引子
引子
众猫一只接一只钻进洞里，身上沾满了泥巴，双眼因为惊恐睁得溜圆。清冷的月光从洞顶缝隙里洒落下来，照在他们的眼睛上。他们把身子压得很低，腹部紧挨着地面，凝神四处张望着，生怕会看到潜藏在阴影里的危险。
山洞的地上有些水坑，月光照在上面泛着点点银光。月光也照亮了尖石林：有的尖石头从地面向上长，有的从洞顶倒挂下来，有些石头中间连在一起，形成了一片又细又长、泛着微光的白石树。一阵劲风从尖石林间吹过，群猫的皮毛泛起了涟漪。空气潮湿清新，传来远处瀑布的咆哮声。
一只猫从尖石后面走了出来。他体形修长，四肢精瘦结实，浑身糊满了干硬的泥巴，一绺绺的毛犹如奓开的硬刺，这使他看起来简直像极了一尊石刻雕像。
“欢迎各位！”他粗哑着嗓门说，“按照杀无尽部落的规矩，月光照在水面上的时候，正是聆听预言的时候。”
一只猫轻轻走上前，向那只糊满泥巴的猫点了下头，问道：“尖石巫师，你有没有收到什么信号？杀无尽部落向你传话了吗？”
另一只猫在他身后说道：“我们到底还有没有希望？”
尖石巫师低下了头。“我收到了杀无尽部落通过月光照在岩石上形成的形状、石头投射的阴影、从岩顶落下的雨水声传递的信息。”他顿了顿，眼睛扫过围在他身边的众猫，“是的，它们告诉我，希望犹存。”
众猫一阵窃窃私语，好似风吹树叶，沙沙作响。他们的眼睛燃起希望，耳朵也都竖了起来。最先走出来的那只猫迟疑地问了一句：“那你知道我们怎么才能摆脱这场可怕的危机吗？”
“是的，鹰崖，”尖石巫师答道，“杀无尽部落向我保证过，会有一只猫来，不是我们这个部落的，一只银色的猫会帮助我们彻底除掉尖牙兽。”
接着是一阵短暂沉默。然后，群猫的后面有个声音问道：“还有不属于急水部落的猫？”
“肯定有。”另一只猫回答道。
“虽然我们活到现在还没见到过，”鹰崖说道，“但我听陌生猫讲过。那只银色猫什么时候才会来啊？”他焦急地追问了一句，身边的其他猫也窃窃私语起来。
“是啊，什么时候来？”
“是不是真的啊？”
尖石巫师抽动尾巴示意大家安静下来。“是的，这是真的。”他说道，“杀无尽部落从来没跟我们说过谎。我曾经在月光照耀的水潭中亲眼看到过他那身银灰色的皮毛。”
“但是，他究竟什么时候来？”鹰崖追问道。
“杀无尽部落没跟我说。”尖石巫师回答道，“我不知道那只银色猫何时会来，也不知道他从哪儿来。但他来的时候，我们一定会知道。”
他仰起头看向山洞的顶，眼睛闪闪发光，犹如两轮微型的月亮。“在此之前，我们大家只能耐心等待。”他说道。
PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE
One by one, the cats creptinto the cave. Their fur was streaked with mud and their eyes stretched wide with fear, reflecting the cold moonlight that filtered through a crack in the roof. They crouched low with their bellies close to the ground, their gazes flickering from side to side as if they expected to see danger lurking in the shadows.
The glimmer of moonlight was caught in pools of water on the cave floor. It lit up a forest of pointed stones, some rising from the ground and others hanging from the cave roof. Some of the stones joined in the middle to form slender trees of gleaming white rock. Wind gusted through them, ruffling the cats’ fur. The air smelled damp and clean, and was filled with the distant roar of falling water.
A cat stepped out from behind one of the pointed stones. He was long-bodied, with lean, muscular limbs, and his pelt was completely covered in mud that had dried into spikes, so that he looked like a cat carved in stone.
“Welcome,” he meowed in a rasping voice. “Moonlight lies on the water. It is time for a Telling, according to the laws of the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”
One of the cats crept forward, dipping his head to the mud-covered cat. “Stoneteller, have you had a sign? Has the Tribe of Endless Hunting spoken to you?”
Another cat spoke from behind him. “Is there hope at last?”
Stoneteller bowed his head. “I have seen the words of the Tribe of Endless Hunting in the pattern of moonlight on rock, in the shadows cast by the stones, in the sound of raindrops as they fall from the roof.” He paused, letting his gaze sweep over the cats around him. “Yes,” he went on. “They have told me there is hope.”
A faint murmur, like the rustle of leaves in the wind, passed through the group of cats. Their eyes seemed to grow brighter, and their ears pricked. The one who had come forward first mewed hesitantly, “Then you know what will rid us of this dreadful danger?”
“Yes, Crag,” Stoneteller replied. “The Tribe of Endless Hunting has promised me that a cat will come, a silver cat not from this Tribe, who will rid us of Sharptooth once and for all.”
There was a pause, then: “Are there other cats, not in the Tribe of Rushing Water?” a voice asked from the back of the group.
“There must be,” another cat replied.
“I have heard tell of strangers,” meowed Crag, “though we’ve seen none here in our lifetimes. But when will the silver cat come?” he added desperately, and other mews rose from all around him.
“Yes, when?”
“Is it really true?”
Stoneteller signaled for silence with a twitch of his tail. “Yes, it is true,” he meowed. “The Tribe of Endless Hunting has never lied to us. I have seen the sheen of his silver fur myself, in a moonlit pool.”
“But when?” Crag persisted.
“The Tribe of Endless Hunting has not shown that to me,” Stoneteller replied. “I do not know when the silver cat will come, or from where, but we will know it when he arrives.”
He raised his head toward the cave roof, and his eyes shone like two tiny moons. “Until then, cats of my Tribe, we can only wait.”
CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1
Stormfur opened his eyes, blinking awaysleep, and struggled to remember where he was. Instead of his nest of reeds in the RiverClan camp, he was lying curled in dry, crunchy bracken. Above his head was the earth roof of a cave, crisscrossed with tangled roots. He could hear a rhythmic roaring sound faintly in the distance. At first it puzzled him; then he remembered how close they were to the sun-drown water, washing endlessly onto the edge of the land. He flinched as a vision burst into his mind, of how he and Brambleclaw had struggled in the water for their lives; he spat, still tasting the salty tang at the back of his throat. At home in RiverClan he was used to water—his was the only Clan that could swim comfortably in the river that ran through the forest—but not this surging, salty, pushing-and-pulling water, too strong even for a RiverClan cat to swim in safely.
Other memories came rushing back. StarClan had sent cats from each of the four Clans on a long, dangerous journey, to hear what Midnight had to tell them. They had fought their way across unknown country, through Twoleg nests, facing attacks from dogs and rats, to make the last incredible discovery: that Midnight was a badger.
Stormfur felt ice creeping along his limbs as he recalled Midnight’s dreadful message. Twolegs were destroying the forest to make a new Thunderpath. All the Clans would have to leave, and it was the task of StarClan’s chosen cats to warn them and lead them to a new home.
Stormfur sat up and looked around the cave. Faint light filtered down the tunnel that led out onto the clifftop, along with a gentle current of fresh air that carried the scent of salt water. Midnight the badger was nowhere to be seen. Close beside Stormfur, his sister, Feathertail, was sleeping, her tail curled over her nose. Just beyond her was Tawnypelt, the fierce ShadowClan warrior; Stormfur was relieved to see that she was resting quietly, as if the rat bite she had suffered in the Twolegplace was troubling her less. Midnight’s store of herbs had yielded something to soothe the infection and help her sleep. On the opposite side of the cave, a little way apart, was the WindClan apprentice Crowpaw, his dark gray pelt barely visible among the fronds of bracken. Nearest the cave entrance, Tawnypelt’s brother, Brambleclaw, was stretched out beside Squirrelpaw, who slept in a tight ball. Stormfur felt a stab of jealousy at the sight of the two ThunderClan cats close together, and tried to push it away. He had no right to admire Squirrelpaw, and her courage and bright optimism, as much as he did, when they came from different Clans. Brambleclaw would make her a much better mate.
Stormfur knew that he ought to rouse his companions so that they could begin their long journey back to the forest. Yet he was strangely reluctant. Let them sleep a little longer, he thought. We’ll need all our strength for what lies ahead
Shaking scraps of bracken from his pelt, he picked his way across the sandy floor of the cave and out through the tunnel. A stiff breeze ruffled his fur as he emerged onto the springy grass. He was dry at last, after his near-drowning the night before, and sleep had refreshed him. He stood gazing around him; just ahead was the edge of the cliff and beyond it lay an endless stretch of shimmering water, reflecting the pale light of dawn.
Stormfur opened his jaws to drink in the air and catch the scent of prey. Instead his senses were flooded by a strong reek of badger. He caught sight of Midnight sitting on the highest point of the cliff, her small, bright eyes fixed on the fading stars. In the sky behind her, on the far side of the moorland, a strip of creamy light showed where the sun would rise. Stormfur padded over, dipping his head respectfully before sitting beside her.
“Good morning, gray warrior,” Midnight’s voice rumbled in welcome. “Sleep you have enough?”
“Yes. Thanks, Midnight.” Stormfur still found it strange to be exchanging friendly greetings with her, when badgers had always been deadly enemies of the warrior Clans.
Yet Midnight was no ordinary badger. She seemed closer to StarClan than any warrior, except perhaps the medicine cats; she had traveled far and somehow had found the wisdom to foretell the future.
Stormfur gave her a sidelong glance, to see her eyes still fixed on the remaining stars in the dawn sky. “Can you really read signs there from StarClan?” he asked curiously, half hoping that her terrible predictions from the night before would vanish in the light of morning.
“Much is to be read everywhere,” the badger replied. “In stars, in running water, in flash of light on waves. Whole world speaks, if ears are open to listen.”
“I must be deaf, then,” Stormfur meowed. “The future seems dark to me.”
“Not so, gray warrior,” rasped Midnight. “See.” She pointed with her snout across the sun-drown water to where a single warrior of StarClan still shone brightly just above the horizon. “StarClan has seen our meeting. Pleased they are, and help they will give in dark days coming.”
Stormfur gazed up at the brilliant point of light and let out a faint sigh. He was no medicine cat, accustomed to sharing tongues with their warrior ancestors. His task was to offer his strength and skill in the service of his Clan—and now, it seemed, of all the forest cats. Midnight had made it clear that each and every Clan would be destroyed if they could not ignore the ancient boundaries and work together for once.
“Midnight, when we go home—”
His question was never finished. A yowl interrupted him, and he turned to see Squirrelpaw burst out of the tunnel that led down into the badger’s set. She stood in the entrance, her dark ginger fur fluffed up and her ears pricked.
“I’m starving!” she announced. “Where’s the prey around here?”
“Budge up, and let the rest of us out.” Crowpaw’s irritable voice sounded behind her. “Then we might be able to tell you.”
Squirrelpaw bounced forward a few paces, and the WindClan apprentice emerged, followed closely by Feathertail. She stretched with pleasure in the sunlight. Stormfur got up and bounded over the tough moorland grass so he could touch noses with his sister. He had not been one of StarClan’s original chosen cats, but he had insisted on coming on the journey to protect Feathertail. With their mother dead and their father living in a different Clan, the two cats were much closer than ordinary siblings.
Midnight lumbered after him and nodded a greeting to the cats.
“Tawnypelt’s much better this morning,” Feathertail reported. “She says her shoulder hardly hurts at all.” To Midnight she added, “That burdock root you gave her really helped.”
“Root is good,” the badger rumbled. “Now injured warrior travel well.”
As she spoke, Tawnypelt herself appeared from the tunnel; Stormfur was relieved to see that she looked stronger after her long sleep and was scarcely limping at all.
Following Tawnypelt, her brother, Brambleclaw, pushed his way out of the tunnel and stood blinking in the growing light. “The sun’s nearly up,” he meowed. “It’s time we were on our way.”
“But we have to eat first!” Squirrelpaw wailed. “My belly is growling louder than a monster on the Thunderpath! I could eat a fox, fur and all.”
Stormfur had to agree with her. Hunger clawed at his own belly, and he knew that without food they would not be able to face the long and exhausting journey back to the forest. Yet he shared Brambleclaw’s urgency; how would they feel if they delayed too long, and then discovered cats had died because of it?
A look of exasperation flitted over Brambleclaw’s face. His voice was firm as he replied, “We’ll pick up some prey as we go. And once we get back to the woods where we made camp, we’ll have a proper hunt.”
“Bossy furball,” Squirrelpaw muttered.
“Brambleclaw’s right,” Tawnypelt meowed. “Who knows what’s happening at home? There’s no time to waste.”
A murmur of agreement rose from the other cats. Even Crowpaw, who usually challenged Brambleclaw’s decisions even more than Squirrelpaw, had nothing to say. With a slight shock, Stormfur realized that their long journey, and the threat to all their Clans, had changed them from a group of squabbling rivals into a unified force with a single purpose, to save their Clanmates and the warrior code that had protected them for so long. A warm feeling of belonging swept over Stormfur. His loyalty toward RiverClan was complicated—knowing how their half-Clan heritage made other warriors suspicious of him and Feathertail—but here he knew he had found friends who judged him without thinking about Clan differences all the time.
Brambleclaw paced forward until he stood in front of Midnight. “The thanks of all the Clans go with you,” he mewed.
Midnight grunted. “Time is not yet for farewell. I come with you as far as woods, make sure you know right path.”
Without waiting for the cats to agree or thank her, she lumbered off across the moor. Ahead of her, the sky had become too bright to look at as the sun began to edge its way above the horizon. Stormfur blinked gratefully at the yellow light. The setting sun had guided them on their journey to find the sun-drown-place; now the rising sun would guide them home.
The four chosen cats—along with Stormfur and Squirrelpaw, who had come with Brambleclaw after an argument with her father, Firestar—had set out from the forest blindly following a half-understood prophecy from StarClan. Now that they had discovered what the prophecy meant, it was easier to decide what to do next, but at the same time it was terrifying to know just how much danger their Clans were in.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Squirrelpaw asked, dashing off to overtake Midnight.
Her Clanmate Brambleclaw followed more slowly, looking deep in thought, as if he were imagining all the difficulties they would have to face on their way back to the forest. At his side, Tawnypelt seemed refreshed from her night’s rest, and even though she was still limping, her eyes showed nothing but determination to make the long journey home. Feathertail trotted with her tail up, clearly enjoying the bright morning, while Crowpaw loped along beside her, keeping his ears pricked and his muscles tense, as if he were already anticipating trouble.
Stormfur, bringing up the rear, breathed a swift prayer to StarClan. Guide our paws, and bring us all safely home.
As the sun climbed higher, the sky became a deep, clear blue, dotted with fluffy scraps of cloud. The weather was warm and kind for so late in leaf-fall. A breeze swept over the grass, and Stormfur’s mouth watered as he caught the scent of rabbit. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a white tail bobbing as the rabbit vanished over the crest of a gentle slope.
Instantly Crowpaw darted after it.
“Wait! Where are you going?” Brambleclaw called after him, but the WindClan apprentice was gone. The tabby warrior’s tail lashed irritably. “Does he ever listen?”
“He won’t be long,” Feathertail soothed him. “You could hardly expect him to ignore a rabbit when it pops up right under our noses.”
Brambleclaw’s only reply was another swish of his tail.
“I’ll fetch him back,” Stormfur meowed, bunching his muscles to spring in pursuit.
Before he could move, the dark gray apprentice reappeared at the top of the rise. He was dragging the rabbit with him; it was almost as big as he was.
“Here,” he meowed ungraciously as he dumped it on the ground. “That didn’t take long, did it? I suppose we’re allowed to stop and eat it?”
“Of course,” Brambleclaw replied. “Sorry, Crowpaw. I’d forgotten how fast WindClan cats can be. This . . . this moorland must feel like home to you.”
Crowpaw acknowledged the apology with a curt nod as all six cats crowded around the fresh-kill. Stormfur stopped short when he noticed a glow of admiration in Feathertail’s eyes. Surely his sister couldn’t be interested in Crowpaw? All he ever did was argue and push himself forward as if he were already a warrior. A cat from another Clan—and an apprentice at that!—had no right to start padding after Feathertail. And whatever did Feathertail see in him? Didn’t she know the problems this sort of thing could cause—hadn’t she learned that from their own parents?
Then Stormfur’s gaze slid across to Squirrelpaw. Had he any right to criticize Feathertail, when he liked Squirrelpaw so much? But then, he told himself, any cat would like the brave, intelligent ThunderClan apprentice. And he knew better than to start something with a cat from another Clan, when they couldn’t possibly have a future together.
Stormfur sighed and began gulping his share of the rabbit. He hoped he was imagining things; after all, any cat might admire Crowpaw’s speed in catching them prey when they were all hungry. Surely that was all Feathertail was feeling.
While the cats ate, Midnight waited a few paces away. Stormfur saw her tearing at the moorland grass with her strong, blunt claws, snuffling up the grubs and beetles she disturbed. Her eyes were screwed up, as if she found it hard to search for food in the strong sunlight, but she said nothing, and as soon as the cats had eaten all they could of Crowpaw’s prey, she set off once more toward the rising sun.
Even with Midnight to lead them by the most direct route, it was sunhigh by the time they reached the crest of a gentle hill and saw the edge of the woods in front of them. The shade underneath the trees looked as inviting as running water to Stormfur after traveling through the heat of the unprotected moorland. For one brief moment, he let himself imagine an afternoon of hunting, then settling down full-fed for a sleep under the arching fronds of bracken, but he knew there was no chance of that.
As they drew closer to the woods, he spotted what looked like a heap of mottled brown fur in the long grass underneath a bush. His tail twitched in rueful recognition at the sight of the elderly tabby who had guided them—and nearly lost them forever—in the Twolegplace.
“Hey, Purdy!” Brambleclaw called. “We’re back!”
A large round head emerged from the bundle of fur, whiskers twitching and eyes blinking in confusion that gradually turned to welcome. The old cat scrambled to his paws and took a couple of paces toward them, shaking bits of dead leaf from his untidy pelt.
“Great StarClan!” he exclaimed. “I never reckoned I’d see you again.” Suddenly he broke off, his eyes fixed on something over Stormfur’s shoulder. “Don’t move a whisker!” he hissed. “There’s a badger behind you. Just let me deal with it. I know a few fightin’ moves that—”
“It’s okay, Purdy,” Stormfur interrupted, while Squirrelpaw’s tail curled up with amusement. “This is Midnight. She’s a friend.”
The old tabby stared at Stormfur, his jaws gaping in astonishment. “A friend? You don’t make friends with a badger, young fellow. You can’t trust ’em a single mouse-length.”
Stormfur gave Midnight an anxious look, wondering if the badger was offended by Purdy’s words. To his relief, she looked as amused as Squirrelpaw, her tiny black eyes gleaming.
“Come and meet Purdy,” Stormfur mewed to her. “He guided us through Twolegplace.”
Midnight plodded forward until she stood in front of the old tabby tom. Unconvinced, Purdy crouched down with his neck fur bristling and his lips drawn back in a snarl to reveal snaggly teeth. Stormfur felt a twinge of admiration for his courage, even though the badger could have flattened him with one swat of her powerful front paws.
“Here is not fight,” Midnight assured him. “Friend of my friends is my friend also. Much of you they have told me.”
Purdy’s ears twitched. “Can’t say I’m pleased to meet you,” he muttered. “But I suppose you must be all right if they say so.” Backing away, he turned to Brambleclaw. “Why are we hangin’ around here?” he demanded. “There are Upwalkers and dogs all over the place. Say good-bye and let’s be on our way.”
“Hang on!” Squirrelpaw protested loudly to Brambleclaw. “You said we could hunt.”
“We can,” he mewed.
He paused to taste the air; Stormfur did the same, and was relieved to find that although he could distinguish several different dog scents, they were all stale. He guessed that Purdy was using the danger of dogs as an excuse to get away from Midnight.
“Okay,” Brambleclaw went on, “let’s split up and hunt quickly. We’ll meet in that place where we camped last time. Tawnypelt, do you want to go straight there?”
The ShadowClan warrior’s eyes flashed as she replied, “No, I can hunt as well as any of you.”
Before any of the cats could respond, Midnight padded up to her and gave her a gentle nudge. “Foolish warrior,” she rumbled. “Rest while able. Show me camping place. I will stay while sun is high, go home in dark.”
Tawnypelt shrugged. “Okay, Midnight.” She headed farther into the woods, following the stream to the hollow where the cats had rested on the outward journey.
The air was cooler in the dappled shade of the trees. Stormfur began to relax, feeling safer here than on the open moorland, though the chattering stream, too shallow for fish, was no substitute for the river he loved. A pang of loss stabbed through him at the thought that, even if he saw the river again, it would not be for long; Midnight had told them that the Clans would have to leave the forest as soon as the six cats returned.
A rustle in the undergrowth reminded him of how hungry he was. It would be good to go off for a while and hunt with Feathertail, just as they did at home. But when he swung around to speak to his sister, he saw that Crowpaw was saying something in her ear.
“Do you want to hunt with me?” the apprentice muttered, sounding half grudging, half embarrassed. “We’d do better together.”
“That would be great!” Feathertail’s eyes shone; then she spotted Stormfur, and looked even more embarrassed than the WindClan cat. “Er—why don’t we all hunt together?”
Crowpaw looked away, and Stormfur felt the hairs on his neck begin to prickle. What right did this apprentice have to invite Feathertail to be his hunting partner? “No, I’m fine on my own,” Stormfur retorted, spinning around and plunging into the undergrowth, trying to pretend he hadn’t seen the hurt in his sister’s blue eyes.
But once he slipped beneath the lowest branches of the bushes his irritation faded. His ears pricked up and all his senses were alert in the hunt for prey.
Before long he spotted a mouse scrabbling among fallen leaves, and dispatched it with one swift blow. Satisfied, he scraped earth over the little brown body until he was ready to collect it, and looked around for more. Soon he added a squirrel and another mouse to his hoard—which was as much as he could carry—and set off for the meeting place.
On the way he began to wonder how Feathertail was getting along, asking himself if he should have stayed with her after all. He was not one of StarClan’s chosen cats; he had come on this mission especially to look after his sister. He had been wrong to abandon her in this strange place, just because Crowpaw had annoyed him. What would he do if something happened to her?
When he reached the camping place he saw Tawnypelt stretched out in the shade of a hawthorn bush, her tortoiseshell fur hardly visible in the dappled sunlight. Midnight was beside her, dozing, and there was more chewed-up burdock root laid on Tawnypelt’s injured shoulder. The badger must have found some growing by the stream. Brambleclaw was perched above Tawnypelt on a steeply arching tree root, obviously keeping watch, while Feathertail and Crowpaw shared a squirrel just below. As Stormfur dropped his catch on the small pile of fresh-kill in the center of the hollow, Squirrelpaw appeared at the top of the slope, dragging a rabbit, and Purdy followed with a couple of mice in his jaws.
“Good, we’re all here,” meowed Brambleclaw. “Let’s eat and then get moving.”
He leaped down into the hollow and chose a starling from the pile. Stormfur took one of his mice over to Feathertail, settling down next to her on the opposite side from Crowpaw.
“Good hunting?” he asked.
Feathertail blinked at him. “Brilliant, thanks. There’s so much prey here! It’s a pity we can’t stay longer.”
Stormfur was tempted to agree, but he knew that the danger to their home was too desperate for them to delay. He began to devour his mouse in famished gulps, his paws already itching for the next stage of their journey.
He had swallowed the last of the fresh-kill and was beginning to groom his thick gray pelt when he heard a low snarling behind him. He saw Brambleclaw raise his head, alarm flaring in his yellow eyes.
Stormfur whipped around to see what had spooked the ThunderClan warrior. A familiar smell hit his scent glands a heartbeat before two slender, tawny shapes emerged from the bracken beside the stream.
Foxes!
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
“You lot stay here,” Purdy orderedin an undertone. “Let me deal with this.”
Stormfur stared in dismay as the old tom shuffled forward toward the foxes, his rumpled fur on end, his tail lashing back and forth. Frozen by shock, the others might have let Purdy attack and be torn to pieces if Stormfur had not stepped forward at the last moment and pushed him aside.
“Wha’?” Purdy protested. “Let me get at ’em. I’ve chased off more foxes than you’ve had mice, young fellow.”
“Then give the rest of us a chance,” Stormfur retorted grimly.
The two foxes were creeping slowly up the bank, their eyes flicking from one cat to the next. Too late Stormfur realized that he and his friends had been wrong to assume the woods held no danger for them.
He saw that Crowpaw had stepped forward to shield Feathertail, while Brambleclaw tried to do the same for Squirrelpaw. But the ThunderClan apprentice slipped out from the shelter of his flank and stood beside him with her ears flattened and one paw extended threateningly.
“What are you doing, treading on my tail?” she growled. “I can take care of myself!”
“You did say you could eat a fox,” Tawnypelt pointed out wryly. “Now’s your chance.”
The foxes crept nearer. Stormfur braced himself, his gaze fixed on their narrow snouts and coldly glittering eyes, trying to guess where they would attack first. Back home, foxes weren’t much of a threat to cats who kept alert. They could be avoided, but these were obviously young and spoiling for a fight, eager to defend their territory. Stormfur was sure that the six of them could drive the creatures off eventually, but not without serious injuries. And what would that mean for their journey? StarClan help us!he prayed desperately.
Crowpaw, who was nearest to the foxes, crouched to spring. There was barely a tail-length between him and the first of them when Stormfur heard a strange sound behind him, half growling and half barking. The leading fox abruptly lifted its head and stood very still.
Stormfur flicked a glance over his shoulder. Midnight had lumbered forward, thrusting her way between Purdy and Feathertail until she stood in front of the foxes. She said something else in the same mixture of barks and growls. Although Stormfur could not understand what she was saying, there was no mistaking the threat in the way her shoulders hunched, or the hostility in her black eyes.
Then his ears pricked in shock as the first fox barked what was obviously a reply. “I’d forgotten Midnight told us she could speak fox,” he muttered, glancing at Brambleclaw. The ThunderClan warrior nodded without taking his eyes off the foxes.
“They say this is their place,” Midnight reported. “To come here is to be their prey.”
“Fox dung to that!” Crowpaw burst out. “Tell them if they try anything, we’ll rip their fur off.”
Midnight shook her head. “No, small warrior. Cat fur be ripped also. Wait.”
Crowpaw backed off a pace or two, still looking furious, and Feathertail pressed her nose against his flank.
Midnight said something else to the foxes. “I tell them you only pass through,” she explained to the cats when she had finished. “I tell them much prey is here in woods, easier prey that does not rip fur.”
The leading fox was looking confused now, perhaps out of surprise at hearing a badger speak fox, perhaps because it was taking her arguments seriously. But the second—a lean dog fox with a scarred muzzle—was still glaring past Midnight at the group of cats, his teeth bared. He snarled out something that was a threat in any language.
Midnight barked a single word. Taking a step forward, she raised a paw, her massive body poised to strike. Every hair on Stormfur’s pelt prickled as he braced himself for a fight. Then the dog fox started to back away, growling a last curse at Midnight before turning and vanishing into the bracken. Midnight’s gaze swiveled to his companion, but the other fox paused only to bark out something rapidly before following.
“And don’t come back, if you know what’s good for you!” Crowpaw yowled after them.
Stormfur relaxed, feeling his fur lie flat again. Squirrelpaw flopped down on the ground with a noisy sigh. All the cats, even Purdy, were looking at the badger with new respect.
Brambleclaw padded over to her and dipped his head. “Thanks, Midnight,” he meowed. “That could have been nasty.”
“They might have killed us,” Feathertail added.
“I suppose it’s a bad time for a fight,” Crowpaw admitted. Stormfur sighed at the aggressive note in the apprentice’s voice as he went on, “All the same, I’d like to know why you didn’t warn us about the foxes. You said you can read everything in the stars, so why didn’t you tell us they’d be here?”
Even though he would never have asked the question, Stormfur waited tensely for Midnight’s reply. She had told them so much already about the threat to the forest and how they must go home and lead the Clans to safety. If they did not trust her, they and all their Clanmates would be helpless in the face of destruction. Could she have warned them about the foxes?
For a moment the badger loomed over the WindClan apprentice, her black eyes furious. Crowpaw could not hide a flash of alarm in his eyes, though to his credit he did not back down. Then Midnight relaxed. “I not say everything. Everything indeed StarClan not want me to say. Much, yes, how Twolegs tear up forest, leave no place for cats to stay. But many answers lie within ourselves. This you have already learned, no?”
“I suppose,” Crowpaw muttered.
Midnight turned away from him. “Foxes say you must go now,” she told the cats. “If you still here at sunset, they attack. That dog fox, he says he tasted cat once, liked it fine.”
“Well, he’s not going to taste it again!” snapped Tawnypelt.
“We have to leave anyway,” Brambleclaw pointed out. “And we’re not looking for trouble from foxes. Let’s go.”
They paused for a few moments to gulp down the rest of the prey. Then Midnight took the lead, and brought them after a short time to the edge of the forest. The sun was dipping below the trees, and where they stood was already in shadow. In front of them, Stormfur saw yet more open moorland, with a range of mountains in the distance; over to one side were the hard reddish shapes of the Twolegplace they had traveled through on the outward journey.
“Which way now?” he asked.
Midnight raised one paw to point straight ahead. “That quickest way, path where sun rises.”
“It’s not the way we came,” Brambleclaw mewed uneasily. “We came through Twolegplace.”
“And I’m not going back there!” Crowpaw put in. “I’ll climb as many mountains as you like before I face all those Twolegs again.”
“I’m not sure,” Feathertail meowed. “At least we know the way through Twolegplace, and we’ve got Purdy to help us.”
Crowpaw replied only with a contemptuous snort. Stormfur half agreed with him; they had spent many frightening, hungry days wandering in Twolegplace, and Purdy had seemed as lost as any of them. But the mountains were unfamiliar too; even from here, Stormfur could see that their upper slopes were bare gray rock, with a streak of white here and there that must be the first snow of the approaching leaf-bare. They were far higher than Highstones, and he wondered how much shelter or prey they would find there.
“I agree with Feathertail,” he meowed at last. “We made it through Twolegplace once, so we can do it again.”
Brambleclaw glanced from one to another, undecided. “What do you think, Tawnypelt?”
His sister shrugged. “Whatever you like. There’ll be problems whichever way we go; we all know that.”
True enough, Stormfur thought grimly.
“Well, Ithink—” Squirrelpaw began, and broke off with a gasp. Her green eyes had widened with an expression of horror; they seemed to be fixed on something in the distance that no other cat could see.
“Squirrelpaw? What’s the matter?” Brambleclaw meowed urgently.
“I . . . I don’t know.” Squirrelpaw gave herself a shake. “Just make your mind up, Brambleclaw, and let’s be off. I want to go that way if it’s the quickest route—” She flicked her tail toward the distant mountains. “We’ll waste days and days going through Twolegplace again.”
Stormfur’s whiskers began to tingle. Squirrelpaw was right. They already knew that the route among the Twoleg nests was confusing and difficult. What dangers could there be in the mountains that could be worse than the rats and monsters they knew they would meet in Twolegplace? All that mattered was to get back to the forest without delay.
“I think she’s got a point,” he meowed. “I’ve changed my mind. I vote we should go through the mountains.”
Squirrelpaw’s dark ginger tail twitched to and fro, and she flexed her claws into the grass. “Well?” she spat at Brambleclaw. “Are you going to make up your mind or not?”
Brambleclaw took a deep breath. “Okay, the mountains it is.”
“Eh? Wha’?” Purdy had been scratching one ear with his hind paw. But when Brambleclaw made his decision he looked up in alarm, blinking his wide amber eyes. “You can’t go that way. It’s dangerous. What about the—”
“Danger is all around,” Midnight broke in, silencing Purdy with a fierce glare. “Your friends great courage will need. The path has been laid out for them in the stars.”
Stormfur shot a sharp look at the old tabby. What had Purdy been trying to say when Midnight interrupted him? Did he know of some particular danger in the mountains? And if so, why had Midnight stopped him from telling the rest of them? He thought that he could see wisdom in her face, and something like regret. Just what did she mean by “the path has been laid out”?
“Choice is hard, young warrior.” The badger spoke in a low tone to Brambleclaw. Stormfur edged a pace closer so that he could hear. “Your path before you lies, and many challenges you will have to return safe home.”
Brambleclaw gazed into the badger’s eyes for a long moment before padding forward a few paces across the moorland. Whatever these challenges might be, he seemed ready to face them, and Stormfur couldn’t help admiring his resolve, even though he came from a rival Clan. When Purdy scrambled to his feet to follow, Midnight put out a paw to hold him back.
The old tom bristled, his amber eyes glaring. “Get out o’ my way,” he rasped.
Midnight did not move. “With them you cannot go,” she rumbled. “The way is theirs alone.” Her black eyes gleamed in the dusk. “Young and rash they are, and tests will be many. Their own courage they need, my friend, not yours. Too much on you they would rely.”
Purdy blinked. “Well, if you put it like that . . .”
Feathertail darted up to him and gave his ears a quick lick. “We’ll never forget you, Purdy, or everything you’ve done for us.”
Just behind her, Crowpaw opened his mouth with his eyes narrowed, as if he was about to say something cutting. Stormfur froze him with a glare. He doubted they would see the old cat again, and although Purdy had made mistakes, he had stood by them and brought them safely to Midnight in the end.
“Good-bye, Purdy. And thank you. We could never have found Midnight without you.” Brambleclaw echoed Stormfur’s thoughts. “And thank you, too, Midnight.”
The badger inclined her head. “Farewell, my friends. May StarClan light your path.”
The rest of the cats said their own good-byes, and began to follow Brambleclaw out onto the moor. Stormfur brought up the rear. Glancing back, he saw Midnight and Purdy sitting side by side under the outlying trees, watching them go. It was impossible to read their expressions in the gathering dusk. Stormfur waved his tail in a last farewell, and turned his face toward the mountains.
第一章
第一章
暴毛睁开眼睛，又使劲眨了眨，让自己清醒过来，努力回想着自己在哪儿。这不是在河族营地的芦苇窝里，他现在蜷成一团躺在一片嚓嚓作响的干蕨叶上。头顶上方是一个山洞的土顶，上面布满盘根错节的树根。耳边隐约传来远处有节奏的轰鸣声。起初他有些疑惑，接着便想起他们离太阳沉没的地方有多近，波浪不停地冲刷岸边。当脑海中浮现出他和黑莓掌在水里挣扎求生的一幕时，暴毛不由得一阵战栗。那咸水仿佛仍留存在他嗓子眼里，他连呸了几下。在家乡河族时，他熟谙水性，河族猫是唯一能在横穿森林的河流里自由游泳的族群。但森林里的河水跟这儿的水完全不一样。这里的水，不仅汹涌咸涩，而且冲击力太强，即使是水性良好的河族猫，也无法安全游泳。
一下子，所有的事情都回想起来了。星族从四大族群中各选中了一只猫，让他们踏上漫长而危险的征途，去聆听午夜传递的消息。他们历经艰辛，经过未知的土地，穿越两脚兽的巢穴，应对疯狗和恶鼠的攻击，最终难以置信地发现：午夜是一只獾。
回想起午夜告诉他们的恐怖消息，暴毛便觉得脊背一阵冰凉。两脚兽正在毁掉森林，要修建一条新的雷鬼路。所有的族群都不得不离开，星族选中的猫的任务，便是向族群发出警告，并带领族猫找到新的家园。
暴毛坐了起来，环顾山洞四周。一道微弱的光照亮了通往悬崖顶的通道，新鲜的空气带来了咸水的味道。午夜那只獾已不见了踪影。妹妹羽尾紧挨着自己，尾巴卷起搁在鼻子上，睡得正香。羽尾的另一边，睡着勇猛的影族武士褐皮。看到褐皮睡得很安稳，暴毛松了口气。在经过两脚兽地盘时，褐皮被家鼠咬伤，伤痛似乎不怎么折磨她了，午夜存储的草药的确能治疗感染，也有助于睡眠。山洞对面不远处的蕨叶中，睡着风族学徒鸦爪，一身深烟灰色的皮毛几乎看不出来。离洞口最近的地方，褐皮的哥哥黑莓掌伸展着四肢，睡在紧紧缩成一个毛球的松鼠爪旁边。看到两只雷族猫靠得那么近，暴毛突然感到嫉妒，但他尽力克制着自己。虽然自己和松鼠爪一样勇敢、乐观，但他和松鼠爪来自不同的族群，所以自己没有权利爱慕松鼠爪，黑莓掌更适合当她的伴侣。
暴毛知道他应该叫醒同伴，赶紧上路返回森林老家，但心里却莫名其妙地有些不愿意。让他们再多睡一会儿吧，他想，前方还不知会遇到什么困难，大家需要养精蓄锐。
暴毛抖掉身上的蕨叶，小心穿过山洞的沙地走出隧道。刚踩上潮湿的草地，一阵劲风吹来，吹皱了他的皮毛。头天夜里差点淹死在海里的他，现在身上的毛终于全干了，一夜好觉让他再次觉得精神焕发。暴毛环顾四周，发现前方就是悬崖边，再远一点，是一望无际泛着微光的水面，映照着黎明苍白的曙光。
暴毛张大嘴呼吸着新鲜空气，搜寻着猎物的气味。可惜，他只闻到强烈的獾的气味。他看到午夜正坐在悬崖的最高处，它那明亮的小眼睛凝视着天上正在消失的星星。在它身后远方的荒野上空，有道奶白色的亮光，预示着太阳即将从那儿升起。暴毛轻轻走过去，尊敬地向它点点头，然后在它身边坐下。
“早上好，灰色武士！”午夜用低沉的声音欢迎道，“你睡好了吗？”
“睡好了！谢谢你，午夜。”暴毛仍觉着跟它互致问候很别扭，因为一直以来，獾都是他们的天敌。
但午夜不是一般的獾。除了巫医，它似乎比任何武士都更要接近星族。它行过万里路，知晓天下事，也有着预言未来的智慧。
暴毛用眼角的余光瞥了它一下，看到它仍然凝视着黎明中的残星。“你真的能解读星族的预兆？”暴毛好奇地问，暗自希望它昨夜说的那个可怕预言会消失在黎明的光照中。
“处处都有预兆，”獾回答道，“天上的星星，奔流不息的水，波光的闪动。如果打开耳朵倾听，全世界都在表达它们的意见。”
“看来，我简直像是个聋子，”暴毛说，“对我来说，未来似乎一片黑暗。”
“不是那样的，灰色武士！”午夜提高了音调，“看，”它努了一下口鼻，指着太阳沉没的水面另一边，地平线上空一位仍在闪闪发光的星族武士说，“星族已经看见我们见面了。它们很高兴，黑暗的日子来临时，它们将施以援手。”
暴毛凝望着那个耀眼的光点，发出一声轻叹。他不是巫医，不能跟武士祖灵交流。他的任务是提供自己的力量和技能，为族群服务。而现在，似乎是要为所有族群服务。午夜讲得很明白，如果每个族群仍然固守族群边界，不能同心协力，那么，族群的毁灭便不可避免。
“午夜，等我们回到家……”
暴毛的问题还没问出，一阵吼声打断了他。他扭头看见松鼠爪冲出了那条直通獾的山洞的通道。松鼠爪站在洞口，一身暗姜黄色的毛蓬松着，耳朵支棱着。
“我快饿死了！”她叫道，“这附近哪儿有猎物？”
“让开！让我们几个出去。”鸦爪在她身后急躁地说，“然后，我们才能告诉你哪儿有。”
松鼠爪向前跳了几步，那个风族武士出来了，羽尾紧跟在后面。羽尾在太阳下舒舒服服地伸了个懒腰。暴毛起身，跃过荒原坚韧的野草，跟妹妹碰了碰鼻子。他不是星族最初选中的猫，但他坚持参加这趟旅程以保护妹妹。他俩的母亲已经死了，父亲生活在另一个族群，所以，他们比一般的手足亲近得多。
午夜缓慢地跟在暴毛身后，点头跟众猫打着招呼。
“褐皮今天早上好多了，”羽尾报告说，“她说肩膀几乎不疼了。”接着，她又对午夜说道：“你给她敷的牛蒡根太管用了！”
“牛蒡根的确很管用。”那只獾声音低沉地说，“现在，受伤的武士可以安心出发了。”
它正说着，褐皮从通道里出来了。褐皮长时间睡眠后，看起来更强壮了，走路也不瘸了，暴毛松了一口气。
跟在褐皮身后的是她哥哥黑莓掌。他挤到洞外，被耀眼的阳光刺得直眨眼睛。“太阳都快那么高啦，”他说道，“我们该出发了。”
“我们得先填饱肚子才行！”松鼠爪抱怨道，“我的肚子饿得咕咕叫，比雷鬼路上的怪物的叫声还响！我现在能吞下一整只狐狸。”
暴毛也很赞同。饥饿也抓挠着他的肚子，他知道，没有食物，他们根本走不完那么消耗体力的漫长回程路。但他也理解黑莓掌的急迫心情：如果因为耽误得太久，导致族猫死亡，他们得多自责啊！
一丝恼怒的神情从黑莓掌脸上闪过，他声音坚定地回答道：“我们可以边走边捕食。一回到我们宿营的那片树林，我们可以好好狩猎。”
“专横的毛球！”松鼠爪不满地说道。
“黑莓掌说得对，”褐皮说，“谁知道家里现在会发生什么情况？不能再浪费时间了。”
另外几只猫小声表示同意，就连一向比松鼠爪还爱挑衅黑莓掌的鸦爪，也没提出异议。暴毛不禁有些吃惊，意识到这场漫长的旅程以及各族群共同面临的威胁，已经把他们从一个个互不买账、各行其是的竞争者，变成了为共同的目标——拯救族群的重任和维护已存在很长时间的武士守则——而奋斗的统一的力量。一股很有归属感的暖流涌上暴毛的心头。他对河族的忠诚很复杂——他知道因为他们兄妹只有一半河族的血统，其他河族武士一直对他和羽尾心存怀疑——但在这儿，他已经结交了一群真正的朋友，他们从来不会在意彼此族群间的差别。
黑莓掌走向前站在午夜面前：“我们全部族群都感谢你的指点。”
午夜咕噜着说道：“现在还不是说再见的时候。我要把你们送到树林那儿，确保你们不会走错路。”
没等众猫表示同意或道谢，午夜已经挪着笨重的身子向着荒野走去。在它的前方，天色已经大亮，太阳开始在地平线上探出头。暴毛感激地冲着金色的光芒眨眨眼睛。在寻找太阳沉没之地的旅程中，夕阳一直为他们指引着方向，现在，东升的太阳将引导他们回家。
四只星族选定的猫，加上暴毛和松鼠爪——她和父亲火星吵了一架后跟黑莓掌一起出走，六只猫当初揣着个一知半解的星族预言，从森林里漫无目的地出发了。既然已经找到了这个预言的真实含义，接下来做出决定就比较容易了。同时，知道自己的族群身处这么严重的危险之中，也让他们惊惶不安。
“那我们还等什么？”松鼠爪说着，一个箭步冲上前超过了午夜。
她的族猫黑莓掌慢了半拍跟在后面，一副心事重重的样子，仿佛在思考回家路上会面临着怎样的困难。褐皮走在黑莓掌身旁，经过一夜休息，她看起来精神焕发，即使走起来还稍稍有点瘸，但她的眼神里透着一种不畏长途旅程、一定要回家的决心。羽尾扬着尾巴一路小跑，显然非常享受这美好的清晨。鸦爪则迈着大步跟在她身边，他耳朵支棱着，全身的肌肉都紧绷着，仿佛随时准备应对不可预知的危险。
暴毛走在队伍的最后，他心中默默向星族祈祷着：万能的星族，请指引我们，让我们全都能安全回家。
太阳高高挂到高空的时候，天空一片湛蓝，飘着几朵白云。已是落叶季的末期了，天气温暖舒适。一阵微风吹拂过草地，暴毛闻到了兔子的气味，不禁口水直流。透过眼角的余光，他看到了一只白尾巴在摆动，一只兔子消失在一道缓坡的坡顶。
鸦爪风一般追了上去。
“等等！你要去哪儿？”黑莓掌在他后面大喊道，但这名风族学徒已经看不见踪影。虎斑猫急躁地抽打着尾巴：“他有过听话的时候吗？”
“他不会去很长时间的，”羽尾安抚道，“一只兔子出现在大家眼皮底下，他根本不可能视而不见。”
黑莓掌只是又抽打了一下尾巴权作回答。
“我去把他追回来。”暴毛说着，绷紧全身肌肉，准备冲出去。
但还没等暴毛行动，那个深烟灰色的学徒已出现在斜坡的顶上，嘴里叼着一只和他自己差不多大的兔子。
“喂，”他把那只兔子丢到地上，毫不客气地说，“根本花不了多长时间，是不是？我猜你会同意大伙停一下吃了它。”
“当然，”黑莓掌答道，“对不起，鸦爪，我一时忘了风族猫动作有多快了……这种荒野对你来说就跟在老家里一样。”
鸦爪只是快速点点头，表示接受他的道歉。六只猫围着那只猎物美美地吃了起来。这时，暴毛注意到羽尾的眼中流露出崇拜的神情，他停了一下，心中暗想，难道妹妹喜欢上了鸦爪？这小子除了喜欢吵架，逞强好胜，好像以为自己已经是一位武士之外，还会什么！一只异族猫——而且还只是一名学徒——他有什么资格追求羽尾。羽尾究竟看上了他什么？难道她不知道以后会遇到多少苦难——她还没有从自己父母身上吸取教训吗？
接着，暴毛的目光滑向了松鼠爪。他又有什么权利去苛责妹妹，自己不也那么喜欢松鼠爪吗？不过，他马上宽慰自己说，任何猫都会喜欢这样勇敢、聪明的雷族学徒的。他深知，跟异族猫开始一段恋情，将来是不可能在一起的。
暴毛叹口气，大口吞咽着分给他的那份兔肉。他真希望是自己多心了，毕竟，在大伙都饥肠辘辘的时候，鸦爪以风一般的速度为大家捕来猎物，无论是谁，都可能对他产生钦佩之情。羽尾肯定也是如此。
众猫埋头进餐时，午夜在几步开外等着他们。暴毛看到它用自己那强壮却迟钝的爪子撕着原野上的荒草，不住嗅着它翻出来的幼虫和甲虫。午夜的眼睛有点睁不开，似乎对它来说，在强烈的阳光下搜寻食物很困难，但它什么也没说。等几只猫一吃完，午夜立即就朝太阳升起的方向出发了。
即使有午夜带他们抄近道，但当他们走到缓丘顶上看到前方的树林时，也已经是日高时分了。在毫无遮挡的荒原上顶着太阳跋涉了这么远的路，暴毛看到树荫，简直就像看到清凉的河水一样，高兴不已。这一刻，他不禁想象着自己能在下午痛快地狩个猎，然后美餐一顿，躺在拱形的蕨树丛下小睡一会儿。但他知道，这只是一种奢望，现在根本就没有机会的。
他们走近树林的时候，暴毛一眼就看到灌木下深草丛里，有一团斑驳的棕色皮毛在蠕动。一认出这只给他们带过路、几乎彻底失去他们的老虎斑猫，暴毛不禁心酸地抽动着尾巴。
“嗨，波弟！”黑莓掌大喊道，“我们回来了！”
一个圆圆的大脑袋从那堆毛团中间伸了出来，胡子猛抖，眼睛迷茫地眨着，直到认出了他们，才露出欢迎的神情。老猫赶紧起身，边抖掉凌乱皮毛上的枯叶，边向着他们走来。
“伟大的星族啊！”他惊叫道，“我从没想过还能再见到你们。”突然，他停住了，眼睛死死地盯着暴毛的身后。“别动！”他发出嘶嘶的声音，“你身后有一只獾，让我来对付它。我知道几个对付它们的招数……”
“没事，波弟。”暴毛连忙打断老猫，松鼠爪乐得卷起了尾巴。“它是我们的朋友午夜。”暴毛说道。
老猫瞪着暴毛，惊讶地张大嘴：“朋友？小伙子，你们不能跟獾交朋友。你们不能信任它们，连一丁点都不能信。”
暴毛担心地看了一下午夜，生怕波弟的话让它发怒。好在午夜跟松鼠爪一样，只是觉得老猫好笑，那双小黑眼睛一闪一闪的。
“来见见波弟，”暴毛对它说，“是他带领我们穿过两脚兽地盘的。”
午夜慢吞吞地走上前，一直到这只虎斑老公猫面前才停住。波弟疑虑犹存，他蹲伏下来，脖子上的毛全都竖了起来，嘴唇往后缩着，露出一口参差不齐的牙，对午夜咆哮起来。暴毛很佩服他的勇气，毕竟这只獾一掌就能拍扁他。
“我不是来打架的，”午夜向他保证道，“我朋友的朋友，也是我的朋友，他们已经跟我讲过很多你的事了。”
波弟耳朵抽动了一下。“要说见到你很高兴，我说不出口。”他小声说，“但既然他们都这么说，想必你应该没什么问题。”他退开了，转身对黑莓掌说，“我们为什么还待在这儿？这个地方到处都是直行兽和狗。跟它说再见，然后我们马上赶路。”
“且慢！”松鼠爪向黑莓掌大声抗议，“你说过到了树林我们可以狩猎的。”
“我们是可以狩猎。”黑莓掌说。
黑莓掌大口地呼吸着空气，暴毛也是。令黑莓掌感到欣慰的是，尽管他嗅出空气中有不同的狗的气味，但都不新鲜。他猜测，波弟这么说只是想找个借口甩掉午夜。
“好吧。”黑莓掌接着说，“现在，大家分头狩猎，但动作一定要快。一会儿在我们上次露营的地方会合。褐皮，你要不要先过去休息？”
这名影族武士忽闪着大眼睛答道：“不，我跟你们一样，可以自己狩猎。”
几只猫还没来得及反应，午夜已经踱到了褐皮身边，轻轻推了她一下。“傻武士，”午夜声音低沉地说，“能休息的时候尽量休息。你带我去露营的地方吧。我习惯昼伏夜出，等天黑时我再回家。”
褐皮耸耸肩说：“好的，午夜。”沿着通往上次旅程中众猫休息的山谷的溪流，褐皮领着午夜走进树林深处。
斑驳的树荫下，空气凉快多了，暴毛开始放松下来，觉得这里比在旷野中安全多了，只是这条潺潺的小溪太浅没有鱼，无法跟他深爱的那条河相媲美。一想到即使能再见到家乡的那条河，也看不了多长时间，暴毛就感觉胸口好像被什么东西刺穿了似的疼痛。午夜已经说了，他们六只猫一返回家园，就要带着整个族群撤离森林。
灌木丛里一阵沙沙作响的声音，提醒他是该吃点东西的时候了。出去走走，就像在家时那样，跟羽尾一起去狩狩猎，心痛的感觉会好点。但当他打量四周，想跟妹妹说的时候，看见鸦爪正在她的耳边说着什么。
“你想跟我一起去狩猎吗？”这名学徒小声说着，听起来有些勉强，又有些不好意思，“我们一起能配合得更好。”
“太好了！”羽尾眼睛都亮了，然后她看到了暴毛，顿时比那个风族猫还难为情，“哎，我们干吗不一起去狩猎呢？”
鸦爪扭头看往别处，暴毛感觉自己脖子上的毛都刺痛了起来。这个学徒有什么权利邀请羽尾一起去狩猎？“不了，我自己去就行了。”暴毛回应一声，就转身钻进矮树丛，假装没注意到妹妹那双蓝眼睛里流露出的失望。
但一钻进矮树丛低矮的树枝下，他的怒气就消了。他竖起耳朵，全神贯注地寻找着猎物的动静。
没多久，他就发现了一只在落叶堆里乱窜的老鼠。他迅速地一掌抓住了它。他满意地刨些土将棕色的老鼠盖了起来，等过一会儿再来取。然后他又到处寻找更多的猎物。很快，他又捕获了一只松鼠外加一只老鼠。他最多只能带走这么多了，于是转身往集合的地点走去。
走在路上时，暴毛开始猜想不知羽尾会如何跟鸦爪相处，他又问自己，是不是刚才该留下来跟羽尾待在一起。他不是星族选中的猫，只是为了照顾妹妹才参与到这次使命中的。自己实在不应该只是因为恼怒鸦爪，就把妹妹独自留在这个陌生的地方，万一她发生什么意外怎么办？
走到露营地，他看见褐皮正伸展着四肢在山楂树的树荫下乘凉，她那玳瑁色的皮毛在斑斑点点的阳光下，几乎看不见。午夜在她身边打着盹，褐皮受伤的肩上又敷了很多嚼碎的牛蒡根，一定是这只獾在小溪旁边找到的。黑莓掌坐在褐皮上方一根看起来很陡峭的拱形树根上，显然是在警戒；羽尾和鸦爪则在下方一起分享着一只松鼠。暴毛把他抓来的猎物放到了洼地中间的一小堆猎物上，这时，松鼠爪拖着一只兔子出现在坡顶，波弟跟在她身后，嘴里叼着两只老鼠。
“太好了，大家都到齐了。”黑莓掌说，“我们赶紧吃，吃完继续赶路。”
他跳到洼地，从猎物堆中挑了只椋鸟吃起来。暴毛则拿了一只老鼠给羽尾，然后在妹妹身边坐下，正对着鸦爪。
“狩猎顺利吗？”暴毛问道。
羽尾有些惊讶地看着暴毛：“相当不错，谢谢！这里猎物很多的，可惜不能在这儿久留。”
暴毛也有同感，但他知道，老家面临的危险是一刻也耽误不得的。于是，他开始狼吞虎咽起来，爪子仿佛已经等不及想要踏上下一段旅程了。
咽下最后一口猎物肉，暴毛开始整理他那浓密的深灰色皮毛。这时，他听到身后传来一声低沉的咆哮。他看见黑莓掌扬着头，琥珀色的眼睛里流露出惊慌。
暴毛突然转过身，想看看是什么让这位雷族武士如此紧张。瞬间，他嗅到一股熟悉的气味，两个瘦长的黄褐色的身影从溪流边上的蕨丛中闪了出来。
是狐狸！
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2
Leafpaw wrinkled her nose at thefoul scent and tried not to hiss in disgust. Shaking her head, she parted Sorreltail’s tortoiseshell fur with one paw and dabbed the wad of bile-soaked moss on the tick clinging to her shoulder.
Sorreltail wriggled as she felt the bile soak through her fur. “That’s better!” she meowed. “Has it gone yet?”
Leafpaw opened her mouth and dropped the twig that held the moss. “Give it time.”
“There’s only one good thing about ticks,” Sorreltail mewed. “They hate mouse bile just as much as we do.” Springing to her paws, she gave herself a vigorous shake and flicked the tick off her shoulder. “There! Thanks, Leafpaw.”
A breeze rustled through the trees that surrounded the medicine cat’s den. A few leaves drifted down; there was a chill in the morning air that warned Leafpaw of how few moons there were before leaf-bare. This time there would be more than the cold and shortage of prey to face. Leafpaw closed her eyes and shuddered as she remembered what she had seen the day before on patrol with her father, Firestar.
The biggest monster the cats had ever seen had been forging a dreadful path through the forest, scoring deep ruts into the earth and tearing up trees by their roots. The huge, shiny monster had rolled inexorably through the bracken, roaring and belching smoke while the cats scattered helplessly before it. For the first time, Leafpaw began to understand the danger to the forest, which had been prophesied twice now, once in Brambleclaw’s dream that had sent him on the journey with Squirrelpaw, and once in Cinderpelt’s vision of fire and tiger. The doom that had been foretold was coming upon the forest, and Leafpaw did not know what any cat could do to stop it.
“Are you okay, Leafpaw?” meowed Sorreltail.
Leafpaw blinked. The vision of smoke, splintered trees, and shrieking cats faded away, to be replaced by soft green ferns and the smooth gray rock where Cinderpelt made her den. She was safe, ThunderClan was still here—but for how long? “Yes, I’m fine,” she replied. Firestar had ordered the patrol to keep quiet about what they had seen until he had decided how to break the news to the Clan. “I’ve got to go and wash this mouse bile off my paws.”
“I’ll come with you,” Sorreltail offered. “Then we could go along the ravine and pick up some fresh-kill.”
Leafpaw led the way into the main clearing. Whitepaw and Shrewpaw were scuffling outside the apprentices’ den in warm shafts of early morning sunlight, while Ferncloud’s three kits watched them with huge admiring eyes. Their mother sat at the entrance to the nursery, washing herself while keeping one eye on her litter. The dawn patrol—Dustpelt, Mousefur, and Spiderpaw—was just pushing its way into the clearing through the gorse tunnel, Dustpelt’s eyes narrowing with pleasure as he caught sight of Ferncloud and his kits. Leafpaw gazed at the busy, peaceful camp, and could hardly keep back a wail of despair.
As soon as the apprentices spotted Leafpaw, they stopped their practice fight and stared at her, then started whispering urgently together. Even the cats in the returning patrol gave her an uneasy look as they padded over to the fresh-kill pile. Leafpaw knew that rumors about yesterday’s patrol were starting to fly around the camp. At daybreak Firestar had called his deputy, Graystripe; Leafpaw’s mother, Sandstorm; and Cinderpelt into a meeting in his den, and every cat had begun to suspect that something unusual had happened the day before.
Before she and Sorreltail could reach the gorse tunnel, Firestar appeared from his den at the foot of the Highrock. Graystripe and Sandstorm followed him out into the clearing with Cinderpelt limping after them. Firestar leaped to the top of the rock, leaving the other three cats to find comfortable places to sit at its base. In the slanting leaf-fall sun, his flame-colored pelt blazed like the fire that gave him his name.
“Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting,” he called.
Leafpaw felt her belly lurch as Sorreltail nudged her gently toward the front of the gathering cats. “You know what he’s going to say, don’t you?” the tortoiseshell warrior murmured.
Leafpaw nodded bleakly.
“I knew something weird happened yesterday,” Sorreltail went on. “You all came back looking as if the whole of ShadowClan was clawing at your tails.”
“I wish it were just that,” Leafpaw muttered.
“Cats of ThunderClan,” Firestar began, then paused to take a deep breath. “I . . . I don’t know if any Clan leader has ever had to take his Clan into the darkness that I see ahead.” His voice faltered and his eyes met Sandstorm’s, seeming to draw strength from the she-cat’s steady gaze. “Some time ago, Ravenpaw warned me about more Twoleg activity on the Thunderpath. Back then, I didn’t think it was important, and there was nothing we could do anyway because that is not our territory. But yesterday . . .”
A tense silence had fallen in the clearing. Firestar did not often sound so serious; Leafpaw could see how reluctant he was to go on, how he had to force himself to speak.
“My patrol was not far from Snakerocks when we saw a Twoleg monster leave the Thunderpath. It tore into the earth and pushed trees over. It—”
“But that’s ridiculous!” Sootfur interrupted. “Monsters neverleave the Thunderpath.”
“This isn’t another of his dreams, is it?” Dustpelt’s question was too low for Firestar to hear, though Leafpaw caught the muttered words. “A tough bit of fresh-kill too late at night?”
“Shut up and listen.” Cloudtail, Firestar’s kin, glared at Dustpelt.
“I saw it too,” Graystripe confirmed from his place at the foot of the rock.
Dead silence followed his words. Leafpaw watched the cats glance at one another with uncertainty and fear in their eyes. Sorreltail turned to Leafpaw. “Is that really what you saw?”
Leafpaw nodded. “You can’t imagine what it was like.”
“What does Cinderpelt have to say?” Speckletail called from where she sat among the elders. “Has StarClan shown you anything?”
The medicine cat rose to her paws and faced the Clan, her blue eyes steady. Of all the cats, even Firestar, she seemed the calmest.
Before she replied, she looked up to meet Firestar’s gaze; Leafpaw could almost see flashing between them the memory of the prophecy of fire and tiger that Cinderpelt had seen in a clump of blazing bracken. She wondered how much they had decided to tell the Clan, in the meeting that had just ended. Then Firestar nodded as if he was giving Cinderpelt permission to speak; she acknowledged his signal with a brief dip of her head.
“The signs from StarClan are not clear,” she admitted. “I see a time of great danger and change for the forest. A terrible doom hangs over us all.”
“Then you have had warnings about this! Why haven’t you told us before?” Mousefur challenged with a lash of her tail.
“Don’t be mouse-brained!” Cloudtail growled. “What good would it have done? What could we do? Leave the forest—and go where? Wandering around in strange country with leaf-bare coming on? You might fancy that, Mousefur, but I don’t.”
“If you ask me, Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw had the right idea,” Sootfur muttered to his brother Rainwhisker. “Getting out when they did.”
Leafpaw wanted to leap to the missing cats’ defense, but she made herself sit still and keep quiet. She was the only cat in the Clan who knew that Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw had left on a mission from StarClan to try to save the forest from this terrible danger. Stormfur and Feathertail, Graystripe’s RiverClan children, had gone with them, and cats from WindClan and ShadowClan too. However much their Clanmates missed them, Leafpaw knew it was for the good of all the Clans that they had gone.
Yet the danger was here now, she thought, apprehension gripping her belly, and the missing cats had not returned. Did that mean they had failed? Did it mean StarClan had failed, in spite of the warnings they had sent?
Cinderpelt’s calm gaze rested on the hushed and waiting Clan. “There will be great danger,” she repeated. “But I do not believe that ThunderClan will be destroyed.”
The Clan cats looked at one another, bewildered and afraid. The silence seemed to stretch out for a thousand heartbeats, until it was broken by a single eerie wail rising from the group of elders. As if that were a signal, more yowls and cries of terror broke out. Faced with the terror of approaching monsters, few of the Clan could believe Cinderpelt’s reassurances.
Ferncloud swept her tail protectively around her three kits, drawing them into the shelter of her flecked gray fur. “What are we going to do?” she cried.
Dustpelt got up and pressed his nose comfortingly into her side. “We’ll do something,” he promised. “We’ll show the Twolegs this is ourplace.”
“And how do you propose doing that?” Mousefur asked, her voice harsh. “When have Twolegs ever cared about us? They do what they want.”
“Their monsters will frighten all the prey,” Ashfur added. “We already know the forest is emptier than it’s ever been, and leaf-bare is coming. What are we going to eat?”
More terrified caterwauling broke out, and several heartbeats went by before Firestar could make himself heard again.
“We can’t decide what to do until we know more,” he meowed, when the noise had died to apprehensive muttering. “What happened yesterday was near Snakerocks, well away from here. It’s possible that the Twolegs won’t come any farther.”
“Then why would StarClan send any warnings at all?” Thornclaw asked. “We’ve got to face it, Firestar—we can’t pretend this isn’t happening.”
“I’ll arrange extra patrols,” Firestar assured him, “and I’m going to try speaking to ShadowClan. This was near their border, and they may have had trouble too.”
“You can’t believe anything ShadowClan tells you,” Cloudtail growled. “They wouldn’t give you a mousetail if you were starving.”
“Maybe not,” Firestar replied. “But if the Twolegs have invaded their territory, they might be prepared to talk if it meant we could help one another.”
“And hedgehogs might fly,” Cloudtail grunted. He turned away from Firestar and muttered something into the ear of his mate, Brightheart, who pushed her nose into his fur as if she were reassuring him.
“Everyone must keep alert,” Firestar continued. “If you see anything unusual, I want to know. We survived the flood and the fire. We survived Tigerstar’s dog pack, and the threat from Scourge and BloodClan. We will survive this too.”
He leaped down from the rock to show that the meeting was at an end.
Immediately the cats in the clearing broke into anxious little knots, discussing what they had just heard. Firestar and Cinderpelt spoke briefly together, and then Cinderpelt padded over to Leafpaw.
“Firestar is going to see ShadowClan right away,” the medicine cat announced. “He wants you to come too.”
Mingled excitement and apprehension clawed at Leafpaw. “Why me?”
“He wants both medicine cats with him. He thinks that if we’re there Blackstar will realize that ThunderClan isn’t looking for a fight.” Cinderpelt’s blue eyes flashed. “All the same, Leafpaw, I hope you’ve practiced your fighting moves recently.”
Leafpaw swallowed. “Yes, Cinderpelt.”
“Good.” With a wave of her tail, she led the way to where Firestar was waiting at the entrance to the gorse tunnel. Graystripe and Brackenfur were with him.
“Let’s go,” meowed Firestar. “And remember, I don’t want any trouble. We’re only going to talk.”
Graystripe snorted. “Try telling that to ShadowClan. If a patrol catches us on their territory, they’ll claw us as soon as they see us.”
“Let’s hope not,” Firestar replied with feeling. “If the Twolegs are threatening both our Clans, we can’t afford to waste our strength in fighting one another.”
Graystripe still looked doubtful, but he said nothing more as Firestar led them up the ravine toward the ShadowClan border. Leafpaw kept her ears pricked for any unusual sounds, and every hair on her pelt stood on end. The forest that had been safe for as long as she could remember was suddenly a frightening place, invaded by the Twolegs and their monsters.
Firestar led his patrol directly toward Snakerocks, and soon Leafpaw realized that he was heading for the spot where the monster had left the Thunderpath. Before they came in sight of it she picked up the reek of the monster and the rich earthy smell of the torn ground. When she came to the top of the slope above the Thunderpath, she stopped and peered through a clump of bracken.
Just below her, a swath of churned-up grass stretched as far as the Thunderpath. Trees lay on the ground, their roots tangling in the air. Everything was silent; Leafpaw couldn’t hear a single bird, or the scuffling of prey in the grass. But the monster had gone, and when she opened her jaws to drink in the air, the scent of Twolegs was stale. Even the reek of the monster was beginning to fade.
“They haven’t been here today,” Graystripe meowed. “Perhaps they’ve finished whatever they were doing.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Firestar replied tersely.
“This is . . . terrible.” Brackenfur sounded stunned. He had not been on the original patrol. “Why are they destroying the forest, Firestar?”
The tip of Firestar’s tail twitched back and forth. “Why do Twolegs do anything? If we knew that, our lives would be a lot easier.”
Skirting the edge of the damaged area, he led the way along the Thunderpath. Leafpaw’s belly lurched as she saw that more trees had been felled in ShadowClan’s territory, and more ground had been churned up.
Every one of the ThunderClan cats stopped to stare across the hard black surface. Brackenfur dropped into a crouch as if he were about to spring into attack, but there was no enemy to fight.
“Look at that!” Graystripe’s voice shook with horror. “You were right, Firestar. ShadowClan is having exactly the same trouble.”
“Then that should make it easier to talk to Blackstar.” Firestar was trying to sound confident, but his ears were laid flat against his head.
Cinderpelt gave the scarred area a long look before turning away, shaking her head. Though she said nothing, her blue eyes were filled with dread and confusion.
A monster roared by on the Thunderpath, smaller than the tree-eating monsters but still deafeningly noisy. Leafpaw flinched, half expecting it to veer into the forest where they were standing. But it stayed on the Thunderpath and growled away until it vanished among the trees. Another monster followed it; then a third raced along in the opposite direction.
“I don’t want to cross here,” Graystripe muttered, blinking grit out of his eyes.
Firestar nodded. “We’ll cross the stream by Fourtrees and go through the tunnel,” he decided. “And just hope we don’t meet any ShadowClan warriors on this side of the Thunderpath.”
When they reached the stream, Firestar crossed in a couple of bounds by a stepping-stone in the middle. Leafpaw kept an eye on her mentor, making sure that Cinderpelt crossed safely in spite of the old injury to her leg from a Thunderpath accident seasons before. Then she followed her across as Firestar climbed the opposite bank.
A light breeze was blowing toward them, carrying the rank scent of ShadowClan. At the border, Firestar and Graystripe renewed the scent markings, before Firestar led the way toward the tunnel under the Thunderpath.
To Leafpaw’s relief, there was no sign of ShadowClan cats in this section of their territory. The elders had told her many stories about that Clan’s dark-hearted history, from the murderer Brokenstar, who had killed his own father, to treacherous Tigerstar, who had made himself ShadowClan leader when he was exiled from ThunderClan. The present leader, Blackstar, hadn’t caused any trouble so far, but Leafpaw knew that Firestar didn’t really trust him. As she followed him into the tunnel, she admired him even more for his courage in trying to make allies of his old enemies for the sake of the forest.
Leafpaw shivered as she plunged into the gloomy silence beneath the Thunderpath, broken only by the drip of water and the plashing of their paws in the mud that covered the bottom of the tunnel. On the ShadowClan side the harsh scent was stronger than ever. The ground under Leafpaw’s paws was dank and marshy, covered with coarse scrubby grass. Here and there were pools fringed with reeds; there were few tall trees, unlike those that sheltered the ThunderClan camp. It felt like another world.
“The ShadowClan camp is this way,” Firestar meowed, heading for a clump of bushes. “Leafpaw, Cinderpelt, keep close to me. Graystripe and Brackenfur, spread out and keep watch. And remember that we’re not looking for trouble.”
Leafpaw padded behind Firestar as they headed deeper into ShadowClan territory. She hated the way her paws sank into mud at every step. She kept wanting to stop to flick away the moisture. It was hard to imagine ShadowClan cats putting up with it every day of their lives. Surely they would have grown webbed paws by now? Her muscles began to ache from the strain of keeping alert; when Brackenfur called out she jumped nervously and then hoped that no cat had noticed.
“Firestar, come and look at this.” Brackenfur pointed with his tail to a thin piece of wood, too smooth and regular to be the branch of a tree, standing upright in the ground about the height of a cat. Firestar padded over to and sniffed at it suspiciously. “It reeks of Twolegs,” he reported.
“There’s another over there,” Leafpaw called, spotting a matching stick a few fox-lengths farther away. “And another—all in a line! What are they—”
Her voice died away. As she bounded toward the next piece of wood, the bushes in front of her rustled and three cats stepped out into the open. She quickly recognized Russetfur, the dark ginger she-cat who was ShadowClan’s deputy; the other warriors, a dark gray tom and a lean tabby with a torn ear, were strangers to her.
Leafpaw swallowed nervously.
Firestar was already bounding up to her. “Greetings, Russetfur,” he meowed.
“You’re trespassing on our territory,” snarled the ShadowClan deputy.
With a flick of her tail she summoned her warriors forward. Leafpaw barely had time to dodge, as the dark gray tom sprang at her; she felt claws rake down her side as she rolled away and scrambled to her paws, trying to remember her fighting moves. She caught a glimpse of Cinderpelt and Russetfur stalking around each other; a tail-length away, Graystripe had the tabby pinned down, while Brackenfur and the other tom writhed together in a screeching bundle of gray and ginger fur.
For a moment she could not see Firestar. Glancing around wildly, she saw that he had leaped onto one of the fallen tree trunks. His voice rose in a yowl above the hissing and spitting.
“Stop!”
第二章
第二章
叶爪皱着鼻子，对着那难闻的气味，强忍着不让自己呕吐出来。她摇摇脑袋，单爪拨开栗尾身上玳瑁色的毛，用一团蘸着老鼠胆汁的苔藓点在她肩膀的虱子上。
栗尾感觉胆汁顺着皮毛往下渗，不由得扭动着身子。“感觉好多了！”她说，“虱子跑了吗？”
叶爪张嘴丢掉缠着苔藓的小枝，说：“还需要点时间。”
“虱子总算有这点好，”栗尾说，“它们跟我们一样忍受不了老鼠胆汁。”她蹦跳了两下，使劲抖抖身体，把虱子抖掉。“瞧！谢谢你，叶爪！”
一阵微风吹过巫医山洞周围的树林，发出沙沙的响声，几片树叶飘落。清晨的空气带着些许寒意，提醒着叶爪，秃叶季马上就要来临。这一次，他们要面临的可不只是寒冷和猎物短缺那么简单了。一想到前一天她跟父亲火星一起去巡逻时看到的情景，叶爪不禁闭上了眼睛，不寒而栗。
一只众猫平生所见过的最大的怪物，用它的脚掌在地面上挖出深深的凹槽，撕碎了大树，开辟出了一条横贯森林的可怕的路。那只庞大的、发着亮光的怪物咆哮着喷着烟轰隆隆地冲过来，无情地滚过蕨丛。森林猫在它的面前，只能四散逃跑。叶爪头一回开始理解什么叫森林面临危险，尽管星族已经发出危险警告，一次是在将黑莓掌和松鼠爪送上旅程的黑莓掌的梦里，一次是在炭毛关于火和老虎的幻象中。预言中的厄运正在降临森林，叶爪却不知道怎样做才能摆脱掉。
“叶爪，你怎么啦？”栗尾问道。
叶爪眨眨眼，想象中的滚滚烟尘、破碎的大树、尖叫的猫慢慢消失了，眼前出现了柔软的绿色蕨叶和平坦的炭毛搭建巢穴的灰色岩石。至少眼下她还安然无恙，雷族依然还在——但这种情况还能持续多久呢？
“哦，我没事。”她答道。火星命令巡逻队成员，对看到的情景暂时不要声张，因为他还没想好怎么向族群公布这个坏消息。“我得去洗洗沾在我手爪上的老鼠胆汁。”
“我和你一起去，”栗尾提议，“然后我们一道去山谷，弄点猎物回来。”
叶爪领着栗尾朝空地走去。清晨温暖的阳光下，白爪和鼩鼱爪正在学徒巢穴外混战。香薇云的三个孩子大眼睛滴溜溜地跟着他们转，一副艳羡的眼神。他们的妈妈坐在育婴室的入口处，一边看着她的孩子，一边梳洗着自己。黎明巡逻队中的尘毛、鼠毛以及蛛爪从金雀花通道挤进空地，一看到香薇云和她的孩子们，尘毛愉快地眯缝着眼睛。凝视着忙忙碌碌、一派太平的营地，叶爪几乎控制不住自己，差点绝望地哀号起来。
两个学徒一看到叶爪，就停止了战斗练习，盯着她，然后就急切地交头接耳起来。甚至连刚回营地正要去猎物堆的巡逻队员也不安地瞅了她一眼。叶爪知道，跟昨天巡逻队相关的流言已经传开了。天刚蒙蒙亮的时候，火星已把副族长灰条、叶爪的妈妈沙风，以及巫医炭毛叫到他的巢穴开会，每只猫都开始猜测前一天一定发生了非同寻常的事情。
她和栗尾还没走到金雀花通道，火星已经走出他高岩下的山洞，灰条和沙风跟着他走到空地里，后面跟着一瘸一拐的炭毛。火星跃上岩石的顶端，另外三只猫各自在高岩下找了个舒服的位置坐下来。在落叶季的斜斜的阳光下，火星一身的皮毛就如他的名字一样，发出火焰般的光芒。
“所有能独立狩猎的猫到高岩下集合，参加族群会议。”他大声喊道。
栗尾轻轻把叶爪朝前方聚集的猫群推去，叶爪心中不由一紧。“你知道他要讲什么事，是吧？”玳瑁色的武士小声问道。
叶爪阴郁地点点头。
“我知道昨天一定发生了什么奇怪的事情，”栗尾接着说，“你们回来的时候，一个个看起来就好像被整个影族猫抓住了尾巴似的。”
“要真是那样就好了。”叶爪咕哝了一句。
“雷族同胞们！”火星开始讲话，他停顿了一下，深吸了一口气，“我……我不知道是否有哪个族长，会将他的族猫带向我所看到的黑暗中。”他说话吞吞吐吐的，眼睛迎上沙风的眼睛，仿佛想要从这只母猫坚定的目光中吸取力量，“不久前，乌爪警告我说雷鬼路上有越来越多的两脚兽在做着什么。当时我认为那没什么大不了的，而且那不是在我们的领地里，我们什么也做不了。但是昨天……”
整个空地陷入紧张的沉默中。火星的声音很少如此严肃过，叶爪看得出来，他有多不情愿继续讲下去，但他不得不强迫自己讲出来。
“在离蛇岩不远的地方，巡逻队看到两脚兽的怪物跑出了雷鬼路，它撕碎了泥土，推倒了大树。它……”
“这太荒谬了！”烟毛打断火星的话，道，“那些怪物从不会离开雷鬼路的。”
“这不会是火星又做的一场梦吧？”尘毛怀疑地小声说着，火星听不到，但叶爪听得很清楚。
“闭嘴，认真听。”火星的外甥云尾瞪着尘毛说道。
“我也看到了。”在高岩下方的灰条证实道。
此话一出，全场鸦雀无声。叶爪看到众猫们面面相觑，眼睛里满是难以置信又不无恐惧的神情。栗尾扭头问叶爪：“你们真的看到了？”
叶爪点点头说：“你根本想象不出那有多可怕。”
“炭毛，你给说说是怎么回事？”坐在一群长老中间的斑尾高声问道，“星族有没有给你透露过什么消息？”
巫医起身面对族中众猫，她那湛蓝的眼睛里流露出坚毅的神情。在所有的猫里，她是最镇静的，这一点，连族长火星也赶不上。
在开口之前，炭毛抬头，看了火星一眼。叶爪几乎能从他俩对视的眼神中，看到他俩眼中都一闪而过的关于预言的共同记忆——那是炭毛在燃烧的干蕨丛中看到的关于火与虎的预言。叶爪不知道，在他们刚刚结束的会议中，他们决定对族猫透露多少实情。火星点点头，好像默许炭毛说话，炭毛则微微点了下头表示收到了他的指示。
“星族的预兆还不是很明确。”她坦言道，“我预见森林将进入巨大危险和动荡的时代。我们将面临灭顶之灾。”
“原来你们是来警告大家这件事的！为什么不早说？”鼠毛说着很不满地甩了一下尾巴。
“你简直是鼠脑子！”云尾吼道，“就算早说了，对我们又有什么好处？我们又能怎样？离开森林，又能去哪儿？难道要在陌生的地方流浪，等着秃叶季到来吗？鼠毛，也许你向往那种生活，但我可不会！”
“要我说，黑莓掌和松鼠爪做对了，他们早早就离开了。”烟毛对他的兄弟雨须小声嘀咕着。
叶爪真想跳起来为两只失踪的猫辩解，但终究还是强忍着，继续闷不作声地坐在原地。她是族群里唯一一只知道黑莓掌和松鼠爪为何离开的猫。她知道星族赋予他们将森林从可怕的危险中拯救出来的重任。灰条在河族的子女暴毛和羽尾同他们一起离开了，风族和影族也各有一只猫同行。无论族猫如何误解他们，叶爪知道，他们出走是为了所有族群的利益。
然而危险已经逼近，她忧心忡忡地想，出走的猫还没回来，难道他们此去一无所获？难道无论之前星族给他们发出了多少警示信息，星族指派的任务也已经失败了？
看着眼前屏息等待的族猫，炭毛神色镇定，她重申道：“眼前形势很危险，但我不相信雷族会被摧垮。”
众猫你看看我，我看看你，都很困惑害怕。沉默似乎持续了一千个心跳那么长的时间，直到被长老中传出的一声可怕的恸哭声打破。就像是发出了一个信号，更多的哀号声和哭泣声响起。面对日益逼近的怪物引发的恐惧，几乎没有猫相信炭毛的保证。
香薇云用尾巴圈住她的三个孩子，把他们裹进她那浅灰色斑纹的皮毛里，仿佛这样就能保护好他们。“我们该怎么办哪？”她哭喊道。
尘毛站起来，鼻子靠在她一侧安慰她。“我们会想办法的，”他保证道，“我们会让两脚兽明白，这是我们的地盘。”
“那你打算怎么做？”鼠毛声音刺耳地问，“两脚兽什么时候把我们放在眼里过？它们向来想怎么做就怎么做。”
“它们的怪物会把猎物全都吓跑，”蜡毛插话说，“我们已经明显感觉到森林里的猎物比以前少多了。秃叶季就要到了，我们吃什么？”
更多的猫害怕得哀号起来。过了几个心跳的时间之后，火星的讲话才又能被大家听到了。
“在没有了解更多情况之前，我们不能贸然行动！”他说道，这时，场上嘈杂的声音变成了一阵不安的低语，“昨天看到的事发生在蛇岩附近，离我们这里还很远，也有可能两脚兽不再往前开进。”
“那么星族到底为什么要发那些警告？”刺掌问道，“我们必须得面对现实，火星，我们不能装作什么事都没发生。”
“我会安排更多的巡逻队加强警戒。”火星向他保证道，“我打算找机会跟影族谈谈这件事，蛇岩紧邻影族边界，他们可能也遇上麻烦了。”
“影族说什么你都不能相信，”云尾大声喊道，“你饿着肚子的时候，他们连一根老鼠尾巴都不会给你。”
“他们可能不值得信任，”火星答道，“但如果两脚兽侵入了他们的领地，他们或许就会跟我们对话，图谋互相帮助，共渡难关。”
“除非刺猬也会飞。”云尾哼了一下。他转身背对着火星，在伴侣亮心耳边嘀咕着什么。亮心把鼻子贴进云尾的皮毛里，好像这样能让云尾安心一些。
“每只猫都要保持警惕。”火星接着说，“如果有谁发现什么不寻常的事情，一定要及时报告我。这些年来，我们经受住了洪水和大火的考验，躲过了虎星驱使的狗群的追逐，抵御住了长鞭和血族的威胁。这么多大风大浪都经过了，这一次我们一定也能撑过去！”
他从岩石上跳下来，示意会议结束。
空地上的族猫群立刻散开，大家焦急地三五成群凑在一起，七嘴八舌地讨论着刚才听到的内容。火星和炭毛简短地说了两句，然后炭毛就朝叶爪走去。
“火星想现在就去拜访影族，”巫医对叶爪说道，“他想让你也跟着去。”
叶爪心里既兴奋又有些担心：“为什么要我去？”
“他想让我们俩都去。他觉着如果我们俩在场，黑星就不会误以为雷族是去找碴的。”炭毛的蓝眼睛一亮，说道，“不过，叶爪，我希望你最近已经熟练掌握了打斗招数。”
叶爪话到嘴边又咽了下去，说道：“是的，炭毛。”
“很好。”炭毛尾巴一摆，朝火星走去。火星正在金雀花通道的入口处等着，灰条和蕨毛也在他身边。
“我们出发吧！”火星说道，“记住，我不想招惹麻烦，我们只是去谈谈而已。”
灰条哼道：“还想告诉影族这件事！只要影族巡逻队在他们的领地上看到我们，准保二话不说就扑上来。”
“希望不会。”火星动情地说，“如果两脚兽正威胁着我们两个族群，我们可经不起内耗啊。”
灰条看起来仍然心存疑虑，但他没多说什么，跟着火星沿着峡谷向影族边界走去。叶爪竖起耳朵注意着任何异常的响动，身上每一根毛发都竖起来了。自叶爪记事以来，一直十分安全的森林，因为两脚兽和它们的怪物的入侵，突然变成了一个十分可怕的地方。
火星带着这支队伍直接朝蛇岩方向走去。很快，叶爪就意识到，火星是在朝怪物离开雷鬼路的那个地方走去。还没看见那边的情况，叶爪就闻到了怪物发出的气味，以及地面被撕开后土壤的味道。走到雷鬼路上方的山坡顶上时，叶爪停下来，透过一簇蕨丛偷偷望过去。
就在她的下方，一条翻起的野草延伸到雷鬼路那边。树都倒在地上，树根乱糟糟地伸向空中。到处都静悄悄的，听不到一声鸟叫，也听不到草丛中猎物的窸窣声。但怪物都不见了，叶爪张开口深吸了一口空气，两脚兽的气味也不新鲜了，甚至连怪物散发的恶臭味也逐渐变淡了。
“它们今天没来这儿，”灰条说道，“也许它们已经做完了要做的事情了？”
“我不这么认为。”火星简短地回答道。
“这……实在太可怕了！”蕨毛听上去有些不知所措，他不是先前的巡逻队成员，没见过这一幕，“火星，它们为什么要毁坏森林？”
火星的尾巴尖来回摆动着：“两脚兽为什么要这么做？要是我们能知道，我们的日子就会好过多了。”
他小心地避开受损地面的边缘，领着大家沿雷鬼路走着。当看到影族的领地上倒着更多的树，更大的地面被翻起来时，叶爪的心都揪了起来。
几只雷族猫全都停了下来，视线越过了又硬又黑的雷鬼路路面。蕨毛不知不觉地蹲伏下来，似乎准备跳起来发动袭击，但那儿根本就没有敌人要对付。
“看那儿！”灰条的声音因为恐惧都在颤抖，“火星，你说得没错，影族确实遭遇了跟我们一样的麻烦。”
“那么，也许我们跟黑星说话时会稍微容易些。”火星努力想让自己听起来更加自信，但他那紧贴脑袋的双耳暴露了他内心的紧张。
炭毛久久地看着伤痕累累的大地，然后摇摇头，转身走开了。尽管她一句话没说，但她那双蓝色的眼睛里充满恐惧与不解。
这时，雷鬼路上，一只怪物呼啸着冲了过来。这只怪物比那些吃树的怪物要小一些，但它发出的声音依然震耳欲聋。叶爪害怕地后退两步，害怕它会突然转进森林里他们站着的地方。但这只怪物依然待在雷鬼路上，呼啸着远去了，直到消失在森林里。后面又过来一只怪物，接着，第三只怪物沿着雷鬼路朝相反的方向跑去。
“我不想从这儿穿过去！”灰条小声说道，用力眨着眼把进入眼里的沙粒挤了出去。
火星点点头。“我们从四棵树那儿过河，然后走通道。”火星拿定了主意，“但愿我们不会在雷鬼路这边撞见影族武士。”
到了河边，火星踩着河中间的垫脚石几步就跳了过去。叶爪则一直盯着老师，直到看到炭毛安全过了河。炭毛的腿有陈年老伤，那是几个季节以前在雷鬼路出的意外。然后，她跟在老师后面过了河，这时，火星已经爬上了河对岸。
一阵微风吹来，空气中裹挟着影族武士的臭味。在两族边界处，火星和灰条重新留下了气味标记，然后火星领着众猫朝雷鬼路下方的通道走去。
这一带是影族的领地，但没有一点影族猫的迹象，叶爪松了一口气。叶爪听长老们讲过很多关于影族的黑暗历史，像凶手断星，亲手杀死了自己的父亲；还有叛徒虎星，被逐出雷族后，用尽手段当上了影族族长。虽然到目前为止，影族现任族长黑星还没有制造什么麻烦，但叶爪知道，火星不会真的信任他。叶爪跟着火星走进通道，望着父亲的背影，不禁更加仰慕自己的父亲了：为了整个森林，他不惜放下身段主动试图同以前的敌人共结同盟，这得需要多大的勇气啊！
一踏入雷鬼路下方黑暗寂静的通道，叶爪不由得颤抖起来。黑暗中，只有水滴的声音，以及他们脚掌踩进通道底部泥里的沙沙声。走上影族的领地，影族猫刺鼻的气味更加浓烈。叶爪感觉到脚下的地又潮又软，覆盖着粗小的野草。放眼看去，到处都是长满芦苇的水潭。这里几乎没有高大的树木，不像雷族营地到处都有树荫遮蔽。这里感觉完全是另一个世界。
“影族营地要从这边走，”火星说着便朝一处灌木丛走去，“叶爪、炭毛，你们紧跟着我。灰条和蕨毛，你俩散开一点保持警戒。记住，我们不是来找麻烦的。”
当他们深入影族腹地时，叶爪紧跟在火星身后。每走一步，脚掌就会陷进泥巴里，叶爪都快烦死了。她总想停下来除去脚掌上的泥。很难想象，影族猫怎么能忍受得了每天这么生活。他们肯定都长出蹼了吧？她一直神经紧绷，保持警戒，结果肌肉都开始酸痛起来。这时，突然听到蕨毛一声大喊，她紧张得跳了起来。她希望同伴们没谁注意到她的失态。
“火星，来看看这个！”蕨毛用尾巴指着一根细细的木棍，那棍子光滑而规则，树上的树枝不可能长成这样。只见它直直地插在地上，大约有一只猫那么高。火星走上前，一脸狐疑地嗅了嗅它。“上面有两脚兽的味道。”他说道。
“那边还有一根。”叶爪指着不远处的另一根相似的木棍，喊道，“还有另一根——全都排成了一行！它们是什么……”
她的声音消失了，跳向下一根木棍。这时，她面前的灌木丛一阵沙沙作响，三只猫钻出来到了空地中。叶爪马上就认出，那只暗姜黄色的母猫是影族的副族长黄毛，另两位武士她不认识，一只是深灰色公猫，一只是一个耳朵被撕裂的消瘦的虎斑猫。
叶爪紧张地吞咽着口水。
这时，火星已经跳到了她身边。“你好，黄毛！”火星跟三只影族猫打招呼。
“你们侵入了我们的领地！”影族副族长咆哮道。
她尾巴一弹，示意她的武士上前。深灰色公猫一下子扑向叶爪，她几乎来不及躲闪。叶爪就地一滚，踉跄着站起身，刚刚记起格斗招式，这时只感到利爪从自己身侧抓过。她一瞥，看到炭毛正和黄毛相互周旋着；一尾开外，灰条将虎斑猫压在了身下；蕨毛和另一只公猫撕扯在一起，尖叫声中，灰色的皮毛和黄色的皮毛滚成了一团。
暂时没看到火星，叶爪拼命地四下寻找着。只见火星跃上一棵倒地的树干，他怒吼的声音盖过了猫的嘶嘶声和叫骂声。
“住手！”
第三章
第三章
“你们几个守在这儿，我去对付它们。”波弟低声说道。
暴毛惊慌地看着老猫拖着脚步向那群狐狸走去。老猫一身凌乱的毛立着，尾巴猛烈地来回摆动着。他们一下子惊得呆住了。要不是暴毛在最后一刻站出来把波弟推开，其他猫可能已经眼睁睁看着波弟去发动进攻，然后被撕成碎片。
“你干什么啊？”波弟抗议道，“让我去对付它们。小子，我抓过的狐狸比你捉到的老鼠还多。”
“所以就把机会留给我们几个吧！”暴毛冷冷地说道。
两只狐狸正慢慢地往岸上爬，它们的眼睛扫过一只又一只猫。当暴毛意识到他和同伴们都犯了一个错误，竟以为这片树林毫无危险时，已经太迟了。
暴毛看到鸦爪向前踏出一步保护着羽尾，黑莓掌也试图做出同样的动作去保护松鼠爪。但这只雷族学徒向外迈开一步，避开黑莓掌侧翼的保护，站到了他身边，耳朵平贴着脑袋，一只爪子威胁地挥舞着。
“你干什么？都踩到我尾巴了！”松鼠爪咆哮着说，“我能照顾好我自己！”
“你的确说过你能吞下一只狐狸。现在，你的机会来了。”褐皮故意挖苦她。
几只狐狸慢慢逼近。暴毛身体紧绷，严阵以待。他盯着狐狸尖尖的鼻子和冰冷的放光的眼睛，努力猜测狐狸会先向哪个方位发起攻击。在他们老家，对一只保持警戒的猫来说，狐狸不会构成太大威胁，是可以避开狐狸的。但这几只明显年轻力壮，而且渴望战斗，一心要保卫自己的家园。暴毛相信六只族群猫最终能赶走它们，但没把握做到不受重伤。受重伤对他们的征程意味着什么呢？星族啊，救救我们！他绝望地祈祷着。
离那几只狐狸最近的鸦爪，压低身子跃了出去。就在鸦爪距最前面那只狐狸仅有一尾远的距离时，暴毛听到身后传来一个奇怪的声音，有点像是咆哮，又有点像狗吠。领头的狐狸突然抬起头，笔直地站了起来。
暴毛用眼角余光瞟了一下身后。只见午夜慢吞吞地走上前来，从波弟和羽尾之间挤过来，站到几只狐狸面前。它用同样混合着咆哮和狗吠的语言跟它们又说了些什么，尽管暴毛听不懂午夜在说什么，但从隆起的双肩以及黑色眼睛里的敌意中，能看出明显的威胁意味。
接着，为首的那只狐狸叫了起来，明显是在回复午夜。暴毛震惊得耳朵都感到刺痛。“我竟然忘了午夜说过它会说狐狸的语言。”他对黑莓掌小声说道。雷族武士点点头，眼睛却一直没有离开那群狐狸。
“它们说这里是它们的地盘，”午夜向众猫解释道，“到这儿来的都是它们的猎物。”
“狐狸屎！”鸦爪的臭脾气发作了，“告诉它们，如果胆敢拿我们当猎物，我们会把它们的皮扒下来。”
午夜摇摇头，说道：“不，小武士！否则，猫的皮也可能被扒下。等着。”
鸦爪后退了两步，看起来仍然一副怒气冲冲的样子，羽尾连忙将鼻子贴在他身侧。
午夜又过去跟狐狸说了些什么。说完之后，它扭头跟众猫们解释道：“我跟它们说，你们只是路过此处。我告诉它们，这片树林里猎物多的是，狩猎可比把谁的皮扒下容易多了。”
为首的狐狸看起来十分困惑，也许是听到一只獾居然能说狐狸的语言出乎它的意料，也许是在认真考虑午夜的那些话。但是第二只狐狸——一只鼻子上满是伤痕的雄狐——仍瞪着午夜身后的这群猫，露出尖利的牙齿。它吼叫着谁都看得出是一种威胁的话。
午夜一字一句地说着。它上前一步，举起一只手掌，庞大的身躯摆出攻击的姿势。暴毛全身紧绷，随时准备战斗，觉得身上的每一根毛都竖了起来。很快，那只雄狐开始往后退去，冲着午夜破口大骂了几句，一转身消失在蕨丛中。午夜的眼睛转向它的同伴，但其他几只狐狸只是停下来不停地叫着，好像快速说着什么，然后就去追那只雄狐了。
“聪明的话就别再回来，否则有你们好受的！”鸦爪在它们身后吼道。
暴毛顿时放松了，感觉身上的毛也平顺了下来。松鼠爪也重重地坐下来，发出一声长叹。现在，所有的猫，包括波弟在内，都对那只獾刮目相看。
黑莓掌走到獾的面前，低下头恭敬地说道：“午夜，谢谢你！不然我们麻烦可就大了。”
“说不定我们已经死在它们爪下。”羽尾也说道。
“我也想，现在打起来可真不是时候。”鸦爪承认。当这个学徒继续往下讲话时，言语中又流露出咄咄逼人的语气，令暴毛不由得一声长叹。“不过话说回来，我还是很想知道，你为什么不提醒我们这里有狐狸啊！你说你看星星就能解读出每件事，那为什么不告诉我们这里有狐狸？”鸦爪质问道。
尽管暴毛肯定不会问这个问题，但这会儿，他也在紧张地等候着午夜的回答。午夜已经告诉了他们森林面临的威胁，以及必须回去带领族群转移到安全的地方那么多的事情。如果他们不相信它，他们和所有的族群猫在面对灾难时，就会感到无助。难道它不能多提醒他们一句这里有狐狸？
有一瞬间，那只獾冷冷地瞪着风族学徒，黑亮的眼睛里满是怒火。尽管鸦爪不想丢份退缩，但眼睛里仍流露出一丝掩饰不住的惊慌。最后，午夜的怒气终于消了。“我不能把每件事情都说出来。实际上，星族并不希望我说得太多。是的，关于两脚兽怎么摧毁森林，让森林猫无处栖身，我说了很多。但是，问题的答案就在我们自己身上。我想你们已经从这件事中学到了，是吧？”
“我想是的。”鸦爪小声回答道。
午夜转过身对众猫说：“狐狸说你们必须立即离开。如果太阳落山的时候，你们还在这儿，它们就不客气了。那只雄狐说，它曾经吃过一次猫肉，觉得味道很好。”
“哼，它别想再尝到！”褐皮恶狠狠地说。
“无论如何，我们必须得走了，”黑莓掌说道，“不要再自找麻烦了。我们走吧。”
众猫停了一小会儿，狼吞虎咽地吃完剩下的猎物。然后，午夜带领着大家，很快就来到了森林的边缘。这时，太阳已经落到了树林的下方，他们站着的地方已经处在阴影里了。在他们的前方，仍然是大片空旷的荒原，远方是绵延不绝的山脉。另一边是微红色外观的两脚兽巢穴，他们来的时候刚刚穿越过。
“现在该怎么走？”暴毛问道。
午夜举起一只爪子指向正前方说：“那条路最快，一直通向太阳升起的地方。”
“这不是我们来时走过的路，”黑莓掌不安地说，“我们是穿过两脚兽地盘过来的。”
“我可不想走老路回去！”鸦爪插话道，“我宁愿多爬几座山也不想再看到那些两脚兽。”
“我不太确定，但至少我们知道穿过两脚兽地盘的路怎么走，而且还有波弟帮我们。”羽尾说道。
鸦爪只是轻蔑地哼了一声算是回答。暴毛部分赞成鸦爪的意见。他们在两脚兽的地盘受到太多的惊吓，还饿了好几天，而且波弟似乎跟他们一样找不到路。但那些山对他们来说也很陌生，暴毛看到，上边的山坡全是裸露的灰色岩石，到处都是白色的条纹，肯定是临近秃叶季时降下的第一场雪。那些山比他们家乡的高石山高得多，他也不知道那里能不能找到猎物和栖身的地方。
最后，暴毛说道：“我同意羽尾的意见。既然我们已经成功地穿越过一次两脚兽地盘，所以再穿越一次肯定也没问题。”
黑莓掌看看这个，又看看那个，还是犹豫不决。最后，他的目光落在自己妹妹脸上：“褐皮，你觉得呢？”
褐皮耸耸肩说道：“你们想走哪条路都行。我们都明白，无论走哪条路，都会面临各种困难。”
那倒是。暴毛在心里说道。
“好吧，我认为……”松鼠爪刚要说话，但突然停住了。她那双绿眼睛睁得老大，一副恐惧的表情，似乎正盯着远处其他猫看不到的什么东西。
“松鼠爪？怎么了？”黑莓掌焦急地问道。
“我……我不知道。”松鼠爪身子不禁一抖，“黑莓掌，你来决定吧，我们赶紧动身。如果那条路最快，就走那条路吧……”她用尾巴点了一下远山，“要是再穿越两脚兽地盘，我们又得浪费好几天时间。”
暴毛的胡子都开始感到刺痛。松鼠爪说得对，他们已经知道穿过两脚兽巢穴的路线，既混乱又艰难，所以，不管在山中会遇到什么危险，总不至于比在两脚兽地盘肯定会遇见那些大老鼠和怪物还糟吧？最重要的是，他们得一刻也不耽误地尽快赶回森林。
“我觉着她说到点子上了。”暴毛附和道，“我已经改变主意了，赞成走上山那条路。”
松鼠爪暗姜黄色的尾巴兴奋地来回摆动着，她的爪子插到草地里。“决定了吗？”她不耐烦地看着黑莓掌，“你到底还做不做决定呀？”
黑莓掌深吸一口气：“好吧，就翻山吧。”
“啊？你说什么？”本来波弟一直在用后爪挠耳朵，听到黑莓掌的决定，担心地抬起头来，眨了下琥珀色的大眼睛，“不能走那条路。那条路太危险了。就走……”
“危险无处不在。”午夜打断他的话，冷峻的眼神让波弟不说话了，“你的朋友们需要极大的勇气。星相显示，那条路已经呈现在他们眼前。”
暴毛警觉地瞅了一眼老虎斑猫。午夜打断他的时候，他想要说什么？难道说他知道山里有什么特别的危险？果真如此的话，午夜为什么不让他把话说完？他觉得自己能从它的眼睛里看到睿智和抱歉。它说的“那条路已经呈现在他们眼前”是什么意思？
“做出选择的确很艰难，年轻的武士。”那只獾用低沉的音调对黑莓掌说，“你们要走的路就在前方，要想安全回家，你们不得不面临许多挑战。”暴毛小心地往它跟前靠近了一步，想听清它的话。
黑莓掌久久地凝视着獾的眼睛，然后朝荒原走了几步。无论那些挑战是什么，他似乎已经下定决心去面对。尽管是河族猫，暴毛也不禁钦佩他的决心。当波弟爬起来想要跟着，午夜伸出一只爪子挡住了他。
这只老公猫身上的毛一下子竖了起来，琥珀色的眼睛喷射出怒火。“走开，别挡道！”他恼怒地说。
午夜没有动，它用低沉的声音说道：“你不能跟他们一起去，他们的路由他们自己去走。他们年轻，莽撞，面临的考验多着呢。他们需要他们自己的勇气，我的朋友，而不是你的。如果你在，他们会更多地依赖于你。”
波弟眨着眼睛小声说道：“那好吧，如果你是那么考虑的话……”
羽尾冲过来，飞快地舔了一下他的耳朵，说道：“波弟，我们永远都不会忘记你，也不会忘记你为我们做的一切。”
她身后，鸦爪眯缝着眼睛张着嘴，仿佛要说什么尖酸刻薄的话。暴毛瞪了他一眼，不让他说话。他怀疑他们再也见不到这只老猫了，尽管波弟犯了一些错误，但他始终和他们在一起，最终把他们安全地带到了午夜那里。
“再见，波弟。谢谢你。如果没有你，我们可能永远也找不到午夜。”黑莓掌说出了暴毛的心声，“也谢谢你，午夜。”
午夜脑袋一偏，说道：“再见了，朋友们。愿星族照亮你们前进的道路。”
其余几只猫也分别跟这两位道了别，然后跟着黑莓掌走上荒原。暴毛走在最后。他回头看了一眼，看到午夜和波弟正并排坐在遥远的树下，目送着他们离去。暮色中，暴毛看不清他们的表情，只好摇摇尾巴做最后的道别。然后，他转过脸，朝着大山走去。
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 5
Stormfur’s paws scrabbled on smooth grayrock. Heaving himself upward, he reached the top of the boulder and turned to look down at his friends, his fur buffeted by the icy breeze.
