what she had become He turned his eyes to Cloudtail, willing to be guided by the younger cat on what they should do next.
Cloudtail looked around for a moment, then pressed his muzzle against Lostface’s shoulder. “Come with me,” he meowed. He led her to where some of the previous night’s rain still lay in a puddle among the roots of a tree, and nudged the ginger-and-white she-cat to the edge of the shining water. Together they stood looking down. Cloudtail did not flinch away from what he saw reflected there, and Fireheart felt another rush of warmth toward his former apprentice.
Lostface stood rigid for several heartbeats, gazing into the water. Her body stiffened and her single eye opened wide. “Now I see,” she mewed quietly. “I’m sorry if the other cats feel upset when they look at me.”
Fireheart watched as Cloudtail turned her away from the terrible sight and covered the injured side of her face with slow, gentle licks. “You’re still beautiful to me,” he told her. “You always will be.”
Fireheart felt almost overwhelmed by his pity for the young she-cat, and his pride in Cloudtail for being so faithful to her. Padding over to them, he meowed, “Lostface, it doesn’t matter what you look like. We’re still your friends.”
Lostface dipped her head to him gratefully.
“Lostface!” Cloudtail spat suddenly. The venom in his voice startled Fireheart. “I hate that name,” he hissed. “What right does Bluestar have to remind her of what happened every time a cat speaks to her? Well, I’m not going to use it again. And if Bluestar objects, she can…she can go and eat snails!”
Fireheart knew he ought to rebuke the young warrior for his disrespectful words, but he said nothing. He had a good deal of sympathy for Cloudtail’s point of view. Lostface wasa cruel name, a symbol of Bluestar’s continuing war with StarClan, given without any thought for the cat who bore it. But the name had been given to the ginger-and-white she-cat in a formal ceremony watched by StarClan, and there was nothing Fireheart could do about it now.
“Are we standing about here all day?” Graystripe asked.
Fireheart heaved a deep sigh. “No, let’s go.” The time was coming when he and his warriors would have to confront whatever had turned them into prey in their own territory.
Fireheart dreamed he was padding through a forest clearing in newleaf. Sunlight streamed through the trees, making dappled patterns of light and shade that shifted as the leaves stirred in the breeze. He paused and opened his mouth so that he could taste the air. Very faintly he made out a familiar sweet scent, and a quiver of happiness ran through him.
“Spottedleaf?” he whispered. “Spottedleaf, are you there?”
For a moment he thought he could see bright eyes shining at him from the depths of a clump of ferns. Warm breath caressed his ear, and a voice murmured, “Fireheart, remember the enemy that never sleeps.”
Then the vision faded, and he woke to find himself in the warrior’s den with the cold light of a day in leaf-bare striking him through the branches.
Still clutching at the last sheds of his dream, Fireheart stretched and shook scraps of moss from his fur. It was several moons since Spottedleaf had first warned him to beware of the enemy that never slept. That had been shortly before Tigerstar attacked the ThunderClan camp with his band of rogues—just when Fireheart had hoped that the treacherous deputy’s exile had sent him away for good.
The thought of Tigerstar reminded Fireheart of the most recent Gathering. There was no doubt now that the former deputy wanted Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw, and in spite of what he said to Bluestar, Fireheart was sure that he would not be prepared to wait. Even though Fireheart was not surprised at Tigerstar’s demand, there could be no question of handing them over. Part of Fireheart would have been relieved to see them go, to put an end to his own feelings of mistrust and guilt, but these were ThunderClankits, and the warrior code demanded that the Clan should do everything to keep them.
A rustle in the bedding behind him told Fireheart that Sandstorm was waking up. He cast an uneasy glance at her. “Sandstorm…” he began.
The ginger she-cat glared at him as she shook herself and stood up. “I’m going hunting,” she spat. “That’s what you want, isn’t it?” Without waiting for a reply, she padded across the den and prodded Dustpelt. “Come on, you lazy furball,” she meowed. “All the prey will die of old age before you get out there.”
“I’ll find Cloudtail for you,” Fireheart offered hastily, and slipped out of the den. Sandstorm clearly wasn’t going to welcome any attempt to be friendly.
The day was gray and cold, and as he paused to taste the air a drop of rain stung him in the face. On the far side of the clearing Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw were sitting with the other apprentices outside their den. “Bramblepaw, I’ll take you hunting later!” Fireheart called.
His apprentice got to his paws, dipped his head in acknowledgment, and sat down again with his back to Fireheart. Fireheart sighed. Sometimes it felt as if every cat in the Clan had a reason to dislike him.
He headed for the elders’ den, guessing that Cloudtail would be with Lostface. Even though the injured cat had been in the elders’ den for a few days now, Cloudtail still spent all his spare time with her. When Fireheart reached the burned-out shell of the fallen tree where the elders lived, he saw the white tom seated near the entrance to the den. His tail was curled around his paws while he watched Lostface gently examining Dappletail’s pelt for ticks.
“Is she okay?” Fireheart murmured, his voice low so that Lostface would not hear him.
“Of course she’s okay,” another voice snapped.
Fireheart turned to see Speckletail. The desolate look that she had worn since Snowkit’s death had vanished. Her temper clearly hadn’t softened, but her eyes glowed with affection as she looked at Lostface. “She’s a fine young cat. Have you found out what hurt her?”
Fireheart shook his head. “It’s a real help that you can look after her, Speckletail,” he meowed.
Speckletail sniffed. “Hmmm. I sometimes get the feeling that she thinks shehas to look after me.”She looked sharply at Fireheart, and he was saved from having to answer by One-eye.
“Did you want something, Fireheart?” asked the elderly pale gray she-cat, looking up from her washing.
“I was looking for Cloudtail. Sandstorm’s ready to go out hunting.”
“What?” Cloudtail sprang to his paws. “Why didn’t you say so? She’ll claw my ears off if I keep her waiting!” He dashed off.
“Mouse-brain,” muttered Speckletail, but Fireheart suspected that she was as fond of the young warrior as all the elders.
Saying good-bye to Lostface and One-eye, he padded into the clearing in time to see Sandstorm leaving at the head of her hunting patrol. Brindleface was saying good-bye to them, gazing proudly at her foster kit.
“You will be careful, won’t you?” she mewed anxiously. “None of us know what’s out there.”
“Don’t worry.” Cloudtail flicked her affectionately with his tail. “If we meet the dog, I’ll bring it back for fresh-kill.”
At the entrance to the camp the patrol passed Longtail on his way in. The pale warrior was shaking as if with cold, and his eyes were staring. Instantly alarmed, Fireheart crossed the clearing to meet him.
“What’s happened?” he asked.
Longtail shuddered. “Fireheart, there’s something I have to tell you.”
“What’s the problem?”
As he drew closer, Fireheart caught an unexpected scent on Longtail’s fur—the stench of the Thunderpath. The acrid scent was unmistakable, and Fireheart’s alarm turned to suspicion.
“Where have you been?” he growled. “To ShadowClan, maybe, to see Tigerstar? Don’t try to deny it; your fur stinks of the Thunderpath!”
“Fireheart, it’s not what you think.” Longtail sounded worried. “Okay, I did go that way, but I didn’t go anywhere near ShadowClan. I went to Snakerocks.”
“Snakerocks? What for?” Fireheart wasn’t sure that he could believe anything the pale warrior told him.
“I’ve scented Tigerstar there,” Longtail explained. “Two or three times lately.”
“And you didn’t report it?” Fireheart felt his fur bristle with fury. “A cat from another Clan on our territory—a murderer and a traitor, what’s more—and you didn’t report it?”
“I…I thought…” stammered Longtail.
“I know what you thought,” Fireheart snarled. “You thought, ‘This is Tigerstar. He can do what he likes.’ Don’t lie to me. You and Darkstripe were his allies when he was in ThunderClan, and you’re still his allies now. It was you or Darkstripe who told him about Swiftpaw and Lostface—don’t try to deny it.”
“It was Darkstripe.” Longtail scuffled the dry earth with his paws.
“So that traitor could accuse Bluestar of negligence in front of the entire Gathering,” Fireheart concluded grimly. “So you could help him steal a couple of apprentices from this Clan. That’s it, isn’t it? You’re plotting with Tigerstar to steal his kits.”
“No—no, you’ve got it wrong,” meowed Longtail. “I don’t know anything about that. Darkstripe and Tigerstar often meet together on the border by the Thunderpath, but they don’t tell me what it’s about.” He glared resentfully. “Anyway, this isn’t about the kits at all. I went to Snakerocks to find out what Tigerstar was doing there. And I found something that you need to see.”
Fireheart stared at him. “You want me to come with you, to Snakerocks—where you admit you’ve scented Tigerstar? Do you think I’m quite mad?”
“But, Fireheart—”
“Silence!”Fireheart hissed. “You and Darkstripe were always Tigerstar’s allies. Why should I trust what you say now?”
He turned and stalked away. He was convinced that Longtail and Darkstripe were setting a trap for him, just as Tigerstar had once set a trap for Bluestar beside the Thunderpath. If he were mouse-brained enough to go with Longtail to Snakerocks, he might never come back.
He found that his paws had taken him to the medicine cat’s clearing. As he brushed through the ferns, Cinderpelt put her head out of the cleft in the rock.
“Who—Fireheart! What’s the matter?”
Fireheart halted, trying to get his anger under control.
Cinderpelt’s blue eyes widened in consternation; she padded to his side and pressed her gray flank against him. “Steady, Fireheart. What got you worked up like this?”
“It’s just…” Fireheart flicked his tail toward the main clearing. “Longtail. I’m convinced he and Darkstripe are plotting against the Clan.”
Cinderpelt narrowed her eyes. “What makes you think that?”
“Longtail wants to lure me out to Snakerocks. He told me he scented Tigerstar there. I think they’re setting a trap for me.”
Dismay spread over the medicine cat’s face, but when she spoke her words were not what Fireheart had expected.
“Fireheart—do you know how much you sound like Bluestar?”
Fireheart opened his mouth to reply, and could not. What did Cinderpelt mean? He was nothinglike Bluestar, with her irrational fears that every cat in the Clan was trying to betray her. Or was he? He forced himself to relax, letting the fur on his shoulders lie flat again.
“Come on, Fireheart,” Cinderpelt urged. “If he meant to lead you into a trap with Tigerstar, would he tellyou he’d scented him? Even Longtail isn’t as mouse-brained as that!”
“I…suppose not,” Fireheart admitted reluctantly.
“Then why don’t you go and ask him what it’s all about?” As he hesitated, she added, “I know he and Darkstripe were Tigerstar’s friends when he was here, but Longtail at least seems to be loyal to the Clan now. Besides, if he istempted to betray the Clan, you won’t help by refusing to listen when he tries to tell you something. That’s just pushing him into Tigerstar’s paws.”
“I know.” Fireheart sighed. “I’m sorry, Cinderpelt.”
Cinderpelt let out a little purr and touched her nose to his. “Go and talk to him. I’ll come with you.”
Bracing himself, Fireheart headed out into the clearing again, looking around for Longtail. A chill ran through him as he realized that he might have already driven the pale warrior out in search of Tigerstar, but when he checked the warriors’ den he was there, crouched in a huddle with Whitestorm.
“Whitestorm, you’ve got to listen to me,” Longtail was meowing as Fireheart and Cinderpelt entered. There was real fear in his voice. “Fireheart thinks I’m a traitor, and he won’t have anything to do with me.”
“Well, it seems like you’ve been meeting Tigerstar and telling him our news,” Whitestorm pointed out reasonably.
“Not me—Darkstripe,” Longtail protested.
Whitestorm shrugged, as if he weren’t interested in arguing. “All right, go on. What’s the problem?”
“There are dogs living at Snakerocks,” Longtail blurted out.
“Dogs? Have you seen them?” Fireheart interrupted. Both his warriors looked up as he padded over to them, with Cinderpelt just behind.
“You’re sure you want to hear?” Longtail said accusingly. “You’re not going to charge me with plotting again, are you?”
“I’m sorry about that,” Fireheart mewed. “Tell me about the dog.”
“Dogs,Fireheart,” meowed Longtail. “A whole pack of them.” Fireheart’s blood turned to ice at the word pack,but he said nothing, and Longtail went on. “I told you I scented Tigerstar over at Snakerocks. I…I thought I should warn him about the danger there—and I wanted to know what he was doing so far into ThunderClan territory. Well, I found out.” He shuddered.
“Go on,” Fireheart urged. He realized how wrong he had been; Longtail really did have important news to report.
“You know the caves?” Longtail meowed. “I was just coming up to them when I saw Tigerstar, but he didn’t see me. I thought he was stealing prey at first because he was dragging a dead rabbit along, but he left it on the ground just outside the cave entrance.” He broke off, his eyes clouding with terror as he saw again something unseen by the other cats.
“And then?” Whitestorm prompted.
“Then this…this creature appeared out of the cave. I swear it was the biggest dog I’ve ever seen. Forget the stupid things that come with Twolegs. This was huge.I only saw its front paws and its head…enormous slavering jaws, and you’ve never seen such teeth.” Longtail’s eyes were wide with the memory of fear.
“It snatched the rabbit and dragged it into the cave,” he continued. “And then the howling and barking started. It sounded as if there were more dogs in there, all fighting over the rabbit. It was hard to understand what they were saying, but I think they were saying ‘pack, pack’ and ‘kill, kill.’”
Fireheart stiffened, every limb locked in terror, and Cinderpelt mewed quietly, “Those were the words in my dream.”
“And what Lostface said,” Fireheart added. He knew at last what terrible creatures had attacked the young she-cat. He remembered that StarClan had warned Bluestar about a pack. Longtail had discovered the true nature of the evil in the forest, the force that had turned the cats into prey, the hunters into hunted. Not a single dog, separated from its Twolegs, but a whole pack of savage creatures. Fireheart could not imagine where they had come from, but he knew that StarClan would neverhave unleashed such destruction and risked the balance of life in the whole forest. “And you say Tigerstar fedthese dogs?” he questioned Longtail. “What does he think he’s doing?”
“I don’t know,” the pale warrior admitted. “When he dropped the rabbit, he jumped on top of the rock. I don’t think the first dog saw him. Then he went away.”
“You didn’t speak to him?”
“No,Fireheart, I didn’t. He never knew I was there. I’ll swear by anything you like—by StarClan, by the life of Bluestar—I don’t know what Tigerstar is doing.”
His fear convinced Fireheart. He had been expecting an attempt by Tigerstar to steal the kits, but this was something far more complicated. How could he ever have imagined that the ShadowClan leader would give up his grudge against ThunderClan? He realized that he should have been more afraid of Tigerstar all along. Somehow he was linked to the dark force in the forest. Yet Fireheart didn’t know what Tigerstar wanted with the dogs, or what advantage he could gain by feeding them.
“What do you think?” he asked Whitestorm.
“I think we need to investigate,” meowed the older warrior grimly. “And I’m just wondering how much Darkstripe knows about all this.”
“So am I,” agreed Fireheart. “But I’m not going to ask him. If he isin league with Tigerstar, he won’t tell us anything useful.” Rounding on Longtail, he added, “Don’t you daresay a word to Darkstripe about this. Stay away from him.”
“I…I will, Fireheart,” the pale warrior stammered.
