ALLEGIANCES
WARRIORS
THE DARKEST HOUR
ERIN HUNTER

ALLEGIANCES
THUNDERCLAN
LEADER FIRESTAR— handsome ginger tom
APPRENTICE, BRAMBLEPAW
DEPUTY WHITESTORM— big white tom
MEDICINE CAT CINDERPELT— dark gray she-cat
WARRIORS (toms, and she-cats without kits)
DARKSTRIPE— sleek black-and-gray tabby tom
APPRENTICE, FERNPAW
LONGTAIL— pale tabby tom, dark black stripes
MOUSEFUR— small dusky-brown she-cat
APPRENTICE, THORNPAW
BRACKENFUR— golden-brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, TAWNYPAW
DUSTPELT— dark brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, ASHPAW
SANDSTORM— pale ginger she-cat
GRAYSTRIPE— long-haired gray tom
FROSTFUR— beautiful white she-cat, blue eyes
GOLDENFLOWER— pale ginger she-cat
CLOUDTAIL— long-haired white tom
APPRENTICES (more than six moons old, in training to become
warriors)
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
BRAMBLEPAW— dark brown tabby tom, amber
eyes
TAWNYPAW— tortoiseshell she-cat, green eyes
LOSTFACE— white she-cat, ginger splotches
QUEENS (she-cats expecting or nursing kits)
WILLOWPELT — very pale gray she- cat,
unusual blue eyes
ELDERS (former warriors and queens, now retired)
ONE-EYE— pale gray she-cat, the oldest 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, lovely dappled coat
SPECKLETAIL — pale tabby, and the oldest
nursery queen
SHADOWCLAN
LEADER TIGERSTAR — big dark brown tabby tom,
unusually long front claws, formerly of
ThunderClan
DEPUTY BLACKFOOT— large white tom, 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
BOULDER— skinny gray 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, 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
ONEWHISKER— brown tabby tom
APPRENTICE, GORSEPAW
RUNNINGBROOK— light gray tabby she-cat
QUEENS ASHFOOT— gray she-cat
MORNINGFLOWER— tortoiseshell she-cat
WHITETAIL— small white she-cat
RIVERCLAN
LEADER LEOPARDSTAR — unusually spotted golden
tabby she-cat
DEPUTY STONEFUR— gray tom, battle-scarred ears
APPRENTICE, STORMPAW
MEDICINE CAT MUDFUR— long-haired light brown tom
WARRIORS BLACKCLAW— smoky black tom
HEAVYSTEP— thickset tabby tom
APPRENTICE, DAWNPAW
SHADEPELT— very dark gray she-cat
MISTYFOOT— dark gray she-cat, blue eyes
APPRENTICE, FEATHERPAW
LOUDBELLY— dark brown tom
QUEENS MOSSPELT— tortoiseshell she-cat
BLOODCLAN
LEADER SCOURGE — small black tom with one white
paw
DEPUTY BONE— massive black-and-white tom
CATS OUTSIDE CLANS
BARLEY— black-and-white tom that lives on a farm close to the forest
RAVENPAW— sleek black cat that lives on the farm with Barley
PRINCESS— light brown tabby, distinctive white chest and paws, a kittypet
SMUDGE— plump, friendly black-and-white kittypet that 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
黄牙——深灰色老年母猫，面部宽扁，曾经隶属于影族。
黄牙的徒弟是炭爪，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。
长尾——苍白色的虎斑公猫。
长尾的徒弟是迅爪。
奔风——动作迅捷的虎斑公猫。
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。
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。
纹脸——漂亮的母花斑猫。
金花——姜黄色母猫。
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。）
半尾——大个头的深棕色虎斑公猫，残缺了一截尾巴。
小耳——灰色公猫，双耳奇小，是雷族公猫中最年长者。
团毛——小个子公猫，毛色黑白相间。
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
夜星——上年纪的黑色公猫。
副族长
灰毛——瘦骨嶙峋的灰色公猫。
巫医
奔鼻——小个子公猫，毛色灰白相间。
武士
矮尾——棕色虎斑公猫。
湿脚——灰色虎斑公猫。
小云——个头很小的虎斑公猫。
白喉——黑色公猫，胸脯和四爪为白色。
猫后
曙云——小个子虎斑猫。
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。
裂耳——虎斑公猫。
一根须——年轻的棕色虎斑公猫。
奔溪——浅灰色花斑母猫。
猫后
灰脚——灰色母猫。
晨花——花斑母猫。
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。
石毛——灰色公猫，耳朵在战斗中被撕裂了。
响肚——深棕色公猫。
灰条——长毛、纯灰色公猫，曾为雷族武士。
猫后
雾脚——深灰色母猫。
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。
黑脚——大个头白色公猫，四爪黢黑，曾为影族族长代表。
石头——灰色公猫。
乌爪——瘦小的黑色公猫，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。
虎掌——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。
PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE
Rain fell steadily, drumming on the hard black Thunderpath that led between unending rows of stone Twoleg nests. From time to time a monster snarled past, its eyes glaring, and a single Twoleg scurried along, huddled into its shiny pelt.
Two cats slipped silently around the corner, keeping close to the walls where the shadows were deepest. A skinny gray tom with a ragged ear and bright, watchful eyes went first, every hair on his body slicked dark with the wet.
Behind him prowled a huge tabby with massive shoulders and muscles that slid smoothly under his rain-soaked pelt. His amber eyes glowed in the harsh light, and his gaze shifted back and forth as if he expected an attack.
He paused where the dark entrance to a Twoleg nest offered a little shelter and growled, “How much farther? This place stinks.”
The gray tom glanced back. “Not far now.”
“It had better not be.” Grimacing, the dark brown tabby padded on, ears twitching irritably to flick away the raindrops. Harsh yellow light angled across him, and he flinched as a monster roared around the corner, throwing up a wave of filthy water that reeked of Twoleg rubbish. The cat let out a snarl as the water slopped around his paws and the spray drizzled down on his fur.
Everything about the Twolegplace disgusted him: the hard surface under his paws, the stench of monsters and the Twolegs they carried in their bellies, the unfamiliar noises, and most of all, the way that he could not survive here without a guide. The tabby was not used to depending on another cat for anything. In the forest he knew every tree, every stream, every rabbit hole. He was considered the strongest and most dangerous warrior in all the Clans. Now his sharpened skills and senses were useless. He felt as if he were deaf, blind, and lame, reduced to following his companion like a kit trailing helplessly after its mother.
But it would be worth it. The tabby’s whiskers twitched in anticipation. He had already launched a plan that would turn his most hated enemies into helpless prey in their own territory. When the dogs attacked, no cat would suspect that they had been lured and guided every step of the way. And then, if things went according to plan, this expedition into Twolegplace would give him all he had ever wanted.
The gray cat led the way along the path and across an open space reeking of Twoleg monsters, where a swirl of color from unnatural orange lights floated on the puddles. He stopped by the entrance to a narrow alley and opened his jaws to draw in the scent of the air.
The tabby halted and did the same, disgustedly swiping his tongue over his lips at the stink of rotting Twoleg food. “Is this the place?” he asked.
“This is it,” the gray warrior replied tensely. “Now—remember what I told you. The cat we’re going to meet holds command over many cats. We must treat him with respect.”
“Boulder, have you forgotten who I am?” The tabby took a step forward so that he towered over his companion.
The skinny gray cat’s ears flattened. “No, Tigerstar, I haven’t forgotten. But you’re not Clan leader here.”
Tigerstar grunted. “Let’s get on with it,” he growled.
Boulder turned into the alley. He stopped short after just a few paces when a huge shape loomed up in front of them.
“Who goes there?” A broad-shouldered black and white cat stepped out of the shadows. Strong muscles were outlined under fur plastered to his body by the rain. “Identify yourselves. We don’t like strangers here.”
“Greetings, Bone,” the gray warrior meowed steadily. “Remember me?”
The black-and-white cat narrowed his eyes and was silent for a few moments. “So you’ve come back, have you, Boulder?” he meowed at last. “You told us you were going to find a better life in the forest. What are you doing here?”
He took a step forward, but Boulder held his ground, unsheathing his claws against the uneven ground. “We want to see Scourge.”
Bone let out a snort, half contempt, half laughter. “I can’t imagine that Scourge will want to see you. And who’s this with you? I don’t recognize him.”
“My name is Tigerstar. I’ve come from the forest to speak with your leader.”
Bone’s green eyes flicked from Tigerstar to Boulder and back again. “What do you want with him?” he demanded.
Tigerstar’s amber gaze burned like the Twoleg lights reflected on the shining wet stones around them. “I’ll discuss that with your leader, not his border patrol.”
Bone bristled and extended his claws, but Boulder quickly slipped between him and Tigerstar. “Scourge needs to hear this,” he insisted. “It could be to every cat’s advantage.”
For a few heartbeats Bone hesitated, and then he stepped back, allowing Boulder and Tigerstar to pass. His hostile glare scorched their fur, but he said nothing.
Now Tigerstar took the lead, treading cautiously as the light faded behind then. On either side, skinny cats were slinking behind piles of rubbish, eyes gleaming as they followed the progress of the two intruders. Tigerstar’s muscles tensed. If this meeting went wrong, he might have to fight his way out.
A wall blocked the end of the alley. Tigerstar stared around, looking for the leader of these cats of Twolegplace. He was expecting an even more massive creature than the broad-shouldered Bone, and at first his gaze swept over the small black cat crouching in a shadowy doorway.
Boulder gave him a nudge and jerked his head in the black cat’s direction. “There’s Scourge.”
“That’s Scourge?” Tigerstar’s exclamation rang with disbelief above the falling rain. “He’s no bigger than an apprentice!”
“Shh!” Panic flared in Boulder’s eyes. “This may not be a Clan as we know it, but these cats would kill if their leader ordered them to.”
“It seems I have visitors.” The black cat’s voice had a brittle, high-pitched sound, like the splintering of ice. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again, Boulder. I heard you’d gone to live in the forest.”
“Yes, Scourge, I have,” Boulder replied.
“So what are you doing here?” Scourge’s voice held the faintest suggestion of a snarl. “Have you changed your mind and come crawling back? Do you expect me to welcome you?”
“No, Scourge.” Boulder held the black cat’s ice-blue gaze. “It’s a good life in the forest. There is plenty of fresh-kill, no Twolegs-”
“You haven’t come to extol the virtues of forest life,” Scourge interrupted him with a flick of his tail. “Squirrels live in trees, not cats.” His eyes narrowed, glinting with a pale fire. “So what do you want?”
Tigerstar stepped forward, shouldering the gray warrior aside. “I am Tigerstar, the leader of ShadowClan,” he growled. “And I have a proposition for you.”
引子
引子
雨淅淅沥沥地下着，一条雷鬼路从密密麻麻的两腿动物巢穴之间横穿而过，雨滴不停地打在雷鬼路黑黢黢的路面上。时不时有怪物从路上经过，两腿动物缩成一团坐在它的肚子里。
有两只猫悄无声息地拐了个弯，紧紧贴着墙壁下的阴暗处走。走在前面的是一只瘦削的灰色公猫，耳朵残缺不全，但双眼却炯炯有神，身上的毛被雨水打湿后显得十分光滑。
走在这只灰色公猫后面的是一只宽肩阔面、高大威猛的虎斑猫，他身上的每一条肌肉都曲线分明、形态优美。一双琥珀色的眼睛闪闪发亮，目光警惕地看着四周，似乎随时都可能遭到攻击。
虎斑猫在一个两腿动物巢穴的门廊下停住了脚步，吼道：“还要走多远？这个地方臭死了！”
那只灰色公猫回头说：“就快到了。”
深棕色虎斑猫沉着脸说：“那就好！”他烦躁地扭动耳朵。两道刺眼的灯光照过来，一个怪物从拐弯处驰过，溅起满是两腿动物垃圾臭味的积水。深棕色虎斑猫闪避不及，被溅了一身，他愤怒地发出一声吼叫。
两腿动物地盘里的每一样东西都令他感到恶心：坚硬的地面，臭气熏天的怪物以及它们肚子里的两腿动物，还有那奇怪的噪声。最可恨的是，如果没有向导带路，他肯定要被困死在这里。这只虎斑猫生性独立，从不习惯于依靠别的猫。在森林里，每一棵树，每一条溪流，每一个兔子洞穴，每个族群里哪个武士长得最强壮，哪个武士最危险，他都一清二楚。可这些技能和经验在这里却全无用武之地。他感觉自己似乎聋了、瞎了、腿瘸了，就像一只乖乖跟在母亲身后的小猫崽。
尽管这里有千万般不好，但他心甘情愿，因为此行是有目的的。他已经想好了一个计划，这个计划能把他的死敌们一网打尽。如果事情进展得顺利，来两腿动物地盘的这一趟将会令他得到满意的收获。
灰色公猫沿着雷鬼路穿过一片开阔地带，这个地方停放着许多怪物，水坑里漂浮着油渍，泛起各种诡异的色彩。他走到一条小路前，张开嘴嗅嗅空气。
虎斑猫也停下来嗅嗅空气，他吸进一口两腿动物食物的腐烂臭味，差点儿没吐出来。
他问：“就是这个地方吗？”
灰色公猫紧张地回答说：“就是这里，现在——记住我叮嘱你的话，我们要见的那只猫势力很大，一定要注意礼节。”
那只虎斑猫上前一步逼问他的同伴：“石头，难道你忘记我的身份了吗？”
灰色公猫毕恭毕敬地说：“没有，虎星，我没有忘记，可你不是这里的族长。”
虎星嘟囔了几句，说：“继续赶路吧。”
石头踏上小路，没走多久便突然停住脚步，只见前方站立着一个巨大的身影。
“是谁胆敢擅自闯到这里？”黑暗处走出一只黑白相间的猫，长得十分强壮，“报上你们的姓名，我们不欢迎陌生者。”
那个名叫石头的灰色武士不慌不忙地说：“你好啊，壮骨，还记得我吗？”
那只黑白色的猫眯缝起眼睛想了一会儿，这才说：“这么说你又回来了，是吗？你说你要去森林里另谋高就，你到这里来干什么？”
说着，他上前逼近了一步，但石头面不改色地站在原地，说：“我们想见长鞭。”
壮骨鼻子里发出嗤的一声，半是轻蔑半是嘲笑地说：“我认为长鞭不想看见你。和你一起来的是谁？我不认识他。”
“我叫虎星，我来自森林，想和你们的族长谈谈。”
壮骨绿幽幽的眼睛在虎星和石头身上瞄来瞄去，问：“你找他有什么事吗？”
虎星双目圆睁，就像他们周围的灯光一样。他说：“我是来找你们族长的，而不是边防巡逻队。”
壮骨勃然大怒，石头见状急忙走到两只猫中间，说：“这件事对大家都有好处，长鞭会感兴趣的。”
壮骨犹豫了片刻，退开两步，让石头和虎星通过。虽然他目露凶光，但没有再说话。
虎星小心谨慎地走在最前面，光线越来越昏暗。垃圾堆后面蹿出许多猫，他们盯着这两个来访者，眼睛里闪着寒光。虎星肌肉紧绷，如果此次会谈出现差错，他就得夺路而逃了。
小路尽头是一堵高墙。虎星向四周张望，要找身材比壮骨还要高大强壮的猫。他瞅见门廊阴暗处站着一只黑猫，个头矮小，便没有留意。
石头捅了他一下，朝那只黑猫伸了伸脖子，说：“那就是长鞭。”
虎星大吃一惊，失声叫道：“那就是长鞭？他的个头和学徒一般大！”
石头赶紧说：“嘘！不要看他其貌不扬，他可是这些猫当中的绝对权威。”
那只黑猫说：“看起来我有客人了。”他的声音干涩而尖利。“石头，没想到还能再见到你，我听说你去森林里谋出路了。”
石头回答说：“是的，长鞭，你说得没错。”
“那你来这里做什么？”长鞭的语气里暗含怒意，“难道你改变主意，厚着脸皮回来了？
你以为我们会欢迎你吗？”
石头不卑不亢地说：“不，长鞭，我在森林里过得很好，那里有丰富的猎物，没有两腿动物——”
长鞭晃了晃尾巴，打断他的话说：“你不必到这里来宣扬丛林生活的种种好处。松鼠才生活在树林里，猫可不是。”说着，他眯缝起眼睛，“那么，你们到底有何贵干呢？”
虎星走上前站在石头身边，大声说道：“我是虎星，是影族族长，我给你带来了一笔买卖。”
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1
Watery shafts of light sliced through the bare trees as Fireheart carried his leader to her final resting place. With his teeth clenched firmly in her scruff, he retraced the route the dog pack had taken as the brave warriors of ThunderClan lured them to the gorge and their destruction. His whole body felt n u m b, and his head spun with the terrible realization that Bluestar was dead.
Without his leader, the forest itself seemed different, even stranger to Fireheart than the day he had first ventured into it as a kittypet. No thing was real; he felt as if the trees and rocks could dissolve like mist within a moment. A vast, unnatural silence covered everything. With the rational part of his mind Fireheart realized that all the prey had been scared away by the rampaging dog pack, but in the grip of his grief it seemed that even the forest was stunned into mourning for Bluestar
The scene at the gorge replayed over and over in his head. He saw again the slavering jaws of the dog who led the pack, and felt its sharp teeth meet in his scruff. He remembered how Bluestar had appeared out of nowhere, flinging herself at the dog, driving it—and herself—over the edge of the gorge and into the river. He flinched again at the icy shock of the water as he leaped in to rescue his drowning leader, and their hopeless struggles until two RiverClan warriors, Mistyfoot and Stonefur, came to help then.
Most of all, Fireheart recalled his dismay and disbelief as he crouched beside his leader on the riverbank, and realized that she had sacrificed her last life to save him and all of ThunderClan from the dog pack.
As he bore Bluestar’s body home, with the help of Mistyfoot and Stonefur, he kept pausing to scent the air for fresh traces of dog, and he had already sent his friend Graystripe to scout the territory on either side of their trail, searching for signs that the dogs had caught any of the ThunderClan cats in their desperate race for the gorge. So far, to Fireheart’s relief, they had found nothing.
Now, skirting a bramble thicket, Fireheart set down his lifeless leader once more and raised his head to drink in the air, thankful to taste only the clean scents of the forest. A moment later, Graystripe appeared around a clump of dead bracken.
“Everything’s fine, Fireheart,” he reported. “Plenty of broken undergrowth, but that’s all.”
“Good,” Fireheart meowed. His hope rose that the dogs that had escaped the fall into the gorge had fled in terror, and the forest once again belonged to the four Clans of wild cats. His Clan had lived through three terrible moons, w h en they had become prey in their own territory, but they had survived. “Let’s keep going. I want to check that the camp is safe before the Clan comes back.”
He and the RiverClan warriors took up Bluestar’s body again and carried it through the trees. At the top of the ravine that led down to the camp entrance, Firestar paused. He briefly remembered the early morning, when he and his warriors had followed the trail of dead rabbits that Tigerstar had laid to lure the dog pack to the ThunderClan camp. At the end of the trail they had found the body of the gentle queen Brindleface, slaughtered to give the savage dogs a taste for cat blood. But now every thing seemed peaceful, and when Fireheart tasted the air again he could detect only cat scent coming from the camp.
“Wait here,” he meowed. “I’m going to take a look.”
“I’ll come with you,” Graystripe offered instantly.
“No.” It was Stonefur who spoke, flicking out his tail to bar the gray warrior’s way. “I think Fireheart needs to do this alone.”
Flashing a grateful look at the RiverClan deputy, Fireheart began picking his way down the ravine, his ears pricked for any sound of trouble ahead. But the strange silence still reigned over the forest.