“Come on,” he meowed. “It’s not so bad if you take a leap at it.”
Following the rising sun, he and the other cats had left the moorland behind and begun to climb. Now, as sunhigh approached on the second day of their homeward journey, the mountains they had seen from a distance stretched up in front of them even bigger than they had imagined, their sheer slopes black and forbidding, with wisps of cloud floating around their peaks. The soil beneath the cats’ paws was rough with pebbles, and little grew there except sparse grass and twisted thorn trees. There was no clear path; instead they followed winding narrow clefts and often had to turn back when they came up against rock walls with no way through. Thinking wistfully of the river sliding through deep, cool grasses at home, Stormfur half wished they had decided to return through Twolegplace instead.
Squirrelpaw bunched her hind legs and launched herself in a massive leap, following Stormfur up the boulder that blocked their path. “Mouse dung!” she gasped as she missed the top and began to slide back. Stormfur leaned over and sank his teeth into her neck fur, steadying her until her scraping claws propelled her up the last tail-length to sit beside him.
“Thanks!” Her green eyes glowed at him. “I know my name’s Squirrelpaw, but I never thought I’d wish that I wasa squirrel!”
Stormfur let out a mrrowof laughter. “We’ll all wish we were squirrels if we get much more of this.”
“Hey!” Crowpaw’s voice rose aggressively from below. “Stand back, will you? How can I get up there with you two furballs standing in the way?”
Stormfur and Squirrelpaw stepped back from the top of the boulder, and a moment later Crowpaw joined them, his long limbs managing the jump easily. Ignoring the others, he turned back to help Feathertail, who scrambled up with a muttered curse as one of her claws snagged on the rock.
Stormfur was worried that the rat bite in Tawnypelt’s shoulder would stop her from climbing the boulder, and wondered if they would have to try finding a way around it, but to his relief her leap brought her almost to the top, where Crowpaw grabbed her by the scruff and hauled her up. Brambleclaw joined them last of all, shaking his ruffled tabby fur as he stood on top of the boulder and looked around. This close to sunhigh, there were few shadows to point them in the right direction and nothing but a sheer precipice in front of them, hiding what lay ahead.
“I suppose we go that way,” he meowed, flicking his tail toward a narrow ledge leading across the face of the rock. “What do you think?” he asked Stormfur.
Stormfur felt his pelt prickle as he looked at the ledge. A few straggling bushes had rooted themselves in cracks, but apart from that the rock was bare and if they slipped there would be nothing to hold on to.
“We can try,” he mewed doubtfully, rather surprised that Brambleclaw had asked his opinion. “There’s nowhere else, unless we go back.”
Brambleclaw nodded. “Bring up the rear, will you?” he asked. “We don’t know what might be lurking around here, and we need a strong cat to watch our back.”
Stormfur murmured agreement, feeling a warm glow that spread from his ears to his tail-tip at the ThunderClan cat’s praise. Brambleclaw was neither his leader nor his mentor, but Stormfur couldn’t help feeling strong admiration for the young warrior’s courage and the way he had taken the lead on this difficult journey.
“I’ve changed my mind,” Squirrelpaw announced as Brambleclaw squeezed his way along the ledge. “I don’t want to be a squirrel anymore. I’d rather be a bird!”
Stormfur brought up the rear as Brambleclaw had asked, his ears pricked for danger while he tried to hide his nervousness about the sheer drop, which tugged at him like an invisible weight. He hugged the rock face, placing each paw carefully and using his tail for balance. After a little while the breeze grew stronger, and Stormfur’s mind filled with terrifying images of himself or one of his friends blown right off the ledge and down to the ground below.
After a short while the ledge curved around the rock face, out of sight. Before Stormfur reached the turn, Tawnypelt, who was just in front of him, stopped abruptly, and from farther ahead he heard Feathertail exclaim, “Oh, no!”
“What’s the matter?” Stormfur asked.
Tawnypelt edged forward more slowly, and Stormfur followed until he could see what was ahead. His belly lurched. A gap had opened up between their ledge and the rock face; the ledge became a spur of rock, jutting out from the side of the mountain and narrowing to a point. On both sides was a dizzying drop to a valley below where a mountain stream flowed, looking thin as a mousetail.
“Do you want to go back?” he called to Brambleclaw.
“Hang on a minute,” the ThunderClan warrior replied. “There might be a way. Look over there.”
Stormfur looked where his tail was pointing: On the mountainside beyond the gap the rock face had broken away, and a narrow rift had opened up between two steep slopes. Bushes were growing there and one or two small trees. A stream trickled down one side, overhung by grasses.
“The going looks easier there,” Feathertail meowed. “But can we get across?”
Squirrelpaw lifted her head and tasted the air. “I can smell rabbits,” she mewed longingly.
Stormfur measured the gap. It was wider than he liked, especially from a standing start. He thought he could manage it, but what about Tawnypelt? The ShadowClan warrior had started to limp again since they had started their climb, and even though she hadn’t said anything, it was obvious the wound hadn’t healed properly yet.
Before he could voice his doubts he heard Crowpaw mew, “What are we waiting for? Are we going to stand around here until we grow wings?”
Without any more hesitation the WindClan apprentice launched himself across the gap. For a heartbeat his gray-black body seemed to hang in the air; then he was across, landing lightly on the loose stones at the edge of the drop.
“Come on!” he called. “It’s easy.”
Catching Brambleclaw’s eye, Stormfur knew that the tabby warrior shared his annoyance that the apprentice hadn’t waited for the rest of them to agree. Now they all had to try the leap, whether they wanted to or not, because Crowpaw would never manage to jump back onto the narrow spur of rock, and they could not leave him on his own over there.
He was even less pleased when he saw Feathertail crouching at the edge of the rock with the wind buffeting her fur. Crowpaw was waiting to steady her at the other side, and she waved her plumy tail with pleasure as she realized that she had made it safely.
The remaining cats bunched together on the rock. Stormfur’s pelt pricked with fear as he felt the breeze grow stronger.
“Okay, who’s next?” Brambleclaw asked steadily.
“I’ll go,” Squirrelpaw meowed. “See you over there.”
She pushed herself off from the rock in a tremendous leap, landing a tail-length from the edge on the other side.
“She’s quite something,” Brambleclaw murmured, then looked confused, as if he hadn’t meant to speak his thoughts aloud.
“She certainly is,” Stormfur agreed.
“Tawnypelt, are you ready?” Brambleclaw asked, turning away. “Is your shoulder okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” Tawnypelt mewed grimly.
She measured the distance with a glance and then took off. For one horrible instant, Stormfur thought she had jumped short. Her body slammed into the edge of the rock and her front paws scrabbled frantically for a grip among the loose stones. A heartbeat later Feathertail was on one side of her, and Squirrelpaw on the other, sinking their teeth into her neck fur and pulling her up the rest of the way.
“Well done!” Brambleclaw called, his voice high-pitched from worry.
Tawnypelt did not reply. Her tail had fluffed out with terror; Stormfur saw Feathertail coaxing her over to the stream and encouraging her to drink.
“You next?” Brambleclaw asked Stormfur.
“You go; I’m fine.”
But as Stormfur watched the strong tabby warrior leaping the gap, he couldn’t help wishing he hadn’t waited to go last. He was just about to jump when Squirrelpaw shrieked, “Stormfur! Look out!”
At the same instant a dark shadow fell over him and he heard the beating of wings thudding through the air. Without pausing to look up, he launched himself across the gap, catching a glimpse of his friends on the other side scattering to the sides of the valley.
He hit the ground awkwardly, falling to one side, and froze with horror as he looked up to see an enormous bird swooping down on top of him, talons extended.
A cat yowled his name. Rolling away from the claws and stabbing beak he felt the draft from the beating wings and smelled a reek of carrion. Then he was aware of Brambleclaw and Feathertail hurtling toward him, hissing and spitting with their fur standing on end. The bird veered to one side; Stormfur had a couple of heartbeats to scramble away. Then the talons hit the ground, throwing up spurts of dust. The bird let out a frustrated screech. Its wings beat strongly, carrying it up again. All three cats streaked into the shelter of a bush where Squirrelpaw and Tawnypelt were waiting.
“What in StarClan’s name was that?” Stormfur gasped, watching the bird climb higher until it was no more than a dot in the sky. “I’ve never seen such a big bird.”
“An eagle.” Crowpaw wormed his way under the lower branches to join them. “We see them in WindClan territory now and then. They prey on lambs, but the elders say they’ve taken cats before.”
“In another heartbeat it would have taken me,” Stormfur muttered. “Thanks, both of you,” he added to Brambleclaw and Feathertail
Feathertail shuddered. “Imagine what would have happened if it had spotted us a bit earlier, when we were all stuck out on that rock!”
“I don’t wantto imagine it!” Squirrelpaw retorted.
“I think we need to take a break after that,” Brambleclaw meowed. “What about finding some prey? I scented rabbits out there.”
“I’ll go,” Crowpaw offered. “Idon’t need to rest. Coming, Feathertail?”
Stormfur opened his mouth to object as his sister pushed her way out of the bush behind Crowpaw. In the end, all he said was, “Watch out for that eagle!”
When they had gone, Tawnypelt closed her eyes with an exhausted sigh, and within a couple of heartbeats she was asleep. Stormfur curled up beside her, but he found it hard to rest. He could hear Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw murmuring quietly together, and found he was straining his ears to make out what they were saying, envying their closeness and wishing not for the first time that Squirrelpaw was in his Clan and not Brambleclaw’s. He was worried about his sister too, out there alone with that apprentice. They should keep moving while they could; if they delayed too long, darkness would overtake them and they would be forced to spend the night here.
At last he drifted into an uneasy doze; a paw prodding him in the ribs brought him back to consciousness. He blinked up into Squirrelpaw’s green eyes and his senses were flooded by the scent of rabbit.
“They’re back,” Squirrelpaw meowed. “And they’ve brought enough fresh-kill for every cat. Of course,” she added, her eyes glinting with amusement, “I can eat yours if you don’t want it.”
“Don’t you dare!” Stormfur growled, flicking her ear with his tail as he scrambled up.
Crouching over his share of rabbit, he saw Feathertail and Crowpaw sitting close together as they ate. He suppressed a growl as he wondered yet again how Feathertail could possibly forget what happened when cats from different Clans tried to be together.
Once all the journeying cats were relaxing with full bellies, he managed to edge his sister away from the rest. “Listen, Feathertail, you and Crowpaw—” he murmured.
“What about Crowpaw?” Feathertail’s blue eyes flashed and her voice was uncharacteristically sharp. “You others are so unfair to him!”
Stormfur wanted to point out that the young cat asked for trouble with the way he argued about everything, but he had enough sense not to say so to Feathertail. “That’s not the point,” he mewed. “What’s going to happen when we get back home? Crowpaw’s in a different Clan.”
“We don’t even know if there will be Clans anymore,” Feathertail pointed out. “We’ll be leaving the forest, remember?”
Stormfur snorted. “Do you think all the Clan boundaries will vanish, just because we have to leave? I doubt it.”
He was surprised by the flash of anger in Feathertail’s eyes.
“Have you forgotten already what Midnight said?” she spat. “The Clans won’t surviveif they can’t work together.”
“And have you forgotten what happens when cats from different Clans get together?” Stormfur growled. “Look at the way our own father has been torn between two Clans. You and I nearly diedbecause we’re half-Clan! Tigerstar would have killed us if the ThunderClan cats hadn’t rescued us.”
“But Tigerstar’s gone now,” Feathertail mewed stubbornly. “There won’t be another cat like that in the forest. And Midnight said all the Clans will have to find somewhere else to live. Everything will be different.”
“But you and Crowpaw . . .”
“I’m not going to talk about me and Crowpaw.” Feathertail’s anger died. “I’m sorry, Stormfur, but this doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
Stormfur started to deliver a stinging reply, then realized that she was right. Awkwardly he stroked her shoulder with the tip of his tail. “I worry about you, that’s all.”
Feathertail gave his ear a quick lick. “I know. But there’s no need. Really.”
Even though he did not agree with her, Stormfur said nothing. She was his sister and he would do anything to make her happy. He wished Crowpaw could make her happy too, if that was what Feathertail really wanted, but he couldn’t believe that all the rivalry between the Clans would vanish, whatever happened, and let them be together.
When the cats emerged from the shelter of the bush to continue their journey they saw that the sky had grown darker. The wind had dropped but there was a chill in the air and clouds surged around the mountaintop, hiding the sun.
“Rain on its way,” Tawnypelt commented. “That’s all we need.”
“Then let’s push on while we can,” meowed Brambleclaw.
They set off up the rift in the side of the mountain, keeping close to the sides and making what use they could of the cover from bushes, in case the eagle returned. Stormfur kept an eye on the sky; once, he saw a tiny dot, drifting lazily above the mountainside, and knew that the fierce bird was still on the watch.
They passed the source of the tiny stream, bubbling up from a crack between two rocks, and took a last drink before they pressed on. Stormfur gazed up the slope ahead, scanning it for something familiar that would show him the next source of food or shelter, and saw nothing but lifeless, gray rock.
The valley grew narrower and there was even less vegetation. Stormfur felt uncomfortably exposed, but the eagle did not return. As twilight gathered, a thin, cold rain began to fall. The cats’ fur was soon soaked, and there was nowhere to shelter.
“We’ve got to stop soon,” Squirrelpaw announced loudly. “My paws are falling off.”
“Well, we can’t stop here.” Brambleclaw sounded irritable. “We need to get out of the rain.”
“No, Squirrelpaw’s right,” Stormfur objected, facing up to the ThunderClan warrior. “We can’t go on in the dark; we risk falling.”
Brambleclaw’s neck fur rose and he fixed Stormfur with a furious glare. Behind him, Stormfur heard a faint murmur of distress from Feathertail. He realized they were within a couple of heartbeats of fighting among themselves. His growing respect for the ThunderClan cat meant that a fight was the last thing he wanted, but he could not back down and let Brambleclaw lead them on to slip over some precipice in the darkness.
Then he saw Brambleclaw’s fur begin to lie flat again as the tabby seemed to understand Stormfur’s concerns. “You’re right, Stormfur. Let’s shelter under the rock over there. It’s better than nothing.”
He led the way to an overhanging rock, open on one side to the wind and rain that grew heavier still as the cats settled down, huddling together in an attempt to keep warm and dry.
“Shelter?” Crowpaw muttered. “If this is shelter, then I’m a hedgehog!”
You’re just as prickly, Stormfur thought, but he kept the words to himself.
That night he slept only in brief, uncomfortable snatches, and whenever he woke, he could feel his friends shifting uneasily around him. When at last the darkness began to lift he heaved himself to his paws, feeling stiff and bleary-eyed, and peered out of the overhang to see dense white mist swirling around them.
“We must be in the clouds,” Brambleclaw murmured, coming to join him. “I hope it lifts soon.”
“Do you think we should go on?” Stormfur asked hesitantly, wanting to avoid another confrontation with the ThunderClan cat. “If we can’t see where we’re going, we could walk straight over a cliff.”
“We manage when the mist comes down on the moors,” Crowpaw pointed out, yawning as he staggered to his paws. Then he added doubtfully, “But we know our own territory by scent as well as sight.”
“And what about fresh-kill?” Squirrelpaw mewed. “There’s no rabbit scent up here. I’m starving!”
Stormfur tried to ignore his own growling belly while Brambleclaw ventured out of their shelter and stood looking upward. “I can see for a few fox-lengths,” he reported. “This cleft seems to go on and on. I think we’ll be safe if we follow it.”
He glanced at Stormfur as he spoke, a questioning look in his eyes, as if he regretted their recent argument and wanted to be sure that the RiverClan cat agreed with him.
Stormfur stepped out to join him, shivering as the mist began to soak into his fur. “Okay,” he meowed. “Lead the way. It’s not like we have much choice.”
Reluctantly the other cats followed Brambleclaw out into the cold, clinging mist and padded after him up the rift. Stormfur noticed that Tawnypelt was limping worse today, as if her leg had stiffened in the night. Midnight’s burdock root had cured the infection, but Stormfur suspected her muscles had been damaged. She needed a medicine cat to look at it, but that was impossible out here.
Daylight gradually grew stronger, and the swirls of cloud became paler, as if somewhere above them the sun was rising. The rift grew steadily narrower, with walls of rock closing in on either side.
“I hope this isn’t a dead end,” Feathertail mewed. “We can’t go back to that ledge.”
She had hardly spoken when the clouds began to thin out and the cats could see farther ahead. Stormfur found himself staring up at a sheer rock face where the sides of the valley came to a point. There didn’t seem any way of climbing up, not unless they all grew wings and flew. His fur was plastered to his body by the mist and he felt hollow with hunger.
“Now what?” Tawnypelt meowed, sounding as defeated as Stormfur felt.
The six cats stood looking upward, a fine rain drifting around them as if the drops were light enough to be blown by the wind. Stormfur struggled with black despair. What was the point of all this? Even if they reached home, the forest was going to be destroyed. Their hopes of helping their Clans rested on the word of a badger—a creature whom the cats had always regarded as an enemy. Stuck here among rain-wet rocks, it was hard to remember his trust in Midnight’s wisdom. And if Stormfur doubted her, what would his Clanmates say when he tried to pass her message on? They had never completely trusted him or Feathertail because of their half-Clan heritage, so why should they listen now?
Then Stormfur realized that he could hear a steady roaring sound. It reminded him of the river pouring through the ravine in his home territory.
“What’s that?” he meowed, lifting his head. “Can you hear it?”
“Over here, I think,” Brambleclaw called.
Stormfur followed him up to the valley’s point, and discovered a split in the rock winding upward, just wide enough for one cat at a time. Brambleclaw led the way into it, gesturing with his tail for the others to follow. Stormfur waited to bring up the rear, his fur brushing the rock on either side, with unpleasant thoughts going through his head of what would happen if the path became so narrow that they got stuck.
The roaring grew louder, and after a little while the path came out on an open ledge. Broken rocks lay in front of them, rising to a ridge above their heads. A stream poured over the ridge, foaming down past the place where the cats were standing until it vanished behind a jutting boulder.
“Hey, at least we can have a drink!” Squirrelpaw mewed.
“Be careful,” Brambleclaw warned her. “One slip, and you’ll be crow-food.”
Squirrelpaw shot him a glare, but said nothing. She crept forward cautiously to the edge of the stream and crouched to lap. Stormfur and the other cats followed her. The water was ice cold, refreshing Stormfur and giving him new courage. Perhaps their scramble over these hostile mountains would soon be over.
Rising to his paws again, he glanced downstream and froze in shock. Just below where the cats were drinking, the rocks fell away into a precipice. Padding warily a few paces toward it Stormfur stretched his neck to peer over the edge and saw the stream pounding down in a waterfall until it crashed into a pool many tail-lengths below. The sound of thundering water filled his ears, making him dizzy, so that he instinctively tried to dig his claws into the rain-wet rock.
The rest of the cats gathered around him, their eyes wide and horrified.
“Awesome!” Squirrelpaw murmured. Peering over, she added, “There’s prey down there, I bet.”
Through the mist of spray that rose from the pool Stormfur caught a glimpse of another valley like the one they had just left, where grass grew up between broken rocks and bushes lined the rock walls. Squirrelpaw was right—if there were any other living things to be found around here, it would be down there.
“But we need to go up,” Brambleclaw pointed out, flicking his ears toward the place far above their heads where the stream poured over the lip of the rock. “It doesn’t look too difficult to climb. If we go down, we might never get back again.”
“Big deal, if it meant we got something to eat,” Squirrelpaw muttered, but so softly that Stormfur wondered if her Clanmate had heard.
With Brambleclaw in the lead again, they began the scramble upward. They were all exhausted, their soaked fur making them clumsy. Tawnypelt in particular found the going tough, hauling herself painfully over every rock as if she had hardly any strength left.
The stream bubbled up beside them, splashing over the rocks that were already wet and slippery with rain, which was falling more heavily again. Stormfur kept a wary eye on the stream, half expecting it to overflow and sweep them off the rocks. He stayed to the back of the group, trying to watch every cat, well aware that if any of them slipped they could be washed into the pool below the waterfall.
Almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind he saw Feathertail’s paws skid from under her. She slid sideways into the stream; water surged around her as she clung to the rocks by a single paw, her jaws wide in a silent wail of shock.
Stormfur bounded toward her, pushing past Tawnypelt, but before he reached her, Crowpaw had leaned out precariously over the foaming water, sunk his teeth into the scruff of Feathertail’s neck, and dragged her back onto the path.
“Thank you, Crowpaw,” she gasped. Stormfur saw with annoyance that her blue eyes were glowing with gratitude—and something more.
“You should be more careful,” Crowpaw meowed gruffly. “Do you think you’re a Clan leader, with nine lives to throw away? I saved you this once—don’t make me save you again.”
“I won’t.” Feathertail blinked and pressed her nose against Crowpaw’s muzzle. “I’m sorry for not watching out.”
“So you should be,” Stormfur snapped, not sure whether he was more annoyed by his sister’s carelessness or by the fact that Crowpaw had been the one to save her. He shouldered the apprentice away so that he could examine Feathertail more closely. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, fine,” Feathertail replied, trying to shake water from her fur.
A louder rumbling from farther up the mountain interrupted her, drowning even the roar of the waterfall below. Stormfur looked up and froze in horror at the sight of a wall of mud, branches, and water hurtling down on them. His worst fears had come true: The mountain stream was in flood. Squirrelpaw let out a terrified yowl and Brambleclaw sprang back toward her.
But the water was upon them before they could do anything. It struck Stormfur like a blow, carrying him off his paws. His legs flailed as the flood carried him down, driving him against rocks where he clawed in vain for a grip before the water swept him on again. He choked as water filled his mouth and one of his paws caught painfully against a rock. Then there was nothing beneath him at all, and he knew he was plunging over the waterfall.
There was a moment of eerie silence, broken by the whisper of rushing water. Then the roaring and pounding started up again, waiting to swallow him as he plummeted into the pool. Whirled around in the icy water, he caught a brief glimpse of Crowpaw floundering wildly before the surge closed over his head. Then more water crashed down on him, driving him under and filling his senses with churning white foam, a deafening roar, and then nothing.
I’m sorry, StarClan, Stormfur thought desperately as his senses faded. I know it wasn’t my mission, but I tried so hard. Please look after our Clans. . . .
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 4
At Firestar’s yowl of command, Brackenfurand the gray ShadowClan warrior broke apart. Graystripe looked up from the tabby, but still kept a paw firmly on his neck.
“Let him go,” Firestar ordered. “We’re not here to fight.”
“It’s hard to do anything else when they jump us like that,” Graystripe hissed. He stepped back, and the skinny tabby scrambled to his paws and shook his ruffled fur.
Leafpaw bounded across the marshy ground to stand beside Cinderpelt, half afraid that Russetfur might still attack the medicine cat. ShadowClan’s deputy was not likely to take orders from the leader of a rival Clan.
Russetfur flicked her tail toward the dark gray tom. “Cedarheart, get back to camp. Warn Blackstar that we have been invaded, and fetch more warriors.”
The gray warrior streaked off into the bushes.
“There’s no need for that,” Firestar pointed out, keeping his voice mild. “We’re not invading your territory, and we’re not trying to steal prey.”
“Then what doyou want?” Russetfur demanded bad-temperedly. “What are we supposed to think when you trespass on our territory?”
“I’m sorry about that.” Firestar leaped down from the tree trunk and padded across to her. “I . . . I know we shouldn’t be here. It’s just that I have to speak to Blackstar. Something has happened, something that’s too urgent to wait for the next Gathering.”
Russetfur sniffed disbelievingly, but sheathed her claws. Leafpaw felt her racing heart begin to slow down. The ShadowClan deputy was too badly outnumbered to launch another attack, especially when she had sent away the gray tom, Cedarheart.
“What’s so urgent then?” she growled.
Firestar gestured with his tail through the sparse trees, toward the swath of destruction that the Twoleg monster had left on this side of the Thunderpath. “Isn’t that enough?” he asked desperately.
Russetfur silenced him with a furious hiss. “If you think ShadowClan is weakened . . .”
“I didn’t say that,” Firestar protested. “But you must have seen that we’ve had the same trouble in our territory. Now, are you going to drive us off, or are you going to let us talk to Blackstar?”
Russetfur narrowed her eyes, then gave a curt nod. “Very well. Follow me.”
She led the way through the bushes. The ThunderClan cats bunched together behind her, and the tabby ShadowClan warrior brought up the rear. Leafpaw’s heart began to pound again as the scents of the strange territory flowed around her. Even the day had grown darker, clouds covering the sun so that their path was shadowed. She tried to stop herself from jumping at every sound, or staring around as if there might be a ShadowClan warrior lurking behind every tree.
Soon Leafpaw became aware of a stronger ShadowClan scent coming from up ahead. Russetfur led the way around a thick clump of hazel; following her, Leafpaw stopped dead in front of a long line of cats—lean warriors with their muscles tensed and the light of battle in their eyes. Behind them rose a tangled wall of brambles.
“That’s the ShadowClan camp,” Cinderpelt muttered close to Leafpaw’s ear. “It doesn’t look as if Blackstar is going to invite us in.”
The ShadowClan leader stood in the middle of his warriors. He was a huge white cat with black paws; his pelt showed the scars of many battles. As the ThunderClan cats appeared he stepped forward and faced Firestar with narrowed eyes.
“What’s this?” His voice was rough. “Does the great Firestar think he can go where he likes in the forest?”
Firestar ignored the contempt in Blackstar’s tone, simply dipping his head in the courteous greeting of one leader to another. “I have come to talk to you about what the Twolegs are doing,” he began. “We have to decide what we’re going to do if it carries on.”
“We? What do you mean, we? ShadowClan does not talk with ThunderClan,” Blackstar retorted. “We make our own decisions.”
“But the forest is being destroyed!”
Leafpaw heard the exasperation in her leader’s tone, and knew how hard it was for Firestar to stay calm when the ShadowClan leader insisted on treating him like an enemy.
The ShadowClan leader shrugged his powerful shoulders. “Firestar, you’re panicking over nothing. Twolegs are mad. Even the smallest kit knows that. True, they knocked down a few trees—but now they’ve gone away again. Whatever was going on, it’s over.”
Leafpaw wondered if Blackstar really believed that. Surely he couldn’t be such a fool? Or was this just a show of bravado to convince Firestar that ShadowClan had nothing to worry about?
“And if it’s not over?” Firestar asked steadily. “If it gets worse? Prey has been frightened away from where the Twolegs have been. What if the Twolegs claw up more of our territories? What will you do in leaf-bare, Blackstar, if you can’t feed your Clan?”
One or two of the ShadowClan warriors looked uneasy, but their leader stared defiantly at Firestar.
“We have no reason to fear leaf-bare,” he meowed. “We can always eat rats from Carrionplace.”
Cinderpelt twitched her ears impatiently. “Have you forgotten what happened last time you tried that? Half your Clan died from sickness.”
“That’s true.” A small tabby tom, crouched at the end of the line, spoke up boldly. Leafpaw recognized Littlecloud, the ShadowClan medicine cat. “I was ill myself. I would have died if it hadn’t been for you, Cinderpelt.”
“Be quiet, Littlecloud,” Blackstar ordered. “The sickness was a punishment from StarClan because Nightstar was not a properly chosen leader. There’s no danger in eating food from Carrionplace now.”
“There’s danger if a leader silences his medicine cat,” Cinderpelt retorted tartly. “Or pretends to know more than they do about the will of StarClan.”
Blackstar glared at her, but said nothing.
“Listen to me,” Firestar began again desperately. “I believe that great trouble is coming to the forest, trouble that we’ll survive only if we work together.”
“Mouse dung!” Blackstar snarled. “Don’t try to tell me what to do, Firestar. I’m not one of your warriors. If you have anything to say, you should do what we have always done, and bring it to the next Gathering at Fourtrees.”
Part of Leafpaw felt that the ShadowClan leader was right. The warrior code dictated that the business of the forest should be discussed at Gatherings. There was nowhere else that cats could meet under the sacred truce of StarClan. At the same time, she knew that the Twolegs wouldn’t wait until after the next full moon to continue their destruction of the forest. What else might happen by the time of the next Gathering?
“Very well, Blackstar.” Firestar’s voice was hollow with defeat. It’s happening, Leafpaw thought in panic. He’s giving up.The forest is going to be destroyed. “If that’s the way you want it. But if the Twolegs come back, you have my permission to send a messenger into ThunderClan territory, and we will talk again.”
“Generous as always, Firestar.” Blackstar meowed scornfully. “But nothing’s going to happen that we can’t handle ourselves.”
“Mouse-brain!” Graystripe hissed.
Firestar shot Graystripe a warning glance, but the ShadowClan leader did not reply. Instead, he swept his tail toward Russetfur.
“Take some warriors and escort these cats off our territory,” he ordered. “And in case you were thinking of paying us another uninvited visit,” he added to Firestar, “we’ll be increasing our patrols along that border. Now go.”
There was nothing to do but obey. Firestar turned and signaled to his own cats to follow him. Russetfur and her warriors gathered around them in a threatening semicircle, letting them walk away but keeping them bunched tightly together. Leafpaw was glad when the tunnel under the Thunderpath came into sight, and more relieved still to be through it and heading for their own part of the forest.
“And don’t come back!” Russetfur spat as they crossed the border.
“We won’t!” Graystripe hurled a parting shot over his shoulder. “We were only trying to help, you stupid furball.”
“Leave it, Graystripe.” Now that they were back in their own territory, Firestar let his disappointment show. Leafpaw felt a sharp stab of compassion for him; it wasn’t his fault that ShadowClan had refused to listen to reason.
“Maybe we should try talking to WindClan?” she suggested quietly to Cinderpelt as the patrol headed for camp. “Perhaps they’ve had trouble too. That could be why they’ve been stealing fish from RiverClan.” She was referring to the furious accusations made by Hawkfrost, a RiverClan warrior, at the last Gathering.
“Ifthey have. It was never proved,” Cinderpelt reminded her. “All the same, Leafpaw, you might have a point. Ravenpaw said there were more Twolegs than usual on that part of the Thunderpath.”
“Then perhaps Firestar should talk to Tallstar?”
“I don’t think Firestar will be talking to any more Clan leaders for a while,” Cinderpelt meowed, with a sympathetic glance at the flame-colored tom. “Besides, Tallstar is a proud leader. He’d never admit that his Clan is starving.”
“But Firestar has to do something!”
“Perhaps Blackstar was right, and he should wait for the Gathering. But if I get the chance”—Cinderpelt interrupted her apprentice’s protest—“I’ll have a word with him.” She lifted her blue gaze to the cloud-covered sky. “And let’s just pray that StarClan has mercy on us, whatever happens.”
“Sorreltail, are you there?”
Leafpaw stood outside the warriors’ den and tried to peer through the branches. It was early the following morning; a thick fog covered the camp and misted her fur with tiny droplets of water.
“Sorreltail?” she repeated.
There was a scuffling sound inside the den, and Sorreltail poked her head out, blinking sleep from her eyes.
“Leafpaw?” Her jaws gaped wide in a yawn. “What’s the matter? The sun’s not up yet. I was having this terrific dream about a mouse. . . .”
“Sorry,” Leafpaw mewed. “But I want you to do something with me. Are you due to go out with the dawn patrol?”
“No.” Sorreltail squeezed out between the branches and gave the fur on her shoulders a quick lick. “What’s all this about?”
Leafpaw took a deep breath. “I want to go and visit WindClan. Will you come with me?”
Sorreltail’s eyes stretched wide, and her tail curled up in surprise. “What if we meet a WindClan patrol?”
“It should be okay—I’m a medicine cat apprentice, so I’m allowed to go into the territories between here and Highstones. Please, Sorreltail! I really need to know whether WindClan is having trouble too.” Though she couldn’t tell Sorreltail, Leafpaw knew that a cat from every Clan had been chosen by StarClan for the journey. Because of that, she suspected that every Clan would be invaded by the Twolegs, but she wanted to be sure.
The light of adventure was already sparkling in Sorreltail’s eyes. “I’m up for it,” she declared. “Let’s get a move on, before any cat catches us and starts asking questions.”
She darted across the clearing and into the gorse tunnel. Leafpaw followed, with a last glance back at the silent, sleeping camp. The fog hung thickly in the ravine, deadening the sound of their pawsteps. Everything was gray, and though the dawn light was strengthening, there was no sign of the sun. The bracken was bent double with the weight of water drops, and soon the two cats’ pelts were soaked.
Sorreltail shivered. “Why did I ever leave my warm nest?” she complained, only half joking. “Still, if it’s like this on the moor, the fog will help to hide us.”
“And muffle our scent,” Leafpaw agreed.
But before she and Sorreltail reached Fourtrees, the mist had begun to thin out. It still lay heavy on the stream, but when they climbed the opposite bank they broke out into sunlight. Leafpaw shook the moisture from her fur, but there was little heat in the sun’s rays; she looked forward to a good run across the moor to warm herself up.
As they skirted the top of the hollow at Fourtrees, Leafpaw felt a breeze blowing directly off the moorland. She and Sorreltail paused for a moment at the far side of the hollow, their fur blown back and their jaws parted to scent the air.
“WindClan,” Sorreltail meowed. She put her head to one side, uncertainly. “There’s something odd about it, though.”
“Yes. And there’s no sign of any rabbits,” Leafpaw added.
She hesitated for a couple more heartbeats, then led the way across the border. The two cats darted from one clump of gorse to the next, making what use they could of the scant cover on the moorland. Leafpaw’s fur prickled; her tabby-and-white pelt would show up starkly against the short grass. In the ThunderClan camp she had been confident that as a medicine cat she would not be challenged; now she felt small and vulnerable. She wanted to find out what she could, then hurry back to the safety of her own territory.
She headed for the crest of a low hill that looked down over the Thunderpath, and flattened herself in the grass to peer down. Beside her, Sorreltail let out a long hiss.
“Well, there’s not much doubt about that,” she mewed.
Leading from the Thunderpath on the far side of the territory was a long scar where the moorland grass had been torn away. The track was marked by short stakes of wood like the ones Leafpaw had seen in ShadowClan territory the day before. It gouged a path across the moor and came to an abrupt halt at the foot of the hill where she and Sorreltail were crouching. A glittering monster sat silent where it ended. Leafpaw’s breath came in short gasps as she imagined it scanning the moorland, ready to leap on its prey with a roar.
“Where are its Twolegs?” Sorreltail muttered.
Leafpaw glanced from side to side, but everything was quiet; an air of menace lay thick as fog on the scarred landscape. There was still no scent of rabbits—had they been frightened away, Leafpaw wondered, or had the Twolegs taken them? Perhaps they had moved to a different part of the moor when the monster dug up their burrows.
“Yuck!” Sorreltail exclaimed suddenly. “Can you smell that?”
As she spoke, Leafpaw picked it up too, a harsh tang like nothing she had ever scented before. Instinctively her stomach churned and she curled her lip. “What is it?”
“Probably something to do with the Twolegs,” Sorreltail meowed disgustedly.
A distant yowl interrupted her. Leafpaw sprang to her paws and spun around to see three WindClan warriors racing toward them.
“Uh-oh,” murmured Sorreltail.
Before Leafpaw could decide whether to run or stay to talk, the WindClan cats had surrounded them. With a sinking heart she recognized the aggressive deputy Mudclaw, with the tabby warrior Tornear and another tabby tom she did not know. She would rather have dealt with the Clan leader, Tallstar, or Firestar’s friend Onewhisker, who were both more likely to listen to her explanations.
“Why are you trespassing on our territory?” the WindClan deputy demanded.
“I’m a medicine cat apprentice,” Leafpaw pointed out, bowing her head respectfully. “I came to—”
“To spy!” That was Tornear, his eyes blazing with anger. “Don’t think we don’t know what you’re up to!”
Now that the WindClan cats were up close, Leafpaw could see how thin they were. Their bristling pelts hardly covered their ribs. Fear-scent came off them in waves, almost drowning the scent of their fury. They were obviously short of food, but that didn’t explain why they were so much more hostile than ShadowClan had been.
“I’m sorry, we were only—” she began.
Mudclaw interrupted with a frenzied shriek. “Attack!”
Tornear hurled himself at Leafpaw. The ThunderClan cats were outnumbered and outclassed; besides, she and Sorreltail had not come to fight.
“Run!” Leafpaw yowled.
She leaped back from Tornear’s outstretched claws. Spinning around, she fled for the border, her belly close to the ground and her tail streaming out behind her. Sorreltail raced along at her side. Leafpaw dared not look over her shoulder, but she could hear the shrieks of the pursuing cats hard on their paws.
The border was in sight, but she barely had time to realize that they were bearing too far toward the river when scent markers flooded over her, WindClan and RiverClan scents mixed together.
“Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “We’re in RiverClan territory now.”
“Keep going,” Sorreltail panted. “It’s only a narrow strip between here and ThunderClan territory.”
Leafpaw risked a glance to see if the WindClan patrol was still pursuing them. They were—they must be so furious that they hadn’t noticed the border, or did not care.
“They’re gaining on us!” she gasped. “We’ll have to fight. We can’t lead them onto our territory.”
She and Sorreltail whirled to face their attackers. Leafpaw braced herself, wishing desperately that she had never thought of entering WindClan territory, and especially that she had not brought Sorreltail into danger with her.
As Mudclaw leaped at her, Leafpaw saw a streak of golden fur shoot out from a nearby bush. It was Mothwing, the medicine cat apprentice from RiverClan. Then Mudclaw’s body crashed against her and she was rolling on the ground, squirming to escape the flurry of raking claws. She tried to twist around and sink her teeth into his neck, but there was a wiry strength in the deputy’s lean body that trapped her helplessly like a piece of prey. Leafpaw felt his claws rake across her side and bury themselves in her shoulder. With a massive effort she shook him off, trying to bring her hind paws up to attack his belly.
Suddenly the weight lifted and Mudclaw was scrabbling for a foothold beside her. Leafpaw staggered to her paws to see Mothwing cuffing him hard over both ears. “Get off our territory!” she spat. “And take your mangy friends with you.”
Mudclaw aimed a final blow at her, but he was already backing away. Sorreltail sprang up from where she had Tornear pinned down and bit hard on his tail before releasing him. He fled, yowling after the Clan deputy; the other tabby warrior had already vanished.
Mothwing turned back to the ThunderClan cats. Her golden tabby fur was hardly ruffled and her amber eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Having trouble?” she murmured.
Leafpaw fought for breath and shook leaves and scraps of twig from her pelt. “Thanks, Mothwing,” she replied. “I don’t know what we’d have done without you.” Turning to her friend, she added, “Sorreltail, have you met Mothwing? She’s Mudfur’s apprentice, but she was trained as a warrior first.”
“A good thing she was,” Sorreltail mewed, with a nod of thanks to the RiverClan cat. “We bit off more than we could chew there.”
“I’m sorry we’re on your territory,” Leafpaw went on. “We’ll go right away.”
“Oh, there’s no hurry.” Mothwing did not try to question them about why they were there, or what they had done to annoy WindClan. “You look pretty shaken. Rest for a bit and I’ll find you some herbs to calm you down.”
She vanished among the bushes, leaving Leafpaw and Sorreltail with nothing to do but sit and wait for her.
“Is she always this careless about the warrior code?” Sorreltail muttered. “She doesn’t seem to understand that we shouldn’t be here!”
“I think it’s because I’m a medicine cat apprentice too.”
“Even medicine cats have to stick to the warrior code,” mewed Sorreltail. “And I can’t see Cinderpelt being so welcoming to other Clans! Of course, Mothwing’s mother was a rogue, wasn’t she? That could explain it.”
“Mothwing is a loyal RiverClan cat!” Leafpaw fired up in defense of her friend. “It doesn’t matter who her mother was.”
“I never said it did,” Sorreltail soothed her, touching Leafpaw’s shoulder with her tail-tip. “But that might be why she’s more relaxed about Clan boundaries.”
Mothwing returned at that moment with a wad of herbs in her jaws. The ThunderClan apprentice drank in the scent of thyme; she remembered Cinderpelt telling her how good it was for calming anxieties.
“There,” Mothwing meowed. “Eat some of that and you’ll soon feel better.”
Leafpaw and Sorreltail crouched down and chewed up some of the leaves. Leafpaw imagined the juices soaking into every scrap of her body, healing the shock of their terrifying encounter with WindClan.
“Are you hurt at all?” Mothwing asked. “I can fetch some cobwebs.”
“No, there’s no need, thanks,” Leafpaw assured her. She and Sorreltail both had a few scratches, but they would stop bleeding by themselves without need for a poultice of cobwebs. “We really ought to be going.”
“So what was all that about?” Mothwing queried, as Leafpaw and Sorreltail swallowed the last of the herbs. She wasn’t quite as uninterested as the ThunderClan cats had thought. “What were you doing on WindClan territory?”
“We went to see what the Twolegs are up to,” Leafpaw explained. When Mothwing still looked mystified, she described how she had seen the monster roaring into the forest two days before, tearing up the ground, and then found evidence that WindClan and ShadowClan were being destroyed in the same way. She was aware of a doubtful glance from Sorreltail; the young warrior was clearly unhappy about revealing ThunderClan’s problems to a cat from a rival Clan. Leafpaw shook her head impatiently; there could be no harm in taking another medicine cat into her confidence.
“Firestar wants to ask the other Clans what they think,” she finished. “But ShadowClan won’t admit anything is wrong, and—well, you’ve seen how WindClan reacted.”
“What can you expect?” Sorreltail broke in. She passed her tongue over her lips as if she didn’t much like the taste of the herbs. “No Clan is going to be in a hurry to tell us they’re starving and losing their territory to Twolegs.”
“We’ve seen nothing of these monsters in RiverClan,” Mothwing meowed. “Everything’s fine here. But it explains one thing. . . .” Her amber eyes widened. “I’ve sensed panic over in WindClan territory. Their scent markers on the border are filled with fear.”
“I’m not surprised,” Sorreltail mewed. “They’re thin as anything, and there’s no scent of rabbits anywhere.”
“Everything’s changing,” Leafpaw murmured.
“And inside the Clans, as well. An ambitious cat might take the chance of—” Mothwing spoke quickly, urgently, and then broke off awkwardly.
“What do you mean?” Leafpaw prompted.
“Oh . . . no . . . I don’t know.” Mothwing trailed off and looked away.
Leafpaw stared at her, wondering what was going on inside that beautiful golden head. She was too young to remember Tigerstar, the bloodthirsty cat who had plotted to make himself leader of ThunderClan. When his murderous plans failed, he had been prepared to destroy the whole Clan for vengeance. She shivered. Did Mothwing know of another cat with ambition like this? Surely the forest could never produce another Tigerstar?
Her thoughts were interrupted when Mothwing sprang to her paws, her head turned toward the river. “A patrol is coming!” she exclaimed. “Come this way—quickly!”
She slipped between two bushes; Leafpaw and Sorreltail followed. A few moments later they came into the open and found themselves on the slope that led up to the ThunderClan border.
“If your Clan is short of prey, come and see me,” Mothwing mewed. “We can always spare a few fish. Now run!”
Leafpaw and Sorreltail streaked up the slope and plunged for cover into more bushes. Though Leafpaw braced herself for accusing snarls behind her, they reached the border unseen.
“Thank StarClan for that!” Sorreltail exclaimed as they crossed into their own territory.
Leafpaw looked back through the branches. Mothwing was standing where they had left her; a moment later the undergrowth parted and a large, sleek-furred tabby warrior emerged. Leafpaw recognized Mothwing’s brother Hawkfrost; two other warriors followed him. Hawkfrost stopped to talk to his sister, but never once glanced in the direction of the ThunderClan cats.
Looking at the warrior’s massive shoulders and strong muscles, Leafpaw was relieved that he had not caught them trespassing. Unlike Mothwing, he kept strictly to the warrior code, and he was unlikely to listen to explanations. Not for the first time, Leafpaw felt that he reminded her of some other cat, but however hard she stared at him, she could not remember who.
“Come on,” Sorreltail meowed. “Are you going to stare at those RiverClan warriors all day? It’s time we were getting back, and then you can decide how much you’re going to tell Firestar.”
第四章
第四章
随着火星一声大吼，蕨毛和灰色影族武士立刻分开了。灰条抬起头，但一只爪子仍紧紧按在那只虎斑猫的脖子上。
“放开他，”火星命令道，“我们不是来打架的。”
“像他们那样跳上来就跟我们动手，你根本别想做其他的事情。”灰条嘶嘶说道。他退后了一步，那只骨瘦如柴的虎斑猫爬了起来，抖了抖凌乱的皮毛。
叶爪跳过湿地，站在了炭毛身边，生怕黄毛仍会攻击巫医。因为这位影族的副族长，不太可能听从敌对族群族长的命令。
黄毛冲那只深灰色的公猫摆了一下尾巴，说道：“杉心，你回营地，报告黑星雷族猫入侵，请他派更多武士过来。”
深灰色武士一溜烟儿跑进了灌木丛。
“你没必要那么做。”火星尽量用温和的口吻说道，“我们不想侵犯你们的领地，也没想偷你们的猎物。”
“那你们想干什么？”黄毛怒气冲冲地质问道，“你们擅闯我们的领地，还想让我们怎么想？”
“这件事我很抱歉，”火星从树干上跳下来，走到黄毛跟前说，“我……我知道我们不该出现在这儿。可我有急事要跟黑星谈。森林里发生了一些事情，非常紧迫，不能等到下次森林大会时再说。”
黄毛不太相信地抽了抽鼻子，但还是收起了爪子。叶爪这才感觉自己突突跳的心脏终于和缓了下来。此时，影族副族长要想再发动进攻，影族猫数量上处于劣势，尤其是在把那只名叫杉心的深灰色公猫派走以后。
“到底发生了什么事，这么紧急？”黄毛低吼道。
火星的尾巴从那边稀疏的树木指过去，指向了两脚兽的怪物在雷鬼路那边留下的那块毁坏的痕迹。“那还不够紧急吗？”他绝望地问。
黄毛发出愤怒的嘶嘶声，让他住嘴：“如果你以为影族变弱了……”
“我不是这个意思，”火星解释道，“但你一定也看得出来，我们的领地上也面临着同样的麻烦。现在，你是想赶我们走呢，还是让我们去跟黑星谈一谈？”
黄毛眯起眼睛，然后傲慢地点点头：“好吧，你们跟我来。”
她领着他们穿过灌木丛。几只雷族猫紧紧走在一起跟在她身后，影族的虎斑武士则走在最后。当周围都是陌生领地的气味时，叶爪的心不禁又开始咚咚跳了起来。天色越来越暗，乌云遮住了太阳，在小路上投下阴影。叶爪一直控制自己，不要一听见什么风吹草动就跳起来，或像是每棵树后面都藏着一名影族武士似的，四处张望。
很快，叶爪就觉察到前方传来了浓烈的影族气味。黄毛带着他们绕过一处茂密的榛子丛。跟在她身后的叶爪突然停住了，眼前站着一长排猫——瘦削的武士们，一个个紧绷着肌肉，眼睛里闪烁着战斗的光芒。他们的身后，则是一道缠绕的荆棘墙。
“这里就是影族的营地了，”炭毛在叶爪耳边轻声说道，“看样子，黑星不打算邀请我们进去。”
这位影族族长站在他的武士们正中，白毛黑爪，个头很大，皮毛上满是战斗留下的疤痕。看到几只雷族猫出现，他上前一步，眯着眼睛盯着火星。
“这是什么意思？”他粗暴地说，“难道伟大的火星认为，在森林里，他想去哪儿就可以去哪儿？”
火星没理会黑星的嘲讽，只是以一个族长对另一个族长应有的礼节，礼貌地点了点头。“我来是要跟你谈谈两脚兽正在干什么。”他对黑星说道，“如果情况没有改变，我们就必须做出决定，接下来该怎么办。”
“我们？你说‘我们’是什么意思？影族跟雷族没什么好谈的。”黑星一口回绝了火星，“我们从来都自己做决定。”
“可是森林正在被毁灭！”火星大声说道。
叶爪听得出自己族长的恼怒，她也知道，在影族族长坚持把他当仇敌的情况下，火星很难再保持冷静。
影族族长耸耸他那强壮的肩膀，说道：“火星，你根本无须惊慌。那些两脚兽是疯子，连最小的幼崽都知道。的确，它们撞倒了一些树——但现在，它们已经离开了。所以，无论以前发生了什么事情，都已经结束了。”
叶爪不知道黑星是不是真的这样认为。他不可能真的那么傻吧？还是说他只是虚张声势，想让火星相信影族没什么好担心的？
“如果并没有结束呢？”火星沉着地问，“如果越来越糟呢？两脚兽所到之处，猎物都被吓跑了。如果两脚兽翻搅我们更多的领地怎么办？到了秃叶季，黑星，要是你不能让影族猫吃饱肚子又怎么办？”
有一两个影族武士露出不安的神情，但他们的族长仍轻蔑地盯着火星。
“我们没理由担心秃叶季，”黑星说道，“我们可以一直吃腐肉区的家鼠。”
炭毛忍不住抽动了下耳朵：“难道你们忘了，上次你们这么做时发生了什么事吗？你们的族猫差不多病死了一半。”
“那是真的。”一只蜷伏在队伍最后面的小虎斑猫，大着胆子说道。叶爪认出了他，他是影族的巫医小云。“我自己也病倒了。当时要不是你，我早就死了。”小云感激地对炭毛说道。
“小云，闭嘴！”黑星命令道，“那次疾病是星族对我们的惩罚，因为夜星不是按规矩选出来的族长。现在，吃腐肉区的食物没有危险。”
“如果一个族长不让巫医说话，”炭毛尖锐地反驳道，“或是自以为比巫医更懂得星族的意愿，那才叫危险。”
黑星瞪着炭毛，没说话。
“听我一句话，”火星绝望地说，“我相信森林大难临头，我们只有同心协力，才有可能撑过去。”
“老鼠屎！”黑星咆哮道，“我用不着你教我怎么做，火星！我不是你的武士！如果你想说什么，就该按照我们的规矩来，等下次四棵树的森林大会时再宣布吧！”
叶爪觉得，这位影族族长说得也不是完全没有道理。武士守则规定，跟森林相关的事务应该在森林大会上谈论。猫族只能在星族的神圣休战协定的约束下集会。但是，叶爪知道，两脚兽们绝不会等到下一个满月之后，再继续它们毁坏森林的行动。到下次森林大会时，还会发生什么事？
“很好，黑星。”火星空洞的声音里充满了绝望。真的发生了！叶爪惶恐地想，火星决定放弃了，森林注定要被毁掉了。“如果你一定要这么做。但如果两脚兽又回来了，我允许你派送信者进入雷族的领地，到那时我们再谈吧。”
“火星，你一向都是这么慷慨大方。”黑星不屑地说，“但没有什么事是我们影族处理不了的。”
“鼠脑子！”灰条嘶嘶道。
火星警告地看了一眼灰条，但影族族长没有反驳，只是冲着黄毛摆了一下尾巴。
“找几位武士护送这几只猫离开我们的领地，”黑星下令道，“为了防止你们还想不请自来，”他对火星说道，“我们会在边界附近增派巡逻队。现在，你们马上离开。”
雷族猫只能遵命。火星转身示意雷族猫跟上他。黄毛和她的武士围成一个威胁性的半圆，逼着雷族猫紧紧地走在一起。当雷鬼路下方的通道出现在眼前时，叶爪非常高兴。等钻过通道，走向他们自己的森林时，叶爪长舒了一口气。
“别再来了！”当他们跨过边界的时候，黄毛啐了一口。
“我们不会再来了！”灰条冲着她的身后生气地说道，“我们只是想帮你们，不知好歹的蠢毛球！”
“算啦，灰条。”此刻已经回到自己的领地，火星便不再掩饰自己的失望之情。突然，一阵对父亲强烈的怜悯之情直刺叶爪心底：影族拒不听劝不是他的错。
“也许我们可以跟风族谈一谈？”在几只猫回营地的路上，叶爪轻声跟炭毛提议道，“说不定他们也遇上了相同的麻烦，所以才会去偷河族的鱼吃。”她指的是在上次森林大会时，河族的武士鹰霜对风族猫提出的严厉指控。
“他们是不是真的偷了鱼，永远无法得到证实。”炭毛提醒她，“不过，叶爪，你这么说也有道理。乌爪说过，在风族领地的那段雷鬼路上，两脚兽比平时多了很多。”
“那么，火星或许该找高星商量商量？”叶爪说道。
“我觉着火星短时间内不会再去找任何族长商量了。”炭毛一边说，一边同情地看了一眼火红色的公猫，“再说了，高星的自尊心很强，他绝不会承认他的族猫正在挨饿。”
“但火星不能坐视不管啊！”叶爪焦急起来。
“也许黑星说得对，火星应该等到森林大会时再说这件事。不过，要是有机会，”炭毛打断了叶爪的话，“我会跟火星说的。”她仰起头，蓝色的眼睛凝视着阴云密布的天空：“让我们祈祷，不管未来发生什么事，星族都会怜悯我们。”
“栗尾，你在不在？”
叶爪站在武士巢穴外，透过枝叶缝隙往里看。此时已经是第二天清晨，浓雾笼罩着整个营地，就连她身上的毛都凝结了一层小水珠。
“栗尾？”她又喊了一声。
巢穴里传来一阵响动，栗尾睡眼惺忪地探出了头。
“是叶爪啊！”她张大嘴打了个哈欠，“你找我有什么事啊？太阳都还没出来呢，我正在做美梦，刚梦见一只老鼠……”
“不好意思，”叶爪说道，“但我有事。我想让你陪我一起去。你今天不参加黎明巡逻队吧？”
“我不参加。”栗尾从枝条间挤出来，迅速舔了一下肩上的毛，“你想干吗？”
叶爪深吸了一口气，说道：“我想去拜访风族，你能陪我去吗？”
栗尾的眼睛一下子睁得老大，尾巴也惊讶地卷了起来：“如果碰到风族武士怎么办？”
“应该没事——我是巫医学徒，可以自由出入从这儿到高石山之间的区域。求你了，栗尾！我真的需要知道风族是不是也有麻烦了。”虽然不能告诉栗尾，但叶爪知道，星族已经从每个族群中都选了一只猫踏上了旅程。也正因为如此，她猜想每个族群都可能遭到了两脚兽的入侵，但她想确认一下。
栗尾的眼睛一下子亮了，流露出要去探险的兴奋之情。“我愿意去，”她高兴地说道，“我们赶紧走吧，可别等其他猫看到了再问东问西的。”
栗尾冲过空地，钻进金雀花通道。叶爪回头又看了一眼静悄悄的还在沉睡中的营地，跟了上去。山谷里雾气更大了，完全掩盖住了她俩的脚步声。所有的一切都是灰蒙蒙的，虽然曙光越来越强，但仍然看不到太阳的影子。露水落在蕨叶上，压弯了枝条，很快，两只猫身上就变得潮乎乎的了。
栗尾冷得直打哆嗦。“我为什么要从温暖的窝里跑出来呢？”她半开玩笑地抱怨道，“不过，如果到了荒原上，仍然大雾弥漫的话，倒是有助于我们隐身。”
“还能遮掩我们的气味。”叶爪附和道。
但还没等叶爪和栗尾走到四棵树，浓雾就开始慢慢散去。虽然河面上的雾气很浓，但等她们爬上对岸时，太阳已经破雾而出，她俩完全暴露在阳光下。叶爪抖掉毛上的水汽，但太阳没有一点热度。叶爪希望能在荒原上好好跑一跑，让自己暖和起来。
她们绕过四棵树的山谷顶端时，叶爪感觉一阵轻风径直从荒原吹过。她和栗尾在山谷的另一边停了一会儿，风把她们的皮毛往后吹。她们张开嘴嗅着空气里的气味。
“风族的气味。”栗尾把脑袋冲向一边，有些不太确定地说，“可是似乎有一点古怪！”
“是啊，这里连半只野兔的影子都看不到啊！”叶爪补充道。
叶爪又犹豫了几个心跳的时间，然后带头跨过边界。两只猫从一簇金雀花丛冲向另一簇，尽量利用荒原上少得可怜的植被打掩护。叶爪皮毛一阵刺痛，她那身白色夹杂着虎斑纹的皮毛在浅草中太显眼了。在雷族营地，她确信没有谁会难为她这只巫医。但现在，她觉着自己既渺小又脆弱。她只想找到她想要的事实，然后赶紧安全返回雷族的领地。
她爬到一座小山坡的坡顶。那里地势较高，能俯瞰雷鬼路。她压低身子，在草丛里向下张望。旁边的栗尾发出了长长的嘶嘶声。
“嗯，毫无疑问跟我料想的是一样的。”叶爪说道。
只见从风族领地远端的雷鬼路，延伸出一道长长的疤痕，地上的野草都被撕掉了。那道疤痕上有很多小木桩作的标记，跟叶爪头一天在影族境内看到的一模一样。两脚兽在荒原上挖出了一条路，一直延伸到她和栗尾蹲伏着的这个山坡的脚下。一只亮闪闪的怪物静静地坐在路的尽头。一想到大怪物掠过荒原，咆哮着要扑到猎物身上的画面，叶爪的呼吸都急促起来。
“它的两脚兽主人去哪儿了？”栗尾小声问。
叶爪东看看，西瞅瞅，但到处都静悄悄的，恐怖的氛围就像浓雾一般笼罩在伤痕累累的大地上。这里也闻不到一丝兔子的气味——它们都被吓跑了，还是被两脚兽们抓走了？叶爪心想，也许当怪物把兔子的巢穴翻出来之前，它们就已逃到荒原上别的地方去了。
“呸呸呸！”栗尾突然惊呼道，“你闻到那股气味了吗？”
她话音未落，叶爪也闻到了一股以前从未闻过的刺鼻的气味。她的肚子本能地难受起来，嘴唇也有些变形：“到底是什么味啊？”
“可能又跟两脚兽有关。”栗尾厌恶地说。
远处传来一声怒喝，打断叶爪的思绪。她跳起来，一转身，看到有三位风族武士正朝她俩冲过来。
“糟了。”栗尾懊恼地说道。
叶爪还没来得及想清楚是逃跑，还是留下来把话说清楚，风族武士便已经包围了她们。当认出来的是咄咄逼人的风族副族长泥掌、虎斑武士裂耳和一只不认识的虎斑公猫时，叶爪的心一沉。她宁愿碰上风族族长高星或者火星的朋友一根须，因为他们俩更听得进去她的解释。
“你们为何入侵我们领地？”风族副族长质问道。
“我是巫医学徒，”叶爪赶紧表明身份，恭敬地低下头，“我来是为了……”
“来刺探我们！”裂耳抢过她的话，眼睛充满了怒火，“别以为我们不知道你们想干什么！”
风族猫站得很近，叶爪看得出来他们都很瘦，即使现在身上的毛都竖立着，但肋骨依然清晰可见。他们身上散发出的阵阵恐惧气味，几乎掩盖住了他们的愤怒。很显然，他们缺少吃的，但这也解释不了，为什么他们的敌意甚至比影族的还强烈。
“对不起，我们只是来……”叶爪开口准备解释。
泥掌一声疯狂的尖叫打断了她：“攻击！”
裂耳向叶爪扑过去。雷族猫不仅数量上处于劣势，而且只有一位武士，更何况她和栗尾原本就不是来打架的，所以怎么可能取胜。
“快跑！”叶爪大喊一声。
叶爪往后一跳，躲过裂耳挥出的利爪。然后急忙转身，朝边界逃去。她的肚子紧贴着地面，尾巴在身后拖成一条线。栗尾紧跟在她身边跑着。叶爪不敢回头去看，但听得见猛烈追赶的猫的尖叫声。
边界已经清晰可见。当气味标记将叶爪淹没时，她这才意识到，她俩朝河的方向跑得太远了，气味标记中混杂着风族与河族的气味。“哦，天哪！”叶爪惊呼一声，“我们现在跑到了河族领地里。”
“接着跑，”栗尾气喘吁吁地说，“这里离雷族边界只隔着一条狭长的地带。”
叶爪大着胆子往后看了一眼，想看看风族武士是不是还在追她们。他们追了过来——他们一定是太暴怒了，可能没注意到已经越过了边界，也有可能根本没把边界不边界的放在眼里。
“他们就要追上我们了！”叶爪喘着粗气说，“我们不得不跟他们打一架了。我们可不能把他们引到我们的领地内。”
叶爪和栗尾猛一转身，直面风族猫。叶爪做好准备，绝望地想，要是自己从没想过进入风族领地就好了，特别是不该把栗尾带入险境。
泥掌正要扑向叶爪，只见旁边灌木丛里弹出一道金色的毛团。来的是河族的巫医学徒蛾翅。接着，泥掌的身体撞向叶爪，叶爪就地打了个滚，扭动身子躲开了泥掌耙子般的利爪。叶爪想扭转身，用牙咬住泥掌的脖子。但不承想，这个风族副族长看似瘦弱，力气却不小，他就像困住猎物一样牢牢困住了叶爪。叶爪感觉到泥掌的爪子划过她的身侧插进了自己的肩膀。她拼命挣扎想甩掉他，试图用后爪去攻击泥掌的肚子。
突然，叶爪身上的重量不见了，泥掌则在她身边挣扎着想站稳。叶爪摇摇晃晃站起来，看到蛾翅在泥掌的两只耳朵上各重重打了一掌，骂道：“滚出我们的领地！带着你那恶心的同伙赶紧滚。”
泥掌做出要给叶爪最后一击的姿势，但终究还是离开了。栗尾也跳了起来，她刚刚把裂耳打倒在地，在他的尾巴上狠咬了一口才放开他。裂耳号叫着追着他们的副族长逃跑了。另一只虎斑武士也早已不见了踪影。
蛾翅转向两只雷族猫，她一身金色的虎斑皮毛几乎纹丝不乱，琥珀色的眼睛里流露出满意的神色。她低声问道：“你们怎么惹着他们了？”
叶爪刚喘过气来，她抖掉粘在身上的落叶和碎屑。“谢谢你，蛾翅，”她回答道，“要不是你，我们真不知道该怎么办。”她转向自己的同伴，问道：“栗尾，你见过蛾翅吗？她是泥毛的学徒，不过她一开始是接受的武士训练，后来才做的巫医学徒。”
“幸亏你仗义相助，”栗尾向这只河族猫点头致谢，“我们这次高估了自己的能力，没料到会这样。”
“很抱歉进入了你们的领地，”叶爪接着说，“我们这就走。”
“哦，不用那么着急。”蛾翅并不打算问她俩为什么会在这里，或者她们做了什么事惹着风族了，“你俩看起来惊魂未定。歇一会儿再走吧，我去找些草药帮你们安定一下情绪。”
说完，她钻进灌木丛不见了，只留下叶爪和栗尾坐在原地等着。
“她总是这样不在意武士守则吗？”栗尾小声问道，“她好像不太明白，雷族猫不该待在河族境内？”
“我想，那是因为我也是一名巫医学徒。”
“即使是巫医也应该遵守武士守则。”栗尾说道，“我没见过炭毛这么欢迎其他族群的猫！当然，蛾翅的母亲是泼皮猫，是不是？这样的话，就解释得通了。”
“蛾翅的母亲是什么猫根本不重要，重要的是她对河族忠心耿耿！”叶爪为朋友鸣不平。
“我没那个意思，”栗尾赶紧安抚她，用尾巴尖轻轻触了触叶爪的肩膀，“但那有可能是她不把族群之间的界限看得那么严重的原因。”
这时，蛾翅嘴里衔着一团药草回来了。雷族学徒闻到了百里香的味道，她想起老师炭毛曾跟她讲过，百里香有镇静作用，对缓解焦虑效果很好。
“放这儿了，你们都吃一点，很快就会觉得舒服了。”蛾翅说道。
叶爪和栗尾俯下身子，各自嚼了一些叶子。叶爪想象着百里香的汁液浸润到她身体里的每一个部位，治愈她们与风族猫相遇时受到的惊吓。
“你们俩到底受没受伤？”蛾翅问道，“我可以去找些蛛丝来。”
“不不不，不用了，谢谢。”叶爪赶紧让她确信，自己和栗尾都没有受伤，只是些抓痕，即使不敷蛛丝，伤口也会自行止住流血的。“我们真的该走了。”叶爪说道。
“这到底是怎么回事啊？”等叶爪和栗尾咽下最后一口草药，蛾翅问道。她其实并不像雷族猫想的那样，真的对这一切不关心，“你们到风族领地干什么？”
“我们是想看看两脚兽在干什么。”叶爪解释道。当看到蛾翅仍然一脸不解的样子，叶爪就把自己看到的一切都描述给她听——两天前，她看到两脚兽的怪物咆哮着开进森林，撕碎了大地，接着发现影族和风族的领地也遭到两脚兽同样的破坏。她意识到栗尾向她投来怀疑的目光，这位年轻的武士显然对她向河族猫透露雷族面临的问题感到不悦。叶爪不耐烦地摇摇头，她觉得，信任另一个巫医不会有什么坏处。
“火星想问问别的族群对此有什么想法，”叶爪最后说道，“但影族不承认他们境内有什么不对劲，而风族，他们的反应你也都看到了。”
“你还期待他们怎么做啊？”栗尾插话道。她将舌头伸出，就好像不喜欢残留的草药味似的，“哪个族群都不会急着告诉我们，他们在挨饿，领地快要被两脚兽占领了。”
“我们河族领地里没有看到怪物，”蛾翅说道，“我们这儿一切都好着呢。但这正好可以解释一件事……”她那琥珀色的眼睛一下子瞪得溜圆，“我感觉到风族领地内一片恐慌，因为他们留在边界上的气味标记充满了恐惧。”
“我一点也不惊讶，”栗尾说道，“他们一个个瘦得跟什么似的，领地里根本闻不到一丝兔子的气味。”
“一切都在发生变化。”叶爪小声说道。
“族群内部也有动荡，有野心勃勃的一只猫，正找机会……”蛾翅说得又快又急，然后一下子闭上了嘴。
“你这话是什么意思？”叶爪追问道。
“哦……没什么……我也不清楚。”蛾翅声音慢慢变小，眼睛看向了别处。
叶爪盯着她，想知道她美丽的金色脑瓜里想着什么。她太年轻，还不记得虎星的“事迹”——虎星生性残忍，密谋要当上雷族族长。当阴谋失败以后，为了报复，他竟然想毁掉全族。叶爪不禁浑身战栗：难道蛾翅知道哪儿又出了一只像虎星一样野心勃勃的猫吗？谁敢保证森林里不会冒出第二只虎星呢？
这时，蛾翅跳起来的动作打断了叶爪的思绪。只见蛾翅扭头转向河边说道：“巡逻队来了！到这边来——快点！”
她从两簇灌木丛之间钻过去，叶爪和栗尾赶紧跟上。不一会儿，她们走到了一处空地上，发现她们正站在通往雷族边界的斜坡上。
“如果你们族群缺少吃的，就来找我，”蛾翅说道，“我们的鱼总还是够吃的，分几条鱼给你们不成问题。现在你们快走吧！”
叶爪和栗尾跑上山坡，一头扎进树丛里。叶爪本以为会听到身后传来河族巡逻队的责骂声，很幸运，她们没有被发现，安全抵达了边界处。
“感谢星族保佑！”一跨入雷族的境内，栗尾不由得大声说道。
叶爪透过枝叶往回看过去。蛾翅仍然站在她俩道别的地方。过了一会儿，灌木丛的树枝往两边一分，钻出一位体形高大、毛色油光水滑的虎斑武士。叶爪认出那是蛾翅的哥哥鹰霜，他身后还跟着两位武士。鹰霜停下来跟妹妹说着什么，根本没往雷族猫的方向看。
看着这几个武士宽阔的肩膀和强健的肌肉，叶爪庆幸鹰霜没看到她俩私入河族境内。跟蛾翅不一样，鹰霜一直严格遵守武士守则，如果看到她俩，他是绝对不会听她们解释的。这已经不是第一次了，叶爪总觉得他的身影让她想起另一只猫，但无论她怎样盯着鹰霜努力去想，就是想不起来到底像谁。
“走吧，”栗尾说道，“你难道要一整天都盯着那边河族武士们吗？我们该回去了，然后你再决定跟火星讲多少吧。”
第五章
第五章
暴毛用爪子紧紧抓在平滑的灰色岩石上，小心翼翼地往上爬，终于爬上了大圆石的顶端，然后转身向下看同伴都爬到了哪里，寒风吹得他身上的毛向后飘着。
“加油！”暴毛鼓励着他们，“要是你们往上跳，可能更容易上来。”
暴毛和伙伴们走过荒原，循着日出的方向来到山下，开始爬山。现在，是他们踏上回家路的第二天，太阳已经升起来了。走近这座山，他们这才感觉到，先前从远处看到群山比想象中的要高大得多，也险峻得多，陡峭的山坡黑漆漆的，山顶飘浮着朵朵白云，众猫不由得望而生畏。众猫脚掌下的土地粗糙不平，砾石遍布，只长着一些稀疏的野草和少量扭曲的荆棘。这里没有明显的道路，他们只能顺风沿着狭窄的裂缝往前走，不时会因为走进被岩壁阻挡的死路，再退回来向别处爬去。暴毛思念起家乡的那条河，一想到那河水流过两岸幽深清凉的草丛，就有点后悔没有选经过两脚兽地盘回家的路。
松鼠爪蹬着后腿，奋力一跳，想学暴毛那样，跳上那块挡路的大圆石。“老鼠屎！”她喘着气怒骂了一句，因为她还没跳上去，脚掌就开始往下滑。暴毛弯下身衔住她脖子上的毛，抓牢她，直到她的爪子把自己拉起一尾长的距离，坐在暴毛身旁。
“谢谢你！”松鼠爪用那发亮的绿眼睛瞅着他说，“我知道我名叫松鼠爪，但我从没想过，我会真的希望自己是一只松鼠！”
暴毛大笑道：“如果再这样走下去，我们就都会希望自己是松鼠的。”
“嗨！”鸦爪在下方生气地大喊道，“你俩能不能往后站点？你们两个毛球站在路中间，我怎么上去？”
大圆石顶端的暴毛和松鼠爪后退了几步。片刻之后，鸦爪爬了上来，跟他俩站在了一起。鸦爪四肢修长，攀爬起来相对容易些。他看都没看他俩一眼，便转身去帮羽尾。这时，羽尾的一只脚掌刚好钩住岩石，她边往上攀爬着边嘴里不住诅咒着。
暴毛担心褐皮肩上的老鼠咬伤会让她没办法爬上这座大圆石，想着能不能在附近找到另一条路。但很快，暴毛就松了一口气，因为褐皮连爬带跳快到大圆石顶时，鸦爪拎住她的脖子把她拽了上来。黑莓掌最后一个爬上来，他站在巨岩上，一边向四周看着，一边抖动着身上凌乱了的皮毛。已接近正午了，几乎没有阴影能给他们指明方向。眼前除了一面陡峭的悬崖，什么都看不到。
“我觉着我们应该从那儿走。”黑莓掌用尾巴指着岩石前方的一处狭窄的小道说道。“你觉着呢？”黑莓掌问暴毛。
暴毛看着那儿，惊得身上的毛都竖起来了。那儿也太险了吧！只见石缝里，长着几处稀疏的灌木，除此之外，岩石光秃秃的。如果他们从那儿走，万一打滑，什么可抓的东西都没有。
暴毛很惊讶，黑莓掌居然问他的意见，于是含糊着说：“我们可以试一试，也没有别的路可走，除非我们再退回去。”
黑莓掌点点头。“你殿后行吗？”黑莓掌问道，“我们不知道这四下里潜藏着什么危险，我们需要一只强壮的猫盯着后面。”
听到这只雷族猫对自己的肯定，暴毛感到一股暖流涌上心头，觉得从耳朵尖到尾巴尖都温暖起来。他低声表示同意。黑莓掌既不是他的族长也不是他的老师，但暴毛发自内心地非常钦佩这位年轻的武士——无论是黑莓掌所表现出的勇气，还是在这趟艰难的征程中表现出的担当。
正当黑莓掌沿着崖架向前探路时，松鼠爪大声说道：“我改变心意了，我不再想当只松鼠了，我要做一只鸟！”
暴毛按照黑莓掌的要求，走在队伍的最后。贴着陡坡行走时，下面是万丈深渊，暴毛的耳朵都绷得紧紧的，他尽力掩饰着自己的紧张，那紧张就如看不见的重力拖坠着他。他紧紧抠住岩石的表面，小心翼翼地探出脚掌，用尾巴保持着平衡。没多大会儿，风更大了，暴毛满脑子都是可怕的画面——自己或同伴被风吹落到下方的深渊里。
又过了一小会儿，小道在岩石正面拐了一下，消失在了视线之外。暴毛还没走到转弯处，便见他前面的褐皮突然停住了，只听见再前面一点的羽尾惊呼道：“哦，不！”
“怎么啦？”暴毛急忙问。
褐皮侧着身子紧贴石壁往前移动着，动作更慢了。暴毛跟在后面也慢慢往前挪着，等看到前方的情景时，他的心咚咚直跳。只见他们行走的小道和岩石之间，有一个大的沟壑；小道到了这儿，仿佛像岩石上突出的一根刺一般，从山的这边伸出去，到了前端收窄成一个尖。两边都是令人目眩的深谷，深谷里有一条细得像老鼠尾巴一样的小溪在流淌着。
“要往回转吗？”暴毛问黑莓掌。
“再坚持一下，”雷族武士答道，“那儿可能有条路。看那边！”
暴毛顺着他尾巴指的方向看过去。只见沟壑上方的山腰上，岩石裂开了一条窄窄的缝，将两边一分为二形成峻峭的山坡。岩缝中有矮小的灌木长出来，居然还有一两棵小树。一条涓涓细流从一面山坡上滴流下来，两边长满了绿草。
“从那边走看起来要容易一些。”羽尾小声说道，“但是我们能过得去吗？”
松鼠爪仰着脸嗅了嗅空气。“我闻到了兔子的气味。”她无比向往地说道。
暴毛估测了一下那沟壑的宽度。沟壑比他平常能够跨越的要宽，而且还不能助跑。他觉得他努把力应该能跳过去，但褐皮怎么办？这位影族武士自他们开始爬山后就又有点瘸了，尽管她什么都没说，但谁都看得出她的伤还没完全愈合。
还没等他把自己的担心说出来，就听见鸦爪说道：“那我们还等什么？难道一直站在这儿等着，直到长出翅膀吗？”
风族学徒毫不犹豫地向沟壑的另一边纵身一跳。眨眼间，他那深烟灰色的身体就像悬在空中一般，接着，他轻轻落在对面山坡边缘松散的石头上。
“来吧！”鸦爪召唤道，“很容易就能跳过来！”
暴毛从黑莓掌的眼神看得出来，这位虎斑武士跟他一样，对风族学徒擅自决定很是恼火。事已至此，不管愿不愿意，他们都只能试着往前跳了，因为这边只有一个窄窄的石头尖，就算鸦爪想要跳回来也绝无可能，他们也不可能把他独自扔在那边不管。
看到羽尾顶着强风，蹲伏在岩石边缘准备起跳时，暴毛更不高兴了。鸦爪在那边等着抓住她。当羽尾发现自己已经安全地跳了过去的时候，她开心地摇动着毛茸茸的尾巴。
剩下的几只猫在岩石这一端挤作一团。暴毛感到风越来越猛，害怕得皮毛都有些刺痛。
“好了，下一个谁来跳？”黑莓掌镇定地问。
“我来！”松鼠爪说道，“那就对面见！”
她从岩石上冲出去，奋力一跳，落在对面离崖边约一尾长的地方。
“她真是太棒了！”黑莓掌喃喃道，然后一脸困惑的样子，仿佛没想到会一不小心将心里话说出来了。
“她确实很棒！”暴毛附和道。
“褐皮，你准备好了吗？”黑莓掌转身问道，“你的肩膀没问题吧？”
“我能行。”褐皮冷冷地说道。
她探头看了一眼，只估摸了一下宽度就起跳了。有那么惊险的一刻，暴毛心想她这一步跨短了。只见她的身体猛地摔在了对面岩石边上，前爪拼命地抓进松动的石块里。眨眼间，羽尾和松鼠爪已经赶到了她身体两侧，咬住她的脖颈把她拽了上来。
“干得漂亮！”黑莓掌喊道，他紧张得声音都尖了起来。
褐皮没回话，她吓得尾巴上的毛全都蓬起了。暴毛看到羽尾扶着她向溪流边走去，鼓励她喝点水。
“下一个你来跳？”黑莓掌问暴毛。
“你先跳，我最后一个来。”
但是当暴毛看着强壮的虎斑武士跃过那条沟壑时，心里不禁想着，早知道就不等到最后一个了。他正准备起跳，这时，松鼠爪惊叫道：“暴毛，小心！”
就在此时，一片黑影突然罩住了他，空中传来翅膀重重扇动的声音。他根本没敢停下抬头看，便纵身跳过那道沟壑，眼角的余光看到对面的同伴向山谷那边四散逃去。
他狼狈地侧身砸在对面的地上，一抬头，看见头顶上方，一只巨大的鸟猛然向他扑过来，爪子张得好大，他一下子惊呆了。
有只猫大叫着他的名字。他就地打了一个滚，躲过了那对巨大的爪子和尖利的鸟嘴，但仍能感受得到翅膀扇动产生的气流和腐肉的恶臭味。这时，他发现黑莓掌和羽尾向他冲了过来，他俩身上的毛全都竖着，一边嘶嘶叫着一边咒骂着。那只大鸟盘旋着飞到了另一边。暴毛趁机逃开了。接着，巨爪划过地面，扬起一片尘土。巨鸟发出懊恼的尖叫声。它用力扇动着翅膀，向高处飞走了。三只猫闪电般冲入灌木丛下的隐蔽处，松鼠爪和褐皮正在那儿等着。
暴毛看着那鸟越飞越高，最后慢慢变成了天空中的一个小黑点。他气喘吁吁地问道：“星族啊，那到底是只什么鸟？我还从没见过那么大的鸟。”
“那是老鹰！”鸦爪从矮树枝下挤出来跟他们站到了一起，“我们在风族领地上偶尔能看到这种鸟。它们捕食小羊羔，但听长老们说，它们以前也抓过猫。”
“要是再晚一点点，我就会被它抓走了。”暴毛心有余悸，“谢谢，谢谢你们俩来救我。”他向黑莓掌和羽尾致谢。
羽尾仍在不住地发抖：“你们想象一下，如果它早一点发现了我们，在我们都还堵在岩石上的时候发现了我们，会怎么样！”
“我才不会去想象呢！”松鼠爪回了一句。
“虚惊一场！我觉得我们得休息一下，”黑莓掌说道，“我们去捉些猎物来吃怎么样。我闻到那边有兔子的气味。”
“我去吧，”鸦爪提议，“我不需要休息。羽尾，一起去吧？”
暴毛刚想开口反对，他的妹妹已经钻出灌木跟在鸦爪身后走了。末了儿，他只好说了一句：“当心那只老鹰！”
他俩走了以后，褐皮疲惫地合上了眼睛，没两分钟就睡着了。暴毛在她身边蜷缩了下来，但发现自己根本静不下心来休息。他听见黑莓掌和松鼠爪一起说着悄悄话，不由自主地伸长耳朵去听他俩在说什么。他俩如此亲近，暴毛不禁一丝嫉妒涌上心头，他不止一次地想，要是松鼠爪跟自己一样是河族猫，而不是跟黑莓掌一样是雷族猫，那该多好啊！同时，他也担心自己的妹妹，单独跟那个学徒在一起会不会出什么事。他也担心，如果他们在这儿耽搁时间久了，到时天黑下来了，他们就不得不在这里过夜了。
最后，暴毛还是坠入了梦乡。在梦里，他依稀感觉到有一只爪子捅他的身子，一下子醒了过来。一睁眼，他就看见松鼠爪那双澄澈的碧眼，然后一股兔子的味道扑面而来。
“他们回来了，”松鼠爪说道，“带回来了足够的猎物，够每只猫吃。”她眼珠一转，戏谑地加了一句，“如果你不想吃，我可以代为效劳。”
“你敢！”暴毛大叫一声，爬起来时，用尾巴轻抚了一下松鼠爪的耳朵。
他埋头去吃分给他的那只兔子，这时，他看到羽尾正和鸦爪坐在一起用餐，他俩挨得很近。他强忍着想要大吼一声的冲动，心想，羽尾怎么可能忘记不同族群的猫想要走到一起，会历经何等的磨难。
风尘仆仆的几只猫全都填饱了肚子，放松下来休息。暴毛找个机会，把妹妹叫到一边，低声说着：“听着，羽尾，你和鸦爪……”
“鸦爪怎么了？”羽尾一双蓝眼睛犀利瞅着他，声音一反常态地尖锐起来，“你们几个对他有偏见！”
暴毛本想跟妹妹指出，这只年轻的猫什么事都拧着来，其实是自找苦吃，但他心里知道，可不能跟羽尾这么说。“这不是重点，”他说道，“我们回家以后怎么办？别忘了，鸦爪可是另一个族群的猫。”
“我们都不知道回去以后还有没有族群呢。”羽尾说，“你别忘了，我们都要离开森林的！”
暴毛哼了一声：“难道你以为只要我们离开了森林，族群间的界限就会消失吗？我可不那么觉得。”
羽尾的反应如此强烈，眼睛里充满了怒火，这让暴毛非常意外。
“你忘了午夜是怎么说的？”她高声说道，“猫族要想幸存于世，必须齐心协力，团结合作。”
“你忘了不同族群的猫，在一起会有什么结果吗？”暴毛吼道，“想想我们自己的父亲，他在两个族群间左右为难。你和我就因为只有一半的本族血统，差点就被撕掉！如果不是雷族猫出手搭救，我俩早就被虎星给杀死了。”
“但虎星已经死了。”羽尾仍很不服气，“森林里不会再有第二只像他那样的猫了。午夜说几大族群都必须另找地方生活。一切都将不同于以往了。”
“但是你和鸦爪……”暴毛继续说道。
“我不想再谈我和鸦爪了。”羽尾的怒气已经消了，“对不起，暴毛，但这和你没有关系。”
暴毛本想刺她一句，但很快意识到妹妹是对的。他有些尴尬地用尾巴尖碰碰她的肩膀说：“我只是担心你罢了。”
羽尾飞快地舔了下暴毛的耳朵：“我知道，但真的没必要。”
尽管暴毛并不同意她的看法，但什么话都没说。羽尾是他的妹妹，只要羽尾能开心，他愿为羽尾做任何事。如果这真是羽尾想要的，他真心希望鸦爪能给她带来幸福。但他仍然认为，不管将来会发生什么事，族群之间的明争暗斗都不会消失，不会让他们如愿地在一起。
几只猫从灌木丛下钻出来准备继续赶路的时候，发现天色更暗了。风小了一点，但空气中寒气不减，山顶上乌云滚滚，遮住了太阳。
“快要下雨了，”褐皮看着天色说，“那可不是我们想要的。”
“那我们就趁着现在还能走，赶快往前赶吧。”黑莓掌说。
他们继续沿着山沟往上爬，始终靠着边走，也尽量利用灌木丛做掩护，提防着老鹰再次出现。暴毛始终警惕地看着天空。有一次，他看到一个小黑点在山腰上空慢慢移动着，知道那只凶猛的鸟仍在盯着他们。
途中，他们经过从两块岩石间冒出的小溪源头，喝了个够，然后接着往前赶。暴毛凝视着前方的山坡，搜寻着哪儿有食物或可以栖身的地方，但除了毫无活力的灰色石头外，别无他物。
山谷越来越窄，植被也越来越少。走在这样毫无遮蔽的地方，暴毛很不自在，幸运的是，那只老鹰并没有回转过来。黄昏时分，天上下起了冰凉的小雨。几只猫身上的毛很快就淋湿了，但根本找不到躲雨的地方。
“我们必须赶紧停下来，”松鼠爪大声喊道，“我都快滑倒了。”
“好吧，但我们不能停在这儿，”黑莓掌有些生气地说道，“等找到躲雨的地方我们再歇歇。”
“不，松鼠爪说得对，”暴毛直视这个雷族武士，反对道，“我们不能摸黑走路，万一摔下去可怎么办。”
黑莓掌脖颈上的毛倏地立了起来，气冲冲地瞪着暴毛。暴毛听到身后传来羽尾小声的惊呼，这才意识到他们俩差一点就打起来了。尽管暴毛越来越尊重黑莓掌，也不想和他有任何冲突，但他也不能退缩，不能让黑莓掌带着他们，在黑暗中冒着滑落悬崖的危险继续前行。
接着，暴毛看到黑莓掌后颈上的毛又平伏了下去，似乎这只虎斑猫理解了暴毛的担心：“暴毛，你说得对，我们是该马上避避雨。那边有块岩石，我们就在它下面避避好了，总比什么都没有强。”
黑莓掌带着大家走向一块突出的岩石下方。当几只猫在石头下安顿下来，紧紧挤在一起取暖，同时相互焐干身上的毛时，岩石开口处的风越刮越大，雨越下越大。
“避雨？”鸦爪抱怨道，“如果这也能算是避雨，那我就是一只刺猬了！”
“你浑身是刺，跟刺猬也差不多。”暴毛心里想着，但这话他没说出口。
那天夜里，暴毛睡得很不安稳，只是打了几个盹。每次他醒来时，都能感觉到同伴们在他身边不安地翻着身。终于，黑夜慢慢退去，他费力站起身，感觉浑身僵硬，睡眼惺忪。他探头往外张望，这才发现，已经被浓浓的白雾团团包围。
“我们一定是在云端，”黑莓掌小声说着站到暴毛的身边，“希望这雾能快点散去。”
“你觉得我们应该接着赶路吗？”暴毛有些迟疑地问，不想跟这只雷族猫再发生争执，“如果看不清路，我们很有可能会踩空。”
“在荒原的时候，即使有雾我们也不怕，只要当心点就成。”鸦爪打着哈欠摇摇晃晃站起了身。接着他又怀疑地加了一句：“但那是在我们自己的领地内，熟悉各种气味，不用看也闻得出来。”
“有没有猎物啊？”松鼠爪问道，“这里闻不到一点兔子味，我都快饿死了！”
暴毛的肚子也在咕咕叫，他尽量不去理它。黑莓掌冒险走出了遮蔽处，抬头张望着。“只能看清几只狐狸身长那么远，”他向大伙儿通报道，“这道山沟似乎一直往前延伸着。我觉得顺着这道山沟前行应该很安全。”
他边说边回头看暴毛，眼神里透着询问的意思，似乎很后悔他们之前的争执，希望这次能先征得河族猫的同意。
暴毛走出来站到黑莓掌的身边，当浓雾渗入到他的皮毛里时，不禁打了个寒战。“好吧！”暴毛说道，“你在前头带路吧，看情形，我们也没有其他的选择。”
剩下的几只猫无奈地跟着黑莓掌走入冰冷、浓稠的大雾中，一只接一只地沿着山沟往上爬。暴毛注意到，褐皮跛得更厉害了，好像是在夜里冻僵了腿。午夜的牛蒡根治好了褐皮的伤口感染，但暴毛怀疑褐皮的肌肉也受伤了。她急需巫医给她看看，但在这里根本就不可能的。
天色渐渐变亮，翻滚的云层也在变淡，太阳仿佛正从他们头顶上方的某个地方升起。山沟逐渐变窄，两边的峭壁简直快要合到一起了。
“但愿这条山沟最后不会长到一起成了死路，”羽尾说道，“我们不可能回去再走那条悬崖小道了。”
羽尾的话刚刚说完，这时云雾便已经开始消退，可以看得更远了。暴毛仰起头，只见眼前是一面陡峭的石壁，山谷两侧的峭壁在这儿合在了一起。似乎没有路可以爬上去，除非他们能插上翅膀飞过去。雾水使他身上的毛湿漉漉地贴在身上，肚子里也空空如也，暴毛脑子一片空白。
“现在我们该怎么办？”褐皮问道，听起来就跟暴毛一样沮丧。
六只猫都向上看着，一阵细雨飘过，轻柔地打在他们的身体上，轻得仿佛随时会被风吹走。暴毛努力不让自己陷入深深的绝望。这一切有什么意义呢？就算他们回到自己的家园，但森林仍然会被毁掉。他们挽救族群的希望完全建立在一只獾的一席话上。要知道，獾可一直是被他们视为天敌的生物啊！此刻，他们困在这一堆淋湿的石头中间，午夜再睿智，他也很难完全相信它的话。如果暴毛对它都有所怀疑，要是自己把它的话传达给自己的族群，族猫们又会怎么说呢？因为他们兄妹俩有一半的外族血统，河族猫从来就没完全信任过自己和羽尾，现在又怎么可能听他的呢？
这时，暴毛听到了一阵平稳的轰鸣声，一下子让他想起了家乡从峡谷间穿过的那条河。
“什么声音？”他说着抬起头四处张望着，“你们听到了吗？”
“好像在那边。”黑莓掌高声说道。
暴毛跟着黑莓掌爬上山谷的尽头，发现岩石中间有一条裂缝蜿蜒向上，宽度刚好够一只猫通过。黑莓掌率先爬进去，然后用尾巴示意其他猫跟上。暴毛等到同伴都跟上去后，才开始往上爬。身上的毛不断蹭在两边的岩壁上，暴毛脑海里突然闪过一个可怕的念头：如果这条路越来越窄，他们要是困在半路上可怎么办。
轰鸣声越来越大，不一会儿，路的尽头出现了一个开阔的岩架。裂开的岩石横亘在他们面前，往上一直叠到了他们头顶上方的山脊处。一条小溪从山脊上流下，溅起一堆水泡流过众猫站立的位置，最后消失在一块突出的大圆石后面。
“嘿！至少我们可以喝口水了！”松鼠爪说。
“当心！”黑莓掌提醒她，“一滑下去，你就没命了。”
松鼠爪瞪了他一眼，但没说什么。她小心翼翼地爬到水边，四肢弯曲蜷伏下来。暴毛和其他猫也跟着她蜷伏下来。水冰凉冰凉的，暴毛喝了两口，顿时觉得神清气爽，也给了他新的勇气，也许，翻山越岭的日子很快就能结束了。
暴毛撑起四肢站了起来，循着水流看去，一下子就呆住了。原来就在众猫喝水处的下面，岩石横亘在半空中形成一道悬崖。暴毛小心翼翼地试探着往前走了几步，伸长脖子去看悬崖外面的情况。只见倾泻的溪水如瀑布般，注入下方几尾外的水潭中。轰鸣不绝的水声震耳欲聋，以至于暴毛的脚掌下意识地用力抓紧湿漉漉的岩石。
其他几只猫都聚到了他的身旁，一个个都瞪大了眼睛，害怕极了。
“哇——喔！”松鼠爪惊叹道。她向下张望着，又加了一句：“我敢说下面肯定有猎物。”
透过水潭上面升起的水雾，暴毛瞥见另一个山谷。这个山谷跟他们刚刚走过的很像，但这个山谷的碎石间长满了野草，岩壁上长了一长溜灌木。松鼠爪说得对，如果这附近有其他活物的话，一定是在那儿。
“但是我们得往上爬，”黑莓掌弹弹耳朵指着他们头顶上方溪水从岩缝里流出的地方说道，“看样子，爬上去不是太难。但是如果我们往下走，就可能再也上不来了。”
“如果下去能弄点吃的，那也没什么大不了的。”松鼠爪嘀咕道，说话的声音很小，暴毛猜测她的族猫黑莓掌是否听见。
黑莓掌再次冲在了前头，他们开始往上爬。他们一个个都累坏了，浑身湿透的毛也还没干，所以行动起来显得很笨拙。褐皮尤其艰难，她拖着沉重的身体在岩石间攀爬着，每爬过一块石头，仿佛浑身的力气都用没了。
溪水在他们身边汩汩地冒出来，飞溅在早被雨水打湿的岩石上，然后又重重地落下来。暴毛警觉地看着那流水，生怕它突然暴涨，把他们从石头上给冲走。他守在队伍的最后，尽量注意到每一只猫。他非常清楚，如果有猫滑下去，肯定会被冲到瀑布下面的水潭里。
几乎就在这个念头刚刚在脑海闪过，暴毛就看到羽尾脚下一滑，身子一偏，落入了水中，溪水一下子涌向她。羽尾拼命用一只爪子抠着石头，大张着嘴，却吓得发不出一点声音。
暴毛跃过褐皮，赶快向羽尾冲过去。但还没等他够着羽尾，鸦爪已经不顾危险，身子探到喷涌的溪水上方，一口咬住羽尾的后颈，把她拽到小道上。
“谢谢你，鸦爪。”羽尾喘着粗气说。看到羽尾那蓝色的眼睛里流露出的已经不仅仅是感激之情了，暴毛心里很是恼怒。
“你应该小心点，”鸦爪粗声说道，“你以为你是族长，有九条命？这一次我救了你，可千万不能有下一次了。”
“不会有下次了，是我一时大意了，对不起。”羽尾忽闪着眼睛，用鼻头碰了碰鸦爪的鼻子。
“你是应该小心一点！”暴毛打断了他们，他也不确定，自己是因为妹妹的粗心而恼怒呢，还是因为鸦爪抢先救了自己的妹妹。他用肩膀把鸦爪顶到一边，以便仔细检查羽尾有没有受伤。
“你还好吗？”暴毛关心地问道。
“我没事。”羽尾边说边抖抖身体，甩掉毛上的水珠。
这时，从山上更高的地方传来一阵更大的轰鸣声，打断了羽尾的话，那个声音甚至盖过了下方瀑布的声音。暴毛抬起头，吓得魂飞魄散。只见像一堵墙似的泥土混着树枝和水流向他们直冲下来。他最担心的事情出现了：山溪泛滥了。松鼠爪惊呼一声，黑莓掌赶紧向她跳过去。
他们根本来不及反应，洪水就已经冲到了他们跟前。那洪水就像一阵狂风，卷走了暴毛。虽然他拼命挥舞着四肢，但仍然被洪水冲到了岩石边。他徒劳地想抓住岩石，但很快就又被洪水冲走了。他被水呛得几乎没法呼吸，一只脚爪绊到石头疼痛不已。接着，他觉得脚下空荡荡的，他知道自己被冲到瀑布里了。
一阵可怕的寂静之后，奔流的水声打破了沉默，接着，怒吼声和流水落地的声音再次响起。暴毛垂直落入水潭时，一下子被淹没了。他在冰冷的水中打着转，目光一闪间，瞥见鸦爪正在拼命挣扎，想躲过迎面而来的大浪。紧接着，更大的水倾盆而下，暴毛被冲进了水的深处。他只感觉到一堆白色的泡沫中，听到一声震耳欲聋的咆哮，然后就什么也不知道了。
“对不起，星族，”意识慢慢模糊起来，暴毛绝望地想，“我知道这不是给我的任务，但我已经尽心尽力了。请保佑我们的族群。”
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 13
Leafpaw shifted uneasily in a poolof moonlight and listened to the soft sighing of the wind in the oaks at Fourtrees. She and Cinderpelt were on their way to meet with the other medicine cats at Mothermouth, and already the half-moon was high in the sky.
