PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE
Muddied tree roots shaped a small opening. In the shadows beyond, the knotted tendrils cradled the smooth soil floor of a cave, hollowed out by moons of wind and water.
A cat padded up the steep path toward the opening, narrowing his eyes as he neared. His flame-colored pelt glowed in the moonlight. His ears twitched, and the bristling of his fur gave away his unease as he sat down at the mouth of the cave and curled his tail across his paws. “You asked me to come.”
From the shadows, a pair of eyes blinked at him—eyes as blue as water reflecting the summer sky. A gray tom, scarred by time and battle, was waiting in the entrance.
“Firestar.” The warrior stepped forward and brushed the ThunderClan leader’s cheek with his white-flecked muzzle. “I have to thank you.” His mew was hoarse with age. “You have rebuilt the lost Clan. No cat could have done better.”
“There’s no need for thanks.” Firestar dipped his head. “I did only what I had to.”
The old warrior nodded, blinking thoughtfully. “Do you think you have been a good leader for ThunderClan?”
Firestar tensed. “I don’t know,” he mewed. “It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve always tried to do what is right for my Clan.”
“No cat would doubt your loyalty,” the old cat rasped. “But how far would it go?”
Firestar’s eyes glittered uncertainly as he searched for the words to answer.
“There are difficult times ahead,” the warrior went on before Firestar could reply. “And your loyalty will be tested to the utmost. Sometimes the destiny of one cat is not the destiny of the whole Clan.”
Suddenly the old cat rose stiffly to his paws and stared past Firestar. It seemed he no longer saw the ThunderClan leader but gazed far beyond, to something Firestar could not see.
When he spoke again, the ancient rasp was smoothed from his voice, as though some other cat used his tongue.
“There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.”
“I don’t understand,” Firestar meowed. “Kin of my kin? Why are you telling me this?”
The old warrior blinked, his gaze fixed once more on Firestar
“You must tell me more!” Firestar demanded. “How can I decide what I ought to do if you don’t explain?”
The old cat took a deep breath, but when he spoke it was only to say, “Farewell, Firestar. In seasons to come, remember me.”
Firestar jerked awake, his belly tight with fear. He blinked with relief when he saw the familiar stone walls of his den in the hollow by the lake. Morning sunlight streamed through the split in the rock. The warmth on his fur soothed him.
He heaved himself to his paws and shook his head, trying to dislodge the dream. But this was no ordinary dream, for he remembered being in that cave as clearly as if it had happened a moon ago, rather than the many, many seasons he had lived since then. When the old warrior cast his strange prophecy, Firestar’s daughters had not been born and the four Clans had still lived in the forest. The prophecy had followed him on the Great Journey over the mountains and settled with him in his new home by the lake; and every full moon, the memory of it returned to fill his dreams. Even Sandstorm, who slept beside him, knew nothing of the words he had shared with the ancient cat.
He gazed out from his den at the waking camp below. His deputy, Brambleclaw, was stretching in the center of the clearing, flexing his powerful shoulders as he clawed at the ground. Squirrelflight padded toward her mate, greeting him with a purr.
I pray that I am wrong, Firestar thought. And yet his heart felt hollow; he feared the prophecy was about to reveal itself.
The three have come. . . .
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1
Leaves brushed Jaykit’s pelt like fallingsnow. More crackled underpaw, stiff with frost and so deep that he struggled with every step. An icy wind pierced his fur—still nursery soft—and made him shiver.
“Wait for me!” he wailed. He could hear his mother’s voice ahead, her warm body always a few steps out of reach.
“You’ll never catch it!”
A high-pitched mew sliced into his dream, and Jaykit woke with a start. He pricked his ears, listening to the familiar sounds of the bramble nursery. His sister and brother scrabbling in play. Ferncloud lapping her dozing kits. There was no snow now; he was in the camp, safe and warm. He could smell his mother’s nest, empty but still fresh with her scent.
“Oof!” He let out a gasp of surprise as his sister, Hollykit, landed heavily on top of him. “Watch out!”
“You’re awake at last!” She rolled off him and pushed her hind paws into his flank. With a leap, she twisted away and grasped for something just out of reach.
Mouse! Jaykit could smell it. His brother and sister must be playing catch with fresh-kill newly brought into camp. He sprang to his paws and gave a quick stretch that sent a shiver through his small body.
“Catch this, Jaykit!” Hollykit mewed. The mouse whistled past his ear.
“Slow slug!” she teased as he turned too late to grab it.
“I’ve got it!” Lionkit called. He pounced on the fresh-kill, his paws thudding on the nursery’s packed earth floor.
Jaykit wasn’t going to let his brother steal the prize from him so easily. He might be the smallest in the litter, but he was fast. He leaped toward Lionkit, knocking him out of the way and stretching his forepaw to reach for the mouse.
He landed in a clumsy skid and rolled over, feeling a jolt of alarm as he realized it wasn’t moss underneath him, but the squirming warmth of Ferncloud’s two tiny kits. Ferncloud gave him a shove, pushing him away with her hind paws.
Jaykit gasped. “Have I hurt them?”
“Of course not,” Ferncloud snapped. “You’re too small to squash a flea!” Foxkit and Icekit mewled as she tucked them closer into her belly. “But you three are getting too rough for the nursery!”
“Sorry, Ferncloud,” Hollykit mewed.
“Sorry,” Jaykit echoed, apologetic even though Ferncloud’s comment on his size had stung him. At least the queen’s anger would not last. She would easily forgive kits she had suckled—when Squirrelflight’s milk had not come, it was Ferncloud who had fed Jaykit, Hollykit, and Lionkit in the moons before Foxkit and Icekit were born.
“It’s about time Firestar made you apprentices and moved you to the apprentice den,” Ferncloud meowed.
“If only.” Lionkit sighed.
“It won’t be long,” Hollykit pointed out. “We’re almost six moons old.”
Jaykit felt the familiar surge of excitement as he imagined becoming an apprentice warrior. He couldn’t wait to begin his training. But without even seeing Ferncloud’s face, he could sense the flicker of doubt that prickled through the queen’s pelt and knew that she was looking at him with pity in her eyes. His fur bristled with frustration—he was just as ready to become an apprentice as Hollykit and Lionkit!
Ferncloud answered Hollykit, unaware that Jaykit had sensed her moment of unease. “Well, you’re not six moons yet! And until you are, you can do your playing outside!” she ordered.
“Yes, Ferncloud,” Lionkit replied meekly.
“Come on, Jaykit,” Hollykit called. “Bring the mouse with you.” The branches of the bramble bush rustled as she slid out through the nursery entrance.
Jaykit picked up the mouse delicately in his teeth. It was newly killed and soft, and he didn’t want to make it bleed—they could have a good, clean game with it yet. With Lionkit close behind him, he scrabbled out after his sister. The barbs of the entrance tunnel clawed satisfyingly at his fur, sharp enough to tug at his pelt but not so sharp that they hurt.
Outside, the air smelled crisp and frosty. Firestar was sharing tongues with Sandstorm below Highledge. Dustpelt sat with them.
“We should be thinking about expanding the warriors’ den,” the dark tabby advised his leader. “It’s crowded already, and Daisy and Sorreltail’s kits won’t be apprentices forever.”
Nor will we!thought Jaykit.
Brightheart and Cloudtail were grooming each other in a pool of sunlight on the other side of the clearing. Jaykit could hear the steady lapping of their tongues like water dripping from a rain-soaked leaf. Like all the ThunderClan cats, their pelts were leaf-bare thick, but the muscles beneath had grown lean with scarce prey and hard hunting.
Hunger was not the only hardship leaf-bare had brought. Molepaw, one of Sorreltail’s kits, had died of a cough that had not responded to Leafpool’s herbs, and Rainwhisker had been killed during a storm, struck by a falling branch.
Brightheart paused from her washing. “How are you today, Jaykit?”
Jaykit placed the mouse between his paws, safe from Hollykit’s grasp. “I’m fine, of course,” he meowed. Why did Brightheart have to make such a fuss over him? He’d only been sleeping in the nursery, not out raiding ShadowClan territory! It was like she was always keeping her one good eye on him. Eager to prove he was just as strong as his brother and sister, Jaykit flung the mouse high over Hollykit’s head.
As Lionkit thundered past him and grappled with Hollykit to be the first to catch it, Squirrelflight’s voice sounded from the side of the nursery. “You should show more respect for your prey!” Their mother was busy pressing leaves into gaps in the prickly walls that surrounded the queens’ den.
Daisy was helping her. “Kits will be kits,” the she-cat purred indulgently.
Jaykit’s nostrils flared at Daisy’s strange scent. It was different from the Clanborn cats’, and some of the warriors still referred to her as a kittypet because she had once lived in the horseplace and eaten Twoleg food. Daisy wasn’t a warrior, because she showed no sign that she ever wished to leave the nursery, but her kits Mousepaw, Hazelpaw, and Berrypaw were apprentices, and it seemed to Jaykit that they were as Clanborn as any of his Clanmates.
“They won’t be kits much longer,” Squirrelflight told Daisy, sweeping more leaves to her side with her long tail. The brittle rustling noise reminded Jaykit of his dream.
“All the more reason to let them enjoy themselves now,” Daisy replied.
Jaykit felt a wave of affection for the cream-colored she-cat. Though Squirrelflight was his mother, it had been Daisy who had warmed and washed him alongside Ferncloud when Clan duties had kept his mother away from the nursery. Squirrelflight had returned to her warrior duties soon after her kits had been born. Though she still had a nest in the nursery, she used it less and less, preferring to sleep in the warriors’ den, where she wouldn’t disturb the kits and nursing queens when she left on early patrols.
“Can you feel the draft now, Ferncloud?” Squirrelflight called through the nursery wall.
“No.” Ferncloud’s voice drifted out through the tangle of branches. “We’re warm as fox cubs in here.”
“Good,” Squirrelflight meowed. “Can you clear up here, Daisy? I promised Brambleclaw I’d help him check for loose rocks around the hollow.”
“Loose rocks?” Daisy gasped.
“It’s good to have such solid defenses.” Squirrelflight’s voice echoed a little as she gazed at the sheer stone cliffs that enclosed the camp on almost every side. “But the frost might have loosened stones, and we don’t want them falling into the camp.”
Jaykit’s attention was distracted by the bitter stench of mouse bile that came from the elders’ den. Leafpool must be removing a tick from Longtail or Mousefur. A much nicer odor heralded the return of two of Daisy’s kits—Mousepaw and Hazelpaw were bringing fresh-kill back from a hunting expedition. They hurried excitedly into the camp, Mousepaw carrying two mice and Hazelpaw with a large thrush in her jaws. They dropped them at the fresh-kill pile.
Dustpelt padded over to greet them. “Looks like you did well, Hazelpaw!” he praised his apprentice. “You both did.” The apprentices purred, and Jaykit noticed how much they sounded like their mother, as though their purrs were muffled by their thick, soft pelts.
A sudden rush of wind and fur knocked Jaykit off his paws.
“Are you playing with us or not?” Hollykit demanded.
Jaykit leaped up, shaking himself. “Of course I am!”
“Well, Lionkit’s got the mouse, and he won’t let me have it!” Hollykit complained.
“Let’s get him then!” Jaykit hared across the clearing toward his brother. He bundled into Lionkit and pressed him to the frosty earth while Hollykit dragged the mouse from Lionkit’s claws.
“Unfair!” Lionkit protested.
“We don’t have to be fair,” Hollykit squeaked triumphantly. “We’re not in StarClan yet!”
“And you never willbe if you keep playing with food that way!” Stormfur had paused beside them on his way to the warriors’ den. His words were stern, though his voice was warm. “It’s leaf-bare. We should thank StarClan for every morsel.”
Lionkit wriggled out from underneath Jaykit. “We’re just practicing our hunting skills!”
“We have to practice,” Jaykit added, sitting up. “We’ll be apprentices soon.”
Stormfur was silent for a moment; then he stretched forward and gave Jaykit a quick lick between the ears. “Of course,” he murmured. “I was forgetting.”
Frustration flared in Jaykit’s belly. Why did the whole Clan treat him like a newborn kit when he was nearly six moons old? He shook his head crossly. Stormfur wasn’t even a proper ThunderClan cat! His father, Graystripe, had once been ThunderClan’s deputy, but Stormfur had grown up with his mother’s Clanmates in RiverClan, and his mate, Brook, had come from far away in the mountains. What right did he have to act superior?
Hollykit’s belly rumbled. “How about we eat this mouse instead of playing with it?”
“You two share it,” Lionkit offered. “I’ll get something from the fresh-kill pile.”
Jaykit turned toward the heap of prey caught by the warriors that morning. A faint odor disturbed him. He took in a deeper breath, opening his jaws to draw the scents into his mouth: he could smell Hazelpaw’s freshly killed thrush and Mousepaw’s mice, their blood still warm. But below there was a sour smell that made his tongue curl. He padded past his brother, his tail held stiffly behind him.
“What are you doing?” Lionkit asked.
Jaykit didn’t answer. He nosed his way in among the small dead bodies, caught hold of a wren, and pulled it free. “Look!” he mewed, rolling the bird over with his paw. The creature’s belly was alive with maggots.
“Ugh!” Hollykit squealed.
Leafpool emerged from the elders’ den, a wad of moss in her jaws. Jaykit could smell the mouse bile on it even over the stench of the rotten wren. She paused by the three kits. “Well spotted,” she praised them, dropping the bile-soaked moss at her paws. “I know prey is scarce at the moment, but better to eat nothing than to eat something that will hurt your belly.”
“Jaykit found it,” Hollykit told her.
“Well, he’s saved me a patient,” Leafpool meowed. “I’m busy enough as it is. Brackenfur and Birchfall have whitecough.”
“Do you want help gathering herbs?” Jaykit offered. He had never been out of the camp, and he was desperate to explore the forest. He wanted to smell the boundary markers; up till now he had tasted only the weak scents of ShadowClan and WindClan carried from the borders on the pelts of ThunderClan patrols. He wanted to feel the breeze fresh off the lake, untainted by the scents of the forest. He wanted to learn where the markers were along each boundary so that he could defend every paw step of his Clan’s territory.
“You could gather far more herbs with us to carry them back to camp!” Lionkit put in.
“You know you’re not meant to leave the camp until you’re apprentices,” Leafpool reminded them.
“But you’ll need help if there are sick cats . . . ,” Jaykit insisted.
Leafpool silenced him by flicking the tip of her tail over his mouth. “I’m sorry, Jaykit,” she meowed. “It won’t be long until Firestar gives you your apprentice names. But until then, you’ll have to wait like any other kits.”
Jaykit understood her meaning. Their father was the Clan deputy, and their mother was Firestar’s daughter; Leafpool was reminding them yet again that it did not entitle them to special treatment. His tail twitched crossly. Sometimes it felt like the rest of the Clan went out of their way to make sure he and his littermates nevergot special treatment. It wasn’t fair!
“I’m sorry,” Leafpool meowed. “But that’s just the way it is.” She picked up the foul-smelling moss and padded back to the medicine den.
“Nice try,” Lionkit whispered in Jaykit’s ear. “But it looks like we’re stuck in the camp for a while longer.”
“Leafpool always thinks she can win us over just because she brings wool for our nests from the moorland,” Jaykit hissed. “Or pieces of honeycomb to lick. Why can’t she just give us what we really want—a chance to explore outside the camp?”
Hollykit swished her tail over the frozen ground. Jaykit knew she wanted to explore beyond the camp walls as much as he and Lionkit did. “But she’s right,” she mewed grudgingly. “We must stick to the warrior code.”
They ate, sharing the mouse and a vole between them. As Jaykit washed his face afterward, drawing his paws over his ears to give them a thorough cleaning, he noticed Brook emerging from the warriors’ den to join Cloudtail and Brightheart in the sun. She carried a different scent from the other warriors, the scent of mountains and tumbling water. It seemed to make her the strangest of all the cats who were not Clanborn. Was it just her scent, Jaykit wondered, or was it something more he sensed in the mountain she-cat—some wariness that had never left her? He could not quite put his whisker on it, but he was sure that Brook felt out of place here in the forest.
A rustle in the thorn barrier that protected the entrance to the camp signaled Berrypaw’s return. Daisy’s third kit charged over to the fresh-kill pile and threw down his catch—a plump wood pigeon.
“Where’s Brambleclaw?” Berrypaw called out to the kits. Brambleclaw was Berrypaw’s mentor, and Jaykit could not help but feel a small pang of jealousy that Berrypaw spent so much time training with Brambleclaw when his own paws ached to hunt in the forest with his father.
“He’s with Squirrelflight,” Jaykit replied. “They’re checking for loose stones.” He pricked his ears, listening for the sound of his mother’s and father’s voices. He could not hear them, but the breeze blowing down from the cliff behind the medicine den carried their scent.
“Up there,” he told Berrypaw, lifting his nose toward them.
“You’re sharp today, Jaykit!” Berrypaw meowed. “I wanted to show him my pigeon and ask him if we were doing battle training after sunhigh.”
Jealousy gnawed harder in Jaykit’s belly. Why can’t I be an apprentice now?
“You must be really good at hunting.” Lionkit sighed, clearly thinking the same thing.
“It’s just practice,” Berrypaw told them. “Look.” He crouched down. “This is how you begin.”
Lionkit’s belly swished against the ground as he tried to copy Berrypaw.
“Get your tail down!” Berrypaw ordered. “It’s sticking up like a bluebell!”
Lionkit’s tail slapped against the frozen earth.
“Now pull yourself forward, smooth as a snake,” Berrypaw commanded.
“You look like you’ve got wind!” Hollykit crowed.
Lionkit gave a playful hiss and leaped at her, rolling her onto the ground. She fought back, purring with amusement while Lionkit pummeled her belly with his hind paws.
They were so busy in their play fight that they did not notice the sudden noise outside the camp.
But Jaykit did.
Cats’ paws were pounding toward the camp entrance. Jaykit recognized the scents of Spiderleg and Thornclaw. The patrol was returning. But something was wrong. The warriors’ paws drummed the forest floor in a panicked rush, their scents bitter with fear.
Jaykit’s fur stood on end as Spiderleg and Thornclaw burst through the entrance.
Firestar and Sandstorm were on their paws in an instant.
“What is it?” Firestar meowed.
Spiderleg drew in a deep breath, then announced, “There’s a dead fox on our territory!”
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2
“Where?” Firestar’s meow was tense.
“By the Sky Oak,” Thornclaw mewed, panting. “It was killed by a trap.”
Jaykit heard loose pebbles clattering down the wall of the hollow. Brambleclaw was scrambling down into the camp, followed by Squirrelflight.
“What’s happening?” he called.
“Thornclaw and Spiderleg have found a dead fox,” Firestar explained. “Killed by a trap.”
“Male or female?”
“Female,” Spiderleg told her.
“Then there may be cubs,” Brambleclaw growled.
Jaykit was puzzled. “What harm can a couple of fox cubs do?” he whispered to Hollykit.
“Cubs grow up into foxes, mouse-brain!” she hissed back. “An adult fox can kill a cat.”
“The fox had the scent of milk on her,” Thornclaw reported.
“So there are definitely cubs,” Firestar concluded.
The warriors’ den rattled as Ashfur scrambled out.
“Where was this trap?” Brambleclaw asked. Was that anxiety Jaykit heard in his voice? Surely his father knew enough about the Twolegs’ traps not to be scared by them? No, Jaykit decided, it wasn’t anxiety, but something else, some darker emotion Jaykit did not recognize.
Thornclaw’s answer broke into his thoughts. “The trap is lakeside of the camp, not far from the Sky Oak.”
“The cubs must be near,” Brambleclaw guessed. “Their mother will not have wandered far from them.”
“What should we do?” Ferncloud had emerged from the nursery. “We can’t let the forest be overrun by foxes! What about my kits?”
“We must find the den,” Brambleclaw replied without hesitation.
“If the cubs are very young, they’ll starve without their mother,” Firestar meowed. “It would be best to kill them quickly.”
There was nothing malicious in the ThunderClan leader’s voice; Firestar had to do what was best for the Clan.
“What if they’re old enough to survive alone?” Hollykit asked curiously.
“Then they must be driven out,” Firestar told her. “They can’t be allowed to settle in our territory.”
“The cubs will be hungry by now,” Ashfur pointed out. “What if they’ve ventured out of their den already?”
“They might find the camp!” Ferncloud gasped.
“The camp will remain well guarded,” Firestar promised. “I’ll take Sandstorm and check the old Thunderpath up to the empty Twoleg nest. Brambleclaw, you sort out the other patrols.” The ThunderClan leader and his mate raced away through the prickly thorn barrier that shielded the camp from the forest.
“Stormfur, Brook!” Brambleclaw called. “Patrol outside the hollow! Ashfur, guard the entrance.”
Brightheart and Cloudtail paced in front of him. “What do you want us to do?”
“Head toward the ShadowClan border,” Brambleclaw told them. “The earth is sandy there, ideal for a den. Squirrelflight will lead you. Do whatever she tells you. There may be more traps, and Squirrelflight is the best at springing them. Take Cinderpaw, but keep her close to you.”
Cloudtail called his apprentice’s name, but the young gray tabby was already charging across the clearing.
Squirrelflight headed toward the entrance. Jaykit felt her warm pelt brush past him.
Brambleclaw called to Thornclaw and Spiderleg, “Go back to where you found the fox. See if you can trace its scent back to her den.”
Sorreltail’s kits Poppypaw and Mousepaw were waiting expectantly, hardly able to stand still.
“Can we go with them?” Poppypaw called.
“Yes, but do everything your mentors tell you,” Brambleclaw warned.
Jaykit felt their excitement crackle in the air like lightning as they headed out of the camp after Spiderleg and Thornclaw. His paws itched with frustration. Nearly all the apprentices were out hunting down the fox cubs. It wasn’t fair! He might be small, but he could still fight a cub.
“We’re not going to be left behind!” Lionkit announced, echoing Jaykit’s thoughts. “Brambleclaw!”
“What?” Brambleclaw’s voice was impatient.
“Can’t we do something to help?” Lionkit begged. “We’re nearly apprentices.”
“Nearlyisn’t good enough,” Brambleclaw replied. He must have seen a look of disappointment on Lionkit’s face, because his voice softened as he added, “You, Hollykit, and Jaykit can help guard the camp. I’m taking Dustpelt and Hazelpaw to search the lakeshore. We need brave cats to make sure those fox cubs don’t come into the hollow. If you scent or see anything strange, send Leafpool to fetch me at once.”
“Okay,” Lionkit mewed eagerly.
He hurried back to his brother and sister. “We’ve got to guard the camp,” he told them. “In case the fox cubs try to get in.”
“You don’t think the fox cubs would really get this far, do you?” Jaykit mewed grumpily. “There must be a ThunderClan apprentice behind every tree out there. Brambleclaw’s just trying to keep us busy.”
Lionkit sat down with a bump, like a leaf that had been dropped by the breeze. “I thought he really wanted us to help.”
“You never know,” Hollykit mewed. “The fox cubs might head this way, and if they do I bet we could smell them first—especially with Jaykit helping.”
A surge of anger pulsed in Jaykit’s paws. “You’re just as bad as Brambleclaw,” he snapped. “Stop trying to pretend we’re important to the Clan when we’re not.”
Hollykit kneaded the ground with her forepaws. “We will be important one day,” she vowed.
Lionkit suddenly stood up and turned in an excited circle, his tail fluffing out. “We’ll be important today!” he declared. “We’re going to chase those fox cubs off ThunderClan territory ourselves!”
Hollykit gasped. “But if we leave the camp without permission, we’ll be breaking the warrior code!”
“We’ll be doing it for the good of the Clan,” Lionkit argued. “How can that be against the warrior code?”
Jaykit thought of something else. “We’re not warriors yet—we’re not even apprentices! So why do we have to obey the warrior code?”
A purr rose in Hollykit’s throat. “If we did chase off those fox cubs, Icekit and Foxkit would be safe,” she mewed.
“Exactly.” Lionkit turned and padded to a shady part of the thorn barrier that cut the camp off from the forest. Jaykit knew where he was heading. There was a small tunnel there that led to the place where the cats made their dirt. No one would question them using that way out. He doubted if anyone would even notice them slipping away. The clearing was deserted as the warriors and their apprentices went about their guarding and patrolling duties. The elders, Mousefur and Longtail, were tucked away in their den, and Ferncloud was hiding with Daisy in the nursery. Leafpool was busy with the two whitecough patients in her den.
His heart pounding, Jaykit followed Lionkit through the narrow tunnel.
“No one saw us,” Hollykit whispered, close behind him.
He smelled the dirtplace and veered away from it, following Lionkit up the sloping bank away from the camp. Ashfur’s paw steps rustled the leaves outside the thorn barrier, where he was keeping guard.
“Can he see us?” Jaykit hissed.
“Not from where he is,” Hollykit reassured him. “The barrier’s blocking his view.”
“And the other patrols won’t see us if we stay off the main paths,” Lionkit meowed.
“But we don’t know where the main paths are,” Jaykit pointed out. The ground beneath his paws felt strange, littered with leaves and twigs, unlike the smooth, clear ground inside the hollow.
“We can guess where they are by where the scents are strongest,” Hollykit mewed. “There’s hardly any scent coming from up ahead. The slope is steep, and there aren’t any tracks through the bracken.”
“Let’s go that way, then,” Lionkit meowed.
“What do you think?” Hollykit asked Jaykit.
“Thornclaw said they’d found the fox lakeside of the camp, which is over there.” He flicked the tip of his tail away from the slope.
“How do you know which way the lake is?” Hollykit mewed, sounding puzzled.
“I can smell the wind from the water,” Jaykit explained. “It tastes fresher than the wind from the hills or the forest.”
The three kits ran back down the slope and began to climb a thickly wooded rise. The ground here felt damper underpaw, and Jaykit guessed it had less sunshine than the other slope. He shivered.
“Not scared, are you?” Hollykit teased.
“Of course not,” he mewed. “It’s just cold out of the sun.”
They carried on up the slope until they reached the crest where the trees thinned out. Jaykit felt the warmth of dappled sunlight flickering through the branches.
His nose flared in alarm. “Stop!” he warned. He stretched to sniff a bracken frond, trying to distinguish the many ThunderClan warrior scents. “The warriors come this way a lot.”
“I can’t see anyone,” Hollykit mewed.
“We’d better be careful, though,” Jaykit urged. “What if we bump into a patrol?”
“If only it were greenleaf!” Lionkit spat. “Then there’d be loads more undergrowth to hide in.”
“What about over there?” Hollykit mewed. “The trees are thicker . . .”
“. . . and there are brambles!” Lionkit finished.
He darted forward with Hollykit and Jaykit following, away from the strong-scented bracken and into the trees beyond. The air was clearer here, less laden with ThunderClan scents. The muscles in Jaykit’s shoulders began to relax. And then he heard a familiar sound—Stormfur’s rumbling yowl.
“Brook?” The gray warrior was calling to his mate.
“Get down!” Jaykit hissed.
Instantly the kits crouched. Jaykit pressed his belly to the cold earth, aware of his heart thudding against the leaf mulch.
The ground vibrated with approaching paw steps.
“They’re coming this way,” he whispered. How would they explain being this far from camp?
“Let’s hide under that holly bush,” Hollykit suggested.
Lionkit was already padding toward it, and Jaykit felt Hollykit nudge him from behind, urging him forward. He hissed crossly and shot forward after Lionkit. Prickly leaves scratched his nose and ears as Hollykit shoved him under its low branches.
“They won’t see us in here,” she whispered.
Stormfur’s call sounded again. “Let’s head to the ShadowClan border.” The warrior’s voice sounded frighteningly close
Brook answered him, her low mew only tail-lengths away. “Do you think they might be using the old fox den?”
“Probably not,” Stormfur meowed. “It still reeks of that she-badger Squirrelflight chased off. But it’s worth checking.”
“If only Stormfur and Brook smelled like ThunderClan cats, it would’ve been easier to detect them!” Lionkit complained.
“We’d never have smelled them whatever their scent,” Jaykit pointed out. “The wind was blowing the wrong way.”
“Shh!” Hollykit warned.
The warriors’ paw steps were heading straight toward the holly bush. The branches quivered as Stormfur’s pelt brushed against them. Jaykit flattened himself against the ground and closed his eyes.
“Come on; let’s be quick!” Stormfur urged his mate. “Then we can head back and patrol the top of the hollow.” The warriors’ paw steps faded away.
“Let’s get out of here,” Jaykit whispered.
“Which way?” Lionkit asked.
Jaykit smelled the air, once more tasting the fresh wind from the lake. “Over there,” he mewed, pointing with his tail.
The kits set off again, keeping low. Lionkit led them along a winding route through swathes of bracken and tangled undergrowth. “Through here,” he urged.
Jaykit squeezed after him into a clump of bracken, its stems so knotted that he could only just manage to haul himself through the narrow gaps. “I bet no warrior’s ever gotten through here,” he boasted.
“They should take us out on patrols all the time!” Lionkit mewed.
“We could explore places they’d never get close to,” Hollykit agreed.
They scrabbled under the arching roots of a sycamore, tunneling a path through the leaf litter bunched beneath it.
Jaykit stopped. He could scent the fresh mark of Spiderleg. “Wait!” he ordered. “Thornclaw’s patrol has just passed this way.”
Immediately the kits scrambled back into the shadowy hole they had burrowed beneath the sycamore’s roots.
“We must be heading in the right direction,” Hollykit whispered.
“That must be the Sky Oak over there,” Lionkit mewed. “It’s the tallest tree in the woods by a long way.”
“Where’s the patrol?” Jaykit asked.
“Listen!” Hollykit commanded.
Jaykit could hear the patrol thrashing around in the bracken several fox-lengths away. Then his fur bristled. He tasted the air, recoiling at the stench that bathed his tongue. It was a smell he’d never met before, but it sent a shiver down his spine.
“Can you smell that?” he asked Lionkit and Hollykit.
“Ugh!” Lionkit wrinkled his nose.
“It must be the dead fox!” Hollykit guessed. “We’re near the trap.”
“Can you see it?” Jaykit asked.
Hollykit wriggled away from him. “I can see over the root!” she whispered from just above his head. “The dead fox is lying under the oak. The patrol is beyond it, searching the bracken.”
“They’re looking in the wrong place,” Jaykit mewed. He suddenly realized that despite the scents of the patrol and the dead fox, he could smell a far subtler and sweeter smell—milk. It was right here beneath the sycamore. “The fox came past this tree,” he told the others. “I can smell her milk-scent.”
“We’ve found her trail!” Hollykit mewed.
Lionkit scrabbled out from under the root. “Let’s follow it! It’ll lead us to her cubs!”
Jaykit turned away from where Thornclaw, Spiderleg, Poppypaw, and Mousepaw were plunging through the frost-blackened undergrowth. Heading out from the sycamore roots, he padded along the scent of the milk-trail.
“Watch out!” Lionkit warned. “There are brambles ahead.”
His senses trained only on the milk-scent, Jaykit had not noticed the spiky bush.
“I’ll find a way through!” Hollykit offered. She pushed into the lead and wriggled into the branches.
“But the trail leads around it,” Jaykit objected.
“We can’t afford to stay in the open,” Lionkit told him. “We can pick up the scent on the other side, once there are brambles between us and Thornclaw’s patrol.”
Reluctantly Jaykit followed Lionkit as their sister found a narrow tunnel through the tangle of branches. He was relieved when he picked up the fox’s scent quickly on the other side.
The trees were more widely spaced here. Jaykit could feel the wind in his fur, and sunlight reached down to the forest floor, mottling his pelt with warmth. The fox’s milky scent grew stronger and as they neared a clump of bracken that shielded a small lump in the ground, Jaykit scented a new smell. The cubs?
“Wait here!” Hollykit ordered.
“Why?” Lionkit objected.
“Just wait while I take a look behind this bracken!”
“I’m coming too,” Lionkit insisted.
“We don’t want the cubs to know we’re here,” Hollykit mewed. “If all three of us go blundering in, they’ll know something’s up and we’ll lose the element of surprise.”
“My golden pelt will blend in better against the bracken than your black fur,” Lionkit pointed out.
“What about me?” Jaykit mewed.
“We won’t attack the den without you,” Hollykit promised. “But first, you and I will wait here while Lionkit finds the way in.”
Jaykit felt a twinge of frustration, but he knew Hollykit’s plan was sensible. “Come back as soon as you find it,” he called in a whisper as Lionkit disappeared into the bracken. For the first time he wondered if taking on the fox cubs was a wise idea. But how else was he going to persuade the Clan that there was no need to treat him like a helpless kit?
He strained his ears for the sound of Lionkit returning. It seemed an age before his brother finally pushed his way out of the bracken.
“The main entrance to the den is right behind this clump,” Lionkit whispered, shaking leaves from his pelt. “But there’s a smaller entrance on the other side of the lump of earth—probably an escape route—that leads into the back.”
“Are the cubs inside?” Jaykit asked.
“I didn’t go in, but I could hear them crying for food.”
“They must still be young, then,” Hollykit guessed. “Otherwise they’d have come out by now.”
“It’ll be easier to flush them out if we go down the escape passage,” Lionkit proposed. “If we rush them, the surprise will be enough to get them out of the den, and then we can chase them toward the border.”
“Which way is the border?” Hollykit asked.
Lionkit snorted impatiently. “There’ll be a border whichever way we drive them!” he snapped. “ThunderClan territory doesn’t go on forever. Let’s get on with it, before Thornclaw finds them and takes all the glory.”
He surged away into the bracken before either Jaykit or Hollykit could reply. He led them up the slope, out of the bracken, and over the top of the leaf-strewn mound of earth.
“The escape route is here,” he announced, skidding to a halt.
“It’s no bigger than a rabbit hole!” Hollykit mewed in surprise.
“Perhaps that’s what it used to be,” Lionkit answered. “Who cares, so long as we can fit down it?”
Thornclaw’s meow sounded in the trees not far away. The warrior patrol must have given up searching the bracken near the dead fox and were heading toward the mound of earth.
“Hurry!” Lionkit hissed. “Or Thornclaw will find the cubs first!”
Taking a deep breath, Jaykit plunged into the hole. Its earthen sides pressed against his pelt as he scrabbled down it. He didn’t mind that there would be no light down here; he trusted his nose to lead him to the den. He could feel Lionkit pressing behind him and pushed onward until he exploded into the foxes’ den.
The air was warm and stank of fox—more than one. Jaykit let out a threatening hiss. Lionkit, at his side in an instant, spat ferociously, and Hollykit gave a vicious yowl.
Jaykit could not see the foxes, but as soon as he heard them scramble to their paws, he realized that they were far bigger than they had expected. Fear shot through him as the cubs let out a shrieking cry.
“They’re huge!” wailed Lionkit.
“Let’s get out of here!” Jaykit screeched.
He turned and shot back up the escape tunnel. The hot breath of a fox cub blasted his tail fur. Were Hollykit and Lionkit trapped in the den? He could not stop and turn to find out. The fox cub’s jaws were snapping at his heels as it pursued him out of the hole.
Wild with terror, Jaykit hurtled down the bank and through the bracken. “Thornclaw!” he yowled.
The warrior did not answer, and Jaykit fled toward the bramble thicket. He hoped the thorns would stop the fox, but it chased him into the bush. Thorns tore at Jaykit’s nose and ears, but the fox plunged through them as though racing through grass. He floundered on, tearing free of the brambles and running for the camp. He could smell the familiar scents of the hollow and headed straight for them. The fox cub was still at his heels, growling and snapping.
I must be near the camp now!he thought desperately, his paws skidding on the loose leaves
Pain pierced his tail as the fox cub snapped at it with thorn-sharp teeth. Jaykit dug his claws into the ground, running faster and faster, until, without warning, the ground disappeared from beneath his paws.
With a jolt of horror, Jaykit felt himself plunging into empty air.
I’ve fallen into the hollow!
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3
Jaykit tried to move, but pain shot through his limbs and gripped his chest like claws.
Panic flooded him. I’m broken!
He tried to mew for help.
“Hush, little one.” Warm breath stirred his fur, and a soft nose nuzzled his flank.
He figured it must be Leafpool, though she sounded strange. Perhaps the throbbing in his head was confusing him. Jaykit knew he was in the cleft in the wall of the hollow that formed Leafpool’s den. Moss softened the ground beneath him. Cold air flowed down the smooth rock walls, soft as water. Tendrils of bramble shielded the entrance. The scent of herbs filled the air; instinctively Jaykit tried to distinguish one from another. He identified juniper easily—Leafpool had fed it to Lionkit for bellyache after he had eaten too much fresh-kill. Borage he remembered from when Ferncloud had a fever after Icekit and Foxkit were born.
Where were Hollykit and Lionkit?
He couldn’t smell them anywhere.
He writhed in his nest, trying to find them.
“Lie still, little one.”
Jaykit opened his eyes and saw a she-cat crouched beside him. He realized he must be dreaming. She wasn’t a cat he recognized, but she had ThunderClan scent. Her image was hazy, a jumble of shapes, but he could make out the beautiful orange and brown markings on her lithe body as she sniffed along his pelt.
Her eyes were large and pale, one rimmed with darker fur than the other, and her mottled face narrowed to a soft white muzzle. “Don’t look so frightened,” she told him. “You are safe.”
“What about Hollykit and Lionkit?”
“They are safe too.”
Jaykit let his head rest back into the moss as the she-cat continued to nuzzle his fur, gently touching every aching spot on his body. The parts she touched seemed to flood with heat until he felt warm all over.
“Drink now, precious,” she urged. She dragged a leaf to his mouth. It held a tiny pool of water. It was cool and sweet and made him feel sleepy. He closed his eyes.
When Jaykit awoke the she-cat was gone. His body still ached, but not as much as before.
“You’re awake.” Leafpool’s voice surprised him.
“Where is the other cat?” he asked groggily.
“What other cat?”
“The one that brought me water to drink.” He recalled the distinctive mottled markings on her body. “She was a tortoiseshell, with a white muzzle.”
“Tortoiseshell with a white muzzle?” Leafpool’s mew sharpened with interest.
Jaykit couldn’t understand why Leafpool was just repeating everything he said. He tried lifting his head, but his neck felt too stiff and he winced in pain.
“You’ll be sore for a while,” Leafpool warned him. “But you were lucky that no bones were broken.” She rolled a ball of water-soaked moss to his muzzle. “Here, you should drink something.”
“I’m not thirsty,” Jaykit mewed. “I told you, that other cat brought me some water.”
Leafpool pawed the moss away from his mouth. “Tell me about her,” she prompted gently.
Jaykit started to feel uneasy, as if he might have done something wrong. He was puzzled by the tension in Leafpool’s shoulders, and the way the tip of her tail stirred the moss-covered ground. “I’d never seen her before, but she smelled of ThunderClan and she was here in your den, so I guessed it was okay to drink the water she gave me.”
There was a long pause, then: “It was Spottedleaf,” Leafpool meowed. “One of our warrior ancestors.”
“Like in StarClan? I . . . I’m not dead, am I?”
“No, of course not. It must have been a dream.”
“But why would I dream of a cat I’ve never met?”
“StarClan works in its own way. Spottedleaf chose to come to you for a reason,” Leafpool murmured. She turned away to tidy a wrap of herbs. “Thank StarClan your ancestors took pity on you,” she told him briskly. “You could have died falling over the cliff. You were lucky you weren’t badly hurt!”
“I feel hurt enough,” Jaykit complained.
“You have no one to blame but yourself. You should never have gone hunting foxes. You’re mouse-brains, the three of you! And you most of all. What were you thinking of, leaving the camp like that?”
Her irritation sparked anger in Jaykit. Ignoring his aching stiffness, he scrabbled to his paws and glared at her. “It’s not fair!” he snapped. “I should be allowed to do the same things as any cat!”
“None of you should have been outside the hollow,” Leafpool pointed out. “Hollykit and Lionkit have been in serious trouble with Firestar and Squirrelflight.” Jaykit opened his mouth to defend himself, but she went on. “Thank StarClan that Thornclaw was close enough to save Hollykit and Lionkit from that den. Those fox cubs were old enough to have torn them to pieces.”
Jaykit lifted his chin defiantly. “We were trying to protect the Clan.”
“One day you will,” Leafpool promised. “But first you need to learn as much as you can, which includes learning not to go off by yourself!”
“Do you think Firestar will delay my apprenticeship because of this?” he mewed, suddenly anxious.
Leafpool drew the tip of her tail gently around his ears and said nothing.
“You do, don’t you!” Jaykit wailed. “Has Firestar said anything? Tell me!”
“Dear Jaykit.” Leafpool sighed. “You must know that you can never become an ordinary apprentice like Hollykit or Lionkit.” She ran her tail along his back.
Jaykit shrugged it away. It was as though a gale had swept him up and he could hear nothing but the rushing of wind in his ears. He began to walk to the entrance of the den, but each paw step made him wince with pain.
Leafpool called to him, sounding unhappy. “Jaykit, wait. I thought you understood. . . .”
“Understood what?” Jaykit whipped around to face her. “That I’m not good enough to fight for my Clan?”
“This has nothing to do with not being good enough,” Leafpool meowed. “There are other ways to serve your Clan.”
But Jaykit hardly heard her. “It’s not fair!” he raged. He started to push his way out through the brambles.
“Jaykit!” Leafpool’s voice was firm. “Come back!”
Instinctively Jaykit paused.
“You described Spottedleaf to me perfectly. Have you always been able to see like that in your dreams?”
Jaykit tipped his head to one side. “I guess,” he mewed.
“What do you see?”
“It depends what I’m dreaming about.” Jaykit was growing impatient. How could his dreams help him become a ThunderClan warrior? The hazy images he saw while he slept were pale in comparison to the rich world his senses brought him while he was awake.
“Now tell me which herbs I used to treat you.”
Curious now, Jaykit padded back to his nest, focusing on the pungent scents that lingered on his pelt, scents left by the herbs Leafpool had massaged into his wounds. “Dock on my scratches and comfrey where my body is stiff.”
“You have a good memory for plants. There are other ways to serve your Clan than being a warrior. You’d make a good medicine cat, for example.”
“A medicine cat!” Jaykit echoed in disbelief. Always stinking of mouse bile and cleaning up bad-smelling wounds?
“You could be my apprentice,” Leafpool urged.
“I don’t want to make do with being a medicine cat!” Jaykit hissed. “I don’t want to live half a life, separated from my Clanmates like you are. I want to be a warrior like Brambleclaw and Firestar.”
He turned away from Leafpool, bristling with fury. “I hate being blind. I wish I had never been born!”
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 4
Hollykit waited in the center of the clearing, where Brambleclaw had left her. The sun was sinking behind the trees, pulling a shadow across the camp. Lionkit sat beside her, his pelt golden in the fading sunshine. Cold air drifted down into the hollow, and Lionkit shivered.
Suddenly the brambles at the entrance of the medicine den trembled, and Hollykit saw the gray-striped head of Jaykit poke out. She nudged Lionkit. “Look!”
“He’s okay!” he mewed in relief.
“Thank StarClan!”
Jaykit turned around and went back into the den.
“Leafpool must be keeping him a bit longer,” Hollykit observed. She dug her claws into the ground to stop her paws from trembling. At least she knew her brother was all right. But they still had to face Firestar. How was he going to punish them this time?
She glanced around, hoping no cat was staring at them. Mousefur was leaning against the halfrock, a smooth low stone that stuck out of the ground near the entrance to the elders’ den. It would still be warm from the sun. Dustpelt was sharing tongues with Whitewing beside the thornbush that formed the warriors’ den. His apprentice, Hazelpaw, nodded to him before picking up a mouse from the fresh-kill pile and carrying it over to the apprentices’ den. Her littermates, Mousepaw and Berrypaw, were there already, eating.
Hollykit caught Mousepaw’s eye. The young gray-and-white tom blinked sympathetically at her before looking away. Hollykit lifted her chin a little higher. She wasn’t going to let any cat see how scared she was. She would take her punishment like a true warrior.
She watched Sorreltail carry fresh-kill to her mate, Brackenfur. The dark ginger tom was resting beneath Highledge, his breath hoarse after his bout of whitecough. Sorreltail skirted the clearing, avoiding the kits, and dropped a mouse at his paws.
“How are you?” she asked him.
“Better,” he croaked. “I’ll be fine in a couple of days. Birchfall’s recovered already, thanks to Leafpool.”
“Well, at least you’re not in the medicine den anymore,” Sorreltail meowed gratefully.
“Leafpool needed room for Jaykit,” Brackenfur reminded her.
“Poor mite,” Sorreltail meowed. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”
Hollykit felt a surge of irritation. Jaykit had been as keen to chase off the fox cubs as she and Lionkit, but he was being fussed over in Leafpool’s den, while she and Lionkit had to sit here for the whole Clan to stare at.
She gave a small snort of anger.
“Have you got a tick in your ear?” Lionkit whispered.
“No, but it’s just not fair!” she hissed back. “We wouldn’t be in so much trouble if Jaykit hadn’t fallen over the edge! Why does he have to act like he can do anything and then be so helpless?”
“We shouldn’t have taken him with us,” Lionkit murmured.
“Can you imagine the fuss he would have made if we hadn’t?” Hollykit spat. But then she pictured her brother keeping up with them, finding the milk-scent that led to the den they had been looking for, and guilt swept over her.
He could have died.
The thought pierced her heart like a thorn. The three of them always did everything together. Losing Jaykit would be like losing her tail.
She sighed ruefully. “None of us should have gone.”
“I wish you had realized that earlier!”
Firestar’s meow took Hollykit by surprise. Tiny stones were still tumbling into the clearing where he had leaped down the rockfall that led from his den.
Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight followed him down and stood a little behind the ThunderClan leader. Hollykit’s heart sank when she saw anger in her father’s eyes and disappointment in her mother’s. She stared down at her paws, remembering the disastrous ending to their assault on the fox’s den. Thornclaw’s patrol had arrived just in time to see her and Lionkit flee the den with two fox cubs at their heels. Thornclaw had yowled in surprise as she sped into the trees, but she dared not stop, fearing the snapping jaws behind her, till she hurtled into Brambleclaw’s patrol on its way back from the lakeshore.
“What’s happening?” Brambleclaw demanded. He had grasped her by the scruff as she tried to race past. “What are you doing out here?”
Hollykit had tried to explain, but she’d been panting too hard, her heart thudding like a woodpecker on a hollow tree.
Spiderleg caught up with her. “The kits found the fox cubs,” the black warrior told Brambleclaw. “It seems they decided to organize a patrol of their own.”
Hollykit did not dare catch her father’s eye.
“Where are Lionkit and Jaykit?” Brambleclaw growled.
“Lionkit’s with Poppypaw,” Spiderleg reported. “He’s okay. We haven’t found Jaykit yet, but the fox cubs have scattered. It’s going to take a while to hunt them out.”
Brambleclaw had glanced up at the sky and muttered under his breath, then escorted Hollykit and Lionkit unceremoniously back to the ThunderClan camp.
But that had not been the worst part.
When they’d reached the camp, Whitewing and Leafpool were crouching at the edge of the clearing, their fur spiked in horror. Ferncloud trembled beside them, moaning a low, mournful yowl.
Between them, Jaykit lay on the ground like a scrap of gray fur. Brambleclaw darted forward and crouched beside his son. He nudged Jaykit gently, as though he was trying to wake him from sleep, but his eyes were frantic with fear.
“He’s still breathing, and his heartbeat is steady,” Leafpool told him.
Brambleclaw stared desperately at Leafpool, then sat up. “Fetch Firestar and Squirrelflight,” he ordered Whitewing.
After that he had told Lionkit and Hollykit to wait in the clearing and carried Jaykit to the medicine den. Firestar had returned with Squirrelflight, and the three warriors had disappeared, faces grim, into Firestar’s den, not even glancing at Hollykit and Lionkit.
Hollykit leaned against Lionkit as Firestar, Squirrelflight, and Brambleclaw lined up in front of them once more. She was glad she didn’t have to face them alone.
“Jaykit’s going to be okay,” Firestar told them.
“I know,” Hollykit answered. “We saw him—”
Firestar silenced her with a glare and went on. “But Thornclaw’s patrol has not returned. Which means they are still hunting the fox cubs.”
“What possessed you to leave the hollow?” Brambleclaw demanded.
Firestar narrowed his eyes. “I know they are your kits, Brambleclaw,” he meowed, “but I’ll deal with this.”
Squirrelflight’s tail flicked. Hollykit guessed there were a few sharp words she wanted to share with her kits, but she held her tongue as Firestar spoke.
“We only wanted to help the Clan!” Hollykit protested.
“Then do as you are told!” Firestar growled. “What if Jaykit had died? Would that have helped the Clan?” His fierce gaze flicked from Lionkit to Hollykit, and they shook their heads.
Firestar pressed on. “You almost led the foxes right into the camp—as it is, you have given them a scent trail they’re not likely to forget!”
“We’re sorry,” Hollykit whispered.
“We thought if we could find the foxes—” Lionkit began.
“If you’d thought at allyou would have let our warriors deal with the foxes and the Clan would be safe now!” Firestar lashed his tail. “Instead we have one badly injured kit and three hungry foxes who know where our camp is!”
Hollykit glanced guiltily at the nursery.
Squirrelflight pawed the ground in small, frustrated steps. Firestar nodded for her to speak.
“I’m so disappointed in you both!” she burst out.
“What about Jaykit?” Lionkit objected. “We didn’t force him to go with us!”
“We will speak to Jaykit when he’s recovered,” Brambleclaw answered. “Right now, it’s you two that concern us. You seem to have no more sense than hatchling chicks!”
“Are you going to stop us from becoming apprentices?” Lionkit asked in a small voice.
Hollykit’s breath caught in her throat. Would their father really do that? She looked pleadingly up at him.
“If it were up to me,” Brambleclaw meowed, “I would make you wait another moon. But it is Firestar’s decision.”
The Clan leader narrowed his eyes. “I’m not going to decide right now,” he told them. “Go back to the nursery. Ferncloud and Daisy will keep an eye on you, and it is up to you to make sure one of them knows where you are at all times. If you’re not where you are supposed to be, then you’re clearly not ready for the responsibilities of apprenticeship.”
“We won’t wander off again,” Lionkit promised.
“Hollykit?” Firestar prompted.
“I won’t do anything that might stop me from becoming an apprentice,” she vowed, meaning every word.
“Very well,” Firestar meowed. “I just hope you have learned something today. True warriors think of the Clan’s safety before anything else.” He turned away, padding to where Brackenfur was sharing tongues with Sorreltail.
His parting words seared Hollykit’s fur. She had let her Clan down. She glanced nervously at Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight. “We’re sorry,” she ventured.
“I should hope so.” Squirrelflight sighed.
“You should be setting an example,” Brambleclaw added.
Squirrelflight’s gaze softened a little. She bent down and licked Hollykit and Lionkit each between their ears. “I know you thought you were doing the right thing,” she sympathized
“We just wanted to help the Clan,” Hollykit insisted.
“Your chance will come,” Brambleclaw promised.
“Will Jaykit have to stay in the nursery, too?” Lionkit asked.
“He’ll stay with Leafpool until he’s recovered,” Squirrelflight told him. “Then he can rejoin you.”
“Will he be well enough in time for the naming ceremony?” Hollykit mewed.
“If there isa naming ceremony,” Lionkit added.
Squirrelflight drew her tail over her son’s flank. “You know your brother can’t become a full apprentice.”
Hollykit stared at her mother. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it would be impossible to have a blind warrior—” Brambleclaw began but Hollykit turned on him, her paws pricking with fury.
“No, it wouldn’t!” she spat. “Jaykit can smell and hear and sense everything that happens in the camp!” She glanced at Lionkit for support. “It’s like he cansee things, but with his nose and ears instead of his eyes!”
She glared at her father, waiting for him to say something, but he only glanced at Squirrelflight, exchanging a look of sadness that made Hollykit tremble with indignation.
Suddenly she heard paw steps pounding toward the camp. A voice called from beyond the barrier. It was Thornclaw. The golden brown tabby hurried through the thorns with Spiderleg, Poppypaw, and Mousepaw close behind.
Firestar left Brackenfur and Sorreltail and padded over to meet them. Brambleclaw joined him. “Any luck finding them?” the deputy asked.
“Poppypaw and Mousepaw chased one of the cubs over the border into ShadowClan territory,” Thornclaw reported. “But there’s no sign of the other two.”
Hollykit’s ears burned with shame.
“The cubs are old enough to look after themselves,” Thornclaw went on. “They could cause a lot of trouble in the future.”
Ferncloud pushed her way out of the nursery. “Are the fox cubs nearby?” she fretted.
“No.” Thornclaw shook his head. “We made sure of that. There’s no fresh scent this side of the Sky Oak.”
Ferncloud looked a little comforted, but her ears still twitched nervously, and she hurried back to her kits, who were mewling in the nursery.
Hollykit caught Squirrelflight’s eye. Her mother blinked at her sympathetically. “Don’t be too hard on yourself,” she murmured. “Every cat makes mistakes. You just have to learn from them.”
“I will make it up to the Clan,” Hollykit promised.
“I know you will,” Squirrelflight assured her. “Why don’t you go and visit Jaykit? I’m sure he’d love some company.”
“Can I go too?” Lionkit begged.
“I don’t know if he’s well enough for both of you,” Squirrelflight meowed. “You can go later. But don’t forget to tell Daisy or Ferncloud before you leave the nursery. That’s what Firestar said, remember?”
Lionkit lashed his short tail but didn’t answer. Instead he stalked toward the nursery.
“I’ll tell Jaykit you said hi!” Hollykit called after him.
“Whatever,” Lionkit grumbled, not looking back.
Hollykit nosed her way through the brambles into the shadows of Leafpool’s den. Jaykit was lying by the pool at one side of the den. He turned his jay-feather blue eyes on her as she entered.
“Hi, Hollykit.” His mew sounded tired. His pelt was slicked flat with poultices, making him look as small as a newborn kit. Hollykit felt a stab of pain. He had nearly died.
Jaykit flicked his tail. “There’s no need to feel so sorry for me,” he mewed.
Hollykit blinked. How was it that her brother always knew exactly what she was feeling? Sometimes it could be so annoying to have him sniffing out her private thoughts like an inquisitive mouse.
“I’m not going to die,” he went on.
“I never thought you would,” she lied. She padded to Jaykit’s side and smoothed the fur between his ears with her tongue.
“What did Firestar say?” Jaykit asked.
“We’ve got to stay in the nursery until he decides if we can become apprentices,” Hollykit told him.
“If?” Jaykit echoed.
“If we do as we’re told and stay in camp, then I think we’ll be okay,” Hollykit assured him. She hoped it was true. She had never seen Firestar so angry.
“It hasto be okay!” Jaykit struggled to his paws, then winced with pain.
“Are you all right?” Hollykit mewed in alarm.
Leafpool was mixing herbs in the far corner of her den. “He’s just sore,” she meowed. “But he’s healing well.” Leaving her work, she joined the two kits. “I’ve been giving him comfrey to chew on.”
“Is that what you were mixing there?” Hollykit asked.
“I like to mix in a few heather flowers when I have them,” Leafpool explained. “The nectar sweetens the mixture and makes it easier to swallow.”
“How did you learn all that?” Hollykit mewed, genuinely curious.
“Cinderpelt taught me,” Leafpool answered. There was sadness in her voice as she spoke about her mentor, but Hollykit was more interested in Leafpool’s skill. Having so much knowledge must make her feel very powerful—no other cat in the Clan knew herbs like she did. She had cured Brackenfur and Birchfall and now Jaykit. Imagine being that important to the Clan
“Leafpool?” Brightheart called from the den entrance. “Brackenfur’s coughing again.”
“I’ll give you some honey to take to him,” Leafpool replied. “Can you see to Jaykit for me, Hollykit? A wash will help his stiffness. Just avoid the poultice patches.”
“Okay.” Hollykit wrinkled her nose at the thought of putting her tongue near the tangy-smelling goo plastered over her brother’s pelt. But she began to wash him anyway as Leafpool fetched a leaf wrap of honey from the back of the den and gave it to Brightheart.
“Not so roughly!” Jaykit complained. “I’m sore all over.”
“Sorry,” Hollykit apologized, lapping Jaykit’s pelt with softer strokes.
“You’re not as gentle as Spottedleaf,” Jaykit moaned.
Hollykit stopped licking. “Who?”
“Spottedleaf,” Jaykit repeated. “Leafpool says she’s one of our warrior ancestors. She came to me in a dream and poked me all over with her nose.”
“How can you dream about a cat if you’ve never met her?” Hollykit asked, puzzled.
Leafpool padded back from the den entrance and sat down. “Are you telling Hollykit about Spottedleaf?”
Jaykit nodded.
“Who is she?” Hollykit mewed.
“She was the ThunderClan medicine cat when Firestar first joined the Clan,” Leafpool explained. “She died before I was born, but she comes to my dreams just like she did with Jaykit.” Hollykit noticed that the medicine cat’s eyes were glittering with excitement. “Spottedleaf was very wise. She’s never stopped looking after her Clan. I guess that’s why she came to see Jaykit, and why she still visits my dreams.”
“Does Cinderpelt visit you too?” Hollykit asked.
Leafpool shook her head. “Just Spottedleaf. She helps me find the answers to questions that are worrying me, and she warns me if something threatens the Clan.”
Hollykit was surprised to hear Leafpool talk so warmly about a cat she’d never met in real life. “You talk about Spottedleaf like she’s a friend.”
“Our warrior ancestors can be our friends.”
Jaykit let out a moan. “I hurt.”
“I’ll fetch more comfrey,” Hollykit offered. She bounded over to the pile of herbs and carried a mouthful back to Leafpool.
“Thank you,” Leafpool meowed. “Can you fetch some poppy seeds, too? You’ll see them at the back. They’re tiny, round black seeds.”
“Okay.” Hollykit hurried to the back of the den and searched among the piles of herbs until she found the poppy seeds. “How many?” she called.
“Five,” Leafpool answered. “Pick them up by wetting your paw and dabbing the pile.”
Hollykit followed her instructions, shaking the extra seeds from her pad, and hopped back to where Jaykit lay. He licked them from her paw, his eyes growing sleepy.
“Is he all right?” she asked, worried.
“He will be,” Leafpool reassured her. “But we should let him rest.”
Hollykit did not want to leave the medicine den. Excitement was buzzing in her paws. Leafpool could cure sick cats, and share tongues with her ancestors, and warn the Clan leader of troubles ahead. If Hollykit wanted to be important to her Clan, perhaps becoming a medicine cat was the way to achieve it. After the disastrous adventure with the foxes, maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a warrior at all.
She padded away from Jaykit but lingered at the bramble-covered entrance. “Leafpool,” she called quietly.
“Yes?” Leafpool padded to her side.
“When do medicine cats take on an apprentice? Is it only when they get old?”
Leafpool looked seriously at her. “I can take an apprentice anytime.”
“But would your apprentice have to stay an apprentice until you . . .” Died?Hollykit could not bring herself to say the word out loud.
Leafpool’s whiskers twitched with amusement as she guessed what Hollykit was trying to ask. “No,” she purred. “Once a medicine cat apprentice has learned enough, he can take his proper name and assume full responsibilities, even with his mentor still alive.”
Hollykit wondered why Leafpool had said he. “Do you have someone in mind already?”
Leafpool flicked the tip of her tail. “I’ve not decided anything yet.”
Before Hollykit could say anything else, she heard Ferncloud calling her from the nursery.
“You’d better go,” Leafpool meowed. “You’ve been in enough trouble for one day.”
Her pelt prickling with frustration, Hollykit pushed her way through the brambles and raced back to the nursery. She had just discovered how she wanted to serve her Clan, how to make sure that what she did really mattered. She wanted to be the next ThunderClan medicine cat!
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 5
Lionkit woke in his nest. A draft ruffled his golden pelt.
Where’s Jaykit?
Jaykit usually slept beside him, but there was an empty space there now.
Then he remembered.
Lionkit felt sickness surge in his belly as he pictured Jaykit lying limp at the side of the clearing. He’s going to be okay, he reminded himself.
But in the clearing, watching Leafpool and Brambleclaw crouch by his body, Lionkit had thought that his brother was dead. A shiver ran down his tail. He nudged Hollykit, who was still sleeping beside him, her black pelt almost making her invisible in the darkness. “It’s cold without Jaykit.”
“He’ll be back soon,” she murmured, not opening her eyes.
“But it’s weird when he’s not here.”
“He’s only on the other side of the clearing, and he’ll be back in a day or two.” Hollykit rolled over. “Go back to sleep.” Within moments her breathing deepened and she was asleep again.
Lionkit still felt a tug of sadness. Jaykit should be with them, just like always.
He closed his eyes but the image of his brother lying in the clearing filled his mind again. It was my idea to leave the camp.Jaykit could be dead, or the fox cubs could have chased them into the hollow. What a mess!
Lionkit got to his paws. He needed fresh air to clear his head.
He peered through the shadows to where Daisy slept. Her long, creamy fur blended into Ferncloud’s dark gray pelt. Ferncloud’s whiskers were twitching as she dreamed, her two kits snuggled against her flank. Neither queen would be pleased at being woken just so he could ask permission to leave the den; besides, he’d be back before they woke.
With a flick of his tail, he picked his way past Hollykit and squeezed through the prickly entrance.
Cold night air stung his nose, and the frosty ground made his paws ache as he padded around the edge of the camp. Prey scents drifted from the forest. A bird chattered an alarm call far away. He glanced up at Silverpelt, spread across the inky sky. He was glad StarClan had let Jaykit stay down here with his Clanmates. Perhaps he could look in on his brother. Leafpool would be asleep by now.
Lionkit kept to the shadows, painfully aware that he was not supposed to be outside the nursery without permission. As he crept along the stretch of thornbush that sealed the camp, his heart seemed to pound in his chest loud enough to wake his Clanmates. When he scanned the clearing, Lionkit realized with a start that he was not the only cat awake so late. A shape was stirring on the other side of the clearing. The lithe outline of a cat peeled away from the shadows, followed by another.
Lionkit ducked under a branch, relieved to find a small space inside the prickly barrier where he could hide. He peered through the twigs at the emerging shapes: Dustpelt and Spiderleg were padding side by side into the pool of moonlight that lit the center of the camp.
“They’re nearly here,” the long-limbed warrior told Dustpelt.
“Good,” Dustpelt meowed.
Lionkit strained his ears, listening. Frozen leaves crackled beyond the camp wall. He felt the thorn barrier tremble as Stormfur and Brackenfur pushed their way through the entrance tunnel into the camp. The moonhigh patrol had returned.
Dustpelt hurried toward them. “Anything to report?”
“All quiet,” Stormfur replied.
Lionkit pressed himself further into the thorns. He could always say he had slipped out only to make dirt, but he was not ready yet to be sent back into the nursery.
Brackenfur held a mouse between his teeth. He dropped it. “It’s good to be out hunting again,” the golden tabby purred.
“Did you patrol the new border at the edge of the clearing?” Spiderleg asked.
Brackenfur nodded. “ShadowClan has marked it well,” he meowed. “But there’s no sign they strayed onto ThunderClan territory.”
Dustpelt narrowed his eyes. “They’d better not. It’s bad enough Firestar gave them that piece of land in the first place. If I catch any ShadowClan cat on the wrong side of the border I’ll rip his fur off!”
“They wouldn’t dare!” Brackenfur growled.
“They dared before Firestar gave them the territory,” Spiderleg pointed out. He glanced at the scar on Brackenfur’s flank, a reminder of one of the vicious quarrels the two Clans had fought over the stretch of open ground on either side of the stream running down from the Twoleg clearing. ShadowClan had always laid claim to the territory, and Firestar had finally granted it to them at the last Gathering to save further blood being spilled over a stretch of land that was too bare to offer good hunting.
“It wasn’t worth fighting over,” Stormfur commented. “Firestar was right to give it up.”
Dustpelt snorted. “ThunderClan has never given up territory before!”
“No,” agreed Brackenfur.
Spiderleg turned in an agitated circle, tail lashing, but Brackenfur went on. “However, the land was too exposed, and the Twolegs will be there soon, once it’s greenleaf.”
“And ThunderClan is more used to hunting in the forest,” Stormfur added.
“Firestar still shouldn’t have given it up so easily,” Spiderleg insisted.
Lionkit watched nervously from his hiding place as Spiderleg glared at Stormfur. The long-limbed black warrior was more hotheaded than his father, Dustpelt. But Stormfur refused to be intimidated.
“We gave up nothing but a piece of barren land that was too close to Twoleg territory!” he hissed.
“You sound like Brambleclaw.” Dustpelt curled his lip. “He only agreed with Firestar’s decision because any cat knows he’d rather face a pack of dogs than a Twoleg!”
Lionkit’s fur bristled with anger. His father wasn’t scared of anything!
“Brambleclaw sided with Firestar because it was a wise decision, not because he was scared of Twolegs!” Stormfur retorted.
“Was it wise to stand before all the Clans and announce that ThunderClan can no longer defend its boundaries?” Spiderleg meowed hotly. “ShadowClan has no right to set one mangy paw on ThunderClan land!”
“Well, it’s ShadowClan land now,” Stormfur concluded.
Spiderleg glared at him. “Of course, you don’t care how much territory we give up,” he snarled. “You’re not a ThunderClan cat!”
Lionkit flinched. Stormfur had fought off the invading ShadowClan warriors as fiercely as any cat. He watched closely, waiting to see how the gray warrior would react. But Stormfur only stared back at Spiderleg, his eyes wide with shock.
Brackenfur stepped between them, his eyes glinting anxiously in the moonlight. “It doesn’t matter if we disagree,” he meowed. “The decision has been made.”
“But now ShadowClan will think they can take whatever they want from us!” Spiderleg objected.
“Firestar made it clear that he was doing ShadowClan a favor when he let them take the land,” Brackenfur reminded him. “He left no cat in any doubt that he was acting out of wisdom rather than weakness.”
“Then why did Onestar and Leopardstar look so interested?” Dustpelt snapped. “It was obvious they thought ThunderClan couldn’t defend their territory.”
“What if WindClan decide they want a piece of the forest on the other side?” Spiderleg chipped in. “Onestar hasn’t exactly been a friend of ours since he became leader.”
“He’s been okay since he helped us with the badger attack,” Brackenfur pointed out.
“But he’s still going to be looking out for his Clan,” Dustpelt argued. “If he thinks we’re weak he might see a chance to expand his territory.”
“Can you imagine Firestar giving up any prey-rich part of our territory?” Stormfur asked.
Dustpelt glared at him for a moment, then dipped his head. “No,” he conceded.
“And we don’t have to worry about RiverClan,” Brackenfur pressed. “We share no boundaries with them, and Leopardstar’s been pretty quiet since Hawkfrost died on our territory.”
“Does any cat really know what happened to Hawkfrost?” Stormfur asked.
“Only that Firestar found his body while he was on patrol with Brambleclaw and Ashfur,” Spiderleg meowed.
Lionkit did not fully understand. He had heard Daisy and Ferncloud talking about Hawkfrost, the former RiverClan deputy who had died on ThunderClan territory, impaled on a wooden spike from a fox trap. No one was sure what the RiverClan warrior had been doing there. Lionkit had tried to ask his father once about Hawkfrost—after all, Hawkfrost was Brambleclaw’s half brother and therefore Lionkit’s kin—but Brambleclaw had been reluctant to answer. The only information he would give was that Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight had carried the dead RiverClan warrior back to his camp as they would have done with any fallen warrior, and that he had been mourned by his Clanmates.
As Lionkit strained to hear whether the warriors’ conversation would reveal anything new, he felt the thorn barrier rustle around him. He realized with a jolt that he was right beside the small entrance that led to where the cats made their dirt—the same entrance that he, Jaykit, and Hollykit had sneaked out of in search of the fox cubs. Alarmed, Lionkit sniffed the air. Mousepaw was squeezing his way back through less than a tail-length away.
He shrank further back into the shadows, but he could not escape Mousepaw’s sharp nose.
“Lionkit?” Mousepaw hissed into the darkness.
Lionkit wondered for a moment whether to bury himself deeper in the barrier, but he didn’t like the look of the thorns, and besides, his pride would not let him. “I’m in here,” he confessed.
As he spoke, Dustpelt’s amber gaze flashed toward them. “Mousepaw?” he called.
Lionkit held his breath. Would the apprentice give him away? They had been denmates for a while in the nursery, but Mousepaw might side with the warriors now.
“I’m just on my way back to the den,” Mousepaw told Dustpelt. A moment later he squeezed into Lionkit’s hiding place. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the nursery?” he whispered.
Lionkit flicked his tail crossly. He was grateful that Mousepaw hadn’t given him away, but he hated being treated like a feeble kit. “I couldn’t sleep,” he grumbled. “I’m used to having Jaykit around.”
“Why were Dustpelt and Stormfur arguing?”
“They were talking about Firestar’s decision to give ShadowClan the bit of land by the river,” Lionkit explained. “Dustpelt accused Stormfur of not being a real ThunderClan warrior.”
Mousepaw flattened his ears, shocked. “I’m surprised that Stormfur didn’t shred him!”
“But Stormfur’s nota real ThunderClan warrior, is he?” Lionkit pointed out, puzzled.
“You’d better not say that to his face!” Mousepaw warned.
“But he was born in RiverClan and lived with the Tribe.”
“Mousepaw!” Dustpelt’s voice sounded from the clearing.
Mousepaw shoved Lionkit further back into the bush. He stifled a squeak of pain as thorns dug into his pelt, and Mousepaw squeezed out from under the branches.
“Shouldn’t you be back in the apprentices’ den?” Dustpelt queried.
“I thought I smelled a mouse,” Mousepaw lied.
“Straying into the camp would be stupid even for a mouse,” Dustpelt muttered. “Go to your den. I’m sure Spiderleg won’t be pleased if you’re too tired for training in the morning.”
“Yes, Dustpelt.” Mousepaw dipped his head and padded quickly away.
Lionkit waited, thorns poking him, until Dustpelt and the other warriors headed to their den. It seemed foolish to risk going to the medicine cat’s den now. As soon as he was sure that no cat stirred, Lionkit dragged himself out from under the thorn barrier and crept back to the nursery.
Several thorns from the barrier had caught in his fur and were tangled in his pelt. They pricked him as he curled gingerly back into his nest. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep, but his conversation with Mousepaw echoed in his mind. It hadn’t occurred to him before how important it was to the warriors whether a cat was truly ThunderClan or not. His own place in the Clan had always been something he had taken for granted. He supposed that not every cat was lucky enough to be born in the forest, with the Clan deputy and Clan leader as kin. But he still didn’t understand why Mousepaw had taken the quarrel between the warriors so seriously. So long as Stormfur and Brook were loyal to ThunderClan, what else mattered?
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
Hollykit was dreaming that the nursery was filled with hedgehogs. They filed in through the entrance, rudely brushing Ferncloud and her kits aside and settling into the mossy nest around her. Their sharp prickles spiked her back. She fidgeted to move away from her uncomfortable new denmates.
“What are you doing here?” she muttered. “Go away!” But the prickles still dug into her. Opening her eyes, she twisted around and saw Lionkit curled up asleep beside her. He looked like he’d fallen out of a tree, his golden pelt ruffled and studded with black thorns.
She jabbed him with her forepaw. “Hey!” she whispered. “Where did you pick up these thorns? They’re ripping me to shreds.”
Lionkit opened his amber eyes. “What?” he murmured, his mouth stretching into a yawn.
“You’re covered in thorns!” Hollykit guessed he’d been out of the den. “What have you been up to?” she demanded.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Lionkit confessed. “I went for a walk in the clearing.”
Hollykit stared at him in dismay. “Aren’t we in enough trouble? Do you want to stop us from being made apprentices?”
“It’s okay,” Lionkit soothed. “No one saw me.” He sat up and wiped a paw over his face. “Except Mousepaw, and he won’t tell. It was Mousepaw who pushed me into the thorns so Dustpelt wouldn’t spot me.”
Hollykit hissed softly. Why doesn’t he think before he acts?“We’d better get those thorns out of you before anyone else sees them.”
“They really sting,” Lionkit complained, twisting around to tug one from his flank with his teeth.
“I’d better go to the medicine den and get something to treat them with,” Hollykit told him. “We don’t want your scratches getting infected.”
“What will you tell Leafpool?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll tell her there was a thorn in your bedding and you rolled on it.” She climbed out of her nest and headed toward the entrance. “You start pulling out all the thorns you can reach,” she instructed. “I’ll get the rest when I come back.” Before she began to nose her way out of the den, another thought struck her. “And don’t leave them lying around. If Icekit or Foxkit spike themselves on one, Ferncloud will pluck your whiskers till you’re bald as a bird!”
She ran across the clearing, relieved to find it empty. The sun was rising behind the trees that topped the cliffs, but the camp, still in shadow, was cold. Hollykit guessed that the dawn patrol must have left already and the other cats were making the most of their snug dens until the sun had reached into the hollow and warmed the camp.
She reached the medicine den unnoticed and pushed through the brambles that concealed its entrance. Leafpool was nowhere to be seen, and her scent was stale. She hurried to Jaykit’s nest.
“Are you feeling better?”
Jaykit was curled up tight in the moss, a bundle of striped gray fur. His head shot up at the sound of Hollykit’s voice, and he gazed at her with his sightless blue stare.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you confined to the nursery?”
“Lionkit’s got a thorn stuck in him,” Hollykit explained. “I wanted something to keep the scratch from getting infected.”
Jaykit nodded sleepily to the back of the den. “Leafpool used dock on my scratches,” he mewed. “You’ll have to find it yourself. Leafpool’s out collecting stinging nettles.”
“Okay,” Hollykit mewed, hurrying over to the supply store. “Can you remember what it smelled like?”
“It’s got a sort of tangy scent.” Jaykit lifted his nose and breathed in. “It’s one of the piles near the front,” he told her.
Hollykit stared at the array of leaves and seeds. At the front there were two piles, one darker green than the other. She sniffed the darkest first. “This smells kind of icky,” she mewed back to Jaykit.
“Dock doesn’t have a bad smell,” Jaykit told her. “Just sharp.”
Hollykit sniffed the other pile and screwed up her eyes. It was definitely tangy. She grabbed a mouthful and carried it over to Jaykit.
“That’s the right one,” he mewed.
The brambles rustled at the den entrance, and Hollykit jumped
It was Leafpool, holding a bunch of nettles carefully by their stems. The dew still glistened on their jagged leaves. She dropped them and looked at Hollykit. “You’re up early.” She noticed the pile of dock leaves beside Hollykit. “Your brother’s healing well,” she meowed. “He doesn’t need any more treatment. He only needs rest.”
“I’m not treating Jaykit,” Hollykit explained. “Lionkit’s been scratched by a thorn in his bedding.”
Leafpool opened her eyes wide in surprise. “How did you know to use dock?”
Hollykit stared uncertainly at the medicine cat.Jaykit told me.
“She remembered the smell from when you used it to treat me,” Jaykit mewed.
Hollykit ran her tail across his flank so he knew she was grateful. It wasn’t that she wanted Leafpool to think she was more clever than Jaykit; she just wanted her to see that she would make a great medicine cat.
“Well done, Hollykit!” Leafpool meowed. Hollykit felt warm to the tip of her tail. She told herself that one day she wouldknow which herb was which and wouldn’t have to pretend.
“Let me show you how to apply it,” Leafpool offered. She crouched over the pile of dock, taking a single leaf in her mouth and chewing it. Once it was well chewed she held out her paw and licked the juice from the dock into her fur. Then she spat out the remainder of the leaf. “Make sure you lick it in firmly so that it seeps right into the wound,” she advised. “It may sting, but it will save a lot more pain later if you do it properly.”
Hollykit watched carefully.
“Do you want to try it before you go?” Leafpool asked.
“I think I should get back to Lionkit,” Hollykit mewed, wanting to return to the nursery before Daisy and Ferncloud realized she was missing. “He was pretty sore.”
“I could come too,” Leafpool offered.
Hollykit was about to say yes when she hesitated. If Leafpool saw how many thorns were tangled in Lionkit’s pelt, both kits would be in trouble. “Thanks, but you must have things to do,” she mewed. “I’ll come and get you if I need help.”
“Very well.” Leafpool nodded. Was that a knowing glint Hollykit saw in her amber gaze? Had she guessed that Hollykit was not telling her the whole truth about Lionkit’s injuries?
Not eager to find out, Hollykit picked up the dock leaves in her jaws and trotted out of the medicine den. Her heart sank when she saw that the camp was growing busy. Daisy had come out of the nursery and was warming herself in a spot where the sun’s weak rays were just beginning to reach. Her kits huddled together outside the apprentices’ den, blinking sleep from their eyes. They looked like a single soft cloud, Berrypaw’s creamy fur merging with the gray and white of Hazelpaw and Mousepaw. Cinderpaw, Honeypaw, and Poppypaw were sharing tongues by the halfrock. Their slender dappled bodies reminded Hollykit of their mother, Sorreltail, who was nosing through the remains of yesterday’s fresh-kill pile with Thornclaw and Spiderleg.
There’s no reason they should think I don’t have permission to be here, Hollykit told herself. She stalked across the clearing, nodding to the apprentices as casually as she could manage. She avoided looking at Thornclaw and Spiderleg. Her paws burned with every step, but she kept her tail high and tried not to look hurried as she approached the nursery.
She reached the entrance unchallenged and scrabbled through with the dock leaves clamped tightly between her jaws.
Ferncloud’s voice startled her. “Where have you been?”
Hollykit dropped the dock leaves and glanced at Lionkit. She was relieved to see that he’d gotten most of the thorns out of his pelt and smoothed down his fur enough to look as though he’d spent the whole night in his nest.
“I told Ferncloud about the thorn in my bedding,” Lionkit put in hastily.
“I’ve brought some dock leaves for Lionkit’s scratch,” Hollykit explained to Ferncloud. “Sorry I didn’t ask first, but I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You should have waited until I was awake and asked permission. But I suppose you were only thinking of your littermate, and I can’t disapprove of that.” Ferncloud sighed. “Though StarClan knows how thorns got into the nursery in the first place!” She glanced at her two kits wriggling at her belly. “You must be careful not to carry anything in on your pelts when there are small kits in the nursery.”
“We’ll be extra careful in the future,” Hollykit promised. She hurried over to Lionkit with the leaves. “Did you get all the thorns out?” she whispered.
“All except one behind my ear,” Lionkit whispered back.
Hollykit licked the back of Lionkit’s ear and felt the thorn. Gripping it with her teeth she tugged it out.
“I put the rest under the brambles at the edge of the den.” He flicked his tail to the den wall near his nest. Hollykit went and spat out the thorn with the others.
“We can reach under from outside and drag them out later,” she mewed. “Now, where are the worst scratches?” She began to chew up a dock leaf while Lionkit twisted and pointed with his nose to a sore spot on his flank.
The dock leaf tasted foul. “Yuck!” Hollykit screwed up her nose as she chewed. She leaned down and licked the juice into Lionkit’s scratch, just as Leafpool had shown her. As she dragged her tongue firmly across the wound, Lionkit flinched and let out a squeak of pain.
Hollykit leaped back in alarm.
“Are you two fighting?” Ferncloud asked, not looking up from her kits.
“No,” Lionkit meowed. “The dock juice hurts; that’s all.”
Hollykit felt her tail tremble. She couldn’t do this! Seeing Lionkit’s pain made her feel queasy. But she couldn’t let any of his scratches get infected, and if she was going to become a medicine cat, she would have to get used to treating patients.
She chewed another horrible-tasting leaf and set to work licking the juice into another scratch. Lionkit only winced this time, but it was enough to send Hollykit leaping away again.
“Sorry!” she squeaked. Then she remembered Leafpool’s advice. It may sting, but it will save a lot more pain later if you do it properly.Focusing on Leafpool’s words, she carried on, forcing herself to ignore Lionkit’s squeaks of pain and the sickening taste of the dock.
“That feels much better,” Lionkit breathed as she tended to his last wound. Hollykit sat back with relief.
Ferncloud looked up. “Why don’t you two go to the fresh-kill pile and have something to eat? Daisy’s in the clearing. I’m sure she’ll keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t get into any mischief.”
Happy to be able to leave the nursery without breaking any rules, Hollykit hurried out into the clearing, Lionkit on her heels. But the taste of dock had ruined her appetite, and she followed Lionkit to the fresh-kill pile without enthusiasm.
Mousepaw, Hazelpaw, and Berrypaw still sat in the flattened grass patch in front of their den. Mousepaw could hardly keep still. “Brambleclaw told me that our assessment would begin after sunhigh,” he mewed excitedly.
Hollykit pricked her ears. Daisy’s kits had been training for nearly four moons. It wouldn’t be long before they would be made warriors.
“Who’s assessing us?” Berrypaw asked anxiously.
“Brambleclaw wouldn’t tell me,” Mousepaw replied.
“Do you think it’ll be Firestar himself?” Hazelpaw’s tail twitched with excitement.
“Don’t say that!” Berrypaw breathed. “I won’t remember any of my training if I think he’swatching!”
“Can we hunt together?” Hazelpaw asked.
“Spiderleg said it was up to us,” Mousepaw reported.
Ashfur and Whitewing were sharing tongues nearby. Ashfur’s whiskers twitched with amusement as he overheard the apprentices talking. “You’d be wiser splitting up!” he called over. “On your own, you might just manage to surprise your prey, but the three of you clumping through the forest will scare everything from here to the sun-drown-place!”
Whitewing poked him with her snowy paw. “Don’t tease them, Ashfur!” she scolded. “You were an apprentice once. You must remember how tense you were about your first assessment.”
Brook trotted through the entrance carrying three mice by their tails. Hollykit watched as the Tribe cat dropped her catch on the fresh-kill pile.
Lionkit helped himself to one and began to eat hungrily. “Thanks, Brook,” he mewed with his mouth full.
Brook eyed him with her soft gray gaze. “You should eat more slowly,” she advised. “In the mountains we say that prey eaten slowly feeds us longer.”
Lionkit looked at her in surprise. “Okay.” He nodded and began to chew more carefully.
Hollykit watched as the mountain cat twisted to smooth down her brown tabby pelt. She had always liked the sound of Brook’s mew—it was low and strange compared with the forest cats’.
A yowl sounded outside the camp entrance, followed by a threatening hiss. Hollykit recognized Honeypaw’s voice.
Honeypaw’s mentor, Sandstorm, raced toward the entrance tunnel. “Honeypaw?” she called. “What is it?”
Hollykit held her breath. Was the camp being attacked?
Then she heard a friendly yowl of greeting. Sandstorm returned through the thorn tunnel, leading Mothwing, the RiverClan medicine cat, and her apprentice, Willowpaw. Honeypaw padded after them, her tail bristling with embarrassment.
“I’m sorry,” she mewed. “I didn’t realize who it was. I just smelled RiverClan.”
Sandstorm reassured her apprentice with an old nursery saying: “It’s better to scare off a mouse than welcome a badger.”
Hollykit’s heart leaped like a fish at the sight of Willowpaw. She had met the medicine cat apprentice once before, when Mothwing had brought precious supplies of catmint from the clump that grew in a sheltered part of RiverClan territory. Leafpool had welcomed the gift, since the patch that grew near the abandoned Twoleg nest in ThunderClan territory had been killed by frost. Hollykit had spoken to Willowpaw then because she wanted to find out what it was like to belong to a different Clan. But this time she wanted to find out something else: how to become a medicine cat’s apprentice.
While Sandstorm went to find Leafpool, Hollykit scampered across the clearing toward Willowpaw. “Hello!” she mewed shyly
Willowpaw, who had been looking troubled, brightened up. “Hello, Hollykit!” she purred. “Or is it Hollypaw now?”
“Not yet,” Hollykit told her. “Why are you here?” The RiverClan cats weren’t carrying anything. Perhaps they had come to ask for supplies in return for the catmint.
Willowpaw’s whiskers twitched. “I had a dream,” she mewed. “I want Leafpool to help me interpret it.”
“Can’t Mothwing do that?” Hollykit asked, confused.
Willowpaw glanced at her paws. “Mothwing suggested we get Leafpool’s opinion.”
“What was it about?”
Willowpaw looked solemn. “I can’t tell you until I’ve shared it with Leafpool.”
“Mothwing, Willowpaw!” Leafpool stood at the entrance to the medicine den. “Welcome! Come in!” She waited, holding back the trailing brambles, while Mothwing and Willowpaw wove past her into the shadows beyond. Hollykit stared wistfully after them as the leaves swished back into place. She felt a nudge in her flank and turned to see Lionkit butting her gently with his head.
“Why are you staring at them like a dumb rabbit?” he mewed. “Mothwing and Willowpaw have visited the camp before.”
Hollykit was unable to keep her wish to herself a moment longer. “I want to be a medicine cat!” she blurted out.
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7
“A medicine cat?” Lionkit stared at Hollykit, bewildered. “Why?”
“There are other ways to serve your Clan apart from being a warrior,” Hollykit snapped.
“But you’ll be stuck in the camp with all the sick and injured cats instead of out in the forest hunting or fighting.” There was no criticism in Lionkit’s tone, only disbelief.
Hollykit did not want to hear about what she would be missing. “But think how much I’ll know,” she pointed out. “I’ll learn all about healing herbs, and I’ll be able to share dreams with StarClan.” She stared at him, willing him to understand. “What could be more exciting than that?”
“Fighting ShadowClan?”
“But I want to have dreams just like Leafpool and Willowpaw!” Hollykit insisted.
“You already do,” Lionkit purred, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Dreams about hedgehogs!”
“You cheeky kit!” Hollykit squeaked in mock anger. With a small leap, she pushed Lionkit to the ground and began to tussle with him.
“What are you two doing?” Squirrelflight’s stern meow made Hollykit freeze. Lionkit struggled from her grasp, and the two kits sat up and faced their mother. “If you’ve got nothing better to do than make the fresh-kill pile dusty with your fighting, you may as well go back to the nursery.”
“But I haven’t eaten yet!” Hollykit protested.
“Then take something with you,” Squirrelflight answered. “And take something for Ferncloud, too.”
Hollykit hated eating in the nursery. Prey always tasted better eaten in the fresh air. But she didn’t protest. She saw that Squirrelflight had already turned to look at Thornclaw, who was resting beneath Highledge.
“I hope Thornclaw’s remembered that he’s leading the sunhigh patrol,” the flame-colored she-cat meowed, half to herself.
“You’d better go and remind him, seeing as you seem to be keeping an eye on everyone around here,” Hollykit muttered.
“What was that?” Squirrelflight’s thoughtful gaze remained on Thornclaw.
“Nothing,” Hollykit mewed guiltily.
“Don’t forget Ferncloud,” Squirrelflight reminded her, padding away.
Hollykit stared after her mother, feeling a surge of rebellious anger. “It wouldn’t be so bad if she even noticed she was spoiling our fun!”
“She’s just busy,” Lionkit mewed. “You know what she’s like.”
“I suppose.” Hollykit sighed. She knew she wasn’t being fair. How could she criticize her mother when, in truth, she wanted to be just like her, brave and loyal and respected by her Clanmates? “Let’s go back to the nursery.”
Hollykit dragged one of Brook’s mice from the fresh-kill pile. Lionkit pulled off a thrush more than half his size and began hauling it toward the nursery. Hollykit guessed that Ferncloud wouldn’t be able to eat such a large piece of prey, but her brother never changed his mind once it was made up.
Back in the nursery she ate the mouse, giving thanks to StarClan for the food before she tucked in. When she had finished she gave her paws and muzzle a quick lick and then lay flat on her belly to peep out under the brambles at the clearing. Lionkit had fallen asleep beside her, and Ferncloud was trying to persuade Foxkit and Icekit to try a piece of the thrush that she’d softened with her teeth. Hollykit narrowed her eyes and stared at the entrance to the medicine den, watching for any movement. She wanted to speak to Willowpaw again.
At last the brambles twitched and Leafpool led Mothwing and Willowpaw out into the clearing. Hollykit glanced back at Lionkit, still sleeping, and Ferncloud, busy with her kits. As quietly as possible she slithered out under the bramble wall of the den, dislodging a wad of leaves that Squirrelflight had pressed into place the day before. I’ll fix it later, Hollykit vowed as she scooted across the clearing.
“Hello!” she mewed to Willowpaw.
Willowpaw’s ears twitched. She blinked at Hollykit, and the faraway look cleared from her gaze. “Hi,” she mewed.
“Did Leafpool help you?”
Willowpaw nodded. “I can tell you about the dream now, if you still want to know.”
Hollykit flicked her tail excitedly. “Yes, please.”
“Well,” Willowpaw began, “I dreamed that clouds were streaming across the sky, flowing and tumbling across the blue. And then they stopped and the sun scorched down onto the RiverClan camp, shriveling the plants and drying up the nests until there was no shelter from the burning heat.”
Hollykit shuddered. “What did it mean?”
“Leafpool thought it could be a warning of trouble with our water supply. But there’s been plenty of rain this leaf-bare, so it probably doesn’t mean a drought. She advised me to tell Leopardstar to check all the streams near the camp and make sure they are safe.”
Hollykit leaned forward. “How did you become Mothwing’s apprentice?” she asked.
“I helped her with some of her patients when there was an outbreak of illness,” Willowpaw told her. “I enjoyed the tasks she gave me, so I just kept going back to the medicine den and helping out until Mothwing suggested I should become her apprentice.”
“Did you always want to be a medicine cat?”
“I didn’t really think about it,” Willowpaw admitted. “It just sort of happened, and then I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Being a medicine cat is great!”
Hollykit opened her mouth to agree, but before she could speak, Mothwing called her apprentice away. “Willowpaw, we’re leaving.”
Mothwing brushed muzzles with Leafpool and headed for the thorn tunnel. Willowpaw bounded after her. “Bye, Hollykit!” she called over her shoulder.
Hollykit watched the two cats disappear through the tunnel. Willowpaw had made her even more determined to be Leafpool’s apprentice. Forgetting that she was not meant to be out of the nursery, she hurried after Leafpool, following her into her den.
Jaykit was sprawled in his nest, the soft gray fur of his belly showing. He was clearly sleeping more comfortably than last time Hollykit had visited.
Leafpool turned as Hollykit followed her in. “Do you need more herbs for Lionkit?”
Hollykit shook her head. A question fizzed on the tip of her tongue, but she was struggling for the right words.
“Is something wrong?”
Jaykit flipped over and lifted his head. “What do you want, Hollykit?” he asked, his ears pricking as though he sensed that something important was happening.
Leafpool glanced at him. “Go back to the nursery, Jaykit,” she meowed softly.
“Am I well enough?” Jaykit mewed, sitting up.
“As long as you don’t start play fighting the moment you get back,” Leafpool warned him. “But you might as well sleep in your own nest now.”
Jaykit got to his paws. His first steps out of his nest were a little unsteady, but he soon found his balance and padded toward the bramble-covered entrance. “Thanks, Leafpool,” he mewed. His sightless gaze flicked toward Hollykit, taking her by surprise. Sometimes it was almost as if he were looking straight at her, though she knew he couldn’t see her.
“I’ll come and check on you at sundown,” Leafpool promised him.
As soon as Jaykit had disappeared through the brambles, Leafpool sat down. “Now,” she meowed, gazing at Hollykit, “tell me what’s troubling you.”
“Nothing’s troublingme,” Hollykit answered at once. “But I have something important to ask you.”
A look close to alarm flashed momentarily across Leafpool’s gaze. “What?”
Hollykit took a deep breath. “I want to be your apprentice!” She tensed as she waited for the reply. What if Leafpool refused to take her on?
Leafpool looked stunned. “I never would have thought—” She stopped midsentence, then meowed gently, “Being a medicine cat is a big commitment. You will rarely fight in battles or go on patrol. You won’t be able to take a mate, or have kits.” Hollykit saw her eyes darken with sadness. Was that regret she saw in their amber depths? There was no time to wonder. “What has made you want to be a medicine cat?”
“I want to be able to help the Clan,” Hollykit told her. “If I were a medicine cat, I could heal my Clanmates when they were sick, and I could share dreams with StarClan.” Leafpool was still gazing at her questioningly, so she went on. “As a warrior I could feed the Clan and defend it—I would dieto protect the Clan if I had to—but as a warrior I would be limited to fighting with tooth and claw. As a medicine cat I could fight with all the knowledge and power of StarClan. What better way could there be to serve ThunderClan?” She stopped, breathless, and stared hopefully up at Leafpool.
Leafpool’s tail twitched. “Those are all good reasons,” she agreed.
Hollykit’s heart soared. Was she going to say yes?
“But,” Leafpool went on, “before I can make a decision, I must talk with Firestar.”
Hollykit blinked, feeling a flash of doubt. But she pushed the doubt away. She hasn’t said no. “Thanks, Leafpool!” she mewed. She turned and trotted from the den. Of course Leafpool would have to talk to the Clan leader before making such an important decision, she thought as she bounced back across the clearing.
She wriggled into the nursery and found Ferncloud asleep, her kits quiet for once. Lionkit was plucking the feathers from the remains of the thrush. They would make a good nest lining
Jaykit looked up from his nest as she squeezed through the entrance. “What was so secret that I had to leave the medicine den?”
“I’m going to be her apprentice,” Hollykit announced.
“Whose apprentice?”
“Leafpool’s, of course.”
Lionkit looked up from the thrush, delighted. “Did she say yes?”
“Well, she’s got to talk to Firestar first, of course.”
“You want to be a medicine cat?” Jaykit mewed, putting his head to one side.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Hollykit demanded.
“I’d hate to be stuck in the medicine den, worrying about sick cats and sorting out piles of old herbs.” Jaykit sank his claws into the moss that lined his nest. “I’d much rather be a warrior, patrolling and hunting and fighting in Clan battles!”
Hollykit looked at her brother, fierce and proud. Firestar had to let him become a warrior!
Hollykit awoke before dawn. The nursery was dark and cozy, warmed by her sleeping denmates. She lay in her nest and listened to an owl calling from the trees lakeside of the camp. She was too excited to go back to sleep. Brambleclaw had told her last night that Firestar would be going ahead with the naming ceremony after all.
“You’ve behaved well and not left the nursery without permission,” he meowed as she took prey from the fresh-kill pile.
Hollykit glanced over to her brothers, who were already eating by the half-buried rock. “What about Jaykit?”
“Don’t worry,” Brambleclaw had reassured her. “Firestar hasn’t forgotten about Jaykit.”
Hollykit rolled over in her nest and stretched. By sunhigh she would know if she was to become Leafpool’s apprentice. She pictured herself working in the medicine den, soothing bellyaches with herbs, rubbing salves onto bruises, going out into the forest with Leafpool to gather herbs—herbs that she’d know the names of, what they smelled like, how to prepare them. Her pelt bristled at the thought of all the knowledge that would be inside her head. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine how StarClan would appear in her dreams, but instead she saw only herself, a full-fledged medicine cat, leading her own apprentice through the wood, showing one plant after another, demonstrating all the skills and techniques Leafpool had taught her, wandering farther and farther into the darkening forest. . . .
Hollykit blinked open her eyes. Dawn was creeping through the knotted bramble walls. Lionkit and Jaykit were still asleep beside her. Squirrelflight’s nest smelled stale and cold. She must have returned late from patrol again and chosen to sleep in the warriors’ den.
Hollykit sat up and stretched.
“Awake already?” Ferncloud meowed. The queen was feeding her kits, her pale gray pelt glowing softly in the half-light.
“I’m too excited to sleep!” Hollykit mewed.
“You may go outside if you like,” Ferncloud allowed. “The dawn patrol will be back before long. They might bring warm prey.”
Icekit wriggled around and stared at Hollykit with round blue eyes. “You won’t be sleeping in the nursery tonight,” she mewed.
Hollykit blinked at her. “No. Hopefully I’ll be in Leafpool’s den.”
Foxkit pushed away from his mother. “I’d rather be in the apprentices’ den with Lionkit!”
“You will be soon,” Hollykit promised.
“Not soon enough!” Foxkit mewed. He reached out and caught Icekit’s twitching tail between his auburn paws. “I can’t wait to be a warrior.”
Icekit flicked her tail away from him. “Will you come back and tell us what it’s like being an apprentice?”
“Of course,” Hollykit purred. She dipped her head to their mother. “Bye, Ferncloud.”
Foxkit and Icekit scrambled out of Ferncloud’s nest.
“Bye, Hollykit,” Icekit mewed, reaching up to push her white muzzle against Hollykit’s cheek.
“Bye, Icekit.” Hollykit bent down and licked Foxkit between the ears. “Don’t get into trouble.”
With a twinge of sadness she turned and squeezed out of the nursery.
The clearing sparkled with dew. Mist clouded in the bushes and clefts that ringed the base of the enclosing rock wall. Hollykit stretched, first her forepaws, then her hind, arching her back and enjoying the fresh scents of the forest.
“Good morning!” Squirrelflight called. She was sitting in front of the warriors’ den, a paw raised, ready to wash behind her ears. Brambleclaw sat next to her.
“Hi!” Hollykit mewed, trotting over to greet them.
Brambleclaw purred loudly. “It’s your big day!” He touched Hollykit’s head with his muzzle.
“It sure is,” Hollykit agreed, trying not to think how close she had come to ruining her chance of being made an apprentice.
The thorn barrier trembled; the dawn patrol was returning. Cloudtail emerged from the entrance with his apprentice, Cinderpaw, and Stormfur trotting behind. They each carried prey in their jaws.
Brambleclaw padded away to meet them as they dropped their catch, his dark tabby pelt glistening where it had brushed dew from the branches overhanging the warriors’ den. “All clear?”
“No cat has crossed the boundaries,” Cloudtail reported. “Although WindClan and ShadowClan are keeping their markers fresh.”
Hollykit noticed Squirrelflight’s ears prick warily.
“Do you think that’s a problem?” Brambleclaw asked.
Cloudtail looked thoughtful. “No, but it feels as if they’re both making an effort to remind us that they’re there.”
“You think they’re showing signs of aggression?”
“Not aggression,” Cloudtail corrected. “But they never used to be so thorough about marking their boundaries.”
“Should we be stepping up patrols?” Ashfur slid out of the warriors’ den, making Hollykit jump. He padded toward Cloudtail and Brambleclaw, and Squirrelflight followed him, leaving Hollykit alone.
“We’ll ignore it for now,” Brambleclaw decided.
“Isn’t that a decision for Firestar to make?” Ashfur meowed.
Brambleclaw looked sharply at the gray warrior, but Ashfur’s eyes showed no disrespect, only concern.
Brambleclaw nodded. “I’ll speak to him about it, of course,” he meowed. “But there’s no point overreacting if ShadowClan and WindClan are just trying to provoke us.”
Squirrelflight looked at Cloudtail. “Did you refresh our boundary markers?”
Cloudtail nodded.
Hollykit felt another pelt brush her side. Lionkit had joined her, and Jaykit was scrambling out of the nursery after him.
“What’s going on?” Lionkit mewed.
“The dawn patrol’s reporting back,” Hollykit told him. The idea that ShadowClan and WindClan were pressing on their borders worried her. But if she was going to be a medicine cat, she must learn not to be so bothered by warrior concerns and concentrate instead on the needs of her Clanmates.
She glanced around the clearing. Whitewing, Spiderleg, and Thornclaw shared a pigeon beside the halfrock. Honeypaw and Poppypaw were play fighting on the grass patch outside their den. As she watched, the apprentices stopped and looked up at Highledge. Hollykit followed their gaze, her paws pricking with anticipation.
Firestar was leaping down the tumble of rocks that led from his den. Sandstorm nimbly picked her way after him. Hollykit’s heart felt as if it flipped right over when Firestar called to the Clan: “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge. It is time to fulfill a promise I made to three of our kits.”
Hollykit glanced at her brothers. This was it! The moment when they would begin serving their Clan!
Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight hurried toward them. Squirrelflight quickly smoothed the fur between Lionkit’s ears.
“Are you ready?” Brambleclaw’s eyes were shining.
“Totally!” Hollykit mewed.
“Good.” Brambleclaw padded away and sat beside Birchfall.
Does that mean Birchfall’s going to be a mentor?Hollykit wondered.
Squirrelflight licked Jaykit’s cheek. “Good luck, all of you.” She went to join Brambleclaw.
Mousefur emerged stiffly from the elders’ den, guiding her blind denmate, Longtail, with her tail. Honeypaw, Poppypaw, and Berrypaw clustered together, whispering. Whitewing, Spiderleg, and Thornclaw padded over from the halfrock, leaving the remains of their meal behind. Within moments, the whole Clan stood gazing at Firestar. For the first time that morning, Hollykit’s excitement felt closer to anxiety. The expectations of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, of Firestar, of the whole Clan, pressed down on her shoulders like a badger’s paws.
She felt a soft muzzle nudging her from behind. She turned to see Leafpool ushering her toward the circle. She searched Leafpool’s eyes, but they gave no clue about what would happen next, only encouraged her forward with a gentle blink.
Hollykit pushed her way between Ferncloud and Daisy and halted. Lionkit and Jaykit squirmed into place beside her, and she felt herself trembling against Daisy’s flank. The cream-colored queen glanced fondly at her and ran a smoothing tail over her black pelt.
“I gather you all for one of my favorite duties,” Firestar announced. “Hollykit, Lionkit, and Jaykit have reached their sixth moon.”
So Jaykit was going to be included in the apprentice-naming ceremony after all.
“They have had an adventurous kithood,” Firestar went on with a hint of amusement in his voice, “but I hope they have learned valuable lessons, and I believe they are ready to become apprentices.”
The Clan meowed in approval. Firestar waited for the noise to die away before going on. “Lionkit!”
The golden brown tabby kit bounced forward, quivering with excitement.
“From this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be Lionpaw.”
Berrypaw called his name and the other apprentices joined in. Firestar looked at the cloud-darkened sky. “I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior.”
Lionpaw’s eyes sparkled as he gazed up at his leader.
“Ashfur,” Firestar called.
The pale gray tom lifted his head. His eyes brightened, and excitement showed in the tiny twitch of his tail as he stepped forward.
“You mentored Birchfall, and he is a credit to his Clan,” Firestar meowed. “Now ThunderClan asks you to prove yourself once more a great mentor.”
Ashfur dipped his head as the Clan leader went on. “I trust you to pass on all you have learned to Lionpaw and help him become a warrior the Clan can be proud of.”
“I won’t let ThunderClan down,” Ashfur promised.
Lionpaw hurried forward and raised his muzzle to touch noses with his new mentor.
“Hollykit,” Firestar announced.
Hollykit suddenly forgot to be nervous, and she raced to the center of the clearing, skidding to a halt beside Firestar.
His whiskers twitched. “From this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be Hollypaw.”
“Hollypaw! Hollypaw!” Cinderpaw led the chant this time.
Hollypaw stared at the apprentices as they called her new name. Berrypaw and Hazelpaw seemed so big and strong. In the nursery she had been older than Icekit and Foxkit. Now she would be one of the youngest of her denmates. Her heart drummed like paws racing over the forest floor. Then she remembered:I might not be sleeping in the apprentices’ den!
“Leafpool,” Firestar called.
Yes!Hollypaw felt so light on her paws she was afraid the breeze would carry her away over the trees. She was going to be a medicine cat apprentice!
Leafpool padded forward and stopped beside Hollypaw.
“I know that I am putting Hollypaw in safe paws,” Firestar meowed. “I pray that StarClan gives your apprentice all the strength and wisdom she will need.”
“I will teach her everything I know,” Leafpool promised. She touched Hollypaw’s muzzle with hers, but she didn’t meet Hollypaw’s eyes; instead, she looked past her, her expression clouded.
Surprised, Hollypaw turned and saw that Leafpool was staring at Squirrelflight. She wondered why there was sadness in both cats’ eyes.
Jaykit marched into the clearing and stood in front of Firestar. “What about me?”
“Surely he can’t become an apprentice?” Whitewing’s whispered comment hung in the still, damp air.
“Longtail moved to the elders’ den when he went blind,” Thornclaw murmured, as if he agreed that blind cats couldn’t be warriors.
“He wouldn’t be safe out in the forest,” Spiderleg put in.
“Poor mite,” breathed Sorreltail.
Hollypaw’s pelt bristled. Why shouldn’t her brother be given a chance like any other cat?
“I want to be an apprentice like Lionpaw and Hollypaw,” Jaykit spat defiantly.
“Of course you do,” Firestar agreed. “And your mentor will be Brightheart.”
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 8
Brightheart?
Jaykit felt a rush of anger so strong it almost knocked him off his paws. Why had Firestar chosen one-eyed Brightheart when there were so many other warriors to choose from? As if he couldn’t guess!
He dug his claws into the earth, refusing to step forward to greet his mentor. He ignored her embarrassment, although he could sense it like holly leaves pricking his pelt. He ignored the encouraging murmurs of the other apprentices. He ignored Spiderleg’s angry, “Sshh!” which quieted them. And then he felt a muzzle gently but firmly pushing him forward.
Leafpool’s voice murmured in his ear. “Go on.”
Gritting his teeth, he padded toward Brightheart and Firestar
“I know it must be hard for you,” Brightheart greeted him sympathetically. “But I promise I will teach you how to protect your Clan even without sight.”
She pitied him!He could hear it in her voice. His anger swelled up again, sending blood pounding through his ears. “Why bother if you think I’m so useless? Why don’t you just send me off to the elders’ den with Longtail?” he hissed.
Brightheart stiffened. “No cat has said that you’re useless. And Longtail won’t thank you for being rude about him!” She stepped back from Jaykit and lifted her chin. “I’ve asked him to help with some of your training.”
Jaykit lashed his tail. Oh, great, he thought. Let’s lump all the useless cats together and hope a tree falls on them!
Firestar stepped between Jaykit and Brightheart. “From this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be Jaypaw.”
“Jaypaw! Jaypaw! Jaypaw!” Mousepaw’s and Berrypaw’s call rang around the hollow, and the other apprentices joined in loudly.
Jaypaw clawed the ground. You don’t have to try so hard! You’re only doing it because you feel sorry for me!
“Brightheart,” Firestar meowed, “you have never let what happened to you prevent you from being a fine warrior. I can think of no one better than you to teach Jaypaw how best to serve his Clan.”
“I will share with him all I have learned,” Brightheart vowed.
Big deal, Jaypaw thought.
Reluctantly, he forced himself to touch muzzles with Brightheart, accepting her as his mentor. His whiskers brushed the side of her face that had been ravaged when she had been attacked by the dog pack. It felt strange to sense space where other cats had fur and flesh, and he had to suppress a shudder.
The whole Clan raised their voices to cheer the new apprentices. Not me, Jaypaw thought bitterly. There’s not a cat here that thinks I’ll become a great warrior
When the calls died away Firestar spoke again. “ThunderClan is lucky to have so many apprentices. I hope they will train hard and serve their Clan well.”
“We will!” Lionpaw mewed.
“When can we start training?” Hollypaw asked.
“That’s up to your mentors,” Firestar told her.
“Come on, Lionpaw,” Ashfur meowed. “Let’s find you a nest in the apprentices’ den; then I’ll show you the forest.”
“Right now?” Lionpaw mewed excitedly.
“Why not?”
Hollypaw’s paws pattered on the ground around Leafpool. “Can we go with Lionpaw when Ashfur shows him our territory?”
“It’s a nice idea, Hollypaw,” Leafpool meowed. “But I need to show you the best herb-gathering places, and I’m sure Ashfur will want to show Lionpaw the boundary markers and the best places for hunting.”
“Oh.” Hollypaw sounded disappointed.
“But first, let’s look at the herb store,” Leafpool suggested, “so you get to know some of the leaves we’ll be looking at in the forest.”
“Okay,” Hollypaw mewed, sounding more cheerful.
As Lionpaw and Hollypaw padded after their mentors, Jaypaw sat down crossly. How come they get real mentors?He felt Brightheart’s tail touch his shoulder. “Come with me,” she meowed.
Sullenly he followed her to a clump of wilting grass that overflowed from a quiet alcove in the rocky camp wall.
“I think it’s best if we start . . .” Brightheart began.
Jaypaw did not listen to the rest. Instead he let his attention slip until her voice had blended with the sound of the wind swishing through the branches above the hollow. He could hear Lionpaw hurrying after Ashfur, eagerly following his mentor out of the camp and into the forest. Hollypaw’s scent was clear beyond the bramble-draped entrance to the medicine den; Jaypaw could taste the tang of the comfrey she was tearing and laying out to dry.
At least I’m not a medicine cat apprentice.He felt a flicker of gratitude that Hollypaw had taken that role.
He went on scanning the camp. With the sureness he had possessed since his first memory, he knew that Daisy was circling in her nest, preparing for a nap. Mousefur was guiding Longtail back to the elders’ den. He sensed the old she-cat’s longing to be out in the forest; she was in a hunting mood, though her movements were stiff with age. Longtail padded quietly beside her, his limbs still as supple as a warrior’s.
It’s not fair he should live in the elders’ den,Jaypaw thought. He’s not old yet.
Then, like a storm cloud shadowing the hollow, he sensed a darkness sweep over the camp. He pricked his ears, and heard claws scraping the rocky ledge outside Firestar’s den. He knew by the scent that it was not Firestar who sat up there, flexing his paws. It was Brambleclaw.
Jaypaw knew his father sat up there often, a good deputy keeping watch over his Clan. But now he could sense something cold and uncomfortable, like a murky fog, in Brambleclaw’s mind. He struggled to understand it, groping for the right word.
Suspicion!
Brambleclaw was suspicious of his Clanmates! He was not watching over them, but searching for a cat he feared might betray him. Jaypaw shivered, the fur on his spine lifting. Why would any cat betray Brambleclaw? He was a great deputy.
He blinked, and his thoughts jerked back to Brightheart. She had jumped to her paws and was obviously waiting for him to say something. He flicked his tail, wondering how he could cover up the fact that he hadn’t been paying attention. But she had already guessed that he had not been listening to a word
She snorted impatiently. “We’re going to see Longtail, remember?”
Jaypaw’s heart sank. More pointless advice from a second-rate warrior. “Okay,” he mewed unenthusiastically.
Brightheart sighed. “Come on.”
Dragging his paws, he followed her across the clearing.
At the entrance to the elders’ den, Brightheart called through the spindly branches that brushed the ground around its edge, “It’s Brightheart and Jaypaw!”
“Come in, come in,” Longtail meowed.
Brightheart ducked down under the low branch entrance and padded into the space that ringed the trunk of the honeysuckle bush. Jaypaw followed, keeping his head low, uncertain for once about his surroundings. He had not been in this den before, but he knew by the scent that Longtail was alone. Mousefur must have gone out into the forest after all.
“Congratulations, Jaypaw!” Longtail purred. “You’ve been given a great mentor.”
“Thank you, Longtail.” Jaypaw heard shyness and pride in Brightheart’s mew.
“Firestar has set you quite a challenge for your first apprentice, Brightheart,” Longtail remarked.
“Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean—” Jaypaw began hotly.
“I wasn’t referring to your blindness,” Longtail interrupted. “I meant your attitude.”
“What’s wrong with my attitude?”
“It’s not many cats who’d try foxhunting before they were even out of the nursery.” There was humor in Longtail’s mew
Jaypaw bristled. I was only trying to help my Clan!But before he could point this out, Brightheart was issuing orders.
“First I want you to clean out the moss, get rid of any dusty or dirty pieces,” she instructed. “I’ll fetch some fresh for now, because you don’t know the best place to gather it.”
Cleaning out bedding! Jaypaw knew it was a routine apprentice task—he had heard Berrypaw and Hazelpaw complain about it often enough—but knowing that Lionpaw was already exploring the territory made him want to snarl.
“Then,” Brightheart went on, “check Longtail for fleas and ticks, and Mousefur too, if she’s back by then. While you’re busy, Longtail can tell you about using other senses rather than sight.”
Jaypaw wanted to wail with frustration. He and Longtail were totally different. Longtail had lost his sight afterhe had been a warrior. Blindness must have been devastating after relying on his sight for his whole life. But Jaypaw had never seen the world with any other senses apart from sound, scent, and touch. Being blind was totally natural for him. How could Longtail know what that was like? He could probably give Longtail more advice than the blind cat could give him—how to pick the freshest prey from the pile, how to tell where your denmates had been by the scents on their pelts. . . .
“You might as well make a start, Jaypaw,” Brightheart suggested. Was that impatience he heard in her mew? You’ll be feeling more than impatience if you keep giving me rubbish tasks like this!he predicted mutinously.
As Brightheart nosed her way out of the den, he began sorting through the moss, feeling with his paws for pieces that had grown dry and scratchy and sniffing for pieces that were beginning to smell stale. “This apprenticeship is going to be so dull,” he hissed under his breath.
“What was that?” Mousefur had padded into the den, her pelt smelling of the forest. Her paw steps were uneven, and she breathed in sharply as she sat down. “You’ve missed a bit over here,” she pointed out.
“He’s only just started,” Longtail defended him.
Mousefur snorted. “Does that mean we’ll have him scrabbling around the den until sunhigh? I was hoping to get some sleep.”
“It’s not my fault you’re stiff!” Jaypaw snapped. “You’re the one that went out into the forest when it’s damp.”
He felt Mousefur look closely at him. “How did you know I was stiff?”
“I could tell when you sat down,” Jaypaw replied, hooking out a wad of dry moss and flinging it toward the den entrance. “You moved slowly and made that noise.”
“What noise?”
“A sort of gasp, like it hurt.”