As he emerged from the gorse tunnel into the clearing, Fireheart paused to glance warily around. It was possible that one or more of the dogs had never made it to the gorge, or that Tigerstar had sent ShadowClan warriors to take over the camp. But all was quiet. Fireheart’s fur prickled with the strangeness of seeing the camp deserted like this, yet there was no sign of danger, and still no scent of dogs or ShadowClan.
To be sure the camp was safe, he rapidly checked the den s and the nursery. Memories came unbidden: the be wilderment of the Clan as he told then about the dog pack, the heart-pounding terror of the chase through the forest with the breath of the pack leader hot on his fur. At the foot of the Highrock, listening to the wind whispering through the trees, Fireheart thought back to the time Tigerstar had stood her e, boldly facing his Clan as they discovered the true depth of his treachery. He had sworn undying vengeance as he was sent into exile, and Fireheart was sure that his blood thirsty attempt to set the dog pack on the cats of ThunderClan would not be his last attempt to fulfill his oath.
Last of all Fireheart prowled cautiously through the fern tunnel to Cinderpelt’s den. Glancing through the entrance, he saw the medicine cat’s healing herbs neatly ranged beside one wall. The strongest memory yet flooded over him, of Spottedleaf and Yellowfang, who had been ThunderClan medicine cats before Cinderpelt. Fireheart had loved them both, and grief for them swept over him again to mingle with his grief for his leader.
Bluestar is dead, he told them silently. Is she with you now, in StarClan?
Retracing his steps along the fern tunnel, he returned to the top of the ravine. Graystripe was standing on watch while Mistyfoot and Stonefur gently groomed the dead leader’s body.
“Everything’s fine,” Fireheart announced. “Graystripe, I want you to go to Sunningrocks now. Tell the Clan that Bluestar is dead, but nothing more. I’ll explain every thing when I see them. Just let them know that it’s safe to come home.”
Graystripe’s yellow eyes brightened. “On my way, Fireheart.” He spun around and tore off through the forest, heading for Sunningrocks, where the Clan had gone to hide while the dogs w ere following Tigerstar’s trail of rabbit blood to their camp.
Stonefur, crouching beside Bluestar’s body, let out a purr of amusement. “It’s easy to see where Graystripe’s loyalties lie,” he remarked.
“Yes,” Mistyfoot agreed. “No cat ever really thought he would stay in RiverClan.”
Graystripe’s kits had been born to a RiverClan queen, and for a while he had gone to RiverClan to be with them, but in his heart he had never left ThunderClan. Forced into battle against his birth Clan, he had chosen to save Fireheart’s life, and the RiverClan leader Leopardstar had banished him from her Clan. Her sentence of exile, Fireheart reflected, had freed the gray warrior to return to where he truly belonged.
With a nod of acknowledgment to the RiverClan warriors, Fireheart took up Bluestar again, and the three cats maneuvered her body down the ravine and into the camp. At last they could lay her down in her den beneath the Highrock, where she would remain until her Clan had said farewell to her and buried her with all the honor that such a wise and noble leader deserved.
“Thank you for your help,” Fireheart meowed to the RiverClan warriors. Hesitating for a moment, knowing only too well the significance of his invitation, he added, “Would you like to stay for Bluestar’s burial ceremony?”
“That is a generous offer,” Stonefur replied, showing only a flicker of surprise that Fireheart should admit members of a rival Clan to something so private. “But we have duties in our own Clan. We must be getting back.”
“Thank you, Fireheart,” meowed Mistyfoot. “That means a lot to us. But your Clan will think it’s strange if we stay. They don’t know, do they, that Bluestar was our mother?”
“No,” Fireheart told her. “Only Graystripe. But Tigerstar overheard what you and Bluestar said to each other on…on the riverbank. You must be prepared in case he chooses to reveal it at the next Gathering.”
Stonefur and Mistyfoot exchanged a glance. Then Stonefur drew himself up, his blue eyes gleaming defiantly. “Let Tigerstar say what he likes,” he meowed. “I’ll tell RiverClan myself today. We’re not ashamed of our mother. She was a noble leader—and our father was a great deputy.”
“Yes,” Mistyfoot agreed. “No cat can argue with that, even if they did come from different Clans.”
Their courage and determination reminded Fireheart of their mother, Bluestar. She had given them up to their father, Oakheart, the RiverClan deputy, and the two cats had grown up believing that they had been born in RiverClan. At first they had hated Bluestar when they learned the truth, but this morning, as she lay dying on the riverbank, they had found it in their hearts to forgive her. In the midst of his pain, Fireheart was relieved beyond words that his leader had been reconciled with her kits before she went to StarClan. He alone of all the ThunderClan cats knew how much Bluestar had suffered, watching them grow up in another Clan.
“I wish we’d known her better,” Stonefur meowed sadly, as if he could read Fireheart’s thoughts. “You’re lucky to have grown up in her Clan and been her deputy.”
“I know.” Fireheart looked down sorrowfully at the blue-gray she-cat lying so still on the sandy floor of the clearing. Bluestar looked small and helpless now that her noble spirit had left her body and gone to hunt with StarClan.
“May we say good-bye to her alone?” Mistyfoot asked tentatively. “Just for a few moments?”
“Of course,” Fireheart replied. He padded out of the den, leaving Stonefur and Mistyfoot to crouch down beside Bluestar’s body and share tongues with their mother for the first and last time.
As he skirted the Highrock he heard the sound of cats approaching through the gorse tunnel. Hurrying forward, he saw Frostfur and Speckletail creep timidly into the clearing, hesitating in the shelter of the tunnel before they dared venture back into the camp. With the same wariness, Brackenfur and Goldenflower followed.
Pain stabbed Fireheart’s heart to see his cats so wary of their own home, and his eyes sought out one warrior in particular—Sandstorm, the pale ginger she-cat he loved. He needed to know that she was unhurt after the crucial part she had played in luring the dog pack away from the camp.
Fireheart spotted his nephew, Cloudtail; the white warrior was carefully escorting Lostface, a young cat who had suffered terrible injuries from the dog pack before they attacked the camp. Next Cinderpelt came limping through the entrance with a bundle of herbs in her mouth; and pushing eagerly behind her were Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw, the two newest apprentices, who were also Tigerstar’s kits.
At last Fireheart saw Sandstorm padding along beside Willowpelt, while Willowpelt’s three kits bounced around them, happily unaware of the crisis their Clan had endured.
A purr swelled in Fireheart’s throat as he ran toward Sandstorm and pressed his muzzle into her flank. The pale orange warrior covered his ears with licks, and when he looked up at her he saw a warm glow in her green eyes.
“I was so worried for you, Fireheart,” she murmured. “I couldn’t believe the size of those dogs! I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“Nor have I,” Fireheart confessed. “All the time I was waiting, I kept thinking they might have caught you.”
“Caught me?” Sandstorm pushed away from him; the end of her tail was twitching, and for a heartbeat Fireheart thought he had offended her, until he saw the sparkle in her eyes. “I was running for you and the Clan, Fireheart. It felt as if I had the speed of StarClan!”
She paced into the center of the clearing and looked around, her expression clouding. “Where is Bluestar? Graystripe told us she was dead.”
“Yes,” Fireheart replied. “I tried to save her, but the struggle in the river was too much for her. She’s in her d en.” He hesitated before adding, “Mistyfoot and St o n e f u r are with her.”
Sandstorm turned to him, her fur bristling with alarm. “There are RiverClan cats in our camp? Why?”
“They helped me pull Bluestar out of the river,” Fireheart explained. “And…and she’s their mother.”
Sandstorm froze and her eyes grew huge. “Bluestar? But how-”
Fireheart interrupted her by pressing his muzzle against hers. “I’ll tell you all about it later,” he promised. “Right now I have to make sure the Clan is okay.”
While they were speaking, the rest of the Clan had appeared through the gorse tunnel and begun to gather in a ragged circle around Fireheart and Sandstorm. Fireheart spotted Fernpaw and Ashpaw, the two apprentices who had begun the race to lure the dogs away from the camp. “Well done, both of you,” he meowed.
The young cats let out a purr. “We hid in the hazel thicket where you told us, and jumped out as soon as we saw the dogs,” mewed Ashpaw.
“Yes, we knew we had to keep them away from the camp,” Fernpaw put in.
“You were very brave,” Fireheart praised them. Once again he remembered the limp body of Brindleface, the apprentices’ mother, murdered by Tigerstar. “I’m proud of you—and your mother would be proud, too.”
Ashpaw shrank, suddenly looking like a fragile kit. “I was terrified,” he admitted. “If we’d known what the dogs were like, I don’t think we’d have dared to do it.”
“We were all terrified,” Dustpelt meowed as he came up and gave Fernpaw a gentle lick. “I’ve never run so fast in my life. You two did brilliantly.”
Though he praised his own apprentice equally, the warmth in Dustpelt’s gaze was all for Fernpaw. Fireheart managed to hide his amusement. The brown tabby warrior’s affection for her was no secret.
“You did well, too, Dustpelt,” Fireheart meowed. “The Clan owes thanks to all of you.”
Dustpelt held Fireheart’s gaze for a moment before he gave him a little nod of acknowledgment. As he turned away, Fireheart spotted Cloudtail gently guiding Lostface past and stopped them to ask, “Are you okay, Lostface?”
“I’m fine,” the young she-cat replied, though she glanced around nervously with her good eye. “Are you sure none of the dogs got this far?”
“I checked the whole camp myself,” Fireheart told her. “There’s no sign of any dogs.”
“She was very brave at Sunningrocks,” meowed Cloudtail, touching his muzzle to Lostface’s shoulder. “She helped me keep watch from a tree.”
Lostface brightened. “I can’t see as well as I used to, but I can listen, and scent.”
“Well done,” Fireheart meowed. “You too, Cloudtail. I was right to rely on you.”
“They’ve all done well.” That was Cinderpelt’s voice; Fireheart turned to see her limping toward him with Mousefur just behind her. “There was no panic at all, not even when we heard the pack howling.”
“And every cat’s okay?” Fireheart asked anxiously.
“They’re all fine.” The medicine cat’s blue eyes glowed with relief. “Mousefur tore a claw when she was running from the dogs, but that’s all. Come on, Mousefur, I’ll give you something for it.”
As Fireheart watched them go, he realized that Whitestorm had appeared beside him. “Can I have a word with you?”
“Of course.”
“I’m sorry.” Whitestorm’s eyes were full of an guish. “I know you asked me to take care of Bluestar when we were fleeing from the dogs. But she slipped away from Sunningrocks before I realized she’d gone. It’s my fault she’s dead.”
Fireheart narrowed his eyes at the older warrior. For the first time he noticed how exhausted he looked. Although Whitestorm was the senior warrior of ThunderClan, he had always seemed strong and vigorous, his white coat sleek and well-groomed. Now he looked a hundred seasons older than the cat who had left camp that morning.
“That’s ridiculous!” Fireheart insisted. “Even if you had noticed that Bluestar had gone, what could you have done? She was your leader—you couldn’t have made her stay.”
Whitestorm blinked. “I didn’t dare send another cat after her—not with the pack loose. All we could do was sit up in the trees around Sunningrocks and listen to the howling….” A shudder ran through his body. “But I should have done something.”
“You did every thing,” Fireheart told him. “You stayed with the Clan and kept them safe. Bluestar made her own decision in the end. It was the will of StarClan that she died to save us.”
Whitestorm nodded slowly, though his eyes were still troubled as he murmured, “Even though she had lost all faith in StarClan.”
Fireheart was aware of the secret they shared, that in her last moons Bluestar’s mind had begun to give way. Shocked to the core by the discovery of Tigerstar’s treachery, Bluestar had begun to believe that she was at war with her warrior ancestors. Fireheart and Whitestorm, with Cinderpelt’s help, had managed for the most part to keep the knowledge of their leader’s weakness from the rest of the Clan. But Fireheart also knew that Bluestar’s feelings had changed during the last moments of her life.
“No, Whitestorm,” Fireheart replied, thankful that there was some comfort he could offer the gallant old warrior. “She made her peace with StarClan before she died. She knew exactly what she was doing, and why. Her mind was clear again, and her faith was strong.”
Joy tempered the pain in Whitestorm’s eyes, and he bowed his head. Fireheart realized how devastating Bluestar’s death must be for him; they had been friends throughout a long life.
By now the rest of the Clan had crept into the circle around Fireheart. He could see the traces of their terrible experience still in their eyes, along with fear for the future. Swallowing uncomfortably, he realized that it was his duty now to calm those fears.
“Fireheart,” Brackenfur asked hesitantly, “is it true that Bluestar’s dead?”
Fireheart nodded. “Yes, it’s true. She…she died saving me, and all of us.” For a moment he thought his voice would fail completely, and he swallowed hard. “You all know that I was the last cat on the trail to lead the dogs to the gorge. When I was almost at the edge, Tigerstar leaped out at me and held me down so that the pack leader caught up to me. He would have killed me, and the dogs would still be loose in the forest, if it hadn’t been for Bluestar. She threw herself at the dog, right on the edge of the gorge, and…and they both went over.”
He could see a ripple of distress sweeping across his Clan mates, like wind stirring the trees.
“What happened then?” Frostfur asked quietly.
“I went in after her, but I couldn’t save her.” Briefly Fireheart closed his eyes, remembering the churning water and his hopeless struggle to keep his leader afloat. “Mistyfoot and Stonefur from RiverClan came to help me when we had been swept clear of the gorge,” he went on. “Bluestar was alive when we got her out but it was too late. Her ninth life was over, and she left us to join StarClan.”
A yowl of grief came from somewhere among the circle of cats. Fireheart realized that many of the cats had not even been born when Bluestar became leader, and losing her now must feel as if the four great oaks of Fourtrees had been torn up overnight.
He raised his voice, forcing it not to shake. “Bluestar isn’t gone, you know. She’s already watching over us from StarClan…her spirit is here with us now.” Or in her den, he thought privately, sharing tongues with Stonefur and Mistyfoot.
“I would like to see Bluestar now,” meowed Speckletail. “Where is she—in her den?” She turned toward the entrance, flanked by Dappletail and Smallear.
“I’ll come with you,” Frostfur offered, springing to her paws.
Alarm shot through Fireheart. He had hoped to give Mistyfoot and Stonefur as much time as possible with their dead mother, but he suddenly realized that apart from Graystripe and Sandstorm, no cats even knew that the two RiverClan warriors were in the camp.
“Wait-” he began, shouldering his way through the circle.
It was too late. Speckletail and Frostfur were already standing in the entrance to Bluestar’s den, their fur bristling and their tails fluffed out to twice their normal size as they confronted the strange cats. A menacing snarl came from Frostfur. “What are you doing here?”