“They’re late,” Cinderpelt meowed. “We’re wasting moonlight.”
Littlecloud, the ShadowClan medicine cat, settled himself more comfortably in a hollow in the grass. “They’ll be along soon.”
Cinderpelt’s tail-tip twitched. “We need all the time we have at the Moonstone, especially tonight. We have to find out what we should do about the Twolegs.”
Leafpaw tried to curb her own impatience with the RiverClan medicine cats, who should have met them long before now. Perhaps sharing tongues with StarClan wasn’t so important to them, when their own territory hadn’t been invaded by the Twoleg monsters. Everything was quiet now; the Twoleg monsters slept at night, but Leafpaw knew they were still there, squatting on the scarred ground among the trees they hadn’t destroyed yet. The silence in the forest was unnatural, without the small sounds of prey that always seemed louder at night.
Her belly rumbled at the thought of prey. Cinderpelt had given her traveling herbs to quell her appetite before they set out, but they didn’t help her hunger when she couldn’t remember the last time she had been full-fed. All the Clan cats were suffering; lack of food had begun to weaken them so that they couldn’t run as fast and catch what prey there was. With leaf-bare looming ever closer, crisping the leaves and sending them spiraling to the ground in the chill breeze, Leafpaw couldn’t see what help StarClan might give.
To her embarrassment, her belly rumbled again, loud enough for the others to hear. Littlecloud shot her a sympathetic glance.
“Blackstar has sent warriors to fetch rats and crow-food from Carrionplace,” he told Cinderpelt. His eyes darkened. “We haven’t had any sickness yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”
“I hope you remember the herbs and berries I gave you when you were ill,” Cinderpelt meowed.
“I’ve been collecting them. I know I’ll need them soon.”
“And tell your Clan not to touch any crow-food,” Cinderpelt advised. “Fresh rats might be okay, but not carrion.”
Littlecloud sighed. “I’ve tried, but what can I do when Blackstar gives the orders? Most of our cats are too hungry to care what they’re eating.”
Just then Leafpaw caught sight of Mudfur, the RiverClan medicine cat, and his apprentice, Mothwing, climbing the slope from the river. She leaped to her paws, delighted to see her friend again, though she could not suppress a pang of envy that Mothwing looked so well fed, her long golden fur sleek with good health.
“At last!” Cinderpelt growled as the two cats came up. “I was beginning to think a fish must have jumped out of the river and swallowed you.”
“Well, we’re here now.” Mudfur hardly paused for greetings, but led the way around the top of the hollow toward the WindClan border.
Cinderpelt and Littlecloud followed, while Leafpaw and Mothwing brought up the rear, side by side.
“I got into trouble about that fishing lesson,” Leafpaw whispered. “I knew I should not have eaten your prey.”
“Your leader’s got no right!” Mothwing meowed indignantly. “We’re medicine cats.”
“Still, we shouldn’t have done it,” Leafpaw replied. “Medicine cats have to stick to the warrior code as much as any cat.”
Mothwing just snorted. “I think I’m getting on really well,” she mewed after a moment. “Mudfur taught me the herbs to use for greencough and blackcough, and the best way to get thorns out of pads. He said he’d never seen a cat do it so neatly.”
“That’s great!” Leafpaw purred. She didn’t mind her friend boasting because she knew how insecure Mothwing felt. Because she was the daughter of a rogue, many of her own Clan thought that she should never have been allowed to train as a medicine cat. Mothwing was desperate to prove them wrong.
As they approached the WindClan border, Leafpaw felt a twinge of nervousness. It was not long since the confrontation with WindClan, and she knew that their warriors would still be hostile. They seemed determined to keep their starvation a secret, even though it was horribly obvious from their scrawny frames and dull eyes. Would they be desperate enough to attack medicine cats if they found them on their territory? She said nothing; Firestar would be furious if she gossiped with Mothwing about that fateful encounter.
None of the medicine cats paused as they crossed the border. They hurried on, their pace set by Cinderpelt’s limping gait. Coming to the top of a gentle rise, Leafpaw found herself looking down on the worst scene yet of Twoleg devastation. The scar on WindClan’s territory was much longer and wider now than when she and Sorreltail had first seen it. A couple of Twoleg monsters squatted there, moonlight glinting off their shiny pelts. If a hill got in their way they just gorged a path through it, leaving earth piled high on either side. Were they going to devour the whole moor?
Shuddering, Leafpaw bounded on behind her mentor. Not far from the WindClan camp, Barkface, the WindClan medicine cat, emerged from behind a gorse bush. Even though Leafpaw had been prepared for him to look hungry, it was a shock to see how thin he was—barely more than a walking skeleton covered by his ragged pelt.
Cinderpelt went up and touched noses with him sympathetically. “StarClan be with you, Barkface,” she mewed.
“And with all my Clan.” Barkface heaved a great sigh. “Sometimes I think StarClan wants every one of us to join them, and not even a kit left to keep the warrior code alive.”
“Perhaps they will show us what to do when we share dreams at the Moonstone,” Cinderpelt tried to encourage him.
“It’s getting worse for WindClan.” Mothwing’s amber eyes were wide as she murmured the words to Leafpaw. “They’ve been stealing fish from the river again, you know. Hawkfrost caught a couple of them, and chased them off.”
“They have to find prey somewhere.” Leafpaw knew that what the WindClan warriors were doing was wrong, but she couldn’t blame them. Not when the river was full of fish, enough to feed all the Clans. Fleetingly, she realized that Firestar was right—the Twolegs were destroying the forest, but in doing so they were also destroying the invisible boundaries between the Clans as well. Maybe the cats would survive only by joining together after all.
Mothwing paused to scent the air. “Hang on, I can smell rabbit—at least, I think it’s rabbit; it smells funny somehow. Yes, look, over there!”
She gestured with her tail at a dip in the moorland where a small stream chattered over stones. Lying beside it was a small, brown-furred body.
“It’s dead,” Leafpaw pointed out.
Mothwing shrugged. “So it’s crow-food. I imagine WindClan can’t afford to be too fussy. Hey, Barkface!” she called. “Look what I found.” She bounded down the slope toward the rabbit.
“Stop!” Barkface commanded. “Don’t touch it!”
Mothwing skidded to a halt beside the limp bundle of fur and looked back up the slope. “What’s the matter?”
Barkface padded down to join her, followed by Leafpaw and the other medicine cats. Warily he approached the rabbit and sniffed it. Leafpaw sniffed too, and recognized the harsh tang she had picked up when she and Sorreltail had visited WindClan territory. Her stomach churned and she swallowed to stop herself from gagging. Whatever had happened to this rabbit, it wasn’t fit for food.
“Yes, I thought so,” Barkface murmured, his eyes clouding. “There’s that scent again. . . .” Facing the other cats, he explained quietly, “Twolegs have done something bad to the rabbits in the territory. They all die. And if cats eat them, they die too. We have lost half our elders and nearly all of our apprentices.”
There was a horrified silence. Compassion lanced through Leafpaw. Tallstar had said nothing of this when he confronted Firestar; the proud WindClan leader would rather let other Clans think his cats could not catch prey in their territory, than that their own fresh-kill was killing them, one by one.
“And you couldn’t help them?” Mudfur asked.
“Do you think I didn’t try?” Barkface sounded desperate. “I gave them yarrow to make them sick, just as we do for deathberries. Two of the strongest pulled through, but most of them died.” His claws tore up the grass in front of him; his eyes burned with grief and frustration. “What hope is there for us when even our prey can kill us?”
Cinderpelt limped up to him and pressed her muzzle against his side. “Let’s go on,” she murmured. “We’ll ask StarClan for guidance about this as well as everything else.”
“Shouldn’t we bury the rabbit?” Leafpaw suggested as the cats began to climb the slope again. “In case some other cat finds it?”
Barkface shook his head. “There’s no point. No WindClan cat would touch it now.” His lips stretched in a wry snarl. “We know better than to trust fresh-kill from inside our own borders.” Head bowed, tail drooping, he plodded on across the moor toward Highstones.
Leafpaw blinked in the silver light from the Moonstone, letting it soothe her until she felt like a fish sinking into deep water. Here in the cavern, far below Highstones, it was easy to believe that StarClan ruled everything, and the troubles of the world above were too far away to matter. But medicine cats came to the Moonstone only so that they could learn the wisdom of StarClan and take it back to help their Clans. In these dark days, they needed that wisdom more than ever.
The other medicine cats were lying with her around the stone. Mothwing was next to her; the RiverClan cat’s eyes were wide with wonder as she gazed at the shimmering crystal surface. Trying to focus her thoughts, Leafpaw pushed away the questions that nagged her about Mothwing and her aggressive brother, Hawkfrost. Mothwing had a right to be here; StarClan itself had approved her with a moth’s wing left at the entrance to Mudfur’s den before she had finally been accepted as a medicine cat apprentice.
With a quick plea to StarClan for guidance, Leafpaw closed her eyes and pressed her nose against the stone. Cold instantly seized her like a claw, the hard surface of the cave floor vanished from beneath her, and she felt as though she were floating in darkness.
Squirrelpaw! Squirrelpaw, can you hear me?she called silently. She was desperate to make sure that her sister was still alive and safe, and more than that: If the chosen cats had discovered the answer to the trouble that had come upon the forest, then seeking out Squirrelpaw might give her some hope that she could share with the others.
But tonight something seemed to be blocking her thoughts. The silence was broken by the sound of rushing water, loud as thunder, and then the darkness shifted to show her a waterfall, crashing endlessly down into a pool below. Before Leafpaw could properly understand what she was seeing, clouds swirled over it. Out of them came a terrible snarling, and she caught a glimpse of sharp fangs. She sensed the presence of warrior ancestors and reached out for the comforting presence of StarClan. But she caught only a flickering vision of lean, prowling cats, their fur streaked with mud and blood. Their eyes glared with desperation, as if they stared at some terrible sight that was hidden from Leafpaw. She thought she cried out to them, but they did not answer, and she was not even sure that they were aware of her.
A wind howled around her, sweeping all the visions away, and Leafpaw woke up with a jolt. She blinked in confusion, staring around the cavern that was dark now except for the faint glitter of Silverpelt. In the dim light she could just make out a cat crouched beside her, a beautiful tortoiseshell with a white chest and white paws. The sweet scent of herbs clung about her fur.
For a heartbeat Leafpaw mistook the cat for Sorreltail, until she remembered that her friend was back in the ThunderClan camp. And where were Mothwing and the medicine cats? Leafpaw realized that except for herself and the strange tortoiseshell, the cavern was empty.
The tortoiseshell cat opened her eyes and turned to blink at Leafpaw. “Greetings,” she mewed softly. “Do not be anxious for your sister or your Clan. A time of great trouble has come, but the Clans are strong and have the courage to meet it.”
Leafpaw froze. She had woken up in another dream. Her eyes widened as she realized who the tortoiseshell cat must be. She had heard many stories of the medicine cat who had befriended her father when he first came to ThunderClan, and guided him in dreams on his path to becoming leader.
“Are you . . . are you Spottedleaf?” she meowed.
The tortoiseshell cat bowed her head. “I am. I see that Firestar has told you about me.”
“Yes.” Leafpaw stared curiously at the she-cat. “He told me how much you helped him.”
“I loved him as well as any cat,” Spottedleaf purred. “Maybe even more than I should have done, as a medicine cat. If StarClan had not chosen me to walk their path, things might have been different.” Her eyes narrowed with affection. “I never had kits of my own, Leafpaw, but I cannot say how happy it makes me that Firestar’s daughter will be following the path of a medicine cat. I know that StarClan has great things in store for you.”
Leafpaw swallowed. “May I ask you something?” she meowed hesitantly.
“Of course.”
“Can you see Squirrelpaw? Is she all right?”
There was a long pause. “I cannot see her,” Spottedleaf replied at last, “but I know where she is. She is safe, and on her way home to you.”
“Why can’t you see her, if you know where she is?” Leafpaw challenged.
Spottedleaf’s gaze shone with gentleness and compassion. “Squirrelpaw is in the paws of different warrior ancestors now.”
“What do you mean?” Leafpaw remembered the fearsome, blood-streaked cats she had sensed when she tried to make contact with Squirrelpaw. In her dream, her eyes flew wide and she sprang to her paws. “Whose warrior ancestors are these? There can’t be more than one StarClan!”
Spottedleaf laughed softly. “The world is wide, dear young one. There are other cats who are guided by other spirits. There is always more to learn.”
Leafpaw’s head whirled. She stammered, “I thought—”
“StarClan does not control the wind or the rain, do they?” Spottedleaf prompted gently. “They do not command the sun to rise or the moon to wax and wane. Do not fear, little one,” she went on. “From now on, wherever you walk, I will walk with you. . . .”
Her voice began to fade; her fur paled and her shape seemed to melt into the darkness. For a heartbeat longer, Leafpaw could see her white front shining like a star and her glowing eyes. Then she was blinking awake, emerging from her dream into the cavern where Mothwing and the medicine cats were stirring around her.
Is it true? she wondered, too dazed to speak out loud. Are Squirrelpaw and the others in the paws of another Clan? And are there really powers other than StarClan’s—and does that mean that StarClan won’t be able to save the forest after all?
As she staggered to her paws, she could still catch a trace of Spottedleaf’s sweet scent.
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
Leafpaw burst up through the surfaceof the water, gasping for air as she scrambled to find solid ground. Managing to stand in spite of the river flowing strongly around her legs, she shook icy drops of water from her pelt. The riverbank was only a couple of tail-lengths away. She shivered in the pale sun of leaf-fall as she looked up to see Mothwing peering down at her from an overhanging rock.
The RiverClan cat’s amber eyes were narrowed in amusement. “You don’t fish by jumping in the river,” she pointed out.
“I know that!” Leafpaw retorted crossly. “I slipped, that’s all.”
“I believe you,” Mothwing purred, giving her golden chest fur a quick lick. “Now come out, and we’ll have another go. I’ll teach you to fish if it’s the last thing I do.”
“I’m still not sure we should be doing this,” Leafpaw meowed as she waded back to the bank.
“Of course we should. The rabbits and squirrels are starting to disappear, thanks to the Twolegs, but there’s still plenty of fish for every cat.”
“But I had to come onto RiverClan territory to get it,” Leafpaw pointed out anxiously. “What would Leopardstar say if she knew?”
Mothwing blinked. “We’re both medicine cats, so Clan boundaries don’t matter for us like they do for other cats.”
Leafpaw didn’t think that was how the warrior code worked. Her friend had said much the same a couple of days earlier, when she had rescued Leafpaw and Sorreltail from the pursuing WindClan warriors. This morning she had called to Leafpaw while she was gathering herbs near Sunningrocks, and offered to give her a fishing lesson. Leafpaw had felt very nervous about crossing the Clan border, but her hunger had driven her on now that prey was becoming even scarcer in ThunderClan territory. All the same, her ears and nose were alert for the first signs of a RiverClan patrol.
“Okay,” Mothwing went on, “crouch here beside me, and look down into the water. When you see a fish, scoop it out with your paw. It’s easy.”
A couple of glittering fish lying on the bank showed just how easy it was for Mothwing. Leafpaw gave them a longing glance, wondering if she would ever learn.
“Want some?” Mothwing offered, following her gaze.
Leafpaw felt guilty at the thought of being full-fed while the rest of her Clan went hungry. But she had not tasted fresh-kill since the night before, and that had been only a stringy vole. “I shouldn’t . . .” she murmured, trying to convince herself that it wouldn’t help her Clan if she starved as well.
“Of course you can. Where’s the harm?”
Leafpaw did not wait to be asked again. She crouched down in front of the fish, tucking her paws in, and sank her teeth into the cool flesh. “Delicious,” she mumbled.
Mothwing looked pleased. “Learn how to do it, and you can take lots more for your Clan.” She took a few dainty bites, as if she were full-fed already and didn’t care whether or not she ate.
Gulping down the rest of the fish, Leafpaw told herself that she would find food for her Clan to make up for it. As soon as she had finished, she settled down on the rock beside Mothwing and concentrated on the water just below, to wait for a fish of her own.
An unfamiliar scent swept over her at the same instant as Mothwing hissed, “Hawkfrost!” Leafpaw felt a paw jab hard into her ribs, tipping her over the edge of the rock and back into the river. She thrashed wildly, wondering why Mothwing was trying to drown her. Then as her head broke the surface she saw the huge tabby shape of Hawkfrost approaching the bank, and realized that Mothwing had done the only thing she could to hide her quickly.
Her paws working gently to keep her nose just above the water, Leafpaw let herself drift downriver for a few tail-lengths until she came to a clump of reeds where she could crawl out on the ThunderClan side of the river and hide.
Hawkfrost had stopped to talk to his sister, and Leafpaw realized that she would have to crouch where she was, soaked and shivering, until he went away and she could make a break across open ground to the ThunderClan border.
“. . . keeping my eyes open for WindClan,” she heard him meow when her ears were clear of water. “I know very well they’re stealing fish, and one day I’ll catch them at it.”
“Not down here, surely?” Mothwing replied innocently. “WindClan would fish closer to Fourtrees—if they’re fishing at all.”
“WindClan andThunderClan,” Hawkfrost growled. He added, “I can scent a ThunderClan cat now.”
Leafpaw shivered and shrank down in her clump of reeds.
“So? The border’s over there,” Mothwing pointed out. “It would be odd if you didn’tscent ThunderClan.”
Hawkfrost grunted. “There’s something not right in the forest. Cats have gone missing from all the Clans, for one thing. Do you remember what the other leaders said at the last Gathering? That’s four more cats, beside Stormfur and Feathertail. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll find out.”
Leafpaw tensed. She had told Mothwing about the Twoleg monsters, but obviously Mothwing had not passed on the news to the rest of her Clan. Chilled by the hunger in Hawkfrost’s voice, Leafpaw prayed to StarClan that she would say nothing about it now. To her relief, her friend meowed calmly, “There’s nothing wrong in RiverClan, so why should we care?”
“Have you got bees in your brain?” Hawkfrost snapped. “This could be our chance to make RiverClan great. If the other Clans are weak, we could rule over the whole forest.”
“What?” Mothwing sounded disgusted. “You’re the one with bees in your brain. Who do you think you are—Tigerstar?”
“There are worse cats to imitate,” Hawkfrost meowed.
Pure icy fear lanced through Leafpaw. Tigerstar had been prepared to kill any cat who opposed him in his quest for supreme power. And now another cat was preparing to follow in his pawsteps.
Another thought sprang into her mind. This was what Mothwing must have meant when she talked about a cat with ambitions, on the day she rescued Leafpaw and Sorreltail from WindClan. She had been worried about her own brother! A few days before, Leafpaw had been sure that the forest would never produce another Tigerstar; now she could only strain her ears, horrified, to make out what Hawkfrost would say next.
“Have you forgotten what happened to Tigerstar?” Mothwing snapped. “He failed, and now he’s just a name to frighten kits with.”
“I shall learn from his mistakes.” Hawkfrost’s voice rumbled deep in his chest. “Our mother told us enough about him, after all. He broke the warrior code, and he deserved to fail. I shall know better.”
Leafpaw stared at the reeds in front of her, puzzled. Hawkfrost’s mother, Sasha, the rogue cat, had told them about Tigerstar? How did she know? Leafpaw had never met Sasha—the Clanless she-cat had stayed in RiverClan for only a short while, long enough to decide that she wanted her kits to be raised as part of the Clan. No cat knew where she had been before then.
In her bewilderment Leafpaw had not noticed that the wind had changed, and that a playful breeze, twisting its way upriver, had carried her scent with it.
“I cansmell ThunderClan,” Hawkfrost declared suddenly. Leafpaw’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest. “The scent’s fresh too. If one of their warriors is on our territory, I’ll claw his fur off.”
Above her head, Leafpaw heard Mothwing scramble to her paws. “You’re right!” she exclaimed. “It’s this way. Come on!”
Leafpaw heard her voice growing fainter as she bounded away in the opposite direction. “Mouse-brain!” Hawkfrost argued. “It’s downstream. . . .”
Leafpaw didn’t wait to hear any more. While he was following Mothwing, she broke out of the reeds and streaked up the bank toward the ThunderClan border. She plunged thankfully into thick bracken just on the ThunderClan side of the border.
Turning to peer out again, she saw Hawkfrost padding downstream, stopping to give the clump of reeds where she had just been hiding a good sniff before turning back to Mothwing with a frustrated growl. Once again Leafpaw was struck by the powerful tabby’s resemblance to some other cat; the thought bothered her like a tick she couldn’t reach, because she still couldn’t remember who.
She was too far away to hear what the two RiverClan cats said to each other, but after a few moments, they both continued downstream to the stepping-stones and crossed to the RiverClan side of the river. When they finally disappeared into the reeds, Leafpaw drew a huge breath of relief and started trotting back to camp.
The guilt she felt about her full belly was almost forgotten amid pricklings of unease about what Mothwing had said. Hawkfrost sounded as ambitious as Tigerstar—and there was no place for that when the forest was on the brink of destruction.
A gleam of dying sunlight pierced the clouds and lay like a streak of blood on the forest floor. Leafpaw guessed that Cinderpelt would be wondering where she was, but she needed time to figure out how Hawkfrost and Mothwing knew so much about Tigerstar. She sat down and began to groom her drying fur.
Sasha had been a rogue cat wandering the forest, until she had come to RiverClan with her kits and settled briefly there. She might have visited ShadowClan when Tigerstar was leader. It was possible. . . .
Leafpaw froze. She realized which cat Hawkfrost resembled so strongly. Brambleclaw! And every cat knew who Brambleclaw’s father was. Could it be possible that Tigerstarwas Hawkfrost’s and Mothwing’s father as well? If he was, that would make Hawkfrost and Brambleclaw half brothers.
She was staring into the trees as if she could see the answer there when her thoughts were interrupted by the frantic beating of wings. She looked up to see a magpie fluttering out of the bushes to land on a branch above her head. At the same time a loud voice exclaimed, “Mouse dung!”
The bushes just ahead of her rustled violently and Graystripe appeared, glaring up at the magpie with frustration in his yellow eyes. “Missed it,” he muttered. “I don’t know what’s the matter with me.”
Leafpaw rose to her paws as the deputy approached, dipping her head respectfully and letting out a sympathetic purr. She hoped that her pelt was dry enough for Graystripe not to notice that she had been swimming.
“Hello, Leafpaw,” he meowed. “Sorry if I startled you. Actually, I do know what’s wrong with me,” he went on, the tip of his tail twitching uneasily. “I can’t get Feathertail and Stormfur out of my head. I wish I knew where they’ve gone. Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw too.”
Leafpaw felt another pang of guilt. She could save Graystripe so much worry if she told him what she knew about the prophecy, but she had promised the journeying cats that she would keep silent.
“I feel that they’re all safe,” she ventured, “and that they’ll come back to us.”
Graystripe looked up with a flicker of hope in his amber eyes. “Has StarClan told you that?”
“Not exactly, but—”
“I can’t help wondering if it has something to do with the Twolegs,” Graystripe interrupted. “Cats go missing—Twolegs invade us. . . .” His paws worked against the ground, tearing up the grass with his claws.
“Graystripe, can I ask you something?” Leafpaw meowed, desperate to change the subject.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Did you ever meet Sasha—Hawkfrost and Mothwing’s mother?”
Graystripe looked at her in surprise. “Once. At a Gathering.”
“What was she like?” Leafpaw asked curiously.
“Nice enough,” Graystripe told her. “Quiet and ready to be friendly. A lot like Mothwing to look at. But it was clear that being among a lot of cats spooked her. I wasn’t surprised when she left the forest as soon as Mothwing and Hawkfrost were old enough to do without her.”
“Does any cat know who their father was?”
The deputy shook his head. “No. I always assumed it was another rogue.”
“Rogues?”
There was the sound of pawsteps behind them, and Leafpaw spun around to see Firestar approaching from the direction of the camp.
“Have you seen rogues?” he demanded, tension clear in every hair on his flame-colored pelt. “For StarClan’s sake, that’s the last thing we need right now.”
“No, no, not at all.” Graystripe meowed quickly. “Leafpaw was just asking about Sasha, and which cat fathered Mothwing and Hawkfrost.”
Firestar turned to look at Leafpaw, his green eyes puzzled. “Why do you want to know?”
Leafpaw hesitated. She wasn’t about to admit that she had been spending time with Mothwing in RiverClan territory. “Oh, I just saw Hawkfrost,” she meowed. “He was patrolling on the border.” Well, she comforted herself, that was not entirely a lie. There was no way she was going to mention her suspicions that Tigerstar had fathered Hawkfrost and Mothwing, not when he and Firestar had been such bitter enemies.
Firestar nodded. “Well, I’ve no idea. Sasha might have told some cat in RiverClan, I suppose.”
He padded across to Graystripe and touched noses with his old friend as if he guessed the thoughts that were troubling him. Both cats had lost children among the six cats that had vanished from the forest. They stared up into the trees, where a chilly wind was tugging leaves from the branches until they drifted down to join the other dead leaves on the forest floor.
“They must be cold, with no Clan to shelter them each night,” Graystripe murmured.
“At least they have one another,” Firestar mewed, pressing himself against Graystripe’s side.
For a moment both cats remained silent; then Firestar turned to his daughter. “Leafpaw, you sometimes know what Squirrelpaw is thinking, don’t you? You told us she was with the RiverClan cats. Have you any idea where they are now?”
Leafpaw blinked. She couldn’t deny her father the chance to know if Squirrelpaw was alive—and she wanted to know just as fiercely. She shut her eyes and summoned up her old rapport with her sister. Emptying her mind, she concentrated fiercely. She gasped to feel a surge of cold and wet, shuddering as a blast of cold wind probed her drying fur. But there was no sign of Squirrelpaw anywhere—just water, blasting air, and endless rock.
Opening her eyes, Leafpaw blinked in confusion as she realized that her fur was dry and the forest was still. She had made contact with her sister after all!
“She’s alive,” she murmured. Beside her, Firestar’s eyes lit up. “And wherever she is, I think it must be raining. . . .”
第六章
第六章
叶爪猛然从水面下露出头来，她大口喘着气，脚下一阵乱蹬想踩到坚实的地面。湍急的河水冲击着她的四肢，她使劲稳住腿站牢，抖抖毛皮上冰冷的水珠。河岸离她只有几尾长。在落叶季苍白的阳光下，她冻得哆哆嗦嗦的，一抬头，看到蛾翅正在一块突出的岩石上俯视着她。
这只河族猫眯缝着琥珀色的眼睛。“捕鱼也不用跳到河里去啊！”她戏谑地说道。
“我当然知道！”叶爪恼怒地反驳道，“我只是不小心滑进河里了。”
“我相信你，”蛾翅咕哝着说，迅速地舔了一下自己前胸上金色的毛，“现在上来吧，我们再试一次。我来教你怎么捉鱼，这也许是我唯一能做的了。”
“我还是不太确定是不是该跟你学捉鱼。”叶爪说着蹚水走向岸边。
“当然应该学。兔子和松鼠都消失了，全是两脚兽干的好事。幸亏河里还有鱼，够所有的猫吃。”
“但要捉鱼，我就不得不到河族境内来，”叶爪有些担心地说，“如果豹星知道了会怎么说？”
蛾翅眨眨眼说：“我们都是巫医，所以族群边界对我们来说，不像对其他猫那样严格。”
叶爪认为武士守则并没有这么说。她的朋友早在几天前已经说过同样的话了，就是她和栗尾被风族武士追赶，蛾翅出手相救的那一次。这天早上，当叶爪在太阳石附近采草药时，蛾翅喊她，说要教她捕鱼。叶爪一开始很紧张，因为要跨过边界进入河族领地，但雷族领地内的猎物已经非常罕见了，饥肠辘辘的肚子使她顾不上那么多了。从始至终，她的耳朵和鼻子一直保持着警惕，留意是否有河族的巡逻队。
“不错，”蛾翅继续说，“蹲伏在我身边，向下看水里面。一看到有鱼，就赶紧用爪子捞！很容易的。”
岸上已经躺了好几条鳞光闪闪的鱼，这表明，捕鱼对蛾翅来说有多容易。叶爪憧憬地看着，不知道自己学不学得会。
“想来一点吗？”蛾翅顺着她的目光，提议道。
一想到自己吃饱了而自己的族猫还饿着肚子，叶爪心里有点内疚。但从昨天晚上吃过一条瘦小的田鼠外，她就没吃过别的猎物了。“我不能……”她喃喃道，心里在默默劝自己，就算她也饿着，也不会对自己的族群有任何帮助。
“你当然能吃。这有什么关系呢？”
叶爪不等蛾翅再次邀请，就在那堆鱼前面蹲伏了下来，爪子将鱼按住，牙齿咬进那冰凉的鱼身。“太好吃了。”她边吃边说。
蛾翅看上去很高兴。“学会怎么捕鱼，你可以为你的族群带更多鱼回去。”她也挑剔地吃了两口，一副早已吃饱、吃不吃都行的样子。
叶爪狼吞虎咽地吃完了剩下的鱼肉，默默对自己说，一定要为族里找些食物作为补偿。一吃完，她就在蛾翅身旁的石头上坐了下来，全神贯注地盯着水面，等待机会自己抓鱼。
一股陌生的气味飘过来，蛾翅立刻发出嘘声：“鹰霜！”叶爪只觉肋下被一只爪子使劲推了一下，自己身子一斜，就从石头边上又掉进了河里。她使劲扑腾着，不知道蛾翅为何要淹死她。等她脑袋刚伸出水面，就看见高大的虎斑猫鹰霜走到了河岸，这才明白蛾翅只有这么做，才能让她最快地藏起来。
叶爪用四爪轻轻拍着水，一直让鼻子露出水面，她顺流而下漂了几尾长的距离，来到一处芦苇丛。从这里，她可以爬到靠雷族这一边的河岸躲起来。
鹰霜停下来跟他的妹妹说着什么。叶爪知道她不得不就地躲起来，得等鹰霜走远才能休息一下，再穿过开阔地向雷族边界走去。她全身湿透了，不住地哆嗦着。
“……要特别留意风族，”等耳朵里的水倒空了，叶爪听见鹰霜说道，“我清楚地知道他们在偷我们的鱼，总有一天，我会抓住他们的。”
“他们不会从这儿偷，是不是？”蛾翅一脸无辜地说，“如果风族真的偷鱼的话，他们会在靠近四棵树的河里。”
“风族和雷族都有可能偷鱼，”鹰霜很不满地又说了一句，“我现在就闻到了雷族猫的气味。”
叶爪吓得一哆嗦，赶紧往芦苇丛里缩了缩身子。
“那有什么啊？我们和雷族的边界就在那边，”蛾翅说，“闻不到雷族猫的气味才奇怪呢。”
鹰霜哼了一下：“森林里有些不对头。四大族群都有猫失踪。你还记得上次森林大会时，其他几族族长说的话吗？除了暴毛和羽尾，还有另外四只猫也不见了。我不知道究竟发生了什么事，但我会查个水落石出的。”
叶爪一下子紧张起来。她跟蛾翅讲过两脚兽怪物的事情，但很显然，蛾翅没有把这些消息透露给她的族猫。鹰霜的语气非常迫切，令叶爪感到胆寒。叶爪心里向星族暗暗祈祷，但愿蛾翅现在什么也不会说出来。使她感到安慰的是，她的朋友只是平静地说道：“既然河族没什么不对头的，我们何必还要操心呢？”
“你脑子里进蜜蜂了吗？”鹰霜猛地说道，“这是我们壮大河族的机会。如果其他族群变弱了，我们就能统治整个森林。”
“什么？”蛾翅用很厌恶的语气说，“你脑子里才进了蜜蜂。你以为你是谁——虎星？”
“我想仿效的猫比他坏多了。”鹰霜说道。
冰冷的恐惧一下子刺穿了叶爪。虎星为了爬上权力的最高峰，曾准备杀死所有反对他的猫。而现在，又有一只猫准备步他后尘。
这时，另一个念头从她脑子里一闪而过。原来他就是那天蛾翅从风族武士掌中救下叶爪和栗尾后，提到的那只有野心的猫。她一直在担心自己的哥哥！几天前，叶爪还笃信森林里不可能再出一个虎星，现在她只能惊恐地伸长耳朵，听听鹰霜还要说什么。
“你难道忘了虎星的下场？”蛾翅突然说道，“他失败了，现在，他的名字只用来吓唬幼崽了。”
“我会吸取他的教训。”鹰霜的声音很低沉，像是从胸腔里发出来的，“毕竟我们的妈妈跟我们讲过很多他的事。他不遵守武士守则，所以注定会失败。我会牢牢记得这一点的。”
叶爪盯着她面前的芦苇，困惑不已。鹰霜的妈妈，泼皮猫莎夏，跟他们讲过虎星的事情？她是怎么知道的？叶爪从没见过莎夏。这只不属于任何族群的母猫，只在河族待了很短的一段时间，便决定把她的幼崽留在河族，当成河族的一分子抚养。至于她之前在哪儿待过，没有猫知道。
叶爪因为走神，没注意到风向已经变了，调皮的风竟然往上游吹，也把她的气味吹向上游。
“我确实闻到了雷族猫的气味。”鹰霜突然大声说。叶爪紧张得心都要跳出来了。“这气味也很新鲜。如果他们的武士胆敢进入我们的领地，我一定会剥了他们的皮。”
叶爪听到上方传来蛾翅爬起来的声音。“你说得没错！”她大叫道，“这边走，快点！”
叶爪听到蛾翅朝相反的方向跑去，声音也越来越小。“鼠脑子！”鹰霜反驳道，“是从下游……”
叶爪不等他们再说什么，看到他跟蛾翅走远，她一头钻出芦苇，飞快地爬上岸向雷族边界跑去。她一头扎进雷族境内茂密的蕨丛里，心里对蛾翅充满了感激。
当她转身回头偷看时，看到鹰霜正往下游走来，在她刚才藏身的芦苇丛处停了下来，嗅了好一阵子，然后转身冲着蛾翅一阵乱吼。叶爪再一次震惊了，这只强大的虎斑猫跟某只猫实在是太像了；这个念头一直困扰着她，就像一只够不着的虱子，因为她就是想不起来他像谁。
因为离得太远，她听不见两只河族猫互相在说什么。但过了一会儿，他们俩继续往下游的垫脚石走去，然后回到另一边的河族领地。看到他们最终消失在芦苇丛里，叶爪长出了一口气，动身朝营地跑去。
独自填饱肚子的内疚感被叶爪几乎全忘掉了，她对蛾翅说的那些话很是不安。鹰霜听起来就和虎星一样野心勃勃——但森林濒临毁灭，他根本没有用武之地啊！
残阳的余晖穿透了云层，在森林的地面铺上了一道血痕。叶爪猜炭毛也许在想她去哪儿了，但她需要时间好好想想鹰霜和蛾翅为什么知道虎星那么多事情。她坐下来，开始整理半干的毛。
莎夏一直是一只游走在森林里的泼皮猫，直到有一天她带着自己的孩子来到河族，在那儿短暂留了下来。在虎星还是影族族长的时候，她可能拜访过影族。这是很可能的……
叶爪呆住了。她忽然想起为什么鹰霜看起来总有点眼熟。他长得非常像黑莓掌！每只猫都知道黑莓掌的父亲是谁。有没有可能虎星也是鹰霜和蛾翅的父亲？如果真的如此，鹰霜和黑莓掌就是同父异母的兄弟。
她出神地盯着树林，仿佛从中可以看出答案。这时，一阵鸟拼命震动翅膀的声音打断了她的思绪。她一抬头，看到一只喜鹊拍打着翅膀从灌木丛里飞出来，正落在她头顶上方的树枝上。同时有个声音大喊道：“老鼠屎！”
她前方的灌木丛猛烈颤动着，灰条从里面钻了出来，抬头看着喜鹊，黄色的眼睛里满是失望。“没逮住，”他小声嘀咕道，“真不知道我这到底是怎么了。”
当副族长走近的时候，叶爪站起身，冲他恭敬地点了下头，发出一阵同情的咕噜声。她希望身上的毛已经彻底干了，灰条看不出她曾经下过水。
“你好，叶爪。”他说道，“如果吓到你了，我很抱歉。事实上，我知道自己哪儿不对劲，”他的尾巴尖不安地抽动着，“我满脑子想的都是羽尾和暴毛。我只想知道他们去哪儿了。也有黑莓掌和松鼠爪。”
叶爪又因为另一种负疚感而痛苦起来。如果她把自己了解到的关于森林预言的一切都告诉灰条，就可以大大缓解他的焦虑，但她答应过那几只远行的猫，自己会守口如瓶的。
“我觉得他们全都安然无恙，”她小心地说道，“他们一定会回到我们身边的。”
灰条抬起头，黄色的眼睛里充满了希望。“星族是这么告诉你的吗？”
“不全是，但……”
“我总是忍不住想，他们的出走是不是跟两脚兽有关，”灰条打断了她，“几只猫失踪了——两脚兽入侵我们境内……”他的脚掌使劲在地上刨着，撕碎了脚下的野草。
“灰条，我可以问你点事吗？”叶爪突然转换了话题。
“当然可以，你问吧。”
“你见过莎夏吗？就是鹰霜和蛾翅的母亲？”
灰条惊讶地看着她：“见过一次，有一回在森林大会上见过。”
“她长什么样？”叶爪好奇地问。
“很漂亮，”灰条告诉她，“文文静静的，很友善，长得跟蛾翅很像。不过，群猫中的生活吓着她了。所以蛾翅和鹰霜长到能离开她也可以的时候，她就抛下他们离开了森林。对此，我一点也不奇怪。”
“有谁知道他俩的父亲是谁吗？”
副族长摇摇头：“没有。我一直推断他俩的父亲是另一只泼皮猫。”
“泼皮猫？”
身后传来了脚步声，叶爪一转身，看到火星从营地方向走了过来。
“你们碰见泼皮猫了？”火星问道，他浑身每一根火焰般的皮毛都紧张起来。“星族保佑，那是我们眼下最不想见到的。”
“不，不，不是那样。”灰条赶快解释道，“叶爪只不过说起了莎夏，问蛾翅和鹰霜的父亲是谁。”
火星转脸看向叶爪，绿眼睛充满了不解：“为什么问起这个？”
叶爪有些犹豫。她不想说出她刚才和蛾翅在河族领地里待了一会儿。“哦，我刚看到鹰霜，”她努力稳定情绪，“他正在边界附近巡逻。”嗯，说的也不全是谎话。她根本没办法将自己的疑虑说出口，问虎星是不是鹰霜和蛾翅的父亲，毕竟虎星和火星是不共戴天的仇敌。
火星点点头：“哦，我也不太清楚。我猜测，莎夏可能只会跟河族的猫说。”
他走到灰条身边，跟这位老朋友碰了碰鼻子，仿佛猜得到他为什么烦恼。从森林里消失的六只猫中间，就有这两只猫的孩子。他俩抬头注视着前方的树林，一阵寒风刮过，树叶在枝头苦苦挣扎，最终还是从枝头飘落下来，坠入森林地面上的枯叶堆里。
“他们夜里没有族群庇护，一定很冷。”灰条喃喃道。
“至少他们可以互相做伴。”火星说着侧身靠在灰条身上。
两只猫一起沉默了片刻，然后火星转向女儿说道：“叶爪，你有时候能感应到松鼠爪在想什么，是吧？你说她和河族猫在一起，那你知道她现在在哪儿吗？”
叶爪眨眨眼睛。她的父亲想知道松鼠爪是不是还活着，她根本没办法拒绝，更何况她自己也非常想知道。于是，她闭上眼睛，召唤自己和妹妹古老的感应。她清空杂念，集中精神。她感觉到一股又冷又湿的波浪，就像一阵风吹进了她那半干的皮毛中，令她直打冷战。叶爪一下子屏住了呼吸。但哪儿都没有松鼠爪的影子——只看到水、狂风和无边无际的岩石。
叶爪睁开眼，疑惑地眨眨眼，然后才发现，自己身上的毛早已经干了，自己身处寂静的森林里。她总算跟妹妹联系上了。
“她还活着。”她低声说道。她身旁的火星眼睛一下子亮了。“不管她现在在哪儿，我想，那里一定在下雨……”
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7
Stormfur opened his eyes and blinkedin light that was sharp as a claw. His breath rasped in his throat and every muscle in his body ached. He felt too exhausted even to move.
As his vision cleared he saw that he was lying on rain-wet rock, beside a pool of churning black water. His ears were ringing; when he raised his head feebly he saw a waterfall thundering down into the pool in a whirl of foam and spray, and realized that what he could hear was the roar and crash of falling water.
At once he remembered the flood that had swept him down from the rocks and plunged him into the pool. How had he survived? He remembered the roar, the foam, the darkness. . . . Fear for his friends stabbed through him.
“Feathertail? Squirrelpaw?” he mewed hoarsely.
“Over here.”
The reply was so faint, it was nearly lost in the endless pounding of the waterfall. Stormfur turned his head to see Squirrelpaw splayed out on the rock beside him, her dark ginger fur sodden.
“Got to sleep . . .” she muttered, closing her eyes.
Just beyond her, Stormfur could see Brambleclaw, stretched limply on his side. The ThunderClan warrior was staring up at the sky, his breathing fast and shallow. Crowpaw was on Stormfur’s other side; with a feeling of horror, he thought the WindClan apprentice was dead until he saw the faint rise and fall of his flank.
What about Feathertail and Tawnypelt? Beginning to panic, Stormfur struggled to sit up. At first he could not see either his sister or the tortoiseshell she-cat. Then a movement farther around the pool caught his eye. Near the waterfall, Feathertail was helping Tawnypelt out onto the rock. The ShadowClan warrior was tottering on three legs, and as soon as she reached solid ground she collapsed and lay without moving. Feathertail hauled herself out, her gray fur plastered to her sides so it looked almost black. She settled down beside Tawnypelt and gave her shoulder a couple of feeble licks.
“Thank StarClan!” Stormfur rasped aloud. “We all made it.”
He vaguely knew they had to find shelter, that if they went on lying here they were vulnerable to predators like the eagle, but he was too exhausted to move. He gave his drying fur a few licks, but even that was too much effort. He lay still, his senses drifting, his gaze fixed unseeingly on the rocks beside the pool.
As his senses gradually returned he noticed that they were lying in a curved bowl of rock, open on the side where the stream surged out of the pool and headed down the valley. Boulders covered the ground on either bank, a couple of spindly trees rooted among them. Light shivered on the water; the rain had almost stopped and the clouds were thinning out. Above Stormfur’s head, rainbows danced in the spray thrown up by the waterfall. A thin beam of sunlight splashed on the rocks a tail-length away from him; he dragged himself painfully into it and sighed with pleasure at the warmth on his fur.
A few heartbeats later he thought he saw a flash of movement. He blinked, straining to focus his eyes. For a moment all was still; then he caught another flicker on the far side of the pool. His fur prickled. They were being watched!
Stormfur narrowed his eyes, gazing hard at the boulders near the waterfall. “Brambleclaw,” he whispered. “Look over there.”
“What?” The ThunderClan warrior raised his head, peered around, and lay down again. “Can’t see anything.”
“There!” Stormfur hissed as movement flickered again, this time a tail-length closer. He flexed his claws, knowing how helpless he and his friends were to defend themselves.
Then a gray-brown shape detached itself from the rock and began padding toward him around the edge of the pool. It was a cat! Before Stormfur could move, another cat appeared and then another, a whole group of cats moving silently away from the rocks where they had been hidden, camouflaged against the boulders, as if they were carved from stone themselves. They sat on the edge of the pool, staring unblinkingly at the group of half-drowned travelers.
Stormfur swallowed hard. These cats were like none he had ever seen before, uniformly gray-brown with dull, flattened fur. Then one moved into the sunlight and he realized that their fur was covered with thick streaks of mud, helping them to blend into the rocks and hiding the real color of their pelts.
Stormfur sat up, his muscles shrieking a protest. He prodded Squirrelpaw with one paw and whispered hoarsely, “Sit up very slowly. Whatever you do, don’t say anything out loud.”
Squirrelpaw lifted her head, then saw the watching cats and tried to scramble up with alarm flaring in her green eyes. Her movement disturbed Brambleclaw, who jumped up at once. Stormfur managed to get to his paws and stand beside him, thankful to have the strong ThunderClan warrior with him as they faced danger.
Brambleclaw glanced around for the other cats. “Feathertail, Tawnypelt—over here, now.” There was a commanding rasp in his voice, even though it shook with exhaustion. “You too, Crowpaw.”
Crowpaw struggled up, for once not arguing, and went to help Feathertail. Tawnypelt was leaning against her shoulder, hardly able to move. The three of them limped around the pool until they could bunch together with Stormfur and the others, their eyes wide and scared as they watched the strange cats.
Stormfur knew they were too shaken and exhausted to defend themselves. But in spite of his fear a pang of curiosity stabbed him. He wanted to know more about these strangers who looked so different from any other cats he had known. The thought even flashed through his mind that they might help with food and shelter—then he reminded himself that he and his friends were unlikely to be made welcome after trespassing on the strange cats’ territory, and the best they could expect was to be driven off.
He hardly dared to breathe as the first cat approached and studied them all carefully. Padding close to Stormfur, he gave him an especially long scrutiny, barely sparing a glance for the cats on the other side of him. Stormfur tried to meet the staring yellow eyes, wondering uneasily what it was about him that interested the mud-clad cat so much.
“Is this the one?” A tabby she-cat stepped forward eagerly. She spoke in the same language as the Clan cats, though the sound of the words was strange to Stormfur’s ears, and the question more confusing still. He watched her as she drew closer, her lithe body balancing easily on the slippery stones at the edge of the pool. “Is this what we’ve hoped for?” she persisted, reaching her Clanmate’s side.
The first cat’s head whipped around and he glared at the speaker. “Silence, Brook!” Turning back to Stormfur he asked roughly, “Who are you? Have you traveled far?”
Stormfur heard Tawnypelt mutter, “What are these—mud warriors? We’re more than a match for them,” and felt heartened by the ShadowClan cat’s abrasive courage.
“Yes, we’ve come a long way,” Squirrelpaw answered. “Can you help us?”
“Careful,” Brambleclaw interrupted with a warning look. To the strange cat he added, “We are travelers trying to cross the mountains. We’re not looking for trouble, but if you are enemies, we can fight.”
The cat narrowed his eyes. “We have no wish for fighting. Your journey has brought you to the Tribe of Rushing Water.”
“You are welcome if you come in friendship,” the tabby she-cat added, a glow in her amber eyes as she looked at Stormfur.
Stormfur remembered that Midnight the badger had spoken of cats who lived in Tribes instead of Clans. These must be the cats she meant, though she had said nothing to suggest the Clan cats would encounter them on their journey home. Surely she must have known that they would come across the Tribe as they crossed the mountains. Stormfur reminded himself that he had instinctively trusted Midnight; if the Tribe had been dangerous, she would have warned them, or told them to go the other way. Instead she had implied that this route had been laid down for them. Did that mean she thought that they were destined to meet the Tribe?
As the she-cat spoke, another of the strangers came padding up to look at Stormfur with a gleam in his eyes. “Come on, Crag,” he meowed to the first cat. “We should take this one to Stoneteller.”
“What?” Brambleclaw stepped forward to confront Crag, while Stormfur tensed his muscles in readiness for a fight. “You’re taking him nowhere without us. We want to talk to your leader.” As Crag motioned the other cat back with an angry flick of his tail, the ThunderClan warrior relaxed slightly. “We only want to travel in peace,” he went on. “My name is Brambleclaw of ThunderClan.”
Crag bowed his head while stretching out one paw, an odd but polite gesture. “My name is Crag Where Eagles Nest,” he announced.
“And I am Brook Where Small Fish Swim,” the tabby she-cat added, stretching out a paw as Crag had done.
Crag gave her a disapproving look, as if he was not happy that she had put herself forward. His gaze flicked past Brambleclaw and rested again on Stormfur. “What is this one’s name?”
“I’m Stormfur.” He tried to push down the uncomfortable feeling that these cats’ fascination gave him. “I come from RiverClan.”
“Stormfur,” Crag repeated.
“I’m Squirrelpaw.” The tense moment was broken as the ThunderClan apprentice spoke up.
“And I’m Crowpaw.”
“I’m Feathertail, and this is Tawnypelt.” Stormfur’s sister fixed anxious blue eyes on Crag. “Please, can you help her? Her shoulder is badly injured.”
Brambleclaw glared at Feathertail with a hiss of disapproval; this was no time to be admitting weakness to strangers.
Instantly Crowpaw stepped forward. “She’s right,” he defended Feathertail. “This Clan might have a medicine cat who can help.”
“Your words are strange to us,” Crag responded. “But we will help. Come with us now and our leader will speak with you.”
“Hang on,” Crowpaw meowed. He was still shaky on his legs but he was obviously trying hard to sound fit to defend himself. “How far are we going?”
“Not far,” meowed Brook.
Stormfur glanced at the watching cats around the edge of the pool. “What else can we do, except go with them?” he murmured to Brambleclaw. “We need to rest.”
He said nothing of his own misgivings about Crag’s penetrating gaze. After all, any cat would stare if he found six half-drowned strangers in his territory.
Brambleclaw nodded. “All right,” he meowed to Crag. “We’ll come.”
“Good.” Crag led the way along the edge of the pool, leaped up the first few rocks beside the waterfall, and then vanished behind the sheet of foaming water.
Stormfur stared in astonishment, half expecting the strange cat to come hurtling down into the pool again, knocked off his paws by the waterfall.
Then Brook stepped forward, gesturing with her tail. “This is the Path of the Rushing Water. Come—it is safe.”
The rest of the cats had risen to their paws and gathered around them; Stormfur felt uneasy that he and his friends were being herded after Crag as if they were prisoners. But he had no choice but to follow the mud-covered cats and scramble up the rocks. It was a hard climb after their fall, especially for Tawnypelt, who was limping heavily. Halfway up, she stumbled and almost slipped back into the pool, until Brook darted forward to steady her.
The ShadowClan warrior flinched away from her. “I’m fine,” she growled.
As Stormfur hauled himself up to where Crag had disappeared, he saw the Tribe cat waiting for him on a narrow ledge of rock leading behind the waterfall. A dark hole gaped at the end of it.
“I’m not going in there!” Squirrelpaw exclaimed.
“You’ll be fine.” Brambleclaw spoke reassuringly behind her.
“There is no danger,” Crag meowed, padding confidently along the path and standing at the mouth of the hole.
Stormfur swallowed. They had to trust these cats—there was no way they could make it through the mountains without food and rest. “Come on.”
Taking the lead, he edged along the path, pressing himself against the rock as far as possible from the sheet of thundering water. It was barely a tail-length away from him; spray misted his fur, and the rock underneath his paws was cold and slippery. Too tense to turn around, he could not be sure that the other cats were following him. He felt as if he were walking alone into endless, thundering darkness.
But the gaping hole led into a cave with steep rocky walls, stretching nearly to the top of the waterfall. Stormfur paused on the threshold, peering past Crag at soaring walls that ran with water. The scent of many more strange cats drifted out to him, hidden in the shadows around the edge of the cave.
“What’s in there?” Feathertail murmured nervously, trying to peer inside. She was shivering, her pelt so sodden that it looked almost as dark as Crowpaw’s.
Crowpaw brushed against her flank. “Whatever happens, we’ll be there together,” he murmured.
Stormfur suspected he was not supposed to hear that; he had to stop himself from spitting at Crowpaw or shooting an angry glare at his sister. There were far more pressing things to think about right now.
Crag waved his tail once again and padded into the cave, turning back to check that the others were behind him.
“I don’t like this,” Squirrelpaw muttered. “How do we know what we’re going to find in there?”
“We don’t,” Brambleclaw replied. “But we’ve got to face it. Everything on this journey happens for a reason. We owe it to the Clans to see this through.”
“We never thought it would be easy,” Stormfur agreed, trying to shake off the deep sense of dread that overcame him at the thought of setting paw inside the cave.
“Well, if we have to do it, let’s get on with it.” Crowpaw pushed forward and led the way inside.
Stormfur followed, the other cats crowding behind him. As he gazed around he heard Tawnypelt mew quietly, as much to reassure herself as the rest of them, “StarClan will be with us, even here.”
第七章
第七章
暴毛睁开眼睛，只觉日光锋利如爪，刺得他不住眨动着眼睛。他喉咙里喘着粗气，浑身每块肌肉都在疼。他感觉浑身筋疲力尽，一动也不能动。
视线清晰以后，他看见自己躺在一块湿漉漉的岩石上，旁边就是一个水潭，水潭里的黑水不住地翻腾着。耳边一直有声音在隆隆作响。他勉强抬起头，看见一道瀑布从高处冲入水潭，发出雷鸣般的响声，在水面上冲出泛着泡沫的旋涡和水雾。他这才恍然大悟，原来他听到的是水流冲下来拍击水面的轰鸣声。
他一下子想了起来，山洪暴发后，把他从石头堆里冲到水潭。他是怎么活下来的？他只记得轰鸣声，泡沫，黑暗……一想到同伴可能已惨遭不测，他就感觉心犹如被刺穿般疼痛。
“羽尾？松鼠爪？”他声音嘶哑地喊道。
“我在这儿。”
暴毛听到一声微弱的应答，险些淹没在震耳欲聋的瀑布声中。暴毛一扭头，看见松鼠爪四肢摊开躺在他旁边的石头上，暗姜黄色的皮毛全都湿透了。
“我得睡觉了……”她喃喃地说着，合上了眼睛。
越过松鼠爪，暴毛看见黑莓掌侧身躺着，四肢软绵绵地伸着。这位雷族武士直勾勾地抬头望着天空，呼吸又急又浅。暴毛转向另一边，看到了鸦爪。他非常惊恐，还以为这个风族学徒死了。直到看见他侧腹有轻微的起伏，才放下心来。
羽尾和褐皮是什么情况？暴毛又开始恐慌了，他挣扎着坐了起来。一开始，他并没有看见妹妹，也没瞅见玳瑁色的母猫。很快，他发现远一点的水潭边有个什么东西在动。在靠近瀑布的地方，羽尾正帮着褐皮从水里爬到岩石上。这名影族武士撑着三条腿颤颤巍巍地站起来，一爬上坚实的地面，她就瘫倒了，一动不动地躺在那儿。羽尾也费劲地爬了上去，一身浅灰色皮毛沾满了黑泥，看起来几乎成了黑猫。她在褐皮身旁坐下，无力地舔着褐皮的肩膀。
“感谢星族！”暴毛尖声大喊道，“我们全都逃过一劫。”
他隐约觉得大家必须找个藏身地，如果继续躺在这儿，极易受到老鹰等捕食者的攻击。但他全身虚脱，根本无力动弹。他舔舔身上快干的毛，但即使做这样简单的动作也很费力。他静静地躺着，意识慢慢模糊了，目光呆呆地落在水潭边的石头上，却什么也没看到。
等他的意识再次渐渐恢复的时候，他注意到他们都躺在一个弯曲成碗状的岩石里，正对着溪水下流的地方。只见溪流从水潭奔涌而出，向下流入山谷。谷底溪流的两岸遍布大圆石，几棵纤细的树在石缝间长了出来。溪水闪着点点银光，雨已经停了，云也散了。暴毛头顶上方，彩虹在瀑布溅起的水雾中翩翩起舞。一束微弱的阳光洒在离他一尾远的岩石上。他费劲地把身体移到那道阳光下，太阳温暖地照在皮毛上，他满足地舒了口气。
几个心跳过后，他觉着自己看到有什么东西一闪而过。他眨眨眼，凝神再看。周围空寂一片。接着，他看到水潭远端又有什么东西闪过。他的皮毛腾地全立起来了：他们被监视了。
暴毛眯起眼睛，努力盯着瀑布旁边的岩石看。“黑莓掌，”他轻声说，“看那边。”
“怎么了？”雷族武士抬起头，打量着四周，然后又躺下了，“我什么都没看到。”
“那边！”当那个身影再次闪动时，暴毛小声说道。这一次，距离他们又近了一尾长。他伸出爪子，但他深知，他和同伴们根本就无力自卫。
这时，一个灰褐色的身影从岩石那儿闪了出来，沿着水潭的边走到他跟前。是一只猫！暴毛还没来得及反应，又出现了一只猫，跟着又来了一只，居然有一群猫静静地从他们隐身的岩石后面走了出来。在大圆石的掩映下，他们仿佛就像是石头雕刻的一般。他们在水潭边坐了下来，目不转睛地盯着这群淹得半死的远行客。
暴毛艰难地咽了口口水。这些猫跟他以前见过的任何猫都不一样，他们全都是灰棕色的，皮毛黯淡、扁塌。然后，其中的一只走到阳光下，暴毛这才恍然大悟，原来他们身上都覆盖着一层厚厚的泥浆，把自己真实的毛色掩藏起来，变成了跟周围石头一样的保护色。
暴毛坐起来，感觉浑身的肌肉都不听自己的指挥。他用爪子杵了杵松鼠爪，嘶哑着嗓子轻声说：“慢慢地坐起来，不管做什么，都别出声。”
松鼠爪抬起头，看见一群猫滴溜溜地盯着自己，赶紧费力地爬了起来，绿眼睛满是惊慌的神情。黑莓掌被她的动静惊醒，一下子跳了起来。暴毛用力撑起四肢，站在黑莓掌身边，他很欣慰有这位强壮的雷族武士同他一起并肩战斗。
黑莓掌环顾四周，寻找其他同伴。“羽尾，褐皮——到这儿来，现在就过来。”尽管他的声音因为筋疲力尽有些颤抖，但听起来却不容置疑，“鸦爪，你也过来。”
鸦爪挣扎着站起来，头一次没有顶嘴，他走到羽尾身边帮她。褐皮斜靠着羽尾的肩膀，几乎不能移动。他们三个沿着水潭边一瘸一拐地走过来，跟暴毛他们聚到一起。当看到那群陌生的猫时，他们一个个都瞪大了眼睛，满脸恐惧。
暴毛知道他们现在站都站不稳，早已筋疲力尽，根本无法保护自己。尽管心里很害怕，他还是按捺不住强烈的好奇心，很想多了解一下，这群跟自己见过的猫长得很不一样的陌生猫。突然，一个念头在他脑子里一闪而过，也许这群陌生猫能给他们提供食物和住的地儿。随即他就提醒自己，他们几个擅闯陌生猫的地盘，陌生猫怎么可能会欢迎，只把他们赶出去已经是最好的结果了。当第一只猫走上前来，仔细打量着他们时，暴毛几乎大气都不敢出。他走到暴毛跟前，上上下下仔仔细细地检查了暴毛一番，只是瞟了一眼他身边的几个同伴。暴毛尽量迎着他那黄色眼睛，心里七上八下，很想知道自己到底是什么地方令那只糊满泥巴的猫如此感兴趣。
“是这一只吗？”一只虎斑母猫急切地走过来，她跟族群猫说着一样的语言，虽然在暴毛听来，她的口音有点奇怪，问的问题也令他摸不着头脑。暴毛趁她靠近自己时仔细地看了她一眼。只见她轻盈的身体在池边湿滑的石头上能轻松地保持住平衡。“这就是寄托着我们希望的那只猫吗？”她走到同伴身边时，又追问了一遍。
第一只猫突然转头瞅着问话的猫。“别说话，溪儿！”然后他又转向暴毛，粗暴地问道，“你是谁？你是从很远的地方来的吗？”
暴毛只听见褐皮小声说：“这些猫是什么猫——是泥巴武士？我们现在这模样比他们可强不少！”影族猫厌烦的话语中所体现出的勇气，令暴毛感觉大受鼓舞。
“是的，我们走了很长很长的路，”松鼠爪回答道，“你们能帮帮我们吗？”
“当心点。”黑莓掌打断她，警示地看她一眼。然后他又对那些奇怪的猫说道：“我们只是想要翻过这座山的旅行者。我们不会给你们找麻烦，但如果你们对我们不利，我们会奋起反抗。”
那只猫眯缝起双眼：“我们也不想打架。你们现在已经步入我们急水部落了。”
“如果你们是朋友，我们欢迎。”那只虎斑母猫补充道，当她看着暴毛时，琥珀色的眼睛发出亮光。
暴毛想起午夜曾经说过，有的猫是住在部落里而不是族群里。尽管它一点都没暗示过，他们这些族群猫在回家的途中会碰到部落猫，但这些猫肯定就是它所说的部落猫。它肯定知道，当他们翻越这座山的时候，会遇到这个部落。暴毛提醒自己，直觉上午夜是值得信赖的，如果这个部落很危险，它一定会警告他们，或者告诉他们走别的路。相反，它一直暗示这条路是特意为他们而设。它的意思是不是说，他们注定会遇上这个部落？
就在这只母猫说话的时候，另一只陌生猫走了过来，看着暴毛，眼睛里闪过一道光。“走吧，鹰崖，”他对第一只猫说，“我们应该把这只猫带到尖石巫师那儿去。”
“什么？”黑莓掌走到鹰崖面前，暴毛也绷紧了肌肉做好战斗的准备。“你们别想把他单独带走。我们要和你们的首领说话。”鹰崖恼怒地摇了一下尾巴示意同伴退后。雷族武士些微放松了一点，说道：“我们只想和平地通过这里。我叫黑莓掌，来自雷族。”
鹰崖点了一下头，伸出一只爪子做了个古怪但客气的手势。“我叫鹰崖，来自鹰巢。”他坦率地说道。
“我是溪儿，来自有小鱼的游溪。”虎斑母猫接过话说，她也伸展一只爪子做了个跟鹰崖相同的手势。
鹰崖不悦地看了她一眼，好像觉着她不该抢着做自我介绍。他的视线离开黑莓掌，再次落在暴毛身上：“这一位叫什么名字？”
“我叫暴毛。”这些猫似乎对他很感兴趣，令他觉着很不舒服，但他尽量克制着，“我来自河族。”
“暴毛。”鹰崖复述了一遍。
“我是松鼠爪。”幸好雷族学徒开口了，化解了紧张气氛。
“我是鸦爪。”
“我是羽尾，这是褐皮。”暴毛的妹妹盯着鹰崖，蓝色的眼睛里透着一丝焦虑，“求你们帮帮她，她肩膀受伤十分严重。”
黑莓掌瞪了羽尾一眼，发出不满的嘶嘶声。现在还不是向陌生猫暴露自己弱点的时候。
鸦爪立刻上前一步。“她这么做是对的，”他替羽尾辩护道，“这个族群应该也有巫医，能够救治褐皮。”
“你们说的话在我们听来感觉好奇怪，”鹰崖答道，“但我们会帮你们。现在就跟我们走吧，我们首领有话要问你们。”
“等一等！”鸦爪说道，他现在还很虚弱，站都站不稳，但他尽量想让自己的声音听起来仍有自卫能力，“我们得走多远？”
“不远。”溪儿说。
暴毛扫了一眼水潭边上盯着他们的那群猫。“除了跟他们走，我们还能做什么？”他轻声跟黑莓掌说，“而且，我们也需要休息。”
他没有说出自己对鹰崖别有深意的凝视充满了疑虑。毕竟，他们六个不速之客闯入了别家地盘，还都是半死不活的熊样，任是谁都会仔细地瞧一瞧的。
黑莓掌点点头。“好吧！”他又对鹰崖说，“我们这就跟你们走。”
“很好。”鹰崖领着他们沿着水潭边向前走，跃过瀑布边上的几块岩石，然后消失在冒泡的水帘后面。
暴毛看得目瞪口呆，猜想这只陌生猫会不会掉进水潭，被瀑布冲断爪子。
然后溪儿走向前，点了下尾巴，说道：“这是通向急水部落的路。来吧——很安全的。”
其余的猫都挺直身子，围在他们身边。暴毛心里惴惴不安，他和同伴被集中在鹰崖的身后，简直就像囚犯一样。但暴毛别无选择，只能跟着，沿着刚才那只满身糊着泥巴的猫走过的路向前，爬上了岩石。自从跌落瀑布之后，他们爬起来就很费劲了，特别是褐皮，她瘸得很厉害。爬到半路，她绊倒了，差点又滑到水潭里，溪儿急忙冲上前稳住了她。
这位影族武士往后一退，避开了溪儿。“我没事。”褐皮低吼道。
暴毛拖着沉重的身子爬到了刚才鹰崖消失的地方。他看见，这只部落猫正等在瀑布后方的一处狭窄的石阶上。石阶的尽头是一个黑黢黢的洞口。
“我不进去！”松鼠爪惊呼道。
“不会有事的。”她身后的黑莓掌安慰道。
“放心吧，没有什么危险。”鹰崖说着，自信地沿着小道往前走去，走到洞口他站住了。
除了信任这些猫，他们别无他法——没有食物，找不到地方休息，他们也没法翻过这座山。“来吧。”暴毛压下心头的疑虑，说道。
他率先沿着那条小道慢慢移动，尽量靠着石头远离隆隆响的水帘。那道水帘距他几乎只有一尾远，溅起的水雾落在了他的毛上，脚掌下的岩石又冰又滑。他紧张得不敢转身，不知道同伴是否跟在他身后。他感觉自己仿佛正孤身行走在隆隆作响的无边黑暗中。
走过幽暗的洞口，里面是一个山洞，四面都是陡峭的石壁，几乎延伸到瀑布顶上。暴毛在洞口站住了。越过鹰崖，他看到高耸的石壁上还挂着水流。更多陌生猫的气味扑面而来，这些猫都隐藏在山洞四周的阴影里。
“那里面是什么？”羽尾非常紧张，一边问一边向里面窥探。她一直在打哆嗦，全身湿透了，毛色看着跟鸦爪差不多黑了。
鸦爪轻轻碰了一下她，低声说道：“不管发生什么事，我都会和你在一起的。”
暴毛觉得自己真不应该偷听他们谈话。他拼命忍住想去吼鸦爪或是瞪妹妹一眼的冲动。当前，自己有更迫切的事情要考虑。
鹰崖转身查看是不是众猫都跟在身后，然后再次挥挥尾巴，走到山洞里面。
“我不喜欢这种地方。”松鼠爪嘀咕道，“我们怎么知道，那里面会有什么东西？”
“我们的确没办法知道，”黑莓掌答道，“但我们必须面对。旅途中发生的每一件事都有它的道理，我们应感谢星族给我们看清这一切的机会。”
“我们从没指望过这项任务会很轻松。”暴毛附和道，努力想克服掉自己内心的恐惧感。一想到山洞里可能随时会伸出爪子攻击他们，他就非常害怕。
“好吧，既然我们不得不面对，那我们就勇敢面对吧。”鸦爪挤到前面，朝山洞里面走去。
暴毛跟上他，其余几只猫紧随其后。暴毛四处张望着，这时，他听到褐皮轻轻地说：“无论我们在哪儿，星族都会与我们同在。”她的话既像是在安慰自己，也像是在安慰大家。
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 8
“If a cat leaps at you, roll onto your back,” Cinderpelt instructed. “Then you can attack his belly with your claws. Try it.”
Leafpaw waited as her mentor crouched in front of her and then leaped into the air. Rolling over as Cinderpelt had told her, she dug her hind paws into the medicine cat’s belly and flung her off to one side.
“Good,” Cinderpelt meowed. She scrambled to her paws, awkward because of her injured leg. “That’s enough for now.”
The two cats had been training all morning in the sandy hollow, and though thick, gray clouds covered the sky Leafpaw’s rumbling belly told her it must be close to sunhigh. She had enjoyed the session with her mentor. The exercise had been a good distraction from her worries about the Clan and the Twolegs, not to mention Squirrelpaw and the other cats who were traveling with her.
She followed Cinderpelt down into the ravine. Before they reached the entrance to the gorse tunnel, Leafpaw heard a patrol returning close behind them. Turning, she saw Firestar, Dustpelt, and Sorreltail. Firestar looked more worried than ever, while Dustpelt’s brown tabby fur was bristling and his tail lashed furiously from side to side.
Cinderpelt limped over to meet Firestar, while Leafpaw hurried to Sorreltail’s side. “What in StarClan’s name is going on?”
“WindClan,” Sorreltail mewed, with a glance at the older warriors. “They’ve been stealing prey from us.”
Leafpaw remembered the thin, desperate cats who had chased them out of their territory, and knew that she was not surprised at the news.
“We found scraps of rabbit fur and bones by the stream near Fourtrees,” Sorreltail went on. “They reeked of WindClan scent.”
“It’s because their rabbits have vanished,” Leafpaw meowed. She pushed aside a guilty memory of how she had taken fish from RiverClan.
“It’s still against the warrior code,” Sorreltail pointed out. “Dustpelt was furious.”
“So I see,” meowed Leafpaw.
She followed her friend down the gorse tunnel to find Firestar and Dustpelt standing beside the fresh-kill pile. Her belly lurched when she saw how small it was.
“Look at it!” Dustpelt gestured with his tail. “How is that going to feed the Clan? You’ll have to do something about WindClan, Firestar.”
Firestar shook his head. “We all know that Tallstar wouldn’t allow his warriors to steal prey unless his Clan was in real trouble.”
“Tallstar might not know what’s going on. Besides, ThunderClanis in trouble too. It’s not as if we have prey to spare.”
“I know,” Firestar sighed.
“I’m worried about Ferncloud,” the brown warrior added. “She’s already lost a lot of weight, and she still has three kits to feed.”
“If this goes on, I’ll have to start rationing,” Firestar decided. “But meanwhile, we willdo something about WindClan, I promise.”
Whirling around, he bounded across the clearing and leaped to the top of the Highrock. As he yowled out the summons, the rest of the Clan began to appear at once. Leafpaw was shocked to see how lean they were; she had never really noticed before the gradual change from day to day as prey got harder to find. But now they looked more like skinny WindClan cats than sturdy, forestborn ThunderClan warriors. Dustpelt was right that Ferncloud in particular looked gaunt and exhausted; her kits were thinner, too, and they trailed after their mother as if they had no energy left to play. Were all the Clans—apart from RiverClan—slowly going to starve?
Leafpaw listened anxiously as Firestar told the rest of the Clan what the patrol had discovered. Wails of indignation broke out at the news that WindClan cats had trespassed onto ThunderClan territory and stolen prey.
“WindClan needs to be taught a lesson!” Cloudtail called out. “I haven’t had the sniff of a rabbit for days.”
“We should attack now,” Mousefur put in, her brown fur bristling.
“No,” Firestar meowed firmly. “Things are bad enough without us looking for a battle.”
Mousefur didn’t argue, though she muttered something under her breath, and Cloudtail lashed his tail. Leafpaw saw Brightheart meow a few words to him, trying to calm him down.
“What are you going to do?” Speckletail called out from the entrance to the elders’ den. “Go and ask them nicely not to steal our food? Do you think they’ll take any notice?”
More voices were raised in protest, with more than one cat echoing Mousefur’s demand to attack.
“No,” Firestar repeated. “I’m going to talk to Tallstar. He’s a noble, trustworthy cat; maybe he doesn’t know that his warriors have been stealing prey.”
“And what good will talking do?” Cloudtail snorted. “Blackstar didn’t listen when you went to talk to him.”
“If you ask me,” Speckletail rasped, “you’re crossing Clan boundaries far too often. The last cat to ignore borders like that was Tigerstar.”
Leafpaw winced at the old she-cat’s suggestion that their leader was anything like the murderous Tigerstar. She wasn’t the only cat to be shocked. Several cats turned on Speckletail, hissing fiercely, but when Firestar replied, his voice was calm.
“Tigerstar wanted to satisfy his greed for power. All I want is to make peace. And as for Blackstar,” he added to Cloudtail, “Tallstar has always been more reasonable.”
“That’s right.” Graystripe supported his leader from where he sat at the base of the Highrock. “Remember when Bluestar wanted to fight WindClan? Tallstar was ready to make peace then.”
“But there wasn’t a shortage of prey back then,” Thornclaw reminded him.
“Right.” Mousefur’s tail lashed again. “Some cats will do anythingif their bellies are empty.”
Leafpaw listened in dismay as yowls broke out around her, agreeing with Mousefur. She spotted her mother, Sandstorm, exchanging an anxious glance with Graystripe.
Firestar signaled with his tail for silence. “That’s enough! My mind’s made up. All the Clans are in trouble together now. This is no time to start fighting one another.”
“Be careful, Firestar,” Sorreltail warned him, as the yowls of protest died into discontented muttering. “You may go in peace, but the other clans might not see it that way.” She glanced at Leafpaw, reminding her of their narrow escape from WindClan only a few days ago.
Firestar nodded. “WindClan will have to respect a patrol that looks strong enough to fight back,” he meowed. “I’ll make it clear to Tallstar that there’ll be trouble if he can’t control his warriors and keep them on their own side of the border. But we won’t be looking for a fight. With StarClan’s help we can avoid that.”
Leafpaw’s mind filled with images of the scarred moorland she had seen when she visited WindClan territory, and the desperation of the warriors who had chased her. Every hair on her pelt shrank from the idea of attacking WindClan and making their plight even worse.
“This is a bad time for all of us,” she began hesitantly. “We should be trying to help one another. Why don’t we all share the fish in the river? There are still plenty of those.”
“That’s for RiverClan to say, not us,” Graystripe pointed out, while Ashfur added, “Fishing’s too difficult.”
“No, it’s not,” Leafpaw protested. “We can learn how.”
She noticed that some of the other cats were giving her suspicious looks, as if they were wondering what she knew about fishing. Embarrassed, she scuffled her forepaws on the ground. “It was just an idea,” she mumbled.
“But not one we can use,” Firestar mewed decisively.
Anxious not to draw any more attention to herself, Leafpaw bowed her head, and sat looking at her paws while Firestar chose the cats who would make up the patrol going to WindClan.
“Graystripe, of course,” he began. “Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Thornclaw. Ashfur. And you, Cinderpelt. Tallstar will listen to a medicine cat if he won’t listen to me.”
Leafpaw realized that he had not chosen any of the cats who had been arguing for an attack straight away, though he had included some formidable fighters. This patrol would not need to run!
She stayed where she was while the meeting broke up. With her eyes still fixed on the ground, she was aware of Firestar leaping from the Highrock and padding over to her.
“Well, Leafpaw,” he began. When she lifted her head, she was relieved to see warm affection in her father’s eyes, and felt even more ashamed of herself. “What’s all this about fishing?”
Leafpaw knew she would have to tell the truth. “Mothwing taught me how,” she explained. “She said it was okay, because we’re both medicine cats. . . .”
“You are medicine cat apprentices,” Firestar meowed. “And it sounds as if you both have a lot to learn. You know that it’s against the warrior code to take prey from another Clan. Even medicine cats have to respect that.”
“I know.” Guilt swept over Leafpaw again, making her feel like a naughty kit. She just hoped that RiverClan had not found out what Mothwing had done, and punished her for her generosity. “I’m sorry.”
“I shall have to punish you, you realize that?” Firestar went on. His tail-tip touched her shoulder gently as he added, “I can’t have any cat saying I favor you because you’re my daughter.”
“Oh, come on, Firestar.” Cinderpelt had limped up to join them, and was regarding her Clan leader with amusement in her blue eyes. “I remember a couple of cats who took ThunderClan prey across the river to RiverClan, when the Twolegs poisoned the fish. Surely you haven’t forgotten?”
“No. And Graystripe and I were punished for it,” Firestar retorted. Then he sighed. “Leafpaw, I know it’s hard to see other cats hungry and do nothing about it. But the warrior code is what makes us what we are. If cats can break it when they feel like it, where does that leave us? Whatever is going to happen to the forest—whatever is happening now—we can’t forget everything we believe in.”
“I’m sorry, Firestar,” Leafpaw repeated. She managed to stand up straight and look her father in the eye.
“Let her come with the patrol to WindClan,” Cinderpelt meowed before Firestar could speak. “It’ll be good experience for her.”
Leafpaw looked hopefully at her Clan leader.
“Honestly, Cinderpelt.” Firestar sounded exasperated. “There are cats who would say that’s a reward, not a punishment. Oh, very well,” he added. “We’re leaving right away. I’ll just go and get the others.”
He touched Leafpaw’s shoulder once more before padding away with his tail high.
“Thanks, Cinderpelt,” Leafpaw meowed. “I know I was stupid. It’s just that . . . well, when Mothwing said it, it sounded okay to take the fish.”
Cinderpelt snorted. “Like Firestar said, you’ve both got a lot to learn.”
“I don’t know if I everwill!” Leafpaw burst out. “There are warrior rules, and medicine cat rules, and it’s all so confusing!”
“It’s not just about rules,” Cinderpelt murmured sympathetically, touching her nose to Leafpaw’s muzzle. “Your sympathy for other Clans, and your willingness to see that sometimes rules have to be ignored, will make you a great medicine cat in the end.”
Leafpaw’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Really. ‘Medicine cat’ means nothing on its own, without an understanding of what should be done—which isn’t always what you first think. Remember what I’ve told you about Yellowfang? She never followed the rules, but she was one of the best medicine cats the forest has ever seen.”
“I wish I’d known her,” Leafpaw murmured.
“So do I. But I can pass on to you what she taught me. To truly bea medicine cat lies in a cat’s heart, and all its five senses. You must be braver than warriors, wiser than a Clan leader, humbler than the tiniest kit, more willing to learn than any apprentice. . . .”
Leafpaw gazed up at her mentor. “I’m not sure I can be all that,” she whispered.
“Well, I amsure.” Cinderpelt’s voice was low and intense. “For we do not achieve this by ourselves, but by the strength of StarClan within us.” Suddenly the intensity was gone and the humor back in Cinderpelt’s eyes. She swatted Leafpaw lightly with her tail. “Come on. Firestar will never forgive us if we aren’t ready for the patrol on top of everything else.”
Sunhigh was long gone and a brisk wind was breaking up the clouds by the time Firestar led his patrol toward Fourtrees. Before they were very far from the camp Leafpaw could hear the roar of Twoleg monsters as they forced their way even farther into ThunderClan territory. In contrast, the usual forest sounds—the calling of birds, the rustle of prey in the undergrowth—were silent. Even though leaf-fall had well and truly arrived, Leafpaw knew there should be much more prey than this. The small creatures that the cats depended on for their survival were gone, frightened away by Twolegs or even killed as the monsters tore up their forest homes.
As they drew closer to Fourtrees the roar of the monsters died away, and Leafpaw could make out the faint scrabblings of prey among the bushes, but it was still much less than usual. She swallowed nervously as she imagined a harsh and hungry leaf-bare.
A yowl from Thornclaw jerked her out of her thoughts. “Look!”
There was a flash of movement in the thick undergrowth beside the stream. Two cats—a dark brown tom and a tabby—leaped across the stream and streaked up the slope toward Fourtrees. One of them had a small piece of prey, a vole or a mouse, in its jaws.
“WindClan cats!” Sandstorm meowed, her pale ginger fur bristling. “That was Mudclaw and Tornear, I’m sure of it.”
Dustpelt and Ashfur sprang after the fleeing warriors, but Firestar called them back sharply. “We mustn’t look as if we’re attacking WindClan,” he told them. “I’m coming in peace, not fury, to speak with Tallstar.”
“You mean you’re letting them go?” Ashfur asked disbelievingly. “With our fresh-kill in their mouths?”
“It’s more proof that they’re stealing prey,” Firestar pointed out. “Tallstar won’t be able to ignore what we have to tell him now.”
“But they’ll warn Tallstar,” Dustpelt protested. “WindClan could ambush us before we get anywhere near their camp.”
“No. Tallstar isn’t like that. If he fights us, he’ll do it in the open.”
The two warriors exchanged doubtful glances before falling in behind Firestar. Leafpaw could see that Dustpelt was still smoldering with anger, but he expressed it with no more than an irritable twitch of his tail-tip.
The patrol crossed the stream, the water still churned and muddy from the WindClan warriors’ paws, and climbed the slope to Fourtrees. Leafpaw’s heart started beating uncomfortably as Firestar led them around the top of the hollow. Remembering her doomed visit with Sorreltail, she wondered whether they would be able to speak to Tallstar at all.
As they approached the border, the breeze carried a strong scent of cats toward them. Leafpaw looked out over the windblown grass to see a ragged group of WindClan warriors racing over the crest of the moorland. In the lead she recognized the Clan leader, Tallstar, by his black-and-white pelt and long tail. He must have spotted the ThunderClan patrol, for he slackened his pace and signaled with his tail. His warriors slowed to a walk and spread out to form a long line facing the ThunderClan cats.
“See?” Dustpelt hissed. “They’re ready for us.”
On an unspoken command, the WindClan cats stalked up to the border and halted a couple of tail-lengths from the ThunderClan patrol. They were even thinner than Leafpaw remembered, the sharp lines of their ribs plainly visible. Hostility burned in their eyes, and it was clear that not one of them wanted the ThunderClan visitors to set paw on their territory.
“Well, Firestar?” Tallstar growled. “What do you want with us this time?”