“We still need to know why Tigerstar is taking such an enormous risk, feeding fresh-kill to these dogs,” Whitestorm went on. “If you want to lead a patrol up to Snakerocks, I’ll come with you.”
Fireheart looked upward, judging the light. “It’s too late today,” he decided. “By the time we reached Snakerocks, it would be getting dark. But we’ll go at dawn tomorrow. I’ll find out what Tigerstar thinks he’s up to, if it’s the last thing I do.”
第二十三章
第二十三章
火心全神戒备地穿过松林向两脚兽的地盘走去。昨夜下了一场大雨，地上泥泞不堪，他的爪子上沾满了泥灰和烧焦的细枝。一路上，他密切观察周围的动静，不是为了捕猎，而是为了防备森林里的那个魔鬼，以防它就像上次袭击迅爪和夺面一样袭击自己。
夺面和云尾肩并肩跟在火心身后，而灰条则走在最后，防止敌人从背后袭击。他们这是去拜访云尾的母亲公主，这位年轻的武士执意要带上夺面一起来。
他说：“你迟早都要到营地外面去。我们不去蛇岩，我保证你绝对安全。”
火心想不到夺面竟然会那么信任云尾。走出营地后夺面便一直处在高度惊恐之中，每出现一点儿动静，都能令她吓一大跳。尽管夺面疑神疑鬼，但她最终没有回去，火心似乎看到以往那个勇敢的亮爪又回来了。
当他们远远望见两脚兽花园外的围栏时，火心晃了一下尾巴示意大家停止前进。虽然他看不到公主，不过他能嗅到空气中她的气味。
他对其他三只猫说：“在这里等着，提高警惕，发现情况后大声通知我。”
火心又嗅了嗅空气，确信没有嗅到狗或者两脚兽的气味后，才跑到花园边跳上围栏。
花园里的灌木丛中闪过一团白影，不一会儿，公主出现在草坪上，只见她走起路来十分小心，生怕弄脏了爪子。
火心轻声唤道：“公主！”
公主抬头瞅见火心，立刻跑过来跳上围栏，坐在火心身边。
她紧贴在弟弟身上，欢快地说：“火心！看见你真是太好了！近来好吗？”
火心回答说：“我很好，我还带来了几位客人——你瞧！”
他朝树林边三只猫等候的地方扬了扬尾巴。
公主兴奋地喊道：“是云爪啊！可其他的猫是谁？”
“那只个头高大的灰色公猫是我的朋友灰条。别害怕，他的样子很凶，性格却很温和。
另一只猫……”火心沉思了一下，“名字叫夺面。”
公主睁大眼睛，惊讶地说：“夺面！多可怕的名字啊！你们为什么要这样称呼她？”
火心心情沉重地说：“一会儿你就明白了，她受了很重的伤，你对她好一点儿。”
说着，他跳下围栏。公主犹豫了一下，也跳下去随着火心向那三只猫走去。
云尾撇下灰条和夺面，奔过来迎接他的妈妈。
公主开心地说：“云爪，我已经很久没有见过你了，你看起来真棒，你的个头不会又长了吧？”
她的儿子大声报告说：“你现在应该叫我云尾，我是一名武士了。”
公主赞叹道：“已经是武士了？云尾，我真为你感到骄傲！”
就在公主拉着儿子问东问西的时候，火心一刻也没有忘记周围潜伏的危险。他说：“我们不能久留，公主，你听说有一只狗在森林里游荡的事了吗？”
公主转头看着他，惊恐地说：“一只狗？没有，我不知道这件事啊。”
火心又说：“那天我和沙风在松林里和你相遇时，那些两脚兽可能就是在找狗。不管怎么说，从今天起，你不要单独进森林，太危险了。”
公主焦虑地说：“这么说你们时刻都有危险啦，哦，火心！”
火心努力表现出一副自信的样子说：“你不用为我们担心，只要你待在花园里别出来，就不怕狗来骚扰你。”
“可我担心你们呀，火心，还有云尾，你们连个能躲避的窝都没有——唉！”
公主一瞥眼瞅见夺面被损坏的那侧脸，立刻吓得发出一声尖叫。夺面听见她的叫声，恨不得找个地缝钻进去。
云尾瞪了母亲一眼，说：“来见见夺面。”
公主紧张地挪动步子走到灰条和夺面那里，夺面用她那只好眼瞅着公主。
公主局促不安地说：“噢，天哪，这到底是怎么回事？”
云尾回答说：“夺面出去捉那只狗，她非常勇敢。”
“是它干的吗？噢，你这小可怜！”公主被夺面脸上的伤实在吓得够戗——毁坏的面容、没有眼珠的眼眶，还有被撕碎的耳朵，“同样的事情也会发生在你们任何一个的身上……”
火心气得直咬牙，公主的话太伤夺面的心了。云尾抵在夺面的脸颊上温言安慰。
火心说：“我们该走了，云尾只不过是来向你报个平安，你现在回花园里吧。”
“好的，好的，我走。”公主向后退着，眼睛仍盯着夺面的脸，“火心，你还来看我吗？”
火心说：“只要能够抽出时间，我就来看你。”随即在心里补充说：只有我自己来。
公主又后退了两步，然后转身奔向花园。她爬上围栏回头喊道：“再见！”这才消失在花园中。
云尾长长地吁了口气，苦笑说：“事情倒还顺利。”
火心对他说：“你不能怪公主，她对族群生活只了解个大概，她仅仅看到族群生活最坏的一面，而且她不喜欢族群生活。”
灰条嘟囔说：“你能指望一只宠物猫做些什么呢？我们回家吧。”
云尾用鼻子轻轻顶了顶夺面，夺面站起来，羞怯地说：“云尾，公主似乎被我的模样吓坏了。我想……”她咽了口唾沫，“我想……看看自己的容貌，附近有水坑能让我照一下吗？”
火心心里很难过，但又钦佩她敢于直面现实的勇气。他转头看着云尾，看他怎样回应夺面的请求。
云尾朝四周张望了一会儿，然后用鼻子抵在夺面的肩膀上，说：“跟我来。”他领着夺面走到一棵大树下，昨夜下了一场大雨，在大树的树根之间积成了许多水坑。云尾把夺面领到一个水坑前，两只猫一同朝水坑里看。看到自己的徒弟并不嫌弃夺面恐怖的面容，火心感到十分欣慰。
夺面站在水坑边，身子僵直，单目圆睁，呆呆地望着水面中的倒影。过了半晌，她平静地说：“现在我明白了，如果我的脸令别的猫感到不安，那么我很遗憾。”
云尾把夺面从水坑边拽回来，温柔地舔她那侧被毁容的脸，对她说：“在我眼里你依然美丽，你一直都很漂亮。”
火心既替夺面伤心难过，又为云尾的忠贞不渝感到骄傲。他走过去说：“夺面，你长得什么样并不重要，重要的是我们仍然是你的朋友。”
夺面感激地冲他低了低头。
云尾突然怨恨地说：“夺面！我恨这个名字，每一只猫喊这个名字的时候，都是在揭她的旧伤疤。蓝星有什么权力这么做？哼，我再也不会用这个名字，如果蓝星不答应，那就……那就见她的鬼去吧！”
虽然云尾说出这样大不敬的话，但火心听了也没说什么，而且他和云尾的看法一样。“夺面”是一个残酷的名字，是蓝星向星族宣战的标志。当初蓝星起这个名字的时候，丝毫没有考虑到夺面的感受。不过蓝星曾为夺面举行了正式的命名仪式，火心现在也无能为力。
灰条问：“我们要在这里站一整天吗？”
火心深叹了口气，说：“不用，我们走吧。”他和他的武士们又得回到自己的领地里。
在那里，他们已经沦为了敌人的猎物。
在梦里，火心穿过一片森林。这里阳光明媚，竟然是春天的景色。阳光透过树叶间隙照在地上，形成斑驳的阴影。微风阵阵，树枝轻轻摇曳。火心停下脚步嗅嗅空气，空气中隐隐夹杂着熟悉的香味，一股幸福的激流顿时涌遍全身。
他轻声唤道：“斑叶？斑叶，是你吗？”
香薇丛的深处闪亮着一双眼睛，温暖的呼吸轻抚他的耳朵，一个声音说：“火心，记住啊，敌人从来就没有睡着。”
接着火心眼前的景象渐渐消失，他醒过来，发现自己正躺在武士巢穴里。落叶季的寒风从顶棚的缝隙中呼呼地吹了进来。
火心伸了个懒腰，抖掉沾在身上的苔藓。他细细品味刚才的梦。几个月前斑叶曾警告说敌人从来没有睡着，不久之后虎星就带领一帮泼皮猫袭击了雷族营地。事情败露后，虎星被逐出族群。
火心想起刚刚召开过的森林大会。毋庸置疑，这位影族族长想要抢走黑莓爪和黄爪，虽然他在大会上有所妥协，可火心敢肯定虎星绝对不甘心等待。其实，要是真的把这两个学徒交给虎星，火心倒感到心里的大石头落了地，他再也不必一边疑神疑鬼，一边觉得愧疚了。可他们是雷族的孩子，武士守则要求他们必须不惜一切代价保住这两个学徒。
这时，火心身边的铺垫上响起了沙沙声，他知道沙风睡醒了。他偷偷瞄了眼沙风，说：“沙风——”
沙风瞪着他，抖掉身上的苔藓，站起来说：“我去捕猎，这不就是你想要的吗？”不等火心回答，她便走过去捅了捅尘毛，说：“起来，你这懒毛球，等你睡醒，所有的猎物都老死了。”
火心急忙主动说：“我帮你叫云尾。”说完，他立刻钻出巢穴，不过沙风显然并不领受他的这份殷勤。
外面灰蒙蒙的，天气十分寒冷。火心停下脚步仰头嗅了嗅空气，一滴雨落在他的脸上。会场对面，黑莓爪和黄爪正同一群学徒们坐在巢穴外面。火心叫道：“黑莓爪，过一会儿我带你去捕猎！”
黑莓爪站起身低头行礼后，背对他坐下来。火心叹了口气，他有时感觉似乎所有的猫都各有各的理由来恨他。
他估计云尾和夺面在一起，于是向老年猫巢穴走去。夺面已经在老年猫巢穴里住了好几天了，云尾一有空就去陪她。火心走近老年猫巢穴，看见云尾盘着尾巴坐在那里观看夺面为纹尾捉虱子。
火心小声对云尾说：“她还好吗？”
另一个声音粗声粗气地回答：“她当然好啦。”
火心转头看见是纹尾在说话。她脸上仍挂着雪崽死后就有的那种凄绝的神情，她的脾气还是那么火暴，可她看夺面的眼神却异常柔和。“她是一只很好的年轻猫，你找出伤害她的凶手了吗？”
火心摇了摇头，说：“你能照顾她可真是帮了我的大忙，纹尾。”
纹尾鼻子里发出嗤的一声，说：“嗯——有时我觉得似乎是她在照顾我。”说完她瞪了火心一眼。
一只眼问：“你来做什么，火心？”
“我来找云尾，沙风准备外出捕猎。”
云尾一下子跳起来，叫道：“什么？你怎么不早说？如果我让她等，她会把我的耳朵揪下来的。”说完，一溜烟跑了。
纹尾嘟囔说：“真是笨得要命。”话虽这么说，其实她像其他老年猫一样都喜爱这个年轻的武士。
火心和夺面、一只眼道别后走进会场，看见沙风带领着捕猎队正要离开。纹脸自豪地看着养子云尾，向他们道别。
她忧心忡忡地说：“你一定要小心，好吗？难保外面会发生什么事。”
云尾朝她深情地晃了晃尾巴，说：“别担心，如果我们撞见那只狗，我把它像猎物一样拖回来。”
捕猎队走到营门口，恰巧遇见长尾从外面回来。长尾目光呆滞，身子不住颤抖，似乎冻得不轻。火心觉得有些不对劲，于是走了过去。
他问：“出什么事了？”
长尾耸了耸肩膀说：“火心，我有些事情想告诉你。”
“什么事啊？”
火心走到跟前，忽然嗅到长尾身上有一股他意想不到的气味——是雷鬼路的气味，这股刺鼻的气味他绝对不会认错。火心心中顿时升起一团疑云。
他厉声喝道：“你到哪里去了？去影族见虎星了吗？别想瞒我，你的毛上都是雷鬼路的臭味。”
长尾忧虑地说：“火心，事情不像你想的那样。是的，我是往那个方向去了，可我并没有去影族，我去蛇岩了。”
“蛇岩？去干什么？”火心都不知道该不该相信长尾的话。
长尾解释说：“我在那里嗅到了虎星的气味，最近有两三次都是这样。”
火心立刻火冒三丈：“你为什么不报告？外族的猫进入我们的领地——而且还是个凶手加叛徒——你知道了却不报告？”
长尾结结巴巴地说：“我……我想……”
火心训斥说：“我知道你心里打的什么主意。你在想，‘这是虎星啊，他可以喜欢干什么就干什么吧。’别对我撒谎！你和黑条从前便和他一伙，现在你们和他仍然一个鼻孔出气。迅爪和夺面的事要么是你要么就是黑条告诉虎星的——别说你不知道。”
长尾用爪子蹭着地面，说：“是黑条。”
火心阴沉着脸推测说：“所以那个叛徒才能在森林大会上用这件事来刁难蓝星，所以你们可以帮他把那两个学徒从这里偷出去，是不是这样，嗯？你们和虎星串通好来偷他的孩子。”
长尾说：“不……不，你误会了，我对此事毫不知情。黑条和虎星经常在雷鬼路附近的边界处见面，可他们从来就没有告诉过我。”他眼里闪过一丝记恨的目光，“不管怎么说，我说的事与两个孩子无关。我去蛇岩发现虎星在那里干什么了，而且我觉得有些东西你必须去看看。”
火心瞪着他说：“你想让我和你一起去蛇岩——去你嗅到虎星气味的地方？你以为我发神经了？”
“可是，火心……”
火心怒吼着说：“住嘴！你和黑条都是虎星的同党，我为什么要相信你的话？”
他转身大步走开。他坚信长尾和黑条正设好了圈套等着他，就像虎星曾经在雷鬼路边设下圈套等蓝星一样。如果他傻到竟然和长尾一起去蛇岩的地步，那他有可能再也回不来了。
他下意识地向巫医巢穴走去。穿过香薇通道，他看见炭毛从巫医巢穴里探出头来。
“谁——是火心啊！有什么事吗？”
火心停下脚步，努力控制住愤怒的情绪。
炭毛吃了一惊，走过来贴在他的身上，问：“平静些，火心，什么事令你恼火成这个样子？”
“还不是……”火心朝会场那边摆了摆尾巴，“是长尾啦，我相信他和黑条正在密谋对付族群。”
炭毛眯缝起眼睛，说：“你为什么这么想？”
“长尾想把我骗去蛇岩，他告诉我说他在那里嗅到了虎星的气味，我认为他们是设好了圈套等我上钩。”
炭毛脸上露出沮丧的神情，不过她说的话倒令火心万万没有想到。
“火心，你知道你自己说话的口气多么像蓝星吗？”
火心张大了嘴巴说不出话。炭毛这话什么意思？蓝星怀疑族里所有的猫都背叛了她，他可一点儿也不像蓝星。也许他和蓝星有些相像呢？火心定了定神，让情绪平静下来。
炭毛催促说：“好啦，火心，如果他想把你引入虎星设好的圈套里，为什么还要告诉你说他嗅到了虎星的气味呢？长尾还不至于傻到这种程度吧！”
火心不情愿地承认说：“我……我想他也不至于。”
炭毛见他还在迟疑，又说：“那你为什么不去找他问个明白呢？我知道他和黑条曾经是虎星的朋友，可长尾至少现在看上去忠于族群。况且，如果他想背叛族群，你也应该去听听他在玩什么把戏啊。你对他不理不睬，只会把他推向虎星那一边。”
火心叹了口气，说：“我知道了，对不起，炭毛。”
炭毛稍稍松了口气，和他对触了一下鼻子，说：“去找他谈谈，我和你一起去。”
火心站起身走到会场里去找长尾，可长尾已经不见了。火心顿时惊出了一身冷汗，生怕长尾一怒之下转而投靠虎星。他急忙去武士巢穴查看，却发现长尾正和白风坐在一起。
火心和炭毛走进巢穴，听见长尾说：“白风，你务必听我说，火心认为我是个叛徒，根本不想答理我。”听口气，他确实很害怕。
白风通情达理地说：“哦，那是因为你似乎一直在和虎星来往，并把我们的消息告诉他。”
长尾反驳说：“不是我，是黑条。”
白风似乎不想争论，耸了耸肩膀说：“好啦，你说吧，出什么事了？”
长尾脱口而出说：“蛇岩那里住了一群狗。”
火心插言说：“一群狗？你见到它们了？”白风和长尾都抬起了头。
长尾没好气地说：“你真的想听吗？你不会又说我在搞阴谋吧？”
火心说：“对不起，和我说说那只狗的事情吧。”
长尾说：“是一群狗，火心，一群狗结伙在一起。”火心听到“结伙”这个词顿时如坠冰窟，但他并没吱声。长尾继续说：“我对你说过我在蛇岩嗅到虎星的气味，我……我本想警告他那里很危险。而且我也想知道他大老远的跑到雷族领地里来做什么。嗯，后来我就知道了。”说着，他打了个寒战。
火心催促道：“说下去。”他意识到自己犯了多么大的错误，长尾真的有重要消息禀报。
长尾说：“你知道那些洞吗？我就是爬到石洞顶部后才发现虎星的，但他没有看见我。
起初我见他拖了一只死兔子，还以为他是来偷猎的，可随后他竟然把那只兔子丢在了石洞外面。”说到这里，他闭上了嘴，脸上露出惊骇的神色，仿佛又看到了别的猫没有看到的东西。
白风追问：“然后呢？”
“然后那个……那个东西就从洞里出来了。我发誓我从来没见过这么大的狗，与它相比，两脚兽们牵的都是些小不点儿，这条狗确实是大家伙。我只看到它的前爪和脑袋——流着涎水的血盆大口，你想不到它的牙齿有多大。”长尾回想当时的情景，眼睛睁得大大的。
他继续说：“它把兔子拖进洞内，接着洞里就响起一阵吼叫和犬吠声，它们似乎是在争抢那只兔子。我听不懂它们说的话，不过我想它们在说‘结伙，结伙’和‘杀，杀’。”
火心顿时如遭雷击，身子一下子变得僵硬了。炭毛平静地说：“我在梦里听到的就是这几个词。”
火心补充说：“而且夺面也说过。”他现在知道了袭击夺面的是什么可怕的动物了，星族也曾警告蓝星关于“结伙”的事。长尾揭开了森林魔鬼的真相，在这些恶狗的眼里，猫就是猎物。如今猎手变成了被捕猎的对象，他们面对的不是一只从两脚兽那里走失的狗，而是一整群凶残的狗。火心不知道它们从何而来，但他知道这群魔鬼绝不是星族放出来的，因为这极有可能打破森林里的物种平衡。他问长尾：“你说虎星给这些狗送兔子吃？他到底想干什么？”
长尾说：“我不清楚，他把兔子放在洞口后立刻跳到岩石上面。我想那条狗出来后并没有看见他，然后他就走了。”
“你没有和他说话？”
“没有，火心，我没有和他说话，他根本不知道我在旁观。我可以以你中意的任何东西发誓——以星族，以蓝星的生命——我不知道虎星在干什么？”
他的恐惧令火心相信了他的话。火心一直以为虎星是想偷走这两个孩子，但情况要比他预想的复杂得多。他怎么能以为虎星会放弃报复雷族的企图呢？他意识到这都是自己对虎星的惧怕在作祟。虎星和这些魔鬼牵扯到一块儿，火心想不透虎星打算从这些狗的身上得到什么，他喂这些狗对自己又有什么好处？
火心问白风：“你怎么看这件事？”
白风面色凝重地说：“我们需要做一番调查，而且我还想知道黑条对这些情况了解多少。”
火心同意说：“我也想知道，不过我不打算直接问他。如果他真的和虎星鬼混在一起，是不会告诉我们有用的情况的。”他转头对长尾说：“你最好不要把今天的事告诉黑条，离他远一点儿。”
长尾结结巴巴地说：“我……我不会对他说的，火心。”
白风又说：“我们需要知道虎星干吗冒这么大的风险去给那些恶狗送猎物。如果你想带领一支队伍去蛇岩，算上我一个。”
火心抬头看了看天色，说：“今天已经晚了，等我们到达蛇岩，天都要黑了，我们明天一早出发。无论如何，我要查清楚虎星到底在耍什么鬼把戏。”
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 24
Fireheart emerged from the warriors’ denand paused. He gazed across the clearing to where Sandstorm was crouched by the nettle patch, gulping down a piece of fresh-kill. He had chosen some of the warriors he wanted to come with him to Snakerocks, but so far he had not spoken to Sandstorm. He was reluctant to risk her life on this dangerous mission, and afraid that she would refuse to come if it meant following his orders. Yet he knew that he could not imagine going without her.
Taking a deep breath, he padded over to the nettle patch and sat down beside her.
Sandstorm swallowed the last mouthful of squirrel. “Fireheart? What is it?”
Quietly Fireheart told her what Longtail had discovered at Snakerocks. “I want you to come with us,” he told her. “You’re fast and brave, and the Clan needs you.”
The she-cat turned her green gaze on him, but Fireheart could not read the expression there.
“Ineed you,” he blurted out, afraid she was about to refuse. “For Bluestar’s sake, as well as the Clan’s. I know things haven’t been right between us ever since I stopped the battle with WindClan. But I trust you. Whatever you think about me, do it for the Clan.”
Sandstorm nodded slowly. She was looking thoughtful, and a small seed of hope began to grow in Fireheart’s heart. “I know why you didn’t want to fight WindClan,” she began. “In a way, I thought you were right. But it was hard to know you had gone behind Bluestar’s back without telling the rest of us.”
“I know, but—”
“But you’re the deputy,” Sandstorm interrupted, reaching one paw toward him for silence. “You have responsibilities the rest of us can’t understand. And I can see how torn you must have felt—between loyalty to Bluestar and loyalty to the Clan.” Hesitating, staring down at her paws, she added, “I was torn too. I wanted to be loyal to the warrior code, and I wanted to be loyal to you, Fireheart.”