第一章
第一章
树木凋零，光影疏离。火心带着他的族长回家，回到她长眠的地方。他紧紧咬住蓝星颈背的皮毛，沿着恶狗们追来的路线返回。他和众武士把恶狗们引到山涧边，瓦解了它们的攻击。他整个身体都感到麻木不堪，蓝星的死给他造成了极大的恐慌，这会儿还没有恢复过来。
没有了族长，这片森林似乎突然之间改变了模样。在火心的眼里，即使是在他做宠物猫的时候，这里也没有这么陌生过。周围没有一样东西是真实的，树木和岩石似乎随时都可能像雾一样融化消散。死一般的沉寂就如同一张巨大的网覆盖了整个森林。猎物都被凶残的恶狗们吓跑了，火心十分悲伤，他觉得这片森林里的一石一木仿佛都在为蓝星哀悼。
山涧边发生的情景一遍又一遍地在他脑海中重现。他看到恶狗首领龇着明晃晃的牙齿向自己扑来，颈背处仍然感到火辣辣地痛。蓝星犹如从天而降扑向狗群首领，把它撞向山涧，和它一同落下山崖，掉进河里。想到那冰冷刺骨的河水，火心打了个寒战。为了救蓝星，他毅然跳入山涧。他托着蓝星在激流中拼命挣扎，就在他几近绝望的时候，两位河族武士——雾脚和石毛，及时赶来相助。
令他记忆最深刻的是当他趴在蓝星身边，心里产生的那种悲凉。他不敢相信这一切都是真的：蓝星献出了她最后一次生命，挽救了火心，也挽救了雷族。
火心在雾脚和石毛的帮助下拖着蓝星的遗体往家走，他时不时停下脚步来嗅狗的气味。他派灰条在前面探路，侦察狗的行踪。不过令火心感到放心的是，目前还没有发现任何异常情况。
火心穿过一簇灌木丛，放下蓝星的遗体，抬头嗅了嗅空气。还好，除了清新的森林气息外什么都没有。过了一会儿，灰条从一簇枯死的蕨木丛里钻了出来。
他报告说：“一切正常，火心，除了大片大片被践踏的灌木丛外，没有发现别的情况。”
火心说：“很好。”他只盼那些恶狗见到它们的首领跌下山涧后再也不敢回来，这片森林从此回到四大族群的怀抱。在这噩梦般的三个月里，他的族群变成了恶狗眼中的猎物，可他们终于挺过来了。“我们走吧。我想在大家回家前，先检查一下营地里是否安全。”
他和两名河族武士又衔起蓝星的遗体继续前进。走到山沟外，火心停下脚步。就在今天早晨，他和武士们循着虎星故意留下的兔子气味走回营地，他们在气味踪迹的尽头发现了纹脸的尸体。虎星为了激发恶狗的凶性，残忍地杀害了这只慈祥的母猫。如今这里一切都显得那么平和，空气里只有从营地里飘出来的猫的气味。
他说：“在这里等着，我去察看一番。”
灰条立刻说：“我陪你一起去。”
石毛伸出尾巴挡住他，说：“不，我认为火心想独自去看看。”
火心感激地瞅了一眼这位河族族长代表，然后顺着山坡向营地走去。他全神戒备，竖起耳朵倾听，不放过任何响动。不过周围依然寂静无声。
他钻过金雀花通道走进会场，停下来朝四周张望。说不定还有一两只狗根本没有追到山涧去，或者虎星已经派影族武士占据了营地。但是营地里也很安静，火心还从来没见过营地如此荒凉。这里没有危险的迹象，没有狗的气味，也没有影族的气味。
为了谨慎起见，火心又迅速察看了各处巢穴和育婴室，他眼前恍然重现大家在得知恶狗消息后的混乱情景，仿佛又感觉到狗群首领追赶他时喷在他后背上的热气。火心走到高岩脚下，微风穿过树林发出哗哗的声响，如同在他耳边细语。当初就是在这里，虎星被大家揭露了他的真面目。他被判处流放后，曾发誓要报复雷族。他为了复仇，故意将那群恶狗引到营地里来，想借此除去雷族。虎星这次没有得逞，将来必定还会再想别的手段作恶。
火心穿过香薇通道来到了医务室。他站在洞口朝里望，看见炭毛的草药整齐地沿着石壁摆放着。在炭毛之前，这里曾经是斑叶和黄牙的住所，她们曾先后做过雷族的医生。火心触景生情，一时间心里如同打翻了五味瓶一般。
他心里默默地对她们说：“蓝星死了，她现在和你们在一起吗？”
火心回到山沟外面，灰条正站在那里看雾脚和石毛舔梳蓝星的尸体。
火心说：“一切正常。灰条，你现在去太阳石，告诉大家蓝星的死讯，不过别的闲话不要多说，我会向他们解释事情的原委，你的任务就是让他们知道回到家里很安全。”
灰条神采奕奕地说：“我这就走，火心。”说完，他立即转身朝太阳石奔去。族群为了躲避恶狗的袭扰，都藏在那里。
石毛见了开玩笑说：“你看看，灰条到底忠于哪一边还不明摆着吗？”
雾脚说：“是啊，其实大家都知道他不会留在河族的。”
灰条和河族的一只母猫相爱，为了和他们的孩子生活在一起，他加入了河族，但他的心却留在雷族。在河、雷两个族群的一次战斗中，灰条救了火心的性命，河族族长大发雷霆，将他从族群中驱逐出去。这倒给了灰条自由，让他回到了雷族。
听到那两位河族武士的话，火心点了点头。他又衔起蓝星的遗体，三只猫一起将她拖入营地。他们把她放在高岩下的族长巢穴里，等待族群回来为这位品格高贵、机敏睿智的族长举行葬礼。
火心对两位河族武士说：“谢谢你们帮忙。”他迟疑了一下，知道这件事对他们意义重大，于是又说，“你们愿意留下来参加蓝星的葬礼吗？”
石毛有点惊讶，因为此类事情属于族群的内部事务，只有本族的猫才可以参加。他说：“你的好意我们心领了，但我们族群里还有事，不得不回去了。”
雾脚也说：“谢谢你，火心，可如果我们留在这里，你的族群会觉得非常奇怪的。他们还不知道蓝星是我们的母亲，是吗？”
火心说：“是的，这件事只有灰条知道。但虎星在河岸边听到你们和——和蓝星的谈话，他可能会在下次森林大会上公布这件事，你们要有心理准备。”
石毛和雾脚相互看了一眼。石毛站起来，恨恨地说：“虎星喜欢说什么就让他说好了，今天我就把这件事告诉河族，我们有这样的母亲并不是件丑事，她是一位品格高尚的族长——而且我们的父亲也是一位伟大的族长代表。”
雾脚同意说：“没错，虽然族别不同，但谁都不能否认这一点。”
他们的勇气和果敢令火心又想起了蓝星。她把这两个孩子托付给他们的父亲橡心，以至于他们一直以为自己是河族血统。发现真相后，起初他们十分恨蓝星，可今天早晨，当他们看着蓝星躺在河岸上奄奄一息时，他们已经从心里原谅了她。火心虽然心痛，但看见蓝星在死之前和她的孩子们和解，他又感到很欣慰。在所有的雷族猫当中，只有他能体会到，蓝星看着自己的孩子在别的族群中长大，心里是多么地痛苦！
石毛似乎读到了火心的心思，悲伤地说：“我真希望我们对她的了解能多一些。你能在她的族群中长大，并且成为她的族长代表，真是幸运啊。”
“我知道。”火心悲哀地低头看着蓝星，她躺在巢穴里的沙地上，显得那么安宁。如今她那高贵的灵魂已经升往星族，留下的躯体看起来十分瘦小和凄凉。
雾脚请求说：“我们能单独和她说声再见吗？只占用一小会儿时间。”
火心回答：“当然可以。”他走出洞穴，留下石毛和雾脚为他们的母亲进行最后一次舔梳。
这时，他听到营地门口传来杂乱的声音，知道大家都回来了，便快步上前。霜毛和纹尾胆怯地从金雀花通道里钻了出来，先躲在隐蔽处看了看动静，然后才壮着胆子走进营地。蕨毛和金花跟在后面，也同样小心谨慎。
看到大家回家也要这么提心吊胆，火心感到心里像刺扎一样痛。他焦急地在猫群中搜寻沙风的身影，生怕她受到伤害。
火心看见了云尾，他正细心地陪着夺面走进来。前些日子夺面就是遭到恶狗的攻击，差点儿把命都丢了。接下来是炭毛，她一瘸一拐地从金雀花通道里走出来，嘴里还衔着草药。她身后是迫不及待的黑莓爪和黄爪，他们是新学徒，也是虎星的孩子。
火心终于看见沙风和柳带一起走进来。柳带的三个幼崽蹦蹦跳跳地跑进来，浑然不知族群刚刚经历了一场关乎生死存亡的战斗。
火心立刻跑过去，用鼻子抵在沙风的面颊上。沙风激动地舔着他的耳朵，眼睛里流露出脉脉温情。
她低声说：“我真担心你，火心，那些狗可真大啊！我长这么大还从来没有像今天这样害怕过！”
火心坦白地说：“我也一样，我在等候的时候，真怕它们捉到了你。”
“捉到我？”沙风离开他的身体，尾巴不停晃动。要不是火心看见她目光里的神采，真以为自己又惹她生气了呢。沙风说：“我是在为你和族群而奔跑啊，火心，我感觉自己跑得就像星族一样快！”
她走进会场朝四周望了望，脸色忽然沉了下来：“蓝星在哪里？灰条说她死了。”
火心回答说：“是的，我努力去救她，可她在水里淹得太久了。现在她在族长巢穴里。”他迟疑了一下，又说，“雾脚和石毛陪着她。”
沙风吃了一惊，连忙问：“河族猫在我们的营地里？为什么？”
火心解释说：“他们帮助我把蓝星从河里捞了出来，而且——而且蓝星是他们的母亲。”
沙风顿时惊呆了，睁大眼睛问：“蓝星？但——”
火心将鼻子贴在她的脸上，打断她的话说：“迟些我会告诉你的，现在我得查看一下大家是否都安然无恙。”
就在他们说话的时候，族里其余的猫纷纷从金雀花通道里出来，围聚在火心和沙风身边。火心看见香薇爪和蜡爪，这两个学徒是负责将恶狗从营地里引出去的，他说：“你们干得非常好。”
两个学徒很高兴。蜡爪说：“我们按照你的吩咐藏在榛树丛里，看见恶狗来了，我们撒腿就往外跑。”
香薇爪插言道：“是啊，我们知道必须把它们从营地引开。”
火心夸赞说：“你们非常勇敢！”他想起这两个学徒的母亲纹脸，她是被虎星杀害的，“我为你们感到自豪——还有你们的母亲，也会以你们为荣。”
蜡爪的身体颤抖了一下，好像一下就变成了一只脆弱的幼崽。他承认说：“我被吓坏了，如果我们知道这群恶狗长得这么凶，很可能就不敢接这个任务了。”
“我们都被吓坏了。”尘毛说着，走上来舔了舔香薇爪，“我这一生还从来没有跑得这么快过，你们两个干得很棒！”
虽然他夸的是两个学徒，但他温柔的目光却只凝视着香薇爪。火心忍不住偷笑，尘毛对香薇爪有好感早已不是什么秘密了。
火心说：“你也干得不错，尘毛！族群感谢你们。”
尘毛看了火心一会儿，然后微微点头致意。等他离开后，火心看见云尾陪着夺面从身边走过，于是叫住他们：“你没事吧，夺面？”
尽管夺面非常紧张，但她仍然回答说：“我很好，你肯定这里没有狗了吗？”
火心说：“我已经检查了整个营地，没有发现任何狗的踪迹。”
云尾用鼻子触了触夺面的肩膀说：“她在太阳石表现得非常勇敢，和我一起站岗放哨。”
夺面顿时荣光焕发：“虽然我不能像以前那样看，但我可以听可以嗅啊。”
火心说：“干得漂亮！你们两个都是，云尾，你们为族群出大力了。”
“他们都干得很好。”这是炭毛的声音。火心转头看见她一瘸一拐地走过来，鼠毛跟在后面。“即使在听到恶狗们狂吼声的时候，大家也没有惊慌失措。”
火心担忧地问：“所有的猫都没事吧？”
炭毛轻松地说：“大家都很好。鼠毛在奔跑的时候爪子上擦破了点儿皮，不过没有大碍。走吧，鼠毛，我给你处理一下伤口。”
火心看着他们远去，这才发现白风站在身边。白风说：“我能和你谈谈吗？”
“当然可以。”
“对不起。”白风的眼睛里充满了痛苦的神情，“你让我照顾好蓝星，可我连她什么时候从太阳石溜走的都不知道，是我害了她。”
火心眯缝起眼睛看着这位老年武士，他还是第一次看到白风显得这么疲惫。虽然白风年纪大了，可他一向身强体壮、精力旺盛，一身洁白的毛总是梳理得干净利落，如今他看上去却比早晨离开营地时老了许多。
火心说：“别胡说！就算你发现蓝星离开又能怎么样呢？她是你的族长啊——你留不住她的。”
白风眨了眨眼睛：“即使恶狗在森林里游荡，我也不敢派别的猫跟着她，我们所能做的只是待在太阳石听恶狗们吼叫。”他打了个寒战，“可我应该做些什么的。”
火心说：“你做得已经够多了，你和大家留在一起，保护了他们的安全。是蓝星自己做的决定，她为了拯救我们而牺牲自己，这是星族的意愿。”
白风缓缓点头，喃喃地说：“可是她已经失去对星族的信仰了。”
这件事是他们之间的秘密。近几个月来蓝星的心智有些失常，虎星的背叛对她的打击实在太大了，蓝星认为这是武士祖先在和她作对。火心和白风对这件事秘而不宣，不过火心已经知道蓝星在临死前转变心意了。
火心觉得这个情况多少能给心灰意冷的白风带来些安慰，于是说：“不，白风，她在临死前和星族和解了，她非常清楚自己在做什么以及为什么这么做。她重新恢复了神智，恢复了信仰。”
白风顿时两眼放出光彩，垂下头去。火心知道他和蓝星一直是好朋友，她的死给白风带来了巨大的悲痛。
这时族里其余的猫都围了过来，大家仍处在惊恐之中，并且对未来充满了忧虑，火心必须得稳住大家的情绪。
蕨毛焦急地问：“火心，蓝星真的死了吗？”
火心点了点头，说：“是的，这是真的。她——她为了救我，为了救我们牺牲了自己的生命。”他越说声音越低，艰难地咽了口唾沫，“大家都知道，在我们的计划中，最后由我来把恶狗引到山涧边。当我奔到山涧边时，虎星突然跳出来把我按倒在地，以至于狗群首领捉住了我。如果不是蓝星，它们就会杀了我，然后继续祸害森林。蓝星把狗群首领撞下了山涧，可——可她也被拽了下去。”
众猫的脸上都浮现出悲凉的神情，仿佛秋风扫过落叶。
霜毛问：“接下来发生什么了？”
“我跟在后面跳下深涧，”火心合上双眼，似乎又看到那湍急的河水和自己无力的挣扎，“我们被冲出山涧，雾脚和石毛赶来帮助我。当我们把蓝星拖到岸上时，她虽然还活着，可为时已晚，她的第九次生命结束了，离开我们升往星族。”
猫群中发出一片哀泣声。这里有许多猫在没出生前蓝星就已经是族长了，蓝星的死对他们来说就如“四棵树”那里的四棵巨大的橡树在一夜之间轰然倒塌。
火心勉强控制住自己的悲伤，朗声说：“蓝星并没有走，她在星族那里关注着我们，她的灵魂现在就和我们在一起。”说到这里，他心里默想：“或者在她的巢穴里，和雾脚、石毛他们在一起吧。”
斑尾说：“我现在想看看蓝星，她在——在她的巢穴里吗？”说着，她转身朝族长巢穴走去，纹尾和小耳分别陪伴在她左右。
霜毛跳起身说：“我和你们一起去。”
火心猛地一惊。他原想多给石毛和雾脚些时间让他们和母亲告别，可除了灰条和沙风之外，别的猫还都不知道营地里有两名河族武士。
“等一等——”他急忙从猫群中挤过去。
但为时已晚。斑尾和霜毛已经站在蓝星巢穴门口，她们看见洞里居然有外族猫，身上的毛顿时竖立起来。霜毛厉声喝道：“你们在这里干什么？”
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2
As Fireheart bounded across to Bluestar’s den, Speckle tail spun around to face him. Her eyes were burning with anger. “There are two RiverClan cats here,” she growled. “Mauling our leader’s body!”
“No—no, they’re not.” Fireheart gasped. “They’ve a right to be here.”
He realized that the rest of the Clan had gathered anxiously behind him and he heard Cloudtail yowling a challenge, with snarls of rage breaking out all around.
Fireheart whirled to face them. “Keep back!” he ordered. “It’s all right. Mistyfoot and Stonefur-”
“You know they’re here?” The voice was Darkstripe’s; the dark tabby thrust his way through the crowd to stand nose-to-nose with Fireheart. “You let enemy cats into our camp—into our leader’s den?”
Fireheart took a breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He deeply mistrusted the black-striped tabby. When the Clan had been preparing to escape the dog pack, Darkstripe had tried to slip away with Tigerstar’s kits. He had sworn that he knew nothing of Tigerstar’s plot to destroy ThunderClan with the dogs, but Fireheart was not sure he believed him.
“Have you forgotten what I told you?” he asked. “Mistyfoot and Stonefur helped me to pull Bluestar out of the river.”
“So you say!” Darkstripe spat. “How do we know you’re telling the truth? Why should RiverClan cats help ThunderClan?”
“They’ve helped us often enough in the past,” Fireheart reminded him. “More of us would have died after the fire if RiverClan hadn’t given us shelter.”
“That’s true,” meowed Mousefur. She had returned with Cinderpelt from the medicine cat’s den in time to hear the confrontation, and now she pushed forward to stand beside Darkstripe. “But it’s no excuse to leave them alone in the den with Bluestar’s body. What are they doing in there?”
“We are giving honor to Bluestar.”
Stonefur spoke defiantly, and Fireheart turned his head to see that the RiverClan deputy and Mistyfoot had appeared in the mouth of the den. They both looked taken aback at the reaction of the ThunderClan cats, their fur beginning to bristle as they realized they were being treated as intruders.
“We wanted to say good-bye to her,” Mistyfoot meowed.
“Why?” Mousefur demanded.
Fireheart’s stomach clenched as Mistyfoot faced the light brown she-cat and answered, “She was our mother.”
Silence fell, broken only by the call of a blackbird from the edge of the camp. Fireheart’s mind raced as he faced the shocked, hostile stares of his Clan. His gaze met Sandstorm’s; she looked dismayed, as if she guessed that Fireheart would never have chosen for ThunderClan to discover their leader’s secret like this.
“Your mother?” growled Speckletail. “I don’t believe it. Bluestar would never have allowed her kits to be raised in another Clan.”
“Believe it or not, it’s true,” Stonefur retorted.
Fireheart stepped forward, warning Stonefur to stay silent with a flick of his tail. “I’ll deal with this now. You and Mistyfoot had better go.”
Stonefur gave him a curt nod and took the lead as he and Mistyfoot made their way toward the gorse tunnel. Fireheart heard one or two furious hisses as the ThunderClan cats parted to let them pass.
“The thanks of the Clan go with you,” Fireheart called out after them, his voice echoing thinly off the Highrock.
Mistyfoot and Stonefur didn’t respond. They didn’t even turn to look back before they vanished into the tunnel.
Every hair on Fireheart’s pelt prickled with the desire to turn and run from his new responsibilities. The secret that had been so heavy to keep—that Bluestar had given up her kits to another Clan—would be heavier still in the sharing. He wished that he had been given more time to think of what to say, but he knew that it was better for his Clan to hear the truth from him now, instead of from Tigerstar at the next Gathering. As Clan leader he had to face the task, however little he liked it.
Dipping his head to Cinderpelt, he bounded up onto the Highrock. There was no need to summon the Clan; they were already turning to look up at him. For a heartbeat Fireheart was breathless, unable to speak.
He could see their anger and confusion, and smell their fear scent. Darkstripe was watching him with narrowed eyes, as if he were already planning what to tell Tigerstar. Bleakly Fireheart reflected that Tigerstar already knew; he had heard what Bluestar said to her kits as she lay dying by the river. But the ShadowClan leader would certainly be pleased to hear about ThunderClan’s confusion and Fireheart’s own difficulties. Tigerstar was sure to find a way to twist it to his advantage in his quest for revenge against ThunderClan and his efforts to recover his kits, Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw.
Fireheart took a deep breath and began: “It’s true that Mistyfoot and Stonefur are Bluestar’s kits.” He struggled to keep his voice steady, and prayed to StarClan to give him the right words so that the cats would not turn against Bluestar. “Oakheart of RiverClan was their father. When her kits were born, Bluestar gave them to him to be brought up in his Clan.”
“How do you know?” snarled Frostfur. “Bluestar would never have done that! If the RiverClan cats said so, they’re lying.”
“Bluestar told me herself,” Fireheart replied.
He met the white cat’s gaze; her eyes blazed with fury, her teeth were bared, but she did not quite dare to accuse him of lying. “Are you telling us she was a traitor?” she hissed.
One or two cats yowled a protest. Frostfur spun around, fur bristling, and Whitestorm rose to face her. Though the senior warrior looked stunned with shock, his voice was steady as he meowed, “Bluestar was always loyal to her Clan.”
“If she was so loyal,” Darkstripe put in, “why did she let a cat from another Clan father her kits?”
Fireheart found that question hard to answer. Not long ago, Graystripe had taken a mate from RiverClan, and his kits were growing up there now. The ThunderClan cats had been so horrified that Graystripe had felt he couldn’t stay in his birth Clan any longer. Although he had returned, some cats still felt hostile to him and doubted his loyalty.
“Things happen,” Fireheart replied. “When the kits were born, Bluestar would have brought them up to be loyal ThunderClan warriors, but-”
“I remember those kits.” This time the interruption was from Smallear. “They disappeared out of the nursery. We all thought a fox or a badger had gotten them. Bluestar was distraught. Are you saying that was all a lie?”
Fireheart looked down at the old gray tomcat. “No,” he promised. “Bluestar was devastated at the loss of her kits. But she had to give them up in order to become Clan deputy.”
“You’re telling us her ambition meant more to her than her kits?” asked Dustpelt. The brown warrior sounded puzzled rather than angry, as if he couldn’t reconcile this image with the wise leader he had always known.
“No,” Fireheart told him. “She did it because the Clan needed her. She put the Clan first—just as she always did.”
“That’s true,” Whitestorm agreed quietly. “Nothing meant more to Bluestar than ThunderClan.”
“Mistyfoot and Stonefur are proud of her courage—both then and now,” Fireheart went on. “As we should be.”
He was relieved when there were no more open challenges, though the tension among the Clan cats did not die away completely. Mousefur and Frostfur were muttering together, casting suspicious glances up at him. Speckletail, tail-tip twitching, stalked across to join them. But Whitestorm moved from one cat to another, clearly backing up what he had said, and Smallear was nodding wisely, as if he respected the hard decision Bluestar had made.
Then a single voice rose clearly out of the hum of conversation. “Fireheart,” Tawnypaw piped up, “are you going to be our leader now?”
Before Fireheart could reply, Darkstripe sprang to his paws. “Accept a kittypet as Clan leader? Are we all mad?”
“It’s not a question, Darkstripe,” Whitestorm pointed out, raising his voice above shocked exclamations from Sandstorm and Graystripe. “Fireheart is Clan deputy; he succeeds Bluestar. That’s all there is to it.”
Fireheart flashed him a grateful glance. The fur on his shoulders had begun to bristle and he deliberately relaxed so that it lay flat again. He would not let Darkstripe see that his challenging words had provoked him. Yet he could not stifle a moment of doubt. Bluestar had appointed him deputy, but her mind had been clouded by the shock of Tigerstar’s treachery, and the whole Clan had been shocked because the ceremony had been late. Could that possibly mean he was not the right cat to lead ThunderClan?
“But a kittypet!” Darkstripe protested. His yellow eyes glared balefully up at Fireheart. “Stinking of Twolegs and their nests! Is that what we want as our leader?”
Fireheart felt the familiar rage burn in his belly. Even though he had lived with the Clan since he was six moons old, Darkstripe never let him forget that he was not forest-born.