第八章
第八章
“如果一只猫向你扑过来，你就顺势向后打个滚。”炭毛正在指导叶爪，“然后，你就可以伸爪攻击他的腹部。试一试。”
叶爪等炭毛在她前方俯下身子，一跃而起扑过来之际，按照老师教她的那样，就地一滚，紧跟着后爪向这只巫医的腹部一掏，把她扔到了一边。
“很好。”炭毛说。因为腿伤的缘故，她爬起来时显得很笨拙。“今天的训练就到这儿吧。”
师徒俩已经在沙坑里训练了一上午，尽管天空中乌云密布，但咕咕直叫的肚子告诉叶爪，已经快到日高时分了。她很享受跟老师一起训练。因为训练可以让她暂时不用担心族群以及两脚兽了，更不用担心松鼠爪和其他几只远行的猫了。
她跟着炭毛下到山谷里。快走到金雀花通道入口时，叶爪听到身后不远处传来巡逻队归来的声音。她一转身，看到火星、尘毛和栗尾。火星看起来比以往更忧心忡忡，而尘毛身上暗棕色的虎斑毛全都立着，尾巴不住地来回狂摆着。
炭毛一瘸一拐地迎向火星，叶爪则急忙走到栗尾身边。“看在星族的分上，告诉我到底发生了什么事？”
“风族，”栗尾瞄了一眼身旁的年长武士说，“他们从我们这儿偷猎。”
叶爪想起那些把她俩追逐出风族领地的风族猫，他们一只只瘦骨嶙峋，非常绝望，所以听到这个消息，她一点也不惊讶。
“我们在四棵树附近的小河边上发现了兔子骨头和皮毛碎渣，”栗尾接着说，“它们散发着风族猫的气味。”
“这是因为风族境内的兔子绝迹了。”叶爪说道。她不再去想曾经从河族捉鱼的愧疚记忆。
“但这样仍然是违背武士守则的，”栗尾指出，“尘毛会大发雷霆的。”
“我看得出来。”叶爪说。
她跟着朋友下到金雀花通道，看到火星和尘毛正站在猎物堆旁边。猎物堆现在小得可怜，她感觉肚子一阵翻搅。
“你看看猎物堆！”尘毛用尾巴一指，说道，“那么一点点猎物，怎么够我们的族猫吃？火星，你必须对风族有所行动。”
火星摇摇头。“我们都知道，除非高星的族群真的摊上大事了，否则他是绝对不会允许他的武士们偷取猎物的。”
“高星可能还不知道发生什么事了。何况雷族现在也面临困境，我们没有多余的猎物分给他们。”
“我知道。”火星叹了口气。
“我很担心香薇云，”暗棕色武士尘毛接过话茬，“她已经瘦了很多，还要喂养三个孩子。”
“如果情况持续恶化，我不得不开始实行定量配给。”火星做出决定，“同时，我们要对风族有所动作，我保证。”
他转过身，跳着穿过空地，跃上高岩。听到他大声召唤的声音，族群里剩下的猫都立刻出现了。看到每一只猫都那么消瘦，叶爪惊呆了。她以前从来没有真正注意到，随着猎物越来越难打到，族群里慢慢发生的变化。族群里的猫，现在看起来跟瘦得皮包骨的风族猫没什么两样，完全没有森林里土生土长的强健雷族武士的样子。尘毛说得没错，香薇云看起来尤其消瘦、憔悴；她的三个孩子也很瘦，他们寸步不离地跟着妈妈，仿佛连玩耍的力气都没了。难道所有的族群猫——除了河族——都要慢慢饿死吗？
叶爪忧心忡忡地听火星跟族猫们讲述巡逻队发现的情况。当听到风族猫入侵雷族领地偷猎的消息时，猫群中爆发出愤怒的号叫声。
“我们要给风族点教训！”云尾喊道，“我都已经好几天没闻到兔子的味道了。”
“我们应该马上发起攻击。”鼠毛提议道，深棕色的皮毛都竖起来了。
“不，”火星坚定地说道，“情况已经够糟的了，我们就不要再挑起战争了。”
鼠毛没有再争辩什么，尽管她一直小声嘀咕着什么。云尾也在不断抽打着尾巴。叶爪看到亮心跟他说了些什么，试图让他平定下来。
“那你打算怎么办？”纹尾站在长老巢穴入口处大声问道，“好言好气去找他们，请求他们不要再偷我们的食物？你觉得他们会理我们吗？”
猫群中响起更多的抗议声，越来越多的猫响应鼠毛攻击他们的要求。
“不行，”火星再次说道，“我会去跟高星谈的。他是只高尚的猫，值得信赖。或许他还不知道他的武士在偷猎。”
“光嘴上谈有什么用？”云尾从鼻子里哼了一声，“之前你找黑星谈，他根本就不听。”
“依我说，”纹尾刺耳的声音响起，“我要说你越过族群边界的次数过于频繁了。像你这样，不把族群边界放在眼里的最后一只猫是虎星。”
这只老母猫的话令叶爪一阵皱眉：她竟然暗示自己的族长跟残忍的虎星有相似之处。不只是她一只猫感到震惊，好几只猫转向纹尾，发出不满的嘶嘶声。但火星回答她时，声音非常平静。
“虎星想要的是满足他对权力的贪欲。我所想要的不过是和平。至于黑星，”他对着云尾加了一句，“高星一向都比他通情达理。”
“你说得很对，”坐在高岩底下的灰条对族长表示支持，“大家还记得当蓝星想跟风族开战时发生的事吗？当时高星却准备维持和平。”
“但那时候没有猎物短缺啊！”刺掌提醒他。
“是啊，”鼠毛又抽动了一下，“有些猫一旦饿肚子就会不择手段。”
周围响起一片支持鼠毛的吼声，叶爪不由得有些担心。她瞅见她妈妈沙风跟灰条交换了一个焦虑的眼神。
火星用尾巴示意大家安静。“不要说了！我已下定决心。现在所有族群都面临相同的困难，不是互相挑起战争的时候。”
“要当心啊，火星！”当反对的吼叫声慢慢变成不满的嘀咕时，栗尾提醒他，“你可能想维持和平，但其他族群不见得也这么想。”栗尾看了叶爪一眼，提醒她几天前她俩可是刚从风族猫爪下死里逃生。
火星点点头。“风族一定会尊重一支强大的、有能力随时反击的巡逻队，”他说，“我会跟高星说清楚，如果他不管好自己的武士，让他们待在风族自己的领地上的话，我们就不客气了。但我们不想开战。星族会帮助我们避免战争的。”
叶爪满脑子都是她私入风族领地时看到的伤痕累累的恐怖画面，以及风族武士疯狂追赶她的绝望。一想到进攻风族后他们的境况会更加糟糕，她就觉得身上每一根毛都在往回退缩。
“对我们大家来说，现在是一个糟糕的时期，”她犹豫着说道，“我们应该努力互相帮助。为什么我们大家不能分享河里的鱼？河里的鱼很多啊。”
“这种话得河族来说，我们说了不算。”灰条说道。这时，蜡毛插了一句：“捕鱼实在太难了。”
“不，没那么难，”叶爪不同意蜡毛的话，“我们可以学会怎么捕鱼。”
她意识到有些猫用怀疑的眼神看着她，仿佛在想她怎么知道捕鱼难不难。她顿时感到局促不安，两只前爪在地上来回划拉着。“我只是想想而已。”她含糊地说。
“但对我们没有用。”火星果断地说。
叶爪希望大家都不再注意她。于是，她低下头，坐在那儿看着自己的爪子。火星开始挑选前往风族的巡逻队员。
只听火星说：“灰条，你肯定得去；沙风，尘毛，刺掌，蜡毛，你们也去。炭毛，还有你。高星就算不听我的，也会听巫医的话吧。”
叶爪注意到，火星没有挑选一只嚷嚷着立刻发动进攻的猫，但他还是选了一些战斗力很强的武士。这样的话，遇到什么危险，这支巡逻队就不至于落荒而逃了。
会议结束的时候，她还待在原地，一动不动地盯着地面，她知道火星从高岩上跳下向自己走了过来。
“嗯，叶爪。”火星开始说话。当叶爪抬起头，看到父亲眼里的慈爱之情时，顿时觉得安心了许多，同时更为自己的行为感到羞愧。“你刚才说到捕鱼是怎么回事？”
叶爪知道自己必须说出实情了。“蛾翅教过我如何捉鱼，”她解释道，“她说这没关系，因为我们俩都是巫医……”
“你们只是巫医学徒，”火星说，“看样子你们俩要学的东西还很多。你要知道，从别的族群狩猎是违反武士守则的，即使是巫医也要遵守。”
“我知道了。”愧疚感再一次涌上叶爪心头，她觉着自己简直像个不懂事的幼崽。她只希望河族没有发现蛾翅捉鱼给她吃的事，并为此惩罚她。“对不起。”
“我不得不处罚你，你明白我的苦心吗？”火星继续说，他用尾巴尖轻抚一下她的肩膀，加了一句，“我不能让别的猫说因为你是我的女儿，我就偏袒你。”
“哦，少来了，火星。”炭毛跛着脚走到这对父女跟前，蓝色的眼睛满是消遣的笑意，“我记得，河族境内那条河里的鱼被两脚兽污染以后，有两只猫带着雷族的猎物过河拿给河族。你肯定还没忘掉吧？”
“我没有忘掉。我和灰条都因此受到了处罚。”火星回答道，然后叹了口气说，“叶爪，我知道看着其他族猫挨饿，自己却什么也不做，的确是一件很困难的事。但我们之所以有今天，全有赖于武士守则约束大家的行为。如果每一只猫都按自己的意愿，随意违反它，我们怎么能走到今天？不管森林将来会发生什么——现在正在发生什么——我们都不能忘记我们信仰的一切。”
“对不起，火星！”叶爪再次道歉。她强撑着站直身子，直视着父亲的眼睛。
“让她跟巡逻队一起去风族吧，”炭毛抢在火星开口之前说，“这对她是很好的历练。”
叶爪满怀希望地看着族长。
“老实说，炭毛，”火星听起来有些恼怒，“别的猫会说这是奖赏而不是惩罚。”他接着又说了一句，“哦，好吧。我们马上出发，我去召集其他巡逻队员。”
他又轻轻触了一下叶爪的肩膀，然后扬起尾巴走了。
“谢谢你，炭毛，”叶爪说，“我知道我太傻了。只不过那会儿……蛾翅那么说的时候，我也觉得吃点鱼没关系。”
炭毛哼了一声说：“火星说得没错，你俩要学的东西还多着呢。”
“我不知道自己能不能学会！”叶爪脱口而出，“又是武士守则，又是巫医守则，我都搞糊涂了！”
“这不仅仅事关守则，”炭毛跟叶爪碰碰鼻子，同情地说，“你对其他族群同情，你有时候把守则放到一边的意愿，会最终让你成为一位伟大的巫医。”
叶爪睁大了双眼：“真的吗？”
“真的。‘巫医’这两个字，如果不理解什么是应该做的——跟你一开始想的不一定一样——就其本身而言，并没有什么意义。还记得我跟你讲过的黄牙吗？她从不教条地循规蹈矩，但她却成为大家见过的森林里最好的巫医之一。”
“真希望我有幸能够认识她。”叶爪低声说。
“我也这么希望。但我会把她教给我的全部传授给你。要成为一位真正的巫医，在于一只猫的内心，要有五种品质：比武士勇敢，比族长睿智，比幼崽谦逊，比学徒好学……”
叶爪盯着老师，轻声说道：“我不知道我能不能全都做到……”
“嗯，我敢肯定你能做到。”炭毛声音不高却充满热情，“因为我们不是依靠自己完成这些的，还要靠星族赐予我们的力量。”突然，炭毛的激情消退了，眼睛中的幽默神情又回来了。她用尾巴轻轻拍了拍叶爪，说道：“走吧。我们当务之急是赶紧为这次巡逻做好准备，不然，火星肯定不会饶了我们。”
正午过去了好一会儿，劲风吹散了云朵，火星带着巡逻队朝四棵树走去。他们走出营地没多远，叶爪就听见两脚兽的怪物们发出的咆哮声。这些怪物正在向雷族领地更深处挺进。而森林里惯常的声音——鸟叫声、小动物在丛林中穿过的沙沙声——却都听不见了。虽说现在的确已进入落叶季，但叶爪心里明白，小动物再怎么少也不该像现在这样。猫族赖以为生的小动物都不见了，可能是被两脚兽们吓跑了，甚至也有可能是在怪物撕碎它们的森林家园时，被杀掉了。
他们快走到四棵树的时候，怪物的咆哮声才渐渐听不见了，叶爪终于听到了灌木丛里小动物的轻微动静，但跟以往相比，要少很多。她想象着秃叶季来临时，那该是多么严酷和饥饿的一番景象啊。她不由得紧张地咽了下口水。
“看！”刺掌的一声惊叫将她从想象中惊醒。
河边茂密的丛林里有什么东西一闪而过。是两只猫，一只是暗棕色公猫，一只是虎斑猫。他们跃过小河，飞快地冲上斜坡朝四棵树蹿去。其中一只猫嘴里叼着小猎物，是一只田鼠或者老鼠。
“是风族猫！”沙风说道，她一身姜黄色的毛腾地竖了起来，“是泥掌和裂耳，我很确定。”
尘毛和蜡毛跳起来就要追上去，但火星急忙把他们喝住了。“我们千万不要表现出我们好像要进攻风族的样子，”火星对他们说道，“我们这次找高星对话，是想和平解决问题，所以不要动怒。”
“你的意思是放他们走？”蜡毛难以置信地问道，“就这样让他们嘴里叼着我们的猎物跑掉？”
“这是他们偷捕我们猎物的有力证明，”火星指出，“我们现在过去告诉高星，他就不能不管了。”
“但他们会提醒高星，”尘毛反对道，“风族可能会在我们抵达他们营地附近之前就设好埋伏。”
“不，高星不会那样做的。如果他要和我们打仗，会光明正大地来。”
两位武士有些怀疑地相互看了一眼，然后不声不响地退回到火星身后。叶爪看得出，尽管尘毛仍然一副恼火的样子，但也只不过是急躁地抽动了一下尾巴尖儿。
一行猫跨过小溪，溪水被刚刚经过的风族武士的脚爪搅浑了。然后，他们爬上通往四棵树的斜坡。火星带队沿着山谷顶部往前走，这时，叶爪的心脏开始不安地怦怦直跳。她想起跟栗尾那次注定失败的探访时，忍不住怀疑这一回他们能否见到高星。
到达风族边界的时候，一阵风吹来，带来一股浓烈的风族猫的气息。叶爪透过随风摆动的草丛，看到一群毛发凌乱的风族猫从荒原高处跑过来。领头的是一只黑白相间皮毛、尾巴很长的猫，叶爪马上认出这是风族族长高星。他一定是看到了雷族这支队伍，因为他慢下了脚步，用尾巴发出信号。他的武士全都放慢了脚步，在雷族猫面前排成了一列。
“看到了吗？”尘毛嘶嘶道，“他们早已严阵以待。”
似乎有一道无声的命令，风族猫一齐向边界这边逼近，在离雷族猫几尾远的地方停了下来。他们比叶爪印象中的更瘦，肋骨线条清晰可见。他们一个个眼睛里充满敌意，很显然，他们不允许雷族猫踏进他们领地半步。
“说吧，火星，这一次，又为何事而来？”高星沉着地问道。
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 9
Stormfur stared in amazement. The cavewas at least as broad as the waterfall that screened it from the outside world, and stretched far back into the mountainside, until the farthest recesses were lost in shadow. He could just make out a narrow passage leading off on either side of the wall opposite the sheet of water. The roof, far above his head, was shadowed too; here and there, stones like fangs emerged to point straight down at the cave floor.
The only light came through the rushing water, pale and wavering, so that it was like standing in the depths of a pool. As the cats ushered them farther into the cave, Stormfur heard more running water beneath the roar of the falls, and saw a stream trickling over a mossy rock to fall into a shallow pool on the floor of the cave. Two or three cats—a skinny elder and a couple who looked young enough to be apprentices—were crouched beside it to drink. All of them looked up warily at the arrival of the newcomers, as if they were expecting danger.
Just beyond the pool was a pile of fresh-kill and, as Stormfur watched, a couple more of the mountain cats came in and deposited prey. It was the first thing he had seen that looked at all familiar, and his belly growled with hunger at the sight of the rabbits.
“Do you think they’ll let us eat?” Squirrelpaw muttered close to his ear. “I’m starving!”
“For all you know, they think we’refresh-kill,” Crowpaw hissed from Squirrelpaw’s other side.
“They haven’t done anything to harm us yet,” Brambleclaw pointed out.
Stormfur tried to share his optimism, but Crag and Brook had vanished, and for a few moments none of the other cats came up to speak to them. Instead, the cats who had been drinking sidled over to their guards, and the elder whispered something, all the while darting glances at him. The two apprentices murmured excitedly to each other. The roar of the waterfall drowned their voices, though Stormfur noticed that the mountain cats seemed to have no trouble hearing one another.
Trying to ignore the muttering—most of which seemed to be directed at him, though he told himself to stop being so paranoid—Stormfur identified what looked like sleeping places beside the cave walls: shallow scoops in the earth floor, lined with moss and feathers. One cluster of sleeping places lay close to the entrance and the other two were farther back, at opposite sides of the cave. He wondered if one set was for warriors, one for apprentices, and one for elders. Spotting a couple of kits scuffling outside the entrance to one of the passages, he guessed that led to the nursery. Suddenly he saw the dark, noisy, frightening cave in a different way: This was a camp! The Tribe shared some of the ways of the Clans in the forest; Stormfur began to feel much more hopeful of getting food and rest, and help for Tawnypelt, who had sunk shivering to the floor.
Then he spotted Crag again, emerging from the far passage and padding across the cave floor toward the tight group of forest cats. He was followed by another cat, long-bodied and skinny as a WindClan warrior. So much mud plastered his fur that Stormfur couldn’t make out what color it was underneath, but his eyes were a deep and glowing green, and a few white hairs around his muzzle betrayed the fact that he was older than the cats they had seen so far.
“Greetings,” he meowed in a deep voice that seemed to echo around the cave. He made the odd gesture with one paw extended that Crag and Brook had used outside. “My name is Teller of the Pointed Stones, though you will find it easier to call me Stoneteller. I am the Healer of the Tribe of Rushing Water.”
“Healer?” Brambleclaw glanced uncertainly at his friends. “Do you mean the medicine cat? Where is the leader of your Clan—I mean, Tribe?”
Stoneteller hesitated for a moment. “I am not sure what you mean by a medicine cat, and there is no other leader of this Tribe. I interpret the signs of rock and leaf and water, and that shows me what the Tribe should do—with the help of the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”
Stormfur picked out the bit of Stoneteller’s speech that he understood. “Then he’s medicine cat andleader,” he muttered to Brambleclaw. “That’s pretty powerful!”
In reply, Brambleclaw dipped his head politely. “We come from a forest a long way from here,” he began, repeating his own name and the names of his friends. “We have a difficult journey ahead of us, and we need food and shelter before we can go on.”
More of the Tribe cats crowded around as he spoke, openly curious. Stormfur picked out kits and apprentices by their sizes, and noticed that the warriors seemed to divide into two groups, one with massive shoulders and powerful muscles, the other more slender, with wiry strength and long limbs for speed. He noticed too how anxious they all looked; they seemed to be on edge, as if they were poised to flee.
A brown tabby she-cat, her eyes fixed on Stormfur, murmured, “Yes! This is the one—it must be!”
Stormfur started. Brook had said something similar, when they first met beside the pool. He opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but the Tribe’s Healer had turned to the young brown tabby. “Be silent!” he hissed. More smoothly he went on to the Clan cats, “You are welcome to our cave. Here is caught-prey in plenty.” He flicked his tail toward the fresh-kill pile. “Eat your fill, and rest. We have much to say to one another.”
Brambleclaw looked at the other Clan cats. “We might as well eat,” he meowed quietly. “I don’t think they’re going to hurt us now.”
As Stormfur followed him toward the pile, he felt once more dozens of eyes burning into his fur. It wasn’t his imagination—they were definitely watching him more closely than the others. His fur prickled from nose to tail-tip as he settled down to eat.
As he bit into the rabbit he had chosen, he heard a gasp from somewhere behind him and a shocked voice whispering, “They don’t share!”
Glancing up, he saw a young gray cat giving him a hostile stare, while an older tabby bent her head to him and murmured, “Shh. It’s not their fault if they haven’t been properly taught.”
Stormfur didn’t know what they meant. Then he spotted two of the Tribe cats who were eating side by side; each of them took a bite from the piece of fresh-kill they had taken, then exchanged pieces before they settled down to finish it off. Embarrassment flooded over him as he realized how rude he and his friends must look to the cats of the Tribe.
“We don’t do that,” he meowed directly to the young cat who had spoken at first. “But we doshare.” He flicked his tail toward Feathertail, who was gently coaxing Tawnypelt to eat a mouse. “None of us would let our friends go hungry, and the hunting patrols always feed the Clan before taking food for themselves.”
The gray cat backed away a pace or two, looking confused, as if he hadn’t intended the newcomers to hear his comments. The tabby dipped her head with a friendlier look. “Your ways are strange to us,” she meowed. “Perhaps we can learn from one another.”
“Perhaps,” Stormfur agreed.
He began gulping down his rabbit again. After a few moments one of the bolder kits pattered right up to the group of Clan cats, urged on by his littermates. “Where do you come from?” he asked.
“A long way away,” Squirrelpaw mumbled with her mouth full. Swallowing the bite of prey she added more clearly, “Across these mountains and lots of fields and then a forest.”
The kit blinked. “What are fields?” Before Squirrelpaw could reply, he added, “I’m going to be a cave-guard.”
“That’s nice,” Feathertail mewed.
“’Course, I’ve got to be a to-be first.”
“Tooby? What’s a tooby?” asked Crowpaw.
Stormfur hid his amusement at the scornful look the kit gave the WindClan apprentice. “To-be a cave-guard, of course. You know, training and stuff. Don’t you new cats know anything?”
“He means an apprentice,” Stormfur explained, and couldn’t resist adding, “Like you.”
Crowpaw curled his lip as the kit stared at him and exclaimed, “You’re only a to-be? You’re wayold!”
“It sounds as if they have some of the same traditions as us,” Tawnypelt murmured.
“I wonder if they believe in StarClan?” Squirrelpaw whispered.
“It’s too far for them to go to Mothermouth,” meowed Stormfur, “and no cat has ever seen them there.”
“Stoneteller mentioned the Tribe of Endless Hunting,” Feathertail remembered. “Perhaps that’s what they call StarClan.” Her blue eyes stretched wide and her voice was uneasy as she added, “Or do you think they have different warrior ancestors?”
“I don’t know,” Brambleclaw replied. “But I guess we’ll find out.”
When he finished eating, Stormfur had not felt so comfortably full since they left the woods where they said good-bye to Midnight and Purdy. He would have liked to sleep, but as he swallowed the last mouthful and swiped his tongue around his jaws he spotted Stoneteller making his way toward them with three other cats. One of them was Crag; the others were she-cats, though neither of them was Brook. Stormfur felt faintly disappointed. The young she-cat had shown courage and friendliness when they first met, and he had looked forward to seeing her again.
“You have eaten well?” Stoneteller asked as he approached.
“Very well, thanks,” Brambleclaw replied. “It’s good of you to share prey with us.”
“Why wouldn’t we?” Stoneteller sounded surprised. “The prey is not ours—it belongs to the stones and the mountain.”
He sat down in front of the forest cats, wrapping his tail neatly around his paws. The other three cats gathered around him, but remained standing. Brambleclaw looked expectantly at them.
“Crag you already know,” meowed Stoneteller, introducing his companions. “He is the leader of our cave-guards, the cats who protect this place,” he added, when the Clan cats looked confused. “This”—he flicked his tail toward the younger of the two she-cats—“is Mist Where Sunlight Shimmers. She is one of our best prey-hunters.”
Mist dipped her head and blinked with friendly interest at the forest cats.
“And this,” Stoneteller went on, indicating the other she-cat, “is Star That Shines on Water. For now she is a kit-mother, though when her kits are grown she will go back to being a cave-guard.”
“You all have different duties, then?” Tawnypelt questioned, as the other forest cats murmured greetings.
“We do,” Stoneteller replied.
“Do you choose the best fighters to be cave-guards, and the fastest cats to be prey-hunters?” Stormfur asked, fascinated in spite of his wariness.
Stoneteller twitched his whiskers in disagreement. “No. All the cats in our Tribe are born to their duties. That is our way. But tell us something more of yourselves,” he went on, interrupting Squirrelpaw as she was about to ask another question. “Why are you making this long journey? We have never seen cats like you before.”
Brambleclaw gave Stormfur a sideways glance and muttered, “What do you think? Do we tell them?”
“I think we have to tell them we were sent by StarClan.” Stormfur breathed his reply close to the tabby warrior’s ear, aware of how acute the mountain cats’ hearing was. “Otherwise they might think we’re outlaws. But don’t tell them why we had to make the journey in the first place,” he added. “We don’t want to sound weak.”
Brambleclaw nodded. Clearing his throat self-consciously he began to explain about the dreams each of the four chosen cats had received from StarClan, and the saltwater signs that had led them to the sun-drown-place where they had met Midnight.
More of the Tribe cats gathered warily around to listen. Stormfur spotted admiring glances from them as Brambleclaw spoke of the dangers they had faced, but there were a few suspicious mutterings too, as if some of them found it hard to trust the strangers.
“Don’t worry,” he put in, when Brambleclaw paused in his story. “StarClan hasn’t sent us to fight you. They didn’t say anything about meeting you, in fact.”
“StarClan?” Mist echoed, glancing at Stoneteller in bewilderment. “What is StarClan?”
Stormfur heard Tawnypelt stifle an exclamation of surprise. Feathertail was right after all; these cats were not guided by StarClan. His fur prickled as he suppressed a shiver at the thought that perhaps StarClan was not watching over him and his friends in this strange place.
“Do not be troubled,” Stoneteller meowed, touching Mist’s shoulder with the tip of his tail in a reassuring gesture. “Not all cats believe as we do, and we must respect that which we do not know. Ignorance is nothing to be afraid of. Please”—he gestured toward Brambleclaw with one paw—“continue.”
“So at last we came to the sun-drown-place and discovered that Midnight is a badger,” Brambleclaw explained. “She told us the meaning of StarClan’s prophecy, and now we’re going home to tell our Clans.”
“A prophecy?” Stoneteller meowed. His green gaze was fixed on Stormfur in a stare of eerie intensity. “Then you too have visions of what is hidden?”
“Well, sometimes we have dreams,” Tawnypelt explained. “But mostly our medicine cats interpret signs for us—clouds, the flight of birds, the fall of leaves. . . .”
“This I do also,” Stoneteller mewed.
He broke off as a group of cats appeared in the cave entrance. Rising to his paws, he murmured, “Forgive me. These are cave-guards, returning from patrol. I must hear what they have to tell me.” Dipping his head, he walked off to meet the leader of the group.
Mist and Star stayed with the forest cats. Stormfur was struck again by how anxious the Tribe cats looked, and he realized that so far he had not seen any of them enjoying themselves: no apprentices play-fighting, no warriors sharing tongues, or elders gathering to exchange gossip and stories. The whole Tribe seemed to live in an atmosphere of suppressed fear.
“Are you okay?” Tawnypelt meowed to Mist, echoing Stormfur’s thoughts. “You look worried. Is something wrong?”
“Are you being attacked by another Tribe?” Squirrelpaw added.
“No, there are no cats to attack us,” Star replied. “There are no others in the mountains that we know of. How could there be another Tribe when we guard the Cave of the Pointed Stones?”
“What’s that?” meowed Crowpaw.
His question was ignored.
Mist exchanged a swift glance with Star and murmured, “Should we tell them?” Stormfur barely caught the words and realized that he had not been meant to hear.
A hiss came from one of the Tribe cats who had crept closer to listen to the conversation. More than one of them looked scared or angry with Mist.
“What are you afraid of?” Stormfur persisted, his fur beginning to prickle with dread of the unknown.
“Nothing,” Star replied. “Or nothing we may speak of.” Rising to her paws, she dipped her head and began to walk away, gesturing with her tail for Mist to follow her. Mist gave the forest cats a backward glance, her eyes filled with fear, before she vanished into the shadows at the back of the cave. The other cats too began to creep away.
Mystified, Stormfur turned to Brambleclaw, and saw his own apprehension reflected in the ThunderClan cat’s amber eyes. “What was all that about?” he muttered.
Brambleclaw shook his head. “StarClan knows. But whatever it is, it’s obvious that something is frightening them. I wonder why they don’t want to tell us what it is.”
第九章
第九章
暴毛吃惊地盯着里面。这个山洞至少与隔绝外面世界的瀑布差不多宽，向里面一直延伸到山的腹地，最后消失在远方阴影下的深处。他只能看到，水帘对面的岩壁两侧，有一条狭窄的通道。距离他头顶很高处的洞顶，也被阴影笼罩，到处都是像尖牙一样的石头，直直指向山洞地面。
只有一道摇曳的微光，穿过湍急的水流照进洞中，感觉就像站在水潭的深处似的。那些猫领着他们继续往山洞里面走，这时，暴毛听见，除了轰鸣的瀑布声，还有更多水流的声音。他看见一条溪水从一块长满苔藓的岩石上流下，注入山洞地面的浅潭中。两三只猫——一只瘦得皮包骨的长老，和两只像是学徒的年轻猫——正蹲在潭边饮水。三只猫都抬起头，警惕地看着这群新访客，仿佛他们就是一直在等待的危险。
在水潭的另一边，有一堆猎物。当暴毛看向猎物堆的时候，正好有几只山猫走进来存放猎物。这是他进洞以来看到的第一幅完全熟悉的景象，而且一看到那些兔子，饥肠辘辘的他肚子就开始不争气地叫了起来。
“你觉得他们会给我们些吃的吗？”松鼠爪对着他耳朵小声说，“我都快饿死了！”
“你要知道，在他们眼中，我们就是猎物。”鸦爪在松鼠爪另一边说道。
“但到目前为止，他们还没有做出任何伤害我们的举动。”黑莓掌指出。
暴毛也想表现得乐观一些，但鹰崖和溪儿不知跑哪儿去了，而且已经有好一阵子，没有别的猫来跟他们说话。相反，刚才饮水的三只猫悄悄跑到他们的守卫身边，那个长老跟他们轻声说着什么，并且自始至终都一直盯着他。那两位学徒则兴奋地窃窃私语。瀑布的咆哮声，盖住了他们的声音，但是暴毛注意到，这群山猫似乎一点也没受到瀑布声的影响，能听清对方的话。
暴毛尽量不去理会这些，尽管他觉得他们之间的低语几乎全是对着他来的。他不断地告诉自己不要那么多疑。暴毛判断，洞壁旁边有几个地方显然是睡觉用的，因为地面上有些浅的洼坑，里面铺着苔藓和羽毛。一处位于靠近入口的地方，另两处位于里面较远处的山洞两边。暴毛猜想，是不是有一处属于武士，有一处是学徒的，还有一处是长老的。暴毛看见几只幼崽在一个通道的入口处打打闹闹，他猜测那条道一定通向育婴室。突然间，暴毛对他看到的黑暗、嘈杂、恐怖的山洞有了一个不同的想法：这是一个营地！这个部落跟森林里的族群有很多共同之处。暴毛开始觉得，他们很有希望得到食物并有地方休息，卧倒在地不住发抖的褐皮也能得到帮助。
然后，他终于又看见了鹰崖，他从较远处的一条通道出来，穿过山洞地面，朝紧紧挤在一起的森林猫走来。他身后还跟着另一只猫，这只猫的身子跟风族武士一样又瘦又长。因为他的身上糊满了泥，暴毛看不出他泥巴下的毛到底是什么颜色，但他眼神深邃，眼睛发出绿莹莹的光，口鼻周围有些许白毛，这表明，这只猫比他们迄今为止看到的其他猫都要年长一些。
“欢迎欢迎！”他低沉的声音在山洞里回响。他伸出一只爪子，做了个古怪的手势，跟鹰崖和溪儿在外面做的一模一样。“我的名字叫尖石的预言者，你们可以叫我尖石巫师。我是急水部落的治疗师。”
“治疗师？”黑莓掌犹豫地瞥了一眼同伴，“你指的是巫医吗？你们族群的首领在哪儿，就是你们口中的部落？”
尖石巫师迟疑了片刻，说道：“我不太确定你说的巫医的含义，这个部落也没有其他首领。在杀无尽部落的帮助下，我负责向大伙儿解释石头、树叶、水所显示的信号，这些信号会告诉我部落该怎么做。”
暴毛从尖石巫师的话中挑出了关键点。“那么他就是巫医兼族长了，”他悄声对黑莓掌说，“那他可相当有权力了！”
黑莓掌礼貌地低下头作为回礼。“我们来自遥远的森林，”他开始介绍自己以及同伴们的名字，“我们未来还有一段艰苦的旅程要走，在能继续出发之前，我们需要一些食物和休息的地方。”
他说话的时候，越来越多的部落猫好奇地围了过来。暴毛根据他们的体形大小判断出了幼崽和学徒，并且发现他们的武士分成两组，一组猫肩膀宽厚，肌肉强健，一组猫则更苗条些，身体结实，四肢修长，一定善于奔跑。他还注意到他们看起来都很焦虑，焦躁不安，仿佛随时准备夺路而逃。
一只棕色虎斑母猫眼睛盯着暴毛，喃喃道：“是的！就是这只——肯定是！”
暴毛心中不由一动。当他们在水边初次见面时，溪儿已经说过相似的话。他张开口刚想问她到底是什么意思，但这个部落的治疗师却转向年轻的棕色虎斑猫。“别说话！”他嘘了一声，然后用更平和的语气对族群猫说，“欢迎诸位来到我们山洞。我们捕获的猎物多得是，”他的尾巴向猎物堆一弹，说道，“你们敞开肚皮吃，然后在这里休息。我们可以好好聊聊。”
黑莓掌看看其他的族群猫。“我们可以吃点东西，”他悄悄地说，“我想他们现在不会伤害我们。”
暴毛跟随他走向猎物堆，立刻感觉到几十双眼睛火辣辣地盯着自己。这绝对不是他想象出来的——比起其他几个同伴，他显然被观察得更为仔细。当他坐下来准备吃东西时，从鼻子到尾巴尖，每一根皮毛都感到刺痛。
他挑了一只兔子刚咬了一口，就听到身后有猫倒吸了一口气，惊讶地小声说道：“他们不分享食物！”
他偷偷扫了一眼，看见一只年轻的灰猫正满脸敌意地盯着他。这时，一只虎斑老猫低头对那只灰猫小声说：“嘘！那不是他们的错，有可能没有猫教过他们。”
暴毛不知道他们说的是什么意思。突然，他看到有两只部落猫并排站着也在吃东西，他们分别拿了一块猎物各自咬了一口，接着相互交换了猎物，然后才坐下来吃完猎物。暴毛顿时觉得困窘无比，他和他的朋友在部落猫的眼里该是多么粗鲁啊。
他直接对先前说话的那只年轻猫说：“我们不会像你们那样交换食物，但我们确实会分享。”他轻弹尾巴指了指正温柔地照顾褐皮吃一只老鼠的羽尾，“我们绝不会让任何一个伙伴饿肚子，狩猎巡逻队总是等所有族猫都够吃了，才开始填饱自己的肚子。”
那只灰猫神情尴尬地退后了一两步，好像没想到外来客听到了自己的评论。虎斑猫友好地低下了头。“你们的行为方式对我们而言有点奇怪，也许我们可以互相学习。”
暴毛附和道：“或许吧。”
他再次低下头开始大口吃他的那只兔子。过了一会儿，一只胆子比较大的幼崽在小伙伴的怂恿下，小跑着来到了这几只族群猫身边。“你们从哪儿来？”他问道。
“我们从很远很远的地方来，”松鼠爪含着一嘴肉含糊地说。她咽下嘴里的食物，紧跟着清晰地说道：“翻过这几座山，跨过一片片原野，最后穿过一座森林。”
幼崽眨着眼睛问：“原野是什么？”还没等松鼠爪回答，他又接了一句：“我长大了要当山洞卫士。”
“真棒！”羽尾说。
“当然，我已经是预备卫士了。”
“‘玉贝’？什么是‘玉贝’？”鸦爪问道。
幼崽轻蔑地看了一眼这个风族学徒，暴毛差点笑出声来。幼崽说道：“‘预备’，当然就是快要成为山洞卫士的意思。你也知道，就是训练啥的。你们这些新来的猫怎么什么都不懂啊？”
“他的意思就是学徒，”暴毛解释道，没忍住又加了一句，“就跟你一样。”
幼崽盯着他惊呼道：“你只是一名预备卫士？你都这么大了！”鸦爪脸上挂不住，撇了一下嘴。
“听起来他们的传统跟咱们差不多啊。”褐皮小声说。
“不知道他们是否也信仰星族。”松鼠爪轻声说。
“对他们来说，去母亲嘴太远了，”暴毛说，“也没有猫在那儿见过他们。”
“尖石巫师提到过杀无尽部落，”羽尾想起来，“也许那就是他们对星族的称呼。”她一双蓝眼睛睁得大大的，有点不安地说，“或者你们觉着他们跟我们有不同的武士祖灵？”
“我不知道，”黑莓掌答道，“但我想我们会搞清楚的。”
暴毛吃完后，觉得舒服多了。他觉得，这是自他们在森林跟午夜和波弟分别以后，第一次吃得这么尽兴。他很想睡一觉。但当他咽下最后一口猎物，伸出舌头舔着嘴巴时，看到尖石巫师带着三只猫向他们走过来。一只是鹰崖，另外两只是母猫，但没有溪儿。暴毛微微有点失望。他们刚遇见的时候，溪儿表现得很勇敢，而且对他们很友善，暴毛期待能再看到她。
“你们吃好了吗？”尖石巫师走近时问道。
“吃得非常好，谢谢！你真是太好了，把你们的猎物同我们共享。”黑莓掌答道。
“为什么我们不跟你们分享？”尖石巫师的声音听起来非常惊讶，“猎物不是我们自有的，那是整个大山养育的。”
他在这群森林猫面前坐下，尾巴灵巧地围住爪子。另三只猫则簇拥着他站着。黑莓掌期待地看着他们。
“鹰崖你们已经认识了，”尖石巫师介绍起他的伙伴，“他是我们山洞卫士队的队长，他们负责保护这个地方。”族群猫看起来有点糊涂，他接着说，“这一位是——”他尾巴指着两只母猫中年轻的那只——“来自阳光闪耀的轻雾。她是我们最优秀的狩猎猫之一。”
轻雾低下头，友好地眨眨眼睛，饶有兴致地看着他们。
“这一位是——”尖石巫师尾巴点点另一只母猫，接着说，“闪耀水面的星辰。她现在刚刚做妈妈，等幼崽稍大一点，她还会重新做回山洞卫士。”
“如此说来，你们每一位都有不同的职责？”当其他森林猫打招呼时，褐皮问道。
“是的。”尖石巫师答道。
“你们是不是挑最勇猛的战士当山洞卫士，挑跑得最快的猫当狩猎者？”尽管暴毛一向谨慎，但还是忍不住问道。
尖石巫师不太认同地抽动胡子。“不，我们部落的猫生来就有各自的使命，这是我们的做法。听了这么多，说说你们自己吧？”当看到松鼠爪准备再问另一个问题时，他打断了她，接着问，“你们为什么要长途跋涉呢？我们以前可从没见过像你们这样的猫。”
黑莓掌瞟了一眼暴毛，低声说道：“你觉得怎么样？要跟他们实话实说吗？”
“我认为我们不得不说实话，告诉他们，我们是星族派遣而来。”暴毛知道山猫的听力特别敏锐，他对着黑莓掌耳朵悄悄说，“不然的话，他们可能会认为我们是不法之徒。但别告诉他们我们这趟旅程的初衷，”他加了一句，“不能让他们觉得我们很虚弱。”
黑莓掌点点头。他下意识地清清嗓子，开始解释星族是怎么托梦给四只猫，选中他们参加这次任务；咸水预兆又怎么引导他们，来到太阳沉没之地，见到了午夜。
越来越多的部落猫小心翼翼地围过来听故事。当黑莓掌讲到他们沿途遇到的种种危险时，暴毛看到那些猫的眼中充满了钦佩的神情，但也有一些小声的质疑，似乎有些部落猫不愿轻信陌生客的话。
“别担心，”暴毛趁黑莓掌暂停的间隙插了句嘴，“星族派我们出来不是为了跟你们打仗。事实上，它们从来没说过我们会和你们相遇。”
“星族？”轻雾疑惑地看了尖石巫师一眼，“什么是星族？”
暴毛只听见褐皮惊叫了一嗓又憋了回去。羽尾说得对，这些猫不受星族的指引。一想到在这个奇怪的地方，星族或许并没有庇护着他们，暴毛不禁觉得身上的每一根毛都刺痛，他强忍着没有战栗起来。
“不用担心，”尖石巫师用尾巴尖儿碰碰轻雾的肩膀，示意她放宽心，“不是所有的猫都跟我们有着同样的信仰，我们必须尊重我们所不知道的事情。不懂并没什么大不了的。”他伸出一只爪子向黑莓掌做了一个手势，“请继续讲！”
“最后，我们终于到达了太阳沉没的地方，而且发现午夜竟是一只獾，”黑莓掌解释道，“它跟我们讲述了星族预言的含义，现在我们要赶回家告诉我们的族群。”
“预言？”尖石巫师绿色的眼眸死死盯着黑莓掌，神色怪异，“那么你们也能看到隐藏着什么的幻象了？”
“嗯，我们有时也会做梦。”褐皮解释道，“但大多数情况下，我们的巫医会为我们解读一些征兆，比如说浮云变幻、小鸟飞过、树叶飘落……”
“这些我也会。”尖石巫师说。
一群猫出现在了山洞的入口，尖石巫师停了下来。他站起身说：“请原谅，这些是刚刚巡逻返回的山洞卫士。我现在得听取他们的汇报。”他朝森林猫低了一下头，然后迎向那群猫的领队。
轻雾和星辰仍跟森林猫待在一起。当暴毛再次看到部落猫忧心忡忡的神情时，心里咯噔一下。他察觉到他们远不是他所看到的那样无忧无虑：学徒没有练习搏斗，武士之间没有舌抚，长老们也没有扎堆聊天。整个部落似乎生活在一种压抑的恐惧氛围中。
“你们怎么了？”褐皮开口问轻雾，说出了暴毛心中的疑问，“你们看起来很忧虑。发生什么事情了？”
“是不是别的部落要攻击你们？”松鼠爪接着问。
“不，没有谁要攻击我们，”星辰答道，“就我们所知，这座山里没有别的猫。我们守卫着尖石山洞，怎么会有其他部落来袭击我们？”
“那究竟是怎么回事啊？”鸦爪问。
但他的问题显然可以被忽略了。
轻雾跟星辰交换了下眼神，小声商量着：“能跟他们说吗？”暴毛只听到这几个字，然后意识到自己不该偷听她们的话。
一只悄悄走近偷听她俩对话的部落猫发出嘘的一声。不止一只猫对轻雾不满，他们全都瞪着她，一副又怕又惊的神情。
“你们到底在害怕什么？”暴毛又问，他的皮毛也因为一种未知的恐惧而隐隐作痛。
“没什么，”星辰答，“或者说，我们不能讲。”她站起身，冲森林猫低了一下头走开了，同时用尾巴示意轻雾跟她一起走。轻雾用充满恐惧的眼神回头看了一下森林猫，然后消失在山洞深处的阴影里。别的猫也都悄悄地离开了。
暴毛困惑不已，转向黑莓掌，发现雷族猫那琥珀色的眼睛里，正映照出自己的担心。“这到底是怎么回事？”暴毛小声问。
黑莓掌摇摇头，说道：“我想只有星族知道。但不管是什么，有一点很明显，肯定是某种令他们恐惧的东西。真想知道他们为什么不肯告诉我们。”
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 10
Leafpaw gazed along the line ofhostile WindClan cats, and locked eyes with a bracken-colored apprentice. The young cat drew its lips back in a snarl; Leafpaw’s fur prickled. She was a medicine cat and supposed to be outside normal Clan rivalries. But she found her claws instinctively flexing into the soft moorland grass; if it came to a fight, that apprentice would soon discover that she was not lacking in warrior skills.
“Well?” When Firestar did not immediately answer his question, Tallstar repeated it. “Why have you come? Do you think we’re so weak that you can drive us out as Brokenstar did?”
Defiant yowls and hisses broke out from the warriors behind him, and it was a moment before Firestar could make himself heard.
“Tallstar, you have known nothing but friendship from me since the time that Graystripe and I found you and brought you home,” he replied. “Have you forgotten that? I think you must have, or you wouldn’t accuse me of being like Brokenstar.”
Leafpaw thought she detected a flash of guilt in the older cat’s eyes, but there was still a challenge in his voice as he meowed, “Then why have you come here with so many warriors?”
“Don’t be absurd, Tallstar,” Firestar growled. “I haven’t enough warriors to take on your whole Clan. We want to talk to you, that’s all. WindClan has been stealing prey from ThunderClan territory, and you know as well as I do that that’s against the warrior code.”
Tallstar looked taken aback, as if he genuinely hadn’t known what his warriors were up to. Before he could reply, his deputy Mudclaw called out, “Prove it! Prove that WindClan has stolen so much as a sniff of prey!”
“What?” Leafpaw saw Graystripe’s whole body stiffen. “We saw you ourselves just now! And we found prey bones reeking of WindClan scent.”
“So you say,” Mudclaw sneered. “If you ask me, it’s just an excuse to attack us.”
Furious, Graystripe launched himself across the border, his claws reaching out as he bowled over the WindClan deputy. Mudclaw let out a screech and the two cats rolled on the short moorland grass.
Tallstar gazed down at the two battling warriors with a look of contempt, as if he had found maggots in his fresh-kill. Warriors on both sides were poised to spring, their teeth bared and the light of battle in their eyes. Leafpaw’s heart beat faster as she tried to remember the fighting moves her mentor had taught her.
Firestar stepped forward with a fierce hiss. “Stop!”
At once Graystripe broke away from Mudclaw’s raking claws and stood back, breathing heavily. Mudclaw scrambled to his paws and glared at him.
“Graystripe, I told you we were not here to fight,” Firestar meowed.
The deputy’s yellow eyes were smoldering. “But did you hear the lies he told?”
“Yes. But that doesn’t change my orders. Get back onto our side of the border. Now.”
His tail twitching angrily, Graystripe obeyed. Leafpaw understood how he must feel, especially when he was still worrying about his missing children, but she could also guess how uncomfortable it must be for Firestar when his friend and deputy disobeyed a direct order, and in full view of WindClan. She stifled a sigh. Was this part of being a medicine cat, to understand every cat so clearly and want to sympathize with them all?
Cinderpelt limped forward to stand beside Firestar. “You know that medicine cats do not lie,” she meowed to Tallstar. “You know, too, that it is not the will of StarClan for warriors to trespass on the territory of other Clans and steal their prey.”
“And is it the will of StarClan for my Clan to starve?” Tallstar asked bitterly. “Yesterday one of our elders died, and he will be the first of many if we don’t do something.”
“If we could help you, we would,” Cinderpelt replied with feeling. “But ThunderClan is short of prey too. The whole forest is suffering because of the Twolegs.”
“We should work together,” Firestar added. “I swear to you by StarClan that if ThunderClan finds an answer to these problems, we will share it with WindClan.”
Tallstar met his gaze with a long, thoughtful look, his bitterness dying away and leaving deep sorrow behind it. “An answer? Firestar, I don’t think that even you can find an answer to our troubles. Unless you let us hunt on your territory.” Even while he was speaking, he shook his head, to show Firestar he did not make that suggestion seriously. “No, you are right to keep your own prey. The warrior code demands that you feed your own Clan first. WindClan does not look to you for help.”
Firestar dipped his head to the WindClan leader. “Tallstar, we promise you that ThunderClan has not lied to you. There will be no fighting now, but if the prey-stealing doesn’t stop, you know what to expect.”
He turned and walked away, gesturing with his tail for his warriors to follow him. As they withdrew, yowls of derision rose from the WindClan warriors, as if they had fought a battle and driven invaders away from their territory.
Leafpaw felt her neck fur rise, half expecting the rival Clan to pursue them like the warriors had pursued her and Sorreltail a few days before. But the sounds died away behind them as Firestar led the way around the top of the hollow at Fourtrees and down the slope toward the stream.
“Why didn’t we fight it out?” Dustpelt demanded. “We could have taught them a lesson that they wouldn’t forget in a hurry!”
“I know,” Firestar sighed. “But as I said before, the Clans cannot afford to turn on one another.”
“And when our patrols catch WindClan stealing prey again?” Dustpelt’s tail twitched; he was short-tempered at the best of times, and Leafpaw knew how anxious he was about Ferncloud and their kits.
“We’ll see them off if we catch them trespassing,” Firestar promised. “But let’s pray to StarClan that Tallstar sees sense and keeps his warriors on their own territory. I don’t think he knew what was going on until today.”
“Maybe not. But he’ll back his own warriors now.” Dustpelt paused, his brown tabby fur bristling as if he could see his enemy in front of him.
“Why don’t you go and hunt for a bit?” Firestar suggested. “See if you can find a bit of fresh-kill for Ferncloud.”
Dustpelt glanced at him, his neck fur beginning to relax. “Okay, I will.” In a reluctant growl he added, “Thanks.” Swiftly he turned and disappeared into the thicker vegetation beside the stream.
Firestar watched him go, his expression full of sorrow. Leafpaw could hardly bear to see his frustration and hopelessness. She knew he would never give up, not before the monsters had destroyed every last tree in the forest. But it looked like the time when that might happen was drawing near, and what would Firestar do then?
As she followed him across the stream toward the ThunderClan camp, she struggled yet again with the guilt she felt about not telling her father what she knew about Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw. Perhaps now was the time to speak up, to relieve some of his anxieties about them, and to assure him that StarClan knew about the suffering in the forest and had their own plan to relieve it. But what would Firestar say to her, when she had kept silent for so long? Leafpaw shrank at the thought of his anger.
Seeing that Cinderpelt had dropped a little way behind the other cats, she wondered if her mentor might have the answer. She could tell Cinderpelt; the medicine cat would understand, and perhaps help her to pass the news on to Firestar.
Leafpaw waited for her mentor to catch up to her. “Cinderpelt . . .” she began, anticipating the medicine cat’s usual sensible, no-nonsense advice.
But when Cinderpelt turned to her, her blue eyes were clouded with pain. “I’ve heard nothing from StarClan,” she mewed without giving Leafpaw the chance to speak first. “Have they abandoned us? It can’tbe their will for the Twolegs to destroy us all.”
As if to emphasize her desperation, the roar of the Twoleg monsters thundered in the distance. Though she couldn’t see them from here, Leafpaw could picture all too clearly the garish, glittering pelts and the vast black paws that tore up the forest as easily as Dustpelt’s claws had torn the grass moments before.
She brushed comfortingly against her mentor. “Suppose StarClan spoke to us in another way?” she suggested, feeling her heart begin to pound. The whole forest was turned upside down, if apprentices knew about prophecies that had not been sent to older cats.
“What other way? They haven’t sent me a single dream or a sign.”
“They might have sent it to another cat.”
“To you?” Cinderpelt rounded on Leafpaw with her blue eyes blazing. “Have they?”
“No, but—”
“No, StarClan is silent.” Cinderpelt’s brief flash of energy vanished and her tail drooped. “They must want something from us, but what?”
Leafpaw found it impossible to go on. Perhaps this wasn’t the right time to speak after all. How would Cinderpelt feel if she found out that StarClan had chosen to speak to inexperienced warriors, and send them on the journey instead of the medicine cats? She felt so lonely and confused that she instinctively tried to reach out to Squirrelpaw and share her sister’s thoughts. But she found no comfort there. All she could sense was darkness, and the noise of rushing water.
“Leafpaw! Are you coming?”
With a jump, Leafpaw realized that Cinderpelt was several tail-lengths ahead of her.
“Sorry!” she called back, and plodded on at the rear of the patrol, her head bowed down by her fears for StarClan’s chosen cats and for all the forest. And, most of all, for Squirrelpaw—wherever she was.
第十章
第十章
叶爪盯着一排充满敌意的风族猫，眼神紧盯着一个蕨色的学徒。这只年轻猫嘴唇往后缩着，不停咆哮。叶爪的皮毛一阵刺痛。她是一只巫医，本应不卷入普通的族群冲突中。但她发现，自己的爪子本能地抓进柔软的荒草中。如果真的开打，那个学徒很快就会发现这个巫医学徒不乏武士技能。
“哦？”见火星没有立刻回话，高星又问，“你们有何贵干？以为我们弱小可以随意欺负？就像断星那样把我们赶出家园？”
他身后的武士发出挑衅的吼叫和嘶嘶声。火星的声音很快就被他们的怒吼声给淹没了。
“高星，你应该知道，自从我和灰条找到你们，把你们带回家之后，我对你就只有友情没有恶意。”火星答道，“你全都忘了吗？我想你一定是忘了，才会把我想得跟断星一样。”
叶爪觉得她从这位年长的猫的眼睛里捕捉到了一丝愧疚，但高星的声音里仍然带着质疑的语气：“那你为什么带这么多武士来这儿？”
“不要这么荒唐，高星，”火星怒斥道，“我带来的武士根本不可能跟你们整个族群作战。我们来是想和你对话，仅此而已。风族一直在雷族境内偷捕猎物，你跟我都清楚，这是违反武士守则的。”
高星看起来很惊讶，好像真的不知道他的武士会做这种事。还没等他说话，他的副族长泥掌喊道：“拿出证据来！证明风族偷了你们的猎物，哪怕是一丝猎物的气味也好！”
“什么？”叶爪看到灰条的身子一下子绷紧了，“我们刚刚亲眼看到你在偷猎！而且我们发现猎物的残骸上有风族猫的气味。”
“这只是你的说法，”泥掌冷笑道，“要我说，这只是你们想袭击我们的借口。”
灰条大怒，纵身越过边界，伸出爪子，扑向风族副族长。泥掌大叫一声，两只猫就在荒原浅草地上扭打起来。
高星一脸轻蔑地盯着两只厮打在一起的武士，就仿佛发现猎物上生了蛆那样。双方的武士都跃跃欲试，露出嘴里的尖牙，眼睛里充满战斗的怒火。叶爪开始努力回想老师教过的格斗技巧，心跳也越来越快。
火星上前大喝一声：“住手！”灰条立刻躲开泥掌钉耙般的爪子，气喘吁吁地退了回来。泥掌爬起身怒视着他。
“灰条，我告诉过你我们来这儿不是为了打架的。”火星说。
这位副族长黄色的眼睛里依然流露出恼怒的神情：“但是，你没听见他睁着眼睛说瞎话吗？”
“是的，我听见他在说谎，但这不是你违抗命令的理由。现在退回到我们的边界一边！”
灰条愤怒地猛抽尾巴，遵命退了回去。叶爪能体谅他现在的心情，尤其是他还在担心着失踪的孩子；但她也能想象到火星心里有多不痛快，他的好友兼副族长竟然不听从他亲自下的命令，而且当着风族猫的面。叶爪尽力忍住叹息。难道了解每只猫的心情，同情每一只猫，这也是巫医的责任吗？
炭毛跛着腿向前站到了火星身边。她对高星说道：“你知道，巫医从不说谎；你也知道，星族不希望武士们擅闯他族领地，偷捕猎物。”
“难道星族就忍心让我的族群挨饿？”高星痛苦地反问道，“昨天，我们的一个长老饿死了。如果我们再不做些什么，还会不断有猫饿死。”
“如果我们有能力帮助你们，我们义不容辞，”炭毛充满感情地回答道，“但雷族现在也猎物匮乏。整座森林都因为两脚兽而遭受困难。”
“我们要齐心协力，”火星接过话题，“我以星族的名义向你发誓，如果雷族找到解决问题的办法，一定会告诉风族。”
高星若有所思，久久地看着火星的眼睛。渐渐的，他心中苦痛消失了，只留下深深的悲伤。“解决办法？火星，我认为即使是你，也不能找到解决我们困境的办法。除非你允许我们在你们的领地狩猎。”他一边说一边摇头，表示自己只是随口说说罢了，“不，你们保护自己的猎物是对的。武士守则要求一族之长必须首先保证自己的族猫吃饱肚子。风族不奢望你来帮助我们。”
火星向这位风族族长低下了头：“高星，我们向你保证，雷族没有跟你说谎。现在也不会挑起战斗，但如果这种偷猎行为不停止，你知道接下来会发生什么的。”
说完，火星转身走开了，用尾巴示意他的武士跟上。他们撤退以后，风族武士爆发出嘲弄的吼声，就好像他们刚刚打赢了一场战斗把入侵者赶出了风族的领地。
叶爪感觉到脖子上的毛都竖起来了，突然有些希望风族猫能像几天前追赶她和栗尾那样，朝他们追来。但风族猫的声音很快消失在他们身后。火星带着他们绕过四棵树附近的山顶，顺着山坡往下走向小河。
“我们为什么不跟他们大干一场？”尘毛质问道，“我们应该教训他们一顿，这样他们就不会忘得那么快了！”
“我知道，”火星叹息道，“但就像我之前说的，族群间再也经不起战乱了。”
“那么，如果我们的巡逻队再次逮住风族偷猎怎么办？”尘毛尾巴不停地抽动着。他本来平时脾气就很火爆，叶爪也知道他是多么担心香薇云和他们的几个孩子啊！
“如果逮住他们擅自闯入，那就赶走他们。”火星答应道，“让我们祈祷星族，但愿高星能看清后果，管好他的武士，不让他们越界。我认为，高星也是直到今天，才知道发生了什么事情。”
“他之前可能不知情。但现在他会支持他的武士们的偷猎行为。”尘毛停下脚步，一身暗棕色的虎斑毛全都竖了起来，仿佛看到仇敌就在眼前。
“尘毛，为什么不去打些猎物给香薇云带回去？”火星建议道。
尘毛看了火星一眼，脖颈上的毛开始平顺下来。“好，我这就去。”然后勉强加了一句“谢谢”。说完，他迅速转身，消失在河边茂密的草木中。
火星目送他走开，表情忧伤。叶爪简直不愿看父亲充满绝望和挫败感的神情。她知道他绝不会放弃，至少，在那些怪物毁掉森林里的最后一棵树前，他不会撒手不管。但看情形，怪物毁掉整座森林的时日正在逼近，到时，火星又该怎么办呢？
叶爪跟在火星身后跨过小河向雷族营地走去时，内心再次斗争起来，她为自己没有告诉父亲松鼠爪和黑莓掌的事情而感到愧疚。也许现在是说出这一切的时候了，这可以让父亲安心一些，也让他明白，星族知道森林正在经受的苦难，而且也已经有了解救森林的计划。但她把这些秘密保守了这么久，火星听了会怎么说她？一想到火星可能勃然大怒，叶爪退缩了。
看到炭毛落在其他猫的身后，叶爪不知道老师是不是已经找到了解决办法。她可以把这一切讲给炭毛听，巫医会理解她，也许炭毛能帮她把这些信息转告火星。
叶爪等着老师赶上来。“炭毛……”她开始讲话，期待这只巫医能像往常一样，给她一些明智的、可行的建议。
但当炭毛转向她的时候，炭毛那双蓝色眼睛里充满了痛苦。“我没得到星族的任何消息，”她没有给叶爪先开口的机会，“难道它们抛弃我们了？两脚兽摧毁我们的家园，绝不是星族的意愿。”
恰在这时，从远处传来两脚兽的怪物的咆哮声，就好像在呼应她心中的绝望。尽管从这儿看不到那些怪物，但叶爪还是能清晰地想象出那幅场景：鲜艳的闪闪发光的怪物伸出巨大的黑色爪子撕毁了森林，就像尘毛之前撕开草皮一样容易。
她轻轻碰了碰老师的身体，安慰她。“假如星族用其他方式跟我们对话呢？”她暗示道，感觉自己的心开始怦怦直跳。如果学徒们知道那些老猫都不清楚的预言，整个森林肯定会陷入一片混乱的。
“什么其他方式？它们没给我托过一个梦，也没给我留下半点征兆。”
“星族或许把信息给了别的猫吧。”
“你是说给你了？”炭毛蓝色的眼睛一下子亮了，殷切地盯着叶爪，“是不是？”
“没有，但……”
“没有，星族为何保持沉默。”炭毛眼神里的希望之光如昙花一现，尾巴也耷拉了下来，“它们一定想要我们做什么，但那到底是什么呢？”
叶爪觉得不可能再说下去了。也许现在根本不是说出真相的好时机。如果炭毛发现，星族已经选中几名没经验的武士，而并非巫医进行了对话，并派他们远行，她会是什么感受？叶爪感觉非常孤独困惑，本能地想感应松鼠爪，跟妹妹分享自己的内心感受，但她发现，自己无法从妹妹那儿得到慰藉，她所能感受到的只有黑暗和湍急的流水声。
“叶爪！你要不要跟上来？”
叶爪一激灵，这才发现自己已经落在炭毛身后几尾远的地方了。
“对不起！”她一边回应，一边步履沉重地走在巡逻队的后面。因为担心星族选中的猫以及森林，叶爪一直耷拉着脑袋。她最担心的是松鼠爪，她现在在哪儿呢？
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 11
Moonlight shone into the cave, turningthe waterfall into a sheet of rippling silver. Stormfur felt as though the day had lasted for a moon, and now even the shallow, sandy dips in the cave floor were looking as comfortable as his nest among the reeds back home.
Stoneteller had returned and shown the forest cats to sleeping hollows at the side of the main cave, their curved sides lined with a sparse layer of moss and feathers. “You may rest here,” he meowed. “Stay many days—for as long as you want. You are all welcome.”
Once he had gone, Brambleclaw beckoned with his tail for all his friends to gather around. “We need to talk,” he mewed. “How long do you think we should stay here?”
Crowpaw’s tail lashed from side to side. “I don’t know how you can ask that!” he rasped. “I thought we were on a mission. What about taking Midnight’s news to the forest?”
“Crowpaw’s right,” Stormfur meowed, stifling a brief stab of annoyance that he had to agree with the WindClan apprentice. “I think we should leave right away.”
“Me too,” mewed Tawnypelt. “Leaf-bare’s coming, and there’ll be snow up here.”
“But what about your shoulder?” Brambleclaw reminded her. Since their plunge over the waterfall, she’d been limping on three legs, and a trickle of dried blood ran down her shoulder, seeping between her claws. “We’ve got to stay until the rat bite is better. We’d all get on faster after that.”
Tawnypelt’s neck fur bristled. “I knocked it again, that’s all. If you think I’m holding you back,” she spat, “then just come out and say so.”
“Brambleclaw didn’t mean that.” Feathertail brushed her side comfortingly against Tawnypelt’s flank, taking care to avoid the injury. “That’s more than just a knock. It looks like you’ve done as much damage as before, and it won’t heal if you don’t rest.”
Squirrelpaw looked thoughtful. “It sounded as if the Tribe cats don’t think we should leave at all. What are they all so frightened of? Are we going to meet more danger farther on?”
The other cats looked uneasily at one another. Stormfur admitted to himself that the thought had crossed his mind too. Part of him wanted to stay safely in the cave for as long as they could, if the alternative was unknown terror among the rocks and precipices of the mountains.
“It’ll be risky whenever we leave,” Crowpaw pointed out. “Okay, I agree about Tawnypelt, but let’s get Stoneteller to fix her shoulder, and then go.”
“That’s all very well,” Squirrelpaw broke in, her green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “But we’re all assuming we can leave whenever we want.”
“What do you mean? They wouldn’t dare stop us!” Crowpaw exclaimed.
Squirrelpaw snorted. “I’ll bet you my next piece of fresh-kill that they would. Look over there.”
She flicked her ears toward the cave entrance. A cave-guard was seated on either side, making no secret of the fact that they were keeping an eye on the newcomers.
“Perhaps they’re guarding the cave from enemies outside,” Feathertail meowed.
“We could always try leaving,” Crowpaw suggested, the tip of his gray-black tail twitching. “Then we’d see what happened.”
“No.” Brambleclaw’s voice was firm. “It would be mouse-brained to leave right now. We’re all tired out, and we need to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll see how Tawnypelt’s shoulder is, and figure out when we can leave.”
There was a murmur of agreement. Not even Crowpaw wanted more trouble just then, and it was not long before the forest cats were settling into their sleeping hollows, huddled together against the curious stares that darted at them from all around the cave.
As Stormfur prodded his bedding into place, he heard a pawstep behind him, and turned to see one of the mountain cats padding across the cave toward him. Warm recognition swept through his pelt as he recognized Brook by her soft tabby fur and lithe walk. She carried a wad of feathers in her jaws.
Dropping them in the sleeping hollow Stormfur had chosen, she dipped her head to him. “Stoneteller sent me to make sure you’re comfortable.”
“Er, thanks,” Stormfur replied. Did Brook mean that Stoneteller had sent her to all the cats, or to him in particular? She showed no signs of going to fetch more feathers for the rest of them. True, Stormfur still felt battered from the fall into the pool, but so did all his friends. He was not their leader either, who would get special treatment.
“I . . . I hope you’ll be happy here,” Brook went on hesitantly. “This must be very different from what you’re used to. Do you have caves for sleeping in your forest?”
“No, we sleep in nests of reeds and bushes. RiverClan’s camp—that’s my Clan—is on an island.” A pang of homesickness stabbed Stormfur as he spoke, and he wondered if he would ever again lie curled up in the warriors’ den, listening to the soft sighing of the wind in the reeds. If Midnight was right, and all the Clans had to leave the forest, he might never find another home that was so peaceful.
Brook’s eyes shone in the moonlight. “Are you a cave-guard or—” She broke off, scuffling her paws in embarrassment. “No, of course not, if you have no caves there will be no cave-guards. Do you guard your camp, or are you a prey-hunter?”
“Our Clans don’t work like that,” Stormfur told her. “We all guard and hunt and patrol.”
“That must be hard,” Brook meowed. “We are born to our duties, so we know exactly what we have to do. I am a prey-hunter,” she added. “If Stoneteller allows it, perhaps you would like to hunt with me tomorrow?”
Stormfur swallowed. It sounded as if Brook assumed that the forest cats would be staying for a while. He was not sure either that he liked the idea of asking Stoneteller’s permission for everything; they would respect the Tribe’s leader while they stayed in his territory, but he had no right to give them orders. All the same, it would be fun to hunt with Brook.
He wondered whether to ask her outright if they were prisoners, but before he could speak, the pretty young tabby dipped her head in farewell. “You’re tired; I’ll leave you alone now,” she mewed. “Sleep well. I hope we will hunt together soon.”
Stormfur said good-bye to her and watched her retreat across the cave before he settled into the feathers. All around him were the soft murmurs of his sleeping friends. But although his muscles ached and his head spun with exhaustion, it was some time before sleep claimed him as well.
The sound of pawsteps padding past his sleeping hollow woke Stormfur the next morning; he opened his eyes to see sunlight spilling through the cascade of water and into the cave. It reminded him of how they should be following the rising sun back to the forest, and he scrambled out of his hollow, shaking off a feather that clung to his pelt.
Brambleclaw was already up, standing a few tail-lengths away and watching a patrol of cave-guards leaving through the main entrance. Their quiet sense of purpose reminded Stormfur of the patrols at home. He padded over to Brambleclaw, who twitched his whiskers in greeting.
“Tawnypelt’s shoulder started bleeding in the night. I think the muscles have torn open again,” the ThunderClan warrior meowed. “I told her to get some more sleep, but it means we’ll have to stay here for a day or two at least.”
Stormfur glanced back to where he could see the smooth curve of Tawnypelt’s tortoiseshell fur as she lay curled in her sleeping hollow. Feathertail was anxiously bending over her, examining her injured shoulder, while Crowpaw looked on. Squirrelpaw was still sleeping.
The sight of his sister so close to the WindClan apprentice did nothing to improve Stormfur’s temper. “Well, if we must, we must,” he muttered. “But sooner or later we’ll have to find out why these Tribe cats have been quite so welcoming. We know there’s something they’re not telling us.”
“True.” Brambleclaw was calm, his amber eyes meeting Stonefur’s in a level stare. “But we’ll learn more if we cooperate with them—to begin with, anyway.”
“You could be right,” Stormfur grunted.
Movement at the back of the cave caught his eye, and he spotted Stoneteller emerging from one of the tunnels and heading toward them. Crowpaw and Feathertail spotted him too; Crowpaw prodded Squirrelpaw to wake her, and all three cats came bounding over to Stormfur and Brambleclaw.
Tawnypelt raised her head as Feathertail moved away. “Are we leaving?” she meowed; Stormfur could hear the pain grating in her voice. “I can go on if I have to.”
Feathertail glanced back at her. “No, we’re not going anywhere yet. Try to get some sleep.”
“Are you going to ask Stoneteller to let us out of here?” Crowpaw hissed to Brambleclaw. “If he thinks he can keep us prisoner, I’ll claw his ears off!”
“No, you won’t,” Brambleclaw said swiftly. “You know very well Tawnypelt needs to rest until that rat bite is better. Besides, the last thing we want to do is offend any of these cats. Let me do the talking.”
Crowpaw shot the tabby warrior a glare, but said nothing more.
“I’m sure we’re not prisoners.” Stormfur spoke more confidently than he felt, trying to convince himself that he had imagined the eerie interest the Tribe cats took in him. “Why should we be? We’ve done them no harm.”
“Maybe we have something they want,” Squirrelpaw suggested.
That idea was so close to what Stormfur himself had been thinking that he found nothing to say in reply. Besides, Stoneteller was approaching; there was no more chance to talk among themselves.
“Good morning,” the Healer meowed. “Have you slept well?”
“Very well, thank you,” Brambleclaw replied. “But Tawnypelt’s shoulder is badly hurt, so we’d like to stay for a day or two until she’s better, if that’s all right with you.”
“Good.” Stoneteller’s head swiveled toward Stormfur as he spoke, and the glow in his green eyes made Stormfur even more apprehensive. “I will look at your friend’s shoulder, and find some herbs to heal her.”
“The rest of us would like to go hunting,” Brambleclaw continued. “We need to stretch our legs, and we’d like to catch our own prey. You can’t go on feeding six of us while we sit around doing nothing.”
Stoneteller’s ears pricked forward, and his eyes narrowed. Stormfur got the idea that he was not pleased by Brambleclaw’s request.
However, the Healer scarcely hesitated. “Of course,” he meowed. “We will be glad for your help. Some prey-hunters are about to leave, so you can go with them.”
As he spoke, Stormfur saw several of the Tribe cats gathering beside the cave entrance; Brook was among them, and Mist, the prey-hunter they had met the day before. Stoneteller led the Clan cats over to them.
“Our new friends want to go hunting,” he announced. “Take them with you, and teach them the way we hunt.”
The order given, he padded away again. Stormfur glanced after him, slightly stung that he thought Clan warriors would need to be taught how to hunt. Then he realized that Brook was beside him again.
“Greetings,” she mewed. “There are so many of us, we’d better split into two groups. Will you hunt with me?”
“Yes, I’d like that,” Stormfur replied, slightly surprised at how pleased he felt that Brook had remembered her invitation of the previous night.
Quickly the Tribe cats divided into two groups. One of them, with Mist in the lead, took Crowpaw and Feathertail, while Stormfur joined Brook’s group, along with Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw.
Tawnypelt watched them go with a brief flash of fear in her eyes, but as Stormfur left the cave, he spotted the kit-mother Star padding over to her with a piece of fresh-kill.
“She’ll be fine,” Brambleclaw murmured. “With any luck, she’ll sleep until we get back. It doesn’t look like the Tribe cats mean her any harm.”
Seeing the friendliness with which Star spoke to Tawnypelt, Stormfur realized that the tabby warrior was right. He stepped cautiously along the ledge behind the waterfall, shivering as the spray soaked into his fur, and out onto the rocks beside the pool.
As he shook off most of the moisture, he noticed that Crag and a number of other cats were already waiting, their fur streaked with fresh mud. They were strong cats with massive shoulders, unlike the lithe prey-hunters. Stormfur guessed they were all cave-guards.
Catching Brambleclaw’s eye, he muttered, “What are they doing here?”
Brook heard his low-voiced comment. “We take cave-guards with us on our hunts,” she explained. “We need them to watch for eagles, and—”
She broke off with a nervous glance at Stormfur, who wondered what she had been about to say. Still, he felt relieved at her explanation. The thought had crossed his mind that the cave-guards might be there to keep an eye on him and his friends, and make sure that they did not try to escape. Of course, they would never leave Tawnypelt, but Stoneteller didn’t know that.
When Brook had explained to Crag that the visitors were joining them for the hunt, the cave-guards joined the two groups. One of them, with Crowpaw and Feathertail, began to climb the rocks where Stormfur and the others had fallen the day before, while Brook led Stormfur’s group farther down into the valley.
The ground here was hard earth, where a few scanty clumps of grass poked up among broken rocks. A few bushes straggled here and there beneath the steep rock walls. Though the rain had stopped, the boulders gleamed wet in the morning light. The prospects for prey looked meager to Stormfur’s eyes, and he wondered how the Tribe cats had managed to find the fresh-kill they had shared so generously. He tasted the air, and picked up only the faintest traces of prey-scent.
Brook led her group along one side of the valley, in the shadow of the bushes. Now Stormfur could see why they streaked their pelts with mud; it made them blend into the rock so that when they were still it was hard to see them at all. In contrast Squirrelpaw’s dark ginger fur looked like a splash of blood, though Stormfur’s gray pelt and Brambleclaw’s dark tabby were inconspicuous enough. All the Tribe cats moved silently; Stormfur had to concentrate to make sure his pawsteps were just as quiet.
Before long he saw Squirrelpaw halt, her ears flicking up in excitement. “Look—a mouse!” she whispered.
Stormfur spotted it too, nibbling on a grass-seed a few tail-lengths ahead. Squirrelpaw dropped into the hunter’s crouch, but instantly Brook swung her tail in front of her, barring her way. Her jaws formed the word, “Wait.”
Stormfur expected Squirrelpaw to make an indignant protest, but the ThunderClan apprentice obviously figured that if she did she would frighten the prey. She glared at Brook instead, but the young she-cat didn’t notice. Her eyes were fixed on the mouse.
A shadow flicked over Stormfur. A heartbeat later a falcon swooped down from the sky and gripped the mouse in its powerful talons. At the same moment Brook launched herself forward. She sprang onto the bird’s back, sinking her claws into its shoulders. Its wings beat furiously; for a couple of heartbeats it lifted Brook off the ground, only to fall back under her weight. A second prey-hunter ran up, and helped Brook finish the falcon off. Its wings stopped beating and it lay limp on the rocky ground.
“And we get the mouse too,” Crag pointed out to Stormfur, swiping his tongue around his jaws.
Stormfur’s eyes stretched wide with admiration at Brook’s hunting skills. What a warrior she would make, if she’d been forestborn! Briefly he imagined her in RiverClan, teaching them this new way of hunting, but he banished the picture almost at once. Brook belonged here in the mountains, and within the next day or two he would have to part from her. He felt a strange stab of regret at the thought and was surprised. How could he already feel attached to a cat he barely knew?
Squirrelpaw was staring in disbelief at the dead falcon, all her indignation forgotten. “That was brilliant!” she meowed. “I want to try it.” To Brambleclaw she added, “Could we hunt like this at home, do you think?”
“There aren’t as many hawks,” Brambleclaw pointed out. “WindClan might try, I suppose—Crowpaw said he’d seen eagles on the moors.”
Stormfur noticed that instead of scraping earth over her prey until she was ready to collect it, Brook hid the mouse and the falcon by dragging both of them into a crevice in the rock. Then she set off again at the head of her group.
This time she led them up the wall of the valley, bounding over some loose rocks and then along a ledge. Stormfur couldn’t think what prey she hoped to find out here, but by now he was content to wait and see, aware that these mountain cats had tricks he and his friends had never heard of.
They came to a flattened heap of twigs and dried grass, blocking the ledge. There was a strong reek of stale prey. Brook sprang nimbly over it, and the rest of the cats followed.
“This is a hawk’s nest,” she explained. “In the freed-water season, we can sometimes find hawk chicks.”
“‘Freed water’?” Squirrelpaw echoed.
“I expect she means newleaf,” Brambleclaw replied in a low voice. “When the water’s freed from ice, I guess. That’s when there would be chicks in the nest.”
“Very good they are, too,” Crag added, coming up from behind. “And it means there are fewer hawks to grow up and prey on us. Like this one,” he added, with a massive leap into the air.
Stormfur jerked his head up with a gasp. Just above him a huge hawk had swooped down, its talons extended, but as Crag leaped upward it veered off, shedding air from under its wings as it slid sideways.
Crag came down perilously close to the edge of the rock, regaining his balance with the ease of long practice. Stormfur’s respect for him increased; the courage and speed with which the cave-guard had attacked the fierce bird matched any skills possessed by the best Clan warriors.
“Thanks,” he gasped as he crouched on the ledge and watched the falcon swoop away, many tail-lengths below.
Crag turned to him, amber eyes gleaming. “That’s the first thing a to-be learns,” he meowed with a purr of amusement. “Never forget to look up!”
第十一章
第十一章
月光照进洞里，把瀑布变成了一道波动的银帘。暴毛觉得白天好像延续成了一个月亮。现在，就连山洞地上的浅沙坑，看起来都跟家乡芦苇丛中的巢穴一样，安逸舒适。
尖石巫师回来后，带着森林猫参观主山洞那边的睡觉的洼坑，洼坑里铺着一层稀疏的苔藓和羽毛。“你们在这儿休息吧，”他说，“想待多久都没关系。欢迎你们来做客。”
他一离开，黑莓掌就用尾巴招呼同伴聚到一起。“我们需要好好商量商量，”他说，“你们觉着我们在这儿待多久合适？”
鸦爪的尾巴不停地来回抽动着。“我不知道你怎么会这么问！”他恼怒地问道，“我认为我们重任在身。难道不应该赶快把午夜的消息带回森林吗？”
“鸦爪说得对，”暴毛说，没想到自己竟然跟这个风族学徒的意见一致，因此他努力克制着心中突然升起的厌恶感，“我认为我们应该立刻就走。”
“我也这么觉得，”褐皮说，“秃叶季就要到了，这里很快就会下雪的。”
“但你肩上的伤怎么办？”黑莓掌提醒她。自从他们坠入瀑布下的水潭，褐皮就只能用三条腿跛着走，一道干掉的血痕一直从肩膀蔓延到脚掌间。“等褐皮的伤口好些了，我们再走。这样，我们才能更快赶回去。”
褐皮脖颈上的毛一下子竖了起来：“我只是不小心又磕碰了一下而已！如果你们觉得我拖了你们后腿，”她呸道，“那就直接说出来。”
“黑莓掌不是那个意思。”羽尾轻轻蹭蹭褐皮的腹侧安慰她，生怕碰到她的伤口，“那可不只是磕伤。你的伤势看上去非常严重，如果你不好好休息，伤口痊愈不了。”
松鼠爪一副若有所思的样子。“听上去，这些部落猫完全没有要我们立即就走的意思。他们到底在害怕什么？在前方，我们会不会遇上更多的危险？”
其他几只猫面面相觑，心里惴惴不安。暴毛不得不承认，他其实也想到了这一点。他还想，如果在山里的乱石险峰间仍藏满未知的危险，他宁可安安稳稳地待在这个山洞里，能待多久就待多久。
“不管我们什么时候离开，我们都会遇到危险。”鸦爪一针见血地说，“好吧，我也同意褐皮必须先养好伤。我们请尖石巫师治疗褐皮的肩伤，治好了再走。”
“那样很好，”松鼠爪插话，那双绿眼睛在月光下闪闪发光，“但我们未免过于自信了，以为可以想走就走。”
“你这话什么意思？他们才不敢阻止我们呢！”鸦爪喊道。
松鼠爪从鼻子里哼了一声：“我拿我下一次的猎物跟你打赌，他们会的。看那边。”
她朝洞口方向弹了弹耳朵。只见洞口两边各坐着一位山洞卫士，很显然，他们是在监视这帮外来客。
“也许他们守卫着山洞不受外敌入侵呢？”羽尾说。
“我们可以试着离开，”鸦爪提议道，灰黑色的尾巴尖使劲地抽动着，“然后看看他们会怎么办。”
“不，”黑莓掌语气坚定地说，“现在离开是个愚蠢的想法。我们全都筋疲力尽了，需要好好睡一觉。明天我们看看褐皮肩膀的伤势如何，再决定什么时候离开。”
大家都小声表示同意，就连鸦爪也不想无事生非。几只森林猫很快就适应了睡觉的洼坑，他们忍受着山洞四面八方投射过来的好奇目光，紧紧靠在一起。
当暴毛正在整理铺垫时，听见身后传来了脚步声。一转身，他看见一只山猫穿过山洞向他走来。柔软的虎斑毛，轻盈的脚步，他认出是溪儿，顿时感到一股暖流遍布全身。溪儿嘴里叼着一团羽毛走了过来。
溪儿把这团羽毛放在暴毛选定的那个洼坑里，低下头对他说：“尖石巫师派我来看看，确保你能睡得舒服。”
“噢，谢谢！”暴毛说。溪儿的意思是，尖石巫师派她来看他们所有的猫，还是只来看他？好像溪儿没有要给其他猫拿些羽毛的意思。的确，自从泥石流裹挟着他掉进水潭里，他感觉浑身都在疼，不过他的同伴也都是如此。再说，他也不是众猫的领袖，没理由得到特殊的待遇。
“我……我希望你在我们这儿过得愉快，”溪儿吞吞吐吐地说，“我们这里跟你们的家乡一定很不一样。你们在森林里是睡在山洞里吗？”
“不是，我们睡在用芦苇或灌木搭的窝里。我所在的族群河族的营地，在一个岛上。”说到这儿时，一阵乡愁突然涌上暴毛的心头，他不知道自己是否还能蜷缩在武士巢穴里，倾听风在芦苇荡里轻吟。如果真如午夜所说，所有的族群都必须离开森林，他可能再也找不到另一个如此安宁的家了。
月光下，溪儿的眼睛闪闪发亮。“你是山洞卫士或是……”她停顿了一下，尴尬地挠挠爪子，“不对，当然不可能，你们没有山洞，自然不可能有山洞卫士。你是守卫营地，还是狩猎？”
“我们的族群跟你们的不一样，我们所有的猫既做守卫也狩猎，还要巡逻。”
“那一定很辛苦，”溪儿说，“我们一生下来就被决定好了，所以我们很清楚我们要做什么。我是狩猎者，”她又加了一句，“如果尖石巫师允许，你明天可以跟我一起出去狩猎！”
暴毛喉咙一动。听溪儿这口气，好像他们这些森林猫要在这儿待一阵子。再说他不确定，事事都要请求尖石巫师的许可，到底合不合适。虽然说他们待在这个部落境内，自然会尊重部落首领，但部落首领无权对他们发号施令。不过，跟溪儿一起狩猎肯定很有意思。
他不知道是否该直截了当地问她，他们是不是被囚禁了。但还没等他说出来，这只漂亮年轻的虎斑猫已冲他低头告辞。“你很累了，该休息了，我现在就走。”她说道，“好好睡一觉。希望我们很快就能一起去狩猎了。”
暴毛跟她说声再见，目送她穿过山洞离开，然后躺在了羽毛铺垫上。身边传来朋友们熟睡的鼾声。尽管他浑身酸痛，累得头昏脑涨，但过了好一会儿，他才迷迷糊糊睡着。
第二天早晨，暴毛被经过他身边的脚步声惊醒。他睁开眼睛，看到阳光透过水帘照了进来。让他一下子想起，他们应该顺着太阳升起的方向回到森林。于是，他从洼坑里爬起来，抖掉了身上粘的羽毛。
黑莓掌已经起来了，站在几尾远的地方看着一支正在离开主入口的山洞卫队。他们刻意保持安静的做法，让暴毛想起河族的巡逻队。他走向黑莓掌。黑莓掌抖抖胡须以示问好。
“褐皮的肩膀夜里又出血了。我觉得是肌肉又裂开了。”这名雷族武士说，“我叫她多睡一会儿，但这意味着我们必须在这儿至少得待一两天。”
暴毛回头瞅了一眼，褐皮睡在她那个洼坑里蜷缩成一团，玳瑁色的皮毛形成一道平滑的曲线。羽尾紧张地俯身检查她肩膀上的伤势。鸦爪也在旁边看着。松鼠爪仍在睡觉。
看到自己妹妹跟那个风族学徒如此亲密，暴毛就气不打一处来。“好吧，如果我们一定得留下，那就留下吧。”他喃喃道，“但是我们迟早得找出原因，为什么这些部落猫如此欢迎我们。我们都知道，他们一定有什么事情瞒着我们。”
“对。”黑莓掌平静地说道，琥珀色的眼睛平视着暴毛的眼睛，“如果我们跟他们合作，一定会了解更多信息——无论如何，我们得试一试。”
“你说得没错。”暴毛轻声说。
突然，山洞深处的响动引起他的注意，他看到尖石巫师从一条通道出来向他们走来。鸦爪和羽尾也看到了他。鸦爪赶紧捅捅松鼠爪叫醒她，三只猫一起跳到暴毛和黑莓掌身边。
看到羽尾要离开，褐皮抬起了头。“我们现在就要走了吗？”褐皮说道，“如果必须要走，我可以的。”暴毛听得出她声音里强忍着的疼痛。
羽尾回头看着她说：“不不，我们哪儿都不去。你试着再睡一会儿吧。”
“你打算去找尖石巫师，要他放我们离开这里吗？”鸦爪冲黑莓掌小声嘶嘶道，“如果他认为能把我们囚禁在这儿，我会撕掉他的耳朵！”
“不行，你不能这么做，”黑莓掌立刻打断他，“你非常清楚褐皮需要休息，直到家鼠的咬伤好转一些。更何况，这里的任何一只猫我们现在都得罪不起。我去跟他谈谈。”
鸦爪瞪了一眼虎斑武士，没再说话。
“我确信他们不想把我们囚禁在这儿。”暴毛满怀信心地说，其实他也不那么肯定。他一直努力说服自己，这些部落猫对他的这种奇怪的兴趣只是自己的想象。“他们为什么要把我们囚禁起来呢？我们对他们又没什么威胁。”
“也许我们有他们想要的什么。”松鼠爪提示道。
松鼠爪的这个想法跟暴毛一直想的是如此接近，以至于暴毛发现自己没什么可说的了。这时，尖石巫师走了过来，他们没机会再讨论了。
“早上好，”这位治疗师说，“你们都睡得好吗？”
“睡得很好，谢谢！”黑莓掌回答道，“但褐皮的肩伤很严重，如果不麻烦你们的话，我们想在这儿待一两天等她伤好些再离开。”
“好的。”尖石巫师说话的时候，扭头看着暴毛，一双绿色眼睛里流露出兴奋的神情，这令暴毛感到越发不安了。“我来看看你朋友的肩膀，然后找点草药给她疗伤。”
“我们其余几位很愿意出去狩猎，”黑莓掌继续说道，“我们需要活动活动腿脚，也想自食其力。我们总不能干坐着，等你们打来猎物喂我们吃吧。”
尖石巫师的耳朵向前支棱着，眼睛眯缝起来。暴毛感到他对黑莓掌提出的要求很不高兴。
然而，治疗师几乎毫不犹豫地说：“当然可以。我们为你们的帮助感到高兴。我们的一些狩猎者正要出去，你们可以跟着他们一起去。”
听他这么说，暴毛往洞口看去，果然有几只部落猫正在入口处集合，溪儿也在其中，还有他们前一天见过的轻雾。尖石巫师领着几只族群猫来到他们面前。
“我们的新朋友想出去狩猎，”他交代说，“你们带他们一起去，教给他们我们打猎的方法。”
交代完毕，他就走了。暴毛瞅着他的背影，心里有点不舒服：难道族群猫需要让他们来教怎么打猎吗？这时，他发现溪儿来到了他身边。
“你好！”她说道，“狩猎者数量太多，要分成两队。你愿意跟我一组吗？”
“愿意，我很乐意。”暴毛回答，心里有点惊讶，自己竟然会对溪儿没有忘记头天晚上的邀请而感到高兴。
部落猫迅速分成两组，一组由轻雾带队，带着鸦爪和羽尾；另一组由溪儿带队，暴毛、黑莓掌和松鼠爪跟着这一队。
褐皮看着他们离开，眼睛里闪过一丝担忧。但暴毛离开山洞的时候，看到星辰带着一块猎物走到了褐皮跟前。
“她会好起来的，”黑莓掌轻声说，“运气好的话，她能一直睡到我们回来。看样子，部落猫不会伤害她的。”
看到星辰亲切地跟褐皮说话，暴毛觉得这位虎斑武士说得没错。他小心翼翼地沿着瀑布后面的石头边前行。水雾浸到他的毛里，他冷得直打哆嗦，最后，他来到了水潭边的岩石上。
等他差不多甩掉了身上的水珠，这才发现鹰崖和一群猫已经等着他们了，这些猫的身上都有一条条新的泥痕。他们跟那些轻盈的狩猎者不一样，一只只都肩膀宽厚，非常强壮。暴毛猜他们应该都是山洞卫士。
他看着黑莓掌的眼睛，小声问：“他们在这儿干什么？”
溪儿听到暴毛疑惑的低语，解释道：“我们带着山洞卫士一起去狩猎，他们可以帮我们盯着有没有老鹰，并且……”
她紧张不安地瞥了暴毛一眼，然后就不说话了。暴毛很想知道她到底想说什么。不过，听了溪儿的解释，暴毛顿时放心了很多。他突然想到，这些山洞卫士跟着，可能是监视他和他的朋友的，以确保他们不会趁机逃走。他们当然不会抛弃褐皮，但尖石巫师并不知道这一点。
溪儿向鹰崖解释，几位访客要跟他们一起去狩猎，于是山洞卫士分别加入两队。鸦爪和羽尾的那组，开始向头一天暴毛他们掉落的那片岩石区进发；暴毛这一组，则在溪儿的带领下，朝远处的山谷处进发。
脚下是坚硬的石地，只在破碎的岩缝间偶或有几棵稀疏的草丛探出头来。陡峭的岩壁下，东一棵西一棵地散乱生长着一些灌木。雨已经停了，晨光下，石头上还湿漉漉地反着光。在暴毛看来，捕到猎物的希望不大，他很想知道，这些部落猫是怎样设法找到那些猎物的，还那么慷慨大方地请他们享用。他深吸了一口空气，只闻到一点点猎物的气味。
溪儿领着众猫沿着山谷一侧，走在灌木的阴影里。现在暴毛终于明白，他们为什么总要在身上弄上一条条泥痕了——泥痕会使他们与岩石的颜色融为一体，所以，当他们不动的时候，根本就不会被老鹰发现。相反，松鼠爪那身暗姜黄色的皮毛就像飞溅的鲜血一样醒目，而暴毛深灰色的皮毛和黑莓掌暗棕色虎斑毛则不那么显眼。所有部落猫行动起来都悄无声息，暴毛必须非常小心才能确保自己的脚步不发出声音。
没过多久，他看见松鼠爪停下了脚步，耳朵兴奋地抽动了一下。“看——有只老鼠！”她小声说。
暴毛也看到了。那只老鼠正在前方几尾远的地方吃草籽。松鼠爪下意识地弓起了身子，但溪儿立即在她前方摇摇尾巴，挡住她，只说了两个字：“等等！”
暴毛以为松鼠爪会气愤地抗议，但很显然，这位雷族学徒觉得，只要她一出声，就会吓跑猎物。所以，她气呼呼地瞪着溪儿，但那只年轻母猫似乎没怎么注意，只是死死地盯着那只老鼠。
突然，一个黑影掠过暴毛头顶上空。一个心跳过后，一只鹰从空中俯冲下来，用它那强有力的爪子抓住了那只老鼠。就在此时，溪儿向前跃起，跳到那大鸟背上，爪子狠狠插进大鸟的肩膀。大鸟拼命拍打着翅膀，几个心跳之后，大鸟驮着溪儿飞离地面，但因为太重，又落回地面。第二个狩猎者冲上前，帮助溪儿解决了那只鹰。鹰的翅膀不再扇动了，无力地倒在岩石地面上。
“只要捉住了鹰，我们也就能得到那只老鼠了。”鹰崖一边对暴毛说，一边伸出舌头舔舔嘴巴。
暴毛的眼睛瞪得溜圆，对溪儿的狩猎技巧佩服得五体投地。如果她生在森林里，那该是多么伟大的一位武士啊！他脑海中短暂浮现出她在河族教导河族猫这种新的狩猎方式的画面，但这种想法几乎一闪而过。溪儿属于大山，明天或后天自己可能就会跟她分开。一想到这儿，他就感到一种痛苦直刺心底。他也很奇怪，自己为什么会有这种感觉。他怎么会对一只自己几乎一点都不了解的猫心生爱慕之情呢？
松鼠爪难以置信地盯着那只死去的鹰，先前的愤慨早就抛诸脑后了。“太棒了！”松鼠爪说道，“我想试一试。”她又对黑莓掌加了一句，“你觉着我们在老家也可以这样狩猎吗？”
“我们领地上可没有这么多鹰，”黑莓掌指出，“不过我想，风族没准可以试一试——鸦爪说他在荒原上见过鹰。”
暴毛注意到，溪儿准备收起猎物的时候，并没有刨土把猎物掩盖起来，而是把老鼠和鹰拖进岩石缝里放好。
这一次，她领着他们往山谷的岩壁上爬，跳过几块松动的岩石后，沿着石头台子前行。暴毛想象不出她能在这儿发现什么猎物，不过，他现在很乐意等着看看会发生什么事，因为这些山猫有着他和同伴闻所未闻的狩猎技巧。
走着走着，一个由小树枝和干草堆积的平整的小丘挡住了他们的去路。小丘这儿有一股浓烈的腐肉气味。溪儿敏捷地跳过土丘，其他猫也跟着跳过。
“这是一个鹰巢，”她解释道，“在融冰季，我们有时候能发现雏鹰。”
“融冰？”松鼠爪重复了一遍。
“我认为她指的是新叶季，”黑莓掌压低声音说道，“我猜测，当冰雪融化成水的时候，可以在鹰巢里找到雏鹰。”
“雏鹰的味道很好。”鹰崖从后面赶上来说，“捕获几只雏鹰也表示着会少几只长大的鹰来残杀我们，就像这只……”正说着，他奋力往空中一跃。
暴毛猛地抬起头，倒吸一口凉气。就在他头顶上方，一只巨鹰俯冲下来，爪子张得很大。当鹰崖扑向它时，它突然掉转方向，滑向一旁，翅膀下拍出一股强大的气流。
鹰崖惊险地落在岩石的边上，长期的磨炼，使他轻轻松松就稳住了身体。暴毛对他钦佩得无以复加。这位山洞卫士攻击那只凶猛的大鸟时所表现出的勇气和速度，足以媲美族群里掌握各种技巧的最优秀的武士。
“谢谢！”暴毛伏在岩石台子上，看着那鹰从他下方几尾长的地方飞走。
鹰崖转向暴毛，琥珀色的眼睛闪闪发亮。“在这里，要学会的第一件事就是，”鹰崖半开玩笑地说道，“永远不要忘记抬头看天！”
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 12
Stormfur crouched on a jutting spurof rock and looked down into the valley a couple of tail-lengths below. The sun was going down on the fourth day since he and his friends had come to the cave of the Tribe cats. Although the thought of what was happening in the forest hung over their heads like a swollen rain cloud, they had been unable to move on. Tawnypelt’s shoulder was healing again, thanks to the herbs Stoneteller had given her, but it was still too stiff for her to walk.