Fireheart felt too full of emotion to answer. He stretched out his head to press against her flank, and to his delight she did not move away. Instead she looked up at him again, and he felt as if he were drowning in the depths of her green gaze. “I’m sorry, Sandstorm,” he murmured. “I never meant to hurt you.” His voice barely more than a whisper, he added, “I love you.”
Sandstorm’s eyes glowed. “I love you too, Fireheart,” she whispered. “That’s why it hurt so much when you asked Bluestar if Brackenfur could mentor Tawnypaw. I thought you didn’t respect me.”
“I made a mistake.” Fireheart’s voice shook. “I don’t know how I could have been so mouse-brained.”
Sandstorm let out a purr and touched her nose to his.
“I want you beside me always.” Fireheart breathed in her scent, rejoicing in the warmth of her body. He suddenly felt that he would always be happy if he could stay like that forever.
But he knew that he could not. “Sandstorm,” he told her, lifting his head. “I know what we’re going to face out there. It’s more dangerous than I ever imagined. I’m not ordering you to come, but I still want you with me.”
Sandstorm’s purr grew deeper, a vibration that filled her whole body. “Of course I’m coming, you stupid furball,” she mewed.
Fireheart set a double watch on the camp that night and kept vigil himself in the center of the clearing. A growing sense of horror crept over him as he listened to the wind sighing through the bare trees. It seemed to carry Spottedleaf’s voice to him, murmuring about the enemy that never slept: Tigerstar, the dogs—or both. The enemy was about to unleash its fury, and no cat was safe. The next day, Fireheart knew, could see the final destruction of his Clan.
As he watched the moon above him, barely waning from the full, Cinderpelt emerged from her den and padded across the clearing to sit beside him.
“If you’re leading a patrol tomorrow, you should get some sleep,” she advised. “You’ll need your strength.”
“I know,” Fireheart agreed. “But I don’t think I could sleep.” He raised his eyes to the moon again and the glittering stars of Silverpelt. “It looks so peaceful up there. But down here…”
“Yes,” murmured Cinderpelt. “Down here I can feel the evil growing. The forest is dark with it, and StarClan cannot help us. It’s up to us.”
“So you really don’t believe that StarClan has sent this pack to punish us?”
Cinderpelt met his gaze, her eyes shining with the reflected light of the moon. “No, Fireheart, I don’t.” She leaned toward him and let her muzzle brush lightly against the side of his face. “You’re not alone, Fireheart,” she promised. “I’m with you. And so is the rest of the Clan.”
Fireheart hoped she was right. The Clan would survive only if it united and faced this dark threat together. They had supported him in the battle that wasn’t fought against WindClan, but would they join him in facing the pack?
After a few moments Cinderpelt asked, “What will you tell Bluestar?”
“Nothing,” Fireheart replied. “Not until we’ve had a look around, at least. There’s no point in upsetting her. She doesn’t have the strength to cope with this—not now.”
Cinderpelt murmured agreement. She kept watch with him in silence until the moon began to set. Then she meowed, “Fireheart, I’m telling you as your medicine cat that you need to rest. What happens tomorrow could determine the very future of this Clan, and we need all our warriors to be at full strength.”
Reluctantly Fireheart had to admit that she was right. Giving Cinderpelt’s ear a farewell lick, he got to his paws, padded off to the warriors’ den, and curled himself into the moss beside Sandstorm. But his sleep was broken, and his dreams were dark. Once he thought he saw Spottedleaf bounding toward him, and his heart lifted in joy, but before she reached him she turned into a huge dog with gaping jaws and eyes like flames. Fireheart woke, shuddering, to see that the first light of dawn was beginning to seep into the sky. This could be the last dawn I’ll ever see,he thought. Death waits for us out there.
Then as he raised his head he saw that Sandstorm was sitting beside him, watching over him while he slept. As he saw the love in her eyes he felt new strength flowing through his limbs. He sat up and gave the she-cat’s ear a gentle lick. “It’s time,” he meowed.
Bracing himself, he roused the cats he had chosen the evening before for his patrol to Snakerocks. Cloudtail almost leaped out of his nest, his tail lashing fiercely at the thought of confronting the creatures who had injured Lostface.
Brindleface, who had been sleeping close to the young warrior, awoke with him and followed him to the edge of the den. “May StarClan go with you,” she mewed, grooming the scraps of moss out of his fur.
Cloudtail pressed his muzzle against hers. “Don’t worry,” he assured his foster mother. “I’ll tell you all about it when I come back.”
Fireheart woke Whitestorm and then padded across the den to where Graystripe lay curled up in a pile of heather. Prodding him with one paw, he murmured, “Come on.”
Graystripe blinked and sat up. “This is just like the old days,” he mewed, in a vain attempt to sound cheerful. “You and me, charging into danger again.” He pushed his forehead against Fireheart’s shoulder. “Thanks for choosing me, Fireheart. I’m scared stiff, but I’ll prove that I’m loyal to ThunderClan, I promise.”
Fireheart pressed against him briefly and left the gray warrior to have a quick wash while he went to wake Longtail. The pale warrior shivered as he crawled out of his nest, but his eyes were determined. “I’ll show you that you can trust me,” he promised quietly.
Fireheart nodded, still half-ashamed that he hadn’t listened to Longtail the night before. “The Clan needs you, Longtail,” he meowed. “Far more than Tigerstar and Darkstripe need you, believe me.”
Longtail brightened at that and followed Fireheart with the other warriors out to the nettle patch. They gulped down fresh-kill while Fireheart quickly reminded them of what Longtail had told him the day before. “We’re going to investigate,” he meowed. “We can’t decide how to get rid of these dogs until we know exactly what we have to face. We’re not going to attack them, not yet—have you got that, Cloudtail?”
Cloudtail’s blue eyes burned into his, and he did not reply.
“I won’t take you, Cloudtail, unless you promise to do as you’re told without question.”
“Oh, all right.” The tip of Cloudtail’s tail flicked irritably. “I want every last dog turned into crowfood, but I’ll do it your way, Fireheart.”
“Good.” Fireheart’s gaze swept over the rest of the patrol. “Any questions?”
“What if we come across Tigerstar?” asked Sandstorm.
“A cat from another Clan on our territory?” Fireheart bared his teeth. “Yes, you can attack him.”
Cloudtail let out a growl of satisfaction.
Gulping down the last of his fresh-kill, Fireheart led the way out of the camp and up the ravine. Although the sun had nearly risen, clouds covered the sky, and shadows still lay thick among the trees. There was a strong smell of rabbit not far from the camp, but Fireheart ignored it. There was no time to hunt.
The warriors advanced warily in single file with Fireheart in the lead and Whitestorm keeping watch at the rear. After what he had learned from Longtail, Fireheart felt even more strongly that the familiar forest had become full of danger, and his fur prickled with the expectation of attack.
All was quiet until they drew close to Snakerocks. Fireheart was just considering the best way to approach the caves when Graystripe mewed, “What’s that?”
He plunged into a clump of dead bracken. A moment later Fireheart heard his voice, strained and hoarse. “Come and look at this.”
Fireheart followed the sound and found Graystripe crouched over a dead rabbit. Its throat had been torn out, and its fur was stiff with dried blood.
“The pack have been killing again,” Longtail mewed grimly.
“Then why didn’t they eat the prey?” asked Sandstorm, coming up to sniff at the limp, gray-brown body. She sniffed again. “Fireheart, there’s ShadowClan scent here!”
Fireheart opened his jaws and drew the forest breeze over the glands in the roof of his mouth. Sandstorm was right. The scent was faint but unmistakable. “Tigerstar killed this rabbit,” he murmured, “and then left it here. What for, I wonder?”
He remembered how Longtail had reported seeing Tigerstar feeding the pack with rabbit, and the reek of rabbit that had followed them all the way from the ThunderClan camp. Backing away from the prey, he summoned Cloudtail with a flick of his tail. “Go back along the way we came,” he instructed. “You’re looking for dead rabbits. If you find any, check for other scents, and then come and tell me. Whitestorm, you go with him.”
He watched the two warriors retreat and then turned to Graystripe. “Stay here and guard this. Sandstorm, Longtail, come with me.”
Even more cautiously now, pausing to taste the air every few steps, Fireheart drew closer to Snakerocks. It wasn’t long before they discovered another dead rabbit lying exposed on a rock, with the same betraying scent of Tigerstar lingering around it. By this time they were in sight of the mouth of the cave. Fireheart could just make out the shape of yet another rabbit lying at the edge of the open space in front of it. There was no sign of the pack.