As he struggled with the desire to leap down and sink his claws into Darkstripe’s fur, Goldenflower rose to her paws and stepped forward to face the dark warrior. “You’re wrong, Darkstripe,” she growled. “Fireheart has proved his loyalty to the Clan a thousand times over. No Clan-born cat could have done more.”
Fireheart blinked his thanks to her, surprised that Goldenflower of all cats should have supported him so determinedly. She knew of Fireheart’s suspicions that her kit Bramblepaw would end up as dangerous as his father, Tigerstar. Though he had taken Bramblepaw as his own apprentice, he never felt comfortable around the young cat, and Goldenflower knew it. She had defended her kits fiercely against what she thought was Fireheart’s unreasonable hostility. It was all the more surprising now that she should stand up for him against Dark stripe.
“Fireheart, don’t listen to Darkstripe,” Brackenfur added his voice to Goldenflower’s. “Every cat here wants you as leader, a p art from him. You’re obviously the best cat for the job.”
A murmur of agreement rose from the cats around the Highrock, and Fireheart’s heart swelled with gratitude.
“And who are we to go against the decrees of StarClan?” Mousefur added. “The deputy always becomes Clan leader. That is the tradition of the warrior code.”
“Which Fireheart seems to know rather better than you do,” Graystripe hissed, flicking his tail contemptuously at Darkstripe. He knew as well as Fireheart that the dark warrior had plotted with Tigerstar before the dog attack.
Fireheart gestured with one paw to his friend for silence before addressing the whole Clan. “I promise you that I will spend the rest of my life striving to become the leader that ThunderClan deserves. And with StarClan’s help I will succeed.”
His gaze was drawn instinctively to Sandstorm, and he felt warmth spread into his paws and the tip of his tail when he saw how proud she looked.
“As for you, Darkstripe,” Fireheart spat, unable to hide his anger, “if you don’t like the thought of being led by a kittypet, you can always leave.”
The dark warrior lashed his tail; there was pure hatred in the look he threw Fireheart. If I had never come to the forest, Fireheart realized, Tigerstar would be leader now, and you would be deputy.
He had never intended to provoke a public confrontation with Darkstripe, but the dark tabby had driven him to it. Though ThunderClan could not afford to lose any warriors, a large part of Fireheart wanted Darkstripe to take him at his word and leave the Clan for good. Yet at the same time he knew that Darkstripe would go straight to ShadowClan and Tigerstar. It was better, Fireheart admitted to himself, to keep his enemies apart. Darkstripe would be less of a threat in ThunderClan, where Fireheart could keep an eye on him.
The black-striped warrior went on staring at him for a few heartbeats more, before whipping around to stalk away. But he did not head for the gorse tunnel; instead he vanished into the warriors’ den.
“Right.” Fireheart raised his voice as he turned back to the rest of the Clan. “Tonight we will hold the mourning rituals for Bluestar.”
“Hang on!” Cloudtail sprang to his paws, tail fluffed up. “Aren’t we going to attack ShadowClan? They slaughtered Brindleface and they led the dog pack to our camp! Don’t you want revenge?”
His fur was bristling with hostility. Brindleface had been Cloudtail’s foster mother when he first came to ThunderClan as a helpless kit. But Fireheart knew that attacking ShadowClan right now was not the answer.
He signaled with his tail to silence the yowls of agreement that had broken out as soon as Cloudtail spoke. “No,” he meowed. “This is not the time to attack ShadowClan.”
“What?” Cloudtail stared at him disbelievingly. “You’d let them get away with it?”
Fireheart took a deep breath. “ShadowClan didn’t kill Brindleface, or lay the trail for the dogs. Tigerstar did. Every rabbit on the trail had his scent on it and no other cat’s. We can’t be sure that ShadowClan even knew what their leader was planning.”
Cloudtail let out a snort of contempt. Fireheart fixed his former apprentice with a hard stare, willing him not to argue about this now. He knew that what had happened was due to the moons-old enmity between himself and Tigerstar. The ShadowClan leader would have been pleased to wipe out ThunderClan and take their territory for his own, but that was not his real motive for bringing the pack of dogs to the camp. What Tigerstar wanted more than anything else was to destroy Fireheart. Only then would he have his full revenge for the time when Fireheart had revealed his plot to kill Bluestar and driven him into exile.
Sooner or later, Fireheart now knew, he would have to come face-to-face with Tigerstar in a final confrontation that only one of them could survive. He prayed to StarClan that when the time came he would have the courage and strength to rid the forest of this bloodthirsty cat.
“Believe me,” he meowed out loud, addressing the whole Clan, “Tigerstar will pay. But ThunderClan has no quarrel with ShadowClan.”
To Fireheart’s relief, Cloudtail sat down again, his blue eyes blazing with anger, and muttered something to Lostface. Nearby, Goldenflower was crouched with her tail wrapped protectively around Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw, as if they were still young kits. She had made Fireheart himself tell the young cats what Tigerstar had done, and she was always afraid that the Clan would judge them harshly because of their father’s crimes. As Fireheart gave his decision not to attack, she visibly relaxed, and the two apprentices eased away from her. Bramblepaw flashed a look at Firestar from n arrowed amber eyes, and Fireheart wondered if he saw hostility there.
He pushed the problem of Bramblepaw to the back of his mind as he looked out over the assembled cats. Long shadows were stretching across the camp, and Fireheart realized that the time had come for the Clan to make its last farewells to their beloved leader. “We must pay our respects to Bluestar,” he announced. “Are you ready, Cinderpelt?” The medicine cat nodded. “Graystripe, Sandstorm,” Fireheart went on, “can you bring Bluestar’s body out into the clearing so that we may share tongues with her in the sight of StarClan?”
The two warriors got up and vanished into Bluestar’s den, reappearing a moment later with their leader’s body supported between them. They carried her to the center of the clearing and laid her gently onto the hard-packed sand.
“Sandstorm, round up a hunting patrol,” Fireheart ordered. “When you’ve said good-bye to Bluestar I’d like you to stock up the fresh-kill pile. And Mousefur, when you have finished, could you lead a patrol out toward Snakerocks and the ShadowClan border? I want to be sure that all the dogs have gone, and that there are no ShadowClan cats on our territory. Be careful, though—don’t take risks.”
“Sure, Fireheart.” The wiry brown tabby got to her paws. “Goldenflower, Longtail, are you coming?”
The cats she had named went to join her, and all three moved into the center of the clearing to share tongues with their leader for the last time. Sandstorm followed with Dustpelt and Cloudtail. Cinderpelt stood at Bluestar’s head and gazed into the indigo sky, where the first stars of Silverpelt were beginning to appear. According to the ancient traditions of the Clans, each star represented the spirit of a warrior ancestor. Fireheart wondered if there were one more star tonight, for Bluestar.
Cinderpelt’s blue eyes shone with the secrets of StarClan. “Bluestar was a noble leader,” she meowed. “Let us give thanks to StarClan for her life. She was dedicated to her Clan, and her memory will never fade from the forest. Now we commend her spirit to StarClan; may she watch over us in death as she always did in life.”
A soft murmuring spread throughout the Clan as the medicine cat finished speaking and stood with her head bowed. The warriors Fireheart had chosen to go out on patrol crouched beside Bluestar’s body, grooming her fur and pressing their noses to her flank. After a while they backed away and other cats took their place, until all the Clan had shared tongues with their leader in the sorrowful ritual.
The patrols left, and the other cats retreated silently to their dens. Fireheart stood watching near the base of the Highrock, and as Brackenfur moved away from his leader’s body he stepped forward to intercept the young warrior. “I’ve got a job for you,” he murmured. “I want you to keep an eye on Darkstripe for me. If he so much as looks across the border to ShadowClan, I want to know about it.”
The young ginger tom gazed at him, alarm battling with loyalty to his new Clan leader. “I’ll do my best, Fireheart, but he won’t like it.”
“With any luck, he won’t know about it. Don’t make it too obvious, and ask one or two of the others to help you…Mousefur, maybe, and Frostfur.” Seeing that Brackenfur was still doubtful, Fireheart added, “Darkstripe may not have known about the dogs, but he knew that Tigerstar was planning something. We can’t trust him.”
“I can see that,” Brackenfur meowed, his eyes troubled. “But we can’t watch him forever.”
“It won’t be forever,” Fireheart assured him. “Just until Darkstripe proves where his loyalties lie—one way or the other.”
Brackenfur nodded, then slipped silently into the warriors’ den. With no more problems clamoring for his attention, Fireheart was able to cross the clearing to Bluestar’s body. Cinderpelt still sat near her head and Whitestorm was crouched beside her, his head bowed in grief.
Fireheart dipped his head to the medicine cat. He settled himself beside Bluestar, searching her face for signs of the leader he had loved so much. But her eyes were closed, never again to burn with the fire that had commanded respect from all the Clans. Her spirit had gone to race joyously through the sky with her warrior ancestors’, keeping watch over the forest.
He felt the soft caress of his leader’s fur and felt a sense of security flood over him, almost as if he were a kit again, curling up close to his mother. For a moment he could almost forget the horror of her dying and the loneliness of his new responsibilities.
Receive her with honor, Fireheart prayed silently to StarClan, closing his eyes and pressing his nose to Bluestar’s fur. And help me keep her Clan safe.
第二章
第二章
火心赶到蓝星的巢穴门口。斑尾转过身，怒气冲冲地对他吼道：“这里竟然有两只河族猫在摆弄我们族长的遗体！”
火心焦急地说：“不——不是的，他们没有，他们可以待在里面。”
大家疑虑的目光顿时齐刷刷地投向他，愤怒的叱责声犹如锣鼓喧天，其中云尾叫得最起劲儿。
火心转身命令说：“不许上前一步！大家别担心，雾脚和石毛——”
“你知道他们在这里吗？”这是黑条的声音，他从猫群中走出来站在火心对面，“你让敌人进入我们的营地——而且还在我们族长的巢穴里？”
火心深吸了口气，竭力保持头脑冷静。在他眼里，最不可信的猫就数黑条了。当族群准备外出躲避恶狗袭击时，黑条却企图带着虎星的两个孩子偷偷溜走，虽然黑条发誓自己对虎星的阴谋一无所知，但火心可不相信他说的话。
火心问：“你没有听到我说的话吗？是雾脚和石毛帮助我把蓝星从河里捞了出来。”
黑条大声说：“这只是你的一面之词吧！我们怎么知道你说的是真话？河族猫为什么要帮助雷族？”
火心提醒说：“河族帮助我们也不是第一次了。如果不是河族为我们提供避难所，那场大火就会夺走更多同胞的生命。”
“这话不错。”鼠毛说道，她从医务室回来，刚巧听到他们的话，于是她走上前站在黑条身边，“但你不该让他们独自和蓝星的遗体待在一起，他们在那里干什么？”
“我们是在表达对蓝星的敬意。”
火心转头看见石毛和雾脚从洞穴里走了出来。他们起初对雷族众猫的反应感到迷惑，但当他们得知自己竟然被当成入侵者时，立刻感到怒火上涌。
雾脚说：“我们想和她道个别。”
鼠毛问：“为什么？”
雾脚平静地回答说：“她是我们的母亲。”
营地内顿时安静下来，只听外面传来一声画眉鸟的鸣叫。火心看到大家眼里露出震惊和愤慨的目光，脑子里飞速转动。他看了看沙风，见她一副垂头丧气的样子，似乎理解火心并不想让大家知道族长的秘密。
斑尾吼道：“你们的母亲？我不相信，蓝星决不会把她的孩子交给别的族群抚养。”
石毛反唇相讥：“管你相不相信，反正这是真的。”
火心晃了晃尾巴，示意石毛闭嘴。他说：“我来处理这件事，你和雾脚最好现在就走。”
石毛向他点头行礼，带着雾脚朝金雀花通道走去。雷族众猫分开道路让他们通过，偶尔有一两只猫发出愤怒的嘶叫。
火心冲着他们喊道：“我代表雷族感谢你们。”
雾脚和石毛没有反应，他们头也不回地消失在金雀花通道里。
火心心里乱成了一团麻，真想撒腿从这里跑开。这个秘密已经压得他几乎喘不过气来了——蓝星竟然把自己的孩子送给了别的族群——可是直到此时，他才发觉把这个秘密公之于众更加令他感到心情沉重。也许给他些时间，他就能找到合适的词语，可众猫现在就想知道答案，与其让虎星在森林大会上对这件事大放厥词，不如自己来解释好了。不论他喜欢与否，这就是当族长的责任。
火心冲炭毛点了下头，然后跳上高岩。他没有必要再高声召集开会，因为大家都已经在高岩下聚齐了。一刹那，火心感觉自己呼吸急促，连话都说不出来了。
他从大家的脸上看到愤怒和迷惘，嗅到他们身上散发出的恐惧气味。他看见黑条正眯缝起眼睛盯着自己，似乎已经做好向虎星汇报的打算了。虽然虎星在河岸上听到了蓝星临死前和她两个孩子的对话，但他一定还想知道雷族对此事的反应以及火心所面临的困境。
虎星一定会利用这个秘密大做文章，以换取要回黑莓爪和黄爪的筹码。
火心深吸了口气，说：“雾脚和石毛的确是蓝星的孩子。”他努力保持镇定，暗暗祈求星族保佑别让他说错话，“河族的橡心是他们的父亲。蓝星生下这两个孩子后，把他们托付给橡心抚养。”
霜毛怒喝道：“你怎么知道的？蓝星不会做这种事情的！如果你是听河族猫说的，那他们就是在撒谎。”
火心回答说：“是蓝星亲口告诉我的！”
霜毛虽然怒不可遏，但她不敢指责火心在说谎。她低嘶着说：“你是在告诉我们，蓝星是一个叛徒吗？”
猫群中立刻有一两只猫发出反对的吼叫声。霜毛猛地转身，身上的毛都竖立起来。这时白风站起来，虽然他也和大家一样感到震惊，但仍心平气和地说：“蓝星一直都忠于她的族群。”
黑条插嘴说：“如果她那么忠诚，为什么还要和别族的猫生下野种呢？”
这个问题令火心感到难以回答。灰条的配偶就是一只河族猫，而且他的孩子现在还在河族里养着。当初灰条离开雷族加入河族的时候，大家都被吓坏了。虽然他最终回到这个大家庭，可有些猫仍对他态度恶劣，怀疑他存有二心。
火心说：“当时的情况很复杂。蓝星生下这两个孩子后，本该抚养他们长大，但是——”
小耳忽然插言说：“我记得那几只幼崽，他们从育婴室里消失了，我们都以为是狐狸或者獾偷走了他们，蓝星当时都快要发疯了。你是说这些都是骗局吗？”
火心俯视着小耳，向他保证说：“不，蓝星确实因失去她的孩子而伤心欲绝，但她为了当族长代表，只得忍痛将孩子们送走。”
尘毛问：“你是说她对权力的野心超过了对她亲生孩子的爱吗？”他的语气中困惑多于愤慨，似乎蓝星的这些做法与他印象中那位英明的族长完全不相吻合。
火心说：“不，她是为了族群着想才这么做的，她把族群的利益放在首位——这是她一贯的作风。”
白风平静地说：“没错，在蓝星的心目中，什么都比不上族群重要。”
火心继续说：“雾脚和石毛都很敬重她的勇气——从来都是。”
尽管会场上的气氛仍然很紧张，但没有猫再站出来进行责难，火心暗暗松了口气。鼠毛和霜毛低声议论，不时朝他投来疑虑的目光。斑尾晃着尾巴也走过去和她们一起嘀咕。
但白风在猫群中来回穿梭，显然是在抚慰大家的不安情绪。而小耳则通情达理地点着头，似乎完全理解蓝星的这个艰难抉择。
忽然，在一片嗡嗡声中，黄爪站起来说：“火心，你将会是我们的族长吗？”
火心还未回答，黑条已跳起来吼道：“让一只宠物猫做族长？我们都疯了吗？”
沙风和灰条立刻大声怒叱他。白风朗声说：“这不成问题，黑条，火心是族长代表，由他来接替蓝星是理所当然的事。”
火心感激地望了白风一眼。他强忍住胸中的怒火，不想让黑条看他的笑话。不过黑条的话还是有些煽动力的。虽然蓝星指定火心为族长代表，但那是在她受到虎星背叛行为的打击后做出的决定。当时火心的任职仪式还被推迟了，大家都为这件违反传统的事情感到恐慌。那是否意味着他不配做雷族族长呢？
黑条恶狠狠地瞪着火心，争辩说：“可他是一只宠物猫啊！他浑身上下散发着两腿动物的恶臭味！难道我们想让这样的猫来做我们的族长吗？”
火心忽然感到自己的旧疮疤一下子又被揭开了。尽管他从六个月大就生活在族群中，可黑条一直揪住他不是族生猫这点不放。
他真想扑下去把黑条痛打一顿。这时，金花站起来走到黑条面前厉声喝道：“你错了，黑条，火心对族群的忠诚已经得到了千百次的证明，没有一只族生猫比他付出的更多了。”
火心感激地冲她眨眨眼睛，他万万没有想到金花竟然会挺身而出为他主持公道。金花知道火心对她的孩子黑莓爪存有疑虑，虽然火心把黑莓爪收为自己的徒弟，但黑莓爪总让他感到不顺眼，生怕他会走上他父亲的老路，金花对此心知肚明。她厌恶火心对黑莓爪的无端猜忌，不料如今她却站在火心一边和黑条唱反调。
蕨毛喊道：“火心，别听黑条瞎说，除了他之外，大伙儿都希望你来做族长，这个职位显然非你莫属。”
猫群中响起一片附和声，火心心中充满了感激。
鼠毛说：“我们怎么能坏了星族的规矩呢？族长一向都是由族长代表来接任，这是武士法典的传统。”
灰条冲着黑条轻蔑地摇晃尾巴，低声嘶吼着说：“似乎火心知道的总比你要多吧。”他也知道黑条和虎星曾在森林大会上有过密谋。
火心摆了摆爪子，示意灰条安静，然后对大家说：“我向你们保证，我将来一定会做一个称职的雷族族长。有星族保佑，我会成功的。”
说到这里，他下意识地看了看沙风，她脸上充满了仰慕的神情，火心立刻感到一股暖流涌遍全身。
“至于你，黑条，”火心恼怒地说，“如果你不想屈身于一只宠物猫之下，你可以随时离开这里。”
黑条甩动尾巴，眼睛里射出仇恨的目光。火心暗想：“如果当初我没有来到森林，现在虎星已经当上雷族族长，而你则是族长代表了。”
他并不想在大伙儿面前和黑条撕破脸皮，是黑条把他逼到这一步的。尽管雷族不能失去任何一名武士，但火心巴不得黑条早点儿离开族群。他知道黑条离开后必定会到影族去投靠虎星。其实这样更好，省得他还要整天提防。
黑条瞪了火心一会儿，然后猛地转身离去，不过他并没有朝金雀花通道走去，而是消失在武士巢穴里。
火心提高嗓门说：“今晚我们为蓝星举行追悼仪式。”
“且慢！”云尾跳起身，尾巴翘得高高的，“我们不去找影族算账了吗？他们杀害了纹脸，还把恶狗引到我们营地来！难道你不想报仇吗？”
他的脸上充满了悲愤的神情。云尾自小便进入雷族，除了火心之外他无依无靠，是纹脸好心收养了他。但火心知道此时攻击影族决不是上策。
云尾的质问立刻引起许多附和声。火心晃了晃尾巴，示意大家安静。他说：“不行，现在还不是向影族发动进攻的时候。”
“什么？”云尾难以置信地瞪着他，“你要让他们逍遥法外吗？”
火心深吸了口气，说：“杀害纹脸的不是影族，他们也没有引来恶狗，这些都是虎星干的好事。每一只兔子身上仅留有虎星的气味，我们不知道影族对他们族长的计划是否知情。”
云尾鼻子里发出嗤的一声，脸上露出不屑的神情。火心狠狠瞪了他一眼，不想和他争论这件事。他知道近来发生的事情都源于他和虎星之间的宿怨。虽然虎星想扫平雷族，占据他们的领地，但那不是他把恶狗们引入营地的真正动机。虎星日思夜想的是杀掉火心，因为是火心破坏了他谋害蓝星的阴谋，致使他被流放在外。只有杀掉火心，才能消解他的心头大恨。
火心现在知道，他和虎星的决战迟早会到来，到那个时候，他们之间不是你死就是我亡。他默默祈求星族赐予他勇气和力量，使他能够除去这个为害森林的恶霸。
火心朗声说：“相信我，虎星会为此付出代价的，但雷族和影族之间没有仇怨。”
云尾脸上挂满怒容，坐回去对夺面嘀咕了几句。金花卷过尾巴护住黑莓爪和黄爪，仿佛他们仍旧是小孩子。她曾让火心把虎星的所作所为讲给这两个孩子听，而且她总是担心族里的猫会因为虎星的罪过而迁怒到这两个孩子的头上。如今她见火心并没有攻击影族的打算，不由得松了口气。两个小学徒从金花的怀抱中探出头。黑莓爪眯缝起眼睛瞅着火心，火心搞不清楚他的目光中是否带有仇恨。
此时大家都聚集在高岩下，火心只得将黑莓爪的事情先放在一旁。天色渐晚，大家该和他们敬爱的族长做最后的道别了。火心说：“我们要向蓝星表达我们最深的敬意。炭毛，你准备好了吗？”炭毛点了点头，于是火心说：“灰条、沙风，请你们两位把蓝星的遗体抬进会场，我们要在星族的目光下为她进行梳理。”
两位武士站起身走进族长巢穴，不一会儿，他们衔着蓝星的尸体走出来进入会场中央，将蓝星轻轻放在沙地上。
火心命令说：“沙风，等告别仪式结束后，你组织一支捕猎队为族群找些吃的。鼠毛，你能带领一支队伍去蛇岩和影族边界处查看吗？我想确定那些恶狗离开了没有，影族有没有进入我们的领地。多加小心，别冒险。”
鼠毛站起来说：“放心吧，火心。金花、长尾，你们能和我一起去吗？”
她点到名字的两个武士走了过来，三只猫一道走进会场中央为他们的族长进行最后一次舔梳。接下来是沙风、尘毛和云尾。炭毛站在蓝星头部的位置，仰望夜空。按照猫族的传统观点，每一颗星星都代表着一位武士祖先，火心不知道今晚的夜空中是否会出现代表蓝星的那一颗。
炭毛蓝色的眼睛闪着光芒，那里隐藏有无数个关于星族的秘密。她说：“蓝星是一位品格高尚的族长，我们感谢星族赐予她生命。她鞠躬尽瘁，为族群奉献出了自己的一切，她的故事将永远在这片森林大地上流传。现在，我们躬送她的灵魂升往星族，愿她在天上能够像活着时那样继续关注我们。”
炭毛说完悼词后，低垂着头站在那里。猫群中发出一片低沉的悼念声。火心派出去执行任务的那几位武士趴在蓝星身旁，为她梳理皮毛，用他们的鼻子抵在她的遗体上。片刻之后他们退了下去，陆续上来别的猫进行相同的仪式。
外出执行任务的队伍走了，其他的猫也都默默地回到各自的巢穴里。火心站在高岩下，看见蕨毛正要离去，便叫住他，小声说：“我交给你一项任务，替我盯住黑条，如果他在影族边界那里有什么小动作，你立刻向我汇报。”
蕨毛看着这位新族长，眼里露出忠诚的目光。他说：“我会竭尽全力，火心，不过，如果这件事让他知道，可就不好办了。”
“运气好的话，他不会知道的。别做得太明显了，找一两个帮手，比如鼠毛或者霜毛。”火心看见蕨毛脸上仍旧挂着一副疑惑的面容，于是补充说，“也许黑条对恶狗的事真的不知情，但他肯定知道虎星在计划某些事情，我们不能信任他。”
蕨毛说：“这我明白，可我们不能一辈子盯着他。”
火心说：“不会的，我们这么做只是为了看看他到底忠诚于哪一边。”
蕨毛点了点头，一言不发地走进武士巢穴。解决了这桩心事，火心才走到蓝星的遗体边。炭毛仍坐在那里，白风则趴在蓝星遗体旁边，沉浸在无尽的悲痛中。
火心向炭毛低了下头，然后坐下来凝视着蓝星的脸庞，她双目紧闭，再也没有昔日那种威仪四方的神采。她的灵魂已经离去，快快乐乐地升往星族了。
火心紧紧贴在蓝星身上，仿佛一只小猫崽依偎在母亲怀里那样充满了安全感。那一刻，他忘记了蓝星永远离去的事实，忘记了他将要独自承受的重担。
火心合上眼睛，默默向星族祷念：“请厚待她，保佑她的族群平安无事吧。”
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
Something was prodding Fireheart in the side. With a muffled mew of protest he opened his eyes to see Cinderpelt stooping over him.