A purr of amusement suddenly rumbled in the old she-cat’s throat. “I see Brightheart is going to have her paws full,” she meowed.
Jaypaw felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps they’ll stop underestimating me quite so much once they realize it doesn’t matter that I can’t see. He finished sorting through the moss, then padded over to Longtail and began nosing through his fur.
“I bet you can’t wait to start training in the forest,” Longtail meowed. “I remember my first time out like it was last moon.” A wistful edge entered his mew. “Of course, I wasn’t blind then. Everything seemed so green and fresh. But you’ll still love it, even though you’re blind. There are so many scents out there.”
I’d kind of noticed.Jaypaw felt the hard body of a flea in the warrior’s pelt.
“That’s the one thing I’ve noticed about being blind,” Longtail went on. “Scents become so much sharper and more important.”
Thanks for the information.Jaypaw cracked the flea between his teeth.
“And sounds, of course,” Longtail added. “I can sometimes hear the mice moving at the top of the hollow. I never would have noticed that before. You should make sure you listen really well, all the time.”
Jaypaw began to check the fur around Longtail’s scruff. A tick was lodged behind the warrior’s ear.
“When it comes to hunting, it’ll help to have sharp hearing and smell. Prey is always hard to see, but smelling it is easy. Even when I could see, it was usually the scent or sound of prey that told me where it was hiding.”
You’ll be telling me that a fresh mouse tastes juicier than a stale one next, Jaypaw thought, tugging at the tick harder than he needed to.
“Ow!” Longtail complained.
“How’s it going in here?” Brightheart’s voice sounded at the den entrance. “Have you finished?”
“I think so.” Jaypaw looked hopefully toward Mousefur. “You don’t have any ticks, do you?”
“Only one in my side, but I can reach it myself,” she replied.
Jaypaw turned to his mentor. “I’ve finished, then.”
Brightheart began bundling pawfuls of fresh moss into the den. “Good. Spread this out and then come with me,” she meowed. “I’m going to show you the territory around the camp.”
At last!Hollypaw and Lionpaw had been out for ages.
“Good luck!” Longtail called as Jaypaw followed Brightheart out of the den.
She led him out of the camp and up the steep slope that led lakeward. “This trail leads to the top of the ridge,” Brightheart explained. “It’s steep.”
“Okay.” Jaypaw decided not to tell her that he could already feel the slope beneath his paws. He followed his mentor as she wove through the trees, feeling the damp leaves slippery underpaw.
“Watch out!” Brightheart called, but Jaypaw could smell the bark ahead of him and swerved just in time to avoid the tree, his whiskers grazing the trunk.
“The trees are thick here, but there’s not too much undergrowth.”
“Oh.” Jaypaw breathed in the scent of a mouse trail as the ground began to flatten out.
“We’re at the top of the ridge now,” Brightheart told him. “Follow my scent and I’ll lead you along the crest.”
“Right.” He could tell by the slope of the land that the forest fell away on either side; it felt as though they were climbing the spine of a great cat.
“If we go up this trail, we’ll be out of the trees soon.”
Jaypaw was beginning to feel out of breath, so he didn’t reply. He listened to the flies buzzing around him and shook his head when they tickled his ears.
“We’re out of the trees now, so don’t worry about bumping into anything,” Brightheart meowed. Jaypaw knew they had left the cover of the forest. A light, damp wind brushed his face.
“Stop here,” Brightheart meowed. But Jaypaw had already halted, feeling the land drop steeply away at his paw tips.
Scents flooded him—distant, strange smells he didn’t know yet—and he could hear water lapping far below. He knew that they were looking out over the forest and lake.
“We’ve followed the ridge out of the forest and right up to the end,” Brightheart explained. “The land slopes down steeply from here to the lake. RiverClan territory is across the water. Over where the sun sets is ShadowClan territory. And if you look back toward where the sun rises you’ll be able to see—” She broke off abruptly.
For the first time that day, Jaypaw felt sorry for his mentor. She must have hoped that her first apprentice would be a healthy kit she wouldn’t have to make special allowances for. If only she realized that he didn’t want any special allowances, that he didn’t needthem.
“I might not be able to see what you see,” he told her, “but I can tell a lot from what I can hear and smell and feel.” He lifted his nose. “I know ShadowClan is over there, not just because the stench of them is strong enough to scare a rabbit, but because the tang of the pines tells me there can’t be much undergrowth, so the cats who hunt there must be cunning and good at stalking.” He turned his head. “And over there I can smell the moorland. The wind comes in a great unbroken sweep, undisturbed by trees. The WindClan cats who live there must be fast and small to hunt in such open country.” Then he gazed at the lake in front of them. “I know RiverClan live across the lake, though I can’t smell their scent. It’s hidden by the scents from the lake, which are stronger today because of the wind. But I know that RiverClan will feel the coming rain first because the wind is driving the waves this way—I can hear them slapping against the shore.”
“You can tell all that without seeing it?”
“Yes, of course.”
Suddenly Brightheart stiffened. She was listening intently, ears pricked. “A patrol is coming,” she announced.
Jaypaw had heard it already. A ThunderClan patrol was climbing the ridge toward them, rustling though the bracken and heather. He knew from the scents that it was Dustpelt, Hazelpaw, Thornclaw, and Poppypaw, but he didn’t say so out loud. He was pleased he had impressed Brightheart with his description of what was around them, but he didn’t want her to think he was showing off.
“Hi!” Poppypaw bounded out from the bracken first. Thornclaw followed with Dustpelt and Hazelpaw close on his heels. “You’re out of the camp at last!” Poppypaw mewed.
“Isn’t it great being an apprentice?” Hazelpaw added. “I still remember my first day. I was so excited!”
I bet your first day as an apprentice was more exciting than this.
“We’ve just done a border patrol,” Hazelpaw went on.
“And now we’re going to do battle training in the mossy clearing!” Poppypaw finished.
“Great,” Jaypaw muttered.
“You can come with us!” Poppypaw suggested suddenly. She turned to her mentor, Thornclaw. “He can come, can’t he?”
“Perhaps another day,” Brightheart meowed. “We haven’t finished exploring our territory,” she explained, addressing Jaypaw as much as Poppypaw.
“Oh, okay,” Poppypaw mewed.
“Where are you heading now?” Thornclaw asked Brightheart.
“I’m going to show Jaypaw the old Thunderpath.”
Thornclaw paused. “You’ll be careful?” he cautioned. “Don’t stray over the ShadowClan border.”
Jaypaw bristled. They might have only one eye between them, but they weren’t idiots! As he prepared to snarl a reply, Brightheart mewed sharply, “I know a border marker when I smell it!”
Jaypaw sensed a flash of reproach shoot from Dustpelt. “Firestar trusted Brightheart with Jaypaw,” he reminded Thornclaw quietly.
Thornclaw’s paws rustled on the leafy forest floor. “Of course,” he acknowledged. “Sorry, Brightheart.”
Brightheart met his apology with stony silence, and Jaypaw felt a prick of satisfaction that he wasn’t the only one who felt patronized by the other warriors.
“There’s a steep slope ahead of us,” Brightheart warned as they set off.
You don’t say!Jaypaw bit back the sharp reply, feeling the curve of the ground under his paws.
“Can you manage it?”
“Of course I can.” Angrily Jaypaw stepped forward. To his surprise, the ground dropped away much more steeply than he expected, and he half fell, half skidded down the muddy slope, scrabbling to slow his descent until a clump of heather slowed it for him.
“Are you okay?” Brightheart panted, catching up with him.
Jaypaw struggled out of the heather, then gave his chest a couple of brisk licks. “I’m fine,” he mewed.
“That was quite a tumble. We can rest if you want,” Brightheart offered.
“I told you, I’m fine,” Jaypaw hissed. He shook the last scraps of heather from his pelt. “Which way now?”
He could feel Brightheart looking closely at him, but she didn’t say anything else about his fall. “Come on,” she meowed. “We can head around to the old Thunderpath from here.”
Jaypaw padded after her, furious with himself for losing his footing so easily just when Brightheart seemed to be treating him like a normal apprentice.
The wind had picked up by the time they reached the old Thunderpath. Jaypaw smelled rain on its way.
“We’ll head back to the camp from here,” Brightheart told him when they reached the gap in the trees where Twolegs had once cut a path, now overgrown and deserted.
“But there must be more ThunderClan territory than this!” Jaypaw objected.
“Too much to explore today,” Brightheart meowed.
Crossly Jaypaw turned away from the Thunderpath and followed Brightheart back into the trees. He didn’t believe that they couldn’t circle the whole territory in one day. Brightheart obviously thought he wouldn’t be able to cope with a long day out of the camp.
They padded through the trees. Rain was beginning to fall, spattering on the leaves above them. Jaypaw looked up just as a raindrop found its way through the canopy and splashed onto his nose. He shivered and shook off the wetness. Perhaps it was not so bad that they were going back to the hollow. The rain was cold, and the wind that carried it over the lake even colder. He heard Brightheart’s step quicken and guessed she must be feeling the same way.
Then he stiffened.
There was another scent on the breeze, sharper than the rain and the leaves. Memories flooded him of his terrifying dash through the forest. Fox! Another sniff showed it was the same fox that had chased him over the edge of the hollow, with the scent of earth and bracken in its pelt. And it was close. Jaypaw dropped into a defensive crouch and opened his mouth to warn Brightheart, but her fear-scent told him that she had smelled the creature already.
“We must find Thornclaw’s patrol!” she hissed.
Jaypaw sniffed the air, searching for a scent-trace of the patrol. It would tell them which way to run. With relief, he picked up a faint smell of Thornclaw, but it was too late. The bracken up ahead rustled, and the fox hurled itself out and charged toward them. Jaypaw’s heart almost burst with fear. The fox cub’s paws pounded on the forest floor; its stench was stronger and its snarl was deeper than he remembered. The fox had grown since their last encounter.
“Run!” Brightheart ordered, throwing herself between the fox and Jaypaw.
“I won’t leave you!” Jaypaw yowled. “I can fight!”
He heard the clack of teeth as the fox snapped at Brightheart. She hissed, her paws skidding as she dodged. The fox’s pained screech told Jaypaw that she had caught it with a claw as it had lunged past.
A rush of air tugged his fur as the fox darted past him. He twisted, claws unsheathed, and prepared to lunge forward. The fox was scrabbling to turn on the slippery leaves for another attack. Jaypaw leaped, spitting, but something tugged him back. His tail was caught in a bramble bush! He collapsed on the ground, dragged back by the thorns. A heavy paw landed on his back, knocking the wind from him. The fox had thundered straight over him, heading once more for Brightheart.
The one-eyed warrior screeched, anger and fear combined, and Jaypaw froze with terror.
Then he heard Thornclaw’s yowl only rabbit-lengths away. The patrol had come!
The air filled with the battle cries as warriors and apprentices streamed into the clearing, ears flattened and claws unsheathed. The fox let out an angry yelp and raced into the trees, with Dustpelt and Hazelpaw pounding after it.
Jaypaw struggled to his paws, yanking his tail to unsnag it from the bramble bush.
“Jaypaw!” Poppypaw was at his side. “Are you okay?”
He wrenched his tail free with the sound of ripping fur. “I’m fine!” he snapped.
“Did the fox hurt you?” Brightheart called.
Jaypaw was relieved to hear his mentor. He smelled no blood on her, and her voice was strong. The fox had not wounded her.
“Don’t tell me you tried to fight the fox?” Thornclaw demanded. “You should have run for help!”
“I couldn’t leave Brightheart alone with it,” Jaypaw objected.
“I thought you would have learned by now that you’re no match for a fox!” Thornclaw growled. Jaypaw curled his lip but said nothing.
“Is your tail okay?” Poppypaw asked sympathetically.
Jaypaw lashed it over the leaf-covered ground, ignoring the pain of the thorns still stuck in it. “It’s fine,” he muttered. The whole patrol must have seen him struggling like a helpless kit, defeated by a bramble bush. A hot wave of embarrassment washed over him from nose to tail.
“Will Dustpelt and Hazelpaw be all right?” he asked.
“They’ll chase the fox away from the camp,” Thornclaw told him. “I don’t think it’ll turn on them. Not after the fright we gave it.”
“We should get Brightheart and Jaypaw back to camp and send a patrol after them,” Poppypaw suggested.
“Good idea,” Thornclaw agreed.
The rain eased as dusk began to chill the air. Jaypaw lay pressed into the same sheltered clump of grass where Brightheart had taken him that morning. He had wanted to be alone, and the thorny wall of the warriors’ den hid him from the rest of the camp. But now Lionpaw had returned with Ashfur; he could hear them in the center of the clearing.
“Where’s Jaypaw?” Lionpaw sounded worried.
Hollypaw answered from outside the medicine cat’s den. “I haven’t seen him, but Brightheart’s back. He must be in the camp.”
“Shall we ask her where he is?”
Jaypaw didn’t want Brightheart to tell them what an idiot he had made of himself today. He slipped out and headed Hollypaw and Lionpaw off at the fresh-kill pile.
“There you are!” Hollypaw called.
“Hi,” Jaypaw muttered. He padded past them and pulled a mouse from the top of the pile.
Hollypaw followed him and picked up a sparrow. She dropped it on the ground next to Jaypaw while Lionpaw rooted among the prey until he found the fresh-smelling body of a vole. “I caught this myself!” he announced proudly, tossing it onto the ground beside Hollypaw.
“You caught prey on your first day?” Hollypaw sounded impressed.
“Well,” Lionpaw admitted, “Ashfur spotted it and showed me how to stalk it.”
“He probably held it down for you to finish off,” Jaypaw growled.
There was a moment’s silence; then Hollypaw brushed her tail over Jaypaw’s pelt. “I heard you ran into trouble,” she mewed. “It could have happened to any cat.”
Jaypaw shrugged away her tail. “But it happened to me,” he growled.
“It’s only your first day,” Lionpaw reminded him.
Yes, and you caught a vole on your first day, didn’t you?
Hollypaw sniffed at the thorns in Jaypaw’s tail and plucked at one with her teeth.
“I can do that myself,” Jaypaw hissed, flicking his tail away from her.
“Do you want some herbs?” she offered. “I know which ones will soothe the pain and stop infection.” There was pride in her mew.
“No need.” Jaypaw took a bite of mouse, but it felt dry and tasteless. He nudged the mouse over to Lionpaw with his muzzle. “Here, you finish it. I’m not hungry.”
“Wait . . .” Lionpaw began. But Jaypaw padded gloomily away
He headed toward the apprentices’ den, which was underneath a bushy yew tree growing close to the wall of the hollow. It took him a moment to figure out where the entrance was, and when he had, he nosed his way in cautiously. The unfamiliar scents confused him—moss rich with the smell of different apprentices, the strong tang of yew sap. He had no idea what lay around him or where he should lie down.
“Hey, Jaypaw.” Hazelpaw’s mew came from the far side of the den. “There’s no one here but me. Just head toward my voice. There’s some clean moss next to my nest where you can sleep.”
Jaypaw was too tired and miserable to make a fuss about being helped. Gratefully, he padded toward Hazelpaw’s nest, and as he did, the scents around him began to fall into place, like a flight of birds settling one by one into a tree. He smelled Poppypaw’s scent, so stale that she had clearly not been in here since sunrise; Berrypaw’s nest had been slept in more recently, and Honeypaw’s smelled warm as though she’d just left it. Jaypaw wove cautiously among the little patches of scent until he found the clean moss beside Hazelpaw.
“Thanks,” he murmured, settling down.
“No problem,” she answered sleepily.
He was glad she sounded too tired to talk. Right now, all he wanted to do was to tuck his nose under his paw and sleep.
引子
引子
沾满泥巴的树根纵横交错，半掩着一个狭小的洞口。阴影深处，是风雨日积月累侵蚀成的洞穴，纠结在一起的根须布满光滑的洞壁。
一只猫沿着陡峭的小路，朝洞口走去。靠近洞口时，他眯起了眼睛，那火焰色的皮毛在月光下熠熠生光。他蜷曲着尾巴坐到洞口一侧，颤抖的耳朵和竖起的毛发显露出内心的不安：“你叫我来这儿……”
黑暗之中，一双如同倒映着夏日天空的湖水般湛蓝的眼睛望向他。那是一只灰色公猫，身上布满了无情的岁月和战事留下的疤痕，正在入口处等着他。
“火星。”这位武士向前迈了一步，用斑白的鼻子蹭了蹭雷族族长的脸颊，“我必须要感谢你。”他苍老的声音有些沙哑，“是你让沉沦已久的雷族重新崛起，没有猫能做得比你更好了。”
“不必谢我。”火星谦恭地低下了头，“我只是做了自己必须做的事情罢了。”
年迈的武士点了点头，若有所思地眨了眨眼：“你认为自己是一个合格的雷族族长吗？”
火星的神情紧张起来。“我不知道，”他说道，“当族长并不容易，但是我一直在努力为雷族做事。”
“没有谁会怀疑你的忠诚。”这只老猫又哑着嗓子说，“可你的忠诚又会坚持多久呢？”
火星在脑海中搜索着措辞，眼中流露出一丝犹豫。
“未来的日子会很艰难，”还没等火星开口回答，老武士便继续说道，“你的忠诚将会受到严峻的考验。有时候，一只猫的命运，是不能代表整个族群的命运的。”
突然，这只老猫颤巍巍地站起来，望着火星的身后。他没再看雷族族长，而是凝视着远方，似乎那里有火星无法看到的东西。
当他再次开口说话时，声音中的沙哑竟然消失了，好像那声音不是他的，而是别的猫在说话一样：“你的族群里有三只猫，是你的至亲，他们掌握着群星的力量。”
“我不懂。”火星说，“我的至亲？你说的这句话是什么意思？”
这位年迈的武士眨了眨眼，目光再次落在火星的身上。
“你再告诉我一些信息吧！”火星恳求道，“你如果不解释清楚，我又怎能确定自己该做什么呢？”
这只老猫深吸一口气，只跟他说了一句：“永别了，火星！以后的日子里，不要忘了我！”
火星身子一抖，猛然醒了过来，心里还有些后怕。直到看到湖边山谷中自己巢穴里那熟悉的洞壁时，他才彻底放松下来。清晨的阳光透过石缝，照射在他的皮毛上，让他倍感温暖。
他用爪子撑起身体，晃晃脑袋，想把刚才的梦从脑海中驱赶出去。这个梦有些不同寻常，因为他记起自己很久以前曾在那个洞穴待过，记忆清晰得就像上个月刚发生过一样。当那位年迈的武士说出那奇怪的预言时，火星的女儿们还未降生，四个族群依然在森林里生活。无论是在大迁徙中翻山越岭时，还是在他最终选定了湖畔作为新居后，那个预言始终伴随着他。每当满月升起时，关于预言的记忆就会闯入他的梦乡。甚至连一直睡在他身边的沙风，都不知道他和那只老猫究竟说过什么。
他从自己的巢穴向外看，俯视着营地里正在苏醒的族猫。副族长黑莓掌正在空地中央伸展着身体，他把爪子插在地里，活动着自己那强有力的肩膀。松鼠飞朝她的伴侣走去，用呼噜声向他打着招呼。
但愿是我自己搞错了。火星想着，却突然觉得内心一片空虚，那个预言揭晓的时刻，怕是马上要降临了……
那三只预言里的猫，来了……
第一章
第一章
叶子如落雪般轻轻拂过小松鸦的毛。他把叶子踩在脚下，发出噼啪声。沾着霜的枯叶越积越多，让他走得十分艰难。刺骨的寒风猛吹着他那依然如初生小猫般柔软的皮毛，让他止不住地颤抖着。
“等等我！”他哀号道。前方传来了妈妈的声音，可是她那温暖的身体总是距他几步之遥，让他无法触及。
“你永远都追不上！”
一声尖叫闯入他的梦境，小松鸦猛地惊醒过来。他竖起耳朵，聆听着黑莓环绕的育婴室中那熟悉的声音。他的哥哥姐姐正在玩耍，香薇云正舔舐着熟睡中的幼崽。这个时候已经不再下雪了，他在营地里倍感安全和温暖。他能闻到妈妈巢穴的气味，那儿虽然已经空空如也，却依然残留着她身体的芳香。
这时，姐姐小冬青突然重重地落在他的头上，使他发出一声惊叫：“啊呀！小心点啊！”
“你终于醒过来了！”她从他的身上滚下来，后爪压着他的肚子，然后纵身一跳，身体翻滚着，去抓刚才没抓住的东西。
是老鼠！小松鸦闻到了老鼠的气息。他的哥哥姐姐一定在追着刚刚抓回营地的猎物玩耍。他纵身跳起，很快地伸了个懒腰，小小的身体轻轻颤抖了一下。
“小松鸦！抓住这个！”小冬青叫道。只见一只老鼠“嗖”的一声，从他耳边飞了过去。
“你的反应也太迟钝了！”看到他没能抓住老鼠，小冬青讥笑着。
“我抓住它啦！”小狮叫了起来。他突然朝猎物猛扑过去，爪子拍打着育婴室的地面，发出“砰砰”的重击声。
小松鸦不想让哥哥轻易把自己的猎物抢走了。他也许是一窝幼崽里体形最小的，但却是速度最快的。他朝小狮扑了过去，把他撞到一边，又伸出前爪去抓老鼠。
但是他落地的时候，却笨拙地滑了一跤，翻倒在地。几个跟头过后，他猛然意识到，自己身下的并不是苔藓，而是香薇云的两只幼崽——他俩正扭动着身子，浑身散发出温暖的气息。为了保护他俩，香薇云用后爪把他猛地推开了。
小松鸦喘着气：“我伤到他们了吗？”
“当然没有，”香薇云大声说，“你个子太小，连一只跳蚤都压不死！”说着，她叼起正在喵呜叫的两只幼崽——小狐和小冰，放在自己的肚子下。“不过，你们三个在育婴室里，真是太淘气了！”她补充道。
“对不起，香薇云。”小冬青说。
“不好意思。”尽管香薇云对自己个头大小的评价刺痛了他，小松鸦还是歉疚地随声附和着。这位猫后应该很快就会消气儿的。她对自己喂养过的幼崽都非常宽容——松鼠飞没有奶水时，是香薇云喂养了小松鸦、小冬青和小狮，当时小狐和小冰都还没出生。
“现在该是火星让你们成为学徒，并让你们搬到学徒巢穴的时候了。”香薇云说道。
“我也希望如此。”小狮叹了口气说。
“时间差不多了，”小冬青说道，“我们都六个月大了。”
一想到自己将成为一名武士学徒，小松鸦就感到兴奋不已。他急切地盼望着训练能尽快开始。但是即使看不到香薇云的脸，他依然可以察觉到一丝怀疑从她那里传来，他知道她正在用一种怜悯的目光看着他。他的心里充满了沮丧——他跟小冬青和小狮一样，都已经准备好成为学徒了啊！
香薇云并没有意识到小松鸦感受到了她的不安，她回答着小冬青的话。“你们现在还不到六个月大呢！到了之后，你们就可以去营地外玩儿啦！”香薇云以命令的口气说道。
“好的，香薇云。”小狮温顺地回答道。
“过来，小松鸦，”小冬青朝他喊着，“把老鼠带过来。”她悄悄地从育婴室入口溜了出去，黑莓丛的枝叶沙沙作响。
小松鸦小心翼翼地用牙齿衔起老鼠。它刚刚死去，身体还是温热的。他不想把这只老鼠的尸体弄得血淋淋的，这样他们就能玩得很好，而且也不会被弄脏。小松鸦紧跟在姐姐身后走了出去，小狮跟在小松鸦后面。育婴室入口处的荆棘剐着小松鸦的皮毛，让他感到很舒服——那些荆棘只会轻轻剐过皮毛，却不会弄疼他。
外面的空气清新又寒冽。火星正在高石台下与沙风交谈着，尘毛在他们身旁坐着。
“我们应该想想扩建武士巢穴的事了，”这只暗棕色虎斑猫向他的族长建议说，“它已经很拥挤了。还有，黛西和栗尾的幼崽们很快就不再是学徒了。”
我们也会很快就不是幼崽了！小松鸦心里想着。
在空地的另一边，亮心和云尾正在洒满阳光的水池边互相舔梳皮毛。小松鸦可以听见他们的舌头发出的有韵律的声音，好似饱蘸雨水的叶子滴下水珠时发出的噼啪声。同其他雷族猫一样，他们的皮毛都非常厚，足够抵御秃叶季的寒冷。不过由于猎物匮乏，他们皮下的肌肉都变得消瘦。
饥饿不是秃叶季带给族群的唯一考验。栗尾的孩子痣爪已经死于绿咳症，叶池的草药也没能救活他。还有雨须，在一场风暴中被折断落下的树枝砸死了。
亮心正在梳洗自己，看到小松鸦走来，就停下来问：“小松鸦，今天过得如何啊？”
小松鸦把老鼠放在爪子中间，以防被小冬青抓到。“我当然很好啦。”他回答道。为什么亮心会对他如此大惊小怪的呢？他只是在育婴室里睡觉而已，并没跑出去对影族发起袭击啊！她说这种话，就好像长时间以来照看自己的是她一样。小松鸦想证明自己跟哥哥姐姐一样强壮，于是他将老鼠高高抛起，一直抛到小冬青的头顶上方。
小狮闪电般地从他身边飞奔过去，和小冬青一起争抢老鼠。这时松鼠飞的声音从育婴室传了过来。“你要尊重自己的猎物！”他们的妈妈正忙着把叶子塞进环绕猫后巢穴的满是刺的围墙缝隙。
黛西正在给她帮忙。“幼崽们永远都是这样的啊！”她的语气里，充满了对孩子们的无限宠爱。
小松鸦突然闻到了黛西身上的奇怪气味。这种气味与在族群里出生的猫不同。一些武士到现在还称她为宠物猫，因为她从前曾在马场里生活过，吃的是两脚兽的食物。黛西不是武士，因为她似乎并不想离开育婴室。而她的孩子——鼠爪、榛爪和莓爪，都是学徒。对于小松鸦来说，他们跟自己的其他族猫一样，都是族里生族里长的。
“他们很快就会长大，不再是幼崽了。”松鼠飞一边用长尾巴把叶子扫到身边，一边对黛西说。叶子划过地面的沙沙声，让小松鸦想起了自己的梦。
“这下他们就有更多的乐子啦。”黛西回答。
小松鸦一直对这只乳白色的母猫有好感。尽管松鼠飞是他的妈妈，但当松鼠飞离开育婴室，处理族群事务的时候，是黛西一直待在香薇云身边，给小松鸦温暖，为他清洗身体。松鼠飞在生下幼崽后不久，就回去继续做武士了。虽然她在育婴室里还有自己的窝，但她回来的次数却越来越少，因为她更喜欢睡在武士巢穴里——在那里睡她感觉更自在，不必担心自己早起去巡逻时，会打扰到幼崽和猫后们。
“你现在能感觉到风吗，香薇云？”松鼠飞的声音从育婴室墙壁的另一边传过来。
“感觉不到。”香薇云的声音从缠成一团的枝杈那边飘了过来，“我们待在这里，就像靠着狐狸幼崽的身体一样暖和。”
“那就好。”松鼠飞说，“黛西，你能清理一下这里吗？我向黑莓掌保证过，会帮他检查山谷附近的石头是不是松动了。”
“松动的石头吗？”黛西深吸了一口气。
“是的。这些坚硬无比的石头，能帮我们守护家园。”松鼠飞的声音在营地里回荡着。她凝视着周围嶙峋的石头悬崖，它几乎把整个营地都包围住了。“不过最近霜冻很厉害，可能会让石头松动，我们不能让它们落进营地里。”
这时，长老巢穴那里飘来老鼠胆汁的臭味，分散了小松鸦的注意力。叶池一定是在帮长尾或鼠毛除虱子呢。黛西的两个孩子，鼠爪和榛爪狩猎回来了，一阵好闻的气味也随之而来——这是新鲜猎物的气味。他们俩兴奋地冲进营地。鼠爪带回两只老鼠，榛爪的嘴里叼着一只个头很大的画眉，他俩把猎物放在猎物堆上。
尘毛走了过去，跟他俩打着招呼。“干得不错嘛，榛爪！”他对自己学徒的表现大加赞扬，“你们都不错！”两位学徒高兴地发出了一阵呼噜。小松鸦发现，这声音太像他俩的妈妈了，听起来像被他们那又厚又软的皮毛消了音似的。
突然，一团皮毛带着一阵风猛然袭来，把小松鸦撞翻在地。
“你到底跟不跟我们玩啊？”小冬青问他。
小松鸦跳起来，抖了抖身上的皮毛：“当然！”
“小狮抓到了一只老鼠，但他不肯给我！”小冬青抱怨道。
“咱们去找他吧！”小松鸦飞跑着穿过空地，朝哥哥的方向奔去。他找到小狮，把他摁在冰冷的地面上，小冬青也扑上去，把老鼠从小狮的爪子下拽了出来。
“这不公平！”小狮抗议道。
“我们不需要公平。”小冬青发出胜利的吼叫，“我们还不是星族的猫呢！”
“如果你一直这样玩弄食物，就永远不可能加入星族！”正在前往武士巢穴的暴毛在他们身边停下来说道。尽管语气温和，但措辞却很严厉：“现在是秃叶季。我们应该感谢星族，有了它们，我们才有吃的。”
小狮从小松鸦身下一点点儿地钻了出来：“我们正在练习狩猎技能呢！”
“我们必须要练习，”小松鸦坐了起来，补充道，“因为我们马上就要成为学徒啦。”
暴毛沉默了半晌。他走上前去，在小松鸦的两耳间舔了一下，低声说：“是的，我差点儿忘了。”
一种挫败感在小松鸦心中升腾着。他已经将近六个月大了，但为什么整个族群依然像对待新生的幼崽一样对他啊？他生气地摇摇头。严格讲，暴毛甚至不是雷族的正式成员！尽管他的父亲灰条曾是雷族的副族长，但是暴毛却是跟母亲的族猫一起在河族长大的，并且他的伴侣溪儿来自遥远的山区。他有什么资格表现得如此趾高气扬呢？
小冬青的肚子开始咕咕作响了：“我们别玩这只老鼠了，吃了它怎么样？”
“你们两个一起吃吧，”小狮说，“我吃些猎物堆里的东西就行了。”
小松鸦转向武士们早晨带回来的那堆猎物，猎物的气味飘过来。他深吸一口气，张开嘴，让这气味飘进自己的嘴里：他闻到了榛爪捉的画眉和鼠爪捉的老鼠的气味，猎物的血还是热的。在猎物堆的下方，有什么东西发出了酸臭的气味，让他的舌头直往后缩。他从小狮身旁走过，尾巴直直地挺着。
“你干吗呢？”小狮问道。
小松鸦没回答。他在由小动物尸体组成的猎物堆周围一边走，一边闻。突然，他发现了一只鹪鹩，把它拽了出来。“快看！”他一边说，一边用爪子把这只鸟翻了个个儿，发现鸟肚子上爬满了蛆。
“真恶心！”小冬青尖叫道。
叶池从长老巢穴中走了出来，嘴里叼着一团苔藓。小松鸦闻到那苔藓发出一股强烈而刺鼻的老鼠胆汁气味，甚至盖过了腐烂的鹪鹩的臭气。叶池在三只幼崽身旁停下脚步。“你们做得不错！”她一边把沾了老鼠胆汁的苔藓扔在爪子旁，一边表扬起他们三个来，“虽然现在猎物非常稀少，不过与其吃会弄坏肚子的东西，还不如什么都不吃呢。”
“是小松鸦找到的。”小冬青告诉她说。
“很好，这样我们这里就少了一只病猫。”叶池说，“我现在太忙了，蕨毛和桦落都患上白咳症了。”
“你想让我们帮着收集草药吗？”小松鸦问道。他从来都没离开过营地，一直渴望能走出营地，去探索森林的奥秘。他想要闻一闻界标的气味。到目前为止，他仅仅从由边界线附近归来的雷族巡逻队成员的皮毛上，闻到过影族和风族的微弱气息。他想感受一下湖面上吹来的、没有沾染森林中其他气味的清新微风。他想知道界标的位置，这样才能更好地保卫自己族群的每寸领地。
小狮插嘴：“你可以跟我们一起采集更多草药，带回营地！”
叶池提醒他：“别忘了，在你们成为学徒之前，是不能离开营地的！”
小松鸦坚持道：“可是有猫生病了，你需要帮忙啊……”
叶池用自己的尾巴尖碰碰他的嘴，让他安静下来。“对不起，小松鸦，”她说，“火星不久后就会给你们举办学徒命名仪式。但是在那之前，你能做的就是和其他幼崽一样待在营地里，不许乱跑。”
小松鸦明白她的意思。他们的父亲是族群的副族长，他们的母亲是火星的女儿。叶池是在提醒他们，这种身份并不会使他们获得特别优待。他的尾巴生气地抽动着。不止一次，族里其他的猫会不厌其烦地提醒：他和他的哥哥姐姐没有特权。这显然不公平！
“不好意思，”叶池说，“但事实就是这个样子的。”她把那团臭气熏天的苔藓捡起来，慢慢地走回巫医巢穴。
“算啦算啦！”小狮在小松鸦的耳边悄悄说，“不过我们似乎还要在营地里待上一段时间。”
“叶池总是认为，从荒原给我们带些羊毛铺在窝里，或者给我们拿点儿蜂蜜尝尝，我们就会喜欢她了，”小松鸦嘶嘶地说道，“为什么她就不能给我们一直想要的——去外面探险的机会呢？”
小冬青在冻硬的土地上拍打着尾巴。小松鸦知道，她跟自己和小狮一样，都想去探索营地外面的未知世界。“不过叶池说得对，”小冬青有些不情愿地说，“我们必须遵守武士守则才行。”
他们把那只老鼠和一只田鼠分着吃掉了。当小松鸦吃完猎物，洗完脸，用爪子清理耳朵的时候，发现溪儿从武士巢穴中走了出来，跟云尾和亮心一起站在阳光下。她身体的气味与其他武士完全不同，是山峦与奔流的溪水的气味，这让她成了所有不在族群出生的族猫中最特别的一个。小松鸦想，是不是她身上的气味，又或是这只来自山区的母猫身上其他什么东西，让她无法融入族群，并时刻小心翼翼呢？他搞不懂这个问题，不过可以确定的是，溪儿认为自己与森林里的其他猫格格不入。
这时，营地入口的荆棘屏障中传来一阵急促的沙沙声。黛西的第三只小猫莓爪回来了。他冲向猎物堆，把自己的收获——一只肥硕的鸽子扔在上面。
“黑莓掌去哪里了？”莓爪朝幼崽们大声喊着。黑莓掌是莓爪的老师，小松鸦忍不住开始嫉妒起来。莓爪有大把的时间可以跟黑莓掌训练，而他呢，等得爪子都疼了，还是不能跟着父亲去森林狩猎。
“他正跟松鼠飞在一起。”小松鸦回答道，“他们在检查山谷周围的石头是否松动。”他竖起耳朵，聆听着父母的说话声。他其实什么也听不见，不过从巫医巢穴后面的悬崖下方吹过来的风，带来了他们身体的气味。
“他们在上面！”他告诉莓爪，将鼻子指向他们的位置。
“你的嗅觉可真够灵敏啊，小松鸦！”莓爪说，“我想给他看我抓的鸽子，问问他，午后我们能不能一起训练。”
嫉妒之火又在小松鸦心中燃烧起来：为什么我不能马上成为学徒呢？
“你一定很擅长狩猎吧？”小狮叹了口气说。很明显，他跟小松鸦想的一样。
“还在学习当中呢。”莓爪告诉他们。“你们看！”他把身子蹲伏下来，“一开始，你们都要这样做。”
小狮的肚皮不停地蹭着地面，他在试着模仿莓爪的一举一动。
“把你的尾巴放下来！”莓爪命令他，“它现在正像风铃草一样挺得高高的！”
小狮的尾巴落在冰冻的地面上。
“现在向前爬，要像蛇那样流畅！”莓爪命令道。
“你看上去好像已经掌握要领了！”小冬青欢呼起来。
小狮调皮地发出嘶声，向她飞跳过去，将她撞翻在地。小冬青也不甘示弱，还击着，兴奋地发出呼噜声。小狮用后爪不停地击打着她的肚子。
他俩忙着打闹，没注意到营地外面突然传来的叫嚷声。
但小松鸦听到了。
猫爪重重的落地声从营地入口传来。小松鸦闻出了蛛足和刺掌的气味——巡逻队回来了，不过似乎有什么不对。武士们的爪子慌乱地敲击着森林的地面，全身都散发着恐惧的气息。
当蛛足和刺掌冲进营地时，小松鸦身上的毛忽然竖了起来。
火星和沙风立刻站了起来。
“怎么了？”火星问。
蛛足深吸了一口气，大声说道：“我们的领地上有一只死狐狸！”
第二章
第二章
“在哪里？”火星的声音紧张起来。
“就在天空橡树旁边。”刺掌喘着粗气说，“是被一处陷阱杀死的。”
小松鸦听到松动的石子从山谷崖壁上滚落的声音。黑莓掌冲进营地，松鼠飞紧跟在他身后。
“发生什么事了？”黑莓掌问道。
“蛛足和刺掌发现了一只死狐狸，”火星解释道，“是被一个陷阱杀死的。”
“公的还是母的？”
“母的。”蛛足告诉他。
“那就可能会有狐狸的幼崽。”黑莓掌嘟哝着。
小松鸦有点不太明白，他悄悄对小冬青说：“几只狐狸幼崽能做出什么坏事呢？”
“幼崽总会长成大狐狸的，鼠脑子！”小冬青悄声回答道，“成年狐狸是可以杀死猫的。”
“死狐狸的身上还有奶味儿呢。”刺掌报告说。
“那么它一定是有幼崽的。”火星总结道。
正当武士巢穴闹哄哄的时候，蜡毛赶来了。
“陷阱在哪里啊？”黑莓掌问道。从黑莓掌的声音中，小松鸦似乎听到了一丝焦虑。不过，他相信父亲对两脚兽们布置的陷阱了如指掌，不会让它们对猫们构成威胁。因此，小松鸦认为自己从黑莓掌那里窥探到的那怪异的情感并不是焦虑，它比焦虑更为隐晦，是一种小松鸦无法领会的东西。
刺掌的回答打断了小松鸦的思绪：“陷阱在营地旁的湖边，离天空橡树不远。”
“狐狸的幼崽一定也在附近。”黑莓掌猜测说，“它们的妈妈应该不会离它们很远。”
“我们应该怎么做呢？”香薇云从育婴室里出来，问道，“我们不能让狐狸占领整个儿森林啊！那样的话，我们的幼崽该怎么办呢？”
“我们必须先找到狐狸的巢穴。”黑莓掌毫不犹豫地回答道。
“如果幼崽非常小，没有妈妈，一定会饿死的。”火星说，“立刻杀掉它们应该是最好的方法了。”
雷族族长的声音里，没有流露一点多余的情绪。火星做的所有事情，都是为了族猫们的福祉。
“但是如果它们已经长大到能自己活下去了呢？”小冬青好奇地问。
“那我们就必须把它们驱逐出去。”火星告诉她说，“我们不能允许它们生活在我们的领地内。”
“幼崽们现在一定非常饿了。”蜡毛说，“如果它们已经走出了巢穴，那该怎么办呢？”
“它们可能会找到我们的营地来！”香薇云倒吸了一口气。
“我们的营地依然安全，有武士守卫。”火星许下承诺，“我和沙风一起，会搜索从雷鬼路到空的两脚兽巢穴的所有地点。黑莓掌，你带领巡逻队搜查其他地点。”话音刚落，雷族族长和他的伴侣就快速穿过环绕着营地的荆棘屏障，开始行动了。
“暴毛，溪儿！”黑莓掌大喊道，“你们到山谷的外面巡逻！蜡毛，你守住入口！”
亮心和云尾在他的面前走来走去：“你要让我们做点什么呢？”
“你们朝着影族边界进发。”黑莓掌告诉他们，“那里都是沙土地，是筑巢的好地方。松鼠飞会领你们去那儿。她让你们做什么，你们就做什么。那里可能有更多的陷阱，松鼠飞很擅长对付陷阱。你们把炭爪也带上吧，不过要记住，别让她离你们太远！”
云尾叫着自己学徒的名字，这只灰色虎斑母猫迫不及待地冲了出去。
松鼠飞朝荆棘通道入口跑去。小松鸦感到，她温暖的皮毛像疾风一样掠过他身旁。
黑莓掌向刺掌和蛛足命令道：“你俩回到发现狐狸尸体的地方，看看能不能循着它身上的气味，找到它的巢穴。”
栗尾的孩子罂粟爪，还有鼠爪，正期待着叫到自己的名字，他们已经激动得无法站稳。
“我们能和他们一起去吗？”罂粟爪问道。
“可以，不过你们的老师要你们做什么，你们都一定照办才行。”黑莓掌告诫他们。
当罂粟爪和鼠爪跟随刺掌和蛛足离开营地时，小松鸦的心情顿时变坏了，方才的兴奋感烟消云散。他烦躁得爪子发痒。几乎所有的学徒都外出寻找狐狸幼崽了。这不公平！他虽然还小，可依然能与狐狸幼崽相抗衡啊！
“我们绝对不能落后！”小狮郑重宣布，这正巧跟小松鸦此刻的想法一致。“黑莓掌！”他喊道。
“怎么了？”黑莓掌的声音有点不耐烦。
“我们难道就不能做点什么吗？”小狮恳求道，“我们马上就要成为学徒了。”
“‘马上’，说明你们还不够格。”黑莓掌回答说。他一定是看到了小狮脸上闪现的一丝失落，所以语气变柔和了。他接着说道：“你、小冬青和小松鸦可以帮忙守卫营地。我会带领尘毛和榛爪在湖边搜寻。我们需要勇敢的猫，把那些狐狸幼崽挡在石头山谷之外。如果你们嗅到或看到了任何异常，要尽快通知叶池，让她来找我。”
“好的。”小狮激动地回答道。
他飞快地跑回弟弟和妹妹身边。“我们要守卫营地，”小狮告诉他们，“不要让狐狸幼崽们闯进来。”
小松鸦生气地说：“你也认为狐狸幼崽们不会走那么远，对吧？那边的每棵树后面，都有雷族的学徒在警戒。实际上这里根本不需要我们，黑莓掌只是给我们找点事儿做罢了。”
小狮咚地坐在了地上，就像叶子被风吹落，掉在地上一样：“我还以为他真的需要我们帮忙呢！”
“你又不是无所不知。”小冬青说，“狐狸幼崽也许正掉头往这里走呢。如果真是这样，我猜我们一定会先闻到它们的气味。有小松鸦在，这就更不是问题了！”
小松鸦越想越生气。“你们和黑莓掌一样坏！”他大声呵斥道，“别再装了！现在的我们对雷族来说，根本没那么重要！”
小冬青一边用前爪抓弄泥土，一边发着誓：“总有一天，我们会变得十分重要的。”
小狮突然站起来，兴奋地在原地转着圈儿。他抖了抖自己的尾巴，大声宣布自己的决定：“我们今天就要成为重要的角色！我们要亲自把那些狐狸幼崽赶出雷族领地！”
小冬青倒吸了一口气：“但是，如果我们未经允许就离开营地，会违反武士守则的！”
“我们这样做，是为了整个族群的福祉啊！”小狮争辩道，“这怎么能说是违反武士守则呢？”
而小松鸦却在想别的事情：“我们还不是武士呢，连学徒都不是！为什么我们必须遵守武士守则呢？”
小冬青突然发出了一声呼噜。“如果我们真的把那些狐狸幼崽赶出去了，小冰和小狐就会安全了。”她说。
“你说得对。”小狮转过身，走到荆棘屏障的背阴处。小松鸦心里很清楚，自己正往哪里走。那里有一条小小的通道，通往猫们排便的地方。如果从这里走出去，没有谁会询问他们去哪里，甚至根本没有猫会看到他们。武士和学徒都去执行各自的守卫与巡逻任务了，因此空地上现在一只猫都没有。族群里的长老——鼠毛和长尾——都在自己的巢穴里休息。香薇云和黛西正在育婴室里躲避可能发生的危险。叶池正在巢穴里忙着照顾两只患了白咳症的幼崽。
小松鸦的心扑通扑通直跳，他跟着小狮走进了这条狭窄的通道里。
“谁都没发现我们。”小冬青跟在他后面悄悄说。
小松鸦闻到了排便处的气味，转身避开了那里。他跟随小狮爬上离开营地的斜坡。蜡毛正在守卫营地，他来来回回走动着，把荆棘屏障外面的叶子弄得沙沙直响。
“他能看见我们吗？”小松鸦小声问道。
“他从那里是看不见的，”小冬青的话让他放心了，“荆棘屏障把他的视线挡住了。”
“如果我们不走大路，其他巡逻队员就不会发现我们。”小狮说。
“可我们不知道大路在哪儿啊。”小松鸦说。他脚下的土地踩上去很奇怪，到处都是落叶和枯枝，跟营地内那平整干净的地面完全不同。
“我们可以通过辨别哪里的气味最重，来判断大路的位置。”小冬青说，“前面几乎没什么气味。这坡实在太陡了，蕨丛里没有任何小路。”
“我们走那条路吧。”小狮说。
“你觉得呢？”小冬青问小松鸦。
“刺掌说，他们是在营地旁的湖边发现狐狸尸体的，应该就在那边。”他一边说，一边用尾巴尖指了指。
“你怎么知道该怎样去湖边呢？”小冬青疑惑地问道。
“我能闻到风从水面吹来的气息，”小松鸦解释道，“这风比来自山区或森林的风更清新。”
三只幼崽转头跑下斜坡，又爬上另一处树木茂盛的陡坡，这里的地面更加潮湿。这里的日照应该比其他斜坡都少，小松鸦猜想着，忍不住打了个寒战。
“你该不会是害怕了吧？”小冬青嘲笑他道。
“当然不会。”小松鸦回答道，“没什么阳光，有点冷而已。”
他们继续向上爬坡，终于到了坡顶。那里的植被开始变得稀疏了一些。小松鸦终于感到有阳光透过树枝，斑斑驳驳地洒在自己身上，带来了别样的温暖。
他突然警觉起来，鼻子张开，喊道：“停下！”他伸过脑袋，去嗅闻一片蕨叶，努力分辨上面有没有雷族武士身上的气味。“武士们经常从这里走。”他补充道。
“我怎么感觉不到啊。”小冬青说。
“总之还是小心些比较好。”小松鸦催促道，“要是我们碰到巡逻队该怎么办呢？”
“现在要是绿叶季就好了！”小狮啐了一口说道，“那样的话，这下面就会有许多灌木丛，我们可以在里面藏身。”
“我们去那边怎么样？”小冬青建议道，“那边的树木更茂密。”
“……那里还有黑莓丛呢！”小狮补充道。
话音刚落，他就与小冬青和小松鸦从气味强烈的蕨丛中，飞奔到远处的树丛里。这里的空气更干净，雷族武士的气味也更淡。小松鸦肩膀上的肌肉逐渐放松下来。接着他听到了一个熟悉的声音——是暴毛那震耳欲聋的吼叫声。
“溪儿？”这位深灰色皮毛的武士在叫自己伴侣的名字。
“快蹲下！”小松鸦悄声说。
他们迅速伏下身。小松鸦把肚子紧贴在冰冷的地面上，他甚至能听到自己心脏在腐叶上怦怦跳动的声音。
此刻，随着越来越近的爪子落地声，地面开始抖动起来。
“他们朝我们这边来了！”小松鸦悄悄地说。他们已经离开营地这么远了，该怎么跟暴毛解释离开营地的原因呢？
“我们到那片冬青树丛里躲一会儿吧。”小冬青建议道。
没等她把话说完，小狮已经朝着冬青树丛溜了过去。小松鸦感觉小冬青在背后推他，催他加快脚步。他生气地嘟囔着，紧跟在小狮身后往前走。满是刺的叶子不停地蹭着他的鼻子和耳朵，小冬青依然在低处的矮树丛里，不断推着他前进。
小冬青轻声对他说：“放心吧，他们不会发现我们。”
暴毛的喊声再次响起。“我们去影族边界那边吧！”这位武士的声音越来越近，他们非常害怕。
溪儿回了他一句，她那低沉的叫声就在几条尾巴之外的地方：“你认为它们会在以前的狐狸巢穴里吗？”
“应该不会。”暴毛回答道，“有一只被松鼠飞驱逐的母獾曾经逃到了那个巢穴里，它留在那里的臭味到现在还没散呢。不过即便如此，那里还是需要检查一下的。”
“要是暴毛和溪儿身上的气味像雷族的其他猫，要辨认出他们就容易多了！”小狮抱怨道。
“我们根本就闻不到他们的气味，”小松鸦说，“因为风向一直不对。”
“嘘！”小冬青警告他俩。
武士们的脚步声正逼近冬青树丛。暴毛的皮毛蹭过树枝，树枝不住地抖动着。小松鸦平贴着地面，闭上了眼睛。
“来吧！快点！”暴毛不停地催促着自己的伴侣，“一会儿我们还要返回去，把石头山谷上方都搜查一遍。”接着他们的脚步声逐渐消失了。
“我们离开这里吧！”小松鸦小声说。
“走哪条路？”小狮问。
小松鸦嗅了嗅空气，又闻了闻来自湖面的清新空气。“往那边吧。”他一边说，一边用尾巴指了一下方向。
幼崽们又出发了，他们把身子紧贴着地面。小狮带领他们沿着一条曲曲折折的弯路，穿过一列列蕨丛和一片片交错的灌木丛。“走这里！”他不停地催促着。
小松鸦跟着他，又挤进了一片蕨丛。蕨草的茎都紧紧地缠绕在一起，他只能匍匐前行，从狭小的缝隙中穿过去。他开始吹嘘起来：“我敢打赌，没有任何一位武士能从这里钻过去。”
“他们以后应该带着我们出去巡逻啊！”小狮说。
“是啊，我们能去探索很多他们无法靠近的地方呢！”小冬青表示赞同。
他们越过一棵巨大的悬铃木弯曲的根部，又穿过树下枯叶堆中的一条小路。
小松鸦突然停了下来，他闻到了蛛足身上的气味。“等一下！”他命令道，“刺掌的巡逻队刚经过这条路。”
幼崽们立即掉头，钻进他们在悬铃木根部下方挖的一个阴暗的洞里。
“我们前进的方向一定是正确的。”小冬青轻声说。
“那棵树一定就是天空橡树！”小狮说，“它是附近森林里最高的树。”
“巡逻队在哪里？”小松鸦问道。
“快听！”小冬青说道。
小松鸦听到蕨丛中传来巡逻队员身体触碰蕨叶发出的巨大响声，听起来离他们仅有几只狐狸身长那么远。他吓得身上的毛一下子竖了起来。小松鸦闻了闻四周的空气，有一种他从未闻到过的刺鼻气味萦绕在他的鼻尖，令他的脊背阵阵发凉。
“你们能闻到吗？”他问小狮和小冬青。
“这气味真恶心！”小狮皱起鼻子说。
“一定是死狐狸的气味！”小冬青猜测道，“我们已经离陷阱很近了。”
“你能看见它吗？”小松鸦问道。
小冬青从他的身边挪开身子。“我站在树根上就能看到它了！”她在小松鸦头顶轻声说道，“死狐狸就躺在橡树下面，巡逻队正在尸体附近的蕨丛里搜寻呢。”
“看来他们搜寻的地方不对。”小松鸦说。他忽然意识到，除了巡逻队和死狐狸的气味，自己还能闻到一种微弱但甜美的气味——奶水的味道，是从这棵巨悬铃木下面传来的。“狐狸来过这里。”他告诉其他两只猫，“我能闻到它身上的奶水味。”
“我们找到它的行踪啦！”小冬青叫了起来。
小狮从树根下爬了出来：“我们跟着这气味前进吧！一定能找到它的幼崽的！”
小松鸦离开巨悬铃木根附近那片被霜覆盖，刺掌、蛛足、罂粟爪和鼠爪等曾经翻遍的灌木丛，循着奶水的气息向前走。
“小心！”小狮发出警告，“前面有荆棘丛！”
小松鸦此刻正专注于奶水的气息，一点儿也没注意到长满刺的灌木丛。
“我要找到一条出去的路！”小冬青说着，就带头钻进了荆棘丛里。
“可是这条小路是绕着它走的啊。”小松鸦反对。
“我们不能一直待在外面的，”小狮告诉他，“我们可以在荆棘丛的另一边搜寻气味的踪迹。有荆棘丛的掩护，我们不会被刺掌的巡逻队发现。”
这时，小冬青发现了一条可以穿过荆棘丛的狭窄通道。小松鸦一脸的不情愿，但没办法，只能跟着小狮继续前行。不过当在荆棘丛的另一边又找到同样的气味时，他立刻就把早先的不快忘掉了。
这里的树木间距更加宽了。小松鸦感觉到风吹拂着自己的皮毛，阳光照射在森林下的地面上，给身体带来无限温暖。当他们靠近一处蕨丛时，狐狸的奶水味正变得越来越浓烈。小松鸦这时又闻到一种新的气味：莫非是狐狸幼崽的？
“在这里等一下！”小冬青命令道。
“为什么？”小狮不同意。
“就等一会儿，我去看看蕨丛的后面有什么东西！”
“我也去！”小狮说。
“我不想让狐狸幼崽们知道，我们来找它们了。”小冬青说，“如果我们三个都进去了，它们就会知道遇到麻烦了，我们就没办法突袭了。”
“我的皮毛是金色的，你的是黑色的。我的皮毛更能与蕨丛融为一体呢。”小狮说。
“那我该做什么？”小松鸦问道。
“没有你，我们是没法对狐狸巢穴发动袭击的。”小冬青信誓旦旦地说，“不过，现在我和你必须在这里等一下，让小狮去里面探探路。”
小松鸦的心里感到一阵不快，但是他很清楚，小冬青的计划是明智的。当小狮在荆棘丛深处消失时，小松鸦轻声说：“找到了路，就马上回来啊！”他第一次开始怀疑，抓狐狸幼崽可能不是明智之举。可除了做这件事，他还有什么办法能证明，族猫们不必像对待无助的幼崽一样对待自己呢？
他竖起耳朵，仔细倾听着小狮往回走的声音——从哥哥钻出蕨丛到现在，似乎已经过去了无数个季节了。
“狐狸巢穴的主要入口就在这片蕨丛后面。”小狮一边轻声说，一边把身上的叶子抖掉，“另一边还有个更小的入口，可能是逃生通道，通向巢穴后面。”
“幼崽们在里面吗？”小松鸦问道。
“我没进去，不过我听到它们正哭叫着要吃的呢。”
“它们一定还非常小。”小冬青猜道，“否则，现在它们早就出去觅食了。”
“如果我们从逃生通道进去，那么把它们赶出来是很容易的。”小狮建议，“如果我们来个突然袭击，它们一定会被吓得离开巢穴，这样一来，我们就可以把它们往边界那里驱赶了。”
“去边界的路在哪里？”小冬青问道。
小狮不耐烦地哼了哼鼻子，大声说：“不管我们朝什么方向驱赶它们，总会到达边界吧！雷族的领地能有多大？我们还是赶紧行动吧，晚一点儿的话，让刺掌发现了它们，这份荣誉就被他抢走了。”
不等小松鸦和小冬青回答，小狮又钻回了蕨丛。他领着他俩爬上了斜坡，走出蕨丛，翻过一个满是落叶的土堆。
“逃生通道就在这里。”他一边说，一边停下脚步。
“这里不比兔子洞大多少啊！”小冬青惊讶地说。
“或许这以前就是个兔子洞！”小狮回答，“管他呢，只要我们能钻进去就行啦！”
不远的树林里传来了刺掌的叫声。看来巡逻队一定已经放弃了在狐狸尸体附近的蕨丛里搜寻的计划，正向幼崽们所在的土堆奔来。
“快点！”小狮小声说，“不然刺掌就会比我们先找到狐狸幼崽啦！”
小松鸦深吸了一口气，钻进了洞里。他向前摸索着前行，皮毛紧紧地贴着洞里的泥土内壁。他并不介意洞里面漆黑一片，他相信自己的鼻子会带着他找到狐狸巢穴的。他察觉小狮在身后推着他前进，走着走着，就到了狐狸的巢穴。
里面的空气温暖了点儿，但却充斥着狐狸身上的臭气。小松鸦不禁发出了恐惧的嘶叫声。旁边的小狮和小冬青也凶恶地吼叫起来。
小松鸦看不见狐狸幼崽，不过当听到它们爬起来的声音时，他才意识到，这些幼崽比他想象的要大很多。当它们发出刺耳的尖叫时，他的心中顿时涌起一阵恐惧。
“它们的个头很大！”小狮号叫起来。
“我们快离开这里！”小松鸦尖叫道。
他转身朝逃生通道飞奔而去。狐狸幼崽温热的呼吸让小松鸦感到尾部的皮毛发烫。小冬青和小狮哪里去了？被困在巢穴里了吗？他现在没法停下脚步，也没法回去找他们。一只狐狸幼崽在他身后紧追不舍，一直把他追出了洞，似乎它的爪子再往前伸一点儿，就能抓住小松鸦了。
小松鸦又慌张又害怕，他沿着坡顶飞快地穿过蕨丛，奋力逃窜。“刺掌！”他高喊道。
刺掌没有回应，小松鸦向荆棘丛的方向奔去。他此刻真心希望那荆棘的钩刺能让狐狸停下来，可是没有，它一直追着小松鸦进了荆棘丛。那些刺扎在小松鸦的鼻子和耳朵上，钻心地疼。狐狸依然穷追不舍，速度快得好像在草原上奔跑一样。小松鸦使尽全身力气挣扎着往前跑，一路上撞开荆棘，朝营地的方向径直飞奔。他闻到了石头山谷那熟悉的气味了。狐狸幼崽依旧紧随其后，一边追赶一边不停地吼叫着。
现在我肯定离营地越来越近了！他近乎绝望地想着。这时，他的爪子突然在落叶上打起滑来。
狐狸幼崽用尖利的牙齿咬了小松鸦的尾巴一下，一阵钻心的疼痛顿时袭遍全身。小松鸦越跑越快，像飞一样，爪子几乎离开了地面。忽然，地面毫无征兆地在他的脚下消失了！
小松鸦害怕极了，他感觉自己在空气中飞快地坠落。
我好像掉进洞里了！
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 9
Silverpelt glittered overhead as Jaypaw followed the narrow valley upward. He glanced up at the jagged rocks that lined his path, sharp as fox teeth. Ahead, a stream danced down the mountainside, sparkling in the moonlight. A cold breeze whisked down from the gray peaks and set his fur rippling like water. It felt as though he had been following this stony path for days, and still he had to follow the stream upward, into the mountains.
A paw jabbed his side, catching him painfully between the ribs. Jaypaw flinched. He blinked open his eyes and saw only darkness.
He had been dreaming.
The paw jabbed him again.
“Watch out!” he complained.
“Sorry!” Lionpaw apologized.
“Why are you so fidgety this morning?” Jaypaw lifted his muzzle. He could smell dew on the leaves and guessed that it was hardly dawn. Only Lionpaw and Berrypaw were stirring.
“We’re going on border patrol with Ashfur and Brambleclaw,” Lionpaw explained excitedly.
“Big deal,” Jaypaw muttered. “Brambleclaw’s only taking you because nothing happens on the borders these days.”
“What about ShadowClan and WindClan leaving extra scent markers?”
“Are you scared of smells?” Jaypaw snapped back.
Lionpaw flinched away from him.
“I’m sorry,” Jaypaw murmured. “I’m sure it’ll be great.”
“Yeah,” Lionpaw agreed quietly. “I’ll see you later.” Without another word he padded out of the den, followed by Berrypaw.
Jaypaw wriggled deeper into his nest, cold now Lionpaw had gone. He tried to go back to his dream but sleep would not come again.
The fresh scent of dawn was filtering slowly into the den when Mousepaw and Hazelpaw began to yawn and stretch.
Hazelpaw nudged Jaypaw. “Stop pretending to be asleep,” she mewed.
Jaypaw lifted his head reluctantly.
“Has Berrypaw gone already?” she asked him.
“Yes.”
“Oh, well.” Hazelpaw sounded disappointed at missing her brother. “I’ll see him at battle training later.”
“Hazelpaw!” Dustpelt’s deep growl sounded through the den entrance. “The fresh-kill pile is empty. Bring Mousepaw. We’re going hunting.”
Hazelpaw’s tail fluffed up. “Great,” she mewed. “I thought I was going to have to spend the morning cleaning out the elders’ den!”
Why would they ask you to do that when they’ve got me?Jaypaw thought as she disappeared from the den with Mousepaw.Daisy’s kits have more important duties than me, and they’re not even Clanborn!
“Hi, Jaypaw!” Poppypaw called. “How was your first night in the apprentices’ den?”
“Fine,” Jaypaw mewed halfheartedly.
Cinderpaw was stirring too. “What are you doing today?” she asked.
“Well, I’m notpatrolling and I’m nothunting,” Jaypaw informed her.
“Perhaps Brightheart has planned battle training for you,” Poppypaw suggested.
“I hope so!” Cinderpaw put in. “We’re training in the clearing this morning. It’d be great if you could come too.”
Jaypaw did not answer.
“I hope we see you there,” Poppypaw called over her shoulder as she headed out of the den.
And rabbits might fly, Jaypaw muttered to himself.
Only Honeypaw remained in the den, and she was fast asleep. Jaypaw wasn’t going to wait for her to wake up and start chirping like a fledgling about what duties she was looking forward to. Instead he crept from his nest and ducked out of the den.
The frosty ground beneath his paws told him that the skies were clear today. The camp was already busy, even though the sun had not yet begun to warm the hollow. Firestar stood with Brackenfur and Spiderleg, organizing hunting parties and border patrols. Leafpool was heading for the nursery, and Squirrelflight was sharing tongues with Stormfur and Brook.
There was no sign of Brightheart. She had probably forgotten Jaypaw and gone on the dawn patrol without him. Resentment rose like bile in his throat. I’ll show her I’m not useless!
He hurried across the clearing to the tunnel leading to where the cats made dirt. As he emerged, he scented Sandstorm heading into the camp. There was no time to go back. Instead he dived forward and plunged behind a clump of bracken. Sandstorm’s paw steps halted, and Jaypaw could hear her sniffing the air. He held his breath, praying to StarClan she wouldn’t see him. She paused a moment more and then carried on back through the tunnel and into the camp.
Jaypaw let out a sigh of relief and scrambled out of the bracken, shaking a scrap of dried leaf from his ear. He quickly found the path that he and Brightheart had taken yesterday. If Brightheart wasn’t going to show him the whole of ThunderClan territory, he would explore it by himself. He would start by going farther toward the lake. He had never been that far, and the fresh scents of wind and water excited him.
It was easy enough climbing the slope and following the ridge again, and when he came to the end of it, he was prepared this time for the steepness of the slope. He scrabbled down it, using his claws to slow his descent, and when he reached the heather bush that had stopped him last time he headed away from the Thunderpath, in the opposite direction from the one they had taken yesterday.
Jaypaw followed the side of the ridge down through the trees. Weaving his way through the undergrowth was easy; he just followed his whiskers, padding confidently over the leaf-strewn forest floor. But gradually the trees and undergrowth began to thin out and the slope flattened. The ground became soft, no longer covered with leaves, but springy with moss. Heather brushed his pelt.
He tasted the air, wondering how far from the lake he was. Yesterday the wind had flowed in over the water, and he had smelled it quite clearly. But today the wind blew from ThunderClan territory, giving no clue about the land ahead. He listened for the slapping of water on the shore, but it sounded very distant, and it was hard to tell where it was coming from.
Suddenly his forepaw slipped into a dip in the ground. He had stumbled into a rabbit hole. His paw twisted beneath him and pain shot up his leg. Wincing, he scrambled out of the hole and licked his paw. It was not badly hurt, but it was several moments before he dared test it on the ground.
This isn’t like the woodland at all. For the first time he wondered if exploring on his own had been a good idea. But he was determined to reach the lake by himself. Gingerly he lowered his paw, relieved when it was able to take his weight.
He padded forward cautiously, shivering as water from the boggy ground seeped up and soaked the fur between his claws. Suddenly his forepaws sank deep into the peaty earth. Freezing mud soaked his legs up to his chest. StarClan, help me!He scrabbled backward, his hind claws gripping desperately onto the solid ground behind. With a frantic heave he freed his forepaws from the sucking mud and twisted his whole body, grabbing for the nearest clump of heather. He scrambled in among its bristly branches, and stood trembling on its sturdy web of roots.
I must test the ground before I step forward, he warned himself, his heart pounding so loud that it drowned out the noise of the waves and the wind. He reached out a tentative paw and poked the ground on the other side of the heather. It felt springy with moss but firm, and he slipped out from the heather and warily padded forward.
Concentrating hard, he felt his way forward, one slow paw step at a time, always staying within reach of heather—something to cling to if he lost his footing again. Little by little the ground underpaw grew firmer and drier. The land was sloping up again, and he sensed space opening before him. Surer now, he began to relax. He sniffed the air. The wind still blew from behind him, carrying the familiar scent of home. He wondered for a moment if he should go back, but he pushed the thought away. I won’t give up!
He tried to build an image of the landscape in his mind, storing it so that the next time he was here he could travel more confidently. The springy moss was turning to smooth grass underpaw. He could hear the rustling of the forest far behind him. The sound of the lake rippling in the wind was louder now, making his paws prick with excitement. He quickened his step, beginning to enjoy the freedom of the open space—the sun warm on his face, the wind tugging his fur.
Happily he sniffed the air again.
WindClan!
Alarm gripped him. The scent of WindClan cats was so strong here that it covered his own. And yet he hadn’t heard any movement around him. He was sure there were no cats nearby. Had he strayed across the border without realizing it?
Confused, he twisted around, hunting for the scent of home. He stepped backward, frightened—and without warning the land disappeared. He thrashed with his paws, trying to grasp some branch or rock, but there was nothing but a sheer, empty drop beneath him.
Then he hit water.
The shock of the cold water knocked the breath from him, so that he found himself flailing beneath the waves, his lungs screaming for air while he struggled to work out which way was up. Jaypaw tried to wail out loud, but water filled his mouth and his eyes and his ears.
I’m going to drown!
Suddenly a sharp tug on his scruff dragged him backward. Something was heaving him through the water. Instinctively he stopped struggling and fell limp like a kit in its mother’s jaws. He let himself be wrenched upward until, his chest bursting, he broke the surface.
In his first gulp of air he swallowed a mouthful of water which made him cough and splutter until he thought he was going to be sick.
“Keep still!” a voice hissed through clenched teeth.
Jaypaw felt himself being tugged awkwardly through the rippling waves. His paws churned in the water as he felt for the bottom.
“Stop wriggling!” the voice hissed again, and Jaypaw suddenly felt pebbles scrape against his pelt as his rescuer hauled him out of the water and onto a stony beach.
He collapsed, retching and gasping. Paws began to work on his chest, pumping the water from him.
“Will he be okay?” The anxious mew of a young cat sounded close by.
Jaypaw was too shocked to make sense of the scents around him. “Who’s there? Are you warriors?” he rasped.
“What do you mean?” The voice sounded puzzled, then shocked. “He can’t see!”
“What in the name of StarClan is he doing out here by himself?” Jaypaw heard a deeper voice and recognized the angry hiss of his rescuer.
A rough tongue began to lick him, massaging his cold body. Another tongue joined it, and he closed his eyes again and lay helpless, weak with shock, letting the rhythmic strokes soothe and warm him.
As his mind cleared, he realized that the cats were WindClan. Their scent was the same one that had been blown to him across the moorland the day before. And there were four of them, two older, two younger—warriors and their apprentices?
“Will he be okay, Whitetail?” one of the apprentices mewed. She crept forward and crouched beside Jaypaw. He could feel her pelt trembling against his.
“He’ll be fine, Heatherpaw.” Not his rescuer, but a gentler voice, the mew of a female warrior. “Can you hear me?”
Jaypaw nodded. Clumsily he dragged himself into a sitting position. His ears were full of water, and he shook his head to clear them. Pebbles crackled as the WindClan cats leaped away from the droplets that sprayed from his waterlogged fur.
“Typical that a ThunderClan cat should thank us by trying to drown us!” Jaypaw had not heard this mew before. He guessed it belonged to the other apprentice—a tom, by the sound of it.
The older tom growled a stern reply. “Stop making a fuss, Breezepaw! It’s only a few drops of water.” Jaypaw felt warm breath on his cheek as the warrior leaned in close. “What were you doing so far from your camp?” he demanded. “Is there anyone with you?”
“Be gentle, Crowfeather,” Whitetail pleaded. “He’s had a bad shock.” Jaypaw felt a soft tongue lick his ear. “You’re safe now, little one.”
Jaypaw relaxed against her, sheltering from the wind in her warm, dry fur.
“I’m Whitetail,” the she-warrior went on. “This is Crowfeather, and these are our apprentices, Heatherpaw and Breezepaw. We won’t hurt you.”
“I think he might have guessed that by the way we just saved his life!” Breezepaw muttered.
“I wish you’d teach your son some manners, Crowfeather!” Whitetail meowed sharply. She turned her attention back to Jaypaw. “What were you doing out here alone? Did you know you were heading for WindClan territory? Are you in trouble?”
“I will be,” Jaypaw mewed under his breath.
“I should hope so,” Crowfeather snapped. “What was your Clan thinking, letting you wander off like that?”
Heatherpaw leaned closer in, brushing Jaypaw’s pelt with her whiskers. “Can you see anything at all?” she asked curiously.
Breezepaw snorted. “If he can, he must be stupid, walking off the edge of a cliff!”
“I didn’t walk off the edge!” Jaypaw hissed.
“It looked like it from where we were standing.” Breezepaw sniffed.
“Be quiet, Breezepaw!” Crowfeather scolded.
Breezepaw fell silent, but Jaypaw could hear his tail twitching crossly over the pebbles.
“I suppose I’d better take him back to ThunderClan,” Crowfeather meowed. “Are you well enough to travel?” he asked Jaypaw.
Jaypaw nodded. His legs still felt shaky, but he wasn’t going to give Breezepaw the satisfaction of mocking a ThunderClan cat again. He stood up. “Thank you for rescuing me, but I can find my own way home,” he mewed politely.
“There’s no way I’m letting you wander off by yourself again,” Crowfeather insisted. “Whitetail, you take Heatherpaw and Breezepaw back to camp.” He laid his tail firmly on Jaypaw’s shoulder and began to guide him up the beach.
“See your medicine cat as soon as you get home!” Whitetail called after him.
Crowfeather hardly spoke as they trekked back into ThunderClan territory and headed toward the camp. He only meowed curt warnings when they came across rabbit holes or roots that might trip the ThunderClan apprentice. Jaypaw was content with the silence. The ground was unfamiliar, and he was too furious to concentrate on anything but Crowfeather’s occasional instructions. He resented Crowfeather’s tail resting lightly on his shoulder, but he did not complain. He was in far too much trouble already. Once again his attempt to prove he was as good as any other cat had ended in disaster.
I know this place,he thought suddenlyThe sloping earth beneath his paws was strewn with twigs. Trees rustled overhead. They were nearing the top of the hollow. Jaypaw’s heart sank. How was he going to explain why he wasn’t with Brightheart? What would his father say? He scented a ThunderClan patrol and realized that Squirrelflight, Stormfur, and Brook were heading straight for them. He tensed his shoulders.
“Crowfeather?” Stormfur’s surprised mew sounded from the bracken ahead.
Paws raced toward them. “Jaypaw!” Squirrelflight’s mew was shrill with relief and anger as she pressed her muzzle into his damp fur. “What in StarClan happened to you?” She licked him ferociously between the ears. “Where did you find him?” she asked Crowfeather.
“He’d wandered into WindClan territory,” Crowfeather explained gruffly. “I had to fish him out of the lake.”
Jaypaw bowed his head, his pelt burning with embarrassment. To make it worse, he could tell Squirrelflight was feeling an awkwardness that strengthened as Crowfeather went on. “Do your kits always go out by themselves?”
“I’m not a kit; I’m an apprentice!” Jaypaw snapped. He felt his mother’s tail brush his muzzle, silencing him.
“Crowfeather,” she meowed coolly, “I believe WindClan once had cats who went wandering farther than they should.” Her mew was laced with a meaning that Jaypaw didn’t understand. But Crowfeather clearly did. The WindClan warrior flicked his tail away from Jaypaw’s shoulders and snorted.
“You should get him back to camp,” he meowed. “He almost drowned, and the water was freezing.”
“Yes, I should,” Squirrelflight agreed. She nudged Jaypaw down the slope that led to the thorn barrier.
To Jaypaw’s surprise, Crowfeather accompanied them back to the hollow. Squirrelflight did not question it, and Jaypaw sensed positive joy in Stormfur’s step as he padded alongside the WindClan warrior.
Brook fell into step beside Jaypaw. “Do not be ashamed,” she purred in his ear. “I got up to far worse when I was still training.” She pressed her warm flank against his cold, wet pelt. He knew the mountain cat was trying to make him feel better, but it didn’t help.
Suddenly he heard the thorn barrier rustle, and Mousepaw rushed out of the camp entrance. “You found him!” the apprentice called, delighted.
Squirrelflight sighed. “Yes, we found him.”
“Go and find Brightheart’s patrol and tell her to stop searching,” Stormfur told Mousepaw. “Ask Cloudtail if you can take Cinderpaw with you.”
“Yes, Stormfur,” Mousepaw mewed, dashing back into the camp
Squirrelflight led the way through the tunnel. Jaypaw clenched his claws and followed her into camp.
“Go straight to Leafpool,” Stormfur advised him softly.
“I’ll come and see you once I’ve spoken to Brambleclaw,” Squirrelflight mewed. “He’ll want to know you’re safe.”
Feeling lower than a worm’s belly, Jaypaw slunk toward the medicine cat’s den. Crowfeather padded after him. Jaypaw blinked in confusion. Was the WindClan warrior determined to follow him wherever he went? Surely Crowfeather had no business with ThunderClan’s medicine cat? But he wasn’t going to challenge the warrior. Instead he tried to sense what Crowfeather was feeling, but it was like trying to reach into a bramble bush—he could sense nothing but prickles.
Leafpool spun around as Jaypaw padded through the entrance to her den. She hurried to his side, and he felt her relief like a blast of air. “You’re safe.”
She tensed suddenly, jerking her head to stare at Crowfeather as he pushed his way through the brambles. Jaypaw’s fur pricked as tension set the air crackling like lightning in greenleaf.
“Hello, Crowfeather,” Leafpool meowed. She sounded as though she had a burr caught in her throat.
“Leafpool.” Crowfeather’s greeting was curt, but for the first time Jaypaw sensed some feeling other than irritation stir beneath the WindClan warrior’s pelt. “I was out with Breezepaw and his mentor when we found him.”
Leafpool stiffened. “Your son’s an apprentice already?” Her mew was brittle.
“He is,” Crowfeather replied, his voice strangely flat.
“Jaypaw!” Hollypaw rushed up and rubbed her muzzle against his cheek. “You look half-drowned!”
Tiredness suddenly swept through Jaypaw, and he let himself sink down to the ground.
“Fetch some thyme, Hollypaw,” Leafpool ordered.
Hollypaw darted away to the back of the den and returned a moment later, breathless and flustered, her jaws full of leaves. Jaypaw recognized the scent of feverfew, not thyme.
“He hardly needs cooling down,” Leafpool meowed impatiently. She hurried to the herb piles herself and grabbed a mouthful of thyme.
Crowfeather stood and watched silently.
“And why am I giving him thyme?” Leafpool prompted Hollypaw, dropping the leaves beside Jaypaw.
“To make him warm?” Hollypaw ventured.
Leafpool shook her head. “You can warm him by lying next to him,” she meowed.
Hollypaw crouched down and pressed her body against Jaypaw’s
Leafpool nosed the thyme leaves toward Jaypaw. “The thyme will calm him and help with the shock,” she explained. She licked Jaypaw’s cheek. “Eat them all,” she encouraged. “They don’t taste too bad, and I’ll send Hollypaw for a nice fresh mouse to wash the taste away once you’ve begun to warm up.”
Jaypaw swallowed the leaves without complaint. He felt too cold and tired to object to anything. He let his eyes close and felt the warmth of his sister’s body seep into his. He was still vaguely aware of the piercing emotion that raced between Crowfeather and Leafpool, but even that slid away as he slipped into the comforting stillness of sleep.
第三章
第三章
小松鸦试着动了动身体，但他的四肢疼得要命，胸口也像被一只巨掌攫住一样难受。
恐慌像洪水一样淹没了他：“我的骨头断了！”
他试图大声求救。
“别出声，小东西！”一股温暖的气息袭遍他的全身，他感觉到一只湿润的鼻子正触碰着他的腹部。
小松鸦感觉一定是叶池，不过说话声听起来有点奇怪。或许嗡嗡作响的脑袋把他弄糊涂了。小松鸦知道自己是在叶池巢穴墙壁的缝隙里。他身下的地上满是苔藓，非常柔软。冰冷的空气像流水一样，从光滑的岩石洞壁上淌了下来。黑莓的卷须交错缠绕，遮住了洞穴入口。空气中弥漫着草药的香气，小松鸦开始本能地辨认起各种草药的气味。他轻而易举地闻出了杜松果的味道——当小狮吃了太多东西感到肚子疼时，叶池会给他喂食杜松果。还有琉璃苣的味道——小松鸦想起来，在小冰和小狐出生后，香薇云发了烧，正是琉璃苣让她的烧退了。
可是，现在小冬青和小狮在哪里呢？
他嗅不到他俩的气息。
他在苔藓里扭动着身体，想去寻找他们。
“躺着别动，小东西！”
小松鸦睁开眼睛，看见一只母猫蹲伏在他的身旁。他这才意识到，他一定是做梦了。他并没认出这只猫到底是谁，不过这只猫的身上有着雷族特有的气味。她的身影有些模糊，模样也有些奇怪，不过当这只猫嗅闻他的皮毛的时候，小松鸦还是看清了她轻盈、柔软的身体上那美丽的橙色和棕色斑块。
她有着一双浅色的大眼睛，一只眼睛周围的皮毛颜色比另一只的深一些。她布满斑块的脸上长着柔软的粉色鼻子。“别害怕！”她告诉他，“这里很安全。”
“小冬青和小狮怎么样了？”
“他们也很安全。”
小松鸦躺回到苔藓上，这只母猫继续用鼻子触碰着他的皮毛，轻柔地划过他全身的每处痛点。她触到的每个部位似乎都开始发烫，最后，小松鸦感到全身都温暖无比。
“喝一点儿水吧，宝贝。”她一边催促着，一边把一片叶子送到他的嘴边。叶子上有一点儿水。这水清爽而甘甜，让他舒服得昏昏欲睡。他又闭上了眼睛。
当小松鸦再次醒来时，那只母猫已经离开了。小松鸦的身体依旧有点疼，不过没有先前那么厉害了。
“你醒了？”叶池的声音吓到了他。
“那只猫去哪里了？”还有些神志不清的小松鸦问道。
“什么猫？”
“就是给我水喝的那只猫啊！”他回想着那只猫身上颇有特点的斑点标记，“她的皮毛是玳瑁色的，鼻子是粉色的。”
“一只玳瑁色皮毛、粉色鼻子的猫吗？”叶池的话语里充满了惊奇。
小松鸦弄不明白，为什么刚才叶池重复了他的话。他想抬起头，但脖子却僵住了，疼得他抽搐了一下。
“疼痛还会持续一段时间。”叶池告诉他，“不过你很幸运，骨头没断。”说着，她将一团沾过水的苔藓放在他的鼻子上，来回滚动着，“来，喝点吧。”
“我不渴，”小松鸦说，“我都告诉你了，那只猫已经给我水喝了。”
叶池把苔藓从他的嘴边拿开，轻轻地说：“给我讲讲她的故事吧。”
小松鸦突然感到心神不安起来，好像他做了什么错事一样。当看到叶池的肩膀紧张地颤动着，尾巴尖扫过铺满苔藓的地面时，他又有些困惑：“我以前没有见过她，不过她的身上有雷族猫的气息，而且她就出现在你的巢穴里，所以我想，喝她给我的水应该很安全吧。”
他俩沉默了许久，最后叶池开口说道：“她是斑叶，是我们的武士祖灵之一。”
“是星族里的武士祖灵吗？我……我没有死，对吧？”
“是的，当然没有。你一定是在做梦。”
“可为什么我会梦见一只我从来没见过的猫呢？”
“星族有自己独特的做事方式。斑叶来到你的身旁，一定是有原因的。”叶池一边低声说，一边转过身，把一丛草药整理好，“多亏了你的星族祖灵对你大发慈悲了。”她轻轻地告诉小松鸦，“不然你早就落下悬崖摔死了。你可真幸运，没受重伤！”
“可我现在太疼了。”小松鸦抱怨道。
“这能怨谁呢？只能怨你自己。你不应该妄想去狩猎狐狸。你们三个真是鼠脑子！尤其是你！你们离开营地时，都在想些什么啊？”
她的这番话，让小松鸦感到一团怒火在胸中燃烧。他似乎忘记了身体的疼痛，突然站了起来，怒目而视，大声喊道：“这不公平！我本应该跟其他猫一样！他们能做的事，我也能做！”
“你们三个都不该离开营地的，”叶池说道，“小冬青和小狮正在火星和松鼠飞那里，他们会受到惩罚。”小松鸦张嘴要为自己辩解，不过叶池没理他，继续说了下去：“多亏星族，刺掌他们很快把他俩从狐狸巢穴中解救了出来。要知道，那些狐狸幼崽有足够的能力把他俩撕成碎片。”
小松鸦不服气地扬起下巴：“我们是为了保卫雷族才这么做的。”
“保卫雷族吗？总有一天你们可以的。”叶池承诺着，“不过，首先你们要学习足够的知识和本领，其中就包括不要到处乱跑！”
“你认为火星会因为这件事，让我更晚一些成为学徒吗？”小松鸦突然焦急地问道。
叶池只是用尾巴尖在他的耳边轻轻划了几下，并没有说话。
“他会的，对吗？”小松鸦带着哭腔说道，“火星说了什么吗？告诉我吧！”
“亲爱的小松鸦，”叶池叹道，“你要知道，你是永远都不会成为像小冬青或者小狮那样的普通学徒的。”她的尾巴在小松鸦的后背上滑动着。
小松鸦一脸嫌弃地避开她的尾巴。他感觉自己像被强风围困了一样，什么也听不到，耳畔只有狂风呼啸的声音。他开始向巢穴入口走去，可每走一步，他都感到钻心地疼。
叶池有点不高兴了，大声叫着：“等一下，小松鸦！我想你应该明白……”
“明白什么？”小松鸦突然转过身，面对着她，“我没有资格为雷族而战吗？”
“这与你有没有资格无关，”叶池说，“为雷族做贡献，还有别的方式。”
可是小松鸦对她的话无动于衷。“这不公平！”他愤怒地喊着，拨开黑莓丛钻了出去。
“小松鸦！”叶池的声音很坚决，“回来！”
小松鸦下意识地停下了脚步。
“你刚才完美地向我描述了斑叶的样子。你做梦的时候，经常能见到类似的场景吗？”
小松鸦把脑袋歪了歪。“我想是的。”他说。
“你看见过什么呢？”
“这取决于我所梦见的事情。”小松鸦有点不耐烦了。他的梦境怎么会帮助自己成为一名雷族武士呢？睡觉时看见的模糊影像，怎么能和清醒时所感受到的丰富和美丽的世界相比呢？梦里的世界太单薄、太苍白了。
“现在，你告诉我，我曾经用什么草药给你治病呢？”
小松鸦开始好奇起来。他回到窝里，全神贯注地嗅着残留在皮毛上的各种强烈的草药气味，叶池曾用这些草药在他的伤口上按摩。“你是用羊蹄叶治疗我身上的擦伤，用紫草缓解身体僵硬的。”
“你记忆植物的能力太强了。为雷族做贡献，不仅只有做武士一种方式啊。比如说，你将来可以成为一名优秀的巫医。”
“巫医！”小松鸦难以置信地叫道。难道自己将来要经常处理难闻的伤口，搞得自己身上都是老鼠胆汁的臭气吗？
“你可以当我的学徒。”叶池急切地说。
“我不想当巫医！”小松鸦嘶嘶地叫道，“我不想像你一样，大半辈子孤单单的，没有同伴陪着。我想成为黑莓掌和火星那样的武士！”
说完，他转身走开了，全身的毛愤怒地竖立着：“我恨自己什么也看不见！我真希望自己没有出生！”
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 10
Lionpaw glanced up at the moonshining full and bright into the hollow. Clouds aren’t going to stop this Gathering
Dustpelt, Spiderleg, and Ashfur were already waiting by the camp entrance. Firestar stood beneath Highledge with Sandstorm and Brambleclaw, talking quietly to them.
“Why are we hanging about?” Hollypaw fussed, tearing the grass with her thorn-sharp claws.
“It can’t be much longer,” Lionpaw mewed. He felt every bit as excited as his sister. This was their first Gathering, their first chance to meet apprentices from rival Clans, to swap stories and compare training—knowing that the next time they met might be in battle, with claws unsheathed and teeth bared.
“It looks like Firestar’s waiting for Leafpool,” Hazelpaw put in.
“Why’s it taking her so long?” Hollypaw complained. “She’s only sorting through the new herbs we gathered before sunhigh.”
“She might sort them quicker if she had her apprentice helping,” Berrypaw pointed out.
“I tried helping!” Hollypaw protested. “But Leafpool said it would be quicker if she did it herself.”
Mousepaw’s whiskers twitched. “Are you sure you’re cut out to be a medicine cat?”
“Of course I am,” Hollypaw snapped. “One day you’ll be waiting for meto come out of the medicine den!”
“They’re only teasing you,” Lionpaw soothed her. He thought it was odd that Daisy’s kits were all going to the Gathering, while the Clanborn kits, Cinderpaw, Honeypaw, and Poppypaw, were staying behind. I guess it’s only fair, he decided.Three Clanborn apprentices and three non-Clan. He sighed.At least, it wouldhave been three, if only . . .
He looked at Jaypaw, crouching in the entrance of their den, and sighed. He had been sitting there since sundown, forbidden to go to the Gathering as punishment for the adventure that had ended with his half drowning in the lake. Now he glowered angrily out of the shadows, his sightless blue gaze fixed on his brother and sister joking with Daisy’s kits as they waited to leave.
Why did he have to be so reckless? It was harder now that they were apprentices—Lionpaw’s duties kept him so busy that he could not keep an eye on Jaypaw, as he used to when they were kits. He felt a flash of guilt but pushed it quickly away. His first responsibility was to the Clan now. Jaypaw would have to learn to be more sensible.
He padded over to his brother and smoothed the fur between his ears with his tongue. “I wish you were coming,” he mewed.
“You’re the only one who does,” Jaypaw grumbled.
“You know that’s not true,” Lionpaw argued. “It’s your own fault you’ve been confined to camp.”
“Perhaps Firestar just doesn’t want a blind cat at the Gathering.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it doesn’t look good having an apprentice like me in the Clan,” Jaypaw growled.
Was that true? Before Lionpaw could say anything, he heard Firestar’s call.
“I have to go,” he told Jaypaw. “But I’ll tell you all about it when we get back.”
He ran after the other apprentices, who were already racing toward the entrance. Firestar padded to the head of the party and, with a sharp nod, bounded away through the tunnel. Lionpaw charged after his Clanmates, his heart soaring as their paws drummed the forest floor. He felt Hollypaw’s pelt brushing his, rippling with excitement. A moment later they burst out of the tunnel and charged up the slope.
They raced past Sky Oak and down to the lake. The pebbles on the shore clattered beneath their paws. The stones grazed Lionpaw’s pads but he didn’t care; he could already see the island on the far side, rising from the water, crowded with trees. Their slender leafless branches reached up to the star-pricked sky, trembling like whiskers, and Lionpaw flicked his tail excitedly.
As the cats began the long trek through WindClan territory, Firestar steadied the pace. They passed the horseplace, where Daisy used to live, and crossed into RiverClan territory, always keeping within five tail-lengths of the waterline, as agreed by all the Clans. The ground became muddier as they neared the island. Lionpaw slowed down after he nearly slipped. He didn’t want to arrive covered in mud. He could make out dark shapes streaming over the fallen tree that bridged the gap between shore and island. The scent of WindClan mingled with the scents of ShadowClan and RiverClan; the other Clans were arriving.
“Will you mention the border markers?” Lionpaw heard his father meow. He peered past Mousepaw and Spiderleg and saw Brambleclaw keeping pace with Firestar.
“Do you mean the fact that ShadowClan and WindClan have marked every tree and blade of grass on our borders?” Firestar asked.
“Yes,” Brambleclaw replied.
“I can’t dictate what the other Clans do in their territory,” Firestar reminded him.
“But it’s an open show of hostility!” Brambleclaw growled.
“We’re not going to react,” Firestar told him. “Yet.”
“Firestar’s right.” Ashfur hurried to catch up with them. “It would be better to send out more frequent border patrols than give the other Clans the satisfaction of knowing they’ve got us worried.”
“It takes more than the stench of ShadowClan to worry us!” Firestar declared. He broke into a run, bounding the last few tail-lengths to the fallen tree, and skidded to a halt by the withered roots.
Lionpaw stared up at the trunk that bridged the water between the shore and the island. The air was filled with the scents of WindClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan. “We must be the last to arrive!” he whispered to Hollypaw. Suddenly he felt shy about facing all three Clans at once. “Do you suppose Ferncloud’s nursery stories about ShadowClan are true?”
“You don’t actually believe they let their elders starve, do you?” Hollypaw mewed scornfully.
“Well, no,” Lionpaw murmured. “But what if all the other apprentices are bigger than us?”
“We’ve been apprentices for only a quarter moon,” Hollypaw pointed out. “There’re bound to be some apprentices bigger than us.”
Firestar leaped up onto the fallen trunk, picked his way carefully across to the far shore, and jumped down. The pebbles swished beneath his paws as he turned to watch his Clanmates cross. Brambleclaw followed him, then Dustpelt, and before he knew it, Lionpaw was watching Hollypaw leap up ahead of him onto the tree. The smooth, black water flowed beneath her, lapping gently at the dead branches that held the tree fast in the lakebed. She wove her way through the stubby twigs and knots until she reached the other end. Then she jumped down and turned to watch Lionpaw cross.
Trembling with excitement, he scrambled up onto the branch. The bark was surprisingly slippery and his paws slithered in all directions. He felt the tree jerk and looked back to see that Ashfur had leaped up behind him. Ahead of him was a jutting shard of bark where a smaller branch had once sprouted. He curved his body around it, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the far end of the tree.
Suddenly his forepaw slipped and his paw shot off the trunk. He felt himself begin to fall and stared in horror at the water shining cold and dark beneath him.
A gray pelt flashed behind him, and Lionpaw felt the nudge of a muzzle against his flank. It pushed him up, supporting him until he regained his balance. His mentor had saved him from a humiliating start to his first Gathering.
“Thanks!” Lionpaw gasped.
“It’s always tricky the first time,” Ashfur meowed.
Lionpaw unsheathed his claws and gripped the trunk like a squirrel the rest of the way. He jumped down onto the beach, happy to be on solid ground once more. The pebbles felt good on his tingling pads.
“Thought you were fish food for a moment there,” Hollypaw welcomed him.
“Me too!” Lionpaw purred.
He longed to race into the trees, impatient to see what was there, but he forced himself to wait while the others crossed. Hazelpaw wove her way among the jutting twigs; Berrypaw pushed his way through with his powerful shoulders, while Spiderleg slipped around them like a snake, clearly accustomed to the crossing. Lionpaw felt very small and inexperienced, but he lifted his chin and forced his fur to lie flat.
Finally, all the ThunderClan cats stood on the beach. Firestar swept his gaze over them, then, with a single nod, turned and padded into the trees. At last! Lionpaw raced between the shadowy trunks, bracken scraping his pelt. His ears twitched with anticipation as the trees thinned and a clearing opened ahead.
There were cats everywhere. Lionpaw had never seen so many different shades of pelts. Some were lithe, some broad-shouldered. Most seemed much bigger than him. There were more cats here than Lionpaw had imagined could live around the lake, and these were just a few from each Clan! At the far edge of the clearing, with the lake behind it sparkling distantly through the leaf-bare forest, he saw the Great Oak, the center of every Gathering.
“Is it what you expected?” Hollypaw whispered.
“I didn’t realize there would be so many cats.” Lionpaw stared at a RiverClan tom, his pelt so sleek that it shone in the moonlight as he flexed his well-muscled shoulders. “Imagine meeting him in battle! I’m going to train twice as hard from now on.”
“How can you be thinking about fighting?” Hollypaw scolded. “There’s a truce tonight. You should be trying to work out whether he thinks like a ThunderClan warrior.” Her eyes narrowed. “If you know how your enemy thinks, then you have already won half the battle.”
Lionpaw glanced sideways at his sister. Where did she come up with this stuff? Here he was, wondering if he could match any of these cats in a fight, and she was already working out battle strategies like she was a Clan leader.
Mousepaw’s eyes twinkled. “Why not go and ask him?”
Hollypaw gasped. “Can we really just go up and talk to any cat?”
“Well,” Mousepaw cautioned, “you’d be better off talking to the apprentices.” He dipped his head toward a group of smaller RiverClan cats. “The warriors from the other Clans aren’t dangerous or anything, but they won’t be pleased to have some young apprentice pestering them.”
“What if theytalk to us?” Lionpaw asked.
“Just be polite and don’t give too much information away,” Hazelpaw warned. “Some of the warriors might use your inexperience to find out what’s happening in ThunderClan.”
“Did youspill any secrets at your first Gathering, Mousepaw?” Hollypaw asked.
“Of course not!” Mousepaw sniffed.
“Yeah, right!” Berrypaw interjected sarcastically. “If I hadn’t clamped my tail over your mouth you would have told Russetfur that Firestar was about to give up the land by the river before Firestar had a chance to announce it himself.”
“But she’s the ShadowClan deputy!” Mousepaw argued. “I couldn’t just ignore her.”
“You didn’t have to tell her your Clan’s whole history either,” Berrypaw mewed, his whiskers twitching.
“Well,” Hollypaw mewed suddenly, “I’m going to see what everyone else is talking about.”
She began to head toward the group of wide-eyed RiverClan apprentices when a small, pale tabby came hurtling toward her across the clearing.
“Hollypaw!” It was the RiverClan medicine cat apprentice, her bright green eyes flashing in the moonlight.
“Hi, Willowpaw!” Hollypaw stopped to greet her.
Willowpaw skidded to a halt and stared at her in delight. “Mothwing told me that you’re Leafpool’s apprentice now.”
Hollypaw dipped her head. “That’s right.”
“Great!” Willowpaw mewed. “Have you had your first dream from StarClan yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“I bet you do soon,” Willowpaw assured her. “Come on!” She swept her tail around Hollypaw. “I’ll introduce you to the other medicine cats.”
Willowpaw led Hollypaw toward where Leafpool was sharing tongues with a group of cats. Lionpaw felt a flash of envy. As a medicine cat apprentice, his sister would have a special connection with all the Clans. He shuffled his paws nervously as he gazed at the strange faces around him. Then he remembered that the truce lasted for only one night. These cats were his enemies. There was no point making friends. His duty was to get to know them so that he knew their strengths—and their weaknesses—when he met them in battle.
“I’m going to talk to Harepaw,” Berrypaw announced.
“I’m coming too,” Hazelpaw mewed.
Lionpaw, alone now with Mousepaw, glanced around the clearing. He spotted a tightly clustered group of cats watching from the foot of the Great Oak. The shadows disguised the color of their pelts, and something about the way their eyes shone in the gloom made him shudder.
“Are they ShadowClan?” he whispered to Mousepaw.
Mousepaw nodded. “Don’t let them scare you. They like to look like they’re enemies with all the world. But once you start talking to them, they’re okay.”
“Are you sure?” Lionpaw wasn’t entirely convinced.
But Mousepaw didn’t hear him. “Minnowpaw!” he mewed. He was staring at a young gray-and-white RiverClan she-cat whose pelt looked as downy as kit fur.
“She looks barely out of the nursery,” Lionpaw remarked.
Mousepaw’s ears twitched. “She’s a whole moon older than me,” he corrected. “Come and talk to her,” he went on. “You’ll see she’s not as soft as she looks.”
Lionpaw followed Mousepaw over to where Minnowpaw sat with two more RiverClan apprentices, one gray and one brown tabby. His nose twitched as he scented them. He knew the stench of ShadowClan and WindClan from their border markers, but RiverClan’s fresh, fish-tinged scent smelled strange.
Minnowpaw nodded to them in welcome. Though she was slighter and softer in looks than her Clanmates, her amber eyes were sharp and intelligent. “Who’s your friend?” she asked Mousepaw.
Mousepaw was staring at her with a wistful look in his eyes. “This is Lionpaw.”
“Hello, Lionpaw,” mewed Minnowpaw. “This is Pouncepaw”—she nodded toward the ginger-and-white tabby tom beside her—“and Pebblepaw.” She flicked her tail toward the gray tom.
“What do you think of the island?” Pouncepaw asked.
“It’s great,” Lionpaw replied.
“We can show you around, if you like,” Minnowpaw offered.
Mousepaw’s eyes lit up. Clearly he liked the idea of a starlit stroll with the pretty apprentice. But Lionpaw would rather explore the place for himself, especially if Mousepaw was going to be round-eyed and moony over Minnowpaw the whole time
“Thanks for the offer,” he mewed. “But Mousepaw’s promised to introduce me to some of the other cats.”
Mousepaw gazed at him blankly. “Huh? Have I?”
“Come on!” Lionpaw prompted before Mousepaw could object. He padded away from the group and Mousepaw sighed, but followed him across the clearing.
Suddenly a soft voice sounded in his ear. “Are you Jaypaw’s brother?”
He swung around to find a light brown tabby she-cat gazing at him with eyes the color of a late-afternoon sky.
“Y-yes,” he stammered. “How did you know?”
“Berrypaw told me. I’m Heatherpaw, by the way.”
Because your eyes are the color of heather . . .
“Jaypaw might have mentioned me,” Heatherpaw went on. “I was there when Crowfeather saved him from drowning. Has he recovered?”
Lionpaw forced himself to stop gaping like a startled rabbit. “Jaypaw?” he echoed. “Oh, he’s fine now.”
“Is he here?” Heatherpaw inquired.
Lionpaw was having trouble remembering where any of his littermates were right now.
“Not this time,” Mousepaw answered for him, sounding impatient.
“I still can’t believe he was out alone when he’s blind,” Heatherpaw breathed. “He must be so brave!”
Lionpaw felt a twinge of envy. “Most of the time he’s just grumpy,” he told her. “Especially now that he’s been confined to the camp for a quarter moon.”
“Poor Jaypaw,” Heatherpaw sympathized. “I’d be miserable if I were stuck in camp.”
“Me too,” Lionpaw agreed.
“How long have you been an apprentice?” Heatherpaw asked.
“Since quarter moon. What about you?”
“For a moon and a half now,” she replied. “This is my second Gathering.”
“Have you met Mousepaw before?” Lionpaw asked, sensing that his Clanmate was growing restless and casting longing glances back to the RiverClan apprentices.
“We’ve never spoken,” Heatherpaw confessed. “But I saw him last time talking to Russetfur.” She looked at Mousepaw. “Did Russetfur get any information out of you? She tried to from me, but fortunately Crowfeather had warned me not to give anything away.”
Before Mousepaw could answer, a black tom with amber eyes trotted up to them. “We ought to join our Clan,” he told Heatherpaw gruffly, ignoring the ThunderClan apprentices. “The meeting’s about to begin.”
“This is Breezepaw,” Heatherpaw told Mousepaw and Lionpaw. “He’s our newest apprentice.” Her whiskers twitched. “Though you couldn’t tell it from his manner. He’s been trying to boss the other apprentices from the moment he went from a ’kit to a ’paw.”
Breezepaw stared furiously at her, and the tip of his tail flicked from side to side.
“Don’t worry, Breezepaw,” Heatherpaw went on. “You’ll be a warrior before you know it, and then you can boss all the apprentices around.”
Breezepaw narrowed his eyes, clearly unsure whether she was being serious or not.
Heatherpaw glanced at Lionpaw, then whispered loud enough for Breezepaw to hear, “He thinks that I have to do what he says because his father, Crowfeather, is my mentor.”
“You know Crowfeather would never—” Breezepaw started to object.
“Oh, come on, Breezepaw!” Heatherpaw pleaded. “Lighten up!” She gave his flank a nudge with her muzzle, then turned back to Lionpaw. “It’s hard to believe, but Breezepaw can be great fun on a good day.”
A commanding meow sounded from the Great Oak. “We meet beneath Silverpelt—”
“That’s Onestar calling for the meeting to start!” Heatherpaw gasped.
Lionpaw swung around and saw the four Clan leaders sitting like owls in the lowest branch of the tree. Onestar, the lithe brown tabby who led WindClan, was speaking.
“. . . commanded by the truce of the full moon.”
Breezepaw flashed Heatherpaw a look that said, I told you so,and hurried away to join the rest of his Clan. Heatherpaw rolled her eyes at Lionpaw, then followed her Clanmate.
Feeling more confident now, Lionpaw joined the cats gathering around the base of the oak. He wove among his Clanmates till he found a space between Hollypaw and Spiderleg.
Firestar sat beside Onestar on the branch. A sleek, spotted tabby she-cat sat next to him. Lionpaw guessed that was Leopardstar of RiverClan. Beyond her was a huge white tom with jet-black paws—ShadowClan’s leader, Blackstar.
“WindClan has one new apprentice this moon,” Onestar announced. “Breezepaw.” The black-pelted apprentice lifted his chin, apparently quite undaunted by having cats from all four Clans turning to stare at him. Lionpaw’s heart began to race. He hoped he could act so coolly when it was his turn to be named.
“Leaf-bare has been kind to us this last moon,” Onestar went on. “The rabbits are running, but not too fast to catch, and the windy weather has made hunting hard for the buzzards and hawks, which leaves more prey for us.”
An alarming thought struck Lionpaw. Would Onestar mention Jaypaw’s intrusion into WindClan territory? He leaned forward, ears pricked.
“Other than that,” Onestar went on, “WindClan has nothing important to report.”
Lionpaw glanced, relieved, at Hollypaw. She leaned against him. “Thank StarClan he didn’t say anything about Jaypaw,” she whispered.
Onestar turned to Blackstar, nodding for him to speak next.
“ShadowClan has one new apprentice too,” Blackstar began. He looked down at a wiry brown she-cat sitting among the ShadowClan warriors. “Ivypaw.”
Ivypaw nodded, her eyes narrowed. She didn’t look pleased or proud to be announced as a new apprentice, as Breezepaw had.
Do ShadowClan cats ever show their feelings?Lionpaw wondered. He felt Hollypaw fidgeting beside him. Her eyes were shining with excitement. “Our turn next!” she breathed.
But Blackstar had not finished. “Hunting has been good for ShadowClan since we enlarged our territory.”
Lionpaw stiffened as he heard a gasp from the ThunderClan warriors around him. Was Blackstar really going to make out that they had seized the land by the river from ThunderClan?
“Our new stretch of territory is a great source of prey,” Blackstar meowed.
Liar!
Spiderleg muttered under his breath, “Firestar would never have given it up if it were!”
“ShadowClan would like to thank Firestar for his generosity in granting it to us,” Blackstar finished with poisonous gratitude.
Firestar stared levelly at him. “I am pleased to hear that you are getting so much out of a piece of land prey-poor by ThunderClan standards,” he meowed.
“Yes!” Hollypaw hissed. A subdued ripple of approval passed through the ThunderClan cats.
Then Firestar turned his green gaze on the crowd. “ThunderClan are fortunate to have more than one”—he lingered over the word—“new apprentice this moon.”
Lionpaw’s ears twitched. Pride and anxiety churned in his belly.
“Jaypaw couldn’t come tonight.” Murmurs of surprise rose from the other Clans, but the ThunderClan leader carried on. “But Hollypaw is here.” Hollypaw’s green eyes shone like stars, her black pelt almost invisible in the gloom. Then Firestar’s gaze flicked to Lionpaw. “And Lionpaw.”
Lionpaw could hardly hear anything for the blood rushing in his ears. He puffed his chest out and held up his chin, feeling his pelt burn under the stares from the other cats. In a moment that was at once too short and too long, it was over, and Firestar was carrying on with his report.
“We have been lucky this leaf-bare,” he meowed. “There has been frost but little snow, and the prey has continued to run.”
Lionpaw’s pelt prickled. There was a new scent in the air, something he hadn’t smelled before. Some of the other cats clearly scented it too—he could see their heads turning, searching the edge of the clearing.
There was a rustle in the bracken close to where the WindClan cats were gathered and in the shadows Lionpaw saw movement.
Firestar fell silent and watched with the other cats as two lithe shapes emerged from the undergrowth.
“Intruders!” The alert spread through the Clans like wildfire. All around Lionpaw felt pelts bristling in alarm and battle-hungry muscles tensing, ready to spring.
The WindClan warriors who were nearest lunged at the strangers. Yowling and hissing, they wrestled the trespassers to the ground.
Are they going to kill them?Lionpaw turned back to the Great Oak, wondering what the leaders would do.
Firestar’s fur was standing on end. His tail was stiff with shock, and his ears were pricked as he sniffed the air and sniffed again.
“Stop!”
The WindClan cats froze and drew back, leaving the two strangers standing alone on the edge of the Clans. Lionpaw strained to see over the heads of the other cats.
In a voice that was taut with shock and disbelief, Firestar called a name Lionpaw had only ever heard mentioned in nursery stories.
“Graystripe!”