Meanwhile, Stormfur was beginning to think he had gotten the hang of the Tribe cats’ way of hunting. It depended much more on keeping still and silent than on stalking prey, for among the rocks there was not as much cover as in the forest or even by the river where he used to fish.
His ears pricked as he caught the faint sound of fluttering wings, and he peered down into the shadows. A bird had landed just below him and was pecking at the ground. Bunching his muscles, Stormfur sprang. His claws met feathers, and the bird’s frantic alarm call was cut off as he killed it with one blow of his paw.
Stormfur stood up, his prey in his jaws, and saw the dim shape of one of the mud-covered cave-guards approaching up the valley. The fresh-kill in his mouth masked the scent, and he did not recognize Crag until the cat spoke.
“Good catch! You’ll make a great prey-hunter.”
Stormfur nodded his thanks, but Crag’s words made him slightly anxious; did he really mean “you will make a good prey-hunter,” or had he meant to say “you would”? The cave-guard sometimes seemed to assume that Stormfur intended to stay with the Tribe for good. But there was no opportunity to ask him what he meant; Brook and the rest of the prey-hunters had just appeared, and the whole patrol set off back to the cave, collecting the prey they had caught earlier on their way.
When they reached the pool, Stormfur set down his load for a brief rest before climbing the rocks and negotiating the ledge behind the waterfall. The sun had set and the peak was outlined against a sky the color of blood. Stormfur shivered, trying not to picture blood being shed back home in the forest. However happy he felt to be hunting with the Tribe, they had to move on as soon as they could.
Brook padded up beside him, her eyes shining in the evening light. “A good day’s hunting,” she purred. “You have learned our ways well, Stormfur.”
A warm glow spread through him from ears to tail-tip. Even more than before, he knew how much he would miss her when he had to leave. In these last few days she had become a friend; even her strange accent had begun to sound familiar. He guessed she felt the same; at least, she always asked him to go hunting with her, while the rest of the forest cats, if they hunted at all, went with other groups. Stormfur wondered what Brook really thought of him. Would she miss him when he had to go?
He opened his jaws and picked up a strong rank scent. It was like nothing he had ever smelled before: a bit like a cat’s, but harsher and tinged with carrion. He felt his neck fur rise with a premonition of danger.
“What’s that?”
Brook’s eyes stretched wide with fear, but she did not reply. Already the rest of the hunting patrol were gathering up their prey, hurrying for the safety of the cave. Crag bounded over and almost pushed Stormfur up the rocks. Glancing up, Stormfur thought he spotted a shadowy movement near the top of the waterfall, but he wasn’t sure. Then he had to concentrate on keeping his footing on the slick, wet stones of the ledge, struggling to see around the half-grown falcon in his jaws. No cat tried to explain the reason for the sudden panic, and Stormfur had learned by now that there would be no point in asking.
In the cave, he carried his prey over to the fresh-kill pile and went to find his friends. Spotting them near their sleeping hollows, he headed toward them, dodging around a couple of to-bes who were training with one of the cave-guards. They were using unfamiliar fighting moves; Stormfur’s pelt itched to join in and learn, and teach the Tribe cats a few RiverClan tricks too. Maybe later, he promised himself.
The other Clan cats were all gathered around Tawnypelt, who was on her paws, twisting her head to examine her shoulder. Feathertail’s tongue rasped busily over her fur.
“It’s much better,” she meowed. “There’s no swelling at all, and the wound’s healing cleanly. How does it feel, Tawnypelt?”
The ShadowClan warrior flexed the injured shoulder, then dropped into the hunter’s crouch and crept a few tail-lengths along the cave floor. “Stoneteller certainly knows his stuff,” she reported. “I don’t know the herbs he used, but they’re just as good as burdock root. The shoulder’s a bit stiff, that’s all,” she added, springing up again. “It’ll be fine if I keep exercising it. I just wish I could get my claws on that rat!”
“Then it’s time we were leaving,” Brambleclaw mewed. “I’ll have a word with Stoneteller, and we’ll set off first thing tomorrow.”
“Right!” Crowpaw’s eyes flashed. “And they’d better not try to keep us here.”
“They won’t.” Feathertail pressed her muzzle against his side. “I’m sure you’re worrying about nothing. The Tribe cats have been nothing but kind to us ever since we got here.”
“They’ll probably be glad to see the back of us,” Squirrelpaw agreed cheerfully. “They’re bound to be short of prey when leaf-bare comes.”
“It’s nearly here,” mewed Feathertail. “The rocks were white with frost this morning.”
“Right.” Squirrelpaw waved her tail. “So they won’t want us sitting here stuffing ourselves.”
Stormfur could see from the look Brambleclaw gave his Clanmate that he was still worried, but he said nothing. Instead, it was Crowpaw who spoke, noticing for the first time that Stormfur had padded up to join them.
“There you are!” he exclaimed, his lip curling unpleasantly. “Decided to join us, have you? Getting bored with your new friends in the Tribe?”
“Don’t,” Feathertail murmured, flicking him with her tail.
Stung, Stormfur stalked up to the young WindClan apprentice. “If he’s got something to say, let him say it.”
“Only that you spend all your time with them. Maybe you’d like to stay with them for good. After all, things are going to be pretty tough when we get back to the forest.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Stormfur retorted. Turning his back on Crowpaw, he saw that all the others were looking at him gravely, as if they half agreed with what the WindClan cat had said. “Come on,” Stormfur went on, alarmed. “What have I done? Gone out hunting a couple of times, that’s all. You said yourself, Brambleclaw, that we should catch our own prey while we’re here. What makes you think that I care any less than you about what happens to the forest?”
“No cat thinks that,” Feathertail mewed soothingly.
“Hedoes.” Stormfur twitched his ears at Crowpaw. “This isn’t about the dreams, is it? Just because I wasn’t chosen by StarClan . . . You haven’t had more dreams, have you, and not told me?”
He unsheathed his claws, hating that they scraped against stone rather than soft riverside earth or a tangle of reeds. Crowpaw he could understand; the apprentice had always been difficult, and he would fight with StarClan themselves. But that the others might think him less than loyal—even his own sister . . . It was almost as bad as the time when Tigerstar had merged two Clans together, and he and Feathertail had nearly been killed for being half-Clan. Feathertail at least should remember that and understand. Stormfur stifled a flash of guilt as he remembered how comfortable he felt among the Tribe, but he was determined to remain loyal to RiverClan.
“No, we haven’t had any more dreams,” Brambleclaw replied. “Settle down, Stormfur, and Crowpaw, stop annoying him. We have problems enough without that.”
“It’s that waterfall,” Tawnypelt meowed unexpectedly. “The noise of it, day and night, is driving me mad. StarClan could be sending us every sign under the sun, but we’d never hear them. I’ll be glad when we’re out in the open again, and well away from this place.”
There was a soft snarl in Crowpaw’s voice. “We need to go back to the forest, and defend it like warriors should. Stormfur can come or not.”
“Shut up, mouse-brain,” Squirrelpaw snapped. “Stormfur’s just as loyal as you.”
Stormfur blinked gratefully at her. “Of course I’m coming with you,” he meowed.
“Then let’s eat, and get a good night’s sleep,” Brambleclaw growled. “It might be our last chance for a while.”
Stormfur looked up and flinched, surprised to see that while they had been talking several of the Tribe cats had gathered and were watching them with serious faces.
Crag stepped forward. “Why do you talk about leaving?” he meowed. “You’ll never make it through the mountains in the season of frozen-water. Stay with us until the sun returns.”
“We can’t do that!” Squirrelpaw exclaimed. “There’s trouble back home—we told you that when we arrived.”
“We’re grateful for the offer,” Brambleclaw meowed more diplomatically, brushing his tail across Squirrelpaw’s mouth to silence her. “But we have to go.”
The Tribe cats glanced at one another, their neck fur starting to bristle. Suddenly they looked threatening. Several of the powerful cave-guards moved to stand between them and the entrance, and two or three of the kit-mothers began anxiously herding their kits toward the nursery tunnel. The meaning was clear; Stormfur knew that if they tried to leave now they would have a fight on their paws.
Spotting Brook near the back of the group, he thrust past a cave-guard to stand in front of her. “What’s going on?” he demanded. “Why are you treating us like prisoners?”
Brook would not meet his eyes. “Please . . .” she murmured. “Are you so unhappy here that staying is such a terrible thing?”
“‘Unhappy’ isn’t the point. We’re on a mission; we don’t have any choice.” Stormfur whirled around to question Crag, but the cave-guard avoided his gaze, and he knew that their friendship was being brushed aside out of loyalty to the Tribe, for reasons he could not begin to guess. He had believed that the Tribe cats liked him for himself, and pain at their betrayal tore him like an eagle’s talons.
“Fox dung to this!” Crowpaw muttered, trying to force his way past the cave-guards.
Crag raised his paw, and another cave-guard thrust Crowpaw back with a furious hiss. The WindClan apprentice’s bristling fur and lashing tail showed that he was ready to attack both of them at once.
“Wait,” Feathertail murmured, pushing between Crowpaw and the guards. “Let’s find out what all this means.”
“It means trouble,” Crowpaw snarled. “No cat is going to stop me from leaving.”
He shouldered his way past Feathertail and leaped on Crag, bowling the huge cave-guard over. Crag’s hind paws battered his belly, but before the fight could go any further, Brambleclaw fastened his teeth into Crowpaw’s scruff and dragged him off.
The apprentice spun around to face him, eyes blazing. “Get off me!” he snarled.
“Then stop being so mouse-brained!” Brambleclaw hissed, just as furious. “These guards could turn you into crow-food. We have to find out what they want.”
Stormfur hated to admit defeat, but if they fought their way out tonight—even supposing they could—they would have to face a cold night on an unfamiliar mountainside. And looking around at the lean, well-muscled cave-guards, barely out of breath from the tussle with Crowpaw, Stormfur knew they could not hope to survive a fight without injury, and that would make their journey harder than ever. Why didn’t Midnight foresee this?he wondered desperately. Or had she foreseen it, and kept it hidden from them?
He saw that Stoneteller had emerged from his tunnel. Now perhaps we’ll get some answers, he thought.
The cave-guards stepped back to allow their leader to come closer to the Clan cats; Brambleclaw padded forward to face him. “I think there must be some misunderstanding,” he began. Stormfur could see his efforts to stay calm. “We have to leave tomorrow, and your Tribe doesn’t seem to want us to go. We’re grateful for your help and shelter, but—”
He broke off; Stoneteller wasn’t listening. His eyes glimmered like pebbles on a streambed as he gazed around the group of cats. Raising his voice, he meowed, “I have received a sign from the Tribe of Endless Hunting. It is time for a Telling.”
“A Telling? What’s that?” Squirrelpaw mewed.
“Maybe it’s like a Gathering,” Stormfur murmured.
“But there aren’t any other Tribes to meet with.”
“Then maybe it’s something to do with the Tribe of Endless Hunting.” In spite of his fears that they would not be allowed to leave the cave, Stormfur couldn’t help feeling curious about discovering more of the Tribe’s strange beliefs.
The cave-guards gathered more closely around the Clan cats and began to herd them toward the tunnel from where Stoneteller had just emerged.
“Back off!” Tawnypelt snapped at one of them. “Where are you taking us?”
Stormfur wondered that too. Until now he had assumed that the second tunnel just led to Stoneteller’s private den.
“To the Cave of Pointed Stones,” Stoneteller replied. “There, many things will be made clear to you.”
“And what if we don’t want to go?” Without waiting for a reply, Crowpaw launched himself at the nearest cave-guard, a cat almost twice his size. The cave-guard casually swatted him with a huge paw, sending him half stunned to the floor of the cave. Feathertail spat at the guard and lashed out a paw, claws extended.
Stormfur felt his neck fur stand on end, but before a real fight could break out Brambleclaw hissed, “No! If we’re going to get an explanation, we’ll listen to it. Then we’ll decide what to do. Do you hear me, Crowpaw?”
The apprentice, scrambling to his paws with his fur torn and his tail fluffed out, glared at him but said nothing.
“Get a move on,” growled one of the guards.
Stormfur stumbled, almost losing his balance as the nearest guard butted him toward the tunnel. It took all his self-control to move on quietly. Then he realized that Brook was beside him. There was something like relief in her eyes as she mewed, “Don’t worry. Everything will become clear soon.”
“I’m not worried.” Stormfur’s voice was cold. He had thought they were friends, and she had betrayed him. “You can’t keep us here forever.”
He was almost pleased when she winced. “Please . . .” she whispered. “You don’t understand. It’s for the sake of the Tribe.”
Stormfur curled his lip and turned away. He padded after Tawnypelt into the passage, with a couple of cave-guards close behind.
In the darkness he heard Stoneteller’s voice raised in a soft chant. “When the Tribe of Endless Hunting calls, we come to listen.”
More voices answered him from behind Stormfur, not just the cave-guards but more of the Tribe cats pressing into the tunnel. “In rock and pool, in air and light on water, through fall of prey and cry of kit, through scrape of claw and beat of blood, we hear you.”
The voices echoed through the shadows. Stormfur saw moonlight filtering in from somewhere ahead, and Tawnypelt’s pricked ears outlined in gray. He stepped out into another cave, and for a moment all his fears and frustrations vanished and he stood with his mouth dropped open in awe.
This cave was much smaller than the one they had just left. A jagged rift high in the roof let in a shaft of moonlight that bathed the floor in watery gray light. Stormfur was standing amid a forest of pointed stones, many more than in the main cave; some of them grew up from the floor while others hung down above his head. A few of them had joined together as if they were propping up the roof, pale yellow and rippled with tiny streams of water trickling down to pool on the hard stone floor.
Earlier that day rain had fallen through the hole to leave a pattern of puddles around Stormfur’s paws. The roar of the waterfall, so loud in the outer cave, had sunk to a whisper, faint enough that he could hear drops of water falling from the roof.
All the Clan cats were silent, the same awe, which Stormfur felt, shining in their eyes. The place reminded Stormfur of Mothermouth; as well as being in a moonlit cave, there was the same sense of being in the presence of something greater than himself. But this was not the home of StarClan, but of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, and would they even care about cats from territories far away? A shiver went through him and in his mind he formed a prayer to StarClan. Guard us and guide us, even here
The cave-guards nudged the Clan cats farther into the cave, while Stoneteller stalked ahead of them until he stood in the center of the forest of stones. There he turned to face the rest of the cats. “We stand in the Cave of Pointed Stones,” he meowed; his voice was high and expressionless. “Moonrise is here, caught in rock and in water as it has always been and always will be. It is time for a Telling. We call on the Tribe of Endless Hunting to show us their will.”
“Show us your will,” the other Tribe cats responded in chorus. Almost all of them had pushed into the cave behind the Clan cats; the air was growing warm with their bodies and damp, misty breath.
Moving like a shadow, Stoneteller padded to and fro, peering into the puddles. His eyes shone in the moonlight, and the mud on his fur looked more sinister and stonelike than ever. Brook had told Stormfur that her leader had been given nine lives by the Tribe of Endless Hunting, just as the Clan leaders were given nine lives by StarClan, but he had found it hard to believe until now. Outlined in watery light and surrounded by strange points of rock, Stoneteller looked in possession of more power than all the forest cats put together.
At last the leader of the Tribe paused beside one of the biggest pools, and murmured, “We greet you, Tribe of Endless Hunting, and we thank you for your mercy in saving us at last from Sharptooth.”
“We thank you,” the Tribe cats murmured in response.
Stormfur tensed. Exchanging glances with his friends, he saw his own confusion reflected in their eyes. What did Stoneteller mean? What was Sharptooth, and why did the Tribe need to be saved from it?
“Why is—” Squirrelpaw began, only to be reduced to silence by a hiss from a nearby cave-guard.
Stoneteller went on. “Tribe of Endless Hunting, we thank you for sending the promised cat.”
“We thank you,” the Tribe cats responded again, their voices growing stronger.
Raising his head, Stoneteller commanded, “Let him stand forth.”
Before Stormfur could protest, two of the burly cave-guards thrust him forward. Taken by surprise, he slid sideways into a puddle, shattering the moonlight into glittering splinters. A gasp of shock rose from the Tribe, and he heard a cat mutter, “An evil omen!”
Fighting to stay calm, he shook the water off his paws and walked forward until he stood beside Stoneteller in the center of the pointed stones.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
Stoneteller raised a paw for silence. His eyes glowed in the moonlight with unconcealed triumph as he murmured, “Do not question. This is your fate.”
Glancing around, Stormfur saw that all the Tribe cats were gazing at him with the same expectation in their eyes and a kind of joy, as if he were the most wonderful sight they had ever seen. “It is your fate,” they repeated.
He had been right all along. The Tribe had singled him out as special, and now he was going to find out why.
“The time has come,” Stoneteller intoned solemnly. “The promised cat is here, and at last we will be saved from Sharptooth.”
“I don’t understand!” Stormfur burst out. “I’ve never even heard of Sharptooth.”
As if his words had broken a spell, his friends pressed forward to stand beside him, only to be shoved back again by the cave-guards. Squirrelpaw spat, and both Crowpaw and Tawnypelt flexed their claws on the cold stone, but Brambleclaw held them back with a word of warning. The cave-guards clearly did not want a fight either; they kept their claws sheathed, only shouldering the forest cats into a tight group.
“Sharptooth is a huge cat,” Stoneteller began, his voice hushed with fear. “He lives in the mountains, and makes the Tribe his prey. For many seasons now he has been picking us off, one by one.”
“He looks like a lion,” Crag added, and asked, “Do you know of lions?”
“We have legends of LionClan,” Stormfur replied, still wondering what Sharptooth could possibly have to do with him. “Lions are known for their strength and wisdom, and they have a golden mane like the sun’s warm rays.”
“Sharptooth has no mane,” Stoneteller meowed. “Perhaps he lost it because he is so evil. He is the enemy of our Tribe.” His voice was bleak, his eyes shining cold with memories. “We feared that he would not rest until every cat of the Tribe had been killed.”
“But then the Tribe of Endless Hunting sent us the promised cat.” Stormfur’s head whipped around as he heard Brook’s voice. She had drawn close to him, and was gazing at him, her eyes filled with admiration. “Stormfur, you’re the chosen one. You’ll save us all. I know you will.”
“How can I?” A slow anger had begun to burn inside Stormfur, replacing his bewilderment. “What do you expect me to do?”
“Before the last full moon, the Tribe of Endless Hunting sent a prophecy to us,” Stoneteller explained. “They said that a silver cat would save us from Sharptooth. We knew as soon as we saw you by the pool that you must be the cat who was promised to us.”
“But I can’tbe,” Stormfur protested. “I come from a forest a long way away, and I’ve never even seen Sharptooth.”
“That’s true.” Brambleclaw padded forward to stand beside Stormfur. “We’re sorry that Sharptooth is threatening you, but our Clans at home are in danger too.”
“Maybe even worse danger,” Feathertail added anxiously. “We have to go.”
Stoneteller flicked his ears. Without a word, the cave-guards surrounded the forest cats and began thrusting them back toward the cave entrance—all except Stormfur, who was surrounded by a separate patrol. Feathertail desperately tried to break through to her brother, but the nearest cave-guard bowled her over with a swipe of his paw.
“Take your paws off her, you piece of fox dung!” Crowpaw spat, hurling himself at the cave-guard and raking his claws over the Tribe cat’s ear. The two of them rolled on the ground in a flurry of claws until Brambleclaw hauled Crowpaw away.
“Not now,” he commanded the furious apprentice. “It won’t help any cat for you to get ripped to shreds.”
“We should fight!” snarled Crowpaw. “I’d rather die fighting than be trapped here.”
“Just say the word,” Tawnypelt hissed at her brother. “I’ll tear their pelts off and feed them to the eagles.”
“StarClan, help us!” Feathertail cried out as she was forced back to the tunnel entrance. “Show us you haven’t abandoned us!”
“Do not fear,” Stoneteller meowed reassuringly. “This is the will of the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”
Stormfur felt as though he were falling into deep, dark water as he saw his friends shoved away from him, back to the main cave. When he tried to follow, Crag and another cave-guard moved to block his way.
“Over there,” Crag meowed, pointing with his tail to the other end of the Cave of Pointed Stones. “You’ll find a sleeping hollow ready for you.” As Stormfur faced him with burning eyes, Crag added awkwardly, “It won’t be so bad. You’ll kill Sharptooth for us—the Tribe of Endless Hunting says so—and then you can leave if you still want to.”
“Kill Sharptooth!” Stormfur exclaimed, remembering the rank scent and the shadowy shape he had seen at the top of the waterfall. That must have been Sharptooth, prowling close to the cave entrance; no wonder Brook and the rest of the patrol had been so frightened. “How can I do that, if all of you have failed? This is a mouse-brained idea. You’re all mad.”
“No.” That was Stoneteller again, padding up to stand at Stormfur’s shoulder. “You must have faith in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. The sign was clear, and you came, just as they promised.”
“My faith is in StarClan,” Stormfur retorted, trying to hide how scared he felt inside. Had the spirits of his warrior ancestors really abandoned him?
“Go to your sleeping hollow,” Stoneteller meowed. “We will bring you fresh-kill. Your coming has been long awaited, and you need have no fear that we will ill-treat you.”
No, but you’ll keep me prisoner, Stormfur thought desperately. He padded to the back of the cave to find the sleeping hollow Crag had indicated and found it warmly lined with dried grass and feathers. A couple of tail-lengths away was another scoop in the rock, also lined with bedding, where he guessed Stoneteller slept.
Stormfur lapped water from the nearest pool and then lay down with his head on his paws to try to figure out how to escape. But it was hard to think, with the pain of betrayal still throbbing through him. He had really believed that the Tribe cats liked him, without any of the questions that shadowed his RiverClan friendships about his parentage or his loyalty. Instead, they only wanted him to fulfill their prophecy.
A few moments later Brook appeared, a rabbit in her jaws, and set it down timidly in front of him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Is it really so bad, to stay with the Tribe? I . . . I want to be your friend, Stormfur, if you will let me.” She hesitated, and then added, “I’ll stay with you now, if you like. It is our way to groom each other’s fur, especially in times of hardship. We call it the giving of close comfort.”
She must mean sharing tongues, Stormfur realized. Not long before, he would have been delighted at the thought of sharing tongues with Brook. Now the idea outraged him. Did she really think he would want to be close to her, when she had betrayed him and lied to him?
“Stormfur . . . ?” Brook’s eyes shone with compassion, but their glow was like a fire searing Stormfur to the heart. He turned his head away without saying anything.
He heard a faint gasp of pain from Brook, and then her pawsteps vanishing down the tunnel. When she had gone he turned the rabbit over with one paw. He had been hungry at the end of the day’s hunting, but now the thought of eating made him feel sick. Still, he forced himself to choke down the fresh-kill, because he knew that whatever happened next, he would need all his strength.
He curled up in the sleeping hollow and lay staring at the tunnel where his friends had disappeared. Crag and the other cave-guard were on duty at the entrance, and as Stormfur watched, Stoneteller emerged from the shadows and slipped between the guards, back to the main cave. Between them and Stormfur lay pools of shimmering water, lit by the cold moonlight. They reminded Stormfur of the river, but he missed its endless murmuring and the glitter and splash of moving water.
As he closed his eyes and tried to sleep he reflected sadly that he need never have come on this journey at all. He hadn’t been chosen by StarClan, had never been summoned by a dream. But right now he would have given anything for the whole adventure to have been a dream, if only he could wake up in the morning to find himself back home in RiverClan.
第十二章
第十二章
暴毛蜷伏在一块突起的石脊上，望着下方几尾之外的山谷。这已经是他和同伴来到部落猫山洞的第四天了，太阳即将落山。虽然一想到森林里正在发生什么，担心就像一朵肿胀的雨云，飘浮在他们头顶，但他们还是不能动身回家。多亏尖石巫师的草药，褐皮的肩伤已经痊愈，但她走起路来整条腿还是僵硬的。
与此同时，暴毛觉得他已经慢慢掌握部落猫的狩猎诀窍。在这里打猎宜静不宜动。跟族群猫的潜行追踪猎物不同，这里更需要保持静默，因为到处都是光秃秃的岩石，不像森林里有很多植被做掩护，即使是他以前捉鱼的河边，可以隐身的地方都比这里多。
当捕捉到了一丝轻微的翅膀颤动的声音时，他的耳朵立刻竖立了起来，紧盯着地上的阴影。一只鸟正落在他的下方，在地上啄食着什么。暴毛绷紧肌肉，一跃而起。爪子抓进鸟的翅膀里，然后一掌结果了它。鸟疯狂的叫声也随之中断。
暴毛叼着猎物站起身，突然，看见一个浑身泥巴的山洞卫士模糊的身影向山谷这边走过来。嘴里的猎物掩盖住了气味，直到来的猫开口说话，他才认出是鹰崖。
“好身手！你会成为一位伟大的狩猎者！”
暴毛点头表示感谢，但鹰崖的话令他心里有些犯嘀咕：他说话的意思是“你会成为一位伟大的狩猎者”，还是“你已经成为一位优秀的狩猎者”？暴毛觉得，这位山洞卫士说话时，似乎认为自己会永远待在这个部落。但暴毛没有机会问鹰崖到底是哪个意思了，因为溪儿和其他狩猎者已经赶来了，整个狩猎队动身回家，一边往回走一边捡起之前捕获的猎物。
狩猎队抵达水潭时，暴毛放下随身携带的猎物稍事休息，然后爬上岩石穿过瀑布后面的岩石台子。太阳已经落山，远山起伏的轮廓被天空映衬得一片血红。暴毛打了个冷战，努力不把它跟森林里的流血画面联想在一起。无论跟部落猫一起狩猎令他感到多么快乐，但他们准备随时动身启程。
溪儿来到他的身边，暮色苍茫，她的眼神却清亮无比。“今天狩猎真开心啊！”她发出咕噜咕噜的声音，“暴毛，你学得真好。”
暴毛觉得有一股暖流从耳朵一直流到尾巴尖。他知道，当他们不得不离开时，自己会舍不得她，这种感觉越来越强烈。过去这几天，溪儿已经变成了他的朋友，甚至连她那奇怪的口音他都听顺耳了。他觉着溪儿也有相同的感受。至少，她总是邀请他一起狩猎，而其他几只森林猫狩猎时，总被分另一组。暴毛想知道溪儿到底是怎么看待他。当他不得不离开时，她是否也会想念他？
他张开嘴，嗅到一股浓烈的臭味。这是一种他以前从未闻到过的气味，有点像猫的气味，但更刺鼻，有淡淡的腐肉的气味。他预感到危险逼近，脖颈上的毛唰地立了起来。
“那是什么东西？”
溪儿瞪大眼睛，一脸恐惧，但没有吱声。其他狩猎者赶紧拾起各自的猎物，急忙往山洞逃去。鹰崖赶紧跳了过来，几乎是推着暴毛爬上了岩石。暴毛向上瞅了一眼，他觉着在瀑布最高处附近看到了一个移动的阴影，但不太确定。这时，他必须专心走路。因为石阶又湿又滑，嘴里又衔着一只雏鹰，他得费力才能看到周围的路。没有一只猫解释，他们突然恐慌的原因是什么，暴毛现在已经学会不再发问，因为他知道不会有回应。
走进山洞里，他把猎物扔到猎物堆里，然后去找自己的同伴。看到他们都待在睡觉的窝边，暴毛便绕过正在训练的几只预备卫士和教导他们的山洞卫士，向同伴们走去。他们使用的招式跟森林猫的很不一样，暴毛皮毛发痒，很想加入他们，学上几招，顺便也可以教他们一些河族猫的动作。也许稍后会有机会吧！他对自己说。
几只族群猫都围着褐皮。她正站着扭头检查自己的肩伤。羽尾则忙着帮她把伤口边上的毛舔开。
“伤口好多了，”羽尾说道，“完全消肿了，也变干净了。现在感觉伤口怎么样了，褐皮？”
这个影族武士活动活动受伤的肩膀，接着俯下身子做出狩猎的姿势，沿着山洞地面匍匐前行了几尾长的距离。然后对大伙说道：“尖石巫师必定很善于用药。我不知他用的是什么草药，但效果跟牛蒡根没什么两样。我肩膀现在已经差不多全好了，只是还有点僵硬。”她又往高处跳了一下，接着说：“如果我坚持锻炼，相信肩膀很快就会彻底恢复。我真希望能亲手抓住那只老鼠！”
“那么，我们也差不多该离开了，”黑莓掌说，“我跟尖石巫师谈一谈，明天一早我们就出发。”
“没错！”鸦爪眼中闪过一道寒光，“他们最好不要阻拦我们离开。”
“他们不会的。”羽尾把口鼻抵在他的身侧说，“我敢保证，你什么都不用担心。自从我们来到这儿，部落猫对我们一直很好。”
“没准他们会很高兴我们终于要走了呢。”松鼠爪欢快地附和着，“等秃叶季到了，他们一定也会猎物短缺。”
“秃叶季已经到了，”羽尾说，“今天早上，我发现外面的岩石上已经铺了一层白白的霜。”
“对呀！”松鼠爪摇摇尾巴说，“所以他们肯定不希望我们留在这里，吃他们的猎物。”
暴毛从黑莓掌看向同伴的眼神里看得出，他依然有些担心，但他什么都没说。反而是鸦爪最先注意到暴毛走到了他们身边，于是他开口说话了。
“看看那边是谁！”鸦爪撇着嘴不高兴地喊道，“你终于决定回到我们身边了？跟部落里的新朋友待烦了？”
“别这么说话。”羽尾小声说着，用尾巴轻轻打了他一下。
暴毛心中一痛，径直走到年轻的风族学徒面前。“如果他有话要说，就让他说吧。”
“只有你天天跟他们泡在一起。也许你还想跟他们永远在一起。毕竟，我们返回到森林后，那里的情形可能会非常艰难。”
“别傻了。”暴毛反驳道。他转身背对鸦爪，看见其他同伴都非常严肃地看着他，似乎有些赞同风族猫的看法。“拜托！”暴毛焦虑地继续说道，“我做什么了？只不过出去打了几次猎，仅此而已。黑莓掌，是你自己说的，我们在这儿时，要自己狩猎。你们凭什么认为我对森林的牵挂比你们少？”
“没有猫会那么想的。”羽尾安慰地说。
“他就是这么想的。”暴毛的耳朵冲着鸦爪抽动了一下，“跟梦境有关，是不是？仅仅因为我不是星族选中的……星族后来没再托梦给你们吧，是不是？还是说，你们没有告诉我？”
他伸出爪子，厌恶爪子抓的是石头而不是河边长满芦苇的柔软土地。鸦爪他了解，这个学徒一直很难相处，他甚至敢不听星族的。可是连其他的猫——包括他的妹妹——都怀疑他不够忠诚……这种感觉简直跟虎星要兼并两个族群时，他和羽尾因为只有一半雷族血统而差点被杀一样糟糕。至少羽尾应该记得那些事，并理解他现在的感受。暴毛竭力抑制住想起在部落中有多自在时闪过的愧疚，但是他还是决定要忠于河族。“没有，我们没再做到别的梦，”黑莓掌回答道，“暴毛，别那么激动；鸦爪，你也别说话刺激他。我们的麻烦已经够多了。”
“都是因为那瀑布，”褐皮突然说道，“瀑布从早到晚不停地隆隆响，吵得我快要发疯了。说不定星族在太阳下面向我们发送过信号，我们却什么也听不见。我很高兴能离开这儿，重新回到开阔的野外。”
鸦爪的声音柔和了许多。“我们必须回到森林，像英勇的武士那样保卫家园。暴毛跟不跟我们走，由他。”
“闭嘴，鼠脑子！”松鼠爪怒喝一声，“暴毛的忠诚绝不次于你！”
暴毛感激地看着她，说：“我当然跟你们一起走！”
“那么，我们先去饱餐一顿，今晚好好睡一觉，”黑莓掌果断地说，“短时间内，这可能是我们最后一次吃饱睡足了。”
暴毛一抬头，不禁后退一步。他吃惊地发现，就在他们一直说话的时候，几只部落猫不知何时凑了过来，正一脸严肃地看着他们。
鹰崖走向前。“为什么你们说要走？”他说道，“在结冰季，你们根本不可能翻过那座山。你们可以待到太阳返回后再走！”
“我们不能再等了！”松鼠爪大声说道，“我们得赶紧回去处理家中的麻烦——我们到这儿的时候，就告诉过你们。”
“我们非常感激你们的好意，但我们必须得走了。”黑莓掌婉言谢绝，用尾巴轻轻拂过松鼠爪的嘴巴，要她住口。
部落猫相互看了看，脖子上的毛开始竖了起来。突然，他们露出一副威胁的神情。几只强壮的山洞卫士移动身体，挡在族群猫和洞口之间，两三只猫妈妈不安地带着她们的孩子往育婴室通道走去。明摆着了，如果他们现在试图离开，一场血战不可避免。
看见溪儿站在队伍末尾，暴毛从一位山洞卫士身边挤过，站到了溪儿面前。“这到底是怎么回事？”他质问道，“你们为什么把我们像囚犯一样对待？”
溪儿不敢看他的眼睛。“求你了……”她轻声说，“待在这儿你那么不开心吗？留下来是那么可怕吗？”
“不是开不开心的问题。我们有重任在身，别无选择。”暴毛转过身想问问鹰崖，但这位山洞卫士却故意回避他的眼神。他知道，在忠于族群的大义面前，他们之间的友情根本不值得一提。为什么会这样，他一点也猜不出原因。他一直相信，这些部落猫是真心想跟他交朋友的，如今，这种背叛犹如老鹰的爪子般，撕碎了他的心。
“真是狐狸屎！”鸦爪嘀咕说，试图从山洞卫士间闯一条路。
鹰崖举起了爪子，另外一位山洞卫士发出愤怒的嘶嘶声把鸦爪推了回去。风族学徒全身的毛都奓开了，尾巴使劲抽打着，显示他准备马上攻击他们俩。
“等一等，”羽尾小声说着赶紧挤进鸦爪和两名卫士之间，“让我们先弄清楚他们究竟是什么意思。”
“意思就是找麻烦！”鸦爪吼道，“谁也别想阻止我离开！”
他一肩撞开羽尾，跳到鹰崖身上，一下子把高大的山洞卫士撞翻在地。鹰崖的后掌猛击鸦爪的腹部，但没等这场战斗继续展开，黑莓掌就很快咬住了鸦爪的后颈，把他拖开了。
学徒转过身看着黑莓掌，眼睛里都快要喷出火来。“放开我！”他咆哮道。
“放开你可以，但必须停止愚蠢的行为！”黑莓掌也发出恼怒的嘶嘶声，“这些卫士能把鸦爪变成鸦食。我们必须弄明白他们到底想干什么。”
暴毛痛恨认输，但就算他们今晚能拼死闯出去——假使他们能闯关成功——他们也不得不在陌生的山腰上度过寒冷的一夜。再看看四周那些精瘦却强健的山洞卫士，尽管刚刚跟鸦爪打斗了一番，却几乎脸不红气不喘，暴毛知道，他们绝无可能毫发无伤地赢得这场战斗。而一旦有猫负伤，他们本就艰难无比的旅程更会雪上加霜。为什么午夜没有预见到这些事？暴毛绝望地想，又或是它预见到了，却瞒着他们没说？
这时，他看见尖石巫师出现在通道上。也许现在就能找到答案了。他想。
山洞卫士退后一步，给他们的首领让出一条道。黑莓掌走上前直面着他，说道：“我想我们之间一定有什么误会。”暴毛看得出黑莓掌在尽力保持冷静。“我们明天必须得走，但你的部落猫看起来似乎不想让我们走。你收留我们、帮助我们，我们非常感激，但……”
黑莓掌突然停住了，因为尖石巫师根本没在听他讲话。尖石巫师环视着猫群，一双微露精光的眼睛就像河床里的鹅卵石一般。他提高嗓门说道：“我接收到了杀无尽部落的征兆，现在是讲述的时候了。”
“讲述？那是什么？”松鼠爪说。
“也许就像我们的森林大会吧。”暴毛低声说。
“但这里没有其他部落可以聚会啊。”
“那么可能是跟杀无尽部落有关。”尽管暴毛非常担心这些部落猫不让他们离开山洞，但他还是忍不住好奇，想多了解一些这个部落奇怪的信仰。
山洞卫士慢慢逼近族群猫，把他们赶向尖石巫师出现的通道处。
“让开！”褐皮厉声对一个卫士说道，“你们要带我们去哪儿？”
暴毛也很想知道。到现在为止，他一直以为，第二条通道只是通往尖石巫师的巢穴罢了。
“去尖石洞。”尖石巫师答道，“到了那儿，你们就明白了。”
“如果我们不想去呢？”没等回答，鸦爪纵身扑向离他最近的块头有他两个大的山洞卫士。那个山洞卫士伸出他那巨掌随意一拍，就把快吓呆的鸦爪击倒在地。羽尾朝那只猫啐了一口，猛击一掌，爪子都伸出来了。
暴毛感觉脖子上的毛一下子倒立了起来。但没等一场恶斗开始，黑莓掌就发出嘶嘶声，制止道：“住手！如果我们想要得到解释，就要先听他们怎么说。然后，我们再决定怎么办。听见我说的话了吗？鸦爪？”
这名学徒从地上爬了起来，身上的毛都被扯掉了，尾巴上的毛奓着，生气地瞪着黑莓掌，但没说话。
“往前走。”一名山洞卫士吼道。
暴毛磕磕绊绊地往前走着。离他最近的山洞卫士推着他向通道走去，他几乎失去平衡。他尽力克制着，一言不发地往前走。这时，他发现溪儿就在他身边。“别担心，很快就会真相大白的。”溪儿对他说着，眼睛里似乎流露出放下重担的神情。
“我不担心。你们不可能把我们永远留在这儿！”暴毛冷冷地说道。他曾经以为他们是朋友，但没想到溪儿会背叛他。
看到她畏缩的样子，暴毛几乎有点欣慰。“求你了……”溪儿小声说，“你不会明白的，这全是为了我们部落。”
暴毛撇嘴把头转向另一边。他跟在褐皮身后进入了那条通道，身后紧跟着几名山洞卫士。
黑暗中，他听到尖石巫师大声吟唱着一曲温柔的颂歌：“响应杀无尽部落的召唤，我们一起来聆听。”
暴毛听到身后响起众多声音呼应着他们的首领。不只是山洞卫士，还有很多部落猫也都挤进了这条通道。“在岩石间、水潭里，在空气中、水面的光影里，通过猎物的坠落以及幼崽的啼哭，通过猫的爪痕和血液的脉动，我们聆听你的召唤。”
声音在阴影里回荡着。暴毛看到月光从前方的什么地方透进来，灰暗中，映照出褐皮竖着的耳朵。他跨步进入了另一个山洞，片刻间，他所有的恐惧和挫败感都无影无踪了。他敬畏地张着嘴，静静地站着。
这个山洞比他们刚走出来的那个小多了。洞顶有一个参差不齐的裂缝，一道月光照进洞里，给地面洒满如水的苍白。暴毛站在一片尖耸的石林中间，这里的尖石比刚才走出来的那个大洞里的多多了：有的尖石从地面往上长；有的从洞顶垂下来，直指暴毛的脑袋；一些连在了一起，就好像支撑着洞顶，有几道浅黄色起着波纹的涓涓细流，滴落到坚硬的石地上汇成一汪水潭。
早晨的时候刚下过雨，雨水从小孔中漏下来，在暴毛四周留下了一些小水坑。在外面那个洞里听起来很吵的瀑布咆哮声，在这里变得隐隐约约。瀑布的声音那么小，他都听得见洞顶渗水一滴滴落下的声音。
几只族群猫跟暴毛一样，全都静默不语，充满敬畏，只有眼睛闪闪发光。这个地方让暴毛想起森林里的母亲嘴，同样是沉浸在月光下的山洞，同样是在比自己强大得多的神奇力量面前，感觉自己非常渺小。只不过这不是星族的家乡，而是杀无尽部落的。在远离故土的异地，星族也能关注他们吗？他浑身一震，在心里向星族祈祷：万能的星族，即使是在这里，也请守护我们、指引我们。
山洞卫士把族群猫往山洞里面又推了一些。尖石巫师在他们前方昂首走着，到石林的中心位置时，站住了。然后，他转过身面向其他的猫。“我们站在尖石洞，”他的声音很大但却不带感情，“月光已经照进洞里，照得见石头照得见水，一如既往，也一如未来。讲述预言的时间到了。现在，我们召唤杀无尽部落，请它们显示心愿。”
“请显示心愿！”其他的部落猫异口同声地呼应道。几乎所有跟在族群猫身后的部落猫都涌进了山洞；室内的空气，因为猫的体温以及潮湿带着雾气的呼吸，渐渐变得暖和起来。
尖石巫师像一个移动的影子，来回踱着方步，凝视着地上的水坑。他的眼睛在月光下闪闪发光，浑身的泥巴越发显得阴森，更像石头。溪儿告诉暴毛，杀无尽部落已经赐给他们首领九条命，就跟星族赐给各族族长九条命一样。但这个说法，暴毛至今仍很难相信。在如水的月光映衬下，被怪石环绕的尖石巫师，看上去比所有族群猫合起来都要强大。
最后，这位部落首领在最大的一个水池边停了下来，低声说道：“杀无尽部落，我们向你致意，感谢你的仁慈，感谢你最终把我们从尖牙兽的魔爪下解救出来。”
“感谢你！”部落猫都低声呼应。暴毛紧张起来。他跟同伴们互相对视了几眼，他们眼中有着跟他一样的困惑。尖石巫师到底是什么意思？尖牙兽是什么？为什么部落猫需要被解救？
“为什么……”松鼠爪刚要开口，旁边的一个山洞卫士冲她嘘了一声，她只好闭嘴。
尖石巫师继续说道：“杀无尽部落，我们感谢你派来这只应诺之猫。”
“感谢你！”部落猫再次跟着呼应，声音越来越响亮。
尖石巫师抬起头，下令道：“让他站到前面来。”
暴毛还没来得及反应，就被两只强壮的山洞卫士猛推到了前面。暴毛猝不及防，脚下一滑，落入了一个水坑，月光被踩成无数个银光闪闪的碎片。部落猫中响起一阵错愕的惊呼声，暴毛听见一只猫低声说道：“不祥的预兆！”
暴毛拼命保持镇定，他甩掉爪上的水，向前一直走到尖石中央，来到尖石巫师身边。
“你要干什么？”他质问道。
尖石巫师扬起一只手掌示意安静。月光下，他的眼神里洋溢着毫不掩饰的欢欣，低声说道：“别问为什么，这是你的命运。”
暴毛扫视四周，看到所有的部落猫都满含期待地凝视着他，还带着几分欢喜，就好像他是他们看过的最美好的景象。“这是你的命运！”他们跟着复述了一遍。
他的直觉果然始终都是对的，部落猫一直对他另眼相看，现在他要搞清楚到底为什么。
“时间到了，”尖石巫师庄严地吟诵道，“应诺之猫在此，我们最终会得到解救，逃脱尖牙兽的魔爪。”
“我不明白！”暴毛突然大声说道，“我甚至听都没听说过尖牙兽。”
他的话好像破除了魔法，暴毛的几个朋友使劲向前挤，想站在他的身边，但被山洞卫士再次推了回去。松鼠爪呸了一口，鸦爪和褐皮则活动着冷冰冰的石头上的脚爪，但黑莓掌警告他们不得轻举妄动。那些山洞卫士显然也不想打架，他们的爪子都收着，只是用肩膀把森林猫紧紧挤成一团。
“尖牙兽是一只巨猫，”尖石巫师说道，因为恐惧他压低了声音，“它住在山上，以我们部落的猫为食。已经有好几季了，它把我们的猫一只接一只地叼走了。”
“它长得就像一头狮子，”鹰崖加了一句，又问道，“你们知道狮子吗？”
“我们听过狮族的传说，”暴毛回答道，他还是不明白尖牙兽跟他自己有什么关系，“狮子以强大的力量和智慧闻名，一身金色的鬃毛，就像温暖的阳光那样耀眼。”
“尖牙兽没长鬃毛，”尖石巫师说，“也许因为它太邪恶了，所以鬃毛脱落了。它是我们部落的公敌。”他的声音里透着苍凉，过往的回忆令他眼神充满冷酷的光，“我们害怕的是，它不杀死我们部落的每一只猫，不会罢休。”
“但是，杀无尽部落为我们派来了一只应诺之猫。”暴毛一听溪儿的声音，立刻扭过头去。她靠拢到暴毛身边，凝视着他，满眼都是仰慕之情。“暴毛，你就是那只被选中的猫，你会解救我们大家，我知道你能行。”
“我怎么做得到？”一股怒火从暴毛心里慢慢燃起，取代了他最初的困惑，“你们希望我怎么做？”
“上一个满月前夕，杀无尽部落给我们传递了一个预言，”尖石巫师解释道，“它们说有一只银色的猫会把我们从尖牙兽的魔爪下解救出来。所以，我们在水潭边一看到你，就知道你是那只受命而来的猫。”
“但我不可能是，”暴毛不相信，“我从遥远的森林里来，我甚至从来没见过尖牙兽长什么样。”
“的确如此。”黑莓掌上前站在暴毛身边，“尖牙兽威胁到你们的安危，我们非常同情，但我们家乡的族群也危在旦夕。”
“说不定比你们更危急，我们一刻也耽误不起。”羽尾焦虑地加了一句。
尖石巫师的耳朵动一动，一句话没说，山洞卫士立刻包围了森林猫，开始把他们推向洞口，但暴毛除外。他被另一组巡逻队围了起来。羽尾拼命挣扎着，想冲到哥哥这边来，但离她最近的山洞卫士一掌把她击倒在地。
“不准碰她，你这个狐狸屎！”鸦爪骂了一句，就猛地扑向那位山洞卫士，伸爪耙向那只部落猫的耳朵。两只猫滚在地上厮打起来，最后，黑莓掌把鸦爪拖开了。
“现在还不是打架的时候，”他对这位愤怒的学徒喝道，“他们若把你撕成碎片，对哪只猫都没有帮助。”
“我们应该跟他们拼了！”鸦爪咆哮道，“我宁愿战死，也不愿困在这里。”
“只要你说一句话，”褐皮对哥哥嘶嘶说道，“我就把他们的皮扒下来喂老鹰。”
“星族啊，救救我们！”羽尾被推向通道入口时大声叫喊着，“请让我们知道，你没有抛弃我们！”
“别害怕，”尖石巫师安慰道，“这是杀无尽部落的意愿。”
看到自己的朋友被强行从自己身边带回到主洞，暴毛感觉自己仿佛坠入了漆黑的、深不可测的水底。他试图跟上他们，但鹰崖和另一位山洞卫士上前挡住了他的路。
鹰崖用尾巴指指尖石洞的另一头说：“那里，我们为你准备了一个睡觉的地儿。”暴毛看着他，眼睛里满是怒火。鹰崖尴尬地又说了一句，“其实事情并不是那么糟。你会替我们干掉尖牙兽——杀无尽部落是那么说的——然后，如果你仍然还想走，我们不会拦你的。”
“杀死尖牙兽！”暴毛惊呼一声，想起那天他在瀑布顶上闻到的臭味和看到的模糊身影。那一定就是尖牙兽，当时正潜行靠近洞口，难怪溪儿和她的同伴会那么害怕。“如果你们这么多猫都做不到，我又如何杀掉它？这真是一个愚蠢透顶的主意。你们全都疯了！”
“不！”尖石巫师的声音又冒出来，他走过来站在暴毛肩旁。“你必须信任杀无尽部落。它们发出的信号非常清晰，然后你就来了，跟它们预示的一模一样。”
“我们信仰的是星族，”暴毛反驳道，努力掩饰着内心的恐惧。难道他的武士祖灵真的抛弃了他？
“去你睡觉的洼坑吧，”尖石巫师说，“我们会给你带来猎物的。我们等了这么久才盼到你的到来，你无须害怕，我们不会虐待你的。”
不会虐待我，但会像对待囚犯那样对待我。暴毛绝望地想。他走到山洞的后部，找到鹰崖指给他的那个洼坑，发现里面铺满了温暖的干草和羽毛。几尾开外的岩石上有另一个铺好了铺垫的凹地，他猜测那可能是尖石巫师睡觉的地方。
暴毛在离他最近的水池舔了几口水，然后躺下来，头枕着脚爪考虑如何逃脱。但被朋友背叛的痛苦仍令他痛苦不已，他很难凝神思考。他曾经那么相信部落猫喜欢他，不像他的河族同仁友谊，总是蒙上质疑他的出身和忠诚度的阴影。没想到，他们也只是想让他来实现他们的预言。
没过多久，溪儿来了，嘴里叼着一只兔子，小心翼翼地放在他面前。“对不起，”她轻声说，“跟部落猫待在一起，真的有那么糟糕吗？暴毛，我……我只想成为你的朋友，如果你允许的话。”她犹豫着又补了一句，“如果你愿意，现在我就待在你身边。相互整理毛发是我们的习惯，特别是在艰难时期，我们把这叫作相互慰藉。”
暴毛想，她的意思一定是互相舌抚。不久之前，如果想到能和溪儿互相舌抚，他会打心眼儿里高兴。但是现在，溪儿的这个想法令他愤怒。难道她跟他说谎、背叛了他，还指望他跟她亲近吗？
“暴毛……”溪儿的眼睛里充满怜惜之情，但她那明亮的眸子就像火焰一般灼伤了暴毛的心。他扭转头，一言不发。
他听到溪儿痛惜地轻轻叹了一口气，然后她的脚步声消失在通道那边。她离开后，暴毛用一只爪子把兔子翻了个个。打了一天的猎，他早饿了。但是现在，一想到吃东西就让他感到不舒服。但他仍然强迫自己咽下去，因为他知道，无论接下来会发生什么，他都需要充满力量。
他蜷缩在睡觉的洼坑里，直直地盯着他的朋友们消失的那条通道。鹰崖和另外一名山洞卫士值守在入口处，暴毛观望的时候，尖石巫师从阴影处出现，穿过两名卫士，返回主洞。在卫士和暴毛之间，有多个水池，清冷的月光照在水面上，泛起点点微光。这让暴毛想起家乡的那条河，他真的很想念那无尽的潺潺水声、闪烁的水面以及流水溅起的水花。
他闭上眼睛想睡一会儿，却忍不住悲伤地想，他本就不该踏上这次旅程。他不是被星族选中的武士，也从未在梦中收到过星族的召唤。但是现在，他真希望这次冒险只是一场梦，要是明天早晨醒来，发现自己已经回到了家乡河族该多好啊！
第十三章
第十三章
叶爪心神不定地走在月光下，倾听着四棵树附近橡树林中轻柔的风声。她跟炭毛正赶着跟其他的巫医会面，然后一起去母亲嘴，半圆的月亮已高挂在夜空中。
“他们迟到了，”炭毛说，“我们浪费了这么好的月光。”
这时，她们看到了影族巫医小云。他舒舒服服地卧在草丛里的一个坑里，说道：“他们很快就会到的。”
炭毛猛地抽动尾巴，说道：“我们需要好好把握在月亮石的每一分钟，尤其是今晚。我们必须想出对付两脚兽的办法。”
叶爪尽量对河族巫医保持着耐心，他们本该早就在这里跟他们碰面了。也许对他们而言，跟星族对话没那么重要吧，因为两脚兽的怪物还没有入侵到他们的领地。此时，万物俱寂，两脚兽的怪物都睡着了，但叶爪知道那些怪物仍然在那儿，就蹲在还没被毁坏的林间伤痕累累的地面上。通常，夜间猎物的声响要更大一些，但现在连最细微的声响都没有了，森林的寂静显得十分反常。
一想到猎物，她的肚子就开始咕咕叫。出发之前，炭毛给了她一些可以抑制食欲的旅行草药，但一点用都没有，她依然觉得饿。她都不记得上一次吃饱肚子是什么时候了。族群里所有的猫都在挨饿，食物短缺已经导致族猫身体乏力，所以，即使看见猎物也追不上。秃叶季正悄悄逼近，树叶已经开始枯萎，寒风吹来，叶子飘落到地上。叶爪实在看不出星族能给他们什么帮助。
叶爪的肚子又开始咕噜咕噜地叫，声音大得足以让别的猫都听见，她尴尬得要命。小云投来同情的目光。
“黑星派武士去垃圾场找老鼠和鸦食吃，”他告诉炭毛，眼神黯淡了下来，“虽然还没有哪只影族猫染上疾病，但这是早晚的事。”
“希望你还记得上次你生病时我给你用的那些草药和浆果。”炭毛提醒道。
“我一直在找那些草药和浆果。我知道要不了多久，这些草药就会派上用场。”
“告诉你们族群的猫不要碰那些鸦食，”炭毛劝告道，“新鲜的鼠肉可能还凑合，腐肉可千万不能碰。”
小云叹了口气。“我试着劝阻了，但黑星下了令，我又能做什么？大多数猫都饥不择食了。”
这时，叶爪终于看到了河族巫医泥毛和他的学徒蛾翅，他俩刚从河边的斜坡上爬了上来。又见到自己的朋友，叶爪高兴得跳了起来。但看到蛾翅似乎依然一副不愁吃的样子，金色的长毛油光水滑，叶爪几乎抑制不住自己心中的羡慕之情。
“你们可算来了！”炭毛冲着迎上来的两只猫嚷道，“我还以为河里跳出一条鱼把你们给吃了呢。”
“好了好了，我们这不是已经到了嘛。”泥毛几乎没有停下来跟他们打招呼，而是率先沿着山谷顶部朝风族边界走去。
炭毛和小云跟在他身后，叶爪和蛾翅并排走在最后。
叶爪小声对蛾翅说：“跟你学抓鱼的事给我带来了大麻烦，我就知道我不该吃你们族群的猎物。”
“你们族长没有权力惩罚你！”蛾翅愤慨地说，“我们是巫医。”
“即使是巫医，也不该吃其他族群的猎物，”叶爪答道，“巫医跟其他猫一样，都应该遵守武士守则。”
蛾翅不屑地哼了一声。过了片刻，她又说道：“这段时间，我的学习进展得很顺利，泥毛教我用草药治疗绿咳症和黑咳症，还教我学会了一种从脚掌上拔掉刺的绝妙方法。他说他还从没见过像我这样动作灵巧的猫。”
“太棒了！”叶爪赞道。她不介意她的朋友自夸，因为她知道她极度没有安全感。她是泼皮猫的孩子，她的族群里，许多猫都认为不该由她来继承巫医的衣钵。蛾翅一心想证明他们错了。
快走到风族边界的时候，叶爪突然感到一阵紧张。跟风族的对峙没过去多久，她知道，风族的武士仍然充满敌意。他们似乎下定决心，不向外界泄露自己族群正在挨饿的事情，就算谁都看得出来，风族猫一只只骨瘦如柴，眼神呆滞。如果他们发现他们这群巫医进入他们的领地，会不会不顾一切地发起攻击？但是她只字未提。因为她知道，如果她多嘴把那个重大的冲突讲给蛾翅听，火星一定会大发雷霆的。
几只巫医猫毫无停顿地跨过了边界。因为炭毛跛脚，所以其他巫医都保持着跟她一样的速度急忙赶路。走上一个缓坡的坡顶，叶爪俯视下方，看到了两脚兽毁坏这片土地后的可怕场景。两脚兽在风族领地内留下的伤痕，比她和栗尾第一次看到时的，更宽更长。两脚兽的几只怪物就蹲在那儿，皮毛在月光下发出耀眼的光芒。如果有小山挡住了怪物们的去路，它们就毫不犹豫地张开大嘴，吃出一条路，然后穿过它，在两边堆满了翻出的土。难道它们想要吞掉整个荒原吗？
叶爪不禁打了个冷战，赶紧跳着追上老师。离风族营地不远的地方，风族巫医青面从一簇金雀花丛下走了出来。尽管叶爪早已预料到他这段时间肯定在忍饥挨饿，但是真的看到他时，仍惊呆了。青面瘦得简直跟一具包着凌乱皮毛的活动骨架没什么两样。
炭毛迎上前，怜惜地跟他碰了碰鼻子，对他说道：“愿星族与你同在，青面！”
“愿星族跟我们整个族群同在！”青面长叹一声，“有时候，我甚至认为，星族想要我们每一只风族猫都到天上去加入它们，就连要留下传承武士守则的一只幼崽都活不下去。”
“也许我们在月亮石分享梦境时，它们就会指示我们怎么做。”炭毛试着鼓励他。
“看起来风族的处境越来越艰难了。”蛾翅琥珀色的眼睛瞪得溜圆，悄声对叶爪说，“他们一直在河族的河里偷鱼，你知道的。鹰霜抓住了好几个，把他们都赶走了。”
“他们只能四处找食。”叶爪知道风族武士偷其他族的猎物不对，但她根本没办法谴责他们。当河里都是鱼的时候，是可以喂饱所有的族群的。突然，叶爪意识到火星的话是对的——两脚兽正在毁灭森林，与此同时，它们也破坏了族群间的无形界限。也许只有所有的猫紧密地团结在一起，才能最终幸存下来。
蛾翅停住脚步，嗅了嗅空气，说道：“别动！我闻到兔子的气味了——至少我认为是兔子，闻起来有点古怪啊。没错，你们看，就在那儿呢！”
她用尾巴指向荒原的一个斜坡处，一条小溪潺潺流过石头。石头旁边，有一个小小的、棕色皮毛的躯体。
“是死的。”叶爪说道。
蛾翅耸耸肩，说：“所以它已经成了乌鸦的食物了。我猜现在风族也不会嫌弃它是不是鸦食了吧。嗨，青面！”她喊道，“看看我发现了什么。”她连蹦带跳地跑下斜坡，奔向那只兔子。
“别动！”青面命令道，“不要碰它！”
蛾翅在那堆软绵绵的皮毛前收住了脚，回头看着斜坡问道：“怎么了？”
青面跑下来站在她身边，接着叶爪和其他巫医也赶到了。青面小心翼翼地接近那只兔子，嗅了嗅。叶爪也跟着嗅了嗅，闻到了一股刺鼻的味道，这味道跟她和栗尾造访风族时闻到的一模一样。她开始反胃，拼命克制着自己的恶心。不管这只兔子是怎么死的，它都不宜作为食物。
“是的，我猜得没错，”青面满脸愁云地说，“又是这种味道……”他看着其他几只猫，平静地解释道，“两脚兽在这片领域里对兔子做了一些可怕的坏事。它们全死了。如果猫吃了这些死兔子，他们也会死。我们因此失去了半数长老和几乎全部学徒。”
接着是一阵惊恐的沉默。叶爪顿时深深同情起风族来。高星面对火星的时候，对此只字未提。那只高傲的风族族长，宁愿让其他族群认为他们在自己的领地逮不到猎物，也不愿让外族知道，他们正一只只地被自己的猎物害死。
“你也没办法救他们？”
“你以为我没有试过吗？”青面的声音里充满了绝望，“我给他们吃蓍草，就像逼他们吐出误食的绝命果那样。只有两只强壮的猫撑住了，其他的都死了。”他的爪子把他面前的野草都揪掉了，眼睛里满是悲伤和挫折，“我们还有什么希望？连我们的猎物都能杀死我们。”
炭毛跛着脚走到他跟前，把口鼻靠在他身上。“我们走吧，”她轻声说，“我们去求星族，求它们指引我们应对这一变故以及其他的事情。”
“我们是不是应该把这只兔子埋起来。”几只猫开始爬坡时，叶爪忽然想起来说，“以免有别的猫误食了它？”
青面摇摇头。“不用了。现在已经没有哪只风族猫会碰它了。”他咬牙切齿地说，“我们现在都很清楚，不敢再碰我们境内的猎物了。”他低着头耷拉着尾巴，在荒原上缓缓走着向高石山进发。
在月亮石的银光里，叶爪眨了眨眼睛。这片柔和的光仿佛有神奇的抚慰作用，叶爪感到自己就像一条潜入深水的鱼。在高石山腹地深处的这个山洞里，很容易相信星族主宰着一切。外面的一切纷扰烦恼是那么遥远，根本就不重要。但巫医来到月亮石，只是为了向星族求得智慧，再带回去帮助自己的族群。尤其是这段黑暗的日子了，他们比过去更需要星族的智慧来指引他们。
其他几只巫医猫跟叶爪一起围着月亮石躺了下来。蛾翅紧挨着她，这只河族猫眼睛睁得大大的，好奇地盯着这方熠熠生辉的晶体表面。为了集中精力，叶爪不再去想那个一直困扰着她的、关于蛾翅和她那野心勃勃的哥哥鹰霜的问题。蛾翅有权待在这儿，是星族自己把飞蛾的翅膀丢在泥毛的巢穴口，作为同意的征兆。之后，泥毛才最终接受她成为巫医学徒。
在快速请求星族给予指引后，叶爪闭上眼睛，把鼻子贴在那石头上。寒冷顿时如一只利爪向她抓来，身下坚硬的地面消失了，她感觉仿佛在黑暗中不停飘浮着。
松鼠爪！松鼠爪！听得见我吗？她在心里默默地呼唤着。她迫切想知道自己的妹妹是否还活着，是否安然无恙。除此之外，她还想知道，星族选定的猫是否已经找到解决森林灾难的办法……只要能找到松鼠爪，也许就能给自己带来一线希望，自己也可以分享给其他猫。
但是，今晚好像有什么东西阻滞了她的思想。震耳欲聋的湍急流水声打破了寂静。然后画面一转，黑暗不再，出现一道瀑布，飞流不断注入下面的一个水潭。叶爪还没看明白怎么回事，乌云翻滚遮住了画面。云雾外传来可怕的咆哮声，她瞥见许多锐利的尖牙。她感觉到武士祖灵出现了，就伸出前掌想去感受让自己感到欣慰的星族。但她只看到了几只瘦削徘徊的猫，一闪即逝的景象。那些猫的皮毛上有一道一道的泥巴，还有血迹。他们的眼睛里充满了绝望，好像看到了一些叶爪不知道的可怕的东西。叶爪感觉自己一直向他们大声喊着什么，但他们根本没有反应。叶爪甚至都不确定他们能不能看到她。
这时，一阵狂风呜呜地吹来，把眼前的景象全吹走了，叶爪一下子惊醒了。她困惑地眨眨眼睛，环顾四周，山洞里一片黑暗，只有银毛星带散发出淡淡的清辉。微光下，她只能认出蜷伏在自己身边的一只猫。这是一只漂亮的玳瑁色猫，胸部和脚掌都是白色的，身上散发着一股草药的香味。
叶爪一开始把这只猫误认为栗尾，后来才想起栗尾早已回到雷族营地了。蛾翅和其他巫医去哪儿了？叶爪意识到，除了她自己和这只陌生的玳瑁色猫，洞里早空了。
玳瑁色猫睁开眼，忽闪着大眼睛看向叶爪。“你好！”她温柔地说，“别太担心你妹妹，也别太为你的族群担心。灾难时期已经到来，但猫族非常强大，而且拥有无比的勇气去迎战困难。”
叶爪愣住了。她陷入了另一个梦境。她眼睛睁得大大的，忽然意识到这只玳瑁色猫到底是谁。她听说过很多这位巫医的故事。她的父亲一开始加入雷族时，是这位巫医帮助他，在梦中指引他走上成为族长的道路。
“你是……你是斑叶？”她问道。
玳瑁色猫点点头：“正是我。我知道火星跟你说起过我。”
“是的，”叶爪好奇地盯着这只母猫，“他说你对他帮助很大。”
“我爱他，就和爱其他猫一样，”斑叶低声说，“作为巫医，也许我对他过于偏爱。如果星族没有选中我走上巫医的道路，事情也许会有所不同。”她动情地眯缝起眼睛，“我没有孩子，叶爪，但看到火星的孩子走上巫医这条路，我说不出有多高兴。我知道星族一定为你准备了重要的任务。”
叶爪吞了口口水。“我能请教点事情吗？”她犹豫地问。
“当然可以。”
“你能看见松鼠爪吗？她还好吗？”
斑叶沉吟许久，最后答道：“我看不到她，但我知道她在哪儿。她很安全，正在回家的路上。”
“如果你知道她在哪儿，为什么看不到她？”叶爪有些疑惑。
斑叶眼神里充满温柔怜悯，说道：“松鼠爪现在由别处的武士祖灵照看着。”
“这是什么意思？”叶爪想起她试着跟松鼠爪建立感应时看到的可怕的血迹斑斑的猫。在这场梦中，她的眼睛睁得很大，甚至惊得跳了起来，“它们是谁的武士祖灵？难道不止一个星族？”
斑叶温柔地笑了，说道：“亲爱的，世界如此广阔，那些其他祖灵指引的猫。你需要探索的东西多着呢！”
叶爪感觉脑子乱成了一团麻。她结结巴巴地说：“我觉得……”
“星族并非万能，它们控制不了何时刮风和下雨，是不是？”斑叶温柔地提示她，“它们确实不能控制日升日落和月圆月缺。但是，小家伙，别害怕，”她接着说，“从现在开始，无论你走到哪里，我都会跟着你……”
她的声音逐渐远离，身形也变得模糊不清，最后化成了一片黑暗。一个多心跳过后，叶爪竟然看到了她胸前如星星闪烁的一抹白色，还有她那双晶莹的眼睛。然后，她眨着眼睛醒了过来，从梦中回到现实的山洞中，蛾翅和另几个巫医都已经在她周围忙碌了起来。
这是真的吗？她疑惑极了，因为晕眩，都不敢大声说话。松鼠爪和她的同伴现在由别的星族指引？难道真的有比星族还要强大的力量——这是否意味着星族根本不能拯救森林？
她蹒跚着站起身，似乎仍能闻见一绺斑叶留下的芳香气息。
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 14
Feathertail gazed back helplessly at thetunnel entrance as the cave-guards thrust her out of the tunnel and back into the main cave. She felt unseen claws tearing into her heart with every step she took away from her brother.
What did Stoneteller mean, that Stormfur was the promised cat who would save the Tribe from Sharptooth? True, her brother was a strong and brave warrior, more skilled at fighting than any of the other cats on this journey. But if Sharptooth was as huge and terrible as the Tribe cats said, what could even the bravest warrior do?
“Please,” she meowed to one of the cave-guards, a huge mud-colored tabby whose name was Scree Beneath Winter Sky, “you can’tkeep Stormfur here. He belongs with us.”
There was sympathy in the Tribe cat’s eyes, but he still shook his head. “No. He is the cat sent here by the Tribe of Endless Hunting. They told us a silver cat would come.”
“But—”
“Don’t try to argue with them,” Crowpaw growled into Feathertail’s ear. “There’s no point. If we have to fight to get Stormfur out, then that’s what we’ll do.”
Feathertail looked at the WindClan cat’s bristling fur and the fierce courage in his eyes. “We can’t,” she mewed sorrowfully. “There are too many of them.”
“I don’t see why the Tribe is so worried about Sharptooth.” Crowpaw’s voice was scornful. “We haven’t seen a whisker of him since we arrived, so what’s the big deal?”
“Be thankful you haven’t seen him,” Scree meowed.
Crowpaw bared his teeth, but this time he didn’t spring at the guard, just turned away and touched his nose to Feathertail’s muzzle. He would have fought the whole of StarClan for her, Feathertail knew that, but he had to see that this time fighting would do no good.
The cave-guards herded the Clan cats across the cave until they reached their sleeping hollows.
“What’s going on?” Brambleclaw mewed in surprise. “Aren’t you throwing us out?”
“Into the night?” The mud-colored guard sounded indignant. “We’re not cruel. It’s cold out there and dangerous. You can eat and rest here, and leave in the morning.”
“With Stormfur?” Tawnypelt challenged.
Scree shook his head. “No. I’m sorry.”
The cave-guards left them, except for Scree and another who remained on watch a few tail-lengths away. A couple of to-bes trotted over with fresh-kill in their jaws.
“Isn’t it great?” the first of them mewed excitedly, dropping the prey he carried. “No more Sharptooth!”
“Shut up, beetle-brain,” growled his friend, giving him a sharp prod in the flank. “You know Crag told us not to talk to them.”
They retreated quickly, glancing around to make sure no cat had spotted them disobeying orders.
“I’m not eating that!” Crowpaw spat, glaring at the small pile of fresh-kill. “I don’t want anything from the Tribe.”
“Great StarClan!” Tawnypelt let out a noisy sigh. “How’s that going to help, you stupid furball? You need your strength twice as much now—to save the forest and to save Stormfur.”
Crowpaw muttered something inaudible, but made no other protest as he dragged a falcon out of the heap.
“Well?” Squirrelpaw demanded when they had divided the rest of the fresh-kill and were crouched close together to eat. “We’re not putting up with this, are we? What are we going to do?”
“There’s not very much we can do,” Brambleclaw pointed out. “There aren’t enough of us to fight the cave-guards.”
“You’re not going to leave him?” Squirrelpaw’s green eyes were wide with disbelief.
Brambleclaw paused; Feathertail could see an agony of indecision in his expression. She began to shiver. Since they left the forest she had come to respect the young warrior’s skills as the unelected leader of their group; if he could not see what to do, then what hope was there for Stormfur?
“We should never have come into these mountains,” growled Tawnypelt. “It’s a hundred times worse than Twolegplace. Midnight mentioned cats in a Tribe, so she must have known about Sharptooth. Why did she send us this way?”
“It must have been a trick all along,” Crowpaw hissed. “I knew we should never have trusted that badger.”
“But why would she trick us?” Brambleclaw objected. “StarClan sent us to her, and she warned us about the Twolegs destroying the forest. If we can’t trust her, then nothing makes sense.”
Feathertail wanted to agree with him, but she suddenly remembered something Purdy had said, when they were discussing which way to go at the edge of the wood. “Purdy tried to tell us not to come through the mountains,” she meowed out loud. “And Midnight wouldn’t let him speak. You’re right. They both knew.”
She looked around and saw her alarm reflected in the faces of her friends.
“Midnight said we would need courage,” Brambleclaw reminded her after a heavy pause. “She said our path was laid out for us. So even if she knew about the Tribe and Sharptooth, there must be a way we can get through this. That makes me think that we must still be following the right path.”
“So yousay,” Crowpaw sneered. “I don’t suppose it matters to a ThunderClan warrior if a cat from RiverClan gets left behind.”
“And what does it matter to WindClan?” Squirrelpaw fired up in defense of her Clanmate. “I’d have thought you’d be delighted if Feathertail’s brother weren’t here to keep an eye on you.”
Crowpaw sprang to his paws, hissing a challenge. Squirrelpaw’s green eyes blazed. Horrified, Feathertail forced herself to get up and shoulder Crowpaw away.
“Stop it!” she cried. “Can’t you see you’re making it worse?”
“Feathertail’s right,” meowed Tawnypelt. “What Clan we come from doesn’t matter here. Four of us are half-Clan anyway—have you ever thought StarClan might have chosen us becauseof that? If we quarrel among ourselves, then we’ll lose everything.”
Squirrelpaw’s gaze seared into Crowpaw for a moment longer before she stepped back and began to tear mouthfuls off a rabbit. Crowpaw looked into Feathertail’s eyes and then ducked his head and muttered, “Sorry.”
“So maybe we can discuss what to do without ripping one another’s fur off?” Tawnypelt meowed tartly. When no cat answered, she went on, “Don’t forget that StarClan didn’t choose Stormfur in the first place. He’s only here because he wouldn’t let Feathertail come on this mission alone.” She paused; her eyes grew troubled as she added, “What . . . what if the Tribe cats are right and he isthe promised cat who’s going to save them from Sharptooth?”
“That’s mouse-brained!” Crowpaw exclaimed.
Feathertail was not so sure. Tawnypelt had put words to the fear that she had also felt squirming inside her ever since Stoneteller had first told them about the prophecy. Sure, Stormfur’s fur wasn’t what she would call silver—it was darker than that, more like Graystripe’s—but he had come into the world of the Tribe cats just as their warrior ancestors had promised.
“Does that mean . . .” Her voice shook and she had to start again. “Does that mean we’re going to leave him here?”
“No, it doesn’t.” Brambleclaw sounded determined. “These are not our warrior ancestors. StarClan has nothing to do with this Tribe. But we can’t get him out by fighting, so we’ll have to do it another way. In the morning, when they tell us to leave, we’ll go without trouble. Then we’ll come sneak back and rescue Stormfur.”
The cats were silent for a moment, glancing at one another as if they were weighing the idea. Feathertail began to feel the first faint stirrings of hope. Then she noticed that the cave-guards were watching them suspiciously; had they overheard? She flicked her ears, and the Clan cats, following her gaze, huddled more closely together.
Crowpaw spoke softly. “That’s easy to say.” He sounded doubtful, but he wasn’t sneering anymore. “We’d still have to get into that inner cave, and the whole place is crawling with cave-guards.”
“We could wait until it’s dark,” Tawnypelt suggested.
“And the noise of the waterfall will hide our pawsteps,” Squirrelpaw added optimistically.
Crowpaw still looked uncertain. “I’m not sure—haven’t you noticed the Tribe cats are so used to it that they can hear a kit squeak at the other end of the cave?”
Feathertail knew he was right. She looked around, wondering if the darkness or the crashing of the torrent would help them at all. Moonlight rippled into the cave through the sheet of thundering water, but shadows fell thickly around the walls. Perhaps it would be possible. But however hard it seemed, they had to try. Stormfur was her brother
“I’m willing to give it a try,” she announced. “You can leave me behind if you want.”
“Well, I for one—” Crowpaw began.
“Don’t try to stop me,” Feathertail interrupted. “I know we have to get StarClan’s message to the Clans before they’re destroyed along with the forest, but they don’t need all of us. I can stay here.”
“Who said I was going to try to stop you?” Crowpaw demanded indignantly, his neck fur bristling. “I was going to say I’ll help, but if you don’t want me . . .”
“Don’t be mouse-brained.” Feathertail gave his ear a quick lick. “I’m sorry I misunderstood. Of course I want you with me.”
“I don’t think we should split up.” Brambleclaw’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “It’s all of us or none. We came on this journey together and we’ll finish it together—and that means Stormfur as well.” More briskly he added, “Let’s finish eating and get some sleep. We’ll need all our strength.”
Feathertail tried to obey him, forcing down the young hawk that the to-be had left for her, though she felt sick with apprehension. She tried to focus her thoughts on how loyal her friends from the other Clans were. It was hard to imagine that they would ever be able to separate back into their different Clans when they returned to the forest. How would she ever go back to her regular life without them?
She curled into her sleeping hollow, tired enough to sleep, then sat up again. What was that?She turned her head to one side and listened. She could hear voices whispering but there were no cats nearby, except for the Clan cats, and they were all asleep. Twitching her ears, Feathertail froze. The voices were coming from the waterfall, almost hidden among the rushing, hissing water. She strained to make out what they were saying.
The silver cat has come, they seemed to whisper. Sharptooth will be destroyed
No, Feathertail argued silently, instinctively. She didn’t stop to figure out who she was talking to. You’re wrong. Stormfur is not your cat. He must come with us
She waited for a reply, but the voices had vanished into the roar of the water, and Feathertail began to wonder if she had even heard them at all. A long time passed; moonlight crept across the floor of the cave and faded before exhaustion overcame her and she finally fell into a troubled sleep.
A paw roughly shaking her shoulder woke Feathertail, and she looked up into the stern face of Crag. “It’s time to go,” he announced.
Other guards were rousing her friends. As she stumbled drowsily out of her sleeping hollow, she saw Stoneteller standing at the entrance to the tunnel that led to the Cave of Pointed Stones. Two more cave-guards stood alertly beside him, and Feathertail thought she could make out more in the tunnel itself; the Tribe cats were making sure that Stormfur was too heavily guarded for any sort of rescue attempt.
“We will take you to the edge of our territory and show you the best way through the rest of the mountains,” Crag meowed.
“What about Stormfur?” Brambleclaw asked, shaking a feather from his pelt. “We can’t go without him.”
The ThunderClan warrior’s last attempt to free his friend peacefully was doomed to failure; Crag was shaking his head before he finished speaking. “You can’t take him with you,” he meowed. “His destiny is to stay here and save our Tribe from Sharptooth. We will care for him and honor him.”
“So that makes it all right, then?” Crowpaw muttered disgustedly.
The cave-guards gathered around the Clan cats and forced them toward the entrance. Feathertail noticed that Crowpaw was still limping from the blow he had taken from the cave-guard the night before.
“Are you okay to travel?” she murmured in his ear.
“I don’t have much choice, have I?” he meowed disagreeably, only to turn to her a moment later and touch his nose to her muzzle. “Don’t worry; I’ll be fine.”
Just before they reached the waterfall, Feathertail heard her name, and turned to see Brook bounding toward her.
“I . . . I wanted to say farewell,” she mewed as she came up. “I’m sorry it turned out like this. But without your brother, Sharptooth will destroy the whole Tribe.”
Feathertail gazed into the young prey-hunter’s eyes. She knew Brook believed what she was saying, but she couldn’t forget how Stormfur had thought that this cat was his friend. Stormfur didn’t make friends easily—a legacy of being half-Clan, always feeling as if he had more to prove than other warriors, as if he could never fight hard enough or catch enough prey. Feathertail had watched this she-cat win her brother’s trust, but now she had betrayed him, and would probably see him die in a battle with Sharptooth for the sake of her Tribe.
“Come on.” Crowpaw brushed his tail against Feathertail’s flank, already damp from the spray of the waterfall. Feathertail turned away from Brook without another word. As she padded along the narrow path, she strained to hear the voices in the thundering water, but today she heard only the ceaseless pounding of foam.
Whoever you are, she vowed silently, we will come back for my brother. He is ours, and his destiny lies far away from here
The forest cats traveled through the mountains until almost sunhigh. The cave-guards kept pace with them on either side, their gaze fixed on the path ahead. They did not even stop to hunt, and the tense silence made every hair tingle on Feathertail’s pelt.
She tried to study every rock, every tree, every twist in the path, hoping that they would be able to follow their own scent trail back to the cave. The rocky slopes were more familiar to her now, but all the paths still looked the same. In contrast, the cave-guards seemed to know exactly where they were going, sometimes doubling back to avoid boulders or cliffs.
Once Crag led them down a slope of shifting scree to a mountain stream. “Drink,” he ordered, flicking his tail at the tumbling water.
Crowpaw’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at the slippery rocks by the waterside, and Tawnypelt exchanged a suspicious glance with her brother.
“We’re not going to push you in,” Crag mewed irritably. “You must learn to drink when you can in the mountains.”
Still wary, the forest cats crouched down and lapped the icy water.
The air was crisp and cold, with the sun shining in a pale blue sky. Wind ruffled their fur, but there was no sign of rain to wash away the scent trail. To Feathertail’s relief, Crowpaw’s limp didn’t seem to be bothering him, and grew less apparent as the young cat exercised his injured leg. Tawnypelt was also managing well; although Feathertail saw her flinch once or twice when she had to cope with a difficult leap, she did not complain.
After a scramble over steep rocks, Crag brought them to a halt.
“This is the edge of our territory,” he announced, though there were no scent markers to indicate a border. “You must go on alone from here.”
Relief stabbed through Feathertail. She couldn’t wait to get away from the cave-guards and their stern, silent looks.
“Head for that mountain,” Crag went on, pointing with his tail at a sharp peak, its upper slopes streaked with the white of snow. “A path winds around it to greener lands beyond. You should be safe from Sharptooth until night falls.”
Feathertail thought he put too much stress on Sharptooth, as if there were other dangers lurking among the rocks. Her suspicions hardened when she saw one of the other guards give him a warning glance. “Go on,” the Tribe cat meowed roughly, giving her no chance to ask any questions, “while there’s still plenty of daylight.”
He dipped his head to Brambleclaw. “Farewell,” he meowed. “I wish we could have met in a happier time. Our Tribes have much to teach each other.”
“There’s nothing I want to learn from you,” Squirrelpaw muttered, and for once Crowpaw looked as if he agreed with her.
“I wish that too.” Brambleclaw shot an icy glance at his companions to silence them. “But there cannot be friendship between us while you keep our friend a prisoner.”
Crag bowed his head again; he looked genuinely regretful. “That is our fate and his, as our warrior ancestors have promised. Just as yours have made a promise to you.”
He called the rest of his patrol around him with a flick of his tail, and all the cave-guards waited while Brambleclaw led the Clan cats up a grassy slope. Soon the grass gave way to loose stones, leading upward to a ridge of spiky rock.
Brambleclaw paused at the top. Feathertail glanced back to see that Crag and the other cave-guards were still watching them with unblinking stares.
“They’re making sure we leave,” Tawnypelt growled. “That means they’ll probably be looking out in case we come back.”
Crowpaw shrugged. “Their loss.” He flexed his claws against the bare rock. “If we meet a patrol out here, they’re crow-food.”
Brambleclaw flashed him a glance. “We’ll do this withoutfighting, if we can,” he mewed. “Remember that we can’t afford injuries this far from home. Meanwhile,” he added, “let’s keep going, and make them think we’ve given up.”
He led the way between the rocks. On the other side the land fell away sharply into a grassy hollow. A spring of water bubbled out of a crevice and fell into a small pool. Two or three bushes grew beside it. The wind brought Feathertail the scent of rabbits.
“Can’t we stop here?” Squirrelpaw pleaded. “Remember what they said about drinking when we can? We could hunt, and rest until it’s time to go back.”
Brambleclaw hesitated. “Okay. But we’d better keep watch in case the cave-guards come to check on us.”
“I’ll take first watch,” Tawnypelt offered. “My shoulder’s fine,” she added. “And I’ll call you if there’s any trouble.”
Very cautiously, stepping as lightly as if she were stalking a mouse, she slid back between the rocks and disappeared. Squirrelpaw was already bounding down into the hollow, calling out, “Come on! I’m starving!”
“She’ll frighten every scrap of prey from here to Highstones,” Crowpaw grumbled as Brambleclaw took off after her.
Feathertail watched as Brambleclaw caught up to the younger cat, and the two of them went on together, their pelts brushing. They had become very close during the journey, even if they didn’t quite realize it yet.
“Don’t mind Squirrelpaw,” she told Crowpaw. “Let’s go and see if there are any fish in that pool. I could give you a lesson, just in case you want to catch any fish when we get home.” She broke off and looked awkwardly down at the ground. “It’ll be a useful thing to know, whatever happens.”
Crowpaw brightened. “Okay.” He paused as if he wanted to say something more, then without a word bounded down the slope after the two ThunderClan cats. Feathertail followed, her mind buzzing with her feelings for Crowpaw as well as her fears for her brother. She approached the pool and gazed down into its blue depths. She and Crowpaw had plenty of time to figure out what they would do when they got back to the forest. She tried to push away the tiny, persistent voice that kept telling her that cats from different Clans couldn’t be together without causing a whole heap of trouble. She shook her head impatiently; right now, the only thing any of them should be thinking about was finding prey to give them strength for Stormfur’s rescue.
A silver flash caught her eye and her paw shot out, claws extended, to hook a fish.
“Come over here,” she instructed Crowpaw, “so your shadow doesn’t fall on the water. And when you see a fish, be quick!”
Crowpaw came to join her, picking his way with a grimace around the muddy edge of the pool. He settled down at her side, but instead of peering into the water he looked into her eyes. “I know I shouldn’t ask this, but . . . will you still see me when we get home?” He glanced down at his paws and added, “I want to be loyal to my Clan, but . . . there’s never been another cat like you, Feathertail.”
Feathertail’s pelt tingled with happiness and excitement. She touched his muzzle with her nose, sensing the uncertainty that made it hard for him to believe that she could like him enough to cross Clan boundaries for him. “I know how you feel. We’ll have to wait and see. It might not be so bad. With everything that’s happening in the forest, the Clans will haveto come together.”
To her surprise, Crowpaw shook his head. “I don’t see how. There have alwaysbeen four Clans.”
“Well, maybe alwaysis going to change,” she meowed quietly. “Now, what about that fish?”
Crowpaw brushed her shoulder with his tail, and crouched down over the water. A few heartbeats later his paw shot out. A fish curved up out of the water and fell wriggling on the ground; Crowpaw grabbed it in his jaws before it could slide back into the pool.
Feathertail jumped up and pushed her nose against his shoulder. “Well done! We’ll make a RiverClan cat of you yet.” She broke off, confused, and Crowpaw blinked in understanding.
His eyes were shining; Feathertail wished their companions could see this side of him, eager and enthusiastic, instead of the defensive, difficult face he chose to show to them.
She was distracted by a movement at the top of the rocks and looked up to see Tawnypelt crouched on the smooth stone.
“The cave-guards have gone,” the ShadowClan warrior called down to them. “But I’ll stay on watch.”
Not long after, Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw returned from their hunting expedition with a couple of rabbits and a few mice; along with Feathertail’s and Crowpaw’s fish there was enough fresh-kill for all of them.
They each took a turn on watch, but there was no sign of any Tribe cats. They spent the rest of the day in the shelter of the bushes. Feathertail felt more at home out here, in the silent open air, than in the stuffy, noise-filled cave.
Clouds gathered in the sky, gray and ominous, covering the sun. The wind dropped; the air became heavy and damp, as if there were a storm coming.
At last the daylight faded and shadows began to thicken in the hollow.
Brambleclaw rose to his paws. “It’s time,” he meowed.
He took a few pawsteps back up the slope; as the others followed, Feathertail suddenly noticed how easily they could be seen against the rocks, especially Squirrelpaw’s dark ginger pelt and her own light gray fur.
“This is never going to work. They’re bound to spot us coming,” she mewed anxiously.
“Wait.” Squirrelpaw narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t we roll ourselves in the mud? Then we’d look like Tribe cats, especially in the dark. It would help to hide our scent too.”
Tawnypelt gave her a look full of respect. “That has to be the best idea I’ve heard for a moon.”
Squirrelpaw’s green eyes glowed, and she hurried back to the pool and began nosing around the edge. “There’s plenty of mud here!” she called, beginning to roll in a sticky patch to plaster her fur.
Crowpaw’s whiskers twitched in disgust as he and the others followed. “Just the sort of idea shewould dream up. Clever, though,” he admitted grudgingly.
Feathertail winced as she padded to the edge of the pool and felt mud ooze around her paws. Cold seeped through to her skin as she lay down in the glutinous hollow, thinking that at least her thick RiverClan pelt was suited to getting wet. Crowpaw would be much more uncomfortable with his thin, wind-flattened fur, although for once he didn’t complain. She blinked fondly at him, remembering what he’d said earlier about wanting to see her when they got home. Right now, she didn’t want to ever let him out of her sight.
Their pelts streaked and spiky with the mud, the Clan cats climbed back to the ridge and down the slope on the other side, warily crossing back into the Tribe’s territory. Feathertail pricked her ears, alert for the sound of other cats, and they all stopped every few paces to sniff the air. Even with Squirrelpaw’s disguise, there was a huge risk that they would be spotted, and no cat was sure how far the Tribe cats would go to keep Stormfur. Feathertail knew how desperate they were that their ancestors’ prophecy should come true. She and her friends could all be returning to their deaths.
Brambleclaw’s nose was almost touching the path as he sniffed out their scent trail from that morning. Feathertail tried hard to remember the landmarks they had passed, but everything looked different in the gathering darkness. They were padding down a steep path between broken rocks when Crowpaw suddenly halted, his muzzle raised and his jaws parted. Then he whirled on Feathertail and pushed her behind a rock, signaling wildly with his tail for the other cats to hide too.
A heartbeat later, Feathertail caught the same scent: Tribe cats! Peering out cautiously, she saw a patrol of lithe prey-hunters bounding along the path in the same direction, their jaws filled with prey, their escort of cave-guards around them. She tensed, waiting for them to pick up the intruders’ scent and turn to attack, but they passed her hiding place without pause and disappeared into the darkness. Squirrelpaw’s mud must have masked their scent, as they’d hoped.
“That’s twice I saved you,” Crowpaw teased, stepping away to let Feathertail stand up straight.
She touched noses with him with a purr of amusement. “I know. I won’t forget it; don’t worry.”
Brambleclaw emerged from among the rocks at the other side of the path, signaling to the others to move on. This time Tawnypelt brought up the rear, keeping a lookout behind in case more prey-hunters were on their way home. The moon was just rising over the topmost peaks, a fuzzy white glow behind the covering of clouds, when they came to the river. Still alert for the sound of other Tribe cats, they followed the rushing water until they heard the roar of the waterfall in the distance.
“Quiet now,” Brambleclaw whispered. “We’re getting close.”
Silently they padded on until they reached the top of the falls. Feathertail crouched at the edge of the river, watching the dark water slide over the lip of the rock. Then a flash of lightning split the sky overhead, and above the thunder of the water she heard a rumbling in the sky.
“Storm’s coming,” Crowpaw breathed into her ear.
A fat drop of rain landed on Feathertail’s head, and she shook it off. The noise and confusion of a storm might help them, but then she wondered if it would drive more cats than usual into the cave. Stormfur was heavily guarded already—they couldn’t hope to take on the whole of the Tribe.
“Let’s go,” Squirrelpaw muttered impatiently.
Lightning flashed and another roll of thunder crashed overhead as the cats peered down. Feathertail could just make out the foaming white of the water as it fell into the pool. Then she thought she saw a movement in the darkness at the end of the path.
“What’s that?” Crowpaw had seen it too.
As if in answer, another claw of lightning crackled across the sky. Feathertail heard Tawnypelt gasp in horror. For a single heartbeat that seemed to last forever, the white flash lit up the shape of a huge tawny-colored cat slinking along the path; it paused as the thunder pounded the sky, then padded on to disappear behind the waterfall.
Sharptooth!
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 15
A terrible shrieking broke out inthe cave, slicing through the sound of the rain pattering around them and even the noise of the falls. Feathertail sprang to her paws; every hair on her pelt told her to flee as far from the cave as she could. Only the thought of the danger that Stormfur was in made her stay where she was.
“Come on!” Brambleclaw’s voice was tense.
The rest of the cats stared at him in disbelief.
“Down there?” Crowpaw demanded. “Are you mouse-brained?”
“Think!” Brambleclaw was already bounding toward the cave entrance; he paused and swung around to face the apprentice. “With Sharptooth in the cave, no cat will notice us. This might be our only chance to get Stormfur out.”
Without waiting to see if the others were following he leaped down the rocks toward the path.
“I still think he’s crazy!” muttered Crowpaw, but he followed all the same.
Feathertail scrambled down after them, her paws sliding on the wet rocks, her claws scraping painfully as she tried to keep her balance. She ran along the ledge behind the falls with barely enough time to be afraid of slipping and falling into the turbulent pool below. The screeching grew louder. Terror surged through Feathertail as she imagined what they would find inside the cave; Sharptooth might be sinking his fangs into Stormfur’s neck at that very moment, clawing her brother’s pelt and turning him into fresh-kill.
She skidded into the cave and halted just behind Brambleclaw. For a moment she could hardly make sense of what she was seeing. With the moon covered by clouds, the cave was almost dark; the huge shape of Sharptooth seemed to be everywhere at once, massive paws pounding on the floor as he sprang from wall to wall, blood spattered against his flanks and saliva dripping from his jaws. This was more terrible than Feathertail had ever imagined—there was no way Stormfur could challenge this beast and survive.