“You dozed off,” she murmured. “But you’ll have to wake up now. It’s time to bury Bluestar.”
Fireheart staggered to his paws. He flexed each stiff leg in turn and passed his dry tongue over his lips. He felt as if he had been crouching in the clearing for a moon at least. The sense of comfort he had felt as he slept was replaced by a wave of guilt.
“Did any cat see?” he muttered to Cinderpelt.
The medicine cat’s blue eyes glimmered with sympathy. “Only me. Don’t worry about it, Fireheart. No cat would blame you after what happened yesterday.”
Fireheart glanced around the clearing. The pale light of dawn was just beginning to seep through the trees. A few tail-lengths away the elders had assembled to carry out their duty of bearing Bluestar’s body to the burial place. The rest of the Clan were slowly emerging from their dens, forming two lines between Bluestar’s body and the entrance to the gorse tunnel.
At a nod from Cinderpelt, the elders took up the body and carried Bluestar between the rows of her grieving warriors. Every cat bowed his head as their leader was borne past.
“Good-bye, Bluestar,” Fireheart murmured. “I’ll never forget you.” Sharp thorns of pain pierced his heart when he saw the tip of her tail scoring a furrow in the blackened leaves that still lay on the ground after the recent fire.
When Bluestar had vanished with her escort, the rest of the cats began to disperse. Fireheart checked the camp, noticing with approval that the pile of fresh-kill had been stocked up. All he needed to do was send out the dawn patrol; then he could eat and rest. He felt as if a moon of sleep would not be enough to banish the exhaustion from his paws
“Well, Fireheart,” meowed Cinderpelt. “Are you ready?”
Fireheart turned, puzzled. “Ready?”
“To go to the Moonstone to receive your nine lives from StarClan.” The tip of Cinderpelt’s tail twitched. “Fireheart, surely you hadn’t forgotten?”
Fireheart shuffled his paws uneasily. Of course he hadn’t forgotten the ancient ceremony to initiate all new Clan leaders, but somehow he hadn’t realized that it would take place right away. He felt dazed by the speed with which everything was happening, bearing him forward relentlessly like the swift waters of the gorge that had almost drowned him
Fear rose in his throat and he had to swallow quickly. No leader ever spoke of the mystic rite, so no other cat, except for the medicine cats, knew what happened there. Fireheart had visited the Moonstone before and watched Bluestar share tongues with StarClan in her sleep. That experience had been awe-inspiring enough. He could not imagine what would happen when he had to lie beside the sacred stone himself and share dreams with his warrior ancestors.
On top of this, he knew that Highstones, where the Moonstone lay in a cavern far underground, was a whole day’s journey away, and the ritual demanded that he not eat beforehand, not even the strengthening herbs that other cats took for the journey.
“StarClan will give you strength,” meowed Cinderpelt, as if she had read his thoughts.
Fireheart muttered in vague agreement. Glancing around, he spotted Whitestorm on his way to the warriors’ den and summoned the older warrior with a flick of his tail.
“I’ve got to go to Highstones,” he meowed. “Will you take charge of the camp? We’ll need a dawn patrol.”
“Consider it done,” promised Whitestorm, and added, “StarClan go with you, Fireheart.”
Fireheart took a last look around the camp as he followed Cinderpelt toward the gorse tunnel. He felt as if he were going on a long journey, farther than he had ever traveled before, where the prospect of return looked doubtful. And in a way he never would return, for the cat who came back would have a new name, new responsibilities, and a new relationship with StarClan.
As he turned away, a yowl sounded behind him. Graystripe and Sandstorm were racing across the clearing.
“You weren’t sneaking off without saying good-bye?” Graystripe panted, skidding to a halt.
Sandstorm said nothing, but she twined her tail with Fireheart’s and pressed close to his side.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Fireheart meowed. “Listen,” he added awkwardly, “I know things will be different now, but I’ll never stop needing you—both of you. No cat ever had such good friends.”
Graystripe butted him in the shoulder. “We know that, you stupid furball,” he mewed.
Sandstorm’s green eyes shone as she gazed into Fireheart’s. “We’ll always need you too, Fireheart,” she murmured. “And you’d better not forget that.”
“Fireheart, come on!” Cinderpelt called from where she was waiting at the entrance to the gorse tunnel. “We have to reach Highstones by nightfall—and remember I can’t move as fast as you.”
“Coming!” Fireheart gave each of his friends a quick lick before plunging into the gorse tunnel after the medicine cat. His heart felt full of hope as he caught up to her and made his way to the top of the ravine. He might have been leaving his old life behind, but he could take with him everything that was important.
The sun was up in a clear blue sky and the frost had melted from the grass by the time the two cats reached Fourtrees, where the Gatherings were held between all four Clans every full moon.
“I hope we don’t meet a WindClan patrol,” Fireheart remarked as they crossed the border onto the high, exposed moorland, leaving the shelter of the forest behind them.
Not long before, Bluestar had tried to launch an attack on WindClan, accusing them of stealing prey from ThunderClan. Fireheart had disobeyed his leader and risked accusations of treachery to avoid a battle. Although Tallstar, the WindClan leader, had been prepared to make peace, Fireheart could imagine that the WindClan cats might still bear a grudge.
“They won’t stop us,” Cinderpelt replied calmly.
“They might try,” Fireheart argued. “I’d rather avoid them altogether.”
His hopes were dashed as he and Cinderpelt reached the crest of a stretch of moorland and saw a WindClan patrol picking their way through the heather a few foxlengths below. They were downwind, so Fireheart had not detected their scent as a warning.
The leader of the patrol raised his head, and Fireheart recognized the warrior Tornear. His heart sank when he saw that his old enemy Mudclaw was just behind him, with an apprentice Fireheart didn’t know. He and Cinderpelt waited as the WindClan cats bounded through the heather toward them; there was no point in trying to avoid them now.
Mudclaw curled his lip in a snarl, but Torn ear dipped his head as he halted in front of Fireheart. “Greetings, Fireheart, Cinderpelt,” he meowed. “Why are you here on our territory?”
“We’re on our way to Highstones,” Cinderpelt replied, taking a step forward.
Fireheart felt a surge of pride to see the respectful nod the WindClan warrior gave to his medicine cat.
“No bad news, I hope?” Tornear asked; cats did not usually travel to Highstones unless a crisis in their Clan demanded direct communication with StarClan.
“The worst,” Cinderpelt meowed steadily. “Bluestar died yesterday.”
All three WindClan cats bowed their heads; even Mudclaw looked solemn. “She was a great and noble cat,” Tornear meowed at last. “Every Clan will honor her memory.”
Raising his head again, he turned to Fireheart with a look of curiosity and respect in his eyes. “So you’re to be leader now?” he asked.
“Yes,” Fireheart admitted. “I’m going to receive my nine lives from StarClan.”
Tornear nodded, his gaze traveling slowly over the warrior’s flame-colored pelt. “You’re young,” he commented. “But something tells me you’ll make a fine leader.”
“Th-thank you,” Fireheart stammered, taken by surprise.
Cinderpelt rescued him. “We mustn’t stay,” she meowed. “It’s a long way to Highstones.”
“Of course.” Tornear stepped back. “We’ll tell Tallstar your news. May StarClan be with you!” he called as the two ThunderClan cats bounded away.
On the edge of the uplands they paused again and looked down over a very different landscape. Instead of bare hillside broken by outcrops of rock and patches of heather, Fireheart saw a scattering of Twoleg nests among fields and hedgerows. In the distance the Thunderpath cut a swath across the land, while beyond that jagged hills reared up, their barren slopes looking gray and threatening. Fireheart swallowed; that desolate region was where they were heading.
He realized that Cinderpelt was looking at him with understanding in her blue eyes.
“Everything’s different,” Fireheart confessed. “You saw those WindClan cats. Even they don’t treat me in the same way anymore.” He knew he could never say these things to anyone except the medicine cat—not even to Sandstorm. “It’s as if every cat expects me to be noble and wise. But I’m not. I’ll make mistakes, just like I did before. Cinderpelt, I’m not sure I can do this.”
“Mouse-brain.” Fireheart was both shocked and comforted by the teasing note in Cinderpelt’s voice. “When you make mistakes—not if, Fireheart, when—I’ll tell you about them, believe me.” More seriously, she added, “And I’ll still be your friend, no matter what. No cat that ever lived was perfect all the time. Bluestar wasn’t! The trick is to learn from your mistakes, and have the courage to be true to your heart.” She turned her head and rasped her tongue over his ear. “You’ll be fine, Fireheart. Now let’s go.”
Fireheart let her take the lead down the slope and across the Twoleg farmland. The two cats picked their way over the sticky earth of a plowed field and skirted the Twoleg nest where the two loners, Barley and Ravenpaw, lived. Fireheart kept a lookout, but there was no sign of them. He was sorry not to see them, for both cats were good friends to ThunderClan, and Ravenpaw had once trained alongside Fireheart as an apprentice. The distant barking of a dog sent shivers through Fireheart’s fur as he remembered the horror of being chased by the pack.
Keeping to the shadows of the hedges, they eventually reached the Thunderpath and crouched beside it, their fur ruffled by the wind of monsters racing past them. The strong reek of their fumes flooded Fireheart’s nose and throat, and his eyes stung.
Cinderpelt braced herself beside him, waiting for a space b e t w e en the monsters when it would be safe to cross. Fireheart felt anxious for his friend. Her leg had been permanently injured in an accident at the edge of the Thunderpath many moons ago, when she had been his apprentice; the old injury would slow her down.
“We’ll go together,” he meowed, feeling the familiar guilt that he had not prevented her accident. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Cinderpelt gave a tiny nod; Fireheart guessed she was afraid, but she wouldn’t admit it. A moment later, after a brightly colored monster flashed past, she mewed, “Now!” and limped rapidly out onto the hard black surface.
Fireheart bounded at her side, forcing himself not to leave her behind even though his heart was hammering and every instinct screamed at him to run across as quickly as he could. He heard the roar of a monster in the distance, but before it arrived he and the medicine cat were safe in the hedgerow on the other side.
The medicine cat let out a gusty sigh. “Thank StarClan that’s over!”
Fireheart murmured agreement, though he knew they still had to face the return journey.
Already the sun was sliding down the sky. The land on this side of the Thunderpath was less familiar to Fireheart, and every sense was alert for danger as they began to climb toward Highstones. But all he could hear was prey scuffling in the scanty grass; the tempting scent flooded his mouth, and he wished he were allowed to stop and hunt.
As Fireheart and Cinderpelt reached the foot of the final slope, the sun was setting behind the peak. The evening shadows were lengthening and a chill crept over the ground. Above his head, Fireheart could make out a square opening beneath an overhang of stone.
“We’ve reached Mother mouth,” Cinderpelt meowed. “Let’s rest for a moment.”
She and Fireheart lay down together on a flat rock while the last of the light died from the sky and the stars of Silverpelt began to appear. The moon flooded all the landscape in a cold, frosty light.
“It’s time,” mewed Cinderpelt.
All his misgivings coursed through Fireheart once again, and at first he thought his paws would not carry him. But he rose and began walking forward, the sharp stones biting into his pads, until he stood beneath the arch known to the Clans as Mothermouth.
A black tunnel yawned into darkness. From his previous visit Fireheart knew that there was no point in straining his eyes to see what lay ahead; the blackness was unbroken all the way to the cavern where the Moonstone lay. As he hesitated, Cinderpelt stepped forward confidently.
“Follow my scent,” she told him. “I will lead you to the Moonstone. And from now on, until the ritual is over, neither of us must speak.”
“But I don’t know what to do,” Fireheart protested.
“W h en we reach the Moonstone, lie down and press your nose to it.” Her blue eyes gleamed in the moonlight. “StarClan will send you sleep so you may meet with them in dream s.”
There was a forest full of questions that Fireheart wanted to ask her, but none whose answers would help him overcome the creeping dread he felt. He bowed his head in silence and followed Cinderpelt as she made her way into the darkness.
The tunnel sloped steadily downward, and Fireheart soon lost his sense of direction as it wound back and forth. Sometimes the walls were so close together that his fur and whiskers brushed the sides. His heart thumped wildly and he opened his mouth to draw in Cinderpelt’s comforting scent, terrified at the thought that he might lose her.
At last he realized that he could see Cinderpelt’s ears outlined against a faint light ahead. Other scents began to reach him, and his whiskers twitched in a flow of cold, fresh air. A heartbeat later he rounded a bend in the tunnel and the light grew suddenly stronger. Fireheart narrowed his eyes as he padded forward, sensing that the tunnel had opened out into a cave.
High above his head, a hole in the roof showed a chink of night sky. A shaft of moonlight shone through it, falling directly onto a rock in the center of the cavern. Fireheart drew in his breath sharply. He had seen the Moonstone once before, but he had forgotten just how startling it was. About three tail-lengths high, tapering toward its top, it reflected the moonlight in its dazzling crystal as if a star had fallen to the earth. The white light lit up the whole cave, turning Cinderpelt’s gray fur to silver.
She turned toward Fireheart and signaled to him with her tail to take his place beside the Moonstone.
Unable to speak, even if he could think of anything to say, Fireheart obeyed. He lay down in front of the stone, settling his head on his paws so that his nose touched the smooth surface. The cold was a shock, so that he almost drew back, and for a moment he blinked at the light of stars sparkling in the depths of the stone.
Then he closed his eyes, and waited for StarClan to send him to sleep.