第四章
第四章
黑莓掌把小冬青留在空地中央待着，自己离开了。太阳已落在树丛后，在营地上投下一片阴影。小狮在小冬青身旁坐着，他的皮毛在逐渐暗淡的夕阳下，闪着金色的光芒。一股冰冷的气流飘进山谷里，小狮不禁打了个寒战。
突然，巫医巢穴入口旁的黑莓丛沙沙作响。小冬青看到，小松鸦那灰色条纹的脑袋从里面探了出来。她推了小狮一下说：“快看！”
“他平安无事！”小狮终于松了一口气。
“感谢星族！”
小松鸦四下望了望，回到了自己的窝里。
“叶池一定照顾了他很长时间。”小冬青观察了一下，对小狮说。她把爪子插进泥土里，免得自己发抖。至少她现在已经知道弟弟没事了。可麻烦的是，他们仍然要去面对火星。不知道这次火星会如何惩罚他们？
她扫视了一眼周围，希望没有别的猫看着他们。鼠毛靠在半边石上，这是一块位于长老巢穴附近的石头，低矮而平滑。此时，半边石上依旧残留着阳光的余热。尘毛正与白翅在武士巢穴的荆棘丛旁互相舔梳皮毛。尘毛的学徒榛爪向他点头致意，然后从猎物堆里挑出一只老鼠，朝学徒巢穴走去。她的同窝兄弟鼠爪和莓爪已经在那里吃得正欢了。
小冬青和鼠爪的眼神交会在一起。这只年轻的灰白条纹公猫向她投来同情的目光，然后又看向别处。小冬青把下巴抬高了一些。她不想让别的猫觉得自己很害怕。她要像真正的武士那样，接受惩罚。
她看着栗尾拿着猎物朝伴侣蕨毛走去。这只金棕色的公猫正在高石台下方休息。一阵剧烈的咳嗽过后，蕨毛的呼吸声里出现了很大的杂音。栗尾沿着空地边缘行走，她绕过幼崽们，把一只老鼠放在蕨毛的爪边。
“你感觉怎么样了？”她问道。
“好一些了。”蕨毛粗声粗气地回答，“再过几天就会痊愈了。桦落已经完全康复了，这多亏了叶池。”
“不管怎样，至少你已经不用在巫医巢穴里住了。”栗尾高兴地说。
“叶池是要腾出地方给小松鸦吧。”蕨毛提醒她。
“这小家伙真是可怜，”栗尾无奈地说，“你怎么看？他会平安无事吗？”
小冬青突然感到一股愤怒涌上心头。跟小狮和自己一样，小松鸦也非常积极地参加了驱赶狐狸幼崽的行动。可现在，他在叶池那里备受照顾，而自己和小狮能做的，只是坐在这里让所有雷族猫“围观”。
她生气地轻声哼了一下。
“你耳朵里有虱子吗？”小狮轻声问。
“没有……这也太不公平了！”她叫道，“要是小松鸦没摔下去，我们就不会有这么多麻烦了！为什么他一开始表现得好像无所不能，到头来却一无是处？”
“或许我们就不该带他一起行动。”小狮小声说。
“你想象一下，如果我们没带上他，他会弄出什么样的麻烦来？”小冬青问。可话音刚落，她就想到了自己弟弟和他们一道并肩前行，循着狐狸身上的奶水味找到幼崽巢穴的画面，一股愧疚感突然涌上心头。
他差一点儿就死了。
这个想法像尖刺一样，戳痛了她的心。他们三个总是同心协力地一起做事。失去了小松鸦，就像失去自己的尾巴一样难受。
她悲伤地叹了口气：“我们谁都不应该去的。”
“要是你能早点儿认识到这一点就好了！”
火星的声音把小冬青吓了一大跳。他沿着落石堆从自己的巢穴跳下来，无数细小的碎石从他身边滚落，落到空地上。
黑莓掌和松鼠飞跟随着他，站在这位雷族族长身后。当小冬青看到父亲眼里充满了愤怒，母亲眼里充满了失望时，心情顿时跌落到谷底。她低下头看着自己的爪子，回想着他们对狐狸巢穴发动的袭击行动，还有那灾难般的结局。刺掌的巡逻队来得正巧，他们刚好发现小冬青和小狮逃出巢穴，被两只狐狸幼崽穷追不舍。当她跑进森林时，刺掌吃了一惊，大吼起来。可她当时根本就不敢停，生怕狐狸幼崽抓住自己。一直跑到湖边遇见了黑莓掌的巡逻队，她才停了下来。
“发生什么事了？”当时黑莓掌的语气很严厉。当小冬青跑过他身边时，黑莓掌抓住了她的后颈：“你在这里干什么？”
小冬青想要去解释，不料她喘得太厉害，心脏像啄木鸟啄树干一样咚咚作响。
蛛足走上前去，告诉黑莓掌说：“幼崽们找到了狐狸的幼崽，他们好像决定要组建一个自己的巡逻队呢。”
小冬青不敢直视父亲的眼睛。
“小狮和小松鸦在哪里？”黑莓掌咆哮道。
“小狮和罂粟爪在一起，”蛛足向他汇报，“他平安无事。我们现在还没找到小松鸦，不过狐狸幼崽已经四散逃跑了，想要找到它们还要再花一点儿时间。”
黑莓掌抬头看了一眼天空，低声咕哝了几句，然后毫不客气地押送着小冬青和小狮返回雷族营地。
不过这还不是最糟糕的。
当他们回到营地时，白翅和叶池正在空地边缘蹲伏着，她们的毛都直竖了起来，看上去很恐惧。香薇云站在她们旁边，身子不停地抖动着。她低声叫着，声音很凄惨。
小松鸦就躺在她们中间，像是铺在地面上的一小块灰色皮毛。黑莓掌冲上去，在儿子的身边蹲伏下来。他轻轻推着小松鸦，好像要把小松鸦从睡梦中摇醒一样，可他的眼睛里却充满了恐惧。
“他还有呼吸，心跳也很平稳。”叶池告诉他。
黑莓掌绝望地盯着叶池，然后坐起身来。“把火星和松鼠飞找来。”他命令白翅。
他告诉小狮和小冬青在空地上等着，然后把小松鸦搬进了巫医巢穴。火星和松鼠飞一起回来了，接着这三位面容阴冷的武士钻进火星的洞穴，看都没看小冬青和小狮一眼。
当火星、松鼠飞和黑莓掌再次出现在他们面前时，小冬青靠在了小狮身上，心情稍稍高兴了一点儿，因为自己不用一个一个地面对他们了。
“小松鸦一定会没事的。”火星告诉他们。
“我知道，”小冬青回答，“我们见过他……”
火星瞪了她一眼，让她闭嘴，然后接着说：“不过刺掌的巡逻队还没有回来。这说明他们还在寻找狐狸的幼崽。”
“你们到底为什么要离开营地呢？”黑莓掌大声问道。
火星眯起眼睛说：“黑莓掌，我知道他们是你的孩子，不过你放心，我会亲自处理这件事。”
松鼠飞的尾巴飞快地弹动了一下。小冬青猜想，她应该想要像往常那样说几句措辞严厉的话，不过现在火星还没说完，她不好插嘴。
“我们只是想为族群做点事情罢了！”小冬青大声抗议道。
“那你们就应该听我们的话，让你们做时，你们再做！”火星大声呵斥道，“要是小松鸦死了怎么办？这会对雷族有什么好处吗？”他看着小狮和小冬青。他俩摇了摇头。
火星接着说：“你们差点儿就把狐狸幼崽引进营地里了！你们留下了一条气味线索，它们今后都很难再忘掉了！”
“对不起。”小冬青轻声说。
“我想，如果我们能找到狐狸幼崽的话……”小狮开了口。
“如果你们真仔细‘想’了，就会让武士来对付它们，雷族现在就会彻底安全了！”火星猛甩着尾巴说道，“可现在呢？我们有只幼崽受了重伤，那三只饥饿的狐狸幼崽也知道营地的位置了！”
小冬青一脸愧疚地盯着远处的育婴室。
松鼠飞迈着小步走来走去，看起来很烦躁。火星向她点头示意，准许她说两句。
“我对你们俩简直失望透顶！”她大声喊道。
“那小松鸦呢？”小狮抗议道，“我们可没逼他跟我们一起去！”
“等他身体恢复健康的时候，我们会找他谈的，”黑莓掌回答道，“现在要说的是你们俩！你们就像刚孵出来的小鸡崽，一点儿也不懂事！”
“你会不会不让我们成为学徒了？”小狮小声问。
小冬青屏住了呼吸。他们的父亲真的会这么做吗？她用乞求的目光可怜巴巴地望着他。
“如果我能决定的话，”黑莓掌说，“我会让你们再等一个月时间。不过决定权在火星那里。”
雷族族长眯起了眼睛，告诉他们说：“我不会现在就做出决定，你们还是先回育婴室吧。香薇云和黛西会留意你们，你们要保证，让她们俩至少有一个要知道你们的行踪。如果下次你们又去了不该去的地方，那就表明，你们不够资格成为学徒。”
“我们再也不会到处乱跑了。”小狮信誓旦旦地保证道。
“小冬青，你呢？”火星紧接着问道。
“我不会再做任何阻碍我成为学徒的事了。”小冬青发誓道，她说的每一个字都异常坚定。
“很好！”火星说，“我只希望今天你们能学到一些东西。真正的武士总会把族群的安全放在最重要的位置。”他转过身，来到蕨毛和栗尾互相梳理皮毛的地方。
他离开时说的话，让小冬青感觉皮毛发烫。她让整个雷族的猫都失望了。她神情紧张地望了一眼黑莓掌和松鼠飞。“对不起。”她鼓足勇气说。
“但愿你们知道错在哪里。”松鼠飞叹息道。
“你们应该为雷族幼崽树立榜样。”黑莓掌补充道。
松鼠飞的眼神稍微缓和了下来。她弯下身子，舔了舔小冬青和小狮的额头。“我知道，你们认为自己做的事情没错。”她的话语里满是同情。
“我们只是想给族群做一些贡献。”小冬青坚持说。
“做贡献的机会会有的。但这样乱来可不行。”黑莓掌强调说。
“小松鸦也必须在育婴室里待着吗？”小狮问道。
“他会跟叶池在一起，直到完全康复，”松鼠飞告诉他，“到时候他就会跟你们一起玩了。”
“到命名仪式举行的时候，他会康复吗？”小冬青问道。
“会的，如果命名仪式真的举行的话。”小狮补充道。
松鼠飞用尾巴蹭了蹭儿子的腹部，说：“你知道，你弟弟没法成为一位真正意义上的学徒。”
小冬青望着母亲，问道：“你这是什么意思啊？”
“一只盲眼猫是不可能当武士的。”黑莓掌开口说话了。可这时，小冬青转过身，一脸愤怒地看着他。
“你说得不对！”她大声喊道，“小松鸦可以闻到、听到、感知到营地里发生的所有事情！”她看了小狮一眼，示意他也帮着说几句，“他就像能看见东西一样，只不过是用鼻子和耳朵代替了眼睛而已！”
她又瞥了父亲一眼，等着他也说两句，可父亲只是看了看松鼠飞，他俩交换的眼神中饱含着悲悯。这情景把小冬青气得身子止不住地颤抖。
突然，她听到有脚步声逐渐逼近营地。一个声音在屏障外面响了起来——是刺掌的说话声。这只金色皮毛、棕色条纹的虎斑猫与跟在后面的蛛足、罂粟爪和鼠爪一起，快速穿过了荆棘屏障。
火星和黑莓掌离开蕨毛和栗尾，朝他们走了过去。“找到狐狸幼崽了吗？”副族长问道。
“罂粟爪和鼠爪追赶一只幼崽，结果幼崽越过边界进了影族领地，”刺掌汇报道，“还没找到其他两只幼崽的踪迹。”
小冬青的耳朵火辣辣的，心中满是羞愧。
“这些狐狸幼崽已经可以独立生存了，”刺掌接着说，“将来，它们肯定会给我们制造很多麻烦的。”
香薇云冲出育婴室，担心地询问：“狐狸幼崽在附近吗？”
“没有。”刺掌摇了摇头，“我们可以确定，在天空橡树的这一侧，没有它们的踪迹。”
香薇云的神情舒缓了一些，可她的耳朵依然紧张地抽动着。她急忙跑回育婴室，来到自己嗷嗷待哺的幼崽身边。
小冬青盯着松鼠飞的眼睛。她的母亲朝她眨了眨眼，眼神里充满了怜悯。“你也不要太自责了，”她低声说，“每只猫都会犯错误，你只要从中吸取教训就行了。”
“我会弥补自己的错误。”小冬青保证道。
“我知道你会的。”松鼠飞对她说，“你为什么不去看看小松鸦呢？我相信他看到有猫陪他，一定会很高兴的。”
“我也去，可以吗？”小狮乞求道。
“如果你俩都去，可能不利于他的身体康复。”松鼠飞说，“你过一段时间再去吧。在离开育婴室之前，一定要让黛西或者香薇云知道。这是火星叮嘱过的，明白吗？”
小狮抽了抽自己的小短尾巴，没有说话。他朝育婴室的方向走了过去。“我会告诉小松鸦，你向他问好啦！”小冬青朝小狮大喊道。
“无所谓了。”小狮嘟囔着，没有回头。
小冬青用鼻子拨开黑莓丛，走进叶池的巢穴。小松鸦躺在巢穴一侧的水池旁。小冬青走进来时，发现他那双松鸦羽毛一般碧蓝的眼睛，正望着自己。
“你好啊，小冬青。”他的声音听起来很疲惫。他的皮毛被药膏涂抹得十分平整，使他看起来像是一只刚出生的幼崽。小冬青的心顿时感到针扎一样疼：他差一点儿就没命了。
小松鸦抽了抽尾巴说：“不必为我的事情感到抱歉了。”
小冬青眨了眨眼。他怎么总能如此准确地说出自己在想什么呢？他像是一只到处翻腾的老鼠，总是能看出她不愿意让其他猫知道的小心思，这真够她恼火的。
“我不会死的。”他继续说。
“我从没想过你会死。”她撒了个谎。她走到小松鸦身旁，用自己的舌头把他两耳间的皮毛弄平整了。
“火星说什么了吗？”小松鸦问道。
“我们要一直待在育婴室里，直到他最终决定我们是否能成为学徒那天。”小冬青告诉他。
“是否？这是什么意思？”小松鸦问。
“就是说，如果我们按照他们的要求做事，并且一直待在营地里，那我们成为学徒就没问题了。”小冬青告诉他。她希望这句话能最终实现。在此之前，她从没见过火星如此生气。
“一定会没问题的！”小松鸦挣扎着想站起来，却又因为疼痛放弃了。
“你还好吗？”小冬青关切地问道。
叶池此刻正在巢穴的角落里调制草药。“他只是身体有些疼痛，”她说，“不过现在已经好多了。”她放下了手里的活儿，来到两只幼崽身旁，“这段时间我让他咀嚼了一些紫草。”
“是你刚才在那里调制的东西吗？”小冬青问道。
“如果再加上一些石楠花，效果会更好，”叶池解释着，“这种花的花蜜会让草药的味道更好，更容易下咽。”
“你是从哪里学到这些的呢？”小冬青好奇地问道。
“是炭毛教我的。”叶池回答说。说起自己的老师，她的声音里透出一丝悲伤，然而小冬青只对她调制草药的技能更感兴趣。有如此多的知识储备，一定会让她变得强大——族群里没有一只猫像她一样，懂得这么多有关草药的知识。她已经治愈了很多猫，像蕨毛、桦落等，还有小松鸦。要是自己能像她一样，为族群做出如此大的贡献，那该有多好！
“叶池？”亮心在巢穴入口叫着她的名字，“蕨毛又在咳嗽了。”
“我给你一些蜂蜜，你带给他吧。”叶池回应道，“小冬青，你能帮我照料一下小松鸦吗？给他清洗一下全身，这会缓解他身体僵硬的症状，不过要记得避开涂了药糊的部位啊。”
“好的。”小冬青不禁皱起了鼻子。为弟弟清理身体，就要用舌头舔舐他的皮毛，舔舐他那涂着刺鼻黏液的伤口周边，这令她有些为难。不过她咬咬牙，还是开始了。与此同时，叶池从巢穴后面取出一束用叶子包好的蜂蜜，交给亮心。
“别着急，慢点儿！”小松鸦抱怨道，“我全身都疼着呢。”
“不好意思。”小冬青一边道歉，一边开始轻轻舔舐着小松鸦的皮毛。
“你用力太大了，一点儿也不像斑叶那样轻柔。”小松鸦呻吟着说。
小冬青停下来问：“谁？”
“斑叶。”小松鸦重复道，“叶池说，她是我们的武士祖灵。她在我的梦境里出现过，还用鼻子给我的全身按摩。”
“你没见过她，为什么会梦见她呢？”小冬青疑惑地问道。
叶池回到他俩身边，坐了下来：“你是在跟小冬青说斑叶的事情吗？”
小松鸦点了点头。
“斑叶到底是谁？”小冬青问道。
“在火星加入雷族的时候，她就是雷族的巫医。”叶池解释道，“她在我出生之前就去世了，不过她也曾经来到我的梦境里，跟小松鸦见到的一样。”小冬青此刻注意到，这位巫医的眼睛里闪烁着一丝兴奋。“斑叶是一位智者，她从没停止为族群效力。我猜，这就是她出现在小松鸦和我的梦境里的原因吧。”
“炭毛在你梦境里出现过吗？”小冬青问道。
叶池摇了摇头：“只有斑叶来过。她帮我找到了困扰我很长时间的问题的答案。如果雷族受到严重威胁，她也会提醒我的。”
小冬青很惊讶，谈起一只生活中从未谋面的猫，叶池的话语竟会如此充满感情。“斑叶像是你的朋友一样啊。”她感叹道。
“武士祖灵当然可以成为我们的朋友。”
小松鸦又开始呻吟起来：“好痛啊！”
“我再去拿一些紫草。”小冬青一边说，一边去草药堆旁取回一些紫草交给叶池。
“谢谢你，”叶池说，“你能再拿一些罂粟籽给我吗？就在巢穴后面，是一种小小的黑色圆形种子。”
“好的。”小冬青赶快跑到巢穴后面，在草药堆里翻找着，终于找到了一些。“需要多少？”她喊道。
“五粒。”叶池回答，“把你的爪子弄湿，然后轻轻拍打草药堆，把它们弄下来。”
小冬青按照她的话做，然后甩掉爪上多余的种子，回到小松鸦躺着的地方。小松鸦舔食了她掌心上的罂粟籽，眼里很快有了睡意。
“他不会有事吧？”小冬青有些担忧地问道。
“不会有事的。”叶池的话让她放心了，“我们走吧，让他好好休息一下。”
小冬青不愿意离开巫医巢穴，她实在太兴奋了。叶池有各种神奇的能力：治愈病猫，与祖灵交谈，向族长报告即将发生的危险情况，等等。如果小冬青想为雷族做重要的贡献，当巫医或许是一条可行的途径。在经历了追逐狐狸幼崽的危险之后，她觉得，自己想当武士的愿望已没有之前那么强烈了。
她离开小松鸦，在满是荆棘的巢穴入口停留了一会儿。“叶池！”她轻声叫道。
“怎么了？”叶池走到她的身边。
“巫医什么时候招收学徒啊？只能在他们年长的时候吗？”
叶池一脸严肃地望着她：“我随时都可以收学徒的。”
“不过，巫医学徒就只能一直当学徒吗？直到老师……”死了。小冬青实在不忍心把这个词说出来。
叶池的胡须兴奋地抖了抖，她已经猜到了小冬青要说什么了。“不是的，”她说，“一旦巫医学徒学到足够多的东西，就可以起一个正式的名字，并且开始履行巫医的职责了，就算他的老师在世也没关系。”
小冬青有些纳闷儿，为什么她会说“他”呢？“你是不是已经有学徒的合适人选了？”
叶池抽了抽尾巴尖，说道：“我还没决定呢。”
小冬青还想再问点什么，就听到香薇云在育婴室里喊自己的名字。
“你赶紧去吧，”叶池说，“这一整天你的麻烦已经够多了。”
小冬青的毛顿时竖了起来，心里十分沮丧。她再次穿过黑莓丛，回到育婴室。她觉得自己真的找到了为族群做贡献的途径，并且确信自己做的事很有意义。她要成为雷族的下一位巫医！
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 11
Hollypaw stared in amazement. Graystripe?
“But he’s dead!” she hissed to Lionpaw.
Her brother did not reply. He was too busy trying to balance on his hind legs to get a better view.
Hollypaw ducked down and wove among the legs of the Clan cats until she reached the edge and peeped out between the pelts of Crowfeather and Breezepaw.
A gray tom with a stripe of darker fur along his spine stood in front of the bracken. His pelt clung to bone and wasted muscle, the fur matted and dull. His left ear was torn, and there were whiskers missing from his scratched and filthy muzzle. Beside him shivered a light gray tabby she-cat. Her short fur stuck out in clumps, and her tail hung limp and bedraggled
But Graystripe’s dead!
“You’re alive!” Firestar burst out from between Onestar and Tornear. He faced Graystripe round-eyed, his fur on end.
Graystripe stared back. His companion flattened her ears and lifted her front paw defensively. She was trembling, her eyes bright with fear as she tried to look at all the cats at once.
“Easy now, Millie,” Graystripe cautioned.
Firestar stretched his muzzle forward, sniffing tentatively, as though he could hardly believe what he saw. “The Twolegs didn’t kill you. . . .” He lifted his face to the moon. “Thank StarClan,” he whispered.
Startled mews erupted among the watching cats.
“Graystripe’s come back!”
“He must have escaped from the Twolegs!”
“How did he survive?”
“What about Brambleclaw?”
What about Brambleclaw? Hollypaw looked at her father. Firestar had held a vigil for Graystripe as he would for any dead Clanmate, and made Brambleclaw his deputy instead. But Graystripe was alive, and now he had come back. . . .
The ThunderClan deputy was staring at Graystripe. “I can hardly believe that you found us.” His voice was filled with admiration, but his gaze glittered uneasily as he stepped forward and brushed muzzles with the gray warrior.
Firestar flicked his tail. “Where did they take you?”
Graystripe didn’t answer. He was staring at Firestar. “So you didn’t wait for me.”
Pain flashed in Firestar’s eyes. “I couldn’t.”
Graystripe dipped his head. “You could not risk the Clan by keeping them in the forest.”
Firestar leaned forward. “If it had been only mylife at stake”—he glanced around the Clans, then lowered his voice—“I would have waited.”
Hollypaw felt a rustling behind her. The other ThunderClan warriors were pushing their way forward to greet their old denmate.
“Graystripe!” Dustpelt dashed over. “You’re alive!”
Berrypaw, Hazelpaw, Ashfur, and Spiderleg crowded excitedly around, sniffing his fur, poking him with their muzzles.
Graystripe flinched away.
“Give him some space,” Leafpool warned. “He’s exhausted.”
“But he’s a legend!” Hazelpaw complained as Leafpool shooed her and the others away with her tail.
Squirrelflight was staring at Graystripe’s companion. “Who are you?”
“This is Millie,” Graystripe meowed. “I met her in Twolegplace.”
Squirrelflight gasped. “A kittypetmade the journey with you?”
“I couldn’t have managed it alone,” Graystripe meowed.
Brambleclaw narrowed his eyes. “Did you follow our trail?”
“No,” Graystripe told him. “We found our own way.”
“We searched for Graystripe’s home first,” Millie explained. Her voice had a hard edge that surprised Hollypaw. She thought all kittypets would speak with the same soft mew as Daisy.
Graystripe’s ragged pelt bristled. “The whole forest was devastated when we got there. No cats, no prey, nothing but torn-up trees and monsters.”
“How did you know which way we had gone?” Leafpool asked.
“We saw Ravenpaw.”
Firestar’s eyes glowed. “How is he?”
“He’s well, but concerned for you all.” Graystripe stopped for breath before going on. “He said he’d seen you pass and that you were heading toward the setting sun. So we carried on over Highstones—” He broke off, his tail quivering.
Leafpool darted forward. “Are you okay?”
“Just tired.”
Leopardstar shouldered her way through the ThunderClan cats. A loud purr was rumbling in her throat. “It’s good to see you again, Graystripe.”
As she spoke the warriors from every Clan raised their voices
“Welcome back, Graystripe!”
“How did he find us?”
“StarClan must have been watching over him!”
Cats from all four Clans surged around Graystripe until he was almost lost in a forest of pelts, brown, white, ginger, and tabby. Purrs blended, rumbling like thunder, louder than the sound of the wind in the branches.
Hollypaw watched in disbelief. She knew there was a truce at the Gathering, but this was not how it was supposed to be. There were meant to be four Clans, yet the warriors were acting like they belonged to the same one. She wriggled through the crush of pelts to where Lionpaw was watching with round eyes
“It’s not natural,” she whispered in his ear. “Graystripe is ThunderClan. Why are the other Clans making such a fuss over him?”
“I don’t know,” Lionpaw admitted. “I thought that being a warrior meant protecting your Clan. Shouldn’t the other Clans be worried that ThunderClan has an extra warrior now?”
Hazelpaw nosed in beside them. “They sound like they’re in one of Squirrelflight’s stories about how the Clans came together to make the Great Journey.”
“The Great Journey’s over,” Hollypaw pointed out.
But Hazelpaw wasn’t listening. She was gazing at Graystripe. “How did he know we were on the island?”
“Do you think StarClan guided him?” Lionpaw wondered.
“How did you know we were here?” called a sleek gray RiverClan she-cat.
Graystripe lifted his muzzle toward her. “Mistyfoot, it’s good to see you again. We met a rogue who told us there were cats living by this lake,” he explained. “When we reached the top of the ridge, the full moon was shining on the water and I could see shapes moving on the island.”
“After that, we just followed the freshest scents,” Millie explained. “They led us down to the shore and over the fallen tree.”
Hollypaw heard a stifled hiss of disgust. Blackstar was staring at Millie with open malice. The gray she-cat glanced at him, then lifted her chin and returned his stare, and, even though her tail was trembling, she held the ShadowClan leader’s gaze until he looked away. Hollypaw was impressed.
Graystripe saw what was happening and bristled, the muscles flexing on his broad shoulders.
“Let’s not forget the truce!” Leopardstar warned.
“The truce is for warriors,” Blackstar snarled.
“The Gatheringis for warriors!” Onestar called.
A murmur rippled through the WindClan cats and spread through ShadowClan.
“Is ThunderClan going to allow another kittypet to join its ranks?” muttered a disbelieving voice.
“I have trained Millie as a warrior!” Graystripe hissed. “A kittypet would never have survived such a long journey.” His voice cracked into a cough, and Hollypaw saw that the gray warrior was trembling from his ears to the tip of his tail.
Firestar must have seen it too. He padded over to Graystripe and pressed against him. “Let us take you back to camp.”
Graystripe glanced at Millie. “Do you think you can travel a little farther tonight?”
“I’ll keep going as long as you need me to,” she assured him.
“Very well,” Firestar meowed. He looked at the other Clan leaders. “Was there any other news to be shared at the Gathering?”
“Not from RiverClan,” Leopardstar answered.
“WindClan is satisfied,” Onestar told him.
Blackstar shook his head.
“Then let us return,” Firestar called to ThunderClan, “andshow Graystripe and Millie their new home.”
“Does this mean ThunderClan has two deputies now?” Breezepaw called boldly.
Hollypaw pricked her ears and, as she did so, she noticed Ashfur lean forward, whiskers twitching.
Sandstorm stepped up to Firestar’s side. “Graystripe and Millie are tired,” she reminded him quietly. “We should get them home as soon as possible.”
“Yes.” Firestar flicked his tail toward Brambleclaw. “Lead the way,” he ordered.
Brambleclaw instantly headed away through the wood toward the fallen tree.
Sandstorm wove around Millie. “Stay close to me,” she advised. “We’ll have you in a warm, dry den before the moon is much farther across the sky.”
Millie nodded and padded, limping slightly, alongside the pale ginger she-cat. Hazelpaw hurried to join them, clearly excited to be helping guide the stranger back to camp.
Hollypaw fell in beside her brother and they trailed after the others. She was acutely aware of the other Clans watching them leave. One WindClan apprentice dipped her head to Lionpaw as they passed.
“Do you know her?” Hollypaw asked, surprised.
“That’s Heatherpaw,” Lionpaw replied. “I met her tonight.”
Hollypaw looked back over her shoulder at the WindClan apprentice. Heatherpaw was whispering in her companion’s ear, her eyes fixed firmly on Graystripe as he disappeared into the trees.
Then Hollypaw heard a voice above the murmuring of the lake.
“Surely Firestar will restore Graystripe to deputy!”
Hollypaw glared at the RiverClan warrior who had fur the color of stone.
Another voice whispered, “The vigil for Graystripe was false!”
Rage flared in Hollypaw, but not enough to sweep away the foreboding that pricked her pelt. Had Brambleclaw been made deputy by mistake? She pushed the thought away, closing her ears to the gossip from the other Clans.
The tree-bridge loomed ahead, and she scrambled up through the dead branches to pick her way along the slippery trunk. Lionpaw waited at the other end. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and as she landed he mewed, “I hope all the Gatherings are as exciting as that one! Imagine Graystripe finding us!”
Hollypaw hurried after him, irritated. “Aren’t you worried?”
“What about?”
“About Graystripe coming back, of course!” Hollypaw flicked her tail. “How can StarClan approve of Brambleclaw being deputy when Graystripe is still alive?”
“StarClan didn’t tell us he was still alive,” Lionpaw reminded her. “If it meant so much to them, they should have sent a sign or something.”
Mousepaw slowed and fell into step beside them. “I think Brambleclaw is a great deputy, and Firestar can’t ignore that,” he mewed.
“Exactly,” Lionpaw agreed.
“But what about the warrior code?” Hollypaw protested.
“Does the code say anything about warriors coming back from the dead?” Lionpaw demanded.
Hollypaw shook her head. No cat had mentioned the warrior code at the Gathering. And yet she could not shake the feeling that some rule had been broken by appointing a new deputy when the old one wasn’t dead.
“Graystripe was deputy first,” she argued, half to herself.
“Do you wanthim to replace Brambleclaw?” Lionpaw asked, surprised.
“Of course not,” Hollypaw snapped.
“And the Clan is fine as it is,” Mousepaw pointed out. “So why bother changing anything?”
Hollypaw looked up ahead at Sandstorm and Millie. The two she-cats were padding along the lakeshore beside Firestar and Graystripe. Around her, the rest of the Clan murmured in hushed whispers, and Hollypaw guessed that they were as uncertain as she was about what would happen now that Graystripe had returned to ThunderClan.
第五章
第五章
小狮在窝中睡醒了。一阵疾风吹乱了他金色的皮毛。
小松鸦去哪儿了？
以前，小松鸦总是睡在他的身边，不过现在，那里已是空空如也。
突然，他反应了过来。
一想到小松鸦软软地在空地边上躺着的场景，他的肚子就一阵一阵地难受。他一定会没事的。他心里想着。
当初看到小松鸦躺在空地上，叶池和黑莓掌蹲伏在他身边的时候，小狮就曾想，自己的弟弟可能已经死了。一阵战栗从他的尾尖蔓延到全身。他推了推睡在一旁的小冬青，她的黑色皮毛与周围漆黑一片的环境融为一体，好像隐身了一样。“没有小松鸦在身旁，我感觉真冷啊！”
“他不久就会回来啦。”小冬青喃喃道，却没睁开眼。
“可他不在，我就是觉得有点儿不自在。”
“他就在空地的另一边，再过一两天就会回来啦。”小冬青翻了个身说，“行了，快睡觉吧。”不一会儿她又睡着了，呼吸变得深沉而宁静。
小狮心中的悲伤依然挥之不去。小松鸦应该一直与他们一起，就像平时那样。
他闭上眼睛。可是自己弟弟躺在空地上的身影，又浮现在他的脑海中。离开营地的建议是他提出的。小松鸦很可能死掉了，或者，狐狸的幼崽很可能跟着他们三个进到雷族的营地里了。真是好烦啊！
小狮站了起来，他觉得自己需要呼吸些新鲜空气，来梳理一下思绪。
他凝视着阴影中熟睡的黛西。她那长长的乳白色皮毛映衬着香薇云的浅灰色皮毛。香薇云似乎在做梦，胡须一颤一颤的，她的两只幼崽依偎在她的腹部。小狮想，如果他只是因为要得到离开巢穴的许可而叫醒这两只母猫，她俩一定会不高兴的。再说了，在她俩醒来之前，他一定会回来的。
他甩了甩尾巴，轻轻地走过小冬青身边，费力地穿过布满荆棘的巢穴入口。
夜晚冰冷的空气钻进他的鼻孔，冰冻的地面让他每走一步都感到疼痛。他沿着营地的边缘转了一圈，闻到了从森林里飘来的猎物的气味。一只鸟正在远处鸣叫，向同伴发布警报。他抬头看了一眼散落在漆黑天空中的银毛星带。他很高兴，星族让小松鸦与自己的族猫待在一起。或许他还能顺便去看看弟弟，叶池现在也熟睡了吧。
小狮在阴影里走着，心里非常忐忑，自己真不该未经允许，擅自跑出育婴室。当他沿着环绕营地的荆棘丛蹑手蹑脚向前走时，感觉心脏怦怦地跳得厉害，声音大得甚至都能吵醒族猫了。小狮扫视了一下那片空地，突然发现自己并不是族群里唯一没有睡觉的猫。空地的另一边，有个影子正晃动着，轻盈的轮廓从阴影中显现出来，还有一个身影紧跟在后面！
小狮躲在一根树枝下面，在荆棘屏障里找到一块狭小的地方，把自己藏了起来。透过细枝，他看清了影子是尘毛和蛛足！在明亮的月光照耀下，他俩并排走到了营地中央。
“他们马上就到了。”长腿武士蛛足告诉尘毛。
“太好了。”尘毛回答道。
小狮竖着耳朵聆听着。冻枯萎了的叶子在营地墙外发出噼啪的响声。暴毛和蕨毛挤过通道，进入营地，小狮感觉整个荆棘屏障都在不停地晃动。午夜巡逻队已经回来了。
尘毛飞速向他们的方向跑来：“有什么新情况吗？”
“一切正常。”暴毛回答。
小狮躲进荆棘丛深处，想看个究竟。虽然他以前说过，除了排便的时候他决不溜出营地，但是现在，他又不想马上被送回育婴室了。
蕨毛把嘴里叼着的老鼠放了下来。“我们可以再次去狩猎了。”这只金棕色虎斑猫说。
“你巡查了空地边缘的新边界了吗？”蛛足问道。
蕨毛点了点头。“影族已经把新的边界标出来了。”他说，“不过没有迹象表明，他们进入过雷族的领地。”
尘毛眯起了眼睛：“他们最好不要这样做。火星把那片领地让给他们已经够糟糕的了。要是让我抓到哪只影族猫胆敢得寸进尺地越过边界，我一定扒了他的皮！”
“他们绝对不敢！”蕨毛大吼道。
“在火星把那块领地让出去之前，他们的胆子可大了。”蛛足一边说，一边注视着蕨毛腹部上的那条伤疤，那是当初两个族群之间的一场激战给他留下的印记。有一条小溪从两脚兽的地盘流过来，小溪两岸的空地就是那次战斗争夺的目标。影族一直宣称自己对那片土地拥有主权。为了减少争斗造成的无谓流血与牺牲，再加上那块领地十分贫瘠，猎物很少，所以火星在上次森林大会上，把这片土地让给了影族。
“这片土地不值得争斗，”暴毛这样评价道，“火星放弃它是明智的。”
尘毛轻蔑地哼了一声：“过去，雷族可从没放弃过一寸领地！”
“的确是这样。”蕨毛表示同意。
蛛足有些不安地在原地转着圈儿，尾巴不停地甩动着。蕨毛没有理会他，接着说：“不过那片土地没有什么遮蔽，一旦绿叶季到了，两脚兽很快就会在那里活动。”
“雷族还是更习惯在森林里狩猎。”暴毛补充道。
“尽管如此，火星还是不应该轻易放弃这块领地。”蛛足坚持己见。
小狮在自己躲避的地方，神情紧张地观察着他们。他看到蛛足正睁大双眼盯着暴毛。这位长腿黑色武士的性情比他父亲尘毛更加火暴，但暴毛一点也没退缩。
他说：“我们只不过放弃了一片荒芜的土地，没什么大不了的！而且它离两脚兽的地盘太近了！”
“你说话的口气真像黑莓掌。”尘毛撇了撇嘴，“他只会对火星唯唯诺诺，所有的猫都知道，他宁愿对付一大群恶狗，也不敢去惹两脚兽。”
小狮身上的毛顿时愤怒地直立了起来。他父亲可是无所畏惧的啊！
“黑莓掌支持火星，是因为火星的决定是明智的，而不是因为他害怕两脚兽！”暴毛反驳道。
“你认为在所有族群猫面前，宣布雷族没有决心保卫自己的边界是明智之举吗？”蛛足的语气异常激烈，“影族无权把自己的爪子伸进雷族的任何一寸领地！”
“行了，现在那儿是影族领地啦。”暴毛打算结束这个话题。
蛛足瞪了他一眼。“当然了，你不会在意我们到底放弃了多少领地，”他厉声咆哮道，“你根本就不是雷族猫！”
小狮心里一惊，身体向后退缩了一下。暴毛跟其他猫一样，在每次抵抗影族入侵的战斗中都表现神勇。他紧张地注视着，不知道这位深灰色皮毛的武士做何反应。然而暴毛只是瞪着蛛足，一双眼睛因为震惊睁得大大的。
蕨毛赶紧站到他俩之间，眼睛在月光下闪烁着焦虑。“我们不同意也没什么用，”他说，“反正都已经决定了。”
“但是现在影族就会认为，他们可以从我们这里得到任何东西了！”蛛足仍然表示反对。
“火星已经说得很清楚了，他让影族拿走这片土地，只是为了帮他们一个忙。”蕨毛提醒蛛足说，“他让雷族的猫都相信，这件事是明智之举，而不是出于懦弱。”
“那么，为什么一星和豹星都表现得那么兴奋呢？”尘毛呵斥道，“很明显，他们认为雷族不能守护自己的领地。”
“如果风族想要我们领地另一边的那片森林，又该怎么办呢？”蛛足插嘴道，“严格来讲，一星成为族长后，就不再是我们的朋友了。”
“他曾经帮我们击退了獾的袭击，他一直对我们还是可以的。”蕨毛说。
“不过，他仍然会为风族争取利益的。”尘毛争辩道，“如果他认为我们很软弱，他可能会寻找拓展族群领地的机会。”
“你想没想过，火星会不会放弃我们领地中任何一块猎物丰富的部分呢？”暴毛问道。
尘毛盯着他看了一会儿，然后低下头。“不会。”他承认道。
“我们没必要担心河族会来进犯，”蕨毛接着说，“我们与他们的领地没有接壤，而且自从鹰霜死在我们的领地上之后，豹星一直都没什么动静。”
“你们谁知道鹰霜究竟是怎么死的？”暴毛问道。
“我只知道，火星在与黑莓掌、蜡毛一起巡逻时发现了他的尸体。”蛛足回答道。
小狮没完全听明白。他以前曾听黛西和香薇云提起过鹰霜，鹰霜曾经当过河族的副族长，死在了雷族的领地上——是被捕狐狸的陷阱中的木头插死的。没有猫知道这位河族武士究竟在那里做了什么。小狮有一次试着问父亲关于鹰霜的事情——毕竟鹰霜和黑莓掌有血缘关系，因此他也是小狮的亲戚——不过黑莓掌一直都不愿回答。他所给出的唯一信息就是，黑莓掌和松鼠飞就像对待任何一位牺牲的武士一样，把这位死去的河族武士运回了河族营地，河族猫为他举行了哀悼仪式。
小狮伸长耳朵，想听他们的对话是否有新信息透露出来。这时候，他突然感觉荆棘屏障沙沙作响。小狮这才意识到，自己正站在通往猫们排便处的入口处——也就是他、小松鸦和小冬青偷偷溜出去、搜寻狐狸幼崽时经过的地方。小狮心里有点慌张，他嗅了嗅周围的空气。就在离他一尾巴远的地方，鼠爪挤开荆棘回来了。
他又躲回到阴影里，可还是没能逃过鼠爪敏锐的嗅觉。
“是小狮吗？”黑暗中，鼠爪低声喊着，听上去像是吃了一惊。
小狮迟疑了一会儿，心想，要不要再往荆棘屏障深处躲藏。不过他实在不喜欢那些荆棘，另外，他内心的骄傲和自尊也不允许他这么做。“是我！”没办法，他只得承认了。
他正要继续说话，尘毛琥珀色的眼睛向他们这边看了过来。“鼠爪？”他喊道。
小狮屏住了呼吸。这位学徒会出卖他吗？在育婴室时，他们都生活在一个巢穴里。不过现在，鼠爪可能已经跟武士们站在同一战线了。
“我正要回巢穴去。”鼠爪告诉尘毛。过了一会儿，他挤进了小狮的藏身之处。“你不是应该待在育婴室吗？”他轻声问道。
小狮有些生气地甩了甩尾巴。他很高兴鼠爪没有出卖自己，同时又对鼠爪依然像对待幼崽一样对待自己感到恼火。“我睡不着觉，”他嘟哝道，“我还是习惯有小松鸦陪在身边。”
“尘毛和暴毛在争论什么呢？”
“他们正在谈论火星决定把小溪边一块土地让给影族的事。”小狮解释道，“尘毛指责暴毛，说他不是一位真正的雷族武士。”
鼠爪听了有些震惊。他的耳朵耷拉了下来，说：“我有些奇怪，暴毛竟然没把他撕碎！”
“可暴毛并不是真正的雷族武士，对吧？”小狮有些困惑地问道。
“你最好不要当着他的面说这种话！”鼠爪警告道。
“可他确实是在河族出生，和急水部落的猫生活在一起啊。”
“鼠爪！”尘毛的声音从空地的另一边传了过来。
鼠爪迅速地把小狮推回荆棘丛里。尖刺深深扎进小狮的皮毛，不过他强忍着疼没叫出声来。这时鼠爪从树枝底下钻了出来。
“你怎么还不回学徒巢穴？”尘毛问道。
“我好像闻到了老鼠的气息。”鼠爪撒谎道。
“多么愚蠢的老鼠才会冒失到闯进猫的营地啊！”尘毛低声说，“快回你的巢穴吧。如果明早训练时你无精打采的话，蛛足一定会不高兴的。”
“是，尘毛。”鼠爪低下头，很快溜走了。
小狮还在荆棘丛里等着，直到尘毛和其他武士返回自己的巢穴，他都一直忍受着刺扎的疼痛。现在冒险去巫医巢穴似乎并不明智。在确认周围的猫都离开后，小狮立即逃出了荆棘丛，返回了育婴室。
很多刺扎进他的皮毛，让他疼痛不已。当他小心翼翼地躺回自己的窝里时，这些刺依旧困扰着他。他闭上眼，想尽快睡去，可他与鼠爪的谈话仍在脑海中回荡。他以前从没意识到，对于武士来说，真正的雷族身份原来是如此重要。他总把自己雷族的身份当作一件理所当然的事。他现在知道了，并不是所有猫都会幸运地在森林降生，并且与雷族的族长和副族长成为至亲。不过他还是不明白，为什么鼠爪把刚才武士们之间的争论当作一件了不得的大事。只要暴毛和溪儿对雷族依然忠诚，其他事情又有什么大不了的呢？
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 12
A line as pale as spilled milk gleamed on the horizon as Hollypaw followed her Clanmates back into the hollow. The excited whispering, which had buzzed along with them like a swarm of bees during the long trek home, ceased as they padded through the thorn tunnel. Moonlight bathed the clearing, but the edges of the camp lay in shadow. Hollypaw’s pelt pricked with anticipation as she saw two small shapes hurrying from the apprentices’ den.
“How was the Gathering?” Cinderpaw called.
Firestar halted, Graystripe beside him. “You should be asleep,” he meowed to the apprentice. “You will be too tired for your training in the morning.”
“Sorry, Firestar,” Cinderpaw apologized. “But we couldn’t sleep until we’d heard about the Gathering.”
Graystripe’s whiskers twitched with amusement. “We would have done the same when we were apprentices,” he reminded Firestar.
“Who are you?” Cinderpaw’s eyes grew round as she stared at the gray warrior.
“He was ThunderClan’s deputy before you were born,” Firestar told her.
“Graystripe?” Cinderpaw guessed, tipping her head to one side.
“Graystripe!” Poppypaw echoed excitedly.
Cinderpaw ran in an excited circle. “Can I tell Cloudtail? Oh, please?” Without waiting for an answer, she charged toward the warriors’ den, calling her mentor’s name.
Cloudtail appeared at the den entrance, his sleep-ruffled pelt glowing in the moonlight. “What’s the matter, Cinderpaw?” he complained.
“Graystripe is back!”
Brackenfur pushed past Cloudtail and stood outside the den. “Graystripe?” He stared, blinking, across the clearing, then raced toward his old friend.
“Graystripe’s back!” Cloudtail yowled. As he bounded over to greet his Clanmate, Stormfur and Whitewing burst from the den, mewing excitedly.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” Brackenfur murmured, touching muzzles with Graystripe.
“Firestar was right!” Stormfur added, pushing past Brackenfur. “He told us you’d find your way back!”
Graystripe stared at Stormfur—his son—in astonishment. “Do you live with ThunderClan now?”
“What’s all this noise?” Mousefur’s grumpy mew sounded as the old she-cat squeezed stiffly out through the tangled entrance of the elders’ den.
Longtail appeared behind her, his blind eyes staring blankly ahead. He sniffed the air. Even in the dim light of the moon, Hollypaw saw the fur prick along his spine. “I smell Graystripe,” he meowed.
“Graystripe?” Mousefur scoffed. “You’re dreaming.”
“He’s not dreaming,” Firestar promised.
Graystripe pushed his way out through the knot of warriors in the center of the clearing. “It really is me,” he meowed.
“Great StarClan!” Mousefur raced over to Graystripe and ran her tail along his flank. “How in Silverpelt did you find us?”
Sandstorm stepped forward. “It’s a long story that can wait till morning,” she meowed softly. “Graystripe and Millie are exhausted.”
“Millie?” Mousefur glanced at the stranger standing beside Graystripe.
“Millie helped me make the journey here,” Graystripe explained. “She is my mate now.”
Mousefur narrowed her eyes, and Hollypaw’s belly tightened with anxiety. How would the crotchety elder react? Warriors were not supposed to find mates outside their Clan, and certainly not kittypet mates.
But Mousefur only dipped her head to Millie. “Still breaking the rules, I see, Graystripe,” she mewed.
Hollypaw flicked the tip of her tail uneasily. The Clan seemed ready to accept Millie, but what did StarClan think about it? She glanced at Firestar. Perhaps having a leader with kittypet roots meant it was okay. The most important thing was that Millie had proved herself a warrior by helping Graystripe find his way back to the Clan. They had both survived, and that must mean StarClan approved of her.
A shadow by the warriors’ den caught her eye. Brook had woken up. The mountain cat padded over to Stormfur and murmured in his ear.
Jaypaw emerged from the apprentices’ den, his nose twitching. “What’s going on?”
Lionpaw bounded over to him. “Graystripe’s back!”
Jaypaw turned his sightless gaze toward Graystripe and Millie. “Who’s with him?”
“His new mate,” Cinderpaw explained. “From Twolegplace.”
Jaypaw wrinkled his nose. “Well, tell Leafpool she’s got an infected wound. I can smell it from here.”
“Brambleclaw!” Firestar called to his deputy. “Find nests for Graystripe and Millie in the warriors’ den.”
Brambleclaw padded away with a nod.
Hollypaw was aware of a growing murmuring among the cats.
“Graystripe’s not as big as I imagined,” Cinderpaw whispered. “He looks small next to Brambleclaw.”
“He smells of crow-food,” Jaypaw mewed.
“He must have been eating like a loner for moons,” Lionpaw pointed out. “Once he starts eating like a warrior again, he won’t seem so small.”
Whitewing looked uneasily at Squirrelflight. “What will happen now? Who is our deputy?”
Squirrelflight’s gaze flicked anxiously from Graystripe to the warriors’ den entrance, where Brambleclaw had disappeared. “I don’t know.”
Firestar gazed steadily at his Clanmates. “Nothing is going to change right now. We should just be grateful that Graystripe has returned to his Clan.”
“There’s no room in the den for two new nests,” Brambleclaw informed Firestar, returning. “One, maybe, but that’s all.”
“It doesn’t matter where we sleep, but I want to stay with Millie,” Graystripe mewed wearily.
“You shall,” Firestar promised. “We were going to expand the den anyway.”
“We’d rather sleep separate from the others at first,” Graystripe told him. “Just till we get used to being around so many cats again.”
“There’s an alcove behind the warriors’ den,” Brightheart suggested. “The ground is grassy there, so it’s soft.”
“And there are plenty of brambles left from when we cleared the entrance to the medicine den,” Leafpool put in. “If we arranged them in front, the alcove would be sheltered.”
Firestar looked at Graystripe. “You’d prefer this?”
The gray warrior nodded.
Hollypaw jumped to her paws. As a medicine cat apprentice she knew that she must take care of the new arrivals. Their bedding would need to be warm and comfortable, and they should have herbs to help them recover from their long journey.
“Brackenfur, Cloudtail, and Brambleclaw,” Firestar called, “start moving the brambles.”
“Yes, Firestar.” Brambleclaw hurried away to the browned and brittle brambles pushed into the shadows beside the medicine den. Brackenfur and Cloudtail followed.
“Can I help?” Cinderpaw begged.
Brackenfur stopped and turned, ready to answer, but Cinderpaw was already hurtling toward him. She careened into him, and fell backward, tumbling tail over whiskers.
“Sorry, Brackenfur!” she mewed, scrambling to her feet, her eyes filled with dismay.
Brackenfur purred at his daughter. “You’re always a tail-length ahead of yourself, Cinderpaw,” he meowed. “You remind me of my sister when she was an apprentice.”
“Come on, Cinderpaw!” Cloudtail called. “Help me drag this bramble over to the alcove.”
“Sorry,” Cinderpaw mewed again, and raced over to help her mentor.
By the time dawn broke over the camp, spilling pinks and oranges over the cloud-dappled sky, the den was finished. With a sleepy nod of thanks, Graystripe and Millie padded inside.
On the other side of the clearing, Sandstorm and Spiderleg were leading Honeypaw and Mousepaw out of the camp on the dawn patrol. Brambleclaw and Cloudtail headed to their den to sleep. Hollypaw stayed with Leafpool outside the makeshift den and admired their work.
“That moss you collected will keep them warm,” she mewed. Leafpool had gathered a little from each of the dens, and Hollypaw had helped her shape it into a comfortable nest for Graystripe and Millie. Graystripe might be ThunderClan’s rightful deputy; Hollypaw wanted to make his nest as cozy as possible.
“Should I fetch them some herbs?” Hollypaw offered. “Jaypaw said that Millie’s got an infected wound.”
“How did he know?” Leafpool looked at her in surprise.
Hollypaw shrugged. “He smelled it.” She was groping for the name of some leaf or seed that might help, but after all the excitement of building the den, her mind felt too fuzzy.
“We’ll make sure we see to it come sunhigh,” Leafpool told her. “Right now, Graystripe and Millie need rest more than anything else.”
Hollypaw stifled a yawn.
Leafpool gazed down at her. “You must be tired too,” she observed.
“A little,” Hollypaw admitted. In fact, she was almost numb with exhaustion.
“Let’s get some sleep,” Leafpool suggested. She got to her paws and padded toward the medicine den. Gratefully, Hollypaw followed her. She was looking forward to curling up in her nest and closing her eyes.
When Hollypaw awoke, weak sunlight was flowing through the brambles, rippling like water on the sandy earth. Immediately she thought of Graystripe. Firestar had told them nothing would change right now. Did this mean that he planned to replace Brambleclaw with his old friend eventually? Would StarClan expect him to?
She padded from the warm moss, scenting the chilly air. Her belly rumbled.
Leafpool lay in her nest, eyes closed. But as Hollypaw stirred, she lifted her nose. “Awake already?” She got to her paws and stretched, curling her tail till it shivered. “You had a busy night. I thought you’d sleep longer.”
“I’m hungry,” Hollypaw confessed.
“There’s fresh-kill on the pile,” Leafpool told her, scenting the air.
Hollypaw fetched a mouse for her mentor and a vole for herself. She ate ravenously, swallowing it in a few mouthfuls before licking her paws and washing her face. “Shall we check on Graystripe now?” she asked eagerly.
“Is it sunhigh?”
“Not yet.”
“Then let them sleep a little longer,” Leafpool decided. She padded over to the piles of herbs at the back of the den and began sifting through them. “I need you to fetch some borage,” she meowed. “We’re running low, and Graystripe or Millie might have a fever. There’s some lakeward, over the ridge.”
Alarm pricked at Hollypaw’s claws. “You won’t wake them before I return?” There might be a lot to learn from the Clan’s newest patients. She hadn’t had a sick cat to treat since she became a medicine cat. She had tried to learn the names of herbs and what they were used for, but she was looking forward to actually using some. It might help her memorize them a little more easily.
“So long as you don’t dawdle,” Leafpool warned.
“I won’t,” Hollypaw promised.
Leafpool turned back to her herbs, spreading poppy seeds under her paw to count them.
Hollypaw turned to leave, then paused. “The Clan sat vigil for Graystripe, didn’t it?”
“Yes, we did.” Leafpool didn’t look up from sifting through a pile of feverfew leaves.
“Does that mean he’s officially dead? In the eyes of StarClan, I mean?”
“I think StarClan will have noticed that Graystripe’s with us and not them,” Leafpool meowed dryly.
“But what about the warrior code? Is he officially dead according to the warrior code?”
“Did he look like he was dead last night?” Leafpool meowed.
“But if he’s not dead, then surely he’s still dep—”
“We are here to heal.” Leafpool looked directly at her. “Firestar’s problems are not ours, unless StarClan wishes them to be. Now, are you going?”
“Going?” Hollypaw echoed.
“To fetch the borage.” Leafpool sighed. “If you’re not back before sunhigh I shall wake them without you.”
“I’m going!” Hollypaw promised, spinning around and pushing her way out of the den.
Up on the ridge, a cold, fresh breeze was blowing through the trees from across the lake. Hollypaw thought she could detect the scent of RiverClan on it.
Her paws itched to go exploring, but she wanted to get back before Graystripe and Millie woke up. She ducked her head and began to sniff the ground, hoping to find a scent trail that might lead her to borage. She desperately tried to remember what it smelled like in the medicine den, but her nose was too full of the scents of water and wind.
She padded down the steep slope, heading for where the trees thinned. The sun sparkled on the lake. What a great day for hunting! She pushed the thought away. She washunting. Hunting for borage. Sniffing the ground once more, she picked up a tangy scent that seemed familiar. She followed it carefully, clambering over the low boulders that dimpled the ground, and tracked the scent into some long grass, where she spotted green, jagged leaves growing in a clump on long, thin stems. They carried the scent she had been following. It was stronger up close and more bitter. Was this borage? She had seen this before, she was sure.
She glanced up at the sun. It shone high above her. Leafpool would be waking Graystripe and Millie soon. Quickly she nipped a few stems, breaking them at the base, careful not to swallow any of the bitter sap. She pitied the cat who had to eat such a foul-tasting herb as she picked up the fallen stems in her jaws and hurried back to the camp.
“This isn’t borage.” Leafpool stared in dismay at the stems Hollypaw had placed in front of her. “This is yarrow. This makes cats sick.”
Hollypaw closed her eyes, ashamed and angry. Why couldn’t she remember anything Leafpool taught her?
“Don’t be hard on yourself,” Leafpool encouraged. “There’s a lot to learn.”
Hollypaw couldn’t meet her eyes. Don’t make excuses for meI should be doing better than this by now!
“Come on,” Leafpool meowed briskly. “We can do without borage. Fetch some marigold leaves and we’ll go and wake Graystripe.”
Marigold leaves! Hollypaw knew what they looked like. She bounded to the back of the cave and picked up a mouthful, then followed Leafpool across the clearing to Graystripe and Millie’s makeshift den.
Firestar stood outside with Sandstorm and Honeypaw. Dustpelt, Thornclaw, Poppypaw, and Hazelpaw milled around eagerly. Graystripe and Millie, still ruffled from sleep, sat among them. Millie was staring from face to face, her ears twitching. Even Graystripe looked uncomfortable, like he had forgotten what it was like to have so many cats around him
“Have you been awake long?” Leafpool asked, weaving through the others to reach Graystripe. She glanced sternly at the cats clustered around the gray warrior and his mate. “I hope no cat woke you.”
“No.” Graystripe drew his paws closer in and tucked his tail tighter around him. “The sun woke us.”
“You can catch up with everyone later.” Leafpool twitched her tail, making it clear she wanted the other cats to leave.
“Let me know how they are when you’ve finished,” Firestar requested before he led his Clanmates away.
Graystripe’s shoulders loosened as they left. Millie looked relieved too.
“Any scratches?” Leafpool asked.
“Millie has a cut on one of her pads.”
“Let’s have a look.”
Gingerly Millie held up her forepaw. “There’s a thorn in there,” Leafpool meowed. “Jaypaw was right; it’s infected.” She flicked her tail at Hollypaw. “My apprentice will pull it out while I prepare some leaves to heal the infection.”
Hollypaw gulped and inhaled a fragment of marigold leaf from the bunch she still held in her jaws. She coughed, spitting the leaves out onto the ground, and glanced anxiously at Millie, who gazed equally anxiously back. Hollypaw knew she couldn’t refuse. This was what she had wanted, a chance to practice instead of simply learning. She peered closely at Millie’s paw. Sure enough, a thorn was buried deep in the pad. To Hollypaw’s dismay she could see blood and pus oozing around it.
“That must be sore,” she breathed. Did she really have to pull it out with her teeth?
Leafpool narrowed her eyes. “Perhaps I’d better do it.”
Self-consciously, Hollypaw backed away and let Leafpool take her place. “Shall I chew the marigold leaves into a poultice?” she offered, her fur prickling with guilt.
“Yes.” Leafpool was concentrating on Millie’s paw with a detached intensity that Hollypaw wished she could copy. Why was it all so difficult?
Graystripe began to wash his face. “It’s so good to see the Clan again,” he meowed between licks. “I always hoped I would find you, but I guess I never knew for sure. . . .”
“How did you know where we were?” Hollypaw asked.
“Ravenpaw told us to head toward the setting sun. We were lucky, and StarClan watched over us.”
“Were you angry at Firestar when you found he’d left without you?” Hollypaw meowed boldly.
Graystripe twitched the tip of his tail. “Yes, I was disappointed, but I can understand why he did it. The forest was in ruins. No cat could have survived there.”
“Ow!” Millie leaped backward and began to lick her paw.
Leafpool was holding the thorn between her teeth. She spat it out. “Press the marigold into the wound with your paw,” she told Hollypaw.
Millie held out her sore paw, which was bleeding and swollen where the thorn had been stuck. Hollypaw shuddered and rubbed her paw in the marigold pulp. She began to smear the juice gingerly onto Millie’s swollen pad. Millie stayed very still, even though it must have hurt.
“Cinderpelt would be proud of you both,” Graystripe meowed.
I wish that were true,Hollypaw thought, forcing herself to hold back the bile rising in her throat. But if Cinderpelt is really watching me right now, she’ll know that I can’t do anything right for Leafpool.
“We’ll do some battle training this afternoon,” Leafpool announced after they had finished treating Graystripe and Millie. “Even medicine cats need to know how to defend their Clan in battle.”
Hollypaw’s heart soared. No pus, no bitter-tasting herbs, no cats wincing in pain—this was going to be fun! They climbed the slope outside the camp, heading away from the lake, and followed the track that led down to the mossy hollow that the apprentices used for battle training. As they padded through the trees, Hollypaw heard energetic mews up ahead. She sniffed the air. Cinderpaw and Cloudtail were already there.
She raced ahead of Leafpool, wanting to know what real warrior training was like. Through the trees she glimpsed the small gray tabby rushing toward Cloudtail. The white warrior twisted faster than a leaf caught in a breeze, and Cinderpaw hurtled past, missing him entirely.
“No, no!” Cloudtail meowed. “Didn’t you hear what I told you? Aim for where you think I’m going to be, not where I am!”
“Sorry!” Cinderpaw panted. “Can I try it one more time?”
Hollypaw padded down the bank and into the clearing. “Hello,” she mewed.
“Are you collecting herbs?” Cloudtail asked.
“No. Leafpool’s going to teach me some fighting moves.”
“Great!” Cinderpaw mewed. “We can train together.”
Leafpool padded to Hollypaw’s side. “Maybe another time,” she meowed. “I think it’s better if I show Hollypaw some basic moves before she joins in with warrior apprentices.”
Hollypaw scowled and scuffed the earth with her paw.
Cinderpaw looked back at Cloudtail. “Can we try that move again?”
Cloudtail nodded. “Just remember—” But Cinderpaw was already hurtling toward him. He whipped around in a circle once more, and once more dodged neatly out of her path.
“Come on,” Leafpool meowed to Hollypaw. “We’ll use that space over there.” She pointed with her nose to the far side of the mossy green clearing. Hollypaw noticed how smooth and soft it looked. Perfect for fighting on. No roots to trip over, no leaves to skid on.
“We’ll start with a defensive move, I think.” Leafpool turned her back on Hollypaw and meowed over her shoulder, “I want you to watch me and then copy what I do.” She dipped her head, twisted around, and rolled onto her back before springing back up onto her paws. The whole move was over in a heartbeat. “Do you want to have a go?”
Hollypaw nodded. “I think I’ve got it.” She ducked her head, twisted around, and rolled over, leaping to her paws again in an instant.
Cloudtail called across the clearing, “Was that your first go?”
“Yes,” Hollypaw answered. “Did I do it right?” She glanced anxiously at Leafpool.
“You did it brilliantly,” Leafpool told her. “Let’s try something else.”
Leafpool demonstrated a few more moves, and Hollypaw copied each one with the same fierce intensity. Although Cloudtail made no more comments, she knew he was keeping one eye on her.
“We could try some combat now,” Leafpool suggested after a while. “Run at me and try to get past me.”
“How?” Hollypaw asked.
“Any way you can,” Leafpool told her. “We’ll discuss tactics afterward.”
Hollypaw crouched down and stared at Leafpool. Her gaze flitted to a sapling at the edge of the clearing behind the medicine cat. That was where she would aim. Leafpool was merely an obstacle to avoid. She darted forward, aware that Leafpool was rearing onto her hind legs, ready to bring her weight down on Hollypaw the moment she tried to slip past. Hollypaw saw that the medicine cat was leaning back a little and guessed that her weight was mostly balanced on one side. With lightning speed, she swerved the other way. Leafpool didn’t have a chance to rebalance herself, and she slammed down a mouse-length away from where Hollypaw flashed by.
Hollypaw felt a rush of triumph as she reached the sapling and spun to see Leafpool blinking with surprise. Then a prick of guilt jabbed her. Was she meant to be faster than her mentor?
“That was very good!” Leafpool panted.
“Yes, it was!” Cloudtail was padding over from the other side of the clearing, Cinderpaw on his heels.
“You were so fast!” Cinderpaw complimented her.
“Thanks!” Hollypaw trotted back to Leafpool’s side.
Cloudtail dipped his head toward Leafpool. “Tell me if I’m butting in,” he began, “but I think Cinderpaw and Hollypaw should try training together. Cinderpaw has more energy than a well-fed rabbit, and she has more experience than Hollypaw. But Hollypaw knows how to watch and listen, and she clearly has an instinct for judging her opponent.”
Hollypaw was almost too excited to speak. A real warrior was offering to help with her battle training!
“I don’t see why not,” Leafpool meowed.
Cloudtail flicked his tail. “Cinderpaw, why don’t you show Hollypaw that fighting move we’ve been practicing?”
Cinderpaw led Hollypaw into the center of the clearing. The sunshine flooding through the branches overhead dappled her smoky pelt. “You come at me, and I’m going to try to unbalance you.”
Hollypaw took a quick breath, then threw herself at Cinderpaw. Before she knew what was happening, Cinderpaw had knocked one of her forelegs from under her with a powerful front paw, then tipped her over with a rolling shove from her hind legs.
Hollypaw scrambled to her feet and shook herself. “Wow!” she mewed, impressed. “Can I try?” She wanted to try the move in a slightly different way. As soon as Cinderpaw rushed her, she ducked her head, knocking Cinderpaw’s forepaw from under her with her muzzle. She was so low to the ground that it was easy to roll onto her side from there and thrust her hind legs in a powerful kick that sent Cinderpaw flying.
Cinderpaw scrambled to her paws. “I love the way you used your muzzle instead of your paw! It made your rollover much smoother. Can I try it that way on you?”
“Sure!”
Cinderpaw lunged for Hollypaw, this time using her muzzle to unbalance her, just as Hollypaw had done. She finished the move with a hind kick so much quicker that it sent Hollypaw skidding backward across the clearing.
Hollypaw sat up, panting.
“That was great, you two,” Cloudtail praised them.
Cinderpaw licked her paw and drew it over her ear to wipe off some moss that had caught on it. As she went to lick it again her paw twitched as though she were flicking dirt from between her claws. Hollypaw’s whiskers twitched with amusement; Cinderpaw’s little paw flick was something none of the other cats did.
“What did you think?” Hollypaw asked, turning to Leafpool. But Leafpool did not answer. She was staring at Cinderpaw with a look of startled disbelief. Hollypaw wondered if the apprentice had suddenly changed into a badger, but Cinderpaw was still sitting quietly, washing her ears.
“Leafpool?” Hollypaw mewed again.
Leafpool dragged her gaze from Cinderpaw, her eyes still round with shock. “Y-yes?”
“Are you okay?”
Leafpool shook her head as though to clear it. “Yes, of course. It’s just that Cinderpelt used to flick her paw just like that.” She glanced uneasily back at Cinderpaw, who had finished washing and was circling Cloudtail.
“Will you teach me how to do a back kick?” the gray apprentice begged.
“It’ll be dusk soon,” Cloudtail observed. “I think we should head back to camp.”
Leafpool nodded. “I want to check Millie’s paw while there’s still light.”
The sky was darkening above the trees, and the air was growing chillier. Even so, Hollypaw was sorry to leave the mossy clearing. Her body felt bruised and tired, but her mind was buzzing as she tried to work out how to make the moves she had learned even better.
As she followed Cloudtail and Cinderpaw up the bank and into the trees, Leafpool fell into step beside her. “You fought well. I was really impressed.”
For a moment Hollypaw was thrilled. Joy surged through her paws, making them light as dandelion floss. Then her heart plummeted. She’s never praised me like this for being a medicine cat apprentice.Why wasn’t she as good at remembering herbs as she was at remembering fighting moves?
It will happen!Hollypaw told herself firmly. One day her mind would be as sharp in the medicine den as it was in the mossy clearing. It was just a matter of time. She had chosen to become a medicine cat, and she was not about to let herself or her Clan down.
第六章
第六章
小冬青正在做梦，她梦见育婴室里全都是刺猬。刺猬从巢穴的入口鱼贯而入，把香薇云和她的幼崽粗暴地推到一边，在她周围满是苔藓的窝里住了下来。刺猬身上的尖刺扎着她的脊背，她不安地挪动着身体，想远离那些讨厌的不速之客。
“你们在这里做什么？”她低声嘟囔道，“快点走开！”可是刺猬身上的刺依然狠狠地扎进她的身体。她猛然睁开眼睛，转过身，看见小狮蜷缩在她身边，睡得正香。他看起来就像是从树上掉了下来，皮毛凌乱，全身布满了黑色的刺。
她用前爪戳了戳小狮。“喂！”她轻声叫道，“你身上的刺是从哪儿来的？扎死我啦！”
小狮睁开了琥珀色的双眼。“你说什么？”他喃喃说道，接着打了一个大哈欠。
“你全身都是刺！”小冬青猜想，他一定是跑到巢穴外面去了。“你到底干什么去了？”她问道。
“我睡不着觉，”小狮坦白道，“就去空地上散了散步。”
小冬青一脸惊愕地瞪着他：“我们的麻烦难道还不够多吗？你想让我们都成不了学徒吗？”
“没事的。”小狮辩解道，“除了鼠爪，没有猫看见我。”他坐了起来，用爪子抹了抹脸，“不过，他答应我不说出去。就是他把我推进了荆棘丛，才没让尘毛发现。”
小冬青轻轻地哼了一声——为什么他做什么事情之前不想一想呢？“在其他猫发现之前，我最好帮你把这些刺都弄掉。”
“它们真的……疼死我了。”小狮一边抱怨，一边扭过头，用牙齿把扎在腹部的一根刺拔了下来。
“我去一趟巫医巢穴，找些可以治伤的东西，”小冬青告诉他说，“别让你身上的伤口感染了。”
“那你怎么跟叶池说呢？”
“别担心。我会告诉她，你的窝里有一团荆棘，你一不留神滚到上面去了。”说完，小冬青爬出窝，朝巢穴的入口走去。“你先拔那些够得到的刺吧，”她建议道，“等我回来，我再帮你弄掉剩下的。”快要走出巢穴时，小冬青又想起一件事来，“拔下来的刺，不要到处乱扔。如果小冰或小狐被这些刺扎到了，香薇云会把你的胡须全拔光，把你变成褪了毛的鸟儿！”
小冬青飞快地跑过空地，当她看到这里空无一物时，顿时松了一口气。太阳已经从悬崖上方的树丛后面露出头来，不过整个营地依旧笼罩在阴影中，又暗又冷。小冬青猜想，黎明巡逻队一定已经离开营地了，其他的猫还在各自的窝里睡觉，不到阳光射进山谷，营地一片温暖时，他们是不会醒的。
小冬青到达巫医巢穴，穿过遮住巢穴入口的黑莓丛时，根本没有猫注意到她。叶池不知道去了哪里，她留下的气味已经不新鲜了。小冬青马上来到小松鸦的窝旁。
“感觉好些了吗？”
小松鸦在苔藓上紧紧地蜷成一个小球，好似一团灰色条纹的皮毛。一听到小冬青的说话声，小松鸦立刻睁开眼，抬起头，用自己看不见的蓝眼睛望着她。
“你在这里做什么？你不是被关在育婴室了吗？”
“小狮全身扎满了刺，”小冬青解释道，“我需要一些东西，防止他的伤口感染。”
小松鸦的眼神里满是困意，但还是点了点头，走向巢穴后方。“我身上的剐擦伤，都是叶池用羊蹄叶治好的，”他说，“你得自己找，叶池去外面采荨麻了。”
“好的。”小冬青赶快跑到了储存草药的地方，“你能想起它的味道吗？”
“是一种刺鼻的气味，”小松鸦抬起自己的鼻子闻了闻，“它应该就在前面的那几堆草药里。”他告诉小冬青。
小冬青看着那一排排叶子和种子堆，顿时傻了眼。前面有两堆绿色的，一堆的颜色比另一堆要深。她首先闻了闻颜色深的那堆。“这种东西有一种特别甜腻的味道。”她回头对小松鸦说。
“羊蹄叶并不难闻，”小松鸦告诉她，“只是味道有些浓烈。”
小冬青闻了闻另一堆，眼睛眯了起来。这味道实在太刺鼻了。她马上用嘴叼了一些，回到小松鸦身边。
“就是它。”小松鸦说。
入口的黑莓丛沙沙作响，小冬青吓得跳了起来。
叶池回来了，她的嘴里小心翼翼地衔着一捆荨麻，那锯齿状的叶子上依旧闪着点点露水。她把荨麻扔在地上，看着小冬青：“你起得很早嘛。”她注意到了小冬青身边的那堆羊蹄叶。“你弟弟恢复得很好，”她说，“他已经不需要任何治疗了，只需要休息。”
“我不是要给他用，”小冬青解释道，“小狮被自己窝里的一团荆棘扎伤了。”
叶池惊讶地睁大眼睛，问道：“那你怎么知道要用羊蹄叶呢？”
小冬青不知所措地望着她，心想，是小松鸦告诉我的。
这时小松鸦说：“上次你用这种草药给我治病时，她记住了它的气味。”
小冬青把尾巴在小松鸦的腹部上蹭了蹭，以示感激。她并不想让叶池认为自己比小松鸦聪明，她只是想让叶池知道，自己足以成为一名优秀的巫医。
“干得好，小冬青！”叶池说。听了这话，小冬青从头到尾巴都暖融融的。她告诉自己，总有一天，她会分辨出各种各样的草药，再也不必遮遮掩掩了。
“让我教你怎么上药。”叶池对她说。她蹲伏在羊蹄叶堆上方，挑出一片叶子，放进嘴里咀嚼。等到嚼烂之后，她伸出爪子，把叶子嚼烂后产生的汁液舔到她的皮毛上，然后把叶子的残渣吐了出来。“舔的时候一定要用力，让汁液更好地渗到伤口中。”她说道，“一开始可能会很痛，不过只要你按照要求做，之后的过程就没那么痛了。”
小冬青仔细地观察着。
“你离开之前，要不要试一试？”叶池问她。
“我想我应该回到小狮身边去了。”小冬青说，她想在黛西和香薇云发现自己不在之前赶回育婴室，“他现在疼得要死。”
“我可以过去给他治疗。”叶池说。
小冬青正要说“可以”，但是她犹豫了。她想，如果叶池看到小狮身上被扎了那么多刺，他们就要有麻烦了。“谢谢，不过你一定还有别的事情要做吧，”她说，“如果需要帮助，我会再来找你。”
“好的。”叶池点了点头。这时小冬青突然注意到，叶池那琥珀色的眼眸里闪现了一丝光亮——她似乎读懂了小冬青的心思。关于小狮的伤情，难道她真的猜到了自己没有说实话？
不过小冬青不愿再多想了，她叼起羊蹄叶，快速跑出了巫医巢穴。当她看到营地里变得一片忙碌时，心情立刻沉重下来。黛西已经离开育婴室，走到一处初升太阳的微弱光线照到的地方，晒着太阳。她的孩子们在学徒巢穴外相互依偎着，睡眼惺忪。他们看起来就像一团团柔软的云朵，莓爪的乳白色皮毛、榛爪和鼠爪的灰白相间的皮毛交织在一起。炭爪、蜜爪和罂粟爪正在半边石旁交谈着。看着她们修长而布满斑块的身体，小冬青不禁想起了她们的妈妈栗尾。栗尾此刻正与刺掌和蛛足一起，翻找着猎物堆，想要找些昨天没吃完的猎物果腹。
他们没理由认为我出现在这儿是没经过同意的。小冬青告诉自己。她大踏步穿过空地，尽量自然地跟学徒们打着招呼。她故意没看刺掌和蛛足。每迈一步，她的爪子都感觉疼痛，不过她依旧把尾巴高高地翘起，装作一副轻松悠闲的样子，朝育婴室走去。
一路上，没有猫来找她的碴儿。小冬青走到入口，钻了进去，紧紧叼着那束羊蹄叶。
香薇云的声音吓了她一跳：“你去哪儿了？”
小冬青的羊蹄叶落在地上，看向小狮。小狮身上的刺几乎全部不见了，皮毛也平顺了许多，好像他一整晚在自己的窝里休息得很好似的。小冬青顿时松了口气。
“我告诉香薇云，我窝里那团荆棘的事情了。”小狮急忙插嘴说。
“我去拿了一些羊蹄叶，给小狮治伤用，”小冬青跟香薇云解释道，“对不起，我事先没给你说，只是不想吵醒你。”
“你应该一直等到我醒来，获得我的批准才可以出去。不过我想，你当时应该只有一种想法，那就是救治你的哥哥。所以，我也就不再批评你了。”香薇云叹了口气说，“不过那团荆棘是怎么混进育婴室的，恐怕只有星族才知道了！”她看了看在自己肚子旁边扭动着的两只幼崽说，“你们必须小心一些，不要把任何东西挂在皮毛上，不要带进育婴室里，这里还有很多刚出生的幼崽呢。”
“我们以后会格外小心的。”小冬青保证道。她马上衔起羊蹄叶，跑到小狮身边。“所有的刺都拔出来了吗？”她轻声问道。
“只有我耳朵后面的一根没拔出来。”小狮轻声回答。
小冬青在小狮的耳朵后面舔了舔，找到了那根刺。她用牙齿咬住它，拔了下来。
“我把拔下来的刺都藏在巢穴边缘的荆棘丛里了。”他用尾巴指了指说。小冬青走到那里，把刚刚拔下来的刺与其他的刺放在一起。
“待会儿我们可以把这些刺弄到外面去。”小冬青说，“让我看看，你身上最严重的伤口在哪里？”小狮扭过身子，用鼻子指了指腹部上的一处痛点，小冬青便咀嚼起一片羊蹄叶子来。
羊蹄叶子嚼起来有一股臭味。“好恶心啊！”小冬青一边嚼一边皱起鼻子。她伏下来，按照叶池教她的方法，把嚼出的汁液抹进小狮的伤口。当她使劲用舌头舔舐伤口时，小狮的身体抖了一下，痛得尖叫起来。
小冬青惊慌地跳到一旁。
“你们两个在打架吗？”香薇云问道，不过视线没从她的幼崽身上移开。
“没有啊，”小狮说，“只是羊蹄叶的汁液让我感到疼而已。”
小冬青感到自己的尾巴在颤抖，她实在干不来！看着小狮痛苦的样子，她不由心中乱成一团。不过她真的不想让他身上任何一处伤口感染，如果想成为巫医，就必须适应各种治疗病猫的方法。
她开始咀嚼另外一片羊蹄叶，味道依旧令她作呕。然后她又慢慢地将汁液涂抹在另外一处伤口上。小狮这次只是稍微躲了一下，但还是把小冬青吓了一跳。
“对不起啊！”她尖声说。这时她才想起来叶池给自己的建议：一开始可能会非常痛，不过如果按照要求做，之后的过程就不那么痛了。她一边回忆着叶池的话，一边继续强迫自己无视小狮的大叫声和恶心的羊蹄叶的味道。
“感觉好多了。”小冬青处理完最后一处伤口，小狮终于长舒了一口气。小冬青也如释重负地坐在了地上。
香薇云抬起眼睛看着他们：“你俩能去猎物堆那里找点儿吃的吗？黛西就在空地上呢。我敢保证她会一直盯着你们，不会让你们再胡闹的。”
小冬青非常高兴，终于可以离开育婴室而不必违反禁令了。她飞也似的跑到空地上，小狮也紧跟着她跑了出去。可是羊蹄叶的味道破坏了她的食欲，她跟着小狮来到猎物堆前，却一点胃口都没有。
鼠爪、榛爪和莓爪依然在各自窝前平坦的草地上坐着。鼠爪一直躁动不安，他兴奋地说：“黑莓掌告诉我，对我们的考核在日高之后进行。”
小冬青竖起了耳朵。黛西的这几只幼崽已经参加训练快四个月了，不久后就会成为真正的武士了。
“那谁会来考核我们呢？”莓爪焦急地问道。
“黑莓掌不告诉我。”鼠爪回答。
“会不会是火星呢？”榛爪兴奋地甩了甩尾巴。
“可千万别是他！”莓爪喘了一大口气说，“如果他在旁边，训练的内容我会全都忘记的！”
“我们能一起去狩猎吗？”榛爪问道。
“蛛足说，这由我们自己决定！”鼠爪报告道。
蜡毛和白翅在附近交谈着。蜡毛偶然间听到了学徒们的谈话，胡须兴奋地抖了几下。“如果你们几个够聪明的话，还是分开行动更好！”他大声说，“如果你们单独去的话，可能只会吓跑猎物。可要是你们仨一齐出动，所到之处，所有动物都会被你们吓跑的！”
白翅用她那雪白的胡须碰了碰蜡毛，说道：“蜡毛，别取笑他们了！你不是也做过学徒嘛。你一定不会忘记，自己在第一次考核时有多紧张吧！”
溪儿快步走出荆棘通道，嘴里叼着三只老鼠。小冬青看着她把新捉回来的猎物扔在了猎物堆上。
小狮找到了一只猎物，狼吞虎咽地吃了起来。“谢谢你，溪儿。”他嘴巴塞得满满的，含混着说。
溪儿用她那双灰色的眼睛温柔地看着小狮。“你慢点儿吃！”她说，“在山区时我们都说，细嚼慢咽有助于长寿呢。”
小狮惊讶地望着她。“好的。”他点了点头，开始仔细地咀嚼起来。
小冬青看着这只来自山区的猫转身，用舌头把自己棕色的皮毛舔平顺。小冬青一直都很喜欢溪儿说话的声音——与其他来自森林的猫相比，她说话的声音低沉，而且听起来有些怪异。
这时，营地入口传来一声吼叫，接着是一阵恐惧的嘶嘶声。小冬青辨认出，这是蜜爪的声音。
蜜爪的老师沙风朝入口通道的方向飞跑过去。“蜜爪？”她喊道，“怎么了？”
小冬青屏住了呼吸。难道营地被袭击了？
紧接着，她听到了友好的寒暄声。沙风从荆棘通道返回了，后面跟着河族的巫医蛾翅和她的学徒柳爪。蜜爪则跟在她们后面，尾巴尴尬地在地上扫来扫去。
“不好意思，”蜜爪说道，“我没认出来的是谁，只闻到了河族的气息。”
沙风用一条古老的育婴室谚语安慰自己的学徒：“吓跑一只鼠，总好过迎来一只獾。”
看到柳爪，小冬青的心像鱼一般欢跳起来。她曾见过这位巫医一次。那次，蛾翅带来了一些珍贵的猫薄荷，那是从河族领地的一处隐秘之地摘来的。收到这份珍贵礼物时，叶池感到异常惊喜。因为雷族领地上靠近废弃的两脚兽巢穴的猫薄荷，被一场霜冻全部毁掉了。小冬青曾跟柳爪聊过天——她那时候很想了解其他族群的情况。不过这次她想问问，如何才能成为一名巫医学徒。
当沙风去找叶池时，小冬青蹦蹦跳跳地穿过空地，朝柳爪跑去。“你好！”她有些害羞地打了声招呼。
刚才还是一脸愁云的柳爪，顿时开心起来：“你好啊，小冬青！你现在该叫冬青爪了吧？”
“还没有，”小冬青告诉她，“你怎么来雷族了？”河族猫没带任何东西，或许她们是来取用猫薄荷交换的其他东西的。
柳爪抖了抖自己的胡须。“我做了个梦，”她说，“我想让叶池帮我来解梦。”
“蛾翅不能解梦吗？”小冬青有些疑惑地问道。
柳爪看看自己的爪子，说：“蛾翅建议我们来听听叶池怎么说。”
“你梦到了什么？”
柳爪的表情突然严肃起来：“等我告诉叶池后，才能告诉你。”
“蛾翅，柳爪！”叶池出现在巫医巢穴入口，“欢迎你们！快进来！”她把入口处的黑莓拨到一旁，让蛾翅和柳爪从她身边走了进去。黑莓丛的叶子晃了几下，又恢复了原位，小冬青满眼的惆怅。突然，她感觉到有东西推着自己的腹部，转身一看，原来是小狮。他正用脑袋轻轻地顶着她。
“你为什么傻呆呆地盯着她们？简直像一只迟钝的兔子！”小狮说道，“蛾翅和柳爪以前又不是没来过。”
小冬青再也不想掩饰自己的愿望了。“我想当一名巫医！”她脱口而出。
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 13
Jaypaw dawdled over his meal, taking minuscule bites from the mouse he had plucked from the fresh-kill pile.
Brook padded past with Stormfur. “No appetite today?”
“Not much,” Jaypaw muttered.
He went back to nibbling at his meal as the two warriors took fresh-kill from the pile and settled at the edge of the clearing. He was in no hurry to begin his apprentice duties. Still confined to camp—daysafter Crowfeather had brought him home—he was bored with clearing out dens and running errands. This morning he was supposed to clean out Graystripe and Millie’s den. The new arrivals had recovered enough to eat in the clearing with the rest of the Clan.
“Nice catch, Dustpelt!” Graystripe called out from below Highledge, where he was sharing a rabbit with Millie.
“Thanks,” Dustpelt meowed back.
Jaypaw liked Graystripe. He was easygoing and good-humored, though still guarded when there were lots of cats around. Millie was all right too, for a kittypet. Still, he wasn’t looking forward to clearing the soiled moss from their den while they went out on their first patrol. It wasn’t fair; they would be out exploring the forest while he would be scrabbling through their stinky bedding.
He took another tiny bite from his mouse. He could sense Brightheart watching him from where she sat by the halfrock. She was sharing tongues with Dustpelt, but her gaze kept flicking back to him. He could feel her frustration like thorns in his pelt. What did she expect of him? Was he supposed to be happy about cleaning out dens instead of learning how to hunt and fight? Even though he was confined to camp, there was enough space in the clearing for her to teach him some battle moves. But she seemed interested only in making him run around looking after his Clanmates. Was that all she thought he was good for?
“Hurry up, Jaypaw,” Brightheart called. “Once you finish Graystripe’s den, I promised Ferncloud that you’d play with her kits while she went hunting. She hasn’t been out of the camp for two moons.”
Jaypaw lashed his tail. “And when am Igoing to get to hunt?”
“Once you’ve learned to serve your Clan without complaining,” Brightheart told him mildly.
Jaypaw heard an amused purr rumble in Dustpelt’s throat. “You’ll have to take him out eventually, Brightheart,” he meowed. “Before he drives us all crazy.”
“It was Firestar who confined him to camp,” Brightheart pointed out.
“I’m sure you could persuade Firestar that Jaypaw needs to be out training,” Dustpelt argued.
Jaypaw’s heart skipped with hope.
“There’s more to being a warrior than hunting and fighting,” Brightheart replied.
The thorn barrier rattled. The dawn patrol had returned. Whitewing, Ashfur, Lionpaw, Spiderleg, and Mousepaw carried the scent of the forest temptingly into the clearing. And yet Jaypaw could sense anxiety among them; Ashfur was lashing his tail while Whitewing padded in agitated circles.
Brambleclaw swished out through the entrance of the warriors’ den, followed by Squirrelflight. “Anything to report?”
“ShadowClan is marking every tree along the border,” Ashfur replied, his mew sharp with anger.
Jaypaw felt an explosion of energy as Graystripe leaped to his paws. “Is ShadowClan up to their old tricks already?” the warrior spat. “If any of them set paw on ThunderClan territory while I’m on patrol, I’ll claw their ears off.”
“They haven’t crossed the new border yet,” Brambleclaw informed him. “So we’ve decided to ignore them.”
Graystripe snorted. “Ignore ShadowClan? You may as well try to ignore the wind and the rain—it won’t stop you from getting cold and wet!”
“That may be how it was in the forest,” Brambleclaw meowed. “But it’s not necessarily the best thing to do here.”
“Things are different since the Great Journey,” Squirrelflight added.
“Not so different that we should trust ShadowClan!” Ashfur growled. “Some cats will always try to take what another cat has.”
Jaypaw sensed his mother flinch, as though stung. What did Ashfur mean, exactly?
“ShadowClan will always push for more than is rightfully theirs!” Dustpelt agreed.
Jaypaw’s whiskers quivered. He knew there had been dark mutterings about Firestar’s decision to give up territory to ShadowClan, but now the warriors were openly agreeing with Graystripe. Shouldn’t they be loyal to their leader first?
“Firestar has decided to ignore ShadowClan for now.” Brambleclaw kept his voice steady, but Jaypaw could tell he was watching and listening for the slightest sign of rebellion among his Clanmates.
Pebbles clattered from Highledge as Firestar leaped down into the clearing. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Graystripe feels that we shouldn’t ignore ShadowClan,” Brambleclaw replied.
“I think Graystripe’s right,” Firestar meowed.
Jaypaw waited for his father to object, but Brambleclaw remained silent.
“Graystripe may not have been in our new home for long,” Firestar went on. “But he knows ShadowClan of old. I agree with him—ShadowClan will keep pressing on our borders unless we make a stand.”
“That’s not what you said before the Gathering,” Brambleclaw meowed quietly.
“But at the Gathering, ShadowClan was obviously looking for trouble,” Firestar reminded him. “I didn’t want to overreact before, but now I think we need to do something to show them we are ready to defend our borders.”
Why didn’t you tell me this before?Jaypaw felt the question burning in his father’s mind.
“Are we going to fight them?” Ashfur asked.
“Not unless we have to,” Firestar replied.
“But we must increase patrols along the border,” Dustpelt put in.
Firestar nodded. “And we’ll start matching ShadowClan’s markers, tree for tree. If they think they can intimidate us into giving up more territory, they are wrong.”
“Very well, Firestar,” Brambleclaw meowed. “Stormfur and Brook can mark the trees along the ShadowClan border while Squirrelflight leads the hunting patrol as planned.”
Dustpelt shifted uneasily. “Surely it would be better to let Squirrelflight’s patrol mark the ShadowClan border? Their scent markers are pure ThunderClan and will send a stronger message to ShadowClan.”
Jaypaw felt resentment flash from Stormfur; he half expected the gray warrior to lunge at Dustpelt and rake his flank with thorn-sharp claws. But Brook got to her paws before Stormfur could react.
“There is truth in Dustpelt’s words,” she conceded.
“But ShadowClan must know by now that you and Stormfur are ThunderClan,” Whitewing argued.
“In a battle over boundaries, it is better to make things as clear as possible,” Ashfur meowed.
An uncomfortable silence hung in the hollow until Firestar decided, “Squirrelflight will lead her patrol to mark the ShadowClan border. Stormfur and Brook can hunt.”
As the patrols assembled, Jaypaw gulped down the rest of his meal and got to his paws. He didn’t want to watch his Clanmates head out into the forest, while he wished he could go with them. He might as well get Graystripe’s den cleaned. He scanned the camp for Brightheart and found her with Leafpool outside the medicine cat’s den.
“Where shall I get clean moss if I can’t leave the camp?” he demanded, interrupting them. He turned to Leafpool. “Have you got any to spare?” He knew she kept clean bedding in case of injured cats.
“There’s some inside my den,” Leafpool told him. “Help yourself. Hollypaw’s out looking for borage. She can fetch more moss when she gets back.”
Brightheart’s pelt bristled as he brushed past her, and he heard her whisper to Leafpool, “I don’t think I’m making him very happy so far. I don’t know how to get through to him.”
How about realizing that having one eye doesn’t make you so much better than me?
The clean moss was easy to sniff out, piled at one side of the cave. Jaypaw picked up a large wad in his jaws. The fresh, grassy taste reminded him of his adventure into WindClan territory. He may have ended up in the lake, but at least for one morning he had been free.
Before he reached the trailing brambles at the entrance to Leafpool’s den, he heard Firestar’s hushed mew outside. Brightheart had gone, and Firestar was talking to Leafpool. Jaypaw dropped his moss and pricked his ears.
“I need you to share tongues with StarClan,” Firestar meowed softly to the medicine cat.
“You are worried about Graystripe,” Leafpool guessed.
“I have to know who ThunderClan’s rightful deputy is,” Firestar explained. “Vigil or no vigil, Graystripe was still alive when I appointed Brambleclaw.”
Leafpool paused. “Are you prepared for any answer they give?”
“Graystripe’s my friend. I owe him so much. But Brambleclaw is a brave and loyal warrior.” Firestar sighed. “Whatever StarClan says, a decision must be made.”
“What if StarClan has no answer for you?”
“Then I will do what I think is best for the Clan.”
“I’ll visit the Moonpool,” Leafpool promised.
Jaypaw’s whiskers twitched with curiosity. He had heard about the Moonpool. It had always sounded so mysterious—a place where only medicine cats visited to share tongues with StarClan. Would Hollypaw get to go with Leafpool tonight?
As Firestar headed away, Jaypaw recognized Hollypaw’s quick step hurrying toward the medicine den. She halted beside Leafpool. “Are these the right leaves?”
Jaypaw smelled the familiar tang of borage.
“Yes,” Leafpool purred. “Well done, Hollypaw.”
“I knew I’d get it right in the end,” Hollypaw mewed happily.
Jaypaw picked up his wad of moss and nosed his way out through the brambles.
“You took your time,” Leafpool commented. Did she suspect that he had overheard his conversation with Firestar? If she did, she gave no sign. “Hollypaw,” she mewed, turning to her apprentice, “you’ll have to sort these leaves yourself. Make sure you store only the undamaged ones. Damaged leaves will rot before they dry.”
“Won’t you be here to help?” Hollypaw asked.
“I have to go to the Moonpool,” Leafpool explained.
“But you don’t have to leave now. It’s not even sunhigh.”
“Moonhigh is early this season,” Leafpool explained. “I want to make sure I’m there in good time.”
“What if a cat needs treatment?’ Hollypaw mewed anxiously.
“You’ll be fine. Brightheart knows a lot of the herbs and berries,” Leafpool soothed. “Ask her if you need help.”
“Could you show me which herb is which one more time?” Hollypaw pleaded.
“Okay,” Leafpool agreed. “But then I must go.”
The two cats disappeared inside the medicine den, leaving Jaypaw by himself. His mind was buzzing. He wasn’t going to stay in the camp cleaning out bedding all morning. If Leafpool was going to the Moonpool, he was going to follow her.
He carried the moss across the clearing and deposited it outside Graystripe’s den. Then he headed back toward Leafpool’s den, as if he were going to fetch some more, except this time he hurried straight past the entrance and slipped into the clump of brambles beside it. This was a corner of the hollow too overgrown to be used for sleeping or storing fresh-kill, and Jaypaw knew that the rock wall behind had crumbled enoughto make it possible to climb to the top. This was the fast route down from the forest that Brambleclaw had used when the patrol had discovered the trapped fox. It was steep, but Jaypaw hoped he could use it to get out of the camp without any cat noticing.
His heart pounding, he plunged through the brambles until he reached the cliff. Sniffing and feeling with his paws, he reached up and dug his claws into a bush rooted a tail-length up the stone. He hauled himself free of the bramble bush, then sniffed for the next hold. Little by little, grasping tussocks of grass for pawholds, he fought his way up, praying that he didn’t give himself away by sending loose stones clattering down into the camp. At last a fresh breeze ruffled his ears. He had reached the top of the hollow. Digging his claws into the soft grass, he dragged himself over the edge of the cliff.
Following the slope of the forest, he headed down the steep bank that led to the camp entrance. On familiar ground now, he stopped a fox-length from the bottom and wriggled backward into the bracken.
A moment later Leafpool came pattering over the forest floor. Jaypaw let her pass, then scampered after her, keeping to one side so that he was never directly behind her. The trees were a good shield, and he wove between them, following his instinct as much as his whiskers. The scent of WindClan soon began to taint the air. Leafpool was heading toward the hilly moorland. But she did not cross the border; instead she veered toward the sun and kept going until the land grew steeper and the trees began to thin.
Jaypaw heard a stream and followed Leafpool’s scent trail as it turned off the soft grass and onto the jagged boulders that lined the tumbling water. He dropped back a little, shivering in the sharpening breeze. There was less vegetation here to shield him. He would have to depend on the camouflage of his striped pelt against the stony ground. At least the sound of water disguised his stumbling steps. The rocks beneath his paws rose and fell unevenly, and he had to slow down. Fortunately Leafpool’s scent remained strong and steady.
Suddenly his paws started to recognize the path, and images from his dream flooded his mind. He was trekking through the same narrow valley he had visited in his sleep—which meant that he knew what it looked like. He pictured the rocks that lined his path, sharp as fox teeth. Ahead, he knew that a stream danced down the mountainside, sparkling in the sunlight. He was following Leafpool to its source, and, with a prickle of excitement, he realized that its source must be the Moonpool
Stones rattled in front of him, and Jaypaw stopped. He guessed that Leafpool was climbing the steep rocks that led up to the ridge. He waited until the noise had ceased and he was sure she had disappeared over the top. Then he followed, scrabbling from rock to rock, grazing his pads on the sharp granite.
Out of breath, he stopped at the top. He shivered; the setting sun must be blocked by the surrounding rocks. He was at the brink of a hollow; Leafpool’s scent drifted up, mingled with new smells of damp stone, dusty lichen, and water, fresh and sharp with the smell of the mountains. It trickled and splashed, echoing off encircling stone.
As he padded cautiously forward, he realized there were other cats brushing against him, first one side, then the other, unbalancing him.
Stop pushing!He shoved back, stumbling when he found only air around him.
Voices whispered around the hollow.
“They have come.”
“We must hurry. The moon is rising.”
Who else is here?
Jaypaw tasted the air, but he could scent only Leafpool. Steadying his trembling tail, he listened to figure out where she was. The enclosing rocks amplified her breath as it rippled the water beneath her muzzle. He knew from its soft rhythm that she was sleeping.
Carefully, he followed the slope down toward the pool. The smooth stone beneath his paws was polished and dimpled, worn into a pathway over endless moons by countless paw steps. It led him on until water lapped at his paws with a cool tongue. Then he lay down a fox-length away from where Leafpool slept and closed his eyes.
As soon as his nose touched the Moonpool, stars filled his vision. It was as though great paws had swept him up into the inky sky and freed him among countless blue-white lights.
Far below he could see the starlit slopes of the hollow curving down to the glittering Moonpool. He stared, his breath coming quicker. The hollow was no longer empty but crowded with cats. They lined every ridge, their pelts bathed in moonlight.
StarClan!
He stared harder until he could see every pelt and muzzle clearly. The cats were watching Leafpool, crouching at the water’s edge. He could see himself too, curled up asleep.
I’m watching from outside my body.
Jaypaw scanned the hollow, suddenly aware of cold stone beneath his paws. He was at the top of the ridge now, not the sky.
Leafpool stood and began to greet StarClan like old friends, padding around the slope and stopping to brush muzzles here and there. Jaypaw recognized none of them. They had lived before he was born. Only their Clan scents were familiar. He shrank back into the shadows, where he was sure no cat could see him, and watched.
“Bluestar.” Leafpool dipped her head to a she-cat, broad-faced and round-eyed, with long, pale fur.
“You are welcome, Leafpool,” Bluestar murmured. “We thought you might come.”
Beside her sat a pale tom whose eyes shone with warmth. “It is good to see you again,” he meowed.
“You too, Lionheart,” Leafpool replied.
Bluestar’s eyes sparkled. “You come with good news.”
“Yes, Graystripe is back,” Leafpool purred.
Murmurs of joy rippled around the cats.
“But there is a problem,” Leafpool went on. “Firestar doesn’t know who should be ThunderClan’s deputy. Graystripe and Brambleclaw were both appointed according to the warrior code.”
A deep mew echoed from across the hollow. “Both cats have an equal claim.”
Leafpool jerked her head around. Behind her, a tom with a pelt as dark as the sky flicked his long, thin tail. Jaypaw tasted the air. He was WindClan.
“If Firestar is wise,” mewed the tom, “he will choose the warrior who knows the Clan best.”
“That will be a hard choice, Tallstar,” Bluestar warned the WindClan cat. “One that no leader has ever had to make before.”
Lionheart flicked his tail. “If only we had known that Graystripe was still alive. We could have let Leafpool know.”
“He was in a place too far beyond our seeing,” Bluestar reminded him. “And ThunderClan needed a deputy.”
“Is that why you sent me the vision of thorn-sharp brambles encircling the camp?” Leafpool asked.
“We had to let Firestar know that it was time to appoint one,” Bluestar meowed.
Lionheart nodded. “When we showed you that vision, Brambleclaw was the best warrior to help Firestar protect the Clan.”
Leafpool looked up sharply. “Is he still the best?”
Bluestar and Lionheart exchanged glances but did not answer.
“Do you wish you had not sent the sign?” Leafpool pressed.
“Brambleclaw has done well,” Bluestar reassured her. “He was the right choice. Firestar would have been foolish to go on without a deputy when no cat knew if Graystripe would return.”
“But who should be deputy now?”
“There is no true answer,” Bluestar warned.
Leafpool blinked. “Then the decision is Firestar’s to make?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “But Tallstar is right when he says Firestar must choose the cat who knows the Clan best. He must use his head, not his heart, to reach his decision.”
“Should I tell him this?”
“Tell him only that he must make his own choice.”
Leafpool dipped her head. “I will share this with him,” she promised. She turned away from StarClan and padded back down to the Moonpool.
Jaypaw stared round-eyed at the cats. A well-muscled tom was murmuring something to the she-cat beside him. Jaypaw guessed from his glossy pelt he was RiverClan. A group of thin, lithe cats whispered together in the shadow of a boulder. WindClan?Jaypaw searched the slope, tasting the air, wondering which of the cats were ThunderClan. Then he froze, his paws turning to ice.
A she-cat was staring straight at him. Her fur was long and pale, and her face was broad and lined with old battle scars. Jaypaw could not guess her Clan from her shape. Her eyes sparked with a fierce spirit, and he drew farther back into the shadows. Something told him he should not be spying here.
Leafpool hesitated at the edge of the pool. “Cinderpelt?” she called hopefully, looking at the cats around the hollow, but there was no reply. She blinked, her eyes wistful, before lying down with her paws tucked neatly under her chest. Resting her muzzle beside the water once more, she closed her eyes.
“Jaypaw!” Leafpool’s shocked mew woke him from where he lay on the cold stone. He scrambled to his paws. The pebbles scraped his pads and he stumbled. He was blind again.
Leafpool’s anger flashed against his pelt. “What are you doing here?”
“I-I—”
“This is a place for medicine cats! I came here to share tongues with StarClan!”
“I know.” Jaypaw gulped. “I saw you.”
“You sawme with StarClan?”
“I was watching from the top of the ridge while you were talking to Bluestar and Lionheart.”
Leafpool looked stunned. “You were watching? How?”
“When I closed my eyes, that’s what I dreamed. That’s all.”
Leafpool narrowed her eyes. “What did they say?”
“Bluestar said that Firestar must make his own decision,” Jaypaw mewed. “But he should use his head, not his heart, which I suppose means he should choose—”
“You understood!” Leafpool cut in. Her mew came in a shocked whisper.
Jaypaw was puzzled. Why wouldn’t he understand? Was it because he wasn’t a medicine cat? Or because he was blind?
“How did you find your way here?” Leafpool asked.
Jaypaw sensed wariness prick the medicine cat’s pelt, as though she were afraid of his answer. “I followed you. . . .”
“You followed my scent, do you mean? All the way from the hollow?”
“Partly. But I’d dreamed of the journey before, so I knew how it looked.”
Leafpool gasped.
“I can’t help what I dream!” Jaypaw protested.
Leafpool turned away. “Something extraordinary has happened here.” Her words were little more than a murmur, half spoken to herself, but they echoed off the water. “I just wish I knew what it meant.”
“Why should it mean anything?” Jaypaw mewed. What was so odd about having a dream at the Moonpool? Wasn’t that what it was there for?
“Come,” Leafpool ordered. “We should return to camp.” Briskness masked the confusion flooding from her. She padded up the path to the top of the ridge, and Jaypaw followed. He let her guide him down the rocky slope beyond, though he had a clear enough sense of it now to manage by himself.
“Are you going to tell Firestar everything StarClan said?” he mewed.
“I’ll tell him he must make his own choice about who is deputy.”
“And that’s all?”
“What do you mean?”
“I think Tallstar and Bluestar hinted that Firestar should choose Brambleclaw. He’s the one who knows the Clan best now.” Jaypaw’s nose twitched. He could smell mouse.
“Are you saying that I should influence Firestar’s decision?”
“You’d only be interpreting what they really meant.” The mouse was close. “Isn’t that your duty?”
Jaypaw felt Leafpool’s startled gaze like sunlight on his pelt. “Is that what youwould do?”
“I would do what was best for the Clan.” A pebble moved just in front of his paws. He darted forward and slapped his forepaws down, only to find that the mouse had escaped into its burrow. He lifted his muzzle, disappointed.
Leafpool had stopped. Fear seemed to enfold her like a cloud. Had he done something wrong?
“What’s up?”
“Nothing,” she replied, and padded on.
Jaypaw hurried after her.
“You know, that was pretty amazing what you did back there,” she meowed. Her light tone didn’t hide the anxiety sparking from her—or was it excitement? Why was she so edgy?
Jaypaw shrugged. “Aren’t you supposed to see stuff like that at the Moonpool?”
“But this wasn’t any old dream. You actually entered my dream. You saw what I saw.”
“So?”
“I have entered another cat’s dream only once.”
“When?” Jaypaw asked.
“Feathertail led me into Willowpaw’s dream so that I could tell her where to find catmint,” Leafpool explained. “But Feathertail was already with StarClan. She invited me in. You entered my dream on your own, without the permission or knowledge of StarClan.”
With a shudder Jaypaw remembered the fierce stare of the broad-faced warrior. “Are you sure they didn’t know?”
“They would have told me,” Leafpool meowed.
“Why did you call Cinderpelt’s name?” Jaypaw asked. “Was there something you wanted to ask her?”
“I just wanted to know if she was there,” Leafpool mewed quietly.
“She didn’t answer.”
“No, she didn’t.”
“But she’s dead, right? Where else could she be?”
Jaypaw heard Leafpool’s paw steps halt. She was expectant, anxious; he could feel it like rain in the air. “What did you feel when you saw StarClan?” she asked. “Were you scared?”
“Scared of a bunch of dead cats?”
“They are your warrior ancestors,” she reminded him. “They have seen and heard more than you could ever imagine.”
“Of course they’ve seenmore—I’m blind, remember?”
“You’re not blind in your dreams, Jaypaw. Tell me, apart from the journey to the Moonpool, have you ever dreamed of anything else that has come true?”
Jaypaw shrugged. “Not really. Dreams are just dreams, aren’t they?”
“Not to every cat.”
“Sometimes I dream about when I was very small, traveling through snow,” he confessed. “Is that right? That wasn’t the Great Journey, was it?”
Tension crackled through Leafpool’s fur. “No, the Great Journey was long before you were born. But your . . . your mother did make a long journey with you through the snow when you were very small. You were born outside the hollow, and she had to wait until you were all strong enough to travel.”
Jaypaw could feel Leafpool staring at him, turning something over in her mind, like a fish too huge to be hooked out of the water. “What is it?” he asked.
“I think that you were destined to be a medicine cat,” she meowed.
“Don’t be silly,” Jaypaw retorted. “I’m going to be a warrior.”
“But you entered my dream,” Leafpool pointed out.
Jaypaw’s tail shot up indignantly. “You think I want to be stuck in camp worrying over kits and elders?”
Leafpool bristled. “There’s more to being a medicine cat than that!”
“If there is,” Jaypaw snapped, “let it be some other cat’s destiny! I want to be out in the forest, hunting and fighting for my Clan. You’re just like Brightheart! Always treating me differently just because I’m blind!”
“I’m treating you differently because you can see StarClan in my dreams! I don’t know of any medicine cat with visions as powerful as that.”
But Jaypaw didn’t want to listen anymore. He padded angrily ahead. “I don’t care about having stupid dreams,” he called over his shoulder. “I’m going to be a warrior. Besides, you’ve already got Hollypaw, remember? You can’t have twomedicine cat apprentices!”
第七章
第七章
“巫医？”小狮疑惑地望着小冬青，“为什么啊？”
“除了成为一名武士，还有其他方式可以为自己的族群效力啊！”小冬青直截了当地说。
“可营地里到处都是患病和受伤的猫等着你去治疗，你就得待在营地里了。能去森林里狩猎或玩耍，那多好啊！”小狮的话语里丝毫没有批评的意思，只是有些怀疑。
小冬青不想听关于自己会失去什么的说辞。“但是你想想，我会学到很多东西的，”她说，“我会学到关于草药的各种知识，还会跟星族分享自己的梦境。”她凝视着小狮，期待他能理解自己，“我想不出比这更令我兴奋的事情了。”
“有！跟影族作战就是！”
“可是我希望自己能做跟叶池和柳爪一样的关于星族的梦！”小冬青的声音十分坚定。
“你已经做到了呀！”小狮说着，眼睛里戏谑地闪了几下，“你不是梦到过刺猬嘛！”
“你这个淘气鬼！”小冬青佯装生气地大叫了一声。她轻轻一跃，把小狮推倒在地，他俩打闹了起来。
“你们干什么呢？”松鼠飞严厉的声音传来，吓了小冬青一跳，小狮趁机从她的身下挣脱出来。两只幼崽端坐着，看着自己的母亲。“除了让新鲜猎物堆变得尘土飞扬，你们看起来没什么事可做，那就回育婴室吧！”
“可我还什么东西都没吃呢！”小冬青抗议道。
“那就拿回去吃吧，”松鼠飞回答道，“还有，给香薇云也带些吃的。”
小冬青特别讨厌在育婴室里吃东西。在新鲜的空气里享用猎物，吃起来会更加美味。可是今天她没有反抗。她看到松鼠飞转过身，望着在高石台下歇息的刺掌。
“我希望刺掌仍然记得，正午该由他带领巡逻队出去了。”这只有着火焰般毛色的母猫自言自语道。
“你最好去亲自告诉他，你看起来好像在监视这里所有的猫。”小冬青小声喃喃道。
“你在说什么？”松鼠飞若有所思的目光依旧停在刺掌身上。
“没什么。”小冬青赶紧心虚地说道。
“别忘了给香薇云带吃的。”松鼠飞提醒了她一句，然后就离开了。
小冬青看着自己的母亲，一股叛逆的怒火在心中燃烧：“如果她知道自己的行为有多么扫兴，那该有多好！”
“她只是太忙了，”小狮说，“你清楚她是什么样的猫。”
“或许吧。”小冬青叹了口气说。她知道在这件事上，自己做得并不公平。她有什么理由批评自己的母亲呢？她自己也立志要成为像母亲那样勇敢、忠诚、受族猫尊重的猫啊！“我们回育婴室吧。”
小冬青从猎物堆中拽出溪儿捉到的一只老鼠。小狮则翻出一只比他半个身子还大的画眉，朝育婴室拖去。小冬青猜想，香薇云可能吃不了这么大的猎物，不过她清楚，小狮一旦认定了一件事，就决不会回头。
回到育婴室，小冬青吃掉了那只老鼠，吃之前她还感谢星族赐予食物。吃完之后，她快速地舔了舔爪子和口鼻，然后趴了下来，望着外面空地上的荆棘丛。身边的小狮已经睡着了，香薇云正试着说服小冰和小狐吃下一片自己用牙齿咬下的画眉肉。小冬青眯起眼睛，观察着巫医巢穴入口附近的动静。她想再跟柳爪谈一谈。
终于，黑莓丛一阵抖动，叶池带着蛾翅和柳爪走进了空地。小冬青回头看了看，小狮还在熟睡，香薇云正在忙着照顾幼崽。她蹑手蹑脚地从荆棘屏障下溜出了巢穴，把松鼠飞前一天塞进去的那团叶子拿了出去。我一会儿再放回去。小冬青默默地发个誓，飞快地跑进空地。
“你好！”她跟柳爪打了声招呼。
柳爪的耳朵抽动了几下。她瞧了瞧小冬青，恍惚的眼神变得清澈起来。“嗨！”她回应道。
“叶池帮到你了吗？”
柳爪点了点头说：“现在，如果你还想知道那个梦的话，我可以告诉你了。”
小冬青兴奋地在地上扫了扫尾巴：“是的，请告诉我。”
柳爪开口道：“嗯，我梦见一朵朵云在蓝天上来回飘动，突然，云停了下来。阳光猛烈地照着河族的营地，把植物都晒死了，把每个巢穴都晒得滚烫，热浪滚滚，所有猫都无处可藏。”
小冬青有些胆战：“这是什么意思呢？”
“叶池认为，这是警示我们水源出问题了。不过今年的秃叶季雨水很充足，所以这应该不是旱灾的先兆。她建议我告诉豹星，检查一下营地附近的所有溪流，确保溪水是安全的。”
小冬青向前探了探身子，问道：“你是怎么成为蛾翅的学徒的呢？”
“有一次疾病暴发时，我帮她照顾过一些病猫。”柳爪告诉她，“我愿意做她交给我的每项任务，所以我经常去巫医巢穴帮忙。后来有一天，蛾翅提议我做她的学徒。”
“你一直以来的梦想就是成为巫医吗？”
“没怎么想过，”柳爪承认道，“只是一时的想法罢了。当时我想不到自己除了这个，还能做什么。不过，当一名巫医挺棒的！”
小冬青正想说些赞同她的话，这时蛾翅在远处叫道：“柳爪，我们要走了。”
蛾翅跟叶池蹭了蹭鼻子互相道别，然后朝荆棘通道入口走去。柳爪蹦蹦跳跳追了上去。“再见，小冬青！”她转过头喊道。
小冬青眼看着这两只猫消失在通道里。柳爪的话，让她更坚定了成为叶池学徒的决心。她忘了自己不能随意离开育婴室的规定，飞快地跑到叶池身后，跟着进了她的巢穴。
小松鸦在自己的窝里伸了个懒腰，露出肚子上柔软的灰色皮毛。显然，他睡得很舒服，比上次小冬青来看他时好多了。
叶池问跟在她后面的小冬青：“你要给小狮再带些草药吗？”
小冬青摇摇头。她想问叶池一个问题，可话到了嘴边，却又苦恼地不知道该怎么说才好。
“你怎么了？”
小松鸦翻了个身，抬起头问道：“小冬青，你想做什么？”他的耳朵直直地竖立着，好像意识到，有很重要的事情即将发生。
叶池望着他，轻柔地说：“小松鸦，你回育婴室吧。”
“我的身体康复了吗？”小松鸦坐了起来，问道。
“只要你回去后不再打打闹闹，就没问题。”叶池说，“今晚你就可以睡在自己的窝里啦。”
小松鸦站了起来，向外迈了几步，步子有些不稳，不过他马上找到了平衡，朝黑莓丛覆盖的入口走去。“谢谢你，叶池。”他说。小松鸦那双看不见的眼睛朝小冬青眨了眨，把她吓了一跳。虽然她知道小松鸦看不见，可有时真的感觉小松鸦好像在直视着自己。
“日落时我会过去，检查你的恢复情况。”叶池对他说。
看到小松鸦消失在黑莓丛里，叶池坐了下来，看着小冬青说：“现在告诉我，什么事困扰你了。”
“我没什么困扰的事，”小冬青立刻答道，“不过我有重要的事情问你。”
一道惊异的光芒在叶池的眼中闪过：“什么事？”
小冬青深吸了一口气。“我想做你的学徒！”她说完，神情紧张地等待着叶池的答案。要是叶池不同意，该怎么办？
叶池惊呆了。“我从来没想过……”她停了一会儿，然后轻轻地说，“做一名巫医，肩上的责任非常重大，你会牺牲很多。你不能作战，或者外出巡逻。你甚至不能有伴侣，不能生育后代。”小冬青发现她的眼睛暗了下来，笼罩着一片愁云。在她那双琥珀色的眼眸中，她看到的是后悔吗？没时间去好奇了，小冬青听叶池说道：“你为什么要当一名巫医呢？”
“我想为雷族做贡献。”小冬青告诉她，“如果我成了巫医，就能在族猫生病的时候治疗他们，还能与星族分享我的梦境。”这时，叶池依然满是疑惑地注视着她，于是小冬青接着说，“如果我是武士，我就会给雷族狩猎，并且保护族猫——如果需要，我会为保卫雷族牺牲生命。不过作为武士，我只能用牙齿和爪子去作战。而如果我是巫医，就会用知识和星族赐予的力量来作战。这不是为雷族做贡献的更好方式吗？”她停顿了一会儿。说了这么多，她累得上气不接下气。然后她充满希望地抬头望着叶池。
叶池抽了抽尾巴。“这些理由都很不错，很有说服力。”她表示同意。
小冬青的心激动得怦怦直跳。她这是要同意自己做她的学徒了吗？
“但是，”叶池继续说，“在我做决定之前，必须跟火星谈谈这件事。”
小冬青将信将疑地眨了眨眼，不过紧接着，她又将心里的疑云一扫而光，因为叶池刚才并没有说不同意呀。“谢谢你，叶池！”说完，她转身跑出了叶池的巢穴。她蹦蹦跳跳穿过空地时，心想，叶池一般在做如此重要的决定前，都要找族长谈谈的吧。
她悄悄走进育婴室，看见香薇云已经睡着了，她的幼崽们也暂时安静下来。小狮正拔着那残缺不全的画眉尸体上的羽毛，这些都是垫窝的好材料。
小冬青钻进巢穴时，小松鸦在窝里抬起头问道：“你有什么秘密，非得把我从巫医巢穴里赶走，怕我听见？”
“我要成为她的学徒啦！”小冬青宣布道。
“谁的学徒？”
“当然是叶池。”
小狮抬起头，高兴地问道：“那她同意了吗？”
“这种事，她当然要先和火星说一下啦。”
“你要当一名巫医？”小松鸦一边问，一边有些怀疑地歪了歪自己的脑袋。
“为什么不能呢？”小冬青反问道。
“我很讨厌整天待在巫医巢穴里，那种成天为病猫们担忧、整理草药堆的生活，我更烦。”小松鸦把爪子放在窝里的苔藓上说，“我还是愿意当一名武士，为雷族巡逻、狩猎和战斗！”
小冬青看着自己疯狂又骄傲的弟弟，心想：看来火星也不能阻止他当武士了！
天还没亮，小冬青就醒了。一片昏暗的育婴室里，大家都熟睡着，透出一种舒适而安逸的温暖气息。她躺在窝里，聆听着营地附近湖边的树上传来的猫头鹰的叫声。她实在太兴奋了，睡不着觉。黑莓掌昨晚告诉她，火星将要如期举行命名仪式。
“你表现得非常好，离开育婴室时都经过了批准。”当她在猎物堆里取食物时，黑莓掌说。
小冬青看了看半边石旁大快朵颐的哥哥和弟弟，问道：“那小松鸦呢？”
“别担心，”黑莓掌说，“火星没有忘记小松鸦。”
小冬青在窝里滚了几圈，伸了伸懒腰。今天中午之前，她就会知道自己能否成为叶池的学徒了。她开始想象自己在巫医巢穴里工作的情景：用草药缓解肚子痛，在瘀伤上涂抹药糊，跟叶池一起去森林里采集草药，了解各种草药的名称、气味，以及如何使用等。她想着自己需要掌握的所有知识，身上的毛不由得竖了起来。她闭上眼睛，继续猜想着星族会以怎样的方式在她的梦境里降临，然而在梦中，她却只看见了自己——一位经验丰富的巫医，带领学徒们穿过树林，向他们展示各种各样的植物，教他们叶池曾教给她的所有本领与技能，与他们一起朝着森林深处渐行渐远……
小冬青睁开了眼睛。清晨的阳光正慢慢透过荆棘屏障，照射进来。小狮和小松鸦依然在她身边熟睡着。松鼠飞的窝里散发出陈旧的冰冷的气息。她一定是晚上外出巡逻，然后睡在武士巢穴了。
小冬青坐了起来，伸了伸懒腰。
“你们已经睡醒了吗？”香薇云问道。这位猫后正在喂自己的幼崽，她那浅灰色的皮毛在晨光的映衬下，闪烁着柔和的光芒。
“我太兴奋了，睡不着！”小冬青说。
“如果愿意，你们可以去外面走走。”香薇云说，“黎明巡逻队一会儿就回来了，他们会带回散发着热气的猎物。”
小冰扭动着身子，用圆圆的蓝眼睛注视着小冬青。“今晚你就不会在育婴室睡觉了，对吗？”她问道。
小冬青朝她眨眨眼：“是的，我会在叶池的巢穴里睡觉。”
小狐从妈妈怀里挣脱开来，对小冬青说：“我要和小狮一起去学徒巢穴！”
“再过一段时间，你就可以了。”小冬青向他保证道。
“我实在等不及了！”小狐一边说，一边伸出两只赤褐色的爪子，抓住了小冰那四处乱拍的尾巴，“我真想马上成为武士！”
小冰把自己的尾巴缩回去，问小冬青：“你会回来跟我们讲讲，当学徒是什么感觉吗？”
“当然啦，”小冬青朝两只幼崽的母亲点头示意，“再见，香薇云。”
小狐和小冰一起走出香薇云的窝。
“再见，小冬青。”小冰伸过脑袋，用自己白色的鼻子碰了碰小冬青的脸颊。
“再见，小冰。”小冬青弯下身子，舔了舔小狐两耳中间的部位，“别闯祸。”
一阵突如其来的伤感涌上心头，小冬青转身走出育婴室。
空地上布满了闪闪发光的露珠，灌木丛和石头围墙底部的裂缝，都被薄雾覆盖住了。小冬青先伸伸前爪，又伸伸后爪，扭扭腰，享受着森林里清新空气带来的愉悦感。
“早上好！”坐在武士巢穴前面的松鼠飞朝小冬青打着招呼。松鼠飞抬起一只爪子，准备清洗耳朵后面的皮毛，黑莓掌坐在她的旁边。
“嗨！”小冬青转身回应道，跑到他们身边。
黑莓掌自豪地说：“今天是你的好日子啊！”他用鼻子碰了碰小冬青的脑袋。
“当然啦。”小冬青点点头，她竭力不去想，自己差点儿就失去了成为学徒的机会。
这时，荆棘屏障沙沙作响，黎明巡逻队回来了。云尾出现在营地入口，后面跟着他的学徒炭爪和武士暴毛。他们个个都带回了猎物。
当他们放下各自的猎物时，黑莓掌走了过去。他那暗棕色的虎斑皮毛沾上了树枝上滴落的露水，在阳光下闪着晶莹的光。“没发生什么事情吧？”他问道。
“风族和影族都在边界上留下了新的气味标记，但还没有猫擅闯边界。”云尾汇报道。
小冬青注意到，松鼠飞警觉地竖起了耳朵。
“你认为这会惹来麻烦吗？”黑莓掌问道。
云尾若有所思地说：“不会的。不过，好像他们一直都在提醒我们，他们正时刻关注着边界上的动静。”
“你是说，他们正对我们的领地虎视眈眈吗？”
“不是这样的。”云尾纠正道，“不过，他们以前从来没对这种事如此上心。”
“我们应该加大巡逻力度吗？”蜡毛钻出武士巢穴，把小冬青吓了一跳。他朝云尾和黑莓掌的方向走去，松鼠飞跟在他身后，只剩下小冬青留在原地。
“我们先不谈它了。”黑莓掌说道。
“这不该由火星做出决定吗？”蜡毛说。
黑莓掌用犀利的眼光看着这位淡灰色皮毛武士，然而蜡毛的眼神里并没有流露出任何不敬，只有对未来的担忧。
黑莓掌点了点头，说：“当然，我会找他谈一谈的。不过，如果影族和风族这么做的目的仅仅是为了挑衅，那么我们就不应该采取过激行动。”
松鼠飞看了看云尾：“你们重新做了标记了吗？”
云尾点了点头。
小冬青感觉有什么东西在蹭自己的皮毛，原来是小狮。小松鸦也跟着他离开育婴室，来到了这里。
“发生了什么事？”小狮问道。
“黎明巡逻队回来了，正在汇报情况。”小冬青告诉他。此刻，她的脑子里仍想着影族和风族正步步逼近边界的消息，感到很忧虑。不过，有些事情只有武士们才能出面解决。如果她成了巫医，就必须让自己不被这些事情干扰，全身心为雷族的同伴服务。
她环视了一圈空地，看到白翅、蛛足和刺掌正在半边石旁分食一只鸽子。蜜爪和罂粟爪在自己巢穴外的草地上玩耍打闹。她正看着的时候，这两位学徒突然停下来，一齐抬头望着高石台。小冬青循着她们的目光看了上去，顿时紧张得四肢都刺痛起来。
火星从自己巢穴边的落石堆上一跃而下。沙风行动敏捷地跟在他身后。火星对全体雷族成员大声说道：“请所有能独立狩猎的猫，在高石台下集合！现在，是我兑现跟我们族群的三只幼崽承诺的时候。”小冬青的心紧张得都要跳出来了。
她看了一眼自己的两个兄弟。这个伟大的时刻——他们开始为全族效力的时刻——终于来到了！
黑莓掌和松鼠飞快步朝他们跑来。松鼠飞迅速把小狮两耳之间的皮毛弄平整。
“你准备好了吗？”黑莓掌的眼睛闪烁着亮光。
“准备好了！”小冬青说。
“好的。”黑莓掌说完，走到桦落旁边坐了下去。
这是不是意味着，桦落会成为老师呢？小冬青心想。
松鼠飞舔了舔小松鸦的脸颊。“祝你们好运。”说完，她走到了黑莓掌身边。
鼠毛从长老巢穴里走出来，看起来腿脚不太灵活。她用尾巴牵引着双目失明的长尾。蜜爪、罂粟爪和莓爪聚在一起，小声谈论着什么。白翅、蛛足和刺掌从半边石那里走来，留下一堆食物残渣。不一会儿，整个雷族的猫全聚在了一起，目光都注视着火星。这个早晨，小冬青第一次觉得自己心里既兴奋，又焦急。黑莓掌、松鼠飞、火星，以及整个族群的期待，像獾掌一样，重重地落在了自己的肩头。
小冬青感觉一只软软的鼻子推了推她的后背。一回头，看见叶池正把她推往场地的中央。她盯着叶池的眼睛，不过这双眼并没有暗示接下来会发生什么。叶池只是轻轻眨了眨，好像在鼓励她勇敢前行。
小冬青挤到了香薇云和黛西中间，停下了。小狮和小松鸦也挤到了她的身边。小冬青感觉，自己的身子紧贴着黛西的肚子，不停地颤抖着。这位乳白色皮毛的猫后温柔地望着她，用尾巴轻柔地抚摩着她黑色的皮毛。
“我把大家召集过来，是有重要的事情要宣布，这也是我最喜欢的任务之一，”火星说，“小冬青、小狮和小松鸦已经满六个月了。”
这样看来，小松鸦也在学徒命名仪式的名单上了。
“他们度过了一段勇于冒险的幼崽时光，”火星的话语里带着一丝戏谑的语气，“不过我想，他们已经从中学到了很多有价值的东西，我相信，他们做好了成为学徒的准备。”
雷族全体成员一致欢呼，表示赞成。等到大家安静下来，火星接着喊道：“小狮！”
这只金色皮毛、棕色条纹的虎斑幼崽向前一跃，兴奋地抖了抖身子。
“从今天起，直到你获得武士名字为止，你就叫狮爪了。”
这个名字开始在莓爪和其他学徒中间叫开了。火星抬头看了看阴云密布的天空，说道：“我已经请星族照顾并指点你，让你得到成为武士所必需的力量与勇气。”
狮爪那双闪闪发亮的眼睛注视着自己的族长。
“蜡毛。”火星叫道。
这只淡灰色的公猫抬起头，眼睛熠熠闪光地走上前去。他的尾巴轻轻地甩来甩去，掩饰不住内心的激动。
“你之前是桦落的老师，把他训练成了我们雷族的荣耀。”火星说，“现在，雷族需要你再次证明，你是一位伟大的老师。”
蜡毛低头表示敬意。火星接着说：“我相信，你会把自己掌握的所有知识都传授给狮爪，并帮他成为令全族骄傲的一名武士。”
“我不会让雷族失望的。”蜡毛郑重地承诺道。
狮爪急忙上前，抬起鼻子，与自己的新老师相互碰鼻致意。
“小冬青。”火星叫道。
小冬青突然不紧张了，她快步走到空地中央，在火星的身旁停下了脚步。
火星的胡须抖了几下，说道：“从今天起，直到你获得武士名字那天为止，你就叫冬青爪了。”
炭爪带领大家欢呼着：“冬青爪！冬青爪！”
冬青爪注视着所有学徒，他们都在大声叫着自己的新名字。此刻莓爪和榛爪看起来是那么高大强壮。在育婴室里，她比小冰和小狐大，现在，她已成为学徒巢穴里最小的了。她的心咚咚作响，好似奔跑时爪子拍打在森林地面上的声音。她这才想起来：我有可能不在学徒巢穴里睡觉，而是在巫医巢穴！
“叶池。”火星叫道。
是的！冬青爪感觉到自己突然变得轻盈无比，她甚至害怕一阵微风会把自己吹上树去。她终于要成为一名巫医学徒啦！
叶池走上前去，在冬青爪身边停了下来。
“我知道，我已经将冬青爪交给最值得信任的猫了，”火星说，“但愿星族会眷顾你的新学徒，赐予她所需的所有力量与智慧！”
“我会把我的知识全部传授给她的。”叶池保证道。她用鼻子碰了碰冬青爪的鼻子，但并没有看着冬青爪，不过冬青爪还是用余光看到了她脸上的表情——阴云密布。
冬青爪很奇怪，她转过身去，看到叶池正在注视着松鼠飞。她想，为什么她俩的眼睛里全都充满哀伤呢？
这时小松鸦迈着大步走进了空地，站在火星前方：“那我呢？”
“他不能成为学徒的，对吧？”白翅轻声说，她的声音在沉寂而潮湿的空气中回响着。
“长尾的眼睛看不见之后，就搬到长老巢穴去了。”刺掌嘟囔道，听起来，他是赞同盲眼猫不能成为武士。
“他在森林里活动会很危险的。”蛛足插嘴道。
“可怜的小家伙。”栗尾叹了口气。
冬青爪身上的毛全都竖了起来。为什么她的弟弟就不能拥有和其他猫一样的机会呢？
“我想跟狮爪和冬青爪一样，成为一名学徒！”小松鸦不服气地大声抗议道。
“你当然可以啦，”火星说，“你的老师将会是亮心。”
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 14
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below Highledge!”