“Where are the dogs?” he muttered.
“In that cave,” replied Longtail. “That’s where I saw Tigerstar leave the rabbit yesterday.”
“When they come out, they’ll see the rabbit over there, and they’ll scent this one….” Fireheart was thinking aloud. “And then there’s the one Graystripe found…” Understanding hit him like a rock and he could scarcely breathe for fear. “I knowwhat Whitestorm and Cloudtail will find. Tigerstar has laid a trail straight back to the camp.”
Longtail crouched down on the forest floor and Sandstorm’s eyes stretched wide with horror. “You mean that he wants to bring the pack right to us?”
Pictures flashed through Fireheart’s mind of massive, slavering dogs racing down the sides of the ravine and breaking through the fern wall into the peaceful camp. He could see jaws snapping, limp feline bodies tossed high in the air, kits wailing as cruel teeth reached for them…. He shuddered. “Yes. Come on; we have to break the trail!”
Not even an order from StarClan themselves could have made Fireheart try to retrieve the rabbit that was close to the cave mouth. But he snatched up the one that lay on the rock and bounded back to where he had left Graystripe. He set down his burden long enough to meow, “Bring that rabbit. We have to warn the Clan.”
Ears pricked in amazement, Graystripe obeyed. They headed back toward the camp, and before they had traveled more than a few fox-lengths Fireheart spotted Cloudtail and Whitestorm coming to meet them, slipping warily through the undergrowth.
“We’ve found two more rabbits,” Cloudtail reported. “Both stinking of Tigerstar.”
“Then go and fetch them.” Rapidly Fireheart explained what he suspected. “We’ll dump them in a stream somewhere and break the trail.”
“That’s all very well,” Whitestorm meowed. “You can shift the rabbits, but what about the scent?”
Fireheart froze. Fear was making him stupid, he realized. The rabbit scent and spilled blood would still lead the pack straight to the ThunderClan camp.
“We’ll move the rabbits anyway,” he decided swiftly. “That might slow the dogs up. But we’ve got to get back and warn the Clan. They’ll have to leave the camp.”
Racing through the forest, ears pricked for the sound of the pack behind them, they headed for the camp. Soon they had more rabbits than they could carry. Tigerstar must have hunted all night to catch this many, Fireheart thought grimly.
“Let’s leave them all here,” Sandstorm suggested when they were still some way from the ravine. Her flanks heaved as she gasped for breath, and she had torn a claw, but her eyes glittered with determination, and Fireheart knew that she would run forever if he asked her to. “If the dogs find a good meal, they’ll stop to eat it.”
“Good idea,” Fireheart meowed.
“It might have been better to leave them closer to the cave,” Whitestorm pointed out, his eyes dark with worry. “That might have stopped the dogs’ coming to the camp at all.”
“True,” Fireheart replied, “but there isn’t time. The dogs could be on their way already. We don’t want to meet them.”
Whitestorm nodded agreement. They left the heap of rabbits in full view on the trail and sprinted on. Fireheart felt his heart pounding wildly. He should have known his old enemy would be connected with the dark force that threatened the forest. Only StarClan knew how Tigerstar had found out that the dogs were at Snakerocks, but he was using them to destroy the Clan he hated. As he dashed through the trees, Fireheart was afraid that it might be too late to stop him.
At the top of the ravine, he paused. “Spread out,” he ordered his warriors. “Make sure there’s no fresh-kill close to the camp.”
They headed down the ravine, ranging from side to side. Cloudtail drew ahead, and not far from the entrance Fireheart saw him stop dead. He was staring down at something on the ground.
“No! No!” His voice was an earsplitting yowl, and Fireheart’s fur bristled in horror.
“No!” Cloudtail yowled again. “Fireheart!”
Fireheart dashed to the warrior’s side. Cloudtail was standing stiff-legged, every hair in his pelt on end as if he were facing an enemy. His eyes were fixed on the limp heap of tabby fur huddled at his paws.
“Why, Fireheart?” Cloudtail wailed. “Why her?”
Fireheart knew, but rage and grief made it hard to speak. “Because Tigerstar wants the pack to get a taste for cat blood,” he rasped.
The dead cat lying in front of them was Brindleface.
第二十四章
第二十四章
火心从武士巢穴出来，看见沙风正趴在荨麻丛边吃东西。他已经挑了几名一同去蛇岩的武士，不过他还没有和沙风谈。这项任务很危险，他不想把沙风牵扯进来，而且他生怕沙风误以为他是在下命令而拒绝他。可没有沙风跟着，他心里一点儿都不踏实。
火心深吸了口气，向荨麻丛走去，在沙风身边坐下。
沙风咽下嘴里的松鼠肉，说：“火心？什么事？”
火心把长尾在蛇岩发现的情况讲述了一遍，然后说：“我想让你和我们一起去，你一向行动快，胆子大，族群需要你。”
沙风转头看着他，脸上的表情不可捉摸。
火心怕她拒绝，不由得脱口而出说：“我需要你，为了蓝星，也为了族群，请你和我们一起去吧。我知道自从发生风族那件事后我们两个的关系一直不太融洽，可我信任你，不论你怎么看我，就当是为了族群吧。”
沙风缓缓点了点头，火心顿时看到了一线希望。沙风想了一会儿，说：“我知道你为什么不愿同风族打仗，在某种程度上，我知道你没有做错，但你毕竟背着蓝星背着我们偷偷行动。”
“我知道，可……”
沙风摆了摆爪子，打断他的话说：“可你是副族长，你身负的责任是我们所不能理解的，而且我知道你的内心一定非常矛盾，既要忠于蓝星，又要考虑族群的利益。”说到这里，她迟疑了一下，低头看着地上说：“我也很矛盾，我想严守武士守则，但又想支持你，火心。”
火心激动得说不出话来。他伸头贴在沙风的脸颊上，这次沙风没有避开。她抬头凝望火心，火心感觉自己完全陶醉在她含情脉脉的眼波中。他低声说：“对不起，沙风，我永远不会故意伤害你，我爱你。”说到最后已是细如蚊声。
沙风的双眼顿时充满了神采，她款款细语道：“我也爱你，火心，正因为如此，当你向蓝星建议让蕨毛做黄爪的老师时，我才感到自己受到了极大的伤害。我觉得你没有尊重我。”
火心声音颤抖地说：“我犯了错误，我不知道自己怎么会变得那么蠢笨。”
沙风吁了口气，和他对触了一下鼻子。
“我想让你一直陪在我的身边。”火心呼吸着她幽香的气息，感受着她身体的温暖，真想一辈子就这么过下去。
但现实不允许他这么做，他抬起头说：“沙风，我知道我们出去要面对什么，情况比我预想的还要危险。我不是在下命令，可我仍想让你和我们一起去。”
沙风深吸了口气，全身颤了一下，说：“我当然会去了，你这个傻毛球。”
当晚火心增加了一倍岗哨，而且亲自在会场中央守夜。微风吹过凋零的树林，仿佛阵阵叹息，火心感到心里说不出的恐惧。斑叶的声音似乎又回荡在他耳边，警告他敌人从来没有善罢甘休：虎星，恶狗——或者都是。敌人要逞凶发狠，大家都面临危险。火心知道，他的族群可能在第二天就要遭受灭顶之灾了。
天上的月亮仅仅残缺了一牙儿，就在火心望得出神的时候，炭毛从巫医巢穴走过来在他身旁坐下。
她说：“你明天还要带领队伍，去睡一觉吧，恢复些体力。”
火心同意说：“我知道，可我睡不着。”他仰头望着天上群星闪烁的银河，“天上显得那么安宁，可这里……”
炭毛低声说：“是啊，我感到魔鬼在长大，整片森林都在它的阴影下。星族帮不了我们，一切都要靠我们自己来解决。”
“你真的相信这群恶狗不是星族派来的吗？”
炭毛凝视着他，眼睛里的月光隐隐浮动。“是的，火心，我不相信。”她斜过身子，将头贴在火心的脸上，“你不是在孤军奋战，我会和你一同面对，族群里其他的猫也都和你站在一起。”
火心希望她说得没错。只有大家团结一心共同抵御强敌，这个族群才能幸免于难。族里的猫曾在不与风族开战这件事上支持过他，如今面对这群恶狗，大家还会支持他吗？
过了一会儿，炭毛问：“你打算对蓝星怎么说？”
火心回答：“什么也不说，至少得等我们了解情况后再说吧。没有必要让她紧张，她现在没有力量和我们一起处理这件事。”
炭毛表示同意。她和火心一起默默地望着夜空，直到月亮开始落下去。她说：“火心，我以巫医的身份要求你去睡一觉。明天对我们族群来说是关乎生死存亡的一天，所有武士都该有充沛的体力才是。”
尽管火心不情愿，但他知道炭毛说得没错。他舔了一下炭毛的耳朵，站起来走进武士巢穴，挨着沙风躺了下来。这一觉他噩梦不断。在梦里，他欣喜地看见斑叶朝他跑来，可到了近处，斑叶竟然变成一只巨大的狗，那只狗张开血盆大口，目光如火焰一般。他一下子惊醒过来，清晨的第一缕曙光照了进来。火心心想：这也许是我看到的最后一个清晨了，死亡正在外面等着我们。
他抬起头发现沙风就坐在旁边看他睡觉，目光中的情意令火心精神大振。火心坐起身温柔地舔了一下沙风的耳朵，说：“到时候了。”
他在巢穴内走了一圈，唤醒侦察队的成员。云尾几乎是从窝里跳起来的，想到即将见到伤害夺面的凶手，他就激愤得直甩尾巴。
纹脸陪了云尾一夜，和他一同醒来，陪着他走到会场。她舔去云尾身上的苔藓，说：“愿星族保佑你。”
云尾向他的养母保证说：“别担心，我回来后会把见到的事情都告诉你的。”
火心叫醒白风，然后向灰条睡觉的干草堆走去。他用爪子捅了捅灰条，轻声唤道：“到时间了。”
灰条眨眨眼睛坐起来，勉强做出欢快的样子说：“就像往日的时光一样，你和我，再次共同冒险。”他用头抵住火心的肩膀，“谢谢你让我去，火心，我心里很怕，但我要向大家证明我对雷族的忠诚，我保证。”
火心让他梳理一下，自己前去叫醒长尾。长尾从窝里出来的时候身子不住地颤抖，但他的双眼中却充满了坚毅的目光。他平静地说：“我会得到你的信任的，看我的行动吧。”
火心点点头，仍为昨晚对待长尾的态度感到惭愧，他说：“族群需要你，长尾，比虎星和黑条更需要你，相信我。”
长尾听了火心的话顿时两眼发亮，跟着火心走到荨麻丛旁。在大家吃饭的时候，火心简单地把长尾昨晚的话向他们转述了一遍。他说：“我们去看个究竟。只有摸清这些狗的情况，我们才能想办法除掉它们。我们不是去和它们打仗的，现在还不是时候——你听清楚了吗，云尾？”
云尾眼里闪着怒火，瞪着他不说话。
“云尾，除非你保证不折不扣地按照命令行事，否则我是不会带你去的。”
云尾恼火地晃动着尾巴，说：“嘿，好吧。我恨不得杀了所有的狗，不过我会服从命令的，火心。”
“很好。”火心扫了一眼大伙儿，“还有问题吗？”
沙风问：“如果我们遇见虎星怎么办？”
“一只外族猫在我们的领地里？”火心露出锋利的牙齿，“是的，你们可以攻击他。”
云尾发出一声满意的吼叫。
火心吃完饭，带领队伍走出营地，爬上山沟。尽管太阳已经升起来了，可天上堆满了厚厚的云层，树林里光线昏暗。附近传来一股浓烈的兔子味，但火心没有理会。现在没有时间捕猎。
众武士在火心的带领下一路上十分警惕，白风走在队尾负责后方警戒。自从听完长尾的报告后，火心愈发感到森林里处处透着杀机，似乎敌人随时随地会冲出来攻击他们。
大伙儿走近蛇岩，那里一片寂静。火心正想找一条接近石洞的最佳路径，忽听灰条说：“那是什么？”
他跳进一簇枯死的灌木丛里。片刻之后，火心听见他紧张地说：“快来看看这个。”声音很沙哑。
火心急忙向声音传来的方向赶过去，发现灰条趴在一只死兔子前面。兔子的喉咙被咬断，尸体上的血迹已经干了。
长尾忧郁地说：“恶狗们又开始捕杀猎物了。”
沙风走过来说：“那它们为什么不吃呢？”她嗅了嗅空气，又说，“火心，这里有影族的气味！”
火心张大嘴深吸了口气，沙风说得没错。这股气味虽然微弱但绝不会错。他低声说：“是虎星捕杀了这只兔子，然后丢在这里，为什么呢？”
他想起虎星用兔子喂养狗群的事，又想到他们这一路嗅到的兔子味，火心快步走出灌木丛，晃了晃尾巴把云尾召过来说：“你沿着原路返回，注意搜寻死兔子，如果发现了死兔子还要再留意一下有没有别的气味，事情办完后回来向我报告。白风，你和他一起去。”
他目送两位武士离去，然后回头对灰条说：“你留在这里看着兔子。沙风，长尾，我们走。”
火心往蛇岩走去，现在他更加谨慎，每走几步便停下来嗅嗅空气。不一会儿他们就在一块石头上发现了另一具兔子的尸体，尸体上仍然有虎星的气味。等他们走到能够远远望见洞穴的地方时，火心依稀看到洞口前又横着一具兔子的尸体。那群恶狗没有出现。
他悄声说：“狗在哪儿？”
长尾回答：“就在洞里，昨天我看见虎星把兔子丢在那里。”
“这些狗出来的时候，它们会看见洞口前的兔子。它们能嗅到这一只的气味……”火心沉思了一会儿说，“然后就是灰条发现的那一只……”他的脑海中忽然电光一闪，种种疑云顿时豁然开朗，同时惊出了一身冷汗，“我知道白风和云尾将会找到什么！虎星把这条气味踪迹径直引向营地了。”
长尾立刻四肢瘫软趴在地上，沙风也吓得睁大眼睛，说：“你的意思是他想把狗引到我们那里去？”
火心脑海中浮现出一幅狗群奔下山沟冲进营地的画面：它们张着血盆大口撕咬时发出的骨头碎裂声，猫的尸体被纷纷抛到了半空中，幼崽们在巨齿逼近下发出的哭叫声……他打了个寒战，说：“是的。快，我们必须把这条气味踪迹抹除掉！”
此时就算打死火心他也不敢去洞口的那只兔子那里，他衔起石头上的这只兔子赶到灰条等候的地方。他放下嘴里的兔子说：“带上这里的兔子，我们必须赶快回去通知大家。”
虽然灰条感到非常惊讶，但仍遵命行事。他们朝营地奔去，没奔出多远，火心便望见云尾和白风迎上他们，两只猫的脸色都很阴郁。
云尾报告说：“我们又发现了两只死兔子，上面都有虎星的气味。”
火心简要地把自己的猜疑讲了一下，然后说：“我们去把这些兔子带上，将它们拖到小溪里，在那里气味踪迹就断掉了。”
白风说：“这个主意不错，你可以转移兔子，可兔子的气味呢？”
火心顿时愣住了，他意识到自己在惊慌之下脑袋也变得愚笨了。兔子的气味和散落的血滴仍然能把恶狗们引向雷族营地。
他们全神戒备地向营地走去，一路上发现了许多兔子，多的根本就带不完。火心暗想：虎星一定忙活了一整夜才捉了这么多兔子。
还没走到山沟，沙风便说：“我们把这些兔子都丢在这里吧。”她大口喘着粗气，爪子也磨破了，但眼睛里却是毅然的目光。火心知道如果他命令沙风继续跑，她会一直跑下去的。沙风说：“如果那群狗发现了一堆美味，它们会停下来大吃一顿的。”
火心说：“好主意。”
白风担心地说：“我们把这些兔子丢在洞口附近，效果也许更好些，恶狗们说不定根本就不会跑过来。”
火心回答：“没错，但现在没有时间了，恶狗们可能已经在路上了，我可不想撞见它们。”
白风点头同意。他们把兔子堆成高高的一大堆，十分显眼。火心心里扑通乱跳，他本该料到他的宿敌会和这些恶狗们扯上关系。鬼才知道虎星是怎么在蛇岩发现这群狗的，他利用它们的力量来报复雷族。火心冲出树林，众猫跟随着一同往营地跑。
他在山沟边停下脚步，下命令说：“展开队形，不要让营地周围有猎物。”
他们排成一线爬下山沟。云尾走在最前面，将要到营地门口时，火心看见他猛然刹住脚步。他朝下望去，看见地上有个东西。
“不！不！”云尾的吼声撕心裂肺、凄绝悲惨，叫得火心毛骨悚然。
火心冲到云尾身边。云尾四肢僵直地站在那里，身上的每一根毛都竖立起来，仿佛遇到敌人一般，他的眼睛死死盯着跟前的一具尸体。
云尾悲泣说：“为什么？火心，为什么是她？”
火心感到怒火和痛苦一起涌上心头，他哑着嗓子说：“因为虎星想让那群恶狗嗅到猫血的气味。”
他们面前横着的尸体是纹脸。
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 25
Cloudtail and Sandstorm carried Brindleface’s bodyback to the camp, but there was no time for the mourning rituals. Apparently she had gone out hunting alone very early, and the other cats had only just noticed that she was taking a long time to return. Her burial was a hurried affair, carried out by Cloudtail and her two kits, Fernpaw and Ashpaw, while Fireheart summoned the Clan together.