第三章
第三章
睡梦中，火心感到有东西在捅他。他咕哝了几声睁开眼睛，看见炭毛站在面前。
只听炭毛悄声说：“你打瞌睡了，快醒醒，到埋葬蓝星的时间了。”
火心吃力地爬起来，舒展了一下四肢，只觉得口干舌燥，仿佛睡了好多天一样。他醒过神后随即感到有些愧疚，小声对炭毛说：“有谁看见我睡觉了吗？”
炭毛同情地看着他，说：“只有我。别担心，火心，昨天发生了那么多的事情，谁也不会怪你的。”
火心扫了一眼会场。天已经蒙蒙亮了，不远处几只老年猫已经集合起来准备将蓝星抬出去埋葬，其他的猫陆陆续续从巢穴里出来，在蓝星的遗体旁排成两列，一直站到金雀花通道。
炭毛点了点头，老年猫衔起蓝星的遗体，抬着她从两边默哀的武士中间走过。当族长的遗体从面前经过时，每一只猫都低头敬礼。
火心喃喃地说：“再见，蓝星，你永远活在我的心中。”他看着蓝星的尾巴缓缓从地面上滑过，心如刀绞。
送葬队抬着蓝星的遗体消失在金雀花通道里，众猫纷纷散去。火心检查了一遍营地，看见地上高高摞起一堆猎物，不由得心中暗暗称赞。他现在需要派出一支早班巡逻队，然后吃点儿东西休息片刻。他觉得就算自己睡上一个月也不能解乏。
炭毛说：“嘿，火心，你准备好了吗？”
火心愕然转头：“准备什么？”
炭毛晃着尾巴说：“去月亮石接受星族赐予你的九条性命呀！火心，你不会把这事忘了吧？”
火心有些局促不安。他当然不会忘记这个所有的新族长都要进行的古老仪式，但他没有想到昨天还看上去非常遥远的事，这么快就变成了现实。这几天发生了太多的事情，就像山涧里奔腾的激流，不停地推着他往前冲，使他感到头晕目眩。
火心感到心里发虚。族长们从不谈论这个神秘的仪式，因此除了各族医生之外，别的猫都不知道仪式的具体情形。火心去过月亮石，看过蓝星在睡梦中与星族交流，那次经历令他激动了很久，如今他竟然能够亲自躺在那块神圣的石头边，和武士祖先们会面。
月亮石位于石林的一个地下山洞里，去那儿要花上一整天的时间，而且在仪式举行之前不能吃饭。众猫习惯在出远门前吃些草药来补充体力，而这在月亮石的仪式中是被禁止的。
炭毛似乎知道他的心思，说：“星族会赐给你力量的。”
火心含含糊糊地应了一声。他转头四顾，看见白风正要回武士巢穴，于是晃了晃尾巴把他召过来。
火心说：“我得去一趟月亮石，你能处理一下族里的事务吗？早上还需要派一支巡逻队。”
白风说：“这件事交给我办。愿星族保佑你，火心。”
火心最后扫了一眼营地，带着炭毛朝金雀花通道走去。在他面前的仿佛是一趟远程，他怀疑自己是否还能回到原地。因为当他回来的时候，他将有新的名字、新的责任，他和星族之间也将形成一种新的关系。
他忽然听见身后传来一声呼喊，转头看见灰条和沙风跑了过来。
灰条气喘吁吁地说：“连声再见也不说就想偷偷溜走吗？”
沙风没有说话，而是紧紧贴着他。
火心尴尬地说：“我明天回来。我知道现在情况有些变化，但我永远都需要你——需要你们，你们是我最好的朋友。”
灰条拍了一下他的肩膀，说：“这还用说，你这傻毛球。”
沙风含情脉脉地凝视着火心，低声说：“你别忘了，我们也永远需要你，火心。”
炭毛站在金雀花通道出口处催促说：“火心，走吧！我们必须在天黑前赶到石林——别忘了我没有你走得快。”
“来啦！”火心在灰条和沙风的脑门上各自舔了一下，跟着炭毛走进金雀花通道。他爬上山沟举目回望，胸中充满豪情。那些日子即将过去，他将要面临新的挑战。
两只猫到达“四棵树”时，阳光还非常明媚，雾气早已散尽。每到月圆之夜，森林里四大猫族都要齐聚在“四棵树”召开森林大会。
火心带着炭毛穿过风族边界进入高地。前方是茫茫荒野，身后是郁郁丛林。火心说：“但愿我们别撞见风族巡逻队。”
不久前，由于风、雷两个族群在丢失猎物的事情上起了争端，蓝星曾计划对风族发动攻击。为了避免那场战争，火心冒着背负叛徒骂名的风险，背着蓝星来风族寻求和解。虽然风族族长高星不想风、雷两族之间发生冲突，最后做出妥协，但火心知道他为此事憋了一肚子火。
炭毛镇静地说：“他们不会阻拦我们的。”
火心不服气地说：“这也说不准，我们还是尽量避开他们吧。”
哪知他越是担心，事情就越是落到头上。他和炭毛刚刚爬上一处山丘，就看见坡下走来一支巡逻队。由于这只巡逻队处在下风向，火心事先没有嗅到他们的气味。
火心认得领头的那只猫名叫裂耳，看见老对头泥掌也在队伍里面，火心顿时心里一沉。巡逻队除了裂耳和泥掌之外还有一名学徒，火心不认识。在这种情况下，他和炭毛只得等着巡逻队过来盘问，现在就是想躲也躲不开了。
泥掌脸上挂了一副凶相，但裂耳走到火心面前低头行礼说：“你们好啊，火心，炭毛。
你们怎么会在我们的领地里？”
炭毛上前一步，回答说：“我们去石林。”
火心看见这位风族武士对炭毛恭恭敬敬，感到非常欣慰。
裂耳知道除非遇到关乎族群命运的大事，否则，族群里的猫是不会去石林向星族请求指点迷津的。于是他问：“希望不是什么坏消息吧？”
炭毛神色痛苦地说：“是最坏的消息，蓝星已于昨日亡故了。”
三只风族猫齐齐垂下头，就连泥掌的脸上也换上了肃穆的表情。裂耳说：“她是一位伟大而高贵的族长，所有的猫都会记住她的。”
他抬起头瞅着火心，眼睛里流动着好奇和尊敬的目光。他问：“这么说，你现在是族长了？”
火心说：“是的，我正要去接受星族赐予的九条性命。”
裂耳点了点头，仔细打量着他，说：“你很年轻，但我相信你将成为一位优秀的族长。”
火心吃了一惊，结结巴巴地说：“过——过奖了。”
炭毛帮他解围说：“我们不能久留，去石林还要走很远的路。”
“当然。”裂耳退后一步，“我们会把你们的消息告诉高星的。愿星族保佑你们！”
两只猫一口气奔出高地，站在山坡上俯视远方。山下完全是另外一幅景象：山坡上怪石嶙峋，荒草遍地，山下却是大片的农田和草坪，中间散落着两腿动物的巢穴，一条雷鬼路从原野上横穿而过。过了雷鬼路就是犬牙交错的山陵，灰蒙蒙的荒坡看上去阴森恐怖。
火心咽了口唾沫，那个荒无人烟的地方就是他们的目的地了。
火心见炭毛瞅着自己，知道自己的心思瞒不过她，于是直言道：“一切都发生了变化。
你看到那些风族猫的表现了，就连他们对待我的态度也跟以往不同。”这种话除了眼前的这位医生之外他是不会对别的猫说的——即使对沙风也不会。“好像所有的猫都认为我理所当然应该品格高尚、机敏睿智，但我不是，我还和以前一样会犯错误。炭毛，我不知道我是否能够当好族长。”
“真是胡说八道。”炭毛的玩笑话令火心感到既惊讶又温馨，“当你犯错误的时候，我会及时告诉你的，相信我。”接着，她神情认真地说，“不管情况如何变化，我都是你的朋友。世界上本来就没有完美无缺的猫，蓝星也不例外，关键是你要善于从错误中吸取教训，要敢于展现真实的你。”她舔了一下火心的耳朵，“放心吧，火心，我们走吧。”
火心随着她爬下山坡进入两腿动物的农田。两只猫穿过精耕细作的田野，从巴利和乌爪居住的两腿动物巢穴外走过。火心一路留心，但始终没有发现他们的踪迹，没有见到这两个独行者让他感到有些遗憾。巴利和乌爪都是雷族的好朋友，乌爪还曾经和火心一起做过学徒。远方隐隐传来一声狗叫，火心想起不久前被恶狗追赶的凶险经历，感到不寒而栗。
两只猫沿着树篱一直走到雷鬼路边。他们俯下身子，身上的毛被怪物们驰过卷起的风吹得蓬乱不堪。怪物们身后喷出的浓烟刺得他们睁不开眼睛。
炭毛趴在火心身边，寻找过路的机会。火心感觉到她内心的紧张。很久以前，炭毛的腿就是在雷鬼路上被怪物碾残废的，那时她还是火心的徒弟。一直以来，火心时常为自己没有尽到保护责任而感到愧疚。
他说：“等你准备好以后，我们一起过去。”
炭毛微微点了点头，火心估计她很害怕却不肯承认。过了一会儿，一个开着大灯的怪物呼啸而过，炭毛说了声“走”，立即瘸着腿奔上雷鬼路。
火心陪伴在她身边，心里狂跳不止。他拼命克制住想要飞奔而过的冲动，不把炭毛落在身后。远方又响起怪物的轰鸣声，不过他们终于有惊无险地跑进路对面的树篱里。
炭毛重重地舒了口气，说：“可算过来了！”
火心咕哝着附和了几声，不过他知道回来时还得再经历一次。
太阳渐渐落山了。火心对雷鬼路这一边的环境不大熟悉，因此当他们开始往山上爬的时候，他的神经得很紧。稀疏的草丛里偶尔传来猎物的声，诱惑的香味引得火心口水直流，他真想停下来美餐一顿。
火心和炭毛走到最后一个山坡下。太阳已经被山峰挡住了，周围景物的影子越拉越长，地表也泛起了寒意。火心朝前望去，仅能依稀辨认出一块悬在半空的大石下方有一个四方形的洞口。
炭毛说：“到‘母亲嘴’了，我们休息一下吧。”
她和火心躺在一块平坦的岩石上，眼看着最后一缕阳光融于夜幕中，天上开始出现闪烁的群星，凄清冰冷的月光如碎银般倾泻在广袤的大地上。
炭毛说：“是时候了。”
火心又感到恐惧涌上心头，连腿脚都不听使唤了。他硬着头皮站起来，地上的石头有些扎脚，他忍着痛走到被各个族群称为“母亲嘴”的石洞前。
石洞内黑黢黢的。火心有过上次的经历，知道自己在里面无论把眼睛睁多大也看不见任何东西，只有到了月亮石所在的洞窟才能见到光亮。炭毛不像火心那么犹豫，她自信地迈出脚步。
她对火心说：“跟着我的气味走，我带你去月亮石。从现在开始我们不能说话。”
火心着急地说：“可我不知道该怎么做啊。”
“到了月亮石后，躺下来将鼻子抵在上面。”炭毛的眼睛在月光下闪闪放光，“星族会催你入眠，使你在梦中与他们相会。”
火心有一大堆的问题想问她，可是任何答案都不能帮助他克服心中的恐惧。他默默地随着炭毛走进漆黑的隧道中。
隧道缓缓而下，火心很快便分不清东南西北。有时隧道非常狭小，仅容他只身通过。
他的心里扑扑直跳，努力搜寻炭毛的气味，生怕在这里迷路。
火心就这样摸黑走啊走，直到前方出现了一丝微弱的光亮，这才依稀辨认出炭毛的身影。隧道里的气味变得混杂起来，一股清新的冷风扑面而来。火心转了个弯，眼前变得豁然明亮。火心眯缝起眼睛继续走，这时他们已到了隧道尽头处的洞窟中。
洞顶处有一道裂口，月光通过裂口射进来，直接照在洞穴中央的一块石头上。火心呼吸急促起来。他曾经见过一次月亮石，那种激动的感觉令他永生难忘。那块石头大约三尺高，顶部收窄使整个石头成为锥形。月亮石在月光照射下发出耀眼的光辉，犹如一颗坠落到地上的流星。它发出的白光照亮了整个洞窟，炭毛身上的灰毛在它的光照下呈现出银色。
炭毛转身冲火心摆了摆尾巴，示意他躺在月亮石边。
火心不敢吱声，顺从地躺在月亮石前面，将头枕在爪子上，鼻子抵在月亮石光滑的表面。很快，从鼻尖传来的一阵寒意涌遍全身，他打了个寒战，看见月亮石里隐隐闪动着无数的星星。
他合上双眼，等待星族的召唤。
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 4
All was darkness and cold. Fireheart had never been so cold. He felt as if every scrap of warmth and life were being sucked out of his body. His legs twitched as painful cramps clutched at them. He imagined that he was made of ice, and if he tried to move he would shatter into a thousand brittle fragments.
But no dreams came. No sight or sound of StarClan. Only the cold and the darkness. Something must be wrong, Fireheart thought, beginning to panic.
He dared to open his eyes a narrow slit. At once they flew wide with shock. Instead of the shining Moonstone in a cavern far below the ground, he saw short, well-trodden grass stretching away. Night scents flooded over him, of green, growing things moist with dew. A warm breeze ruffled his fur.
Scrambling into a sitting position, Fireheart realized he was in the hollow at Fourtrees, near the base of the Great Rock. The towering oaks, in full leaf, rustled over his head, and Silverpelt glittered beyond them in the night sky.
How did I come here? he wondered. Is this the dream that Cinderpelt promised?
He raised his head and looked up at the sky. He could not remember its being so clear; Silverpelt looked closer than he had ever seen before, scarcely higher than the topmost branches of the oaks. As Fireheart gazed at it, he realized something that sent the blood thrilling through his veins like liquid fire.
The stars were moving.
They swirled before his disbelieving eyes and began to spiral downward, toward the forest, toward Fourtrees, toward him. Fireheart waited, his heart pounding.
And the cats of StarClan came stalking down the sky. Frost sparkled at their paws and glittered in their eyes. Their pelts were white flame. They carried the scent of ice and fire and the wild places of the night.
Fireheart crouched before them. He could scarcely bear to go on looking, and yet he could not bear to look away. He wanted to absorb this moment into every hair on his pelt so it would be his forever.
After a time that might have lasted a hundred seasons or a single heartbeat, all the cats of StarClan had come down to earth. All around Fireheart the hollow of Fourtrees was lined with their shimmering bodies and blazing eyes. Fireheart crouched in the center, surrounded on all sides. He began to realize that some of the starry cats, those sitting closest to him, were achingly familiar.
Bluestar! Joy pierced him like a thorn in his heart. And Yellowfang! Then he drew in a familiar, sweet scent, and turned his head to see the tortoiseshell fur and gentle face that he had dreamed of so often.
Spottedleaf—oh, Spottedleaf! His beloved medicine cat had come back to him. Fireheart wanted to spring to his paws and yowl his joy to the whole forest, but awe kept him silent, still crouching.
“Welcome, Fireheart.” The sound seemed to belong to all the cats Fireheart had ever known, and yet at the same time it was one clear voice. “Are you ready to receive your nine lives?”
Fireheart glanced around, but he couldn’t see any cat speaking. “Yes,” he replied, forcing his voice not to shake. “I’m ready.”
A golden tabby cat rose to his paws and strode toward him, his head and tail high. Fireheart recognized Lionheart, who had become Bluestar’s deputy when Fireheart was still an apprentice and who had died soon after in a battle with ShadowClan. He had been an old cat when Fireheart knew him, but now he looked young and strong again, his coat shining with pale fire.
“Lionheart!” Fireheart gasped. “Is it really you?”
Lionheart did not reply. When he was close enough, he stooped and touched his nose to Fireheart’s head. It burn e d against him like the hottest flame and the coldest ice. Fireheart’s instinct was to shrink away, but he could not move.
“With this life I give you courage,” Lionheart murmured. “Use it well in defense of your Clan.”
At once a bolt of energy seared through Fireheart like lightning, setting his fur on end and filling his senses with a deafening roar. His eyes grew dark, and his mind filled with a chaotic swirl of battles and hunts, the feeling of claws raking across fur and teeth meeting in the flesh of prey.
The pain ebbed, leaving Fireheart weak and trembling. The darkness faded and he found himself in the unearthly clearing again. If that was one life received, he had eight more to go. How will I bear it? he thought in dismay.
Lionheart was already turning away, moving back to his place in the ranks of StarClan. Another cat rose and came toward Fireheart. At first Fireheart did not recognize him, but then he glimpsed a dark, dappled coat and bushy red tail and realized this must be Redtail. Fireheart had never met the ThunderClan deputy, who was murdered by Tigerstar on the very day Fireheart came to the forest as a kittypet, but he had sought out the truth about his death and used it to prove Tigerstar’s treachery.
Like Lionheart, Redtail bowed his head and touched his nose to Fireheart’s. “With this life I give you justice,” he mewed. “Use it well as you judge the actions of others.”
Once more an agonizing spasm rushed through Fireheart, and he had to grit his teeth to stop himself from yowling. When he recovered, panting as if he had raced all the way back to camp, he saw Redtail watching him. “Thank you,” the former deputy meowed solemnly. “You revealed the truth when no other cat could.”
Fireheart managed to nod in acknowledgment as Redtail went back to sit beside Lionheart again, and a third cat emerged from the ranks.
This time Fireheart’s jaws dropped open when he recognized the beautiful tabby, her coat glimmering with a silvery sheen. It was Graystripe’s lost love Silverstream, the RiverClan queen who had died bearing his kits. Her paws scarcely skimmed the ground as she bent down to him.
“With this life I give you loyalty to what you know to be right,” she meowed. Fireheart wondered if she was referring to the way he had helped Graystripe to see his forbidden love, trusting to the strength of their relationship even though it went against the warrior code. “Use it well to guide your Clan in times of trouble,” Silverstream urged him
Fireheart braced himself for another agonizing pang, but this time there was less pain as the new life rushed through him. He was aware of a warm glow of love, and realized dimly that that was what had marked out Silverstream’s life—love for her Clan, for Graystripe, and for the kits she had died to give life to.
“Silverstream!” he whispered as the silver-gray she-cat turned away again. “Don’t go yet. Haven’t you any message for Graystripe?”
But Silverstream said nothing more, only glancing back over her shoulder, her eyes filled with love and sorrow that told Fireheart more than all the words she could ever say.
He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the next life-giving. When he looked up again, a fourth cat was approaching him. This time it was Runningwind, the ThunderClan warrior who had been killed by Tigerstar in a fight near the Thunderpath.
“With this life I give you tireless energy,” he meowed as he bowed his head to touch Fireheart. “Use it well to carry out the duties of a leader.”
As the life coursed through Fireheart he felt as if he were racing through the forest, his paws skimming the ground, his fur flattened by the wind. He knew the exhilaration of the hunt and the sheer joy of speed, and he had the feeling that he could outrun any enemy forever.
His gaze followed Runningwind as he returned to his place. When the fifth cat appeared his heart gave a leap of joy. It was Brindleface, Cloudtail’s foster mother, who had been cruelly slaughtered by Tigerstar to give the dog pack a taste for cat blood.
“With this life I give you protection,” she told him. “Use it well to care for your Clan as a mother cares for her kits.”
Fireheart expected this life to be gentle and loving like Silverstream’s, and he wasn’t ready for the bolt of ferocity that transfixed him. He felt as though all the fury of their ancient ancestors TigerClan and LionClan were pulsing through him, challenging any cat to harm the weaker, faceless shadows that crouched by his paws. Shocked and trembling, Fireheart recognized a mother’s desire to protect her kits, and realized how much Brindleface had loved them all—even Cloudtail, who was not her own.
I must tell him, Fireheart thought as the fury ebbed, before he remembered that he was bound to say nothing to any cat about what he had experienced in the ritual.
Brindleface drew back to sit with the other cats of StarClan again, and another familiar figure took her place. Guilt washed over Fireheart as he recognized Swiftpaw.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured as he looked into the apprentice’s eyes. “It was my fault you died.”
Angry at Bluestar’s refusal to make him a warrior, and desperate to prove himself, Swiftpaw had gone out to track down whatever was preying on the cats in the forest. The dog pack had killed him, and Fireheart knew he would blame himself for ever for not trying harder to make Bluestar change her mind.
But Swiftpaw showed no anger now. His eyes shone with a wisdom far beyond his age as he touched his nose to Fireheart’s. “With this life I give you mentoring. Use it well to train the young cats of your Clan.”