The Tribe cats scattered, scrambling blindly out of their sleeping hollows. Feathertail caught a glimpse of Brook, hustling a kit down the tunnel that led to the nursery, with another dangling from her jaws. Near the other tunnel, a cave-guard was clinging to the huge lion-cat’s neck, only to be thrown off and flung against the wall with a sickening thud. The cave-guard slid to the floor and lay still, a trickle of blood running from its mouth. While Feathertail stared in horror, two or three cats fled past her with shrill cries, blundering against the Clan cats without realizing who they were.
“This way!” Brambleclaw ordered. He looked at each Clan cat in turn, his gaze resting longest on Squirrelpaw. “We have to do this for Stormfur,” he reminded them.
Sharptooth had pounded across to leap up the far wall of the cave, trying to reach a Tribe cat who cowered on a ledge just above the vicious claws. Skirting the cave walls, clinging to the darkest corners, Brambleclaw headed for the tunnel leading to the Cave of Pointed Stones. Feathertail and the others followed. In the blackness they stumbled against Tribe cats, some wounded, others frozen in fear, but the terror and blood-scent filling the cave were so strong that no cat recognized them.
At the tunnel entrance, two cave-guards still held their positions, their fur standing on end and their eyes stretched wide. Feathertail felt a flash of respect for their courage, to stay there when all their Tribemates were running for their lives.
“Now!” Brambleclaw and Crowpaw launched themselves at the cave-guards, their claws slashing and their teeth bared. Squirrelpaw was only a heartbeat behind them. Feathertail heard an exclamation of astonishment from one of the guards, and recognized Crag’s voice. She saw Brambleclaw bowl him over and fasten his teeth in the cave-guard’s neck fur, while Crowpaw cuffed the other guard on both ears, drawing him away from the tunnel entrance. Squirrelpaw sank her teeth into Crag’s tail and held on.
With the entrance clear, Feathertail and Tawnypelt darted down the tunnel. Before they reached the Cave of Pointed Stones they met two other cats, barely visible in the darkness. With a surge of relief and joy Feathertail recognized Stormfur’s scent. The other cat was Stoneteller; she glimpsed his blazing eyes as he pelted past her and launched himself into the outer cave.
“Quick!” the Tribe leader yowled to Stormfur. “Your time has come. Oh, Tribe of Endless Hunting, help us now!”
“Feathertail!” Stormfur exclaimed. “What’s happening?”
For a moment Feathertail was content just to drink in his scent and twine her tail with his. She had been afraid they’d find the Cave of Pointed Stones empty, that Stormfur would have already been sent out to do battle with the lion-cat, and that his body had been one of those bleeding in the corners of the cave.
“There’s no time for that!” Tawnypelt snapped. “Head for the entrance. Don’t stop for anything.”
She dashed back down the tunnel, and Feathertail and Stormfur followed. As they reached the outer cave, a shriek ripped through the darkness, louder than thunder. A flash of lightning revealed Sharptooth backing toward the entrance. His jaws were clamped around a Tribe cat; with a shudder of pure horror Feathertail recognized Star, the kit-mother who had spoken to them when they first arrived. Her mouth was open in a desperate wordless yowl, and her claws scored the earth floor as she fought vainly to free herself. Then all was dark again; Feathertail saw the faint outline of the lion-cat against the sheet of water as it whipped around and vanished through the entrance.
For a heartbeat a shocked silence filled the cave. Then a shrill wail of loss rose all around. Feathertail felt a cat nudge her roughly and spun around to see Brambleclaw.
“Out—now!” he rasped.
He bounded toward the entrance with Squirrelpaw and Tawnypelt hard on his paws. Crowpaw thrust Feathertail after him, though she did not move until she was sure Stormfur was following too. No cat tried to stop them; all the Tribe were still gripped by terror, crouched low on the cave floor or gazing after Sharptooth with bristling fur and their eyes glazed with fear.
At the entrance Brambleclaw paused, sniffed the air, and then led the way along the path. Feathertail detected Sharptooth’s scent, mingled with Star’s fear-scent and the reek of blood, but they were fading. The predator had gone, carrying his prey with him and leaving many more cats dead or wounded.
Sheets of rain were falling steadily, gusted by the wind, and thunder rumbled out again overhead. Feathertail was soaked within a couple of heartbeats, her fur plastered to her body, but she scarcely noticed. She followed Brambleclaw up the rocks as he led the Clan cats back the way they had come. Behind them, the Tribe’s heartbroken wailing died away, drowned in the pattering rain and the endless, unchanging roar of the waterfall.
第十四章
第十四章
山洞卫士推搡着羽尾往主通道走去，回到了主洞。羽尾回过头绝望地看了一眼通道入口。她感到仿佛有一只无形的爪子将她的心撕成碎片，每走一步，自己就离哥哥更远了。
尖石巫师是什么意思？难道暴毛就是那只要把部落从尖牙兽爪下救出的应诺之猫？的确，她的哥哥是一位强壮勇敢的武士，一路上，他比其他的几只猫都更擅长打斗。但那只尖牙兽果真如部落猫说的那样，不仅体形巨大而且还很可怕，就算是最勇猛的武士又能做些什么呢？
“求你了！”羽尾向一名身形巨大、名叫寒冬苍穹下的碎石的土黄色虎斑卫士苦苦哀求道，“你们不能把暴毛强行留下来，他是我们中的一员。”
虽然这只部落猫的眼中流露出一丝同情，但依旧摇摇头：“不行，他是杀无尽部落派到我们这儿来的。它们告诉我们说会派一只银色的猫来。”
“但是……”
“别跟他们多费口舌了，”鸦爪对着羽尾耳朵喊道，“毫无意义。如果只能靠战斗才能把暴毛救出来，那我们就应该冲上去。”
羽尾看着这只风族猫。只见他毛发倒竖，眼睛里流露出一往无前的勇气。羽尾悲伤地说：“不行，他们数量太多了。”
“我不明白这个部落为什么那么忌惮尖牙兽。”鸦爪的语气里满是轻蔑，“我们到这儿以后，连它的一根胡子都没看见。它到底有什么可怕的？”
“没看到它是你们的幸运，”碎石说。
鸦爪牙一龇，但这次他没有扑向那卫士，只是转身走到羽尾跟前，跟她碰了碰鼻子。为了她，鸦爪哪怕跟整个星族打架都不在乎。羽尾知道这一点，但鸦爪必须清楚，这一次打架没有什么好处。
山洞卫士驱赶着族群猫穿过山洞，一直走到了他们睡觉的洼坑处。
“怎么回事？”黑莓掌惊讶地问，“难道你们不是要把我们赶出去？”
“半夜三更？”那位土黄色的卫士气愤地说道，“我们没那么残忍。外面很冷，也很危险。你们在这儿吃好睡好，明天早上再离开吧。”
“跟暴毛一起走吗？”褐皮挑衅地问。
碎石摇摇头说：“不行。我很抱歉！”
几位山洞卫士离开了，只留下了碎石和另一只猫待在几尾之外的地方监视着他们。几位预备卫士嘴里叼着猎物跑了过来。
“好极了，是不是？”跑在最前面的预备卫士撂下猎物，兴奋地说，“尖牙兽不会再来了！”
“闭嘴，傻瓜！”他的同伴猛地捅了他肚子一下，训斥道，“你忘了，鹰崖交代我们不能跟他们说话吗？”
他们扫视了一眼四周，确认没有猫发现他们违反命令后，就迅速退了回去。
“我不吃！”鸦爪盯着那一小堆猎物，呸道，“我不想要这个部落的任何东西。”
“伟大的星族啊！”褐皮发出重重的一声叹息，“你这样做又有何益呢？愚蠢的毛球！现在你需要两倍的力量，既要拯救森林，又要救出暴毛！”
鸦爪用其他猫听不见的声音小声嘀咕着什么，但他没再反对，从猎物堆里扯出了一只鹰。
“怎么办？”当他们几个把剩下的猎物分成几份，蹲伏在一起准备开吃时，松鼠爪问道，“我们不能忍受他们这样对我们，是不是？我们到底该怎么办？”
“我们现在也做不了太多，”黑莓掌指出，“我们寡不敌众，完全不是山洞卫士的对手。”
“你不会是打算扔下他吧？”松鼠爪瞪大了绿眼睛难以置信地看着黑莓掌。
黑莓掌不说话了。羽尾从他的神情中能看出，黑莓掌正处于犹豫不决的痛苦中。羽尾开始颤抖起来。自离开森林以来，她已经慢慢把这位年轻的武士当成了这支队伍默认的领袖。如果连他都不知如何是好，那么，救出暴毛还有什么希望？
“我们当初就不该走进这些山里，”褐皮怒吼道，“这鬼地方比两脚兽的地盘糟糕一百倍。午夜提到过部落猫，所以它一定早就知道尖牙兽。那么，为什么它还要把我们送上这条路？”
“自始至终，这都是一个阴谋，”鸦爪发出嘶嘶的声音，“我知道根本就不该信任那只獾。”
“但它为什么要欺骗我们呢？”黑莓掌反对他的说法，“星族派我们找到它，它也向我们发出了警告，说两脚兽在毁坏森林。如果我们不能信任它，那么我们所做的这一切就都没有意义了。”
羽尾刚想表示赞同，但突然想起他们在树林边讨论走哪条路时，波弟说过的话。“波弟曾试图告诉我们不要走这条山路，”羽尾大声说，“但午夜不让他说。你们说得对，他们俩都知道这条路不好走。”
她扫视一圈，看到同伴的脸上都露出了惊慌的神情。
“午夜说我们需要历练胆识，”黑莓掌沉默了半晌才想起它说的话，“它说我们的路早已摆在了眼前。所以，虽然它知道这个部落跟尖牙兽的事，我们也能找到一条路走出这里。这让我觉得，我们走的路肯定没错。”
“照你这么说，”鸦爪冷笑道，“我猜，对一位雷族武士来说，抛弃一只河族猫不管，也无所谓了。”
“那对你这只风族猫又有什么所谓呢？”松鼠爪发火了，为自己的族猫说话，“我还以为你会窃喜，羽尾的哥哥不在这儿，就没有谁会监视你了。”
鸦爪噌地跳了起来，向松鼠爪嘶嘶地叫着。松鼠爪的绿眼睛简直要喷出火来。羽尾吓坏了，强迫自己站起来，用肩膀把鸦爪顶开了。
“别再说了！”她哭着说道，“你看不见你把事情越弄越糟了？”
“羽尾说得对。”褐皮说道，“在这里，我们来自哪个族群都没关系。不管怎样，我们四个只有自己族群一半的血统——你们想没想过，星族之所以选中我们几个就是因为这个原因？如果我们自己吵个不停，那么，我们就会失去一切。”
松鼠爪愤怒地瞪着鸦爪好一会儿，然后后退一步，撕扯了一块兔子肉塞进嘴里。鸦爪看着羽尾的眼睛，埋下头轻声说道：“对不起！”
“那么我们是否可以不用再撕掉谁的皮，一起好好地商量一下了？”褐皮犀利地问道。几只猫都没有接茬，褐皮接着说：“别忘了，星族一开始并没有选中暴毛。他到这儿来，只是因为放心不下羽尾独自承担如此重任。”她停顿了一下，眼神不安起来，说道，“如果……如果部落猫是对的，他真的是把部落猫从尖牙兽的魔爪下解救出来的应诺之猫呢？”
“只有鼠脑子才这么想！”鸦爪大叫道。
羽尾自己也不是很肯定。褐皮说出了羽尾第一次听到尖石巫师的预言后，就一直在心里翻搅的恐惧。的确，暴毛的毛色不是银色的，他的毛色比银色要深，更像他们父亲灰条，但他的确像部落猫的武士祖灵所预言的那样，闯进了部落猫的地盘。
“那是不是意味着……”她的声音颤抖得厉害，以至于她不得不重新说道，“那是不是意味着我们要把他留在这儿？”
“不，绝不会的。”黑莓掌坚决地说道，“这些不是我们的武士祖灵。星族跟这个部落毫无关系。但硬拼的话，我们不能把他救出来，因此，我们必须换一种方式。明天早上，当他们让我们离开的时候，我们乖乖地转身就走。然后，我们再偷偷回来救暴毛。”
几只猫沉默片刻，你看看我，我看看你，仿佛都在权衡这个主意是好是坏。羽尾心头开始生出一线希望。这时，她注意到山洞卫士正满腹狐疑地盯着他们。山洞卫士偷听到了他们的对话？她轻轻动了动耳朵，另外几只猫循着她的目光看去，靠得更紧密了。
鸦爪轻声说道：“说起来容易。”他的语气听起来充满怀疑，但不再有嘲讽的意思，“我们还是得进到里面那个洞里，但这整个地方到处都是山洞卫士。”
“我们可以等到天黑以后。”褐皮提议道。
“而且瀑布的声音可以隐藏我们的脚步声。”松鼠爪乐观地加了一句。
鸦爪看上去仍然有些迟疑。“我不确定——你们难道没有注意到，这些部落猫已经非常习惯瀑布的声音了，他们甚至听得到洞那头一只幼崽的叫声。”
羽尾知道他说得对。她四下里张望，开始怀疑黑暗或奔流直下的撞击声究竟能不能帮他们的忙。月光透过雷鸣般的水帘，在山洞的岩壁上投下重重的阴影。或许把暴毛救出去也是可能的。但不管有多么困难，他们都得试一试。毕竟，暴毛是她的哥哥啊！
“我愿意试一试，”她毅然决然地说道，“就算你把我留在这儿也没关系。”
“哎，我只是说……”鸦爪开始为自己辩解。
“别拦着我，”羽尾打断他，“我很清楚我们必须在森林被毁掉之前，把星族的信息带回各个族群，但不需要所有猫都回去，我可以留下来。”
“谁说我要拦着你了？”鸦爪生气地说，脖子上的毛都立了起来，“我正要说我会帮你，但如果你不想让我……”
“别傻了。”羽尾迅速舔了一下鸦爪的耳朵，“对不起，我误解你了。我当然想要你和我一起去。”
“我觉着我们没有必要分开。”黑莓掌似乎已考虑周全，他眯缝着眼睛说，“我们要么一起行动，要么什么都不做。我们一起出来，必须一起回去——也就是说暴毛也必须跟我们在一起。”他紧跟着又加了一句，“我们快点吃，吃完好好睡一觉。我们全都得积蓄体力。”
尽管担心没什么胃口，羽尾还是努力听从黑莓掌的安排，强迫自己吞下预备卫士给她留下的雏鹰肉。她试着把心思放在这群义薄云天的异族伙伴身上。她也很难想象，当他们返回森林时，他们会分离，回到各自族群。没有他们，她又该怎么适应原来有规律的生活？
她蜷缩进自己的洼坑里，疲惫得正要睡着，忽然又坐了起来。那是什么声音？她把脑袋偏向一边仔细听。她能听到一阵耳语的声音，但周围除了几只熟睡的族群猫，并没有别的猫。羽尾猛地抽动着耳朵，一下子僵住了。声音是从瀑布那儿传来的，似乎是藏在哗哗哗不住轰鸣的水流中。她绷紧神经，想听出他们在说什么。
银猫来了，他们小声议论着，尖牙兽很快就会被灭掉。
不，羽尾出于本能，无声地争辩道，你们错了，暴毛不是你们想要的那只猫，他必须跟我们在一起。她忍不住想知道自己是在跟谁说话。
她等着对方答话，但瀑布的轰鸣声淹没了对方的声音，羽尾都开始怀疑自己是不是真的听到过他们的谈话。过了好久好久，月光爬过山洞的地面又慢慢退了出去，筋疲力尽的她终于愁肠百结地睡着了。
一只爪子粗暴地摇晃着羽尾，她终于醒了。一抬眼，羽尾看到了鹰崖严厉的脸。“你们该走了。”鹰崖说道。
其他卫士正在叫醒她的同伴。她睡眼惺忪摇摇晃晃地走出她睡觉的洼坑，看到尖石巫师正站在通往尖石洞的通道口。两三位山洞卫士警觉地站在他的身边。羽尾心里知道，通道里面肯定还有更多的卫士。部落猫确保对暴毛重兵把守，严防任何救援企图。
“我们会把你们带到我们领地的边界，然后告诉你们一条穿越山脉的快捷路线。”鹰崖说。
“那暴毛呢？”黑莓掌抖掉身上的一根羽毛，问道，“没有他，我们不能走。”
这位雷族武士期待能和平解救出暴毛的最后希望，还是失败了。鹰崖摇摇头，没等黑莓掌把话说完。“他不能跟你们走，”鹰崖说道，“他命中注定要留在这儿，把我们从尖牙兽的魔爪下解救出来。我们会照顾他，尊敬他。”
“然后，这样就可以了？”鸦爪厌恶地说道。
山洞卫士围着族群猫，强迫他们向洞口走去。羽尾注意到，鸦爪因为前一天晚上那位山洞卫士的一掌，一瘸一拐的。
“你还能走远道吗？”羽尾在他耳边小声问。
“我有别的选择吗？”他不快地说。稍过片刻，又转向羽尾，用鼻头轻触她的口鼻：“别担心，我没事。”
刚走到瀑布那儿时，羽尾听到有谁叫她的名字，转身看见溪儿蹦跳着朝她跑了过来。
“我……我想跟你道别，”她一边走过来一边说，“很遗憾现在弄成这个样子。但是如果没有你哥哥，尖牙兽会灭掉我们整个部落的。”
羽尾凝视着这位年轻狩猎者的眼睛。她知道溪儿会相信自己的话，但她忘不了暴毛失望的样子。暴毛曾经真心相信溪儿是他的朋友，要知道，他是不会轻易结交朋友的，这是半个族群血统的后遗症。他总比其他的武士更努力地表现，生怕自己不够拼、打的猎物不够多，所以很难跟别的猫敞开心扉交朋友。羽尾亲眼看到这只母猫赢得了哥哥的信任，但是现在，她背叛了他，甚至还有可能眼睁睁看着他为了拯救她的部落，死在跟尖牙兽的战斗中。
“走吧。”鸦爪用他那已经被瀑布溅湿的尾巴轻抚羽尾的身体。羽尾一句话也没说，转身离开了溪儿。当经过那条狭窄的小道时，她凝神想从震耳欲聋的瀑布声中再听到些什么，但是今天，她听到的只是水流的不断冲击声。
不管你们是谁，她在心里默默地说，我们都会回来救我哥哥。他属于我们，他的命运也不在这里。
等到太阳当空照的时候，几只森林猫已经翻过了几道山梁。山洞卫士们寸步不离地跟在他们的两侧，目不斜视地盯着前方，即使碰到猎物也不停下来去捉。紧张的沉默令羽尾身上每一根毛发都隐隐作痛。
一路上，她试图将每一块岩石、每一棵树、每一个转弯都记在心里，希望能循着自己留下的气味原路返回山洞。她现在已经更熟悉这些岩石山坡了，但这里的每条路看起来还是全都差不多。相比之下，山洞卫士似乎总能准确地知道往哪个方向前进，有时候为了绕开大石头或悬崖，甚至还要走回头路。
一次，鹰崖领着他们沿着一个碎石坡下到水边，他尾巴一指那条弯弯曲曲的溪流，命令道：“喝吧！”
鸦爪眯缝着眼睛盯着水边光滑的石头，褐皮也跟哥哥交换了一个疑惑的眼神。
“我们不会把你们推下去的，”鹰崖急躁地说，“你们走在大山里时，必须学会找水喝。”
几只森林猫尽管仍然疑虑重重，但仍俯下身子，舔舐起冰凉的溪水。
空气清冷，太阳挂在淡蓝色的天空上，风吹皱了他们身上的毛发，但没有一点下雨的迹象，不会冲走他们的气味。羽尾稍觉安慰的是，鸦爪跛着的脚掌貌似没有大碍。这只年轻猫活动了一下他的伤腿，显然不怎么疼了。褐皮也恢复得不错，虽然羽尾看到，褐皮有一两次遇到难跨的沟坎准备跃过去时，有点退缩，但她什么都没有说。
鹰崖带领他们爬过一片险峻的岩石后，停了下来。
“这里就是我们领地的边界了，”他宣告道，尽管这里没有气味标记明确标出边界线，“从这儿开始，你们就得自己走了。”
羽尾终于松了一口气。她早已等不及要摆脱那些山洞卫士，早就不想再看到他们严厉沉默的脸了。
“朝那座山前进，”鹰崖边说边用尾巴指向远处的一个高峰，那山峰的上部覆盖着皑皑白雪，“从这儿有一条路环绕着它，通往远处的绿地。天黑之前，你们是安全的，不会碰到尖牙兽。”
羽尾觉得他太强调尖牙兽了，就好像岩石间没有其他危险似的。当看到另一位卫士向鹰崖投去警告的眼神之后，羽尾心中的疑虑更加深了。“赶紧走吧，趁着还有阳光。”那只部落猫粗暴地说，没有给她任何提问的机会。
鹰崖向黑莓掌低下了头。“再见！”他说道，“我希望我们下次能在愉快的氛围中见面。我们部落有很多东西想和你们相互学习。”
“我才不想从你们那儿学什么东西！”松鼠爪抱怨道，鸦爪头一次感觉自己同意她的看法。
“我也希望如此。”黑莓掌冷冷地看了一眼自己的同伴，让他们闭嘴，“但是当你们把我们的朋友囚禁起来时，我们之间是不可能存在友谊的。”
鹰崖的头再次低了下来，看起来他很真诚地表示抱歉。“这是我们的命运，也是他的命运，这是我们的武士祖灵做出的承诺。就像你们的武士祖灵向你们做出的承诺一样。”
他尾巴轻轻一挥，把其他巡逻队队员召集到自己身边。全部山洞卫士都守在那儿，看着黑莓掌领着族群猫走向长满草的山坡。很快，绿色的草消失了，取而代之的是松散的石头，向上一直延伸到一个细石山脊。
黑莓掌在峰顶停了下来。羽尾回过头，看见鹰崖和那些卫士仍然在那儿目不转睛地瞅着他们。
“他们要确定看到我们走了，”褐皮吼道，“那意味着他们可能会一直守在那儿，以防我们返回。”
鸦爪耸耸肩。“他们会后悔的。”他四只爪紧紧按在光溜溜的岩石上，“如果我在这儿遇上部落猫，我肯定把他们变成乌鸦的食物。”
黑莓掌瞪了他一眼。“如果可以，我们尽量不要采用武力。”他说道，“记住，这里离我们家乡还远得很，我们再也不能有谁受伤了。现在，我们继续往前走，让他们以为我们已经放弃了。”
黑莓掌领着大家在岩石间穿行。这时，山脊的另一边地面突然消失，出现了一个荒草丛生的山谷。一股泉水从山缝中冒着泡涌出来，向下流入一个小水潭。水潭旁边长了两三簇灌木。一阵风吹来，羽尾闻到了兔子的味道。
“我们不能在这儿停下吗？”松鼠爪恳求道，“还记得他们说过，有水喝的时候就赶快喝吗？我们可以在这儿狩猎，休息，等到了时间再回去。”
黑莓掌犹豫了下，说道：“好吧。但我们最好保持警戒，以免那些山洞卫士跑来查看。”
“我负责守卫吧，”褐皮抢先说，“我的肩膀已经好了，”她又补充了一句，“如果有什么麻烦我就喊你们。”
褐皮谨慎得像在追踪老鼠一样，慢慢溜回岩石间不见了。松鼠爪已经连蹦带跳地冲进了山谷，大喊了一声：“快来吧！我快饿了！”
“她会把这里到高石山的每一只猎物都给吓跑！”看着黑莓掌追赶着松鼠爪的身影，鸦爪抱怨道。
后面的羽尾看到，黑莓掌追上那只年轻的猫，两只猫一起前行时，皮毛都相互蹭到了一起。这趟旅程已经让他俩越来越亲密，可能连他们自己都没意识到。
“别管松鼠爪了，”她对鸦爪说，“我们走吧，去看看水潭里有没有鱼。我来教你捉鱼，等我们回家以后，万一你想捉鱼呢。”她突然住口，尴尬地看着地面，“不管怎样，会捉鱼总是一项很有用的技能。”
鸦爪眼睛一亮。“好的。”他突然停住了，好像想说点什么，但最终一句话也没说出口，跟着前面两只雷族猫冲下山坡。羽尾跟在后面，她满脑子都是对鸦爪的感情，以及对哥哥的担心。她走到水潭边，凝视着湛蓝潭水的深处。回到森林以后，她和鸦爪有的是时间去思考他们如何处理他们之间的感情。她的耳边有个声音不停地提醒她，不同族群的猫不能在一起，否则会带来大麻烦。她烦躁地摇摇脑袋，试图不再想它。此时此刻，他们唯一要考虑的事情是，赶紧猎食，补充体力去营救暴毛。
眼前银光一闪，她立刻伸出脚掌，张开爪子，准备把鱼捞上来。
“过来！”她指导着鸦爪，“你不能把影子落在水面上。看到鱼时，动作一定要快！”
水潭边泥泞不堪，鸦爪一脸怪相地探着下脚的路，来到羽尾身边坐了下来。他没有往水里看，而是凝视着羽尾的眼睛。“我知道这时候问这个不合适，但是……我们回家以后你还会见我吗？”他垂下眼帘看着自己的脚爪，又接了一句，“我想忠于我的族群，但……从没有像你一样的另一只猫，羽尾。”
羽尾感觉全身的皮毛刺痛起来，她既高兴又激动。她感受到了鸦爪的担心，用鼻子碰了碰他的口鼻。未来的不确定性，让鸦爪很难相信，羽尾对他的爱能超越族群界限。“我理解你的感受。我们只能边走边看了。也许，情况不至于那么糟糕。森林里发生了那么多的麻烦，几大族群必将齐心协力团结起来。”
令她意外的是，鸦爪居然摇了摇头，说道：“我看不出来怎么齐心协力。四大族群永远都不会消失。”
“好吧，也许没有什么是‘永远’的，一切都会发生变化，”她平静地说道，“现在，看你能不能抓住那条鱼？”
鸦爪用尾巴轻拂她的肩膀，在水边蹲了下来。几个心跳过后，他猛地伸出爪子。一条鱼跃出了水面，很快便落在地上不住扭动着身子。鸦爪不等它滑回水里，一口咬住了它。
羽尾跳了起来，把鼻子贴在鸦爪的肩上。“干得漂亮！我们会把你变成河族猫的。”她突然住了口，窘住了，鸦爪则表示理解地眨眨眼。
他的眼睛里泛着光。羽尾真希望他们的同伴能看到他积极热情的一面，而不是他刻意让大家看到的那张充满防范和生硬的脸。
岩石顶上一个移动的影子打断了她的思绪。她抬眼望过去，原来是褐皮蜷伏在一块平坦的石头上。
“山洞卫士们已经走了，但我会一直在这儿守望的。”影族武士对下方的他们喊道。
没过多久，黑莓掌和松鼠爪狩猎归来，带回了几只兔子和老鼠，加上羽尾和鸦爪抓的鱼，足够他们吃的了。
他们轮番值守，都没看到部落猫的动向。他们躲在灌木丛下等着太阳下山。羽尾觉得，安静的露天地里，比在那个不通气的、噪音不断的山洞更自在一些。
天空中乌云密布，遮住了太阳，情况不妙，要变天。风小了，空气变得阴沉潮湿，暴风雨即将来临。
终于，日光消失了，阴影开始笼罩山谷。
黑莓掌站起身，说道：“我们该行动了。”
他回头向山坡走去，几个同伴跟在他身后。羽尾突然注意到，他们走在岩石间，很容易被看到，特别是松鼠爪暗姜黄色的皮毛和她自己浅灰色的皮毛。
“这样可不行。他们一定会看到我们的。”她焦虑地说。
“等等，”松鼠爪眯缝着眼睛说，“我们为什么不在泥巴里打个滚呢？这样我们看起来就像部落猫了，特别是在黑夜里。这样还有助于掩盖我们的气味。”
褐皮肃然起敬地看着她说道：“这是一个月来，我听到的最好的主意。”
松鼠爪的绿眼睛露出得意的神情。她快速跑回水潭边，小心翼翼地四处嗅着。“这里到处都是稀泥！”她叫喊着就在黏糊糊的泥巴地里打着滚，全身的皮毛都沾上了泥巴。
当鸦爪和另外几只猫跟过来时，他嫌弃地抽动了一下胡须。“不过是突发奇想罢了。但的确是个妙招！”他不得不承认。
羽尾缓缓走到水潭边，感觉到稀乎乎的泥从爪下渗出来，不禁退缩了一下。一躺进黏糊糊的泥坑里，羽尾就感到一股彻骨的寒意。羽尾赶紧安慰自己，至少她浓厚的河族皮毛还是挺适合打湿的。反倒是鸦爪，他那么瘦，毛又稀疏，糊上一身稀泥，应该更不舒服。但鸦爪这一次一句怨言也没有。她眨巴着眼睛怜惜地看着他，想起他早些时候说过，希望他们回到森林后，还能见到她。此时，她的视线一刻也不想离开他。
沾上泥巴，这几只族群猫浑身的毛都变得一排一排、一撮一撮，就像长满了刺。他们爬回到山脊然后再沿着另一边的下坡往下去，小心翼翼地回到部落猫的领地。羽尾支棱着耳朵，警惕地听着其他猫的声音。每走几步，他们就停下来嗅嗅空气。即使听了松鼠爪的主意，进行了伪装，但他们被认出来的风险仍然非常大。而且，没有谁知道部落猫会怎样严加看守暴毛。羽尾知道，部落猫为了让自己武士祖灵的预言成真，他们绝对会不顾一切的。她和同伴们绝对是回去送死。
为了嗅出那天早上他们留下的气味痕迹，黑莓掌的鼻子都快挨到地了。羽尾也在努力回想他们经过时看到的标志。但在一团团的黑影下，一切看起来都跟白天不一样。他们沿着碎石间一条陡峭的路往下走，忽然，鸦爪停住了脚，他扬起脸，张开嘴。接着，他猛地转向羽尾，把她推到一块岩石后面，同时拼命地挥动尾巴，示意其他猫躲起来。
一个心跳过后，羽尾也闻到了相同的气味：是部落猫！她小心地窥视着，看到一队步履轻盈的狩猎巡逻队沿着这条路从相同的方向走过来。他们嘴里都叼着猎物，山洞卫士护在他们周围。她紧张得要命，生怕对方嗅出他们这几个入侵者的气味，反身攻击他们。但部落猫没有停顿，径直从她藏身的地方走过，消失在黑暗中。泥巴果然掩盖住了他们的气味。
“这是我第二次救你了哟！”鸦爪戏谑地说着，走开一点，让羽尾站直身子。
羽尾跟他碰碰鼻子，发出愉快的咕噜咕噜的声音：“我知道。你的大恩大德永生难忘，别担心。”
黑莓掌从小路另一侧的岩石间走出来，示意其他同伴继续往前走。这一次，褐皮殿后，警戒着身后，以防后面还有其他要返回的部落猫。等他们走到河边的时候，月亮正好升起在最高峰的上方，在云朵的掩映下，透出一层迷迷糊糊的白色光晕。他们一边警惕地留意着部落猫的声音，一边顺着湍急的河水向前走，直到听见远处传来的瀑布的轰鸣声。
“现在大家都保持安静，”黑莓掌小声说，“我们靠拢一点。”
他们悄无声息地爬到了瀑布的上方。羽尾蹲伏在河的边缘，看着滚滚黑水流向岩石边缘。突然，一道闪电照亮头顶的上空，她听见了空中传来比瀑布的轰鸣声要大得多的轰隆隆的响声。
“暴风雨要来了。”鸦爪在羽尾耳边轻声说。
豆大的雨点落在羽尾的头上，她摇摇头，甩掉水珠。暴风骤雨制造的混乱也许能帮助他们，但紧接着她就想这会不会让更多的猫躲到洞里面去。暴毛已经被严加看守了，如果整个部落的猫都拥进洞里，他们可就一点希望都没有了。
“我们走吧！”松鼠爪有点等不及了。
当几只猫一起低头向下窥探时，一道闪电伴着滚雷在头顶上方划过。羽尾只能辨出河水注入水潭时的白色泡沫。突然，她觉得自己看到，小路尽头的黑暗中有什么东西在动。
“那是什么？”鸦爪也看见了。
又一道闪电炸亮了天空，好像在回答鸦爪的疑问。羽尾听到褐皮惊恐地倒吸了一口凉气。时间仿佛在这一瞬间凝固了，白色的闪电照亮了一个身影。那是一只体形庞大的黄褐色猫，正沿着小道潜行；炸雷在天上爆响时，它愣了一下，然后就继续往前，消失在瀑布后面。
尖牙兽！
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 16
A cold raindrop splashed onto Leafpaw’sfur, and she shook it away irritably. Above her, a restless wind stirred the trees, sending brittle scarlet and gold leaves drifting into the clearing. Leaf-bare was barely a moon away, but it seemed like the least of the Clan’s troubles.
“The rabbit smelled bad,” Cinderpelt reported to Firestar. “Barkface said that cats who ate them died. I believe him. This rabbit we saw wasn’t infected with any sort of sickness I’ve encountered. It must be something the Twolegs have done.”
Crouched beside the fresh-kill pile in the ThunderClan camp, Leafpaw listened anxiously as her mentor told Firestar what they had discovered on their way to Highstones. Leafpaw’s heart twisted with pity to see the shock in her father’s green eyes as he listened.
“This means we can’t eat rabbits either,” he meowed. “Great StarClan, what next? We’ll all starve.”
“No cat has died in our territory yet,” Sandstorm pointed out from where she sat a tail-length away, her tail wrapped neatly around her paws. She twitched as a falling leaf brushed against her ear. “Maybe the trouble’s just in WindClan.”
“But rabbits run across the border all the time,” replied Cinderpelt. “It might be safe to eat rabbits from the other end of our territory, near Treecutplace, but I don’t think we should take the risk even there.”
“You’re right.” Firestar heaved a deep sigh. “I’ll announce it to the rest of the Clan. No more rabbits.”
“Well, we have to eat something.” Sandstorm got briskly to her paws. “I’ll get my hunting patrol together and see what we can find.” She padded away and disappeared between the branches of the warriors’ den.
“Meanwhile,” mewed Cinderpelt, “we’d better get rid of any rabbits in the fresh-kill pile.”
Leafpaw studied the pathetically small pile of prey. There was only one rabbit; it looked plump and inviting, and her mouth watered at the sight of it. She hadn’t had such a good meal for days. Then her belly cramped at the thought of what the Twolegs might have done to it. She thought she could catch a whiff of the harsh scent that had clung to the WindClan rabbit, but this rabbit’s scent was so mixed up with that of the other prey in the pile that she could not be sure.
“Take it outside the camp and bury it,” Firestar directed.
“Wait—don’t pick it up in your mouth,” Cinderpelt added. “Push it out with your paws, and then clean them with moss.”
Leafpaw had just separated the rabbit from the pile when Dappletail, the oldest cat in the Clan, came past and gave the prey an appreciative look.
“I hope that’s for the elders,” she rasped. “My belly’s flapping like a leaf in the wind.”
“No.” Cinderpelt explained what she and Leafpaw had seen in WindClan territory.
“What? I’ve never heard such nonsense!” Dappletail snorted. “WindClan has a bit of trouble, so ThunderClan can’t eat rabbits? Barkface might have been lying, just to weaken ThunderClan. They’ve always been a proud, deceitful Clan. Have you thought of that?”
Leafpaw exchanged a glance with her mentor. She could see there would be no point in trying to convince Dappletail. The old cat wanted the rabbit.
“The decision’s been made.” Firestar spoke with the authority of Clan leader. “No more rabbits. Leafpaw will take that one out and bury it.”
“She’ll do no such thing!” Outraged, Dappletail darted for the rabbit and began tearing into it hungrily and gulping down huge mouthfuls.
“No!” Cinderpelt exclaimed. “Stop!”
Firestar sprang forward, pushing himself between the elder and her prey, and thrusting her gently away. “Dappletail, I’m ordering you not to eat that. It’s for your own good.”
The old cat’s eyes burned into his, her gaze full of hostility. Seeing her skinny body, her tortoiseshell pelt dull and patchy, Leafpaw could understand her desperation. The old cat was usually one of the gentlest queens; only starvation would have driven her to this.
“Do you call yourself a leader?” she spat at Firestar. “The whole Clan will starve, and it will be your fault.”
“Firestar’s doing the right thing,” Cinderpelt insisted. “There’s no point feeding the Clan with food that could kill us quicker than any hunger.”
Dappletail turned on her, with lips drawn back in the beginnings of a snarl. Then she whipped around and stalked across the clearing toward the elders’ den.
Leafpaw watched her go. “Please, StarClan, let that rabbit be safe,” she murmured as she began to push the half-eaten remains toward the camp entrance.
A withered brown leaf spiraled down in front of Leafpaw as she padded up the ravine beside Cinderpelt. It was the day following their return from Highstones and the argument with Dappletail over the rabbit. Cinderpelt was stocking up on the herbs the Clan would need to see them through leaf-bare—weakened by hunger, the Clan would be in danger of greencough and deadly blackcough even more than usual.
“There’s no point in going anywhere near the Twoleg monsters,” Cinderpelt meowed. “Nothing grows where they’ve been. We’ll head for Sunningrocks and see what we can find there.”
Dead leaves lay thickly on the ground, stirred up by a stiff breeze. When she was a kit, Leafpaw would have loved to toss them in the air and chase them. Now she hardly had the energy to go on putting one paw in front of another.
Soon Sunningrocks appeared ahead of them, smooth gray mounds rising out of the grass like the backs of sleeping animals. Almost at once Cinderpelt found a thick clump of chickweed and began carefully biting off the stems. Leafpaw cast around to see what else she could find, looking longingly down to the bank of the river where plants grew thickly, their roots fed by the water. But that was RiverClan territory, and after being punished for the fishing lesson with Mothwing, Leafpaw knew better than to trespass.
She heard a scrabbling close beside her and turned to see a vole scuttling along the base of the nearest rock. In the same heartbeat the vole sensed her and darted for a crevice, but before it could gain safety Leafpaw had sprung on it and bit down hard on its neck.
Her belly was crying out to gulp down the prey, but instead she forced herself to pick it up and go looking for Cinderpelt. Her mentor was where she had left her, arranging the stems of chickweed, ready to carry them back to camp.
“Here,” Leafpaw mewed, dropping the vole in front of Cinderpelt.
Her mentor looked up at her, blinking in gratitude. “No, Leafpaw. You caught it, so you eat it.”
Leafpaw shrugged, trying to sound unconcerned. “I can catch another.” She knew that Cinderpelt , with her crippled leg, would have more trouble hunting than any other Clan cat. “Go on,” she added, when Cinderpelt still didn’t start eating. “What will happen to ThunderClan if our medicine cat falls ill?”
Cinderpelt let out a purr, and touched her nose to Leafpaw’s muzzle. “All right. And thanks, Leafpaw.”
She crouched in front of the vole and disposed of it in rapid, neat bites. Leafpaw was just about to go look for more herbs when she heard a voice yowling, “Cinderpelt! Cinderpelt!”
The medicine cat sprang up, ears pricked. “Over here!” she called.
Mousefur’s apprentice, Spiderpaw, burst out of the trees, his long gray-black legs a blur as he raced across the grass and skidded up to Cinderpelt. “You’ve got to come,” he panted. “It’s Dappletail!”
“What’s wrong?” Cinderpelt asked, while Leafpaw’s heart began to pound.
“She’s complaining of feeling sick,” Spiderpaw replied. “She says her belly hurts.”
“That rabbit!” Cinderpelt exclaimed. “I knew it. Okay,” she added to Spiderpaw. “I’m on my way. You run ahead and tell them I’m coming.”
Spiderpaw dashed off again while Cinderpelt turned to Leafpaw. “You stay here; there’s no need for both of us to go back,” she meowed. “Collect more herbs. And bring that chickweed back with you.”
She started limping as fast as she could toward the trees. Leafpaw waited until her mentor had vanished into the bracken before turning back to her search. What was it Barkface had said about treating cats who had eaten deadly rabbits? He had dosed the sick cats with yarrow, but almost all of them had died. Only the strongest pulled through—but Dappletail was old, and already weakened by hunger.
Oh, StarClan help us!Leafpaw prayed. Show us what to do, before the Twolegs destroy us all.
She had just begun to search for herbs again when she heard the shrill wailing of a cat coming from the river. For a moment she wondered if she ought to cross the RiverClan border. She made up her mind when the wail came again; some cat was in trouble. Without any more hesitation Leafpaw bounded down the slope.
The river surged along between its banks, swollen by leaf-fall rain. Branches and other debris were swept along in the current, bobbing and swirling on the white-tipped ripples. Leafpaw gazed out over the water, wondering where the cry had come from. Then she spotted a branch surging along close to the RiverClan side; half hidden by its few remaining leaves was the small black head of a cat. As Leafpaw watched, it opened its jaws wide to let out another terrified wail as it clung to a branch for its life.
Leafpaw tensed, ready to leap into the river even though her common sense told her that it would do no good. The current was too strong and swift, and the drowning cat was too far away.
Just before she leaped she saw another cat thrust its way through the reeds on the far bank and jump into the river, striking out with strong paws toward the floating branch. Leafpaw recognized the blue-gray fur at once: It was Mistyfoot, the RiverClan deputy.
She watched, claws flexing in and out in anguish, as Mistyfoot reached the branch and began to push it across the current toward the RiverClan bank. But before they reached it the waves rolled the branch right over, dragging Mistyfoot with it so that she disappeared into the black water. Leafpaw let out a gasp of horror. Then there was a splash and she resurfaced closer to the bank, where her paws found a foothold on the pebbles. Leafpaw shivered with relief as she watched Mistyfoot drag the other cat out by the scruff of its neck and crouch beside it. The tiny, bedraggled shape lay utterly still, water streaming from its pelt.
“Can I help?” Leafpaw called, wondering if Mistyfoot would remember that she was a medicine cat apprentice.
Mistyfoot glanced up. “Yes! Come over!”
Leafpaw raced down the bank until she reached the stepping-stones. Floodwater was lapping over them, but she launched herself onto the first without hesitating. Moments could mean the difference between life and death for the black cat.
She was leaping for the third stone when her paws slipped and she scrabbled frantically against the slick wet surface. The river bubbled around her and for a heartbeat she thought she would be swept away, drowning and tumbling in bottomless black water. In the midst of surging terror she felt a warm touch on her side, pushing her back onto the stone. A sweet scent drifted around her, strangely familiar.
“Spottedleaf?” Leafpaw whispered.
She could see nothing, but she sensed the reassuring presence close to her, the same as in her dream beside the Moonstone. As if she had grown wings, she leaped quickly over the other stones and dashed along the far bank toward Mistyfoot and the cat she had rescued.
Before Leafpaw could reach them, Hawkfrost and Mothwing pushed their way out of the reeds and stood over the black cat.
“What happened?” Hawkfrost demanded.
“Reedpaw fell in the river. We need Mudfur,” Mistyfoot meowed. “Can you fetch him? Quickly!”
“He went out to collect herbs,” Mothwing told her. “I’ll go and look for him.”
She sprang along the path that led upstream, but her brother called her back. “It’ll take too long,” he rasped. He flicked his ears toward the still black cat. “You see to him, you know what to do.”
Just then he became aware of Leafpaw approaching. He looked up and glared at her with his eerie ice-blue eyes. Leafpaw felt a shiver run through her. “What’s shedoing here?”
“I called her over,” Mistyfoot explained. “Reedpaw needs all the help he can get.”
Hawkfrost let out a disgusted snort. Leafpaw ignored him as she crouched beside the black cat. He was very small—newly apprenticed, she guessed—and he lay quite still, with a trickle of water coming out of his parted jaws. There was a gash on his shoulder; blood was oozing into his sodden fur.
“He must have fallen,” Mistyfoot meowed worriedly. “The apprentices are always playing too close to the river. It looks as if the branch hit him.”
Leafpaw bent closer to Reedpaw. A huge sigh of relief escaped her as she detected the faint rise and fall of his chest. He was still breathing—but his breaths were fast and shallow, and seemed to grow weaker as Leafpaw watched. She glanced at Mothwing, waiting for her to start treating the injured cat.
Mothwing’s huge amber eyes were fixed on the limp body of the apprentice.
“Well?” Hawkfrost meowed impatiently. “Get on with it.”
Mothwing looked up, and Leafpaw saw the glare of panic in her eyes. “I—I’m not sure. I haven’t brought the right herbs. I’ll have to go back to camp. . . .”
“Reedpaw hasn’t time for that!” Mistyfoot rasped.
Leafpaw understood her friend’s panic. They were only apprentices; they weren’t ready yet to hold the lives of cats within their paws. Where was Mudfur?
Then a gentle voice spoke inside her mind. Leafpaw, you can do this. Remember what Cinderpelt has taught you. Cobwebs for the bleeding . . .
“Yes—yes, I remember now,” Leafpaw mewed out loud.
Hawkfrost stared at her with narrowed eyes. “Do you know what to do?”
Leafpaw nodded.
“Right. Do it. You—out of the way.” Hawkfrost shouldered his sister to one side so that Leafpaw could get closer to Reedpaw.
Mothwing let out a faint meow of protest; Leafpaw glanced up at her to see her amber eyes still wide and shocked and her ears flat to her head.
“Go and find me some cobwebs,” Leafpaw instructed her. “Quickly!”
The RiverClan apprentice shot her a frightened look, then whirled around and dashed up the riverbank to the bushes at the top of the slope.
Now get the water out of him, Spottedleaf whispered. Leafpaw bent down and worked her shoulder under Reedpaw’s, propping him up until water gushed out of his mouth.
Good. Now he’ll breathe properly, so you can deal with his wet fur
The apprentice started to cough feebly and let out a faint cry of pain.
“Lie still,” Mistyfoot told him, giving his muzzle a reassuring lick. “You’re going to be okay.”
“That’s right,” Leafpaw meowed urgently to the RiverClan deputy. “Keep licking him—lick his fur the wrong way to help it dry and get him warm.”
At once Mistyfoot bent down beside the young apprentice and began licking vigorously; after a moment’s hesitation Hawkfrost began to do the same on his other side. Leafpaw licked at the gash on Reedpaw’s shoulder, cleaning it of scraps of bark and leaf. She knew she had to get it clean to avoid infection setting in.
“Here,” Mothwing gasped, reappearing beside Leafpaw with a wad of cobwebs. “Is this enough?”
“That’s fine, Mothwing. Put them on just there.”
She almost felt like Mothwing’s mentor as she checked how the RiverClan cat put the cobwebs in place, making sure they covered all the gash, and patted them down carefully.
“That’s fine,” she repeated. “Reedpaw, do you hurt anywhere else?”
The apprentice coughed again; under Mistyfoot’s and Hawkfrost’s energetic licking he was beginning to revive. “No,” he rasped. “Just my shoulder.”
Leafpaw examined him for other injuries anyway, but she couldn’t find any. “I think you’re lucky,” she meowed.
“He’s lucky you were here,” Hawkfrost growled, with a hostile look at his sister. “Mothwing, what was the matter with you? You’re supposed to be a medicine cat!”
Mothwing shrank away, and would not meet her brother’s gaze.
“Reedpaw, can you stand up?” Leafpaw asked, diplomatically not reacting to her friend’s embarrassment.
For an answer the apprentice staggered to his paws. Mistyfoot supported him on his other side, letting him lean against her with his uninjured shoulder.
“Think you can make it back to camp?” Hawkfrost demanded.
Reedpaw nodded. “Thanks . . .” His voice trailed off as he looked at Leafpaw and his eyes widened. “You have ThunderClan scent!”
“That’s right. My name’s Leafpaw. I’m Cinderpelt’s apprentice. Take him straight back,” she added to Mistyfoot. “If Mudfur’s there, he’d better check him. If not, you can give him some thyme leaves to chew for the shock.”
“And poppy seeds for the pain,” Mothwing added, trying to sound confident.
“Er . . . no, I wouldn’t.” Leafpaw hated contradicting her friend. “It’s best if he sleeps naturally for now. He’ll be worn out anyway from the shock.”
Mothwing’s gaze dropped to her paws again as Hawkfrost shot her a contemptuous glance. He turned away to pad upstream, toward the RiverClan camp. Mistyfoot followed, supporting Reedpaw. The black apprentice was still shaky, but he kept going until a clump of reeds hid all three cats from Leafpaw’s sight.
As they left, Leafpaw couldn’t help feeling envious of their sleek pelts and strong muscles. Even Reedpaw, with his fur drying rapidly in the cold wind, looked healthy and well fed. RiverClan was the only Clan that still had plenty of prey, the only Clan not to be affected by the Twolegs tearing up the forest.
Shaking off her resentment, Leafpaw glanced at Mothwing, who hadn’t moved. “Don’t feel bad,” she meowed. “It’s all over, and no harm done. Reedpaw will be fine now.”
“It’s notall over!” Mothwing whirled to face her, her voice rising. “I lost it. . . . My first chance to show that I’m fit to be a medicine cat, and I totally messed up.”
“Everybody makes mistakes.” Leafpaw tried to soothe her.
“Youdidn’t.”
But I had help, Leafpaw thought, wishing she could tell her friend about Spottedleaf, but knowing that she could never share such a momentous secret with a cat from a different Clan. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to her father’s friend.
“Icould have helped Reedpaw,” Mothwing went on bitterly. “I knowall that stuff you did. I gave you and your friend thyme leaves, that time WindClan chased you. But now . . . somehow I couldn’t think straight. I just panicked, and I couldn’t remember.”
“You will next time.”
“If there is a next time.” Mothwing tore fiercely at the ground with sharp, curved claws. “Hawkfrost will tell every cat how useless I was, and Mudfur will wish he’d never chosen me. And the Clan will never respect me now!”
“Of course they will.” Leafpaw padded up to her friend and pushed her nose into Mothwing’s beautiful golden tabby fur. “It’ll all be forgotten soon, you’ll see.” She was shocked that Mothwing was so sure her brother would spread the news of her failure around the camp. She would have expected Hawkfrost to be more loyal to his sister.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Mothwing mewed bitterly, making Leafpaw jump. “Hawkfrost is loyal to the Clan, not to me or to any cat. He cares more for being a great warrior than anything else.”
Like Tigerstar, Leafpaw thought with an inward shiver.
“You’re so lucky, Leafpaw.” Mothwing’s voice was despairing. “You’re Clanborn, and your father is a Clan leader. My mother was a rogue, and no cat will ever forget that.”
She turned away, her head bowed and her tail trailing on the ground, and began plodding upstream as if every pawstep were an effort.
“I’ll see you soon!” Leafpaw called, but her friend did not respond.
There was nothing more Leafpaw could do. Sadly she went back to the stepping-stones and crossed more carefully than she had done in her desperate race to save Reedpaw.
By the time she reached the ThunderClan border, she was beginning to feel better. With leaf-bare coming, Mothwing would have plenty of chances to try out her medicine-cat skills, and her Clan would forget that she had failed once. Besides, Leafpaw couldn’t help feeling pleased with her own success. She had saved a cat’s life—the first time, but not the last, she hoped.
“Thank you, Spottedleaf,” she murmured aloud, and thought she caught just a trace of the medicine cat’s sweet scent.
Feeling more optimistic than she had felt in moons, she collected Cinderpelt’s chickweed and hurried back to camp. When she reached the top of the ravine she paused; her optimism vanished and an icy claw closed around her heart at the sound of the shrill wails and yowling coming from the clearing below. As she looked down, Mousefur and Rainwhisker burst out of the gorse tunnel and raced up the ravine, hurtling past Leafpaw without even noticing her.
Leafpaw bounded down to the camp and brushed through the tunnel, terrified of what she would find. Had the Twolegs reached this far already? Firestar was standing at the foot of the Highrock with Graystripe, Sandstorm, and Brackenfur clustered around him. Outside the apprentices’ den Whitepaw crouched, wailing like a kit. Shrewpaw and Spiderpaw were trying to comfort her.
Leafpaw skidded to a halt, bewildered. Why was everyone so upset? There were no alien scents in the camp, and no signs of Twoleg devastation. She spotted Cinderpelt, limping wearily into the fern tunnel that led to the medicine cats’ clearing.
Leafpaw raced after her. “What’s the matter?” she demanded, dropping the chickweed. “What’s happened?”
Cinderpelt turned and gazed at her, her blue eyes full of sorrow. “Dappletail is dead,” she explained, and the lack of emotion in her voice scared Leafpaw as much as anything else. “And Cloudtail and Brightheart have disappeared.”
第十五章
第十五章
一声凄厉的尖叫声从山洞里传出来，穿透了打在他们身上的滂沱大雨声和瀑布的隆隆声。羽尾惊得跳了起来，身上的每一根毛仿佛都在叫她赶快逃跑，逃得越远越好。只是一想到暴毛正处在危险中，她才硬生生地留在原地。
“快点！”黑莓掌的语气听起来也很紧张。
另外几只猫难以置信地盯着他。
“下去？”鸦爪质问道，“你鼠脑子啊？”
“动动脑子想一想！”黑莓掌正要跃向山洞入口，听见他的话停了下来，转身看着这个学徒，“有尖牙兽在洞里，没有猫会注意我们。这也许是我们能把暴毛救出来的唯一机会。”
没注意其他猫有没有跟上来，黑莓掌就跃下岩石，跳到通往山洞的那条小路上。
“我还是觉着他疯了！”鸦爪小声嘟哝着，但仍然跟着跳了下去。
羽尾跟在他们后面爬了下来，脚掌踩在潮湿的岩石上直打滑。她四爪用力划拉着岩石表面以保持平衡。她一头冲向瀑布后面的石台，根本顾不上去担心会不会滑落进下方汹涌的水潭里。尖叫声越来越响。一想到进洞后可能会看到什么样的景象，羽尾心头一下子升起一阵恐惧：这会儿，尖牙兽是不是正用它那利齿咬在暴毛脖子上，撕下哥哥的皮，把他当作猎物吃掉？
她滑进洞里，在黑莓掌身后停下了，一时间，也分辨不出眼前的景象。乌云遮住了月亮，山洞里几乎一片漆黑，尖牙兽那庞大的身影似乎无处不在。它从一面岩壁跳到了另一面岩壁，巨大的脚掌踩得地面咚咚直响。它的身体两侧溅满了血，浓稠的黏液从它的大口里滴下来。这一幕比羽尾想象的恐怖得多——暴毛绝无可能活着战胜这头恶兽。
部落猫四处逃窜着，从他们睡觉的洼坑里胡乱地攀爬着。羽尾突然瞥见了溪儿，她正慌乱地将一只幼崽往通向育婴室的通道推，嘴里还叼着一只。而在另一条通道附近，一名山洞卫士紧紧咬住那只庞然大物的脖子不放。但那猛兽毫不费力就把他摔到了岩壁上，发出砰的一声。可怜的山洞卫士滑落到地上，便一动不动了，一股鲜血从他的嘴里流了出来。羽尾看得毛骨悚然，两三只猫尖叫着，跌跌撞撞从她身边跑过，根本没注意到这些族群猫。
“这边走！”黑莓掌下令。他挨个看着同伴，目光在松鼠爪脸上停留的时间最长。“为了救暴毛，我们不得不这么做。”他提醒大家。
尖牙兽“咚咚咚”的脚爪声迅速朝山洞远处的岩壁传去，伸出爪子去捉它上方石台上吓坏了的一只部落猫。黑莓掌带着同伴贴着岩壁，专拣黑暗的角落，朝通往尖石洞的通道前进。黑暗中，他们撞上了部落猫，跌成一团。但部落猫有的受伤了，有的吓呆了，恐怖和血腥味充满了山洞，没有一只部落猫认出他们来。
在通道入口处，两位山洞卫士仍在坚守岗位。他们怒目圆睁，毛发倒竖。羽尾对他们的勇气感到一丝敬意，毕竟其他的同伴都在四处逃命，他们却仍在这儿恪尽职守。
“行动！”黑莓掌和鸦爪同时扑向两名山洞卫士，对着他们就是一阵猛抓猛咬。松鼠爪也马上跟着冲了上去。一位卫士发出一声惊叫，羽尾听出那是鹰崖的声音。羽尾看到，黑莓掌扑向鹰崖，死死咬住他脖子上的皮毛；同时，鸦爪揪着另一名卫士的两只耳朵，把他拖离通道入口。松鼠爪紧紧咬住了鹰崖尾巴不放。
入口可以看清楚了，羽尾和褐皮便冲下通道。她俩还没冲进尖石洞，便碰到了两只猫，漆黑中也看不出是谁。让羽尾感到轻松和喜悦的是，她闻出了暴毛的气味。另一只猫是尖石巫师。他与她擦肩而过，冲进了外面的山洞，羽尾看到，他双眼中燃着熊熊烈火。
“快！”这名部落领袖向暴毛大吼道，“你的时间到了。噢！伟大的杀无尽部落，快救救我们！”
“羽尾！”暴毛喊道，“发生什么事了？”
一时间，羽尾沉浸在与哥哥重逢的喜悦中，深深嗅了一口哥哥的气味，尾巴跟哥哥的缠在一起。她一直担心哥哥不在洞里，害怕暴毛已经被他们派出去跟那只狮子般的猫作战了，这会儿身子早已流着血倒在洞里哪个角落了。
“没时间庆祝了！”褐皮大声说道，“快往出口跑，千万不要停下来！”
说完，褐皮冲进通道，羽尾和暴毛赶紧跟上。来到外面的山洞时，一声凄厉的尖叫冲破了黑暗，比轰隆隆的雷声还要大。一道闪电照亮了尖牙兽的身影，只见它嘴里叼着一只部落猫往洞口走去。羽尾吓得直哆嗦，她认出那只猫是他们刚到这儿时，跟他们说过话的猫后星辰。那只猫绝望地张着嘴，无声地哀号着，爪子不住地刮擦着地面，徒劳地挣扎着。接着，洞内再次漆黑一团，羽尾隐约在水帘下看到那只狮子般巨猫的身影，它猛地转身，从洞口消失了。
片刻间，震惊的死寂弥漫整个山洞。接着，山洞里哀号声四起。羽尾感到有只猫快速捅了她一下，一转身，原来是黑莓掌。
“赶紧走——现在就走！”黑莓掌高声喊道。
说着，他就向出口冲去，松鼠爪、褐皮紧紧跟着他。鸦爪猛推羽尾，但羽尾没有动，直到确认暴毛也跟上来了才往前跑。没有一只猫试图阻拦他们，所有部落猫都吓得瑟瑟发抖，有的趴在地上缩成一团，有的毛发竖立着，目光惊恐地看着尖牙兽离去的方向。
到洞口时，黑莓掌停了下来，嗅了嗅空气，然后带领大家沿着小路前行。羽尾嗅到了尖牙兽的气味，还有星辰的恐惧与血腥的气味，但气味正在逐渐消散。那个掠食者带着它的猎物消失了，留下满地或死或伤的猫。
大雨唰唰地下着，狂风使劲地刮着，头顶上再次响起了轰隆隆的雷声。几个心跳不到，羽尾就浑身湿透了，毛发紧贴在身上，但她根本没注意到这个。她跟着黑莓掌爬上岩石，在黑莓掌的带领下，族群猫一起踏上回家的路。在他们身后，部落猫悲恸的哭泣声渐渐远去，淹没在啪嗒啪嗒的雨声和永不休止的瀑布巨响声中。
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 17
Stormfur’s legs ached and the weightof his rain-sodden fur made his paws stumble painfully over the stones. He felt as if he had been fleeing through the stormy darkness for moons. The whole world seemed to have shrunk to nothing more than rock, wind, and rain.
As he scrabbled up a broken rock face he realized that the rain was easing off. Soon it was no more than a spatter driven by the wind. The sky began to clear, the moon struggling to show its light between the clouds.
Brambleclaw halted, and the rest of the cats gathered around him. They were standing on a wide ledge; above them was a slope covered with scree, while below the rock fell away into darkness.
“I have no idea where we are,” Brambleclaw admitted. “I’m sorry, I meant to bring you back the same way we came with the cave-guards, but I’ve never seen this place before.”
“It’s not your fault,” Squirrelpaw meowed, with a glare at Crowpaw as if she expected the WindClan apprentice to say something rude. “The rain has washed all the scent away, and it’s too dark to see anything.”
“That’s all very well,” Tawnypelt pointed out, “but what are we going to do now? If we’re not careful, the Tribe cats will catch us.”
“Or Sharptooth,” Feathertail added with a shudder.
Stormfur cleared his throat. He was feeling guilty and betrayed that he had ever thought of the Tribe cats as his friends, and he wanted to forget them and everything to do with them as soon as he possibly could. But they had taught him skills that could be useful now, and it would be mouse-brained not to use them.
“I think I can find the way,” he meowed. “I hunted with the Tribe, remember, more than the rest of you.”
“You lead, then,” Brambleclaw responded immediately. “Just get us out of these mountains.”
Stormfur warmed a little at the ThunderClan warrior’s trust in him. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he had lost all Brambleclaw’s respect, after the way he had settled in among the Tribe cats. He knew now how much Brambleclaw’s friendship meant to him.
“It’ll take a few days to cross the mountains,” he warned the tabby warrior, remembering the day Brook had taken him to the top of a high peak and shown him the towering folds of rock stretching endlessly ahead. At least they would have the rising sun to guide them when daylight came. “But I think I can get you out of the Tribe’s territory.”
“The sooner the better,” muttered Crowpaw. He was standing so close to Feathertail that their fur touched. There seemed to be an unspoken connection between them, and Stormfur wondered what had happened while he’d been held prisoner in the cave.
Stormfur took the lead along the ledge and then diagonally up the scree, his paws slipping on the loose stones. Reaching the ridge, he paused to figure out the direction from the way the moss grew on the rocks and the trunk of a gnarled tree. Guilt swept over him again as he realized how easy it seemed to use Tribe ways, as if he had allowed himself to become a Tribe cat instead of a warrior loyal to RiverClan.
“What’s the matter?” Feathertail asked quietly, coming up to him and brushing her side against his. He should have known she would be able to sense how bad he felt.
“I trusted them.” Stormfur choked over the words. “Brook and Crag and the rest. I never thought . . . And then they took me prisoner, and the rest of you risked your lives to get me out of there.”
“We couldn’t leave you.” Feathertail let out a comforting purr.
“They never told me anything about the prophecy, you know, not all the time we were hunting together. It was just as much of a shock to me when Stoneteller told us about it in the Cave of Pointed Stones.”
“Yes, we know,” his sister murmured.
“But do we have to stand here talking about it?” Crowpaw demanded disagreeably as he joined them on the ridge. “Let’s just get moving.”
“They musthave been wrong.” Stormfur ignored the WindClan apprentice, holding Feathertail’s gaze and trying to convince himself as much as her. “I can’tbe the promised cat, right? It doesn’t make sense.”
“No, of course not,” Feathertail mewed. “Don’t blame yourself, Stormfur. None of us realized what was going on. And the Tribe, they aren’t bad cats—just desperate.”
Stormfur hoped his sister couldn’t see the guilt that clawed deep inside his belly. What if the prophecy was true, and the Tribe of Endless Hunting really had chosen him to help the Tribe cats? StarClan had chosen four cats to save the forest, but he was not one of them. He had come on the journey because he couldn’t bear to see Feathertail leave without him. Now he wondered whether somehow the Tribe of Endless Hunting had influenced his decision so that he would be in the right place to destroy Sharptooth.
But then he had turned his back on the Tribe at the time when they needed help the most. He remembered watching Sharptooth leave the cave, his fierce jaws gripping Star as she yowled vainly for help. What if the next cat to die was Crag? What if it was Brook? A picture came into Stormfur’s mind of the beautiful she-cat trapped in those savage teeth, and he desperately tried to push it away.
He shivered, hardly aware that the rest of his friends were waiting for him.
“Is there something wrong?” Brambleclaw asked.
Stormfur shook himself. “No,” he meowed. “It’s this way.”
On the other side of the ridge, the ground fell away into a slope broken up by shallow precipices, low enough for a cat to leap down from one level to the next. As he crouched on the edge of one of these, he saw a roosting mountain bird just below him.
Squirrelpaw, at his shoulder, prodded him and pointed with her ears. To be on the safe side, Stormfur flicked his tail lightly across her jaws and signaled to the rest of the cats for silence.
“I’ll get it,” he whispered. “You stay here.”
He was appalled by the way his new skills seemed natural to him, as if he had known them all his life. The bird was on a narrow ledge, so he could not leap down on it without risking a bad fall. In the forest, cats wouldn’t hesitate to jump out of trees, but that was onto soft earth, not jagged stone that sliced open paws and jarred bones.
Instead he cautiously crept down a few tail-lengths farther on and worked his way stealthily back to the bird, using broken rocks for cover. When he was close enough he pounced, pinning the bird against the rock face, where it fluttered helplessly for a few heartbeats until he took its life.
“That was great!” Squirrelpaw exclaimed, curling her tail up in admiration. “You’re just like a real mountain cat, Stormfur.”
“I hope not,” Stormfur mewed.
All six cats gathered around to eat their share of the bird. By the time they had finished, a thin rain had begun to fall and clouds were massing once more to cover the moon.
“This is hopeless,” mewed Brambleclaw, swiping his tongue around his jaws. “I think we should shelter for the rest of the night.”
“As long as the Tribe cats don’t track us down,” Tawnypelt warned. Stormfur noticed that her shoulder wasn’t giving her trouble anymore; Stoneteller’s herbs had worked well. At least that was something they could thank the Tribe cats for.
“I think we’re far enough away by now,” he meowed. “Brambleclaw’s right. We can’t keep going in this rain. Let’s see if we can find a cave.”
He took the lead again, this time looking for somewhere that would give them shelter. He found it soon enough, a dark hole leading into the mountainside from the base of a rock, overhung by a couple of scrubby bushes.
Cautiously he approached it and sniffed. “Stale rabbit,” he reported. “It was probably a burrow a long time ago.”
“Too bad,” Squirrelpaw meowed. “I could do with a rabbit.”
“Tribe cat scent, too,” Crowpaw added, coming up beside Stormfur to sniff. “And that’s fairly fresh. I’m not going in there.”
“Stay outside and get wet, then,” Squirrelpaw retorted, stepping forward.
“Hang on.” Tawnypelt used her tail to bar Squirrelpaw’s way into the cave. “Let me check it out.”
She slipped down the hole while Squirrelpaw stared indignantly after her. For the first time that night Stormfur felt himself growing more cheerful, warmed by the ThunderClan apprentice’s courage. She still couldn’t bear to leave the dangerous tasks to full warriors.
A moment later Tawnypelt’s voice came out of the hole, echoing as if she were speaking from a larger space below. “Come on. Everything’s fine.”
Stormfur led the way down the cramped passage, his fur brushing the walls on either side. The opening narrowed until he had to breathe in, afraid of getting stuck, then suddenly grew wider. Though the darkness was unbroken, the echo of his pawsteps on the floor told him that he was standing in a fairly large cavern.
“This is great!” Squirrelpaw’s voice came from just behind him. He felt her shake the raindrops from her pelt as she added, “All we need now is a good pile of fresh-kill.”
Stormfur checked by scent that all six cats, even Crowpaw, had entered the cave. He was just beginning to relax when another scent washed over him and he froze with horror: It was a Tribe cat, yet somehow different from the Tribe cats he knew.
At the same moment a voice meowed from the shadows, “And who might you be?”
第十六章
第十六章
一滴冰冷的雨溅在叶爪的毛上，她焦躁地摇摇身体抖掉它。头顶上，风呼呼地刮着，树不住地摇摆着，红里透黄的枯叶不断飘落到空地里。只剩不到一个月的时间，就完全进入秃叶季了，但现在看来，这还不是族群猫最大的麻烦。
“那只兔子闻起来味不对，”炭毛向火星报告说，“青面说，吃了那些兔子肉的猫都死了，我相信他。我们看到的那只死兔子，得了一种我以前从没见过的疾病。一定是两脚兽们干了什么。”
叶爪蹲伏在雷族营地的猎物堆旁，担忧地听着老师跟火星讲她们去高石山的路上发现的情况。叶爪看到，父亲在听的时候，绿眼睛里流露出十分震惊的神情，难过得心都揪了起来。
“这么说来，我们也不能吃兔子肉了！”火星说道，“伟大的星族啊，接下来还会有什么灾难啊？我们都快饿死了。”
“我们领地内暂时还没有猫因为吃了兔子死掉。”坐在一尾远的沙风说道。她的尾巴灵巧地圈住爪子，一片落叶拂过她的耳朵，沙风轻轻地抖了一下。“也许只有风族碰到这种麻烦。”
“但是兔子跑起来哪会分边界不边界的？”炭毛回答道，“或许从我们边界伐木场那一头跑过来的兔子能吃。不过我想，即使是从那边跑过来的兔子，也没必要冒险。”
“你说得对。”火星深深叹了一口气，“我会向全族猫宣布，不准再吃兔子肉了。”
“哦，那我们总得找些东西填饱肚子吧。”沙风迅速站起身，“我马上召集我的狩猎队，看还能不能捕到什么吃的。”说完，她就离开，消失在武士山洞的树枝间。
“而且，”炭毛说，“我们最好把猎物堆里的兔子都清理掉。”
叶爪看着小得可怜的猎物堆。里面只有一只兔子，看上去肥美。一看到它，叶爪就忍不住口水直流。她已经好几天没吃过这等美餐了。但一想到两脚兽可能对这只兔子做了什么，她的胃就一紧。她觉得，自己好像闻到了在风族兔子身上嗅到的那股刺鼻的气味，但这只兔子的气味混杂了猎物堆里其他猎物的气味，所以她有些不太确定。
“把它拖到营地外埋掉。”火星指示道。
“等一等！不要用嘴去衔，用爪子拖出去，然后用苔藓擦干净爪子。”炭毛补充了一句。
叶爪刚把那只兔子从猎物堆里挑出来，族里年纪最大的长老斑尾恰好走了过来。她满脸期待地看着那只兔子。
“希望这是给长老们吃的，我肚子瘪得快跟天上飘的树叶一样了。”她一脸期待地说道。
“不是的。”炭毛连忙将自己和叶爪在风族领地看到的情形告诉了她。
“什么？我从没听说过这么荒谬的事情！”斑尾哼了一声，“风族遇到点麻烦，雷族就不能吃兔子肉了？没准青面在说瞎话，只是为了削弱雷族力量。风族猫向来自负狡诈。你们难道没有想到这一点？”
叶爪跟老师对视了一眼。她知道自己再怎么说，都不可能让斑尾相信这件事。看来，这只老猫要定那只兔子了。
“我们已经做出了决定，”火星拿出族长的权威发话了，“全族都不准再吃兔子肉。叶爪会把那只兔子弄出去埋了。”
“不行！”斑尾勃然大怒，随即扑向那只兔子。饿坏了的她不顾一切地撕扯起兔子，吞下了一大口兔子肉。
炭毛惊呼道：“不，不能吃！”
火星跳到斑尾和猎物之间，把她轻轻推开，说道：“斑尾，我现在命令你，不准吃那只死兔子，这是为你好。”
老猫红了眼，怒视着族长。看着她瘦骨嶙峋的身体和又暗又乱的玳瑁色的皮毛，叶爪很理解她为什么会这么不顾一切。这只老猫曾经是一只最优雅的猫后，变成这副模样全是因为太饿了。
“你还有脸说自己是族长？”她冲火星呸道，“整个族群都快饿死了，全都是你的过错！”
“火星的决定是正确的，”炭毛坚持说道，“毋庸置疑，族里的猫吃这种食物，会比饥饿死得更快。”
斑尾转向炭毛，龇着牙，一副要咆哮的样子。然后，她悻悻地转过身子穿过空地朝长老巢穴走去。
叶爪目送她离开。“星族啊，请求你保佑那只兔子是可以吃的！”她一边默默祈祷，一边把那只被啃了几口的兔子拖向营地外。
叶爪跟在炭毛身边一起走向峡谷，一片干枯的棕色树叶飞舞着落在了她的前面。这是她们从高石山回来、因为兔子问题跟斑尾发生争执的第二天。炭毛正在储备族群度过秃叶季所需的草药——饥饿导致族猫身体虚弱，他们会比平时更容易感染绿咳症和致命的黑咳症。
“没有必要去两脚兽的怪物附近，”炭毛说道，“它们所到之处，什么都没有了。我们去太阳石那边，看看能不能找到什么。”
地上落了厚厚的一层枯叶，一阵冷风吹来，树叶漫天飞舞。叶爪还是只幼崽的时候，就很喜欢把落叶抛到空中，追逐着跑。但现在，她几乎连走路的气力都没有了。
没走多久，太阳石就出现在她们面前。草地之上，平缓的灰色土丘很是醒目，就像沉睡的动物的后背。炭毛一下子就发现了一大丛茂密的繁缕，小心翼翼地咬掉它的茎秆。然后，叶爪四处搜寻着，看能不能发现点别的。她满怀期待地朝下方的河岸看去，那里植物长得十分茂盛，根扎进了水中。但那边是河族领地，上次因为跟蛾翅学抓鱼受到惩罚之后，叶爪知道，自己最好不要擅自越过边界。
她听到身边很近的地方有窸窸窣窣的声音，一扭头，看到在最近的岩石底部，有一只田鼠正在奔跑着。几乎在同时，那只田鼠也感觉到了她，便飞快地向石缝里钻去。但还没等钻好，叶爪已经跃过去按住它，紧紧地咬住了它的脖子。
她肚子不住地咕咕叫着，仿佛在求她把那只猎物吞进肚里。但是，她忍住了。她一口衔起它去找炭毛。她的老师还在她刚离开的地方，正在整理那些繁缕的茎秆，准备带回营地。
“给你！”叶爪说着，把那只田鼠放到炭毛面前。
老师抬头看着她，眼睛里满是感激之情。“不，叶爪，这是你捕到的猎物，所以还是你吃吧。”炭毛说道。
叶爪耸耸肩，装出一副毫不在乎的样子说道：“我还可以再捉一只。”她知道，因为那条残腿拖累，炭毛比其他族猫狩猎要困难一些。“吃啊，”见老师没开口吃，叶爪又说了一句，“如果我们的巫医病倒了，雷族该怎么办啊？”
炭毛喉咙里发出咕噜的声音，用鼻头轻触叶爪的口鼻，说道：“好吧，谢谢你，叶爪。”
她蹲伏在那只田鼠前面，风卷残云般把田鼠吃得干干净净。叶爪正准备去找更多的草药，这时，她听到了一个声音大喊着：“炭毛！炭毛！”
巫医立刻跳了起来，竖起了耳朵。“我在这儿呢！”她叫道。
是鼠毛的学徒蛛爪！只见他从树林里冲了出来，黑色的长腿飞一般越过草丛，在炭毛面前刹住了。他上气不接下气地说：“你得赶快回去，斑尾病了！”
“她怎么啦？”炭毛问道，叶爪的心开始怦怦狂跳起来。
“她一直抱怨感到恶心，”蛛爪回答道，“说肚子疼。”
“是那只兔子！”炭毛惊呼道。“我就知道会这样。”炭毛又对蛛爪说了一句，“好的，我这就回去。你先跑回去告诉他们我马上就来。”蛛爪又马上往回跑去。炭毛转向叶爪，说道：“你待在这儿，没必要我们俩都回去。你再多采集点草药，回来时，把那堆繁缕带着。”
一说完，炭毛就以最快的速度，一瘸一拐地朝树林跑去。叶爪一直目送着老师消失在蕨丛中，然后，才转身继续寻找起草药来。青面怎么说的来着，用什么治疗吃了死兔子肉的猫？他给病猫吃了蓍草，但病猫几乎全死了，只有几只最强壮的猫挺了过来——但斑尾年事已高，更何况连日来的饥饿使她身体越发地虚弱。
哦，星族，救救我们！叶爪心中祈祷着，告诉我们该怎么做，别让两脚兽把我们全部毁掉。
她刚要开始继续寻找草药，这时听见从河的方向传来一只猫的尖声哀号。一时间，她不知道要不要越过河族的边界去。当凄厉的哀号声再次响起时，她知道肯定是有猫遇到了麻烦，于是决定过去看看。她没再迟疑，立刻冲下了山坡。
河水在两岸间一浪送走一浪，落叶季的雨水使河水涨高了不少，树枝和杂物被冲进水里，在白色的浪尖上忽高忽低，最后打着转流走了。叶爪盯着前方的水面，有些纳闷声音是从哪儿来的。突然，她看到在靠近河族的那边，有一根随着水波一起一伏的树枝，树枝上残留的叶子半掩下，露出一只幼崽黑色的脑袋。叶爪正看着时，那只拼命抓着救命树枝的幼崽又张大了口，发出一声凄厉的哀号。
叶爪顿时紧张起来，就准备跳到河里。但是理智告诉她，那样做不明智，因为不仅水流非常湍急，而且那只浸在水里的猫离她也太远。
就在她要跳进水里时，突然看到从远处岸边的芦苇荡里蹿出了一只猫，一下子就跳进了河里。只见她那强壮的四肢奋力拍打着水面，朝那根漂浮的树枝游去。叶爪一眼就认出了那只灰色的身影——河族副族长雾脚。
她在岸上紧张地看着，爪子不住伸缩着。这时，雾脚已经到了那根树枝跟前，开始将树枝往河族岸边推去。但还没等他们靠岸，水浪把那根树枝打翻了，也把雾脚拖走了。雾脚一下子就消失在黑暗的水中。叶爪吓得倒吸了一口凉气。这时，只见水花飞溅，雾脚在靠近岸边处重新浮出了水面，她的脚爪终于能踩到鹅卵石上。叶爪看到雾脚叼着那只猫的后颈上了岸，蹲伏在他身边。叶爪不由打了个冷战，但也松了一口气。那只幼崽湿漉漉的，躺在那儿一动不动，水顺着他的皮毛往下流。
“我能帮上忙吗？”叶爪高声喊道，不知道雾脚还记不记得她是巫医学徒。
雾脚抬眼看了她一下，说道：“可以！赶紧过来！”
叶爪冲下河岸，到了河中有垫脚石的地方。洪水淹没了那些石头，但她毫不犹豫，跳上第一块石头。那只黑猫的生死就在一线间，不容耽误片刻。
她正要跳向第三块石头，这时，脚爪下一滑。她拼命在又湿又滑的石头表面扒拉着，河水在她身边湍急地流着。一刹那，她觉得自己要被河水卷走，淹死在深不见底的黑水里。恐惧像波浪一般吞噬了她。忽然，叶爪感到身侧有一个温暖的脚爪，推着她站回到垫脚石上。一股异常熟悉的甜美气息围绕在她的周围。
“是斑叶吗？”叶爪轻轻地问道。
她什么都看不见，但能感觉到有种令她安心的力量正在靠近她，跟她在月亮石边感受到的一模一样。叶爪仿佛生出了翅膀，飞快地跳过剩下的几块垫脚石，沿着河岸朝远处的雾脚和她救下的那只猫冲去。
还没等叶爪赶到，鹰霜和蛾翅从芦苇荡里钻了出来愣愣地看着地上的那只黑猫。
“怎么回事？”鹰霜问道。
“芦苇爪掉到河里了。我们得赶紧把泥毛找来。”雾脚回答道，“你能去把他找来吗？快点！”
“泥毛出去采药了，”蛾翅告诉她，“我去找他。”
说完，蛾翅跳上一条溯溪而上的小路，但还没跑多远，就听见她哥哥在后面喊她。“那得要很长时间！”他高声说道，耳朵朝那只仍然一动不动的黑猫抽动了一下，“你来看看他，你知道应该怎么办。”
这时，鹰霜觉察到叶爪过来了，便抬起头，用那透着怪异的冰冷的蓝眼睛看着她。叶爪感到一阵寒意掠过全身。
“她来这儿干什么？”鹰霜问道。
“我叫她过来的，”雾脚解释道，“芦苇爪需要帮助，救命要紧，不管是谁能帮上忙就行。”
鹰霜嫌弃地哼了一声。叶爪没理会他，走到黑猫的身边蹲了下来。这只猫很小，应该是刚刚当上学徒，叶爪猜测着。只见那只黑猫一动不动地躺着，张开的嘴里一直在流水；他的肩上有一道口子，血不断地渗出来，浸湿了皮毛。
“他一定是不小心摔到河里的。”雾脚焦急地说，“学徒们玩耍时总是离河边很近，看来伤口是被树枝划出来的。”
叶爪弓身靠近芦苇爪，发现他的胸脯有微弱的起伏，不由大大地松了口气。他还在呼吸，但呼吸很浅，很急促，而且就在叶爪看着他的工夫，他的呼吸变得越来越弱。叶爪瞥了一眼蛾翅，等着她来治疗受伤的猫。
蛾翅一双琥珀色的大眼睛定定地瞅着学徒虚弱的身体。
“怎么样？”鹰霜不耐烦地说道，“你赶快处理一下！”
蛾翅抬起头，叶爪看到，蛾翅的眼睛里流露出惊慌的神情。“我……我不知道怎么办。我身边没有应急的草药，我得先回去拿……”
“芦苇爪等不了那么长时间！”雾脚恼怒地说道。
叶爪能理解好朋友的慌乱。她俩都只是学徒，还没有做好救死扶伤的准备。泥毛到底在哪儿呢？
这时，她脑子里有一个温柔的声音说道：叶爪，你能救他的。想一想炭毛是怎么教你的，蛛丝可以止血……
“是的……是的，我现在想起来了。”叶爪大声喊道。
鹰霜眯着眼睛盯着她，问道：“你知道怎么救他？”
叶爪点点头。
“那好，赶快吧。你——靠边点。”鹰霜用肩膀将妹妹推到一边，好让叶爪靠近那只伤猫。
蛾翅不满地轻声叫了一下。叶爪抬头看了她一眼，只见她仍然惊魂未定，那双琥珀色的眼睛睁得大大的，两只耳朵紧紧平贴在脑后。
“去帮我找些蛛丝来，快点！”叶爪指示她。
河族学徒惊慌地瞅了她一眼，然后转身冲上河岸，朝斜坡顶处的灌木丛跑去。
“现在，帮他把肚子里的水吐出来。”斑叶轻轻说道。叶爪弯下腰，将肩膀塞到芦苇爪的身下，把他撑起来。很快，水便从他嘴里涌了出来。
“很好。现在，他能正常呼吸了，接下来，你要处理下他浸湿的皮毛。”那个声音继续说道。
那个学徒开始虚弱地咳嗽，然后发出痛苦的呻吟声。
“躺着别动，”雾脚叮嘱道，说着安抚地舔了舔他的口鼻，“你很快就会好的。”
“你做得很对，”叶爪焦急地对河族副族长说道，“继续舔他的身体，逆着毛发舔，这样能让他的毛快点干，让他暖和过来。”
雾脚立刻趴下来，伏在小学徒身边开始猛舔他的毛。鹰霜犹豫了一下，也走到了伤猫身体的另一侧做同样的动作。叶爪则对着芦苇爪肩上的伤口舔了起来，她舔掉伤口处的枝叶碎屑。她知道，必须将伤口清理干净以免发生感染。
“蛛丝找来了，”蛾翅带着一团蛛丝出现在叶爪身边，气喘吁吁地问道，“够不够？”
“很好，蛾翅，把蛛丝敷在伤口上。”
她检查了一遍蛾翅有没有把蛛网放在合适的位置，确信蛛丝覆盖住了整道伤口，然后又仔细地把蛛丝轻轻拍进伤口。做这一切时，她简直就像是蛾翅的老师。
“很好！”她又说了一遍，然后问道，“芦苇爪，你还有其他地方受伤吗？”
学徒又开始咳了起来。多亏雾脚和鹰霜的拼命舔舐，他开始恢复元气，说道：“没有，只伤到了肩膀。”
但叶爪还是给他做了全身检查，看看还有没有其他部位受伤，还好没有。“我想你很幸运！”叶爪说道。
“碰巧你在这里，所以他很幸运。”鹰霜大声咆哮着，不满地看着妹妹，“蛾翅，你是怎么回事？你将来可是要当巫医的！”
蛾翅吓得往后缩了缩，不敢看哥哥的眼睛。
“芦苇爪，你能站起来吗？”叶爪岔开话题，巧妙地给自己的朋友解了围。
学徒撑起四肢摇摇晃晃站了起来。雾脚赶紧撑住他身体的一侧，让他未受伤的肩膀靠着自己。
“你觉得自己能走回营地吗？”鹰霜问道。
芦苇爪点点头。“谢谢……”当他看到叶爪时，眼睛一下子瞪大了，声音也小了下去，说道，“你身上有雷族猫的气味！”
“是的，我叫叶爪，是炭毛的学徒。”她又嘱咐雾脚，“把他赶快带回去，如果泥毛在，最好给他好好检查一下。如果不在，你们可以让他嚼一些百里香叶子，可以帮他安定情绪。”
“还可以吃些罂粟籽止痛。”蛾翅补充了一句，尽量让自己的语气听起来自信些。
“嗯……不，还是不要用罂粟籽。”叶爪真的不想让朋友难堪，“现在，最好还是让他自然入睡，受了这么大的惊吓，他早就疲惫不堪了。”
鹰霜又不满地瞟了蛾翅一眼，蛾翅赶紧低下头看着自己的脚爪。他转身朝上游河族营地的方向走去。雾脚支撑着芦苇爪跟在后面。那个黑色学徒仍然摇摆得厉害，但仍然一直向前走着。最后，三只猫走进了芦苇丛，消失在叶爪的视野里。
他们离开后，叶爪不由得想到他们油光水滑的皮毛和强壮的身板儿，羡慕不已。即使是芦苇爪——他的皮毛在冷风中很快便吹干了——看起来也很健康，不缺吃喝的模样。河族现在是唯一猎物充足的族群，是唯一未受两脚兽毁坏森林活动影响的族群。
叶爪不去想这些愤愤不平的念头，一眼瞄到蛾翅还没走，便说道：“别那么垂头丧气的。这事已经过去了，芦苇爪只是受了点轻伤，现在已经没事了。”
“还没有过去！”蛾翅猛地转身看着她，提高声音说道，“我失去了机会——失去了第一次证明我能成为巫医的机会。我全搞砸了。”
“谁都会犯错误的。”叶爪试图抚慰她。
“你就没犯错误。”
但是我有帮手啊。叶爪心想，真想跟她的朋友讲讲斑叶的事情，但她知道，自己永远都不能跟异族猫讲这么重大的秘密。她向父亲的这位朋友献上一个无声的感谢。
“我本来能够救助芦苇爪的，”蛾翅苦涩地说道，“你做的事情我都懂。那次风族追赶你们的时候，我就给你和你的朋友送过百里香的叶子。但是现在……不知怎么的，我就是没能想到。我只顾着惊慌了，什么都想不起来。”
“下一次你就会知道怎么做了。”
“还有下一次吗？”蛾翅用她那尖利、弯曲的爪子使劲撕扯着地面，“鹰霜会告诉每一只猫我有多无用，泥毛会想他宁愿没选我做学徒。现在，整个河族都不会尊重我了！”
“他们当然会尊重你。”叶爪走到蛾翅的身边，将鼻子靠在朋友美丽的金色虎斑皮毛上。“等着瞧，这件事很快就会被忘掉。”叶爪很震惊，她没想到蛾翅竟然这么确定，自己的哥哥会把她失败的消息在整个营地里散播。她原本以为鹰霜会替自己的妹妹掩盖一下的。
“我知道你在想什么。”蛾翅悲痛的声音吓了叶爪一跳，“鹰霜对族群忠心耿耿，从不向着我或者其他的猫。他最在意的事情是成为一名伟大的武士，这对他来说比什么都重要。”
跟虎星很像。这么想时，叶爪不禁心里一颤。
“你真的很幸运，叶爪。”蛾翅的语气充满绝望，“你出生在族群，爸爸又是族长。而我则不同，我妈妈是泼皮猫，没有猫会忘记这一点。”
她转身走了，低着头，尾巴耷拉在地上，脚步沉重地向上游走去，好像每走一步都很费力。
“再见！”叶爪冲她喊道，但她的朋友没有回应。
叶爪也多做不了什么，便难过地往回走去。刚才因为赶时间救芦苇爪，她差点滑进河里，这一次，她更加小心翼翼地踩着垫脚石过了河。
等走到雷族边界，她的心情才开始好一些。随着秃叶季的来临，蛾翅有的是机会去尝试她的巫医技能，她的族猫很快就会忘掉她曾经失败过。与此同时，叶爪不由自主地为自己的成功感到高兴。她救了一只猫的命——这是第一次，但肯定不是最后一次，她心里充满了希望。
“谢谢你，斑叶。”她大声说着，感觉自己好像又闻到了一缕这只巫医猫的香甜气息。
叶爪此时的心情，比在月光下时乐观了很多。她拾起炭毛采的繁缕，匆匆赶回营地。走到山谷顶上的时候，她停住了。当听到下面空地里传来的刺耳的哭号声时，她的乐观情绪消散了，觉得自己的心顿时被一只冰冷的爪子紧紧揪住。她向下望去，只见鼠毛和雨须从金雀花通道冲出来，跑上山谷。他们从叶爪身边一掠而过，但似乎根本没注意到她。
叶爪连蹦带跳地冲向营地，挤过金雀花通道，害怕即将看到的景象。难道两脚兽已经到了这么远的地方了？火星站在高岩的脚下，灰条、沙风和蕨毛围在他的身边。学徒巢穴外面，白爪伏在地上，像只幼崽一样哀号着。鼩鼱爪和蛛爪正在劝慰她。
叶爪急忙刹住脚爪，一脸懵懂。为什么每只猫都那么不安？营地里并没有外来者的气味，也没有两脚兽毁坏什么的迹象。她瞅见炭毛正跛着腿疲惫地走进通往巫医空地的蕨叶通道。
叶爪赶紧追上了她。“发生什么事了？”叶爪放下繁缕急切地问道。
炭毛转身盯着她，蓝色的眼睛里充满了哀伤。“斑尾死了。”炭毛冷冰冰地说道，这种语气比其他任何事情都更令叶爪感到害怕。紧接着，她又加了一句：“云尾和亮心也失踪了。”
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 19
What was that? Every hair onStormfur’s pelt shot up in fear. He and his friends were trapped in this dark hole; whoever had just spoken was blocking the entrance, and there was nowhere else to go. Desperately he tasted the air and picked out the scents of several cats, all of them smelling of Tribe, and yet not Tribe.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
For an answer he felt a powerful shoulder thrusting him aside as the strange cat entered the cave. There was the soft sound of pawsteps as the others followed.
Then he heard Brambleclaw’s voice, tense but still calm. “We are traveling to our home far from here and we took shelter only for the night. We have no quarrel with you.”
The strange cat spoke again. “This is our place.”
“Then we’ll leave,” Tawnypelt mewed. She padded toward the entrance, and the other cats shuffled around to follow her.
Stormfur felt his fur begin to lie flat again. With any luck they could get out of here without a fight. These cats couldn’t have come from the Tribe of Rushing Water, or they would have known who he and his companions were. Yet they carried the Tribe’s scent; Stormfur was puzzled, but he was content to leave the mystery behind him if they could just get away safely.
“Not so fast,” the newcomer growled. “How do we know you’re telling the truth? I don’t know you, and I don’t know your scent.”
“Talon, we should take them prisoner.” A soft hiss came from one of the other cats. “We might be able to use them as bait for Sharptooth.”
“You know about Sharptooth?” Stormfur exclaimed.
“Of course we know about Sharptooth,” rumbled the first voice, the one called Talon. “Every cat in these mountains knows about Sharptooth.”
As he spoke, Stormfur realized that the darkness was no longer unbroken. Gradually the shapes of the strange cats were outlined in faint gray light as dawn filtered down the tunnel. Every hair on Stormfur’s pelt prickled with fear as he looked at them.
The first of them, Talon, was one of the biggest cats he had ever seen, a dark brown tabby with massive shoulders and huge paws. His ragged pelt was bristling with hostility, and a deep scar stretched across one side of his face, curling his lip in a frozen snarl. His amber eyes were narrowed, his gaze flicking suspiciously over the forest cats.
Behind him were two other cats, a scrawny black tom whose tail was little more than a jagged stump, and a gray-brown she-cat. Both of them flexed their claws as if they could hardly wait to sink them into the Clan cats’ fur.
Although the Clan cats outnumbered the strangers two to one, Stormfur didn’t like their chances in a fight. They certainly wouldn’t get away without serious injuries. He could see his friends were thinking the same; even the aggressive Crowpaw was silent, his gaze fixed warily on the strangers.
“We have seen Sharptooth and we know how savage he is.” Brambleclaw was still trying to keep the exchange peaceful. “But we’re on an urgent mission and we have to leave.”
“You’ll go when I say you can,” Talon growled.
“You can’t keep us here!” Stormfur winced as Squirrelpaw spoke up, her green eyes blazing. There was nothing wrong with her courage, but sometimes she hadn’t the sense of a mayfly. “We’ve already escaped from the Tribe of Rushing Water.”