They returned as Fireheart stood at the foot of the Highrock waiting for the rest of the cats to gather. Cloudtail paced back and forth, his tail lashing fiercely.
“I’ll flayTigerstar!” he vowed. “I’ll scatter his entrails from here to Highstones. He’s mine, Fireheart, and don’t you forget it.”
“And don’t you forget that you’re under my orders,” Fireheart told him. “Right now we have to deal with the dog pack. We’ll worry about Tigerstar later.”
Cloudtail bared his teeth with a hiss of frustration, but did not argue.
Meanwhile the rest of the Clan were huddling in a shocked and silent crowd around Fireheart. Cinderpelt appeared from Bluestar’s den and limped rapidly across to him.
“Bluestar’s asleep,” she meowed. “Better to tell her about this when we’ve worked out a plan, don’t you think?”
Fireheart nodded, wondering how his leader would react when she found out that all her fears about Tigerstar were true. Would the dreadful knowledge drive her into madness once and for all? Pushing his fear aside, Fireheart turned to address the Clan. “Cats of ThunderClan,” he began. “This morning we discovered that there’s a pack of dogs on our territory, living in the caves at Snakerocks.”
Murmuring broke out among the assembled cats, along with a few yowls of defiance. Fireheart guessed that they scarcely believed him, but there was worse news to come. He couldn’t help staring at Darkstripe, but the dark warrior’s expression was unreadable, and Fireheart had no idea how much he already knew.
“Tigerstar has been feeding the dogs,” he went on, struggling to keep his voice calm, “and he has laid a trail of dead rabbits to lead them right into our camp. You all know what lay at the end of that trail.” He dipped his head toward the place outside the camp where Brindleface had been buried.
He had to signal with his tail for silence as a chorus of wailing broke out. He couldn’t help noticing Goldenflower crouched with her head down as she listened to what Tigerstar had done, and he looked instinctively for the two newest apprentices. Tawnypaw was staring at him with horror in her face, but Bramblepaw’s face was hidden. Fireheart wondered if he was equally shocked, or if part of him admired his father for carrying out such a bold plan.
When he could make himself heard again, Fireheart went on: “We have tried to break the trail, but the rabbits have lain there all night, and the pack will follow the scent they left behind. We must all leave—elders, kits, everyone. If the dogs come to the camp they must not find us here.”
More sounds of dismay, this time a low, anxious murmuring. Dappletail, an aged, once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, called out, “Where shall we go?”
“To Sunningrocks,” Fireheart replied. “Once you’re there, climb the tallest trees you can find. If the dogs follow you, they’ll think they lost the scent on the rocks, and they won’t look for you.”
To his relief, the Clan grew quieter now that he had given them definite orders, though the cats still crouched in grief for Brindleface. Her kits, the apprentices Fernpaw and Ashpaw, were pressed close together with looks of stunned horror on their faces. Fireheart thanked StarClan that the day, although gray and chilly, was dry, and that there were no sick cats or very young kits to make the journey.
“And what about the pack?” Dustpelt asked. “What are we going to do about them?”
Fireheart hesitated. He knew the pack was too strong for his warriors to attack directly. Tigerstar would never have led them to the camp unless he had been certain of that. StarClan help me, he prayed silently. As though his warrior ancestors had heard him, an idea flashed into his mind. “That’s it!” he whispered. “We’ll steal the trail.” As the cats close by stared at him, he repeated more loudly, “We’ll steal the trail!”
“What do you mean?” Sandstorm asked, her green eyes wide.
“Just what I say. Tigerstar wants to lead the dogs right to our camp. Fine. We’ll let him do that. And when they arrive, we’ll be waiting—to take them to the gorge.”
Not far from Fourtrees, on the far side of ThunderClan’s territory, the river foamed between sheer-sided cliffs. The current was fast and strong, and there were sharp rocks concealed just under the surface. If cats had drowned there, why not dogs?
“We’ll need to lure the dogs over the edge,” Fireheart went on, the details of the plan taking shape in his mind as he spoke. “I’ll need warriors who can run fast.” His dark green gaze swept the cats around him. “Graystripe. Sandstorm. Mousefur and Longtail. Dustpelt. And I’m going myself. That should be enough. The rest of you gather by the camp entrance, ready to move out.”
As the cats he had not named began to obey his orders, Fireheart saw Fernpaw and Ashpaw pushing their way to the front of the crowd.
“Fireheart, we want to help,” Fernpaw begged, fixing her shocked, pleading eyes on Fireheart.
“I said warriors,” Fireheart reminded her gently.
“But Brindleface was our mother,” protested Ashpaw. “Please, Fireheart. We want to do it for her.”
“Yes, take them with you,” Whitestorm put in, his voice grave. “Their anger will make them fearless.”
Fireheart hesitated, then saw the intensity in the white warrior’s eyes and nodded. “All right.”
“And what about me?”Cloudtail demanded, his tail beginning to lash again.
“Listen, Cloudtail,” Fireheart meowed. “I can’t take all my best warriors to lure the dogs. Some of you have to look after the rest of the Clan.” Cloudtail opened his mouth to argue, but Fireheart went on quickly: “I’m not giving you an easy job. If we fail, you’re likely to find yourself fighting the dogs—and maybe ShadowClan as well. Think,Cloudtail,” he urged as the warrior still looked unconvinced. “What better revenge could you take on Tigerstar than to make sure that his plans fail and that ThunderClan survives?”
Cloudtail was silent for a moment, his face twisted in grief and anger for Brindleface.
“Don’t forget Lostface,” Fireheart meowed quietly. “She’ll need you now more than ever.”
The young warrior straightened up at the mention of his injured friend and glanced across the clearing to see her limping toward the entrance, guided by Speckletail and the other elders. Her one eye was staring and her sides heaved with terror.
“Right, Fireheart.” Cloudtail sounded utterly determined. “I’m on my way.”
“Thank you,” Fireheart called after him as he raced across the clearing to Lostface’s side. “I trust you, Cloudtail.”
As he watched the assembling cats, a movement beyond them caught his eye. Darkstripe was slinking through a gap in the thorn hedge, closely followed by Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw.
Fireheart shot after them and managed to catch up with them as they pushed their way through the thorns. “Darkstripe!” he snapped. “Where do you think you’re going?”
The dark warrior turned. There was a flicker of alarm in his eyes, though he faced Fireheart boldly. “I don’t think Sunningrocks is safe,” he meowed. “I was taking these two to a better place. They—”
“What better place?” Fireheart challenged him. “If you know one, why don’t you share it with the rest of the Clan? Unless you mean you’re taking them to Tigerstar?” A surge of fury made him long to spring at Darkstripe and claw him, but he forced himself to stay calm. “Of course, the ShadowClan leader wouldn’t want his kits to be eaten by the dog pack,” he realized out loud. “You’re taking them to him before the dogs get here, aren’t you? I suppose you arranged all this at the last Gathering!”
Darkstripe did not reply. His expression darkened, and he would not meet Fireheart’s eyes.
“Darkstripe, you disgust me,” Fireheart hissed. “You knew Tigerstar meant to bring the dog pack down on us—and you never said a word to any cat! Have you no loyalty to your Clan?”
“I didn’t know!” Darkstripe protested, his head swinging up. “Tigerstar told me to bring his kits to him, but he never told me why. I never knew about the pack; I swear it by StarClan!”
Fireheart wondered how much worth an oath by StarClan could possibly have in this treacherous warrior’s mouth. He swung around to face the two apprentices, who were staring at him, their eyes wide and scared. “What did Darkstripe say to you?”
“N-nothing, Fireheart,” stammered Tawnypaw.
“Only to go with him,” her brother added. “He said he knew a good place to hide.”
“And you obeyed him?” Fireheart’s voice was scathing. “He’s Clan leader now, is he? Or maybe some cat made him your mentor, and I didn’t notice? Follow me, all of you.”
Whipping around, he led the way across the clearing to where the Clan was gathering near the camp entrance. He was half-surprised to see that Darkstripe followed him, as well as Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw. Sooner or later, Fireheart knew, he would have to have a reckoning with the dark warrior, but there was no time now.
As he reached the other cats, he summoned Brackenfur with a flick of his tail. “Brackenfur,” he meowed, “I’m making you responsible for these two apprentices. Don’t take your eyes off them, whatever happens. And if Darkstripe so much as sniffs at them, I want to know about it.”
“Yes, Fireheart,” Brackenfur mewed, looking bewildered. Nudging the two apprentices, he herded them away, among the other cats.
Seeing Whitestorm close by, Fireheart padded over to him and jerked his head at Darkstripe. “Keep an eye on that one,” he ordered. “I don’t trust a single hair on his pelt.”
Then he addressed the warriors he had chosen to run ahead of the pack. “If you haven’t eaten today, I suggest you eat now,” he meowed. “You’ll need all your strength. We’ll go soon, but first I have to talk to Bluestar.”
As Fireheart turned toward Bluestar’s den, he realized that Cinderpelt was beside him. “Do you want me to come with you?” she asked.
Fireheart shook his head. “No. Go and help the others get ready to leave. Do what you can to keep them calm.”
“Don’t worry, Fireheart,” the medicine cat assured him. “I’ll take a few basic remedies with me, just in case.”
“Good idea,” Fireheart meowed. “Get Thornpaw to help you. You can leave as soon as Bluestar is ready to join you.”
When he looked into Bluestar’s den, his leader was awake and grooming her fur. “Yes, Fireheart? What is it?”
Fireheart padded into the den and dipped his head. “Bluestar, we have discovered the truth about the evil in the forest,” he began carefully. “We know what the ‘pack’ is.”
Bluestar sat upright and watched Fireheart with unwavering blue eyes as he told her what he and his patrol had seen that morning. As he went on, her face grew blank with horror, and Fireheart’s fears rose again that the discovery would drive her into madness.
“So Brindleface is dead,” she murmured when Fireheart had finished. Bitterly she added, “Soon the rest of the Clan will follow her. StarClan have sent Tigerstar to destroy us. They will not help us now.”
“Perhaps not, Bluestar, but we’re not giving in,” Fireheart insisted, trying not to be panicked. “You must lead the Clan to Sunningrocks.”
Bluestar’s ears flicked. “And what good will that do? We can’t live at Sunningrocks, and even there the pack will hunt us down.”
“If my plan works, you won’t be there for long. Listen.” Fireheart told her how he was hoping to lure the dogs through the forest and drown them in the gorge.
His leader’s gaze grew vague, fixed on something Fireheart could not see. “So you want me to go to Sunningrocks like an elder,” she meowed.
Fireheart hesitated. Telling Bluestar what she should do was a lot harder than giving orders to Cloudtail. “Like a leader,” he told her. “Without you there, the Clan will panic and scatter. They need you to hold them together. Besides,” he added, “don’t forget that this is your last life. If you lost it, what would the Clan do without you?”
Bluestar hesitated. “Very well.”
“Then we should go now.”
Bluestar nodded and led the way out of the den. The bulk of the Clan—all the cats Fireheart had not chosen to come with him—were already huddled together near the entrance to the camp. As Bluestar went to join them, Fireheart flicked his tail to call Whitestorm. “Stay beside her,” he mewed softly. “Look after her.”
Whitestorm dipped his head. “You can rely on me, Fireheart.” The glance he exchanged with Fireheart showed that he understood perfectly how fragile Bluestar’s mind was. He padded at Bluestar’s shoulder as she led the way out of the camp.
Seeing the white warrior, old but still vigorous, beside her, Fireheart was struck all over again by how frail his leader looked. But her presence among them would reassure the other cats, especially the elders.
When the last of the Clan had filed out into the ravine, Fireheart turned to the warriors who remained, crouched beside the burned stalks of the nettle patch. Graystripe and Sandstorm met his gaze, their eyes filled with resolution and fear in equal measure. Fireheart was reminded of the last time he had evacuated the camp, when the fire came, and how three cats had never returned.
But he knew thoughts like that would only push him into panic. He had to be strong for the sake of his Clan. Padding over to his warriors, he meowed, “Are you ready? Then let’s go.”