The life Swiftpaw gave him was a pang of anguish so great Fireheart thought it would stop his heart. It ended in a jolt of pure terror, and a flash of light red as blood. Fireheart knew he was experiencing what Swiftpaw had felt in the last moments of his life.
As it ebbed away, leaving Fireheart gasping, he began to feel like a hollow in the ground as rain falls into it and spills over. He thought that his strength would hardly sustain him to receive lives from the three cats that were still to come.
The first was Yellowfang. The old medicine cat had the same air of obstinate independence and courage that had impressed and frustrated Fireheart in equal measure when she was alive. He remembered the last time he had seen her, dying in her den after the fire. Then she had been in despair, wondering if StarClan would receive her even though she had killed her own son, Brokentail, to put an end to his bloodthirsty plotting. Now the gleam of humor was back in her yellow eyes as she stooped to touch Fireheart.
“With this life I give you compassion,” she announced. “Use it well for the elders of your Clan, and the sick, and all those weaker than yourself.”
This time, even knowing the pain he would have to bear, Fireheart closed his eyes and drank in the life hungrily, wanting all of Yellowfang’s spirit, all her courage and her loyalty to the Clan that was not hers by birth. He received it like a tide of light surging through him: her humor, her sharp tongue, her warm heartedness, and her sense of honor. He felt closer to her than ever before.
“Oh, Yellowfang…” Fireheart whispered, his eyes blinking open again. “I’ve missed you so much.”
The medicine cat was already moving away. The cat who took her place was younger, stepping lightly, the sparkle of s tars in her fur and in her eyes: Spottedleaf, the beautiful tortoise shell who had been Fireheart’s first love. She had come to him in dreams, but he had never seen her as plainly as this since she had been alive. He breathed in her sweet scent as she bent over him. This cat, more than any, was the one with whom he wanted to speak, because the time they had had together had been too short to let them s h are their true feelings.
“Spottedleaf…”
“With this life I give you love,” she murmured in her soft voice. “Use it well, for all the cats in your care—and especially for Sandstorm.”
There was no pain in the life that poured into Fireheart now. It held the warmth of the high sun in greenleaf, burning to the tips of his paws. It was pure love; at the same time he experienced the sense of security he had known as a tiny kit, nuzzling his mother. He gazed up at Spottedleaf, wrapped in a contentment he had never known before.
He thought he caught a proud gleam in her eyes as she turned away, and his disappointment that she had not stayed to talk to him was mixed with relief that she approved of his new choice. Now he had no reason to fear that he was being unfaithful to Spottedleaf in his love for Sandstorm.
At last Bluestar approached Fireheart. She was not the old, defeated cat Fireheart had known recently, her mind giving way under the stress of her Clan’s troubles. This was Bluestar at the height of her strength and power, prowling toward him across the clearing like a lion. Fireheart was almost dazzled by the glory of starlight around her, but he forced himself to meet her blue gaze squarely.
“Welcome, Fireheart, my apprentice, my warrior, and my deputy,” she greeted him. “I always knew you would make a great leader one day.”
As Fireheart bowed his head, Bluestar touched him with her nose and went on; “With this life I give you nobility and certainty and faith. Use it well as you lead your Clan in the ways of StarClan and the warrior code.”
The warmth of Spottedleaf’s life had lulled Fireheart, and he was unprepared for the agony that shook him as he received Bluestar’s. He shared the fierceness of her ambition, the anguish she had suffered when she gave up her kits, the ferocity of battle after battle in the service of her Clan. He felt her terror as her mind fragmented and she lost her trust in StarClan. The rush of power grew stronger and stronger, until Fireheart thought his pelt would never contain it. Just as he thought he must yowl his pain or die, it began to ebb, ending in a sense of calm acceptance and joy.
A long, soft sigh passed through the clearing. All the StarClan warriors had risen to their paws. Bluestar stayed in the center of the clearing and signaled with her tail that Fireheart should rise too. He obeyed her shakily, feeling as if the fullness of life inside him would spill over when he moved. His body felt as battered as if he had fought the hardest battle of his life, and yet his spirit soared with the strength of the lives he had been granted.
“I hail you by your new name, Firestar,” Bluestar announced. “Your old life is no more. You have now received the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants to you the guardianship of ThunderClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity.”
“Firestar! Firestar!” Just as the forest Clans would acclaim a new warrior by name, so the cats of StarClan acclaimed Firestar, in rich voices that tingled in the air. “Firestar! Firestar!”
Suddenly the chanting broke off with a startled hiss. Firestar tensed, aware that something was wrong. Bluestar’s glowing eyes were fixed on something behind him. He spun around and let out a choking cry.
A massive hill of bones had appeared at the other side of the clearing, many tail-lengths high. It shone with an unnatural light, so that Firestar could see each separate bone edged as if with fire—the bones of cats and the bones of prey, all jumbled together. A hot wind swept over him, bearing the reek of carrion, even though the bones gleamed white and clean.
Firestar gazed wildly around him, seeking help or answers from the other cats. But the clearing was dark. The cats of StarClan had vanished, leaving him alone with the terrible hill of bones. As Firestar felt panic welling up inside him, he sensed the familiar presence of Bluestar by his side, warm fur pressed against his flank. He could not see her in the darkness, but her voice whispered in his ear.
“Something terrible is coming, Firestar. Four will become two. Lion and tiger will meet in battle, and blood will rule the forest.”
Her scent and the warmth of her fur faded away as she finished speaking.
“Wait!” Firestar yowled. “Don’t leave me! Tell me what you mean!”
But there was no reply, no explanation of the dreadful p r o p h e c y. Instead, the red light that gleamed from the hill of bones glowed brighter. Firestar stared at it in horror. Blood had begun to ooze out between the bones. The trickles merged into a river that flowed steadily toward him, until the stench of blood clung to his fur. He tried to flee, and found his paws were fixed in place. A heartbeat later, the sticky red tide was washing around him, gurgling and reeking of death.
“No!” Firestar yowled, but there was no response from the forest, just the steady whisper of blood lapping hungrily at his fur.
第四章
第四章
四下里漆黑一片，冷得出奇。火心从未感觉过这么冷，似乎体内所有的热量和活力都被吸走了。他的四肢痛得抽筋，感觉自己就像一座冰雕，稍有移动就会立刻化为碎片。
但梦境并没有出现，既没有星族的身影，也没有他们的声音，只有冰冷和黑暗。火心惊慌起来，心想：“事情肯定不对劲。”
他壮着胆子将眼睛睁开一条细缝，但眼前的景象立刻使他睁大眼睛。他看到的不是深埋在地下的月亮石，而是一片草地，这里充满了潮湿的泥土气息。
火心撑着坐起身，发现自己竟然在“四棵树”的巨岩旁边。周围便是四株巨大的橡树，夜空中横过一道绚丽的银河。
他心想：“我怎么到了这里？这就是炭毛所说的梦境吗？”
他仰天而望，只见夜空变得异常清澈，他感觉银河从来没有像此刻这样低过，简直要贴在树冠上了。火心定睛细看，顿时热血上涌。
群星居然在移动。
它们盘旋着缓缓落下，来到了森林，来到了“四棵树”，来到他的面前。火心看得心里扑通直跳。
星族从夜空中走来。他们的爪子和眼睛都亮晶晶的，身上发出白色的光芒，散发出夜晚大自然的气味。
火心恭恭敬敬地趴在他们面前，既不敢唐突直视，也不愿移开目光，他想把这一刻永远留在脑海里。
那一刻漫长得犹如过了千百年，却又短暂得就像电光闪过。星族里所有的猫都降临到地面。“四棵树”所在的山谷被他们带来的光照得明亮耀眼。他们把火心围在当中。火心发现距离他最近的一些猫竟然是那么熟悉。
“是蓝星！”他高兴地几乎要叫起来，“还有黄牙！”接着，他嗅到一股熟悉的幽香，他转过头，看见自己梦里时常见到的那个玳瑁色的身影、那张温柔的脸庞。
“斑叶——噢，斑叶！”火心深爱的那位医生来到了他面前。他快乐得想跳起来大吼大叫，可是他不敢破坏眼前这神圣的气氛，只得乖乖趴在地上。
“欢迎你，火心。”这个说话声似乎糅合了火心认识的所有猫的声音，但又像只有一只猫在说话。“准备好接受你的九条性命了吗？”
火心环视四周，却没有看见有谁在说话。他强作镇定地说：“是的，我准备好了。”
一只金黄色的虎斑猫站起来昂首阔步地向他走来。火心认出他是狮心。狮心做族长代表时火心还是一名学徒，他在一次和影族的战斗中壮烈牺牲。在火心的记忆中，他是一只老年猫，可如今看上去却年轻力壮，光彩非凡。
火心倒吸了口凉气，说：“狮心！真的是你吗？”
狮心没有回答。他用鼻子触了触火心的额头，火心感觉自己就像触到了千年烈火万古寒冰。这种感觉令他很不舒服，但他没有向后退缩。
狮心低声说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你勇气，希望你能保卫好你的族群。”
一股能量如闪电般涌遍火心全身，他的毛一下子竖立起来，耳边仿佛有千军万马在奔腾咆哮。他感到自己就像在打仗、在捕猎，只想撕开敌人的皮毛，将牙齿插入猎物体内。
痛苦渐渐消失，火心变得虚弱不堪，身体不住地颤抖。如果这是他接受的第一条性命，那么他要受九次这样的罪。他想：“这我怎么受得了？”
狮心转身回到星族的队列中，另一只猫站起身走了过来。火心起初没有认出他，后来看见对方拖着一条火红的尾巴，这才想起对方一定是红尾了。火心从来没见过这位族长代表，红尾死的时候火心不过是一只初入丛林的小宠物猫罢了。可是火心发现了红尾死亡的真相，并由此揭开了虎星的真面目。
红尾低头用鼻子触了触火心的额头，说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你正义，希望你能辨别是非。”
火心随即感到一阵钻心的疼痛，他紧咬牙关才没有叫出声来。痛苦过后，他气喘吁吁，仿佛刚刚一口气跑回营地。红尾凝视着他，郑重其事地说：“谢谢你。若不是你，真相将伴随我的尸体永远掩埋地下。”
火心点头致意，红尾回到原来的位置坐下。这时第三只猫从行列里出来了。
这一次，当火心认出那只漂亮的母猫时，吃惊得下巴颏差点儿掉到地上。原来第三只猫竟然是灰条的爱侣银溪，这只河族母猫在难产中死去。只见她飘飘然地来到火心面前。
银溪说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你坚贞不屈，希望你能在族群陷入迷惘时为他们指引方向。”火心不知道她指的是不是他对灰条的态度。灰条违背武士法典，陷入与银溪的苦恋中而无法自拔。火心一直对灰条不离不弃，千方百计使他看清自己所处的困境。
火心硬着头皮等待着又一次痛苦的折磨，但当这条性命进入他的体内时，他感到痛苦要比前两次轻得多。这是一种爱的暖流，犹如银溪一生的写照——对她的族群的爱，对灰条的爱，以及用生命换取的对两个孩子的爱。
银溪转过身，火心低声对她说：“银溪！先别忙着走，难道你没有口信让我捎给灰条吗？”
但银溪没有再说话，她只是回眸凝望，眼睛里充满爱意和悲伤。此情此景胜过了千言万语。
火心闭上眼睛，等待下一次生命的洗礼。第四只猫走上前，这回是雷族武士奔风。在一次外出执行巡逻任务时，他在雷鬼路边被虎星杀害。
奔风低头触了触火心的额头，说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你无穷的精力，希望你能做一位尽职尽责的族长。”
随着这条性命进入火心体内，他感到自己在森林大地上急速奔跑，迎面的风将他的毛吹得贴在身上。这是一种酣畅淋漓的奔跑，他感到任何敌人都别想跑到自己的前面去。
奔风回到他的位置，第五只猫走过来。火心见了顿时万分欣喜，她是云尾的养母纹脸。虎星为了激发恶狗嗜血的欲望，将她残忍杀害并且抛尸在营地门前。
纹脸说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你爱护，希望你能像母亲呵护孩子们一样悉心照顾你的族群。”
火心原以为这条性命会像银溪赐予的那条一样充满温柔和爱意，不料一股狂暴的感觉涌遍全身。他感到自己的体内充满了祖先虎族和狮族的全部愤怒，似乎要把所有恃强凌弱的恶霸们打倒。接着，他产生一种惊慌和战栗的感觉，他知道这是母猫在拼死保卫孩子时的心理感受。他体会到纹脸是多么爱她的孩子们——包括了她的养子云尾。
火心体内的怒火在减退，他想：“我要把这种感觉告诉云尾。”但他随即想起，仪式上的任何情况他都不能向别的猫透露。
纹脸回到星族的行列里，又一个熟悉的身影站了出来。火心认出对方竟然是迅爪，顿时感到羞愧无比。
他凝视着迅爪，低声说：“对不起，是我害了你。”
迅爪不满蓝星拒绝晋升他为武士，为了证明自己的实力，他去查找森林里恶魔的真相，结果被恶狗杀害了。火心觉得当初应该更加努力地使蓝星回心转意，所以心里一直耿耿于怀。
可是此时的迅爪没有表现出任何愤怒的样子。他的眼睛里闪烁着智慧的光芒，这是他那个年龄所不应有的。迅爪对火心说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你孜孜不倦的教诲，希望你能多为族群培育英才。”
这一次的生命洗礼令火心痛苦得几乎停止心跳。他感到了濒临死亡时的恐惧，眼前闪过血一样的红光。火心知道这是迅爪临死前的感受。
痛苦渐渐消失了，火心呼呼喘着粗气。他感到自己的身体快要炸开了，再也没有力量接受剩余的三条性命了。
第七次轮到黄牙。她生前独立性强，是根硬骨头，她的作风令火心既钦佩又头疼。他想起那场大火过后奄奄一息的黄牙。尽管她为了使雷族免受灾祸，亲手除掉自己的亲生儿子断尾，但她仍感到自己罪孽深重，深怕死后不能升往星族。如今她站在火心面前，眼睛里充满了往日那种诙谐的目光。
黄牙宣布说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你同情，希望你能怜老惜弱。”
火心知道逃避不过去，于是干脆闭上眼睛，真诚感受黄牙的勇气和忠诚。这条性命就如一道光射进火心体内：她的幽默、她的伶牙俐齿、她的慈悲心肠以及她的荣耀。火心对黄牙的了解又深入了一层。
火心睁开眼睛，低声说：“哦，黄牙，我非常想念你。”
黄牙转身离去。第八只猫步态轻盈地朝火心走来，她的身上和眼睛里都星辉闪耀。是斑叶——火心初恋的那只玳瑁色母猫。自从斑叶死后，火心时常梦见她，她的音容笑貌从未像现在这么清晰。火心有满腹的衷肠想向她倾吐，因为他们在一起相处的日子是那样短暂。
“斑叶——”
斑叶柔声说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你爱，希望你能好好对待所有你关心的猫——尤其是沙风。”
这一次火心没有感觉到痛苦。那是一种春天般的温暖，那是爱的感受，同时，他也如同依偎在母亲怀抱中的幼崽一般，充满了安全感。他抬头凝视着斑叶，觉得自己别无所求。
斑叶眼睛中闪过一抹嘉许的神情，转身离去。火心既感到失望又觉得欣慰，失望的是他不能和斑叶倾诉衷肠，欣慰的是斑叶赞同他找到新爱。现在，他再也不必感到对不住斑叶了。
最后走上前的是蓝星，脸上再也看不到往日的苍老与消沉，步态矫健，犹如一头威武雄狮。她身上发出炫目的星辉，照得火心难以睁开双眼。
蓝星说：“欢迎你，火心，我的徒弟，我的武士，我的族长代表。长久以来，我都知道终有一天你将会成为一位伟大的族长。”
火心低下头，蓝星用鼻子触了触他的额头，接着说：“在这一条性命里，我授予你高尚的品格、果断的意志和坚定的信仰。希望你能带领族群贯彻星族的意愿，遵行武士法典。”
火心刚刚才享受到斑叶生命的温暖，此时冷不丁地承受蓝星生命的痛苦，身子不由得颤抖起来。他感觉到蓝星的勃勃野心，抛弃孩子的痛苦，还有战斗时的凶猛。他感觉到蓝星在失去对族群信心后的那种深深的恐惧。注入火心体内的能量越来越大，他感到自己的身体再也承受不下这么多的能量了。就在他濒临崩溃的时候，这股力量开始减弱，好像狂风暴雨后的平静和欢愉。
会场上响起一声悠长的叹息。所有的星族武士都站起身，蓝星站在会场中央朝火心摆了摆尾巴，示意他也站起来。火心晃悠悠撑起身子，他感到举手投足之间都充满了无穷无尽的生命活力，他的精神也升华到了一个新的层次。
蓝星宣布说：“恭喜你获得了新的名号，火星。你已经告别了过去，成为一位九命族长，领受星族的意志统治雷族。你要誓死保卫你的族群，照顾老弱病残，崇敬你的祖先，严格遵守武士法典，让每一次生命都充满自豪和尊严。”
就像森林里的族群庆贺学徒晋升为武士一样，星族武士们也都高声欢呼这位新族长的名号：“火星！火星！”
忽然，欢呼声减弱下来。火星感到情况有些不妙。他看见蓝星的眼睛死死盯着他的身后，于是急忙转身，眼前的情景顿时让他失声大叫。
只见会场的另一边有一座数丈高的小山，这座小山竟然都是由白森森的骸骨堆起来的。整座骨山发出诡异的光芒，每一根骨头似乎都在燃烧——这些骨头既有猫的，也有猎物的。一阵热风扑面而来，夹杂着腐肉的腥臭味。
火星急忙向左右张望，想知道星族怎么解释这件怪事，不料星族的武士们忽然都不见了，会场上只剩下他和那座骨山。火星陷入了极度的恐慌，这时，他感觉体侧传来了阵阵暖意，这是种熟悉的感觉，他知道是蓝星站在身边。“四棵树”一片漆黑，只听蓝星在他耳边说：“大难就要临头了，火星，四个将变成两个，狮子和老虎之间发生大战，血将统治森林。”
说完这些话，她的气味和体温便消失了。
火星大声喊道：“等等！别离开我！我听不懂你说的话！”
可是没有猫向他解释这个可怕的预言。骨山发出的白光开始变成血红色，骨头之间往外汩汩冒血，血流越来越大，最后形成了一条血河朝火星涌来。火星被淹没在血河中，吓得目瞪口呆。他想逃走，可四肢如立地生根一样不能挪动半步。过了一会儿，血浪滚滚而来，四周充满了死亡的气息。
火星大叫：“不！”但森林里没有任何回应，只有血流的哗哗声。
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 5
Firestar jolted awake in terror. He was lying in the cavern beneath Highstones with his nose pressed against the Moonstone. The shaft of moonlight had vanished, and only the faintest glimmer of starshine lit the cave. But there was no relief in waking up, for the stench of blood was still all around him and his fur felt hot and sticky.
Heart thudding wildly, Firestar scrambled to his paws. Across the cave he could just make out Cinderpelt. She had risen too, and was signaling urgently to him with her tail. Firestar’s first impulse was to pour out to her all that he had seen, but he remembered her instructions to keep silent until they had left Mother mouth. Paws skidding on the cave floor in his haste, he pushed past the medicine cat and bolted into the tunnel.
As he stumbled upward toward the open air, following his own scent trail along the dark passage, the way seemed twice as long as before. Firestar’s fur scraped against the tunnel walls and he was filled with horror at the thought of being buried alive. The air felt too thick to breathe, and as his panic grew in the unbroken blackness of the tunnel he began to imagine that it would never end, that he would be trapped for ever in blood and darkness.