Lionpaw jerked up his head. Firestar’s call had woken him from his warm nest. It was dawn, and he could feel Berrypaw stirring beside him.
Jaypaw was already stretching, curling his tail back till the tip brushed his spine. “What does Firestar want so early?” he yawned.
“Clan meeting!” Lionpaw leaped to his paws. He hurried to be first out of the den, squeezing ahead of his denmates.
“Stop pushing,” Berrypaw complained.
“The fastest hunter catches the most mice,” Lionpaw mewed cheerfully.
The air outside the den hit him like the lash of a birch sapling. Frost glittered on the bushes around the edge of the camp, and the icy ground made Lionpaw’s pads ache. Breath billowing, he trotted into the clearing, where the cats were already gathering, huddling close for warmth.
Firestar sat on Highledge flanked by Brambleclaw and Graystripe. Brambleclaw’s pelt shone, the muscles beneath it taut. Graystripe’s pelt was well-groomed, the knots and tangles smoothed at last, but it was dull and his ribs still showed beneath.
“He must have decided who the deputy should be,” Hollypaw mewed, hurrying over from the medicine den and sitting down next to Lionpaw. She wriggled closer to him, shivering.
Jaypaw padded to join them, sitting beside Hollypaw.
“Graystripe and Brambleclaw are on Highledge with Firestar,” Hollypaw told him.
“I know,” Jaypaw answered sleepily. Lionpaw wondered why he looked so worn-out when he had not been outside the hollow in days.
Firestar’s pelt glowed like fire in the cold dawn light as he gazed over the Clan. Millie settled beside Ferncloud, her eyes round with curiosity. Sorreltail, Whitewing, and Cloudtail sat in front of her, Brackenfur and Thornclaw behind. The gray kittypet no longer seemed intimidated by the warriors hemming her in and stared calmly up at Firestar.
“I know you’ve all been wondering what will happen now that our previous deputy has returned,” the Clan leader began.
Graystripe wrapped his bushy tail tighter over his front paws. One of Brambleclaw’s ears twitched.
“When we left the forest, I thought I would never see Graystripe again,” Firestar confessed. “There were many nights when I stared up at Silverpelt and tried to imagine him among our ancestors.”
Lionpaw glanced at Hollypaw and wondered what it would be like to lose her. He didn’t like the feeling that stabbed at his belly.
The ThunderClan leader went on. “Graystripe was my deputy and my friend. I trained with him and fought with him. I trusted him more than any cat. Having him back is like having one of my own lives restored.”
“He’s going to make Graystripe deputy again!” Hollypaw hissed under her breath.
“Wait,” Jaypaw warned.
Lionpaw shot his brother a look. Why did he sound so certain?
“But Brambleclaw has helped me lead the Clan through some of its most terrifying challenges. I’ve never seen him waver in his loyalty to his Clanmates. The last thing ThunderClan needs now is more change.” He paused and glanced at the two warriors. “So I’ve decided that Brambleclaw should remain deputy.”
“But—” The gasp escaped Brackenfur before he could stop it. Sorreltail echoed it, and mews of surprise rippled around the Clan. Lionpaw searched Graystripe’s face for some sign of regret, but he couldn’t read the gray warrior’s expression
Squirrelflight raised her voice happily. “Brambleclaw!”
“Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw!” Ashfur quickly joined in.
Squirrelflight whipped her head around and stared at him.
Why does she look surprised?Lionpaw wondered.
Dustpelt and Thornclaw started calling Brambleclaw’s name too. Graystripe got to his paws and joined in, and Brambleclaw dipped his head respectfully to the former ThunderClan deputy
“Told you so,” Jaypaw murmured.
Lionpaw glanced suspiciously at his brother. “How did you know?”
Jaypaw shrugged. “It was the wisest choice.”
“Do you think Graystripe minds?” Hollypaw whispered.
“Does it matter?” Jaypaw asked.
“He must know the Clan has changed a lot,” Lionpaw replied.
“But what about when he’s fully recovered?” Hollypaw persisted. “Will he be happy just being a warrior?”
“I think Firestar made the right decision.”
The meow made Lionpaw jump. He glanced up and saw Ashfur padding toward them.
“And you must be pleased that your father’s still deputy,” the warrior purred.
“Brambleclaw shouldbe deputy,” Lionpaw told him firmly. “Graystripe doesn’t even know the territory yet. He’d be as lost as a WindClan kit in a ShadowClan nursery.”
“True.” Ashfur nodded.
“And Graystripe is going to take another moon to recover,” Jaypaw put in. “He still smells of crow-food.”
“He’ll be strong soon,” Hollypaw mewed defensively.
“Soon isn’t good enough,” Lionpaw argued. “We need a strong deputy now. Leaf-bare’s clearly not finished with us, and ShadowClan is never going to make our life easy. We can’t afford to wait for Graystripe to recover.”
“But he was deputy first!” Hollypaw protested. “Has everyone forgotten? When Mistyfoot was taken by Twolegs, Hawkfrost replaced her only until she returned. Because according to the warrior code she never stopped beingthe deputy!”
“Your sister has a point,” Ashfur commented.
“I know, but”—Lionpaw was surprised at Hollypaw’s fierceness—“Firestar has to be practical.”
“If we start ignoring the warrior code, then we are no longer warriors!” Hollypaw declared. The fur along her spine was bristling, and her eyes glittered with anxiety.
“What if StarClan toldFirestar to choose Brambleclaw?” Jaypaw asked softly.
Brambleclaw was padding toward them, with Berrypaw beside him. “We’re going hunting.”
“Can we join you?” Ashfur asked.
“Of course. Brightheart and Jaypaw are coming too. But if you don’t mind a crowd—”
“Of course not.” Ashfur narrowed his eyes. “I just thought it might be fun for Lionpaw and Berrypaw to have a little competition.”
Brambleclaw’s eyes glittered. “Good idea.”
Berrypaw clawed the ground excitedly. “Oh, yes!”
“Great!” Lionpaw mewed.
“Okay,” Brambleclaw decided. “The first apprentice to catch three pieces of prey gets first pick from the fresh-kill pile tonight.”
Lionpaw glanced at Berrypaw. His denmate was larger than he and more experienced. He would have to rely more on senses than speed if he was going to win.
Brightheart and Jaypaw joined them.
“Why do we need to go with them?” Jaypaw was complaining. “I’m perfectly capable of hunting on my own.”
Pity flashed in Brightheart’s eye, and Lionpaw winced. Jaypaw glared at his mentor as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“We’ll go in a moment,” Brambleclaw meowed. “First, I want to ask Dustpelt and Birchfall to patrol the ShadowClan border. I’ll meet you at the entrance.” Before he padded away, the ThunderClan deputy glanced at Hollypaw. “Shouldn’t you be helping Leafpool?”
“Um, yes,” Hollypaw mewed hastily. She turned and slunk away, the tip of her black tail dragging over the ice-white clearing.
“So you think you can beat me, do you?” Berrypaw hissed in Lionpaw’s ear.
“I caught a vole on my first hunting expedition,” Lionpaw reminded him.
“Good,” Berrypaw mewed. “I’d hate to win tooeasily.”
“You’ll be lucky to win at all!” Lionpaw growled.
“How’s a tiny scrap like you going to catch three bits of prey in one morning?”
Lionpaw wasn’t going to let his denmate get away with that. He crouched into attack position, wriggling his hindquarters. “Say that again!” he challenged.
“You’re hardly bigger than a mouse!” Berrypaw purred.
Lionpaw launched himself at the young tom, and the two apprentices bundled toward the thorn barrier. Berrypaw’s weight took Lionpaw by surprise. He scrabbled to push the larger apprentice off, but Berrypaw heaved him toward the prickly spines of the thornbush. Thinking quickly, Lionpaw let himself go limp, becoming so slippery that it was easy to wriggle out of Berrypaw’s grip. Quick as a flash, he sprang onto Berrypaw’s back and nipped his friend’s scruff with his teeth. Berrypaw tried to shake him off, but even with his claws sheathed, Lionpaw found that he had the strength to hold his grip on Berrypaw’s broad shoulders.
“Lionpaw!”
He looked up to see his sister charging back toward them, and, in that instant, Berrypaw threw him off and pinned him to the ground.
“You’re my first catch of the day,” Berrypaw mewed triumphantly.
“Hollypaw put me off!” Lionpaw complained.
“A good warrior is never distracted,” Ashfur meowed. The pale gray warrior had stopped to watch the two apprentices.
Lionpaw scrambled to his paws, prickling with embarrassment.
Hollypaw was trotting around them in circles. “Leafpool wants me to collect some tansy in case this cold weather brings whitecough,” she panted excitedly. “She says there’s a clump by the old Thunderpath, and she asked if I could join your patrol to fetch some.” She looked around. “Where’s Brambleclaw?”
“Giving orders to Dustpelt,” Ashfur answered.
As he spoke, Brambleclaw bounded over from the halfrock. Graystripe was with him.
“Mind if I join you?” the gray warrior asked Ashfur. “I want to get familiar with the territory and see how the prey runs here.”
“That’s fine with me,” Ashfur agreed. He nodded at Hollypaw. “We’ve got an extra apprentice, too.”
Lionpaw hadn’t been out with both Hollypaw and Jaypaw since their attempt to track down the fox cubs. They quickly fell into their familiar grouping: Hollypaw a paw step ahead, and Lionpaw letting his pelt brush against Jaypaw’s just enough to help him through the trees.
They headed deep into the forest, picking up the clearest route along the old Thunderpath. Lionpaw had been along it before, when Ashfur had shown him around ThunderClan territory. But he had never followed it all the way past the abandoned Twoleg nest.
Hollypaw was scanning the undergrowth on either side of the track.
“It looks a lot like yarrow,” Jaypaw whispered to her. “But it tastes more like grass than mouse bile.”
“I know!” Hollypaw snapped.
Why was Jaypaw helping her? Lionpaw wondered. Hollypaw was the medicine cat apprentice, not him.
She flicked her tail toward a clump of long-stemmed plants with thin, spiky leaves. “That’s it, isn’t it?”
“Have you found some?” Brambleclaw halted in the middle of the path.
The cats waited as Hollypaw bit into a leaf. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, then swallowed.
“Not bitter at all,” she reported. “It’s tansy.”
“You’d better collect some and take it back to camp,” Brambleclaw meowed.
Hollypaw’s eyes clouded with disappointment. “Leafpool doesn’t need it right away.”
“It might not be safe for her to go back to camp on her own,” Lionpaw pointed out, guessing his sister wanted a chance to stay out for a while. “Not with the fox cubs about.”
“And don’t forget the competition,” Ashfur meowed. “We don’t want to waste time escorting her back.”
“If you’re sure Leafpool doesn’t need it urgently . . . ?” Brambleclaw prompted Hollypaw.
Her eyes brightened. “It was only for the store.”
“We’ll collect some on our way back, then,” Brambleclaw agreed. He leaped away, heading into the shadowy woods.
Lionpaw waited on the Thunderpath for Jaypaw and Brightheart to disappear among the trees with the others before following them in. Even in leaf-bare, the undergrowth here was thick. But without their leafy covering the plants looked like tall, thin skeletons littering the forest floor.
Lionpaw’s breath came in clouds as the patrol padded quietly over the frozen ground. Graystripe turned back to face them. “There’s no scent of fox here,” he meowed. “And not too much cover for prey. This looks like a good spot to start the hunt.”
Ashfur looked from Berrypaw to Lionpaw. “Who wants to go first?”
“There’s a mouse over there,” Jaypaw announced casually. For the first time Lionpaw wondered if his brother felt left out of the hunting contest. But Jaypaw held his chin high and flicked his tail toward the base of an oak tree several fox-lengths away. Ashfur jerked his head around in surprise.
“It’s dug under the frozen leaves into the ground,” Jaypaw told them.
Lionpaw pricked his ears. Sure enough, he could hear the scrabble of tiny paws against cold earth, though very faintly. And there was the musty scent of freshly turned leaf litter in the air.
“Lionpaw,” Brambleclaw hissed quietly. “You have a try.”
One stealthy paw step at a time, Lionpaw crept toward the scuffling noise. He let each pad sink slowly onto the hard ground, so that his steps made no sound. The scuffling carried on as Lionpaw drew close enough to drop into a hunting crouch. Squatting with his muzzle outstretched, he let his tail rest on the earth behind him. He could smell the mouse now, and saw a slight movement in the leaves.
“Brambleclaw!”
The mouse scuttled out of the leaves and disappeared among the roots of a tree. Hissing with anger, Lionpaw spun around to see who had ruined his catch.
Birchfall exploded from the undergrowth and skidded to a halt. “ShadowClan has moved the border! They’ve put a new line of scent marks inside ThunderClan territory!”
“Where?” Brambleclaw demanded.
“I’ll show you.” Without waiting, Birchfall headed away through the trees.
“Where’s Dustpelt?” Brambleclaw called after him.
“Heading back to camp to warn Firestar,” came the reply.
Brambleclaw turned to Brightheart. “You’d better come with us. I’m not risking leaving you while those fox cubs are still around.”
Brightheart narrowed her eyes. “What about Jaypaw? Will he be able to keep up?”
“Don’t let him out of your sight, and keep as close to us as you can,” Brambleclaw ordered. He glanced at Ashfur. “Stay near them.” Then he nodded to Graystripe. “Come with me.”
Brambleclaw bounded after Birchfall, Graystripe following. Lionpaw pelted after them, the mouse forgotten. Hollypaw raced at his side. He could hear the paw steps of Ashfur, Brightheart, and Jaypaw pounding behind. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his brother weaving through the trees as easily as a sighted cat. He must be guided by StarClan! he thought in astonishment. He turned back to look ahead, his pelt bristling as he ran. Had ShadowClan really dared to move the border?
Birchfall led them back along the Thunderpath before veering into the forest and up the slope that led to the ShadowClan border. He skidded to a halt near the top. “Here!” he gasped, flicking his tail to indicate the line of birches that followed the ridge.
Lionpaw sniffed the nearest trunk and wrinkled his nose. It was true. ShadowClan had marked ThunderClan trees.
“Isn’t this the original border?” Graystripe asked.
“No!” Brambleclaw hissed. “The border is there.” He pointed his muzzle to the top of the rise where the trees gave way to the grassy clearing.
“Did they think we wouldn’t notice?” Hollypaw spat.
Ashfur raced out of the bracken behind them, followed by Brightheart and Jaypaw.
Jaypaw’s hackles rose. “ShadowClan warriors nearby!” he warned.
As he spoke, three ShadowClan cats stalked over the rise and stood staring down at the ThunderClan patrol.
“Oakfur!” Brambleclaw hissed, staring at the small brown tom who led the trio. Lionpaw recognized the two others from the Gathering—Owlpaw and his mentor, Smokefoot.
“A blind kit noticed us before the ThunderClan deputy knew we were here,” Oakfur sneered. “How humiliating.”
“Is ThunderClan so desperate for warriors that it needs to train even its most worthless kit?” snarled Smokefoot.
Jaypaw rushed forward, spitting. Brightheart grabbed his tail in her teeth and hauled him backward.
“A blind kit saved by a one-eyed warrior,” mocked Oakfur. “ThunderClan isn’t what it used to be. Filled with kittypets and cripples and worn-out deputies.” He glared at Graystripe.
“You’ve moved the border,” Brambleclaw growled.
“We’ve taken what should be ours, and we will take more,” Smokefoot told him.
“ThunderClan is hardly a real Clan anymore—it’s half kittypet,” Oakfur put in. “I’m sure StarClan agrees that only true warriors are entitled to hunt on Clan territory.”
“ThunderClan has nothing but true warriors!” Brambleclaw yowled. He flattened his ears and stepped over the new marker line until he was only a tail-length away from Oakfur. “If you want our territory, you’ll have to fight for every step.”
Lionpaw’s fur stood on end. His first real battle! He sank his claws into the earth, imagining it was ShadowClan fur.
“Are you surewe won’t win?” Oakfur’s eyes glittered as more ShadowClan warriors began to appear over the rise, lining up like starlings on a branch. Lionpaw’s heart flipped over. It looked as though every ShadowClan warrior had come to fight. Their muscles bulged under their pelts, their claws glinting as they flexed them against the hard ground.
Lionpaw felt fur brush his flank. Hollypaw and Jaypaw had joined him.
“We fight as one,” Hollypaw vowed.
Lionpaw suddenly pictured the three of them—three half-grown apprentices, one of them blind, facing what looked like the whole of ShadowClan.
StarClan, help us!
第八章
第八章
亮心？
小松鸦顿时觉得一股怒气在体内升腾，使他几乎无法站稳。雷族的武士不是有很多吗？为什么火星偏偏选只有一只眼的亮心做他的老师呢？就好像他猜不出来为什么似的！
他把自己的爪子插进土里，没有走上去跟自己的老师致意。他毫不理会老师脸上尴尬的神情，尽管他自己能体会到这种感觉，就像冬青叶扎在皮毛上一样。他没有理会其他学徒低声鼓励自己的话语，以及蛛足那生气又无奈的让大家安静下来的嘘声。紧接着，他发觉自己的身子被一只鼻子轻柔而坚定地向前推着。
叶池的声音在他的耳边响起：“快去吧！”
小松鸦咬了咬牙，朝亮心和火星的方向走去。
“我知道，这对你来说很艰难。”亮心体谅地说道，“不过我向你保证，我会教你如何在看不见的情况下保卫雷族。”
她在可怜我！小松鸦从她的语气中，听出了怜悯的意味。他又开始恼火起来，全身的血液都在燃烧：“既然你已经认为我如此没用了，又何必要收我做学徒呢？为什么你们不直接把我送到长老巢穴，跟长尾待在一起呢？”
亮心身体一震，说道：“没有猫说你没用啊。况且，你说话这么粗鲁，长尾会非常生气的！”她后退一步，抬起自己的下巴，“我已经请求他在训练时帮助我们了。”
小松鸦抽了抽尾巴。太好了，我们把所有没用的猫聚在一起，这时最好能有一棵树倒下来，把他们都压死！
火星走到小松鸦和亮心中间：“从今天起，直到你获得武士名字那天为止，你就叫松鸦爪了。”
“松鸦爪！松鸦爪！松鸦爪！”鼠爪和莓爪的喊声在山谷中回荡，其他学徒也跟着一块儿大声喊起来。
松鸦爪的爪子挠着地面。你们其实不用叫得这么大声！你们这么做只是觉得我可怜罢了！
“亮心，”火星说，“不管你曾经遭遇了什么，都没能阻止你成为一名优秀的武士。我认为，没有其他猫比你更适合教松鸦爪如何为雷族效力了。”
“我会将自己学过的所有知识传授给他的。”亮心发誓道。
都是装的！松鸦爪心想。
接下来，他很不情愿地逼着自己与亮心互相碰了碰鼻子，并且认了她做自己的老师。他的胡须轻轻扫过亮心的侧脸——她曾经在一次狗群的袭击中毁了容——她的侧脸不像其他猫长着皮毛和胡须，那种诡异的感觉让松鸦爪几乎要战栗起来。
此刻，整个雷族的猫都提高嗓门，为新学徒们欢呼着。跟我没关系，松鸦爪痛苦地想着，没有猫会相信，我会成为一名伟大的武士。
欢呼声过后，火星又开口讲话了：“拥有这么多学徒，是我们雷族的幸运。我希望他们能刻苦训练，更好地为族群服务。”
“我们会的！”狮爪说。
“我们什么时候开始训练啊？”冬青爪问道。
“这将由你们的老师来决定。”火星告诉她说。
“过来，狮爪，”蜡毛叫他，“我们去学徒巢穴里给你找个窝，然后我要带你在森林里转一转。”
“现在吗？”狮爪兴奋地问道。
“对啊！”
冬青爪在叶池四周的地上不停地走来走去：“蜡毛要带狮爪去我们的领地转转，我们跟他们一块儿去，可以吗？”
“好主意，冬青爪。”叶池说，“不过我要带你去看看最适合采集草药的地方。蜡毛应该会带狮爪看看边界的位置，还有狩猎的最好地点。”
“噢。”冬青爪有点儿失望。
“不过我们先来参观一下储存草药的地方吧，”叶池建议道，“这样一来，你就会认识我们能在森林里见到的几种草药的叶子啦。”
“好的！”冬青爪回答道，神情又变得高兴起来。
狮爪和冬青爪都跟着老师出去了，只有松鸦爪还生气地坐在那里，心想，他们怎么就都跟了真正的老师去学本领呢？就在这时，他感到亮心的尾巴碰了碰自己的肩膀。她说：“跟我来吧。”
松鸦爪一脸不高兴地跟着她，来到了一簇从营地石墙的凹洞处蔓延过来的枯草旁。
“我想，我们最好开始……”亮心开始说。
然而松鸦爪并没有专心听亮心讲了些什么，他的注意力早已飞到了天外，直到亮心的说话声消失到风吹动树枝的沙沙声中。他听到狮爪紧跟在蜡毛后面，匆匆离开营地，进入森林的脚步声。也清晰地闻到了冬青爪的气味，从黑莓丛遮掩的巫医巢穴入口飘了过来；松鸦爪还嗅到冬青爪正在撕扯晾晒的紫草发出的刺鼻味道。
至少我没成为巫医学徒啊，我最讨厌当巫医了。他突然感到莫名的欣慰：冬青爪去当巫医学徒了，而不是他。
他继续扫视着营地。直觉告诉他，此时黛西正在窝里翻着身子，准备睡上一觉。鼠毛正带着长尾回长老巢穴。他还觉察到，这只老母猫一直想到森林里去，尽管由于年事已高，她的身体已经很不灵活了。长尾在她的身边轻轻地踱着步子，他的肢体依旧像武士一样柔软轻捷。
他怎么能住在长老巢穴呢？这对他不公平啊。松鸦爪心想，他还没老啊。
这时他感到一团黑暗从营地上空闪过，就像即将带来暴风雨的乌云瞬间遮住了山谷一样。他竖起耳朵，听到火星的巢穴外，有爪子抓挠岩石的声音。他闻了闻气味，马上就知道，坐在那里的不是火星，而是黑莓掌。
松鸦爪知道，自己的父亲经常坐在那里。这位雷族副族长一直都对雷族整个族群尽职尽责、细心呵护。不过现在松鸦爪却感觉，黑莓掌的心中有一丝冰冷，一种不安，像浓雾一样遮蔽了一切。他努力想弄明白，找个合适的词来描述它。
怀疑！
黑莓掌对雷族猫起了疑心！他实际上并不是在关心他们，而是在寻找一只他担心可能会背叛的猫。想到这里，松鸦爪顿时觉得不寒而栗，毛都竖了起来。为什么会有猫背叛黑莓掌呢？他可是一位伟大的副族长啊。
他眨了眨眼，思绪猛地又飘回到亮心旁边。亮心跳了起来，很显然，她一直在等着，期望松鸦爪能说些什么。松鸦爪抽了抽尾巴，心里想该怎么编个谎话，掩盖自己走神儿的事实。但亮心却早已看穿了他——他连一个字都没听进去。
她不耐烦地哼了一声说：“你记不记得，我们要去见长尾呢？”
松鸦爪的心顿时沉了下去。又是一个不入流的武士，又是一堆毫无用处的废话！“好吧！”他毫无热情地回答道。
亮心叹了口气说：“走吧。”
松鸦爪拖着沉重的步子，跟着亮心穿过空地。
在长老巢穴的入口，亮心隔着巢穴旁边灌木丛的细长枝条喊道：“亮心和松鸦爪来拜访你啦！”
“进来吧。”长尾说。
亮心俯下身，穿过低矮的入口，走进了一片被金银花环绕的空间。松鸦爪也低着头跟她进来了，他对这里的一切都感到生疏。他从没有来过这里，但他从气味上推断，长尾是独自待在这里的，鼠毛一定去森林里了。
“恭喜你，松鸦爪！”长尾说，“你的老师很厉害的！”
“谢谢你，长尾。”亮心回答道。松鸦爪从亮心的语气里，听出了羞怯和骄傲。
“亮心，火星让你收的第一个学徒，对你来说是一个巨大的挑战啊！”长尾评论道。
“我是看不见，但并不说明……”松鸦爪火冒三丈，争辩道。
“我指的不是你看不见，”长尾打断他说，“而是你的态度。”
“我的态度怎么了？”
“没有多少猫会在离开育婴室之前，去尝试抓捕狐狸的。”长尾的话语里透着一丝诙谐。
松鸦爪又发怒了。我只是为了给族群做贡献啊！可还没等他开口，亮心就对他下了命令。
“首先，你要把窝里的苔藓彻底清理一遍，把灰尘或脏东西全扫干净。”她说道，“因为你还不知道哪里才能采到最新鲜的苔藓，所以稍后我会亲自去找一些回来。”
整理窝！松鸦爪很清楚，这是学徒的一项日常任务，他已经听莓爪和榛爪不止一次地抱怨过了。可是一想到狮爪已经开始探索领地了，他就想放声怒吼。
“然后，”亮心接着说，“你要检查长尾的身上是否有跳蚤和虱子。还有鼠毛，她回来之后，你也要检查。当你为长尾做事时，他会告诉你如何运用除视力之外的其他感官。”
松鸦爪沮丧得都快要哭了。他跟长尾完全不同。长尾在成为武士之后才失明的，因为之前他一直都能看得见，所以一旦失明，对他来说就是毁灭性的打击。但松鸦爪从没看见过这个世界，一直以来，他只能用听觉、嗅觉和触觉来感知周围的一切。失明对他来说，是与生俱来的。长尾怎么会了解这种感觉呢？他可以给长尾的建议与忠告，或许要比长尾可以给他的更多。比如说，如何从猎物堆里挑到最新鲜的猎物，怎样通过分辨皮毛上的气味，寻找自己同伴的踪迹……
“你现在可以开始了，松鸦爪。”亮心说。她的话语里，流露出的是不耐烦吗？如果你一直让我做这种清理垃圾的活儿，我就一定让你好受！松鸦爪想着，反叛的怒火在心中升腾着。
亮心离开巢穴后，松鸦爪开始收拾苔藓，用爪子摸索着把干燥而粗糙的碎屑丢出去，又用鼻子挑出已经变得难闻的苔藓。“做这样的学徒真是越来越无聊了。”他哼了哼说。
“那是什么？”鼠毛走进巢穴，皮毛上还带着森林的气味。她摇晃地走着，一坐下来就使劲地喘着气。“那儿你还没清理呢。”她指了指说。
“他才刚开始干活儿。”长尾为他辩护道。
鼠毛哼了一声：“你的意思是，我就让他在这里乱翻到中午吗？我还想好好睡一觉呢！”
“你身子僵硬，又不是我的错！”松鸦爪大喊道，“那是因为在森林里还很潮湿的时候，你去了那里。”
鼠毛向前走了几步，仔细地看着松鸦爪：“你怎么知道我身子僵硬了呢？”
“你刚才坐下去的时候，我就知道了，”松鸦爪一边用爪子钩起一团干巴巴的苔藓扔出巢穴，一边回答，“你的动作很缓慢，还发出了一种声音。”
“什么声音？”
“喘息声，好像受了伤。”
这只老母猫的嗓子眼儿里，突然发出了一声兴奋的呼噜。“我想，亮心今后可有的忙了。”她说。
松鸦爪感到脑海中闪过了一丝希望的曙光。或许他们意识到我的眼睛并不妨碍做事的时候，就不会再低估我的能力了吧。他收拾完苔藓，然后走到长尾身边，开始清理他的皮毛。
“我敢打赌，你一定想马上去森林里参加训练。”长尾说，“我还记得我第一次去森林的情形，就像刚刚发生在上个月似的。”他的话语里透着对过去岁月的怀念，“当然，我那个时候还没失明。所有的一切都是那么碧绿、新鲜。不过就算看不见了，你还是会喜欢森林的，那里有各式各样不同的气味。”
我已经察觉到了。松鸦爪想着。这时，他感觉到这位武士身上有一个硬邦邦的东西，是跳蚤。
“这是我在看不见之后才体会到的，”长尾接着说，“气味变得更强烈了，也更重要了。”
谢谢告知。松鸦爪咬碎了那只跳蚤。
“当然了，还有声音，”长尾又补充道，“有时候我能听到老鼠在山谷上方的跑动声，以前我从来都不注意这些。你应该一直让自己的听觉保持灵敏。”
松鸦爪开始检查长尾后颈部的皮毛。一只虱子藏在这位武士的耳后。
“狩猎的时候，拥有敏锐的听觉和嗅觉是很有帮助的。猎物总是难以仅凭肉眼找到，不过用嗅觉就很容易了。在我还能看见的时候，就已经认识到，猎物的气味或声音经常会暴露它们藏匿的地点。”
接下来你就会告诉我，新鲜的老鼠要比馊了的老鼠更好吃了。松鸦爪一边想着，一边故意使劲拽出那只虱子。
“哎哟！”长尾大声抱怨道。
“发生什么事了？”这时，亮心出现在巢穴入口，“你的任务都做完了吗？”
“我想是的。”松鸦爪满怀期望地看着鼠毛，“你没长虱子，对吧？”
“我身上只有一只，不过我自己能抓到它。”她回答。
松鸦爪转身对自己的老师说：“这样的话，我的任务就完成了。”
亮心开始将一团团新鲜的苔藓放进巢穴里。“好的。把这些苔藓铺平，然后跟我来，”她说，“我要带你到营地外面，看看我们的领地。”
终于要去啦！他感觉冬青爪和狮爪已经去了好久。
“祝你好运！”当松鸦爪跟着亮心走出长老巢穴时，长尾对他说。
亮心领着松鸦爪离开营地，爬上通往湖边的陡峭斜坡。“这条路是通往山顶的，”她解释道，“很陡。”
“知道了。”松鸦爪决定不告诉她，自己早就用爪子感受到这个坡有多陡了。他跟着自己的老师穿过树林，爪子下的叶子变得又湿又滑。
“小心！”亮心大喊道。但是松鸦爪已经闻到前方有树皮的气味，突然转了个弯，正好避开了那棵树。他的胡须几乎擦到树干。
“这里的树木十分茂密，不过低矮的灌木丛并没有多少。”
“嗯。”随着地面开始慢慢变得平坦，松鸦爪闻到了一股老鼠的气息。
“我们现在到达山顶了，”亮心告诉他，“跟着我的气息走，我带你在山顶周围转一转。”
“好的。”通过体会地面的倾斜度，松鸦爪察觉到路两侧的树木正逐渐稀少——他们好像在攀爬一只巨猫的脊背。
“如果我们顺着这条路一直上去，森林很快就会消失啦。”
松鸦爪开始上气不接下气了，所以他没回答。他聆听着自己周围苍蝇飞舞的声音，当它们落在耳朵上时，他就晃晃脑袋，把它们赶走。
“现在我们已经离开森林了，再也不用担心撞到任何东西啦。”亮心说。松鸦爪早就知道他们已离开了森林地带，一阵潮湿的微风拂过他的脸庞。
“在这儿停一下。”亮心说。可松鸦爪早就停下了脚步，因为他感觉到，爪子下的地面陡然倾斜了下去。
各种气味朝他汹涌而来——其中一些还是从遥远的地方飘过来的奇怪气味，他从未闻过。他还能听到远处下方波涛拍岸的声音。松鸦爪心里清楚，他们此刻正在高处俯视森林和湖泊。
“我们沿着山脊走出了森林，现在在森林的尽头，”亮心解释道，“从这里到湖畔，是一片陡峭的下坡。河族的领地就在湖的另一边。在远处日落的地方，就是影族的领地了。如果你回头朝太阳升起的地方看，就会看到……”她的话戛然而止。
松鸦爪第一次对自己的老师感到愧疚。在这之前，她一定希望自己的第一个学徒是只健康的幼崽，不必费心去特殊照顾。如果她能意识到松鸦爪不需要这些照顾，那该有多好啊！
“我可能永远也看不见你看见的东西，”松鸦爪告诉她，“不过我能通过自己的鼻子、耳朵和皮毛，获得很多信息。”他一边说，一边扬起自己的鼻子，“我知道影族就在那边，并不只是因为他们身上的难闻气味臭到可以吓跑兔子，还因为松香的浓烈气味告诉我，那边没有多少低矮的灌木丛，所以在那里狩猎的猫一定都非常狡诈，而且善于跟踪潜行。”他转过头，接着说，“在那边，我闻到了荒原的气息。那里的风没有树的阻拦，可以随意肆虐。在那儿居住和狩猎的风族猫体格都很小，行动却都很迅速。”他把头转向前面的那片湖泊，“虽然我闻不到他们的气味，但我知道河族就住在湖的另一边。他们的气味被湖里飘来的气息掩盖了，因为今天风大，湖里的气味就更重一些。我还知道，河族猫会首先看到下雨，因为风正朝我们所在的位置吹来，在水面刮起波纹——我能听到湖水拍打岸边的声音。”
“你看不见，但是这些事情却都知道？”
“当然。”
亮心愣住了。她专心地听着，耳朵竖了起来。她大声说：“巡逻队来了。”
松鸦爪早就听到巡逻队的声音了。一支雷族巡逻队正朝着他们的方向攀爬上来，路两侧的蕨丛和石楠丛都在沙沙作响。他闻了闻气味，知道了这支巡逻队里有尘毛、榛爪、刺掌和罂粟爪，不过他没有大声说出来。松鸦爪对周围环境的描述让亮心印象深刻，这让他心里很高兴，不过他不想让她觉得自己在炫耀。
“嗨！”罂粟爪首先跳出了蕨丛，后面紧跟着刺掌、尘毛和榛爪。“你终于离开营地了！”罂粟爪说。
“当学徒的感觉很棒吧？”榛爪说，“我到现在还记得第一天当学徒的经历，那天我特别激动！”
我敢打赌，你当学徒的第一天所经历的，一定比我更有意思。“我们刚才在边界附近巡视了一圈。”榛爪接着说。
“现在我们要在这片布满苔藓的空地上进行战斗训练！”罂粟爪总结道。
“太棒了！”松鸦爪低声喃喃道。
“你也可以跟我们一起啊！”罂粟爪突然建议道。接着她对老师刺掌说：“他可以和我们一起训练吗？”
“或许改天可以，”亮心说，“我们探索领地的旅程还没结束呢！”她的这句话像是专门说给松鸦爪听的。
“噢，好吧！”罂粟爪说。
“你们现在要去哪里呢？”刺掌问亮心。
“我要带松鸦爪看看旧雷鬼路。”
刺掌停顿了一下。“你们要注意安全啊！”他警告道，“不要越过影族的边界。”
松鸦爪有些生气。虽然他俩只有一只眼能看见东西，但他们可绝不是傻瓜！正当他准备吼回去的时候，亮心语气严厉地说：“我能识别标记的气味！”
“火星把松鸦爪交给亮心，是很信任她的。”尘毛悄悄对刺掌说。松鸦爪敏锐地察觉到尘毛的语气里有一丝不屑。
刺掌的爪子踩在满是落叶的地面，发出沙沙的响声。“当然了，”他点头承认道，“对不起，亮心。”
对于他的道歉，亮心没做回应。松鸦爪突然觉得，一种满足感涌上心头——自己总算不是唯一被其他武士小瞧的猫了。
“前方有个陡坡。”当他们准备出发时，亮心提醒道。
用不着你说！松鸦爪本想厉声大喊，但他忍住了，用心感受着地面的起伏。
“你能行吗？”
“当然可以！”松鸦爪气鼓鼓地向前走着。令他惊讶的是，地面的倾斜度比他想象的大多了。他连滚带爬地滑了下去，爪子拼命乱抓着，试图降低下滑的速度，最后撞进一丛石楠。
“你没事吧？”亮心气喘吁吁地跟了上来。
松鸦爪挣扎着从石楠丛中爬出来，快速地舔了舔自己的胸部。“我没事。”他回答。
“你刚刚摔了一跤，如果你愿意，我们可以休息一下。”亮心建议道。
“我已经说了，我没事，”松鸦爪一边嘟哝着，一边把自己皮毛上最后一点儿石楠甩掉，“现在我们走哪条路？”
他知道亮心正紧紧盯着自己，但她再没提摔跤的事。“来吧，”她说，“我们绕到旧雷鬼路那儿去。”
松鸦爪走在她身后。亮心似乎已经把他当普通的学徒对待了，可是他偏偏又丢脸地摔了跤，这实在叫他恼火。
当他们抵达旧雷鬼路时，大风呼啸起来。松鸦爪嗅到了大雨即将到来的气息。
“我们从这里掉头回营地吧。”亮心带他来到了森林中一块两脚兽曾经修路的地方，现在这里已经成了杂草丛生的荒芜之地。
“可我们还有很多地方没去啊！”松鸦爪抗议道。
“今天我们探索的东西已经很多了。”亮心说。
松鸦爪一脸不满，但没办法，只得跟着亮心离开旧雷鬼路，进入森林。他并不相信一天之内探索不完雷族的所有领地。亮心显然认为，如果在营地外面待一整天，他的身体会受不了的。
他们缓步穿过森林。下雨了，雨滴敲打着头顶上方的树叶，发出啪啪的响声。松鸦爪抬起头，正巧这时一滴雨珠穿过树荫，滴落在他的鼻子上。他的身子颤抖了一下，把雨珠抖落。或许这个时候回营地，并不是一个坏主意。雨水冰冷，从湖面吹来的风更是寒意十足。他听到亮心突然加快了脚步，她此刻的感受一定也跟自己一样。
这时，他的身体突然一僵。
风中飘来了一种比雨水和树叶的味道更强烈的气味。松鸦爪的脑中不断浮现出自己上次飞速穿越森林的恐怖经历。是狐狸！他又闻了闻，发现这气味和上次追他的狐狸的气味一样！是同一只！不过这次，它的皮毛上还沾了泥土和蕨丛的气息，而且离这里咫尺之遥！松鸦爪立刻蜷成一团，做出防守的蹲伏动作，又张开嘴想警示亮心。不过亮心身上的气味告诉他，她很恐惧，显然她早已闻到了狐狸的气味。
“我们必须尽快找到刺掌的巡逻队！”她低声说。
松鸦爪开始闻起来，寻找着巡逻队的气味，以便确定从哪条路逃跑才安全。这时，他搜寻到刺掌的微弱气息，不过已经太迟了。他们面前的蕨丛开始沙沙作响，狐狸从里面探出头，朝他俩奔来。松鸦爪害怕得心脏怦怦直跳。这只狐狸幼崽的爪子重重地跺在森林的地面上，身上的气味比上次更刺鼻，发出的号叫也比上次更响亮。看来，自从上次交手之后，这只狐狸又长大了很多。
“快跑！”亮心一边命令，一边把松鸦爪挡在自己身后。
“我不会丢下你逃跑的！”松鸦爪大喊，“我可以战斗！”
这时他听到了牙齿咯咯作响的声音，狐狸扑上前去，咬向亮心。她的喉咙里发出咝咝声，身子向后闪躲着，爪子在地上滑动。狐狸突然发出了一声痛苦的尖叫。松鸦爪猜想，亮心一定是在狐狸扑过来时，用爪子抓到它了。
当狐狸从松鸦爪身边冲过去时，一阵疾风掠过他的皮毛。他转过身，伸出爪子准备朝狐狸扑去。狐狸跑到光滑的叶子上，打了个滚儿爬起来，看那架势，是要再次发动攻击了。松鸦爪跳起来，正要猛扑过去，但是他感觉自己被什么东西拽住了——他的尾巴被牢牢地卡在黑莓丛里了！他的身子失去了平衡，一下子摔倒在地。狐狸的一只脚爪重重地踩在他的背上，然后像闪电一般越过他，再次朝亮心扑了过去。
这位独眼武士发出刺耳的尖叫，声音既愤怒又恐惧。松鸦爪也吓坏了，呆呆地站在那里，一动不动。
紧接着他听到不远处传来了刺掌的吼叫声。巡逻队来了！
武士和学徒们一窝蜂地拥向这片空地，空气中瞬间充满了厮杀的叫喊声。众猫耳朵紧紧贴着，爪子全都伸出来。狐狸发出一声愤怒的尖叫，接着向森林深处逃去，尘毛和榛爪在后面一路追赶着。
松鸦爪挣扎着从地上爬起来，使尽全力拽着卡在黑莓丛中的尾巴。
“松鸦爪！”罂粟爪走到他身边，问道，“你还好吧？”
终于，一阵皮毛扯掉的声音过后，松鸦爪的尾巴重获自由。“我很好！”他大叫道。
“狐狸伤到你了吗？”亮心问道。
听到老师的说话声，松鸦爪悬着的心终于放下了。他没闻到血腥味从她身上飘来，她的声音依然那么强健有力。看来狐狸并没有伤到她。
“你是不是想告诉我，当时你要跟狐狸决斗？”刺掌大声问道，“你应该逃跑，去找别的猫帮忙啊！”
“我不能把亮心独自留在这里！”松鸦爪反驳道。
“我想，现在你应该明白了，你还不是狐狸的对手！”刺掌低声咆哮着。松鸦爪噘起嘴，没说什么。
“你的尾巴没事吧？”罂粟爪有些怜悯地问他。
松鸦爪在满是落叶的地面上甩了甩尾巴，忍住上面留下的刺带给他的疼痛。“没关系。”他低声说。巡逻队的猫们一定已经看到，他像无助的小猫一样，被黑莓丛困住动弹不得的场景了。他感到全身的皮毛都在发烫。
“尘毛和榛爪不会有事吧？”他问道。
“他们会把狐狸赶到离营地很远的地方，”刺掌告诉他，“我想狐狸不会掉头袭击他们的，它已经被吓坏了。”
“我们应该把亮心和松鸦爪送回营地，或许应该派一支巡逻队护送他们。”罂粟爪建议道。
“好主意。”刺掌同意了。
黄昏降临，雨渐渐小了下来，空气中透着丝丝寒意。松鸦爪重重地躺在那片能避雨的草丛里。就是在这儿，那天早上亮心收他做了学徒。他一直都想独自待会儿。武士巢穴的荆棘墙正好把他隔离开来。现在，狮爪已经跟着蜡毛回来了，他听见他们在空地中央说话。
“松鸦爪在哪里？”狮爪的语气中带着忧虑。
冬青爪在巫医巢穴外面回答道：“我没看到他。不过亮心已经回来了，他一定在营地里呢。”
“我们要不要去问问她，松鸦爪去哪里了？”
松鸦爪不想让亮心告诉他们，自己今天有多丢人。于是他悄悄地溜了出去，在猎物堆旁与冬青爪和狮爪会面。
“原来你在这儿啊！”冬青爪叫道。
“嗨。”松鸦爪低声打着招呼。他走过他俩身边，在猎物堆顶部拽出一只老鼠。
冬青爪跟着他爬上去，挑了一只麻雀。她把猎物扔在松鸦爪身旁的地上。狮爪也在猎物堆里翻着，找到了一只田鼠。“这可是我自己抓到的呢！”他一边骄傲地宣布着，一边把它扔在冬青爪身边的地上。
“你第一天就抓到猎物了？”冬青爪关切地问道。
“呃，”狮爪回答，“是蜡毛发现它的，他向我展示了怎么去追它。”
“肯定是蜡毛抓住它，最后由你结果了它吧？”松鸦爪大声说。
大家都沉默了好一会儿。冬青爪把尾巴放在松鸦爪的皮毛上扫了扫说：“我听说今天你遇到麻烦了。没关系，这种事情谁都会遇到。”
松鸦爪向后一闪，躲过了她的尾巴。他大声说：“遇到这种事情的是我。”
“这只是你第一天当学徒啊。”狮爪提醒他说。
是啊，你不是就在当学徒的第一天“抓”了一只田鼠吗？
冬青爪闻了闻松鸦爪尾巴上的刺，用牙齿拔下了一根。
“我自己能行！”松鸦爪一边低声说，一边把尾巴收了回去。
“你要用一些草药吗？”冬青爪问道，“我知道哪些草药可以缓解疼痛，防止感染。”她的话语里满是自豪。
“不用。”松鸦爪一边说，一边咬了一口老鼠。老鼠肉吃起来又柴又干，索然无味。于是他用鼻子把猎物推给了狮爪，说道：“来，你把它吃了吧，我不饿。”
“等一下……”狮爪刚要开口说些什么，松鸦爪却一脸沮丧地掉头走开了。
松鸦爪朝学徒巢穴的方向走去，这个巢穴位于山谷石墙旁边一棵茂盛的紫杉树下。他花了一点儿时间寻找巢穴的入口，然后小心翼翼地探着路往里面走。里面充斥着他不熟悉的气味，令他感到非常困惑——掺杂着不同学徒气味的苔藓，还有紫杉树树汁的刺鼻味道。自己周围的东西到底是什么，自己应该躺在哪里，他都不清楚。
“你好，松鸦爪。”榛爪的声音从巢穴深处传了过来，“这里只有我，没有别的猫。你朝我说话的方向走就行了。我的窝旁边有一些干净的苔藓，你可以在上面睡觉。”
松鸦爪太累了，也太烦了，他已经没有精力抱怨自己怎么又被别的猫帮助了。他走向榛爪的窝，正如她所说的那样，自己周围的所有气味开始逐渐各就其位，就像一群鸟儿一个接一个落在树上的感觉。他闻到了罂粟爪的气味，不过味道已经不新鲜了。显然太阳一出来她就出去了，现在还没回来。莓爪似乎离开自己的窝不久。蜜爪窝里的气味透着暖意，好像也是刚刚离开。松鸦爪谨慎地闻着各种怪异的气味，最后终于找到了榛爪旁边那块干净的苔藓。
“谢谢你。”他一边低声喃喃着，一边躺了下来。
“不客气。”她的话音中满是睡意。
听起来，她今天也累坏了，不太想聊天，这让松鸦爪心里很高兴。现在他唯一想做的事情，就是把鼻子放在爪子下，好好睡一觉。
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 15
“Get back to camp and tell Firestar to bring help.” Graystripe’s hiss sounded in Lionpaw’s ear. “Now!”
Lionpaw turned and pelted away into the trees. He hated leaving Jaypaw and Hollypaw, but without help the battle was already lost.
“Stop him!”
He heard Russetfur’s yowl, and the rustle of paws upon leaves.
Lionpaw glanced over his shoulder. Two ShadowClan warriors streaked toward him. Then he saw a flash of gray fur. Graystripe had launched himself onto one of the cats. The ShadowClan warrior yowled and the air exploded as the two Clans charged screeching into battle.
Lionpaw forced himself to run faster till he thought his heart would burst. Paws pounded behind him. Only one set now, thanks to Graystripe. Lionpaw dodged through a thick bramble swath, hoping that his small size would let him escape the ShadowClan warrior. But as he slipped out of the other side and glanced backward, he saw a burly tom thrusting his way through the bush with terrifying strength.
Lionpaw hurtled down the steep slope to the training hollow and pelted across it. Just a short way through the trees and then a clear run to the camp entrance. The ShadowClan warrior’s paw steps thundered ever closer as Lionpaw caught sight of the thorn barrier ahead.
“Help!” he wailed.
Claws raked his tail. The ShadowClan cat was at his heels. Wild with terror, Lionpaw dug his claws in and propelled himself forward.
A fiery flash of fur streaked from the thorn tunnel and flew past Lionpaw.
“I’ll stop him,” Squirrelflight yowled, lunging for the ShadowClan warrior.
The tom let out an agonized shriek. Lionpaw slowed, his breath coming in great gulps. He turned and saw Squirrelflight chasing the ShadowClan warrior up the bank, snarling as if all the warriors of StarClan raced beside her.
Lionpaw hurtled into the camp. “ShadowClan has invaded!”
Firestar was in the clearing with Dustpelt. He bounded to Lionpaw’s side as soon as he saw him. “Dustpelt told me they’ve moved the border,” he meowed.
“Brambleclaw took our hunting patrol to investigate,” Lionpaw puffed. “But we walked into an ambush.”
Firestar’s eyes widened with alarm. “Are they fighting now?”
Lionpaw nodded, his paws trembling as he thought of Jaypaw and Hollypaw battling experienced ShadowClan warriors.
“Sandstorm, Spiderleg, Whitewing, Stormfur, Brook!” Firestar called to the warriors who were already pacing around the edge of the clearing, lashing their tails. “ShadowClan has crossed the border. Brambleclaw is holding them off, but they need help.”
“Should I bring Mousepaw?” Spiderleg asked.
“If he’s battle-ready,” Firestar answered.
Squirrelflight raced back through the entrance. “There’s one less ShadowClan warrior to deal with,” she announced. “He’ll not want to fight again today.”
“Good work. I want you to stay and guard the camp,” Firestar told her.
Squirrelflight nodded. “Yes, Firestar.”
Millie appeared from behind the warriors’ den. “I’m coming with you.”
Lionpaw stared at her in astonishment. She was a kittypet!
“Okay,” Firestar agreed. “But don’t take any risks.”
Lionpaw was still trembling with terror and exhaustion. Firestar looked at him. “Are you fit to fight?”
Lionpaw nodded.
“Good,” Firestar growled. “Your brother and sister need you.” Then he swept out of the camp, his warriors following.
Lionpaw pelted after the patrol. How dare ShadowClan invade our territory?He would fight tooth and claw to drive those fox-hearted warriors out. His paws stopped shaking and began to itch for battle.
“Always keep an eye out behind you!” Whitewing fell in beside him to give him some breathless advice. “ShadowClan fights dirty. You’re fast and strong, even though you’re small. You’ll be nimbler than some of their warriors. Use that to your advantage.”
As they neared the border, he heard screeches and yowls.
“This way!” Firestar called. They plunged through the forest until Lionpaw could glimpse teeth and claws flashing in the gaps between the trees ahead.
ShadowClan warriors had surrounded Brambleclaw’s patrol, but the ThunderClan cats were standing their ground, lashing out at every cat within reach.
“Attack!” Firestar cried, and the ThunderClan warriors spread out and launched themselves into the battle.
“Head over there!” Spiderleg called to Lionpaw. He flicked his tail to the edge of the fighting. “Look for Jaypaw first and do what you can to defend him.”
Lionpaw raced forward, scanning the fray for Hollypaw and Jaypaw. He spotted Ashfur and Birchfall fighting side by side with Brightheart, fending off four ShadowClan warriors. Jaypaw crouched behind them, pelt bristling with rage, slashing and jabbing at any ShadowClan warrior who made it through their defensive line. He didn’t seem to need any help.
Lionpaw’s heart thudded as he searched for Hollypaw’s black pelt. Had she been wounded? Relief glimmered for a moment when he saw her fighting beside Graystripe. The gray warrior, ears flattened, his lips drawn back into a vicious snarl, raked the flank of a dark ginger ShadowClan warrior as it lunged for Hollypaw.
Russetfur! Lionpaw recognized the ShadowClan deputy.
Hollypaw ducked under Graystripe and shot out from beneath him, nipping the ShadowClan deputy on her hind leg with such ferocity that the warrior whipped around, claws flashing, and lunged at Hollypaw. Lionpaw pelted to his sister’s defense, hurling himself at Russetfur and slashing her nose. The ShadowClan deputy howled in pain as crimson blood welled beneath her eyes.
“Nice work!” Graystripe called.
As he spoke, two ShadowClan cats slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. The larger of the pair, a black tom, pressed him to the ground, while the smaller white she-cat reared on her hind legs, flexing her long claws, ready to crash down on Graystripe’s head.
Orange fur blazed past Lionpaw as Firestar flew at the white warrior. He threw the ShadowClan warrior backward and slashed her cheek with a well-aimed blow.
Lionpaw leaped onto the black tom who was pinning Graystripe to the ground. He dug in his claws and bit hard into the tom’s shoulder. The warrior let go of Graystripe and reared backward. At once Hollypaw darted behind him and knocked the tom’s paws out from under him. Lionpaw leaped off as the warrior crashed down.
“Great move!” Lionpaw called to Hollypaw.
“He’s not finished yet,” she warned.
The black tom was already on his paws, hissing ferociously, but Lionpaw and Hollypaw faced him side by side, and, jabbing and slashing with their forepaws, they drove him back toward the border until he was panting and streaked with blood.
Suddenly Lionpaw spotted Oakfur slinking through the bracken toward Firestar, a fox-length away. The ThunderClan leader still had the white warrior pinned to the ground, unaware of Oakfur’s stealthy approach. Before Lionpaw could warn him, Oakfur had leaped onto Firestar’s back and grabbed the ThunderClan leader’s neck in his jaws.
The white warrior struggled from Firestar’s grip and nipped at his front paws until the ThunderClan leader fell to the ground. He vanished beneath the two snarling ShadowClan warriors.
“Can you manage by yourself?” Lionpaw screeched to Hollypaw
“I’ll help her,” Graystripe growled, leaping in beside her
Lionpaw threw himself at Oakfur, clamping his jaws around the ShadowClan warrior’s tail. This is for calling Jaypaw worthless!he thought as he bit down with all his strength. Oakfur screeched and let go of Firestar. Firestar leaped to his paws and whipped around to grab Oakfur by the scruff. As he held Oakfur in his jaws, he kicked out with his powerful hind legs and sent the white warrior sprawling into the bracken. Then he flung Oakfur with all his might against a tree. Oakfur hit it with such force that the branches trembled and he fell to the ground, dazed.
Seeing that Firestar was safe, Lionpaw turned back to Hollypaw. He expected to see her still fighting beside Graystripe, but she stood alone in a space among the battling cats. Graystripe had left her undefended.
“Watch out!” Lionpaw gasped, his heart lurching as he saw Smokefoot rushing up behind his sister. Graystripe was two tail-lengths away, pulling a ShadowClan warrior off Millie. The former kittypet leaped to her paws.
“Go back and help Hollypaw!” Millie yowled to Graystripe. “I can take care of myself!” She lashed out with her front claws at the ShadowClan warrior and sent him screeching away with a blow that sprayed his blood across the forest floor.
Smokefoot was on top of Hollypaw, raking his claws along her flank, but Graystripe wrestled him to the ground and pummeled his belly with his thorn-sharp hind claws. Lionpaw darted to Hollypaw’s side as Smokefoot yowled in pain, and Graystripe let the tom flee across the border.
“Drive the rest into the brambles!” Graystripe ordered.
“What?” Spiderleg yowled in disbelief.
“That’ll only make it harder to fight them!” Birchfall called.
“Harder for ShadowClan!” Hollypaw hissed in Lionpaw’s ear. “They don’t have brambles in the pine forest.”
Firestar nodded grimly. “They’re not used to fighting in undergrowth!” he called. “Do as Graystripe says!”
“Everyone, spread out behind me!” Brambleclaw’s order split the air. He had spun around so that his back was to the ShadowClan border.
The ThunderClan cats drew away from their enemy long enough to reposition themselves around their deputy. Confused, the ShadowClan warriors stared about them. Suddenly they were trapped on the wrong side of their border. Then Brambleclaw charged forward, his warriors flanking him on either side, and they began to press the ShadowClan warriors deeper into ThunderClan territory, where a tangle of brambles covered the forest floor.
Lionpaw spotted Jaypaw lashing out at Owlpaw. The ShadowClan apprentice was playing with Jaypaw, ducking the blows and teasing him with jabs and taunts.
Lionpaw raced to his brother’s side. “You’re nothing but a coward,” he growled at Owlpaw.
Owlpaw thrashed his tail. “I’ll show you I’m not a coward!” He lashed out and caught Jaypaw’s muzzle with his claw. Jaypaw gasped with pain, but he didn’t recoil, flailing his unsheathed claws more fiercely than ever.
“He’s ducking,” Lionpaw hissed to his brother.
Jaypaw instantly aimed his blows downward and raked Owlpaw’s ears. Jaypaw gave a yowl of satisfaction.
“He’s trying to get behind you now,” Lionpaw warned as Owlpaw scooted past Jaypaw and balanced himself, ready to leap at the tabby apprentice. Lionpaw spun around, every instinct crying out to take Owlpaw on himself. But he knew Jaypaw would never forgive him for fighting his battle for him, and besides, Jaypaw had already turned nimbly around and was pummeling Owlpaw with his forepaws. Owlpaw tried to duck, but Jaypaw had learned that trick, and the instant Owlpaw lowered his head, Jaypaw leaped on top of him and rolled the ShadowClan apprentice onto his back. He clung to his fur and raked his hind claws along Owlpaw’s spine until the ShadowClan apprentice begged for mercy.
“Get off!” he shrieked, and Jaypaw let go.
Owlpaw scrambled to his feet and spat at Jaypaw, ready to attack again, but Lionpaw fixed him with a threatening stare, and Owlpaw, faced by the pair of them, backed away, snarling.
The ShadowClan warriors were beginning to trip on the brambles, struggling as much against the thorns that clawed their pelts as against the ThunderClan warriors who were forcing them farther and farther into the bush. Sandstorm’s tail lashed triumphantly as a ShadowClan warrior cowered beneath her blows. Beside her, Whitewing nipped at a mottled apprentice as he tried to battle past her out of the clinging thorns. Brook and Stormfur worked together, jabbing at Smokefoot with merciless claws as he struggled farther into the brambles to escape them.
Russetfur stared in dismay at her warriors thrashing helplessly in the undergrowth. “Retreat!” she yowled.
The ShadowClan cats scrambled out of the brambles, leaving clumps of fur behind as they pelted past the ThunderClan warriors and fled back into their own territory.
Lionpaw scanned the battered ThunderClan cats. “Hollypaw!”
“I’m over here!” Hollypaw squirmed backward out of the undergrowth, her bushy tail pricked with thorns.
“Is everyone okay?” Firestar staggered out, his muzzle crimson with blood.
“Sandstorm’s twisted her paw.” Brambleclaw was standing beside the ginger-colored warrior as she licked at a forepaw.
“It’s just a sprain,” she reassured him.
“Stormfur?” Firestar looked at the gray warrior. “That looks like a bad cut on your shoulder.”
“It’ll heal,” Stormfur replied.
“I’ve lost a chunk of fur from my tail,” Spiderleg spat. “But it was worth it if ShadowClan thinks twice before trying to steal our territory again.”
“We need to make sure they’re all gone,” Firestar meowed.
“I’ll check,” Brook offered.
“Are you injured?”
“Just a torn ear.”
“Then take Spiderleg with you and search beyond the brambles,” Firestar ordered. “Make sure no cat went farther into our territory.”
Spiderleg and Brook hared away through the trees.
Ashfur flicked Lionpaw’s shoulder with his tail. “Thank StarClan you got help so quickly.”
“You held out well till we came,” Firestar praised him.
“Hollypaw fought like a warrior!” Birchfall commented.
“And Jaypaw never gave ground,” Brightheart added.
“We couldn’t let ShadowClan drive us from our own territory!” Graystripe growled.
Brambleclaw gazed across the clearing where the ShadowClan cats had fled. “We’re going to have to do something about ShadowClan before the next Gathering,” he vowed.
“Let’s start by remarking the correct boundary,” Firestar ordered. “Brambleclaw, you stay here with Ashfur and Birchfall and mark every tree twice along the border.”
Brambleclaw nodded.
“I’ll take the rest back to camp.”
“Can’t I stay with Ashfur?” Lionpaw begged.
Ashfur shook his head. “Go back to camp and get some ointment on those scratches. I want you back in training as soon as possible.”
Reluctantly, Lionpaw turned and followed his Clanmates. Sandstorm was limping, and Stormfur kept stopping to lick at the blood welling from the wound on his shoulder. Millie’s pelt was missing clumps of fur along her flank, but she was buzzing with the excitement that came from winning a battle, her ears pricked and her tail twitching.
Lionpaw caught up with Jaypaw and Hollypaw. “Did you see me jump on Oakfur?” he mewed proudly.
“I wish I had!” Hollypaw sounded even more excited than he felt. “I was too busy seeing to that tabby warrior.” Her eyes were glowing. “I used a move Cinderpaw taught me the other day. It was brilliant doing it for real!”
“And you showed Owlpaw that he’s no match for a ThunderClan apprentice,” Lionpaw mewed to Jaypaw. The mottled apprentice was padding along quietly, tail down.
“Yeah, right,” he muttered.
“Hollypaw!” Leafpool had come out to meet the returning warriors. “Are there any serious injuries?”
Hollypaw blinked. “S-Stormfur has a scratch . . .” she stammered.
“Haven’t you checked?” Leafpool asked anxiously.
“Everyone can still walk,” Hollypaw offered.
“What about the tansy?” Leafpool pursued. “Did you find any?”
“Oh, yes,” Hollypaw mewed.
Leafpool looked at her questioningly. “Where is it?”
Hollypaw looked crestfallen. “We were going to pick some on our way back from hunting, and then Birchfall arrived to warn us that ShadowClan had moved the border, and Brambleclaw ordered us to—”
“It’s okay,” Leafpool meowed. “I’m proud that you fought with your Clanmates. But keep a lookout for any healing herbs on the way back to camp. There’ll be plenty of bites and scratches to treat when we get home. I’m going to check on the others.”
Hollypaw gazed at the undergrowth. “Do you think that juniper would do?” she murmured as they passed a large bush dotted with dark berries.
“The horsetail growing next to it would be better,” Jaypaw advised.
Hollypaw closed her eyes. “Horsetail—good for infections,” she recited. Then she hurried over to the clump of spindly plants and tore one out by its roots.
Lionpaw could feel his scratches beginning to sting. His muscles ached from the battle, and when they reached the camp he padded to the halfrock and collapsed beside it. Jaypaw climbed onto the smooth, low rock and hung his head over the side, while Hollypaw dropped the horsetail she’d been dragging and flopped down beside them.
“I still can’t believe we fought real warriors,” she breathed.
Jaypaw just stared blankly at the ground.
“Why are you looking so miserable?” Lionpaw asked him. “You fought brilliantly.”
“Only with yourhelp,” Jaypaw pointed out.
“Every warrior needs help—that’s what being in a Clan is all about!” Hollypaw reminded him.
“We had to work together to drive off one of ShadowClan’s warriors,” Lionpaw added.
“I couldn’t even manage an apprentice by myself,” Jaypaw mewed, flicking the tip of his tail. “They called me a worthless kit. Perhaps they’re right. Perhaps I’m just kidding myself, thinking I could ever be a real warrior.”
“Hollypaw!” Leafpool called from the clearing where the rest of the patrol were licking their wounds. “I can’t see to all the injured warriors by myself.”
Hollypaw leaped to her paws. “Coming, Leafpool,” she mewed. “Sorry!” She stripped a leaf from the horsetail and scampered over to where Millie and Graystripe lay.
Lionpaw longed to cheer Jaypaw up, but this was one battle his brother would have to fight by himself. However much he prayed to StarClan, there was nothing Lionpaw could do to help Jaypaw see.
At least Hollypaw had enjoyed the fight with ShadowClan. Lionpaw watched her, letting his weary paws rest, as she chewed up the horsetail leaf and began licking the juice into Millie’s scratches. Every time Millie flinched, Hollypaw leaped away, screwing up her face. A small worry began to flutter like a trapped bird in Lionpaw’s belly. Hollypaw seemed so ill at ease now, her awkward movements nothing like the fluid grace with which she fought. She’d raced into battle, her eyes glowing at the challenge, but here she was fumbling among her injured Clanmates, her gaze shadowed by uncertainty. A strange thought pricked Lionpaw like a thorn in his bedding: Does Hollypaw really want to be a medicine cat?
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 17
Hollypaw woke up long before dawn. The walls of the medicine den glistened with frost. She had tossed and turned for most of the night, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep. All she could think of was how exciting the battle with ShadowClan had been, and how impossible her apprentice duties had seemed afterward, when she’d been faced with so many injured warriors. Why did healing seem to involve inflicting moresuffering first?
She stretched and crept out of her nest. Her body ached, but the bruises and scratches had been worth it to see the ShadowClan warriors fleeing across the border like terrified rats. She glanced at Leafpool, who was still asleep. The medicine cat’s breath billowed in the freezing air. Careful not to disturb her, Hollypaw slipped out of the den. The brambles at the entrance were stiff with ice, and crackled as she nosed her way out.
The clearing was empty. Even the forest was silent, as though the cold had frozen every leaf, and the dawn sky glowed pink behind the frost-whitened branches at the top of the hollow. She looked hopefully toward the fresh-kill pile. It was empty. The sudden cold had already driven most of the prey deep into their burrows, and the cats would have to wait until hunger drew them out into the open once more. Perhaps she could find something outside the camp. Ferncloud and her kits would need food once the sun rose. She padded across the clearing and out through the thorn barrier.
Brook paced outside the entrance, her thick fur sparkling with frost. She jerked her head around when she heard Hollypaw’s paw steps.
“You’re awake early.”
“I couldn’t sleep.” Hollypaw yawned. “Has the dawn patrol left yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I thought I could find some prey for Ferncloud,” Hollypaw explained.
Brook gazed at her curiously. “That’s kind, but won’t Leafpool need you this morning?”
Hollypaw sighed.
“Such a troubled sigh for one so young,” Brook meowed, her gray eyes softening with concern.
“Leafpool would probably get on better without me,” Hollypaw muttered.
“Surely not,” Brook meowed. “She couldn’t have managed to treat everyone without your help yesterday.”
“She almost had to,” Hollypaw confessed. “I was so excited after the battle, I completely forgot that I was a medicine cat apprentice. And then when I tried to help, it was awful. I had to make my Clanmates swallow foul-tasting leaves. And the balms seemed only to make the wounds sting more. It didn’t feel like I was helping at all.” She sat down miserably. “I thought that I could serve my Clanmates best as a medicine cat. That’s why I asked to be Leafpool’s apprentice. She’s so important to the Clan.”
“You want to be important?” Brook queried.
Hollypaw thought for a moment. It was more complicated than that. “Everyone respects Leafpool and listens to what she says.”
“But is being listened to and respected the same as serving your Clan?”
Hollypaw glanced up at the mountain cat. Brook’s eyes were round with sympathy. “I guess not,” she mewed. “I just thought it would be the best way to help the Clan.”
“And now you think differently?”
“I don’t think I can help the Clan at all as a medicine cat,” Hollypaw mewed quietly. “I can’t remember the names of the herbs. I feel more excited about fighting ShadowClan than fighting sickness. And I’d rather hunt for mice than borage or tansy.” Frustration welled inside her. “It’s all gone wrong! No cat will ever respect me now.”
Brook ran her the tip of her tail down Hollypaw’s back. “Cats win respect from their Clanmates by being loyal and brave, not holding important positions,” she meowed. “Did you think Graystripe less important than Brambleclaw when you fought beside him yesterday? Or Lionpaw less important than Leafpool when he helped you drive off that ShadowClan tom?”
Hollypaw shook her head.
“It is hard for someone so young to make such big choices,” the mountain cat went on. “When I was with the Tribe of Rushing Water, there were no such choices. All duties were divided into hunting or guarding. Prey-hunters like me were thin and lithe; guards were stocky and strong. The decision was made from birth which duty a cat would perform best.”
Hollypaw was shocked. “You couldn’t choose at all?”
“It wasn’t impossible for a cave-guard to be a prey-hunter or a prey-hunter to be a cave-guard, but generally it was a good way to make sure each cat made the best use of the strengths they were born with.”
“I wasn’t born with a head for herbs.” Hollypaw sighed.
“Think of your strengths, not your weaknesses,” Brook urged her. “As a Clan cat, you have the freedom to shape your own destiny, which Tribe cats never have. Use that freedom wisely.”
Hollypaw remembered her battle training with Cinderpaw. Every move had come so naturally. Even Cloudtail had been impressed. And in the battle she had known instinctively what she was doing when she had knocked that ShadowClan warrior’s paws from under him. “I can fight,” she mewed, flexing her claws.
“You have warrior strengths,” Brook agreed. “What better way to serve your Clan than by being the best warrior you can?”
Hollypaw’s heart felt lighter than it had for days.
“Don’t forget, though, you will have to tell Leafpool.”
Hollypaw sagged a little. “Of course.” She looked down at her paws. “She’ll think I’m letting her down.”
“Leafpool is wise enough to see where your gifts lie,” Brook meowed. “She will only think you courageous for speaking up now, rather than struggling on out of pride or stubbornness.”
“Do you think so?”
“You will be doing what is best for your Clan. Leafpool will know that.”
The sound of paw steps inside the thorn barrier warned that the dawn patrol was preparing to leave. Hollypaw blinked gratefully at Brook. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Brook dipped her head and turned back to watch the forest. Hollypaw ducked through the thorn barrier just in time to avoid being swept aside by Graystripe, Sorreltail, and Honeypaw as they raced out. She knew what she had to do. She would become a regular apprentice like Lionpaw and Jaypaw, and work hard to serve her Clan as a warrior.
But first she had to tell Leafpool.
Stiffening her shoulders, Hollypaw nosed her way into the medicine den.
Leafpool was smearing honey onto a leaf. “Let’s hope this freezing weather breaks soon,” she muttered. “Longtail and Icekit both have sore throats.”
Hollypaw suddenly felt as if there were a thorn stuck in her chest. She was turning away from something she had set her heart on because she was not good enough. Sadness welled inside her. Should she be giving up so easily?
“What’s wrong, Hollypaw?” Leafpool looked up. “You look as though you’ve just lost our entire supply of poppy seeds!” Then her face grew serious. “You haven’t, have you?”
Hollypaw shook her head. “No. But I have something very important to tell you.” She forced herself to look her mentor in the eyes. “I can’t be a medicine cat apprentice anymore,” she mewed.
Leafpool blinked. “Why not?”
“I have to choose my destiny based on my strengths,” Hollypaw meowed. “I’m just no good at being a medicine cat. You must know that.”
“You are clever and hardworking. You can learn.”
“But it doesn’t feel right,” Hollypaw tried to explain. She tipped her head to one side. “Can you understand?”
“You feel like a fish swimming upstream?” Leafpool suggested.
“Exactly.” Hollypaw nodded, her heart aching. “If I change direction and swim with the current, I will swim so much faster.”
“So you want to train as a warrior instead.”
“I think it will be better for the Clan if I do.”
Leafpool’s eyes clouded with sorrow. “I feel as though I’ve let you down.”
“No!”Hollypaw felt a stab of guilt. “You’ve been patient and kind. It’s just not right for me.”
“You would have been a good medicine cat.” Leafpool flicked her tail. “But I see that you want to be the bestat whatever you do.”
“I have to be, for the sake of my Clan.”
Leafpool stepped forward and brushed Hollypaw’s cheek with her muzzle. “You will make a wonderful warrior, Hollypaw,” she purred. “You have a warrior’s spirit—I have seen you being noble and loyal and brave, and now I see you sacrificing your ambition for the good of the Clan.” Her eyes shone. “I couldn’t be more proud of you.”
Leafpool’s words soothed the grief that pricked like a hedgehog at Hollypaw’s heart. “I must go and tell Firestar so he can find me a new mentor.”
“There’s no rush,” Leafpool cautioned. “You might want to think about it some more.”
“I’ve thought about it lots,” Hollypaw insisted. “I want to sort it out as soon as I can.”
“I’ll come with you,” Leafpool offered.
“Thank you.” The thought of facing Firestar made her paws itch. What if he thought she was being fickle?
Together they padded across the frosty clearing. Leafpool let Hollypaw climb the rockfall first and followed her up. Hollypaw announced her arrival at the den entrance with a nervous mew.
“Come in.”
Hollypaw stepped into the cave. The dawn light seeped in behind her, lighting the gloom. Sandstorm was grooming Firestar’s ears. She looked up as Hollypaw and Leafpool entered.
Firestar drew himself into a sitting position. “How is Longtail’s throat?” he asked.
“It’s not whitecough,” Leafpool reported. “Mousefur insists it’s just sore from his snoring.”
Firestar turned to Hollypaw. “What is it?” His green eyes were round with concern. “You look worried.”
Hollypaw shifted her weight from paw to paw. What if she was breaking the warrior code in some way? Surely Leafpool would have said something? She took a short, sharp breath. She hadto follow her instinct. The Clan needed a medicine cat they could rely on, and she knew that wasn’t her.
“I want to become a warrior apprentice,” she blurted. “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a medicine cat.”
“And you think you’d make a better warrior,” Firestar guessed, narrowing his eyes.
“I know I would!”
Firestar looked at Leafpool. “Do you think she’s right?”
“I believe that this is what she really wants.” Leafpool stroked Hollypaw’s flank with her tail. “She’s worked hard at her duties, and I’ve loved training her, but she feels her strengths lie elsewhere. And if this is what she believes, then she will make a better warrior.”
“I’ll remember everything Leafpool has taught me,” Hollypaw promised. “It might be useful one day.”
Firestar nodded. “Very well. Since Leafpool agrees, you can train as a warrior. I’ll find you a mentor as soon as I can.”
Hollypaw looked up at Firestar, wondering if he would say more, but he was gazing wordlessly at her. He must be trying to think of a suitable mentor. She turned and began to head past Leafpool out of the entrance.
“It must have taken a lot of courage to do this,” Firestar called after her. “I’m very proud of you.”
She glanced back at the ThunderClan leader. “Thank you,” she mewed.
She leaped down into the clearing, her paws light with relief. Suddenly she remembered that she had intended to go hunting this morning. Perhaps Lionpaw would come with her. She glanced toward the apprentice den, wondering if he was awake yet, and then she saw Jaypaw slipping in through the thorn barrier. Brook followed him in, looking relieved. From the way he stumbled wearily into the clearing, Hollypaw guessed her brother had been out all night. She hurried over to him as Brook padded toward the warrior den to get some well-earned sleep.
“You look exhausted!” she mewed. “Where have you been?”
Jaypaw’s eyes were bleary and his fur unkempt. “I’ll explain later,” he mewed. “I have to see Firestar.”
“You should get some sleep first,” Hollypaw advised. “Besides, Firestar is busy talking to Leafpool.”
“I have to see her too.”
What was he talking about? Had something happened? Alarm shot through Hollypaw’s tail, making it twitch.
Jaypaw tripped as he tried to climb the tumble of rocks up to Firestar’s cave.
“Let me help,” Hollypaw offered. “You’re too tired to manage alone.”
For once Jaypaw didn’t object. Hollypaw’s anxiety grew stronger, but she bit her tongue. He was obviously determined to speak to Firestar, and she wasn’t going to waste time arguing. Instead she laid her tail over his shoulders and guided him up the rockfall.
At the ledge outside Firestar’s den, Hollypaw announced her arrival once more.
“Back already?” Firestar called her inside.
He looked surprised to see Jaypaw with her, but before he could speak Jaypaw stumbled into the center of the den. He fixed his sightless gaze on Firestar, his stare so intense it seemed as though he could see the ThunderClan leader as clearly as the rest of them could.
“I need to train to be a medicine cat,” he mewed.
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 16
“Squirrelflight, take Cloudtail, Cinderpaw, Thornclaw, and Poppypaw and bring back as much fresh-kill as you can.” Jaypaw lay on the halfrock and listened as Firestar gave the order. “Our warriors will be hungry tonight.”
Jaypaw dangled his tired paws over the edge of the halfrock, feeling the cold stone soothe his aching body. The battle had left him battered and scratched, but he could tend to his own wounds.
Leafpool left a trail of marigold scent in her wake as she went to apply a salve to the scratches on Stormfur’s shoulder. Hollypaw was busy treating Millie, though Jaypaw was confused when he detected revulsion rather than concern pulsing through his sister’s paws as she applied the pungent horsetail balm. Something was upsetting her, but he was too busy with his own thoughts to probe Hollypaw’s much further.
He kept wondering if he could have beaten Owlpaw without Lionpaw’s help. Stubbornly he told himself that he could. He’d been able to pinpoint the ShadowClan’s apprentice by scent and sound. But a nagging doubt gnawed at his belly. The battle had been so fast, he just hadn’t been able to keep up. The sound of Owlpaw’s breath in one ear had not warned him of the fierce jab that had raked the other. The thud of the ShadowClan apprentice’s paws on the leaves had been drowned by the cries of the other warriors, and Jaypaw had twisted and spun, only to find Owlpaw had darted around him already and was clawing him from behind.
He would never be a warrior.
It was the one thing he wanted above all. But he had to accept that he couldn’t fight alone. Fury raged inside him like a badger cornered in its set.
I don’t know of any medicine cat with visions as powerful as that.Leafpool’s words echoed in his head. I think that you were destined to be a medicine cat.
All his life he had imagined growing up to be a warrior. Why would he feel that way if StarClan had planned another destiny for him?
“Brambleclaw!” Firestar welcomed his deputy back into camp. Jaypaw had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed his father’s return.
“We’ve remarked the trees and covered the stench of ShadowClan,” Brambleclaw reported.
Something was bothering him; Jaypaw could sense hesitation tripping his father’s tongue.
“Oakfur claimed ShadowClan had a right to our territory because ThunderClan has so many cats who are not . . .” Brambleclaw paused awkwardly. “Who are not Clanborn.”
“So ShadowClan still believes a cat must be Clanborn to become a warrior,” Firestar growled.
“I told him that every cat in ThunderClan is a warrior,” Brambleclaw meowed.
“Good.” Firestar raised his voice so that every cat in the clearing could hear him. “There is not a single cat in ThunderClan who does not deserve to be here!”
Anxiety flashed from Dustpelt. “But there is truth in what ShadowClan says.” The tabby warrior’s words cracked the air like a stone hitting ice. “ThunderClan has taken in more cats than any other. That alone leaves us open to criticism from other Clans.”
Stormfur got to his paws. “Do we care what the other Clans think?” he snarled. “I was raised in RiverClan, but does any cat here doubt my loyalty to ThunderClan?”
“Your father was a ThunderClan warrior,” Dustpelt pointed out. “You have ThunderClan blood.”
“And what about those of us who don’t?” Hazelpaw protested, her soft gray-and-white pelt bristling. “I was born in the horseplace with Berrypaw and Mousepaw. Does any cat think we are not worthy to train as warriors?”
“Of course not!” Graystripe called. “Belonging has nothing to do with blood! I was born pure ThunderClan, yet I am more of a stranger here now than any cat. Millie was a kittypet only moons ago, but she fought as hard as Firestar to drive off ShadowClan today—and so did Brook!” His eyes flashed toward the Tribe cat, who blinked her thanks.
Sorreltail mewed loudly in agreement. “Loyalty is proved by what we do, not where we came from!”
Jaypaw jerked his head up. He could sense doubt pulsing from Hollypaw, horsetail balm still fragrant on her paws. “But the warrior code tells us we should drive strangers from our territory,” she mewed uncertainly.
“We have taken in any cat who has asked us for help,” Firestar meowed. “Does the warrior code condemn us for showing mercy?”
“N-no,” murmured Hollypaw.
“And every cat we have taken in has helped make ThunderClan stronger!” Firestar went on. Mews of agreement rose from the other cats.
“But,” Firestar added, “Brambleclaw is right to tell me what ShadowClan has said.”
“When have we let the other Clans tell us what to do?” Graystripe challenged.
“Never. At the next Gathering I will make it clear that ThunderClan’s business is its own,” Firestar promised. “We will defend our borders as we have always done and let no Clan interfere in our decisions.”
A ripple of approval passed around the hollow, but Jaypaw still sensed tension. He knew from furtive worried whispers that he was not the only cat who wondered how ThunderClan’s mixed blood might change the way the other Clans saw them, or even the way StarClan thought of them.
The other apprentices were asleep, the air sighing with their gentle breathing. But Jaypaw was wide awake. Leafpool’s words still haunted him. He kept trying to persuade himself that he could learn how to be a warrior, that his fighting skillswould improve. But every time he thought it, the hope became hollower.
He would go to the Moonpool. Perhaps there would be an answer for him there. Quietly he slipped out of the den. An icy wind stirred the bare branches of the trees; he would need to move very quietly, because every sound would travel far.
Brackenfur was guarding the camp entrance. Jaypaw could smell his scent. If the warrior turned him back then he would find another way out of the camp.
“You’re out late,” Brackenfur observed.
“I can’t sleep.”
“It can be like that after a battle,” Brackenfur meowed.
“I’m going into the forest.” Jaypaw waited for surprise to flash from Brackenfur, but the warrior did not flinch.
“Do you want me to go with you?” he offered. “Brook won’t mind starting her watch early.”
“No, thanks.”
“You need some time alone,” Brackenfur guessed.
Jaypaw nodded, and Brackenfur went on, “At least it’s quiet tonight. But I’ll keep my ears pricked for you, just in case.”
“Thanks, Brackenfur.” Jaypaw was relieved he had at least one Clanmate who didn’t fuss over him as though he were a newborn kit. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he called as he padded away from the entrance.
As he climbed the slope, the leaves slippery with frost beneath his paws, Jaypaw started to feel less eaten up with anxious thoughts. The noisy buzz and flow of the Clan, which invaded his senses like mosquitoes nipping at his ears, was gone. He followed the route he’d taken with Leafpool toward WindClan territory; the memory of it seemed burned into his paws as they retraced the path that grazed the WindClan border and led up into the hills.
His ears were sharp enough to hear the tumbling of the stream before his paws felt the ground turn to rock. His nose twitched, smelling for danger, but he scented nothing other than clean, fresh air rolling down from the mountains. He followed the stream steadily upward until he was scrambling up the rocks that led to the bushes circling the hollow. The whispering voices, the softly walking cats who weren’t there, surrounded him again. Their presence was oddly reassuring, as if they had come to welcome him.
Jaypaw paused at the top of the spiraling path; though his eyes saw nothing, he could clearly picture the sloping walls of the hollow and the pool below cradling the moon. The whispering grew louder until it became a droning purr that echoed around the rocks. As he followed the path down to the Moonpool, his ears twitched, straining to make out words from the murmuring sigh.
“You are welcome, Jaypaw.”
“Come, Jaypaw.”
Scents flooded around him, the scents of cats he had no memory of, yet who seemed familiar.
“Dream with us, Jaypaw.”
A pelt brushed his and then another as the cats guided him down to the pool. A faint memory stirred of a long, snowy journey, where his mother’s voice had comforted him and two soft pelts had urged him on.
Jaypaw stopped at the edge of the pool and lay down on the smooth stone shore. Closing his eyes, he touched the water with his nose.
He opened his eyes and found himself in lush woodland. Trees soared into the blue sky above his head. Ferns unfurled their arching fronds above his back. Warm air, carrying the fresh scents of the forest, lapped at his fur. Everywhere thrummed with damp green life.
“Bluestar?” he called. “Lionheart? Cinderpelt?” Perhaps he could contact Leafpool’s mentor where Leafpool had failed.
But there was no reply.
Frustrated, Jaypaw stood up and wandered into the trees. Why had all those voices welcomed him to the hollow and then not come to greet him? He felt a twinge of resentment. Why did StarClan have to make everything so difficult? He only wanted to know if he was meant to be a medicine cat.
At least he felt warm here, and safe. And he could see. He began to run and found his paws carrying him so swiftly through the trees that he felt as if he were flying. He raced beneath the ferns, listening to the slightest whisper of the leaves and smelling the forest scents that wafted on the very edges of his consciousness.
Suddenly he sensed emptiness ahead. No scent. No sound.
His fur prickled with unease, and he slowed his pace. Through the gaps in the trees he could see a wall of mist blocking his way. He padded forward, and as the mist began to swirl about his paws, he noticed that the undergrowth was becoming thinner. The trees around him grew stiff and lifeless, their branches too high for a cat to reach.
“Jaypaw?”
His pelt stood on end, and he scanned the murky forest up ahead. Gradually he made out a figure that seemed familiar. The broad shoulders and wide muzzle reminded him of his father, Brambleclaw.
“Jaypaw!” the voice called again.
A second figure loomed from the shadows and stood beside the first. Outlined against the fog, they shared the same strong shoulders and broad muzzle.
“Yes?” Jaypaw mewed, his voice sounding tiny among the trees.
The two cats approached him and stopped, their tabby pelts as dark as the shadows beyond the trees.
“Welcome. Don’t be afraid. We are kin,” the larger cat meowed. “I am Tigerstar, your father’s father, and this is his brother, Hawkfrost.”
Jaypaw stared at the cats in astonishment. He had heard nursery stories about Tigerstar and the terrible things he had done. What were they doing here, and why had they come to him?
“It is good to meet you at last,” Tigerstar meowed, his eyes glittering.
“Brambleclaw is blessed to have three fine kits,” Hawkfrost added.
“We watched you in battle earlier,” Tigerstar purred. “I am glad to see you have inherited your father’s skill.”
Hawkfrost glanced at his father. “And yours, Tigerstar,” he meowed.
Jaypaw narrowed his eyes. Why were they complimenting him when they must know he couldn’t fight as well as he wanted to?
As though reading his thoughts, Tigerstar went on, “We can teach you how to improve your skills if you like,” he offered, his voice smooth as honey.
Jaypaw searched the massive tom’s gaze, hunting out the sentiment that lay behind his words. To his surprise he found murky darkness where he would normally have sensed feeling and thoughts. He shifted his paws uneasily. “I-I’m not sure I want to become a warrior,” he confessed.
“How can any kin of mine say such a thing?” Tigerstar snorted. “It is bad enough that I have to watch Mothwing wasting her talents as a medicine cat.” His whiskers twitched. “At least Hollypaw is finally starting to realize that her destiny does not lie in pandering to the weak and the sick.”
“Hollypaw?” Jaypaw echoed. What did Tigerstar know about his sister’s destiny?
“Why don’t you let us teach you some fighting moves?” Hawkfrost urged. “Once you see how easy they are for you, you’ll realize that you were born to lead your Clanmates in battle, not spend all your time in the camp with herbs and poultices.”
Jaypaw flicked his tail. Brightheart hadn’t taught him anything about fighting. She obviously thought it was a waste of time training a blind cat. He might have done better in the battle against ShadowClan if she’d shown him some moves. Perhaps these two cats really could help him.
A swish in the ferns far behind him made Jaypaw glance over his shoulder.
“Who’s there?” Tigerstar called.
“I have come to fetch Jaypaw back where he belongs.”
Jaypaw recognized the mew at once and, as the cat emerged through the mist, he recognized the pretty tortoiseshell pelt as well. “Spottedleaf!” he mewed.
Spottedleaf nodded but did not take her eyes off Tigerstar and Hawkfrost.
“Do you know this cat?” Tigerstar asked Jaypaw.
“She helped me when I fell over the cliff,” Jaypaw explained.
“You shouldn’t have wandered this far, Jaypaw,” Spottedleaf warned him.
“Nor should you.” Tigerstar glared at the medicine cat. “How did you cross the border?”
“I come with the permission of StarClan,” Spottedleaf replied, meeting his gaze with a challenging stare.
“Did they give Jaypaw permission too?” Tigerstar inquired, tipping his head to one side.
Spottedleaf did not answer. Instead she looked at Jaypaw. “Come back with me,” she ordered.
“What about Tigerstar and Hawkfrost? Can they come too?”
“They have chosen their own path,” Spottedleaf replied. She turned back and waited for Jaypaw to follow.
But Jaypaw hesitated. Tigerstar and Hawkfrost had offered to give him what he wanted most.
“Jaypaw!” Spottedleaf called more urgently.
He had to choose between the cat he knew—the cat he instinctively trusted—and those he didn’t. He turned and followed Spottedleaf.
As she led him back through the mist, he glanced over his shoulder. Tigerstar’s eyes blazed like fire even after his pelt had been swallowed by the gloom.
Spottedleaf broke into a run, and Jaypaw raced after her. His paws carried him lightly through the shadowy forest until the trees became leafier, their branches dipping once more to brush the undergrowth. Fern tips caressed his spine, and a feeling of freedom and safety enfolded him once more.
Spottedleaf drew to a halt. “You must not go there again,” she told him.
“Why not?” Jaypaw asked.
“Tell me why you came to share with StarClan,” Spottedleaf prompted.
Resentment jabbed Jaypaw’s belly. If she wasn’t going to answer his questions, he wasn’t going to answer hers. “I came because I could,” he answered huffily.
Spottedleaf narrowed her eyes. “You came to find out where your true destiny lies, didn’t you?”
Jaypaw blinked. “How did you know?”
“How did you find your way to the Moonpool when you are blind?” she countered.
“Are you going to answer all my questions with more questions?”
Spottedleaf sighed. “Sorry,” she mewed. “But I cannot tell you more than you are ready to know.”
“I’m ready to know everything!” Jaypaw insisted. “Why does StarClan make it so hard to get answers?”
“Because they fear for you,” Spottedleaf answered, her eyes darkening.
Jaypaw snorted. Even StarClan was treating him like a helpless kit! “Tigerstar and Hawkfrost don’t seem worried about me,” he snapped. “They think I’m destined to be a warrior!”
“Do you trust them?”
Jaypaw remembered the impenetrable mist that had hidden the true feelings of the two warriors. “I guess not,” he mewed hesitantly.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” he murmured. He could sense something else inside her, affection tinged with sorrow. Concentrating hard, he tracked the feeling, following it like a shimmering stream: a flame-colored cat, green eyes clouded with grief . . . it was Firestar! This StarClan cat was in love with the ThunderClan leader! But how could that be? Spottedleaf had left the forest long ago, and Firestar had another mate. Jaypaw searched further. There was more, he knew, some knowledge obscured by shadows, something he could not name. . . .
“You have a remarkable gift,” she mewed. Her eyes were wary, as though she’d felt him probing her mind. “You can see what no other cat sees. You can go where even StarClan cannot. You must use this power for the good of your Clan.”
“But how?” Jaypaw asked.
“You must become a medicine cat,” Spottedleaf meowed.
No!
He didn’t want to hear that. He wanted to believe Tigerstar and Hawkfrost.
“I want to be a warrior!”
“But you have a gift!”
“Seeing in dreams? That’s not a gift. The rest of the Clan see all the time!”
“But they don’t see what you do. They can’t go where you go.”
“So I can visit StarClan! Big deal!”
“It isa big deal!” Spottedleaf hissed.
“But where does it get me?” Jaypaw argued. “The rest of my Clan think I’m useless.”
“They don’t know the power that you have.”
“Power?” Jaypaw echoed.
Spottedleaf was trembling now. “Jaypaw, you have power enough to shape the destiny of your entire Clan.”
Jaypaw stared at her. “But I want to be a warrior!”
“Accept your destiny!”
“It’s not fair!”
“I know.” The medicine cat’s voice suddenly grew soft. She brushed his muzzle with her tail, silencing him. Jaypaw felt weariness spread through his limbs, dragging him toward sleep. “Your gift is not a burden,” she whispered. “But you must be brave, because it has more power than the sharpest claw. . . .”
Jaypaw tried to fight the sleepiness. There were still questions he wanted answered. “No,” he complained weakly as his legs buckled beneath him.
Jaypaw opened his eyes. The world was black once more, and his body ached with cold. He was lying beside the Moonpool. Slowly he got to his paws and stretched. The image of StarClan’s hunting grounds was still fresh in his mind as he followed the path out of the hollow.
More power than the sharpest claw . . .
When he reached the top, Jaypaw glanced over his shoulder.
The hollow was filled with starlight—he knew it as surely as if he could see it. The Moonpool was radiant beneath the brilliant light, and every rock and stone shone like crystal. The whispering that had followed him down to the Moonpool rose again until the voices swirled around him like a relentless wind.
Accept your destiny, Jaypaw.
And in that instant, he realized that however many moons he searched, and however far he ran, he would never escape what he had known all along.