第二十五章
第二十五章
云尾和沙风拖着纹脸的尸体回到营地，不过现在没有时间为她举行追悼仪式。纹脸显然一大早独自外出捕猎，其他的猫仅注意到她过了很久还没有回来。她的葬礼进行得十分匆忙，只有云尾和她的两个孩子香薇爪和蜡爪参加。火心正召集族群开会。
当云尾他们回来时，火心正站在高岩上等待大家聚齐。云尾狂躁地来回踱步，尾巴甩来甩去。
他大声发誓说：“我要扒了虎星的皮！我要把他碎尸万段，从这里一路洒到石林。他是我的，火心，别忘了你说过的话。”
火心说：“你也别忘了答应过要听我的命令，我们的当务之急是那群恶狗，迟些时候我们再找虎星算账吧。”
云尾露着牙齿发出一声低吼，但没有争辩。
这时，雷族的猫们聚在火心周围，大家受到了惊吓，谁都没有说话。炭毛从蓝星的巢穴里出来，一瘸一拐地快速走过来。
她说：“蓝星睡着了，如果我们有什么计划最好通知她一声，你看呢？”
火心点了点头，不知道族长发现她长期以来对虎星的忧虑成为现实后会做何反应。她会因此而陷入疯狂吗？火心撇开心中的恐惧，转头对大家说：“各位同胞，今天早上我们在领地里发现了一群恶狗，它们就住在蛇岩那边的洞穴里。”
猫群中顿时如炸开了锅一般。火心估计他们很难接受这个事实，不过更坏的消息还在后面。他忍不住瞅了黑条一眼，黑条脸上的表情不可捉摸，火心不知道他对这件事知道多少。
火心竭力保持镇定，继续说：“虎星一直在喂那群狗，而且他还用死兔子拉出了一道气味踪迹直达我们的营地。你们都知道这条踪迹的尽头是什么。”说着，他朝埋葬纹脸尸体的地方低了一下头。
猫群中发出一阵悲泣。火心不得不晃晃尾巴示意大家安静。他看见金花低垂着头，黄爪呆望着他，眼睛里露出恐惧的神情，但黑莓爪却面无表情。火心不知道黑莓爪是和大伙儿一样震惊，还是在为父亲的大胆计划而感到钦佩。
火心提高嗓门儿又说：“我们曾试图抹去这条踪迹，但兔子的尸体已经过了一整夜，就算把兔子移走，恶狗们也会循着气味找到这里的。我们必须离开——老年猫、幼崽，所有的猫。这样恶狗们进入营地，就找不到我们了。”
大家六神无主，纷纷议论起来。昔日的族花斑尾高声说：“我们去哪里呢？”
火心回答说：“去太阳石。你们到了那里后，立刻找最高的树爬上去。如果恶狗们循着气味追过去，它们会以为气味消失在石头堆里，就不再找你们了。”
尽管大家仍为纹脸的死感到悲痛，但他们听了火心的安排后，都没有再做声。火心松了口气。纹脸的两个孩子香薇爪和蜡爪又惊又怕，身子紧紧靠在一起。火心暗叫星族保佑，天气虽然寒冷却十分干燥，族里没有病猫，小猫崽们也都能走得动。
尘毛问：“那群恶狗怎么办？我们怎么对付它们？”
火心迟疑了一下。他知道这些狗长得非常强壮，武士们决不能硬拼。虎星一定清楚这一点，因此才把它们引到营地来。仿佛武士祖先们听到火心心里的话一般，他忽然灵机一动，立刻有了主意。他小声说：“就这么办！我们可以改变气味踪迹。”见大家都在瞅着他，他大声重复说：“我们可以改变气味踪迹！”
沙风睁大眼睛问：“你这话什么意思？”
“就像我说的，虎星想把狗引到营地来，好吧，我们让他得逞。当恶狗们到来时，我们就以静制动——把它们引到山涧那里去。”
在雷族领地的远端，距“四棵树”不远的地方，有一道峡谷，谷内激流奔涌，激流下是锋利的礁石。既然那里能淹死猫，为什么不能淹死狗呢？
火心心中的计划逐渐成形，他又说：“我们需要把恶狗们引到山涧边，这件事需要奔跑速度快的武士来办。灰条、沙风、鼠毛、长尾、尘毛，再加上我自己，应该够了。其余的猫都在营门口集合，准备出发。”
没有被他点到名字的猫纷纷向营门口聚集过去，香薇爪和蜡爪却从猫群中挤过来。
香薇爪恳求说：“火心，我们想出一把力。”
火心柔声说：“我说过只要武士。”
蜡爪分辩说：“可纹脸是我们的妈妈，求求你了，火心，我们想为她做些事情。”
白风插嘴说：“是啊，带上他们吧，愤怒能令他们无所畏惧。”
火心迟疑了一下，他看见白风眼里闪着炽热的光，于是点了点头，说：“好吧。”
云尾问：“那我呢？”
火心说：“听着，云尾，我不能让所有最好的武士都去引狗，你们其中的一些还得照顾族里其他的猫。”云尾张开嘴想争辩，火心急忙接着说：“我给你的这项任务并不轻松，如果我们失败了，你们就得和那群恶狗作战——也许还有影族。好好想想，云尾。”见云尾仍是一脸不信服的样子，火心急了，“还有什么比挫败虎星的阴谋、让雷族存活下来更能报复他呢？”
云尾沉默了一会儿，他的脸因悲痛和愤怒而扭曲。
火心说：“别忘了夺面，她现在比任何时候都需要你。”
云尾一听到夺面的名字就猛地站起来，他看见夺面在纹尾和其他老年猫的引导下，正向营门口走去。夺面喘着粗气，走得十分艰难。
云尾无可奈何地说：“好吧，火心，我听你的话就是。”说完，他向夺面奔去。
火心在他身后大喊说：“我相信你，云尾。”
忽然，他一瞥眼看见黑条正往围墙上的一道裂缝里钻，黑莓爪和黄爪紧紧跟在后面。
火心三步并作两步赶了过去，将他们逮了个正着。他厉声喝道：“黑条！你们这是要去哪里？”
黑条转过身，神情非常紧张，但他仍壮着胆子对火心说：“我认为太阳石不安全，我要带这两个孩子去一个更好的地方，他们……”
火心质问说：“什么更好的地方？如果你知道有那么个地方，为什么不说出来让大家都知道呢？除非你是想带他们去见虎星！”他怒上心头，真想扑上去将黑条痛打一顿。他强压住怒火，说：“当然了，那位影族族长可不想让他的孩子成为恶狗嘴里的美食。”说完火心恍然大悟，“你是想在恶狗到来之前带他们走，是不是？我猜你们在上次森林大会上就已经安排好这一切了！”
黑条没有回答，他阴沉着脸，不敢看火心的眼睛。
火心低吼着说：“黑条，你真让我感到恶心。你知道虎星会把恶狗引到这里，而你却把这件事瞒得死死的！你对族群的忠诚到哪里去了？”
黑条猛一甩头，争辩说：“我不知道！虎星让我把孩子们带给他，但他从未说起过为什么。我根本不知道狗的事，我以星族的名义发誓！”
火心怀疑星族在这个可耻的武士心里到底有多大分量，他转身看着被吓坏了的两个学徒，说：“黑条对你们说过什么？”
黄爪结结巴巴地说：“没……没什么呀，火心。”
黑莓爪接口说：“只是叫我们跟着他，他说他有一个好的藏身地。”
火心厉声喝道：“然后你们就听他的话了？他现在是族长，是吗？还是他做了你们的师父而我不知道呢？跟我来，你们两个。”
他转身朝营门口准备动身去太阳石的猫们走去，黑莓爪和黄爪跟在后面，令他稍感惊讶的是黑条竟然也跟了过来。火心知道，他和黑条迟早要撕破这层脸皮，不过现在还不是时候。
他晃了晃尾巴叫来蕨毛，吩咐说：“我要你对这两个学徒负责，不论发生什么事都要看好他们。还有，如果黑条接近他们，就算只嗅了嗅他们，也要向我汇报。”
蕨毛迷惑不解地说：“是，火心。”他顶了顶两个学徒，带着他们和其他猫会合。
火心看见白风经过身边，于是叫住他。他朝黑条仰了仰头，对白风说：“盯着那个家伙，我对他很不放心。”
然后他对执行任务的武士们说：“如果你们今天没有吃饭，我建议你们立刻去吃，我们需要保持充沛的体力。我们一会儿出发，不过我得先和蓝星谈谈。”
说完，火心转身朝蓝星巢穴走去。炭毛跟上前问：“你想让我和你一起去吗？”
火心摇了摇头，说：“不用，你去帮其他猫准备出发吧，尽量稳定大家的情绪。”
炭毛宽慰他说：“别担心，火心，我会随身带一些常用药品以备不测。”
火心说：“好主意，让刺爪帮把手。等蓝星准备好后，你们立即动身。”
火心朝蓝星巢穴里张望，看见她醒来后正在梳理毛。蓝星问：“是火心吗？什么事？”
火心走进洞穴低头行礼，小心谨慎地说：“蓝星，我们已经揭开森林里魔鬼的真相了，我们知道‘结伙’是什么。”
接着，火心便把早上发生的事情向蓝星讲述了一遍。自始至终蓝星的身体都坐得笔直，眼睛死死盯着他。听到最后，蓝星的脸色变得煞白，火心生怕她被这件事逼疯了。
火心说完后，蓝星喃喃说：“这么说，纹脸死了，族里其他的猫很快也会随她去了。星族已经派来虎星毁灭我们，他们现在不会帮我们了。”
火心强抑住内心的恐慌，说：“也许吧，蓝星，但我们不会就此屈服的，你必须带领大伙儿去太阳石。”
蓝星的耳朵一下子竖起来，说：“可这有什么用呢？去太阳石还不是一样会死，恶狗们会追过去的。”
“如果我的计划能够成功，你们在那里就不会待太久的，听着……”于是他把自己的计划和盘托出。
蓝星的目光变得暗淡、呆滞。她说：“这么说，你想让我去太阳石，就像老年猫一样。”
火心迟疑了一下。蓝星可不比云尾，他不能对她硬下命令。于是火心说：“不是像老年猫，而是像一位族长。没有你，大伙儿将会被吓得一哄而散，他们需要你守卫在身边，蓝星。”他又补充了一句，“别忘了这是你最后一条性命了，如果你死了，族群可怎么办？”
蓝星犹豫了一会儿，说：“只有如此了。”
“那我们现在就走吧。”
蓝星点了点头，走出洞穴。前往太阳石的猫都已经聚集在营地门口了。火心朝白风摇了摇尾巴，轻声说：“陪着蓝星，照顾好她。”
白风低头行礼说：“放心吧，火心。”火心从他的眼神里看出，他明白蓝星的心灵是多么脆弱。白风陪着蓝星带领众猫走出营地。
火心看着他们远去，与白风那苍老但却健壮的背影相比，蓝星显得多么虚弱啊。不过只要她在场，大家的情绪就会镇定下来，尤其是那些老年猫。
火心看着蓝星他们消失在视线之外，这才转身回到等候在荨麻丛旁的武士们那里。灰条和沙风看着他，眼睛里都发出恐惧而又决然的目光。火心回忆起上一次组织大家从营地疏散时的情形，那场大火可真猛啊，有三只猫再也没有回来。
他知道这种想法只会增添自己的恐惧。为了族群，他必须坚强起来。他走到武士们面前，说：“你们准备好了吗？出发！”
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 26
When Fireheart reached the top ofthe ravine he halted and turned to Fernpaw and Ashpaw. “You two wait here,” he ordered. “As soon as you see the dogs, run straight for the gorge. Sandstorm will be next in line. When you see her, climb a tree, and then when the dogs have picked up her trail and gone, head for Sunningrocks.”
He looked down at the two apprentices. Their eyes gleamed with fury, grief for their mother momentarily forgotten in their desire to avenge her death. Fireheart hoped they would remember their instructions and not panic, or even worse, try to attack the dogs by themselves. “The Clan’s relying on you,” he added. “And we’re all proud of you.”
“We won’t let you down,” Fernpaw promised.
Fireheart left them there and led the others farther into the forest. His ears were pricked for sounds of the dogs, but for now the forest seemed to be waiting under a suffocating silence, as sinister as any howling or crashing of undergrowth. The sound of the cats’ breathing and their soft pawsteps seemed unnaturally loud as they padded under the trees.
Soon Fireheart halted again. “Sandstorm, you wait here,” he meowed. “I don’t want those two apprentices to have to run too far. You’re the fastest cat in ThunderClan—you’ll need to get a good start on the dogs to give the rest of us a chance. Okay?”
Sandstorm nodded. “You can trust me, Fireheart.”
Briefly she brushed her muzzle against his. There was no time for more words, but her love for him glowed in her green eyes, and Fireheart was filled with a wave of fear for her.
Tearing himself away, he took the rest of his warriors along a line stretching all the way to the gorge, leaving each of them at regular intervals as he went: next Longtail, then Dustpelt, and then Mousefur. At last he and Graystripe were left alone on the border with RiverClan, as near as they could get to the gorge without leaving their own territory. “Right, Graystripe,” he meowed, halting. “You hide here. If all goes well, Mousefur will lead the dogs to you. When they come, head for the steepest part of the gorge. I’ll be ahead of you, waiting to take over for the final stretch.”
“That will be on RiverClan territory.” Graystripe sounded dubious. “What’s Leopardstar going to think about that?”
“With any luck, Leopardstar won’t have to know anything about it,” Fireheart replied, remembering how the RiverClan leader had threatened Graystripe with death if he set paw in her territory again. “We can’t worry about that now. Stay hidden on our side of the border, and if you see a patrol, don’t let them know you’re here.”
Graystripe nodded and flattened his belly to the ground to crawl underneath the branches of a thornbush. “Good luck,” he meowed as he disappeared.
Fireheart wished him luck in return and went on, more warily now, into RiverClan territory. He saw no RiverClan cats but he scented some fairly fresh traces, which suggested that the dawn patrol had already passed that way. At last he found a place to hide in a hollow at the foot of a rock and settled down to wait. The whole forest was silent, except for the distant roar of water in the gorge.
Fireheart couldn’t help wondering where Tigerstar was now. Safe in ShadowClan territory, he guessed, waiting for his old Clan to be torn apart. Then he could swoop in like a carrion crow and take the ThunderClan territory for his own, gloating over his perfect revenge.
Clouds still covered the sky, so Fireheart had no way to judge the passing of time, but as each heartbeat followed the last he began to worry that something had gone wrong. Why was it taking so long? Had the dogs caught one of his warriors? Fireheart pictured Sandstorm being ripped apart by those cruel jaws and worked his paws on the hard earth in front of him, extending and sheathing his claws. He had to force himself not to go back and see what had happened.
What if this was all a huge mistake?he asked himself. Had he led his Clan into even greater danger?
Then, above the noise of the river, he heard a distant barking. Rapidly it grew closer. The dark force had gained a voice at last, giving tongue as the pack bore down on the cats who had become their prey. The sound grew louder still, until it seemed to fill all the forest, and Graystripe appeared, streaking along with his belly almost flat against the ground.
Barely three fox-lengths behind him was the pack leader. Fireheart had never seen a dog like it. It was enormous, easily twice the size of any Twoleg pet. As it ran, its muscles bunched powerfully under a short black-and-brown pelt. Its jaws gaped to show a vicious set of teeth, and its tongue lolled. It barked hoarsely as it snapped at the fleeing Graystripe.
“StarClan help me!” Fireheart whispered, and sprang out of his hiding place.
He just had time to see Graystripe hurtling toward the nearest tree; then all he could do was run. The barking seemed to redouble, and he could feel the hot breath of the pack leader against his hind paws.
For the first time Fireheart wondered what he would do when he came to the gorge. He had imagined slipping aside at the last moment to let the unsuspecting dogs dash straight over the edge. Now he realized that might not work; the dogs were much, much closer than he had imagined.
Perhaps he would have to leap over himself.
If that’s what it takes to save the Clan, then that’s what I will do,Fireheart vowed grimly.