Crowpaw let out a furious hiss, and for once Stormfur sympathized with him. Squirrelpaw needed to be a lot more careful about what she told these terrifying cats.
But to Stormfur’s surprise, the suspicion in Talon’s gaze seemed to fade. “You have been with the Tribe?”
“That’s right,” meowed Brambleclaw. “You know of them, then?”
“We know much, and too much,” Talon replied, and the tabby she-cat added, “We were once Tribe cats too.”
Stormfur stared at her in astonishment; he had assumed that these cats were homeless rogues. It would explain the puzzling scent, if they had once belonged to the Tribe, but he remembered how the Tribe had refused to turn the Clan cats out at night in case they met Sharptooth. If they had been that concerned about strangers, it seemed odd that they would let their own Tribemates live outside the cave. Unless they had committed a crime that outweighed the threat of Sharptooth. . . .
“Did the Tribe make you leave?” he asked.
“As good as,” Talon grunted. Slowly his bristling fur began to lie flat. He flicked his tail at his two companions, which they seemed to take as an order to guard the entrance, for they settled down one on either side of it. “Sit,” Talon said to the forest cats. “Sit and we will talk. But don’t try to leave, unless you want to lose your ears.”
Stormfur believed that he meant the threat. Cautiously he sat down; his friends did the same, making themselves as comfortable as they could on the bare sandy floor. As the light strengthened Stormfur made out his surroundings more clearly: The roof of the cave was thickly interlaced with roots, stretching above earth walls, with more roots and stones jutting out here and there. He could not see any bedding, any fresh-kill pile, or any other sign that these three cats lived here permanently. Yet Talon had said it was where they regularly came to shelter. It must be a harsh life that they led here.
“My name is Talon of Swooping Eagle,” the huge tabby began, raising one paw to the scar on his face. “An eagle’s talon did this when I was a kit, and gave me my name as well as a mark to remind me how close I came to losing my life. This is Rock Where Snow Gathers and Bird Who Rides the Wind.” He pointed his tail at the black tom and the she-cat in turn.
Stormfur’s fear began to ebb. Somehow knowing the strangers’ names made them seem less like enemies.
“Many seasons ago,” Talon went on, “the Tribe of Endless Hunting sent a sign to Stoneteller. They chose six cats to leave the shelter of the caves and go out into the mountains to face Sharptooth and kill him. We are three of that six.”
“What happened to the others?” Crowpaw put in.
“Sharptooth happened,” Rock snarled from his place by the entrance. “He nearly had me, too. How do you think I lost my tail?”
“So, wait,” Tawnypelt mewed. “The Tribe sent you out to kill Sharptooth?”
Talon bowed his head. “Stoneteller ordered us not to come back without his pelt.”
“But that’s mouse-brained!” Squirrelpaw burst out. “How could six of you kill Sharptooth when the whole of the Tribe couldn’t do it?”
The tabby looked up again, and Stormfur winced at the depths of bitterness in his eyes. “I don’t know,” he replied. “Do you think we haven’t asked ourselves that question? I’d give the fur off my back to save my Tribe, but what can any of us do?”
Feathertail let out a comforting murmur. “Could you not go to Stoneteller and tell him you’ve done your best? He might let you back in.”
“No!” Talon’s eyes blazed at her. “I won’t crawl to him and beg. Besides, what use would it be? We all obey the will of the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”
Stormfur blinked. There were times when the words of his own warrior ancestors seemed harsh and difficult to understand, but he could not remember StarClan ever banishing cats to a lonely existence that could only end in their death. Would I have the courage to obey if they did? he wondered.
“I’m surprised we didn’t hear about you before,” Brambleclaw meowed. “They told us about Sharptooth, but no cat mentioned you.”
Talon snorted. “They’ve probably forgotten all about us.”
“Or they’re ashamed,” Bird added grimly.
“You’ve just left the Tribe recently?” Talon asked. When Brambleclaw nodded, he went on with longing in his voice. “There’s a cat . . . her name is Brook Where Small Fish Swim. Did you see her there?”
Stormfur’s ears pricked up. For a heartbeat, jealous fury swept through him at the obvious affection with which this ragged loner spoke of the prey-hunter.
“Yes, we met Brook,” Feathertail replied.
“Is she all right? Happy?”
“She’s fine,” Tawnypelt told him. “And as happy as any of them are with Sharptooth breathing down their necks.”
“Because we failed . . .” All Talon’s bitterness was in the three words. “Brook’s my sister,” he went on, letting out an awkward mrrow, half amused and half embarrassed. “You’d not think a pretty cat like that was related to me, would you? She’s from a younger litter, and when Sharptooth took our mother I wanted to be there to look out for Brook.”
Stormfur relaxed. What was the matter with him? Why should he care that Brook was Talon’s sister, and not his mate?
“She would have come with me,” Talon went on. “But it wasn’t the will of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. I was glad. This is no sort of life.”
Stormfur knew he was right. He flinched as he thought about the destruction that Sharptooth had brought to the Tribe: not only the cats he had killed for prey, but the lives he had destroyed in their desperate attempts to kill him. Cats driven into exile, separated from their kin . . .
And what if he really was the chosen cat, destined to save the Tribe from Sharptooth? Had he any right to refuse his destiny? The thought crossed his mind that he ought to go back, but the idea terrified him so much that he pushed it away. He and his friends had their own mission, to tell their Clans what they had learned from Midnight, and nothing must be allowed to interfere with that. They had to tell the Clans to leave the forest before it was destroyed by the Twolegs’ new Thunderpath.
The light in the cave had grown brighter and turned golden, as if the rain had stopped and the sun had risen above the mountaintops. Feeling as if he could not bear to be trapped belowground for another heartbeat, Stormfur rose to his paws.
“Will you let us out to hunt? We need fresh-kill.”
Talon glanced at his companions.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Brambleclaw assured him. “We’re all exhausted, and we need to rest.”
After another pause, the tabby shrugged. “Go, stay, do what you want. It’s nothing to do with us. We wouldn’t feed you to Sharptooth, whatever Rock might say.”
Stormfur pushed his way through the narrow tunnel and out onto the mountainside. The sun hovered over the topmost peak; that was the way they should be going, following the sunrise until they came home to the forest.
Squirrelpaw followed him out, and stood looking around alertly, as if she had not spent all night scrambling about on the mountain in the pouring rain. “Right,” she meowed. “Where’s the fresh-kill?”
In the rain and the darkness, Stormfur had seen very little of their surroundings before they found the cave. Now he saw that just below the entrance the rocks were broken up; thin soil had lodged in the cracks, enough for grass to grow and a few bushes. A trickle of water wound among them. “Down there,” he suggested.
Squirrelpaw swept her tail back toward the hole. “The rest want to sleep, just as if they were hedgehogs in leaf-bare,” she meowed. “Let’s hunt, and surprise them when they wake up!”
“Okay.” Stormfur was pleased to be hunting with the determinedly cheerful apprentice, away from the ThunderClan warrior who took up so much of her attention. But since the beginning of their journey home he had been aware of how close she and Brambleclaw had become. It would always be easier for them to be together than for her to have any connection with Stormfur. Besides, he was starting to realize that he felt about Brook in a completely different way from how he felt about Squirrelpaw.
He had kept a check on his feelings for Squirrelpaw because they were in different Clans, but he was drawn to Brook in a way that he couldn’t ignore so easily. The sheen on her tabby fur, the glow in her eyes, her speed and skill, stayed with him even though he had escaped from the cave. Was that how Crowpaw and Feathertail felt about each other? he wondered suddenly, with a pang of sympathy he had never felt before. Would he cross boundaries like that to be with Brook?
Stormfur pushed the thought away. He would never see Brook again, so what was the point? He tried to focus instead on the sunny morning, and the pleasure of hunting with a skillful partner. It was good to have Squirrelpaw beside him as a friend, without the jealousy that might have threatened his friendship with Brambleclaw.
“Come on!” Squirrelpaw had already bounded down among the bushes. “I want you to teach me some of those new mountain moves.”
As the sun rose higher they stalked through the sparse mountain vegetation, beginning to build a pile of fresh-kill on the ledge outside the cave. Squirrelpaw learned the new ways of hunting quickly, and couldn’t stop herself bouncing like a kit with the delight of bringing down her first falcon.
“We need to teach this stuff at home,” she meowed, flicking a feather off her nose with one paw. “We always hunt in the undergrowth, but like this we could hunt out in the open as well.”
Bleak thoughts about the future of the forest rushed through Stormfur’s mind. Squirrelpaw clearly guessed what he was thinking, for her triumph faded and she added somberly, “We might need to.”
When they returned to the cave with more prey to add to the pile they had started, Stormfur saw Talon crouched on the ledge, his eyes half closed as he let the sun soak into his ragged fur.
He opened his eyes as the two Clan cats approached. “You’ve hunted well,” he meowed.
“Help yourself,” Stormfur invited him.
“Thanks.” He padded over to the pile and dragged out a rabbit.
Squirrelpaw trotted back inside the hole. “I’m going to get our lazy friends,” she announced.
Stormfur noticed that Talon had stopped eating after just one bite, and was looking at him expectantly. Almost without realizing what he was doing, Stormfur pulled a falcon from the pile of fresh-kill, took a hasty bite, and shoved it toward Talon. The Tribe cat nodded and pushed his own piece of fresh-kill toward Stormfur.
“I see your Tribe shares as well,” was all he said, and Stormfur looked down at his paws, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
For a few moments, they ate their prey in silence. Stormfur was not sure how the exiled cats had changed from being enemies to something like friends, but he was certain that the Clan cats had nothing to fear from them now. He just wished that there were some way of helping them.
“I can tell you’re worried about the Tribe,” he began awkwardly, swallowing a mouthful of rabbit.
“Of course I’m worried.” Talon fixed him with a piercing amber gaze. “And so are you, even though you’re not one of us.”
Stormfur nodded slowly. He had been trying not to admit that, even to himself. Were his feelings so obvious, even to a stranger?
“Every day they live in fear,” Talon went on. “Every pawstep out of the cave is filled with terror, when every rock might be hiding Sharptooth.”
Stormfur nodded, thinking of the cave-guards who went out with the hunting parties. He tried to imagine what it would be like never to run freely through your own territory, always to feel the threat of claws and fangs. Cold shivers ran through his pelt as he remembered hunting with Brook in the first days of their stay with the Tribe. She had told him that Crag and the others were there to guard the prey-hunters from eagles, but now he understood that they were watching for Sharptooth as well. He and the Tribe cats had been in as much danger as any of the prey they hunted.
“I wish I knew what to do,” he meowed. “We made this journey because of a prophecy from StarClan—”
“StarClan?” Talon echoed.
“The spirits of our warrior ancestors,” Stormfur explained. “Like your Tribe of Endless Hunting.”
He went on to explain how StarClan had prophesied great trouble for the forest and chosen four cats, one from each of the Clans, to make the journey and learn what Midnight had to tell them.
“I wasn’t one of the four,” he finished, “but I came to be with my sister.”
“And now you’re going home,” Talon meowed.
“Yes, but we don’t know whether we’ll be in time to help.” Even while he was speaking, Stormfur reflected that at least they couldgo home; Talon and his Tribemates never could.
“Your Tribemate said that you’d escaped from the Tribe of Rushing Water.” Talon looked puzzled. “Does that mean they kept you prisoner? That is not the Tribe I knew.”
“It wasn’t quite like that.” Stormfur swallowed. If he wanted to earn the trust of this cat, he had to tell his story, but he didn’t know how Talon would react. There was every chance that the huge tabby would try to drag him back to the Tribe to fulfill the prophecy and win the right to return to his home. “There was another prophecy,” he admitted. “Stoneteller had a sign from the Tribe of Endless Hunting. . . .”
Talon listened to the story with his unblinking amber gaze fixed on Stormfur. “A silver cat?” he rumbled, when the story was finished. “Do you believe you are the one?”
Stormfur started to deny it, and found he could not. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “At first I didn’t see how I couldbe, but now . . . The first prophecy, the one from StarClan, matters more than anything to me. But I’m not one of the chosen. I can’t help wondering whether I’m meant to do this instead.” He sighed. “But I can’t follow bothprophecies. Which one of them is right?”
Talon was silent for a few moments. Then he meowed heavily, “Neither of them is right. And neither is wrong.” He let out a soft growl from deep in his throat. “Prophecies are strange things. Their words are never clear.”
Stormfur nodded, remembering how he and his friends had thought that “midnight” meant just that, until they discovered that it was the name of the wise badger who had told them what they should do.
“Everything depends on how cats interpret the prophecy,” Talon went on. “And whether the prophecy is fulfilled depends on what they decide to do about it. It is up to us to choose the code we live by. Isn’t that true for your cats as well?”
Stormfur stared in surprise at the older cat. He was right. StarClan and the Tribe of Endless Hunting made exactly the same demands on the cats they watched over, with the same promises of protection and guidance if only they knew how to read the signs.
“What do you thinkyou should do?” Talon challenged him.
Stormfur shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“But you will.” The big tabby rose to his paws. “Your faith and your courage will tell you.” Amusement glinted faintly in his amber eyes. “Just don’t take too long about it,” he added as he squeezed back into the tunnel that led to the cave.
When he had gone, Stormfur let out an exhausted sigh. These mysteries were too much for him; he was a warrior, and all he wanted was to follow the warrior code. But what should he do, when the code did not speak clearly to him?
The sun was warm on his fur, and it was a long time since he had slept. His belly was comfortably full of prey. He yawned, and his eyes closed.
Hardly any time seemed to have passed before he realized that he was lying in a forest clearing, though he could not have said exactly where it was. The scent of green, growing things was all around him, and he could hear the soft murmur of a stream. He opened his eyes to see moonlight filtering through the leaves above his head.
He stirred, puzzled. This was a forest at the height of greenleaf, though by now leaf-bare should be well on its way. Then another scent tickled his nose, something sweet and reassuring and somehow achingly familiar, though he had no memory of smelling it before. A voice behind him mewed, “Stormfur.”
He turned his head and for a heartbeat thought he was looking at Feathertail. No, this cat had a silvery gray pelt very like his sister’s, but he didn’t recognize her.
“Who are you?” he demanded, rising to his paws.
The cat did not reply, but padded over to him and touched noses with him. Stormfur saw the glitter of starshine around her paws. With a shiver, he knew that he was dreaming, and that a warrior of StarClan had come to visit him.
“Dearest Stormfur, I am so proud of you and Feathertail,” the strange warrior began. “You have come through great trials and proved your courage and faith, time and again. You have obeyed StarClan in everything, and we are well pleased with you.”
“Er . . . thank you,” Stormfur mewed uncertainly.
“Yet the cats of the Tribe have courage and faith too, even though they follow different warrior ancestors. You should honor them and the Tribe of Endless Hunting.”
“I know,” Stormfur agreed with feeling. Whoever this StarClan warrior was, she understood exactly how he felt. “Please tell me what I should do—and tell me who you are.”
The cat bent close to him so that her sweet scent flooded his senses. “Don’t you know?” she murmured. “I am your mother, Silverstream. And as for what you must do—Stormfur, remember that a question can have many answers. . . .”
The light around her began to fade. Stormfur was left alone in the clearing.
“Don’t go!” he pleaded.
He spun around, trying to see where she had gone. His eyes flew open, and he found himself lying on the ground outside the hole, with his friends dividing up the pile of fresh-kill a little way off.
He staggered to his paws. He had been sent a dream from StarClan! He had seen his own mother, who had died giving birth to him and Feathertail. But there was no time to mourn the fact that he had never known her alive. At last he knew what he had to do, although he had no idea how he was going to do it.
Feathertail looked up, her blue eyes startled. “What’s the matter?”
“I . . . I have to go back,” Stormfur rasped. “I have to fulfill the Tribe’s prophecy.”
“What?” That was Tawnypelt, leaving the mouse she was eating to come and stand over him. “Have bees swarmed in your brain?”
Stormfur shook his head. “I spoke to Silverstream. To our mother,” he went on to Feathertail. “She came to me in a dream.”
Feathertail’s eyes stretched wide. “And she told you to go back?”
“Well, not exactly. But she told me that a question can have many answers. I think one of those answers is for me to go back and accept the fate that the Tribe of Endless Hunting has laid down.”
“But Stormfur . . .” Brambleclaw looked puzzled. “What about your duty to StarClan? What about ourprophecy?”
“I was never one of the four chosen cats,” Stormfur meowed. “And Silverstream said that the Tribe of Endless Hunting should be honored too. They are warrior ancestors, after all, even if they are not ours.”
He could see that Brambleclaw was unhappy about his decision, and he hoped that the ThunderClan warrior would not try to order him to continue the journey. He respected Brambleclaw, and had been content to follow his lead, but now that he knew that he had found the right path, nothing would turn him aside, not even the friendship that had grown between them.
“What do the rest of you think?” Brambleclaw meowed.
The Clan cats looked uncertainly at one another. While he was waiting for one of them to speak, Stormfur noticed Talon sitting a little way apart with Rock and Bird. For the first time Stormfur thought he could see a gleam of hope in his amber eyes, but when Talon caught his gaze he looked away, as if he would not allow himself a voice in this debate.
“Well, Ithink it’s a mouse-brained idea.” Tawnypelt’s tail twitched back and forth. “I’m staying with Brambleclaw and going back to the forest. Or have you forgotten about what’s happening there?”
“I’m not asking any cat to come with me,” Stormfur meowed hastily. “This is something that I have to do, but the rest of you can go on with the journey.”
Feathertail got up and padded toward him, pressing her nose against his shoulder. “Stupid furball,” she mewed. “You don’t think I’m going to let you do this alone, do you?”
“Then I’ll come too.” Stormfur was not surprised that Crowpaw wanted to go with Feathertail, but he was startled as the WindClan apprentice went on, “Actually, Stormfur, I think you’re right. Ever since we rescued you, you’ve been mooning around like a rabbit without its tail. It makes my fur ache, just looking at you. You’re obviously going to be no use at all until you’ve tried to help these cats.”
Stormfur gave him a nod of gratitude. Crowpaw’s bad-tempered words couldn’t disguise that he had just made a courageous offer. None of the Clan cats could be sure that the Tribe would welcome them, not to mention the danger from Sharptooth.
“I want to come too!” Squirrelpaw sprang to her paws, her green eyes blazing and her tail curled up with excitement. Turning to Brambleclaw, she pleaded, “Can’t we all go? We can’tlet Stormfur face Sharptooth by himself.”
“He isn’t by himself,” Brambleclaw mewed dryly. With a rueful glance at Tawnypelt, he added, “It looks as if we’re outvoted. If one goes, we all go. I haven’t forgotten about the forest—but we have to remember the warrior code, too.”
Squirrelpaw let out a wordless yowl of triumph.
Tawnypelt’s tail lashed once. “I think you’re all as crazy as hares in newleaf,” she growled. “But I said I’d stay with you, Brambleclaw, and I will.”
Stormfur looked around at them, warmed to the roots of his fur by their loyalty. Except for his sister, none of them had any reason to support him apart from the bonds that had been forged between them on their journey. Midnight had spoken the truth when she said that four clans had become one. Stormfur could see nothing but good in the way that the old Clan boundaries were melting away, and he wondered if in the forest the Clans were learning to be friends as well while facing the Twoleg threat. Perhaps at last the ache of his half-Clan heritage could be soothed, and he would find a place where he could truly belong. “Thank you,” he mewed solemnly.
“The Tribe of Endless Hunting will honor your courage,” Talon meowed. “But what exactly do you mean to do?”
“I have an idea!” Squirrelpaw looked almost ready to leap out of her fur.
Every cat looked at her. Talon let out a hiss of disbelief.
“Go on,” urged Brambleclaw.
“What Silverstream said,” Squirrelpaw began, “about every question having many answers. Well, lots of cats have tried to kill Sharptooth and failed, over and over again. Even fighters like Talon. So we have to find another answer, and I think I know what it is.”
“What?” Crowpaw’s voice was dry. “Are you going to go up to him and ask him nicely to go away?”
“Mouse-brain!” meowed Squirrelpaw. “No, if we can’t kill Sharptooth by ourselves, we have to find something else to do it for us.”
第十七章
第十七章
暴毛的四肢疼得厉害，雨水淋湿了皮毛，身体也更加沉重了。他踉踉跄跄地走在石头上，费力极了。他感觉自己仿佛已经在暴风雨的黑夜里逃了好几个月了，整个世界仿佛只剩下岩石和凄风苦雨。
当他爬上一块破裂的岩石表面，这才意识到雨已经小多了。没多久，暴风雨已经变成被风吹得乱飞的水滴了。天空开始放晴，月亮从云缝中绽放出了微微的光亮。
黑莓掌停了下来，其余的几只猫赶紧聚拢在他身边。他们站在一个宽敞的石台上，头顶上方是一个碎石坡，岩石下方则是深不可测的黑暗。
“我不知道我们现在在哪儿。”黑莓掌坦白地说，“很抱歉，我本打算带你们沿着当初山洞卫士护送我们离开的那条路，但这个地方我从来没有见过。”
“这不是你的错。”松鼠爪说着瞟了一眼鸦爪，似乎担心他会说出什么难听的话来，“雨把所有的气味都冲走了，周围又一片漆黑，什么都看不见。”
“还算一切顺利。”鸦爪说道，“但现在我们该怎么办？只怕一不小心，又被部落猫抓住。”
“还可能被尖牙兽抓住。”羽尾哆嗦着补充了一句。
暴毛清了清嗓子。一想起自己曾把部落猫当成了朋友，他心里就充满了内疚，也觉得遭到了背叛。他只想尽快忘掉部落猫和跟他们相关的一切。但他们教给他的一些技能现在可能用得着，不去用才是鼠脑子呢。
“我觉着我能找到路。”暴毛说道，“别忘了，我跟部落猫一起狩猎的次数，比你们几个可要多得多。”
“那么你来带路，”黑莓掌立即做出决定，“把我们带出这些大山。”
雷族武士这么信任他，让暴毛心里感到些许暖意。如果黑莓掌不信任他，他也不会感到奇怪，毕竟他曾和部落猫打成一片。现在他才明白，黑莓掌的友情对他来说有多么重要。
“穿越这些山需要几天时间。”他提醒这位虎斑武士。他想起溪儿有一天带着自己爬上一座高峰的顶部，居高临下，看到高耸的岩石延伸到无尽的前方。最不济，他们还可以等到天亮以后，升起的太阳可以为他们指引方向。“不过，我认为我能把你们带出部落猫的领地。”
“越快越好。”鸦爪小声说道。他紧紧站在羽尾身边，皮毛都挨在一起了。似乎有一条无声的纽带把他俩连在了一起，暴毛很想知道他被关在山洞里时发生了什么事。
暴毛领着大家顺着石台斜着走，往碎石坡上爬，爪子在松散的石头上直打滑。到了山脊上，他停了下来，仔细观察着生在岩石上的苔藓和一根长满瘤的树干，很快便找到前行的方向。内疚感再次涌上心头，因为他意识到，用部落猫的方式判别方向真是太容易了，搞得就好像他很乐意成为一只部落猫，而不是河族的武士似的。
“怎么了？”羽尾轻声问道。她走到暴毛身边，身体挨着哥哥的身体。他应该知道，妹妹能体会他现在的坏心情。
“我信任他们，”暴毛生气地说道，“溪儿、鹰崖和别的部落猫，我从没想到……他们会把我囚禁起来，害得你们几个冒着生命危险来救我。”
“我们不会扔下你不管的。”羽尾安慰道。
“他们从没跟我说过那个预言，你们知道吗？我们一起狩猎之余，他们也没告诉我。所以，当尖石巫师在尖石洞里讲述那个预言时，我跟你们一样震惊。”
“是的，我们都知道。”他妹妹小声说道。
“但是，我们必须得站在这里讨论这件事吗？”鸦爪也来到山脊上兄妹站着的地方，扫兴地说，“我们还是赶紧赶路吧。”
“他们一定是搞错了。”暴毛没有理会风族学徒，凝视着羽尾的眼神，试图说服自己也说服她，“我不是预言里的那只猫，对不对？那根本讲不通。”
“对，你根本不是那只猫。”羽尾说道，“你也别责怪自己，暴毛。我们大家都不知道会发生什么。至于那些部落猫，他们也不是坏猫，只是一时着急，有些不顾一切罢了。”
暴毛不希望妹妹看出他隐藏在内心深处的负疚感。如果那预言是真的，杀无尽部落真的选他来拯救部落猫，那该怎么办？星族选中四只猫拯救森林，但他不是其中之一。他之所以会踏上这次旅程，只是因为他不想看到羽尾离开他。现在，他开始有点怀疑，是否杀无尽部落已经影响了他的决定，这样，他就能出现在正确的地方摧毁那只尖牙兽。
但他却在部落猫最需要他的时候离开了。他还记得尖牙兽离开山洞时，凶狠的大嘴里叼着星辰，星辰无助地喊着救命。如果下一只要死去的猫是鹰崖怎么办？如果是溪儿呢？暴毛的脑海里出现了利齿恶狠狠地咬着那只美丽母猫的画面。他拼命不再去想这幅画面。
他身子抖了一下，几乎没意识到其他的同伴正在等着他。
“有什么不对劲吗？”黑莓掌问道。
暴毛抖抖身体，说道：“没事，这边走。”
在山脊的另一边，地面倾斜成一面山坡，山坡上布满一道道浅浅的断崖，断崖很矮，众猫可以一级一级跳下去。当暴毛蹲伏在一道断崖的边缘时，看到有只山鸟正在他下方栖息着。
松鼠爪在暴毛的肩膀上捅了一下，用耳朵指了指。为保险起见，暴毛用尾巴轻轻拂过松鼠爪的嘴巴，并示意其他几只猫安静。
“我去捉它，你们待在这儿。”他小声说道。
他惊讶地发现，他竟然能如此自然运用新学的狩猎技能，就好像生来就会似的。那只鸟停在窄窄的石台上，所以他不能跳下去捉它，以免不小心摔下去。在森林里，猫都会毫不犹豫地从树林里跳出来，因为那里有很柔软的地面，而这里却是参差不齐的石头，足以划破他们的脚掌，震断他们的骨头。
所以，他小心翼翼地往下滑了几尾长的距离，在碎石的掩护下，悄悄绕到小鸟的身后。等靠得足够近的时候，他猛扑了过去，一掌将那小鸟拍在岩石上。小鸟无助地扑腾了几下，就死掉了。
“太棒了！”松鼠爪惊叹道。她卷起尾巴，一脸崇拜地说道：“暴毛，你简直就是一只真正的山猫。”
“我可不想当山猫。”暴毛说。
六只猫围成一圈，分享了这只鸟。刚吃完，天空就又开始下起了毛毛雨，乌云滚滚，再次遮住了月亮。
“天气太糟糕了！”黑莓掌说着，伸出舌头舔了舔嘴巴周围，“我想，我们还是找个地方避避雨，今晚不赶路了。”
“只要不让部落猫追上我们就行。”褐皮提醒道。暴毛注意到，褐皮的肩膀现在似乎完全好了。尖石巫师的草药很有效啊。至少这件事，他们应该感谢部落猫。
“我认为我们现在已经走得够远了，”暴毛说道，“黑莓掌说得对，我们不能在雨中继续赶路。我们看看，能不能找个岩洞休息一下。”
说完，他就又领着大家往前走。这一次，是寻找栖身之所。很快，他就在岩石下方发现了一个黑漆漆的洞。洞一直延伸进山腰深处，几簇矮小的灌木悬在洞口上方。
他小心翼翼地靠近洞口，嗅了嗅。“有陈旧的兔子的气味，”他向大伙报告说，“可能很久之前是个兔子洞。”
“真遗憾，我还想着能捉只兔子呢！”松鼠爪说。
“还有部落猫的气味，”走到暴毛身旁的鸦爪嗅了嗅，说道，“气味相当新鲜。我不会进去的。”
“那你就待在外面淋雨吧。”松鼠爪说罢，就往前走去。
“等一等，”褐皮用尾巴拦住松鼠爪，不让她贸然进洞，“让我先探查一下。”
褐皮一点一点下到洞里，松鼠爪则生气地盯着她的背影。这是那天晚上，暴毛第一次感到振奋，雷族学徒的勇气让他感到一丝暖意——她仍然不愿只让武士承担危险任务啊。
过了片刻，褐皮的声音从洞里传来。声音在洞里回响着，就好像她是在下面一个开阔的地方说话似的。“快来吧，里面很安全。”
暴毛领着大家沿着狭窄的地道往下走。这段通道太狭窄了，他身上的毛都蹭到两边的石壁了。通道越来越狭窄，暴毛不得不深吸一口气，以免自己被卡住。突然，前方一下子开阔起来。尽管洞里仍然一团漆黑，但脚爪踏在地面的回声告诉他，此时他正站在一个相当宽敞的山洞里。
“太棒了！”紧跟在暴毛身后的松鼠爪不禁发出赞叹。暴毛感觉松鼠爪抖了抖身上的雨珠，又补充了一句，“现在要是再有一个猎物堆那就太完美了！”
暴毛闻着气味数了数，六只猫都到齐了，也包括鸦爪。他刚刚开始松了口气，这时，另一种气味扑面而来。他顿时害怕得僵住了：那是一只部落猫，但是跟他先前认识的那些部落猫有些不同。
与此同时，阴影里传来了一个声音：“你们是谁？”
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 18
All night the Clan had keptvigil for Dappletail, and now, in the pale dawn light, the elders were bearing her body out of the camp to be buried. The clearing was wreathed in mist and the leafless branches of the trees dripped rain from a sharp shower during the night. Leafpaw watched in silence. The old cat had been part of her life, and with her passing it seemed as if everything else she had known would slip away too.
As the elders departed through the gorse tunnel, the other cats gathered together in little groups, mewing urgently and casting anxious glances at one another. Leafpaw could not hear what they were saying, but she didn’t need to. She knew they would be discussing the disappearance of Cloudtail and Brightheart. That made four cats that were missing from ThunderClan, but Leafpaw could not believe that StarClan had summoned Cloudtail and Brightheart away too—unless the others had already failed on their quest, and would never return. If you can’t help us, StarClan, she thought desperately, why are you taking our cats away?
Cinderpelt broke into her thoughts, pushing her nose into Leafpaw’s fur in wordless comfort, then limped forward a pace or two to meet Firestar and Graystripe. Leafpaw spotted Mousefur loping across the clearing after them with Thornclaw and Ashfur just behind her.
“I’m taking out the dawn patrol,” Mousefur announced as she came up. “Do you still want us to look for Cloudtail and Brightheart?”
“Not that there’s much point, if they left on purpose,” Ashfur added darkly.
Leafpaw’s heart sank even further as she remembered the Clan’s efforts the day before to find the two cats. Patrols had covered the entire territory, picking up a scent trail leading toward the place where the Twolegs had destroyed the forest. It had broken off abruptly near one of the huge tree-cutting monsters, and after that there was nothing.
“Keep your eyes open,” Firestar replied. “That’s all you can do.”
“I wouldn’t put it past Cloudtail to have gone back to the Twolegs,” Mousefur growled. “With so little prey in the forest, even Twoleg food must look tempting.”
“And he ate it often enough when he was an apprentice,” Ashfur put in.
“Yes, don’t forget the time he left us,” Mousefur mewed. “Cats were put at risk, rescuing him from the Twolegs.”
“That’s enough!” Graystripe hissed.
“No, she’s right.” Leafpaw couldn’t believe how tired her father sounded. “Cloudtail has always had a paw in the Twoleg world. But I thought he was loyal to his Clan now.”
“Of course he is. You’re not being fair to him.” Cinderpelt’s voice was sharp. “It’s been a long time since Cloudtail ate kittypet food. He was young and stupid then.”
“Besides, Brightheart would never do that.” Graystripe supported his missing Clanmates with a flash of his amber eyes. “And Cloudtail wouldn’t go off without her. We have to figure out why they’re bothmissing.”
“And why they left Whitepaw behind,” Thornclaw meowed. “She’s their only kit.”
Mousefur grunted. “True. I wonder if they went over to RiverClan?” she suggested. “Stealing fish?”
“Now I wouldn’t put thatpast Cloudtail,” Cinderpelt agreed, but there was no hostility in her voice.
Graystripe thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No. If RiverClan caught them they’d just chase them off. There’d be trouble at the next Gathering, but our cats wouldn’t just disappear.”
Unless they fell in the river, Leafpaw thought, not daring to put words to the idea. She couldn’t forget the surge of floodwater when she nearly fell off the stepping-stones, on her way to help Reedpaw.
“Their scent trail didn’t lead toward RiverClan,” Firestar pointed out. “I can’t help thinking it’s strange that it ended so close to the Twoleg monsters. Suppose . . .”
He let his voice die away, but Leafpaw saw the anxiety in his eyes, and she could guess what his thoughts were. She had seen how the first Twoleg monster turned from the Thunderpath and began to tear up the forest. If a cat got in its way it could be crunched in those powerful jaws without the monster even realizing it. She shivered, and her gaze met her father’s. They were both fond of their wayward kin Cloudtail, and Leafpaw loved Brightheart fiercely for her courage in coping with the terrible injuries from the dog pack. The two cats would be a great loss to their Clan.
“Just carry on as usual, Mousefur,” Firestar decided. “And report if you see anything odd.”
“I always do.” Mousefur hurried off with the two younger warriors behind her.
Firestar shook himself as if he was pushing useless thoughts away. “Cinderpelt, has StarClan shown you anything at all about Cloudtail and Brightheart?”
“No,” Cinderpelt replied. “Nothing at all.”
“Or any signs about more warriors going missing in the forest? It’s . . . it’s not all that long since Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw disappeared.” He choked the words out like half-eaten bones.
Again Cinderpelt shook her head. “StarClan is silent. I’m sorry.”
Yet again, Leafpaw struggled with the urge to tell her father and mentor what she knew, that Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw had been summoned away by StarClan to discover something that would help the forest. But she hardly knew what to say anymore. Whenever she tried to reach Squirrelpaw she had nothing but confused, terrifying impressions of rushing water, darkness, and raking claws—blood, rock, and water churned together. She couldn’t reassure Firestar that Squirrel-paw was all right, nor give Graystripe hopeful news of his missing children from RiverClan.
“Perhaps I ought to make a trip to Highstones,” Firestar meowed. “StarClan might speak to me, if—”
He broke off as Brackenfur came up, his apprentice, Whitepaw, just behind him. Leafpaw’s heart went out to her. The young cat’s head was bowed, and her tail trailed in the dust. She was obviously grieving for the loss of her parents.
“Firestar, I think you ought to have a word with Whitepaw,” Brackenfur mewed worriedly.
Firestar’s ears flicked up. “Why, what’s the matter?”
Whitepaw looked up at him. “I want to be excused from training,” she begged, her eyes burning with the intensity of her plea. “I want to look for Cloudtail and Brightheart.”
“I’ve told her she can’t go off on her own,” Brackenfur continued. “But she—”
“Please,” Whitepaw interrupted. “I’m only an apprentice. The Clan can do without me. I’ve gotto find them.”
Firestar shook his head. “I’m sorry, Whitepaw,” he meowed gently. “Apprentices are important to the Clan, just as much as any other cat. Besides, Brackenfur is quite right. You can’t go wandering off by yourself, especially now, when we don’t know what the danger is. In fact, no cat should leave camp alone.”
“We’ve searched already,” Graystripe added. “We did everything we could.”
“But it wasn’t enough!” Whitepaw wailed. Leafpaw knew that Whitepaw would never have spoken to the Clan deputy like that if she hadn’t been driven out of her mind with worry.
“StarClan will be with them wherever they are,” Cinderpelt murmured comfortingly, pressing her nose into Whitepaw’s fur.
“Brackenfur, take out a hunting patrol,” Firestar meowed. “StarClan knows, we can use the fresh-kill. Whitepaw, go with him; you can keep your eyes open for Cloudtail and Brightheart as well. But you’re notto leave your mentor, is that clear?”
Whitepaw nodded; she was looking a little more hopeful.
“I’ll go with you,” Graystripe offered, “and I’ll get Sandstorm to come as well. If any cat can find them, she can.” He hurried off into the warriors’ den.
“Thank you, Firestar,” mewed Whitepaw, dipping her head respectfully before following her mentor toward the camp entrance.
Leafpaw watched until Graystripe and Sandstorm came to join them, and all four cats disappeared into the gorse tunnel.
“We aren’t safe in our own territory anymore,” Firestar murmured. “But surely fourcats can’t go missing without—”
He broke off as a low, feeble wail rose up from the nursery. Leafpaw whipped around to see Dustpelt emerge. He staggered forward for a couple of tail-lengths and sank to the ground as if his legs would not hold him up.
With a glance at her father, Leafpaw dashed across to him, visions of disaster rushing through her head. Firestar and Cinderpelt followed, and came to a stop in front of Dustpelt.
“Are you hurt?” Firestar demanded.
The brown tabby warrior gazed up at his leader with eyes as dull as pebbles. “It wasn’t her fault,” he whispered. “Ferncloud did her best. But she hasn’t been eating enough to keep herself alive, let alone three kits.”
As he finished speaking, Leafpaw heard the wail break out again, echoing with enough grief for the death of a whole Clan.
“What is it?” she cried.
Dustpelt gave her a long, hopeless stare. “Larchkit is dead.”
Instantly, Cinderpelt whisked past Dustpelt, on her way to Ferncloud in the nursery. Firestar rested his tail-tip on the brown warrior’s shoulder, in a vain attempt to comfort him. Dustpelt briefly pushed his nose into his leader’s flame-colored fur. Leafpaw felt her throat tighten to see the two cats, who had never been friends, brought close together by their shared grief.
“What next?” Firestar meowed, lifting his head to the gray morning sky. “StarClan, what trouble will you send to ThunderClan now?”
第十八章
第十八章
整个晚上，族群都在为斑尾守夜，现在，天空中刚刚露出鱼肚白，长老们抬着她的尸体走出营地，准备下葬。空地上雾蒙蒙一片。昨夜下了一场急雨，一滴滴水珠从光秃秃的树枝上滴落。叶爪静静地看着。这只老猫曾经是她生活的一部分，随着老猫的离世，好像她所熟知的一切都将渐渐消逝。
当长老们走过金雀花通道，剩下的猫开始三五成群地聚在一起，焦急地说着话，相互担忧地看着。叶爪听不见他们在说什么，但根本无须问，她也知道，他们正在讨论云尾和亮心失踪的事情。算起来，雷族现在有四只猫失踪了，但叶爪不相信星族也召唤走了云尾和亮心——除非那几只远行的猫失败了，并且再也回不来了。星族啊，如果你们不能帮助我们，为什么要一只只带走我们的猫啊？她绝望地想道。
炭毛把脸贴在叶爪的皮毛里，一下子打断了她的思绪。无声地安慰了她后，炭毛一瘸一拐地往前走了两步，迎上了火星和灰条。叶爪看到，鼠毛大步流星穿过空地，朝火星他们追了过去。鼠毛的身后还跟着刺掌和蜡毛。
“我准备带领黎明巡逻队出去了，”鼠毛走近火星时说道，“你还想让我们去寻找云尾和亮心吗？”
“如果他们是有意离开的话，寻找他们也没有什么意义。”蜡毛阴郁地说道。
当叶爪想起前一天全族为了寻找这两只猫费了多大气力时，她的心不禁一沉。巡逻队找遍了雷族全境，循着两只猫的气味一直来到被两脚兽破坏的森林处。结果，气味在一只砍木头的怪物旁突然消失了，但那里什么都没有。
“你们多留意点，”火星说道，“你们也只能做到这分上了。”
“如果云尾又回到两脚兽那儿去，我也不会感到惊讶，”鼠毛吼道，“森林里猎物快绝迹了，即使是两脚兽的食物，也太有诱惑了。”
“他当学徒的时候就经常吃两脚兽的食物。”蜡毛也说道。
“是的，别忘了他上次离开我们时，”鼠毛说道，“族猫们可是冒着很大的危险，才把他从两脚兽那里救了出来。”
“够了！”灰条嘶嘶地喝道。
“不，她说得没错。”叶爪简直不敢相信父亲的声音听起来竟会如此疲惫，“云尾一直跟两脚兽有联系，但我认为他现在忠于雷族。”
“他当然很忠诚，你们那么说对他是不公平的。”炭毛的声音很尖锐，“云尾是吃过宠物猫的食物，但那已经过去很久了。那时候他还年幼，不懂事。”
“此外，亮心绝不会去两脚兽那儿。”灰条黄色的眼睛炯炯有神，声援他失踪的族猫，“而云尾绝不会留下她独自离开的。我们必须搞清楚，为什么他俩会一起失踪。”
“还有他们为什么会遗弃白爪，她可是他俩唯一的孩子啊。”刺掌说道。
鼠毛小声嘀咕着说道：“谁说不是呢！你们说他们会不会去河族了？去偷鱼了？”
“现在，我也不排除云尾会那样做。”炭毛附和道，但声音里没有一丝的不高兴。
灰条想了一会儿，然后摇了摇头。“不会的。如果河族猫抓住了他们，只会把他们赶走，然后会在下次森林大会时找麻烦，但我们的猫不会失踪啊。”
除非他们掉进河里淹死了。叶爪心里这么想着，但没敢说出口。她忘不了去救芦苇爪，自己从垫脚石上滑落时可怕的洪水。
“他们留下的气味并没通向河族那边。”火星说道，“我还是觉得，最后闻到的气味那么接近两脚兽的怪物，实在是太奇怪了。假如……”
他欲言又止，但叶爪看得出来他眼里的担心，也猜得到他心里想什么。叶爪曾经亲眼看到第一只两脚兽的怪物是怎样从雷鬼路转向，开始撕毁森林的。如果一只猫不慎走在它前进的路上，那些怪物甚至都没意识到，就会用自己有力的大嘴把猫咬成碎渣。想到这儿，叶爪不禁身子一抖。她看了父亲的眼睛一眼。他们俩都很喜欢云尾这个任性不羁的亲戚，叶爪更是非常喜欢亮心，因为她在面对狗群给自己造成的伤痛时，表现出来的勇气令叶爪仰慕不已。如果失去这两只猫，真的是族群的一大损失。
“鼠毛，照常巡逻，如果看到异常情况赶紧报告。”火星做出了决定。
“是。”说完，鼠毛带着两位年轻的武士匆匆离开了。
火星站起来抖抖身子，好像要把各种没用的想法甩掉。“炭毛，星族有没有向你显示跟云尾和亮心相关的什么征兆？”
“没有，什么都没有。”炭毛回答道。
“那有没有显示森林里将会有更多武士失踪的信号？这……这离黑莓掌和松鼠爪失踪并不是太久。”他就像是骨头吃了一半，艰难地说出了这句话。
炭毛又摇了摇头，说道：“对不起，星族什么都没有说。”
叶爪心里又开始进行激烈的思想斗争，她想把知道的一切全都告诉父亲和老师，告诉他们，黑莓掌和松鼠爪是被星族召走去寻找解救森林的办法。但她不知道如何开口，因为每一次当她试图联系松鼠爪时，得到的全都是湍急的水流、黑暗、利爪——血、岩石、水交织在一起，不知该如何解读的可怕画面。她不能向父亲保证松鼠爪安然无恙，也不能带给灰条任何有关他失踪的河族孩子的乐观消息。
“也许我应该去高石山一趟，”火星说道，“星族或许会与我交流，如果……”
火星的话被走过来的蕨毛和他身后的学徒白爪给打断了。叶爪的心都快要跳出来了。这只年幼的猫低着脑袋，尾巴耷拉在地上，显然还沉浸在失去父母的悲痛中。
“火星，还是你来跟白爪谈一谈吧。”蕨毛担心地说道。
火星的耳朵立刻支棱了起来：“怎么啦，发生什么事了？”
白爪仰脸看着他。“我想先停止上训练课。”她眼神里流露出强烈的恳求之意，“我想去寻找他们。”
“我已经跟她说了，不能独自出去，”蕨毛继续说道，“但她……”
“求你了，”白爪打断了老师的话，“我只是个学徒，族群没有我照样转。我一定要去找他们。”
火星摇了摇头。“很抱歉，白爪，”他语气温和地说，“学徒跟任何其他的猫一样，对族群都很重要。而且，蕨毛说得很对，你不能独自离开营地，特别是现在，我们都不知道面临的危险是什么。实际上，任何一只猫都不能独自离开营地。”
“我们已经把整个领地都寻找了一遍，”灰条插话说道，“我们已经做了能做的一切。”
“但还不够！”白爪哭喊道。叶爪知道，白爪如果不是心急如焚，根本不会跟副族长那样说话。
“不管他们在哪儿，星族都会与他们同在。”炭毛把鼻子贴在白爪身上，轻声安慰着。
“蕨毛，你带支巡逻队出去，”火星说，“星族知道，我们会在狩猎的同时寻找他们的。白爪，你也跟着一起去，到时好好找找云尾和亮心。但你不能离开老师，听清楚了吗？”
白爪点点头，她看起来好像又重拾了一点希望。
“我和你们一起去，”灰条说道，“我把沙风也叫上。如果说哪只猫能找到他们，那只有她了。”说完，他匆匆走进了武士巢穴。
“谢谢你，火星。”白爪说完，冲火星恭敬地低了一下头，然后跟着老师朝营地出口走去。
叶爪一直看着，她看到灰条和沙风走到了他俩身边，四只猫消失在金雀花通道里。
“我们连在自己的领地内也不安全了，”火星喃喃说道，“但四只猫一起怎么也不会走丢吧，除非……”
育婴室里传来一阵声音低沉微弱的哀号声，打断了火星的话。叶爪猛地转过头，看到了尘毛。尘毛摇摇晃晃向前走了几尾长的距离，就一下子倒在了地上，就好像他的四肢无法支撑他的身子似的。
叶爪瞥了一眼父亲，立刻冲向尘毛，一个不幸的画面一下子出现在脑海中。火星和炭毛也赶紧跟在叶爪身后，来到尘毛面前。
“你受伤了吗？”火星询问道。
这只暗棕色虎斑猫凝视着族长，眼神如卵石般黯淡。“那不是她的错，”他轻声说道，“香薇云已经尽力了。但她自己都吃不饱肚子，都快活不下去了，更别说三个孩子了。”
他刚说完，叶爪就听到哀号声再次响起，回响着对整个族群灭亡的巨大悲痛。
“出什么事了？”叶爪喊道。
尘毛绝望地盯着她：“小叶松死了。”
听完这话，炭毛立刻丢下尘毛，朝香薇云所在的育婴室跑去。火星把尾巴尖静静地放在深棕色武士的肩膀上，无力地安慰着他。尘毛一下子将鼻子埋进族长那火焰色的皮毛里。看到这两只一向交情不好的猫，这会儿却因为共同的悲伤紧紧相依，叶爪只觉嗓子发紧。
“接下来还会发生什么事？”火星仰望着黎明灰色的天空，说道，“星族啊，现在你还要给雷族降下什么灾祸？”
第十九章

第十九章
那是什么？暴毛吓得顿时身上的每一根毛都立了起来。他和伙伴们深陷在这个黑暗的山洞里，不管说话的是谁，他都已挡住出口，而山洞里又没有其他的出口。他拼命地嗅了嗅空气，嗅出几只猫的气味，好像身上有部落猫的气味，但不是部落猫。
“你们是谁？”暴毛问道。
没听到回答，暴毛感到有一只陌生的猫走进洞中，用有力的肩膀把他一下子挤到了一边，后面跟着一串轻柔的脚步声。
接着，他听到黑莓掌强装镇定的回答：“我们正在赶往离这儿很远的家，只想在这里借住一晚。我们不会冒犯你们。”
那陌生猫又说道：“这里是我们的地盘。”
“那么我们马上离开。”褐皮说着就朝洞口走去，另外几只猫也拖着脚步跟在她身后。
暴毛感觉自己身上的毛平顺了下来。他只希望不用打斗就能离开这个山洞。这些猫肯定不是来自急水部落的，否则怎么会认不出他和他的朋友呢？但是，他们身上都带着部落猫的气味。暴毛有些困惑，但只要能安全地离开这儿，他宁可把这谜团丢在脑后。
“别那么着急离开，”新来的猫大吼道，“我们怎么知道你们说的是不是实话？我不认识你们，也从来没闻到过你们的气味。”
“鹰爪，我们应该把他们关起来。”另一只猫发出不大的嘶嘶声，“我们可以把他们当作诱饵，引尖牙兽上钩。”
“你们知道尖牙兽？”暴毛惊呼了一声。
“我们当然知道尖牙兽，”被称为鹰爪的那只最先开口的猫声音低沉着说，“这附近山里的每只猫都知道尖牙兽。”
他说话的时候，暴毛发现洞里并非完全漆黑，随着黎明的微弱光线照进通道内，那群陌生猫的身影渐渐显现出来。当看清他们的样子时，暴毛恐惧得身上的每根毛又竖了起来。
第一只叫鹰爪的猫，是他见过的最大的猫了。这只猫长着一身深棕色的虎斑花纹，肩膀宽阔，脚爪巨大；一身蓬乱的毛发充满敌意地竖着；一道很深的疤痕横贯半边脸；嘴唇因为咆哮向后卷着。他那琥珀色的眼睛眯缝着，正狐疑地盯着这群森林猫。
鹰爪的身后站着另外两只猫，一只是骨瘦如柴的黑色公猫，尾巴很短，简直跟锯齿状的树桩差不多；另一只是灰褐色的母猫。这两只猫都弹出了爪子，仿佛有些迫不及待要将爪子抓进族群猫的皮毛里。
尽管族群猫在数量上比陌生猫多一倍，暴毛还是不想通过打斗来脱身。要想硬闯出去还不受伤，根本不可能。他看得出来，几个同伴都有相同的想法，就连最好斗的鸦爪也沉默不语，只是警惕地盯着三只陌生猫。
“我们见过尖牙兽，知道它有多凶残。”黑莓掌仍在尝试着跟陌生猫和平交谈，“但我们肩负着紧急任务，不得不马上离开。”
“我说你们可以走的时候，你们才能走。”鹰爪吼道。
“你们别想强留下我们！”松鼠爪瞪着一双绿色的眼睛，大声喝道，吓得暴毛后退了两步。松鼠爪的确勇气可嘉，但有时候简直还不如一只蜉蝣会看形势说话。
“我们才刚从急水部落逃出来。”鸦爪发出愤怒的嘶嘶声。暴毛第一次感觉跟他有着同样的感觉。跟这些可怕的猫说话，松鼠爪需要更加小心才是。
但出乎暴毛的意料，鹰爪眼神里的怀疑消失了，问道：“你们之前是跟急水部落在一起？”
“的确如此，”黑莓掌说道，“如此说来，你认识他们？”
“当然认识，简直太认识了。”鹰爪答道。那只虎斑母猫又补充了一句：“我们以前也是急水部落的。”
暴毛惊愕地看着她。他原以为这些猫是无家可归的泼皮猫。这就解释得通了，难怪他们身上有急水部落的气味但又不完全相同，原来他们曾经是那个部落的成员。但接着，他就想起那个部落曾经不肯在夜里将族群猫撵出去，以免他们碰上尖牙兽。如果他们肯为陌生猫着想，怎么会让自己同部落的伙伴住在外面的山洞里呢？这似乎有些奇怪。除非他们做了什么比尖牙兽还可恶的错事……
“是部落猫让你们离开的吗？”暴毛问道。
“差不多吧。”鹰爪咕哝了一句，身上直立的毛发慢慢平顺下来。他向两位同伴轻弹了一下尾巴。那两只猫似乎是接到守护洞口的命令，在洞口的两边分别坐下。“坐下吧！”鹰爪对几只森林猫说，“我们好好谈一谈。但别试图离开，除非你们不想要自己的耳朵了。”
暴毛相信他这威胁是认真的。他小心翼翼地坐下，其他几个同伴也都尽可能舒服地在满是沙子的地上坐了下来。光线越来越强，暴毛能清晰地看见周围的一切：洞顶上满是盘根错节的树根，一直延伸到洞壁上，洞壁上到处是突出的树根和石头。他没看到任何睡觉的窝，也没有猎物堆，或者这三只猫在这里常住的其他痕迹。但是鹰爪说这里是他们经常栖身的地方。如果真的是这样，那这儿的生活一定非常艰苦。
“我的名字叫来自飞扑鹰的鹰爪。”这只巨大的虎斑猫开始说话了，他抬起一只爪子摸摸脸上的疤痕，继续说道，“在我很小的时候，一只老鹰在我的脸上留下了这道疤痕，我也因此得名。同时，这道疤痕也提醒我，我曾经离死亡有多近。这位是积雪的岩石（译注：以下简称雪岩），这位是御风而行的鸟（译注：以下简称飞鸟）。”他用尾巴依次点着那只黑色公猫和另一只母猫介绍道。
暴毛心里的恐惧开始慢慢消退。不知为何，陌生猫作了自我介绍之后，他们看起来似乎就不再那么充满敌意了。
“好多个季节以前，”鹰爪继续说道，“杀无尽部落给尖石巫师传递了一个征兆。于是，我们部落选派了六只猫，离开栖居的山洞，进到山里与尖牙兽正面交锋，并杀死它。我们就是那六只猫中的三只。”
“那另外三只呢？”鸦爪插嘴问道。
“尖牙兽突然出现，”站在洞口处的雪岩咬牙切齿地说，“差点要了我的命。不然你们以为我尾巴怎么会短一截？”
“嗯？等等，”鸦爪问道，“你是说部落派你们去杀尖牙兽？”
鹰爪低下头说：“尖石巫师下令，不扒了尖牙兽的皮，我们就不要回来。”
“那可真是鼠脑子！”松鼠爪大喊道，“你们整个部落合在一起都对付不了那尖牙兽，你们六位又如何杀得了它？”
那只虎斑猫再次抬起了头。暴毛看到他的眼里有着深深的悲苦，不禁眉头一蹙。“我不知道，”那只虎斑猫继续说道，“你们以为，我们就没有问过自己这个问题吗？只要能拯救我们的部落，就算把我的皮扒了都行。但我们又能做些什么呢？”
羽尾低声安慰他们道：“你们没有去跟尖石巫师说，你们已经竭尽全力了？没准他就让你们回去了。”
“不！”鹰爪盯着她，眼睛里仿佛燃起了熊熊火焰，“我绝不会可怜巴巴地哀求他。更何况，求他又有什么用？我们都得服从杀无尽部落的旨意。”
暴毛眼睛眨了眨。有时候，他们的武士祖灵的话，的确听起来非常严厉，难以理解，但他从没听过星族将猫驱逐出去，任其自生自灭。如果星族这么要求了，我还有勇气服从？他心里问自己。
“我们之前从没听说过你们，这让我很奇怪。他们跟我们讲了尖牙兽的事情，但没有一只猫提起过你们。”黑莓掌说道。
鹰爪轻蔑地哼了一声：“没准他们早都把我们忘了。”
“或许他们羞于提起我们。”飞鸟冷冷地补充了一句。
“你们刚刚离开部落？”鹰爪问道。黑莓掌点点头。于是，鹰爪接着说道：“有一只猫……名叫溪儿，小鱼在里面游的那个溪儿。你们在部落里看到她了吗？”
暴毛的耳朵顿时支棱了起来。刹那间，嫉妒的怒火掠过他的全身，因为这位灰头土脸的独行猫说到溪儿时，语气里居然充满了感情。
“是的，我们见到溪儿了。”羽尾回答道。
“她还好吗？快不快乐？”
“她很好，”褐皮告诉他，“只要不被尖牙兽咬断脖子，她就和其他部落猫一样快乐。”
“因为我们没有杀掉尖牙兽……”鹰爪的全部悲苦仿佛全都融入了这句话中。“溪儿是我的妹妹，”他不合时宜地发出一声叹息，半开玩笑半是尴尬地接着说，“你们大概不会想到，那么漂亮的一只猫会是我的妹妹，是不是？她比我出生得晚一些。我们的妈妈被尖牙兽抓走后，我就一直想守在溪儿的身边照顾她。”
暴毛顿时松了口气。这跟他有什么关系呢？溪儿是鹰爪的妹妹也好，是他的情侣也罢，为什么他会如此在意呢？
“她本来应该跟我一起走的，”鹰爪接着说，“但杀无尽部落选中的猫里没有她。她没来也好。我们现在过的是什么日子啊！”
暴毛知道他说得对。一想到尖牙兽对部落带来的灾难，他心里不由一震：不只是因为尖牙兽杀死那些猫为食，而且还因为它破坏了那些拼了命想杀死它的猫的生活。这三只猫被放逐在外，与至亲分离……
如果他真的是被选中的那只猫，注定要从尖牙兽爪下解救这个部落，那该怎么办？他有权拒绝命运的安排吗？他脑子里突然出现了应该回去救他们的念头。但他随即被自己的这个念头吓坏了，立刻努力不去想它。他和同伴有他们自己的任务，要赶紧回去把从午夜那里得到的信息告诉族群，容不得其他事情干扰。他们必须赶在两脚兽因为开辟新的雷鬼路而摧毁森林之前，通知族群撤离。
山洞里的光线越来越亮，变成了金黄色，雨似乎也停了，太阳已经升到了山顶。暴毛感觉自己一刻也不想待在这地下的山洞里了，便站起身。
“能让我们出去捕些猎物吗？我们需要点吃的。”
鹰爪瞥了一眼同伴。
“我们哪儿也不去，”黑莓掌向他保证道，“我们都累坏了，需要好好休息一下。”
一阵短暂的停顿之后，这只虎斑猫耸耸肩说道：“离开还是留下，你们随便，这与我们无关。不管雪岩刚才怎么说，我们是不会拿你们喂尖牙兽的。”
暴毛从狭窄的通道里钻出去，来到了山坡上。太阳正挂在那座最高峰的上空，那是他们应该前往的方向。朝着日出的方向一直走，他们就能回到自己的森林家园。
松鼠爪也跟在他身后出了洞，警惕地观察着四周，一点也没有在滂沱的大雨中爬了一夜山的样子。“太好了！哪儿有猎物呢？”她说道。
昨夜发现这个山洞之前，黑咕隆咚的，又下着雨，暴毛根本没看清山洞周围的情况。现在，他终于看清楚了。在洞口的下面，山岩是断开的，断裂处覆盖着一层薄薄的泥土，长着一些草和灌木。还有一道涓涓细流从山岩间淌过。“我们从那儿下去。”暴毛提议道。
松鼠爪的尾巴朝身后的山洞扫了一下。“他们几位想睡觉，简直跟秃叶季要冬眠的刺猬似的，”松鼠爪说道，“我们去狩猎，等他们醒来时，给他们个惊喜！”
“太好了！”暴毛自然很乐意跟这个果断、开朗的学徒一起去狩猎，更何况还没有那位总是跟她形影不离的雷族武士跟着。但是，他也早就感觉到，自从他们踏上回程的路，松鼠爪和黑莓掌就越来越亲密。当然，对松鼠爪来说，跟同族的黑莓掌走得近乎，比跟暴毛产生感情容易多了。另外，他也开始意识到，自己跟溪儿在一起的感觉，与跟松鼠爪在一起的感觉是完全不一样的。
跟松鼠爪在一起时，他一直控制着自己的感情，因为他们俩来自不同的族群；但溪儿也深深吸引了他，这也是无法回避的事实。她那一身泛着光泽的虎斑皮毛，那亮闪闪的双眸、快如闪电的速度和高超的狩猎技巧，即使暴毛已经逃离了山洞，仍一直浮现在自己的脑海里。难道这就是鸦爪和羽尾互相之间的感觉吗？他突然这么想，心中也对他俩产生了一种以前从未有过的同情。他跟溪儿，能像他们俩那样跨越族群的界线吗？
暴毛努力不再去想这些了。他再也见不到溪儿了，想这些还有什么意义呢？他努力将注意力集中到当下。在这个阳光明媚的上午，跟一个技艺高超的同伴去狩猎，想想都是一件心情舒畅的事情。把身边的松鼠爪当作朋友还是比较好，这样就不会时不时涌上一阵醋意了，嫉妒也会威胁他和黑莓掌之间的友谊。
“快点吧！”松鼠爪已经跳进了灌木丛，“赶紧教我你新学到的山猫的招数。”
他们穿过稀疏的植被，在山洞外面的石台上开始堆起猎物时，太阳已经升得更高了。松鼠爪学会了一些快速狩猎的新方法，高兴得就像一只第一次捕获雏鹰的幼崽一样，不停地蹦蹦跳跳着。
“回到森林老家后，我们要把这些狩猎方法教给大家。”她说着，抬起一只爪子拂去鼻子上粘着的一根羽毛，“我们总是在灌木丛里狩猎，不过学会这些后，我们在野外也就没问题了。”
森林黯淡的前景一下子在暴毛脑海里闪过。松鼠爪一下子猜到他在想什么，胜利的快乐顿时退去，她忧虑地又说了一句：“或许我们有机会这么做。”
当他们带回更多的猎物，放到洞口边的猎物堆上时，暴毛看到鹰爪卧在洞前的石台上，半眯着眼睛，正在晒他那一身乱糟糟的皮毛。
两只猫走近鹰爪的时候，他睁开眼睛说道：“你们收获颇丰啊。”
“请随便吃！”暴毛邀请他。
“谢谢！”他走到猎物堆跟前拖出了一只兔子。
松鼠爪小跑着进入山洞。“我去把那几个懒家伙叫起来。”她大声说着。
暴毛注意到，鹰爪只咬了一口就停了下来，一脸期待地看着他。暴毛下意识地从猎物堆里拉出一只鹰，迅速咬了一口，然后把它推给鹰爪。这只部落猫点点头，把他拿的那份猎物推给了暴毛。
“我看到你们部落都是这么分享食物的。”暴毛说着，突然低头看着自己的爪子，心里有些不舒服。
过了一会儿，他们默默地吃完了各自的猎物。暴毛都不知道，这几只被放逐的猫是如何从仇敌变成朋友的，但有一点他很确定，现在，他们几只族群猫不用再害怕他们了。他现在只希望有什么办法能帮助他们。
“我看得出来，你很担心你们的部落。”暴毛咽下一口兔子肉，笨拙地说道。
“当然，我很担心。”鹰爪直直地瞅着他，琥珀色的眼睛流露出锐利的神色，“你也一样，尽管你不是我们部落猫。”
暴毛缓缓地点了点头。他一直不愿承认这一点，甚至不敢对自己承认。难道他真的表现得这么明显，连一个陌生猫都能看得出来？
“他们每天都生活在恐惧中，”鹰爪接着说，“山洞外的每一个脚爪声都让他们心惊胆战，因为每块岩石后面都有可能潜伏着尖牙兽。”
暴毛想起狩猎队外出狩猎时，总有山洞卫士跟着，不禁点了点头。他试着想象了一下，在自己的领地上不能自由奔跑，一直活在利爪和尖牙兽的恐惧中，这种感觉实在是太糟了。他想起他们待在部落时，他第一天跟溪儿去狩猎的情景，不由得浑身一阵发抖。当时，溪儿告诉他，鹰崖和其他山洞卫士跟着，是为了防范老鹰，但是现在，他明白了，他们其实也在防范尖牙兽。他和那些部落猫的处境，其实跟他们捕获的猎物一样危险。
“我真希望我知道该怎么办。”暴毛说道，“我们之所以会踏上这趟旅程，全是因为星族的一个预言……”
“星族？”鹰爪疑惑地问道。
“是我们对武士先祖的神灵的称呼，就像你们的杀无尽部落。”暴毛解释道。
暴毛继续解释了星族是如何预言森林面临巨大的灾难，从四个族群中各选了一只猫，让他们踏上这趟旅程，去听取午夜的讲述。
“我不是那四只猫之一，但我必须跟我妹妹一起来。”他终于说完了。
“那么现在，你们要准备回家了？”鹰爪问道。
“是的，但我们不知道还能不能及时赶回去帮忙。”说到这儿，暴毛立刻想到，他们至少还有家可回，但鹰爪和他同伴却是永远回不去了。
“你的同伴说，你们是从急水部落逃出来的。”鹰爪看上去一脸疑惑，“如此说来，他们把你们囚禁起来了？这可实在不是我知道的部落能做出的事啊。”
“也不完全是那样。”暴毛喉咙动了一下。如果他想赢得这只猫的信任，就必须跟他实话实说，但他无法预料鹰爪会是什么反应。说不准，这只巨大的虎斑猫会把他拖回部落，去履行那个预言，然后他们就能回家了。但暴毛还是坦白地讲了出来：“部落还有另一个预言，尖石巫师从杀无尽部落那儿得到一个征兆……”
鹰爪琥珀色的眼睛一眨不眨地盯着暴毛，听他继续往下说。“一只银色的猫？”听完这个故事，他低沉地问道，“你相信你就是那只猫吗？”
暴毛一开始想要否认，但发现自己做不到。“我也不知道，”他诚实地回答道，“一开始，我觉得自己不可能是，但现在……第一个预言，就是那个来自我们星族的预言，对我来说比什么都重要。但我不是星族选中的猫，所以我忍不住怀疑，我是不是被派来完成这个使命的。”他叹了一口气，继续说道，“但我不能同时服从两个预言。到底哪一个才是对的呢？”
鹰爪沉默了一会儿，然后沉重地说：“这两个没有一个是对的，也没有一个是错的。”他的喉咙深处传出一声轻柔的低吼，“预言都很玄妙，所说的话也总是很模糊。”
暴毛点点头，想起他和同伴也曾经以为“午夜”就只是深夜的意思，最后才发现那是一只獾的名字，正是这只睿智的獾告诉他们该做什么。
“一切都取决于猫如何解读预言，”鹰爪接着说，“而且预言能否实现，也取决于猫们的决定。应该由我们自己来选择我们的生存守则。难道你们族群猫不也是这样吗？”
暴毛有些惊讶地看着这只年长一些的猫。他说得对，星族也好，杀无尽部落也罢，它们对守护的猫群提出的要求都是相同的，对猫群给予保护和指引的承诺也相同，关键是猫群如何解读这些信号。
“你认为你应该怎么做？”鹰爪问暴毛。
暴毛摇摇头说：“我不知道。”
“但总有一天你会知道的。”这只大个头虎斑猫站了起来，“你的信念和勇气会告诉你该怎么做。”他那琥珀色的眼睛流露出一丝意味深长的微光。“只希望不会等太长的时间。”他又说了一句，然后便钻进通往山洞的地道。
他走了以后，暴毛疲惫地长叹一声。这些谜团对他来说太沉重了，他只是个武士，只想遵从武士守则去做事。但是，当武士守则说得不明确时，他该怎么办呢？
太阳暖洋洋地照在他的皮毛上，他已经很长时间没有睡觉了，这会儿肚子也吃饱了，通体舒泰。于是，他打了个哈欠，合上了眼睛。
几乎没过多久，他就感觉到自己躺在森林里的一片空地上。虽然他不太清楚具体是在哪儿，但到处都是欣欣向荣的绿色，周身都是一片清新的气味，他听得见潺潺的溪水声。他睁开眼睛，发现月光透过头顶的叶缝洒落下来。
他轻轻动了一下身子，有些疑惑。这是枝叶最繁茂时期的绿叶季森林，可是现在离秃叶季还有一段时间呀！接着，另一种气味钻进他的鼻子，是一种有点芳香又令他安心的非常熟悉的气味，但他以前从未闻到过。就在这时，身后有个声音叫他：“暴毛。”
他一扭头，一时间以为自己看到的是羽尾。但不是，这只猫长着一身银灰色的皮毛，跟他的妹妹很像，但他不认识。
“你是谁？”他站起身问道。
那猫没有回答，只是走到他的身边，轻轻碰了碰他的鼻子。暴毛看到，她的脚爪周围星光闪闪。他不禁身子一抖，他马上知道自己在做梦，那位星族武士进入了他的梦境。
“亲爱的暴毛，我真为你和羽尾感到骄傲！”陌生的武士开口说道，“你们经历了巨大的考验，证明了你们的勇气和信念。你们服从了星族的所有旨意，我们对你们非常满意。”
“呃……谢谢。”暴毛犹豫地说道。
“不过这些部落猫也很有勇气和信念，虽然他们遵从的是不同的武士祖灵。你也应该尊敬他们和杀无尽部落。”
“我知道。”暴毛也有同样的感觉。无论这位星族武士是谁，唯一可以确定的是，她十分理解他的感受。“请告诉我该怎么做——也请告诉我你是谁。”
那只猫弯下身子靠近暴毛。暴毛再次感受到了她身上的那股芳香的气息。“难道你还不知道吗？我是你的妈妈银溪。至于你必须怎么做，暴毛，你要记住，一个问题会有多种答案……”
围绕着她的光芒开始消退，只剩下暴毛孤零零站在空地上。
“不要走！”暴毛恳求道。
他四下里张望着，想知道她去哪儿了。突然，他一下子睁开了眼睛，发现自己正躺在洞外的地上，他的朋友们正在不远处分食猎物。
他摇摇晃晃着站了起来。星族给他托梦了！他看到了自己的母亲——她在生他和羽尾时难产而死。自己对母亲生前的一切一无所知。但现在根本没时间难过了，至少他知道必须做什么了，尽管他对怎么去做还毫无头绪。
羽尾抬起头，一双湛蓝的眼睛里露出震惊的神色：“怎么啦？”
“我……我必须回去，”暴毛提高声音说道，“我必须回去完成急水部落的预言。”
“什么？”褐皮丢下嘴里吃着的老鼠，瞪着他说道，“你脑子里进了蜜蜂吗？”
暴毛摇了摇头。“我跟银溪，也就是我们的妈妈说话了，”他对羽尾说道，“她进入了我的梦里。”
羽尾顿时瞪大了眼睛：“然后她叫你回去？”
“呃，不完全是。但她告诉我说一个问题可以有多个答案。我觉得我的其中一个答案就是回到部落去，并且接受杀无尽部落为我安排的命运。”
“但是暴毛……”黑莓掌一脸疑惑地说道，“那星族委派给你的任务呢？我们那个预言怎么办？”
“我从来就不是被选中的四只猫之一，”暴毛说道，“而且银溪说杀无尽部落也值得我们尊敬。毕竟，它们也是武士祖灵，只不过不是我们的罢了。”
暴毛看得出来，黑莓掌对他的这个决定闷闷不乐。暴毛也希望这位雷族武士不要试图命令他继续踏上回家的旅程。他尊重黑莓掌，也乐意遵从黑莓掌的领导，但现在他知道自己找到了一条正确的道路，没有什么能让他改变主意，即使是他和黑莓掌之间日益增进的友谊也阻止不了。
“你们怎么想？”黑莓掌说。
几只族群猫面面相觑，都拿不准主意。就在暴毛等着族群猫开口时，他注意到坐在不远处的鹰爪跟飞鸟。暴毛第一次觉得，他从鹰爪琥珀色的眼睛里看到了一道希望之光。但鹰爪一遇上他的目光就看向了别处，好像不愿意在这场争论中发表意见。
“好吧，我来说。我认为那是鼠脑子才想得出的主意。”褐皮的尾巴来回抽打着，“我要和黑莓掌一起返回森林。难道你们忘了那里正在发生的事情吗？”
“我没有要求你们跟我一起回去，”暴毛急忙说道，“这件是我必须去做的事情，但你们可以继续接下来的旅程。”
羽尾站起来走向他，将脸靠在他的肩上。“傻毛球，”羽尾说道，“你不会以为我会把你独自留下，去做这件事，是吗？”
“那么，我也跟你一起回去！”鸦爪想跟羽尾在一起，暴毛并不意外，但风族学徒接下来说的话着实令暴毛感到震惊，“暴毛，事实上，我觉得你的决定是对的。自从我们把你救出来，你动不动就出神，没着没落的，就好像兔子没了尾巴一样。看你失魂落魄的样子，我的皮毛都发疼。很显然，如果不设法帮助那些猫，你做什么都没心思。”
暴毛冲他感激地点点头。尽管鸦爪说话很不客气，但这并不妨碍他刚刚做出了一个极有勇气的决定。没有一只族群猫有把握说，部落猫会欢迎他们，更不用说还有来自尖牙兽的危险。
“我也想跟你一起回去！”松鼠爪跳了起来，碧绿的眼睛里发出了炽热的光，尾巴也兴奋得卷了起来。她又转向黑莓掌，恳求道：“我们不能一起去吗？我们不能让暴毛独自面对尖牙兽！”
“他并不是孤身战斗。”黑莓掌冷冷地说道。然后，他遗憾地瞅了一眼褐皮，接着说道：“看样子，我们得少数服从多数。如果一只猫回去，那么我们全都回去。我没有忘记森林里发生的一切，但我们也要记着武士守则。”
松鼠爪发出胜利的欢呼。
褐皮的尾巴再次抽打了一下。“我觉得你们就像新叶季的兔子一样，全都疯了！”她咆哮道，“但我说过，我要和你在一起，黑莓掌。所以，我也回去！”
暴毛环顾着几位同伴。他们的义气，让他感觉皮毛深处都是暖暖的。除了自己的妹妹，别的猫没有理由支持他，尽管说他们在旅程中，逐渐结下了坚实的情谊。午夜曾经说过，四个族群要合而为一，看来它说的都是对的。古老的族群界线正在消失，暴毛觉得这只有好处，看不出有什么不好。他也很想知道，在森林面临两脚兽威胁的时候，四大族群是否会化敌为友，相互帮助。也许他只有一半族群血统的苦痛最终会得到抚慰，他也会找到一个真正有归属感的家。“谢谢大家。”他郑重地说道。
“杀无尽部落将会非常敬重你的勇气。”鹰爪说道，“但你接下来打算怎么做？”
“我有个主意！”松鼠爪一副跃跃欲试的样子。
每只猫都看向她。鹰爪有些怀疑地发出嘶嘶的声音。
“快说！”黑莓掌催促道。
“银溪不是说过，每一个问题都有多个答案。”松鼠爪说道，“那么，以前许多猫都试图杀死尖牙兽，但全都失败了，就连鹰爪这样厉害的战士都没成功。所以，我们必须想其他的办法，而我觉得，我知道这个办法是什么。”
“什么？”鸦爪冷冷地说道，“难道你打算走到它跟前，请它离开？”
“鼠脑子！”松鼠爪说道，“不，如果我们仅凭自己的力量不能杀掉尖牙兽，那么我们就必须找别的什么替我们解决它。”
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 21
Sorreltail glared up at Hawkfrost. Twistingunder his paw, she raked her claws over his leg, but days of hunger had taken the edge off her fighting skills. The warrior didn’t flinch as he cuffed her over the ear with his other forepaw.
“You’re coming with me to Leopardstar,” he snarled. “Let her decide what to do. ThunderClan have no right to ignore our borders.”
“Let her go!” Leafpaw meowed. “She’s only a couple of tail-lengths inside your border.”
Hawkfrost gave her an unfriendly stare. “Oh, it’s you again.”
“Yes, me again.” Leafpaw drew herself up and met Hawkfrost’s icy blue eyes, summoning all her courage. “You were glad enough that I was there when Reedpaw had his accident.” Persuasively, she added, “You owe ThunderClan a favor. Let Sorreltail go.”
Hawkfrost’s lip curled in a sneer. “Clans do not owe each other favors. The warrior code says we should respect boundaries, which she”—he gave Sorreltail a contemptuous flick with his tail—“clearly does not.”
Leafpaw felt her fur bristle and her muscles tense, as if her body were telling her to fight with Hawkfrost. Together she and Sorreltail had a chance of beating him. . . . But she forced herself to stay calm and not move from where she stood on the border. She could just imagine what Firestar would say if he found out she had attacked a cat from another Clan on his own territory.
It was hard to beg such an obnoxious cat, but she had to make one more effort. “Please—it’s not as if she was doing any harm.”
Hawkfrost’s blue eyes were chips of ice. “She was stealing prey.”
“She was not!” Leafpaw’s eyes flew wide. “That was a ThunderClan squirrel.”
Sorreltail, who had been lying limp under Hawkfrost’s paw, suddenly heaved herself upward. Hawkfrost let out a screech as her teeth met in his leg. For a moment they writhed together on the ground, but for all her bravery Sorreltail was no match for Hawkfrost’s size and strength. Soon she lay panting under his paws again.
“Okay, take me to Leopardstar,” she spat. “But I’ll fight you every step of the way.”
Hawkfrost looked bored. “Fine. You do that.”
Desperately Leafpaw looked around; why wasn’t Firestar or Cinderpelt here? They might be able to persuade Hawkfrost. There were no cats at all on her own side of the border, but she caught sight of a flash of gold in the reeds on the other side of the river, and a heartbeat later saw Mothwing running across the Twoleg bridge. The RiverClan apprentice bounded up the slope and halted beside her brother.
“What’s going on?”
“You can see for yourself.” Hawkfrost tapped Sorreltail with his tail. “I’ve caught a trespasser. I’m going to take her to Leopardstar.”
“She didn’t mean it,” Leafpaw pleaded, feeling more hopeful now that Mothwing had turned up. “She was chasing a squirrel—one of ours—and she didn’t realize that she’d crossed the border.”
Mothwing looked from her brother to Leafpaw and back again. “Let her go,” she meowed. “It’s not important. She didn’t catch anything. If you take her to Leopardstar you could start a war between our Clans.”
Hawkfrost fixed his cold blue stare on his sister. “And why is that such a bad thing? Every cat knows that ThunderClan is in trouble. This could be our chance to move in and take their territory.”
Leafpaw gasped. Was that what Hawkfrost really wanted?
Mothwing returned her brother’s stare. “Don’t be mouse-brained,” she mewed frostily. “Remember what Leopardstar owes Firestar. He gave the Clan back to her when Tigerstar tried to take over. She’ll never go to war against him.”
“She will for a good enough reason,” Hawkfrost argued. “This isn’t about old favors; it’s about the warrior code. The borders between the Clans have to count for something!” His voice was becoming high-pitched with desperation, and he took a deep breath before growling, “And you watch your tongue, Mothwing. Remember you could be talking to the next Clan deputy.”
“What?” Leafpaw blurted out. “What about Mistyfoot?”
“Mistyfoot is a coward,” Hawkfrost snarled. “She couldn’t face what’s happening in the forest, so she ran away.”
“No cat has seen her for a whole day,” Mothwing explained to Leafpaw, her eyes wide and anxious. “Not since she went to patrol the border near Fourtrees. We don’t know what has happened to her.”
“Even if she comes back, she won’t be deputy anymore,” Hawkfrost growled. “Clan deputies can’t just go wandering off when they feel like it.”
Leafpaw’s head spun. She couldn’t believe it. Mistyfoot was no coward; besides, she had assumed that RiverClan wasn’t affected by what was happening to the other three Clans, because their territory was the only one the Twolegs hadn’t touched. But now Mistyfoot had disappeared.
How many more had gone? Had allthe Clans lost cats? A chill crept bone-deep into Leafpaw; these disappearances couldn’t be related to the prophecy from StarClan. Even if the first cats had failed, StarClan wouldn’t send out more and more to a nameless fate. Somehow the Twolegs and their monsters must be responsible.
She said nothing of this to Mothwing and Hawkfrost, and to her relief Sorreltail did not tell them about the disappearance of Cloudtail and Brightheart. The less RiverClan knew about ThunderClan’s affairs the better, especially if Hawkfrost was spoiling for a fight because he thought ThunderClan was weak.
Instead, it was Mothwing who broke the silence. “You know, you’re a fool, Hawkfrost,” she mewed.
Her brother bristled. “What do you mean?”
“If you want to bring down ThunderClan, you’re going about it the wrong way.”
“And you know the right way, do you?” Hawkfrost sneered.
“Yes, I do.” Mothwing’s tone was cold. Leafpaw could hardly believe what she was hearing; she suddenly felt as if she didn’t know this cat at all.
“Go on, then, enlighten me.”
Mothwing turned her head to give her shoulder a couple of quick licks. “Be kind to them. Make them grateful to us. That should keep them quiet while they get weaker and weaker. Why fight and risk injuries to our Clan? Let the Twolegs do the job for us. Thenwe move in and take their territory.”
Hawkfrost’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “You could have a point,” he grunted. “Okay.” He stepped back and let Sorreltail get up. “Leave, and don’t come back.”
Sorreltail shook herself and glared at him before taking the few steps that carried her back into her own territory. Leafpaw studied her closely as she crossed the border, but apart from a couple of superficial scratches, Hawkfrost hadn’t hurt her.
“I’ll tell Firestar what you said,” she meowed to Mothwing, striving hard to keep her voice level. “He’ll take it up with Leopardstar at the next Gathering.”
Two pairs of eyes, ice blue and amber, turned their gaze on her.
“Sure, tell him,” Hawkfrost invited. “Even if he believes you, what can he do about it? Don’t you think Leopardstar will back me against a ThunderClan cat?”
Sorreltail nudged Leafpaw’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go back to camp.”
Leafpaw turned away, her tail drooping. She had liked Mothwing and trusted her, and now it seemed that her friend had betrayed her. Even if Mothwing’s first loyalty was to her Clan, Leafpaw hadn’t thought that she would be so coldly calculating.
She had not gone more than a few fox-lengths when she heard Mothwing calling her name in a low voice. She stopped and looked back. Mothwing was standing on the border; Hawkfrost was nowhere to be seen.
“Leafpaw!” Mothwing beckoned with her tail.
“Ignore her,” Sorreltail muttered. “Who needs friends like that?”
“Leafpaw, please . . .” Mothwing’s voice was pleading now. “Let me explain.”
Leafpaw hesitated, then took a few reluctant steps back toward the border. Sorreltail padded close beside her; Leafpaw sensed her tension and winced at the look of disgust she shot toward the RiverClan she-cat.
“I had to say that in front of Hawkfrost,” Mothwing explained urgently. “Don’t you see? He’d never have let your friend go otherwise.”
Leafpaw felt relief flood over her. She hadn’t wanted to think badly of Mothwing, not when they shared the bond of all medicine cats.
She could see her own relief reflected in the RiverClan cat’s eyes as Mothwing added, “You do believe me, don’t you? We are still friends?”
“Of course we are.” Leafpaw stepped forward to touch noses with Mothwing. She ignored a skeptical snort from Sorreltail just behind her. “Thank you.”
Behind Mothwing, at the foot of the slope, she saw Hawkfrost emerge from the shelter of a bush and lope easily across the Twoleg bridge. She shivered when she remembered the cruel ambition in his eyes. Surely no other cat but Tigerstar had been so greedy for power?
“Mothwing,” she murmured, unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, “who was your father? Was it Tigerstar?”
Shock flared in Mothwing’s amber eyes. For a moment she hesitated, and then replied, “Yes.”
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 20
The mouse’s tail slipped between Leafpaw’soutstretched claws, leaving her to glare in frustration at the crevice where the tiny creature had vanished. She had left the camp to collect more herbs for Cinderpelt, and following Firestar’s order that no cats were to go out alone, Sorreltail was with her.
“Bad luck,” the tortoiseshell warrior meowed sympathetically. “But it was pretty scrawny to start with.”
“It was prey,” Leafpaw retorted. “I’d have caught it if I weren’t so hungry that I can’t see straight.”
She began backing out from underneath the bush. Suddenly she noticed its familiar dark green leaves for the first time, and the red berries that clung to its branches and lay scattered around the trunk.
“Mouse dung!” she hissed. “And I’ve got the filthy stuff on my paws.”
“What’s the matter?”
Leafpaw backed out the rest of the way and pointed at the berries with her tail. “Deathberries,” she meowed. “I was so keen to catch the mouse that I never saw them.”
Sorreltail shivered. “Let’s find some water and wash it off, quick.”
Leafpaw was puzzled to see the look of horror in her friend’s eyes. Deathberries were pretty bad, but only if you ate them. Sorreltail was one of the bravest cats she knew, yet she looked thoroughly spooked by the sight of the berries, her ears lying flat and her fur bristling.
“Are you okay?” Leafpaw asked as they padded on into the forest, keeping a lookout for a puddle where she could wash off any poison that might have gotten onto her pads.
“I’m fine.” Sorreltail blinked. “Did you know that I once nearly died from deathberries?”
“No!” Leafpaw stopped, her eyes wide with shock. “What happened?”
“It was when I was a kit, before you were born. I’d followed Darkstripe into the forest—you won’t remember Darkstripe; he was Tigerstar’s biggest ally in ThunderClan. When I spotted him talking to Blackstar—he was Blackfoot then, Tigerstar’s deputy—on ourterritory, he gave me the deathberries so I couldn’t tell any cat what I’d seen.”
“That’s terrible!” Leafpaw pressed her muzzle against Sorreltail’s side.
“It’s thanks to Cinderpelt I survived,” Sorreltail meowed. “Still, it’s all over now. Whatever the Twolegs are doing to us, at least we don’t have Tigerstar to worry about anymore.” She spun around, her tail held high in the air. “Come on; let’s get your paws clean. A deathberry poisoning is the last thing the Clan needs right now.”
Dark thoughts flew into Leafpaw’s mind as she followed her friend deeper into the undergrowth. If Tigerstar really was the father of Hawkfrost and Mothwing, then perhaps that trouble wasn’tall over.
The roar of the Twoleg monsters grew louder as they approached the Thunderpath. At last they found a small pool in a hollow where Leafpaw dipped her paws several times and rubbed them on the grass until she was sure all traces of the deathberries were gone. All the same, she knew she would feel uneasy about licking her paws for many days to come.
“There,” she mewed. She had to raise her voice to make herself heard above the growling of the monster. “That should be okay. And look, there’s a huge clump of chervil over there. Cinderpelt will—”
She broke off with a terrified gasp as the roar of the monster grew suddenly louder, as if the whole sky were splitting apart with thunder. A vast, glittering shape broke through the undergrowth, crushing the chervil she had just spotted. Sorreltail let out a startled yowl and fled for the nearest tree, clawing her way up the bark and coming to rest in the first fork, her fur fluffed up until she looked twice her size.
Leafpaw flattened herself in a hollow in the ground. She watched in frozen horror as the monster seized a half-grown ash tree and ripped it out of the ground with no more effort than she would have taken to dig up a burdock root. It lifted the tree high in the air, turning it in a huge, twisting limb as it stripped off the branches. Debris began to rain down around Leafpaw, pattering on the ground like hail.
“Leafpaw!” Sorreltail’s yowl cut through her fear. Her friend had leaped down from the tree, perhaps realizing there was no safety there anymore. She pelted across the open ground and nudged Leafpaw to her paws. “Run!”
Leafpaw gave the monster one more terrified glance, to see it beginning to slice the tree into pieces. Then she was dashing through the forest behind Sorreltail, blundering into brambles and through deep troughs of mud in their mad rush to escape.
When the roar had died to a faint rumble behind them, the two cats halted, panting.
“They’re taking more and more of our forest,” Sorreltail gasped. “Soon there’ll be nowhere left for us.”
Leafpaw stood trembling, looking back and half expecting the monster to burst through the trees in pursuit. “I hate them!” she spat. “They’ve no right to come here. What did we ever do to harm them?”
“That’s Twolegs for you,” Sorreltail mewed. She was growing calmer, the fur on her shoulders beginning to lie flat again. After a moment, she touched Leafpaw’s ear with her tail-tip. “Come on, let’s go and look for herbs near the RiverClan border. We’ll get as far from those horrible monsters as we can.”
Leafpaw nodded, suddenly too scared to speak. She followed the tortoiseshell warrior through the forest, grief surging through her at the thought of the peaceful places that would never be peaceful again, the trees that would never again grow green in newleaf and cast their shade on the forest. StarClan must be grieving too, she realized, especially if they could do nothing to stop the destruction.
“What are we going to do?” Sorreltail asked after a few moments. “I can’t remember the last time I was full-fed . . . or any other cat in the Clan. Look at Ferncloud. She blames herself because Larchkit died, but it’s not her fault at all.”
Leafpaw thought of gentle Ferncloud, grieving over her dead kit, and Dustpelt’s misery as he tried in vain to comfort her. She thought of Dappletail, dead because hunger had forced her to eat the tainted rabbit. Frostfur had become too feeble to leave the elders’ den, and she had started to cough. Cinderpelt was waiting every day for an outbreak of greencough, which could so easily turn into fatal blackcough.
“Sometimes I think the Twolegs won’t stop until we’re all dead,” Leafpaw mewed softly.
Sorreltail let out a murmur of agreement. “It’s as if StarClan has abandoned us. Leafpaw, haven’t they spoken to you, or to Cinderpelt? Why didn’t they warn us? Don’t our warrior ancestors care about us anymore?”
Leafpaw shut her eyes. She desperately wanted to tell her friend that StarClan had prophesied all this, though not to the medicine cats or their apprentices. But she had promised to keep the secret of the chosen cats, and if she was to break her word it must be to tell Firestar or Cinderpelt before any other cat.
And more than this, she was starting to think that wherever the cats had been sent by StarClan, they weren’t coming back. It was days now since she had been able to reach Squirrelpaw in her mind. Leafpaw’s heart ached at the thought that she might never see her sister or Brambleclaw again. There was no point in dangling hope in front of Sorreltail and then snatching it away.
As they approached the RiverClan border, where the ground sloped down to the river and the Twoleg bridge, Leafpaw began to feel calmer. The sound of the Twoleg monsters did not reach this part of the territory yet; everything was so peaceful that she could almost imagine the forest was just as it used to be.
Tasting the air, she caught the scent of rabbit, and spotted the creature hopping between one clump of bracken and the next. Her paws itched to pursue it, but she remembered Firestar’s order and Dappletail’s dreadful death.
“Infuriating, isn’t it?” Sorreltail muttered, with an angry flick of her tail. “I’d swear the stupid creatures are laughing at us.”
Leafpaw nodded, water flooding her mouth at the prey-scent. She couldn’t help wondering how long it would be before they were all so desperate that, like Dappletail, they would take the risk of eating the rabbits.
Just ahead of her, Sorreltail dropped into the hunter’s crouch. Cautiously, so she didn’t disturb her friend’s concentration, Leafpaw edged her way forward until she could see what Sorreltail had spotted: a squirrel, moving slowly across an open space. Yes! Leafpaw thought. Prey that was fit to eat, to take back to the camp for Ferncloud and Frostfur . . .
Sorreltail leaped. Though she made no sound, the squirrel fled a heartbeat before the warrior’s front paws hit the spot where it had been. Sorreltail let out a yowl of frustration and hurled herself after it as it made for the nearest tree.
“Sorreltail, no!” Leafpaw called out as she realized that the tree was on the other side of the border.
But Sorreltail was deafened by the hunger in her belly, fixed on chasing the squirrel. As it ran up the tree she launched herself up and managed to snag a claw in its tail, but the squirrel twitched itself free. Sorreltail fell to the ground, spitting fury.
“Come back!” Leafpaw cried. “You’re on RiverClan territory!”
Sorreltail scrambled to her paws, bits of grass clinging to her fur. “Fox dung!” she snarled. “I nearly had it.”
Before Leafpaw could call to her again, a familiar scent swept over her. A tabby shape appeared from behind the tree, and as Sorreltail spun around a huge paw slapped her to the ground and pinned her there.
“What’s this?” Hawkfrost growled. “ThunderClan cats trespassing on our territory?”