第九章
第九章
璀璨的银毛星带在天空中闪耀，松鸦爪沿着狭窄的峡谷向高处走去。他抬头看了看路两侧嶙峋的石头，尖利得好似狐狸的尖牙。前方一条小溪沿山坡流下来，在月光下闪烁着点点光彩。这时，一阵冰冷的风从远处棕灰色的山峰吹来，在他皮毛上拂起道道波纹。在松鸦爪的感觉中，自己已经沿着这条石头小路走了好几天，而且还要继续循着这条小溪向上走，一直进入群山之中。
突然，一只爪子扎进了自己的身侧，两块肋骨之间疼痛难忍。松鸦爪疼得缩了下身子。他猛地睁开眼睛，眼前一片漆黑。
原来他在做梦。
那爪子又扎了他一下。
“干什么啊！”他抱怨道。
“对不起！”狮爪跟他道歉。
“为什么你今天早上总是一惊一乍的呢？”松鸦爪抬起自己的鼻子。他闻到了叶子上露珠的气息，猜想现在天应该还没亮。只有狮爪和莓爪醒过来了。
“我们要跟蜡毛和黑莓掌去边界附近巡逻啦。”狮爪兴奋地说。
“多了不起啊！”松鸦爪咕哝道，“黑莓掌当然会带你去的，因为这些天，边界那里根本没有什么事。”
“影族和风族留下的特殊气味标记的事呢？”
“难道你怕那些气味吗？”松鸦爪大声反问道。
狮爪吓得缩回了身子。
“不好意思，”松鸦爪低声说，“我相信你的巡逻之旅一定会很棒。”
“没错，”狮爪平静了下来，“待会儿见！”他没再说什么，和莓爪一起走出了巢穴。
松鸦爪又回到自己的窝里，狮爪一走，窝里一下子就变凉了。他试着重新回到刚才的梦境，可一点儿睡意也没有了。
早晨清新的空气渐渐渗入巢穴中。鼠爪和榛爪也醒来了，打着哈欠，伸着懒腰。
榛爪推了推松鸦爪，说道：“不要装睡了啊！”
松鸦爪不情愿地抬起头。
“莓爪已经走了吗？”她问他。
“是的。”
“噢，好吧。”找不到自己的弟弟，榛爪有些失望，“我会在待会儿的战斗训练中见到他的。”
“榛爪！”尘毛低沉的吼叫声从巢穴入口传来，“猎物堆已经空了。把鼠爪叫上，我们去狩猎。”
榛爪抖了抖尾巴说道：“真是太好了！看来今天上午，我不用再清理长老巢穴了！”
清理长老巢穴是我的工作，他们怎么会让你来做呢？当榛爪和鼠爪走出巢穴时，松鸦爪愤愤不平地想着。黛西幼崽的工作都比我的重要。他们甚至不是在雷族出生的！
“嗨，松鸦爪！”罂粟爪跟他打着招呼，“你在学徒巢穴的第一晚，过得如何？”
“挺好的。”松鸦爪没精打采地回答道。
炭爪也醒了过来，问道：“你今天要做什么呢？”
“我今天不去巡逻，也不去狩猎。”松鸦爪告诉她说。
“今天亮心可能会给你安排战斗训练呢！”罂粟爪告诉他。
“希望如此！”炭爪插话道，“我们今天早晨就要在空地里训练了。如果你能来，就再好不过了。”
松鸦爪没有回答。
“我希望在那里见到你。”罂粟爪走到巢穴入口时对他说。
哼，我真能去的话，兔子都会飞了！松鸦爪自言自语道。
巢穴里只有蜜爪依然熟睡着。松鸦爪不想等她起来后，再听她像一只叽叽喳喳不停的小鸟那样，对自己期待的工作说个不停。于是他悄悄地爬出窝，钻出了巢穴。
他的爪子下是被霜覆盖的地面，表明今天是个大晴天。太阳还没开始晒暖山谷，营地上就已是一片繁忙的景象。火星和蕨毛、蛛足站在一起，指挥着要去狩猎和巡逻边界的队伍。叶池正在往育婴室走，松鼠飞正在和暴毛、溪儿交谈着。
看不到亮心的影子。她可能已经忘记松鸦爪，去参加黎明巡逻队了。一股怒气顿时在松鸦爪的心中爆发。我要证明给她看，我不是无用之辈！
松鸦爪快速穿过空地，朝通往猫们排便处的通道走去。正在这时，他觉察到沙风正朝营地走来，自己已经来不及返回了。他索性钻到一处蕨丛后面。沙风的脚步突然停下来，松鸦爪听到她嗅闻气味的声音。他屏住呼吸，向星族祈祷，不要让沙风看见自己。沙风又站了一会儿，然后穿过通道，走进营地。
松鸦爪如释重负地松了口气，爬出了蕨丛，把耳朵里干枯的叶子抖掉。他很快找到了昨天跟亮心走过的那条小路。如果亮心不带他走遍雷族的所有领地，他会自己去探索的。他会去湖边，以及更远的地方。他之前从没去过那边，但风和湖水的清新气息，一直令他心驰神往。
松鸦爪第二次来到斜坡上，沿着山脊向上爬，感觉比上次容易多了。爬到山顶时，他对走那段陡峭的下坡路做好了充分准备。松鸦爪摸索着往下去，用爪子延缓自己下降的速度。当到达上次被绊住的那片石楠丛时，他掉头离开了旧雷鬼路，朝着与昨天完全相反的方向走去。
松鸦爪沿着山脊，穿过森林，向山下行进。对他来说，在灌木丛中迂回穿行是很简单的：他所做的，仅仅是跟随自己胡须的指引，自信地走过落叶遍地的森林地面。不过渐渐地，树木和灌木丛都变得稀疏起来，地势也开始变得平坦。地面变得松软，落叶也不见了，不过由于苔藓的存在，泥土变得颇为柔软。石楠丛又出现了，不停地擦着松鸦爪的皮毛。
他嗅了一下空气的味道，想知道自己现在离湖有多远。昨天，风从湖面吹来，带着湖水的气味，令他印象深刻。不过今天，风是从雷族领地吹来的，闻不到一点儿前方的气息。他试图聆听湖水拍打岸边的声音，但这声音非常微弱，而且很难推断它是从什么地方传来的。
突然，松鸦爪的前爪一滑，踩进了地上的一个兔子洞。他的爪子扭了一下，整条腿都痛了起来。他把爪子从洞中抽出来，舔了舔。虽然伤得并不严重，但过了好一会儿，疼痛才减轻了一些，他才敢把爪子放回地面去。
这里跟森林里的感觉完全不一样。松鸦爪第一次觉得，独自去探索未知世界未必是个好主意。不过他已经下定决心自己去湖边。他小心翼翼地放低爪子，确认地面足够坚实，能撑住自己的身体时，这才松了一口气。
松鸦爪小心地向前走着，脚下是沼泽一般绵软而潮湿的泥土。水渗上来，浸湿了两爪之间的皮毛，让他忍不住打起寒战。突然间，他的前爪再次深陷在泥土中，冰冷的泥水吞没了他的腿部和胸部。星族，救救我！他向后使劲挣扎，让后爪紧紧钩住身后较为坚固的地面。他疯狂地喘着气，把前爪从黏糊糊的泥水中拔了出来，扭动着身体，伸长了爪子，去抓离他最近的一丛石楠。他的身体穿过一簇又短又硬的叶子，终于在一丛密密缠绕的根系上站起来，身体还在瑟瑟发抖。
前进的时候，我得小心地试一下地面是否结实。松鸦爪告诫着自己，他感觉自己心脏怦怦跳动的声音，甚至盖过了水声和风声。他试探着伸出一只爪子，戳了戳石楠丛另一边的地面。那里是一片铺满苔藓的泥地，虽然很软却很结实。于是他离开石楠丛，小心地向前走去。
他全神贯注地摸索前行，每次只轻轻迈出一步，而且只在能抓住石楠丛的地方行走——他担心自己再一次失足时，没有东西能让他化险为夷。慢慢地，爪子下的地面开始变得越来越干燥、坚固。地势又开始逐渐升高，前方的空间似乎变得更开阔了，他的心里也没有刚才那么紧张了。他闻了闻空中的气息，风仍从身后吹过来，带着自己熟悉的营地的气味。他想了一会儿自己是不是应该回去了，不过马上又抛弃了这种想法。我是不会放弃的！
松鸦爪试着在脑海中绘制这一区域的地形图，并把它“存储”起来，以便下次来这里时，他能更自信地走动。地面上松软的苔藓开始变成光滑的草地。他能听到身后远方的森林沙沙作响。风吹动湖水，泛起水波的声音更响了，他的心中兴奋不已。于是他加快了脚步，阳光暖暖地晒在身上，风儿抚摸着他的皮毛——松鸦爪开始享受这片开阔区域带给自己的自由的感觉。
心情愉悦的他，又闻了闻空中的气息。
有风族猫的气味！
松鸦爪顿时警觉起来。风族猫的气味在这里特别浓烈，甚至盖过了自己的气味。但是他还是听不到周围有任何动静，他确定附近没有猫出没。难道自己不经意间越过了边界吗？
松鸦爪困惑地转过身，继续搜寻着营地的气息。他恐惧地向后退了几步——顷刻间，爪子下的地面毫无征兆地消失了。松鸦爪绝望地胡乱摆动着爪子，想要抓住树枝或石头之类的东西，但他没能成功。他身子一软，掉了下去。
他掉进了水里。
突如其来的冷水让松鸦爪无法呼吸，他被一波波汹涌的水浪不断地拍打着，肺憋得都快要爆炸了，急需空气。松鸦爪在水下拼命挣扎着，想尽快浮出水面。他想大声呼救，然而水已涌进了他的嘴巴、眼睛和耳朵里。
我要淹死了！
突然，有什么东西抓住了松鸦爪后颈的皮毛，把他向后拉去。松鸦爪本能地停止挣扎，变得像一只被叼在妈妈嘴里的幼崽一样无力。他就这样被拉着往上浮，直到感觉胸部快爆炸时，身体终于破水而出了。
松鸦爪深吸着空气，第一下吸进来的居然是一大口水，他被呛得不停咳嗽，喉咙也呼噜乱响。他想自己一定是得病了。
“别动！”一个声音透过齿缝传了过来。
松鸦爪感觉自己像傻瓜一样，被拖着在波涛间移动。他感到自己又沉入了湖底，爪子拼命乱刨起来。
“不要乱动！”这个声音又响了起来。松鸦爪忽然感觉鹅卵石剐蹭着自己的皮毛。这位施救者把他拽出水面，拖到了一片石滩上。
松鸦爪一下子瘫软在地，不住呕吐着，喘着粗气。这时，一双爪子放在他的胸脯上，开始把他身体里的水挤压出来。
“他不会有事吧？”一只年轻猫焦急的声音，在他身边响起。
由于惊吓过度，松鸦爪已无法分辨自己周围的任何气息了。“你们是谁啊？是武士吗？”他声音粗哑地问。
“我不明白你的话。”这个声音听起来很疑惑，而后突然变成了惊奇，“他看不见东西！”
“星族啊，他独自到这里干什么？”松鸦爪听见一个低沉的声音响了起来。他认出说话的正是营救自己的猫，这只猫的话语里透出一丝恼怒。
这时，一条粗糙的舌头开始舔着松鸦爪，并按摩他冰冷的身体。不一会儿，又有一条舌头加入进来。松鸦爪又闭上了眼睛，无助、虚弱、胆怯地躺在那里，让那充满节奏感的舔舐放松并温暖着自己。
随着松鸦爪的意识逐渐清醒，他意识到这些猫是来自风族的。他们身上的气味与昨天的风带给他的一样。这里共有四只猫：两只年纪大的，两只年轻的——是武士和他们的学徒吗？
“白尾，他会没事吗？”其中一位学徒问道。她走上前，在松鸦爪身旁蹲坐下来。他能感受到，风族学徒的皮毛也在不停地颤抖。
“他没事的，石楠爪。”这个声音不是刚才那位施救者的，而是一个更温和的声音，是一只母猫的，“你能听见我说话吗？”
松鸦爪点了点头。他撑起身体，笨拙地坐了起来。他的耳朵里全是水，他摇了几下脑袋，把水甩了出来。风族猫匆忙跳到一边，躲避着松鸦爪被水浸过的皮毛上甩过来的水珠。这时，他们爪下的鹅卵石开始发出咯吱咯吱的声响。
“雷族猫都是这样表达感谢的吗？你是要淹死我们吗？”松鸦爪还没听过这个声音。他猜，这应该是一只公猫学徒的声音。
年长些的公猫大声呵斥道：“风爪，别那么说！只是一些水珠罢了。”这位武士一边说，一边靠近松鸦爪。松鸦爪感觉到自己的脸颊上有温暖的鼻息。“你离开自己的营地这么远，来这里做什么呢？”他厉声问道，“有族猫跟你在一起吗？”
“说话温柔一些，鸦羽。”白尾恳求道，“他肯定吓坏了。”松鸦爪感到一条柔软的舌头正舔舐着自己的耳朵，“小家伙，你现在安全了。”
松鸦爪紧靠着她的身体，放松了下来。她温暖而干燥的皮毛帮他抵御着周围的寒风。
“我是白尾。”这位武士接着说，“他是鸦羽。这两位是我们的学徒石楠爪和风爪。我们不会伤害你的。”
“不用说他也会猜出来我们不会伤害他了，我们可是救了他一命呢！”风爪低声喃喃道。
“鸦羽，我希望你能教你儿子一些基本礼节！”白尾厉声说道。她把视线重新转移到松鸦爪身上，“你独自来这里做什么呢？你知不知道你是在朝风族领地的方向走呢？你遇到什么麻烦了吗？”
“麻烦？我想我不久就会有了。”松鸦爪喘着气说。
“我想也是。”鸦羽厉声说，“你的族猫究竟在想些什么，竟然让你这样独自到处乱跑？”
石楠爪走上前去，用胡须蹭了蹭松鸦爪的皮毛，好奇地问道：“你能看见东西吗？”
风爪哼了一声：“如果他能看见，那他就是脑子有问题，不然谁会走到悬崖边上，然后让自己掉下来呢！”
“我没走到悬崖上！”松鸦爪反驳道。
“从我们的角度看，你就是这样的。”风爪鄙夷地说。
“闭嘴，风爪！”鸦羽呵斥道。
风爪终于不吭声了。可松鸦爪仍能听到，他生气地用尾巴扫过鹅卵石的声音。
“我想，最好还是把他送回雷族吧。”鸦羽说，“你好些了吗？可以走路吗？”
松鸦爪点了点头。他的双腿依然不停颤抖着，不过他不想再让自己成为风爪讽刺雷族的把柄了。他站起来，礼貌地说道：“谢谢你们救了我。不过不用费心了，我能自己找到回去的路。”
“我不会让你自己再随处乱走的，”鸦羽坚持道，“白尾，你先领石楠爪和风爪回营地吧。”他把尾巴稳稳地放在松鸦爪的肩膀上，开始指引着他沿湖滩前行。
“你回去后赶紧找巫医看看！”白尾在后面大声喊道。
在送松鸦爪返回雷族领地的路上，鸦羽没怎么说话，只是在遇到兔子洞或可能把松鸦爪绊倒的树根时才提醒他几句，松鸦爪却对他的少言寡语非常满意。一路上，周遭的环境他并不熟悉，因此，除了鸦羽偶尔几次的提醒外，他什么都没感受出来。松鸦爪很讨厌鸦羽把尾巴放在他的肩膀上，不过他并没抱怨什么。松鸦爪的麻烦已经够多了。这次，他想证明自己与其他猫一样优秀的行动，又以失败告终了。
我知道这个地方！他突然想了起来。爪下的斜坡布满了细小的树枝，树叶在头顶沙沙作响。他们离雷族营地越来越近了。松鸦爪的心情顿时变得沉重起来。他该怎么解释自己没跟亮心一同出去呢？他的父亲又会说些什么呢？这时他闻到了雷族巡逻队的气味，意识到松鼠飞、暴毛和溪儿正向他和鸦羽奔来。他的肩膀不禁绷紧了。
“鸦羽？”暴毛惊讶的叫声从前面的蕨丛里传了过来。
一阵脚步声向他们涌来。“松鸦爪！”松鼠飞发现了他，马上尖叫道。她的声音里混杂着轻松和愤怒的情绪。松鼠飞走上前来，把鼻子紧紧贴在松鸦爪潮湿的皮毛上。“星族啊，你到底出了什么事？”她满脸焦虑地舔着松鸦爪耳朵中间的部位，关切地问道。“你们在哪里找到他的？”她问鸦羽。
“他误入了风族的领地。”鸦羽冷淡地回答，“我把他从湖里捞了上来。”
松鸦爪尴尬地低下头，感觉自己的皮毛正在发烫。更糟糕的是，他甚至能感觉到，松鼠飞都在替他感到脸红。因为鸦羽接着问道：“你们的幼崽经常自己出去到处乱走吗？”
“我不是幼崽，我是学徒！”松鸦爪大声喊道。这时，他母亲的尾巴碰了碰他的鼻子，让他闭嘴。
“鸦羽，”她冷冷地说，“我相信风族以前也有过幼崽到处乱走的事情，甚至可能比今天的状况更严重。”她的话语中隐含着松鸦爪并不理解的意思，不过鸦羽显然听懂了。这位风族武士把自己的尾巴从松鸦爪的肩上拿开，轻轻哼了一声。
“你们应该把他带回营地了，”鸦忌说道，“他差一点儿就淹死了，湖水非常冷。”
“我会的。”松鼠飞一边说，一边和松鸦爪一起走下斜坡，朝荆棘屏障走去。
令松鸦爪惊讶的是，鸦羽居然陪着他们回到了石头山谷，松鼠飞也未表示反对。暴毛和鸦羽并肩走在一起，松鸦爪察觉到暴毛的脚步声里荡漾着阵阵愉悦。
溪儿在松鸦爪身边走着。“不要感到羞愧了，”她在松鸦爪耳边悄悄说，“我当年还在参加训练的时候，走过的路比你还远呢。”她把自己温暖的腹部贴在松鸦爪冰冷潮湿的皮毛上。他清楚，这只山区来的猫想让自己好受一些，可实际上没什么用。
忽然他听到荆棘屏障沙沙作响——鼠爪冲出了营地入口。“你们终于找到他了！”学徒兴奋地大叫道。
松鼠飞叹了口气说：“是的，找到了。”
“把亮心的巡逻队找回来，告诉她别再找了。”暴毛告诉鼠爪，“问一下云尾，能不能让炭爪同你一起去。”
“好的，暴毛。”鼠爪话音刚落，就冲出了营地。
松鼠飞给大家带路，穿过通道。松鸦爪收紧爪子，跟她一起进入营地。
“你直接去叶池那儿吧。”暴毛轻轻告诉他。
“我去跟黑莓掌汇报一下今天的情况，然后就过来看你，”松鼠飞说，“他也想尽早得到你平安无事的消息。”
松鸦爪偷偷朝巫医巢穴走去，恨不得把头埋进土里。鸦羽仍然跟在他的身后，松鸦爪疑惑地眨着眼。这位风族武士是铁了心要一直跟着自己吗？还是他有什么事要找雷族巫医呢？不过他并不想招惹鸦羽。松鸦爪试着去解读他到底在想什么，不过除了感受到刺，什么也没有。
松鸦爪走进巫医巢穴，叶池转身看到松鸦爪，立刻跑到了他身边。松鸦爪感到，她的神情如同周围的气氛一样，终于放松下来。“你终于平安归来了。”
忽然她转过头，绷紧了脸，她瞪着正穿过荆棘丛走来的鸦羽。松鸦爪的毛竖了起来，他能感觉到空气都紧张地噼啪作响，好像绿叶季的闪电一样。
“你好，鸦羽。”叶池打了声招呼，声音像嗓子里卡了鱼刺一样，难听得很。
“叶池。”鸦羽的寒暄很冷漠。不过松鸦爪第一次感到，这位风族武士的皮毛下除了恼怒，还浮现出了另外一种情感。“遇到松鸦爪的时候，我正跟风爪和他老师在一起。”
叶池身子一僵。“你的儿子成为学徒了？”她的声音有些冷淡。
“是啊。”鸦羽回答，声音异常平静。
“松鸦爪！”冬青爪冲上去，用鼻子蹭了蹭他的脸颊，“你看起来淹得只剩半条命了！”
松鸦爪突然感到疲惫不堪，一下子躺倒在地。
“冬青爪，去拿一些百里香来。”叶池命令道。
冬青爪赶紧跑到巢穴后面，很快就气喘吁吁地回来了，嘴里衔着一大堆叶子。松鸦爪辨识出这是小白菊的气味，不是百里香。
“他不需要退烧。”叶池有些不耐烦地说。冬青爪赶忙跑到草药堆，衔起一嘴百里香。
鸦羽站在那里，静静地看着。
“为什么我要给他用百里香呢？”叶池一边把叶子放在松鸦爪身边，一边问冬青爪。
“是要让他的身子暖和起来吗？”冬青爪试探着说道。
叶池摇摇头说：“想让他的身子变暖，只要紧紧贴着他，躺在他身边就可以。”
冬青爪趴下来，把自己的身体贴紧松鸦爪。
叶池用鼻子把百里香叶子推向松鸦爪，解释道：“百里香可以让他心神安宁，对缓解惊吓引起的紧张感也有帮助。”她舔舔松鸦爪的脸颊，鼓励他说，“把这些叶子都吃下去吧，它们的味道不错，等你身子变得暖和一点儿了，我会让冬青爪找新鲜的老鼠给你吃，就可以去除嘴里的草药味了。”
松鸦爪毫无怨言地吞下了所有的叶子。他实在又冷又累，无力拒绝任何事。他闭上眼睛，感到姐姐身上的阵阵暖意正朝他身上涌来。他仍依稀感觉到在鸦羽和叶池之间，有着一种复杂的情感。不过，随着松鸦爪逐渐进入舒适的深度睡眠，这种想法也烟消云散了。
第十章
第十章
狮爪抬起头，看着天上那轮明亮的满月，山谷里洒满皎洁的月光。看来乌云应该不会打搅森林大会的召开吧？
尘毛、蛛足和蜡毛已经在营地入口等着了。火星、沙风和黑莓掌站在高石台下面，小声谈着话。
“我们在这里傻等着做什么啊？”冬青爪一边抱怨，一边用锋利的爪子撕下一块草皮。
“再等一会儿吧，应该不会太久。”狮爪说道。此时他和妹妹一样激动不已。这是他们第一次参加森林大会，也是他们第一次有机会和其他族群的学徒见面，一起聊聊天，切磋训练技能——要知道，他们下次可能就是在战场上爪牙相见了。
“火星好像在等叶池。”榛爪突然插话说道。
“这么长时间了，她怎么还不来啊？”冬青爪抱怨道，“她不过就是整理一下我们上午采回来的草药啊。”
“如果她的学徒能帮忙，也许她能快一些。”莓爪说。
“不是我不帮忙！”冬青爪大声抗议道，“叶池说了，她自己做比我帮她更快。”
鼠爪胡须抽动了一下，问道：“你确定想当一名巫医？”
“当然，”冬青爪说，“总有一天，你会看到我成功的！”
“他们只是开玩笑罢了。”狮爪安慰她。在他看来，黛西的幼崽们要去参加这次森林大会，而在雷族出生的炭爪、蜜爪和罂粟爪却不能去，这着实有点儿奇怪。狮爪转而又想，其实这种安排很公平：本族出生的学徒和非本族出生的学徒各三只。幸好本族出生的猫还有其他三只不能去，要是只有……
他看了看蹲在巢穴入口的松鸦爪，叹了口气。从黄昏到现在，他一直就待在那里。那天他外出探险，差点儿把自己淹死，所以作为惩罚，他被禁止参加森林大会了。现在他那看不见的蓝色眼睛，正盯着哥哥姐姐跟黛西的孩子开玩笑，等待着出发。他心里的怨气又腾地升了起来。
为什么他做事鲁莽的毛病总也改不了呢？现在他们已经是学徒了，想改就更难了——狮爪的任务很繁重，他可没法像小时候那样，一直守护着松鸦爪了。一丝愧疚在狮爪的脑海闪现，不过很快便消失了。他现在首要的责任是为雷族效力。松鸦爪将来必须学会更理智地做事才行。
他走到弟弟身边，用舌头舔着他两耳间的皮毛。“我真希望你能参加。”狮爪说道。
“你是唯一希望我去的猫。”松鸦爪咕哝道。
“你心里清楚，那不是真的，”狮爪争辩道，“你被禁足在营地里，是因为你自己犯了错。”
“或许是火星不想让森林大会上出现一只瞎猫吧。”
“你这话是什么意思？”
“我是说，雷族有我这样的学徒，是很不光彩的。”松鸦爪低声说。
这话到底对不对呢？狮爪还没来得及说什么，就听到了火星的召唤声。
“我要走了。”狮爪告诉松鸦爪，“我回来后，会把参加森林大会的一切都告诉你。”
说完他跑了过去，跟在其他学徒的后面，朝营地入口走去。火星走在队伍最前面，用力点了一下头，然后纵身跳出通道。狮爪跟着伙伴们，他的心随着大家的脚步声一道怦怦跳动着。他察觉到冬青爪的皮毛跟自己的擦在一起——她的心情也异常激动。不一会儿他们走出通道，开始沿斜坡向上爬。
他们快步经过天空橡树，又下到湖边。爪子下的鹅卵石咯咯作响。有几块石头擦破了狮爪的爪垫，可他毫不在意。他已经能看到远处水面上的那座林木茂盛的岛屿。修长的光秃秃树枝伸向广阔的星空，微风拂过，摇摆得好像猫的胡须一般。狮爪兴奋地抽动着尾巴。
雷族猫开始向风族领地行进。火星的步伐越发稳健。他们先是经过黛西居住过的马厩，然后穿过了河族领地。根据之前与其他族群达成的协议，他们只能在距湖边两尾远的距离之内通过。离岛屿越来越近，道路也变得越发的泥泞。狮爪差点儿摔了一跤，他不得不放慢了脚步。他可不想让自己在抵达会场时变成一只泥猫。他分辨出前方有一群黑影，一个接一个越过那座连接着岸边和岛屿的树桥。风族、影族和河族的气味交织在一起——其他族群的猫们也正陆续赶来。
“在森林大会上，你会提到标记的事吗？”狮爪听到了父亲的说话声。他的目光越过鼠爪和蛛足，看向正和火星并肩前行的黑莓掌。
“你是说影族和风族在靠近边界线上的树木和草叶都做了标记的事？”火星问道。
“是的。”黑莓掌回答。
“他们在自己领地上做什么，我们可管不着。”火星提醒他。
“可是他们这样做，是在公开向我们挑衅！”黑莓掌大声说。
“我们不会采取行动，”火星告诉他，“至少现在不会。”
“火星说得对。”蜡毛追上他们说，“我想，还是让巡逻队增加巡查边界的次数吧，我们可不能让别的族群知道，我们正为他们的一举一动担惊受怕。”
“让我们担惊受怕？影族猫还是多忧心一下自己身上的恶臭吧！”火星大声说道。突然，他朝树桥跑了几步，在树桥的一端停了下来。
狮爪抬头看了看这座横越水面、连接湖岸和岛屿的树桥，四周空气中弥漫着风族、影族和河族猫的气味。“我们肯定是最后到达的！”他轻声对冬青爪说。一想到自己要突然同时面对其他族群的猫，狮爪竟然有点儿害羞。“你认为，香薇云在育婴室里讲的影族的故事是真的吗？”
“你该不会真的相信他们会让长老们饿死吧？”冬青爪轻蔑地瞟了他一眼。
“不是啊，”狮爪喃喃道，“可如果其他族群的学徒体格都比我们大，那该怎么办？”
“我们只当了一个礼拜学徒而已，”冬青爪提醒他道，“肯定有学徒比我们大啊。”
火星一下子跳上了倒伏的树桥，小心翼翼地走到远处的小岛，然后又跳了下去。伴着鹅卵石在爪子下咯咯作响的声音，他转身看着族猫们过桥。黑莓掌紧紧跟了上去，接着是尘毛。还没等狮爪反应过来，他就看到冬青爪先自己一步，跳上树桥。黑色的湖水缓缓地从她身下流过，轻柔地拍打着支撑在湖面的一堆枯死的树枝。冬青爪跨过又粗又短的枝干和节疤，走到了湖的另一边。接着，她跳下来，转身看着狮爪。
狮爪内心非常兴奋，他跳到树桥上。出乎意料的是，那里的树皮非常湿滑，他有些站不稳。狮爪感到整棵树都在剧烈抖动，回头一看，蜡毛也跳了上来。前方是一大块突出的树皮，上面还长出了一根小树枝。狮爪弯下身子绕过那里，全神贯注地盯着远方——树桥的另一端。
突然，狮爪的前爪又滑了一下，掉下了树桥。他感到身子开始下坠，他瞪大眼睛，惊恐地看着身下那又冷又暗的湖水。
霎时间，一团淡灰色皮毛出现在狮爪身后。他感到腹部被一只鼻子向上推着，支撑着他，帮他重新找到了平衡。是狮爪的老师救了他，没有让他的第一次森林大会之旅丢脸。
“谢谢你！”狮爪松了口气说。
“第一次经过这里，都会这样。”蜡毛说。
狮爪张开爪子，像松鼠一样，紧紧抓住树桥向前走。到了另一端，他高兴地跳到湖滩上。总算回到踏实的地面了！他踏在鹅卵石上的爪垫有些隐隐作痛，但感觉却非常好。
“我还在想呢，你刚才要是不小心点儿，就成鱼儿们的盘中餐了。”冬青爪跟他开着玩笑。
“我也这么想的！”狮爪说。
他真想冲进森林里，看看那里究竟有什么。不过他强忍住冲动，等着其他猫们通过水面。榛爪扭动着身子，穿过树枝堆；莓爪也凭着强壮的肩膀顺利通过；蛛足却像蛇一样向前滑行，很显然，他已是这方面的老手了。狮爪感觉自己又小又没经验，不过他依然扬起了下巴，强压着身上的毛，不让它直竖起来。
最后，所有雷族猫都站在了沙滩上。火星扫视了一眼大家，然后点了一下头，转过身，走进森林里。终于到啦！狮爪在阴暗的树木间奔跑着，任凭蕨叶肆意剐蹭着自己的皮毛。周围的树木越发稀疏，眼前出现了一片开阔的空地，狮爪的耳朵充满期待地抽动了一下。
这里已经挤满了猫。狮爪从没见过这么多的猫：有些猫的皮毛绵软，有些猫的肩膀很宽。绝大多数猫看起来都比自己大。在湖边生活的猫的数量，比狮爪想象的要多很多，而且来到这里的只是每个族群的一小部分而已！空地远端的边缘，透过光秃秃的森林，狮爪看到星光闪闪的湖面，也看到了森林大会的会议中心——大橡树。
“这里跟你想象的一样吗？”冬青爪轻声问道。
“没想到这里会有这么多猫。”狮爪说着，目光落在一只河族的公猫身上，他的肩膀上隆起了发达的肌肉，顺滑的皮毛在月光下闪闪发光，“想想看，如果在战斗中与他相遇，会是什么结果啊！我要从现在起加倍训练！”
“你怎么总会想到战斗呢？”冬青爪责备他说，“今晚，停战协议是生效的。你应该像雷族武士那样，想想他到底在想什么。”她边说边眯起了眼睛，“如果你清楚敌人的想法，那么就基本胜券在握了。”
狮爪用余光瞥了妹妹一眼。她究竟是怎么想到这些东西的？他还在想自己能否在战斗时和这些猫好好地较量一番。可她呢，却已经像个族长一样，开始谋划作战策略了！
鼠爪的眼睛眨了眨说：“你可以直接过去问问他！”
冬青爪倒抽一口气说：“我们真的可以走过去跟他们说话？”
“呃，”鼠爪提醒道，“你们最好跟学徒们谈谈就行了。”说着，他指了指一群体形更小的河族猫，“其他族群的武士并不凶，也不会把你们怎么样。不过，如果有小学徒前来纠缠，他们肯定会不高兴。”
“如果他们来跟我们说话呢？”狮爪问道。
“只要礼貌些，不要泄露太多我们的信息就可以。”榛爪告诫他们，“有些武士会利用你们缺乏经验的弱点，来了解雷族的内情。”
“鼠爪，你第一次参加森林大会时，有没有泄露过什么信息呢？”冬青爪问道。
“当然没有！”鼠爪哼了一声。
“是啊，你没有！”莓爪突然带着讽刺的语气插话，“要是我没用尾巴堵住你的嘴，你就会把火星要放弃溪边领地的事情告诉黄毛了，火星本打算找机会自己宣布这件事的。”
“不过她可是影族的副族长啊！”鼠爪争辩道，“我怎么敢不理她！”
“那你也没必要告诉她我们雷族的所有事情啊。”莓爪一边说，一边抽动着胡须。
这时，冬青爪突然说道：“呃，我想去听听大家在谈论些什么。”
当她朝那群瞪大眼睛的河族学徒走去时，一只灰色的小虎斑猫穿过空地，向她奔来。
“冬青爪！”是河族巫医的学徒柳爪，她明亮的绿色眼睛在月光下熠熠闪光。
“嗨，柳爪！”冬青爪停下脚步，跟她打着招呼。
柳爪也停了下来，高兴地望着她：“蛾翅告诉我，你现在成了叶池的学徒了。”
冬青爪低下头说：“是的。”
“太好啦！”柳爪说，“那你梦见过星族吗？”
“还没有呢。”
“我敢打赌，你很快就会梦见了。”柳爪向她保证道，“过来吧，”她的尾巴在冬青爪身上扫过，“我来给你介绍其他几位巫医。”
柳爪领着冬青爪，来到叶池和其他猫交谈的地方。狮爪顿时感到有些妒忌。作为一名巫医学徒，他妹妹可以与其他族群的猫建立一种特殊的情感纽带。狮爪望着周围陌生的面孔，紧张地拖着步子。接着他想起来，停战协议只在今晚生效，实际上这些猫都是自己的敌人，与他们交朋友是毫无意义的，他的任务就是了解他们，了解他们的优势和弱势，以便能在未来取得战斗的胜利。
“我去跟兔爪说会儿话。”莓爪说。
“我也去。”榛爪也说。
只有鼠爪和狮爪还站在原地。狮爪的目光扫视着这片空地，发现一大群猫正围在大橡树的根部，在看着什么东西。重重黑影遮盖了他们皮毛的颜色。在昏暗的夜里，他们的眼睛里闪着寒光，令他不寒而栗。
“他们就是影族猫吗？”他悄悄对鼠爪说。
鼠爪点了点头说：“你别让他们吓到自己。他们很喜欢装作全世界都在与他们为敌的样子。不过，如果你同他们讲话，他们的态度还可以。”
“你确定？”狮爪并不完全相信他的话。
可鼠爪没有听到他的话。“鲦爪！”他一边喊，一边盯着一只年轻的灰色和白色条纹的河族母猫，她的皮毛看起来非常柔顺，就好像刚出生的幼崽的皮毛。
“她看起来好像刚刚离开育婴室！”狮爪评论道。
鼠爪抽抽耳朵，纠正道：“她比我大一个月呢，你来跟她说说话吧。”他接着说，“你待会儿就会知道，她可不像看上去那么温驯可爱。”
狮爪跟着鼠爪，来到鲦爪和两位河族学徒的身边，那两位学徒都是虎斑猫，一只灰色，一只棕色。狮爪闻到他们的气味时，抽了抽鼻子。他能从影族和风族的标记上，分辨出他们各自的气味，不过河族那新鲜的、略带鱼腥的气味，闻起来真的很怪。
鲦爪向他们点头打着招呼。虽然她看上去比自己的同伴体重要轻、皮毛要软，但是那双琥珀色的眼睛，却射出锋利而聪慧的光芒。“介绍一下你的朋友吧！”她对鼠爪说。
鼠爪盯着鲦爪，他的眼神中充满了渴望：“这是狮爪。”
“你好，狮爪。”鲦爪打着招呼。“这是扑爪。”她向旁边那只带有姜黄色和白色条纹的虎斑公猫点了一下头说道。“这是卵石爪。”她的尾巴朝那只灰色公猫轻轻一挥，说道。
“你们觉得这个岛屿怎么样？”扑爪问道。
“棒极了。”狮爪回答。
“要是你们愿意，我们带你们转转。”鲦爪说。
鼠爪的眼睛顿时亮了起来。很显然，他非常愿意跟这位可爱的学徒在星光下散步。不过狮爪还是想独自在这里转转，除此之外，他还发现，鼠爪的眼睛睁得大大的，一直没从鲦爪身上移开。
“谢谢邀请，”狮爪说，“不过鼠爪答应过我，要给我介绍其他一些猫。”
鼠爪一脸茫然地望着他：“什么？我说过这话吗？”
“快点吧！”还没等鼠爪开口拒绝，狮爪就催促着他离开这里。鼠爪叹了口气，不过还是跟着狮爪朝空地另一边走了过去。
突然，一个温柔的声音在他的耳边响了起来：“你是松鸦爪的哥哥吗？”
狮爪转过头去，看到一只浅棕色的母猫望着自己，她眼睛的颜色，就像临近黄昏时天空的颜色。
“是，是的。”他说话开始结巴了，“你怎么知道？”
“莓爪告诉我的。顺便介绍一下，我是石楠爪。”
这个名字，一定是因为你的双眼，是石楠花的颜色吧……
“松鸦爪可能跟你提起过我。”石楠爪接着说，“鸦羽从湖里把松鸦爪救上岸时，我就在场。他现在好了吗？”
狮爪像受惊的兔子一样大喘粗气，强迫自己将呼吸平缓下来。“松鸦爪？”他大声说，“他现在好多了。”
“他来这里了吗？”石楠爪问道。
狮爪有点蒙了，一时竟想不起松鸦爪在哪里。
“这次他没来。”鼠爪有些不耐烦地回答。
“我实在不敢相信，他什么都看不见，竟然会独自离开营地。”石楠爪感叹着，“他一定非常勇敢！”
狮爪突然有些妒忌松鸦爪。他告诉她：“大多数时候，他的脾气都很暴躁，尤其是现在他被禁足在营地里一个礼拜，脾气更不会好了。”
“可怜的松鸦爪，”石楠爪深表同情，“如果我自己被禁足在营地里，一定也会特别难受。”
“我也是。”狮爪同意道。
“你们成为学徒多长时间了？”石楠爪问道。
“一个礼拜吧，你呢？”
“一个半月了，”她回答，“这是我第二次参加森林大会了。”
“你之前见过鼠爪吗？”狮爪问她。他注意到，鼠爪在旁边坐立不安，一直朝河族学徒所在的方向偷瞄。
“我们没说过话，”石楠爪坦承道，“不过上次我见过他和黄毛讲话。”她看了一眼鼠爪，又问道，“黄毛从你们这儿得到过什么情报吗？她问过我，不过鸦羽警告我，不要告诉她任何事，我就什么都没告诉她。”
还没等鼠爪回答，一只有着琥珀色眼睛的黑色公猫朝他们走来。“我们要去跟大部队会合了，”他语气生硬地对她说，看都没看一眼雷族的学徒们，“森林大会马上就开始了。”
“这是风爪，”石楠爪告诉鼠爪和狮爪，“他刚成为学徒。”她抽抽胡须，接着说，“从言谈举止上，你们可能看不出来，自从当上学徒，风爪就一直想当学徒们的首领。”
风爪愤怒地盯着她，来回不停地甩着尾巴尖儿。
“别担心，风爪！”石楠爪接着说，“你会在不经意间发现自己成了一名武士。到那时，你就能管所有的学徒了。”
风爪眯起了眼睛。显然，他并不清楚她刚才讲的话，是不是在开玩笑。
石楠爪看了一眼狮爪，然后故意用风爪听得到的声音低声说道：“他认为，我什么事情都必须按他的要求做，只是因为他父亲鸦羽是我的老师。”
“你知道的，鸦羽从来不会……”风爪开始反驳。
“好啦，风爪！”石楠爪打断了他，“我逗你玩儿呢！”她用鼻子推推风爪的腹部，转身对狮爪说，“也许你很难相信，但你知道吗？有些时候，风爪可是我们的开心果呢。”
这时，大橡树那边传来了威严的声音：“我们在银毛星带下相聚……”
“一星要宣布大会开始啦！”石楠爪喊道。
狮爪转过身，看到四位族长像猫头鹰一样，端坐在橡树最低的那根树枝上。风族的族长一星——一只皮毛轻柔的棕色虎斑猫——正在讲话。
“……在圆月之下，响应停战协定的召唤。”
风爪瞟了石楠爪一眼，像是在说，我说得没错吧。然后他急忙跑回自己族群那边去了。石楠爪朝狮爪转转眼睛，也跟着跑了回去。
此时狮爪倍感自信，也回到橡树下聚集的雷族猫中间。他穿过熙熙攘攘的猫群，在冬青爪和蛛足之间找到了一个空位。
树枝上，火星坐在一星旁边。一只皮毛光滑、身上带着斑点的虎斑母猫坐在火星旁边。狮爪猜，这只母猫就是河族的豹星。她的另一边坐着一只体形硕大、墨黑色爪子的白色公猫——这是影族族长黑星。
“这个月风族有了一位新学徒，”一星宣布道，“他就是风爪。”这个黑色皮毛的学徒抬起下巴，显然，他毫不畏惧所有族群猫的目光。这时狮爪的心跳开始加速，他希望火星提到自己的名字时，自己也能如此镇定自若。
“在刚过去的一个月里，我们依然受到了秃叶季的恩泽，”一星接着说，“兔子仍然在奔跑，但速度不快，容易捕捉。另外，在大风天里，秃鹫和老鹰抓捕猎物变得更难了。这样一来，留给我们的猎物就更多了。”
狮爪突然有些担心，一星会提起松鸦爪闯入风族领地的事情吗？他身子向前倾了倾，竖起耳朵。
“除了这些，”一星接着说，“风族没有什么重要的事情要通报了。”
狮爪望了望冬青爪，心中终于放松下来。冬青爪靠在他身上，轻声说：“感谢星族，他并没有提松鸦爪的事。”
一星朝黑星点点头，示意他接下来发言。
“影族也有了一位新学徒，”黑星一边开始说话，一边朝下看着一只坐在影族武士中间的清瘦的褐色母猫，“她是藤爪。”
藤爪点点头，眯起眼睛。作为新学徒，她并不像风爪那样，在自己的名字被提起时露出兴奋或骄傲的神情。
难道影族猫从不表露自己的情感吗？狮爪想着。这时他发觉冬青爪推了自己一下，她亮闪闪的双眼充满了兴奋的光：“接下来就轮到我们啦！”
然而黑星还没有说完：“自从影族的领地扩大之后，我们的猎物一直都源源不断。”
狮爪听到身边的雷族武士里发出一阵嘶嘶声，顿时身体一僵。难道黑星真的要亲口说出，他们已从雷族手中得到溪边领地的消息？
“我们的新领地，猎物十分丰富。”黑星说。
他这个大骗子！
蛛足从牙缝中挤出几个字：“火星永远不会放弃雷族的每寸领地！”
“影族对火星将这片领地慷慨赠予我们，表示衷心的感谢。”黑星恶毒地以这句话作为发言的结尾。
火星一脸平静地注视着黑星，说道：“得知你从那里获得了很多猎物，我很欣慰。但是以我们雷族的标准，那片土地的猎物是十分稀少的。”
“是的！”冬青爪低声说。下面的雷族猫们，此时都爆发出步调一致的赞同声。
接着，火星用他翠绿色的双眼注视着全体族群猫说道：“雷族很荣幸，这个月有‘不止一只’幼崽成为新学徒。”说到“不止一只”时，他特意停顿了一会儿。
狮爪竖起耳朵，心中的焦急和自豪感纠结在一起。
“松鸦爪今晚不能来了。”其他族群的猫们都发出惊讶的低语声，这位雷族族长又接着说道，“不过冬青爪来了。”冬青爪碧绿色的眼睛如星星一般闪耀着，那黑色的皮毛在黑夜的掩护下几乎看不见。紧接着，火星把目光转移到了狮爪身上：“还有我们的狮爪。”
狮爪的耳朵里充满了奔涌的热血，以至于他几乎听不见周遭的任何声音了。他挺起胸脯，抬高下巴，顿时觉得自己的皮毛在众猫的注视下变得滚烫。火星介绍新学徒的这段时间，似乎很长，又似乎很短。通报继续进行着。
“这个秃叶季，我们一直都非常幸运，”火星继续说道，“尽管霜冻经常出现，不过几乎没怎么下雪，我们还能捉到一定数量的猎物。”
狮爪身上的毛竖了起来。空气中出现了一种他从没闻过的新气息。其他一些猫也闻到了——他看到大家的脑袋都在转来转去，目光在这片空地的边缘搜寻着。
这时，风族猫聚集地附近的蕨丛里传来沙沙声。狮爪看到阴影中有东西在动。
火星不再说话，跟其他猫一起看了过去。灌木丛里出现了两个高挑而修长的影子。
“是入侵者！”这个警报如同野火一样，霎时间在所有族群中蔓延开来。
离得最近的风族武士已冲向入侵者，他们有的高声号叫，有的低声嘶吼，一起把入侵者打倒在地。
他们会把这两个入侵者杀掉吗？狮爪转过身，望着大橡树，心里想着族长们会如何处置他俩。
火星惊得皮毛全竖着，尾巴也变得僵直。但他闻了几下空中的气味，耳朵顿时竖了起来。
“快停下！”
风族猫停止了攻击，开始后撤，留下两位入侵者站在族群猫的边上。狮爪伸长脖子，想要看个究竟。
火星用充满震惊和难以置信的声音，喊出了一个狮爪在育婴室故事中才能听到的名字。
“灰条！”
第十一章
第十一章
冬青爪惊愕地瞪着眼睛。真的是灰条？
“他不是已经死了吗？”她低声对狮爪说。
她的哥哥没有回应。此刻的狮爪，正忙着用后腿支撑着身体，以便找到更好的观察角度。
冬青爪俯下身，穿过条条猫腿，来到空地边缘，从鸦羽和风爪缝隙间偷偷向外观察着。
一只灰色皮毛、后背带有深色条纹的公猫站在蕨丛前面。他那蓬乱无光的皮毛，紧贴着嶙峋的骨头和稀少的肌肉。他的左耳被撕裂了，布满伤痕的脏兮兮的口鼻上少了几根胡须。在他的身边，一只浅灰色的虎斑母猫不停地颤抖着，身上的短毛一簇簇地黏在一起，沾满泥的尾巴无精打采地低垂着。
灰条不是已经死了吗？
“你还活着！”火星从一星和裂耳中间冲了出来。他瞪大眼睛望着灰条，全身的毛依然竖立着。
灰条也睁大眼睛望着火星。他的同伴耷拉着耳朵，抬起前爪，准备自卫，但她的身体却依旧颤抖着，眼睛扫视着周围的猫，流露出恐惧的神色。
“别怕，米莉！”灰条安慰她。
火星把鼻子伸过去，试探性地闻了闻，他好像不敢相信自己的眼睛。“原来两脚兽没有杀了你啊……”他抬起头望向月亮，轻声说，“感谢星族。”
这个令众猫震惊的消息，在围观的猫们中间炸开了锅。
“灰条回来了！”
“他一定是从两脚兽那里逃出来了！”
“他是怎么活下来的呢？”
“那黑莓掌该怎么办？”
黑莓掌该怎么办？冬青爪看向自己的父亲。火星曾为灰条举办过守夜仪式——每当族群中有猫死去时，他都会举办这样的仪式。在仪式过后，他就任命黑莓掌为副族长，接替灰条的位置。不过，既然现在灰条还活着，而且还回来了，那么黑莓掌……
雷族副族长注视着灰条：“我真不敢相信，你居然找到我们了！”他的话语中满是钦佩。然而当他走上前去，与这位灰色皮毛的武士相互碰鼻致意时，目光中却闪现出一丝忧虑和不安。
火星猛地抽了一下尾巴，问道：“他们把你带到什么地方去了？”
灰条没有回答，盯着火星看了好一会儿，然后说道：“所以，你并没有等我，对吗？”
火星的眼睛里涌动着痛楚的神情：“我不能等啊！”
灰条低下头说道：“我能理解。为了不让整个族群遭受危难，你是不能把他们留在森林里的。”
火星把身子向前倾了倾。“如果当时只有我遭遇危险，”他一边说，一边扫视着在场的全体猫，然后放低了声音，“我会一直等你。”
冬青爪觉察到身后又有一阵沙沙声响了起来。雷族的其他武士全都凑上前去，向他们这位久违了的老伙伴致意。
“灰条！”尘毛冲了过来，“你还活着！”
莓爪、榛爪、蜡毛和蛛足都异常激动地围过来，嗅闻着灰条的皮毛，用鼻子亲昵地触碰着他。
灰条却突然向后躲闪起来。
“大家别往前凑了，”叶池告诫道，“他已经筋疲力尽了。”
“可他是只传奇猫！”榛爪抱怨道，因为叶池正用尾巴把她和其他猫赶到一边。
松鼠飞盯着灰条的同伴问道：“你是谁啊？”
“她是米莉，”灰条说，“我在两脚兽的巢穴里遇见了她。”
松鼠飞惊讶地深吸了一口气：“一路上就是这只宠物猫陪着你？”
“单靠我自己，是没办法撑到这里的！”灰条说。
黑莓掌眯起眼睛，问道：“你们是循着我们走过的路过来的吗？”
“不是，”灰条告诉他说，“我们自己找路过来的。”
“我们先去了灰条的旧家园。”米莉解释着。她的声音铿锵有力，令冬青爪惊讶不已。冬青爪还以为所有宠物猫都像黛西那样，说话软绵绵的。
灰条蓬乱的毛直竖起来，说道：“我们到那里时，整片森林都被毁了。没有猫，没有猎物，只有被烧焦的树木和那些怪物。”
“你怎么知道我们离开时走的是哪条路呢？”叶池问道。
“我们看见了乌爪。”
火星的眼睛顿时亮了起来：“他怎么样？”
“他很好，就是特别想念你们。”灰条停顿了一会儿，喘了口气，接着说，“他说他看见你们经过那里，然后就直接向日落的方向前进了。因此我们就翻过高石山……”他的话戛然而止，尾巴不住地抖动起来。
叶池赶忙冲上去问道：“你没事吧？”
“没事，我就是太累了。”
这时，豹星从雷族的猫群中挤了过来，喉咙里发出一声响亮的呼噜声：“见到你很高兴，灰条。”
她一张口说话，所有族群的武士们都提高了音量，大声喊了起来。
“欢迎回来，灰条！”
“他是怎么找到我们的？”
“星族一定是在天上护佑着他呢！”
所有族群的猫一拥而上，围在灰条身边。他几乎被各色各样的皮毛组成的丛林淹没了：棕色、白色、姜黄色和虎斑纹等。慰问声和呼喊声混杂在一起，比林中呼啸的风声还要响亮。
冬青爪简直不敢相信自己的眼睛了。她知道每当森林大会举行时，停战协议都是生效的，不过现在这种情况，以前还从未有过。四个族群的猫一般都是各自行动，但是现在，这些武士的所作所为，就好像他们都属于同一族群一样。她钻过猫群，来到狮爪身边。狮爪正目瞪口呆地看着眼前发生的一切。
“这个情况有点儿不太正常啊！”她凑到狮爪耳边，轻轻说道，“灰条是雷族猫，为什么其他族群的猫也会跟着欢呼呢？”
“我也不知道。”狮爪承认道，“在我看来，武士的职责就是保卫自己的族群。其他族群的猫，难道不会因为雷族多了一位武士而感到担忧吗？”
榛爪也来到了他俩身边：“我感觉他们就像是松鼠飞讲的故事里的情形——所有族群团结一致，一齐踏上大迁徙的旅程。”
“可是大迁徙早就结束了。”冬青爪说。
但榛爪并没听到她的话，而是盯着灰条问：“他怎么知道我们在这个岛上呢？”
“你是不是认为，是星族指引他来到这里的呢？”狮爪说。
“你是怎么知道我们在这里的呢？”一只皮毛光滑的灰色河族母猫问灰条。
灰条抬起自己的鼻子，对她说：“雾脚，很高兴再次见到你。我们在路上遇见了一只泼皮猫，他告诉我，这个湖边有猫居住。”他解释着，“当我们抵达山顶时，水面上有一轮满月闪着光，我借着光线，看见岛上有影子晃动。”
“然后，我们就循着气味走啊走。”米莉接着解释道，“就是这些气味，引领我们来到湖岸边，带着我们越过了树桥。”
冬青爪听到一阵令她反感的嘶嘶声，是黑星！他正在充满敌意地盯着米莉。这只浅灰色母猫看了看他，然后抬起下巴，凶狠地盯了回去。尽管尾巴仍在颤抖，她却一直死死盯着影族族长的双眼，直到他移开目光为止。冬青爪对这一幕印象至深。
灰条目睹了事情的经过，气得全身的毛都竖了起来，宽厚肩膀上的肌肉也鼓得老高。
“我们大家别忘了，今晚停战协议是有效的！”豹星发出了警告。
“停战协议是为武士准备的！”黑星大吼道。
“森林大会也是为武士举办的！”一星也大声说。
风族和影族的猫们都开始低声议论起来。
“雷族难道还要再让一只宠物猫加入进来吗？”一个声音半信半疑地低声喃喃道。
“我已经用武士的标准训练过米莉了！”灰条说，“一只宠物猫无法经受住如此漫长旅程的考验。”由于太激动，他突然咳嗽起来。冬青爪看到，这位武士浑身上下，从耳朵到尾巴尖，都在不断地颤抖着。
火星一定也曾见过这种场景。他走到灰条身边，蹭了蹭他的身子：“我们带你回营地吧。”
灰条看了一眼米莉，问道：“今天晚上，你还能再走一小段路吗？”
“只要你让我继续走，走多远都没问题！”米莉说。
“好的，”火星一边说，一边看着其他几位族长，“关于森林大会，还有什么别的消息要跟大家分享吗？”
“河族没有了！”豹星回答。
“风族对这次会议表示满意！”一星告诉他。
黑星摇了摇头。
“那么，我们就回去吧！”火星对雷族众猫说，“让灰条和米莉看看我们的新营地。”
“这么说，雷族现在有两位副族长了？”风爪鼓起勇气问道。
冬青爪竖起耳朵，注意到蜡毛的身子向前倾了倾，胡须不停地抽动着。
沙风来到火星身旁，小声地提醒他道：“灰条和米莉已经很疲惫了，我们应该尽快带他们回家。”
“好的，”火星用尾巴碰了碰黑莓掌，命令道，“你去带路！”
黑莓掌急忙跑到队伍前面，领着雷族的大部队穿过森林，朝倒伏树桥的方向前进。
沙风绕到米莉身边说：“你紧跟着我。在月亮还没升起太高的时候，我们就会让你睡在一个温暖干燥的窝里啦。”
米莉点点头，一瘸一拐地跟着这只姜黄色的母猫。榛爪见状赶快跑过去，跟她们一起走着。一想到能帮助这只陌生的猫回到营地，她就非常兴奋。
冬青爪跟狮爪会合后，跟着大部队前进。她敏感地察觉到，其他族群的猫都在看着他们离开。当他们经过那些猫的身边时，一只风族的学徒母猫向狮爪点头致意。
“你认识她？”冬青爪惊讶地问道。
“她是石楠爪，”狮爪回答，“今晚刚认识的。”
冬青爪回头望了望那个风族学徒。石楠爪此时正和同伴耳语着什么，她的目光一直注视着灰条，直到他消失在丛林中。
接着，在湖水的阵阵低吟声中，冬青爪听到了一个声音。
“火星肯定会恢复灰条的副族长身份！”
冬青爪紧紧地盯着这位长着岩石色皮毛的河族武士。
另一个声音也轻轻响了起来：“之前给灰条的守夜仪式是无效的！”
冬青爪心中顿时燃起了怒火。不过这怒火还不足以抵消心中那令人不寒而栗的预感。当时黑莓掌被任命为雷族副族长，难道是个失误？但是她立刻放弃了这奇怪的想法。她把耳朵合起来，不去听其他族群猫的闲言碎语。
倒伏的树桥已隐约出现在眼前。冬青爪穿过缠绕的根系跳上了湿滑的树干，小心地行走着。狮爪在另一侧等着，眼睛闪着兴奋的光芒。当她平安着地后，狮爪说：“我希望以后所有的森林大会都像今晚一样，会有激动的事情发生！想想看，今晚灰条居然找到了我们！”
冬青爪赶忙跑到他的身边，生气地说：“难道你一点儿都不担心吗？”
“担心什么？”
“当然是灰条的归来啊！”冬青爪甩了甩尾巴，说，“星族怎么会在灰条仍活着的情况下，赞同黑莓掌担任雷族副族长呢？”
“星族并没告诉我们他还活着啊！”狮爪提醒她道，“如果这件事对它们很重要的话，它们肯定发出某种信号，或者用其他方式通知我们。”
鼠爪放慢脚步，来到他俩身边。“我认为，黑莓掌是位非常优秀的副族长，火星肯定不会忽视这一点的。”他说。
“的确如此。”狮爪同意道。
“但武士守则呢？”冬青爪反问道。
“武士守则上有没有关于起死回生的武士的内容呢？”狮爪问道。
冬青爪摇摇头。在刚才的森林大会上，没有猫提过武士守则。不过上一任副族长尚未死亡，就任命新一任副族长，这就是破坏武士守则的行为。这一点，她非常确信。
“灰条先当的副族长！”她争辩道。
“你想让他取代黑莓掌吗？”狮爪惊讶地问道。
“当然不是了！”冬青爪大声说道。
“我们族群现在这样不是挺好的吗？”鼠爪说，“换来换去的，不麻烦吗？”
冬青爪的目光看着前面的沙风和米莉。这两只母猫走在火星和灰条身边，沿着湖边前行。她周围的雷族猫都在窃窃私语着，她猜想，大家都不确定，灰条重归雷族后，会发生什么事。
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 18
Hollypaw stared at her brother in astonishment. Jaypaw had always been so sure that he wanted to be a warrior, ever since he had been old enough to pounce on a scrap of moss.
Firestar looked at Hollypaw. “Did you know anything about this?”
“No!” Hollypaw gasped. Firestar sounded as if he suspected they had planned it together.
Jaypaw looked over his shoulder at her, his blue eyes round with anxiety. “Hollypaw, I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right.” Leafpool padded over to Jaypaw and brushed his ear with her muzzle. “Hollypaw has already told Firestar that she wants to train as a warrior apprentice instead.”
Jaypaw blinked. “Really?”
Hollypaw nodded. A tingle of hope pricked her paws. Perhaps this was the perfect solution! After all, Jaypaw had always known the herbs better than she did. But would Firestar agree?
Firestar looked at Leafpool. “Are you ready to take on another apprentice so soon?”
Leafpool sat down and wrapped her tail over her paws. “I would be honored to be Jaypaw’s mentor.” She dipped her head. “I think the Clan would be lucky to have him as its medicine cat.”
Hollypaw stared at Leafpool. Why does she look like she’s hiding something?
“What about his blindness?” Firestar queried.
Hollypaw bristled. Surely Jaypaw wouldn’t let Firestar get away with that? “He knows the herbs far better than me,” she mewed quickly.
“His sense of smell is incredible,” Leafpool agreed. “He can already tell an infected wound from a clean one a tail-length away.”
Hollypaw waited for Jaypaw to point out that blindness had nothing to do with it, but he only murmured, “I will try as hard as I can. Leafpool will soon see whether I can manage or not.”
“Very well.” Firestar nodded, looking a little dazed. “Leafpool will be your new mentor.”
Jaypaw dipped his head.
“But first,” Firestar went on, “we must tell Brightheart.”
Jaypaw’s ears twitched. “She’ll be hurt.” Hollypaw could hear anxiety in his mew. Her brother had never gotten on particularly well with his mentor, but he was clearly worried about her feelings.
“Maybe Brightheart could be my mentor,” she suggested.
Firestar shook his head. “Her skills were perfect for training Jaypaw, but not for you.” He shifted his paws. “She will be a mentor again very soon; don’t worry.”
“What if she doesn’t understand my decision?” Jaypaw mewed
“It’s up to you to makeher understand,” Firestar answered. “I may be able to tell the Clan what to do, but I can’t tell them how to feel.”
“I’ll make sure that she knows my decision has nothing to do with her,” Jaypaw promised. “This is something I have to do.”
His mew was oddly flat. Hollypaw felt a ripple of unease stir her pelt. It was almost as if being Leafpool’s apprentice wasn’t Jaypaw’s choice at all, but something that had been forced upon him.
Leafpool glanced at Firestar and Sandstorm, the sort of meaningful glance that told Hollypaw that they wanted to exchange words in private.
Taking the hint, she bowed her head. “Shall I fetch Brightheart?”
Firestar nodded. “Yes, please.”
“She’s in the warriors’ den,” Jaypaw told them.
Hollypaw’s whiskers twitched. It was weird that Jaypaw was always totally aware of what was going on in the camp. She bounded down into the clearing and padded over to the warriors’ den. Sticking her head through the entrance, she called Brightheart’s name.
Brightheart was sitting up in her nest, washing, her warm breath billowing in the gloom.
“Firestar would like to see you in his den,” Hollypaw told her.
Brightheart stopped, her tongue still half out, and stared at Hollypaw. She looked as if she was about to ask why.
Hollypaw ducked out of the den. She did not want to give Brightheart time to speak. She knew she would not be able to hide the truth, but she also knew that it was Jaypaw’s duty to break his news to his mentor. She slipped into the apprentices’ den before Brightheart emerged. It seemed a good time to visit her new home. The scent of the yew was strange, and the nests were all empty. Jaypaw’s nest would be hers now, she guessed. She sniffed it out and gazed around the shelter, happy at the thought of sleeping among her Clanmates. After the nursery, her nest in the medicine den had seemed cold and lonely. She wished some of the apprentices were here to welcome her. Everyone must be out training. The thought brought a prickle of excitement. Before long, she would be out with them.
When Hollypaw slipped out of the den, she saw Brightheart scrambling up the rockfall to Firestar’s cave. Thornclaw lay by the halfrock, sharing tongues with Whitewing. Spiderleg was dozing in the early morning sunshine below Highledge.
Foxkit and Icekit burst from the nursery entrance in a flurry of fur and whiskers.
“Don’t stray into the clearing,” Ferncloud’s voice called from inside the den. “I don’t want you getting under anyone’s paws!”
“We won’t,” Icekit replied.
Icekit flicked her brother’s russet-colored muzzle with her tail. Foxkit retaliated with a lunge that sent her tumbling toward Hollypaw.
Hollypaw steadied the snow-white kit with her paw.
“Hi, Hollypaw!” Icekit glanced up at her, then spun and leaped at her brother. She tumbled him over, grasped him with a paw behind each cheek, and began to pummel him enthusiastically with her hind paws.
“Tuck your head in, Foxkit, and give her a good nip!” Hollypaw called.
Icekit squeaked and let go of her brother. “That’s not fair,” she wailed. “You’re helping him.”
“It doesn’t look like you need any help!” Hollypaw mewed.
Foxkit hurled himself at his sister.
“Duck!” Hollypaw warned the snowy kit.
Icekit rolled out of the way just in time, and Foxkit skidded past her into the frosty grass outside the apprentices’ den. He turned and, crouching low, prowled back toward Icekit.
“Not so fast,” Hollypaw advised. Icekit was waiting with her chest pressed to the ground and her tail lashing excitedly. “Let her come to you.”
Foxkit stared at his sister, his eyes defiant. “She won’t dare come near me!”
Icekit wriggled closer, unable to resist her brother’s challenge. Foxkit waited until she was so close that her breath billowed in his face.
“Get behind her now!” Hollypaw urged.
Foxkit darted out of the grass and shot behind Icekit. By the time she had spun around he had jumped onto her back and was rolling her onto her side.
“You two are going to make great warriors!” Hollypaw purred
A flash of ginger-and-white fur caught her eye. Brightheart was leaping down the tumble of rocks. Hollypaw felt a pang of sympathy. Jaypaw had been Brightheart’s first apprentice. She must have been eager to prove that she could make as good a mentor as any other warrior. Hollypaw hoped Jaypaw had persuaded her that his decision had nothing at all to do with the way she had been training him.
“Show us a fighting move!” Foxkit was reaching up to Hollypaw’s shoulder with his forepaws, tugging at her pelt.
Hollypaw ducked down and, twisting like a snake, rolled over onto her back.
“Wow!” Icekit breathed. “You’re really quick.” The white kit’s gaze flicked across the clearing, and she suddenly looked nervous. “Firestar’s coming,” she whispered.
“I’ve decided on your new mentor,” Firestar announced, stopping in front of Hollypaw.
“You’ve got a new mentor?” Foxkit mewed in surprise.
Firestar gazed down at the little kit. “She’s going to train as a warrior,” he explained.
“I thought she was training to be a medicine cat,” squeaked Icekit.
Hollypaw felt a prickle of unease. She still couldn’t help worrying that she had broken the warrior code.
“Hollypaw knows best what lies in her heart,” Firestar meowed.
I do, Hollypaw thought.
Cloudtail came hurrying through the camp entrance. “I’ve told him,” he called to Firestar. “He’s on his way.”
“We’ll have an apprentice ceremony later,” Firestar told Hollypaw. “But I’ve called your new mentor back from the hunting patrol. If he agrees to take you on, you might as well start right away. You’ve got plenty of training to catch up on.”
Hollypaw nodded, unable to speak because her throat seemed to have closed up with excitement.
The thorn barrier quivered.
“Firestar?” Brackenfur hurried toward the ThunderClan leader, panting. He must have run all the way back. “What is it?”
Hollypaw flicked her tail happily. Not only was Brackenfur a great fighter, but he was also clever and thoughtful; she trusted his judgment as much as his strength.
“Would you be willing to take on Hollypaw as an apprentice?” Firestar asked.
Brackenfur’s gaze shot toward Hollypaw. “What happened?”
Hollypaw tensed. Was he going to say no? After all, she had already let one mentor down. “I-I don’t think I’m cut out to be a medicine cat.”
Brackenfur gazed at her a moment longer; then he turned back to Firestar. “I’d be pleased to train her.”
Hollypaw felt a wave of relief.
“Good,” Firestar meowed. “I’ll leave her in your paws, then.” He turned and padded away.
Brackenfur looked Hollypaw up and down. “You’ve got some catching up to do,” he warned.
“I know, and I’m going to train extra hard.”
“Good.” Brackenfur flicked his tail. “We’ll do battle training every day to begin with.”
“Great!”
Brackenfur stared at her with his head to one side. “I’m not going to ask what made you change your mind. If you’re going to be a warrior, I want you to concentrate on the present, not the past. You’ve made your decision, and I expect you to stick to it.”
“I will!” Hollypaw vowed.
Brackenfur kneaded the ground with his front paws, his shoulders flexing. “Are you ready to start training right away?”
Hollypaw nodded.
“Good. You can join our hunting patrol.” He headed back toward the thorn barrier and raced out of the entrance. Taken by surprise, Hollypaw pelted after him, her tail fluffed out. Her first real hunt!
Brackenfur didn’t slow down to accommodate her shorter legs, and Hollypaw had to run twice as fast to keep up with him. He raced up the slope and headed through the forest. All the time Hollypaw had spent sorting herbs had exercised her mind more than her body. She realized with a jolt how much fitter the other warrior apprentices must be.
Brackenfur glanced over his shoulder as she struggled after him. “We’re nearly there,” he encouraged.
Hollypaw dug her claws into the frozen earth and tried even harder to catch up. A fallen tree blocked the path, but Brackenfur cleared it with ease. Hollypaw skidded to a halt in front of it and wriggled through the narrow gap underneath.
Brackenfur was waiting for her on the other side. Graystripe and Millie were pacing the small clearing in the undergrowth. Ashfur and Spiderleg talked quietly nearby, while their apprentices, Lionpaw and Mousepaw, competed to see who could skid farthest through the fallen leaves.
Lionpaw stared at Hollypaw in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“Meet my new apprentice,” Brackenfur meowed.
Lionpaw’s tail flicked. “That’s great!”
Graystripe padded forward and touched his muzzle to hers. “Congratulations.”
“Did you catch anything while I was gone?” Brackenfur asked
“The prey’s hiding from the cold,” Ashfur complained.
“There must be some way to tempt it out,” Brackenfur meowed. “It’ll be as hungry as we are.”
“We could dig it out,” Lionpaw suggested. “The shallow burrows would be easy to scent.”
“The ground’s probably too frozen,” Ashfur pointed out.
“What about that huge beech tree near the old Thunderpath?” Spiderleg suggested. “There are always beechnuts on the ground, even this late in leaf-bare.”
“The prey’s more likely to venture out there than anywhere else,” Brackenfur agreed.
He raced away again. The patrol took off after him. Taking a deep breath, Hollypaw followed. Did Brackenfur always give such little warning before he shot off? And how did the others know to follow him? Her muscles were screaming for her to stop, but there was no way she was going to show she was struggling to keep up.
Her paws lightened with relief when she recognized the leaves of the beech up ahead. They rustled in the wind, as golden as Brackenfur’s pelt. The patrol skidded to a halt before they reached it and padded forward silently, weaving through the bracken toward the clear ground around the trunk. Hollypaw watched and copied them.
No one spoke as Brackenfur drew himself forward and peered from the edge of the bracken. While the others lined up alongside, Hollypaw slid into the space beside her mentor.
“Keep your tail still,” he whispered.
Hollypaw realized that the tip of her tail was twitching with excitement. “Sorry,” she breathed. When she held it still, the dry bracken fronds above her head stopped rattling.
The rest of the patrol lined up along the edge of the bracken, their eyes all fixed on the leaf-strewn earth around the tree.
“I see something!” Lionpaw hissed.
Hollypaw searched the forest floor, but could see nothing. She looked at Lionpaw and followed his gaze. He was staring at a single leaf trembling beside an exposed root. Was that really prey? She sniffed the air. At first all she smelled was the pungent mustiness of dead leaves. And then she smelled mouse.
She thrashed her tail, setting the bracken rattling again. The leaf up ahead flipped over, and Lionpaw shot out of the bracken and hurled himself toward it.
“Too late!” he cursed as he slammed his paws down on empty ground. He glared at Hollypaw. “You scared it off!”
Hollypaw’s ears grew hot. “I’m sorry,” she apologized.
“Don’t be hard on her,” Ashfur chided Lionpaw. “It’s her first hunt.”
Lionpaw shrugged. “It’s okay, Hollypaw. I was just annoyed because I wasn’t fast enough.”
“You looked fast enough to me!” Hollypaw told him.
“You’re only fast enough if you catch the mouse,” Mousepaw mewed pointedly.
“Keep quiet, or nothing is going to stir from its burrow for the rest of the day,” Brackenfur ordered.
Lionpaw hurried back to the bracken, and the patrol took up their positions once more.
Hollypaw’s back was beginning to ache from crouching in the same position so long. Lionpaw had caught his mouse at last, Ashfur had caught a vole, and Mousepaw had spotted a sparrow flitting from tree to tree and disappeared into the undergrowth to track it.
“Your turn,” Brackenfur meowed in Hollypaw’s ear.
Her shoulders stiffened. “Are you sure?” She thought she was more likely to scare the prey away than catch anything.
“You learn more by trying than by watching,” Brackenfur replied.
Hollypaw focused on the beech tree up ahead. The clearing still smelled of blood. Surely no more prey would be foolish enough to stray out after Lionpaw and Ashfur’s kill?
“Shouldn’t we try somewhere else?” she suggested.
“There are beechnuts here,” Brackenfur reminded her. “If a creature’s hungry enough, it’ll risk anything for food.”
Hollypaw stared among the roots of the tree. Almost at once she noticed a leaf flickering on the ground. She dashed out of the bracken and threw herself on top of it. Her heart sank when she realized that the ground felt flat and lifeless beneath her paws. She had caught nothing more than a dead leaf, flapping in the breeze.
She glanced back at her Clanmates, her pelt prickling with embarrassment. Graystripe’s whiskers were twitching.
Millie glanced sharply at her mate and his whiskers stopped moving. “It’s the same for every cat to start with,” the kittypet reassured Hollypaw. “Have another try.”
Hollypaw closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she blinked them open and glanced around the clearing. I’m not fast enough yet to hunt from the bracken,she decided. She studied the tree. Its pale bark darkened at the roots, which snaked out from the base before disappearing into the earth. Her black pelt would blend in well. Climbing stealthily onto the largest root, she crouched and began to wait. She looked over at Brackenfur, wondering if she had done the right thing. He nodded.
Relieved, Hollypaw turned her attention back to the forest floor. She kept perfectly still, not letting even an itch make her ear twitch. Far away, a sparrow screeched an alarm before falling silent. Still she did not move.
Then, almost directly below the root where she crouched, a tiny movement in the leaves made her tense the muscles in her hind legs. She waited. Sure enough, the leaf stirred again, and a small pink nose came snuffling to the surface. A wood mouse! Hollypaw held her breath, waiting like an adder preparing to strike. The mouse nosed its way farther out into the open, heading for a beechnut. Hollypaw knew it had no idea she was there.
She pounced, catching the mouse squarely between her forepaws
“Well done!” Brackenfur called.
Hollypaw looked up, the warm mouse dangling in her jaws. Her first kill! She closed her eyes, remembering how Lionpaw and Ashfur had given thanks to StarClan when they had made their kills.
“Thank you for the life of this prey, given to feed my Clan. I shall take no more than I want . . .” She paused. “I mean, need, and I shall give all that I can.”
She was on her way to being a warrior at last!
第十二章
第十二章
当冬青爪跟随大部队回到石头山谷的时候，远处的地平线上，一条如打翻了的牛奶一般流畅的乳白色光线闪耀着。在回营地的途中，大家那兴奋的低语声从未间断。但是在进入荆棘通道时，这如同蜂群飞舞一般的嗡嗡声却戛然而止。整个空地沐浴在月光中，只有营地的边缘地带仍被阴影所笼罩。当冬青爪看到两个小小的影子从学徒巢穴中走出来时，心中顿时充满期待，身上的毛竖了起来。
“森林大会开得怎么样？”炭爪问道。
火星和灰条都停下脚步。“你现在应该睡觉才对，”火星对炭爪说，“不好好睡觉，明早的训练你会很疲惫的。”
“对不起，火星，”炭爪道歉说，“不过没听到森林大会的消息，我们怎么都睡不着觉啊。”
灰条打趣地抽动着胡须。“我们当学徒的时候，也像他们现在一样啊。”他提醒着火星。
“你是谁啊？”炭爪看着这位灰色皮毛的武士，眼睛睁得大大的。
“他曾经是雷族的副族长，那时候你还没出生呢。”火星告诉她。
“灰条？”炭爪猜测着，脑袋歪了歪，问道。
“是灰条！”罂粟爪突然激动地大叫起来。
炭爪也兴奋地转着圈儿。“我可以告诉云尾吗？求你了！”还没等到回答，她就冲向了武士巢穴，一边跑一边叫着老师的名字。
不一会儿，云尾出现在巢穴入口。他刚从睡梦中醒来，月光下，他的皮毛乱蓬蓬的。“怎么了，炭爪？”他抱怨道。
“灰条回来了！”
蕨毛从云尾身边挤过，站在巢穴外。“灰条？”他瞪着眼，看着空地对面，突然冲向自己的老朋友。
“灰条回来了！”云尾大声喊道。他跑向灰条时，暴毛和白翅也冲出巢穴，兴奋地叫喊着。
“我还以为再也见不到你了呢！”蕨毛一边低声说，一边跟灰条碰了碰鼻子。
“火星说得对！”暴毛跑过蕨毛身边，补充道，“他告诉我们，你一定能找到回来的路！”
灰条惊讶地注视着自己的儿子，问道：“你现在跟雷族住在一起了吗？”
“什么事情这么吵啊？”鼠毛挤出长老巢穴那被荆棘遮蔽的入口，一副脾气暴躁的样子。
长尾出现在她的身后，那双盲眼无神地注视着前方。他闻了闻气味。冬青爪透过微弱的月光，看到长尾脊背上的毛全都竖了起来。“我闻到了灰条的气味！”长尾说道。
“灰条？”鼠毛嘲笑道，“你在做梦吧？”
“他没在做梦！”火星肯定地说。
灰条冲出武士们在空地中央围成的圆圈。“的确是我。”他说。
“伟大的星族啊！”鼠毛跑到灰条身边，用尾巴触碰着他的腹部，“以银毛星带之名，你究竟是怎么找到我们的啊？”
沙风向前一步，轻轻地说：“这是个漫长的故事，我们还是等天亮了再听他讲吧。灰条和米莉已经累坏了。”
“米莉是谁？”鼠毛看了看站在灰条旁边那只陌生的猫。
“多亏米莉的帮助，我才回到了这里。”灰条解释道，“她现在是我的伴侣了。”
鼠毛眯起眼睛，冬青爪心里不由一阵紧张。那些想法怪异的长老会对此做何反应呢？武士们是不允许找族群以外的猫做伴侣的，当然，找宠物猫做伴侣更不可以。
不过鼠毛只是朝米莉点了点头。“灰条，你总是爱打破常规。”她说。
冬青爪不安地甩了甩尾巴尖。整个族群似乎都做好了接受米莉的准备，可是星族对这件事会怎么想呢？她看了看火星。或许，已经有了一位宠物猫出身的族长，雷族众猫不会为此事大惊小怪。最重要的是，米莉已经通过帮助灰条返回雷族，证明了自己是一位真正的武士。况且他们都完好无损地回来了，这就说明，星族已经接纳她了。
武士巢穴外，一个黑影的出现引起了冬青爪的注意。溪儿醒来了。这只来自山区的猫走到暴毛身边，在他的耳边悄悄地说着什么。
松鸦爪从学徒巢穴中走了出来，抽抽鼻子问道：“发生什么事了？”
狮爪蹦蹦跳跳地来到他的身边，说：“灰条回来了！”
松鸦爪用看不见的眼睛望着灰条和米莉：“他旁边的猫是谁？”
“是他的新伴侣，”炭爪解释道，“从两脚兽那里来的。”
松鸦爪皱皱鼻子，说道：“告诉叶池，她的伤口会感染的。我从这里都能闻到气味了。”
“黑莓掌！”火星对他的副族长喊道，“你在武士巢穴里给灰条和米莉找两个窝。”
黑莓掌点点头离开了。
冬青爪注意到，雷族众猫又开始低声嘀咕了，而且声音越来越大。
“灰条没有我想象中那么壮实，”炭爪轻轻说道，“他看起来比黑莓掌还小一些呢。”
“他身上有鸦食的味道。”松鸦爪回答。
“他一定连着好几个月，都像独行猫那样吃东西吧。”狮爪回答，“他只要开始像武士一样吃东西，用不了多久，就不会这么瘦小了。”
白翅不安地望着松鼠飞：“接下来会发生什么事呢？到底谁才是我们的副族长？”
松鼠飞的目光里闪着一丝焦虑。她把眼神从灰条身上移开，望向武士巢穴入口——黑莓掌刚刚回到巢穴里。“我也不知道。”她说。
火星用坚毅的目光注视着雷族猫：“我们雷族什么都不会变。灰条回来了，我们应该对此心怀感激。”
“巢穴里没有可以做两个新窝的地方了，”黑莓掌回来对火星说，“只做一个倒是可以。”
“我们睡在哪里都行。但是我有一个要求，那就是我要和米莉待在一起。”灰条的话语里满是倦意。
“你会的，”火星向他保证道，“我们将来会扩建巢穴的。”
“我们还是先不跟其他猫睡在一起了吧，”灰条对他说，“等我们习惯了群居生活之后再说。”
“武士巢穴后面有一处浅浅的洞穴，”亮心建议道，“那里的地面都是草，很柔软。”
“我们清理巫医巢穴的入口时，剩下了好多黑莓刺，”叶池插话道，“如果把它们放在那处浅洞穴的前面，那里也算是很隐蔽了。”
火星看着灰条问：“你觉得怎么样？”
灰色皮毛武士点了点头。
冬青爪跳了起来。作为一名巫医学徒，她知道自己必须尽力照顾新来的成员。他们睡觉的地方一定要温暖舒适，而且，经过了长途跋涉，他们一定还需要草药来缓解疲劳。
“蕨毛、云尾和黑莓掌，”火星叫道，“你们把黑莓刺弄过来吧。”
“好的，火星。”黑莓掌赶忙向巫医巢穴旁的褐色黑莓刺堆跑去，蕨毛和云尾紧随其后。
“我能去帮忙吗？”炭爪乞求道。
蕨毛停下脚步，转过身正准备回答，炭爪已经冲了过去。她撞进他的怀里，摔了个四爪朝天，翻倒在地。
“不好意思，蕨毛！”她爬起来，眼睛里充满了沮丧。
蕨毛对自己的女儿说：“炭爪啊，你总是这么莽莽撞撞的，这可不好。你让我想起我的妹妹，她在当学徒的时候，也和你一样。”
“快来啊，炭爪！”云尾叫道，“快来帮我把这些黑莓刺运到那处浅洞穴！”
“对不起。”炭爪说着，跑去帮自己的老师了。
黎明悄悄降临，粉色和橙色的晨曦划破了云朵点缀的灰暗色天空。这时，新窝已大功告成。灰条和米莉带着满身疲倦，向大家致谢后，朝窝里走去。
空地的另一边，沙风和蛛足领着蜜爪和鼠爪，离开营地去巡逻。黑莓掌和云尾回到自己的窝里睡觉。冬青爪和叶池在新盖好的窝外，欣赏着他们共同的劳动成果。
“你取来的苔藓会让他俩感到暖和的。”叶池说道。她从每只猫的窝里都取了一点儿苔藓，接着冬青爪帮她，用这些苔藓给灰条和米莉铺了个舒服的窝。灰条可以说是雷族合法的副族长，所以冬青爪把他的窝弄得尽可能舒适而惬意。
“我是不是该给他们找些草药呢？”冬青爪问道，“松鸦爪说米莉的伤口可能会感染。”
“他怎么知道的？”叶池惊讶地望着她。
冬青爪耸了耸肩。“他闻到气味了。”她在脑海里努力搜寻着可能会派上用场的叶子和种子的名字，不过经过一整夜做窝的兴奋感的冲击，她脑子里已是一片空白。
“我们一定要在中午之前，找到有疗效的草药，”叶池告诉她，“现在，灰条和米莉最需要的，就是好好休息。”
冬青爪打了个哈欠。
叶池看了看她，说道：“你一定也很累了吧？”
“有点儿。”冬青爪承认道。事实上由于太过劳累，她几乎已经全身麻木了。
“我们去睡会儿觉吧。”叶池建议道。她站起来，朝巫医巢穴的方向走去。冬青爪满怀感激地跟在她后面。她盼着赶快回到自己的窝里，蜷起身体，闭上眼睛，进入梦乡。
冬青爪醒来时，看到一缕阳光透过荆棘丛照射到地面上，留下一块块光斑。她突然想到了灰条。火星告诉他们，现在族群里的一切都不会变。这是不是意味着，将来火星还是要把副族长交给自己的老朋友，以取代黑莓掌呢？星族会同意他这么做吗？
她离开自己那片温暖的苔藓，嗅闻着被寒意浸透的空气，肚子咕咕地响了起来。
叶池躺在自己的窝里，闭着眼睛。看到冬青爪醒来，她抬起了鼻子。“你醒啦？”她坐了起来，伸伸懒腰，卷起尾巴，“你忙了一整夜，我想你应该再睡一会儿。”
“我饿了。”冬青爪坦白道。
“猎物堆里有刚抓来的猎物。”叶池一边告诉她，一边嗅闻着空中的气味。
冬青爪给老师带回一只老鼠，也给自己带回一只田鼠。她狼吞虎咽地吃着，几口就吃光了。她舔舔爪子，洗洗脸。“我们现在要去看看灰条吗？”她急切地问道。
“现在到中午了吗？”
“还没到。”
“那就让他们再睡一会儿吧。”叶池一边说，一边来到巢穴后面的草药堆旁，开始翻找起来。“我想让你去采些琉璃苣，”她说道，“我们已经没有多少了，灰条或米莉可能会发烧。山那边的湖岸上就有一些。”
冬青爪顿时变得紧张起来。“在我回来之前，你不会叫醒他们吧？”从这两只雷族的新病猫身上，她肯定能学到很多东西，成为一名巫医学徒之后，她还从未治疗过任何一只病猫。她已经记住了不少草药的名字和各自的用途，如果能在实践中用到这些知识，显然能使她记忆的过程变得容易一些。
“如果你不到处乱逛的话。”叶池警告她道。
“我不会的。”冬青爪向她保证道。
叶池转过身，继续在草药堆边忙碌着。她把罂粟籽撒在爪下，数了起来。
准备出发前，冬青爪问道：“雷族为灰条举办过守夜仪式，对吧？”
“是的。”叶池正忙着筛选一堆小白菊，没有抬头。
“这是不是说明，他已经被正式宣布死亡了呢？我是说，星族已经确认他死了，对吗？”
“我想，星族将来会发现，灰条正和雷族在一起，而不是和它们。”叶池冷冰冰地回答。
“可是武士守则怎么办？根据武士守则，他是不是已经死了？”
“难道昨晚的他，看起来像是死了的样子？”叶池反问道。
“可是，如果他没死，那么他肯定仍然……”
“我们的任务是给猫治病。”叶池直视着冬青爪，说道，“这些是火星需要考虑的问题，不是我们，除非星族希望我们去解决。现在，你到底去还是不去？”
“去哪里？”冬青爪问道。
“去采琉璃苣啊！”叶池叹了口气说，“如果你在中午之前还没回来，我就要自己去把他们叫醒了！”
“我去！我马上就去！”冬青爪一边答应着，一边马上转身离开了巢穴。
冬青爪走上斜坡的时候，一阵寒冷清爽的风穿过树木，从湖面吹来。冬青爪觉得，自己能从风里分辨出河族猫的气味。
她的脚爪一阵发痒，真想去探险。不过，她还是决定，在灰条和米莉醒来之前尽快赶回去。她低下头，开始嗅闻着地面，盼着赶快找到琉璃苣的气息。她绞尽脑汁，想回忆起巫医巢穴中的琉璃苣的气味，但她的鼻孔却被水和风的气味填满了。
她走下陡坡，朝着树木稀疏的地方前进。太阳在湖面上泛起点点亮光。这天气多适合外出狩猎啊！但她马上把这个念头抛到一边。她继续寻找着，希望看到琉璃苣。她闻闻地面，忽然嗅到了似曾相识的一种强烈而刺鼻的气味。冬青爪仔细地循着气味的踪迹，费力地翻越一块块低矮的石头，走进一片高高的草地里。在那儿，她发现了一种茎秆又长又细、有绿色锯齿状叶子的植物——正是它发出了刚才那种气味。而且离它越近，那种气味就越浓烈。这就是琉璃苣吗？她敢肯定自己以前见过它。
冬青爪抬头看了看头顶上升得老高的太阳——叶池马上就要把灰条和米莉叫醒了。她迅速从根部咬断这种植物的茎秆。她的动作十分谨慎，不让自己咽下一点儿苦涩的汁液。她用嘴衔着这种草，飞也似的跑回营地，一边跑，一边替要吃这种难闻草药的猫感到可怜。
“这不是琉璃苣。”当冬青爪把采回的茎秆放在叶池面前时，叶池神情不悦地说，“这是蓍草，它会让猫生病的。”
冬青爪又羞又气地闭上了眼睛。自己为什么就是记不住叶池教的东西呢？哪怕一点点也好啊！
“不要太苛责自己了。”叶池鼓励她道，“你还有很多东西要去学呢。”
冬青爪仍然没睁开眼睛。不要替我开脱了，我本该越来越进步才对！
“跟我来，”叶池轻松地说道，“其实没有琉璃苣也可以。去拿一些金盏花叶子，然后我们就去叫醒灰条他们。”
金盏花叶子！冬青爪知道它们是什么样子，于是马上跑到巢穴后面，取了一大把，跟着叶池穿过空地，来到灰条和米莉的临时巢穴旁。
火星、沙风和蜜爪正站在临时巢穴外面。尘毛、刺掌、罂粟爪和榛爪兴奋地在周围转来转去，依旧困意未消的灰条和米莉坐在他们中间。米莉的眼神在众猫身上飘来飘去，耳朵一直不停地抽动着。灰条看起来也很不自在，他好像已经忘记了被如此多的猫围在中间是何种感觉了。
“你睡醒很久了吗？”叶池穿过猫群，走到灰条身边问着。她神情严肃地扫视着聚在灰条和米莉周围的猫们，说道：“我希望这些家伙没有吵醒你。”
“没有。”灰条收起爪子，尾巴紧紧地圈在身体上，“是阳光叫醒了我们。”
“你待会儿再跟大家见面吧。”叶池抽抽尾巴，明确表示她想让其他猫马上离开。
“治疗结束后，你要告诉我他俩的状况。”火星命令道，然后领着其他猫走开了。
他们一走开，灰条的肩膀就立刻放松下来，米莉的神情也轻松了很多。
“身上有擦伤或剐伤吗？”叶池问道。
“米莉的一只爪垫上有伤。”
“我来看一下。”
米莉小心翼翼地抬起一只前爪。“上面有根刺，”叶池说，“松鸦爪说得对，伤口已经感染了。”她用尾巴碰了碰冬青爪，“我的学徒会把它拔出来的，我去准备一些治疗感染的叶子。”
冬青爪从嘴里叼着的那束金盏花上拽下一片叶子，开始咀嚼。结果，她咳嗽起来，叶子被吐在了地上，她担心地望着米莉，而米莉也同样用担心的眼神望着她。冬青爪心里清楚，自己没法拒绝。而且这正是一个宝贵的实践机会——她终于不必凭借简单的记忆来学习了。她凑上前去，仔细观察着米莉的爪子，看到一根刺深深地扎进了她的爪垫。她还看到，伤口周围有血和脓液渗出来，不禁有些惊慌。
“那一定很疼！”她深吸了一口气。真的要用牙齿把它拔出来吗？
叶池眯起眼睛说道：“我看还是我来吧。”
冬青爪本能地向后退了退，给叶池让出位置。“我还要把金盏花叶嚼成糊吗？”她说着，身上的毛羞愧得竖立起来。
“是的。”叶池注视着米莉的爪子，眼神中有着一种不被外物所动的专注——冬青爪最想学到的那种专注。为什么这事对她来说就那么难呢？
灰条开始洗脸了。“能再见到族猫，实在太好了。”他一边舔着身体，一边说，“我一直都希望能找到你们，不过我一直都不确定是否真的能找到……”
“你是怎么知道我们在哪儿的？”冬青爪问道。
“乌爪告诉我们，要朝着日落的方向走。我们很幸运，星族一直眷顾着我们。”
“当你发现火星带着族群弃你而去时，你生他的气了吗？”冬青爪冒失地问道。
灰条甩了甩尾巴：“是的，我当时非常失望。不过我明白他这么做的原因。森林当时已经变成了一片废墟，没有猫能在那里存活下去。”
“嗷！”米莉向后跳了一下，开始舔舐自己的爪子。
叶池的牙齿中间衔着那根刺，接着把它吐了出来。她告诉冬青爪：“用爪子把金盏花叶子的糊涂抹在伤口上。”
米莉把受伤的爪子伸了过去，伤口流着血，还肿胀了起来。冬青爪打了个冷战，用金盏花叶子的糊涂抹着。她小心地让金盏花的汁液渗进米莉肿胀的爪垫里。尽管非常疼，但米莉却几乎一动不动。
“炭毛一定会为你俩感到骄傲的。”灰条说。
我真希望是这样。冬青爪一边想着，一边强迫自己忍住喉头的呕吐感。不过，如果炭毛真的在看着我，她就会知道，我还不能帮叶池什么忙。
“今天下午我们要进行战斗训练。”治疗完灰条和米莉之后，叶池对冬青爪说，“我们巫医也要学习在战斗中如何保卫自己的族群。”
冬青爪兴奋得心里怦怦直跳。没有脓液，没有难吃的草药，没有疼得直叫的病猫——这一定很好玩！她们爬上营地外面的斜坡，走过湖边，沿着小路往长满苔藓的谷地走去。那里就是学徒们进行战斗训练的地方。她们穿过森林时，冬青爪听到前方传来一阵响亮的声音。她闻闻空中的气味，发现炭爪和云尾已经在那里了。
冬青爪跑到叶池前面，急切地想知道真正的武士训练到底是什么样子的。透过重重树木，她瞥到那只灰色的虎斑猫正冲向云尾。白色皮毛的武士突然像一片被风卷走的叶子，身体“嗖”地旋转起来。炭爪从他的身边掠过，连他的一根毛都没碰上。
“不，不对！”云尾说，“你没听到我刚才说的吗？要对准你认为我会移到的位置，而不是我现在的位置！”
“对不起！”炭爪喘着粗气说，“我可以再试一次吗？”
冬青爪沿着湖岸走进空地里。“你们好！”她打着招呼。
“你在采集草药吗？”云尾问道。
“没有。叶池要教我一些战斗动作。”
“太好了！”炭爪说，“我们可以一起训练。”
叶池走到冬青爪身边，说道：“下次你们再一起训练吧。在冬青爪跟其他武士学徒一起训练之前，我得先教她一些基本动作。”
冬青爪沉着脸，爪子不停地蹭着地面。
炭爪回头望了望云尾：“我们再做一下刚才的那个动作，好吗？”
云尾点点头说道：“要记住……”他的话还没说完，炭爪已经向他冲了过来。他再次飞速旋转着身体，干脆利落地躲开了。
“过来吧，”叶池对冬青爪说，“我们去那边训练。”她一边说，一边用鼻子指指远处那块长满苔藓的空地。冬青爪注意到，那儿的地面看起来平坦而柔软，是战斗训练的理想场地——没有草根和落叶，就不会被绊倒，也不会滑倒。
“我们先从防守动作开始练起吧。”叶池转身背对着冬青爪，回头说，“你先看着，然后再模仿我的动作。”她低下头，蜷起身体，然后翻滚着，最后纵身一跃，四爪落地。这一整套动作，竟然只在短短一个心跳的时间内就完成了。“你来试一试吧！”
冬青爪点点头。“我想我已经掌握要领了。”她低下头，蜷起身体，然后翻滚着，最后纵身一跃，四爪迅速落地。
云尾在空地另一边对她喊道：“你是第一次做这套动作吗？”
“是的。”冬青爪回答。“我的动作对吗？”她一边问，一边急切地望着叶池。
“你做得非常好，”叶池告诉她，“我们再试试别的动作。”
叶池又演示了几套动作，冬青爪都模仿得精准到位。尽管云尾没有再做任何评价，但冬青爪知道，他正在注视着自己。
“现在我们可以试试攻击动作了，”过了一会儿，叶池建议道，“你冲向我，设法从我的身边冲过去。”
“我该怎么做呢？”冬青爪问道。
“什么方式都可以，”叶池告诉她说，“我们稍后再讨论策略问题。”
冬青爪蹲伏下来，直视着叶池。她的视线突然看向叶池身后，落在空地边缘的一棵小树上。那里就是她的目标，而叶池只不过是她在途中必须避开的“障碍物”。她开始向前冲去，突然看到叶池将重心放在后肢上，显然是准备在冬青爪冲过时，用自己的身体将她压倒。冬青爪又看到叶池的身子向后倾斜了一点儿，猜想她身体的重心都集中在了一侧，于是就以闪电般的速度，从她身体的另一侧冲了过去。叶池来不及重新找到平衡，重重地摔在距离冬青爪冲过的位置一只老鼠身长的地上。
当冬青爪到达那棵小树旁时，一种胜利的喜悦油然而生。她转过身，看到叶池站在那里，一脸惊愕地眨着眼睛。这时，她心中的喜悦突然被愧疚代替了，刚才，她是在故意炫耀自己比老师还厉害吗？
“太棒了！”叶池一边喘着粗气，一边称赞着。
“的确太精彩了！”云尾从空地另一边走了过来，炭爪紧随其后。
“你刚才速度真的好快！”炭爪不住地称赞着。
“谢谢！”冬青爪快步走到叶池身边。
云尾向叶池点头致意，开口说道：“请恕我直言，我认为炭爪和冬青爪应该在一起训练。炭爪的体力比饱餐之后的兔子还要强，而且她比冬青爪的经验更丰富。不过冬青爪知道如何观察动作，聆听讲解，显然她在分析对手这方面极具天赋。”
冬青爪太激动了，几乎说不出话来——有一位真正的武士要来训练自己了！
“我也觉得这样很好。”叶池说。
云尾摇摇尾巴，说道：“炭爪，你来给冬青爪示范一下我们一直在训练的战斗动作吧！”
炭爪领着冬青爪，来到空地中央。阳光透过头顶的树枝，洒在炭爪那如烟雾般迷幻的皮毛上，留下斑斑亮点。“你过来袭击我吧，我会试图让你失去平衡。”
冬青爪快速深吸一口气，然后朝炭爪飞奔而去。可还没等她反应过来，炭爪就用强有力的前爪，从冬青爪身下猛击她的前腿，随即又打击她的后腿，使她翻滚着跌在地上。
冬青爪从地上爬起来，抖抖身上的尘土。“哇！”她惊奇地感叹，“我可以试试吗？”她想用一种稍微不同的方式，来做这套动作。炭爪开始袭击她的刹那，她低下头，用鼻子猛击炭爪的前爪。冬青爪的身子离地面很近，她轻松地滚到一边，躲开了炭爪的攻击，然后敏捷地伸出后腿，猛地一下把炭爪踢得飞了出去。
炭爪爬起来说道：“我喜欢你刚才的打法！用鼻子代替爪子！这使你滚动身体的过程更顺畅了，简直就是一气呵成！我可以在你身上试试吗？”
“当然可以！”
炭爪又朝冬青爪猛扑过来，这次她用鼻子让冬青爪失去了平衡，就像冬青爪刚才所做的一样。炭爪用一个飞快的后腿踢结束了整套动作，冬青爪来不及反应，身子在空地上滑出去老远。
冬青爪坐起来，喘着粗气。
“你们俩太棒了！”云尾表扬着她俩。
炭爪舔舔爪子，爪子又伸到耳朵后面，扫掉粘在上面的苔藓。当她再次舔爪子时，爪子却不停地抖动起来，好像在掸爪子中间的灰尘。冬青爪的胡须突然兴奋地动了动，她发现炭爪刚才那个小动作，其他猫根本做不来。
“你觉得如何？”冬青爪转身问叶池。但是叶池并没回答，而是用惊讶而又疑惑的眼光盯着炭爪。冬青爪想，炭爪突然变成了一只獾吗？可炭爪依旧安静地坐在那里，清洗着她的耳朵。
“叶池？”冬青爪再次喊道。
叶池把目光从炭爪身上移开，那双睁得大大的眼睛里依旧充满惊愕：“什……什么事？”
“你还好吗？”
叶池用力摇摇头，好像要把脑子里的杂念全都清理掉。“当然。我只是在想，炭毛以前也像炭爪刚才那样抖动爪子。”她一边说，一边神情不安地回头看着炭爪。此时她已经清洗完毕，在云尾身边转来转去。
“你会教我后踢腿吗？”这位灰色皮毛的学徒乞求道。
“马上就天黑了，”云尾看了看天空说，“我想我们应该回营地了。”
叶池点了点头：“趁着还有点儿亮光，我要去检查一下米莉爪子上的伤口。”
森林上方的天空已经暗下来，空气也逐渐透出丝丝寒意，冬青爪却感觉自己有点儿舍不得离开这片长满苔藓的空地。她身上受了一些伤，感到非常疲惫。不过，当她尝试着改进曾学过的动作时，她忽然觉得，自己的思维一下变得活跃起来了。
当她跟着云尾和炭爪沿着湖岸走进森林时，叶池走到她身边说道：“你今天战斗训练的表现非常棒，给我留下了深刻印象。”
冬青爪听了这话，心里激动了好一阵子，全身上下都兴奋不已。她觉得自己的爪子都轻飘飘的，好像飞舞的蒲公英小伞。但是接着，她的心情突然间低落下来。自己成为巫医学徒已有些时日，可叶池之前却从没像今天这样夸过自己！为什么她记草药名字的时候，就不能像学习战斗动作那样又快又好呢？
一切都会变好的！冬青爪给自己打着气。总有一天，她在巫医巢穴时，脑子也会像在今天这片空地上一样敏锐。这只是时间问题罢了。既然已经选择成为巫医，她就不会让自己和雷族的所有猫失望。
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 19
“Mousefur kept me awake half the night coughing,” Longtail complained.
“It’s a wonder you could hear me over your snoring!” Mousefur retorted.
Jaypaw sighed. He was in the elders’ den, listening to the denmates bicker like kits. He didn’t know why they argued so much. Even now, Longtail’s complaint was only his way of telling Jaypaw that he was worried about Mousefur.
“I can’t feel any swelling around her throat,” Jaypaw told him. “Just make sure she eats the coltsfoot I brought. Leafpool says it will ease her breathing.”
“I don’t need herbs,” Mousefur grumbled.
“Take them anyway,” Longtail urged. “At least it means you’ll eat something. You’ve not had anything since sunhigh yesterday.”
“I don’t like to take prey from the fresh-kill pile when food is so scarce,” Mousefur meowed. “There are younger bellies to feed than mine.”
“Well, eat the coltsfoot instead,” Longtail meowed. “If only to give me some peace.”
Muttering crossly, Mousefur used her tail to sweep the pile of shredded leaves toward her nest.
Jaypaw sighed. Listening to the elders fussing, he felt as though nothing had changed since his days with Brightheart. After hardly a quarter moon he was bored to the ends of his whiskers with doling out herbs. He was meant to visit Stormfur in the warriors’ den next and apply a honey-and-horsetail poultice to his shoulder wound yet again. The warrior refused to rest, and the balm seemed to rub off as quickly as Jaypaw could apply it.
Leafpool appeared at the entrance of the honeysuckle bush, bringing with her the scents of the medicine den. “How’s Mousefur’s throat?” she asked.
“It feels fine,” Jaypaw answered tersely. “Although it would be easier to tell if she stopped complaining long enough for me to feel it properly.”
Leafpool’s irritation spiked the air. “If you can’t be polite to your Clanmates, you may as well come back to the medicine den and help me tear up the tansy that Hollypaw was kind enough to fetch for you yesterday!” she snapped.
Jaypaw rolled his eyes. Another moment in the medicine den and he would burst! So much for his great destiny as a medicine cat. Spottedleaf hadn’t warned him that life would be one tedious chore after another.
Leafpool led the way back to the den, her shoulders tense. Jaypaw padded miserably after her. He felt a lecture brewing in her like a storm, and nosed his way reluctantly through the trailing brambles and sat down.
“You drift around the camp like a little dark cloud looking for someone to rain on,” Leafpool snapped.
“I’m bored!” Jaypaw complained.
Exasperation flashed from his mentor. “Anyone would think I had forced you to become my apprentice!”
“You didn’t force me,” Jaypaw agreed. “But it’s what you wanted all along, isn’t it?” He lashed his tail. “Are you happy now?”
“Do I sound happy?” Leafpool hissed. Jaypaw could feel the fury seething beneath her pelt. Why did she have to be so mad at him? Couldn’t she understand that he had expected more from his life than this?
“It’s okay for you,” he snapped. “You always wanted to be a medicine cat!”
“And you don’t?”
“It’s my destiny,” he muttered. “Wanting doesn’t seem to come into it.”
“Then deal with it!” Leafpool growled unsympathetically.
Unhappily, Jaypaw padded to the heap of tansy Hollypaw had left and began to strip the leaves from the stems. He ripped at them carelessly, leaving long strings of stalk attached. Leafpool sighed and sat down beside him. Wordlessly, she began to nip off the trailing strips he had left. Her disappointment showed in every small, silent movement she made. Guilt pricked at Jaypaw like a bellyful of thorns. He wished he could find the words to explain his frustration, but he knew that whatever he said would only make it worse. What would she say if she knew just how miserable he was at giving up his dream of being a warrior? And for this! A life of sorting herbs and worrying about scratches and bellyaches.
“Leafpool?” Stormfur pushed his way into the den. Jaypaw could smell the sour odor of the scratches festering on his shoulder. He had forgotten to apply the new poultice. He jerked his head around, feeling guiltier than ever.
“Didn’t you treat Stormfur’s scratch?” Leafpool demanded.
“You told me to come back here,” he pointed out.
“You’re right.” She sighed. “Never mind. I’ll do it. You get some rest. It’s half-moon tonight. We’ll be traveling to the Moonpool with the other medicine cats.”
Brightheart was lying next to Cloudtail by the halfrock, washing herself. Jaypaw felt her hurt like thorns in his pads as he waited for Leafpool by the camp entrance. Firestar had promised Brightheart that she could mentor Icekit or Foxkit when their turn came, but the warrior hadn’t gotten over the pain of losing Jaypaw as her apprentice yet.
“Staring at her isn’t going to make her forgive you.” Leafpool’s meow surprised Jaypaw; he had been too busy worrying about Brightheart to hear his mentor approach.
“But she won’t listen to me when I try to talk to her,” Jaypaw mewed. “She just changes the subject or finds an excuse to go somewhere else.”
“She’ll listen when she’s ready to hear,” Leafpool advised. “She’s had to fight hard to prove to her Clanmates that she’s as good as them, and this must feel like a battle she has lost.”
“I never meant to hurt her,” Jaypaw mewed.
“It takes some cats longer to see past their weaknesses clearly enough to appreciate their strengths,” Leafpool meowed. “And until they do, they feel every hurt like a tongue on raw flesh.”
Jaypaw felt that Leafpool was urging him to understand more than Brightheart’s anger, but he didn’t want to think about it now. He was eager to leave camp. He hadn’t been farther than the Sky Oak in days, and his paws were itching to be on their way to the Moonpool.
Leafpool must have sensed his impatience. “Come on,” she meowed, leading him through the thorn barrier.
The night felt brittle with cold. Frost had driven most creatures into hiding, and Jaypaw’s and Leafpool’s paw steps were the only movement that disturbed the frozen earth. As they neared the WindClan border, Jaypaw felt anxiety flutter in his belly. What if the other medicine cats thought a blind kit wasn’t fit to be one of them?
He sniffed the air. It was tinged with the scent of ShadowClan and RiverClan.
“The others must be waiting,” Leafpool observed, picking up the same scents.
Jaypaw followed her out of the forest and padded onto open grass. Moorland lay ahead; he could smell the scent of gorse and heather mingling with cat scent. He recognized Willowpaw and Mothwing from their visit to the hollow a moon ago. But the reek of the ShadowClan cat with them brought back the raw memory of battle.
“Hi, Mothwing.” Leafpool sounded pleased to see her RiverClan friend.
“Hello, Leafpool,” Mothwing purred.
“Is the frost as bad in RiverClan territory as it is here?” Leafpool asked.
“We seem sheltered from the worst of it, but the cold has driven the elders into their den. They’re complaining of aching bones.”
“You’ve enough poppy seed?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Hello, Littlecloud,” Leafpool greeted the ShadowClan medicine cat. “Is all well with you?”
Jaypaw bristled. It wasn’t long since ShadowClan invaded ThunderClan territory. How could she be so polite to her Clan’s enemy?
“It is,” Littlecloud answered. “Are your Clanmates recovered?” He had to be referring to the injuries they had suffered at the paws of ShadowClan warriors. Suspiciously, Jaypaw searched the ShadowClan cat’s tone for any hint of triumph, but he found only concern.
“One wound unhealed,” Leafpool reported. “And yours?”
“Oakfur is still limping,” he told her.
“Try wrapping his paw with comfrey each night when he sleeps,” Leafpool advised.
“I’ve run out,” Littlecloud confessed.
“You should have come to us!” Leafpool meowed.
“Blackstar wouldn’t let me.”
“I’ll leave some at the border tomorrow morning,” Leafpool promised.
Jaypaw couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Did Firestar know that Leafpool was helping ThunderClan’s enemies?
He felt a soft pelt brush his. Willowpaw from RiverClan. “Where’s Hollypaw?” she asked quietly.
She sounds disappointed to get me instead. Jaypaw flicked his tail. “Didn’t you know?” he hissed back. “Hollypaw found it so boring being a medicine cat that she let her poor, useless brother do it instead.”
Willowpaw flinched.
“I see you’re getting to know my new apprentice,” Leafpool meowed.
Jaypaw felt the gaze of all four cats burn his pelt.
“This is Jaypaw,” Leafpool announced.
Jaypaw stared back, ready to challenge any comment about his blindness.
“Hi, Jaypaw,” Mothwing meowed.
“How are you enjoying being an apprentice?” Littlecloud asked.
Jaypaw felt anxiety pulse through his mentor. She’s afraid I’m going to say it’s boring!“It’s great,” he replied.
“Jaypaw’s a fast learner.” Leafpool sounded relieved. “He knows all the herbs already.”
“Really?” Littlecloud was clearly impressed.
A new scent caught Jaypaw by surprise. Another cat was hurrying toward them over the WindClan border.
“Barkface!” Littlecloud called to the WindClan medicine cat as he approached. “Where’s Kestrelpaw?”
“He’s come down with whitecough,” Barkface panted.
“Not badly, I hope?” meowed Leafpool.
“He’s young and strong,” Barkface replied. “He’ll fight it off. But I’m making sure he doesn’t spread it around. With prey scarce and bellies empty, the Clans are vulnerable to sickness.”
Mothwing mewed in agreement.
“The moon’s rising,” Littlecloud observed.
“We’d better hurry if we want to catch it in the Moonpool,” Leafpool urged.
Jaypaw followed the cats as they began to climb the slope.
“Willowpaw!” Mothwing called to her apprentice. “Walk with Jaypaw. I’m sure he’ll have plenty of questions about the Moonpool.”
I’ve been there before, you know!Jaypaw bit back the words as Willowpaw fell in beside him. She kept a wary distance, making sure that her pelt did not touch his.
“Has Leafpool brought you here yet?” she mewed, sounding as if she didn’t really want to talk to him.
Jaypaw was about to tell her that he’d traveled there alone when Willowpaw grabbed his scruff without warning and dragged him sideways. He struggled free from her grip and turned on her, lunging at her with unsheathed claws.
“Jaypaw! What are you doing?” Leafpool screeched.
“He almost fell down a rabbit hole!” Willowpaw wailed. “I was just trying to help him.”
Jaypaw let go, shame burning his ears. “I didn’t know!” hesnapped. Why had she tried to help him? He wasn’t a kit!
“Apologize at once,” Leafpool ordered.
“But I knew the hole was there!” Jaypaw retorted. It was true. He had smelled the strong scent of rabbit, and his paws had been well aware of the approaching dip. “I didn’t need help!”
“That’s no excuse,” Leafpool hissed. “Apologize!”
“I’m sorry,” Jaypaw muttered.
“That’s okay,” Willowpaw growled. “Next time I hope you fall in!” She padded ahead of him, flicking her tail past his nose.
“Keep up, Jaypaw!” He felt the flash of Leafpool’s angry gaze as she glanced back at him. It wasn’t his fault. Willowpaw had started it! He padded after Willowpaw, ignoring the trail of resentment she left in her wake, and concentrated on the older cats’ conversation.
“This late frost has damaged a lot of new leaves,” Barkface commented.
“I was looking forward to restocking,” Littlecloud agreed. “But now it’ll be another moon before the plants recover.”
“There are a couple of sheltered spots in RiverClan territory where the herbs have escaped damage,” Mothwing told them.
Jaypaw strained to hear more. He wanted to know the location of every plant that could be of use to his Clan, no matter where. He was listening so hard that he didn’t hear the stream, or notice the ground turn from grass to rock beneath his paws as they approached it. The freezing air had turned the stone to ice, and suddenly his paws slipped from under him.
Willowpaw lunged toward him, then stopped as though claws had grabbed her tail. She watched Jaypaw slither ungracefully onto his side and waited without saying a word as, hot with embarrassment, he struggled to his paws. Then she padded on, not even slowing down as he limped after her. Jaypaw felt a flash of admiration at her stubborn refusal to help.
She offered him no help as he scrambled up the steep ridge either, though he could sense anxiety sparking from her as she watched him haul himself up the perilous rocks. He was relieved that he had made the climb before and knew the route well.
He paused at the top, listening for the voices that had guided him last time. But the only sound was the wind spiraling into the hollow and the trickling of water as it echoed around the rocks. He padded down the paw-dimpled stone to the Moonpool, stopping when he felt cold water lap the tips of his paws
The breath of the other cats warmed the air as they ringed the pool.
“StarClan!” Leafpool called up to the sky. “I bring you Jaypaw, my apprentice, and pray you accept him as you once accepted me.”
Jaypaw heard the soft chafing of fur on stone as the cats settled down at the water’s edge, and he lay down beside Leafpool, tucking his paws under his chest. He did not touch his nose to the water immediately. Instead he listened until the other cats’ breathing fell into the deep rhythm of sleep. Only then did he close his eyes and lower his head until the icy water stung his nose.
In an instant he was in StarClan’s hunting grounds, the undergrowth pricking his pelt. He blinked, adjusting to the shock of sight, letting his eyes get used to the chaotic colors until they fell into shapes he could recognize. Trees soared around him, their green leaves trembling against a bright blue sky.
Does it look like this to Willowpaw?he wondered. He pricked his ears, listening for her. Do we share the same forest when we dream?Sniffing, he searched for her scent and it appeared on the breeze, almost as if he had drawn it to him. He padded quietly toward her, keeping low, somehow aware that he was trespassing.
“Mudfur?” her soft voice was calling.
Jaypaw peered over the root of an oak and saw her gazing around a clearing. She was smaller than he had imagined. Her body was sleek and lithe, and her tabby markings were hardly more than delicate stripes along her pelt.
“Yes, little one?” A mottled tom padded out from the ferns and greeted her, touching his muzzle to hers.
Jaypaw ducked down.
“It is good to see you, Mudfur,” Willowpaw mewed.
“You dealt well with Dapplepaw’s stomachache.”
“Was I right to give her reassurance rather than herbs?” Willowpaw sounded anxious.
“Yes. She got better on her own, and the herbs can be saved for a cat with greater need,” Mudfur praised her.
Jaypaw peeped over the root again. Willowpaw was flicking her tail happily. “Have you news to share with RiverClan?” she asked.
“Beware the Twolegs upstream. Their kits are trying to block the water that feeds the Clan.”
“I’ll warn Mothwing,” Willowpaw promised.
Jaypaw’s whiskers tingled. Why didn’t Mudfur tell Mothwing himself? Had the two cats argued? Would he share tongues only with Willowpaw?
He backed away from the oak tree. If Willowpaw was dreaming of Mudfur, what was Mothwing dreaming of? He opened his mouth to taste the air, searching out Mothwing’s scent.
He smelled nothing. Willowpaw’s scent had disappeared, as though her dream had slipped from his paws. He tried to draw Mothwing’s scent to him, as he had done with Willowpaw, but nothing came. He closed his eyes and allowed the forest to slide from his consciousness, letting himself fall back to the hollow. When he opened his eyes, the Moonpool was shining far below him. He could see the other cats still sleeping around the pool—including him. Mothwing was breathing more heavily than the others, her body twitching while the others lay motionless.
Closing his eyes, Jaypaw focused on her mind, willing himself into her thoughts. He smelled prey, and then water, and opened his eyes to find himself among reeds at the edge of a lake. Mothwing was a few tails ahead of him, stalking a frog. She pounced on it as it hopped, then let it go and watched it hop again, her whiskers twitching with amusement as it struggled clumsily among the reeds. A butterfly fluttered above her head, and she sprang up and grabbed it from the air, holding it close so that its wings tickled her nose.
With a jolt, Jaypaw realized this was not StarClan’s hunting grounds. This was the shore of the lake that stretched between ThunderClan and RiverClan. The RiverClan medicine cat was dreaming the ordinary dreams of any Clan cat.