The gorge was close by. Fireheart emerged from the trees to see nothing but smooth turf between him and the edge of the cliff. Casting a hasty glance over his shoulder, he saw that he was outrunning the dogs, and he slackened his pace a little to let them catch up. The pack streamed out of the trees behind their leader, their tongues lolling as they barked.
“Pack, pack! Kill, kill!” The words slashed at Fireheart like teeth.
Then from his other side a heavy weight barreled into him, bowling him over. He fought vainly to get up as a massive paw pinned him by the neck. A voice growled in his ear, “Going somewhere, Fireheart?”
It was Tigerstar.
第二十六章
第二十六章
火心爬上山沟，转头对香薇爪和蜡爪说：“你们两个在这里等候，一看见狗便立刻朝山涧那边跑，下一站是沙风，你们见到她后找棵树爬上去，恶狗们会循着她的气味追下去。”
他低头凝视两个学徒，愤怒使他们暂时忘却了失去母亲的悲痛，一心要为母亲报仇雪恨。火心只盼他们能够牢记自己的任务，不会害怕，更不会一时冲动而去攻击那些恶狗。
他说：“族群就靠你们了，我们都以你们为荣。”
香薇爪保证说：“我们不会让你失望的。”
火心离开他们带着武士们走进丛林中。一路上他都竖起耳朵搜寻狗的声音，不过森林里死一般的寂静，众猫踩在地上，发出沉闷的脚步声。
不一会儿，火心停下来说：“沙风，你在这里等着，我不想让那两个学徒跑得太远，雷族里数你速度最快，就由你来开个好头，为我们争取最大的机会吧。好吗？”
沙风点了点头：“你可以信任我，火心。”
她和火心对触了一下鼻子。时间不容许他们说更多的话，但她的眼睛里充满了柔情。
火心忍痛离开，带着其余的武士朝山涧的方向走。每走一段距离，他便留下一名武士，依次是：长尾，尘毛，鼠毛。最后他和灰条走到河族边界，尽可能地既接近山涧又不超越边界。火心说：“好了，灰条，你就藏在这里吧，如果事情进展得顺利，鼠毛会把恶狗们引来，等它们来后，你就朝山涧最陡峭的地方跑，我会在前面接应你。”
灰条有些吃不准地说：“那可就进入了河族的领地，豹星会怎么想呢？”
当日豹星曾经威胁灰条说如果他再敢踏入河族领地一步，她就要杀死他。火心回答说：“运气好的话，豹星不会发现我们的，现在顾不得这些了。藏在我们这一侧，如果你看见河族巡逻队来，别让他们发现你。”
灰条点了点头，贴着地面爬到一簇灌木丛前。他说了声“祝你好运”，就钻了进去。
火心也道了声祝福，继续前进。走进河族领地，他更加小心警惕。附近没有河族猫出现，不过他们留下的气味很新鲜，估计是早班巡逻队刚从这里走过。最后他在岩石下找了一个洞穴藏了进去。森林里非常安静，只有山涧下隐隐传来的湍流声。
火心忍不住胡思乱想，开始猜虎星现在在哪里。也许是躲在影族领地里等着瞧热闹吧，然后他就轻松占领雷族领地，完成他最完美的复仇计划。
天空布满了厚厚的云层，火心无法从太阳的高度辨认时间，不过每一次心跳，他对情况出错的担心便增添一分。为什么这么长时间还没来？是不是恶狗们捉住了其中的一个武士？火心脑海中浮现出沙风被恶狗们的利齿撕碎的景象。他努力克制返回去看个究竟的冲动。他问自己：如果这是个天大的错误呢？那他是不是把族群带入更大的危险之中了？
这时，他听到远方隐隐传来狗叫声，那声音迅速接近。恶狗们疯狂地欢叫着，想要把眼前的猎物吃到嘴里。狗叫声越来越大，简直充斥了整片森林。不一会儿，火心看见灰条擦着地面飞奔而至。
那只狗群首领紧紧跟在灰条身后，距离他仅有两三步远。火心从来没见过那么大的狗，它的个头顶两个两脚兽的宠物狗还多。在它奔跑的时候，棕黑色皮毛下的肌肉在有力地收缩弹动。它张开血盆大口，露出锋利的巨牙，翻卷着鲜红的舌头。它一边狂吼，一边追赶灰条。
火心暗叫：“星族保佑！”然后从藏身处跳了出去。
他见灰条正往树上爬，便撒腿就跑。狗叫声似乎又增加了许多，他能感觉到狗群首领呼出的热气喷在后腿上。
此时，火心这才猛然意识到自己跑到山涧后不知道下一步该如何做。他原本计划在山崖边刹住脚步，这些恶狗们收不住脚步就会跌进山涧。可如今他觉得这么做未必奏效，他从没想过这群恶狗竟然距离自己这么近。
也许他得跳到山涧对面。
火心猛一咬牙：“只要能拯救族群，刀山火海我都去。”
山涧越来越近。火心冲出树林，从这里到山涧都是光滑的草地。他匆匆回头一瞥，看见那群恶狗被他甩在后面，便稍稍减慢速度让恶狗们赶上。恶狗们在首领的带领下追出树林，它们翻卷着舌头大声吼叫。
每一个词都如利齿一般戳向火心：“结伙，结伙！杀，杀！”
忽然，一个重物从他的侧面撞过来，将他撞翻在地。他挣扎着想爬起来，却被一只巨大的爪子死死按在地上。一个熟悉的声音在他耳边吼道：“这是要去哪儿啊，火心？”
是虎星！
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 27
Fireheart struggled desperately to get free,lashing out with his hind paws to claw tufts of fur from his enemy’s belly. The ShadowClan leader barely moved. The reek of his scent was in Fireheart’s mouth and nostrils, and his amber eyes glared into Fireheart’s own.
“Greet StarClan for me,” he snarled.
“Only after you!” Fireheart gasped.
To his astonishment, Tigerstar released him. Lurching to his paws, Fireheart saw the ShadowClan leader double back and spring up the nearest tree. Before he had time to wonder what was going on, he heard a deafening howl and felt the ground shake under his paws. He spun around to see the pack leader looming over him, its dripping jaws wide. There was no time to run. Fireheart shut his eyes and prepared to meet StarClan.
Pain stabbed him as sharp teeth met in his scruff. His limbs flailed helplessly as the dog lifted him from the ground and shook him from side to side. He twisted in the air, struggling to claw eyes, jowls, tongue, but his thrashing paws met nothing. The forest spun about him. He was aware of more barking, and the stink of dog was everywhere.
“StarClan, help me!” Fireheart let out a yowl of terror and despair. This was not just his death, but the end of his whole Clan. His plan had failed. “StarClan, where are you?”
Suddenly a yowl sounded close by. Fireheart was flung to the ground, the breath driven out of his body. The grip on his neck loosened and was gone. Dazed, he looked up to see a blue-gray shape ramming into the side of the lead dog.
“Bluestar!” he yowled.
The force of his leader’s impact had sent the dog staggering to the very edge of the gorge. Its barking changed to a high-pitched howl of terror as its huge paws scrabbled for a grip on the turf. The loose soil crumbled away under its weight and it fell, but as it disappeared over the edge its snapping jaws closed on Bluestar’s leg, and wrenched her over as well.
Two of the other dogs, hard behind their leader, could not pull up in time. Blindly they charged over the edge of the gorge and vanished, howling, while the remaining dogs skidded to a halt, their fierce barks fading to piteous whimpers. Before Fireheart could force himself to his paws, they had backed away from the edge and fled into the forest.
Fireheart staggered to the edge of the gorge and looked over. Water foamed white beneath him. For a heartbeat he glimpsed the gaping muzzle of the pack leader struggling among the waves, before it vanished again.
“Bluestar!” Fireheart screamed. What had his leader been doing over here? He had sent her with the rest of the Clan to Sunningrocks.
Too stunned to move, Fireheart gazed down into the river. Suddenly he saw a small gray head bob to the surface, paws thrashing wildly. Bluestar was still alive! But the torrent was sweeping her downstream, and Fireheart knew that she was too frail to swim for long.
There was only one thing to do. Yowling, “Bluestar, hold on! I’m coming!” he launched himself down the steep side of the gorge and into the river.
Water clutched Fireheart like a huge paw and buffeted him from side to side. The icy cold of the torrent took his breath away. His paws worked furiously as he tried to swim, but the force of the current rolled him under. He had lost sight of Bluestar before he even entered the water; he could see nothing but the foam that bubbled all around him.
As his head broke surface he gasped for air, managing to stay afloat as the racing torrent swept him downstream. Then he spotted Bluestar again, a few fox-lengths ahead of him, her fur plastered to her head and her jaws gaping. Kicking out strongly, Fireheart closed the gap between them, and as Bluestar began to sink again he fastened his teeth in her scruff.
The extra weight dragged him down. All Fireheart’s instincts screamed at him to let Bluestar go and save his own life. But he made himself hold on, while he forced his limbs to go on working and bring his drowning leader back to the surface. He almost lost his grip on her as something slammed into them, and he caught a glimpse of a dog rolling over in the current, its eyes glazed with terror as it floundered helplessly and vanished again.
A sudden shadow fell across them and was gone as the current carried them under the Twoleg bridge and away from the looming cliffs. Fireheart could see the river bank now and he struck out toward it, but his limbs were aching with weariness. Bluestar was a deadweight, unable to help herself. Fireheart knew that he could not let go of her to gulp in more air, and his senses began to spin away into darkness as his head went under again.
Barely conscious, he made one more massive effort, thrusting at the water with his paws. But when he resurfaced he could not see the bank, and he had lost all sense of direction. His limbs stiffened with panic as he knew he was going to drown.
Suddenly Bluestar’s weight grew less. Blinking water out of his eyes, Fireheart saw another head bobbing in the water beside him, teeth firmly gripping Bluestar’s fur. He recognized the blue-gray pelt and almost forgot to swim in his shock.
It was Mistyfoot!
At the same moment he heard Stonefur’s voice from his other side. “Let go. We’ve got her now.”
Fireheart did as he was told and let Stonefur take his place. The two RiverClan cats propelled Bluestar through the water toward the bank. Without the need to support the heavy she-cat, Fireheart managed to flounder after them until he felt the river bottom beneath his paws. On flatter ground now, carried by the river out of the steep-sided gorge, he was able to splash his way to the safety of the bank on the RiverClan side.
Coughing as he gasped air into his straining lungs, Fireheart shook water from his fur and looked around to see what had become of Bluestar. Mistyfoot and Stonefur had laid the Clan leader down on her side on the pebbles. Water trickled from her parted jaws, and she did not move.
“Bluestar!” Mistyfoot exclaimed.
“Is she dead?” Fireheart asked hoarsely, staggering up to them.
“I think she—”
Stonefur was interrupted by a loud yowling. “Fireheart! Fireheart! Watch out!”
It was Graystripe’s voice. Fireheart turned to see Tigerstar racing across the Twoleg bridge with the gray warrior hard behind him. As the ShadowClan leader swerved along the bank toward Fireheart and the others, Graystripe darted in front of the massive tabby and whirled around to face him.
“Keep back!” he snarled. “Don’t touch them.”
Rage lent strength to Fireheart. His leader lay on the riverbank, her last life ebbing away; whatever she had said or done, she was still his leader, and he had never intended her to die for the sake of the Clan. And all this was because of Tigerstar!
He bounded upstream to stand beside Graystripe, and the ShadowClan leader halted a couple of fox-lengths away. Clearly he was thinking twice about taking both of them on at the same time.
From behind him Fireheart heard Mistyfoot gasp. “Fireheart! She’s alive!”
He bared his teeth at Tigerstar. “Come one step closer, and I’ll throw you in the river with the dogs,” he growled. “Graystripe, make him stay back.”
Graystripe nodded, unsheathing his claws, and Tigerstar let out a long hiss of fury and frustration.
Fireheart raced back to Bluestar and crouched down beside her. She still lay on the pebbles, though now Fireheart could see her chest rising and falling with each jagged breath. “Bluestar?” he whispered. “Bluestar, it’s Fireheart. You’re all right now. You’re safe.”
Her eyes blinked open and focused on the two RiverClan warriors. For a heartbeat she did not seem to recognize them, and then her eyes stretched wide, softening with pride. “You saved me,” she murmured.
“Shhh. Don’t try to talk,” Mistyfoot urged her.
Bluestar seemed not to hear. “I want to tell you something…. I want to ask you to forgive me for sending you away. Oakheart promised me Graypool would be a good mother to you.”
“She was,” Stonefur meowed tersely.
Fireheart tensed. Last time they spoke to Bluestar, the two RiverClan warriors had spat venom at her, hating her for what she had done. Would they turn on her now, defenseless as she was?
“I owe Graypool so much,” Bluestar went on. Her voice was faint and uneven. “Oakheart too, for mentoring you so well. I watched you as you grew up, and I saw how much you had to give to the Clan who adopted you.” A shudder passed through her body, and she stopped speaking for a moment. “If I had made a different choice, you would have given all your strength to ThunderClan. Forgive me,” she rasped.
Mistyfoot and Stonefur exchanged an uncertain glance.
“She suffered a lot of pain for her choice,” Fireheart couldn’t help putting in. “Please forgive her.”
For a heartbeat the two warriors still hesitated. Then Mistyfoot bent her head to lick her mother’s fur, and Fireheart felt his legs shake with relief. “We forgive you, Bluestar,” she murmured.
“We forgive you,” Stonefur echoed.
Weak as she was, Bluestar began to purr with delight. Fireheart’s throat felt tight as he watched the two RiverClan cats crouched over his leader—their mother—sharing tongues with her for the first time.
A furious hiss from Graystripe made him turn his head to see that Tigerstar had taken a step forward. The massive tabby’s eyes were wide with astonishment. Fireheart knew that until now Tigerstar had not known who was the mother of the kits that ThunderClan had given away.
“Don’t come any nearer, Tigerstar,” he hissed. “This has nothing to do with you.”
Turning back to Bluestar, he saw that her eyes were closing and her breath was coming fast and shallow.
“What can we do?” he asked Mistyfoot anxiously. “This is her last life, and she’ll never make it back to the ThunderClan camp. Will one of you go and fetch your medicine cat?”
“It’s too late for that, Fireheart.” It was Stonefur who replied, his voice low and gentle. “She is on her way to StarClan.”
“No!” Fireheart protested. He crouched beside Bluestar and pressed his muzzle against hers. “Bluestar—Bluestar, wake up! We’ll get help for you—hold on just a bit longer.”
Bluestar’s eyes flickered open again, looking not at Fireheart, but at something just past his shoulder. Her gaze was clear and filled with peace. “Oakheart,” she murmured. “Have you come for me? I’m ready.”
“No!” Fireheart protested again. All his recent difficulties with Bluestar faded away. He remembered only the noble leader she had been, wise and inspiring, and how she had mentored him when he came into the Clan as a kittypet. And in the end StarClan had been kind to her. She had come out of the shadows to die as nobly as she had lived, saving her Clan by sacrificing herself.
“Bluestar, don’t leave us,” he begged.
“I must,” his leader whispered. “I have fought my last battle.” She was panting in her efforts to speak. “When I saw the Clan at Sunningrocks, the strong helping the weak…and I knew you and the others had gone to confront the pack…I knew my Clan was loyal. I knew StarClan had not turned their backs on us. I knew…” Her voice failed and she struggled to continue. “I knew that I could not leave you to face the danger alone.”