Then he saw the pale outline of the tunnel entrance, and burst out into the still night air, where the moon was sinking behind thin clouds. Firestar dug his claws into the loose earth of the hillside while shudders passed through his body from nose to tail.
A few moments later, Cinderpelt emerged behind him and pressed herself against his side until he managed to control his dreadful shivering and his breathing steadied.
“What happened?” she asked quietly.
“Don’t you know?”
Cinderpelt shook her head. “I know that the ritual was interrupted—the scent of blood told me that. But I don’t know why.” She looked deep into his eyes; her own were burning with concern. “Tell me…did you receive your nine lives and your name?”
Firestar nodded, and the medicine cat relaxed slightly. “Then the rest can wait. Let’s go.”
For a moment Firestar felt too exhausted to move. But he did not want to stay anywhere near Mothermouth and the terrible things that he had seen in the cave. Shakily, pawstep by pawstep, he began to descend the hill. Cinderpelt padded beside him, sometimes nudging him toward an easier route, and Firestar was grateful for her unquestioning presence.
As they drew farther away from the tunnel, the stench of blood faded from his mouth and nostrils. Still, Firestar felt that even if he washed for a moon he would never get rid of the last traces from his fur. He began to feel stronger, but he was still very tired, and as soon as the rocky hillside gave way to grass he flopped down in the shelter of a hawthorn bush.
“I’ve got to rest,” he meowed.
Cinderpelt tucked herself into the grass beside him and for a few moments the two cats shared tongues in silence. Firestar wanted to tell the medicine cat what he had seen, but something kept him silent. Partly he wanted to protect her from the dreadful fear he had felt—even if she could explain what Bluestar’s prophecy meant, would it help to have another cat look forward to the future with the dread that he now felt? And partly he hoped that if he never spoke of the dreadful vision, it might not come true. Or was there a curse on his leadership that nothing could avert? Bluestar had told him before she died that he was the fire who would save the Clan. How could that be true, if the fire was quenched by the tidal wave of blood he had just seen? Firestar had experienced prophetic dreams before, and he had learned to take them seriously. He could not ignore this, especially when it came at such a significant moment, while he was receiving his nine lives and his new name.
Cinderpelt broke into his reverie. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it yet, you know.”
Firestar pushed his muzzle into her fur, grateful for her warmth. “I’ll think about it first,” he mewed slowly. “Right now…it’s too close.” He shivered again at the memory. “Cinderpelt,” he went on, “I’ve never told any cat this before, but…sometimes I have dreams that tell me about the future.”
Cinderpelt’s ears twitched in surprise. “That’s unusual. Clan leaders and medicine cats commune with StarClan, but I never heard of ordinary warriors having prophetic dreams. How long has this been going on?”
“Since I was a kittypet,” Firestar admitted, remembering the dream of hunting a mouse that had first driven him into the forest. “But I…I don’t know if the dreams come from StarClan.” After all, before he came to the forest, he hadn’t even known about StarClan. Could they have been watching over him even then?
The medicine cat’s eyes were thoughtful. “In the end, all dreams come from StarClan,” she murmured. “Do they always come true?”
“Yes,” Firestar replied. “But not always in the way I expect. Some are easier to understand than others.”
“Then you should bear that in mind when you’re trying to understand this latest dream.” Cinderpelt gave him a comforting lick. “Remember, Firestar, you’re not alone. Now that you’re Clan leader, StarClan will share many things with you. But I’m here to help you interpret the signs. Tell me as much or as little as you want.”
Though Firestar was grateful for her understanding, Cinderpelt’s words chilled him. His new relationship with StarClan was driving him along new paths where he might not want to go. For a few heartbeats he longed to be no more than a warrior again, hunting with Graystripe or sharing tongues with Sandstorm in the den.
“Thank you, Cinderpelt,” he meowed, forcing himself to his paws. “I promise I’ll talk to you when ever I feel the need.” But even though he meant what he said, deep down he wondered how helpful she would be. Firestar couldn’t help feeling that this was something he had to face alone. He let out a long sigh. “Let’s keep going.”
However much Firestar longed to get home, his strength was failing. Since the discovery of the dog pack and the heart-stopping dash through the forest to lead them to the gorge, he had eaten little, and scarcely slept except to dream. The long journey to Highstones and the agony of receiving his nine lives, followed by the terrible vision, had taken all he had to give.
His steps became slower and more uncertain. They were passing Barley’s farm when the medicine cat gave his shoulder a sharp nudge. “That’s enough, Firestar,” she meowed firmly. “As your medicine cat I’m telling you that you need to rest. Let’s see if Barley and Ravenpaw are at home.”
“Good idea.” Firestar felt too relieved at the prospect of resting to argue.
Cautiously the two cats approached the Twoleg barn. Firestar was worried that the dogs might be unchained, but their scent was faint and distant. Much stronger was the scent of cats, and as they drew closer Firestar spotted a muscular black-and-white tom squeezing himself through a gap in the door.
“Barley!” he meowed in greeting. “It’s good to see you. You know Cinderpelt, our medicine cat?”
Barley gave both cats a brisk nod. “It’s good to see you, too, Fireheart.”
“Firestar,” Cinderpelt corrected him. “He’s Clan leader now.”
Barley’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Congratulations! But that means that Bluestar must be dead. I’m sorry.”
“She died as she lived, protecting her Clan,” Firestar told him.
“I can see there’s a story to tell,” meowed Barley, turning back to the barn, “and Ravenpaw will want to hear it. Come on in.”
Inside the barn was warm and dark, full of the scent of hay and mice. Firestar listened to the telltale scuttering noises and his head spun with hunger.
“A soft place to sleep, and all the prey you can eat,” he remarked, trying not to let his desperate hunger show. “Better not tell ThunderClan or they’ll all be out here, wanting to be loners.”
Barley chuckled softly. “Ravenpaw,” he called, “come and see who’s here.”
A dark shape sprang down from a nearby stack of hay with a welcoming purr. As an apprentice, Ravenpaw had b e en the only cat in ThunderClan who knew the truth about the death of Redtail—that he had been murdered by Ravenpaw’s mentor, Tigerstar. When Tigerstar tried to kill his apprentice to prevent him from reporting what he had seen, Firestar had found this new home for him. The life of a loner suited Ravenpaw much better than that of a warrior, yet he had never forgotten his birth Clan, and remained a loyal friend to his former Clan mates.
“So Bluestar is dead,” he murmured when Barley had passed on the news. His eyes clouded with grief. “I’ll never forget her.”
Barley gave a comforting rumble in his throat, and Firestar sensed how welcoming he must have been to the scared young apprentice who had come to him so many moons ago.
Straightening up, Ravenpaw flashed the black-and-white cat a grateful glance. “So you’re Clan leader now,” he continued to Firestar. “StarClan made a good choice.” He led the way to the other side of the barn. “Would you like to hunt?”
“That would be great,” replied Cinderpelt. She gave Firestar a questioning look, and murmured, “Shall I catch something for you?”
In spite of his exhaustion, Firestar shook his head. A fine Clan leader he would make if he couldn’t catch his own prey! He stood alert, listening, and dropped into the hunter’s crouch when he heard a soft scuffling deep within the hay. Pinpointing the mouse by hearing rather than sight, he sprang, and dispatched the creature with a swift bite.
Ravenpaw was lucky, Firestar reflected as he picked up the prey in his jaws and padded back to the others to ea t. This was twice the size of the leaf-bare-thin mice in the forest, and easier to catch in the shadows of the barn. He gulped it down in a few famished mouthfuls and felt his strength beginning to return.
“Have some more,” Ravenpaw urged. “There are plenty here.”
When Firestar and Cinderpelt had eaten as much as they could manage they lay in the soft hay, sharing tongues with their friends and bringing them up-to-date with Clan news. Ravenpaw and Barley listened, their eyes huge with shock, as Firestar told them about the dog pack.
“I always knew Tigerstar was bloodthirsty,” Ravenpaw meowed, “but I didn’t think even he would try to destroy a whole Clan like that.”
“Thank StarClan he didn’t succeed,” Firestar replied. “But he came pretty close. I don’t want to go through anything like that again.”
“You’ll have to do something to stop Tigerstar now, before he tries something else,” Barley pointed out.
Firestar nodded. He hesitated, then confessed, “But I don’t know how I’m going to do anything without Bluestar. Everything seems dark and…and overwhelming.” He said nothing about the interruption of his leadership ritual, or the horror of his dream, but he saw from the sympathetic look in Cinderpelt’s eyes that she knew what he was thinking.
“Remember the whole Clan is behind you,” she mewed. “No cat will ever forget that you and Bluestar saved us from the pack.”
“Maybe they expect too much of me.”
“Nonsense!” Cinderpelt’s tone was bracing. “They know you’re going to be a great leader, and they’ll all stand by you to the last breath.”
“So will I,” Ravenpaw offered, startling Firestar. The sleek black tom looked slightly embarrassed as Firestar turned to look at him, but he went on: “I know I’m not a warrior, but if you want my help you have only to ask.”
Firestar blinked his gratitude. “Thank you, Ravenpaw.”
“May I come to the camp soon?” Ravenpaw asked. “I’d like to pay my last respects to Bluestar at her burial place.”
“Yes, of course,” Firestar replied. “Bluestar gave you the right to go where you like on ThunderClan territory. There’s no reason to change that now.”
Ravenpaw dipped his head. “Thank you.” As he looked up again, Firestar saw a glow of respect in his eyes. “You saved my life once, Firestar. I’ll never be able to repay you for that. But if trouble with Tigerstar comes, I’ll be proud to stand with the warriors of ThunderClan and fight him to the death.”
第五章
第五章
火星一惊，顿时从梦中醒来，发现自己仍然躺在月亮石边。月光消失了，只有微弱的星光从洞顶处照进来。火星松了口气，但依稀能够嗅到梦里的血腥味，感觉到那黏稠滚烫的鲜血。
他心里扑通直跳，摇摇晃晃站起来。炭毛也站起来冲他晃尾巴。火星真想把梦里的情形讲给她听，但他记得不许在“母亲嘴”说话的禁令。他迫不及待地抢在炭毛前面冲出隧道。
火星循着自己留下的气味踪迹一路疾奔，觉得路程仿佛比进来时远了一倍，狭窄的隧道令他产生了一种被活埋的感觉。空气越来越沉闷，呼吸也渐渐不畅，无穷无尽的黑暗，似乎再怎么跑也看不到尽头。他仿佛掉进了充满血腥的黑暗陷阱，永远也不能自拔。
就在他快受不了的时候，前方豁然开朗。火星嗖的一下冲出地面。夜空晦暗，月亮在稀薄的云雾中穿梭。火星的爪子深深抠进泥土里，身子不住地颤抖。
过了一会儿，炭毛从洞口中跑了出来。她靠在火星身旁，帮助他稳定情绪。良久之后，火星的身体停止颤抖，呼吸也变得平稳了。
炭毛问：“发生什么事了？”
“难道你不知道吗？”
“我知道仪式被打断了——我是通过那股血腥味判断出来的，可我不知道具体发生了什么。”炭毛摇了摇头，关切地看着火星，“告诉我，你拥有九条命和新名号了吗？”
火星点点头。炭毛舒了口气：“这就好，其他的事先别管了，我们走吧。”
火星累得挪不动脚步，但他一刻也不想在“母亲嘴”停留，摇摇晃晃地一步步爬下山。
炭毛陪在他身旁，带着他专门拣容易走的路走，始终没有问他梦里的情景。
随着距离“母亲嘴”越来越远，火星嘴里的血腥味也渐渐减弱。不过他仍感到，就算自己连续洗一个月也洗不掉身上残留的血腥味。他筋疲力尽，走到一簇矮山楂树丛前重重倒在里面。
他说：“我得休息一下。”
炭毛伏在他身旁，默默地为他舔梳皮毛。火星几次想向她倾吐，但话到嘴边又咽了回去。他害怕这件事会吓着她——就算她能解释蓝星预言的含义，可这也不过是多让一只猫为将来感到忧心而已。他还隐隐带有一丝侥幸心理，如果自己不说出来，这件事就有可能不会实现。这个梦是在诅咒他吗？意思是就算他当上了族长也于事无补？蓝星临死前曾说他就是拯救族群的那把火，如果血河熄灭了火，族群又如何得救呢？火星在以往的梦中经常得到预示，因此他不敢掉以轻心，尤其是这一次，竟然出现在他的命名仪式上。
炭毛说：“如果你不想谈这件事，也没关系。”
火星的沉思被她的话打断，他将头贴在炭毛身上，缓缓地说：“请让我仔细考虑考虑，刚才——这件事刚刚发生。”他打了个寒战，继续说，“炭毛，我有个秘密，以前从来没有告诉过别的猫，可——有时我在梦里能够看到未来。”
炭毛惊讶地说：“那太不寻常了。一般来说只有族长和医生才能和星族进行交流，我还从来没有听说过普通的武士也能在梦里得到预示呢。这种事情发生多久了？”
火星想起那个在森林里捉老鼠的梦，于是说：“我还在做宠物猫的时候就已经开始做这样的梦了，但我——我不知道那些梦是不是来自于星族。”毕竟，他在进入丛林之前从不知道世界上还有星族这回事。难道他们一直在关注他吗？
炭毛若有所思地说：“所有的梦都是来自于星族。那些梦经常变为现实吗？”
火星回答说：“是的，可有时实现的方式出乎我的意料。有的梦容易理解，但有的梦则含义颇深。”
“那么你在思考刚才做的梦的时候，应该有些心理准备了。”炭毛舔了他一下表示安慰，“记住，火心，你并不孤单。如今你已经是一族之长，会从星族那里得到很多信息，我可以帮你解释梦里的征兆，想说多少随你便。”
火星很感激她的善解人意，不过她的话令他有些不适。也许他并不想和星族之间建立这种新的联系，他渴望能像从前一样无忧无虑地生活，和灰条一起出去捕猎，或者待在巢穴里和沙风聊天。
“谢谢你的好意。”火星说着，吃力地站起来，“必要的时候我一定会告诉你。”话虽这么说，其实他很怀疑炭毛到底能帮多大忙，他隐隐觉得这件事他不得不独自面对。火星长叹了口气，说：“我们上路吧。”
火星归心似箭，但他的体力早已消耗殆尽。自从发现那群恶狗，他一刻也没有消停过，几乎没有吃东西，睡得也很少，这次到月亮石接受九条性命更是经历了非比寻常的痛苦，再加上梦里见到的恐怖情景，火星几乎心力憔悴。
他越走越慢，心里也越来越忐忑不安。走过巴利居住的农田时，炭毛顶了顶他，说：“够了，火星，作为你的医生，我建议你好好休息一下。我们去看看巴利和乌爪是否在家。”
“好主意。”火星确实撑不住了。
两只猫小心谨慎地接近两腿动物的谷仓。火星本来担心两腿动物会把拴狗的链子松开，但这里基本上没有狗的气味。随着猫的气味越来越浓烈，火星看见一只健壮的黑白色公猫从谷仓门下的裂缝中钻了出来。
于是他招呼说：“巴利！看见你真好。这位是我们的医生炭毛，你认识吗？”
巴利点点头，说：“很高兴看到你，火心。”
炭毛纠正说：“是火星，他现在是雷族族长了。”
巴利吃惊地睁大眼睛，说：“恭喜恭喜！不过，这也说明蓝星一定亡故了，真遗憾。”
火星说：“她仍像活着时一样保护她的族群。”
“我猜其中必有故事，”巴利说着，转身回到谷仓，“乌爪必定想听听。进来吧！”
谷仓里十分暖和，充满了干草和老鼠的气味。老鼠发出的沙沙声在火星的耳朵里简直犹如仙乐飘飘，火星脑子里想的都是美味。
他咽了口涎水，说：“软和的铺垫可供睡觉，伸伸爪子便有吃不完的猎物。最好别把这里的情况告诉雷族猫，否则他们都要来当独行者了。”
巴利咯咯一笑，喊道：“乌爪，快出来瞧瞧谁来了。”
随着一声欢快的叫声，一个黑色的身影从干草垛里蹿了出来。乌爪曾经是雷族的一名学徒，当时只有他知道红尾死亡的真相——他是被乌爪的师父虎星杀害的。虎星曾试图杀乌爪灭口，幸亏火星为他找到了一个新家。对乌爪来说，做一名独行者要比做武士逍遥自在得多，不过他也从未忘记过生他养他的族群。对雷族来说，乌爪是个忠诚可靠的伙伴。
当乌爪从巴利嘴里得知雷族的消息后，神情悲伤地说：“这么说蓝星已经亡故了，我永远怀念她。”
巴利安慰了他几句，火星见了这种情形，猜想这么长时间巴利和乌爪一定相处得很好。
乌爪感激地瞅了巴利一眼，站起来对火星说：“你现在是雷族族长了，星族选了一位好族长。”他把火星和炭毛引到谷仓的另一边，“你们想吃点儿东西吗？”
炭毛回答说：“想得不得了。”她带着征询的目光看着火星，说：“需要我帮你捉些猎物吗？”
火星尽管疲惫不堪，但他还是摇了摇头。一位优秀的族长连自给自足都做不到，那还像什么话！他站起身听了一会儿，听到干草垛里传出轻微的沙沙声，于是俯下身子摆出捕猎姿势。他通过听觉认准猎物的位置，然后跳过去一口咬住。
火星衔起猎物走回伙伴身边，心里暗暗羡慕乌爪的美好生活。这里的老鼠比森林里的不止大上一倍，而且谷仓里光线昏暗，有利于猎捕。火星三两口便将老鼠吞进腹中，感觉体力渐渐恢复。
乌爪说：“再多吃些，这里的老鼠多得是。”
火星和炭毛盛情难却，于是敞开肚皮大吃一通。吃饱肚子后，他们把雷族最近发生的事向两位独行者娓娓道来。
乌爪和巴利凝神倾听，当他们听到恶狗的事情时，都震惊地睁大眼睛。
乌爪说：“我知道虎星很残忍，可我没想到他居然妄图把整个族群都毁灭掉。”
巴利说：“你们现在必须阻止虎星，别让他再为祸丛林。”
火星点点头，犹豫了一下，然后坦白说：“可没有蓝星指点，我感到无从下手，所有的事情看上去都一团漆黑而且——而且压得我喘不过气来。”他没有把族长仪式上发生的意外明说出来，但炭毛同情的目光告诉他，她知道他心里想什么。
炭毛说：“记住，整个族群就是你坚强的后盾，大家不会忘记是你和蓝星把我们从恶狗的威胁中救了出来。”
“也许他们对我期望过高了。”
炭毛立刻提高嗓门喊道：“胡说八道！他们知道你将会成为一位伟大的族长，他们会和你并肩战斗到最后一息。”
乌爪凝视着火星说：“我也是。”他见火星扭头看着自己，不由得有些不好意思，“我知道我不是武士，但如果你需要我的帮助，尽管开口好了。”
火星感激地说：“谢谢你的好意，乌爪。“
乌爪问：“我能去营地一趟吗？我想去蓝星的坟前向她表示一下敬意。”
火星说：“当然可以了。蓝星授予你自由出入雷族领地的权利，现在没有理由改变这一点。”
乌爪低头行礼说：“谢谢你。”当他重新抬起头时，眼睛里充满了敬意，“火星，你曾经救过我的命，我永远都报答不了你的大恩。如果虎星再找你们麻烦的话，我会很荣幸地与雷族武士们一起同他拼个你死我活。”