第十三章
第十三章
松鸦爪磨磨蹭蹭地吃着，一小口一小口地咬着从猎物堆里挑出来的老鼠。
溪儿和暴毛走过他的身边，问道：“你今天似乎没什么胃口啊？”
“是的，不太想吃……”松鸦爪低声喃喃道。
两位武士从猎物堆中挑好猎物，在空地边缘找地方坐了下来。松鸦爪继续吃着，他并不急着做自己的学徒工作。鸦羽领他回家已经是好几天前的事了，但直到现在，他依然被禁足在营地里。清理巢穴、跑腿打杂，令他感到厌烦。今天早晨，他被派去清理灰条和米莉的巢穴。他俩的身体恢复得很好，已经能走到空地上与雷族的成员们一起进餐了。
“猎物捕获得可真不少啊，尘毛！”高石台下面，灰条一边与米莉分享着一只兔子，一边大声喊道。
“谢谢！”尘毛回答。
松鸦爪很喜欢灰条。虽然周围有很多猫时，灰条会变得非常警觉，但他平时很随和，脾气也很好。米莉作为一只宠物猫，也很不错。不过，松鸦爪仍然不太愿意在他们第一次外出巡逻时，去清理他们弄脏了的苔藓。他总觉得这很不公平：为什么他们就可以外出探索森林，自己却只能为他们整理窝？
他又吃了一小口老鼠肉。他此时能感觉到，坐在半边石旁边的亮心正在看着他。她正在与尘毛交谈着，可目光依旧时不时地瞥向自己。松鸦爪能感觉到，她内心的焦虑像扎在皮毛中的刺一样难以忍受。她到底在期望他做些什么呢？他自己应该对清理巢穴的工作感到满足，而不用学习如何狩猎和战斗吗？即便自己现在被禁足在营地里了，空地上也有的是地方，让她来教给他一些战斗动作啊！可现在看来，她似乎只想让松鸦爪跑前跑后，照顾雷族的成员。难道她认为，他就只能做这些事情吗？
“快点儿，松鸦爪！”亮心喊道，“你清理完灰条的巢穴后，还要完成我答应香薇云的一件事。她外出狩猎的这段时间，你陪她的幼崽玩吧。她已经两个月没离开营地了。”
松鸦爪猛地抽了一下尾巴，问道：“那我什么时候可以去狩猎？”
“等到你学会毫无怨言地为整个雷族效力的那天吧。”亮心轻声对他说。
松鸦爪听到尘毛发出了一种戏谑的呼噜声：“你一定要带他出去，亮心，不然他会把我们全都逼疯了。”
“是火星把他禁足在营地里的。”亮心说。
“我想你一定能说服火星，松鸦爪真的需要外出训练。”尘毛说。
松鸦爪心中又燃起了希望。
“成为一位真正的武士，可不只是做好狩猎和战斗这么简单。”亮心回答。
这时荆棘屏障沙沙作响，黎明巡逻队回来了。白翅、蜡毛、狮爪、蛛足和鼠爪走进空地，身上还带着充满诱惑的森林气息。但是松鸦爪却感受到，他们身上有一种若有若无的焦虑气息。蜡毛不停地抽动着尾巴，白翅也不安地绕着圈儿。
黑莓掌一下子冲出武士巢穴的入口，松鼠飞紧随其后：“有什么事要汇报？”
“影族在边界的每棵树上都做了标记。”蜡毛生气地回答着，语气中充满了急迫感。
松鸦爪感觉自己体内积蓄已久的能量快要爆发了。这时灰条突然跳了起来，说：“影族又开始玩以前那套老把戏了吗？如果我去巡逻时，他们胆敢迈入雷族领地一步，我就会把他们的耳朵全撕掉！”
“可是他们现在还没越过新划定的边界，”黑莓掌告诉他说，“所以我们决定先不理他们。”
灰条哼了一声：“不理影族？这就好比你不理风和雨，但它们却仍然让你冷得发抖，浑身湿透！明白吗？”
“在旧森林里生活时，不理他们可能不行，”黑莓掌说，“不过这不是我们眼下最该做的事。”
“大迁徙后，一切都变了。”松鼠飞补充说。
“我们永远都不能信任影族，这一点是不会改变的！”蜡毛大叫道，“总有一些猫一直惦记着别人的东西！”
松鸦爪感觉母亲像被黄蜂蜇了一样，身体僵了一下。蜡毛这番话到底是什么意思？
“影族总想得到本不属于他们的东西！”尘毛说。
松鸦爪的胡须颤抖着。他知道有些猫在私下里一直对火星把领地拱手让给影族的做法持反对态度，但现在武士们都已经公开支持灰条的观点了。难道他们不清楚，自己应该忠于族长吗？
“火星已经做出决定，我们暂时不必理睬影族。”黑莓掌的语气很平稳，不过松鸦爪能感觉到，他正在观察着雷族成员，看是否有谁不同意。
这时火星从高石台上跳着下到空地上，身后的鹅卵石哗啦作响。“发生什么事了？”他问道。
“灰条觉得，我们不该忽视影族的威胁。”黑莓掌回答。
“我想灰条说得对。”火星说。
松鸦爪本以为自己的父亲会反对，不过黑莓掌却一直沉默不语。
“灰条在我们的新家园待的时间并不长，”火星接着说，“不过他对影族的情况是非常清楚的。我同意他的想法，除非我们表明立场，否则影族依然会步步紧逼。”
“在森林大会之前，你可不是这么说的。”黑莓掌轻声说。
“但是在森林大会上，影族显然是想制造事端。”火星提醒他说，“我本来不想采取过激的反应，不过现在我认为，应该做些事情来告诉他们，我们已经做好保卫边界的准备了。”
为什么你之前不告诉我这些呢？松鸦爪能感觉到父亲心里正在提出这样一个问题。
“我们要向他们宣战吗？”蜡毛问道。
“除非万不得已，否则我们绝不这样做。”火星回答。
“但是我们必须向边界地区增派巡逻队了。”尘毛插嘴道。
火星点了点头：“我们要开始在每棵影族猫做过标记的树上，添加雷族的标记。如果他们认为自己还能逼我们让出更多的领地，那他们就大错特错了。”
“好的，火星。”黑莓掌说，“松鼠飞照常率领巡逻队去狩猎，暴毛和溪儿沿着影族边界线，在树上做标记。”
尘毛有些不安地说：“最好还是让松鼠飞的巡逻队做标记。他们身上可是纯正的雷族气味，这会给影族传递一种更加强烈的信号。”
松鸦爪觉察到暴毛的眼中闪过一丝不满，他预感这位深灰色皮毛的武士要冲上前去，用自己锋利的爪子袭击尘毛。然而还没等暴毛动手，溪儿就站了起来。
“我认为尘毛说得有道理。”溪儿说道。
“不过现在影族必须要知道，你和暴毛是雷族的一员。”白翅争辩道。
“在边界争夺中，我们还是让事情清晰一些更好。”蜡毛说道。
一阵不安的寂静笼罩在这片山谷上空。过了一会儿，火星决定道：“松鼠飞带领巡逻队在影族边界上做标记，暴毛和溪儿去狩猎。”
巡逻队员们集合完毕时，松鸦爪也吃完了剩下的食物，站了起来。他不想就这么看着族猫们朝着森林进发，他很想跟他们一起去，而且这也不会耽误自己清理灰条的巢穴。松鸦爪开始在营地里搜寻着亮心的踪迹，最后在巫医巢穴外，他发现亮心正和叶池在一起。
松鸦爪上前打断了她们的谈话。他问亮心：“如果不离开营地，怎么才能找到干净的苔藓呢？”不等回答，他又转向叶池，“你能分给我一点儿吗？”他知道叶池会为受伤的猫预留一些干净的苔藓。
“我的巢穴里有一些，”叶池告诉他，“你随便拿吧。冬青爪正在外面找琉璃苣呢，她会带回来更多苔藓的。”
当松鸦爪经过亮心身边时，亮心身上的毛竖了起来。松鸦爪听到亮心悄悄跟叶池说道：“到目前为止，我一直没法让他感到开心，我真不知道该怎么跟他交流。”
如果你认识到，拥有一只眼的自己并不比我强多少，你会怎样？松鸦爪想道。
松鸦爪不费任何力气就嗅到了干净的苔藓，它们就在洞穴的一边堆着，他过去叼起了一大团。苔藓清新的草香味，让他想起了自己在风族领地探险的经历。那次，松鸦爪的旅程虽然在湖畔终止了，但至少在那个早晨，他是无拘无束的。
松鸦爪抵达叶池巢穴入口旁的荆棘丛前时，听到外面有火星小声说话的声音。亮心已经离开了，火星正在和叶池说话。松鸦爪放下苔藓，竖起耳朵，仔细偷听着。
“我需要你和星族谈谈。”火星轻轻地对这位巫医说。
“你是在担心灰条吧？”叶池猜测道。
“我必须知道，到底谁是雷族合法的副族长。”火星解释道，“不管守夜仪式有没有举行，当我任命黑莓掌做副族长时，灰条显然还活着。”
叶池沉默了一会儿，说道：“不管星族给出什么答案，你都做好了应对准备吗？”
“灰条是我的朋友，我欠他的太多了。不过黑莓掌也是一位勇敢而忠诚的武士。”火星感叹道，“不管星族说什么，我都必须做出决定。”
“要是星族没给出答案，那该怎么办？”
“那样我会按自己的意愿，做出一个对全族最有利的决定。”
“好的，我一会儿就去月亮池。”叶池说道。
松鸦爪的胡须好奇地抽了抽，他以前听过有关月亮池的事情。那里听起来是那么神秘——一个只有巫医才能去和星族交谈的地方。今晚，冬青爪也会和叶池一起去吗？
火星离开后，松鸦爪听到了冬青爪奔向巫医巢穴的匆匆脚步声。她在叶池身边停下了脚步：“这些叶子没错吧？”
松鸦爪闻到了熟悉的琉璃苣的刺鼻气味。
“是的，”叶池说，“干得不错，冬青爪。”
“我就知道，我肯定能做到的。”冬青爪高兴地说。
松鸦爪拾起那团苔藓，起身穿过黑莓丛。
“别着急，慢慢来。”叶池说。松鸦爪心里想，她会不会怀疑自己已经偷听到她与火星的谈话了呢？如果真的怀疑了，她也不会表现出来。“冬青爪，”她转过身，接着对自己的学徒说，“你自己整理一下这些叶子。记住，一定只储存完整的叶子。那些弄坏的叶子在变干之前，都会烂掉的。”
“你不在这儿帮忙吗？”冬青爪问道。
“我要去月亮池了。”叶池解释道。
“可是你不必现在就走，还没到日高时分呢。”
“这个季节天黑得早，”叶池解释道，“我要早点儿到那里。”
“万一有猫需要治疗该怎么办？”冬青爪焦急地问。
“没事的。亮心对很多草药和浆果都非常熟悉，如果需要，你可以问问她。”叶池安抚她道。
“那你能再告诉我一遍这些草药的特征吗？”冬青爪恳求道。
“好的，”叶池同意了，“不过之后，我就必须走了。”
两只猫走进巫医巢穴，只剩下松鸦爪留在当地。他的脑子快速转动，他可不想再回到营地，花一个上午的时间来清理猫窝了。如果叶池要去月亮池的话，他打算跟着她去看个究竟。
他衔着苔藓穿过空地，把它放在灰条的巢穴外，然后又转头朝叶池的巢穴奔去，看起来像是回去再取一些苔藓。不过，他却直接钻进入口旁边的黑莓丛里。这个布满黑莓刺的小小角落，既不能用来睡觉，也不能储存猎物。但松鸦爪知道，这个角落后面有一堵凹凸不平的石墙，可以顺着它爬到山谷上面。这里是营地通往森林最便捷的通道，当巡逻队发现被陷阱困住的狐狸幼崽时，黑莓掌就曾走过这里。这堵墙虽然陡，但松鸦爪依然希望自己能不被其他猫看到，悄悄地通过这里，溜出营地。
松鸦爪穿过黑莓丛时，心脏一直怦怦直跳，直到抵达悬崖边才松了口气。他一边嗅闻，一边用脚爪探路。这时他进入了一片高出石头一尾巴长的灌木丛。松鸦爪松开爪子，离开黑莓丛，嗅闻着下一个可以抓牢的地方。慢慢地，他又抓住一丛草作为支撑点，奋力向上爬着。他一边爬，一边祈祷，千万别把那些松动的小石头踩掉，要是它们落进营地里，被其他猫发现，那就前功尽弃了。最后，他感到一阵清新的风拂过耳朵——终于来到了石头山谷的顶端。松鸦爪的爪子落在柔软的草地上，身子一弓，离开了悬崖边缘。
松鸦爪走过两侧长满树木的斜坡后，循着通往营地入口的陡峭湖岸继续向下方行走。他已经很熟悉这里的地形了，不一会儿，他就在离山脚还有一只狐狸身长的地方停下来，蠕动身子钻进蕨丛里。
过了一会儿，叶池才急匆匆从森林里走了出来。松鸦爪先让叶池走过去，然后偷偷跟了过去。他一直让自己保持在她的侧后方，这样，自己就不会被发现了。这儿的树林可以把他很好地遮蔽起来，松鸦爪凭着本能和自己胡须的指引，在森林中迂回穿行。不久，风族猫的气味开始在空气中弥漫开来。叶池正朝着地势起伏的荒原前进。然而，她并没越过边界，而是改变了路线，朝太阳的方向一直走着。慢慢地，地势变得更加陡峭，树木也变得稀疏起来。
松鸦爪听到了流水潺潺的声音。他循着叶池的气味踪迹，穿过柔软的草地，跃上溪水边那突兀的石头群。他把身子向后缩了缩，在阵阵疾风中打着寒战。这里的植被太稀疏了，无法将他遮蔽起来，松鸦爪只得紧紧靠着石头地面，以遮蔽自己带条纹的身体。至少流水声也能遮掩住自己的爪子落地声。爪子下的石头地面坑坑洼洼的，因此，他走路的速度也慢了下来。不过，幸运的是，他一直都能捕捉到叶池的气息，而且那气息一直十分浓烈而稳定。
忽然，松鸦爪感觉前方的路熟悉起来，梦中的情景开始在脑海中不断呈现。他此时正在穿越梦中曾造访过的那条狭窄的山谷——这意味着他很清楚这里的地形。松鸦爪竭力回忆着，小路两边的石头，每一块都如同狐狸牙齿一般尖利。他还想起前方有一条小溪，沿着山坡奔流而下，在阳光下熠熠闪光。他跟着叶池来到这条小溪的源头，顿时兴奋得皮毛刺痛起来，这里一定就是月亮池！
这时前方的石头哗啦啦地响了起来，松鸦爪停下脚步。他猜想，叶池一定正在攀登通往山脊的陡峭石坡。于是他便在原地等待着，直到石头的声音消失。确定叶池已经登上顶峰后，他才继续踩着锋利的石头，向上方艰难前进。
松鸦爪终于气喘吁吁地抵达了山顶，身体不住颤抖着。周围的石头把夕阳洒下的最后一片余晖都挡住了。松鸦爪站在山谷峭壁的边缘。叶池的气息飘了过来，混合着潮湿的石头、落满灰尘的青苔以及水汽的气息，在大山的气息中显得格外清新。流水声在周围的山间久久回荡。
松鸦爪继续小心地向前走着，他感觉有好多猫迎面而来，从他身旁擦身而过。一开始只擦过身体一侧，后来两侧都挤满了猫，他甚至有点儿站不稳了。
不要挤我！他用爪子推他们，却差一点儿把自己摔倒。这时他回过神来，发现周围除了空气，什么也没有。
微小的说话声在这座山谷里回响。
“他们已经来了。”
“我们要快点儿了。月亮就要升起来了。”
这都是谁啊？
松鸦爪闻闻周围的气味，可他只能辨别出叶池的气息。松鸦爪竭力让自己的尾巴不颤抖，试着搜寻叶池的位置。周围的石头产生的回声效应，把叶池的呼吸声放大了一些，她鼻子下方的水荡起了微微波纹。他从这轻柔的呼吸声推断出叶池睡着了。
松鸦爪小心翼翼地爬下斜坡，朝池边走去。爪子下的石头被磨得光滑无比，上面还有很多小坑。经过成年累月无数猫的踩踏，石头上被踩出了一条小路。他顺着这条路走到了尽头，直到池水轻轻舔着他的脚爪。松鸦爪在距离叶池睡觉的地点一只狐狸身长的位置躺了下来，闭上了眼睛。
当他的鼻子触碰到月亮池的瞬间，松鸦爪的眼前出现了璀璨的繁星，好像一双巨大的猫爪，把他带入了墨黑色的天空中，并把他留在蓝白相间的星光中。
松鸦爪望了望身下，发现这洒满星光的山谷斜坡一直通向那闪着粼粼波光的月亮池。他目不转睛地看着，呼吸越发急促起来。这片山谷不再是空空的，而是被一大群猫占据了。他们那各色各样的皮毛，沐浴着柔和皎洁的月光。
是星族！
他继续看着，直到看清了每只猫的皮毛和口鼻的样子。他们都在看着蜷缩在水边的叶池。松鸦爪也看到了正蜷缩成一团熟睡着的自己。
我在自己身外看着这一切啊。
松鸦爪扫视着这片山谷，忽然意识到，自己是站在一块冰冷的石头上。原来他不在天空中，而是在山顶。
叶池站了起来，开始像相识多年的老友一样，跟星族的成员打着招呼。他们在斜坡上走来走去，不时停下来，碰碰鼻子。除了叶池，松鸦爪谁都不认识，这些猫的年龄都比他大。
松鸦爪只是熟悉他们的气息而已。他退到身后的阴影里，以免被其他猫看到，然后暗中观察起来。
“蓝星。”叶池向一只宽脸圆眼、有浅色长毛的母猫低头致意着。
“欢迎你，叶池，”蓝星低声说，“我们早知道你要来了。”
蓝星身边坐着一只浅色的公猫，他的眼里闪着温暖的光芒。“很高兴再次见到你。”他说。
“我也是，狮心。”叶池回应道。
蓝星的眼睛开始闪闪发亮：“你来到这里是为了告诉我们好消息吧？”
“是的，灰条回来了。”叶池说。
猫们顿时发出了兴奋的低语声。
“不过有个问题需要解决，”叶池接着说，“火星现在搞不清楚，到底谁应该是雷族的副族长。灰条和黑莓掌都是依据武士守则任命为副族长的。”
山谷里，低沉的议论声此起彼伏：“这两只猫都有正当的理由成为副族长，而且能力都不分上下。”
叶池抬起头看看四周。在她身后，一只黑白相间的公猫抽了抽自己又长又细的尾巴。松鸦爪闻闻他的气味，原来他曾是风族的一员。
“如果火星够聪明的话，”这只公猫开口说道，“他应该选择最了解自己族群的那位武士。”
“高星啊，那可就难选了。”蓝星提醒他道，“没有哪个族长做过如此艰难的选择。”
狮心抽了抽尾巴，说道：“要是我们之前知道灰条还活着，我们就能早些让叶池知道这件事。”
“他去的地方太遥远，我们看不到他。”蓝星说，“再说了，雷族当时真的急需一位新的副族长。”
“这就是你们把一幅营地周围长满尖刺的黑莓丛图景，传送到我梦里的原因？”叶池问道。
“我们当时必须通知火星，应及时任命新的副族长！”蓝星说道。
狮心点了点头：“我们将那幅图景传送给你，就是因为黑莓掌是能帮助火星保护雷族的最佳选择。”
叶池抬起头，急忙问道：“那他现在还是最佳选择吗？”
蓝星和狮心相互看了一眼，却都没回答。
“你们是不是后悔了？本不该把那幅图景发给我？”叶池的语气咄咄逼人。
“黑莓掌非常称职，”蓝星对她说，“选他做副族长是正确的。当时没有猫知道灰条能否再次回归雷族，如果火星不选择一位副族长辅佐自己，那可就太愚蠢了。”
“但是现在谁该成为副族长呢？”
“这个问题，没有标准答案。”蓝星提醒道。
叶池眨眨眼，问道：“那么这个决定还是要由火星自己来做了？”
“是的。”蓝星叹了口气，“不过高星说得对，火星必须选择最了解自己族群的猫来当副族长。他必须用自己的智慧来做决定，而不是感情。”
“我应该告诉他这些吗？”
“你只要告诉他，他必须自己做决定就可以了。”
叶池低头向蓝星致意，并保证道：“我会告诉他的。”接着她转身离开星族猫，回到了月亮池边。
松鸦爪双目圆睁，望着星族的猫们。一只肌肉发达的公猫，正跟他身边的母猫窃窃私语着。松鸦爪从他那光滑的皮毛中推测，他是河族猫。不远处的一块石头的阴影中，一群身材精瘦而轻盈的猫也在轻声谈论着。他们也是风族猫吗？松鸦爪在斜坡上搜寻着，嗅闻着空气，想辨别出这里是否有雷族猫。这时，他的身体突然一僵，爪子也似乎被冻住了，无法挪动。
一只母猫直直盯着他。她身上的毛长而暗淡，脸部很宽，上面还有战斗中留下的旧疤痕。单凭她的外形，松鸦爪无法辨别她来自哪个族群。她双眼里闪着犀利的光，松鸦爪忙往后退回到阴影里。他有种感觉，自己今天不该来这里偷看。
叶池在水池边停下了脚步。“是炭毛吗？”她满怀期望地喊了一声，同时看着山谷里的猫，可惜没有回应。她眨眨自己那双若有所思的眼睛，然后把双爪整齐地叠在胸前，躺在地上。她又一次将鼻子贴在池水旁，闭上了眼睛。
“松鸦爪！”叶池惊讶的声音把松鸦爪从梦中惊醒了。他马上爬了起来。鹅卵石剐蹭了一下他的爪垫，让他差点儿摔倒。回到现实中的他，又什么也看不见了。
叶池的怒火烧到了松鸦爪的皮毛：“你在这里做什么呢？”
“我……我……”
“只有巫医才能来这个地方！我来这里是为了跟星族交流的！”
“我知道。”松鸦爪大口喘着气说，“我看见你了。”
“你看到我和星族在一起了？”
“我是从山顶上看到你、蓝星和狮心在一块儿说话的。”
叶池的表情惊愕无比：“你是怎么看到的啊？”
“我闭上眼睛，在梦里看到的，就这么简单。”
叶池眯起眼睛，接着问道：“那他们说什么了？”
“蓝星说，火星必须自己做出决定才行，”松鸦爪说道，“不过他要用自己的智慧来做决定，而不是感情。所以我想她的意思是说，火星应该选……”
“你明白什么啊？！”叶池突然插话说道，声音很轻，但是语气听上去却十分惊异。
松鸦爪有些糊涂了。他为什么不会明白呢？因为自己不是巫医吗？或者是因为自己看不见？
“你是怎么找到来这里的路的？”叶池问道。
松鸦爪感到叶池的内心充满了畏惧，她好像很惧怕松鸦爪即将给出的答案，全身的毛都竖了起来。“我一直跟着你……”他说。
“你是说，你是循着我的气味跟来的，对吗？从营地一直跟着我到了这里？”
“也不全是。我曾梦见过这儿，所以我知道沿途的景物是什么样子的。”
叶池倒抽了一口凉气。
“我总不能不让自己做梦吧！”松鸦爪大声喊道。
叶池转过身。“这里发生了一件不可思议的事情。”她低声喃喃着，听起来就像是自言自语，在水面上激起了回音，“我真希望，我能知道你的梦，到底是什么意思。”
“为什么这个梦一定要有意义呢？”松鸦爪问道。他想不明白，月亮池边的那个梦，究竟有什么特殊之处？仅仅是个梦而已。难道不是吗？
“走吧，”叶池命令道，“我们该回营地了。”一阵轻松感驱逐了她内心的重重困惑。她踏上了归程——那条来时的山路，松鸦爪紧随其后。尽管他现在已经能轻松地在这段路上行走了，但他依然让叶池领着自己，走下了来时通过的石头斜坡。
“你会把星族的话一五一十地告诉火星吗？”松鸦爪问道。
“我会告诉他，选谁当副族长，他必须自己做决定。”
“就这些吗？”
“你是什么意思？”
“我想，高星和蓝星已经暗示过了，火星应该选黑莓掌。他现在是最了解雷族的猫了。”松鸦爪抽了抽鼻子说。这时他闻到了老鼠的气息。
“你是说，我应该干预火星的决策吗？”
“你只要把他们的真实想法告诉火星就行了。”松鸦爪察觉到，那只老鼠正逐渐靠近他们，“这难道不是你的职责吗？”
松鸦爪又感觉到，叶池直视他的目光，像烈日一般炙烤着自己的皮毛。叶池问道：“如果是你，你会这么做？”
“我会做出最有利于雷族的决定。”一块鹅卵石在他爪子前方动了动。他飞速冲过去，“啪”的一声把爪子拍在地上，结果却拍了个空，老鼠逃回了洞穴。松鸦爪一脸失望地抬起了鼻子。
叶池突然停下了脚步，一种恐惧如同乌云般压在她的心头。难道他又做错了什么事吗？
“你怎么了？”
“没事。”叶池回答着，继续向前走。
松鸦爪赶忙跟了上去。
“你知道吗？你今天在那边做的事情，太不可思议了。”她说。叶池听上去轻描淡写的话语，其实并没掩饰住她内心的焦虑——也许，那是激动？唉，为什么现在她如此紧张不安呢？
松鸦爪耸了耸肩，问道：“你难道没在月亮池亲眼看见过那些猫吗？”
“但这个梦跟以前的梦根本不同。实际上你刚才进入我的梦里了，你看到的就是我所看到的。”
“那又怎样？”
“这种进入其他猫梦境的事，我只经历过一次。”
“什么时候？”松鸦爪问道。
“羽尾曾带我进过一次柳爪的梦里，所以我知道了她能在哪儿找到猫薄荷，”叶池解释道，“不过，当时羽尾已经是星族的成员了，那次是她邀请我进入的。而你却擅自闯入我的梦里，没获得星族的允许，也没提前告知它们。”
松鸦爪突然记起，那位宽脸武士盯着自己的锐利目光，心里不由一颤：“你确定它们对这件事一无所知吗？”
“要是知道，它们肯定会告诉我的。”叶池回答。
“为什么你喊炭毛的名字？”松鸦爪问道，“是不是有什么问题要请教她？”
“我只是想知道，她是否在那里。”叶池平静地回答道。
“她没有回应吧？”
“是的。”
“但是她现在已经死了，对吧？她还能去哪儿呢？”
松鸦爪听到叶池的爪子落地声顿时停了下来。她此刻的内心很矛盾：既期待又焦急。松鸦爪发觉，她此时的情感就像天上落下的雨丝，绵绵密密。她开口问松鸦爪：“你看到星族时，是怎样的感受？害怕吗？”
“害怕一群死了的猫？你在开玩笑吗？”
“它们可是你的武士祖灵啊，”她提醒道，“它们的所见所闻，比你想象的要多得多。”
“它们看到的东西当然比我多——我是瞎子，你不知道吗？”
“松鸦爪，你在自己的梦里可不是瞎子。你告诉我，除了这次的月亮池之旅，还有什么事情是在你梦里发生的，后来却成真了？”
松鸦爪无奈地耸耸肩，说：“没有啊，梦就是梦而已。不是吗？”
“不是所有猫的梦都是虚幻的。”
“有时候我会梦见自己非常小的时候，在雪地里穿行。”他坦白道，“那是真的吗？这不是关于大迁徙的，对吧？”
叶池的心里忽然紧张起来。“不是。大迁徙是你出生很久以前发生的事。不过，你……你非常小的时候，你妈妈的确带你穿过雪地，经历了一场漫长的旅程。你是在石头山谷外面出生的，她一直等到你身体足够强壮后，才带你回来的。”
松鸦爪察觉到，叶池正直视着他，脑海中有东西在翻滚，就好像一条鱼太过巨大而无法捞出水面。“那又怎么样？”他问道。
“我想，你命中注定会成为一位巫医。”她说。
“别开玩笑了！”松鸦爪立刻反驳道，“我要成为一位武士。”
“可是你已经进入了我的梦。”叶池说。
松鸦爪的尾巴顿时愤怒地直竖起来：“你认为我愿意成天闷在营地里，照顾那些幼崽和长老吗？”
叶池身上的毛奓了起来：“做一位巫医，远比你想象的重要得多！”
“如果真是这样，”松鸦爪斩钉截铁地说，“那么就让它成为其他猫命中注定的事吧！我就是要走出营地，到森林中去，为我的族群狩猎、战斗。你跟亮心一模一样，总因为我是瞎子，就把我区别对待！”
“我之所以把你区别对待，是因为你能在我的梦里见到星族！我所认识的巫医，没有谁有如此强大的幻象力量。”
然而此时松鸦爪已经听不进她的任何话了。他气鼓鼓地向前走着，头也不回地喊道：“我才不在乎什么愚蠢的梦，我就是要当一位武士。还有，你忘了吗？你已经有冬青爪做学徒了！一位巫医是不能同时带两位学徒的！”
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 20
Were any more of the medicine cats dreaming ordinary dreams? Jaypaw let his vision flit back to StarClan’s hunting grounds. He wanted to see the other cats, find out which ones truly shared with StarClan. Sunlight flickered once again through the trembling canopy of leaves and warmed his pelt.
He was back.
“Spottedleaf was right.” A rasping purr sounded from the long grass beside him. The grass quivered as a disheveled she-cat padded out. Her long, pale fur was matted in places, and her paw steps were heavy. Jaypaw recognized her broad, flat face at once. It was the face that had stared directly at him from the ranks of StarClan when he had first seen them at the hollow.
“What did Spottedleaf say?” he asked.
“She warned me not to leave you to your own devices too long.”
“I wasn’t doing anything,” he mewed defensively.
“I’ve lived long enough to learn the look of mischief on a kit’s face,” she grunted.
“I’m not a kit!” Jaypaw retorted.
“At my age, you all appear like kits.” The old cat’s mew croaked with amusement.
“Who are you?” he meowed.
“Yellowfang. I was ThunderClan’s medicine cat before Cinderpelt. You’ve heard of Cinderpelt, I assume?”
“Of course,” Jaypaw mewed, lifting his chin. “Leafpool keeps looking for her among StarClan, but she can’t find her.” He narrowed his eyes. “Have you seen her?”
“Yes, I’ve seenher,” Yellowfang answered. “But I didn’t come here to talk about Cinderpelt.” She cleared her throat. “You’re trying to walk in other cats’ dreams, aren’t you?”
“So what if I am?”
“You should be careful,” she warned. “A cat with big ears sometimes hears more than he should.”
“And who decides what I should and should not hear?” Jaypaw countered.
“You do.” Yellowfang’s gaze burned into his. “But you are young, and curiosity can be dangerous. Be careful where you tread.”
Jaypaw bristled. Why was this old fleabag telling him what to do? “Leafpool knows I can walk in other cats’ dreams,” he snapped. “She told me it was a special gift.”
“It is,” Yellowfang agreed.
“Then why shouldn’t I use it?”
“You have claws?” Yellowfang’s eyes glinted as she asked him the question.
“Of course!”
“Then why don’t you silence me by shredding me with them?”
What a stupid question.“You’re a member of StarClan!” he retorted. “I wouldn’t attack you.”
“Why not?”
“It would be wrong!” What did she think he was? A weasel? “You’re my ancestor and my elder—”
“And I’m three times your size.” Amusement rumbled once more in Yellowfang’s mew.
Jaypaw stared at her. What was she trying to say?
“There are many reasons why we don’t use every power we have. Sometimes the warrior code guides us, sometimes instinct, sometimes common sense.” She leaned closer toward Jaypaw, and he tried not to shrink away from her stale breath. “You have a remarkable gift, Jaypaw, but you must think before you use it.”
Was she calling him stupid? Jaypaw lashed his tail mutinously
Yellowfang narrowed her eyes and sighed. “Kits!” she muttered. “I’m wasting my breath.” She turned, ready to leave.
“Wait!” Jaypaw wasn’t going to lose a chance to speak with StarClan. He wanted to solve the puzzle of Mothwing. “Do you often share things with the medicine cats?”
Yellowfang glanced back at him, her eyes glittering with suspicion. “Sometimes. Why?”
“Have you spoken with Mothwing?”
Yellowfang’s ears twitched. “You want me to waste more words on answers you won’t understand?”
“I just want to know if you’ve spoken to her.”
“You are driven only by curiosity,” Yellowfang hissed. “That is not a good enough reason.”
Jaypaw plucked at the ground with annoyance. “Why won’t you tell me?”
“Because,” Yellowfang growled, “if the answers are there, you will find them anyway.”
Before he could say anything else, the old cat stalked away into the grass. It quivered, then fell still, and her scent disappeared like mist in the wind.
Jaypaw itched with crossness. There was so much he wanted to know; why couldn’t StarClan just be open with him? Well, he decided, if the answers are there to be discovered, I’ll discover them!
He padded through the trees, trying to draw the scent of another medicine cat to him. A WindClan odor, earthy as moorland air, hit him.
Barkface.
Eagerly, Jaypaw followed his scent. He ducked low and crept through a clump of ferns, weaving carefully between the stems so as not to set them rustling. Peeking out the other side, he spied Barkface. The medicine cat’s eyes were shadowed with worry. Another tom stood with him—WindClan by his scent, his pelt black and white.
“How many dogs will come, Tallstar?” Barkface asked fearfully.
“I don’t know,” Tallstar replied.
“When will they reach us?”
“The Twolegs will bring them when they bring the sheep to eat the newleaf grass,” Tallstar told him. “You must be ready.”
“I will warn Onestar.”
As Jaypaw watched Barkface dip his head to the Clan leader, he felt soft fur brush his pelt. Startled, he jerked his head around.
Spottedleaf was beside him. “This is not your dream,” she mewed sharply.
Jaypaw bristled. Everywhere he went, there were cats telling him what to do! “I’m only watching,” he objected.
“You were not given this gift so you could spy on other Clans,” Spottedleaf scolded.
“Then tell me why I was given this gift at all,” Jaypaw demanded.
Before Spottedleaf could answer, another voice called his name.
“Jaypaw?”
He felt a muzzle nudging his shoulder.
“It’s time to wake up.” Leafpool’s warm breath ruffled his fur.
He opened his eyes to darkness. The forest was gone and the Moonpool lapped at his paws. He could hear the other cats stirring. Littlecloud and Barkface were padding around the Moonpool, while Leafpool stood quietly at his side.
“Did you dream?” he asked her.
“Yes.”
Jaypaw’s whiskers twitched with curiosity. Shadows were clouding Leafpool’s thoughts. “What did you dream about?”
“A medicine cat does not discuss what StarClan shares with her unless there is good reason to,” she told him.
Did that mean he couldn’t tell her about Onestar’s warning to Barkface? Then he’d tell Firestar as soon as he reached camp. It was his duty. His tail trembled with anticipation. Firestar would be impressed.
Mothwing was yawning on the other side of the Moonpool, as though she had enjoyed her sleep. Jaypaw leaned forward, focusing on her thoughts, but he could perceive only a careful blankness in her mind.
Willowpaw’s excitement suddenly flitted across the Moonpool, breaking his concentration like a warm breeze disturbing fallen leaves. I bet she’s dying to pass on Mudfur’s message.He felt her curious stare graze his pelt, and wondered if she had noticed him eavesdropping in her dream. He turned away from her quickly.
“Come on, Willowpaw!” Mothwing called. “It’s too cold to hang around.”
“We should get home,” Leafpool meowed.
“Have you got something important to tell Firestar?” Mothwing asked.
“I want to be back in camp before the dawn patrol leaves,” she replied. “Or they’ll waste time searching for us before they check the borders.” She turned and followed Barkface and Littlecloud to the top of the ridge. Jaypaw padded after her. At the top he glanced backward, finding only stillness and silence.
“You go first,” Mothwing meowed. She waited for him to scramble down after the others and caught up with him as he followed them down the narrow valley.
“How’s your training going?” she asked.
“Okay, I suppose,” Jaypaw replied. He thought for a moment. “The best bit is sharing with StarClan.” He held his breath, waiting to see how she would react.
“Of course,” came the unsatisfying reply. “Any tough cases?” Jaypaw noticed she changed the subject immediately.
He thought of Stormfur. “One warrior has a scratch that won’t heal.”
“What are you treating it with?”
“Honey-and-horsetail poultices,” he replied. “But he rubs them off as quickly as I put them on. His nest is sticky with honey, and there’s a trail of it over half the camp.”
“Have you tried covering the scratch with catchweed after you’ve put on the poultice?”
Jaypaw recalled the feel of the fuzzy green balls on long, clinging stems. The tiny catchweed burrs would stick to Stormfur’s thick pelt without hurting and stop the poultice from being rubbed. “Thanks,” he mewed. “I’ll try it.”
“It helps to share ideas,” Mothwing commented.
“Does StarClan give you good advice, too?” he asked innocently, but Mothwing appeared not to hear. She was already hurrying to catch up with Willowpaw.
Jaypaw’s mind buzzed with curiosity as they trekked to the WindClan border. Mothwing kept a few paw steps ahead of him, until the cats paused at their meeting place.
“Good-bye,” Littlecloud meowed as he turned toward the lake
“See you at the Gathering,” Mothwing added, dipping her head to Leafpool.
“Travel carefully,” Leafpool called as Littlecloud, Mothwing, and Willowpaw headed lakeward together. “I’ll remember to leave those herbs for you, Littlecloud.”
“Thanks, Leafpool,” the ShadowClan cat called over his shoulder.
Barkface crossed the border into his own territory. “Take care,” he meowed.
And you. Jaypaw heard the heather rattle as the WindClan cat hurried home.
Left alone with Leafpool, Jaypaw was aware that the air had grown colder. He fluffed out his pelt. Frost was forming, stiffening the grass beneath his paws. Dawn must be coming.
He padded beside Leafpool into the forest. “Do you ever know what other cats dream about?” he asked, trying to sound as if he weren’t really bothered.
“I told you,” she answered, “we don’t discuss it.”
“But all medicine cats have dreams, don’t they?” he pressed. Did she know about Mothwing?
“Each medicine cat’s relationship with StarClan is different.” Leafpool spoke carefully, like a cat picking its way through a briar patch.
“But sharing tongues with StarClan is the most important part of being a medicine cat, isn’t it? Any cat could learn to heal his Clanmates, but a true medicine cat has to be able to pass on messages from StarClan.”
“There is more to being a good medicine cat than interpreting signs,” Leafpool told him firmly. “Come on.” She broke into a run. “The dawn patrol will be heading off soon.” She ran the rest of the way through the forest, checking to make sure Jaypaw was keeping up, but moving fast enough to keep him too busy to talk.
She knows more than she’s telling me, he thought as he followed her scent through the undergrowth
They arrived at the camp just as the dawn patrol was preparing to leave. Brambleclaw was pacing restlessly. Ashfur kneaded the ground, and Brackenfur sat washing his paws, his eagerness to be off showing in every urgent lick. Brambleclaw halted as Leafpool and Jaypaw padded through the thorn barrier; Jaypaw sensed his father’s relief at their safe return. “All well?” he called to Leafpool.
“Everything’s fine,” she replied as she padded away to her den.
Now was Jaypaw’s chance to share what he’d learned. He scrambled up the tumble of rocks to Highledge. “Firestar!” he called, rushing into the leader’s den.
Firestar twitched in surprise. “Jaypaw?” he meowed.
Sandstorm woke up on the other side of the cave. “What is it?”
“I had a dream about StarClan,” Jaypaw began. “WindClan is going be attacked by dogs.” He sensed Firestar’s tail bristling and went on. “This would be a great chance to take some of WindClan’s territory! They’ll be distracted at the other end of the ridge, and there won’t be any patrols around to stop us. We can take the strip of trees, the stream. . . . We could become stronger than the other Clans. ShadowClan would never dare invade us again.”
“Did StarClan tell you this?”
Why did Firestar sound so wary?
Jaypaw nodded eagerly. “About the dog attack, yes.”
Sandstorm fixed Jaypaw with her steady green gaze. “Are you sure that this is what StarClan meant? That we should use the dog attack against our neighboring Clans?”
“Why else would they let me hear Tallstar’s warning?”
Then Firestar spoke. “We will not take advantage of WindClan’s troubles,” he meowed.
“But surely StarClan let me share this so we couldtake advantage of it!” Jaypaw argued.
“Are you sure they didn’t just want to warn us that dogs were loose nearby?”
Jaypaw’s tail twitched with indignation. “You weren’t there!” he snapped. “How do you know what StarClan meant?”
He marched out of the den and bounded down the rocks back to the medicine den. Why don’t they believe me?he thought furiously. I’m the one who shared with StarClan!What’s the point of being a medicine cat if they don’t listen to me?
第十四章
第十四章
“请所有能独自狩猎的猫，到高石台下集合！”
狮爪猛地抬起头。火星的召唤声把他从温暖的窝中叫醒了。天刚蒙蒙亮，他能感觉到，莓爪正在自己身边扭来扭去。
松鸦爪已经在窝里伸着懒腰，卷起尾巴，尾巴尖儿在脊背上滑来滑去。“这么早火星叫我们干什么啊？”他打了个哈欠说。
“要开族群大会了！”狮爪跳起来说。他在族猫的身体之间挤来挤去，想第一个冲出巢穴。
“别推我。”莓爪抱怨道。
“最快的猫儿有老鼠吃。”狮爪兴奋地念叨着。
巢穴外面冰冷的空气吸到口鼻里，像桦木条抽打在身上一样生疼。营地边缘的灌木丛上，点点霜花闪着微光，冰冻的地面让狮爪的脚垫隐隐作痛。他深吸一口气，迈着小步来到空地上。雷族的猫们已经聚集起来，相互依偎着取暖。
火星坐在高石台上，黑莓掌和灰条坐在他的旁边。黑莓掌的皮毛闪闪发亮，皮毛下紧绷的肌肉隐隐可见。灰条那刚梳理过的皮毛非常柔顺，之前的打结和分叉都不见了，不过色泽依然黯淡，皮毛下的几根肋骨仍旧清晰可见。
“火星应该已经确定让谁当副族长了。”冬青爪从巫医巢穴快速赶来，坐在狮爪身旁，冷得发抖。
松鸦爪也走了过来，坐在冬青爪身边。
“灰条和黑莓掌跟火星在高石台上坐着呢。”冬青爪告诉他。
“我知道。”松鸦爪的声音听起来很疲倦。狮爪不明白，为什么他都好几天没去过外面了，怎么看上去还是如此疲倦。
在寒冷的清晨，火星的皮毛如同火焰一样闪着光芒。他注视着雷族的每位成员。米莉坐在香薇云身旁，一双好奇的眼睛睁得大大的。栗尾、白翅和云尾在她前方坐着，蕨毛和刺掌坐在她的后面。这只浅灰色皮毛的宠物猫再也不会因为一群武士围在身边而害怕了，她的目光平静地注视着上方的火星。
“我知道你们一直都想知道，在前任副族长回归后，我们的族群会发生什么变化。”族长开始说话了。
灰条把毛茸茸的尾巴紧紧地绕在前爪上，黑莓掌的一只耳朵抽动了几下。
“当初离开森林的时候，我想自己再也见不到灰条了，”火星坦承道，“在无数个夜晚里，我都仰望着天上的银毛星带，努力想象着他和我们的武士祖灵在一起的样子。”
狮爪看了看冬青爪，想着如果自己失去了她，自己心里会是什么感受。结果他感觉自己心如刀割。
雷族族长接着说：“灰条曾是我的副族长和挚友。我和他一起训练、作战。我对他的信任，胜过其他任何一只猫。他的归来，让我觉得自己好像又多了一条命。”
“他要宣布灰条继续做副族长啦！”冬青爪悄悄说。
“等着瞧。”松鸦爪警告道。
狮爪瞥了自己弟弟一眼。为什么他的话听起来那么肯定呢？
“不过我还想说，在雷族经历的众多重大挑战中，一直都是黑莓掌帮我领导全族，渡过难关。他对雷族的忠诚从未动摇过。我们雷族现在唯一需要的东西，就是更多的变化。”他停了一会儿，看着两位武士，说道，“所以我决定，由黑莓掌继续担任雷族副族长。”
“可是……”蕨毛不禁脱口而出。栗尾也随后附和他，惊讶的话语声在整个族群回响着。狮爪在灰条脸上看到一些哀伤的神情，可他却看不懂这位灰色皮毛武士脸上的表情。
松鼠飞兴奋地抬高了声调：“黑莓掌！”
“黑莓掌！黑莓掌！”蜡毛赶忙应声附和着。
松鼠飞扭过头去，直视着他。
为什么她看起来那么惊讶呢？狮爪有些不明白。
尘毛和刺掌也开始呼喊着黑莓掌的名字。灰条站了起来，也一起高喊着。黑莓掌向雷族的前任副族长低下头以表敬意。
“你看，我早就说过了吧！”松鸦爪低声说。
狮爪疑惑地盯着自己的弟弟：“你是怎么知道的呢？”
松鸦爪耸耸肩，说道：“因为这是最明智的选择啊。”
“你觉得灰条会介意吗？”冬青爪轻轻地问。
“他介不介意有什么用？”松鸦爪问道。
“他必须清楚，从那时到现在，雷族已经发生了很大的变化。”狮爪回答。
“但当他彻底恢复过来之后呢？”冬青爪又问道，“如果仅仅做一位武士，他还会这么高兴吗？”
“我想火星已经做出正确的决定了。”
这个声音吓了狮爪一跳，他抬起头，看到蜡毛正朝他们走来。
“你们的父亲仍然是副族长，你们一定很高兴吧？”这位武士问。
“黑莓掌应该继续任职的，”狮爪坚定地告诉他，“灰条对雷族的领地已经不是很了解了。如果他当上了副族长，就会像一只出现在影族育婴室里的风族幼崽一样茫然无措。”
“没错。”蜡毛点点头说。
“灰条还要一个月的时间才能痊愈呢，”松鸦爪插话道，“他的身上还有一股鸦食的味道。”
“他不久就会强壮起来的。”冬青爪争辩道。
“‘不久’还是有些久，”狮爪说，“雷族现在就需要一位强壮的副族长。秃叶季显然还没结束，影族猫是不会让我们安生的。灰条完全康复的那一天，我们实在等不起。”
“可他是先当的副族长啊！”冬青爪不满地说，“难道大家都忘了吗？当雾脚被两脚兽抓走后，鹰霜接替了她的位置，但雾脚回来后鹰霜就让出了副族长之位。因为根据武士守则的规定，雾脚并未被解除过副族长职位！”
“你妹妹的话是有道理的。”蜡毛说。
“我知道。不过……”狮爪对冬青爪气势汹汹的态度感到十分惊讶，“火星要考虑当前的实际情况啊。”
“如果我们已经开始无视武士守则，那就不必再当武士了！”冬青爪大声说着，脊背上的毛竖了起来，眼里闪着焦虑的光。
“要是星族告诉火星，让他选择黑莓掌呢？”松鸦爪轻轻地问道。
黑莓掌此时正向他们走过来，莓爪跟在他的身后。“我们要去狩猎了。”黑莓掌说道。
“我们能跟你一起去吗？”蜡毛问道。
“当然可以啦。亮心和松鸦爪也会去的，要是你们不介意去太多猫挤在一起的话……”
“当然不介意了。”蜡毛眯起眼睛，“我只是想，如果狮爪和莓爪来一场小比赛的话，应该会很有趣。”
黑莓掌的眼睛顿时一亮，说道：“好主意！”
莓爪兴奋地抓挠着地面：“哎呀，太好啦！”
“太棒啦！”狮爪叫道。
“好的，”黑莓掌说，“两位学徒谁先抓到三只猎物，谁就可以在今晚率先从猎物堆中挑选猎物。”
狮爪瞥了一眼莓爪。莓爪的体格比他大，而且更有经验。如果狮爪想要获胜，就必须多动脑子，而不是依靠速度。
亮心和松鸦爪也走过来加入他们。
“为什么我们要跟他们一起去啊？”松鸦爪抱怨道，“我完全可以自己去狩猎呀。”
亮心的眼中闪过一丝怜悯，狮爪也露出尴尬神情。松鸦爪看了一眼自己的老师，好像知道她此刻在想什么。
“我们马上就出发了。”黑莓掌说，“我得先叫尘毛和桦落去影族的边界附近巡逻。我会在入口处跟你们会合。”走之前，这位雷族副族长看了看冬青爪，问道，“你该去帮叶池做事了吧？”
“哦，是的。”冬青爪有点儿心慌地回应着。她转过身溜走了，黑色的尾巴尖儿在雪白色的地面上拖着。
“你认为你能打败我，是吗？”莓爪在狮爪的耳边说道。
“我第一次外出狩猎，就抓到了一只田鼠。”狮爪提醒他。
“很好，”莓爪说，“我可不想赢得太容易，那样就太没意思了。”
“如果你能赢，那可真是撞大运了！”狮爪大声说。
“你这个小家伙，怎么可能在一个上午抓到三只猎物呢？”
狮爪想，今天可决不能让这个家伙如此嚣张了。于是他俯下身子，摆出了攻击的姿势，还不时地扭动着后肢。“你再说一遍！”他叫嚣着。
“你还不如老鼠大呢！”莓爪嘲笑道。
狮爪突然猛地扑向这只年轻的公猫，接着这两位学徒抱在一起，朝荆棘屏障滚去。莓爪的体重让狮爪吃了一惊，他使尽全身力气，想把莓爪推到一边，可没想到莓爪反倒把他举了起来，要扔到满是尖刺的荆棘上去。狮爪马上想到一个对策，他放松下来，身子变得又软又滑，这样一来，莓爪就很难再抓紧他了，于是狮爪就从莓爪的爪子中滑脱了出去。接着他闪电般地跳到莓爪后背上，用牙齿死死咬住他后颈上的皮毛。莓爪想把他从自己身上甩下来，不过这时狮爪发现，自己就算不用爪子，也有足够的力量把莓爪宽阔的肩膀牢牢钳制住。
“狮爪！”
他抬起头，看到自己的妹妹跑了回来。就在这时，莓爪把他从身上甩了下来，结结实实地按倒在地。
“今天，你就是我的第一只猎物。”莓爪的话语里充满胜利的喜悦。
“都赖冬青爪，她让我分心了！”狮爪抱怨道。
“一位优秀的武士是绝对不会走神儿的。”蜡毛说。这位淡灰色皮毛的武士停下脚步，看着两位学徒。
狮爪爬了起来，十分尴尬。
冬青爪在他们旁边来回转着圈儿。“叶池让我去采些艾菊，预防寒冷天气里可能爆发的白咳症，”她喘着粗气，兴奋地说道，“她说旧雷鬼路旁边有一丛艾菊，而且还问我能不能跟着你们的巡逻队一起采些回来。”她望了望四周，又问道，“黑莓掌去哪儿了？”
“他正在给尘毛下命令呢。”蜡毛回答道。
话音未落，黑莓掌就从半边石上跳了下来，后面跟着灰条。
“不介意我加入你们吧？”这位灰色皮毛的武士问蜡毛，“我想熟悉一下雷族的领地，看看那里的猎物情况怎么样。”
“没问题啊。”蜡毛同意了，又向冬青爪点头示意，说道，“而且还有另一位学徒要加入我们。”
自从上次跟踪狐狸幼崽的事件过后，狮爪还从没跟冬青爪和松鸦爪一起出去过。他们马上就组成了那支再熟悉不过的团队：冬青爪走在最前面，狮爪的皮毛紧贴着松鸦爪的皮毛，帮着他在林中穿行。
他们仨沿着旧雷鬼路，朝森林深处进发，他们最熟悉这条路线了。狮爪曾来过这里，上次蜡毛已经带他在领地里转了转。不过他还从没沿着这条路，走到已废弃的两脚兽巢穴。
在小路的另一边，冬青爪正扫视着两处低矮的灌木丛。
“这个有点像蓍草，”松鸦爪悄悄地对她说，“不过跟老鼠胆汁比起来，它的味道更像普通的草。”
“我知道！”冬青爪大声说着。
松鸦爪似乎在帮助她，为什么呢？狮爪有点儿想不透。冬青爪才是巫医学徒，松鸦爪不是啊。
她用尾巴尖指着一丛茎秆又长又细，长着锯齿状叶片的植物说：“就是它了，对吧？”
“你已经找到了吗？”黑莓掌在小路中间停下来，问道。
众猫都停下来等着。冬青爪尝了一片叶子，若有所思地眯起眼睛，然后把叶子咽了下去。
“味道一点儿也不苦，”她汇报道，“这就是艾菊了。”
“你最好采一些，然后带回营地去。”黑莓掌说。
冬青爪的眼里满是失望：“可叶池并不急着用它啊。”
“让她自己回营地，有点儿不安全！”狮爪说，他猜想自己的妹妹是想在外面多待一会儿，“这附近可能有狐狸的幼崽出没。”
“别忘了我们还有比赛呢，”蜡毛说，“我可不想浪费太多时间护送她回去。”
“如果你确定叶池现在不急着用这些……”黑莓掌连忙问冬青爪。
冬青爪的眼睛亮了起来，说道：“这些草药只是用来储存的。”
“那我们回去的时候，在路上采一些就行了。”黑莓掌说。接着，他就朝阴影密布的森林深处走去了。
狮爪站在老雷鬼路上，等松鸦爪、亮心和其他猫消失在森林深处，才追了上去。即使在秃叶季，那低矮的灌木丛也非常茂密。不过落光了叶子之后，这些植物看起来就像散落在地面的一大片又长又瘦的骨架子。
巡逻队在冰冻的地面上安静地行进，狮爪呼出的空气凝结成了一团团水雾。灰条转过身说：“这里没有狐狸的气息，也没有什么供猎物躲避的地方。看起来似乎是狩猎的绝佳地点。”
蜡毛看了看莓爪和狮爪：“你们俩谁想第一个去啊？”
“那边有只老鼠。”松鸦爪漫不经心地说道。狮爪开始怀疑，弟弟是不是因为被排除在竞赛之外而心里不满。不过松鸦爪此时却高高扬起下巴，用尾巴指了指几只狐狸身长之外一棵橡树的根部。蜡毛惊讶地伸头看着。
“它在那边冰冻的叶子下面挖了个洞。”松鸦爪告诉他们。
狮爪竖起耳朵。他听到有小爪子拨弄冻土的微弱声音，空气中还有从土中新翻出来的叶子发出的霉味儿。
“狮爪，”黑莓掌轻轻地说，“你去试试吧。”
狮爪向着声音传来的方向，蹑手蹑脚地走了过去。每迈一步，他都让爪垫缓缓地踏在坚实的地面上，这样一来，他的脚步就没声音了。他离那里仅有咫尺之遥的时候，摆出了狩猎的蹲伏姿势，那声音依然响个不停。狮爪把鼻子伸过去，尾巴平放在地面上。他能闻到一股老鼠的气息，透过叶丛，他看到有东西在慢慢移动。
“黑莓掌！”
老鼠突然从叶子里蹿了出来，消失在树丛中。狮爪气坏了，他转过身，想看看到底是谁把他即将到手的猎物吓跑了。
桦落忽然从低矮的灌木丛里出现了，他跑到黑莓掌身边，停下来说道：“影族移动了边界线！他们在我们的领地里做了新的气味标记！”
“在哪里？”黑莓掌问道。
“我带你去看。”桦落毫不停留地又钻进森林里。
“尘毛呢？”黑莓掌连忙问道。
“他回营地去通知火星了。”桦落回答道。
黑莓掌转身对亮心说：“你最好跟我们一起去。这里很可能还有狐狸的幼崽出没，把你留在这里，我不放心。”
亮心眯起了眼睛说：“那松鸦爪怎么办呢？他在这里没问题吗？”
“不要让他离开你的视线，你们要尽可能离我们近一些，”黑莓掌一边命令，一边瞥了一眼蜡毛说，“你不要离他们太远。”然后他向灰条点头示意道，“跟我走吧。”
黑莓掌跟在桦落后面，灰条紧随其后。狮爪也紧跟在他们后面，完全忘记了刚才那只老鼠的事，冬青爪在他身边跑着。狮爪听到了身后蜡毛、亮心和松鸦爪的脚步声。他回头看了一眼，看到弟弟敏捷地绕开了一棵棵树，跟视力正常的猫一样。他一定受了星族的指引吧！狮爪越想越觉得不可思议。他转过头望着前方，奔跑起来，身上的皮毛随风舞动。影族真的敢移动边界线吗？
桦落带领大家走过旧雷鬼路，穿过林子，爬上通往影族边界的高坡，快到山顶时停下了脚步。“就在那里！”他一边喘着气，一边用尾巴指了指远处山脊上的那行白桦树。
狮爪闻了闻旁边的一棵树干，皱了皱鼻子。没错，影族猫已经在雷族领地里的树上做了他们的气味标记。
“这里不是最初的边界线吗？”灰条问道。
“不是！”黑莓掌低声说，“最初的边界线在那里。”他用鼻子指了指远处的坡顶。那里没有树木，只有一片草地。
“难道他们认为我们不会注意到他们的行动？”冬青爪大声说。
这时蜡毛从他们身后的蕨丛中冲了出来，后面跟着亮心和松鸦爪。
松鸦爪脖子上的毛竖着，大声警告他们：“附近有影族的武士！”
话音未落，他们就看到三位影族武士顺着山坡爬上了来，然后停下脚步，俯视着雷族巡逻队的成员。
“橡毛！”黑莓掌看到这支巡逻队的头领——一只个头不大的棕色公猫时，立即低声喊出了他的名字。狮爪认出了自己在森林大会上见过的另两只猫——枭爪和他的老师烟足。
“竟然是一只小瞎猫首先注意到我们，雷族副族长居然比小瞎猫还迟钝，”橡毛讥笑道，“多丢脸呀！”
“难道雷族没武士了吗？非要训练最没用的幼崽当武士？”烟足咆哮道。
松鸦爪突然冲上前去，朝他们俩吐起口水来。亮心用牙齿衔住他的尾巴，向后拽着。
“快看，被独眼武士拉住的一只小瞎猫！”橡毛继续嘲笑着，“看来雷族已经不复往日辉煌了啊。这里到处都是宠物猫、残疾猫，还有一位没用的副族长。”他一边说，一边死死地盯着灰条。
“你们擅自移动了边界线！”黑莓掌大声吼道。
“我们只是占了本该属于我们的领地而已，我们还要占更多的领地！”烟足告诉他。
“雷族不再是真正意义上的族群猫了——现在差不多变成了宠物猫的营地。”橡毛插话道，“我确信，星族说过，只有真正的武士才有权利在族群猫的领地上狩猎。”
“雷族就是一个由真正的武士组成的族群！”黑莓掌大吼道。他贴紧耳朵，越过影族猫新划出来的边界线，在离橡毛还有一条尾巴长的地方停了下来。“如果你们要侵占我们的领地，那么每一寸都要靠鲜血来换。”
狮爪的毛竖了起来。这可是自己第一次真正意义上的战斗啊！他把爪子深深地扎进泥土中，想象这泥土就是某只影族猫的皮毛。
“你确定我们赢不了吗？”橡毛的眼睛露出得意的神色，这时，许多影族武士出现在山坡上，排成一列，像树枝上栖息的椋鸟一样整齐。狮爪的心脏怦怦地跳个不停。影族的所有武士似乎都来了，他们肌肉紧绷，爪子划着坚硬的地面，冒出点点寒光。
此时狮爪感到，不知谁的皮毛蹭着自己的腹部。他低头一看，原来是冬青爪和松鸦爪都来到自己身旁了。
“我们会并肩作战的。”冬青爪郑重说道。
猛然间，狮爪脑海中浮现出一幅画面——三只半大的小学徒，其中一只还看不见，要与整个影族的武士战斗，想想就很可怕！
星族，快帮帮我们啊！
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 21
“Dog attack! Dog attack!”
Whitewing’s yowl jerked Lionpaw from his nest. Instantly awake, he scrambled to the entrance of the den. Berrypaw and Mousepaw had already shot outside. Hollypaw pressed behind him—her tail was bushed out, her ears flattened—ready to defend her Clan.
“Can you see them?” she gasped.
“Are they near the nursery?” Hazelpaw called.
Lionpaw blinked against the rain. A steady drizzle drenched the camp, and the morning sky was gray with clouds. There was no sign of dogs.
Only cats filled the clearing, staring wildly around, their claws unsheathed. Spiderleg and Birchfall came streaking from the warriors’ den. Graystripe and Millie skidded after them as Whitewing paced urgently below Highledge.
“Where are they?” Ferncloud’s terrified mew sounded from the nursery. She crouched at the entrance, shielding Foxkit and Icekit, her eyes round with terror.
“It’s just like the badger attack!” wailed Daisy, cowering beside her.
Firestar leaped down from Highledge in one bound, Sandstorm on his heels. “Where are the dogs?”
Whitewing’s words came in gasps as she fought to get her breath back. “They’re not on ThunderClan territory,” she panted.
“Where are they, then?” Firestar demanded.
“On WindClan territory,” Whitewing reported. “I was patrolling with Thornclaw and Cloudtail near the border, and we heard dogs barking and cats shrieking from the moor.”
“Where are Thornclaw and Cloudtail now?”
“They went to investigate.”
“StarClan protect them!” Ferncloud whimpered.
Lionpaw’s heart was still pounding like a woodpecker on oak. “I hope Heatherpaw’s okay!”
Hazelpaw’s whiskers grazed his cheek. “Is Firestar going to send a patrol?”
“He must!” Hollypaw’s eyes were round. “WindClan could be wiped out.”
Leafpool rushed out of the medicine den. “Any injuries?”
Whitewing shook her head. “We didn’t see WindClan; w-we just heard them screeching, and the dogs . . .” Her ears twitched. “They were howling for blood.”
Jaypaw flashed a look of triumph at Firestar. “Do you believe me now?” he mewed, flicking his tail.
Lionpaw stared at his brother in surprise. Did he know this was going to happen?
Firestar glared at the blind apprentice. “This is not about you proving a point. Cats might dietoday!”
Lionpaw glanced questioningly at Hollypaw, but she looked as puzzled as he was.
“We must send a patrol to help WindClan,” Firestar decided.
Spiderleg blinked. “Have you forgotten the last time we fought dogs?”
“We lost warriors that day,” Sandstorm remembered grimly.
“It’s up to WindClan to look after themselves,” Jaypaw growled.
Firestar glanced at Brightheart. She had lost half her face when she’d confronted a pack of vicious dogs many moons ago. “What do you think?” he asked gently.
“We nearly lost everything when the dogs attacked us.” She held her head high, but Lionpaw could see she was trembling. “We can’t let the same thing happen to WindClan.”
“But if we go, we risk leading them here,” Dustpelt pointed out.
“They might find their way here anyway,” Firestar meowed.
Brambleclaw nodded. “WindClan territory is too close to our own to ignore this,” he agreed.
“Exactly.” Firestar gazed at each of his warriors. “You will be risking your lives to save WindClan, but you will also be defending ThunderClan from a deadly enemy.”
“We must help them!” Birchfall called.
Spiderleg paced in an agitated circle. “We have to drive the dogs away!”
Lionpaw clawed at the ground. I hope I get to go!
“Ashfur! Graystripe!” Brambleclaw called. “You’ve fought dogs before. I’ll need your experience. Birchfall and Spiderleg! You come too.”
Lionpaw lifted his muzzle. “What about me?”
Brambleclaw glanced at Ashfur. “Is he ready?”
Ashfur gave a quick nod.
“Okay,” Brambleclaw meowed. “Millie!” He swung his head toward the kittypet. “You know about dogs from when you lived in the Twolegplace, don’t you?”
Millie nodded. “They don’t scare me,” she meowed. “And I know how easy they are to trick.”
“Good.” Brambleclaw nodded. “Come with us, then.” He turned to his apprentice. “You too, Berrypaw.”
Berrypaw unsheathed his claws, his eyes shining.
“Shall I come too?” Whitewing meowed.
“Yes. We’ll need you to show us which way Thornclaw and Cloudtail went,” the deputy told her.
“What about me?” Hollypaw was staring hopefully up at her father.
He shook his head, and Lionpaw saw disappointment cloud his sister’s gaze. “I need you to stay here and help Brackenfur guard the camp,” Brambleclaw explained. “Someone will have to patrol the entrance and make sure no dogs get in if we can’t stop them at the border.”
Hollypaw flicked her tail. “Yes, Brambleclaw.”
The deputy glanced at Firestar. “Will Onestar accept our help?”
“I think so. Onestar’s proud, but he’s no fool,” Firestar meowed.
“Ashfur?” Ferncloud had left the nursery and was padding toward her brother. Lionpaw knew that their mother, Brindleface, had been killed by Tigerstar to give a different dog pack a taste for cats’ blood. Ferncloud would have only the worst memories of dogs. “Be careful.” The she-cat rubbed her cheek along Ashfur’s.
“Don’t forget I’ve outrun a dog pack before,” he meowed.
“You had me at your side then,” she reminded him.
“And now I have you and your kits to protect.” He licked her between the ears. “I won’t let you down.”
Brambleclaw was racing toward the entrance. Ashfur spun and pelted after him, falling in behind Graystripe and Millie. Birchfall and Spiderleg dashed after them, and Lionpaw followed, Berrypaw’s pelt brushing his as they raced side by side.
The patrol pounded out of the camp, picking up speed as it headed up the slope toward the WindClan border. Would they get there in time? What if the dogs were already at the border? Images of vicious fangs flashed in Lionpaw’s mind, making his tail tremble. He unsheathed his claws and pushed harder against the sodden earth.
His pelt was plastered against his skin by the time they reached the border. He scanned the moorland as the patrol streamed up into WindClan’s territory, but the wind drove the rain into his eyes.
A distant howl ripped the air.
A panicked meow shrieked from over the heather. “We have to lead them away from the camp!”
“This way!” Whitewing called, taking the lead. Lionpaw could smell Thornclaw’s scent on the heather as they charged up the moor.
Berrypaw pulled ahead of him, his drenched cream fur bristling into spines. Lionpaw lengthened his stride. The springy grass beneath his paws made it easy to speed along between the gorse thickets. Ahead he could see Brambleclaw’s powerful shoulders rise and fall as the warrior bounded through the dripping heather.
A shaggy-haired black-and-white shape streaked across the grass ahead. It sped swiftly over the rough moorland, yelping and snarling. Two cats fled only tail-lengths ahead of its snapping jaws. Lionpaw recognized the black pelt of Crowfeather and, with a jolt of panic, he saw Heatherpaw beside him, her brown pelt pale against the grass.
“They’re leading it away from the camp,” Brambleclaw realized. He skidded to a halt and the patrol pulled up beside him. Lionpaw dug his claws into the earth and slammed to a stop.
A second dog was pelting in the other direction, its shoulders pumping as it sped across the grass. Two more WindClan warriors—one black, one light brown—swerved out from the heather ahead of it. The dog spotted them and chased them down a rock-strewn slope. Its eyes flashed with triumph, and its yelps grew higher pitched as it began to catch up.
Suddenly Thornclaw and Dustpelt darted out from the rocks at the foot of the slope. They raced side by side up the hillside, past the two WindClan cats. Lionpaw stared in shock. They were heading straight for the dog!
The dog’s eyes gleamed as they drew nearer. Then they parted, like a stream breaking around a rock. The dog twisted and lunged toward Thornclaw. Lionpaw heard Whitewing gasp in terror as its jaws closed only an inch from Thornclaw’s flank. The ThunderClan warrior ducked into a narrow crack between the rocks and left the dog spinning in confusion as the WindClan cats and Cloudtail raced away from it.
“I told you dogs were dumb,” Millie growled. “They can think of only one thing at a time.”
“Then let’s give them as much to think about as we can!” Brambleclaw decided. He flicked his tail toward a long dip in the earth, lined with craggy boulders. “Ashfur, you and Lionpaw lead one of the dogs down there, and we’ll ambush it from above.”
Lionpaw’s heart twisted with fear and excitement.
“No.” Ashfur’s mew was firm. “It’ll be safer to face them on open land.”
Brambleclaw narrowed his eyes and stared at the gray warrior. His shoulders tensed, but Ashfur met his gaze unflinchingly.
“I won’t lead Lionpaw into a trap,” Ashfur insisted. “We need room to dodge out of the way. The dogs are bigger and faster, but we’re more agile.”
Lionpaw heard a low growl in Brambleclaw’s throat. Then the ThunderClan deputy nodded. “Okay. Take Birchfall and Lionpaw; catch up to Crowfeather and Heatherpaw. Together you may be able to put up a fight. I’ll take Spiderleg and Berrypaw and help Nightcloud and Owlwhisker.” Lionpaw guessed he was referring to the black and light brown cats he had seen near the rocks. “Graystripe, Millie! Look for more dogs. Find the camp and help any cat who needs it.”
Graystripe nodded and hared away across the grass with Millie
Lionpaw pelted after Ashfur as the warrior headed toward Crowfeather and Heatherpaw. The two WindClan cats were still keeping the dog away from the camp, their paws sending up clumps of moss as they skimmed over the wet grass. The dog pounded after them, but they swerved one way and then the other, sending it skidding off course long enough to pull ahead for a while.
They must be exhausted, Lionpaw thought, pushing himself on as fast as he could. He could not take his eyes off Heatherpaw. She raced bravely beside her mentor, her pelt slick with rain, following his movements step for step.
“Crowfeather!” Ashfur yowled to the WindClan warrior as he cut across their path.
Crowfeather stared in surprise.
“We’ve come to help!” Lionpaw called to Heatherpaw. She jerked her head to look at him and stumbled. A rabbit hole had caught her paw, and she crashed to the ground. Lionpaw gasped in horror as the dog swung toward her. Without thinking, he turned and raced for the dog. Crowfeather had already swerved to a halt and was heading back to help his apprentice. Birchfall sped after Lionpaw. Ashfur yowled a battle cry and joined the chase.
Heatherpaw struggled to her paws and began to run, but the dog was nearly on top of her. Screeching in fury, Lionpaw launched himself at the dog’s flank and gripped its coarse pelt. The dog yelped and spun, snapping at Lionpaw but unable to reach him. Lionpaw hauled his way onto the dog’s back and dug in his claws. The dog tried to shake him off, but Lionpaw would not let go. Crowfeather leaped at the dog’s face, raking its muzzle before swerving away from it. Ashfur darted underneath the dog’s paws, nipping its foreleg so viciously that blood spurted from the wound. Lionpaw felt the dog stumble beneath him and dug his claws in harder.
The dog, yowling in pain, tried to shake Lionpaw off again. Lionpaw held on, looking for Heatherpaw, desperate to see if she was safe. His heart plummeted when he saw her pale brown pelt flash toward the dog.
“What are you doing?” he screeched.
“Helping you!” she yowled back. She darted behind the dog and raked its hind legs with her claws. The dog yelped and fell. It rolled onto Lionpaw, and he shrieked in surprise. The wet, mossy earth cushioned him as the dog scrambled off him and turned. Its jaws dripped with blood and foam as it lunged toward him with a snarl. Lionpaw flipped onto his paws and darted out of the way. He heard jaws snap behind him and then another agonized yelp. He turned to see Ashfur rearing at the dog, slashing its muzzle with his forepaws. Crowfeather and Birchfall joined him while Heatherpaw dashed behind the dog and snapped at its hind legs. Lionpaw raced to help her, and together they slashed and nipped and clawed until the dog turned tail and fled.
Lionpaw began to give chase, but Ashfur called him back. “I think it’s had enough!”
Lionpaw skidded to a halt and watched as the massive dog howled away from its attackers. Where was the other dog? He glanced around and saw with a thrill that it was already racing away into the heather. It spattered the bushes with blood as it hurried to catch up to its companion.
Graystripe padded out from the gorse, his fur hanging out in clumps and one ear stained with blood, but his eyes shining. Millie emerged beside him, followed by Tornear and Harepaw.
“Where’s Brambleclaw?” Ashfur called.
“Here!” Brambleclaw’s deep mew sounded from the heather on the slope above them. He bounded out from the springy bushes, Spiderleg, Nightcloud, and Owlwhisker following.
“WindClan owes you a debt of thanks,” Crowfeather meowed formally.
Brambleclaw dipped his head. “May we accompany you back to the camp? I want to be sure that all’s well there.”
Crowfeather narrowed his eyes, then nodded. “Follow us,” he meowed, turning and heading away over the grass.
Lionpaw fell in beside Heatherpaw as they followed their mentors back to the WindClan camp. The rain was beginning to ease, but Lionpaw could still feel water running along his whiskers.
“Are you okay?” he whispered.
She glanced at him with her soft gaze. “I’m fine.”
Lionpaw’s pelt was stinging from being scratched by the gorse, and his body ached where the dog had fallen on him. He was thankful for the mossy earth that had softened the fall. But he was also proud of his scars. This time he had won them defending another Clan.
“You were very brave, leaping on the dog like that,” Heatherpaw mewed. She pointed ahead with her muzzle. “We’re here,” she told him.
Gorse and heather interlaced with pricking brambles formed a barrier around a dip in the earth. Lionpaw followed Heatherpaw as she wove her way through a complicated tunnel. Suddenly they emerged in a clearing open to the gray sky; around its edge, Lionpaw saw tunnels leading into the thick hedge, and he guessed that was where the dens were hidden.
As the patrol entered the camp, faces peered from the dens, and cats began to creep out into the open. A kit was squealing, its tiny cry filled with fear.
“Hush, Buzzardkit,” a queen soothed from somewhere deep inside the brambles.
Onestar slid out from a tunnel near to where the kit was still mewling.
“We chased them off,” Tornear reported.
“Good,” Onestar meowed.
“How are the kits?” Crowfeather asked.
“Frightened, but they’ll recover,” Onestar answered.
More WindClan cats began to emerge. Lionpaw recognized some from the Gathering. They stared warily at the ThunderClan cats
“Firestar sent a patrol to help,” Crowfeather told Onestar.
The WindClan leader let his gaze slide over the ThunderClan cats. “WindClan thanks you,” he meowed, dipping his head.
“We heard the dogs from the border,” Brambleclaw explained. “I hope you will forgive our crossing the markers, but we were not sure how many dogs threatened you.”
“Fortunately we knew they were coming, thanks to Barkface.” Onestar nodded to the brown medicine cat. “StarClan warned him, and we had a plan ready to draw them away from the camp.”
Lionpaw looked at Barkface in surprise. So Jaypaw had not been the only cat whom StarClan had warned about the dogs.
“Your plan was working,” Brambleclaw meowed.
“But we could never have chased off the dogs without you,” Heatherpaw put in. “The dogs were faster than I ever imagined.” She glanced sideways at Lionpaw. “Lionpaw saved me from one of them.”
Crowfeather instantly wove between the two apprentices, blocking their view. “That was brave, Lionpaw, but WindClan is perfectly capable of taking care of its own cats.”
Lionpaw felt anger flare inside him. No other cat had been near enough to the dog to reach it before it had harmed Heatherpaw. “But—”
Ashfur silenced him with a warning twitch of his tail, and Lionpaw looked down at his paws.
The brambles shivered as Breezepaw raced into the camp. “No damage to the barrier,” he called.
“Have you checked it all the way around?” Crowfeather asked
Breezepaw glared at his father. “Of course! That’s what Whitetail ordered me to do.”
Nightcloud stepped forward. “You should have more faith in our son, Crowfeather,” she chided.
“Whitetail’s my mentor, not you,” Breezepaw added.
“Is that the kittypet?” A brown kit had crept out of the tunnel behind Onestar.
She was staring at Millie with round eyes. The other Clan cats turned to look at Millie, their expressions mistrustful.
“I’m training to be a warrior now,” Millie told the little cat.
“But you can’t ever be a real w—”
A mottled tabby queen hurried out of the tunnel. “Sedgekit, come away,” she called. “You’ll get wet out here.”
Sedgekit glared at her mother and stomped back inside.
“We should go,” Brambleclaw meowed. He dipped his head to Onestar. “Those dogs won’t dare come near this part of your territory again.”
“If they do, we can manage them by ourselves,” Breezepaw muttered.
“Breezepaw!” Nightcloud snapped. “Heatherpaw might have been hurt without this brave apprentice.” She blinked gratefully at Lionpaw.
Lionpaw glanced away, conscious that Heatherpaw wouldn’t have stumbled if he hadn’t distracted her.
“Do you need some herbs for your wounds?” Heatherpaw asked him.
Lionpaw shook his head. “Leafpool will treat them when we get home.”
Brambleclaw turned and headed out of the camp. The rest of the patrol filed after him. As they followed the twisting tunnel back up to the moorland, Lionpaw thought about what Jaypaw had said to Firestar. He had known that the dogs would come too; had Firestar really refused to believe his brother’s warning? Surely he would believe him next time—Jaypaw had been right. But thoughts of his brother quickly slid away, to be replaced with the memory of heather-colored eyes and a soft voice asking if he needed herbs.
第十五章
第十五章
“快回营地，告诉火星派武士增援！”灰条低声在狮爪的耳边说，“马上就去！”
狮爪转身朝森林深处奔去。他真的不愿离开松鸦爪和冬青爪，不过没有增援，这场战斗必输无疑。
“拦住他！”
他听到黄毛一声呐喊，接着传来了爪子踩在草地上的沙沙声。
狮爪回头看到两位影族武士正朝他快步奔来。接着他又看到一只灰色皮毛的猫在眼前一闪而过。是灰条！他纵身扑向其中一只猫。这位影族武士发出一声凄厉的号叫，接着两个族群的战斗打响了，厮杀声响彻大地。
狮爪没有再回头，他强忍着内心的冲动，奋力向前猛跑起来，直到他觉得心脏要跳出来了，才放慢了速度。这时他又听到了一阵爪子落地的声音。不过多亏灰条解决了一位，现在还剩一位。狮爪闪身躲进了一片茂密的荆棘丛中，祈祷能利用自己矮小的个头摆脱这位影族武士。但是，正当他从荆棘丛的另一边溜出来回头张望时，却发现一只身形强健的公猫，正用恐怖的力量挤开荆棘丛，使尽全力向前追赶。
狮爪急忙跑下陡坡，穿过那片训练用的谷地，又越过森林，飞奔到营地入口。影族武士爪子落地的声音越发逼近了。这时，狮爪看到了前方的荆棘屏障。
“救命啊！”他哭喊道。
一只爪子扫过他的尾巴。哎呀，影族武士跟上来了！狮爪害怕极了，发疯似的向前跑着。
荆棘通道里面冒出一个火焰色的身影，飞一般地从狮爪身边掠过。
“我去对付他！”松鼠飞大叫着，冲向那位影族武士。
那只公猫顿时发出一声痛苦的尖叫。狮爪奔跑的速度放慢了一些，大口大口喘着粗气。他转身看见松鼠飞追赶着那位影族武士跑上了湖岸，一边追一边大喊着，就像所有星族的武士都在她身边一样。
狮爪冲进了营地：“影族入侵了！”
火星和尘毛正在空地上，看到狮爪跑进来，就立刻来到狮爪身边，说道：“尘毛告诉我，他们移动了边界线。”
“黑莓掌带着巡逻队去看个究竟，”狮爪一边喘气一边说，“没想到却落入了影族的埋伏圈。”
火星瞪圆了眼睛，急忙问道：“他们现在打起来了吗？”
狮爪点点头。一想到松鸦爪和冬青爪正和极富经验的影族武士战斗，他的爪子就不由一阵颤抖。
“沙风、蛛足、白翅、暴毛、溪儿！”火星呼喊着雷族武士的名字，这时他们已经在空地边缘集合完毕，不停地抽动着尾巴。“影族已越过了边界线，黑莓掌正在阻止他们。现在他们急需增援。”
“我带上鼠爪可以吗？”蛛足问道。
“如果他已经做好了迎战准备，当然可以。”火星回答。
这时，松鼠飞冲进了营地。“现在影族已经少了一位能上阵的武士了，”她宣布，“他今天是无法参加战斗了。”
“好样的。你留下来守卫营地。”火星对她说。
松鼠飞点点头：“是，火星。”
米莉从武士巢穴后面探出头，说道：“我跟你们一起去。”
狮爪惊讶地望着她。她只是宠物猫啊！
“好的，”火星同意了，“不过千万别逞强。”
此时，由于过度害怕、劳累，狮爪的身体依然不住地颤抖。火星看了看他，问道：“你可以参加战斗吗？”
狮爪点点头。
“好！”火星大声说，“你的弟弟和妹妹都需要你。”接着他冲出营地，武士们紧随其后。
狮爪跟在整支巡逻队的后面。影族竟然敢侵入我们的领地？为了把这些狐狸心肠的影族武士赶出雷族领地，他会不惜牺牲一切。想到这里，他的爪子不再颤抖了，全身心进入战斗状态。
“你要一直注意自己身后！”白翅来到他的身边，将自己的战斗经验传授给他，“影族喜欢背后偷袭。你虽然个头小，但速度快，力量强，而且比他们当中的一些猫都敏捷。你要将自己的优势充分地发挥出来。”
当他们离边界越来越近时，狮爪听到此起彼伏的吼声和尖叫声。
“走这里！”火星喊道。他们在森林中穿行着。不一会儿，狮爪透过树丛隐约地看到，前方闪现着牙齿和爪子的影子。
影族武士们已经把黑莓掌的巡逻队包围了，不过雷族众猫依然顽强抵抗着，向靠近他们的影族猫发起了猛烈攻势。
“上！”火星大喊一声，雷族的武士们四散开来，投入到激烈的战斗中。
“去那边！”蛛足对狮爪喊道，他用尾巴指了指战场边缘的位置，说道，“你先找到松鸦爪，尽最大可能保护他。”
狮爪冲上前去，在一片混乱中寻找着松鸦爪和冬青爪。他看到蜡毛、桦落正和亮心一起，跟四位影族武士战斗着。松鸦爪在他们身后蹲伏着，全身的毛都奓了起来。一旦有影族武士越过蜡毛他们的防线，他就猛扑上去攻击——他好像并不需要什么帮助。
狮爪搜寻着冬青爪那标志性的黑色皮毛，一颗心提到了嗓子眼儿。她会不会受伤了？这时，他看到冬青爪正在灰条身边作战，悬着的心终于放了下来。这位灰色皮毛的武士竖着耳朵，看到一位暗姜黄色皮毛的影族武士突然朝冬青爪扑过去，灰条发出一声恶狠狠的怒吼，飞奔上去，伸出爪子使劲抓向对方的腹部。
是黄毛！狮爪认出了，她是影族的副族长。
藏在灰条身子下面的冬青爪突然蹿了出来，使劲咬住黄毛的后腿，疼得她来回蹦跶，胡乱挥舞着爪子向冬青爪扑过来。这时狮爪赶来保护妹妹。他猛扑向黄毛，利爪扫过黄毛的鼻子。影族副族长顿时疼得号叫不止，深红色的鲜血从眼睛下面汩汩地流出来。
“干得漂亮！”灰条喊道。
他话音未落，两位影族武士突然出现，把他撞翻在地。体格大的那只黑色公猫把他死死地摁在地上，体格小的白色母猫用后腿直立，张开她那长长的爪子，准备拍向灰条的脑袋。
这时，一个姜黄色的身影如闪电般从狮爪身旁掠过——火星正朝这只白色皮毛的猫飞奔而来。他抓住那只母猫往身后一抛，然后对着她的脸就是一记痛击。
狮爪跳到那只压着灰条的黑猫身上，爪子深深扎进他的皮毛里，又在他的肩膀上狠劲咬了一口。这位武士突然放开灰条，身子向后退缩着。冬青爪一下子从他的身后冲过来，趁其不备，从他身体下方猛击他的爪子。黑猫摔倒在地，狮爪也从他的身上跳了下来。
“动作干净利落！”狮爪对冬青爪喊道。
“小心啊，战斗还没结束！”冬青爪警告道。
那只黑猫已经从地上站了起来，嘴里发出凶残的嘶嘶声。不过狮爪和冬青爪正站在他的身体两侧，不等他准备好，他俩就扑上去，用前爪不停地抓挠着他，朝边界线方向驱赶着他，直到他气喘吁吁、浑身是血才作罢。
这时狮爪看到橡毛正悄悄地借着蕨丛的掩护，一步步靠近火星，离他只有一只狐狸身长的距离了。雷族族长依然摁着那位白色皮毛武士，丝毫没注意到橡毛正在接近他。还没等狮爪发出警告，橡毛已经跳到火星的背上，狠狠地咬住了火星的后颈。
被火星摁住的武士趁机挣脱出来，顺势咬住了火星的前爪。火星倒在地上，被这两位号叫着的影族武士压在身下。
“你自己能行吗？”狮爪对冬青爪叫道。
“我会帮助她的。”灰条跑到她身边大喊道。
狮爪扑向橡毛，紧紧咬住他的尾巴。我让你嘲笑松鸦爪没用！他狠命咬了一口。橡毛疼得尖叫起来，放开了火星。火星跳起来，一转身用爪子抓住橡毛的后颈。同时，他用自己强有力的后腿，把那位白色皮毛的武士踢飞，吓得对方爬进了蕨丛里。然后他使尽全身力气，把橡毛朝一棵树上甩过去。整棵树的树枝都震动起来，橡毛掉在地上，晕了过去。
看到火星安然无恙，狮爪转身来到冬青爪身边。他真希望看到自己的妹妹与灰条并肩作战的情景。可事实却是，她正在一群打得酣畅淋漓的猫中间孤零零地站着。灰条不知所踪，并没有保护着她。
“小心！”狮爪大叫道。看到烟足从身后偷偷扑向冬青爪，狮爪心急如焚。灰条正在离她两条尾巴远的地方，把一位影族武士从米莉身边推开。这只曾经的宠物猫立即站起身。
“你快回去，冬青爪有危险！”米莉对灰条大喊道，“我能照顾自己的！”她用前爪猛击这位影族武士，最后她一记重击，影族武士鲜血溅了一地，尖叫着逃跑了。
烟足正骑在冬青爪身上，用自己的爪子抓着她的腹部。灰条冲上来将他摔在地上，用自己那如荆棘般锋利的后爪，连续击打烟足的肚子，烟足疼得不住哀号。狮爪赶忙跑到冬青爪身边。灰条最后放开了烟足，让他仓皇地逃往边界的另一侧。
“我们把剩下的敌人赶到荆棘丛里吧！”灰条高喊道。
“什么？”蛛足满脸怀疑地喊道。
“那岂不是更难攻击他们了！”桦落叫道。
“那样对影族不利！”冬青爪在狮爪耳旁轻轻说，“他们那边的松树林里是没有荆棘丛的。”
火星冷冷地点点头。“他们不适应在低矮的灌木丛里作战！”他说，“就照灰条的话去做！”
“各位，在我身后分散开来！”黑莓掌的命令在空中传开了。他转过身去，背对着影族的边界。
雷族猫向后撤退，拉开与影族猫的距离，又重新聚集在副族长周围，影族武士满脸疑惑地看着。忽然，滞留在边界雷族一侧的他们，被团团包围了。黑莓掌和在他两侧待命的武士们一齐冲上前，把影族武士一步步逼进雷族领地深处的一处荆棘丛里。
狮爪看到，松鸦爪正对枭爪发起猛攻。这位影族学徒一直在戏弄松鸦爪，一次次躲过他的爪子，还用难听的话语嘲笑他。
狮爪赶紧跑到弟弟身边。“你就是个胆小鬼！”他朝枭爪大喊道。
枭爪使劲甩了甩尾巴：“那我就让你看看谁才是胆小鬼！”说完扑向松鸦爪，抓住了他的鼻子。松鸦爪疼得深吸一口气，但他并没退缩，而是更加猛烈地挥动着爪子。
“他在低头！”狮爪低声对自己的弟弟说。
松鸦爪压低爪子照着枭爪的耳朵来了几掌。松鸦爪心满意足地吼叫了一声。
“现在他要转到你身后了。”狮爪看到，枭爪迅速绕过松鸦爪。当他站稳身体，准备扑向松鸦爪时，狮爪发出了警告。狮爪脑子一热，就想上前替下松鸦爪和枭爪拼个高低。不过他清楚，如果他帮松鸦爪战斗，松鸦爪是不会原谅自己的。另外松鸦爪的身体非常敏捷，他正用前爪攻击着枭爪。枭爪想躲开，不过松鸦爪已对这套路数十分熟悉了。枭爪低下头的一瞬间，松鸦爪突然纵身一跃，翻滚到他的身上。松鸦爪紧紧地抓住枭爪的皮毛，用自己的后爪抓挠着枭爪的后背，直到这位影族学徒连连求饶为止。
“快放开我！”枭爪尖叫道。松鸦爪这才放开了他。
枭爪站了起来，朝松鸦爪啐了一口，准备继续进攻。然而狮爪正用一种恐怖的眼神，直直地盯着他。面对这两只战斗力如此强大的猫，枭爪一边后退，一边吼叫着。
影族武士们被逼进了荆棘丛深处，走几步就会摔两跤。他们挣扎着，不让荆棘扎入自己的皮毛，同时还要应付雷族武士们的袭击。沙风把一位影族武士打得连连求饶，她的尾巴像胜利的旌旗一样摆来摆去。在她的旁边，一位杂色皮毛的影族武士想从白翅旁边溜出荆棘丛，却被白翅死死堵住了。溪儿和暴毛齐心合力，在烟足挣扎着想逃出荆棘丛时狠狠攻击着他，一点也没有留情。
看着自己的武士们在灌木丛里一败涂地的样子，黄毛十分生气。“撤退！”她大喊道。
影族猫从雷族武士身边四散逃开，跑回到自己的领地。
狮爪扫视着伤痕累累的族猫，喊道：“冬青爪！”
“我在这里！”冬青爪从灌木丛里钻出来，喊道。她毛茸茸的尾巴上扎满了刺。
“大家都还好吗？”火星踉踉跄跄地走了出来，鼻子上淌着殷红的鲜血。
“沙风扭伤了爪子。”黑莓掌站在这位姜黄色皮毛的武士身边，沙风正不停地舔舐着自己的一只前爪。
“只是一点儿伤而已。”她不想让火星担心。
“暴毛，”火星看看这位深灰色皮毛的武士，“你肩膀上的伤好像很严重？”
“用不了多久就能愈合了。”暴毛回答。
“我尾巴上的毛掉了一大块，”蛛足说，“不过能让影族猫得到一点儿教训，以后惹我们之前三思而行，我受点儿伤倒是没什么。”
“我们再确认一下，他们是不是都逃走了。”火星说。
“我去查看一下。”溪儿说。
“你受伤了吗？”
“伤得不重，只是一只耳朵撕裂了。”
“那就让蛛足跟你一起，去荆棘丛那边查看一下吧。”火星命令道，“只需确认一下，是否有影族的猫进入我们的领地就行。”
蛛足和溪儿飞奔进森林里。
蜡毛用尾巴蹭了蹭狮爪的肩膀说：“感谢星族，多亏你这么快就叫来了增援。”
“在我们赶到之前，你们作战非常顽强！”火星表扬道。
“冬青爪太勇敢了，作战时就像真正的武士一样！”桦落评论道。
“松鸦爪也是，从没后退。”亮心补充道。
“我们绝不容许影族侵占我们的领地！”灰条喊道。
黑莓掌注视着刚才影族猫逃跑时经过的空地。“下一次森林大会之前，我们必须要做些什么，来压一压影族的嚣张气焰。”他说道。
“我们就从重新标记正确的边界线开始吧，”火星命令道，“黑莓掌，你和蜡毛、桦落留在这里，在边界沿线的所有树上做两次标记。”
黑莓掌点点头。
“我带其余的猫返回营地。”
“我能和蜡毛待在一起吗？”狮爪恳求道。
蜡毛摇摇头说：“你回营地去，在伤口上涂些药糊吧。我想让你尽快回来训练。”
狮爪满肚子的不情愿，但没办法。他转过身，跟着族猫们踏上了归途。沙风走起路来一瘸一拐；暴毛每走一会儿，就要停下来，舔舐肩膀上流血的伤口；米莉的腹部被撕掉了几大块皮毛，但是他们取得了这场恶战的胜利，她的心里非常激动，耳朵直竖起来，尾巴也轻松地摇来摇去。
狮爪快走两步，追上了松鸦爪和冬青爪。他骄傲地问：“你刚才看到我跳到橡毛身上了吗？”
“我真希望我看到了！”冬青爪的声音听起来比狮爪还兴奋，“可我当时正忙着盯紧那位条纹皮毛的武士，”她眼里闪着光，“我用了炭爪那天教我的一招。能亲身实践的感觉，真的是太棒了！”
狮爪又对松鸦爪说：“你今天的表现，让枭爪觉得自己再也不是雷族学徒的对手了。”可松鸦爪只是沉默地耷拉着尾巴向前走着。
“嗯，对！”过了一会儿，他低声说道。
“冬青爪！”叶池走了出来，迎接凯旋的武士们，“有谁受了重伤吗？”
冬青爪眨了眨眼睛，结结巴巴地说道：“暴……暴毛被抓伤了……”
“你难道都没查看一下吗？”叶池焦急地问道。
“大家走路都没问题。”冬青爪说道。
“那艾菊呢？你找到了吗？”叶池接着问道。
“噢，我找到了。”冬青爪说。
叶池看着她，似乎有些不信她的话，接着问道：“在哪儿呢？”
冬青爪垂头丧气地说：“我们本来要在狩猎回来的路上采一些艾菊的，但是这时，桦落赶来通知我们，影族移动了我们的边界标记，然后黑莓掌就命令我们……”
“好，我知道了。”叶池说，“你能跟族猫们并肩作战，我很为你骄傲。不过你该在回来的路上留心一下，看有没有治疗伤口的草药。一定有很多猫受了咬伤和抓伤，需要我们来处理的。我去看看其他猫的情况吧。”
冬青爪注视着那片低矮的灌木丛。“你认为杜松果会管用吗？”走过一大丛结着深色浆果的灌木时，冬青爪低声问道。
“它旁边生长的马尾草，疗效会更好些。”松鸦爪建议道。
冬青爪闭上了眼睛。“马尾草——是治疗感染的良药。”她复述起来。接着，她迅速跑到那丛茎秆细长的植物边，从根部咬下了一株。
狮爪感到身上的抓伤疼得厉害，全身的肌肉也因为之前所经历的激烈战斗变得酸痛不已。当抵达营地时，狮爪慢慢走到半边石旁，一下子瘫倒在地。松鸦爪爬上那低矮而光滑的石头，躺了下去，脑袋从石头另一侧耷拉下来。与此同时，冬青爪也放下了刚采的马尾草，来到他俩身边。
“直到现在我还不敢相信，我们和真正的武士打了一仗呢。”她深呼了一口气说。
松鸦爪什么也没说，只是茫然地望着地面。
“为什么你看起来这么哀伤呢？”狮爪问他，“你作战时真的很勇敢啊。”
“你帮了我，我才获胜的。”松鸦爪说。
“每位武士都需要帮助的，要不然我们在同一族群里生活，又是为了什么呢？”冬青爪提醒他。
“我们必须同心协力，把影族的武士们都驱赶出去！”狮爪补充道。
“我连独自对付一位学徒的能力都没有，”松鸦爪一边说，一边生气地甩了甩尾巴，“他们说我没用。或许他们说得对，我之前认为自己会成为一位真正的武士，只是异想天开。”
“冬青爪！”叶池的声音从空地上传来。在那里，巡逻队员们都还在各自舔舐着自己的伤口。“受伤的武士太多了，我自己应付不过来。”
冬青爪马上跳了起来。“叶池，我来了！”她喊道，“对不起！”她从马尾草上取下一片叶子，快步来到米莉和灰条身旁。
狮爪此刻真想让松鸦爪重新振作起来，不过在这场战斗里，他弟弟确实必须要自己独自迎战。尽管狮爪已经向星族祈祷了很多次，可他依然无法帮助松鸦爪看见。
至少今天，冬青爪很享受与影族作战的过程。狮爪一边让酸痛的爪子休息，一边望着冬青爪，看着她把马尾草的叶子嚼碎，又把弄出来的汁液舔在米莉的伤口上。每次米莉疼得抽动身体时，冬青爪都会皱着眉头跳到一边。狮爪心中顿时涌起一阵担忧，如同鸟儿被困在笼中，令他感到焦虑。冬青爪看起来非常不安，表情尴尬的她和参战时身手矫健的她，简直是截然不同的两只猫。她在战场上英勇无畏，但在这里，她却只能在受伤的族猫中忙得焦头烂额，眼神里满是疑虑。这时，一种奇怪的想法，如同窝里的荆棘一样，扎得狮爪打了一个激灵：冬青爪真的愿意做巫医吗？
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 22
The quarter moon had passed. Gray clouds hung heavy over the forest.
Jaypaw shivered, his pelt damp from the rain. “I’m going to my nest,” he mewed, nodding good night to Hollypaw and Lionpaw as they finished their evening meal beside the halfrock.
Hollypaw looked up. “Already?”
“I’m tired.”
“You want to get out of the rain, more like,” Lionpaw joked
Jaypaw growled. It wasn’t the dampness that made him want to leave; Lionpaw had been going on about the battle against the dogs for days, and Jaypaw didn’t want to hear it all again tonight. He already guessed that Lionpaw had taken off his cobweb dressings early so he’d have some scars to show his Clanmates.
Jaypaw thrust his way crossly through the bramble entrance to the medicine den. The only scars he’d ever get to show his Clanmates would be from falling down rabbit holes. Why couldn’t he do something realto help his Clan, like Lionpaw? He had patched up his Clanmates after they’d driven the dogs away, but that wasn’t the same as fighting on behalf of his Clan.
“It sounds like it’s still raining,” Leafpool commented as he padded into the den.
“It’s not as heavy now,” Jaypaw told her.
“Well, at least there may be new herbs to gather by full moon,” she mewed hopefully.
Jaypaw wasn’t so sure. The air had been tinged all day with the raw scents of the mountains; he had a feeling that ice would claw the forest once more before newleaf brought fresh life. “Perhaps we should look for the first leaves tomorrow,” he suggested as he curled into his nest. Before frost has a chance to destroy them.
“Perhaps,” Leafpool murmured, already half-asleep. “But let’s not gather them too early, before they’ve had time to grow.”
Jaypaw wanted to argue, to point out the change in the wind. But since Firestar had dismissed his warning about the dogs, he had burned with resentment. What’s the point in warning them if they only ignore my advice?
Jaypaw did not dream, and when he lifted his nose from his nest at dawn, the sharp tang of ice in the air stung his nose. He knew without doubt that a heavy frost lay thick over the forest. He stretched and realized that Leafpool was already awake, raking through her herb supply.
“We should have gathered herbs yesterday,” she fretted.
“Are we running low?” Jaypaw padded sleepily to her side. He could tell that some scents were missing from the pungent mixture of smells.
“This is the worst time of year.” Leafpool sighed. “There are precious few fresh herbs, and the Clan is at its weakest after a long leaf-bare.”
“At least there’s been more prey since the last frost,” Jaypaw pointed out.
“It’ll have all bolted back into its burrows now,” Leafpool warned. “Some of the warriors will go to their nests hungry tonight.”
The frozen brambles at the entrance to the den crackled, and Jaypaw scented Longtail pushing his way through.
His anxiety turned to irritation. No wonder supplies were running low. He had been doing nothing but padding back and forth to the elders’ den with herbs for Mousefur. The elderly warrior claimed she was fine, but Longtail kept worrying over her like a fretful queen fussing over her kit.
“Mousefur’s wheezing,” Longtail announced.
Of course she’s wheezing,Jaypaw thought irritably. She’s older than the Sky Oak, and it’s freezing!
He turned to the pale tabby elder. “We’ve tried just about every herb already.”
“Let’s try juniper berries this time,” Leafpool suggested.
Or a pawful of poppy seeds, Jaypaw muttered to himself. She might sleep long enough to give me a break.
“Here.” Leafpool rolled a pawful of small berries toward Jaypaw. “Take these to her.” Their aromatic flavor filled hisnose. He bent and picked them up carefully between his jaws. Then he turned and followed Longtail back to the elders’ den
The twining honeysuckle was stripped of its greenleaf foliage, and drafts whipped around the den like swirling water.
“Jaypaw,” Mousefur greeted him. “You’re not back again!” Her voice seemed to scour her throat like dried thistles. “You should be with cats your own age instead of spending every waking moment in here.”
Jaypaw’s tail twitched with frustration.If only!
“He’s here so often only because he’s worried about you,” Longtail meowed.
“Because you’reworried about me,” Mousefur corrected. “You really shouldn’t fuss so much. A cat my age is bound to feel the cold more easily.”
“But your eyes and nose are streaming,” Longtail pointed out.
“That’s just the cold air,” Mousefur croaked.
“I can get Brambleclaw to organize some warriors to pad your den walls, if you like,” Jaypaw suggested.
“That would be kind,” Mousefur admitted. “The chill does seem to have reached right to my bones this morning.”
Jaypaw nosed the berries toward her. He could tell she was shivering, and yet heat flooded from her. It seemed strange, but he had been to check on her so many times, he still thought Longtail was fussing over nothing.
“I’ll speak to Brambleclaw,” he promised. Perhaps if he got their den fixed, the two elders could manage without him for a while.
He turned and padded out of the den, lifting his nose to scent for Brambleclaw. As he scanned the camp, he stopped dead. A tiny prick of doubt, which had been smothered by irritation with the two elders, broke through. Mousefur had accepted his help too easily. And her breathing was irregular.
He swung his muzzle back toward the den. The pungent juniper berries had masked another smell—the smell of illness.
Mousefur really was sick.
He pelted toward the medicine den, his paws skimming over the icy ground. Crashing through the patch of brambles, he skidded to a halt.
Leafpool’s pelt bristled in alarm. “Jaypaw!”
“Mousefur has greencough!”
“Are you sure?”
Jaypaw listed the symptoms. “Irregular breathing, streaming eyes and nose, wheezing, fever . . .” Fever!That explained the heat he had felt coming off her in waves.
“We need catmint,” Leafpool meowed, rushing out of the medicine den.
Jaypaw knew that catmint was one of the missing scents when Leafpool had raked through the herbs earlier. He followed his mentor out and paced anxiously as she called to Cloudtail.
“You must fetch catmint,” Leafpool explained as the warrior came racing to the medicine cat’s side. “At once!”
Surprise sparked from the warrior. “Catmint? Why?”
Leafpool’s pelt ruffled with uncertainty. She obviously didn’t want to spread panic through the Clan. She lowered her voice. “Mousefur is ill.”
Cloudtail kneaded the ground anxiously. “Where do I get it from?”
“By the old Twoleg nest,” Leafpool told him.
“I know what it smells like,” Jaypaw mewed. “I’ll be able to find it.”
He sensed Cloudtail’s doubt at once. “Medicine cats can run, you know! And I’ll be able to spot it quicker than you.”
“He’s right,” Leafpool agreed.
“Okay,” Cloudtail mewed. “We’ll take Cinderpaw with us. She can help carry it back.” He called across the clearing to his apprentice. She was sharing tongues with Poppypaw, but at Cloudtail’s call, her small steps came pattering toward them over the frosty ground.
“What is it?” she mewed.
“We have to find catmint,” Jaypaw told her. “Mousefur is ill.”
Cinderpaw gasped. “Catmint’s for greencough, isn’t it?”
“Come on,” Cloudtail ordered. “There’s no time to waste.” He raced toward the thorn barrier, and Jaypaw hurried after him. Once out of the camp they headed straight for the disused Thunderpath.
Jaypaw could feel Cloudtail’s eyes flashing back at him as the warrior checked that their blind companion was keeping up. But Jaypaw’s paws were swift with fear, and he easily kept pace with Cinderpaw. He could feel her warm pelt rippling beside his, and matched her step for step.
“Tree!” she warned him. But he had already scented its bark and swerved to avoid it.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Mousefur. Why hadn’t he realized that she was so unwell? Longtail had been trying to tell him for days. Guilt gnawed at his belly. Once they had the catmint he would feed it to her himself until she was fully recovered. The sharp little stones on the abandoned Thunderpath grazed Jaypaw’s pads, but he quickened his pace, pulling ahead of Cinderpaw.
Cloudtail halted by the crumbling stone wall around the nest. Jaypaw felt a twinge of nerves. Although he knew the place was empty, it felt dangerous to be going onto Twoleg territory
Cloudtail jumped up onto the wall first.
“It’s not high,” Cinderpaw mewed.
Jaypaw reached up with his forepaws, and Cloudtail flicked his tail down to give him some sense of how far to jump. He sprang, and as he scrabbled to get a grip, Cloudtail grabbed him by his scruff and swung him over the wall into the long, frost-stiffened grass on the other side.
As soon as he landed, Jaypaw sniffed the air, searching for the catmint. He found a trace of it and began picking his way through the grass.
“Wait for me!” Cinderpaw called, jumping down after him. She hurried to catch up. “Cloudtail’s keeping guard on the wall,” she panted.
“It’s over there,” he told her.
Cinderpaw sped ahead, and Jaypaw could hear her rooting about in the vegetation along the wall. “There’s nothing here but dead leaves!” she called back to him. “The frost has killed it all.”
Jaypaw’s belly heaved, and the ground seemed to drop away from beneath his paws. There had to be catmint here! “Let me look!” he mewed.
He rushed over to Cinderpaw and sniffed at the plants around her paws. He could smell catmint, but it was sour, scorched by the frost.
“It’s all black.” Cinderpaw sighed.
Jaypaw touched it with the tip of his tongue. The leaves felt pulpy and wet. But a delicious flavor seeped from deeper within the plant. He dug down, fearful of damaging roots that might yet recover but desperate to find something that would help Mousefur. Around the base, just beneath the soil, he smelled fresh leaves. Feeling carefully with the tips of his paws, he touched the soft furriness of new growth. Not much, but it was better than nothing. He scraped away the earth and delicately nipped off the new stalks with his teeth. Then, holding them gently on his tongue, trying not to absorb any of the precious flavor, he nodded to Cinderpaw.
“Will that be enough?” she asked.
Unable to speak, he shrugged.
She seemed to understand, for she turned away and began to hurry back to where Cloudtail waited on the wall. Together they scrambled over and set off back to the camp.
“This is all that was left undamaged,” he explained to Leafpool as he dropped the mouthful of stalks on the floor of the medicine den. He could feel disappointment turning her paws to stone.
“It’s better than nothing,” she meowed. She picked up the stalks with her teeth and hurried out of the den.
Jaypaw followed her. Would Mousefur be worse?
The old she-cat’s labored breathing echoed around the honeysuckle bush. The air smelled bitter, and it prickled with Longtail’s anxiety.
“Is that catmint?” he asked hopefully.
Leafpool dropped it beside Mousefur. “Yes.”
“There’s not much,” Longtail observed.
“It’ll have to do,” Leafpool told him. “Frost has damaged the rest.” She crouched down and whispered to Mousefur, “I want you to chew this and swallow as much as you can.”
Mousefur groaned. Jaypaw slid around beside the old she-cat and pressed his cheek to her flank. She was burning with fever and trembling. Then she coughed and he heard her breath bubbling beneath his ear. He jerked up his head and stared desperately at Leafpool.
“She may be old, but she’s strong,” the medicine cat reassured him. Then she urged Mousefur, “Come on, eat a little.”
The old cat took a few stalks in her mouth and began to chew. Jaypaw felt her pain like thorns in his pelt as she swallowed. She must have seen him flinch, for she lifted her muzzle toward him so that her sour breath ruffled his fur. “What a fuss you’re making over me,” she rasped. “Anyone would think I was about to join StarClan.” She forced a purr, and Jaypaw felt the pain of it shake her body. “I don’t think they’re ready for me yet. And besides, if I go, who will make sure Longtail remembers to check his pelt for fleas?”
“You’ll be better in no time,” Jaypaw told her, willing it to be true.
Paw steps padded quickly outside the den, and the honeysuckle rustled. Jaypaw smelled Daisy’s scent at the entrance.
“Leafpool?” The kittypet sounded worried.
Leafpool lifted her head. “Yes?”
“Ferncloud is unwell.”
Alarm shot through Jaypaw.
“What’s wrong?” Leafpool asked.
“She’s wheezing, and her eyes and nose are streaming.”
Mousefur let out an agonized groan. “I went to the nursery yesterday to see the kits,” she croaked.
“Foxkit and Icekit seem fine,” Daisy mewed at once.
“I’ll come and check on Ferncloud,” Leafpool meowed.
“Shall I stay with Mousefur?” Jaypaw offered.
“No.” Mousefur began to cough. “Check on the kits!” She pushed the rest of the catmint away from her. “Don’t waste your time fussing over an old warrior like me.”
“You must take these herbs,” Leafpool insisted, pawing them back under Mousefur’s nose. “You’re not as strong as Ferncloud.”
“Check on the kits first,” Mousefur answered stubbornly.
“Okay, I will.” Leafpool slipped out of the elders’ den.
Jaypaw followed her as she raced across the clearing. He squeezed into the nursery behind her. The familiar smell of his old home was tainted by the smell of sickness. Ferncloud was struggling for breath, and even without touching her, Jaypaw could feel the heat pulsing from her body.
“It’s definitely greencough,” Leafpool announced. “But the kits are not infected.”
“We should get Ferncloud away from them,” Jaypaw suggested.
“I can look after them instead.” Daisy had followed them into the nursery. “They’re close enough to weaning now.”
“Thank you,” Leafpool meowed, nudging Ferncloud to her paws
Grief flashed from Ferncloud as Foxkit and Icekit began mewling. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised weakly.
Daisy’s fur brushed their tiny pelts as she curled around them. “We’ll have fun with all this space to ourselves,” she told them. “Ferncloud will just be across the clearing. She’s not leaving the camp.”
“Why can’t she stay here?” Foxkit wailed.
“Because we don’t want you getting sick too,” Daisy explained.
“Be good,” Ferncloud mewed, her breath coming in gasps as Leafpool began to guide her from the den.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine,” Icekit called.
Jaypaw could sense the anxiety behind Icekit’s brave words. He flicked his tail over her back. “I’ll ask Hollypaw to come and teach you all the new fighting moves she’s been learning,” he offered.
“Really?” Icekit squeaked, brightening.
“Fetch Mousefur,” Leafpool called to him from outside. “We’ll settle both cats in the medicine den, where we can keep an eye on them.”
Jaypaw’s heart began pounding again as he scrabbled out of the nursery. He had wanted a chance to protect his Clanmates, but a warrior could do it with teeth and claws, while all he had to offer was a pawful of pulpy roots. How could this be his destiny?
Dawn brought another victim. Jaypaw was woken by Whitewing as she limped into the medicine den, tail down and wheezing. He had learned the deadly scent of greencough by now and sprang from his nest. But Leafpool was already beside the white warrior, listening to her breathing.
“Make a nest for her beside Ferncloud and Mousefur,” she ordered Jaypaw.
He hurried to fetch some of the spare moss they kept at the side of the den. At least they had plenty of that, he thought bitterly. He quickly shaped a nest beside Mousefur, who was sleeping at last, her breathing short and irregular. And Ferncloud seemed to be comfortable, though her fever was rising as she battled the illness.
Whitewing collapsed gratefully into the nest.
“We need more catmint,” Leafpool hissed so that only Jaypaw’s sharp ears could hear.
Jaypaw sensed terror in her voice. What did she expect him to do? Grow some?
“Check all the other warriors and apprentices,” Leafpool ordered more loudly.
He nodded, then turned and headed out of the den. Why hadn’t StarClan warned them this was going to happen? Instead of lecturing him, Spottedleaf or Yellowfang could have told him that greencough was coming. He could have gathered catmint before the frost had come.
Dustpelt was pacing outside the nursery. Jaypaw recognized the warrior’s heavy paw steps on the frozen earth and sensed the turmoil of fear that gripped his thoughts.
“How’s Ferncloud?” he demanded as soon as he saw Jaypaw.
“No worse,” Jaypaw assured him.
“Should I visit her?”
“It’s probably better if you stay away,” Jaypaw advised. “We want to stop the illness from spreading.”
Daisy wriggled out of the nursery. “Your kits are fine,” she told Dustpelt. “But if you keep hanging around here you’re going to worry them.” Jaypaw had never heard her sound so stern. “You should be out in the forest hunting; that’s the best way you can help them.”
Jaypaw felt surprise flash from Dustpelt.
“I want to know if Ferncloud gets worse,” the warrior meowed. Then he padded toward the barrier of thorns and headed out into the forest.
As Jaypaw turned toward the apprentices’ den, the dawn patrol pounded into the clearing, led by Graystripe. Hollypaw was among them, her scent laced with the fresh smells of the forest.
“How are the sick cats?” she called to Jaypaw.
“Sleeping,” Jaypaw mewed back. “How’s the prey running?” Perhaps if the rest of the Clan could fill their bellies, they might be able to resist the sickness.
“There’s hardly anything aboveground,” Hollypaw reported. “Even the squirrels are staying in their dens.”
Jaypaw closed his eyes. Where are you, StarClan?I’ve hardly had a dream without you sticking your whiskers in! Why don’t you help me now?But he heard nothing except Leafpool’s voice as she padded to his side.
“Check the apprentices, Jaypaw,” she reminded him grimly. “StarClan is watching us already. But there are some battles we have to fight alone.”
第十六章
第十六章
“松鼠飞，你领着云尾、炭爪、刺掌和罂粟爪去抓一些猎物，越多越好。武士们今晚会特别饿的。”火星命令道。松鸦爪一边躺在半边石上休息，一边听着火星的话。
松鸦爪让自己疲惫的爪子在半边石旁晃来晃去，冰冷的石头表面可以减轻身体的疼痛。刚刚的那场恶战，让他遍体鳞伤，不过他自己可以处理伤口。
叶池把药糊涂在暴毛的伤口上，她的身上还留有金盏花的气味。冬青爪正忙着给米莉疗伤，在将味道刺鼻的马尾草糊抹在伤口上时，松鸦爪察觉到，冬青爪心里充满厌恶，而没有对病猫的关切。这使他困惑不已。一定有什么事情，令她如此心烦意乱。不过松鸦爪此刻正忙着想自己的事，没心情继续探索冬青爪的内心世界。
松鸦爪接着又想，自己当时要是不借助狮爪的帮助，能否打败枭爪呢？他一直都固执地告诉自己一定能。他能通过辨别气味和声音，确定这位影族学徒的位置，不是吗？然而，此时他的心中却升起一团疑云，令他心神不宁。战斗进行得太快了，他有点儿跟不上这么快的节奏。当枭爪的呼吸声传进他的一只耳朵里时，他没有意识到对手将对自己另一只耳朵发起猛烈攻击。这位影族学徒踩在叶子上的沉重的脚步声被其他武士的厮杀声淹没了，松鸦爪还在扭动、旋转着身体时，枭爪已经冲过来，从他身后发起了袭击。
看来，自己永远都不会成为武士了。
当武士是他最梦寐以求的事，然而，他却不得不接受自己无法独自应战的事实。想到这里，他的胸中就升起一团怒火，横冲直撞着，像被逼到墙角的獾。
“我所认识的巫医，没有谁有如此强大的幻象力量。”他的脑中突然响起了叶池曾对他说过的话，“我想，你命中注定会成为一位巫医。”
他从小就梦想着成为一位武士。可是如果星族已经给他安排了另一条命中注定的道路，那他还要坚持吗？
“黑莓掌！”火星走上前去，欢迎自己的副族长回到营地。松鸦爪太专注于自己的事，都没注意到父亲回来了。
“我们把那些树又重新标记了一遍，而且把影族留下的难闻气味都清理掉了。”黑莓掌汇报道。
一定有什么事困扰着他。松鸦爪感觉，父亲在汇报时心里有一丝犹豫。
“橡毛之所以敢如此嚣张地宣布，影族有权侵占我们的领地，就是因为雷族有好多猫都……”黑莓掌有些不安地停顿了一下，“……不是在雷族出生的。”
“也就是说，影族到现在还认为，只有在本族出生的猫才能成为武士。”火星大声说。
“我告诉过他，雷族的每只猫都是武士。”黑莓掌说。
“对。”火星提高了声调，让空地上的猫都能听到，“雷族的每只猫都对得起自己雷族的身份！”
尘毛的心中闪过一丝焦虑。“不过影族说了一句实话。”这位虎斑武士的话，一石激起千层浪，“雷族吸纳其他猫的数量，比其他族群多太多了，这就给了其他族群指责我们的一个借口。”
暴毛站起来，大叫道：“我们有必要在意其他族群对我们的看法吗？我是在河族长大的，可你们有谁会怀疑我对雷族的忠心呢？”
“但你的父亲是雷族的武士啊，”尘毛说，“你是有雷族血统的。”
“那我们这些没有雷族血统的猫呢？”榛爪抗议着，那柔软的灰白色皮毛也同时竖立起来，“我、莓爪和鼠爪都出生在马场里。难道你们认为我们不能被训练成武士吗？”
“当然不是了！”灰条回答道，“归属感和血统并没有关系！我是纯雷族血统，可是我现在在这里，感觉就像一只陌生猫。米莉在几个月前还是一只宠物猫呢，不过今天她和火星一道，经历了一场恶战，赶走了影族武士——还有溪儿也是如此！”他说话的时候，目光扫过溪儿，溪儿回以感激的目光。
栗尾大声表示赞同：“忠诚是通过行动来证明的，而不是出身！”
松鸦爪猛然抬起头。他可以感受到，冬青爪的心中涌起一团疑云，她的爪子上还残存着马尾草刺鼻的气味。“可是武士守则告诉我们，我们应该把陌生猫从领地上驱赶出去啊。”她有些疑惑地说道。
“我们接纳需要我们帮助的猫，”火星说，“难道武士守则不许我们仁慈吗？”
“不……不会的。”冬青爪喃喃道。
“加入我们的每只猫，都让雷族变得更强大！”火星继续说着，其他猫都纷纷表示赞同。
“不过，”火星补充道，“黑莓掌把影族猫说的话告诉了我，他做得对。”
“我们从什么时候起，需要让其他族群告诉我们应该做什么了？”灰条突然问道。
“从来不会。在下一次森林大会上，我会明确表态，雷族会自己处理内部事务。”火星保证道，“我们会一如既往地守卫自己的边界线，不让任何族群干涉我们的内部事务。”
赞同声响彻整个山谷。不过松鸦爪仍在这当中，嗅出了一丝紧张的气息。他从猫群中偷偷传来的担忧声中推断，有很多猫跟自己一样，很想知道，雷族内部复杂的血统构成，是否会改变包括星族在内的其他族群对自己的看法。
其他学徒都已熟睡了，如哀叹一般的风声，陪伴着他们轻柔的呼吸声。然而此时，松鸦爪还醒着。叶池的话，还在他的脑际萦绕。松鸦爪一直试着说服自己，他会尽自己所能努力成为一位武士，他作战的技巧一定会大有进步的。不过每当他这样想时，这希望却反而变得更渺茫了。
他想自己应该去一次月亮池。或许在那里，他才能找到答案。想着想着，他悄悄溜出了巢穴。一阵刺骨的寒风，把树上光秃秃的枝杈吹得咔咔作响。松鸦爪知道，自己一定要十分小心，因为任何细微的响动都会传得很远。
蕨毛正在守卫着营地的入口。松鸦爪闻到了他的气息。如果这个武士执意让他回去，那就必须寻找另外的出口了。
“你这么晚了还出去？”蕨毛看到了他，说道。
“我睡不着。”
“每次战斗过后都会这样，这很正常。”蕨毛说道。
“我要去森林里一趟。”松鸦爪期待着从蕨毛脸上看到惊讶的表情，可是他却丝毫不动声色。
“你想让我跟你一起去吗？”蕨毛说，“我会让溪儿早点儿来替我的岗，她不会介意的。”
“不用了，谢谢。”
“你需要一点儿时间独自待会儿，是吗？”蕨毛猜想道。
松鸦爪点点头。蕨毛接着说：“至少今晚是非常平静的。不过我会替你注意任何风吹草动的，以防万一。”
“谢谢你，蕨毛。”松鸦爪想，在自己的族群里至少还有一只猫，没有把自己当作刚出生的幼崽。“我会尽量早些回来。”他说着就离开了入口。
松鸦爪沿着斜坡向上爬，爪子下的叶子落了霜，变得湿滑无比。渐渐地，他感到自己没有刚才那么焦虑了。刚才那嘈杂的瞌睡声和风声，像叮咬耳朵的飞蚊一样，令他心烦意乱。而现在，这种烦躁感已烟消云散。他顺着叶池领他走过的路线，朝风族的领地行进。当他的爪子重新踏上通往风族边界的小路时，关于小路的种种回忆，又涌上心头。他沿着这条路，走进群山之中。
松鸦爪的听觉非常灵敏，他的爪子还没察觉到地面已变成石头时，耳朵就已经听到了溪流的潺潺声。他抽抽鼻子，嗅闻着周围是否有危险的气息，不过，除了嗅到山中那干净而清新的空气外，松鸦爪什么也没闻到。他顺着溪流向上攀爬着，爬上了通向山谷周围那片灌木丛的石堆。附近轻声走动的猫的窃窃私语声，又在他的耳畔回响起来。不过很奇怪，这声音的存在让他感到安心，就好像他们正赶来欢迎自己一般。
松鸦爪在这条盘山路的顶端停下了脚步。虽然他什么也看不见，却能清晰地勾勒出凹地四周的斜坡，和下方那汪映照明月的池塘。刚才的私语声，渐渐变成了一种回荡在石堆之间的低沉而单调的声音。松鸦爪竖起耳朵，努力地分辨着声音里的每一个字。
“欢迎你，松鸦爪。”
“来吧，松鸦爪。”
各种各样的气味突然向他涌来，这些猫的气味，他没有一点印象，不过似乎又有点儿熟悉。
“跟我们一起做梦吧，松鸦爪。”
有猫蹭了蹭他的皮毛，接着又来了一只。不一会儿，这群猫领着他来到月亮池边。松鸦爪脑海中浮现出了模糊的记忆：在那次漫长的雪地旅途中，母亲的声音安慰着他，两个身影催促着他尽快赶路。
松鸦爪在池边停下了脚步，躺在光滑的石头岸边。他闭上眼睛，用鼻子触碰着池水。
然后，他睁开眼睛，发现自己正身处一片茂密的林地中。高大的树冠直冲云霄，香薇在他背后的上空悄然展开弯弯的叶片。温润的空气中弥漫着森林里清新的气息，萦绕在他身旁——到处都被潮湿而滴翠的生命色彩所浸透。
松鸦爪高喊道：“蓝星？狮心？炭毛？”或许他能联系到叶池之前没能联系上的她的老师。
可是，没有任何回应。
松鸦爪失望地站起来，走进森林中。为什么刚才的那些声音把他引到这里，然后就没了踪影？他突然有些气恼。为什么星族非要把所有的事都搞得这么复杂呢？他只是想知道，自己是不是命中注定要成为巫医而已。
好在这里感到既温暖又安全，而且他还能看见东西。他开始奔跑起来，感觉爪子轻飘飘地在树间穿行，像是在飞。他快速穿过香薇丛，聆听着叶子的轻声细语，嗅闻着飘浮在内心的树木芳香。
突然他感觉前方虚幻起来。没有任何气息，也没有任何声音。
一瞬间，松鸦爪的毛不安地竖了起来，他放慢了脚步。透过树林间的缝隙，他看到一片薄雾遮住了前方的道路。他向前走去，雾开始在爪子周围盘旋着。这时，他注意到灌木丛变得稀疏起来，四周的树木变得毫无生气，树枝也变得高不可攀。
“是松鸦爪吗？”
松鸦爪的毛再次直立起来，他抬起头，扫视着前方被雾气笼罩的森林。渐渐地，他辨认出一个似乎很熟悉的身影。那宽阔的肩膀，大大的口鼻，让他想起自己的父亲黑莓掌。
“松鸦爪！”那个声音又响了起来。
又有一个身影从树木的阴影中闪了出来，站在刚才的身影旁边。雾气勾勒出他们的身形，他俩都有着宽阔的肩膀，大大的口鼻。
“是我，你们是……”松鸦爪的声音在高大的树木间显得如此微小。
这两只猫走过来，在离他不远的地方停下。他们的虎斑皮毛是暗色的，如同树影的颜色一般。
“欢迎你。别害怕，我们是你的至亲。”体形大一些的猫说道，“我叫虎星，是你父亲的父亲。这个是你父亲的弟弟鹰霜。”
松鸦爪惊奇地望着他们。他曾在育婴室里听过虎星以及他胡作非为的故事。他们在这里做什么？他们又为什么要来找他呢？
“终于见到你了，我真高兴。”虎星对他说，眼睛里闪着光。
“黑莓掌有三只这么优秀的幼崽，真是幸福啊！”鹰霜补充道。
“我们看到你参与了刚刚结束的战斗，”虎星说道，“看到你继承了你父亲高超的作战技能，我非常高兴。”
鹰霜看了自己父亲一眼。“他也继承了你的天赋，虎星。”他说道。
松鸦爪眯起眼睛。他们肯定知道，他并不能像他们期待的那样战斗，为什么还要如此赞美自己呢？
虎星似乎读懂了他心思，又接着说道：“如果你愿意，我们可以教你如何提升作战技巧。”他说话的声音像蜂蜜一样甜腻。
松鸦爪注视着这只体形庞大的公猫的目光，体会着他刚才的话中所蕴含的深意。令松鸦爪惊讶的是，一般情况下，他都能通过话语来感知一只猫的感受和想法，但这次却只是一片朦胧的黑暗。他有些不安地挪了挪爪子，对他俩坦白道：“我……我并不确定自己是否想成为一位武士。”
“作为我的至亲，你怎么能说出这种话？”虎星哼了一声，“蛾翅浪费了自己的天赋去做一位巫医，就已经够叫我恼火的了。”他的胡须抽了抽，“好在冬青爪终于意识到，照顾老弱病残的猫并不是她最终的命运。”
“冬青爪？”松鸦爪突然提高了声音。虎星知道姐姐的命运？
“让我们教你一些战斗动作，怎么样？”鹰霜催促着，“一旦你发现这对你来说很简单时，你马上就会意识到，你天生就是要带领族群的同伴奋勇作战，而不是把时间浪费在草药和药糊上。”
松鸦爪轻轻摇着尾巴。亮心并没教过他任何关于战斗的东西。显然她认为，训练一只瞎猫是白费气力。如果她教会自己一些动作的话，他可能会在与影族的战斗中表现得更好。或许，眼前这两只猫真的可以帮他。
这时，身后的香薇丛里突然传来一阵窸窸窣窣的声音，松鸦爪转过头去。
“谁？”虎星大声喊道。
“我来带松鸦爪去他该去的地方。”
松鸦爪立刻辨认出了这个声音。当这只猫的身影从雾中浮现时，他认出了那美丽的玳瑁色皮毛。“斑叶！”他不禁喊道。
斑叶点了点头，但目光并没有从虎星和鹰霜的身上移开。
“你认识这只猫吗？”虎星问松鸦爪。
“有一次我坠落悬崖时，是她救了我。”松鸦爪解释道。
“松鸦爪，你不应该跑到这么远的地方来。”斑叶警告他说。
“你也不应该来这里。”虎星双眼圆瞪，注视着这位巫医，“你是怎么越过边界线的？”
“我是经过星族的允许才过来的。”斑叶一边回答，一边挑战似的盯着虎星。
“星族难道也允许松鸦爪来了？”虎星歪了歪脑袋，问道。
斑叶没有回答，反而看着松鸦爪。“跟我回去！”她命令道。
“那虎星和鹰霜呢？他们也能跟我们一起走吗？”
“他们已经选择了自己的道路。”斑叶一边回答，一边转过身，等着松鸦爪跟她回去。
然而松鸦爪犹豫了。虎星和鹰霜已经答应要给自己最需要的东西。
“松鸦爪！”斑叶急切地大喊着他的名字。
他必须尽快做出选择——是他一直都信任的猫呢，还是刚认识的，也不知道是否可信的这两只猫？最终他转过身，朝斑叶走去。
当斑叶领着松鸦爪穿越迷雾时，他朝身后看了一眼。虎星的双眼好像要喷出火来，直到他的身影被黑暗吞没。
斑叶忽然猛跑起来，松鸦爪紧随其后，他的爪子也变得轻飘飘的。穿过阴影斑驳的丛林，越往前，树木变得越茂密，枝杈长长地垂到低矮的灌木丛里。香薇叶轻轻拂过松鸦爪的脊背，一种自由安全的感觉，再次紧紧地包裹住了他。
斑叶突然停下脚步。“你下次千万不能再去那里了。”她告诉松鸦爪。
“为什么？”松鸦爪问道。
“你告诉我，你为什么要找星族？”斑叶反问道。
一股怨恨从松鸦羽心头升起。如果她不回答自己的问题，那他也不会回答她的问题。“我来是因为我能来。”他傲慢地回答道。
斑叶眯起了眼睛：“你来这里，是为了搞清楚自己真正的命运，对吗？”
松鸦爪眨了眨眼：“你怎么知道？”
“你明明看不见，那你怎么找到了去月亮池的路呢？”她反问道。
“难道你要用更多问题，来回答我的问题吗？”
斑叶叹了口气，说道：“对不起，我不能告诉你更多信息了，你知道的事情已经很多了。”
“我什么也不知道！”松鸦爪的语气十分坚决，“向星族问一些事情，为什么就这么难！”
“因为它们担心你。”斑叶回答道，眼神顿时暗淡了下去。
松鸦爪哼了一声。连星族都把他看成一无是处的幼崽！“虎星和鹰霜看起来并不怎么担心我，”他大声说，“他们都认为，我命中注定会成为一位武士！”
“那你信任他们吗？”
松鸦爪想起来，遮掩两个武士内心世界的那团浓重的迷雾。“我不信任他们。”他犹豫不决地说道。
“那你信任我吗？”
“是的。”松鸦爪低声喃喃道。他感受到了斑叶此时内心的感受，那是一种夹杂着惋惜的慈爱。松鸦爪集中精力，他让自己的思维追随着这种感受，就像是在探索一条波光粼粼的小溪：渐渐地，他看到一只火焰色皮毛的猫，翠绿色的眼睛被愁云笼罩……是火星！这只星族的猫和雷族族长相爱了！不过这怎么可能？斑叶很久以前就离开了森林，火星也已经有了一个伴侣。松鸦爪继续搜索着，他心里清楚，一定还有更多被阴影遮蔽的信息，一些他意想不到的东西……
“你有着非凡的天赋。”斑叶说道，她的双眼警觉地闪烁着，似乎她已经感觉到，松鸦爪正窥探着她的内心世界。“你能看到其他猫所看不到的东西，你可以去连星族都去不了的地方。你一定要利用这种力量，为自己的族群做贡献。”
“不过，我该怎么做呢？”松鸦爪问道。
“你一定要成为一位巫医。”斑叶说。
不！
松鸦爪不想听这句话，他想要相信虎星和鹰霜的话。
“我就是要成为武士！”
“可你有超乎寻常的天赋啊！”
“就是在梦里看东西吗？这可不是什么天赋，雷族的其他猫都可以！”
“但是他们看不见你能看见的东西，他们也去不了你能去的地方啊。”
“所以我就能拜访星族啦！多大点事儿啊！”
“这可事关重大！”斑叶说。
“这又有什么用呢？”松鸦爪争辩道，“我的族猫都认为，我没什么用。”
“他们不知道你拥有的天赋。”
“什么天赋？”松鸦爪问道。
此刻，斑叶的身体开始颤抖起来：“松鸦爪，你有改变整个族群命运的力量！”
松鸦爪直直地盯着她：“可是我就想做一位武士啊！”
“接受你的命运吧！”
“这不公平！”
“我知道。”这位巫医的语气突然和缓了下来。她用尾巴拂过松鸦爪的鼻子，让他安静下来。松鸦爪感到一种倦意袭遍全身，这种感觉正将他带入梦乡。“你的天赋并不是一种负担，”她轻轻地说道，“不过你一定要勇敢，因为它蕴含的力量，比锋利的爪子更有力……”
松鸦爪努力不让自己睡过去，他还有很多问题要问。“不要啊。”松鸦爪抗议道。不过他的声音却越发微弱，四条腿也变得越发酥软。
松鸦爪睁开了眼睛，周围的世界再次陷入一片黑暗，他的身体又冷又痛，他猛然发现，自己还在月亮池边躺着。松鸦爪缓缓站起来，伸伸懒腰，顺着爪子下的小路，走出了山谷。他的脑海中，依然存留着星族那片狩猎场的图景。
比锋利的爪子更有力的力量……
当松鸦爪抵达山顶时，他回头看了看身后。
那个山谷被星光照亮了——他很清楚，就像自己能亲眼看到一样。月亮池在闪耀的星光下，泛起粼粼波光，四周的每块石头都如水晶一般，闪闪发亮。来时陪伴他的轻语声又响了起来。紧接着，刚才斑叶的话语，像永不停息的风一样，在他身边萦绕。
松鸦爪，接受你的命运吧！
就在这一刻，松鸦爪终于意识到，不管他寻觅了多久，不管他跋涉了多远，他永远都无法摆脱自己命中注定的东西。
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 23
“Dawn’s coming,” Leafpool whispered to Jaypaw. “You should get some rest.”