“Bluestar…” Fireheart’s voice shook with the pain of parting, and yet his heart leaped to hear that his leader knew he was not a traitor.
Bluestar fixed her blue gaze on him. Fireheart thought he could already see the shimmer of StarClan in her eyes. “Fire will save the Clan,” she murmured, and Fireheart remembered the mysterious prophecy that he had heard from his earliest days in ThunderClan. “You never understood, did you?” Bluestar went on. “Not even when I gave you your apprentice name, Firepaw. And I doubted it myself, when fire raged through our camp. Yet I see the truth now. Fireheart, you are the fire who will save ThunderClan.”
Fireheart could do nothing but stare at his beloved leader. He felt as if his whole body had turned to stone. Above his head, wind tore the clouds into shreds, letting a ray of sunshine strike down and touch his pelt to flame, just as it had in the clearing when he first arrived in the Clan, so many moons ago.
“You will be a great leader.” Bluestar’s voice was the merest whisper. “One of the greatest the forest has ever known. You will have the warmth of fire to protect your Clan and the fierceness of fire to defend it. You will be Firestar, the light of ThunderClan.”
“No,” Fireheart protested. “I can’t. Not without you, Bluestar.”
But it was too late. Bluestar sighed softly, and the light died from her eyes. Mistyfoot let out a low wailing sound and pressed her nose to her mother’s fur. Stonefur crouched close to her, his head bowed.
“Bluestar!” Fireheart meowed desperately, but there was no response. The leader of ThunderClan had given up her last life, and gone to hunt with StarClan forever.
Fireheart rose stiffly to his paws. He had to dig his claws into the earth as his head spun, and for a moment he feared that he might fall into the sky. His fur prickled, and he felt as if his thudding heart would burst through his chest.
“Fireheart,” Graystripe murmured. “Oh, Fireheart.”
The gray warrior had left Tigerstar and walked silently over to watch his leader die. Now Fireheart saw that his friend’s amber gaze was fixed on him with something like awe, and as their eyes met, Graystripe dipped his head in deepest respect. Fireheart stiffened in horror, longing to protest; he wanted the comfort of their old, easy friendship, not this formal acknowledgment from a warrior to his Clan leader.
Beyond Graystripe, he saw Tigerstar staring at the cats huddled on the shore, amazement and fury in his eyes. Before Fireheart could say anything, the ShadowClan leader spun around and raced across the Twoleg bridge, back toward his own territory.
Fireheart let him go. He had to deal with his own terrified, hunted Clan before he tried to settle old scores. But what Tigerstar had done that day would never be forgotten, not by any cat in ThunderClan. “We’ll need to fetch some of the others,” he mewed hoarsely to Graystripe. “We must get Bluestar’s body back to camp.”
Graystripe dipped his head again. “Yes, Fireheart.”
“We’ll help,” Stonefur offered, standing up and facing the ThunderClan cats.
“We would be honored,” added Mistyfoot, her eyes clouded with sorrow. “I would like to see our mother laid to rest in her Clan.”
“Thank you, both of you,” meowed Fireheart. He took a deep breath, drew himself up, and shook his drying fur. He felt as if the weight of the whole Clan had descended on his shoulders, and yet, in a heartbeat, it began to seem possible that he could bear it.
He was the leader of ThunderClan now. With the death of the lead dog, the threat of the pack had gone from the forest, and his Clan was waiting for him, safe, at Sunningrocks. Sandstorm would be waiting for him too.
“Come on,” he meowed to Graystripe. “Let’s go home.”
第二十七章
第二十七章
火心心胆俱裂，后腿猛踹虎星的肚子。虎星牢牢按住他，就是不松爪子，他呼出的臭气直冲火心的嘴和鼻孔，琥珀色的眼睛恶狠狠地盯着火心。
虎星狞笑说：“感谢伟大的星族相助啊。”
火心声音嘶哑地说：“别得意得太早了！”
虎星突然松开了爪子。火心惊讶地爬起来，看见虎星已经攀上了最近的一棵树。他猛然扭头发现狗群首领已经逼到身前，嘴角处往下滴着涎水。现在跑已经来不及了，火心闭上眼睛等死。
锋利的牙齿咬住了他颈背的皮毛，他立刻感到一阵钻心的疼痛。狗群首领将身体瘫软的火心衔起来左右甩动，火心舞动四爪去抓恶狗的鼻子，但长度不够，连根毛都没有抓到。火心感到天旋地转，狗叫声越来越多，到处都是狗臭味。
“星族，救救我！”火心发出凄惨的号叫。这不仅是他的死亡，也是整个族群的覆灭。
他的计划失败了。“星族，你们在哪里？”
附近忽然响起一声吼叫。火心只觉得后脖颈一松，继而摔到地上。他跌得眼冒金星，抬头看见一个灰色的身影猛撞在狗群首领的侧面。
火心惊呼：“蓝星！”
狗群首领在猛烈的撞击下踉踉跄跄地退到山涧边缘，身子一滑，掉了下去。它急忙伸出巨爪扒住崖岸，狂暴的犬吠变成了惊恐的尖叫。崖岸土壤松动，狗群首领扒不住，身体渐渐下沉。可就在它即将坠入深谷的一刹那间，它猛地伸头咬住了蓝星的腿，狗群首领同蓝星一起落入了山涧。
还有两只狗紧追首领而来，收势不及也跟着掉进山涧，一时间惨叫连连。其他的恶狗刹住脚步，凶狠的叫嚣都变成凄惨的呜呜咛咛。火心撑起身子，看见它们夹着尾巴一溜烟逃进了丛林。
火心摇摇晃晃着走到山涧边朝下望去。崖下是白沫翻涌的激流。他看见狗群首领张着大嘴在水面上露了一下便消失了。
火心喊道：“蓝星！”族长怎么会来到这里？他明明让蓝星和其他猫一起去了太阳石呀。
火心朝谷内的河流望去，吓得动弹不得。忽然，他看见一个灰色的小脑袋浮上水面，四肢不停地划动。蓝星还活着！可一个浪头打过去，她又沉入水里。火心知道她身体虚弱，根本游不了多远。
眼下只有一件事情可做。他大吼一声：“蓝星，坚持住！我来了！”火心俯身跳进山涧，扑通一声落入河里。
河水就像一只巨大的爪子紧紧攥住火心，将他冲来冲去。他冻得几乎喘不过气来，四爪拼命地划水，可河水的冲击力实在太大了。他看不见蓝星，眼前除了翻腾的水花之外什么都没有。
他把头伸出水面大口呼吸，竭力浮在水上，这时他看见蓝星距离他仅有几步远。火心急忙游过去，就在蓝星又要沉下去时及时咬住了她颈背处的皮毛。
火心被蓝星牵带着沉入水里，此时只要他松开蓝星，自己便能得救。可是他咬紧牙关奋力划水，将蓝星的脑袋托出水面。忽然，他们被什么东西重重撞了一下，火心一瞥眼看见一只狗从身边漂过。只见它绝望地挣扎着，转眼间便从水面上消失了。
一个黑影从他们头上晃过，原来他们已经被冲出了峡谷，河两边都已是平缓的坡岸。
火心想朝河岸游过去，但四肢又酸又痛，使不上力气。蓝星一动不动，身体变得死沉。由于衔着蓝星，火心呼吸渐渐不畅，他的意识开始模糊，脑袋又沉入水面下。
他猛然一惊，清醒过来，使出最后的力气又浮出水面。但这时他已看不到河岸，完全失去了方向感。他又惊又怕，四肢越来越麻痹，他知道自己快要淹死了。
就在这个危难关头，蓝星的体重突然一轻。火心眨眨眼睛，挤出流进眼睛里的水。他看见身边多了一颗脑袋，对方咬住了蓝星的皮毛。他认出了这只赶来救援的猫，顿时喜从天降。
是雾脚！
同时他听见另一侧响起石毛的声音：“现在我们接住她了。”
火心松开蓝星，让两个河族猫推着她游向河岸。火心没有负担，跟在雾脚和石毛后面一口气游到岸边，这里是河族一侧的领地。
他憋闷了许久，骤然间吸到空气，不由得大声咳嗽起来。他抖了抖身上的水，转头看蓝星怎么样了。雾脚和石毛将蓝星放在河岸的石滩上。蓝星躺在地上一动不动，肚子里的水从张开的嘴里缓缓流出。
雾脚大声喊道：“蓝星！”
火心摇摇晃晃着走了过去，声音嘶哑地问：“她死了吗？”
“我想她……”
石毛话音未落，便听远处响起喊叫声：“火心！火心！当心啊！”
是灰条的声音。火心转头看见虎星正在两脚兽的桥上奔跑，灰条紧追在后。虎星下了桥，沿着河岸朝火心他们跑来。灰条几个健步赶在虎星前面，转身拦住了他的去路。
灰条厉声喝道：“滚回去！不许动他们一根汗毛。”
火心怒火上涌，体内顿时恢复了气力。他的族长就躺在河岸上，眼看连最后一条性命也保不住了。无论蓝星说过什么做过什么，她仍旧是他的族长，他无法忍受她的离去，而这一切恶行都是虎星干的！
火心疾奔过去与灰条并肩站立。虎星在距离他们两步远的地方停住脚步，显然是在寻思以一敌二的方法。
这时，火心身后传来雾脚的惊呼声：“火心！她没死！”
火心咬着牙冲虎星吼道：“再敢向前一步，我就把你丢到河里去，让你和那些狗一起去死。灰条，不许他往前走。”
灰条点了点头，伸出利爪。虎星气急败坏，发出一声低吼。
火心回到蓝星身边趴下来，看见她胸口微微起伏。他小声唤道：“蓝星，蓝星，我是火心啊！你现在没事了，安全了。”
蓝星吃力地睁开眼睛，看见两个河族武士站在面前。她呆了一下，随即认出了他们。
她立时睁大眼睛，喃喃说：“是你们救了我。”
雾脚急忙说：“嘘——别说话。”
蓝星恍若不闻，又说：“我有些事情想告诉你们，求你们原谅我当初把你们送走，橡心向我保证灰池会照顾好你们的。”
石毛说：“她是位好母亲。”
火心心里十分紧张。这两个河族武士上一次和蓝星说话时，那样子简直恨不得把她吞了，如今蓝星生命垂危，他们的态度会有所改变吗？
蓝星声音微弱地说：“灰池对我有大恩，橡心也是，他把你们教导得如此出色。我看着你们长大，看着你们为河族出力。”说到这里，她的身子猛地一颤，喘息了几下，又沙哑地说，“如果当初不是我一念之差，你们都已是雷族武士了，原谅我。”
雾脚和石毛面面相觑，不知道该怎么办。
火心忍不住插言说：“她已经为过去的选择忍受了太多的痛苦，请原谅她吧。”
两位武士犹豫了一会儿，雾脚低头舔了一下她的母亲，低声说：“我们原谅你，蓝星。”火心顿时如释重负。
石毛也说：“我们原谅你。”
蓝星露出欣慰的笑容。火心看着雾脚和石毛趴在蓝星身边，头一次为他们的母亲进行舔梳，不由得热泪盈眶。
火心听见灰条发出一声怒喝，转头一看，虎星向前走了一步。虎星吃了一惊，看来他以前并不知道那两只被雷族抛弃的幼崽的母亲是谁。
火心低吼着说：“别再靠近一步，虎星，这里没你的事。”
他转过头，看见蓝星已经合上双眼，呼吸也变得急促。
他焦急地问雾脚：“我们该怎么办？这是她最后一条性命，失去后就再也回不来了，你们中的一个能回去把你们的巫医请来吗？”
石毛低声说：“太迟了，火心，她已经踏上升往星族的路了。”
“不！”火心紧紧靠在蓝星身上，“蓝星——蓝星，快醒醒！我们会帮你的！再多坚持一会儿。”
蓝星又睁开眼睛，但不是看火心，而是往他的身后看去，她的目光中充满了平静和安详。她喃喃说：“橡心，你来接我了吗？我准备好了。”
“不！”火心又喊道。近来他和蓝星之间所有的不快都已烟消云散，在他的记忆中，只有那位品格高尚、机敏睿智的族长，他只记得自己刚刚加入雷族时，她是如何对他谆谆教导。星族自始至终都在爱护她，她已经走出黑暗，为族群献出了她高贵的生命。
火心哀求说：“蓝星，别离开我们。”
蓝星小声说：“我必须走了，我已经打完了生命中的最后一场仗。当我跟着族群向太阳石进发时，我看见强壮的扶助弱小的，而你和其他武士们去应付那群恶狗——我知道我的族群非常忠诚，我知道星族没有抛弃我们，我知道……”她的声音越来越弱，“我知道我不能让你们独自面对危险。”
火心呜咽说：“蓝星——”他的族长终于知道他不是叛徒了。
蓝星凝视着他。火心似乎看见她的眼睛里已经闪动着星族的光芒。蓝星低声说：“火将拯救族群。”火心知道这是一个很早就在雷族中流传的神秘预言。蓝星继续说：“你不理解这句话，是吗？你甚至不知道我为什么要把你的学徒名改为火爪。火心，你就是拯救族群的火啊。”
火心凝视着敬爱的族长，说不出话来，他觉得自己仿佛变成了石像。天上的云层被风吹散，一缕阳光照在他的身上，恰如他很久很久以前第一次走进雷族营地时一样。
蓝星低声说：“你将会是一位伟大的族长，是有史以来最伟大的族长之一。你对待你的族群像火一般温暖，对待你的敌人则像火一样凶狠。你将成为火星，成为雷族的希望之光……”
火心说：“不，我做不到，没有你我不行，蓝星。”
但一切都太迟了。蓝星轻轻叹了口气，目光忽地暗淡下来。雾脚悲泣着扑到她的身上，石毛也垂下了头。
火心绝望地喊道：“蓝星！”但蓝星再也不能回应他了。这位雷族族长献出了最后一条性命，升往星族的乐土。
火心呆呆地站起来，他感到一阵头晕目眩，爪子紧紧抓住地面，那一瞬间他感到自己仿佛要飞进天空一般。
灰条小声说：“火心，噢，火心啊。”
他默默地走过来悼念蓝星，并向火心投来敬畏的目光。两只猫目光相接，灰条立刻带着最深的敬意低下头去。火心觉得心里有些恐慌，他想和好朋友保持以往那样轻松相处的关系，而不是像现在这样上下分明。
虎星瞪着他们，脸上的神情又惊又怒。还没等火心说话，这位影族族长便疾步而去，奔过两脚兽的桥，回到影族的领地里。
火心任由他离去。他得先处理好族里的事情，然后再找虎星算总账，雷族绝不会与他善罢甘休的。他声音沙哑地对灰条说：“我们得多叫些帮手来把蓝星的尸体运回营地去。”
灰条低头行礼说：“是，火心。”
石毛对他们说：“我们可以帮你们。”
雾脚也说：“请让我们帮忙吧，我们想看着母亲回到她的族群里长眠。”
火心说：“谢谢，谢谢你们了。”他深吸了口气，站起来抖了抖身上的毛。他感到族群的重担突然就落在了肩上，他似乎能挑起这副重担了。
如今他已是雷族族长。狗群首领死了，森林里再也没有恶狗们的威胁。他的族群正安安全全地待在太阳石等他的消息，沙风也在等着他。
他对灰条说：“走，我们回家。”