第二十章
第二十章
老鼠的尾巴从叶爪的脚爪间溜走了，只留下叶爪一脸沮丧地看着小动物消失的石头缝。她离开营地，给炭毛采集更多的草药，因为火星下令任何猫不得独自外出，所以她叫上栗尾陪着她。
“真不走运，”玳瑁色的武士同情地说，“但那只老鼠未免太瘦小了。”
“再小也是猎物啊！”叶爪反驳道，“我本来是可以抓住它的，可惜我饿得头晕眼花，看不清楚。”
她开始从灌木丛下面退出去。突然，她看到一种熟悉的暗绿色叶子，以及挂在树枝上和散布树干的红色浆果。
“老鼠屎！”她发出一阵嘶嘶的声音，“我脚掌上粘上脏东西了。”
“怎么回事？”
叶爪退出灌木丛，用尾巴指了指那浆果。“死亡浆果！”她说道，“我光想着逮住那只老鼠，根本就没注意到它们。”
栗尾身子一抖，急忙说道：“我们赶紧去找水冲掉，快点！”
叶爪看到朋友满脸恐惧的神情，很是困惑。死亡浆果如果吃进肚里，确实毒性很大。栗尾是她认识的最勇敢的猫之一，不过，当她看到那浆果时，却耳朵平贴着，毛发倒立着，一副吓坏了的样子。
“你没事吧？”叶爪问栗尾。她们走进森林，边走边四处寻找可以洗掉脚掌上毒液的水坑。
“我没事。”栗尾眨眨眼睛说，“你知不知道，我有一次差点因为吃了死亡浆果死掉？”
“不知道！到底是怎么回事？”叶爪停了下来，一双眼睛惊恐地瞪着她。
“那时候我还很小，你还没有出生。有一次，我悄悄跟着黑条走进森林——你可能不记得黑条，他是虎星在雷族里最得力的助手。当我看到他跟黑星说话——黑星那时还叫黑脚，是虎星的副族长——在我们境内，黑条就骗我吞下了这种死亡浆果，好阻止我泄露这件事。”
“太可怕了！”叶爪把口鼻靠在栗尾的身上。
“多亏了炭毛，我才活了下来。”栗尾说道，“这果子现在仍然到处都是。无论两脚兽正在对我们做什么，至少我们不用再担心虎星了。”她转过身，尾巴高高地扬在半空中，说道：“来吧，想办法把你的脚掌洗干净。现在的族群再也经不起有猫中死亡浆果的毒了。”
叶爪跟着朋友走进灌木丛深处，一个可怕的想法一下子出现在脑海里。如果虎星真的是鹰霜和蛾翅的父亲，那么，类似虎星的那种麻烦还没有完。
接近雷鬼路的时候，两脚兽的怪物发出的轰鸣声越来越大。最后，她们终于在一处低洼处找到了一个小水坑。叶爪把脚掌伸进去来回洗了洗，然后在草地上擦净，直到确认没有死亡浆果粘在脚掌上为止。即便如此，她知道接下来的几天，自己舔脚掌时，还是会觉得有些担心的。
“好了。”叶爪说道。怪物不住地轰鸣着，她不得不提高嗓门：“应该没事了。看，那儿有一大丛山萝卜苗。炭毛会……”
说话间，两脚兽的怪物的轰鸣声突然变大，那声音仿佛炸雷劈开了天空，吓得她倒吸了一口凉气。只见一个巨大的、闪闪发光的家伙冲出灌木丛，一下子将她刚刚看到的山萝卜压得粉碎。栗尾发出一声惊悚的尖叫，就逃向最近的一棵树，爪子紧紧抓住树皮往上爬，到第一个树杈处停了下来。她全身的毛都奓开了，身子看起来有平时的两个那么大。
叶爪则将身子紧紧贴在地上的一个坑里。她吓呆了，愣愣地看着怪物轻松地抓起一棵半大的白蜡树，把它连根拔了出来，简直比她挖一棵牛蒡根还要容易。只见怪物把那棵树高高地举到空中，转动着它那巨大的、弯曲的手臂，不断剥落掉树上的枝枝杈杈。树枝的碎片像雨点一样纷纷散落在叶爪身边，然后如冰雹般散落在地上。
“叶爪！”栗尾一声大吼，惊醒了她。她的朋友可能意识到树上也不安全，便跳了下来。她从空地上蹿过来，把叶爪推了起来，大声喊道：“快跑！”
叶爪又瞄了一眼那只怪物，惊恐地发现它将那棵树切割成薄片。然后，她跟在栗尾身后，在森林里飞奔起来，惊慌之下，冲进了荆棘丛，然后顺着一条很深的泥沟疯狂逃窜。
等怪物的轰鸣声终于消退成隐隐的隆隆声了，两只猫才停了下来，呼哧呼哧地喘着粗气。
“它们毁坏的森林越来越多了，”栗尾气喘吁吁地说道，“很快，我们就无处藏身了。”
叶爪的身体不住地抖动着，回头看了一眼，生怕那怪物冲出树木追了上来。“我恨它们！”她高声咒骂道，“它们无权来这里。我们曾伤害过它们吗？”
“两脚兽就这德行！”栗尾说道。她已经镇定多了，肩上的毛也平顺了下来。过了一会儿，她用尾巴尖儿碰了碰叶爪的耳朵说：“走吧，我们去河族边界那儿，看看能不能找到些草药。我们离那些可怕的怪物越远越好。”
叶爪点点头，忽然害怕得说不出话来。她跟着这位玳瑁色武士穿过森林，想到这个地方再也回不到往日的安宁，新叶季时，森林里的树木再也无法转绿，为他们提供绿荫，一阵阵悲伤就涌上心头。她想，星族也一定很痛心，特别是如果它们也阻止不了这种破坏的话。
“我们该怎么办呢？”过了好一会儿，栗尾问道，“我都记不得上次吃饱肚子……或者族群里别的猫吃饱肚子是什么时候的事情了。看看香薇云，因为小叶松死掉了，她自责得不得了，但那根本就不是她的错啊！”
叶爪想起温柔的香薇云，也为她死去的宝宝感到痛心，想到尘毛想尽一切办法安慰香薇云时，自己该是多么悲伤啊！接着，她又想起了死去的斑尾，饥饿驱使她吃下了有毒的兔子。霜毛虚弱得都没办法离开长老巢穴，而且开始咳嗽了。炭毛每天都在担心绿咳症会突然暴发，因为绿咳症很容易就会发展成致命的黑咳症。
“有时候，我会想除非我们都死了，不然两脚兽不会停下来的。”叶爪轻声说道。
栗尾轻声表示同意：“星族好像抛弃了我们。叶爪，它们有没有跟你或者炭毛说过话？为什么它们没有警告我们？难道我们的武士祖灵不再关心我们了吗？”
叶爪闭上了眼睛。她多么想告诉她的朋友，星族早已预言了这一切，只是没跟巫医或巫医学徒说罢了。但她答应过那几只被选派出去的猫，会替他们保密，就算她要公开这个秘密，也会先跟火星和炭毛说而不是别的猫。
此时，她开始在想，无论星族把那几只猫派去了哪里，他们可能都回不来了。因为，自她上次感应到松鼠爪，已经过去了好些天。一想到她可能再也见不到自己的妹妹还有黑莓掌他们，她就觉得心好痛。给栗尾一丝希望，然后再将那希望灭掉，这么做一点意义都没有。
她们到达了河族边界。这儿的地面渐渐向下倾斜，一直延伸到河边和两脚兽的桥边。直到这时，叶爪才开始感到镇定一些。这里听不到两脚兽的怪物的声音，周围非常宁静，叶爪禁不住在想，森林几乎跟过去没什么两样。
嗅嗅空气，她闻到了一丝兔子的气味。接着就看到这只小动物正在蕨丛间蹦跳着。她几只脚爪恨不得马上追上去，但她想起了火星的命令，斑尾的死更是让她胆寒。
“真是冒火啊，是不是？”栗尾喃喃说道，尾巴愤怒地甩了一下，“我敢说那只愚蠢的小东西正在嘲笑我们。”
叶爪点点头，猎物的味道让她的口水都流了出来。她忍不住怀疑，他们还能坚持多久，不变成像绝望的斑尾那样，宁愿冒险去吃被污染的兔子。
就在她的前方不远处，栗尾不知不觉做出了狩猎特有的蹲伏动作。叶爪小心翼翼地向前移动了几步，免得她的朋友分心。这时，她看到了栗尾盯住的东西了：那是一只松鼠，它正慢慢地穿过一片开阔地。太棒了！叶爪心说，这个猎物可以放心吃，我们把它带回营地给香薇云和霜毛吃……
栗尾一跃而起。尽管没发出一丝声响，但松鼠还是在这位武士前爪拍向它的一刹那逃走了。栗尾沮丧地大吼一声，纵身追了上去。松鼠爬上了离自己最近的一棵树。
“栗尾，别追了！”叶爪大喊一声，她刚刚意识到这棵树在边界的那一边。
但腹中空空的栗尾什么都听不进去，仍紧追着松鼠不放。松鼠往上爬去，栗尾也跃了出去，想用爪子抓住它的尾巴。但那松鼠身子一扭逃掉了。栗尾一下子掉到了地上，怒气冲冲地咒骂着。
“回来！”叶爪大喊道，“你已经到了河族境内！”
栗尾爬起身，皮毛上粘了几根草。“狐狸屎！”她咆哮道，“我差一点点就逮住它了。”
叶爪还没来得及再次喊她回来，一股熟悉的气味就飘了过来。树后面出现一只虎斑猫的身影，栗尾刚一转身，一只巨掌就把她拍到了地上，然后摁住了她。
“这怎么回事？”鹰霜怒吼道，“雷族猫竟然敢偷偷进入我们的领地？”
第二十一章
第二十一章
栗尾抬眼瞪着鹰霜，在他的爪下不住地扭动着。她伸出爪子去挠他的腿，但连日来的饥饿，让她根本发挥不出战斗力。当鹰霜用另一只前爪揪住她的耳朵时，这位武士没有一点畏惧之色。
“你跟我一起去见豹星，”他吼道，“让她决定怎么处置你。雷族不能对我们的边界视而不见。”
“放开她！”叶爪说道，“她只不过才越过边界几尾长的距离。”
鹰霜一脸敌意地看着她：“哦，又是你。”
“对，又是我。”叶爪走出来，鼓足勇气，迎着鹰霜那冰冷的蓝眼睛，“上次芦苇爪出事的时候，你很高兴我在附近。”叶爪尽力劝说他，继续说道：“你欠雷族一份情。所以，放开栗尾吧。”
鹰霜嘴唇一卷，嘲讽道：“族群之间没有谁欠谁情的道理。武士守则说，我们要互相遵守边界线，但她显然没有做到。”说着，他轻蔑地用尾巴指了一下栗尾。
叶爪感觉自己的皮毛立了起来，浑身的肌肉也绷紧了，仿佛身体在告诉自己，跟鹰霜干一仗。她和栗尾合力应该有机会打败他……但她强迫自己冷静下来，留在雷族的领地上不要轻举妄动。她想象得出，如果火星发现她在其他族群的领地上攻击了外族猫，会如何反应。
向这只讨厌的猫求情是很困难的一件事，但她必须试一试。“求你了——她没有做任何损害你们族群的事情。”
鹰霜的蓝眼睛仿佛冻结的薄冰，他冷冷说道：“她在偷猎。”
“她没偷你们的猎物！”叶爪的眼睛一下子瞪圆了，“那只松鼠是从雷族领地跑过去的。”
一直被鹰霜踩在脚爪下虚弱无力的栗尾，突然猛地向上一挺身子，一口咬住了鹰霜的腿。鹰霜尖叫一声。两只猫在地上扭打在了一起。尽管栗尾使出了全力，但个头和力量都不如鹰霜，很快便又被鹰霜压在了脚爪下。
“好吧，你带我去见豹星，”她高声叫道，“不过这一路，我会跟你打到底的。”
鹰霜一脸嫌弃的样子，说道：“好吧，你尽管打吧。”
叶爪绝望地四下里看着。为什么火星和炭毛不在这儿？他们也许能说服鹰霜。在边界她的这一边，一只猫都没有，但她看到河那边的芦苇丛里有一道金光闪过。片刻后，她看见蛾翅从两脚兽的桥上跑了过来。这名河族学徒跳上斜坡，在她哥哥身边停住了。
“发生什么事了？”
“你自己看吧。”鹰霜用尾巴敲了一下栗尾，“我抓住了一个入侵者。我要把她带到豹星那儿去。”
“她不是故意的。”叶爪恳求道。看到蛾翅来了，叶爪感觉有希望了，便继续说道：“她正在追一只松鼠——是我们领地上的松鼠——她没注意到自己跨过了边界。”
蛾翅看了看她的哥哥，又看了看叶爪。“放她走吧，”蛾翅说道，“这没什么大不了的啊。她也没有捉到任何东西。如果你把她带到豹星那儿，可能会挑起族群之间的战争。”
鹰霜用冰蓝色眼睛冷冷地盯着妹妹，说道：“战争有什么不好吗？每只猫都知道，雷族现在自身难保。这正是我们采取行动、占领他们领地的好机会。”
叶爪倒抽了一口凉气，心想：难道这才是鹰霜的真实目的？
蛾翅再次迎着哥哥的眼神。“别鼠脑子了！”她冷峻地说道，“别忘了，豹星欠火星的情。别忘了，当时虎星准备接管河族的时候，是火星把河族交给了豹星。豹星绝不可能发动战争攻打雷族。”
“如果有充分的理由，她会的。”鹰霜争辩道，“这跟过去的人情无关，这关乎武士守则。族群间的边界意义重大！”他拼命地提高声音，然后深吸了一口气，咆哮着说道，“管好你的嘴，蛾翅。记住，你很有可能是在跟下一任副族长说话。”
“什么？”叶爪脱口而出，“那雾脚呢？”
“雾脚是个胆小鬼，”鹰霜吼道，“她无法接受森林里发生的一切，所以她跑了。”
“一整天都没有猫看到她了，”蛾翅向叶爪解释道，一双睁大的眼睛里满是担心，“自从她去四棵树附近的边界巡逻后，就不见了踪影。我们不知道她发生了什么事。”
“就算她回来，也不会再是副族长了，”鹰霜叫嚣道，“族群的副族长不能想去哪儿玩就能去哪儿的。”
叶爪脑子有些混乱。她不相信鹰霜的话。雾脚根本就不是只胆小怕事的猫；而且，叶爪推断其他三个族群发生的不幸，应该还没蔓延到河族，因为河族的领地是唯一未受到两脚兽入侵的领地。但现在，雾脚却失踪了。
还有多少猫失踪？是不是所有族群都有猫失踪？一股寒意爬上叶爪心头；这些接二连三的失踪应该跟星族的预言没有关系。即使前一批猫行动失败，星族也不会一而再，再而三地派出这么多猫，去奔赴不可知的命运。无论如何，两脚兽和它们的怪物肯定跟这事脱不了干系。
她没跟蛾翅和鹰霜说这些，栗尾也没说云尾和亮心失踪的事，这让她稍微放心了点。雷族的事情河族知道得越少越好，尤其是在鹰霜觉着雷族现在非常虚弱、正按捺不住地想攻打雷族的时候。
没想到打破沉默的是蛾翅。“鹰霜，你知道吗，你就是个傻瓜！”她说道。
她的哥哥顿时气得毛发立了起来，问道：“你这话是什么意思？”
“如果你想征服雷族，你现在的方法是错误的。”
“这么说你知道正确的方法了，是吗？”鹰霜嘲讽道。
“对，我知道。”蛾翅冷冷地说。叶爪简直不敢相信自己的耳朵，她突然觉得自己似乎根本就不了解这只猫。
“那么，请继续往下说，指导指导我。”
蛾翅转过头快速地舔了舔自己的肩膀，说道：“对他们友善一点，让他们对我们心存感激。这么一来，当他们越来越弱的时候，就会乖乖听我们的话了。我们族群何必要冒着受伤的危险去战斗呢？让两脚兽替我们做就行了。到时候，我们再进入，接管他们的领地。”
鹰霜眯起眼睛思索了起来。“言之有理！”然后他后退一步，让栗尾站起身，说道，“好了，赶紧滚！不准再回来了！”
栗尾抖抖身体，怒视着他，然后退后几步，回到了雷族的领地。等栗尾跨过了边界，叶爪赶紧靠近仔细检查了一番。栗尾的身上，除了几道浅浅的划痕，鹰霜应该是没有伤到她。
“我会把你刚才说的每句话都告诉火星的，”叶爪努力保持镇定，对蛾翅说道，“下次森林大会，火星会把这件事转告豹星的。”
两双眼睛，一双是冰冷的蓝色、一双是琥珀色的，齐齐盯着叶爪。
“去啊，尽管跟他说吧，”鹰霜一副无所谓的样子，“就算他相信你的话，他又能怎么样？难道你认为豹星不会支持我赶走一只雷族猫？”
栗尾杵了一下叶爪的肩膀，说道：“走吧，我们回营地。”
叶爪转身走了，尾巴耷拉着。她曾经那么喜欢蛾翅，也很信任她，如今看来，她的朋友已经背叛了她。就算蛾翅应该首先忠诚于她的族群，叶爪也没想到她会这么有心计。
她还没走出几只狐狸身长的距离，就听见蛾翅在低声呼喊她的名字。她停下脚步回头看去。蛾翅正站在边界上，鹰霜已经不见了踪影。
“叶爪！”蛾翅摇摇尾巴，召唤叶爪。
“别理她！”栗尾低声说，“谁稀罕她那样的朋友？”
“叶爪，求你了……”蛾翅现在的语气非常诚恳，“请听我解释。”
叶爪犹豫了一下，才有些不情愿地向边界方向走了几步。栗尾紧紧跟在叶爪的身边。叶爪从栗尾投向那只河族母猫的反感眼神中，能感受到栗尾的紧张和不屑。
“在鹰霜面前，我不得不那么说，”蛾翅连忙解释道，“难道你不明白吗？我不这么说的话，他无论如何也不会放你的朋友走的。”
叶爪顿时感到宽慰。她本来也不愿意把蛾翅想得太坏，毕竟她们都是巫医学徒，有着密切的联系。
叶爪看到，河族猫的眼睛里也流露出松了一口气的神情。蛾翅紧接着又说：“你相信我，是不是？我们还是朋友吧？”
“我们当然还是朋友。”叶爪向前一步，跟蛾翅亲昵地碰碰鼻子。她没理会身后栗尾怀疑的鼻息声，说道：“谢谢你！”
叶爪看到蛾翅身后的斜坡脚下，鹰霜从一片灌木丛下走了出来，大摇大摆地穿过两脚兽的桥。一想起鹰霜那野心勃勃的冷酷眼神，叶爪身子不由一抖。除了虎星，真的再没有别的猫像他一样有那么贪婪的权力欲吗？
“蛾翅，”她实在无法忍受心中的疑惑，便轻声问道，“你们的父亲是谁？是虎星吗？”
蛾翅琥珀色的眼睛流露出震惊的神色。她犹豫了片刻，然后答道：“是。”
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 23
Stormfur froze. It was too soon!
The outlaws dived for the cave walls, and the Tribe cats who had not already taken up their positions pelted down the tunnel to the Cave of Pointed Stones. Stormfur and his friends were left in the center of the cavern, staring around in panic.
Their moment’s hesitation was a moment too long. A ferocious snarling sliced through the noise of the waterfall. A shadow fell across from the entrance, etched in moonlight. Then Sharptooth burst upon them.
Just as the Tribe had said, he looked like a lion from the elders’ tales, but without the fiery mane around his head. Lean muscles rippled beneath his short-haired pelt, and his massive gold head was lowered, following the trail of Talon’s blood. When he entered the cave he looked up. He saw the hare, and swiped it aside with one vast paw.
“No!” Squirrelpaw yowled.
Her screech brought the huge head swinging around, the round, thick-furred ears twitching with interest.
“Get back!” snarled Brambleclaw. “All of you, hide!”
He leaped toward the lion-cat, lashing out with both front paws and rolling aside before Sharptooth could turn on him. Stormfur saw Squirrelpaw dash in from the other side and spring onto Sharptooth’s back, sinking her claws into the base of his tail.
“Squirrelpaw!” Brambleclaw yowled. “What in StarClan’s name are you doing?”
As the lion-cat twisted, trying to dislodge her, Squirrelpaw leaped down and fled for the boulders that lined the cave wall. With a roar of fury, Sharptooth launched himself after her, but she was too fast for him, scrambling out of reach to stand hissing on a jutting piece of rock, her ginger fur fluffed up.
Stormfur fled to the opposite cave wall, following Feathertail up a series of cracks in the rock until they reached a tiny ledge tucked under the roof. Crouching in the narrow space beside his sister, he looked down at the cave floor.
The Tribe cats were all in their hiding places, too scared to move. Brambleclaw had gained safety too, on another ledge just below Squirrelpaw. He was snarling up at her, looking almost as furious as Sharptooth himself; Stormfur couldn’t hear what he was saying, but he could guess.
For a moment Stormfur could not see Tawnypelt; then he spotted her head poking out of a cleft halfway up the cave wall near the entrance. That just left Crowpaw. Then Stormfur felt Feathertail tense against him and heard her murmur, “Oh, no!”
Sharptooth was scraping at the cave wall almost directly below them. Stormfur caught a terrifying glimpse of his eyes, glaring black in the moonlight, and his lips drawn back to reveal savage, dripping fangs. Crowpaw was trapped in a crevice at floor level that was too shallow to shelter him, desperately trying to press himself against the rock and escape the vicious claws. A cry of terror escaped him.
Stormfur felt his belly flip over. Everything was going wrong. Sharptooth had ignored the baited hare and pursued the cats instead. Within heartbeats he would have Crowpaw, and StarClan’s mission would be ruined. How could four Clans become one if the WindClan cat were killed? Stormfur cursed himself under his breath; there was nothing that he could do, because he was not the cat the Tribe’s warrior ancestors had promised. His stupid, thoughtless pride had gotten it wrong.
Beside him, he heard Feathertail whisper, “Crowpaw.” She gave Stormfur a long look, filled with love and sorrow, her blue eyes glowing in the moonlight. “I can hear the voices clearly now,” she murmured. “This is for me to do.”
Then Stormfur felt her muscles bunch. Before he realized what she was doing, she leaped—not down, but up toward the cave roof, digging her claws into one of the narrow talons of stone with a grating noise that sent shudders along Stormfur’s spine.
“No!” he yowled.
The rock split and broke away under Feathertail’s weight. With a terrifying wail she plummeted down, straight at Sharptooth. The lion-cat looked up. His throaty growl changed to a scream as the spike of rock plunged into him; he fell writhing to the ground. Feathertail plummeted to the floor of the cave beside him.
Stormfur hurled himself down the wall, slipping on the rock and feeling his claws rip, until he reached his sister’s side. Feathertail lay without moving, her eyes closed. Sharptooth was still twitching, but as Stormfur scrambled to a halt the lion-cat gave one massive shudder and died.
“Feathertail?” Stormfur whispered.
He was aware of Crowpaw creeping out of the rock to crouch beside him. “Feathertail?” The WindClan cat sounded desperate. “Feathertail, are you okay?”
Feathertail did not move. Stormfur lifted his head and saw the other Clan cats gathering around him, along with cats from the Tribe, creeping fearfully from their hiding places. He dropped his gaze back to his sister, and saw the faint rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
“She’ll be fine.” His voice cracked. “She’s got to be. She . . . she has a prophecy to fulfill.”
Crowpaw crept forward until his nose touched Feathertail’s fur. He breathed in her scent, and then began to lick her gently. Blood from a slash on his shoulder smudged against her pelt. “Wake up, Feathertail,” he whispered. “Please wake up.”
There was no response. An achingly familiar scent wreathed around Stormfur, and he looked up. “Silverstream?”
Near the entrance to the cave, where moonlight rippled through the sheet of falling water, he thought that he could see a silver cat. She was nothing more than the faintest sliver of light, but her voice sounded clearly in his head, filled with grief. “Oh, Feathertail!”
There was a gasp from Crowpaw and Stormfur snatched his gaze back to see that his sister’s eyes were open. Trembling, he spoke her name. She shifted her head and blinked.
“You’ll have to go home without me, brother,” she murmured. “Save the Clan!”
Her eyes focused on Crowpaw, and Stormfur saw in them a lifetime of love for the difficult young apprentice, enough to sweep their Clans’ rivalry away forever. “Think you have nine lives, do you?” she whispered. “I saved you once. . . . Don’t make me save you again.”
“Feathertail . . . Feathertail, no!” Crowpaw could hardly get the words out. “Don’t leave me.”
“I won’t.” Now her whisper was scarcely audible. “I’ll always be with you, I promise.”
Then her eyes closed, and she did not speak again.
Crowpaw threw his head back and let out a wail. Stormfur crouched beside his sister with his head down, grief freezing his limbs. Around him he heard the voices of his friends rise in sorrow. Squirrelpaw huddled close to Brambleclaw, murmuring, “She can’t be dead—she can’t be!” Brambleclaw bent his head to lick her ear. Beside them Tawnypelt stared at Feather-tail with misery in her green eyes.
The Tribe cats started whispering to one another. Somewhere deeper in the cave a yowl of jubilation broke out. “Sharptooth is dead! We are free!”
Stormfur flinched. The price had been too high. He turned his head toward the mouth of the cave, where the faint outline of the silver cat still stood in the moonlight.
Silverstream’s voice came to him through the roar of the water. “My dear son, try not to grieve too long. Feathertail will hunt with StarClan now. I will take care of her.”
“Wetook care of her,” Stormfur replied bitterly, and then he realized that he was lying. They had failed. If they hadn’t, she would not be lying there, dead, her fur glowing silver in the moonlight.
“She came,” whispered Brook. “The silver cat came.”
“No,” Stormfur growled. “I brought her.”
Crowpaw turned his head, a terrible blank look in his eyes. “It’s my fault.” His voice was a hoarse whisper. “If I’d refused to come back to the cave, she would have stayed with me.”
“No . . .” Stormfur murmured, reaching out one paw, but Crowpaw bowed his head.
A gentle voice said his name. Brook had drawn close to him, with Stoneteller behind her. Shyly she touched her nose to Stormfur’s muzzle. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
“The Tribe of Endless Hunting spoke truly,” Stoneteller meowed. “A silver cat has saved us all.”
But it wasn’t me, thought Stormfur. I wish it had been
He turned away from where Crowpaw lay beside Feather-tail, his nose pushed into her fur, and looked at the sheet of falling water. Just for a heartbeat, he thought that he saw two silver cats there shimmering in the half-light, side by side, watching over the shattered remnants of the questing Clan cats.
He blinked, and they were gone.
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 22
This was madness, sheer madness. Thewords echoed to the thud of Stormfur’s paws as he allowed Crag and another cave-guard to escort him back into the cave behind the waterfall. The other forest cats were ushered in close behind him, with more guards on either side, while Talon and his fellow outlaws brought up the rear. A patrol had spotted them as soon as they reached the river; Stormfur was pretty sure they were prisoners now rather than guests, and he did not know what the Tribe cats would do to them. They had fought their way out two nights before, so it was reasonable to expect hostility. Talon and his friends were taking an even bigger risk, because they had been ordered not to come back until Sharptooth was dead.
The first rays of glimmering moonlight were creeping through the sheet of water at the cave entrance, and soon Sharptooth would be on the prowl. Stormfur was not even sure that he could make the Tribe listen to Squirrelpaw’s plan. As he sought inside himself for courage, Silverstream’s scent drifted faintly around him. Stormfur glanced back, wondering if Feathertail could sense it, too. His sister was just behind him, her blue eyes troubled. But none of them had flinched when the cave-guards swarmed out from behind the rocks, as well hidden as ever by their mud-streaked fur. Stormfur felt humbled by his friends’ bravery, by their loyalty to him and to the warrior code even this far away from the forest. He knew they would do whatever it took to help the Tribe, or die trying.
Stoneteller had clearly been warned of their arrival, and was waiting for them in the middle of the main cave. Under his coating of mud, Stormfur could see that a slice of his fur had been torn away in the fight against Sharptooth, and he had a raw wound across one ear.
Stormfur strode over to him and laid at his feet the piece of prey he had carried all the way through the mountains: a mountain hare, its pelt just beginning to turn white for leaf-bare.
“What’s this?” Stoneteller’s voice was cold, and his eyes were hostile. “Why have you come back?”
“To help you defeat Sharptooth,” Stormfur replied.
His heart began to pound even faster when he saw neither welcome nor relief in the Healer’s expression. “And just what do you think you can do?”
His gaze swept around the cavern; following it, Stormfur saw the Tribe creeping out of the shadows. They looked curious but wary. The friendship they had begun to show toward the cats had been scorched by the shock of Sharptooth’s attack, and Stormfur’s failure to save them in spite of their warrior ancestors’ promise. Like Stoneteller, many of them bore raw scars or limped heavily from fresh wounds. Stormfur searched for Brook, but could not see her.
“Sharptooth took Star yesterday,” Stoneteller growled. “Many cats were injured as we tried to drive him out. One has already died, and two others lie on the border of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. You didn’t help us then. You ran away.”
His contempt struck Stormfur like a claw. Even worse was the murmur of agreement from the gathering Tribe, as if they had felt betrayed by his flight, just as he had felt betrayed when they made him a prisoner. He heard a hostile hiss from one of the Clan cats—he guessed it was Crowpaw—and hoped that the apprentice would keep quiet.
“I didn’t believe I was the promised cat,” he meowed honestly. “And I didn’t like being trapped in the Cave of Pointed Stones. But since I escaped, I’ve been thinking . . . and I’ve come back freely. Even if I’m not the cat who was named in the prophecy, I’ll do all I can to help.”
“We all will,” Brambleclaw added, coming to stand at Stormfur’s shoulder.
The Tribe’s Healer began to relax. There were more murmurs from the cats around him, and some at least sounded approving.
Then he heard Brook’s voice behind him. “Stormfur! I knew you would come back.”
Stormfur turned to see her slipping through the crowd. A shiver ran through his pelt as he looked at her shining eyes and heard the welcome in her voice.
“We should listen to him,” she urged Stoneteller. “The Tribe of Endless Hunting has sent him to help us. Why else would he come back, after seeing what Sharptooth can do?”
Stoneteller looked as if he lacked energy to believe anything anymore, but he bowed his head. “Very well,” he said. “But what are you going to do that we haven’t tried before? Sharptooth has killed the best fighters in my Tribe as if they were puny kits.”
Stormfur flicked his ears to beckon Squirrelpaw forward. She carried a wad of leaves in her jaws. “Show Stoneteller what you have,” he mewed, and added into her ear, “I hope you haven’t swallowed any.”
Squirrelpaw dropped the leaves. “I’m not mouse-brained!” she muttered indignantly.
Turning back to Stoneteller, Stormfur prodded the hare with one paw. “This prey is for Sharptooth,” he meowed. “And inside it, we’ll put these.” Delicately he unwrapped the leaves to reveal a small heap of glossy red berries.
A kit who was crouched with its mother at the front of the tribe took a step forward to sniff them curiously; Squirrelpaw thrust her tail in its way and guided it back to its mother.
“Don’t touch,” she mewed. “Even one of those would give you the worst bellyache you’ve ever had—if you survived.”
The kit stared at her with huge eyes and said nothing.
Gazing at the berries, the Tribe’s healer let out a faint hiss and took a step back. “Night-seeds?”
“You know them?” Stormfur asked. “In our Clans, we call them deathberries.”
“I know all the herbs and berries that grow in these mountains,” Stoneteller responded. For a moment a gleam of interest showed in his eyes; then he bent his head again and when he spoke his voice was defeated. “And none of that knowledge is any use to protect my Tribe. Sharptooth is too strong. Not even your deathberries will defeat him.”
“Three will kill the strongest warrior.” Squirrelpaw spoke up boldly. “I think what we have here would be enough even for Sharptooth.”
Stoneteller looked surprised. “Are you sure?”
“Even if they don’t,” Stormfur added, “they’ll weaken him so we can finish him off.”
Stoneteller still looked undecided. His shoulders were bowed as if the whole weight of the mountains rested on them.
Then Stormfur heard a stir among the Tribe cats, hostile muttering that swelled to furious yowling. Talon was thrusting his way forward to stand before the Healer; thanks to the shadows that darkened the cave most of the Tribe had only just noticed that the outlaws had returned.
Talon stood stone-still, while his former Tribemates hurled accusations at him.
“You were supposed to kill Sharptooth!”
“You failed us!”
“Stoneteller, he’s disobeying you by coming here. Kill him!”
Instinctively, the Clan cats gathered around Talon, ready to defend him. Crowpaw’s neck fur stood on end, and Tawnypelt had unsheathed her claws. Even the gentle Feathertail lashed her tail from side to side. Stormfur felt as proud of his warriors as any Clan leader.
Stoneteller lifted his tail for silence, but it was several heartbeats before the clamor died away. “Well?” the Healer growled. “I hope you have good reason for coming here.”
“The best reason,” Talon replied. “You can kill me if you like, but that won’t make you any stronger against Sharptooth. Your enemy is outside this cave, not inside. The silver cat has come, and it is time to believe the prophecy of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. If we fail, then you can kill us.”
The Tribe fell silent. Their hostility had changed to uncertainty; Stormfur let his neck fur lie flat again.
“We cannot kill the creature in its lair,” Talon went on, “since we do not know where it lives. So we must bring it here to die.”
“Here?” Brook exclaimed, one voice among many cries of outrage. “In our cave?”
Stormfur reached out with his tail and rested it on her shoulder. She had to trust him, however dangerous their plan seemed.
“Yes, here,” Talon growled. “This is the place we know, where we have somewhere to hide, and where the whole Tribe can wait to ambush Sharptooth if we need to give him the death blow.”
“And how do you propose to bring him here?” Stoneteller asked icily.
“With blood.”
Talon lifted one huge paw and sliced it open with his teeth; scarlet drops spattered to the ground like rain. Then he raised his head and let out a ferocious yowl that echoed around the cavern, louder than the waterfall outside. He spun around and dashed out of the entrance, Rock and Bird racing on his heels.
They left behind them a dizzy, echoing silence, apart from the sound of water. Stormfur let out a long breath. The plan had begun. The trail of blood was being laid.
Brambleclaw was the first to speak. “Squirrelpaw and Stormfur, you stuff the hare. Be sure you don’t get any deathberry juice on your fur, and if you do, wash it off right away.”
“Yes, O medicine cat.” Squirrelpaw bowed her head with mock respect, her green eyes flashing. “We know what to do!”
Stormfur listened while Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt discussed the best place to leave the hare. Stoneteller was giving orders to his cave-guards, and sending the kits and kit-mothers to the nursery. Guards were placed at the entrance to that tunnel, while more of the cave-guards and the prey-hunters scrambled into places on the rocks around the cave walls where they could spring down on Sharptooth. Their mud-streaked fur blended into the walls so that Stormfur could hardly see where they were hiding.
All the while a sense of dread was growing inside him. Somehow he felt like something terrible was going to happen. But why, if this was what the Tribe of Endless Hunting wanted him to do? He drank in the air, but he could scent nothing of Silverstream now, nor sense her reassuring presence.
“It will be all right.” Feathertail came up to him and pressed her muzzle against his. “I know you’re scared, but StarClan sent you here as well, with your dream about our mother. We have to do this.”
Crowpaw, a gray-black shadow hovering at Feathertail’s shoulder, nodded but said nothing.
An icy paw gripped Stormfur. Something was wrong; he knew it. There was something they had not understood, something they had not planned for. He looked around for Brambleclaw, wanting to share his fears with him, and saw him dragging the hare across the floor to lay it in front of the entrance, a few tail-lengths inside the cave. Tawnypelt watched, measuring the distance between the bait and the entrance, while Squirrelpaw made helpful gestures with her tail.
Stormfur padded over to them, feeling the eyes of the hidden Tribe staring at him from every corner of the cave. But before he could say anything, a screech split the air outside. Talon, Rock, and Bird dashed into the cave and skidded to a halt.
“Sharptooth!” Bird gasped.
“He’s here!” Rock yowled, his voice rising to a wail. “He’s coming!”
第二十二章
第二十二章
这太疯狂了，实在太疯狂了！当暴毛同意鹰崖和另一名山洞卫士护送他回到瀑布后面的山洞时，这句话就一直随着他的脚步声回响在耳旁，其他几只森林猫紧紧跟在他的身后，他的身体两侧有更多的山洞卫士，而被部落猫赶走的鹰爪和他的同伴跟在最后面。他们刚走到河边，就有一支巡逻队发现了他们。暴毛可以肯定，他们现在是被当作囚犯，而不是贵客，他也不知道部落猫会如何对待他们。毕竟，两天前的夜里，他们趁乱逃走了，所以部落猫对他们抱有敌意也可以理解。鹰爪和他的同伴所冒的风险更大，因为他们接到的命令是，在尖牙兽死掉之前不准回来。
当第一缕微弱的月光透过水帘照进洞口的时候，尖牙兽很快就会潜行过来。暴毛甚至不知道，部落猫会不会去听松鼠爪的计划。当他想找回自己内心深处的勇气时，银溪那淡淡的气味再次飘了过来萦绕在他的周围。暴毛回头看了一眼，想知道羽尾是不是也能感觉得到。然而妹妹只是跟在他的身后，蓝色的眼睛里满是迷茫。当山洞卫士像以往那样，顶着一身涂满泥巴的皮毛，从岩石后面围过来时，没有一只猫害怕退缩。朋友们的勇气，对他和武士守则的忠实——即使是在离森林家园这么远的地方，让暴毛觉得自己很渺小。他知道，无论付出什么代价，即使是冒着生命危险，他们也会帮助部落猫的。
尖石巫师显然早已接到他们到来的警报，正在主洞的中央等着他们。暴毛看到，在那层泥巴伪装的外壳下，尖石巫师身上有一块皮毛在跟尖牙兽搏斗中被撕掉了，一只耳朵上也有一处新的伤痕。
暴毛大步走向他，将自己从山里一路带来的一只猎物放到他的脚下。猎物是一只山兔，皮毛因为秃叶季的来临刚刚开始变白。
“这是干什么？”尖石巫师声音非常冷淡，眼睛里充满了敌意，“你们为什么又回来了？”
“帮助你们打败尖牙兽。”暴毛回答道。
看到尖石巫师的表情里既没有欢迎，也没有放松戒备的意思，暴毛的心咚咚咚跳得更快了。“你认为你能帮上什么忙？”尖石巫师问道。
尖石巫师扫视了山洞一周。循着他的目光，暴毛看到，部落猫们都悄悄走出了阴影处。他们看起来都很好奇，但又很谨慎。他们一开始向这几只族群猫展示出的友谊，已经在尖牙兽袭击的震惊中和暴毛不顾武士祖灵的承诺——将他们从危难中救出，消失殆尽。很多部落猫都跟尖石巫师一样，忍受着皮外伤，有的因为新伤跛得厉害。暴毛四下寻找溪儿的身影，但没看到她。
“尖牙兽两天前把星辰掳走了，”尖石巫师恨恨地说道，“我们把它赶出去的时候，很多猫受了伤，一只已经死了，还有两只也快进入杀无尽部落了。当时，你没有留下帮助我们，反而跑掉了。”
尖石巫师的蔑视就像一只利爪，刺进了暴毛的心。聚在一旁的部落猫们纷纷发出赞同的低语声，就好像他的逃走是背叛了他们，正如当时他被他们囚禁时的心情。这时，他听到族群猫中发出了一阵充满敌意的嘶嘶声，他猜测一定是鸦爪，只希望这位学徒能保持安静。
“那时，我不相信我就是那只应诺之猫，”他真诚地说道，“而且我也不喜欢被关在尖石洞里。但自从我逃走之后，我就一直在思考这件事……这次我自愿地回来，哪怕我不是预言里指定的那只猫，我也会尽我所能帮助你们。”
“我们都会全力以赴的。”黑莓掌走上前站到暴毛身边，补充了一句。
尖石巫师的神情开始和缓下来，围在他身边的众猫窃窃私语着，有些猫还表示赞许。
这时，暴毛听到身后传来溪儿的声音：“暴毛，我就知道你还会回来！”
暴毛转过身，看到溪儿灵巧地从猫群中挤了过来。看到她那明亮的双眸，听到她欢迎的声音，暴毛不禁欣喜得身子一震。
“我们应该听听他怎么说。”她力劝尖石巫师，“他一定是杀无尽部落派来帮助我们的。否则，看到尖牙兽的力量后，他为什么还要回来？”
尖石巫师看起来似乎已经没有力气去相信任何事了，但他低头表示感谢。“很好。”他说道，“但你打算怎么做？我们以前都尝试过那么多办法了。部落里最强悍的战士都不是尖牙兽的对手，它就像捏死一只弱小的幼崽那样杀死了他们。”
暴毛轻轻弹动了一下耳朵，示意松鼠爪上前。松鼠爪嘴里衔着一团树叶走了过来。“把你带来的东西给尖石巫师看看，”暴毛说着，附在她的耳边说道，“希望你一点点都没有咽下去。”
松鼠爪放下树叶，生气地说道：“我又不是鼠脑子！”
暴毛又转向尖石巫师，用一只脚掌杵了杵那只山兔，说道：“这只猎物是给尖牙兽准备的。我们会在猎物的肚子里塞进这个。”说着，暴毛小心地解开那团树叶，里面有一小堆鲜艳的红色浆果。
在部落猫的前面，有只靠在妈妈身旁的小猫上前一步，好奇地闻着那堆红果。松鼠爪赶紧伸出尾巴拦住他，示意他回到妈妈身边去。
“别碰它们！”松鼠爪说道，“这种果子只需一粒就能让你肚子疼得受不了——如果你运气好，能活下来的话。”
那只幼崽睁大眼睛看着她，没有说话。
尖石巫师盯着这堆鲜艳的果实，轻轻嘶了一声，退后一步，说道：“黑夜之籽？”
“你认识？在我们族群里，我们叫它们死亡浆果。”暴毛说。
“我认识这山里生长的所有草药和浆果。”尖石巫师回答道。片刻间，他就流露出感兴趣的眼神。接着，他低下头有些失望地说道：“但我的这些知识一点也保护不了我的部落。尖牙兽太强大了，即使你们的死亡浆果也对付不了它。”
“三颗死亡浆果能毒死一只最强壮的武士。”松鼠爪大着胆子说道，“我觉得这么多浆果足够杀死尖牙兽了。”
尖石巫师一脸惊讶地说道：“你确定？”
“就算杀不死它，也可以让它变得虚弱。到时我们就可以趁机杀死它。”暴毛补充了一句。
尖石巫师仍然有些犹豫不决。他弓起双肩，就好像肩上扛着几座大山似的。
这时，暴毛听到部落猫中发出一阵骚动，原本充满敌意的小声议论越来越响，最后变成了愤怒的斥责。鹰爪挺身而出，站在尖石巫师面前。因为山洞里幽暗的阴影，大部分部落猫这才注意到被驱逐出去的猫回来了。
鹰爪静静地站在那儿，任凭他以前的部落同伴大声指责他。
“我们还指望你杀了尖牙兽！”
“你真令我们失望！”
“尖石巫师，他没有遵守你的命令，竟然回来了，杀了他！”
几只部落猫本能地守护在鹰爪周围。鸦爪脖颈上的毛腾地倒立了起来，褐皮的爪子已经弹了出来，就连一向性情温和的羽尾也不住抽打着尾巴。暴毛顿时充满自豪，就像一个族长为他的武士感到骄傲一样。
尖石巫师扬起尾巴示意安静，过了好一阵子，现场的喧哗声才慢慢平息。尖石巫师高声喝道：“怎么？希望你能给我一个好的理由，解释一下你为什么回来？”
“最好的理由，”鹰爪回答，“就是你想杀了我也没关系，但那就无法帮助你对抗尖牙兽了。你的敌人在洞外，而不是洞内。这只银猫已经回来了，现在就是相信杀无尽部落预言的时候了。如果我们杀不了尖牙兽，你们就杀了我们。”
部落猫一下子陷入了沉默。他们的敌意大减，暴毛脖子上的毛又平顺了下来。
“既然我们找不到那头野兽的住地，”鹰爪接着说，“没办法在它的巢穴里把它杀死，那我们就把它引到这儿来杀掉它。”
“引到这儿来？”这时，从愤怒的叫喊声中传来溪儿的惊呼声，“在我们的山洞里？”
暴毛伸出尾巴搭在她的肩上。她必须相信他，无论他们的计划看上去有多么危险。
“是的，在这儿。”鹰爪大声说道，“这个地方我们最熟悉，知道哪里可以藏身，哪里可以埋伏，需要的时候，整个部落可以给尖牙兽致命的一击。”
“那你们打算怎么把它引到这儿来？”尖石巫师冷冷地问道。
“用血把它引过来。”
鹰爪举起一只巨掌，用牙齿咬破一块皮。顿时，猩红的鲜血像雨点一样洒落到地面上。然后他仰头长啸，顿时，怒吼声响彻山洞，比外面瀑布的声音还要大。接着，他猛地转身，冲出洞口，雪岩和飞鸟也跟着跑了出去。
除了瀑布声外，鹰爪他们留给部落猫和族群猫的，只有一阵茫然的寂静，以及寂静中的回声。暴毛长出了一口气。计划已经开始了。鲜血之路正在铺设。
黑莓掌率先打破了沉默：“松鼠爪、暴毛，你们赶快将死亡浆果塞到兔子的肚子里。一定要当心，别把汁液沾到皮毛上。要是不小心沾上了，立刻洗掉。”
“遵命，巫医。”松鼠爪向黑莓掌低下头做出恭敬的样子，绿色的眼睛里闪过一道光芒，“我们知道该怎么做！”
当黑莓掌和褐皮讨论把兔子放在哪个位置更合适时，暴毛静静地听着。尖石巫师向山洞卫士下令，把幼崽和猫妈妈送往育婴室。洞口到通道处都安排了卫士把守，还在洞内各处的岩石上安排了更多的卫士和狩猎者，准备必要时可以随时扑向尖牙兽。他们涂抹了泥巴的皮毛与周围的石壁融为一体，暴毛简直分辨不出他们躲在哪儿。
但暴毛的心里始终有一种恐惧感。不知怎么的，他总是觉得会有恐怖的事情发生。但是，如果这就是杀无尽部落想要他完成的任务，自己怎么会害怕呢？他深深地吸了一口气，但没有嗅到银溪的气味，也感觉不到她的存在。
“一切都会顺利的。”羽尾走到他身边，跟他碰了碰口鼻，“我知道你一定很害怕，但既然星族把你派到了这里，妈妈还给你托了梦，那我们一定得这么做。”
这时，一个灰黑色的影子出现在羽尾的肩膀之上，是鸦爪，他沉默地冲暴毛点点头。
突然，暴毛感觉像是被一只冰凉的爪子揪住了似的。有什么事情不对劲，他非常确定。有什么事情他们好像还没有搞懂，有什么事情他们还没有安排好。他看了看四周，想找到黑莓掌，希望能跟他说一说自己的担心，却看见黑莓掌拖着那只兔子，把它放到离洞口几尾长的地方。褐皮在一旁观察着，测量诱饵和洞口之间的距离，松鼠爪则用尾巴比画着给她帮忙。
暴毛向他们走去，感觉藏在山洞每一个角落的部落猫的眼睛都在盯着他。但还没等他来得及说话，洞外就传来一声响彻天空的尖叫。鹰爪、雪岩和飞鸟冲进山洞，然后急忙停住了。
“尖牙兽！”飞鸟上气不接下气地说道。
“它在那儿！”雪岩大喊着，声音越来越高，像是在哀号，“它往这里来了！”
第二十三章
第二十三章
暴毛一下子呆住了。这尖牙兽来得也太快了！
三只被流放的猫冲到山洞的洞壁边，还没落好位置的部落猫慌乱逃往通向尖石洞的通道。暴毛和他的朋友则被留在了山洞的中央，惊慌地四下里看着。
他们犹豫的时间有些长。随着一阵可怕的咆哮声穿透瀑布的响声，在月光的映照下，一个黑影从洞口处走了进来。接着，尖牙兽突然出现在他们眼前。
就像部落猫说的那样，尖牙兽看起来就像长老故事中的狮子，只是头上少了一圈火红的鬃毛；短毛下，精瘦结实的肌肉滚动着。它低着硕大的金色脑袋，搜寻着鹰爪的血迹。等进入了山洞，它抬头张望着，看到了那只兔子，却一掌把它拍到了一边。
“不！”松鼠爪惊叫了一声。
听到尖叫声，尖牙兽转过巨大的脑袋，毛茸茸的圆耳朵抽动了两下，饶有兴趣地寻找着声音的来源。
“赶紧回来！”黑莓掌吼道，“你们全都藏起来！”
他向那只狮子般的巨猫扑了过去，两只前爪猛地击打着，然后在尖牙兽转过身前滚到了一旁。暴毛看见松鼠爪从另一侧冲了上去，跳到了尖牙兽的背上，爪子狠狠地插进了它的尾巴根部。
“松鼠爪！”黑莓掌大吼道，“看在星族的分上，你到底在干什么？”
那只狮子般的巨猫扭动着身体，想把她甩掉。这时，松鼠爪已经跳下来，飞快地逃进沿着洞壁排列的岩石中。尖牙兽怒吼一声，纵身追了上去。但松鼠爪的速度很快，尖牙兽根本就追不上。松鼠爪爬到它够不到的高处，站在一块突出的石头上发出嘶嘶的叫声，一身暗姜黄色的皮毛全蓬了起来。
暴毛逃向对面的洞壁，跟着羽尾沿着岩石里的一道道裂缝往上爬，一直爬到洞顶下方的一个隐蔽的石台上。在那个狭小的空间里，暴毛蹲在妹妹身边，俯瞰着洞底的情况。
部落猫全都藏在各自的隐身处，吓得动都不敢动。黑莓掌也找到了安全地带，就躲在了松鼠爪下方的另一个石台上。他冲着上方的松鼠爪大吼着，看起来几乎跟尖牙兽一样生气。暴毛听不清黑莓掌说的是什么，但他猜得出来。
暴毛有一会儿没看到褐皮了。后来，他看到褐皮从洞口附近的石壁中间部位的石缝中探出了脑袋。只剩下鸦爪不知去向。这时，暴毛感觉到身边的羽尾绷紧了身子，只听她小声说道：“噢，不！”
尖牙兽几乎就在他俩正下方的岩壁上走着。暴毛看到了它恐怖的眼睛，在月光下发出黑色亮光。它嘴唇往后卷着，露出两排凶残还流着口水的尖牙。鸦爪困在洞底的一道裂缝里，但裂缝太浅了，根本藏不住他的身体。鸦爪拼命往岩石缝里躲着，想避过尖牙兽的利爪。鸦爪不由自主发出惊恐的叫声。
暴毛感觉胃里一阵翻搅。一切都乱套了。尖牙兽根本没理会那只山兔诱饵，反而在追杀猫。只消片刻，它就会捉住鸦爪，星族的任务也就宣告失败。如果风族的猫死了，四大族群怎么可能合而为一？暴毛小声地责骂着自己，觉得自己什么都做不好，因为他根本就不是部落猫的武士祖灵所说的那只应诺之猫。他那愚蠢、轻率的傲慢，把一切都搞砸了。
他听见身边的羽尾小声呼唤着鸦爪。她久久地看了暴毛一眼，月光下，她那双湛蓝的眼睛晶莹剔透，含着无尽的爱和悲伤。“我现在能清楚地听到那些声音了，这是要我来完成的使命。”她轻声说道。
接着，暴毛感觉到羽尾隆起肌肉。还没等暴毛意识到她要干什么，羽尾便纵身一跳——不是往下跳，而是往山洞的顶上跳去。她那双爪子深深插入一块狭长的爪状石头中。就听到一声刺耳的响声，暴毛的后脊梁不禁一阵发凉。
“不！”他哀号一声。
石头禁不住羽尾的体重，裂开了，掉了下来。随着一声恐怖的尖叫，羽尾跌落了下来，直直砸向了尖牙兽。这只像狮子一样的巨猫抬起头，低沉的咆哮声一下子变成了尖叫，因为一块又尖又细的岩石砸在了它的身上。尖牙兽一下子倒在了地上，不住翻滚着。而羽尾则重重地摔在它身旁的地上。
暴毛立刻跳上洞壁，顺着岩石往下滑，感觉自己的脚掌都撕裂了。他冲到妹妹身旁。羽尾一动不动地躺在地上，双眼紧闭着。尖牙兽仍在不停挣扎着，但当暴毛过来停住时，这只狮子般的巨猫身子重重地抖动了一下，死了。
“羽尾？”暴毛轻声呼唤着。
他知道鸦爪悄悄溜出了岩石蹲在了自己旁边。“羽尾？”这只风族猫的声音里充满了绝望，“羽尾，你还好吗？”
羽尾仍然一动不动。暴毛抬起头，看见其他的几只族群猫也围了过来，惊恐的部落猫也都从隐身的地方慢慢移了过来。他低下头，继续看着妹妹，看到她的胸部有轻微呼吸的起伏。
“她会好起来的。”他声音嘶哑着说，“她必须好起来。她……她还有预言要去完成。”
鸦爪向前爬了几步，鼻子紧紧贴着羽尾的皮毛。他深深地嗅着羽尾的气味，然后开始轻柔地舔舐她。血从鸦爪肩上的一道伤口里流了下来，洇湿了羽尾的皮毛。“醒一醒，羽尾，”他低声哀泣道，“求你了，赶快醒过来。”
没有任何反应。这时，一道极其熟悉的气味环绕在暴毛身边，他抬起了头。“是银溪吗？”暴毛问道。
在洞口附近，月光透过瀑布的水帘渗了进来，波光荡漾的地方，暴毛感觉自己看到了一只银色的猫。她看起来只是一道非常微弱的银色的光，但暴毛的脑海里能非常清晰地听到她那悲伤的声音：“噢，羽尾！”
鸦爪长出了一口气，暴毛赶紧回头看，他的妹妹的眼睛睁开了。暴毛用颤抖的声音呼唤妹妹的名字。羽尾移动了一下脑袋，眨了眨眼睛。
“哥哥，我不能跟你一起回家了，”她低声说道，“一定要拯救族群！”
接着，她凝视着鸦爪。暴毛在那双眼睛里，看到了她对这个乖戾的年轻学徒至死不渝的爱，这爱足以抹平族群长久以来的敌对。“你以为你有九条命，是吗？”羽尾喃喃地说道，“这一次我救了你……别指望我还能再救你一回。”
“羽尾……羽尾，不要死！”鸦爪哽咽得几乎说不出话来，“不要抛下我。”
“我不会的，”现在，羽尾的声音低得几乎听不见了，“我会永远在你身边，我保证。”
然后，她合上了眼睛，再也没有说话。
鸦爪把头往后一仰，发出一声哀号。暴毛蹲伏在妹妹身边，垂下头，悲伤冻结了他的四肢。他听见身旁的朋友们发出悲痛的声音。紧挨着黑莓掌的松鼠爪不停地说着：“她不会死的——她没有死！”黑莓掌低下头舔着松鼠爪的耳朵，安慰着。他们旁边的褐皮则久久地凝视着羽尾，绿色的眼睛里充满了悲伤。
部落猫开始窃窃私语。突然，山洞深处爆发出一阵欢呼的尖叫声：“尖牙兽死了！我们自由了！”
暴毛不禁退缩了一下：这代价实在太高了。他扭头向洞口望去，那只银色猫淡淡的身影仍矗立在月光下。
银溪的声音穿过瀑布的轰鸣声，传进他的耳朵：“我亲爱的儿子，请不要太过悲伤。羽尾现在会跟星族一起狩猎。我会好好照顾她的。”
“我们都会好好照顾她的。”暴毛悲痛地回答道，然后他马上就意识到自己在说谎。他们并没有照顾好她。如果照顾好了，她就不会躺在这儿，丢掉性命，一身毛发在月光下散发着银色的光。
“她来了，”溪儿轻声叫道，“那只银色猫来了。”
“不是，”暴毛怒吼道，“是我把她带来的！”
鸦爪转过头，眼睛里一片茫然。“都是我的错。”他声音嘶哑地小声说道，“如果我拒绝回山洞的话，她就会跟我待在一起了。”
“不……”暴毛轻声说着，伸出一只爪子，但鸦爪却垂下了头。
一个温柔的声音喊着他的名字。溪儿靠到了他的身边，尖石巫师跟在她的身后。她害羞地用鼻子碰了碰暴毛的口鼻，说道：“我很遗憾，真的非常遗憾！”
“杀无尽部落说的果然是真的，”尖石巫师说道，“果真是一只银色猫拯救了我们部落猫。”
但我不是那只银色猫，暴毛心想，我真希望我是那只银色猫。
鸦爪伏在羽尾身边，将鼻子贴在羽尾的皮毛里。暴毛转过头，看向瀑布水帘。就在那一瞬间，暴毛觉得，在微光闪烁的昏暗的光影中，他仿佛看到，两只银色的猫肩并肩凝视着迷茫的族群猫疲惫的身影。
他眼睛一眨，两只猫就消失了。
EPILOGUE
EPILOGUE
Squirrelpaw was trapped in a small,dark space that rocked violently from side to side. Her head spun, and she swallowed the bile that rose in her stomach. Her paws scraped frantically on something smooth and solid. She let out a terrified yowl: “Leafpaw!”Then her eyes flew open and she found herself scrambling in a shallow dip in the ground.
“What’s the matter? Yowling like that, you’ll scare all the prey.”
Tawnypelt was standing over her; she had dropped a plump, fresh-caught vole so that she could speak. The five Clan cats had left the mountains last night and were traveling across open moorland. The rising sun, relentlessly showing them the way they must go, had just cleared the horizon.
Squirrelpaw heaved herself out of her nest and shook scraps of grass from her pelt. “Nothing. It was just a dream.” She gave her chest fur a few licks to try to hide how shaken she was. Her sister was in terrible danger; she knew that the dream had taken her to wherever Leafpaw was, and shown her the terror she was feeling, but Squirrelpaw guessed that the practical Tawnypelt wouldn’t understand her fears.
Tawnypelt was looking faintly interested. “Was it a sign from StarClan?”
“No.” Squirrelpaw knew she could share some of the details of her dream, without telling Tawnypelt it had connected her with Leafpaw. “I . . . I felt like I was trapped somewhere dark. I didn’t know where I was, and I couldn’t escape.”
Awkwardly, Tawnypelt stepped forward and pressed her muzzle against Squirrelpaw’s side. “I think we’ve all had bad dreams,” she meowed. “Ever since Feathertail . . .”
Squirrelpaw nodded. Like all of them, she found it hard to believe that they would never see Feathertail again. The Tribe cats had helped them to bury her, beside the pool where the waterfall fell endlessly, churning up spray that made the ground soft enough to dig.
“She has a place of honor here,” Stoneteller had meowed. “We will keep her memory alive for as long as our Tribe survives.”
That had been small comfort for the Clan cats. Crowpaw in particular was shattered by grief, spending all the next day crouched beside Feathertail’s grave. Stormfur kept vigil with him, racked by guilt that he had done nothing to save Feathertail, and had not even imagined that she might be the chosen cat. Her silver fur had been slicked black with water when they first emerged from the waterfall, which was why the tribe cats hadn’t paid any attention to her. At last Brambleclaw had ordered them both inside the cave to rest.
“We’re leaving at dawn,” the ThunderClan warrior had told them. “You’ll need all your strength. Our Clans need us.”
The journey had begun again. The Tribe cats had escorted them part of the way through the mountains, and they soon came to easier country with flat green grass and hedgerows to provide prey. But they felt no sense of hope or relief that they would soon be home. Their hearts stayed with Feathertail, in the land of rocks and water.
Squirrelpaw soon recovered enough from her nightmare to help with the hunting so that they could get going and make the most of the rapidly shortening days. Though no cat wanted to eat, they forced themselves to gulp down the fresh-kill. Once or twice Stormfur caught himself looking around to ask Feathertail something, before he remembered that he would never speak to her again.
All that day and the next they traveled on, until their paws were cracked and bleeding. It was as if the horrors they had seen had numbed them to everyday pain. The sun was going down behind them again as they came to the top of a rise. Their shadows streamed out ahead of them, pointing toward a hill with a jagged crest. It seemed to smolder in scarlet fire from the rays of the setting sun.
“Look!” Tawnypelt’s voice was an exhausted croak.
For a few heartbeats no cat spoke. Then Squirrelpaw’s green eyes flashed with a fire that had seemed dimmed forever by Feathertail’s death.
“Highstones!” she exclaimed. “We’re almost home.”
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 24
“No! Help them!” A wail ofsorrow and fear broke from Leafpaw. She opened her eyes with a jump and saw that she was in her nest outside Cinderpelt’s den. The morning sunlight was pale and cold. The rumble of monsters from her nightmare had reached the camp in the waking world, too, and their stench hung in the air.
Shuddering, Leafpaw curled deeper into the moss, trying to find comfort in its warmth while the last wisps of her dream hung in her mind like mist. She had been standing near the Thunderpath, watching the Twoleg monsters as they roared through the forest, crushing cats under their huge black paws. Blood had run like a river across the forest floor. Spottedleaf had stood beside her, and Leafpaw had turned to her with a desperate plea. “Save them! Please! Why don’t you save them?”
Spottedleaf’s eyes had rested sadly on Leafpaw’s dying friends. “There is nothing more StarClan can do to help,” she murmured. “I’m so sorry.”
Then she had faded away, and Leafpaw had woken up.
She rose to her paws, staggering, and padded across to Cinderpelt’s den. The medicine cat was not there; Leafpaw could see an empty heap of bedding at the back of the cleft and wondered if some emergency had called her away, and whether there was yet another disaster they would have to face. A whimper rose at the back of her throat, and she firmly closed her jaws on it. Whatever fate was coming, even if their warrior ancestors were helpless, she would go on helping her Clan while she had the strength.
A rustle behind her made her turn to see Cinderpelt brushing her way through the fern tunnel. The medicine cat’s tail was drooping, though she tried to brighten up when she saw Leafpaw.
“What’s happened?” Leafpaw asked, bracing herself.
“I’ve been to see Frostfur,” the medicine cat replied. “Don’t look like that; she isn’t dead. In fact she’s a little better. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t got greencough.”
“That’s good.” Leafpaw tried to sound pleased, but she couldn’t help adding, “It’s hunger, not greencough, that will be our real enemy this leaf-bare.”
Cinderpelt nodded. “True. And if more cats disappear, there won’t be enough warriors to provide food for the kits and elders, even if they could find prey.” She let out a discouraged sigh.
“Shall I try to catch something for Frostfur?” Leafpaw offered. “I could join a hunting patrol, unless you want more herbs.”
“No, we’re pretty well stocked now. That’s a good idea, Leafpaw—though I’m not sure you’ll find much out there.”
Leafpaw didn’t argue. She padded through the ferns into the main clearing, and for a moment she felt as if she had stepped into the camp as it used to be. Sandstorm and Rainwhisker had just appeared at the mouth of the gorse tunnel, both with fresh-kill in their jaws. Spiderpaw and Shrewpaw were lying in a patch of sunlight outside the apprentices’ den, while Dustpelt and Ferncloud shared tongues at the entrance to the nursery. Firestar and Brackenfur were talking together at the base of the Highrock.
Then Leafpaw realized what she was really seeing. Her father and Brackenfur both looked worried. The two apprentices lay still, instead of scuffling playfully as they used to. The fresh-kill pile where her mother and Rainwhisker dropped their prey was pitifully small. As Leafpaw padded past the nursery, she watched Dustpelt push a mouse toward Ferncloud. The she-cat’s appearance horrified Leafpaw; she was little more than a skeleton, every bone visible under her dull fur.
“You must eat,” Dustpelt meowed. “Hollykit and Birchkit still need you.”
The reek of monsters hung over the clearing, and their roar sounded even louder to Leafpaw. Her eyes filled with a vision of them breaking through the wall of thorns that surrounded the camp, the sun glittering on their bright pelts as they crushed the terrified Clan. She blinked, forcing the images away. She could not stop the Twolegs from doing what they wanted, but she could do something small to help her starving Clan.
As she headed toward Firestar and Brackenfur, she remembered her encounter with Hawkfrost the day before. So far she had not told any cat about his plans to take over ThunderClan’s territory, and she had asked Sorreltail not to say anything either. She hardly knew how to load more trouble onto Firestar’s shoulders, when he had so much to bear already. How could she tell him that his greatest enemy, Tigerstar, lived on in Tigerstar’s son Hawkfrost, in a Clan not weakened by hunger or ravaged by Twolegs? She knew she had to find the words, but she wanted more time to think.
Drawing closer to her father, she heard him meow to Brackenfur, “You could try a hunting patrol near Twolegplace. That’s about as far as you can get from the monsters.”
The anguished cry of a cat in pain interrupted him. Leafpaw spun around to see Graystripe and Mousefur stumbling out of the gorse tunnel. Graystripe looked anxious, and Mousefur was limping along on only three legs, one of her forelimbs hanging useless. Her brown fur was sticking up as if she had been in a fight, though Leafpaw could not see or scent any blood.
Firestar bounded across to her, and Leafpaw followed.
“What happened?” Firestar demanded. “Who did this?”
Mousefur was in too much pain to answer. Her teeth were gritted, and she let out a wordless moan of agony.
“Twolegs,” Graystripe spat, terror stark in his eyes. “We went too close to the monsters, and a Twoleg grabbed her.”
Firestar stared in astonishment.
“Come and see Cinderpelt,” Leafpaw meowed before her father could delay them by asking more questions.
She padded close to the injured she-cat on the way to Cinderpelt’s den. Mousefur’s eyes were glazed with pain; though she struggled along bravely, the effort of making it back to camp had obviously exhausted her. Leafpaw tried to help by letting her lean on her shoulder.
Behind them, Graystripe walked beside Firestar. “The Twolegs usually stay inside their monsters,” he meowed. “But today they were swarming all over the place—StarClan knows why. One of them yowled at Mousefur and she ran, straight into the paws of another one.”
“This is mouse-brained.” Firestar sounded utterly confused. “The Twolegs have always ignored us.”
“Not anymore,” Graystripe mewed grimly.
“At least I gave him a few scratches to remember me by,” Mousefur gasped.
Leafpaw raced ahead to alert Cinderpelt, who was sitting at the mouth of her den with her eyes raised to the sky as if she were trying to read some message from StarClan in the movement of the clouds.
“It’s Mousefur—she’s hurt!” Leafpaw gasped.
Cinderpelt leaped to her paws. “Oh, great StarClan!” she exclaimed. “What next?” She squeezed her eyes shut as if she could barely brace herself to carry on, but her voice was as calm as ever when she meowed, “Come and lie down here, and I’ll take a look.”
Mousefur lay down in front of the den, and Cinderpelt ran her nose along the injured leg, sniffing carefully at the shoulder. “It’s dislocated,” she meowed at last. “Cheer up, Mousefur. I can put it right, but it’s going to hurt. Leafpaw, fetch me some poppy seeds.”
Leafpaw obeyed, and Mousefur licked them up. As they waited a few moments for the seeds to dull the she-cat’s pain, Leafpaw listened to her father and Graystripe talking together near the mouth of the tunnel.
“I’ll have to forbid cats to go anywhere near the Twolegs,” Firestar mewed. “Soon there’ll be nowhere safe outside the camp. Already some of the cats are too scared to go out on patrol.”
“We’re not finished yet,” Graystripe retorted stubbornly. “StarClan won’t let us be destroyed.”
Firestar shook his head, and stalked back down the tunnel into the main clearing. After a moment Graystripe, with a worried glance at Mousefur, followed him.
“Okay, Leafpaw,” Cinderpelt meowed. By now the brown warrior was growing sleepy, her head lolling forward onto her paws. “Let’s do it. Put your paws there,” she went on, pointing to Mousefur’s other foreleg. “Hold her still while I put her leg back. I don’t want to be clawed to death. And watch carefully what I do,” she added. “You haven’t seen this before.”
Leafpaw carefully positioned herself as her mentor had shown her, while Cinderpelt took Mousefur’s injured leg firmly in her teeth, bracing one paw against her shoulder. Then she pulled; Leafpaw heard a sharp click and Mousefur jerked, letting out a furious yowl.
“Excellent,” Cinderpelt muttered.
She examined Mousefur’s shoulder again while the she-cat lay limp and trembling. “That’s fine,” she mewed, nudging the brown she-cat to her paws. “See if you can put your weight on it.”
Mousefur tried; she staggered, more from exhaustion and the effects of the poppy seeds than from her injury, Leafpaw thought, but stayed on her paws.
“You’d better get some sleep.” Cinderpelt began guiding her to the ferns at the edge of the clearing. “I’ll check you again when you wake, but I don’t think you’ll have any more trouble.” Glancing back at Leafpaw, she added, “You did well there. I can manage now if you want to go and hunt.”
Leafpaw paused while her mentor settled Mousefur among the ferns. “Are you sure you don’t need me?”
Cinderpelt shook her head. “There’s nothing more to do. There’s nothing any of us can do,” she added in a lower voice. “StarClan is silent.”
Her despair appalled Leafpaw. Amid all the chaos caused by the Twolegs, she had always believed that Cinderpelt’s faith would stand firm. And worst of all, there was nothing she could say to lift her mentor’s spirits—not when Spottedleaf herself had admitted that StarClan was as powerless as the cats in the forest.
“I’m not going hunting,” she meowed firmly. “I’m going to find out what happened to our missing cats.”
Cinderpelt stared at her, puzzled. “What?”
“Don’t you see? If Mousefur hadn’t struggled free, the Twoleg would have taken her away. We might never have known what happened to her. That must be what happened to Cloudtail and Brightheart too.”
The medicine cat’s expression cleared. “Yes, I see that. But Leafpaw—what if youdon’t come back?”
Leafpaw gazed at her, half regretting that she had told Cinderpelt her plan. What if she refused to let her go?
“This is the first clue we’ve had about the disappearances,” she meowed. “We musttry to find out the truth.”
To her relief, after a moment’s hesitation, Cinderpelt nodded. “Very well. But be careful. And find another cat to go with you.” As Leafpaw turned to go, she added, “You’re a brave cat, Leafpaw. Remember that the Clan can’t afford to lose you.”
Leafpaw dipped her head, embarrassed by her mentor’s praise, and slipped through the ferns. Back in the main clearing, she could sense that a change had fallen over the Clan. News of the attack on Mousefur had clearly spread; the air was full of the scent of fear and despair. Leafpaw wanted to spring up onto the Highrock and call out to her Clanmates, to make them realize that they mustn’t give up. As long as they were alive, there was still hope. But who would listen to an apprentice? And what words could she find that would make a difference?
Taking a deep breath, she made up her mind. She would go to Firestar and tell him everything she knew about the cats who had been sent away by StarClan. Even though she had no idea where they were now, or if they would ever return, the news might at least give Firestar and the rest of ThunderClan reassurance that StarClan was not indifferent to what was going on in the forest. She would tell him about Hawkfrost too, and his plans to take over ThunderClan’s territory. She was sick of secrets; it would be a relief to unburden herself after so long.
But first she would go and look for the missing cats, in case Firestar punished her for not telling him sooner by confining her to the camp. Quickly she made her way to the outside of the warriors’ den and called, “Sorreltail!”
Her friend peered out through the branches. “Leafpaw? What is it?”
Leafpaw thought back to the morning not so long ago when she had called Sorreltail out to visit WindClan. Then there had been hope; Sorreltail had been bright and lively, eager for action. Now her tortoiseshell fur looked dull, and her eyes stared blankly at Leafpaw.
“I want you to come with me,” Leafpaw began, and explained her plan to investigate the disappearances.
To her relief, Sorreltail’s eyes brightened as she spoke. “Okay,” the tortoiseshell warrior meowed. “It’s better than lying around the camp all day. Let’s go.”
She threaded her way out between the branches of the den, and both cats headed through the gorse tunnel.
Leafpaw followed Graystripe’s and Mousefur’s scents back toward the scarred section of the forest where the Twoleg monsters rampaged. She had been this way the day before, when she and Sorreltail had watched the monster uproot the tree, but she was astonished to see how much more destruction the Twolegs had created in such a short time. The ground had been churned into mud, with monsters crouched here and there, or roaring across the ground with a horrible slow movement as if they were creeping up on prey.
There were Twoleg nests there, too, roughly made of wood rather than the hard red stone in Twolegplace. The cats crouched in the shelter of one of them, peering out at the Twolegs walking around. Leafpaw could feel Sorreltail quivering, fear-scent coming off her in waves; she felt just as terrified, but there was no way she was going back now, not when she was so close to finding out what happened to Cloudtail and Brightheart.
“What’s that?” she murmured to Sorreltail.
She pointed with her tail at what looked like a miniature Twoleg den, made of wood and open at one end, set underneath one of the few surviving trees. It was far too small for a Twoleg to get inside.
Sorreltail shrugged. “Dunno. Some Twoleg thing.”
“I’m going to look.”
Warily glancing from side to side in case a Twoleg tried to grab her, Leafpaw crept across the open ground. Behind her she heard Sorreltail meow, “Be careful!”
As Leafpaw drew closer, she picked up the scent of food coming from the den. Though it was unfamiliar, not the fresh-kill scent she was used to, water flooded her mouth. She needed all her self-control not to dash forward and start eating. She knew that whatever it was, Twolegs must have put it there, and that meant danger.
Outside the small den, Leafpaw blinked as another scent reached her. Cat scent, familiar but very faint and stale, and at first she couldn’t figure out which cat it was. Certainly not from ThunderClan. Then she remembered, and her paws tingled with excitement. Mistyfoot! The RiverClan deputy had been here, as well.
Cautiously Leafpaw peered into the den. It was empty except for a white, hollow thing that held the food. Mistyfoot was not there now, and there was nothing to tell Leafpaw where she had gone.
The food scent was even stronger inside. Slowly, one paw at a time, Leafpaw crept into the little den. The white thing held small brown pellets like rabbit droppings, smelling strangely of food and Twolegs at the same time. Leafpaw wondered if this could be the kittypet food Firestar had told her about. Kittypets ate it without being harmed, didn’t they? She took a mouthful, shivering as it slid into her empty belly, and wondered if there were any way she could carry some back for Frostfur.
“Leafpaw! Get out!”
A deafening chorus of voices suddenly seemed to yowl in Leafpaw’s ears. Sorreltail’s was there, but there were many more that she did not recognize, and Spottedleaf’s was loudest of them all.
She choked on her mouthful of pellets. Spinning around, she caught a glimpse of Sorreltail, staring at her in horror. Then the open end of the den slammed shut, and Leafpaw was left in darkness.
第二十四章
第二十四章
“不！救救他们！”叶爪发出一声悲伤的惊叫。她身子一惊，睁开了眼睛，看到自己仍躺在炭毛巢穴外自己的窝里。早晨灰白的阳光没有一丝暖意。噩梦中听到的怪物的轰鸣声，已经来到了现实生活中的营地，空气中飘来了它们散发出的臭味。
叶爪不由身子一抖，把身子蜷进苔藓更深处，企图在温暖的窝里寻到一丝安慰，只是刚才的噩梦，就像雾一样在自己的脑海里挥之不去。她站在雷鬼路附近，看着两脚兽的怪物在森林里轰鸣着，巨爪不时把猫压得粉碎。鲜血像小河般，在森林里流淌着。斑叶站在她的身边，叶爪转身拼命恳求道：“救救他们！求你了。你为什么不去救他们？”
斑叶悲伤地看着叶爪那些奄奄一息的朋友。“星族也无能为力，”她轻声说道，“我很抱歉。”
突然，斑叶消失了，叶爪醒了过来。
她站起身，心里非常害怕，便向炭毛的巢穴走去。巫医不在那儿，叶爪看到裂缝后部的铺垫里是空的，不知道是不是有什么紧急情况，炭毛被叫走了，还是说森林里又发生了他们不得不面对的灾难。她的喉咙深处忍不住响起一声呜咽，叶爪赶紧闭上嘴，以免哭出声来。无论即将到来的命运是什么，就算他们的武士祖灵也无能为力，但只要她还有一口气，就会继续帮助她的族群。
身后传来了沙沙的声音。她转过身，看见炭毛正急匆匆地从香薇通道走了过来。这只医猫的尾巴耷拉着，但看到叶爪时，努力打起了精神。
“发生什么事了？”叶爪挺直身体问道。
“我刚才去看霜毛了。”巫医回答道，“别那么看着我，她没死。事实上，她身体好多了。我很确定，她没有得上绿咳症。”
“那太好了。”叶爪想让自己的语气听起来高兴一点，但她忍不住又说了一句，“在这个秃叶季，我们真正的敌人是饥饿，而不是绿咳症。”
炭毛点点头。“是的。如果有越来越多的猫失踪，就算是能发现猎物，我们也没有足够的武士去狩猎，为幼崽和长老提供食物。”说着，她灰心地叹了口气。
“我是不是应该出去弄点吃的给霜毛？”叶爪提议道，“如果你不需要我去采草药，我倒是可以加入狩猎巡逻队。”
“不需要，我们储备的草药不少了。叶爪，你的想法很好——虽然我不确定你在外面能找到多少猎物。”
叶爪没有多说什么。她穿过蕨丛来到大空地上。叶爪迈步的那一刻，还以为自己踏进的是过去那个安宁平静的营地。沙风和雨须刚好走到金雀花通道的入口，嘴里都叼着猎物。蛛爪和鼩鼱爪正躺在学徒巢穴外的太阳地里，尘毛和香薇云在育婴室的入口处相互舌抚着。火星和蕨毛正在高岩下说着什么。
接着，叶爪就意识到她真正看到的是什么。她的父亲和蕨毛都一脸的忧虑。两位学徒静静地躺着，而不是像平时那样疯打逗闹。她的妈妈和雨须，正把嘴里叼的猎物往那小得可怜的猎物堆上放。叶爪经过育婴室时，看到尘毛把一只老鼠推给香薇云。这只母猫的样子吓了叶爪一大跳，她瘦得只剩下了一副骨架，黯淡的皮毛下，每一根骨头都清晰可见。
“你必须吃点东西，”尘毛说，“小冬青和小白桦还需要你照顾呢。”
怪物散发出的臭气飘到空地上空，它们的轰鸣声听起来更大了。叶爪眼前突然出现一个幻象：怪物们冲过营地四周的荆棘墙，它们明亮的皮毛，在阳光的照射下发着光。它们一下就压碎了惊恐的族群猫。叶爪眨了眨眼睛，强迫自己不再去想眼前的幻象。尽管她无法阻止两脚兽的恶行，但她至少可以尽自己的力量去帮助挨饿的族猫。
当她向火星和蕨毛走过去时，想起了前一天遭遇鹰霜的情景。到目前为止，她还没跟任何猫说起鹰霜想要占领雷族领地的计划，她也要栗尾不要说出这件事。她不知道如何开口把鹰霜的事情告诉火星，因为火星肩上的担子已经够重的了。她要如何告诉火星，他最大的仇敌虎星的邪恶血脉，已经传到了虎星的儿子鹰霜身上？要知道，鹰霜所在的族群可是一点没有受到饥荒和两脚兽的伤害的强大族群。她知道自己必须想好怎么说，但她现在还需要点时间好好斟酌斟酌。
快走到父亲跟前的时候，她听见父亲对蕨毛说道：“你试着带狩猎巡逻队靠近两脚兽地盘，但尽可能离那些怪物远点。”
此时，一只猫痛不欲生的哀号声打断了火星。叶爪连忙转身，看到灰条和鼠毛踉跄着从金雀花通道钻了出来。灰条一脸焦躁，鼠毛则用三条腿一瘸一拐地走着，一条前腿无用地吊着。她那身深棕色的毛全都支棱着，就好像正在跟谁战斗，但叶爪没有看到任何血迹，也没闻到血的气味。
火星一下子跃到了她的身边，叶爪也赶紧跟了上去。
“发生什么事了？”火星问道，“这是谁干的？”
鼠毛疼得说不出话来。她的牙齿咬得咯咯响，痛苦地呻吟着。
“是可恶的两脚兽，”灰条骂道，眼中满是恐惧，“我们离怪物太近了，有只两脚兽突然抓住了她。”
火星惊愕地睁大了眼睛。
“走，快让炭毛给看看。”没等火星问更多的问题，叶爪抢先说道。
在去炭毛巢穴的路上，叶爪紧紧守护着受伤的母猫。鼠毛疼得眼睛都呆滞了，尽管她表现得很勇敢，挣扎着往前走，但是回到营地的这段路显然已经耗尽了她所有的力气。叶爪让鼠毛斜靠着自己的肩膀，试图减轻她的痛苦。
灰条和火星跟在她们身后。“两脚兽通常都待在它们的怪物里面，”灰条说道，“但今天，从四面八方一下子冲出了很多两脚兽——只有星族知道它们为什么这么干。其中有一只两脚兽冲鼠毛吼叫着，鼠毛就开始跑，结果正好撞到了另一只两脚兽的脚掌下。”
“这实在太鼠脑子了！”火星困惑不解地说，“两脚兽一向都不理会我们的呀。”
“现在不一样了。”灰条担心地说道。
“至少我挠了它几下，让它永远记住我。”鼠毛喘着粗气说道。
叶爪冲到前面，去通知炭毛。炭毛正在巢穴口，眼睛望着天，仿佛要从移动的云朵中解读出星族的信息。
“鼠毛来了，她受伤了！”叶爪气喘吁吁地说。
炭毛立刻跳了起来。“哦，伟大的星族啊！”她惊呼道，“接下来还会有什么灾难？”她用力闭上眼睛，好像自己再也无法支撑这一切。但当她开口说话时，声音还是像以往一样镇静：“快躺在这儿，让我看看。”
鼠毛躺在巫医巢穴的前面。炭毛的鼻子沿着她受伤的腿检查着，仔细地嗅了她的肩膀。“肩关节脱臼了，”她最后说道，“鼠毛，振作一点，我能把它复位，不过会很疼。叶爪，去给我拿些罂粟籽来。”
叶爪遵命取来了罂粟籽，鼠毛舔了个干净。就在他们等罂粟籽减轻这只母猫的疼痛时，叶爪听见父亲和灰条在通道口那儿说话。
“我不得不下令禁止所有的猫接近两脚兽，”火星说道，“很快，营地外就没有一块安全的地方了。已经有一些猫害怕得不敢出去巡逻了。”
“我们还没有完，”灰条固执地说道，“星族不会让我们就此毁灭的。”
火星摇摇头，然后返回通道，走进大空地里。片刻后，灰条担心地看了鼠毛一眼，也跟着火星走了。
“可以了，叶爪。”炭毛说道。这时，那只深棕色武士正昏昏欲睡，脑袋懒洋洋地靠在她的脚爪上。“我们开始吧。你把爪子放在这儿，”炭毛指着鼠毛的另一条前腿说，“当我把她的腿掰回去时，你要把鼠毛抓牢。仔细看我是怎么做的。”她又补充了一句：“你以前还没看过我是如何医治脱臼的吧？”
叶爪按照老师的指示，小心地做好准备。只见炭毛用牙齿紧紧咬住鼠毛受伤的腿，将一只爪子用力抵住鼠毛的肩膀，然后一拉。叶爪听到咔嗒的一声，就见鼠毛猛地抽动了一下，发出一声尖叫。
“很好！”炭毛低声说道。
她又检查了一遍鼠毛的肩膀，这只母猫仍然无力地躺着，身子不住地颤抖着。“好了，”她轻轻碰了碰深棕色母猫的脚爪说，“站起来试试，看你那条腿能不能使上劲。”
鼠毛站了起来，身子摇摇晃晃的。叶爪觉得，鼠毛之所以站不稳，似乎主要是因为体力不支以及罂粟籽的作用，而不是因为受的伤。不过，她好歹能四只脚爪站住了。
“你最好睡一会儿。”炭毛把鼠毛领到空地边上的蕨丛旁，说道，“等你醒来后，我再给你检查一下。我觉着你应该没什么问题了。”她回头瞅了一眼叶爪，又说了一句，“你做得很好。如果你想去狩猎，现在就去吧，我应付得了。”
老师把鼠毛安顿在蕨丛中，这时，叶爪停了下来，问道：“你确定不需要我帮忙了吗？”
炭毛摇摇头。“暂时没什么事要你做了。我们什么都做不了了。”她又用更低的声音说了一句，“星族依然保持沉默。”
炭毛情绪如此绝望，这让叶爪惊骇不已。面对两脚兽制造的各种混乱，她一直相信自己的老师对星族的信念很坚定，但最糟糕的是，她根本找不出一句话来重振老师的精神——毕竟连斑叶自己都承认，星族跟森林猫一样，对森林发生的一切无能为力。
“我不去狩猎了，”她决然地说道，“我要去查明失踪的猫到底发生了什么。”
炭毛盯着她，不解地问：“什么？”
“难道你看不出来吗？如果鼠毛不是拼命挣脱出来，两脚兽就可能已经把她捉走了。那么，我们可能永远也不知道她发生了什么事。云尾和亮心也一定是发生了类似的情况。”
巫医恍然大悟：“是的，我明白了。但叶爪——万一你回不来怎么办？”
叶爪凝视着她，有点后悔把自己的打算告诉了炭毛。如果她拒绝自己出去，那可怎么办？
“这是我们第一次发现跟失踪的猫相关的线索，所以，我们必须努力找出真相。”她说。
让她没想到的是，炭毛只是犹豫了片刻，就点头同意了。“如此甚好。但一定要小心。再找一只猫跟你一起去。”叶爪正要转身离开，炭毛又说了一句，“叶爪，你是一只勇敢的猫，记住，族群不能没有你。”
叶爪点了点头，对老师的表扬还有些不好意思。然后，她一溜烟钻进了蕨丛。等回到森林空地时，她能感觉到族群里的变化。很显然，鼠毛被两脚兽攻击的消息已经传开，营地笼罩在一片恐惧和绝望的气氛中。叶爪很想跳到高岩上，召唤族猫，告诉他们千万不能放弃。只要他们活着，就仍然还有希望。但谁会听一个学徒的话呢？而且，她又能找到什么说服族猫的理由呢？
她深吸一口气，下定了决心。她要去找火星，把她所知道的一切都说出来。她要告诉火星，星族派其他的猫离开的事。虽然她不知道他们现在在哪儿，还回不回得来，但这些消息至少能给火星和其他雷族猫一些安慰，让他们知道，星族对森林里发生的一切并不是漠不关心。她也会告诉火星，鹰霜是虎星的儿子，正计划占领雷族领地。心里藏着这么多秘密，她早已经厌烦了。如果能将长久以来一直藏在心头的秘密全都说出来，对叶爪而言，也算是卸下心中的一块大石头。
但她得先去寻找那些失踪的猫，以免火星怪罪她没有早点说实话，把她拘禁在营地内。她迅速跑到武士巢穴外面，喊道：“栗尾！”
她的朋友从枝叶间探出头问道：“叶爪呀？什么事呀？”
叶爪想起不久前的一个早晨，她也是这样呼唤栗尾一起去探访风族。那时候，一切似乎都还很有希望。栗尾当时开朗乐观、朝气勃勃，很爱活动。但现在，她一身玳瑁色和白色相间的皮毛看起来黯淡无光，看着叶爪的眼神一片茫然。
“我想让你跟我一起出去。”叶爪开口说道，跟她解释了自己想去调查失踪猫的计划。
令她欣慰的是，栗尾听她说话的时候，眼睛一下子亮了起来。这位武士说道：“好啊，这总比整天窝在营地里强。我们走！”
她从巢穴外的枝叶间钻了出来，两只猫就朝金雀花通道走去。
叶爪循着灰条和鼠毛的气味，回到被两脚兽的怪物毁坏得伤痕累累的森林中。前一天，她跟栗尾还来过这儿，亲眼目睹了怪物将树连根拔起。但让她震惊的是，两脚兽竟然能在那么短的时间里，把这里毁坏成这样：地面被翻了个底朝天，土壤外露着，怪物要么蹲伏着，要么轰鸣着在地上可怕地缓缓移动，就好像正在悄悄接近猎物。
那儿还有一些两脚兽的巢穴，不过大多是木头的，不像两脚兽地盘里的那种坚硬的红石头。两只猫蹲在其中的一个巢穴中，盯着来回走动的两脚兽。叶爪感觉栗尾在发抖，散发出一波一波恐惧的气味；她跟栗尾一样害怕，但现在说什么也不能返回，尤其是在她马上就要揭开云尾和亮心失踪的真相之际。
“那是什么？”她小声对栗尾说道。
她用尾巴指了指前方一个看起来像是微型的两脚兽巢穴的东西。那个东西是木头做的，一端打开着，被放在仅存的几棵树中的一棵树的下面。那个东西非常小，两脚兽根本没办法住进去。
栗尾耸耸肩，说道：“不知道。肯定是两脚兽们的什么东西。”
“我要去看看。”
叶爪警惕地左右看看，免得被两脚兽给抓住了。她蹑手蹑脚地穿过开阔地。她听见栗尾在她身后说道：“当心点！”
当叶爪靠近的时候，她闻到里面传来的食物的气味。虽然那气味很陌生，不是她熟悉的猎物的气味，她的口水还是一下子流了出来。她需要拼命控制自己，才不至于冲进去大吃一顿。她知道，不管那些食物是什么，肯定是两脚兽放的，那就表示一定有危险。
突然，另一股气味传到了小巢穴的外面，叶爪一下子就闻到了，她眨了眨眼睛。是熟悉的猫的气味，但很淡，也不新鲜。一开始，叶爪没分辨出来是哪只猫的气味。但她非常确定，那不是雷族猫的气味。突然，她想起了什么，兴奋得爪子感到阵阵刺痛。是雾脚！河族副族长也来过这儿。
叶爪小心翼翼地往巢穴里面看，但里面是空的，只有一个盛着食物的中间凹下去的白色东西。雾脚现在不在里面，也没有能透露她去了哪里的任何线索。
里面的食物散发出的气味更加强烈了。叶爪慢慢爬进了小巢穴。白色的东西里放着一坨褐色的圆球状东西，跟兔子屎似的，同时散发着奇怪的食物气味和两脚兽的气味。叶爪不知道这是不是火星所说的宠物猫的食物。宠物猫吃了它没事，不是吗？叶爪尝了一口。当那圆球状的东西滑进自己空空的肚子里时，她不禁心里一动，有没有什么办法能给霜毛带回去一些。
“叶爪！快出去！”
几个震耳欲聋的声音齐齐地在叶爪耳边喊道。叶爪听出，里面有栗尾的声音，但也有许多她不认识的声音，其中，斑叶的声音最为响亮。
嘴里的圆球差点噎着她。她一转身，发现栗尾正一脸惊慌地看着她。接着，小巢穴开着的那面猛地关上了，叶爪顿时陷入一片漆黑之中。
尾声
尾声
松鼠爪被困在一个不停晃动、黑暗的狭小空间里。她头晕目眩，还吞了一口从胃里泛出的胆汁。她伸出爪子，拼命地在某个光滑坚固的东西上乱挠着。接着，她发出一声凄厉的尖叫：“叶爪！”她突然睁开了眼睛，发现自己正在地上的一个浅坑里乱蹬着。
“怎么啦？又喊又叫的，你会把所有猎物都吓跑的。”
褐皮站在她面前，把叼在嘴里的一只刚捕获的肥硕田鼠扔在地上，这才开口说话。五只族群猫昨夜离开了大山，正穿行在空旷的荒原上。初升的太阳刚刚照亮地平线，指引着他们回家的路，没有一丝暖意。
松鼠爪强撑着站起来，走出巢穴，抖抖身上粘着的草屑。“没什么，只是做了一个噩梦罢了。”她舔了舔胸前的毛，想掩饰内心的不安。她的姐姐身处险境，她知道刚才的梦境把她带到了叶爪受困的地方，同时让她感受到叶爪的恐惧。但松鼠爪猜想，务实的褐皮根本不会理解她的恐惧。
但褐皮似乎对她的梦有点感兴趣，问道：“你是不是收到了来自星族的信息？”
“不是。”松鼠爪知道自己可以告诉褐皮梦到的一些细节，但不能告诉褐皮这梦是自己跟叶爪特别的情感联系，“我……我感觉好像被困在了某个黑暗的地方，我不知道那是哪儿，而且我也逃不掉。”
褐皮走上前，笨拙地将她的口鼻靠在松鼠爪的身侧。“我想，我们都做过噩梦，”她说道，“自从羽尾……”
松鼠爪点点头。她跟其他猫一样，很难相信再也见不着羽尾了。部落猫帮助他们安葬了羽尾，把她埋在瀑布不断注入的水潭旁边，因为溅起的水雾让那里的泥土松软好挖。
“她在这个地方安息，我们会永远怀念她，”尖石巫师说道，“只要我们部落还在，我们就会把她的事迹永远流传下去。”
尖石巫师的话没能宽慰几只族群猫。尤其是鸦爪，悲伤得痛不欲生，整天都守在羽尾的坟前。暴毛跟他一起为羽尾守夜，他为自己没能救下羽尾，甚至压根没想到羽尾就是应诺之猫而自责不已。当他们第一次从瀑布后出现的时候，羽尾一身银色的毛发被水打湿，看起来像亮黑色，这也是为什么部落猫一开始根本没注意到她的原因。最后，黑莓掌命令他们俩都进洞休息。
“天一亮我们就离开，”雷族武士对他们说道，“你们需要积蓄体力。族群需要我们。”
他们再次踏上了旅途。部落猫护送他们穿越了一段山路。很快，他们就来到了好走的乡间原野，那里有平整的绿色草地，还有灌木篱笆，猎物也很多。但他们一点也没感到马上就要回到家的期待和解脱，因为他们的心仍和羽尾一起，留在了那片满是岩石和急流的地方。
松鼠爪很快就从噩梦中振作起来，帮着狩猎，这样大家才能尽快动身，最大限度利用好急剧缩短的白天。尽管没有一只猫想吃东西，但他们还是强迫自己大口吞下猎物。有好几次，暴毛左右张望着，想问羽尾什么事情，这才想起他以后再也不能跟羽尾说话了。
这一整天以及接下来的一天，他们都脚不停歇地赶路，直到脚掌磨破渗出血来才停下来。仿佛那些可怕的经历，已经让他们对每日跋涉的痛苦变得麻木了。当他们来到一处山冈上时，太阳又开始西沉，在他们身后投下长长的影子，指向前方一座锯齿状的山峰。那座山峰在落日余晖的照耀下，看起来就像一团正在燃烧的红色火焰。
“快看！”褐皮用疲惫沙哑的声音喊道。
一时间，没有一只猫说话。突然，松鼠爪那双自羽尾死后就一直黯淡无光的绿眼，闪过一道亮光。
“高石山！”她惊呼道，“我们快到家了！”
特别感谢基立•鲍德卓