Jaypaw shook his head. “Not while we have so many sick cats to look after.”
He sniffed Poppypaw. The apprentice had developed a fever during the night and come to the medicine den. She lay now in a nest beside Ferncloud, her eyes sticky with pus, her breathing labored. The heat flooding from her frightened Jaypaw.
He listened, his pelt pricking with panic. The medicine den was crowded, the sound of wheezing and coughing jarred his ears, and the smell of sickness made his paws tremble with frustration. He had done everything he could to help his Clanmates, but no one was any better.
“Should we move them to the elders’ den?” he suggested to Leafpool, who was massaging Mousefur’s flank to try to help clear her breathing. “There’s more room there.”
“Mousefur and Ferncloud are too sick to move,” Leafpool pointed out. “Besides, there is water here.”
The pool of fresh water that trickled down the rock wall and gathered in a dip made it easy to soak moss for the thirsty cats. Jaypaw fetched a dripping ball of it for Poppypaw. He nudged her in an attempt to make her drink, but the tortoiseshell’s eyes were half closed, and she only groaned and pushed him away.
“If you won’t rest, at least get some fresh air,” Leafpool urged.
Jaypaw nodded. Wearily he padded out of the den. The air outside was clean and cold after the stuffy stench of the den. Even though it was barely dawn, Firestar was already below Highledge with Brambleclaw. They were organizing the patrols. Ashfur and Birchfall paced restlessly around them.
“We need to keep the patrols short,” Brambleclaw meowed to the ThunderClan leader.
“But we must make sure the ShadowClan border remains well guarded,” Ashfur pointed out. “We don’t want them to take advantage of our weakness.”
“Lots of small patrols would be more efficient,” Birchfall suggested.
“Yes,” Firestar agreed. “I don’t want our warriors to wear themselves out when there’s so much sickness around. We need them fit.”
“I can do two patrols a day.” Millie’s mew rang around the frozen hollow. The gray kittypet padded out from behind the warriors’ den, Graystripe at her side.
“Are you sure?” Firestar checked.
“I was given medicine by the vet to stop me from getting sick,” Millie explained. “Whenever other cats fell ill in Twolegplace, I always stayed well.”
Brambleclaw looked confused. “Vet?”
“The Cutter,” Graystripe explained.
“Well, it seems the Cutter has done me a favor,” Firestar meowed. “He has given me a healthy warrior.”
Firestar had called Millie a warrior.
Pleasure glowed from the she-cat, and Jaypaw heard Graystripe’s proud purr as his fur swished against hers.
“But,” Firestar went on, “I don’t want Graystripe to go with you.”
Graystripe’s purr died in his throat. “Why not?”
“You’re still weak from your journey,” Firestar replied. “And I can’t afford to lose you again. There are plenty of ways you can help in camp.” The ThunderClan leader’s voice was firm, and though Jaypaw felt Graystripe bristle with indignation, he did not challenge his old friend.
The yew bush quivered as Hollypaw and Lionpaw slid out of their den. Anxiously Jaypaw lifted his muzzle to taste their scent. He relaxed when it was clean and healthy.
“We want to go on the first patrol,” Lionpaw mewed.
“Unless the Clan needs us in camp,” Hollypaw added.
“Firestar?” Brambleclaw looked to the ThunderClan leader to decide.
Firestar swept his tail thoughtfully over the ground. “Lionpaw, you can patrol the border with Ashfur and Millie,” he meowed. “Hollypaw can hunt with Birchfall.”
“I’ll do my best,” Hollypaw promised.
Jaypaw padded over to her. “Make sure you stay away from the sick cats,” he warned. “Don’t share fresh-kill with any cat.” He glanced at Lionpaw. “And drink water as far from the camp as you can.” How would he cope if he had to watch them suffer along with his other patients? If only they had more catmint!
“Come on, Hollypaw!” Birchfall’s call was edgy with impatience, and she shot away to join him.
“We’ll join the hunt as soon as we’ve checked the border!” Ashfur called after them as they raced out of the camp.
“Don’t tire yourselves out,” Firestar warned.
“We won’t.” Lionpaw raced away from Jaypaw and pounded out of the camp behind his mentor.
A dark sense of dread pulsed across the clearing and swept Jaypaw like an icy wind. He jerked his head around and stared at Firestar. He’s terrified for us.
Paws hammered outside the thorn barrier. Squirrelflight and Sandstorm were returning to camp. Jaypaw smelled fresh-kill. They had been hunting.
“Is that all you could find?” Firestar’s greeting was sharp with shock.
A mouse and a sparrow. Jaypaw heard the two small bodies drop onto the empty space where the fresh-kill pile used to be.
“Shall we go out again?” Squirrelflight offered.
“Rest first,” Firestar meowed. “Birchfall and Hollypaw are hunting, too.”
His pelt swished as he wove around Sandstorm. Jaypaw sensed that her touch soothed some of the anxiety pounding through his body. The smell of fresh-kill made his belly rumble; he hadn’t eaten since yesterday. But Icekit and Foxkit needed food more than he did.
“Shall I take the mouse to the nursery?” he called to Firestar.
“Yes, please—” Firestar’s answer was cut short by a rustling on the slope outside the thorn barrier. Jaypaw tensed. He smelled WindClan.
Firestar padded to the entrance and sniffed the air.
“There’s only two of them,” Jaypaw called. He did not recognize the scents of the two WindClan cats who were padding toward the entrance of the hollow, but he sensed their anxiety as they padded into the camp.
The older of the two cats spoke first. “Forgive us for trespassing on ThunderClan territory.”
“Weaselfur!” Firestar sounded surprised. “What are you doing here?”
Jaypaw padded closer. The younger cat smelled of herbs.
“I’ve brought Kestrelpaw to speak with Leafpool,” Weaselfur meowed.
Kestrelpaw!Jaypaw remembered Barkface mentioning his apprentice when they had traveled to the Moonpool.
“Hi, there,” he called.
Kestrelpaw was fidgeting nervously, kneading the ground. “Are you Jaypaw?” he asked. “I need to speak to your mentor.”
Leafpool was already out of her den and padding toward Kestrelpaw. “What is it?”
“There’s greencough in WindClan,” Kestrelpaw mewed. “Barkface was hoping you could share your catmint.”
Leafpool sighed. “We have none. The frost killed it. We have sick cats too, and there’s nothing we can do to help them.”
Squirrelflight padded to join her sister. “RiverClan has catmint,” she meowed. “They would share it with us, wouldn’t they?”
“I’ve wondered about that,” Leafpool meowed.
Jaypaw’s tail bristled. Why hadn’t she mentioned it before?
“Let’s go and ask them,” Kestrelpaw suggested.
“Mothwing might need all her supplies for her own Clan,” Leafpool fretted.
“She wouldn’t let our Clanmates die if she knew how sick they were,” Squirrelflight argued.
“She might already know,” Kestrelpaw pointed out. “StarClan might have told her.”
Yeah, right,thought Jaypaw.
Leafpool shuffled her paws. “But what if there’s greencough in RiverClan too? She couldn’t risk giving away her supplies.”
Jaypaw didn’t understand why Leafpool was hesitating. “We’ve got to try!” he mewed. This was their chance to save the Clan.
Squirrelflight’s fur was pricking with frustration too. “The Clans have helped one another before when it’s been life or death.”
“I’llgo and ask RiverClan, if you’re too scared!” Jaypaw put in.
“I’m not scared!” Leafpool growled. “I just don’t want to put Mothwing in a difficult position.”
Jaypaw clawed the ground. “What would she say if she found out cats died and you never asked for help?” He felt Leafpool’s mind recoil with alarm—and something else, the horror of a long-buried memory. “She’d be devastated!” he pressed.
“Very well,” Leafpool agreed. “I’ll go and ask her.”
Jaypaw knew she’d travel faster without him. “I’ll stay here and look after the sick cats,” he offered.
Leafpool leaned down and touched her muzzle to his. “Thanks, Jaypaw.”
“I’ll do my best,” he mewed briskly. Then he realized that he would be responsible for every one of his Clanmates while Leafpool was away. The thought struck him like a kick to the belly.
Leafpool entwined his tail with hers. “Rely on your instincts, Jaypaw. They are sharper than any cat’s.”
He nodded, taking a deep breath. I know all the herbs, he reminded himself. And this is a chance to prove that I canhelp my Clan.
“Brightheart will help you if necessary,” Leafpool went on. “She’s worked with me before.”
Jaypaw’s tail pricked. Brightheart was the last cat he wanted watching him struggle to help his Clanmates. But he wasn’t going to let Leafpool know that.
“We’d better get going,” Leafpool meowed to the two WindClan cats.
Firestar padded over to block the entrance before Leafpool could head out. “I want Thornclaw and Brambleclaw to go with you,” he meowed.
“But we’re medicine cats,” Leafpool pointed out. “No cat will dare stop us.”
“You’re going to have to skirt the lake around ShadowClan territory,” Firestar pointed out. “I don’t trust ShadowClan right now.”
“Very well,” Leafpool meowed. She waited impatiently while Firestar called Thornclaw from the warriors’ den, and then the patrol raced out of the camp like rabbits.
Sandstorm came up to Jaypaw. “Can I help with anything?”
He didn’t know where to start. The medicine den was full, feverfew was running short, and he was so hungry he could hardly think straight.
“The mouse!” He suddenly remembered. “I was going to take it to the nursery for the kits.”
“I can do that,” Sandstorm meowed. “You go back to the medicine den.”
Her steady mew calmed him. “Thanks,” he murmured.
He returned to the den to find that Poppypaw’s fever had risen even more. Mousefur’s breathing was so shallow he had to press his muzzle to her flank to feel it. Ferncloud was begging for water, and the bedding stank.
StarClan, help me!Jaypaw closed his eyes for a moment. Summoning all his strength, he went to fetch a wad of soaked moss for Ferncloud.
“Sandstorm told me you need some help.” Brightheart’s voice sounded from the den entrance.
“Yes.” Jaypaw’s ears twitched nervously, but for the first time in days he felt no anger flash from the one-eyed warrior. “Can you help me clear out the old bedding?” he asked.
“I can do the bedding by myself,” Brightheart told him. “You see to your patients.” Something small and sweet-smelling thudded at his paws. “Sandstorm said you should eat this.” Brightheart had tossed him a piece of the mouse.
He shook his head.
“You have to keep your strength up,” Brightheart insisted. “While Leafpool’s gone, you are responsible for the whole Clan.”
Which meant that until Leafpool returned with catmint, there was nothing he could do except watch his Clanmates die. Jaypaw felt the same hopelessness as when he flailed his claws at Owlpaw in the battle against ShadowClan, never sure where his enemy would lunge from next.
“Eat the mouse,” Brightheart prompted.
“Okay.” He wasn’t going to act like a mewling kit. Did he want every cat to know he couldn’t cope? They already thought he was useless; they didn’t have to think he was weak and scared too!
Jaypaw gulped down the morsel, and then, while Brightheart started tugging out the foul bedding, he chewed up mouthfuls of feverfew and tried to persuade Poppypaw to swallow some. “Come on,” he urged her. “Just taste a little.”
Poppypaw pushed him away with a burning paw. “I can’t swallow,” she rasped.
“You must try.”
Jaypaw suddenly felt another pelt against his. He smelled Sorreltail, Poppypaw’s mother.
“She’s worse, isn’t she?” the she-cat mewed.
“Leafpool’s gone to RiverClan to ask for catmint,” Jaypaw told her.
“But will Poppypaw survive until she returns?” Sorreltail’s mew cracked with grief.
“I’ll make sure she does,” Jaypaw growled. He tried to stop his paws from trembling as he pushed the feverfew under Poppypaw’s nose yet again. He had been a medicine cat apprentice for less than a moon. Could he really keep a promise like that?
“Come on.” Brightheart nudged Sorreltail. “Jaypaw will do what he can. You should go hunting with Brackenfur. The more fresh-kill we have, the stronger the Clan will be.”
As the one-eyed warrior guided her Clanmate out of the medicine den, Jaypaw rubbed the feverfew pulp onto Poppypaw’s lips, hoping that some of it would find its way into her fever-racked body. For StarClan’s sake, eat this and get better!
Jaypaw woke with a start. He had dozed off without meaning to. The silence of night lay heavily on the forest. An owl hooted far away as Jaypaw struggled to his paws. He felt light-headed with hunger and exhaustion, but he had to check on the sick cats.
Brightheart was sleeping at the entrance to the den. Her steady breathing comforted him as he picked his way around the sick cats. Mousefur was shivering, and he pulled fresh moss over her to keep her warm, though heat pulsed from her body. Ferncloud murmured the names of her kits, and Whitewing fidgeted uncomfortably in her sleep. Jaypaw sat and listened. Something was not right. He ducked down beside Poppypaw. Her breathing had slowed.
Jaypaw’s heart began to race. He slid into the nest beside her and pressed his body against hers. She was unnaturally still. Fear gripped him; he had promised Sorreltail that he wouldn’t let her die. He focused on Poppypaw’s breathing and let his body relax. Then he steadied his breath until it fell into the same slow rhythm as hers. He closed his eyes, and the world opened up before him in shades of black, white, and silver, washed with moonlight. He could see the pale shape of Poppypaw padding through a forest. He recognized the trees and the undergrowth and the feel of the leaf-strewn earth underneath his paws at once. Poppypaw mustn’t come here!
“Poppypaw!” He hurried to catch up to the apprentice, and she turned to gaze at him.
“I’ve never been to this part of the forest before.” She sniffed the air. “It doesn’t smell like home. Do you know where we are?”
“Yes,” Jaypaw whispered.
“It’s strange,” Poppypaw mewed. “Whatever herbs you gave me must have worked, because I don’t feel sick anymore.”
Jaypaw didn’t reply. How was he going to bring Poppypaw back from this place? He padded wordlessly beside her, terrified of losing sight of her.
“The trees are so tall and leafy, and the undergrowth is thicker than anything.” Poppypaw obviously didn’t realize that Jaypaw could see it for himself. “Can you smell all the scents of prey? It’s like greenleaf here!”
“We’ve got to go back!” Jaypaw told her.
“But it’s so beautiful.”
“You shouldn’t be here!” I promised Sorreltail!
The trees opened before them.
“Stop!” Poppypaw gasped. “There’s a drop in front of us.”
Jaypaw could clearly see the hollow below them, the Moonpool cradled at the bottom like liquid starlight. In this place everything was connected, and the forest led all the way into the mountains. Jaypaw’s heart sank when he saw the shining pelts of StarClan gathered around the slopes.
“There’s a pool at the bottom,” Poppypaw breathed. “There are cats all around it. . . .” Her mew trailed away. “It’s StarClan, isn’t it? Does that mean I’m dead?”
Jaypaw’s throat went dry.
“Am I dead?” she repeated more urgently.
“Not yet.”
Jaypaw spun around when he heard Spottedleaf’s voice.
“Coming here with her was very brave,” murmured the tortoiseshell cat.
“I promised her mother I’d keep her safe,” Jaypaw told her
Poppypaw’s eyes clouded with confusion as she stared at Spottedleaf. “Who are you? Have you come to guide me to StarClan?”
“No!” Jaypaw growled. “Come back to the Clan with me, Poppypaw. I’ll take you home.”
“It’s okay, little one,” Spottedleaf meowed. “You can go with Jaypaw. There is a place here for you, but not yet.” Stretching forward, she touched her muzzle first to Poppypaw’s and then to Jaypaw’s. “Take her home,” she whispered.
Thank you!“Follow me,” he told Poppypaw, and, turning away from the glittering hollow, he led her back into the forest.
Brightheart’s voice cut through the air. “Jaypaw!”
He blinked open his eyes into darkness. “Brightheart?”
“I thought you were ill too,” Brightheart whispered. “Your breathing was so slow.”
Poppypaw!
He leaped to his paws and pressed his ear against her flank. She was still sleeping, but her breathing was deeper, steady and strong.
“How is she?” Brightheart asked.
“Better than she was.” Jaypaw sighed, closing his eyes with relief.
“I woke up and found the two of you hardly breathing.” Jaypaw could feel Brightheart’s gaze burning his pelt. “I’m glad you’re all right.” She brushed her tail briskly over the den floor. “Dawn’s nearly here. I’ll go and find Sorreltail. She’ll be relieved to hear the news.”
As Brightheart padded out of the den, Jaypaw felt fresh energy tingling through his paws. He leaned down and whispered in the apprentice’s ear, “I promised I would save you.”
Poppypaw stirred. “Jaypaw? Is that you?” Her voice was weak and whispery. “I had the strangest dream!”
Jaypaw tensed. He couldn’t let the other cats know what he had done to bring Poppypaw back from StarClan. “I expect it was because of the fever,” he soothed her.
“Maybe.” Poppypaw sounded uncertain. “I was in a forest I’d never seen before, but it felt like home. There were other cats there—and you, Jaypaw! You said I didn’t have to stay. . . .”
Jaypaw turned away. “It was just a dream. You’re better now. That’s all that matters.”
“Leafpool’s here!” Brackenfur’s cry filled the hollow, and Jaypaw raced from the den. He could smell the catmint already, and knew that Leafpool had brought plenty.
She was hurrying toward him, fragrant leaves bunched in her jaws. Thornclaw and Brambleclaw followed, carrying more. They dropped them at the den entrance while Jaypaw followed Leafpool inside.
“We left Weaselfur and Kestrelpaw at the lake,” she told him when she had put down the catmint. “Mothwing had plenty. She gave us enough to cure all our sick Clanmates. She said she’d have sent some earlier if she’d known.”
And who would have told her? thought Jaypaw.Not StarClan. He began to help Leafpool dose the sick cats.
Sorreltail nosed her way into the den, relief and gratitude flooding the air around her. “I don’t know how you did it, but I know you helped Poppypaw survive the night.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “Thank you.”
Jaypaw felt Leafpool’s tail gently flick his flank. “I knew you’d be fine without me,” she meowed.
As Jaypaw pressed another pawful of catmint beneath Whitewing’s nose, he heard Leafpool slip out of the den. The medicine cat had been quiet since she returned. Not just because she was busy tending to the sick cats—Jaypaw could sense that something was troubling her. He lifted his muzzle, intrigued, as the brambles swept back into place after her.
“Eat these slowly,” he advised Whitewing. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
He nosed his way out of the den and sniffed. Leafpool was sitting below Highledge with Firestar. Quietly, he hurried into the clearing and ducked down behind the halfrock. The two cats were sharing words in hushed whispers.
“There’s sickness in all the Clans,” Leafpool told Firestar. “Greencough and whitecough. The frosts have taken their toll on prey in every territory, and all the Clans are weakened by hunger.”
“Even ShadowClan?”
“Littlecloud joined us to fetch catmint,” she answered. “He told me that they had lost an elder.”
Sadness pulsed from Firestar. “It’s been a hard leaf-bare for every Clan.”
Jaypaw pricked his ears. He could tell that Leafpool had not said all that she meant to. Then Leafpool whispered so quietly that Jaypaw had to stretch forward to hear.
“There’s a lot of bad feeling in the Clans,” she murmured. “A feeling that this run of cold weather and sickness and poor prey is more than just bad luck.”
Jaypaw’s blood pounded, and Leafpool’s mew was suddenly swamped by the murmuring of distant voices that rang in his ears, voices from all four Clans around the lake. . . . StarClan doesn’t want us to stay here! The new territories can’t support us all. What if the sickness spreads?
The whispers of doubt crowded his mind. He pressed himself to the earth and closed his eyes. Was StarClan punishing the Clans, and if so, why?
第十七章
第十七章
天还没亮，冬青爪就醒来了。巫医巢穴的墙壁上挂了一层霜，在夜色里闪烁着微光。她知道自己再也睡不着了，脑海中全是昨天与影族激战的场景。冬青爪还想到，自己以后的学徒任务将会如何艰难，因为除了战斗，她还要处理众多武士的伤情。唉，伤势的康复为什么会这样艰难和痛苦呢？
冬青爪伸伸懒腰，爬出自己的窝。她身体仍感到很痛，不过想到影族武士如同受惊的老鼠一样仓皇逃窜，就算受伤再重也值了。冬青爪看了看此刻依然沉睡的叶池。叶池的气息在冰冷的空气中浮动着。冬青爪悄悄溜出了巢穴，生怕打搅了叶池的睡眠。入口的黑莓丛都被冰冻住了，变得硬邦邦的，当她走出去时，发出咯吱咯吱的响声。
营地里空荡荡的。森林里也是一片沉寂，好像冰冷的空气把所有的叶子都冻僵了。石头山谷上方，被霜染白的树枝后面，黎明的天空已开始微微泛起粉色的光芒。冬青爪满怀期待地看着猎物堆，可那里也空荡荡的。突如其来的冷空气，已经把大部分猎物赶回自己的洞穴去了。猫们要等到猎物们下次出洞找食吃的时候，才能再次出去狩猎。当太阳升起时，香薇云和她的幼崽们一定会需要食物的。于是，冬青爪穿过了空地，钻出了荆棘屏障。
溪儿正在入口处来回走动着，那身厚厚的皮毛盖满了霜，闪着光。她听到了冬青爪爪子落地的声音，回头张望着。
“你起得好早啊！”
“我睡不着。”冬青爪打了个哈欠说，“黎明巡逻队出发了吗？”
“还没呢。”
“我想去找一些猎物给香薇云。”冬青爪解释道。
溪儿好奇地望着她：“你心肠真好，不过今早叶池应该会需要你帮助的。”
冬青爪叹了口气。
“你这么年轻，为什么总是唉声叹气呢？”溪儿说着，那双灰色的眼睛里透着一丝忧虑。
“没有我，叶池做起事来会更顺利吧！”冬青爪喃喃道。
“不是这样的。”溪儿说，“昨天要是没有你的帮助，她怎么可能应付得了那么多伤员呢。”
“她不得不这样！”冬青爪坦白道，“在战斗当中，我实在太兴奋了，完全忘了自己只不过是一位巫医学徒。但接着，当我准备帮她忙时，我却手忙脚乱，这感觉很不好。我必须让族猫们吞咽那味道恶心的草药叶，那些草药糊好像只会让伤口变得更疼。我觉得，我是在帮倒忙。”她伤心地坐到了地上，“我以前也想过，如果自己能成为巫医，就能更好地为族群做贡献了。这就是我要成为叶池学徒的原因，她对我们雷族至关重要。”
“你是要让自己变得重要，是吗？”溪儿问道。
冬青爪想了一会儿。其实这背后真正的原因，远比溪儿说的要复杂。“所有的猫都尊重叶池，她说什么，大家都会听她的。”
“可是所有的猫都听你的、都尊重你，和为族群做贡献，是一回事吗？”
冬青爪抬头看了看这只山区来的猫。溪儿的眼睛睁得圆圆的，露出同情的神色。“我想，是不一样的，”冬青爪说道，“我当时只是想，我只有这样做，才是帮助整个族群的最好方式。”
“那你现在的想法变了吗？”
“我不认为自己成为巫医，就会更好地帮助族群，”冬青爪轻轻地说，“我记不住草药的名字。比起治疗病猫，在战场上与影族作战，才更让我兴奋。而且我想去抓老鼠，而不是采集什么琉璃苣或艾菊。”说着说着，一股挫败感涌上冬青爪的心头，“我走错路了！现在没有猫会尊重我了！”
溪儿的尾巴尖儿在冬青爪的后背上轻拂着。“一只猫的忠诚和勇气，才是获得同伴尊重的原因，而不是身处要职。”她说道，“昨天你和灰条并肩作战的时候，你认为他发挥的作用没有黑莓掌重要吗？或者，当狮爪帮你赶走那只影族公猫时，你会认为他没有叶池重要吗？”
冬青爪摇摇头。
“一只猫在太年轻的时候，的确很难做出重大的决定。”这只来自山区的猫接着说，“当我还在急水部落的时候，那里的猫们无须做什么重大的决定。所有猫的工作职责，无非就是狩猎和守卫洞穴而已。像我一样的狩猎者，都是身形消瘦、体态轻盈；而山洞卫士都肌肉发达、身材强壮。每只猫从出生之日起，一生的命运就已确定，大家都会尽力做好自己的职责。”
冬青爪吃了一惊：“你们什么选择都不能做吗？”
“山洞卫士变成狩猎者并不是不可能，反之亦然。只不过一般来说，每只猫都能根据自己天生具备的能力强弱，各司其职。这不是很好吗？”
“我没有掌握草药知识的天分。”冬青爪又叹了口气。
“想一想你的长处，别想短处。”溪儿鼓励她道，“作为族群中的一员，你有充分的自由来左右自己的命运，而急水部落里的猫却没有这种权利。不过在利用这种自由时，你要多加思索。”
冬青爪突然想起自己和炭爪参加的那次战斗训练。她做的每个动作，都是那么自然而流畅，连云尾都对她的表现印象深刻。在与影族的战斗中，当她从身下对那位影族武士的爪子发起袭击时，她本能地意识到，自己当时将要做什么。“我能战斗。”她握紧了自己的爪子，说道。
“你有武士应具备的强大力量，”溪儿说，“你能成为最优秀的武士，这也是你为族群做贡献的最好方式，你说对吗？”
冬青爪几天来沉重的心情，终于放松了一些。
“不过别忘了，你必须告诉叶池一声。”
冬青爪的神情有些低落，她低头看着自己的爪子，说道：“那是自然。她肯定会失望的，我让她失望了。”
“叶池很聪明，她能注意到你深藏的天赋。”溪儿说，“没关系，她会认为，你说出自己内心的想法是勇敢的。总比因为自傲或倔强，硬撑下去的好。”
“你真的认为这样做合适？”
“将来，你一定会为族群做出最大的贡献，叶池会知道的。”
荆棘屏障里面传来了脚步声——黎明巡逻队准备出发了。冬青爪感激地向溪儿眨眨眼睛。“谢谢你。”她轻轻地说。
溪儿低下头，转过身，注视着森林。冬青爪俯下身，钻出荆棘屏障，正巧避开了外出巡逻的灰条、栗尾和蜜爪。她清楚自己要做什么。她将会像狮爪和松鸦爪那样，成为一位普通的学徒，并且努力训练，履行武士职责，为族群效力。
不过首先，她必须把自己的想法告诉叶池。
冬青爪活动了一下肩膀，钻进了巫医巢穴。
叶池正在往一片叶子上涂抹着蜂蜜。“真希望这寒冷的天气能早些过去，”她低声喃喃道，“长尾和小冰的嗓子都在疼。”
冬青爪突然感觉，自己的胸部好像被刺扎过一般难受。因为做得不够好，就要放弃自己长久以来的梦想？悲伤笼罩了她。就这么轻易放弃，真的好吗？
“怎么了，冬青爪？”叶池抬起头问道，“你看起来就像刚刚弄丢了我们巢穴里所有的罂粟籽一样！”接着，她的脸严肃起来，“你不会是真的弄丢了吧？”
冬青爪摇摇头。“不是的。我有一件非常重要的事情要告诉你。”她强迫自己注视着老师的双眼，“我不想再做巫医学徒了。”她说。
叶池眨眨眼：“为什么呢？”
“我必须依照自己的长处，来选择自己的命运。”冬青爪说，“你应该也知道，我自己不适合当巫医。”
“你很聪明，也很勤奋。你可以学习啊。”
“但我一点也找不到感觉，”冬青爪试着解释着，脑袋偏向一边，“你能理解吗？”
“你是不是感觉自己像一条逆流而上的鱼？”叶池问她。
“就是这种感觉。”冬青爪点点头，心里特别难受，“如果我掉转方向，顺流游动，我就会游得更快些。”
“所以，你想去参加武士训练了？”
“我想，这样一来，我就能更好地为族群服务。”
叶池的眼睛突然被愁云笼罩：“我感觉，我似乎让你失望了。”
“不是的！”冬青爪顿时觉得愧对自己的老师，“你一直都非常耐心，对我非常好。只是，当巫医真的不适合我。”
“你本来可以成为一位优秀的巫医的。”叶池甩了甩尾巴，“不过我知道，你不管做什么，都想做到尽善尽美。”
“为了全族群的福祉，我必须这样。”
叶池向前迈了几步，用鼻子蹭了蹭冬青爪的脸颊。“你一定会成为出色的武士的，冬青爪。”她说，“你有着武士所应具备的品质——高贵、忠诚、勇敢，而且我也看得出来，你会为族群的福祉，牺牲自己的一切。”她的眼睛闪着光芒，“我一直都为你骄傲。”
叶池的话语抚平了冬青爪心头的悲伤：“我现在必须把这件事告诉火星，他会给我找一位新的老师。”
“别着急！”叶池提醒她说，“你还是再考虑一下吧！”
“我已考虑过很多次了，”冬青爪坚持说道，“我想尽快把这件事决定下来。”
“我跟你一起去。”叶池说。
“谢谢你。”一想到要直面火星，冬青爪心里就十分忐忑。要是他认为自己没有常性，只是说说而已，那该怎么办？
她们一起穿过雾蒙蒙的空地。叶池让冬青爪先爬上落石堆，自己跟在后面。冬青爪紧张地喊了一声，通报自己来了。
“进来！”
冬青爪走进洞穴。晨曦从她的身后洒进来，照亮了洞穴。沙风正在帮着清理火星的耳朵，冬青爪和叶池走进来时，她抬头看了一眼。
火星赶忙坐起来，问道：“长尾的嗓子怎么样了？”
“没事，他没得白咳症，”叶池汇报道，“鼠毛坚持说，他只是睡觉打鼾打得嗓子疼。”
火星转身看着冬青爪，一双翠绿色的眼睛睁得大大的，充满了关切：“你怎么了，好像有什么心事？”
冬青爪身体重心从一只脚爪移到另一只脚爪。自己这样做，是不是违反武士守则了呢？叶池会不会替她说些什么呢？她使劲吸了一口气。她决定了，要遵从自己内心的想法。整个雷族的确需要巫医来为大家服务，可她相信，这只猫并不是她。
“我想成为武士学徒，”冬青爪直截了当地说，“我觉得，自己不适合当巫医。”
“你觉得自己更适合成为武士，对吗？”火星一边问，一边眯起眼睛。
“我知道我自己能行！”
火星看了看叶池：“你觉得她说得有道理吗？”
“我相信，当武士才是她真正想做的。”叶池轻轻用尾巴抚摩着冬青爪的腹部，“她工作起来非常勤奋，我也很喜欢训练她，可她觉得自己的长项不是这个。如果她真的这么想，成为武士可能更好。”
“我会一直铭记叶池教给我的东西，”冬青爪保证道，“总有一天，这些东西会派上用场。”
火星点了点头：“好的。既然叶池同意了，你就可以参加武士训练了。我会尽快再找一位老师给你的。”
冬青爪抬头看了看火星，心想，他可能会再说几句话吧。不过火星只是沉默地注视着她，没再说话。他一定是在思索，谁来当她的老师更合适。冬青爪转身走过叶池身边，朝洞穴入口走去。
“你这么做肯定需要很大的勇气，”火星在她身后大声说，“我为你感到骄傲。”
冬青爪回头看了看雷族族长，说道：“谢谢你。”
冬青爪跳跃着下到空地上，感觉爪子顿时轻松了很多。她突然想起来，自己原本打算今天早晨去狩猎的。或许狮爪会和自己一起去。冬青爪看着学徒巢穴，心里想着，他应该醒了吧？这时，她看到松鸦爪从荆棘屏障里钻了出来，后面跟着溪儿，脸上露出轻松的表情。冬青爪从松鸦爪疲惫的神情里猜到，她弟弟一定整晚都在营地外。溪儿朝武士巢穴走去，准备好好睡一觉。冬青爪赶忙跑到松鸦爪身边。
“你看起来好疲惫啊！”她说道，“你去哪里了？”
松鸦爪的眼睛浑浊而模糊，皮毛也显得十分凌乱。“我待会儿再跟你说吧，”他说，“我要去见火星。”
“你还是先去睡会儿觉吧，”冬青爪建议道，“还有，火星现在正忙着跟叶池谈事情呢。”
“我也要去见叶池。”
他在说什么？难道发生什么事了吗？冬青爪的脑海中闪过一丝警觉，尾巴不停地抽动着。
松鸦爪爬上落石堆想去找火星时，摔了一跤。
“我来帮你，”冬青爪连忙说，“你太累了，独自没法上去。”
松鸦爪第一次没有拒绝其他猫的帮助。冬青爪内心焦虑的情绪越发强烈，不过她没再开口说话。很显然，松鸦爪已经下定决心，要跟火星说什么了。冬青爪再说些什么，都是浪费时间。她把尾巴搭在他的肩膀上，引着他朝落石堆上方攀爬。
在火星巢穴外面的平台上，冬青爪再次报上自己的名字。
“这么快就回来了？”火星在里面喊着。
看到松鸦爪和冬青爪站在一起，火星一脸的惊讶，但还没等他开口说话，松鸦爪已经跌跌撞撞地走到洞穴中间。他用那双看不见的眼睛注视着火星。松鸦爪的目光如此专注，似乎他能像正常的猫一样，清晰地看见这位雷族族长。
“我要接受训练，成为一位巫医。”他说道。
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 24
Hollypaw twitched her nose. Something was different. The air smelled damp and warm.
Happily, she stretched in her nest, pushing against Hazelpaw’s back with her hind paws.
“Get off!” Hazelpaw complained.
“Can’t you smell it?”
Hazelpaw yawned. “Smell what?”
“It’s warmer!” Hollypaw jumped out of her nest.
She ducked out of the den and screwed up her eyes against the light. The frost had gone. The clearing was damp where the ice had melted, the bushes dripping, and sunshine was already filling the camp with pale yellow. At the top of the cliffs, the trees seemed wrapped in a green haze. Newleaf had arrived at last.
Firestar was grooming Sandstorm below Highledge. His bones looked sharp beneath his pelt as he crouched to lick Sandstorm’s ears, but his tail flicked happily. Icekit and Foxkit squealed with delight as Birchfall and Berrypaw chased them in circles outside the nursery. Ferncloud rested beside Daisy at the den entrance, clearly enjoying the morning’s warmth. Her eyes were clear, and only a little crust around her nose betrayed that she had been so ill. Poppypaw was on the mend too, recovering in the elders’ nest with Mousefur, though she wouldn’t be well enough to go to the Gathering tonight.
Hollypaw heard paws pounding through the thorn barrier, and Thornclaw charged into camp at the head of a patrol. A mouse dangled from his jaws. Whitewing followed him, carrying a small chaffinch, and Ashfur and Lionpaw came in last, each carrying a vole.
Hollypaw’s eyes grew round. She hadn’t seen so much fresh-kill in ages.
As Thornclaw dropped his catch onto the patch of earth that had been empty for too long, Firestar got to his paws to greet the returning patrol. “It looks like the prey’s running richer already!”
Lionpaw padded excitedly around Ashfur. “There were primroses on the ShadowClan border and buds on the Sky Oak!”
“And prey seemed to be moving in every burrow,” Whitewing added.
Firestar scanned the clearing. “Brambleclaw?”
The deputy came hurrying out of the warriors’ den, Squirrelflight behind him.
“The prey’s running again.” Firestar flicked his tail toward the fresh-kill pile. “Lead another patrol out toward the WindClan border and see what you can catch.”
Brambleclaw’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Berrypaw!” he called to his apprentice. “We’re going hunting.”
Berrypaw stopped chasing the kits.
“Can we come too?” Foxkit begged.
Icekit swiped her brother playfully around the ears. “We’re only kits,” she mewed. “They’ll never let us go with them.”
“But watch this hunting move!” Foxkit crouched down, sticking his tail in the air and wiggling his haunches. He lunged forward and landed on a leaf, pinning it to the ground.
Icekit’s short whiskers quivered with amusement. “Next time we need leaves, I’m sure Brambleclaw will ask you to help!”
“You’ll make a great warrior,” Berrypaw told him. “And I promise to bring something tasty back for you.”
Hollypaw darted forward. “Can I go with them?” she asked Brambleclaw.
“You’re going to the Gathering tonight,” he meowed. “I want you to save your energy for that.”
“But I’ve been asleep half the morning,” she protested.
“You’re half-starved, like the rest of the Clan,” Brambleclaw told her. “Rest and eat today. You can hunt tomorrow.”
“But Lionpaw’s been hunting!” Hollypaw answered hotly. “It’s not fair.”
“Life isn’t fair. Stay in camp.” He nodded to Squirrelflight and together they led Berrypaw out into the forest.
Furious, Hollypaw turned and stomped across the clearing. Her Clan was starving and they wouldn’t let her hunt! For a moment she wondered whether to sneak out of camp and hunt by herself. But if she got caught Firestar probably wouldn’t let her go to the Gathering orhunting tomorrow. It wasn’t worth it.
Overhead, the great white moon made the hollow glow with silver light.
Hollypaw sniffed the air. Clear skies. A good sign.
Graystripe and Millie waited in the clearing with Ashfur and Stormfur. Brackenfur sat beside them, tugging with his teeth at the fur between his claws. Squirrelflight washed her ears as Brambleclaw stood next to her and glanced up at Highledge. They would leave for the Gathering as soon as Firestar appeared.
The apprentices were fidgeting beside the thorn barrier.
“Do you think Blackstar will mention the battle?” Cinderpaw mewed.
Honeypaw paced in front of the camp entrance. “I bet ShadowClan never talks about its defeats.”
“What do you think, Hollypaw?” Lionpaw asked. But Hollypaw hardly heard. Jaypaw was staring at the patrol as it prepared to leave camp. His clear blue gaze gave nothing away, but she knew how disappointed he must be.
She padded over to him. “I’ll tell you about it as soon as I get back,” she promised.
Jaypaw didn’t reply.
She pressed her flank against his. “You’ll go to the next Gathering, I’m sure,” she comforted him. “Poppypaw and Mousefur will be better by then.”
“I know.” Only the smallest twitch of his tail betrayed his frustration.
“Hollypaw!” Brackenfur’s call made her jump. Firestar had leaped down from Highledge, Sandstorm behind him.
“I’ve got to go,” she mewed.
“Hurry up!” Lionpaw called as she hurried to join the others.
Hollypaw glanced over her shoulder at Jaypaw. He had gotten to his paws and was padding slowly toward the elders’ den.
“Jaypaw will be fine,” Cinderpaw reassured her.
Hollypaw stiffened her shoulders. Jaypaw was taking care of his Clan. Besides, she didn’t want to worry about her brother right now. This was her first Gathering as a warrior apprentice, and her paws tingled with anticipation.
Firestar signaled with a flick of his tail, then dived out through the thorn tunnel. Brambleclaw and the other warriors sped after him. The apprentices bunched together as they raced to be first out of camp. Lionpaw’s pelt brushed against Hollypaw’s. His fur was bristling as they burst from the tunnel.
“Do you think the other Clans know I’m a warrior apprentice now?” Hollypaw panted, ducking through the bracken.
“If they don’t, I’m sure you’ll tell them,” Lionpaw teased.
Hollypaw nudged him with her shoulder and sent him veering against a bramble bush.
“Hey!” he protested. Hollypaw sped ahead and Lionpaw pelted after her.
She raced past Ashfur and Stormfur and swerved to shelter behind Brackenfur. “Help!” she squealed. “Lionpaw’s trying to get me!”
A purr rumbled in Brackenfur’s throat. “Don’t hide behind me!” He lengthened his stride and shot forward, leaving Hollypaw undefended. Lionpaw caught up with her and nudged her, making her stumble.
“Now we’re even!” he called.
“I’ll get you later!” she threatened.
The patrol pounded down the slope toward the lakeshore. Graystripe pulled ahead, clearly excited to be going to a Gathering with his Clan once more. He glanced, eyes shining, at Millie, as she caught up with him. “Do you still think you made the right decision, coming with me to the Clan?”
“Wherever you are is the right place for me to be,” Millie replied quietly.
Leaves turned to grass and then marsh beneath their paws, and the cats slowed as they skirted the lake. They had to travel slowly over the boggy earth, which gave way under every paw step.
Before long Hollypaw could see the silhouette of the fallen tree bridging the gap between shore and island. Her paws tingled, and she quickened her step. Firestar and Squirrelflight were already crossing, with Sandstorm and Honeypaw right behind them, while Brambleclaw and Berrypaw waited their turn next to Leafpool.
“Are you ready?” Brackenfur asked as he caught up to her by the tree-bridge.
“Totally!” she mewed.
“Up you go, then.” Brackenfur waited while Hollypaw scrambled up among the tangled roots. She unsheathed her claws, ready for the slippery bark. Gripping on tightly, she wove her way among the twigs and knotholes, relieved when she had crossed the black, lapping water and could jump down onto the shore
While the other cats crossed behind her, Hollypaw watched for Firestar’s signal. Moonlight glittered on the lake beyond the trees, and she could smell the scents of the other Clans already on the island. Her heart thumped as hard as rabbits’ paws when Firestar nodded and headed into the undergrowth.
Hollypaw couldn’t wait to talk to her fellow apprentices. She was one of them now, and she realized how much she had felt like an outsider when she had been a medicine cat apprentice
“I hope—” she began.
But Lionpaw had halted. He was staring into the clearing. “Something’s wrong,” he whispered.
“What?” Hollypaw glanced around, suddenly apprehensive.
It seemed different from last time. The other cats were huddled with their Clanmates, not milling around or sharing tongues with different Clans. They looked thinner and angrier, their eyes gleaming like foxes’.
“What’s wrong with everyone?” Hollypaw mewed.
“It’s been a tough leaf-bare,” Firestar reassured his Clanmates. “Everyone’s weaker and hungrier. They’ll be warier. So be cautious.”
Hollypaw stayed by her brother. She didn’t like the angry glances that flashed from warrior to warrior.
“Don’t worry,” Lionpaw murmured. “Everyone will settle down soon.”
A hiss and a yowl made Hollypaw jerk her head around. Fur and claws flew as Berrypaw leaped onto Owlpaw. The ShadowClan apprentice wrestled him over and pinned him to the ground, but Berrypaw slid sideways with a quick, clean jerk and unbalanced him.
“Stop it!” Brambleclaw’s fierce mew echoed around the trees. He raced to his apprentice and plucked him away from Owlpaw by his scruff. Berrypaw’s legs still churned in the air, his claws gleaming in the moonlight.
“There’s a truce!” Brambleclaw reminded him sternly.
Hollypaw glanced up at the moon. Thin wisps of cloud were drifting in front of it. Her heart lurched. Had Berrypaw and Owlpaw upset StarClan?
Berrypaw shook out his pelt as Brambleclaw dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. “Owlpaw started it,” he growled. “He called me a kittypet!”
Hollypaw felt her pelt bristle. Berrypaw had been training for moons to be a ThunderClan warrior. And yet he wasn’t truly Clanborn. He had been born in the horseplace with Hazelpaw and Mousepaw, not in the hollow. Daisy had brought them to ThunderClan only to stop the Twolegs from taking them away.
A yowl sounded from the Great Oak. “Let the Gathering begin!” Firestar called.
Hollypaw wove her way through her Clanmates to sit between Leafpool and Brambleclaw. Lionpaw squeezed in beside her.
“Look at the way Blackstar is glaring at us!” she gulped. The ShadowClan leader was staring down at the ThunderClan cats through slitted eyes, his lips twitching as though he only just suppressed a snarl.
Leopardstar spoke first. “RiverClan has suffered this past moon.” The golden-spotted tabby gazed solemnly around the Clans. “Just when we hoped newleaf would bring an end to the hard season, new frosts brought more hunger, and with it, sickness.”
Cats from all four Clans murmured in agreement.
Leopardstar narrowed her eyes. “Who knows what the next seasons will bring? Twolegs invaded our territories last greenleaf. Will they come in greater numbers this time and destroy our land, just as they did in the forest?”
“Why should they?” Ashfoot called from among WindClan.
“Why should leaf-bare have brought so much tragedy?” Leopardstar shot back. “Is StarClan trying to send us a message? Could it be that we do not belong here?”
“I’ve had no signs from StarClan to suggest anything like that!” Leafpool put in quickly.
“Nor I!” Barkface agreed.
“We’ve always had to endure times of hunger and sickness,” Squirrelflight pointed out. “Even back in the forest!”
“Squirrelflight’s right!” Onestar agreed.
Leopardstar glanced sideways to Blackstar, and Hollypaw noticed her flick her tail, as though she was prompting the ShadowClan leader to do something.
Blackstar’s eyes grew thin and hostile. “Littlecloud has had a sign!” he announced.
All eyes turned to Littlecloud. The ShadowClan medicine cat’s pelt was ruffled, and his eyes were clouded with anxiety. “I dreamed that a warrior brought strange new prey into the camp, a bird I had never seen before. I bit into it and found its belly writhing with maggots.”
Anxious whispers rippled around the Clans. They were silenced by Blackstar. “StarClan is warning us that strangers are poisoning the Clans!”
“They might be warning us to be wary of unfamiliar prey!” Leafpool objected.
A shadow fell over the clearing, and Hollypaw saw with dread that more thin clouds were passing in front of the moon. StarClan was definitely unhappy.
Blackstar glared at Firestar. “You have given a home to so many cats born outside the forest that you are weakening Clan blood,” he accused. “Why else would StarClan let us suffer?” He stared accusingly at the ThunderClan leader, then let his gaze sweep over Stormfur, Brook, Berrypaw, and Millie.
Outrage churned in Hollypaw’s belly. They are all warriors!Even she had distant kittypet blood, but she was Clanborn through and through.
“Kittypets and outsiders!” Oakfur sneered.
“You are destroying the warrior code!” Owlpaw yowled.
Brambleclaw’s pelt bristled, and Stormfur got to his paws, curling his lip in a snarl. But Firestar’s fierce gaze flashed across the Clans, silencing them.
“We will not be blamed for bad weather!” he hissed. “We suffered worse things in our old home. StarClan led us here. Did any cat expect that they would lead us to an easy life?” The Clans listened in silence at first; then some cats began to murmur in agreement as he went on. “Surely it is our struggle against hardship that makes us true warriors.” He glared at Blackstar. “You think fresh blood in the Clans will weaken us? A life without hardship would weaken us more.”
Onestar nodded. “Blackstar talks as though StarClan should grant us nothing but blessings. Does he want us to live the spoiled life of kittypets?”
Blackstar shot him a look of cold fury.
Ashfur got to his paws. “Pure blood is no guarantee of virtue!”
“May I have permission to speak?” Hollypaw turned and saw Squirrelflight padding her way to the front of the Clan. Firestar nodded.
Squirrelflight gazed calmly around the Clans. Hollypaw felt pride warming her pelt. Go on, Squirrelflight!
“We have all suffered,” Squirrelflight acknowledged. “But we must look forward, not back. Newleaf has come. Our territories are warming up and filling with prey. Thanks to Mothwing, we all have a good supply of catmint.”
As she spoke, a warm breeze swept across the island. The clearing brightened as the clouds started to drift away from the moon.
“StarClan agrees with her!”
“It’s a sign!”
Pelts smoothed and tails fell still as the cats began to calm down.
Squirrelflight went on. “This is the start of our second newleaf by the lake. We should mark its return with a special Gathering.”
Hollypaw leaned forward, puzzled.
“While the moon is still full, we could meet in daylight.”
“Why should we do that?” Blackstar snapped. “The truce comes only with the full moon.”
“The moon is as full during the day as it is at night,” Crowfeather pointed out.
“We should meet,” Squirrelflight pressed, “to share skills and training methods. To show that we have not forgotten the Great Journey that brought us here, when the warrior code protected us as one.”
“We could have contests!” For the first time Pebblepaw spoke. The RiverClan apprentice’s eyes were shining with enthusiasm.
“The apprentices from each Clan could compete against one another to see who has the best skills!” Heatherpaw called out
Even Owlpaw looked interested. “I bet I could beat any ThunderClan cat at hunting!” he boasted.
“No cat could beat Pouncepaw at catching fish!” called Mistyfoot.
“That’s cheating!” Lionpaw mewed. “Every cat knows only RiverClan enjoys getting their paws wet!”
Hollypaw realized that the Clans’ fear and anger had turned to excitement and friendly challenge. Her mother had distracted them from accusations of impure blood by reminding them of the time they had united to make the Great Journey, and of how much they could still offer to one another. Hollypaw glanced up at Firestar. The ThunderClan leader sat in silence, his eyes gleaming with pride as he looked down at Squirrelflight
Even Onestar seemed keen. “Where should we hold this competition?”
“What about on the land where we first sheltered when we arrived at the lake?” Ashfur answered.
Leopardstar shook her head. “It’s too marshy.”
“The land between the forest and the lake on our territory would be great for a Gathering,” Firestar offered. “It’s grassy, so all cats will be used to the terrain. And it drains well even in the wettest weather. There’s enough space, and no cat will get his paws wet. So long as each Clan brings its own fresh-kill, we could meet there.”
“The moon will still be almost full in two sunrises,” Leopardstar meowed. “Shall we meet then?” She gazed around the Clans. Heads were nodding and tails flicking with excitement.
“Very well,” Leopardstar concluded. She turned to Firestar.“If it’s all right with you, we will meet at sunhigh.”
Firestar nodded.
Hollypaw shifted her paws, suddenly uneasy. The Gathering would be fun, but it wouldn’t stop the other Clans from blaming ThunderClan’s mixed blood the next time something went wrong.
“Then it’s settled,” Onestar agreed. He leaped down from the tree, followed by Firestar and Leopardstar. Only Blackstar lingered, his eyes burning with anger.
But the Gathering was breaking up, the cats padding away from the clearing, chattering like starlings.
“Can you believe that?” Lionpaw asked.
Hollypaw glanced back at her mother, who was padding toward the trees beside Brambleclaw and Firestar. “Squirrelflight smoothed things over.” But for how long?
“I can’t wait to tell Jaypaw!” Lionpaw mewed. “Do you think he’ll like the idea?”
A knot of unease twisted in Hollypaw’s belly. How could a blind cat join in with the contests? “Perhaps medicine cats won’t take part,” she mewed. “After all, they’re not like warriors. They’re more used to helping one another than competing.”
Cinderpaw came hurtling up beside them as they neared the fallen tree. “I bet Lionpaw wins the hunting,” she panted.
Lionpaw purred self-consciously. “Well, Hollypaw will win the fighting,” he mewed.
Brook’s quiet voice sounded behind them. “As long as you all try your best, your Clan will be proud of you.”
Hollypaw couldn’t imagine nottrying her best. Her pelt tingled. Perhaps this kind of Gathering might resolve something after all. It would be a chance for ThunderClan to prove to the other Clans—especially ShadowClan—that they were allworthy warriors, and that being Clanborn had nothing to do with it.
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 25
Sunhigh was approaching—Jaypaw could feel the warmth on his back. He padded into the camp with a wad of dock leaves clasped in his jaws. The sour flavor had sucked all the moisture from his mouth. It disguised every other scent, and he had to rely on the memory of his paws to find the path back to the medicine den.
As he crossed the clearing, he could hear the paw steps of his Clanmates hurrying around him. The whole Clan had been busy since before dawn preparing for the daylight Gathering. They’re only going to spend the day hunting and fighting, Jaypaw thought irritably. Why are they acting like it’s something special? They get to do that anyway.
“Squirrelflight!” Firestar called down from Highledge.
“Yes?” She sounded out of breath.
“Did you find a good route for the squirrel hunt?”
“I sent Brambleclaw out with a patrol,” she replied. “He’s checking it now. The ShadowClan border might be best. The squirrels are still busy there, digging up their nut stores.”
“What about the tree-climbing contest?” Firestar prompted.
“Spiderleg told me that the Sky Oak is in full bud, but he doesn’t think it’ll be damaged by having so many apprentices climbing it at once.”
“Good,” Firestar meowed. “Are there hunting patrols out? We don’t want our visitors to think we are prey-poor.”
“Two. Birchfall and Thornclaw are leading them.”
“Jaypaw!” Firestar scrambled down from Highledge and caught up to him. “Leafpool will need your help today in case of any accidents. You won’t be able to join in any of the contests, I’m afraid.”
The whole Clan had been tiptoeing around him like mice since the daylight Gathering had been announced, too scared to say out loud what he knew they’d all been thinking—that he would be useless in any apprentice contest. He had noticed right away how they never mentioned his name as they speculated about which apprentices would win. Jaypaw didn’t reply to Firestar and scraped angrily through the bramble entrance to the medicine den.
“Oh, good!” Leafpool was waiting for him. “You found lots. Now we’ll be ready for any scratches.”
Jaypaw dropped the dock leaves on the ground. He flicked his tongue, trying to wet it again. “I don’t see why we have to be responsible for all the other Clans,” he complained. “If their apprentices want to show off on our territory, their own medicine cats should look after them.”
“All the medicine cats will be working together to make sure every cat is cared for properly,” Leafpool reminded him.
“I bet Willowpaw and Kestrelpaw haven’t spent the morning looking for herbs,” Jaypaw muttered. “Even theywill have been practicing their hunting skills for the contests.”
He sensed frustration in Leafpool’s quick movements as she stored the dock with the other herbs, but her mew was calm. “I know how much you want to take part, Jaypaw, but I need you to help me.”
The fury that had been simmering in Jaypaw’s belly suddenly bubbled over. “Don’t lie!” he fumed. “I’m not allowed to take part because there’s no way I can compete against real apprentices! Firestar doesn’t want me embarrassing the Clan.”
“You know that isn’t true!” Leafpool told him, shocked.
“Then why doesn’t he let me try one of the contests?”
“Maybe if you’d had more battle training or hunting experience, he would!” Leafpool’s mew was brittle as she tried to keep her temper. “But you started your medicine training late, and the outbreak of greencough has stopped us from working on your other skills.”
Jaypaw didn’t reply. Hollypaw had been a medicine cat apprentice for only the blink of an eye, and she’dhad battle training from Leafpool. He was beginning to wonder if his mentor had decided it was a waste of time to teach him any warrior skills at all.
Leafpool changed the subject. “Squirrelflight must be getting tired. She’s been busy all morning. Will you take her some herbs?”
Jaypaw padded sulkily to the herb store and mixed the leaves Squirrelflight would need, then folded them in a wrap, which he picked up delicately between his teeth. He nosed his way out of the den and listened for his mother’s voice. He found her beneath Highledge talking to Brambleclaw.
Jaypaw dropped the herbs at Squirrelflight’s paws. “Leafpool wants you to eat these.”
“That’s kind of her.” Squirrelflight sniffed at the herbs. “Did you mix these yourself? They smell sweeter than usual.”
“I put in some heather nectar to help with the taste,” Jaypaw mumbled.
Squirrelflight thanked him with a brisk lick between his ears. “That was thoughtful.”
“It’s nothing,” he muttered. He turned away before she could do anything else embarrassing, though he couldn’t ignore the small glimmer of happiness that flickered in his chest.
Suddenly paw steps drummed through the entrance and skidded to a halt. It was Lionpaw and Hollypaw; their excitement howled into the camp like a rush of wind, rippling Jaypaw’s fur.
“They’re here!” Lionpaw panted.
Hollypaw trotted in circles, unable to keep still. “WindClan is heading down toward the lake!”
Foxkit’s and Icekit’s tiny paws pattered from the nursery.
“Are they really here?” Foxkit demanded.
“Any sign of ShadowClan?” Icekit’s mew was tinged with nervousness.
“Not yet,” Lionpaw told him. “But it looks like just about the whole of WindClan has come.”
“I wish we were going!” Foxkit mewed.
“We’ll have fun here,” Ferncloud called from the nursery entrance.
“Why do we have to stay in camp?” Icekit wailed. “It’s not fair.”
“Life isn’t fair,” Jaypaw growled, and padded mutinously back to the medicine den. That’s why I’m going to be stuck in camp like a kit!
Birchfall and Thornclaw pounded through the thorn tunnel, their patrols crowding after them. Jaypaw smelled the delicious flavors of fresh-kill. Every cat must have caught a piece of prey.
“Well done!” Firestar told them. “No cat will go hungry today.”
A yowl rang through the forest above the hollow.
“That’s Leopardstar!” Lionpaw mewed. “RiverClan has arrived!”
“It must be time to go,” Hollypaw put in. “The Gathering starts at sunhigh.”
Hollypaw was taking part in one of the first contests, a match to see which apprentice had the best fighting skills. At the same time, Lionpaw would be set against a WindClan apprentice in a hunting contest. Jealousy seared Jaypaw’s fur.
Rocks clattered from Highledge as Firestar bounded down into the clearing, but Jaypaw nosed his way into the medicine den, away from the eager mews of the warriors and apprentices as they paced impatiently around the entrance. He tried to block his ears as Firestar called “Good luck!” to the Clan. But he still heard the drumming of paws as ThunderClan raced away through the thorn tunnel.
An eerie silence gripped the camp.
“Jaypaw.” Leafpool’s mew sounded from the herb store. “Will you help me make up some poultices?”
Jaypaw forced away his black thoughts and padded to Leafpool’s side to begin chewing up some of the dock he had brought back earlier. As they worked, Icekit and Foxkit charged noisily around the clearing.
“Don’t forget,” Ferncloud was calling, “you each have to bring me a beetle, some moss, and a fly.”
“I’m going to win!” Icekit mewed.
“No, you won’t,” Foxkit replied. “I’ll find them first and I’ll be champion!”
Their mews echoed around the deserted camp, and Jaypaw was aware of the emptiness like hunger in the pit of his belly.
Am I always going to be left behind?
“That’s enough for now.” Leafpool’s mew took him by surprise. “There’s enough there for scratches on every cat in all four Clans.”
Jaypaw spat out the last mouthful of dock and sat back on his haunches, licking his paws to clear the taste from his tongue.
“I should be at the Gathering, in case there are injuries,” the medicine cat announced. “Besides, I want to go and watch Hollypaw fight. Why don’t you come with me?”
Jaypaw shook his head. There was no way he was going if he wasn’t allowed to take part.
“Very well.” Leafpool didn’t try to persuade him. Instead she padded quietly out of the den.
Left alone, Jaypaw suddenly felt lost. Far in the distance he could hear the excited cries of warriors and their apprentices drifting through the trees. He wanted to wail to StarClan that it wasn’t fair. But he would not behave like a kit, however much he was treated like one. Instead, he began to tidy up the herbs, pushing all the leaves into neat piles and lining up the poultices, ready for any cats who might return injured.
Suddenly a strange sensation began to prick his tail. It crawled along his spine, setting his pelt tingling. Images flooded his mind, swelling behind his eyes.
He was buried, unable to breathe, choking on dry earth soaked in the stench of fox and badger. His mind swirled in terror. Where was the fox? The badger? He expected to feel their teeth rip his flesh at any moment. He stared wildly around, but all he could see was crumbling brown soil. Above him light flickered, then dimmed as more soil tumbled down on him, stinging his eyes, filling his ears and nostrils. He was drowning—not in water this time, but earth
“Help!” Dirt filled his mouth as he tried to scream.
He scrabbled desperately, trying to fight his way out. Was StarClan so disappointed that they had ordered the earth to swallow him up? He kicked out with his hind legs, trying to fight his way up. His lungs were screaming for air. He could see his paws churning in front of his muzzle. But they were not his own mottled paws; they were pale and wide, their fur thick and bunched at the claws.
He was seeing through Lionpaw’s eyes!
Jaypaw drove the images out of his head and knew he was back in the medicine den, surrounded by the scent of leaves and with the hollow empty and silent outside.
Where was Lionpaw right now?
The hunting contest!
He would be scouring the ShadowClan border for prey.
Like lightning, Jaypaw shot out of the medicine den and pelted into the forest, every sense alive as he wove through the undergrowth like a snake. He had to get to Lionpaw before thisthing—whatever it was—happened.
Hollypaw watched as Lionpaw and Breezepaw scampered up the slope and disappeared among the trees to hunt. The fur along Lionpaw’s spine was spiked with excitement.
Good luck!
“Hollypaw, are you ready?” Onestar called.
Hollypaw spun around. Heatherpaw was already waiting on the patch of smooth grass, circled by warriors and apprentices, her shoulders squared, ready for the match.
“Come on, Hollypaw,” Brambleclaw urged. He stood beside Brackenfur, his eyes shining.
Hollypaw could hear the excited murmuring of the Clan cats. She felt as though fish were wriggling in her belly, but she wasn’t going to show any cat she was nervous. She crouched opposite Heatherpaw, narrowing her eyes.
“Keep your claws sheathed,” Onestar ordered. He swept his tail over the grass, and Hollypaw tensed. The WindClan apprentice was small, but Hollypaw knew that Heatherpaw had two moons’ more experience than she did, and that her sleek pelt hid hard muscle.
“Begin!” Onestar called.
Heatherpaw leaped. She crashed into Hollypaw, bowling her over. Hollypaw felt teeth grip her scruff, not hard enough to break the skin, but firm enough to make her freeze with alarm. She couldn’t be beaten this easily! Heatherpaw had caught her like a rabbit.
Thinking quickly, Hollypaw tucked her head and kicked out with her hind legs. She somersaulted forward, taking Heatherpaw with her and sending the WindClan apprentice sprawling onto her back. Free of her grip, Hollypaw leaped up, spun around, and flew at Heatherpaw. But her rival had rolled out of the way. Seething, Hollypaw landed on bare grass.
She glanced sideways. Heatherpaw was darting toward her. Energy flashed in her paws, and she leaped high into the air. As Heatherpaw skidded wildly beneath her, Hollypaw crashed down onto the confused WindClan cat’s back. Wrapping her paws around her opponent, she rolled Heatherpaw over and began pummeling her with her hind paws.
Heatherpaw, slippery as a snake, wriggled free of her grasp. She reared onto her hind legs and faced Hollypaw with flailing forepaws. Hollypaw rose to meet her, and the two apprentices battled like dancing hares.
“Finish her, Heatherpaw!” Crowfeather called.
“Knock her off her paws!” Brackenfur yowled.
What do you think I’m trying to do?
Hollypaw’s muzzle was beginning to sting. Heatherpaw’s blows were strong and well aimed, and Hollypaw didn’t want this to go on for much longer. Taking a deep breath, she ducked, leaving Heatherpaw flapping her paws at thin air. She scooted between Heatherpaw’s hind legs, unbalancing the WindClan apprentice. Then she twisted and sank her teeth—careful not to draw blood—into Heatherpaw’s scruff, pressing her chin into the ground. Heatherpaw let out an angry wail, struggling furiously, but Hollypaw had dug her claws into the earth on either side of the WindClan apprentice. Heatherpaw could not get free.
“It’s all over!” Onestar meowed. “Hollypaw is the winner!”
The ThunderClan cats cheered, and Hollypaw let go.
Heatherpaw jumped up. “Well done,” she panted. “That was a great move at the end!”
“Thanks,” mewed Hollypaw. “You fought well, too.”
“Good work, Hollypaw!” Brambleclaw rushed over and swept his tail over his daughter’s flank.
“She wouldn’t have beaten meso easily,” hissed a voice close by.
Heatherpaw narrowed her eyes at Ivypaw, a ShadowClan apprentice.
Hollypaw spun around. “Want to bet on that?”
She felt a paw cuff her ear. “One win is enough.” Brackenfur was staring at her proudly.
Suddenly Hollypaw saw a distinctive gray shape flash across the top of the slope. “Jaypaw! You just missed me winning the contest!” But her brother didn’t seem to hear. He pelted away into the trees, heading for ShadowClan territory. What in the name of StarClan was he up to now?
Jaypaw dashed along the slope toward the ShadowClan border, remembering the stench of fox and badger from his vision. There was an old badger set near the border, dug out of a fox den. His mother had described it to him. She had helped chase a badger from it long ago, soon after the four Clans came to the lake.
He dug his claws harder into the grass and pushed himself on. Fresh scents rolled in from the lake, but he focused on the smell of badger, searching it out as he raced into the woods. His instincts and senses were not enough to guide him quickly through this strange territory. He skidded to a halt, sniffing desperately, and began to feel his way with his whiskers.StarClan, let me see now! Please! I have to find Lionpaw!
Suddenly he tasted the rank stench of badger. It was old and laced with the smell of fox. He gazed around blindly, wondering where Lionpaw was. Then he heard paw steps speeding over the leaf-strewn forest floor ahead.
He could smell Lionpaw.
Then Breezepaw.
Then squirrel.
Their excitement singed his pelt. With a jolt of terror, Jaypaw realized that the two apprentices were chasing the squirrel straight toward the badger stench. The place where the ground was not safe, where the earth would swallow them up . . .
“No!” His wail rang through the trees. He pelted forward, breathless with fear. Then shock pierced him and he skidded to a halt.
There was no sound of paw steps. Only the squirrel’s claws skittering away up a tree. The forest was deadly silent.
“Lionpaw!” Jaypaw shot forward. He stumbled as the earth became rock beneath his paws. The sun was suddenly hot on his back. A clearing, ringed with trees. Boulders reared up before him.
His fur stood on end as muffled mews sounded from above.
“Help!”
“StarClan, save me!”
Feeling his way frantically, Jaypaw clambered up the rocks. Where had they fallen in? Was he near? The ground was still rock beneath his paws. It flattened, then sloped smoothly away in front of him. He began to slide forward. Blood roared in his ears. What if I fall in too?The vision played in his mind again—earth choking his ears, his eyes, his lungs screaming for air. He unsheathed his claws. They scraped over the stone as he half crept, half slithered downward.
Suddenly his front paws touched sand and sank. Jaypaw sprang backward, clinging to the rock with his hind paws. Then the sand moved; he felt it quivering beneath his forepaws as though something squirmed beneath it.
They’re down there!
Gripping with his hind claws, he squatted down and began to dig, scooping out earth as fast as he could.
“Help!” he wailed, hoping some cat would hear. “Over here!”
His hind claws lost their grip and he slid forward, his forepaws sinking into the sand. “StarClan help me!”
He reared backward, his muscles screaming with the effort. He couldn’t give up now. He slithered forward again and kept digging, his hind paws trembling with the effort of keeping him out of the sinking ground. Soil pressed up against his chest and chin. Terror gripped his whole body. The vision was so strong in his mind he could feel soil in his throat and see nothing but earth.
Suddenly his paws brushed against fur. With a rush of hope, he hooked his claws into it and heaved with all his strength. The fur wriggled and fought in his grip, struggling to push upward until Jaypaw could scrabble far enough back to drag the body out of the soil.
Spluttering and gasping, Lionpaw slithered away from the patch of soft earth and collapsed on the rock. Jaypaw plunged his paws back into the soil. Breezepaw was still down there.
“What’s going on?” Crowfeather’s shocked cry sounded behind him.
Without stopping Jaypaw screeched at the WindClan warrior, “The den collapsed. Lionpaw and Breezepaw fell in!”
Crowfeather was at his side in an instant, sending sandy soil flying in his desperation to save his son.
Claws scrabbled up the boulders behind them. “Crowfeather?” Heatherpaw’s mew sounded breathless.
“Breezepaw’s still buried!” Crowfeather panted.
“Breezepaw?” Nightcloud’s horrified gasp sounded close by. The WindClan she-cat must have leaped up the boulders with Heatherpaw. She pressed in beside Jaypaw and began digging. “Oh, my precious kit!”
Then Jaypaw felt another movement in the earth beneath his claws. “I can feel him!”
Crowfeather burrowed his paws toward Jaypaw’s and lunged down. A growl of effort rose in his throat as he heaved his son out from the suffocating earth. Jaypaw felt soil spray his face and sting his eyes as Breezepaw’s body was dragged free. He listened closely for the apprentice’s breathing. It had stopped.
“Fetch Leafpool!” he shrieked.
“I’m here!” Leafpool’s voice came as a rush of warm air to Jaypaw’s ears.
“Can you save them?” he begged. “I came here as fast as I could, but—”
“Lionpaw is breathing,” Leafpool told him. “I’ve cleared the soil from his throat.”
Jaypaw felt Breezepaw stir, and for a moment he thought the WindClan apprentice had recovered. Then he realized that Leafpool was wrenching open his jaws.
“Your paws are smallest,” she told Jaypaw. “Reach into his mouth and clear as much dirt as you can.”
Jaypaw sheathed his claws. Then, forcing himself to stop trembling, he reached delicately into Breezepaw’s mouth. He could hear Crowfeather’s heart pounding. Nightcloud was quivering in terror behind him. Leafpool’s concentration was the only calmness he felt around him, and he clung to it as he scooped the earth from the back of Breezepaw’s throat.
Suddenly Breezepaw coughed and his body writhed as he spat up earth from his stomach and lungs.
“Will he be all right?” Nightcloud whispered.
“Yes, he will,” Leafpool promised.
“Thank you, Leafpool,” Crowfeather murmured.
“I would give my last drop of blood to save your kit,” Leafpool meowed softly to Crowfeather. “You know that.”
Jaypaw flinched at the tension between them, pricking the air like rain.
“Ourkit was lucky that Jaypaw was here.” Nightcloud’s comment was edged with sharpness.
“Jaypaw?” Lionpaw croaked.
Jaypaw spun around and crouched beside his brother. “That was close, even for you,” he mewed.
Lionpaw’s breathing was labored but steady. “I thought I was going to join StarClan.”
Leafpool’s whiskers brushed Jaypaw’s cheek. “They were lucky you were here.”
“I nearly wasn’t fast enough,” he replied.
“But you made it to them in time,” she pointed out. “You were brave to try to get them out on your own.” She flicked his shoulder with her tail. “Come on, let’s get them back to the hollow.”
Jaypaw held out his paw so that Lionpaw could lick the poppy seeds from his pad. Lionpaw lapped them up gratefully. He was still trembling, even though he was safely in Jaypaw’s nest, curled beside Breezepaw.
Lionpaw had managed to stagger back to the ThunderClan camp on his own paws. Hollypaw and Squirrelflight had pressed against either side of him to take some of his weight, while Brambleclaw had rushed to fetch Firestar.
Nightcloud had carried Breezepaw like a kit. His hind legs had dragged over the forest floor, but he was too exhausted by shock to complain. Crowfeather had padded beside his mate the whole way, offering to help, but Nightcloud kept hold of her kit as though she might lose him again at any moment. Now she lay curled around him, warming his quivering body, her breath falling and rising in time with his.
“Try to persuade them to sleep,” Leafpool told Jaypaw. “I’ll go and tell the others they’re all right.” Firestar, Crowfeather, Heatherpaw, Brambleclaw, and Squirrelflight were waiting anxiously outside. The brambles swished as the medicine cat padded out of the den.
“I’ll make sure they sleep,” Nightcloud meowed. Jaypaw heard the swish of her tail as she swept it rhythmically over the earth-powdered pelts of the two apprentices.
“You were so brilliant.” Hollypaw’s breath tickled his ear
Her comment made his ears hot with embarrassment. Why did she have to treat him like a hero? Crowfeather had acted the same way as they’d padded home through the forest.
“You behaved like a warrior,” the WindClan cat had told him
But Jaypaw did not feel like a warrior. If he had run faster he would have been able to warn Lionpaw. If only his blindness had not slowed him down.
“Lionpaw and Breezepaw wouldn’t have been hurt if I’d gotten there sooner,” he mewed to Hollypaw.
“But how did you find them at all?” He felt her stare burning his pelt. “They were chasing a squirrel—it could have run anywhere.”
Jaypaw hesitated. “I had a vision,” he confessed. “I saw what was going to happen.” Panic swept through him as he remembered the sensation of choking, the taste of soil in his mouth, and the sight of paws churning desperately in front of his muzzle. “When I saw the color of the paws, I realized they weren’t mine, but Lionpaw’s.”
“Saw?” Hollypaw’s gasp made Jaypaw jump. “You sawhis paws?”
“Shhh!” Suddenly he wished he hadn’t told her anything. If StarClan thought he was trying to show off, they might take his one chance at sight away. Jaypaw tried to make his sister understand. “Sometimes I can see in dreams and visions,” he whispered. “It’s hard to explain how. It’s . . .” He paused, groping for words. “It’s just different.”
He felt her mind teeming with questions. Then it cleared and a purr rumbled in her throat. “StarClan must have given you this gift for a reason. I knew you’d make a great medicine cat.” She brushed her cheek along his, then padded out through the brambles.
Jaypaw sighed. He was glad Hollypaw hadn’t asked any difficult questions, but was this how it was going to be from now on? A separate life, beyond the understanding of his Clanmates? With their every heartbeat depending on him?
“Jaypaw!” Brambleclaw called through the brambles. “Come down to the lake for the end of the Gathering.”
“Firestar’s going to be announcing the winners!” Heatherpaw added excitedly.
Jaypaw curled his lip. The last thing he wanted to do was to watch the other apprentices celebrate their warrior skills. He pricked his ears toward Lionpaw and Breezepaw. Nightcloud had done as she promised, and both apprentices were sleeping deeply. He pushed his way out of the den. “Who’s going to watch Lionpaw and Breezepaw?” he asked, looking for an excuse to stay in the camp.
“I will,” Leafpool told him.
“Come on, Jaypaw,” Hollypaw begged. “It’ll be fun.”
“You should meet some of the apprentices from the other Clans,” Firestar meowed. “You haven’t had the chance yet.”
Reluctantly, Jaypaw followed his Clanmates as they trekked down to the slopes beside the lake. Crowfeather and Heatherpaw went to join WindClan, and Firestar headed off to speak with the other leaders by the lakeshore. Brambleclaw sat down to wait on the hillside, and Jaypaw sat beside him with Squirrelflight and Hollypaw.
“I’ve not seen the Clans so relaxed since the Great Journey,” Brambleclaw observed.
Squirrelflight’s happiness warmed the air around her. “Even ShadowClan seems content.”
“But Blackstar is staring at everyone, proud as a blackbird,as if his apprentices won every contest,” Hollypaw chipped in.
“Clans of trees, hills, and streams!”
Jaypaw heard his leader’s call. The cats fell silent, and Jaypaw sensed their gazes turn toward the ThunderClan leader like the sun shifting in the sky.
“All our apprentices did well today,” Firestar declared. “They hunted and fought like true warriors!”
Jubilant mews rose from all the Clans.
“I have talked with Leopardstar, Blackstar, and Onestar, and we have decided that the contest is a draw,” Firestar went on. “Every Clan showed itself to be worthy of StarClan’s approval.”
“That’s not fair!” Owlpaw snarled, the ShadowClan apprentices bunched around him muttering in agreement. “I was the best hunter! Lionpaw and Breezepaw didn’t even come back!”
“Hush!” A ShadowClan she-cat silenced him. “They almost died!”
Blackstar told Owlpaw, “It’s all right; we all know who really won, even if we have to share the victory. You shall have first pick of the prey when we get home.”
Leopardstar lifted her voice. “Out of RiverClan’s apprentices, Pouncepaw will eat the best fish tonight as a reward for her excellent hunting skills.”
“Heatherpaw shall have the fattest rabbit,” Onestar called. “She climbed to the top of the Sky Oak!”
Jaypaw’s muzzle sank to his chest. He didn’t want to hear how well every other apprentice had done.
“And from ThunderClan,” Firestar announced, “Hollypaw may choose first prey from the pile. She fought excellently for such a new apprentice.”
Jaypaw felt pride surge in his sister’s pelt, and hated the jealousy that throbbed in his paws. “Well done,” he mumbled. “I’d better get back and see if Leafpool needs help.”
“Please stay,” Hollypaw mewed.
Jaypaw shook his head and turned away. He began to climb the slope toward the tree line. Then Onestar’s voice sounded from below.
“There is one apprentice who deserves a special mention above all the others today.”
Jaypaw kept on walking.
“Jaypaw.”
Jaypaw stopped.
“This young ThunderClan apprentice has earned the gratitude of every cat for his courage and quick thinking today.”
Jaypaw felt the curious gaze of all the Clans ruffle his pelt. He turned self-consciously to face them.
Firestar joined in. “He saved two apprentices. They nearly suffocated when an old badger set collapsed beneath them. Jaypaw found them in time and dug them out.”
Shocked mews turned into cheers. They were cheering for him! Hollypaw’s and Squirrelflight’s pelts suddenly brushed against his flanks.
Hollypaw pressed her nose against his cheek. “You’re a hero.”
Could blind cats be heroes? Jaypaw wondered. Perhaps . . .
“This has been a good Gathering,” Firestar meowed as the cheering died down. “It has reminded me of the Great Journey, and I think it marks a successful start to the second newleaf in our new home. A lot has changed, but we are still true warriors!”
True warriors!Like plunging into freezing water, Jaypaw remembered how lost he had felt in the fight against ShadowClan—how desperately he had longed to see, how he knew he would never be able to defend himself properly, let alone his Clanmates. StarClan had seen this too, which was why they’d decided he should be a medicine cat.
But Jaypaw didn’t want consoling. He wanted things to be different. He turned back toward the forest and began to pad home to the camp. It didn’t matter if all the Clan leaders called him a hero. He would never be a true warrior.
Nightcloud was sleeping beside Breezepaw and Lionpaw when Jaypaw returned. Leafpool was dozing in her nest.
“Is the Gathering over?” she mewed sleepily as Jaypaw padded into the den.
“Nearly,” Jaypaw replied. “The others will be back soon, I expect.” He listened to the apprentices’ breathing, relieved to find it deep and slow. The weight of the day suddenly dragged at his paws. He longed to curl up in his own familiar nest, but Lionpaw and Breezepaw needed it more than he did.
Instead, he padded out of the den and clawed up a few clumps of grass. Pressing them among the old brambles piled beside the medicine den, he shaped himself a makeshift nest. He spiraled down into it, his claws aching from the digging. There was still dirt trapped between them, but he was too tired to clean them. Instead, he rested his nose on them and closed his eyes.
“Jaypaw.” Leafpool’s mew made him jump. The medicine cat was leaning over him.
“Is everything okay?” he asked anxiously, beginning to scramble out of his nest.
Leafpool pressed him gently back with a paw. “Don’t get up,” she mewed. Something warm and soft touched his paws, and he smelled fresh mouse. “I thought you’d be hungry.”
“Thank you,” Jaypaw murmured.
“You did well today.” As she turned and padded away, a strange sensation prickled through Jaypaw’s pelt. There had been something wrong with the way Leafpool spoke to him just then. It was as if she were waryof him.
No. He must have imagined it.
He realized how hungry he was. His Clanmates were not yet back from the Gathering, and Jaypaw welcomed the peace in the hollow. With no other thoughts to crowd his mind, he ate his mouse and settled back down to sleep.
Jaypaw blinked open his eyes. He had not intended to dream. But here he was, in an unfamiliar place, standing on a dry, sandy bank in a narrow, high-sided gully. Above him, the night sky stretched like a black river, speckled with stars. There were no bushes to shelter him, no soft ferns thick with the smell of prey, just a few prickly shrubs and smooth boulders casting round shadows like puddles on the ground. A familiar scent pricked his nose.
Firestar.
Jaypaw gazed around, looking for the ThunderClan leader. But Firestar was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly a low mew echoed from the roots of a tree on the far side of the gully.
Pelt pricking with curiosity, Jaypaw padded toward the sound and saw, among the great black arching roots, the shadow of an opening. Firestar’s moonlit form was silhouetted against the dark entrance. Jaypaw ducked down behind a thick root.
“I will not fail!” Firestar was meowing.
What was he doing here? Who was he talking to? Jaypaw peered over the root. He could just make out the shape of an aged tomcat sitting in the shadows beneath the tree.
“Sometimes the destiny of one cat is not the destiny of the whole Clan,” the old cat rasped.
Firestar’s mind clouded with confusion; Jaypaw felt it like mist. The ThunderClan leader’s breathing quickened as the tom spoke again, his voice suddenly smooth.
“There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the stars in their paws.”
Blood pounded in Jaypaw’s ears. An image scorched his mind: he saw himself beside Lionpaw and Hollypaw, eyes gleaming and pelts rippling with strength. With a dreadful, ominous certainty, he knew what the old cat was trying to tell Firestar.
He, Hollypaw, and Lionpaw were the three cats in the prophecy
Coldness reached through his pelt, setting his fur on end as it drove into his flesh. And at the same time, excitement surged through his paws. Thiswas his destiny—and Firestar had known all along, but had chosen not to reveal it. Why? Because he was afraid of having three such powerful cats in his Clan?
Jaypaw stifled the purr that rose inside him, knowing he must not be seen by the other cats. Suddenly it didn’t matter that he was blind, or that he couldn’t take part in the contest. None of that mattered in the face of this prophecy, that promised a greater destiny for him and his littermates than anything a cat had dreamed of before. Leafpool was right to be wary of him. Allhis Clanmates should be. And not just of him, but of Lionpaw and Hollypaw as well.
One day we will be so powerful that we shall command even StarClan!
第十八章
第十八章
冬青爪惊讶地盯着自己的弟弟。松鸦爪自从长到可以在苔藓上蹦蹦跳跳的时候起，就一直对自己要成为武士的梦想笃定不移。
火星望着冬青爪：“这件事你知道吗？”
“我不知道！”冬青爪喘着粗气说道。火星刚才的语气，好像在怀疑他俩早就串通好了似的。
松鸦爪回头注视着冬青爪，那蓝汪汪的眼睛睁得大大的，满是焦虑：“对不起，冬青爪。”
“没关系。”叶池走到松鸦爪身边，用鼻子蹭蹭他的耳朵说，“冬青爪已经告诉火星，她要接受武士学徒训练了。”
松鸦爪眨了眨眼：“真的吗？”
冬青爪点点头，心中燃起了希望之火。或许这就是最完美的解决方案吧！毕竟一直以来，松鸦爪都比她更了解草药。不过，火星会同意吗？
火星看着叶池：“你转眼又有了一位新的学徒，你准备好了吗？”
叶池坐下来，把尾巴缠绕在自己的爪子上。“能成为松鸦爪的老师，我感到很荣幸。”她一边说，一边低下了头，“我想，如果他成为巫医，这也是全族群的幸事。”
冬青爪注视着叶池。她看上去似乎隐瞒了什么？
“可是他看不见东西，怎么办？”火星问道。
冬青爪的毛竖了起来。松鸦爪肯定不愿火星因为这个而不同意这件事。“他对草药的了解，比我多得多。”她赶忙回答。
“他的嗅觉简直太厉害了，”叶池同意道，“他能在一条尾巴的距离外，分辨出伤口是否感染了。”
冬青爪期待着松鸦爪说几句诸如“看不见并不影响做事情”之类的话，可他只是低声说：“我会尽我所能。叶池很快就会亲眼看到，我能否胜任这项工作了。”
“非常好。”火星点点头，脸上的表情看起来有些惊讶，“叶池将成为你的新老师。”
松鸦爪低头向他致意。
“不过首先，”火星接着说，“我们必须通知亮心。”
松鸦爪耳朵抽动了一下。“她一定会很难过的。”冬青爪从他的话语中听出了一丝焦虑。她弟弟与自己的老师一直相处得不是很好，但显然他非常在意亮心的感受。
“也许亮心可以做我的老师。”冬青爪提了个建议。
火星摇摇头。“就她的技能来说，训练松鸦爪再合适不过，可训练你还是不行的。”他动了动爪子，接着说，“她很快就会有新学徒的，不用担心。”
“要是她不理解我的决定，该怎么办？”松鸦爪问道。
“这就要看你自己的本事了。”火星回答道，“我可以告诉大家该做什么事，但是我没法左右他们的情感。”
“我会让她明白，这是我自己的决定，跟她没有关系，”松鸦爪保证道，“这是我必须要做的一件事。”
松鸦爪说话的语气异乎寻常地平静。冬青爪突然感到一阵不安向她袭来。她总觉得，做叶池的学徒根本就不是松鸦爪自己做出的决定，一定是有什么事情在逼着他这样做。
叶池看了看火星和沙风，那富有深意的眼神提示冬青爪，他们要私下谈论一些事情。
冬青爪心里明白，于是低头致意道：“我去把亮心叫来吧？”
火星点点头：“好的，你去吧。”
“她在武士巢穴。”松鸦爪告诉他们说。
冬青爪胡须抖了一下。松鸦爪总是对营地里的大小事情了如指掌，这真的很奇怪。她跳下空地，朝武士巢穴跑去。她刚一钻进入口，就开始喊亮心的名字。
亮心正在自己的窝里坐着洗脸。她温暖的呼吸声在阴影中起伏着。
“火星想让你去他那里一趟。”冬青爪告诉她。
亮心停了下来，半截舌头仍伸出嘴外，眼睛直直盯着冬青爪。她看起来好像要问为什么。
冬青爪急忙俯身走出了巢穴，她可不想给亮心提问的机会。她知道，纸包不住火，但她明白，把这个消息告诉自己的老师是松鸦爪的职责。在亮心出来之前，冬青爪一溜烟地蹿进了学徒巢穴。这是一个造访自己新家的好时机。紫杉的气味有点儿奇怪，所有的窝都是空荡荡的。她猜想，从现在开始，松鸦爪原先的窝就是自己的了。冬青爪走上前闻了闻，然后环视着整个巢穴。能再次与自己幼时伙伴睡在同一巢穴，她感到很高兴。离开育婴室后，她在巫医巢穴里的窝又冷又孤单。她真的希望，能有一些学徒在这里欢迎她的到来。可现在大家一定都外出训练了。这么一想，她又突然变得兴奋起来——再过不久，她就会跟他们一起训练啦。
冬青爪走出巢穴时，正看到亮心爬上落石堆，进了火星的洞穴。刺掌在半边石旁边躺着，与白翅谈着话。蛛足在高石台下面的晨曦中打着瞌睡。
小狐和小冰打闹着冲出育婴室的入口。
“不要在空地上乱跑，”香薇云的声音从育婴室里传来，“我可不想让你们被别的猫踩到！”
“我们不会的。”小冰回答。
小冰用尾巴扫了一下自己弟弟那黄褐色的鼻子，小狐则突然扑倒了小冰，结果小冰骨碌碌滚到冬青爪身旁。
冬青爪用爪子稳住了这只雪白色小猫的身体。
“嗨，冬青爪！”小冰抬头看了看她，然后又转过身，扑向她的弟弟。她把他抓翻在地，两只爪子牢牢抓住他的脸颊，然后开始用后肢疯狂踢打他。
“小狐，头低一点儿，咬她啊！”冬青爪大喊道。
小冰突然尖叫了一声，放开了她的弟弟。“这不公平，”她哭叫道，“你在帮他！”
“那是因为你看起来不需要什么帮助嘛！”冬青爪说。
小狐站起来，又猛地扑向自己的姐姐。
“快躲开！”冬青爪连忙对这只雪白的幼崽发出警报。
小冰及时滚到了旁边。小狐一下子掠过小冰的身子，跌到学徒巢穴外面覆盖着白霜的草里。小狐转过身，俯低身子，悄悄地靠近小冰。
“不要那么快！”冬青爪指导着。小冰身子紧紧贴着地面等着，尾巴快速地抽动着。“耐心点，等她靠近你。”
小狐紧盯着自己的姐姐，两眼放出不屑的光芒：“她不敢靠近我！”
小冰扭动着身体靠了上去，她实在无法容忍弟弟的挑衅。小狐就静静等着姐姐靠近，直到脸上能清晰地感受到姐姐时起时伏的呼吸声。
“快从她身后发起攻击啊！”冬青爪喊道。
小狐冲出草丛，从小冰身后发动袭击。小冰刚想扭转身子，但为时已晚，小狐已经跳到她的背上，将她掀翻在地。
“你们两个会成为最出色的武士的！”冬青爪说。
突然，冬青爪前面闪过一个有着姜黄色斑块的白色身影。亮心正从落石堆上跳下来。冬青爪不禁对她生出一丝怜悯。松鸦爪是亮心的第一位学徒。一直以来，她一定急于证明，自己可以跟其他武士一样，做一位好老师。冬青爪希望松鸦爪能让她相信，他的决定和亮心的教学方式无关。
“给我们展示一下战斗动作吧！”小狐把前爪搭在冬青爪的肩膀上，拽着她的皮毛说道。
冬青爪俯下身子，像一条蛇一样在地上翻滚起来。
“哇！”小冰惊讶地深吸了一口气，“你的速度好快啊！”这只雪白的小猫看了一眼空地那边，神情突然变得紧张起来。“火星来了。”她轻声说。
“我已经定下来由谁来担任你的老师了。”火星走到冬青爪面前说道。
“你有新老师了？”小狐惊讶地问道。
火星看着这只幼崽，解释道：“冬青爪要接受训练，成为武士。”
“我还以为她要成为巫医呢。”小冰尖叫道。
冬青爪的心里突然感到有些不安。她不禁担心，这件事是否违反了武士守则。
“冬青爪知道自己内心真正想要的是什么。”火星说道。
我的确知道。冬青爪想。
云尾快步穿过营地入口，对火星说：“我已经告诉他了，他正赶回来。”
“我们稍后会举行一场学徒仪式。”火星对冬青爪说，“不过，你的新老师在狩猎，我已经通知他赶回来了。如果他愿意接受你，你就可以立刻开始训练了。你需要训练的内容还多着呢！”
冬青爪点点头。此刻她的喉咙已经哽住，说不出话了，因为她实在是太兴奋了。
这时荆棘屏障开始颤动起来。
“火星？”蕨毛气喘吁吁地朝雷族族长跑去。他一定是一路飞跑回来的。“你找我有什么事啊？”
冬青爪高兴地弹了弹尾巴。蕨毛不仅是一位出色的战士，还很聪明、睿智，他对事情的判断力，跟他出色的体能一样，都是值得称道的。
“你愿意收冬青爪为学徒吗？”火星问道。
蕨毛的目光落在了冬青爪身上：“到底发生什么事了？”
冬青爪忽然紧张起来。他是不是要拒绝自己呢？自己现在已经让一位老师对她失望了。“我……我认为自己不适合当巫医。”她说道。
蕨毛又注视了她一会儿，然后转身对火星说：“我很高兴能训练她。”
冬青爪终于松了一口气。
“好的，”火星说，“那我就把她交给你了。”说完，他转身走开了。
蕨毛上下打量着冬青爪。“你现在的进度落后了很多，需要迎头追赶了。”他提醒道。
“我知道，所以我要更加刻苦地训练。”
“很好。”蕨毛甩了甩尾巴，“在开始阶段，我们每天都会进行战斗训练。”
“太棒了！”
蕨毛脑袋侧向一边，看着她：“我不想问你为什么会改变想法。如果你要成为武士，你就要集中精力，做好眼前的事情，而不是回顾过去。一旦你做出了决定，我希望你能坚持下去。”
“我会的！”冬青爪发誓道。
蕨毛用前爪抓揉着地面，肩膀上的肌肉鼓了起来：“你准备好开始训练了吗？”
冬青爪点点头。
“好的。你可以加入我们的狩猎巡逻队。”说着，蕨毛转身朝着荆棘通道，快步走了出去。冬青爪惊喜地抖抖尾巴，跟在他身后。这可是她第一次真正意义上的狩猎啊！
冬青爪的腿很短，走的速度并不快，但是蕨毛并没有慢下来等她。所以，冬青爪用两倍于自己平时的速度，才能赶上蕨毛。蕨毛爬上斜坡，朝森林行进。冬青爪之前整理草药的经历，更多地训练了自己的脑力而不是体能。她猛然意识到，其他武士学徒一定早就适应了这种训练的节奏。
蕨毛回头看了看在后面气喘吁吁的冬青爪。“马上就到了。”他鼓励道。
冬青爪把爪子深深地扎进冻土里，使尽全身力气，继续赶路。一棵倒伏的大树挡住了去路，蕨毛轻而易举就翻了过去。冬青爪则在倒树前停了下来，硬是从底下的缝隙中钻了过去。
蕨毛正在树的另一侧等着她。灰条和米莉正在那片长满低矮灌木的空地上走来走去。蜡毛和蛛足正在附近小声谈话。他们的学徒狮爪和鼠爪，正在比赛谁能在落叶上滑行得更远。
狮爪惊讶地看着冬青爪：“你来这里干什么啊？”
“跟我的新学徒见个面吧！”蕨毛说。
狮爪的尾巴弹了一下：“太好啦！”
灰条走上前去，用鼻子碰了碰冬青爪的鼻子：“祝贺你！”
“我不在的时候，你们抓到什么东西了吗？”蕨毛问道。
“天太冷了，猎物们都藏起来了。”蜡毛抱怨道。
“一定有什么办法，可以引它们出来，”蕨毛说道，“它们跟我们一样，总归会饿的。”
“我们可以把它们挖出来，”狮爪建议道，“它们的地洞都不深，很容易嗅到它们的气味。”
“可地面冻得太结实了。”蜡毛说。
“旧雷鬼路附近的那棵大山毛榉树那儿呢？”蛛足建议道，“虽然现在是秃叶季末期，但那里的地面上，总会有一些山毛榉坚果的。”
“而且那里的猎物出来觅食的频率，比别的地方都高。”蕨毛表示同意。
说完，他又迅速跑开了，巡逻队员们紧随其后。冬青爪深吸了一口气，也跟着出发了。蕨毛每次出发前，总是这么突然吗？为什么其他猫都知道什么时候跟上呢？冬青爪身上的肌肉号叫着要求她停下，可是她无论如何不想让别的猫发现自己正在拼命硬撑。
当看到前方的山毛榉叶子时，冬青爪终于如释重负。那些叶子在风中发出沙沙声，那金黄的颜色，好似蕨毛的皮毛一般。巡逻队在树前停了下来，然后悄悄地继续行进，穿过一片蕨丛，来到树干周围一片开阔的空地上。冬青爪一边观察着，一边跟随着大家的步伐。
蕨毛又向前几步，在蕨丛的边缘向里面偷瞄着，大家都悄无声息。当其他猫都在旁边列成一队时，冬青爪悄悄溜到老师身边。
“尾巴别动。”他轻声说。
冬青爪顿时意识到，她的尾巴仍然兴奋地晃动着。“对不起。”她悄声说道。当她的尾巴静止时，头顶上方干燥的蕨叶也停止了响动。
巡逻队的其他队员都在蕨丛边缘站成一排，眼睛注视着山毛榉周围那铺满叶子的地面。
“我发现了一些东西！”狮爪小声说道。
冬青爪在森林的地面上搜寻着，可什么也看不见。她注视着狮爪，循着他的视线看过去。狮爪正盯着一截裸露在外的树根，那里有一片叶子在不停地抖动。下面真的会有猎物吗？她嗅了嗅空气。一开始，她只能闻到枯叶强烈的腐败气息，接着她闻到了老鼠味儿。
冬青爪抽动了一下尾巴，蕨叶又沙沙地响起来。前方的叶子突然翻腾起来，狮爪弹出蕨丛，扑了过去。
“太晚了！”狮爪扑了个空，咒骂道。他盯着冬青爪：“你把它吓跑了！”
冬青爪的耳朵有些发烫。“对不起。”她向狮爪道歉。
“别苛责她了，”蜡毛批评狮爪，“这是她第一次狩猎。”
狮爪耸了耸肩：“没事，冬青爪。我是生气自己不够快。”
“可在我看来，你的速度已经够快了啊！”冬青爪告诉他说。
“如果你抓到了老鼠，那才真叫快呢！”鼠爪毫不留情地说道。
“大家还是保持安静吧，不然今天一整天都不会有猎物出洞了。”蕨毛命令道。
狮爪马上跑回蕨丛，狩猎队成员再次各就各位。
冬青爪蹲伏的时间太长了，她的后背开始痛了起来。狮爪终于抓住了一只老鼠，蜡毛抓住了一只田鼠。鼠爪盯上了一只在树木之间飞来飞去的麻雀，为了跟踪它，他钻进了低矮的灌木丛里。
“该你了。”蕨毛在冬青爪的耳边说道。
冬青爪的身子一僵。“你确定吗？”她认为自己很有可能抓不到猎物，反倒会将它们吓跑。
“实践比观察能让你学到更多的东西。”蕨毛回答。
冬青爪注视着前方的山毛榉。整个空地依旧弥漫着血腥的气味。在狮爪和蜡毛杀掉了两只猎物之后，还可能有傻乎乎的猎物跑出来让自己抓吗？
“我们去别的地方试试，可以吗？”冬青爪建议道。
“这里有很多山毛榉坚果，”蕨毛提醒她说，“如果动物饿了，无论周围的环境有多危险，都一定会出来觅食。”
冬青爪环视着周围树木的根部。很快，她发现地上有一片叶子在颤动。她迅速冲出蕨丛，扑向那里。但爪下除了平坦的地面，什么都没有，她的心情一下子跌落到谷底。除了一片在风中飞舞的枯叶之外，她今天一无所获。
冬青爪回头看了看族猫，尴尬得皮毛都刺痛起来。灰条的胡须不禁抽动起来。
米莉瞪了他一眼，灰条的胡须这才停止抽动。“每只猫成长为武士的道路，都是这样开始的。”这只宠物猫对冬青爪说，“没关系，再试一次吧！”
冬青爪闭上眼睛，深吸了一口气。接着她睁开眼睛，重新扫视着空地。我从蕨丛里发起进攻的速度，还是不够快啊！她想着。冬青爪开始研究起这棵山毛榉来。它的树皮是灰白色的，根部的颜色更深一些。这些树根在树下盘绕了几圈，然后消失在泥土里。冬青爪的毛色，跟那里的环境可以融为一体。她悄悄地爬上了最粗大的树根，蹲伏在那里，开始等待猎物的出现。冬青爪看了看远处的蕨毛，想知道自己这么做到底对不对。蕨毛冲她点了点头。
冬青爪的心情放松了些，把注意力重新转移到森林下的地面上。她静止在那里，连耳朵都纹丝不动。远处，一只麻雀尖叫着发出警报，然后安静地落在树上。她依然一动不动。
接着，就在她蹲伏的树根下方，叶子里有了动静。冬青爪后腿上的肌肉顿时绷紧了，她等待着。不一会儿，叶子下面又开始颤动起来，这时，一个小小的粉色鼻头冒了出来。是一只树林中的老鼠！冬青爪屏住呼吸继续等着，像一条蝰蛇准备发起进攻时一样。这只老鼠鬼鬼祟祟探出脑袋，朝一颗山毛榉坚果爬去。冬青爪清楚，它还没觉察到自己。
冬青爪猛扑了过去，用前爪一下子把老鼠逮个正着。
“干得好！”蕨毛叫道。
冬青爪抬起头，看着自己爪子中还带着体温的老鼠。这是她捕获的第一只猎物！她闭上眼睛，回想着狮爪和蜡毛在抓到各自的猎物时，是如何向星族表示感谢的。
“感谢星族赐予这只猎物，供我的族群食用。我一定仅取本猫之所欲……”她停顿了一下，“我是说，之所需，并尽本猫所能，无私奉献一切。”
她终于迈出了成为武士的第一步！
第十九章
第十九章
“我昨晚一直都没睡好，鼠毛一直咳嗽。”长尾抱怨道。
“真是怪了！你鼾声雷动，居然也能听到我的咳嗽声！”鼠毛反驳道。
在长老巢穴里的松鸦爪，听着老猫们像幼崽一样斗嘴，叹了口气。他实在不明白，他们为什么老是争吵。长尾一直不停地抱怨，其实是在以一种特殊的方式告诉松鸦爪，他对鼠毛的状况很是担忧。
“她的喉咙里，没有任何肿胀的迹象，”松鸦爪告诉他，“只要她一直服用我带回来的款冬就可以了。叶池说过，这种草药会让她的呼吸更通畅。”
“我不需要草药。”鼠毛咕哝道。
“无论如何得把它吃下去，”长尾催促道，“好歹也算你吃东西了。从昨天日高时分到现在，你什么东西都没吃。”
“现在食物这么稀缺，我只是不想从猎物堆里拿猎物罢了。”鼠毛说，“有很多幼崽嗷嗷待哺呢，还是留给他们吧。”
“行啦，快把款冬吃掉。”长尾说，“你快安静些吧，吵死了。”
鼠毛一边生气地低声嘟哝着，一边用尾巴把旁边堆的碎叶朝自己窝的方向扫了扫。
松鸦爪又叹了口气。听着长老们大惊小怪的争吵，他觉得这里跟自己当亮心学徒时没什么两样。松鸦爪做巫医学徒也就四分之一个月亮圆缺的时间，可他已经彻底厌烦了天天摆弄草药的生活。接下来，他还要去武士巢穴探望暴毛，并再次给他肩膀上的伤口涂上蜂蜜和杉叶藻混合而成的药糊。那位武士拒绝休息，上次没等松鸦爪处理完伤口，他就把刚涂上的药糊蹭掉了。
叶池出现在忍冬丛旁边的入口，身上还带着巫医巢穴的气息。“鼠毛的嗓子怎么样了？”她问道。
“感觉还好，”松鸦爪简短地回答，“就是一直在不停地抱怨，我都要被她烦死了。如果她不这样，没准儿病会好得快些。”
听了这话，叶池顿时发怒了。“如果你不能对长老礼貌点，那你还是回巫医巢穴，帮我把昨天冬青爪替你取来的艾菊撕碎吧！”她斥责道。
松鸦爪转了转眼珠。要是再在巫医巢穴待上一会儿，他就会疯掉的！他已经受够了自己那“伟大”的巫医使命。斑叶可没告诉他，巫医的生活就是如此单调琐碎。
叶池朝巫医巢穴走去，肩膀的肌肉一直紧绷着，松鸦爪神情痛苦地跟在她身后。他察觉到，叶池肚子里还有一大套说辞，将要劈头盖脸地砸向他。松鸦爪只能不情愿地穿过黑莓丛，然后坐了下来。
“你在营地里来回游荡，就像一朵小乌云。碰到谁，就给谁下一场雨！”叶池批评道。
“我感觉太无聊啦！”松鸦爪抱怨道。
他的老师这次彻底被激怒了：“所有的猫都以为，是我逼你成为我的学徒的！”
“你并没逼我，”松鸦爪说道，“不过，这难道不是正合了你意吗？”他抽抽尾巴，“现在你高兴了吗？”
“我看起来像是高兴的样子吗？”叶池反问道。松鸦爪感到，她在强压着身体里的熊熊怒火。为什么她会对自己如此气恼呢？她难道不明白，除了这个，他还有更多追求吗？
“你怎么说都可以，”松鸦爪高声说道，“你是自愿成为一名巫医的。”
“你不是吗？”
“这是我的宿命，”他低声喃喃道，“并不是我想做的事。”
“那你就必须接受它！”叶池毫不同情地大吼道。
松鸦爪不高兴地走到冬青爪留下的艾菊堆旁边，开始把叶子从茎秆上扯下来。他漫不经心地扯着，叶子上还残留着长长的茎秆。叶池叹了口气，坐到他的身边，一言不发地把松鸦爪留下的茎秆一根根揪了下来。她每一个细小而无声的动作，都透着失望。一种愧疚感像刺扎一样，刺痛了松鸦爪的心脏。他真心希望，有什么话语可以表达自己内心的挫败感。不过他清楚，不管他说什么，都不过是火上浇油。如果叶池知道，他放弃了自己的武士梦想来当巫医，心里有多难过时，她又会怎么说呢？而这沉重的代价换来的又是什么？是成天整理草药、为病猫担忧的单调生活！
“叶池？”暴毛走进了巫医巢穴。松鸦爪闻到了他肩膀上那已经化脓的伤口发出的酸臭气味——他显然是忘记涂抹新的药糊了。松鸦爪转过头去，心里感到无比内疚。
“你是不是没给暴毛处理伤口？”叶池问道。
“是你让我回到这儿的。”松鸦爪说。
“你说得对。”她叹了口气说，“没关系，我来吧。你休息一下。半月已经升起来了，我们明天还要跟其他巫医一起去月亮池呢。”
在半边石旁，亮心躺在云尾身边清理着身体。在营地入口等叶池的松鸦爪感觉到，她的心被伤透了，好像爪垫被扎穿一般疼痛。火星已经向亮心承诺，等时机成熟，会让小冰或小狐给她当学徒，不过亮心还是没从松鸦爪不愿再当她学徒的打击中解脱出来。
“就这么看着她，并不会让她原谅你。”叶池的话吓了松鸦爪一大跳。他太专注于亮心的事情，丝毫没注意到自己的老师已来到了身边。
“可是，我试着跟她解释，但她根本不愿意听。”松鸦爪说，“她要么转移话题，或者干脆找个借口走开。”
“当她准备好了，她会听的。”叶池建议道，“她一直都非常努力，要向同伴们证明自己和别的猫一样优秀。但是这件事却让她感觉自己打了败仗。”
“我从未想过要伤害她。”松鸦爪说。
“对有些猫而言，正视自己的弱点，并认清自己的长处，是需要比其他猫花更长的时间。”叶池说，“而一旦他们做到了，就会发现，今后的每次伤痛都简直不值一提。”
松鸦爪感觉，叶池的这番话，是想说服他要理解亮心，而不是解释亮心为什么生气。但是他现在根本就听不进去，他正急着离开营地。松鸦爪有好几天都没去过比天空橡树更远的地方了，他迫不及待地想再去月亮池一次。
叶池看出了松鸦爪内心的焦躁。“来吧！”她一边说，一边带他穿过荆棘屏障。
黑夜变得冰冷刺骨，地上已经有霜了，动物们都回到洞里躲了起来。松鸦爪和叶池的爪子落地声打破了这片冻土的寂静。当他们靠近风族的边界时，松鸦爪心中不禁有些焦虑起来。如果其他巫医都认为，一只盲猫不适合成为巫医，那该怎么办呢？
他伸出鼻子闻了闻，空气中夹杂着影族和河族的气息。
“其他巫医一定在等我们了。”叶池一边观察着，一边说。她也闻到了同样的气味。
松鸦爪跟着叶池走出森林，进入一片开阔的草地。远方是广袤的荒原。他闻到了金雀花和石楠的味道，中间还混杂着猫的气味。他远远地认出了柳爪和蛾翅，因为她们一个月前来过雷族营地。可影族猫身上特有的气味，只是让他想起了那场残酷的战斗。
“你好，蛾翅。”见到自己的河族老朋友，叶池很高兴。
“你好，叶池。”蛾翅高兴地咕噜着。
“河族领地的霜也像这里一样严重吗？”叶池问道。
“我们已经度过了霜冻最严重的时候，不过如此寒冷的天气，长老们都不愿走出巢穴，他们不停地抱怨关节疼。”
“你那里有足够的罂粟籽吗？”
“有的，谢谢。”
“你好，小云。”叶池向影族巫医打着招呼，“你一切都好吧？”
松鸦爪身上的毛竖了起来。影族侵略雷族领地就发生在不久之前，她怎么能对敌族的猫如此客气呢？
“都挺好的，”小云回答，“你们的同伴都康复了吗？”他指的一定是被影族武士打伤的那些雷族武士。多疑的松鸦爪在这只影族猫的话语里，搜寻着胜利的高傲，不过他并没找到，小云的话里，只有一丝牵挂与担忧。
“还有一位武士没好利索，”叶池通报道，“你们呢？”
“橡毛的腿还瘸着呢。”他告诉她说。
“你可以试试，在他每晚睡觉时，用紫草绑住他的爪子。”叶池建议道。
“我那儿已经没有紫草了。”小云坦白道。
“你应该早点儿来找我啊！”叶池说。
“可黑星不让我去找你。”
“明早我会在边界上留一些紫草的。”叶池向他保证道。
松鸦爪简直不敢相信自己的耳朵。火星知道叶池正在帮助雷族仇敌的事吗？
这时，他感到一团柔软的皮毛蹭着他的身子，原来是河族的柳爪。“冬青爪呢？”她小声问道。
看到是我，她听起来很失望啊！松鸦爪抽抽尾巴。“你难道不知道吗？”他回应道，“冬青爪觉得当巫医太无聊，于是就让她那可怜的、没用的弟弟来顶替她。”
柳爪向后缩了缩身子。
“我给大家介绍一下我的新学徒。”叶池说道。
松鸦爪感到周围四只猫那火热的眼神，几乎要把自己的皮毛烧着了。
“这位是松鸦爪。”叶池介绍道。
松鸦爪怒目圆瞪，准备随时回击任何嘲笑他看不见东西的话语。
“你好，松鸦爪。”蛾翅说。
“当学徒的感觉如何？”小云问道。
松鸦爪察觉到，自己的老师心中闪过一丝焦虑。她很害怕我会说无聊呢！“非常好。”他回应道。
“松鸦爪学东西很快的。”叶池的声音放松了很多，“他已经认全了所有的草药。”
“真的吗？”小云显然吃了一惊。
突然，松鸦爪闻到了一种新的气味。另一只猫正越过风族边界，朝着他们的方向快步奔来。
“青面！”当他走近时，小云对风族巫医喊道，“隼爪呢？”
“他得了白咳症。”青面气喘吁吁地说道。
“不严重吧？”叶池问道。
“没事的。”青面回答，“他那么年轻，身体又强壮。不过我倒是希望他不要到处乱走，免得传播病毒。现在猎物稀少，大家肚子又饿，很容易暴发流行病的。”
蛾翅表示同意。
“月亮升起来了。”小云望着天空说。
“我们最好还是尽早赶到月亮池吧。”叶池催促道。
松鸦爪跟着这些猫爬上了斜坡。
“柳爪！”蛾翅对她的学徒喊道，“你跟松鸦爪一起走。我想他一定有很多关于月亮池的问题要问你。”
你知道吗？我去过那里！松鸦爪看到柳爪来到自己身边，才把这话咽到了肚子里。她跟他保持着一定的距离，确保自己的皮毛不会碰上他的。
“叶池带你来过这儿吗？”她问道，不过听起来好像并不愿意跟他说话似的。
松鸦爪刚想告诉她，自己曾独自来过这里，不料柳爪突然毫无征兆地抓起他后颈上的皮毛，把他拉到一边。松鸦爪用力挣脱，然后转身伸出爪子，向她抓去。
“松鸦爪，你在做什么！”叶池尖叫道。
“他差一点儿就掉进兔子洞了！”柳爪哭叫道，“我是想帮他。”
松鸦爪收起爪子，尴尬得耳朵发烫。“我又不知道啊！”他大声说。为什么她要帮助我啊？我可不是一只幼崽！
“立即向柳爪道歉！”叶池命令道。
“我知道那个洞的位置啊！”松鸦爪反驳道。的确如此。他已经闻到了兔子的强烈气息，也感知到自己离那个洞穴越来越近。“我不需要帮助！”
“那不是理由，”叶池斥责道，“快道歉！”
“对不起！”松鸦爪小声说道。
“没关系。”柳爪大吼道，“我希望你下次直接掉进去！”说完，她走到松鸦爪前面，尾巴在他的鼻子上拂过。
“快跟上来，松鸦爪！”叶池回头看了看松鸦爪。松鸦爪感到叶池愤怒的目光直射在身上，让他非常难受。这又不是他的错啊！是柳爪引起的！他跟在柳爪身后，无视她的怒气，专心听其他几只猫的谈话。
“这场霜冻，把一大片新长出的叶子都冻死了。”青面说。
“我还盼着再储存些草药呢，”小云说道，“可现在植物们要新长出叶子，还要再等一个月。”
“河族领地上有一些很隐蔽的地方，那里的草药没受到霜的破坏。”蛾翅告诉他们说。
松鸦爪还想从他们的谈话中获取更多的信息。他想知道，对自己族群有用的所有植物的位置，不管在哪儿都行。他听得太专注了，以至于都没听到溪水奔流的声音，也没注意到爪子下的地面已经从草地变成了石头。冰冷的空气让石块变成了冰块，这时他突然滑了一跤。
柳爪朝他冲了过去，接着又停下来，好像有谁的爪子拽住了她的尾巴一样。柳爪看着松鸦爪笨拙地滑倒，没说一句话，好像在等着看他出丑。松鸦爪尴尬得皮毛发热，他最终还是站了起来。柳爪继续向前走着，速度一点儿没慢下来，松鸦爪一瘸一拐地跟在她后面。性格执拗的柳爪没有帮他，他反倒感觉有些欣赏她了。
在松鸦爪爬上陡峭的山脊时，柳爪也没帮他。松鸦爪能清楚觉察到，当柳爪看着自己在陡峭而危险的石壁上行进时心中的那种担心。松鸦爪庆幸自己之前到过这里，对路线了如指掌，不然可就惨了。
松鸦爪在山顶停下脚步，想听听上次给他指引过方向的说话声。可是他听到的只有风吹进山谷的声音，和淙淙水流拍打在石头上的回声。松鸦爪踩着被猫爪踏出一个个小坑的石头，向月亮池走去。当爪子触碰到冰冷的池水时，他停了下来。
月亮池边站满了猫，他们的呼吸让空气都变得温暖起来。
“星族啊！”叶池朝着天空大喊道，“我把我的学徒松鸦爪带来了，我请求你们能够接受他，就像你们从前接受我那样。”
松鸦爪听到了皮毛轻轻触碰在石头上的声音——猫们都在池水边趴了下来。他也在叶池身边趴下，把爪子放在胸脯下。他并没有立刻用鼻子触碰水面，而是仔细地听着，直到传来其他猫沉沉入睡的呼吸声。他闭上眼睛，垂下头，冰冷的池水突然碰到了他的鼻子。
瞬间，松鸦爪来到了星族的狩猎场，地上低矮的灌木丛轻轻擦着他的皮毛。他能看见了！松鸦爪眨眨眼，努力适应着自己看到的纷繁杂乱的颜色，直到它们最终变幻成自己能分辨的形状。他周围都是参天大树，翠绿的叶子在明亮的蓝天下摇曳着。
柳爪眼中的世界，也是这个样子吗？松鸦爪一边想着，一边竖起耳朵，想听到她那里传来的声音。我们俩会梦到同一片森林吗？他嗅闻着，搜索着柳爪的气息。渐渐地，微风中传来了她的气息，好像是这阵风把她带到了自己身边。松鸦爪悄悄接近她，走路的声音非常小，生怕被别的猫发现自己闯进了他们的地盘。
“泥毛？”柳爪轻柔的声音响了起来。
松鸦爪躲在一棵橡树的树根后面窥视着，看到柳爪正在一片空地上四处张望着。她看起来比自己想象的要小。她的皮毛光泽柔亮，身形柔软，精美的虎斑纹布满全身。
“小家伙，找我什么事啊？”一只杂色公猫从蕨丛中走出来，向她打着招呼，并上前用鼻子碰了碰她的鼻子。
松鸦爪急忙压低身子。
“很高兴见到你，泥毛。”柳爪说。
“你治疗斑爪肚子疼时，做得很好！”
“我一直都在不停地安慰她。我总觉得这样做，比让她一直吃草药要好。我做得没错吧？”柳爪的话语里满是急切。
“是的。她自己感觉好多了，而且草药也可以省下来，给更需要的猫用。”泥毛表扬她道。
松鸦爪再次偷偷看了过去。只见柳爪正高兴地抽动着尾巴。“你有什么消息要告诉河族吗？”她问道。
“你们要留心小溪上游的两脚兽。它们的幼崽正试图堵住河族的水源呢。”
“我会通知蛾翅的。”柳爪保证道。
松鸦爪感到胡须一阵刺痛。为什么泥毛不亲自告诉蛾翅呢？难道他俩之前吵架了吗？还是他只跟柳爪交流信息呢？
松鸦爪想着，离开了那棵橡树。如果柳爪梦见了泥毛，那蛾翅会梦见谁呢？松鸦爪张开嘴，尝了尝空气的味道。他想搜索到蛾翅的气息。
可他什么也没闻到。柳爪的气息已经消失，她的梦似乎已经结束。他试着像刚才那样，让蛾翅的气息靠近自己，不过也没能成功。松鸦爪闭上眼睛，让整个森林从自己的意识世界中移开，使自己重新回到山谷。当他重新睁开眼睛时，月亮池在他的下方闪闪发光。他看到其他猫依然在池边熟睡着——包括他自己。蛾翅的呼吸声比别的猫更重一些，身体也不住地动着，而其他猫则一动不动。
松鸦爪闭上眼，将注意力集中在蛾翅的内心世界，把自己融入她的思维中去。渐渐地，他闻到了猎物的气味，接着是水的气息。他睁开眼睛，发现自己来到了湖边的芦苇丛里。蛾翅正在离自己仅仅几条尾巴远的地方，跟踪着一只青蛙。青蛙刚要跳向别处，蛾翅跳上去抓住了它。然而她又放了它，看着它再次跳起来，笨拙地回到芦苇丛里。她的胡须居然还高兴地抽了抽。一只蝴蝶在她的头顶飞舞，她轻轻一跃，把它抓在爪子里，拿着它靠近自己的鼻子，任凭蝴蝶的翅膀触碰着自己的鼻子。
松鸦爪猛然一惊，这才意识到，这里不是星族的狩猎场，而是位于雷族领地和河族领地交界处的一处湖岸。河族巫医正在做一个很普通的梦，任何一只族群猫都可能做这种梦。
第二十章
第二十章
还有哪位巫医正做着普通的梦呢？松鸦爪让自己的视线重新回到星族的狩猎场。他想知道，哪些猫正在梦中与星族交流着。这时，阳光再次透过浓密的树荫，照到他的皮毛上，令他感到十分温暖。
他回来了。
“斑叶的话是对的。”一个刺耳的声音从他旁边一处长长的草丛里传了出来。草叶随后开始颤动，一只皮毛凌乱的母猫走了出来。她那长长的灰色皮毛暗淡无光，爪子落地声很重。松鸦爪马上认出了她那宽阔而扁平的脸庞。松鸦爪第一次在山谷看到的星族猫，就是她。当时她站在那里，眼睛直直地盯着松鸦爪。
“斑叶说什么了？”松鸦爪问道。
“她警告我，不要让你无休止地利用你的天赋。”
“可我什么都没做啊！”他自我辩护着。
“我活了这么久，早就看穿你这幼崽脸上那恶作剧的表情了。”她嘟哝道。
“我不是幼崽！”松鸦爪反驳道。
“在我这个岁数的猫看来，你们都跟幼崽一样。”这只老猫用戏谑的语气低沉地说道。
“你是谁啊？”松鸦爪问道。
“我是黄牙，雷族的前任巫医，炭毛是我的学徒。我猜，你应该听说过炭毛吧？”
“当然。”松鸦爪一边说，一边抬起了下巴，“每次叶池来星族都会找她，可一直都没找到。”他眯起眼睛，“你见到过她吗？”
“是的，我见过。”黄牙回答道，“不过我今天来到这里，不是来谈论炭毛的。”她清了清嗓子说，“你想进入其他猫的梦中，对吧？”
“是啊，那又怎么样？”
“你要小心些。”她警告道，“好奇心过剩的猫，总是会听到一些不该知道的事情。”
“什么该知道，什么不该知道，这个标准是谁定的？”松鸦爪反驳道。
“是你自己啊。”黄牙炽烈的目光直视着他，“不过你太年轻了，太过好奇可是很危险的。你做这件事时，一定要小心。”
松鸦爪身上的毛竖了起来。为什么这个又丑又脏的老家伙一直喋喋不休地告诉自己该做什么呢？“叶池知道我可以进入其他猫的梦里，”他大声说，“她说，这是我的一种特殊天赋。”
“的确如此。”黄牙表示同意。
“那我没有理由不利用它啊！”
“你长爪子了吗？”黄牙眨眨眼睛，问道。
“当然！”
“那你为什么不把我撕碎，让我别说话了呢？”
好愚蠢的问题啊！“你是星族的一员！”他反驳道，“我不会攻击你的。”
“为什么呢？”
“这样做是不对的！”她把我当成什么了？黄鼠狼吗？“你是我的武士祖灵，也是我的长辈。”
“而且我的个头是你的三倍大。”黄牙又一次用戏谑的语气说道。
松鸦爪瞪着她。她到底要说什么啊？
“我们平常做事时不会使出自己的全部能力，这是有多方面原因的。有些情况下，是武士守则不许我们这么做；有些情况下是天性和直觉使然；还有一些情况，则是因为常识。”她离松鸦爪近了一些，松鸦爪强忍着才没让自己避开她那臭烘烘的口气，“松鸦爪，你有着过人的天赋，不过在你利用它之前，必须认真思考一下。”
难道她在说他笨吗？松鸦爪不满地抽动着尾巴。
黄牙眯起眼睛，叹了一口气。“真是幼崽啊！”她低声嘟囔道，“我想我是在浪费口舌。”说着她转过身，准备离开。
“等一下！”松鸦爪可不愿浪费与星族成员谈话的宝贵机会。他想弄清楚蛾翅的梦是怎么回事，“你经常和巫医分享梦境吗？”
黄牙回头看了看他，眼睛里闪着疑惑的光芒：“有时候会的。怎么了？”
“你和蛾翅说过话吗？”
黄牙的耳朵抽动了一下：“反正你什么都不懂，你还想让我浪费更多口舌吗？”
“我只是想知道，你是不是跟她说过话。”
“你只是出于好奇，”黄牙说道，“这可不是个很好的理由啊。”
松鸦爪气得使劲用爪子抓挠着地面：“你为什么不告诉我！”
“因为，”黄牙大声吼道，“如果答案真的存在，不管怎样，你都会自己找到它的。”
还没等松鸦爪再开口，这只老猫就走进了草丛里。草叶抖动了一阵，然后安静下来，她的气息也像风中的雾一样消失了。
松鸦爪非常生气。他想知道的东西太多了，为什么星族猫不肯告诉他呢？好吧，如果答案真的隐藏在什么地方，等待发掘，那我就去发掘它！他暗暗下定决心。
松鸦爪穿过森林，努力捕捉着另一位巫医身上的气息。这时，他嗅到了一种风族猫的气息——带着荒原上特有的泥土的芳香。
是青面。
松鸦爪充满期待地，跟随着这种气息前进。他俯下身，在一片蕨丛中穿行，小心翼翼地穿过茎秆林立的蕨丛，不让它们发出声响。他看向一边，发现青面就在前方。这位巫医的眼睛里满是忧虑，身旁还站着另外一只公猫——通过气味判断，应该是风族猫，皮毛是黑白相间的颜色。
“高星，这次会来多少只狗呢？”青面有些害怕地问道。
“我不知道。”高星回答道。
“那它们什么时候会到我们这里？”
“当两脚兽们把绵羊赶出来吃新叶季的青草时，就会把狗带来的。”高星告诉他，“你要准备好啊！”
“我会通知一星的。”
松鸦爪看着青面向高星低头致意。这时他感到一团柔软的皮毛正蹭着自己，他一惊，猛地转过了头。
斑叶来到了他身边。“这可不是你的梦啊！”她严厉地说道。
松鸦爪身上的毛奓开了。为什么无论他走到哪儿，都有猫告诉他该做什么呢？“我只是看一看。”他反驳道。
“你的这个天赋，不是让你窥探其他猫的。”斑叶责备道。
“那你告诉我，为什么我会有这个天赋呢？”松鸦爪反问道。
还没等斑叶开口回答，另一个声音响了起来。
“松鸦爪？”
松鸦爪感到，不知谁的鼻子在蹭着自己的肩膀。
“该醒来了。”叶池温暖的呼吸轻拂着他的皮毛。
他睁开眼睛，眼前一片黑暗。森林不见了，月亮池在自己爪边微微泛起波澜。他听到有猫活动的声音。小云和青面沿着池岸走着，叶池在他身边静静地站着。
“你做梦了吗？”他问叶池。
“是的。”
松鸦爪的胡须好奇地抽了抽。他觉察到，叶池的内心正升起一片阴影。“你梦到了什么？”他问道。
“如果没有正当理由，巫医是不会对别的猫说自己与星族谈话内容的。”叶池告诉他。
这是不是意味着，他不能把高星警告青面的事情告诉叶池了？那么他就要尽快回到营地，把这个消息告诉火星。这是自己的职责。松鸦爪的尾巴兴奋得颤抖起来。火星一定会对自己刮目相看的。
月亮池的另一边，蛾翅在打着哈欠，看起来睡得不错。松鸦爪向前倾了倾身子，全神贯注于她的内心世界。不过，他只看见一片刻意呈现出来的空白。
突然，柳爪兴奋地冲过月亮池，如同吹动落叶的暖风一般，使他分了神。我猜她一定急着要说出有关泥毛的话吧。他察觉到，柳爪好奇的目光射在自己的皮毛上。他心想，她该不会发现自己偷偷出现在她的梦里吧。于是，松鸦爪迅速转身走开。
“快走吧，柳爪！”蛾翅喊道，“外面太冷，别到处跑了！”
“我们该回家了。”叶池说。
“你有什么重要的事情，要告诉火星吗？”蛾翅问道。
“我要在黎明巡逻队出发前赶回营地，”叶池回答道，“不然他们就会寻找我们，这会耽误他们巡查边界的。”她转过身，跟着青面和小云朝山顶行进。松鸦爪也跟在她身后。到了山顶，他向身后望了望，山谷里一片寂静。
“你先走吧！”蛾翅说。她等到松鸦爪跟其他猫爬下去后，才追上了他。他们一起穿行在狭窄的山谷中。
“你的训练怎么样了？”她问道。
“还好。”松鸦爪回答。他想了一会儿，说道：“我认为，最重要的一点就是跟星族分享信息。”他屏住呼吸，等着听蛾翅如何回应。
“当然了，”蛾翅的回答令松鸦爪不太满意，“有没有遇到什么困难呢？”松鸦爪注意到，她突然转移了话题。
他想到了暴毛：“我们那里有位武士，他身上的伤口老是不好。”
“那你们用什么东西治疗呢？”
“蜂蜜和马尾草的混合药糊，”他回答，“不过我一帮他涂上去，他就立刻把药糊蹭掉了。他的窝里全是蜂蜜，黏糊糊的，弄得大半个营地都脏兮兮的。”
“那你有没有试过，涂上药糊后，再用原拉拉藤把伤口盖住呢？”
松鸦爪回忆起触摸这种植物的感觉——又长又有黏性的茎秆上，长着毛茸茸的绿色小球。原拉拉藤有着微小的、带刺的种子，可以附在暴毛厚厚的皮毛上，既不会弄疼他，还会将药糊保护起来，不会被蹭掉。“谢谢你，”他说，“我会试试的。”
“巫医之间相互分享信息是很有帮助的。”蛾翅说。
“星族也曾给过你什么好的建议吗？”松鸦爪天真地问道，不过蛾翅装作没听见，飞奔着去追柳爪了。
松鸦爪的脑子里满是好奇的想法。经过漫长的跋涉，他们终于来到了风族边界附近。蛾翅一直走在松鸦爪前方几步远的地方。不一会儿，大家在之前会合的地方停了下来。
“再见。”小云转身朝湖边走去。
“森林大会再见。”蛾翅补充着，向叶池低头致意。
“路上小心啊。”小云、蛾翅和柳爪一起朝湖的方向走去时，叶池高声喊道，“我会记得留一些草药给你的，小云。”
“谢谢你，叶池。”这只影族猫回头喊道。
青面穿过边界，进入风族的领地上。“你们保重。”他说。
你也保重。松鸦爪听到这只风族猫快步朝家的方向奔去，蹭得石楠沙沙作响。
现在只剩下他和叶池了。松鸦爪感觉，空气忽然间变冷了。他抖了抖皮毛。霜又凝结起来，爪子下的草变得更加僵硬，黎明的曙光正在降临。
松鸦爪跟着叶池走进了森林。“你知不知道其他猫在做什么梦呢？”他装作一副毫不在意的样子，问道。
“我不是跟你说过了吗，”她回答，“我们不能谈论这个。”
“可所有的巫医都会做梦啊，不是吗？”他加重了语气。难道叶池已经知道蛾翅的秘密了？
“每位巫医跟星族的关系都是不同的。”叶池说道，那语气，就像一只猫穿过荆棘丛时那样小心而谨慎。
“不过，作为巫医，和星族交谈获取信息，是最重要的职责之一，不是吗？任何猫都可以学习怎样治疗族猫，可是真正的巫医必须具备从星族那儿获得并传递信息的本领。”
“一位优秀的巫医，不仅仅是诠释预兆那么简单。”叶池坚定地对他说道，“快点儿，”她跑了起来，“黎明巡逻队马上就要出发了。”她快速穿过森林，不时回头看松鸦爪是否已经跟上了自己。
她知道更多的事情，只是不愿跟我说罢了。松鸦爪一边想着，一边循着她的气息，穿过低矮的灌木丛。
他们正好在黎明巡逻队准备出发时，抵达了营地。黑莓掌正不安地走来走去，蜡毛揉搓着地面上的泥土，蕨毛正坐着清理爪子，每舔一次，都能看出他盼望出发的急切心情。当叶池和松鸦爪穿过荆棘屏障时，黑莓掌停了下来，松鸦爪察觉到，看到他们平安归来，父亲心里松了一口气。“你们都还好吧？”他问叶池。
“一切都好。”叶池往自己巢穴走去时，回答道。
松鸦爪分享信息的机会终于到了。他爬上乱石堆，来到高石台上。“火星！”他一边喊着，一边冲进了族长的巢穴。
火星吓了一跳。“松鸦爪？”他吃惊地问道。
巢穴另一侧的沙风惊醒了过来：“发生什么事了？”
“我做了一个关于星族的梦，”松鸦爪开始说道，“风族会遭到狗的进攻。”他感觉火星的尾巴竖了起来，便继续说了下去，“这是我们夺取风族一部分领地的绝佳机会！他们的注意力一定会转向山脊的那一边，也一定不会派出巡逻队阻止我们。我们可以得到那片树林，还有那条小溪……我们将成为最强大的族群，这样一来，影族就再也不敢侵犯我们了。”
“这些都是星族告诉你的？”
为什么火星的话听起来像是在戒备什么？
松鸦爪急切地点点头：“对，它们谈到狗会进攻风族。”
沙风用绿色的眼睛直直盯着松鸦爪：“你确定这是星族的意思吗？它们告诉你，我们应该利用狗的这次进攻，来占邻族的便宜？”
“它们让我听见高星的警告，难道还有别的意图吗？”
这时火星开口了：“我们是不会乘风族之危的。”
“是星族让我分享这个消息的，它们一定是想让我们利用这个机会的呀！”松鸦爪争辩道。
“你确定它们不是想警告我们，附近的狗都没拴链子吗？”
松鸦爪的尾巴气愤地抽动着。“你当时并不在场！”他大声叫道，“你怎么会知道，星族说这话是什么意思呢？”
说完，他愤然走出火星的巢穴，蹦下落石堆，回到巫医巢穴。为什么他们不信我的话呢？我才是和星族交谈的那只猫！如果他们一直都不信任我，那当巫医又有什么意思？
第二十一章
第二十一章
“狗！狗来啦！”
白翅的吼叫声惊醒了狮爪。他迅速从窝里爬起来，冲到巢穴的入口。莓爪和鼠爪已经在外面待命了。冬青爪紧跟在他身后，尾巴伸得直直的，耳朵也放平了——她已经做好了保卫雷族的准备。
“你能看见它们吗？”她喘息着问道。
“它们是在育婴室附近吗？”榛爪问道。
狮爪眨了眨眼，挤掉雨滴。一场小雨把整个营地弄得湿漉漉的，清晨灰蒙蒙的天空，飘着几片云彩。丝毫没有狗进犯的迹象。
空地上全都是猫，都像疯了一样，四处张望着，爪子也全都伸了出来，做好了战斗准备。蛛足和桦落飞快地从武士巢穴冲了出来，灰条和米莉紧随其后，白翅急促地在高石台下来回走着。
“狗到底在哪儿？”香薇云受到惊吓的声音，从育婴室方向传了出来。她蹲伏在入口处，将小狐和小冰护在身后，圆瞪的双眼里满是恐惧。
“这跟上次獾发动的攻击没什么两样！”黛西哭叫着，在香薇云身边瑟瑟发抖。
火星纵身一跃，从高石台上跳了下来，沙风紧随其后。他问道：“狗到底在哪儿？”
白翅上气不接下气地说：“它们不在雷族的领地上。”
“那它们在哪儿？”火星问道。
“在风族领地上，”白翅汇报道，“我正在边界附近跟刺掌和云尾一起巡逻，突然听见荒原上传来狗吠声和猫的尖叫声。”
“那刺掌和云尾现在在哪儿？”
“他们去探查情况了。”
“星族啊，一定保佑他们！”香薇云呜咽着说。
狮爪的心如同橡树上啄虫的啄木鸟，怦怦直跳：“我希望石楠爪不会有事！”
榛爪的胡须拂过狮爪的脸颊：“火星会再派一支巡逻队吗？”
“他一定会的！”冬青爪的眼睛睁得圆圆的，“否则整个风族都会被消灭的。”
叶池冲出了巫医巢穴：“有谁受伤了吗？”
白翅摇了摇头。“我们没看见风族猫。我……我们只是听到他们在不停地尖叫，狗们……”她的耳朵抽动了几下，“它们正嗜血地吼叫着。”
松鸦爪得意扬扬地看了一眼火星。“这下你相信我说的了吧？”他一边说，一边轻轻地弹动着尾巴。
狮爪一脸惊讶地看着弟弟。他早就料到这件事会发生了？
火星盯着这位盲眼学徒。“这不是证明你观点的时候，很多猫可能会在今天死去！”
狮爪疑惑地瞥了一眼冬青爪，可她看起来跟自己一样困惑。
“我们必须派巡逻队去支援风族。”火星做出了决定。
蛛足眨眨眼：“你忘了以前我们和恶狗战斗的事了吗？”
“那天，我们失去了好几位武士。”沙风一脸悲痛地回忆着。
“如何保护他们是风族自己的事。”松鸦爪大声说。
火星看了亮心一眼。很久以前，她遭到一群恶狗的攻击，失去了半张脸。“你怎么想？”他轻声问道。
“狗对我们发动袭击时，我们几乎失去了一切。”她高高地抬起头，狮爪看到她在颤抖，“我们不能让同样的悲剧在风族重演。”
“可是如果我们去了，那些狗很有可能会跟着我们，一直追到这儿来的。”尘毛说道。
“就算不去帮风族，那些狗也会找到这儿来的。”火星说。
黑莓掌点点头。“你们别忘了，风族的领地和我们的领地紧挨着。”他说。
“说得没错。”火星注视着自己的每位武士，“今天你们将要冒着生命危险去拯救风族。不过，你们也一定要把凶残的敌人挡在雷族的领地之外。”
“我们必须帮助他们！”桦落高喊道。
蛛足激动得来回转着圈：“我们一定要把恶狗赶出去！”
狮爪用力抓着地面。我真希望自己也能参加战斗啊！
“蜡毛！灰条！”黑莓掌喊道，“你们曾经和狗战斗过。我需要你们丰富的作战经验。还有，桦落和蛛足，你们俩也一起去！”
狮爪扬起了鼻子：“那我呢？”
黑莓掌看了一眼蜡毛：“他准备好了吗？”
蜡毛飞快地点点头。
“好的，”黑莓掌说，“米莉！”他转头对宠物猫说，“你在两脚兽那里生活时，对狗是很了解的，对吧？”
米莉点了点头。“我并不怕它们，”她说，“我知道，只要使出一些计策，它们其实是很好骗的。”
“不错。”黑莓掌点了点头，“那你也跟我们一起去吧。”说完，他又转身对自己的学徒说，“莓爪，你也跟着。”
莓爪活动了一下爪子，两眼闪着光芒。
“需要我去吗？”白翅问道。
“是的。我们需要你指出刺掌和云尾的去向。”副族长告诉她。
“那我呢？”冬青爪充满希望的双眼望着自己的父亲。
黑莓掌摇了摇头。狮爪看到妹妹的眼里流露出失望的神情。“我要你待在这里，帮助蕨毛保卫营地，”黑莓掌解释道，“万一我们无法在边界阻止狗的入侵，必须有猫守住营地入口，阻止它们。”
冬青爪轻弹尾巴回答道：“是，黑莓掌。”
雷族副族长看了看火星：“你觉得一星会接受我们的支援吗？”
“我想他会的。一星虽然很高傲，但他肯定不傻。”火星说。
“蜡毛？”香薇云离开育婴室，朝自己的哥哥走去。狮爪知道，他俩的母亲纹脸是被虎星杀死的，她的血最后被一群狗喝干了。香薇云所有关于狗的记忆，都是极为恐怖的。“你要小心啊！”这只母猫把脸贴在蜡毛的脸上，不停地蹭着。
“你忘了吗？以前，我就从狗群的包围中逃回来了。”蜡毛说道。
“但那时有我在你身边啊！”香薇云提醒他道。
“现在你和幼崽们都需要我的保护。”蜡毛一边说，一边舔舐着香薇云两耳中间的部位，“我不会让你失望的。”
黑莓掌飞速跑向入口。蜡毛转过身，紧随其后。接着是灰条、米莉、桦落、蛛足和白翅。莓爪和狮爪也在后面，并肩飞奔起来。
巡逻队奔出营地，加速冲上通往风族边界的斜坡。他们会及时抵达那里吗？要是狗已经抵达边界，该怎么办呢？一颗颗尖利的狗牙，在狮爪的脑海中不断闪现，他的尾巴不停地颤抖着。他张开爪子，使劲插进被雨水浸湿的泥土里。
等到他们抵达边界时，狮爪的皮毛已紧紧贴在了身体上。巡逻队随即进入风族领地。狮爪扫视着远处的荒原，可这时，风把雨水吹进了眼睛里。
远处传来一声吼叫。
接着，一只猫惊恐的尖叫声从石楠丛那边传过来：“我们必须把它们从营地那边引开！”
“我们去那边！”白翅一边喊，一边带队向荒原前进。此时狮爪闻到，石楠丛边传来了刺掌的气息。
莓爪奋力跑到狮爪前面，他脊背上被浸湿的乳白色皮毛奓了起来。狮爪加大了步伐，爪子下松软的金雀花叶子让他奔跑的速度更快了。他看到前方黑莓掌正跳过被雨水洗刷过的石楠丛，强壮的肩膀上下起伏着。
一个皮毛蓬乱、带有黑白条纹的身影，突然在前方的草地上疾驰而过。它敏捷地飞奔过那片崎岖不平的荒野，不时发出咆哮。在它嘴前几条尾巴远的地方，两只猫正在拼命奔逃着。狮爪认出了鸦羽的深烟灰色皮毛，随即他震惊地发现，跟在鸦羽身旁的正是石楠爪，她那浅棕色的皮毛在绿色草地的衬托下显得十分苍白。
“他们正把那条狗从营地边引开。”黑莓掌恍然大悟。随后他停下脚步，狮爪和其他巡逻队员也都停下来，在他身边集合。
正在这时，又有一条狗从另一个方向发起新的攻击。它加速穿越草地时，肩膀也一起一伏着。两位风族武士，一只黑色，另一只浅棕色，突然从草地前方的石楠丛里钻了出来。这条狗发现了他们，随即沿着布满石头的斜坡，一路朝下追去。狗的眼睛闪着胜利的喜悦，随着距离越来越近，它的叫声也越来越高亢刺耳。
忽然，刺掌和尘毛从斜坡底部的石头堆里冲了出来。他俩并肩跑上山坡，超过了那两只风族的猫。狮爪吃惊地看到他们直接奔着那条狗去了！
当他们离狗越来越近时，狗的眼睛里放出恶毒的光。突然他俩分开了，好似一条被石头一分为二的溪流。狗转身朝刺掌扑去。当狗的大嘴离刺掌的身体只有一寸时，狮爪听到，白翅发出了惊恐的喘息声。却见那位雷族武士快速俯身，钻进一处狭小的石头缝里。狗顿时蒙了，在那儿绕来转去，而风族猫和云尾趁机赶快跑开了。
“我早就说过，狗都是很蠢的，”米莉咆哮着说，“它们一次只能想一件事。”
“那我们就尽可能地让它们多想点事吧！”黑莓掌决定道。他将尾巴指向布满陡峭石头的一处洼地，命令道：“蜡毛，你和狮爪把另外一条狗引到下面去，其他猫从上面进行伏击。”
狮爪心里既害怕，又激动。
“不，”蜡毛坚定地说，“在开阔的地方跟它们面对面作战，要更安全些。”
黑莓掌眯起眼睛，肩膀紧绷，直视着这位淡灰色皮毛的武士。但蜡毛毫不畏缩地回看着他。
“我不能带着狮爪做诱饵，”蜡毛坚持道，“我们需要一定的躲闪空间。狗的体形更大，速度更快，但是我们比它们的动作更灵活。”
狮爪听到黑莓掌的喉咙里传来一声低沉的咆哮。接着，雷族副族长终于点了点头：“好的。你带着桦落和狮爪追上鸦羽和石楠爪。你们要一起作战。我会带蛛足和莓爪去支援夜云和枭须。”狮爪猜想，他说的应该就是自己刚在石头堆边上看到的黑猫和浅棕色的猫。“灰条，米莉，你们注意观察，看是否还有别的狗，然后找到风族营地援助需要帮助的猫。”
灰条点点头，和米莉一起迅速穿过草地。
狮爪跟着蜡毛，朝鸦羽和石楠爪逃跑的方向追了过去。这两只风族猫仍在引诱那条狗远离营地。他们飞速跑过草地，掀起一片片苔藓。那条狗在后面穷追不舍，他俩来回变换着奔跑的方向，将狗晃得滑倒在地，因而得以一直跑在狗的前方。
他们一定累坏了。狮爪一边想，一边用尽全力跑着。他的眼睛一直盯着石楠爪。石楠爪勇敢地在老师鸦羽身边飞奔着，她的皮毛被雨水浸湿了，散发出光泽。
“鸦羽！”蜡毛朝风族武士大喊一声，斜插进他们奔跑的路线之中。
鸦羽一脸惊讶地看着他。
“我们来帮你们！”狮爪对石楠爪喊道。她回头看了看，突然被地上的兔子洞绊倒了。狗立刻朝她扑了过去，狮爪吓得倒吸了一口气。他想都没想，转身就朝狗冲了过去。鸦羽一个急转身，回头去帮助自己的学徒。桦落加快速度，紧跟在狮爪后面。蜡毛大吼一声，也加入了追赶的行列。
石楠爪挣扎着站了起来，开始猛跑起来，可是狗几乎已扑到她身上了。狮爪愤怒地大叫着扑向狗的腹部，死死地拽住它那粗糙的皮毛。狗号叫一声，转身就去咬狮爪，但没咬到他。狮爪奋力爬到狗背上，把爪子深深插进它的皮毛里。狗想把他甩掉，可狮爪就是不松开。鸦羽朝着狗的脸扑过去，使劲抓了一下它的鼻子，然后又转身跑开了。蜡毛俯冲到狗的身下，猛地咬了它的前腿一下，血顿时就喷涌出来。狮爪感觉身下的狗打了一个趔趄，于是更加用力地把爪子扎了下去。
狗疼得大吼一声，再次试图把狮爪甩下来。但狮爪紧抓不放，用目光搜寻着石楠爪的身影，急切地想知道她是否安全。当看到石楠爪那浅棕色的身影正飞速冲向这条狗时，他的心顿时一沉。
“你干什么呢？”他尖叫道。
“我在帮你啊！”她号叫着喊道。话音刚落，石楠爪已经冲到狗的身后，用爪子抓向它的后腿。随着一声尖叫响起，狗跌倒了，在地上翻滚着，一下子滚到狮爪身上。狮爪也吓得尖叫起来，身上沾满了潮湿的泥土和苔藓。狗随即翻了个身，爬了起来，嘴里满是流淌的鲜血和白沫。它突然大吼着扑向了狮爪。狮爪迅速跳起来，及时躲开了它的进攻。这时他听到身后传来上下牙齿咬合的碰撞声，接着是一声痛苦的尖叫。他回头一看，原来是蜡毛直立了起来，用前爪把它的鼻子划破了。鸦羽和桦落立刻上前支援，石楠爪也猛冲到狗的身后，咬住它的一条后腿。狮爪跑过去帮她。众猫一拥而上，又是砍，又是咬，又是抓，最后，狗终于夹着尾巴逃跑了。
狮爪正打算乘胜追击，却被蜡毛叫住了：“我想，它已经得到教训了！”
狮爪停下脚步，眼睁睁地看着这条大狗哀号着跑没影儿了。可是另外那条狗哪里去了？他四处张望着，兴奋地看到那条狗也已经消失在石楠丛里，飞奔着去追赶同伴了，灌木丛里到处都是它的血。
灰条从金雀花丛中走了出来，身上的皮毛一簇簇地粘在一起，一只耳朵上还沾着血迹，可他的眼睛依然熠熠闪光。米莉出现在他的身旁，裂耳和兔爪紧随其后。
“黑莓掌呢？”蜡毛问道。
“我在这儿！”黑莓掌低沉的声音，从上面斜坡处的石楠丛里传了出来。接着他从柔韧的灌木丛里跳出来，蛛足、夜云和枭须紧随其后。
“风族欠你们一份情。”鸦羽郑重其事地说道。
黑莓掌低头向他致意：“我们能陪你们回营地吗？我要确认一下风族一切安好。”
鸦羽眯起眼睛，然后点点头。“那跟我们走吧。”说着他转身往草地的另一边走去。
在跟着老师返回风族营地的路上，狮爪一直跟在石楠爪身边。雨渐渐小了一些，不过狮爪感觉到，雨滴依然不断顺着胡须流淌下来。
“你还好吗？”他轻轻问石楠爪。
石楠爪用温柔的眼神看着他，说：“我很好。”
刚才，金雀花把狮爪的皮毛扎得生疼，狗摔在他的身上时，又把他压得疼痛不已。多亏那铺满苔藓的泥土起了点儿缓冲作用，才让他不至于痛得号叫。然而狮爪对自己的光荣负伤，却感到很自豪。他把这些伤看作是保卫其他族群的奖赏。
“你刚才跳到狗身上发起攻击的时候，真是太勇敢了。”石楠爪说着，用鼻子指了指前方，告诉狮爪，“我们到了。”
金雀花和石楠交织着带刺的黑莓丛，形成了一道屏障，环绕着一处洼地。石楠爪小心翼翼地穿过一条曲折的通道，狮爪紧随其后。走着走着，眼前出现了一片开阔的空地，头顶是灰蒙蒙的天空。狮爪发现，空地的边缘，有好多条通往浓密树篱深处的通道。他猜，风族猫的巢穴就隐藏在那后面。
巡逻队进入了营地，许多猫从巢穴里探出头偷看着，接着，众猫纷纷爬出巢穴来到空地上。突然，一只幼崽尖叫了起来，细细的哭叫声里充满了恐惧。
“嘘，小秃鹫！”荆棘丛深处传来一只母猫安慰的声音。
一星从幼崽旁边的通道里走了出来。
“我们把它们赶跑了。”裂耳汇报道。
“很好。”一星说。
“幼崽们怎么样？”鸦羽问道。
“他们都吓坏了，但是过一段时间就会没事。”一星回答。
风族的猫越聚越多。狮爪认出了其中参加过上次森林大会的猫。他们都一脸戒备地望着雷族猫。
“火星派了一支巡逻队来支援我们。”鸦羽告诉一星。
风族族长的目光扫过巡逻队的队员们。“风族感谢你们。”他一边说，一边向他们低头致意。
“我们在边界，就听到了狗叫声。”黑莓掌解释道，“我希望你能原谅我们越过了边界，不过我们真的不知道，到底有多少条狗威胁着你们。”
“谢天谢地，我们提前知道它们要来，这多亏了青面。”一星朝棕色皮毛的巫医点了点头，“是星族给他发出了警示，之后我们就制订了一个将狗群从营地引开的计划。”
狮爪惊讶地看着青面。这么说，松鸦爪并不是接收星族警示的唯一一只猫。
“看来你的计划很有效。”黑莓掌说。
“不过，如果没有你们的帮助，我们无法把狗赶跑，”石楠爪插话道，“狗的奔跑速度比我想象的要快多了。”她用余光瞥了瞥狮爪，“狮爪从一条恶狗的口中，救了我一命。”
鸦羽马上站在两位学徒之间，隔开了他们的视线：“狮爪，你的确很勇敢！不过，风族完全有能力照顾自己的族猫。”
狮爪的心中燃起了怒火。当时除了自己，石楠爪身边连一只能救她的猫都没有！“可是……”
蜡毛把尾巴伸到他嘴边甩了甩，示意他别说了。狮爪低下了头。
入口的荆棘丛沙沙作响，风爪跑进了营地。“入口的屏障没有毁坏。”他大声说。
“你都仔细检查过了吗？”鸦羽问道。
风爪看了看自己的父亲：“当然了！白尾命令我那样做了。”
夜云向前迈了几步，咆哮道：“鸦羽，你为什么不能多给我们的儿子一些信任呢？”
“而且我的老师是白尾，不是你。”风爪补充道。
“她就是传说中的宠物猫吗？”一只棕色皮毛的幼崽从一星身后的通道里爬了出来。
她睁大眼睛望着米莉。这下子，风族的其他猫都把目光投向了米莉，眼神中充满了不信任。
“我现在正在进行武士训练。”米莉对那只幼崽说。
“可你永远也不能成为一位真正的……”
这时，一只身上带有斑点的虎斑母猫冲出通道，大喊：“小莎草，快点儿过来，待在那里会淋湿的！”
小莎草看了妈妈一眼，跺着爪子回去了。
“我们该走了，”黑莓掌一边说，一边低头向一星致意，“这些狗应该不敢再靠近你们的领地了。”
“如果它们再来侵犯，我们可以自己应付。”风爪嘟哝道。
“风爪！”夜云呵斥道，“如果没有这位勇敢的学徒，石楠爪会受重伤的。”她一边说，一边感激地望着狮爪。
狮爪避开了她的目光。他心里清楚，当时如果他不朝石楠爪喊，让她分神，她就不会被兔子洞绊倒了。
“你需要一些草药来治伤吗？”石楠爪问他。
狮爪摇摇头：“回到营地，叶池会帮我治疗的。”
黑莓掌转身向营地外走去，巡逻队员们紧随其后。他们顺着弯弯曲曲的通道，向上爬到荒原时，狮爪开始想着松鸦爪之前告诉火星的话。松鸦爪也知道狗要来进攻的事情：火星难道真的不肯相信弟弟的警告吗？当然了，下次他肯定会相信，松鸦爪的预言是准确的。但很快，松鸦爪的事情就消失得无影无踪，浮现在狮爪脑海中的，是那双蓝色的眼睛，还有问自己是否需要草药时，那甜美温柔的声音。
第二十二章
第二十二章
很快四分之一个月过去了。灰色的云朵悬在森林上方，带来了强烈的压迫感。
松鸦爪打了个寒战，全身的皮毛都被雨水打湿了。“我要回窝去了。”他说完，向冬青爪和叶池道了晚安。他们刚刚在半边石旁享用了晚餐。
冬青爪抬起头：“这么早就回去？”
“我累了。”
“你是想回去避雨吧？”叶池开着玩笑。
松鸦爪突然咆哮起来。并不是潮湿让他想离开。狮爪迎战恶狗的事情已过去好几天了，他今晚再也不想听狮爪吹嘘自己如何勇敢了。他敢肯定，狮爪早就弄掉了敷在伤口的蛛丝，这样便可以跟族猫们炫耀战斗留下的伤疤了。
松鸦爪气呼呼地穿过布满荆棘的巫医巢穴入口。他身上仅有的一处可以展示给族猫们的伤疤，是上次掉进兔子洞时留下的。为什么他就不能像狮爪一样真正为雷族做点儿贡献呢？他们凯旋之后，他确实给他们治疗过伤口，不过，这怎么能与为族群而战相提并论呢？
“听起来这雨还没停呢。”当松鸦爪走回巢穴时，叶池说道。
“现在的雨没有刚才那么大了。”松鸦爪告诉她。
“嗯，至少在满月时，我们有新的草药可采了。”她的话语中充满着希望。
松鸦爪可不这么认为。一整天空气中都充满了山地的气息，他有一种感觉，在新叶让大地恢复生机之前，将会有一场寒流袭来，森林里的所有一切都将被冰封。“或许我们明天就该去找找刚刚发芽的草叶了。”他一边说着，一边钻进了自己的窝里。还是在霜冻毁掉草药之前，先把它们采回来的好。他心里说道。
“也许吧，”叶池低声喃喃道，她已经快睡着了，“不过我们还是别采得太早，它们还需要时间再长大一些。”
松鸦爪想和她争辩一下，跟她描述一下风的变化，但上次火星拒绝相信他关于恶狗袭击的警告，让他心里一直都觉得十分恼火。既然他们都无视我的话，那么再次警告他们，又有什么意义？
一夜无梦，松鸦爪第二天一大早醒来时，顿时感觉刺骨的寒气刺痛了自己的鼻子。毫无疑问，一场严重的寒霜已将森林覆盖。他伸了个懒腰，意识到叶池早就醒了，正在整理着草药。
她的脸上满是愁容：“我们昨天要是采些草药回来就好了。”
“我们草药的储备不够了吗？”松鸦爪一脸困意地向她走去。在各种药草混合而成的刺鼻气味中，他察觉到，似乎少了一些什么。
“这是一年里最艰难的时期了。”叶池感叹道，“外面新鲜的草药几乎没有了，而且经过整个漫长的秃叶季，族猫的身体状况也是最差的。”
“至少上次霜冻之后，这里的猎物多了一些。”松鸦爪说。
“现在猎物们一定都躲进洞里啦，”叶池警告说，“武士们今晚可能要饿着肚子睡觉了。”
这时，巢穴入口处冰冻的荆棘颤动起来，松鸦爪察觉到长尾来了。
松鸦爪心中的焦虑，瞬间变成了恼怒。怪不得草药的储备这么少了。这家伙什么也不干，整天在长老巢穴和巫医巢穴之间走来走去，就为了给鼠毛拿草药。鼠毛一直说自己的身体没问题，可是长尾却总是担心她，就像一只烦躁的母猫，总怕自己的幼崽出事一样。
“鼠毛喘得厉害。”长尾说。
她当然会喘得厉害！松鸦爪生气地想着，她比天空橡树还要年长，何况天气还这么冷！
松鸦爪转过身，看看这只淡色黑虎斑纹的老猫，说道：“我们已经试过好多种草药了啊。”
“要不，这次再试试杜松果吧。”叶池建议道。
或者一把罂粟籽也行。松鸦爪自言自语道，让她多睡一会儿，这样我也能休息一下了。
“来，”叶池将一把小小的浆果滚到松鸦爪身边，浆果还散发着一股芬芳的气味，“把这些带给她。”松鸦爪弯下身子，将浆果小心翼翼地拾起来，转身跟着长尾来到了长老巢穴。
巢穴入口处的金银花已褪去了绿叶的外衣，冷风好似旋涡里的流水，在巢穴周围打着转儿。
“松鸦爪，”鼠毛跟他打了声招呼，“你怎么又来这儿了！”她的声音听起来好像有东西在摩擦喉咙，特别刺耳，那感觉就像干燥的蓟草刺挠着皮毛，“你该跟你同龄的猫在一块儿，而不是浪费时间往这儿跑！”
松鸦爪的尾巴沮丧地抽动着。我要是能不来，才不愿意来这儿呢！
“他经常来这里，因为他担心你。”长尾说道。
“是因为你担心我吧！”鼠毛纠正道，“你不用大惊小怪。像我这个岁数的猫，肯定更容易感到冷。”
“可是你现在已经涕泪横流了。”长尾说。
“只是天气太冷的缘故。”鼠毛哑着嗓子说。
“如果你愿意，我让黑莓掌派几名武士来，帮你把巢穴的墙壁修修吧。”松鸦爪建议道。
“这样就太好了！”鼠毛说，“从今天早上开始，我就感觉寒意正一波又一波地渗进骨头缝里！”
松鸦爪将浆果交给鼠毛。他能感到她的全身都在颤抖，但却有一股暖流在她的体内泛滥开来。太奇怪了！虽然他已经给鼠毛检查过很多次了，但他一直认为长尾是在小题大做，鼠毛的身体状况没有那么糟糕。
“我会告诉黑莓掌的。”松鸦爪保证道。或许把巢穴修好后，这两位长老就能让他清净一会儿了。
松鸦爪转过身走出巢穴，抬起鼻子搜寻着黑莓掌的气息。他扫视了一圈营地，突然，他停住了，脑海中闪过一丝疑惑。刚才自己光顾着生两位长老的气了，鼠毛为什么毫不犹豫地接受了自己的帮助呢？而且她的呼吸频率也有点儿不太正常。
他鼻子转向长老巢穴。杜松果强烈的气味掩盖了另一种气味——疾病的气味。
鼠毛的确生病了。
他赶忙朝巫医巢穴跑去，他飞跑过冰封的地面，跌跌撞撞地穿过荆棘，终于停了下来。
叶池的毛惊得竖了起来：“你干什么呢，松鸦爪？”
“鼠毛得了绿咳症！”
“你确定吗？”
松鸦爪开始细数绿咳症的症状：“呼吸不规则，流泪流涕，气喘，发烧……”发烧！这就是他所感知到的那股在她体内泛滥的“暖流”啊！
“我们需要猫薄荷。”叶池说着冲出了巫医巢穴。
松鸦爪清楚，猫薄荷就是之前叶池整理储存的草药时，消失不见的草药气味之一。他立刻跟着老师跑了出来，焦急地奔跑了起来。叶池立刻叫着云尾的名字。
当云尾跑到巫医身边时，叶池对他说道：“你快去采一些猫薄荷，一定要快！”
武士一脸惊讶：“要它干什么啊？”
叶池身上的毛竖了起来，似乎有些不安。显然，她不想在雷族内部制造恐慌，因此她放低声音说道：“鼠毛病了。”
云尾焦躁地抓挠着爪下的泥土：“我该去哪里采猫薄荷呢？”
“就在废弃的两脚兽巢穴那里。”叶池告诉他。
“我知道它的气味是什么样的，”松鸦爪说，“我能找到它。”
他立即感受到了云尾心中的疑惑。“你知道，巫医也能跑得很快！我会比你更快地找到猫薄荷。”松鸦爪说道。
“他说的没错。”叶池表示同意。
“好吧。”云尾说，“我们带着炭爪一起去。她可以帮着拿回来。”说完，他喊着正在空地对面的学徒。这时，炭爪正在和罂粟爪交谈，听到自己老师的呼唤，她迈着小碎步跑过冰冷的地面，来到他们身边。
“怎么了？”炭爪问道。
“我们要去找一些猫薄荷，”松鸦爪告诉她，“鼠毛病了。”
炭爪深吸了一口气：“猫薄荷是治绿咳症的，对吧？”
“快点，”云尾命令道，“我们要抓紧时间！”说完，他就冲向荆棘通道，松鸦爪和炭爪紧随其后。一跑出营地，他们就直奔废弃已久的雷鬼路而去。
松鸦爪能察觉到云尾时不时地回头，看自己是不是跟了上来。但松鸦爪的爪子轻快敏捷，很容易就赶上了炭爪。他感觉炭爪那温暖的皮毛在自己身边飘舞着。
“前面有树！”她提醒着他。不过松鸦爪早已闻到了树皮的气息，转身避开了它。
此时，他依然想着鼠毛的事。为什么自己没有尽早察觉到她病了呢？这几天，长尾一直都想告诉他这件事的。松鸦爪的心中充满了内疚。一会儿找到猫薄荷，他一定要亲自喂她吃药，直到她完全康复。废弃的雷鬼路上，尖利的小石子擦破了松鸦爪的爪垫，可他依然加快了脚步，跑到了炭爪前面。
云尾在两脚兽巢穴那堵碎石墙壁旁停了下来。松鸦爪的神经变得越发紧张。尽管他知道这里空荡荡的，但进入两脚兽的地盘依然非常危险。
云尾首先跳上了那堵墙。
“这墙不是很高。”炭爪说。
松鸦爪伸出前爪，做好准备。云尾把尾巴垂下，伸向松鸦爪，让他清楚自己需要跳多远。松鸦爪纵身一跃，刚想拽住什么，云尾一下子抓住了他的后颈，用力把他带了上来。这堵墙的另一侧是一片草地。草叶长长的，被霜冻得十分坚硬。
一落到地上，松鸦爪就开始嗅闻猫薄荷的气味。突然，他搜索到了猫薄荷的气息，开始小心翼翼地向草地深处走去。
“等等我！”炭爪急忙跳下墙，跟上了松鸦爪，“云尾在石墙上为我们警戒。”她喘着粗气说道。
“猫薄荷就在那里。”他告诉她。
炭爪立刻冲向前方，松鸦爪能听到她在沿墙生长着的植物丛中翻找的声音。“这里除了枯叶子，什么都没有！”她回头对他喊道，“霜把所有的植物都冻死了。”
松鸦爪的心情顿时变得沉重起来，爪子下的地面似乎在瞬间塌陷了。这儿一定有猫薄荷的！“让我来看看！”他说道。
他挤到炭爪身边，嗅闻着脚爪旁植物的气味。他能闻到猫薄荷的气息，不过已经变馊了——霜冻把它们都冻死了。
“都变黑了。”炭爪叹了口气道。
松鸦爪用舌尖碰了碰。猫薄荷的叶子已经变得又黏又湿，但有一股香味从根部渗了出来。松鸦爪朝泥土下方深挖了几下，生怕破坏了猫薄荷的根，使它彻底死亡，同时又绝望地想要弄到一点儿什么去治疗鼠毛。这时，他在地下根茎周围，闻到了新鲜叶子的气味。松鸦爪小心地用爪尖碰了碰，突然感觉到新生植物柔软的、毛茸茸的茎，虽然数量很少，但总比没有强。他轻轻拨开泥土，熟练地用牙齿把新生的茎秆咬下来。然后他用舌头轻轻托着这一点儿猫薄荷，尽量避免吸入那宝贵的气味。之后，他向炭爪点点头。
“这些够用了吗？”她问道。
他不能说话，只是耸了耸肩。
炭爪明白了，她转过身，跑到在墙上警戒的云尾身边。他们一起跳下墙壁，返回了营地。
“只剩这么一点能用的猫薄荷了。”回到巫医巢穴，松鸦爪把猫薄荷放在地上，向叶池解释道。他能感觉到叶池的失望。
“总比什么都没有好。”她一边说着，一边衔起猫薄荷，冲出巢穴。
松鸦爪紧随其后。鼠毛的病情会恶化吗？
这只老母猫费力的喘息声，在金银花丛里不断回响。严寒的空气中，似乎也弥漫着长尾的焦虑。
“这是猫薄荷吗？”长尾充满期待地问道。
叶池把它放在鼠毛身边说：“是的。”
“才这么点儿。”长尾看了看说。
“没办法了，”叶池告诉他说，“霜把几乎所有的植物都冻死了。”说着，她蹲下来，在鼠毛耳边轻轻说，“我要你把这些尽可能都吃掉，并且咽下去。”
鼠毛开始呻吟起来。松鸦爪悄悄来到这只老猫身边，将脸颊贴在她的腹部。她烧得很厉害，整个身体都在颤抖。接着她开始不停地咳嗽，呼吸声也变得更加刺耳。松鸦爪猛然抬起头，绝望地盯着叶池。
“她的岁数是大了点，但身体还很强壮呢，”叶池让他不要担心，接着对鼠毛说，“来吧，吃一点儿！”
这只老猫把一点儿猫薄荷放进嘴里，开始咀嚼起来。松鸦爪感觉到了她下咽时那痛苦的表情，像被刺扎了一样难受。她一定也感受到了松鸦爪此时的心情——她向松鸦爪抬起鼻子，一股酸臭的口气扑面而来，弄乱了他的皮毛。“你这次又大惊小怪了！”她刺耳的声音又响了起来，“大家都认为，我马上就要去见星族了。”她痛苦地发出一阵呼噜。松鸦爪感觉鼠毛全身都在疼痛。“可我想，星族还没做好接收我的准备呢。另外，如果我走了，又有谁来提醒长尾定期检查他皮毛里的跳蚤呢？”
“你很快就会好的。”松鸦爪告诉她，心里也希望自己没有撒谎。
这时，急促的爪子落地声从巢穴外传来，金雀花丛沙沙作响。松鸦爪察觉到黛西来到了。
“叶池？”这只宠物猫的话语里满是忧虑。
叶池抬起头：“什么事？”
“香薇云身体不舒服。”
松鸦爪顿时警觉起来。
“她怎么不舒服了？”叶池问道。
“她在呼哧呼哧地喘气，而且不停地流泪、流鼻涕。”
此时鼠毛突然发出极为痛苦的呻吟：“我昨天去了育婴室一趟，看了看幼崽。”
“小狐和小冰看起来还好。”黛西立刻说。
“我马上去看香薇云。”叶池说。
“我还要待在这里吗？”松鸦爪问道。
“不用了。”鼠毛又开始咳嗽起来，“快去看看幼崽们！”她把剩下的猫薄荷推到一边，“不要在我这把老骨头身上浪费时间了。”
“你必须把这些草药都吃掉。”叶池一边坚持着，一边把它们推到鼠毛的鼻子下，“你的身子骨可不像香薇云那么好。”
“先去看看幼崽们吧！”鼠毛固执地回答。
“好吧，我这就去。”说完，叶池离开了长老巢穴。
松鸦爪紧随其后，他们一齐飞也似的穿过空地，冲进了育婴室。那里的味道他很熟悉，但这次回来，却多了一丝病恹恹的气息。香薇云呼吸十分困难，不用触碰，松鸦爪就已感受到从她的身体中散发出的热气。
“这一定是绿咳症，”叶池说，“不过幸好幼崽们还没传染上。”
“我们要把香薇云和幼崽们分开。”松鸦爪建议道。
“我可以留下来照顾他们。”黛西也跟着他们进了育婴室，“他们现在快断奶了。”
“谢谢你。”叶池一边说，一边推起了香薇云。
小狐和小冰一起号叫起来，香薇云的眼里满是悲伤。“我一会儿就回来。”她有气无力地说道。
黛西来到幼崽身边，蹭了蹭幼崽们娇小的身子。“我们来做游戏吧，整个巢穴都是我们的啦，”她告诉幼崽们，“香薇云就在空地的那一边，她不会离开营地的。”
“为什么她不能待在这儿呢？”小狐哭叫道。
“因为我们不想让你们也得病啊。”黛西解释道。
“一定要乖啊。”香薇云说完，呼吸突然越发急促。叶池赶紧带她离开了自己的窝。
“别担心，我们不会有事的。”小冰喊道。
松鸦爪能感觉到，尽管小冰的话语貌似很勇敢，但却暗藏着焦虑。他的尾巴轻轻扫过小冰的后背。“我会让冬青爪教你一些新的战斗动作，她最近又学到了好多呢。”他说。
“真的吗？”小冰的眼睛顿时亮了起来。
“你去把鼠毛带过来！”叶池在外面对松鸦爪喊道，“我们要把她俩都安置在巫医巢穴，这样方便我们看护她们。”
松鸦爪走出育婴室，心又开始怦怦直跳起来。他一直梦想有机会保卫自己的族群，可是，武士们可以使用尖牙利爪作为武器，而自己却只有一把泡烂了的树根。难道这就是他的宿命吗？
天亮时，雷族又多了一只病猫。白翅一瘸一拐地走进巫医巢穴，把松鸦爪吵醒了。她的尾巴耷拉着，呼哧呼哧地喘着粗气。松鸦爪早已对绿咳症那可怕的症状了如指掌，打了一个激灵，从窝里蹦了出来。可是叶池已经来到白翅身边，听着她的呼吸。
“在香薇云和鼠毛身边，给她做一个窝。”她命令道。
松鸦爪赶忙从巢穴一角，取来一些苔藓。至少我们的苔藓还是够用的。他苦涩地想道。松鸦爪迅速在熟睡的鼠毛身边做了一个窝。鼠毛睡觉时的呼吸十分短促，也很不规律。香薇云虽然还在发烧，正跟疾病斗争着，但她看起来依然睡得很舒服。
白翅躺在为她新建的窝里，心里充满感激。
“我们还需要更多的猫薄荷。”叶池用只有松鸦爪听得见的声音说道。
松鸦爪从她的声音中，听到了一丝恐惧。她期待自己怎么做？难道种一些出来吗？
“把所有武士和学徒都排查一遍。”叶池抬高声音，命令道。
松鸦爪点点头，转身离开巢穴。为什么星族没把这件大事通知他？斑叶或黄牙真应该告诉自己，绿咳症要暴发的消息，而不是对自己不停地说教。如果这样，他就能在霜冻降临之前，多采一些猫薄荷了。
尘毛在育婴室外面走来走去。松鸦爪听到了武士踏在冻土上那沉重的爪子落地声，他的心中一定充满了恐惧。
“香薇云怎么样了？”他看见松鸦爪，立刻开口问道。
“不算坏。”松鸦爪告诉他。
“我可以去看看她吗？”
“你最好别靠近她，”松鸦爪建议道，“我们不想让这种病传播开来。”
黛西慢慢从育婴室走了出来。“你的孩子没事，”她告诉尘毛，“但是如果你一直在外面待着，他们一定会担心你的。”松鸦爪从没听过，她用如此严厉的语气说话，“你能帮他们做的，只有一件事——去森林里狩猎。”
松鸦爪觉察到，尘毛的眼里闪过一丝惊异的光。
“我只是想知道，香薇云的病情是不是恶化了。”这位武士说。然后，他穿过荆棘通道，朝森林走去。
当松鸦爪朝学徒巢穴走去时，灰条带着黎明巡逻队拥进空地，冬青爪也在队伍之中，她的身上散发着森林的清新气息。
“生病的猫怎么样了？”她问松鸦爪。
“她们在睡觉。”松鸦爪说，“抓到猎物了吗？”如果雷族的其他猫能填饱肚子，就会有力气抵御疾病了。
“几乎没什么猎物，”冬青爪说，“连松鼠都待在窝里不出来了。”
松鸦爪闭上了眼睛。星族啊，你们在哪里？你们怎么连根胡须都没进入我的梦中！为什么你们不帮助我了啊？但除了叶池的声音，他什么都没听到。
“松鸦爪，去看看学徒们吧！”她冷冷地提醒他，“星族是在一直注视着我们的。不过有些时候，我们必须独自应战。”
第二十三章
第二十三章
“天要亮了，”叶池轻轻地对松鸦爪说，“你也该歇歇了。”
松鸦爪摇摇头：“不行，我们有这么多病猫需要照顾呢。”
他嗅了嗅罂粟爪。这位学徒一整晚都在发烧，所以被安置到了巫医巢穴。她现在就躺在香薇云旁边的一个窝里，眼皮黏糊糊的，满是脓水，还呼哧呼哧地喘着粗气。她身体散发出的热量让松鸦爪感到害怕。
松鸦爪的毛竖了起来。他听着巢穴里的声音。这里已经变得非常拥挤，呼哧呼哧的喘息声和此起彼伏的咳嗽声，充斥在他的耳边，病恹恹的气息令他烦躁不已，爪子都止不住地颤抖着。他已经用尽全力去帮助族猫了，可没有哪只猫的病情有所好转。
“我们要不要把他们转移到长老巢穴呢？那里的地方更大。”他向叶池建议道。叶池正在给鼠毛做腹部按摩，让她的呼吸更顺畅些。
“鼠毛和香薇云病得太重，不能再挪地方了，”叶池说，“而且，那里也没有水啊。”
巫医巢穴里，从石墙上方流下来的清水，在地上蓄成一汪小池，口渴的猫可以用苔藓蘸一点儿水来喝。松鸦爪用苔藓搓成的小球蘸满水，拿给罂粟爪。他推了推罂粟爪的身子，想让她喝点水。不过这只浅玳瑁色小母猫的眼睛半闭着，口中不停呻吟着，把他推开了。
“如果你不愿休息，至少去外面透透气。”叶池催促道。
松鸦爪点点头，然后拖着疲惫的身躯，走出巢穴。外面的空气既清新又寒冽，与巢穴里满是恶臭的气味，形成了鲜明对比。尽管天还没亮，但火星已经和黑莓掌一起站在高石台下了。他们在组织巡逻队。蜡毛和桦落在他们身边焦躁不安地走来走去。
“我们要减少巡逻队的猫的数量。”黑莓掌对雷族族长说。
“但是我们必须保证，我们与影族的边界有猫严守，”蜡毛说，“我们可不能让他们乘虚而入。”
“如果我们组建几个小规模的巡逻队，会更有效率。”桦落对火星说。
“你说得对，”火星表示同意，“现在族群里病猫太多，我不想让武士们太劳累了。他们一定要保持健康强壮才行。”
“我可以一天巡逻两次。”米莉的声音在冰冷的山谷响起。这只浅灰色的宠物猫从武士巢穴后面走出来，旁边跟着灰条。
“你确定吗？”火星问道。
“以前兽医给了我一些药，让我不再生病。”米莉解释道，“从那之后，即使两脚兽地盘上的其他猫生病了，我都不会生病。”
黑莓掌有点儿听不明白：“兽医是什么？”
“就是‘切除者’。”灰条解释道。
“这么说，切除者还帮了我一个大忙，”火星说，“它把一位身体健康的武士给了我。”
火星已经把米莉当作武士了。
这只母猫脸上洋溢着兴奋的神情。松鸦爪听到灰条发出一声自豪的呼噜声，他俩的皮毛亲昵地相互蹭着。
“不过，”火星接着说，“我不想让灰条跟你一起去。”
灰条的呼噜声戛然而止：“为什么？”
“你刚经历一段漫长的旅途，身体还没完全恢复，”火星回答，“我可不想再次失去你了。营地里有很多事情，你都能帮我做。”雷族族长的语气非常坚定，松鸦爪察觉到，虽然灰条气得全身的毛奓开，但不敢违抗自己老朋友的命令。
紫杉树丛颤动了一阵，冬青爪和狮爪从巢穴里出来了。松鸦爪焦急地抬起鼻子，嗅闻他们的气味。当他闻到了清新健康的气息时，顿时轻松下来。
“我们想参加第一支巡逻队。”狮爪说。
“除非族群需要我们在营地做事。”冬青爪补充道。
“火星，你看呢？”黑莓掌看着雷族族长，让他做决定。
火星若有所思地用尾巴扫了扫地面。“狮爪，你可以跟蜡毛和米莉去边界巡逻，”他说，“冬青爪和桦落去狩猎。”
“我会尽力做到最好的。”冬青爪承诺道。
松鸦爪走到她的身边。“你一定要离那些病猫远一点儿，”他警告道，“不要跟任何猫分享猎物啊。”他又看看狮爪，“还有，如果要喝水，一定要离营地远一些，越远越好。”要是他们也生病了，那可怎么应付呢？要是猫薄荷再多些就好啦！
“快来吧，冬青爪！”桦落的喊声既紧张，又有一丝不耐烦。冬青爪猛跑了过去。
“我们巡查完边界后，就马上去狩猎！”当他俩跑出营地时，蜡毛大声喊道。
“注意点儿，不要太累了。”火星提醒道。
“不会的，放心吧。”狮爪从松鸦爪身边跑开，跟着老师离开了营地。
松鸦爪感觉，恐惧的阴云笼罩在空地上空，即刻又化成一阵冰冷的风，让他瑟瑟发抖。他猛然回过头盯着火星。原来他在为我们担惊受怕啊。
这时，从荆棘通道那里传来重重的爪子落地声。松鼠飞和沙风返回营地了，松鸦爪闻到了猎物的气味。原来她们是去狩猎了。
“猎物就这么多？”火星的语气有些惊愕。
只有一只老鼠和一只麻雀。松鸦爪听到，这两只小动物的身体落在空空如也的地面上，以往那里总是有一大堆猎物。
“我们还要再出去看看吗？”松鼠飞问道。
“先休息一下吧，”火星说，“桦落和冬青爪也去狩猎了。”
松鸦爪走过沙风身边，蹭了蹭她的皮毛。松鸦爪感觉到沙风皮毛的摩擦，令他体内的不安减轻了一些。猎物的气味，令他的肚子咕咕地响起来。从昨天到现在，他一口东西都没吃。他突然想到，小冰和小狐比他更需要食物。
“我把老鼠拿到育婴室去，可以吗？”他问火星。
“可以，请……”火星的说话声，被从荆棘屏障外面斜坡上传来的骚动声打断了。松鸦爪顿时紧张起来——他闻到了风族猫的气味。
火星走到入口处，嗅闻着。
“来的是两只风族猫。”松鸦爪说。这两只风族猫离山谷的入口越来越近。松鸦爪虽然没辨认出这两只猫究竟是谁，但他们刚一进入雷族营地，松鸦爪便感受到了他们心中的焦虑。
年长的猫首先开口了：“请原谅我们不请自来。”
“鼬毛！”火星惊讶地叫道，“你们来这里干什么？”
松鸦爪走近了一些。那只年轻的猫身上有一股浓烈的草药的气味。
“我把隼爪带来了，他想跟叶池说几句话。”鼬毛说。
隼爪！松鸦爪想起来了，在去往月亮池的路上，青面曾跟他提过这个名字，说隼爪是他的学徒。
“你好啊。”他打着招呼。
隼爪烦躁不安，爪子不停地抓着地面。“你是松鸦爪吧？”他问道，“我需要跟你的老师说话。”
叶池已经从自己的巢穴出来，向他走了过去：“找我有什么事？”
“风族暴发了绿咳症，”隼爪说，“青面希望你能给我们一些猫薄荷。”
叶池叹了口气：“我们已经没有了。霜冻把猫薄荷全都冻死了。我们这儿也有猫得了这种病，现在束手无策了。”
松鼠飞走过来，说：“河族有猫薄荷，他们应该会给我们一些，是吧？”
“我也想过找他们要些。”叶池说。
松鸦爪的尾巴上的毛奓了起来，心想，为什么她之前从没提过呢？
“我们去找他们要一些吧！”隼爪建议道。
“蛾翅的草药应该是为自己族群准备的吧。”叶池有些苦恼。
“如果她知道我们这里的病情有多严重，她一定不会坐视不管的。”松鼠飞争辩道。
“她可能早就知道这件事了，”隼爪说，“星族应该已经通知她了。”
你说得怎么这么“对”呢？松鸦爪想着。
叶池的脚爪不住挪动着：“可要是河族也暴发了绿咳症怎么办？她应该不会冒险让出草药的。”
松鸦爪不明白，为什么叶池如此犹豫不决。“可我们总得试试看吧！”他说。这可是拯救全族的机会啊！
松鼠飞的皮毛沮丧得有些发痛。“过去，当遇到生死攸关的大事时，所有族群都是无私地互相帮助的啊。”她说。
“如果你不敢去，那我就去问河族！”松鸦爪插话道。
“我不是害怕！”叶池大吼道，“我只是不想让蛾翅为难。”
松鸦爪的爪子插进地面，问道：“如果她知道有猫死了，而你却没有向她求助，她会怎么想？”这时他感觉到，叶池的脑海里突然闪过一丝警觉，另外还有恐惧，是对深藏多时的记忆即将浮出水面而产生的恐惧。“她一定会震惊、难过的！”他一字一句地说道。
“好吧，好吧，”叶池同意了，“我会去问问她的。”
松鸦爪清楚，叶池不会带自己去，但会尽快赶回来的。“我会在这里照顾病猫们。”他说道。
叶池弯下身子，蹭了蹭松鸦爪的鼻子：“谢谢你，松鸦爪。”
“我会尽力的。”他迅速回答道。突然他意识到，在叶池不在的这段时间里，自己要对所有雷族猫的健康负责任。这个想法，就像被某只猫在肚子上踢了一脚，几乎让他崩溃了。
叶池把尾巴和松鸦爪的缠绕在一起：“跟着你的直觉走，松鸦爪。你的直觉比任何猫都敏锐。”
松鸦爪点点头，深吸了一口气。我认识所有的草药。他提醒着自己，这是一个证明自己能够帮助族群的好机会。
“如果需要，亮心会帮助你，”叶池接着说，“她以前和我一起为族群服务过。”
松鸦爪的尾巴感到一阵刺疼。在所有的猫里，他最不想找亮心帮忙了。不过，他不想让叶池知道这一点。
“我们赶快出发吧！”叶池对两只风族猫说。
他们刚想离开，火星在入口处挡住了去路。“我想让刺掌和黑莓掌跟你们一起去。”他说。
“可我们都是巫医啊，”叶池说，“没有猫敢阻止我们的。”
“你们要经过影族领地里的湖岸。”火星说，“我不信任影族。”
“好吧。”叶池只能不耐烦地等待着。火星从武士巢穴里叫来刺掌，接着巡逻队员们像兔子一样，一窝蜂地涌出营地。
沙风来到松鸦爪身边：“我能帮你做些什么？”
他不知道该说什么。巫医巢穴已经猫满为患，小白菊马上就要用完了。他自己也非常饥饿，连思考的力气都快没了。
“那只老鼠！”他突然想了起来，“我要把它带给育婴室的幼崽们吃。我差点儿忘了！”
“我可以替你做这件事，”沙风说，“你回巫医巢穴去吧。”
她沉稳的语气让他的心情平静下来。“谢谢了。”松鸦爪低声说。
松鸦爪回到巢穴，发现罂粟爪烧得更厉害了。鼠毛的呼吸变得非常浅，他把鼻子放在她的肚子上，才能勉强感觉到。香薇云叫着要喝水，窝里的垫草臭气熏天。
星族啊，帮帮我吧！松鸦爪把眼睛闭上了好一会儿，终于打起全身的精神，给香薇云取来了一团润湿的苔藓。
“沙风告诉我，你需要帮助。”亮心的声音从巢穴入口传来。
“是的。”松鸦爪的耳朵紧张得抽动起来，但他忽然发现，几天以来，他对这位独眼武士的愤恨，第一次烟消云散了。“你能帮我把窝里的垫草清理一下吗？”他问道。
“我独自整理垫草就行，”亮心告诉他说，“你快去照看病猫吧。”这时，松鸦爪察觉到一个小小的、美味的东西出现在自己爪子下。“沙风让你把这个吃下去。”亮心把一片老鼠肉扔给松鸦爪。
松鸦爪摇摇头。
“你一定要保持体力，”亮心坚持道，“叶池不在，你就要为所有雷族猫的健康负责。”
这是不是意味着，在叶池拿着猫薄荷返回前，他自己只有眼睁睁地看着族猫一只只死去呢？松鸦爪感到一阵无助。这种感觉，就如同上次在与影族的战斗中，自己打了枭爪几掌，却不知道对手接下来要用什么招数一样。
“快把老鼠吃掉。”亮心催促道。
“好的。”他不想让自己看起来像一只喵喵叫的幼崽。他难道要让所有猫知道，自己担不起责任吗？他们都已经认为他没什么大用了，所以绝不能再让他们觉得自己既软弱，又胆小！
松鸦爪吞下老鼠肉，然后亮心开始清理散发着臭气的垫草。松鸦爪咀嚼了几口小白菊，劝说罂粟爪把它们咽下去。“快点吧，”他催促她道，“吃一点儿就行了。”
罂粟爪用发烫的爪子把松鸦爪推开了。“我咽不下去。”她有些气恼地说道。
“你一定要试试。”
这时，松鸦爪突然感到有一团皮毛蹭着他的身体。他闻到了罂粟爪的母亲栗尾的气味。
“她的病情恶化了，是吧？”栗尾问道。
“叶池已经去河族那里要猫薄荷了。”松鸦爪告诉她。
“罂粟爪能挺到她回来的时候吗？”栗尾悲伤地问道。
“我保证罂粟爪能等到的。”松鸦爪大声回答道，努力让自己的爪子停止颤抖，再次试着把小白菊放在罂粟爪的鼻子下。他当巫医学徒的时间还不到一个月，他真的能实现自己的诺言吗？
“别担心。”亮心劝慰着栗尾，“松鸦爪一定会尽力的。你该跟蕨毛去狩猎了。我们拥有的猎物越多，族群就会越强大。”
这位独眼武士领着栗尾走出了巫医巢穴。松鸦爪将小白菊糊放在罂粟爪的嘴唇上，心里乞求着，能有一些小白菊糊进入她那滚烫的嘴里。看在星族的分上，快点吃下去吧，然后身体赶快好起来！
松鸦爪一惊，睁开了眼睛。他居然不知不觉地睡着了。夜晚的森林一片寂静，一只猫头鹰的叫声从远处传来，松鸦爪挣扎着爬起来。由于过度饥饿和劳累，他感觉自己头重脚轻，不过还是挣扎着去查看病猫们。
亮心在巢穴入口旁熟睡着，她沉稳的呼吸声让松鸦爪感到安心。松鸦爪在几只病猫之间来回走着。发着烧的鼠毛浑身颤抖着，松鸦爪拉了一些新鲜的苔藓盖在她的身上，让她感觉温暖些。香薇云的嘴里念叨着自己孩子的名字，睡着的白翅不安地乱动着。松鸦爪坐下来，静静地听着。好像有什么不对劲，于是他在罂粟爪旁边俯下身，听到她的呼吸已经放缓了。
松鸦爪的心跳开始加快了。他爬到她旁边的窝里，将自己的身体紧紧贴着她。她居然反常地一动不动。松鸦爪感到一阵恐惧袭来：他向栗尾保证过，不会让罂粟爪死的。他集中精力倾听着罂粟爪的呼吸声，让自己的身体放松下来。接着，他努力使呼吸变得平稳，直到与罂粟爪的呼吸节奏几乎相同。他闭上眼睛，眼前出现了一个奇特的画面：沐浴着月光的黑色、白色和银色光影不断出现。他看到了罂粟爪浅玳瑁色的身影穿过森林。他立刻认出了那些树木、低矮的灌木丛以及爪子下那铺满叶子的地面。罂粟爪绝对不能到这里来啊！
“罂粟爪！”他赶忙跑到罂粟爪的身边。罂粟爪转过身望着他。
“以前我没来过这个地方。”她闻了闻空气说，“这里的气味跟营地里的不一样啊。你知道我们在哪里吗？”
“知道。”松鸦爪轻声说。
“好奇怪啊！”罂粟爪说，“你给我吃的那种草药一定起效了，因为我感觉病已经完全好了。”
松鸦爪没有回答。他该怎么带罂粟爪离开这里呢？他一言不发地在她身边走来走去，生怕她从自己眼前消失。
“这里的树很高大，很茂密，灌木丛也比别的地方茂盛。”很显然，罂粟爪并没注意到松鸦爪可以看见东西了，“你能闻到猎物的气味吗？看上去这里还处在绿叶季呢！”
“我们必须回去啦！”松鸦爪告诉她。
“可这里好美啊。”
“你不该出现在这里！”我已经向栗尾保证过了！
突然，他们眼前的森林变得开阔起来。
“停下！”罂粟爪喘着粗气说，“前面是一处山谷！”
松鸦爪清晰地看到下方的一块山谷，月亮池就在那里闪耀着点点星光。这里的万物都连成一体，森林一直绵延到山里。当松鸦爪看到星族的成员在斜坡上聚集起来，皮毛都闪闪发亮时，顿时感到绝望了。
“这下面有一个水池，”罂粟爪轻声说，“周围全是猫……”这时她的声音变小了一些，“那些是星族的猫吧？这是不是表明我已经死了？”
松鸦爪的喉咙一阵干涩。
“我死了吗？”她又重复了一遍，语气非常急切。
“还没呢。”
松鸦爪转过身。这时他突然听到了斑叶的说话声。
“你真勇敢啊，竟然带着她来这里。”这只玳瑁色皮毛的猫低声喃喃道。
“我已经向她的母亲保证过了，要保护她的安全。”松鸦爪告诉她。
罂粟爪直视着斑叶，眼神里满是疑惑：“你是谁？你是来指引我去星族报到的吗？”
“不是的！”松鸦爪咆哮道，“罂粟爪，跟我回雷族吧！我带你回家！”
“没关系，小家伙，”斑叶说，“你可以跟松鸦爪回去。我们在这里给你留了位置，不过现在还不能给你。”说着，她把身子向前探了探，分别跟罂粟爪和松鸦爪碰了碰鼻子。“把她带回家吧。”她轻声说道。
谢谢你！“跟我走吧。”他对罂粟爪说道，然后转身离开了这片闪光的山谷，领着她回到了森林里。
这时，亮心的声音响了起来：“松鸦爪！”
他睁开眼睛，眼前又是一片漆黑：“亮心？”
“我还以为你也病了呢，”亮心轻声说，“你的呼吸好微弱啊。”
罂粟爪！
他突然跳起来，把耳朵贴在她的肚子上。罂粟爪还在睡觉，不过呼吸比之前更沉稳有力了。
“她怎么样了？”亮心问道。
“比之前好多了。”松鸦爪闭上眼睛，终于松了一口气。
“我醒来时，发现你们俩都好像没有呼吸了。”松鸦爪感觉到，亮心的目光投在自己身上，他有些不好意思。“看你们没事了，我真高兴啊。”她的尾巴轻轻在地面上扫过，“天快要亮了。我要去找栗尾了。她要是听到了这个消息，一定会感到欣慰的。”
亮心说完，就走出了巢穴。松鸦爪感到自己的脚爪又重新充满了力量。他弯下身子，在罂粟爪的耳边轻轻说：“我发誓，我一定会救你的。”
罂粟爪身子一震。“松鸦爪？是你吗？”她用微小的声音无力地说道，“我刚才做了个非常奇怪的梦！”
松鸦爪又紧张起来。绝对不能让其他猫知道，自己从星族那里把罂粟爪带回来的事。“我想，一定是因为你发烧了吧。”他安慰她道。
“可能是吧。”罂粟爪将信将疑地说，“在梦里，我身处一片森林，我从来没到过那里，但我感觉那里就像自己的营地一样。那里有很多猫——还有你，松鸦爪！你说我不能待在那里……”
松鸦爪转过身去：“这只是一个梦。重要的是，你的身体现在已经好多了。”
“叶池回来啦！”蕨毛的声音响彻整个山谷，松鸦爪迅速从巢穴里冲了出来。他早已闻到了猫薄荷的气味，知道叶池这次带回了好多。
叶池朝松鸦爪跑过来，嘴里衔着散发出芳香气味的叶子。刺掌和黑莓掌紧随其后，他俩嘴里都叼着猫薄荷。接着，他俩把草药扔在巢穴入口，松鸦爪跟着叶池走进了巢穴。
“我们跟鼬毛和隼爪在湖边告别了，”她把猫薄荷放在地上，对松鸦爪说，“蛾翅那儿有很多猫薄荷，她给我们的这些，足够治疗我们这儿所有的病猫了。她说如果她早知道这件事，就会亲自送来一些的。”
指望谁去告诉她呢？松鸦爪想着，星族又不会跟她说。接着他开始帮叶池给病猫喂食草药。
这时，栗尾进来了，她心里满是宽慰和感激。“我不清楚你是怎么做的，不过我知道你帮助罂粟爪撑过了整个晚上。”她用诚挚的声音，向松鸦爪表达谢意，“谢谢你。”
松鸦爪感到，叶池的尾巴轻拂着自己的腹部。“我就知道，没有我，你也一定会做得很出色的。”她说道。
松鸦爪将另一把猫薄荷放在白翅的鼻子下时，他听到了叶池走出巢穴的脚步声。这位巫医回来后，一直都很沉默。不只是因为她忙着照料病猫，脱不开身——松鸦爪察觉到，一定有什么事在困扰着她。当黑莓丛在叶池身后合上时，松鸦爪好奇地抬起了鼻子。
“把这些慢慢吃下去，”他告诉白翅，“我待会儿回来要检查的。”
他走出巢穴，嗅了嗅空中的气味。叶池正在高石台下，跟火星坐在一起。他悄悄跑到空地上，在半边石后俯下身子。这两只猫正低声交谈着。
“所有族群都暴发了疾病，”叶池告诉火星，“就是绿咳症和白咳症。这场霜冻，把每个领地的猎物都赶回巢穴里，因为抓不到猎物，大家都特别饥饿，身体也都越来越虚弱了。”
“影族也是如此吗？”
“我们去取猫薄荷时，小云也去了。”她回答道，“他说，他们族里有一位长老已经死了。”
火星心头涌起一阵悲伤：“对每个族群来说，秃叶季都是一段艰难的日子。”
松鸦爪竖起了耳朵。他能感觉得到，叶池并没把她想说的话全都表达出来。接着叶池的轻语声越来越小，他只能凑得更近些继续偷听。
“现在几个族群的猫情绪都很差，”她低声喃喃道，“大家都觉得，眼下天气寒冷，疾病肆虐，猎物也很稀少，绝不只是坏运气那么简单。”
松鸦爪体内的血液沸腾起来。这时叶池的说话声突然被从远处湖边传来的窃窃私语声掩盖了——那是所有四个猫族的说话声……星族不愿让我们待在这里了！新的领地不足以养活所有的猫。万一疾病传播开来，那可怎么办？
这满是怀疑的私语声，让松鸦爪的脑子一片混乱。他躺在地上，闭上了眼睛。难道真的是星族在惩罚族群猫吗？如果真是这样，他们为什么要这么做？
第二十四章
第二十四章
冬青爪抽了抽鼻子。空中的气息，有点儿跟之前不同了——既潮湿，又温暖。
她高兴地在窝里伸伸懒腰，又用后爪推推榛爪的后背。
“滚开！”榛爪抱怨道。
“你没闻到什么吗？”
榛爪打了个哈欠：“闻到什么？”
“天气变暖了啊！”冬青爪说着从窝里跳了出来。
她钻出巢穴。光线很强，刺得她眼睛都有些睁不开。霜已经不见了踪影，空地上的冰已经融化，地面变得潮湿起来。灌木丛的叶子滴着水珠，阳光照射着营地，给它镀上了一层浅黄色。悬崖顶端的树木郁郁葱葱，新叶子终于长出来了。
在高石台下方，火星正在给沙风舔梳着皮毛。他俯下身，舔舐沙风的耳朵。火星的身体瘦骨嶙峋，不过尾巴抽来抽去的，看样子心情颇好。育婴室外，桦落和莓爪来回追逐着小冰和小狐，两只幼崽发出了兴奋的尖叫声。育婴室入口处，香薇云躺在黛西身边，享受着早晨的融融暖意。香薇云的双眼清澈无比，鼻子旁边残留的一小块硬皮，是她身上仅有的曾患重病的标志。罂粟爪也在逐渐好转，她正在长老巢穴里和鼠毛待在一起，因为身体还没痊愈，所以不能参加今晚的森林大会。
冬青爪听到荆棘通道处传来爪子落地的声音。很快，以刺掌为首的巡逻队冲进营地。一只田鼠在他的嘴里摇来晃去。白翅跟在他身后，嘴里叼着一只小花鸡。蜡毛和狮爪走在最后，他俩嘴里都衔着一只田鼠。
冬青爪的眼睛顿时睁得圆圆的——她已经好久没见过如此多的猎物了。
当刺掌把猎物放在那片已经空置了很久的地面时，火星站了起来，向凯旋的巡逻队致意道：“看起来，猎物的数量已经多了起来！”
狮爪兴奋地在蜡毛身边转来转去：“影族边界附近的迎春花已经开了，天空橡树上也开始长出嫩芽了！”
“几乎每个地洞里都有猎物来回跑动的声音。”白翅补充道。
火星扫视着空地：“黑莓掌？”
雷族副族长快步跑出武士巢穴，松鼠飞紧随其后。
“猎物们又出来了，”火星用尾巴指指猎物堆，“你再率领一支巡逻队往风族边界附近转转，看看有什么可抓的。”
黑莓掌的眼睛闪着兴奋的光芒。“莓爪！”他喊着自己学徒的名字，“我们去狩猎吧。”
正在跟幼崽们追逐游戏的莓爪停了下来。
“我们也能去吗？”小狐乞求道。
小冰开玩笑地拍了自己弟弟的耳朵一下。“我们还是幼崽，”她说，“他们不会让我们跟着去的。”
“看我这一招狩猎动作！”小狐蹲下身子，把尾巴伸向空中，扭动着腰肢。突然，他向斜上方一跃，落在一片叶子上，把它按到地面上。
小冰的短胡子开心地抽动了几下：“下次如果我们需要叶子，黑莓掌肯定会找你帮忙的！”
“你会成为优秀的武士，”莓爪告诉他，“我向你保证，一定会给你带些好吃的回来。”
冬青爪冲上前去。“我能跟他们一起去吗？”她问黑莓掌。
“你今晚要去参加森林大会。”他说，“你还是节省一些体力吧。”
“可是我都睡一上午了。”她抗议道。
“别忘了，你跟其他猫一样，都没怎么吃饱过。”黑莓掌告诉她说，“今天你就休息一下，再多吃点东西吧。明天你就可以去狩猎了。”
“可是狮爪一直都在狩猎！”冬青爪有点生气地回答道，“这不公平。”
“生活本来就是不公平的。在营地好好待着吧。”说完他向松鼠飞点头示意，接着，他俩带着莓爪走进了森林。
冬青爪转过身，发疯似的在空地上重重地跺着爪子。族群的猫都快饿死了，黑莓掌居然不让她去狩猎！她想了一会儿，要不偷偷溜出营地，独自去狩猎？但是如果被发现了，火星很可能就不让她参加森林大会，甚至明天的狩猎了。这样做实在不值。
一轮又大又圆的明月，在整座山谷上洒满皎洁的光芒。
冬青爪闻了闻空气的味道：天气晴朗，是个好兆头。
空地中央，灰条、米莉、蜡毛和暴毛正在等待着。蕨毛坐在他们身边，用牙齿拉扯着两爪之间的皮毛。松鼠飞清洗着自己的耳朵，黑莓掌站在她旁边，向高石台上方张望着。火星一出现，他们就会出发去参加森林大会。
在荆棘通道旁边的学徒们，已经开始坐立不安了。
“你们认为黑星会提起那场战斗吗？”炭爪问。
蜜爪在营地入口前走来走去：“我敢打赌，影族绝对不会提起他们失败的经历。”
“冬青爪，你怎么看呢？”狮爪问道。不过冬青爪压根儿就没听见他的问题。松鸦爪注视着即将出发的巡逻队。虽然他那清澈的蓝色眼睛里并没有露出任何神情，不过冬青爪清楚，此刻他的心里一定非常失望。
她走到松鸦爪身旁。“等我一回来，我就会把森林大会上发生的事情一字不落地告诉你。”她承诺道。
松鸦爪没有说话。
她蹭了蹭松鸦爪的身体，安慰道：“我确信，你一定会参加下一次森林大会的，到那时，罂粟爪和鼠毛也一定会痊愈的。”
“我知道。”松鸦爪抽动尾巴的这个极其微小的动作，暴露了他内心的失落。
“冬青爪！”蕨毛的喊声吓了她一跳。火星已经从高石台上跃下，沙风紧随其后。
“我要走了。”冬青爪说。
“快点儿啊！”狮爪喊道。冬青爪立刻回到队伍中。
冬青爪回头看向松鸦爪。只见他站了起来，慢慢朝长老巢穴走去。
“松鸦爪不会有事的。”炭爪对她说。
冬青爪绷紧了肩膀。松鸦爪正在照顾族猫们。而且，她现在也不想再担心弟弟了。这是她第一次以武士学徒的身份参加森林大会，她心里充满了期待。
火星轻轻摇动了一下尾巴，示意大家出发。接着，他带头穿过荆棘通道。黑莓掌和其他武士们跟在后面。学徒们在通道里挤成一团，每只猫都想第一个冲出营地。狮爪和冬青爪的皮毛相互蹭来蹭去。狮爪的皮毛一直都在竖着。
“你认为其他族群的猫知不知道，我已经是武士学徒了呢？”冬青爪一边喘着粗气，一边低着头在荆棘丛里走着。
“如果他们不知道，我敢肯定你会主动告诉他们的。”狮爪取笑道。
冬青爪用肩膀撞了他一下，撞得他跌进了一片荆棘丛。
“喂，你干什么呀！”狮爪抗议道。冬青爪一下子跑开了，狮爪在后面紧追不舍。
她飞速跑过蜡毛和暴毛身边，转身藏在了蕨毛身后。“救命啊！”她尖叫道，“狮爪要抓我啦！”
蕨毛的喉咙里发出一阵低沉的呼噜声。“别藏在我身后！”说完，他加大步伐快速向前走去，冬青爪的身旁没了遮挡，狮爪追上她，也撞了她一下。冬青爪打了个趔趄。
“现在咱俩扯平了！”狮爪叫道。
“我待会儿再找你算账！”冬青爪威胁道。
巡逻队走下斜坡，向湖岸进发。灰条冲到了队伍最前面，很显然，再次跟族猫们一起参加森林大会，令他心中非常兴奋。他那双熠熠闪光的眼睛看着刚刚追赶上来的米莉，问道：“你现在认为跟我回雷族的选择是正确的吗？”
“你去哪里，我就去哪里，这就是我正确的选择。”米莉平静地回答。
爪下的地面由满是树叶逐渐变成草地，接着又变成沼泽地。猫们来到湖边，脚步终于放慢了。这里绵软而湿润的泥土，使他们不得不缓步前行，因为每走一步，他们都会爪下打滑。
不久，冬青爪看到了连接湖岸和湖心岛的那座倒伏树桥的影子，于是忍住脚掌的疼痛，加速前进。火星和松鼠飞已经走到树桥上面，沙风和蜜爪紧随其后。黑莓掌和莓爪在叶池身边，等着上去。
冬青爪也来到了树桥旁。“准备好了吗？”蕨毛这时赶上来问她。
“准备好了！”她回答。
“那就上去吧。”蕨毛话音刚落，冬青爪就已经爬上了树桥的这一端。她张开爪子，做好了在湿滑的树皮上行走的准备。她紧紧抓住树干，小心地穿过一条条细枝，跃过一处处节疤。当她越过那泛起波涛的黑色湖水，来到湖岸另一侧时，悬着的心终于放了下来。
其他猫也都依次通过。冬青爪留意着火星发出的信号。月光洒在森林旁的湖面上，她闻到了其他族群猫的气味。他们已经早早在岛上等候了。火星向大家点头示意，带头进了灌木丛。冬青爪的心，就像怀揣了一只兔子，怦怦直跳。
冬青爪迫不及待地想跟其他学徒聊天了。现在，她是他们其中的一员了。同时她也意识到，自己当巫医学徒时，是被武士学徒们当作“局外猫”看待的。
“我希望……”她开口道。
狮爪突然停下了脚步，直视着会场。“好像有什么不对劲！”他轻轻说。
“怎么了？”冬青爪四下张望着，心里突然有些不安。
跟上次相比，这里的氛围完全变了。同一族的猫都待在一起，不再到处乱走，甚至都不再与其他族的猫交谈了。每只猫看上去都是瘦骨嶙峋、愤愤不平，眼神都像狐狸一样，透出怀疑的光。
“大家都怎么了啊？”冬青爪问道。
“这个秃叶季真是太艰难了！”火星对族猫们说，“大家的身体都很虚弱，都饿得难受。他们现在既警惕又多疑，所以我们一定要小心些。”
冬青爪站在哥哥身旁。她实在不喜欢各位武士用愤懑的眼光注视着彼此的样子。
“别担心，”狮爪低声说，“过一会儿大家的情绪就会稳定了。”
两声嘶吼突然传来，冬青爪赶忙回过头去。莓爪向枭爪身上猛扑过去。这位影族学徒又反扑过来，想把莓爪按倒。但莓爪利落地闪到一边，影族学徒失去了重心。
“停下！”黑莓掌严厉的喝声响彻整个森林。他快步跑到自己的学徒身边，咬住他的后颈，把他从枭爪身边拉开。莓爪的腿还在空中乱蹬，爪子在月光下发出冷光。
“今晚，停战协议是生效的！”黑莓掌怒斥道。
冬青爪抬头看看月亮，几片薄云正在飘向月亮。她的心无法平静了：难道莓爪和枭爪已经惊动了星族？
黑莓掌把莓爪扔在地上，莓爪抖抖皮毛，站了起来。“是枭爪先惹我的，”他嚷了起来，“他叫我宠物猫！”
冬青爪身上的毛竖了起来。莓爪接受雷族的武士训练已经好几个月了，但是实际上，他确实不是在雷族出生的。他、榛爪和鼠爪都出生在马场里。黛西为了不让两脚兽将他们弄走，才把他们带进了雷族。
这时从大橡树那里传来一声吼叫。“森林大会开始！”火星喊道。
冬青爪穿过雷族猫群，坐在叶池和黑莓掌中间。狮爪也挤在她旁边坐下。
“瞧黑星看我们的眼神！”她紧张地咽了口唾沫。影族族长正眯着眼睛，注视着下方的雷族猫，嘴唇抖动着，似乎想喊些什么，但还是忍住了。
豹星先开口了。“上个月，对河族来说是异常艰难的。”这只带有金黄色斑点的虎斑猫，严肃地望着所有猫，“我们本来无比期待，新叶季能给这段艰难的日子画上句号，没想到，不久前的霜冻带来了更严重的饥荒和疾病。”
所有四个族群的猫都低声表示赞同。
豹星眯起眼睛，接着说：“谁知道以后的日子里，还会发生什么样的事情呢？上个绿叶季，两脚兽侵入了我们的领地。这次，它们会不会像在森林中那样，更大规模地卷土重来，毁灭我们的家园呢？”
“它们为什么会要这样做呢？”风族的灰脚问道。
“为什么秃叶季会给我们带来如此多的灾难呢？”豹星反问道，“这是不是星族在向我们传递一种信息呢？它们是不是在说，我们并不属于这里呢？”
“星族从没给过我这种信息，一点儿迹象都没有！”叶池连忙插话道。
“我也没有！”青面也说。
“一直以来，我们都不得不忍受饥饿和疾病的多重侵袭，”松鼠飞说，“在旧森林的时候也是如此！”
“松鼠飞说得对！”一星表示同意。
豹星用余光瞥了一眼黑星。冬青爪注意到，豹星的尾巴轻轻弹动了一下，似乎在催促影族族长说些什么。
黑星眯起眼睛，眼睛里充满了敌意。“小云收到了信息！”他大声说道。
所有猫的目光都落在小云身上。这位影族巫医身上的毛竖了起来，眼睛里充满了焦虑：“我梦到一位武士把一种非常奇怪的新猎物带回营地，是一种我从没见过的鸟。我咬了一口，发现它的肚子里爬满了蛆。”
在场的猫都开始焦躁不安地低语着。黑星示意他们安静：“星族在警告我们，有陌生猫要毒害我们所有族群猫！”
“它们也许是警告我们，对不熟悉的猎物要多留心吧！”叶池反驳道。
这时天上的一大块阴影把整个会场都遮住了。冬青爪抬头一看，越来越多的薄云在月亮前方飘动着，她开始害怕了：星族一定不高兴了。
黑星注视着火星，指责道：“你把太多森林外出生的猫带进雷族安家，这就让雷族的血统越来越不纯正了。除此之外，星族应该没有其他理由来惩罚我们吧？”他一边说，一边恶狠狠地盯着雷族族长，接着又把目光投向暴毛、溪儿、莓爪和米莉。
黑星的这番话激起了冬青爪心中的怒火。他们都是武士啊！即使她自己也有一丁点儿宠物猫的血统，但她是彻头彻尾的雷族猫。
“全是宠物猫和外来猫！”橡毛讥笑道。
“你们破坏了武士守则！”枭爪大吼道。
黑莓掌身上的毛竖了起来，暴毛站起来，龇出牙咆哮着。火星犀利的眼神扫过在场的所有猫，大伙都默不作声了。
“我们可不替恶劣的天气负责任！”火星说，“在过去的家园中，我们遭受的苦难更深。是星族将我们指引到这里的。有谁期待星族指引我们过上悠闲的生活吗？”一开始，众猫只是在静静地聆听，不一会儿，一些猫开始低声私语，表示同意。火星接着说道：“所以说，长期以来与艰难时日的抗争，才让我们成为真正的武士。”他一边说，一边看了看黑星，“你认为，我们引进新鲜血液的做法，会削弱雷族吗？那我告诉你，真正让我们变得脆弱的是安逸的生活，这会使我们更加虚弱。”
一星点点头：“黑星刚才的话，好像是说星族理应庇佑我们无忧无虑。难道他想让我们过上像宠物猫一样堕落的生活吗？”
黑星冷冷地扫了他一眼，目光中充满了怒火。
蜡毛站了起来：“血统纯正并不代表道德高尚啊。”
“我能说两句吗？”冬青爪转过身，看到松鼠飞走到雷族前方。火星点了点头。
松鼠飞平静地望着在场的所有猫。冬青爪的内心被骄傲和自豪所温暖着。加油啊，松鼠飞！
松鼠飞开口说道：“我们都曾经历磨难，不过我们必须向前看，不应倒退。新叶季已经来了，我们的领地逐渐暖和了起来，猎物遍地。而且多亏了蛾翅，我们四个族群都有充足的猫薄荷了。”
她正说着话，一阵温暖的微风吹过小岛，遮住月亮的云朵开始逐渐散去，整个会场又变得明亮起来。
“星族也赞同她的话！”
“这是一个信号！”
猫们的神情都安定了，皮毛和尾巴也都放松下来。
松鼠飞接着说：“这是我们来到这里以来，经历的第二个新叶季。我们要举行一场特别的大会，来迎接它的再次到来。”
冬青爪的身子往前倾了倾，她不太明白松鼠飞的话。
“月圆之时，我们可以在白天开会。”
“为什么要这么做呢？”黑星突然说：“只有满月的时候，停战协议才是生效的。”
“实际上，不论白天还是夜晚，月亮都是圆的。”鸦羽说。
松鼠飞接着说：“我们可以在白天见面，分享一些技巧，还有训练方法。我们以此表明，我们从没忘记，是大迁徙把我们带到这里的，那时武士守则庇佑我们，就好像我们都是一个族群。”
“我们可以举行比赛！”卵石爪第一次开口说话。这个河族学徒的眼睛里闪着兴奋的光芒。
“每个族群的学徒都可以互相竞争，看谁的技能最棒！”石楠爪也说。
枭爪也露出了好奇的神情：“我想，我会在狩猎比赛中，击败所有雷族猫！”他开始自吹自擂起来。
“在抓鱼的比赛中，谁也比不过扑爪！”雾脚说。
“作弊！”狮爪说，“谁都知道，只有河族的猫喜欢弄湿自己的爪子！”
冬青爪感觉，大家的恐惧和愤怒已经散去，取而代之的，是兴高采烈和友善的争辩。她母亲成功地将血统不纯的话题转移开来，并让大家又回忆起同心协力、踏上大迁徙旅程的旧日时光，使他们意识到，在未来的日子里，大家依然可以互帮互助。冬青爪看看火星。雷族族长静静地坐着，眼睛看着下方的松鼠飞，流露出自豪感。
连一星都对这个提议产生了兴趣：“我们在哪儿举办这个比赛呢？”
“在我们当年抵达湖边时，第一次驻扎的地方如何？”
豹星摇摇头：“那里的土壤又松软又潮湿，不行。”
“我们领地上的森林和湖泊之间，是举行大会的好地方，”火星说，“那里的地面有草覆盖，所有猫都可以适应这种地形。即使在最潮湿的天气里，它的排水性能也非常好。地方也足够大，不会弄湿爪子。只要每个族群都自备猎物，我们下次就可以在那里见面啦。”
“未来两天，月亮还会一直是圆的。”豹星说，“我们两天后见面，怎么样？”她一边问，一边扫视着所有猫。众猫点着头，尾巴都兴奋地摇来摆去。
“很好，”豹星转身又对火星说道，“如果雷族方便，那我们就两天后的中午见啦。”
火星点点头。
冬青爪移动着爪子，突然感到一丝不安。这场大会或许将很有趣，不过要是出了什么事，其他族群的猫免不了还会对雷族复杂的血统横加指责，甚至闹出不愉快来。
“那就这么定了。”一星说着从树上跳下来，火星和豹星紧随其后。只有黑星留在那里，眼里燃烧着怒火。
森林大会到此结束，众猫离开了空地，大家像八哥一样，七嘴八舌地谈论着。
“你能相信这是真的吗？”狮爪问道。
冬青爪回头看了一眼母亲，松鼠飞正走在黑莓掌和火星身边。松鼠飞是将事态平息了，可这又能维持多久呢？
“我真想赶紧告诉松鸦爪！”狮爪说，“你认为他会喜欢这个主意吗？”
冬青爪的心中又不安起来：一只盲猫该怎么参加比赛？“或许，巫医不参加的吧，”她说，“毕竟他们跟武士不一样。他们更愿意帮助别的猫，而不是同他们竞争。”
当他俩走到倒伏的树桥那里时，炭爪突然冲到他俩身边。“我敢打赌，在狩猎比赛中，狮爪一定会胜出。”她喘着粗气说。
狮爪的喉咙里发出了自信的呼噜声。“冬青爪在战斗比赛中一定会赢的。”他说。
溪儿平静的声音从他们身后传来：“只要尽力了，你们就都是雷族的骄傲。”
冬青爪的全身都憋足了劲儿，浑身的每一根毛都异常激动。或许这样的大会，真能解决一些问题。这将是雷族向其他族群——尤其是影族——证明的好机会。雷族要向他们证明，雷族的所有猫都是值得尊敬的武士，跟是否在雷族出生根本没有关系。
第二十五章
第二十五章
马上就到中午了，松鸦爪感到自己的后背暖融融的。他嘴里叼着一团羊蹄叶，走进营地。那酸酸的味道让他口干舌燥，也把其他的气味都盖住了，因此，眼睛看不见的松鸦爪，只得依靠自己爪子的模糊记忆，找到回巫医巢穴的路。
当经过空地时，松鸦爪听到族猫的爪子在身旁急匆匆跑过的声音。从黎明开始，整个雷族都在进行白日森林大会的准备工作，忙得不可开交。他们只不过是去狩狩猎、打打架罢了，松鸦爪感到愤愤不平，为什么要把这事弄成了不得的大事，一副拼命也要做好的模样？
“松鼠飞！”高石台上的火星朝下方喊道。
“什么事？”松鼠飞上气不接下气地应着。
“你找到狩猎松鼠的最佳路线了吗？”
“我让黑莓掌带领巡逻队去看了，”她回答，“他正在考察。靠近影族的边界一带，应该是最佳选择。那里的松鼠正忙着挖洞储存坚果呢！”
“爬树比赛准备得怎么样了？”火星又问道。
“蛛足告诉我，天空橡树已经长满了嫩芽，但他认为就算有这么多学徒爬上树，也不会破坏树的生长。”
“那就好，”火星说，“狩猎的巡逻队都出发了吗？我们可不能让其他族群认为，我们缺少猎物。”
“两支队伍已经出发，分别由桦落和刺掌带队。”
“松鸦爪！”火星从高石台上跳下来，追上了他，“叶池今天需要你的帮助，她怕会有意外发生。我想，恐怕你今天参加不了任何比赛了。”
自从白日森林大会将举行的消息宣布以来，整个雷族的猫都像老鼠一样，在火星周围蹿来蹿去地忙碌着。他们都怕说出自己心知肚明的一件事——松鸦爪不能参加任何学徒比赛，因为他一无是处。而松鸦爪对他们的想法一清二楚——他注意到，族猫们在讨论谁将会赢得比赛时，从不提自己的名字。松鸦爪没有搭理火星，他气鼓鼓地穿过黑莓丛，走进巫医巢穴。
“哎呀，太好了！”叶池正在等着他，“你采到了很多嘛。治疗抓伤不愁没草药了。”
松鸦爪把羊蹄叶子扔在地上。他舔舔舌头，想让舌头重新变得湿润。“我不懂，为什么我们要为其他族群的猫治疗？”他抱怨道，“如果他们的学徒想在我们的领地上出风头，那就应该由他们的巫医负责。”
“所有族群的巫医都会一起努力，确保所有的猫都平安无事。”叶池提醒他道。
“我敢打赌，柳爪和隼爪一定没把整个上午的时间都浪费在寻找草药上，”松鸦爪嘟哝道，“他们也可能为参加比赛去练习狩猎技能了。”
叶池把羊蹄叶和其他草药放在一起，动作非常迅速。松鸦爪从中察觉到了一丝失落，可她的语调却依然平静：“松鸦爪，我知道你很想参加，不过我的确需要你的帮助。”
松鸦爪心中积蓄多时的愤怒之火终于爆发了。“你撒谎！”他愤怒地叫着，“我不能参加，是因为我无法跟真正的学徒们竞争！火星不想让我给雷族丢脸。”
“不是这样的！”叶池一脸惊异地望着他。
“那为什么他连让我试试的机会都不给呢？”
“如果你再参加一段时间的战斗训练或狩猎训练，他可能就会让你参赛了！”叶池的声音有些生气，她强压着心中即将发作的脾气，“不过你的巫医技能训练开始得比较晚，而且上次绿咳症暴发，已经让我们无法练习除此以外的其他技能了。”
松鸦爪没有回应。冬青爪只当了没几天的巫医学徒，叶池就亲自带她训练战斗技能了。他开始想，叶池是不是认为，教他战斗技能是在浪费时间。
叶池突然转换了话题：“松鼠飞忙活了一上午，一定很累了。你给她拿一些草药，好吗？”
松鸦爪绷着脸，走到草药堆旁，挑了一些松鼠飞需要的草药，混合在一起卷成一团，然后小心地用牙齿叼起来。他走出巢穴，倾听着母亲的说话声。他听到她正在高石台下，和黑莓掌交谈着。
松鸦爪把草药放在松鼠飞的爪子旁：“叶池让你吃了这些。”
“她真是个好巫医。”松鼠飞闻了闻草药，“这个是你自己配的吗？闻起来比平时更香甜呢。”
“我加了点儿石楠花的花蜜，让口感更好些。”松鸦爪低声说。
松鼠飞舔了舔他两耳中间的部位，以表感谢：“你真的好体贴啊。”
“没关系的。”他一边喃喃道，一边转过身去，不让松鼠飞再做出令自己尴尬的事情。不过，尽管他习惯性地压抑着自己，但一点点幸福的感觉还是从胸口慢慢滋生出来。
突然，入口处传来咚咚的爪子落地声，片刻后又戛然而止。是狮爪和冬青爪，他俩身上流露出的兴奋气息，像一阵疾风横扫了整个营地，也吹乱了松鸦爪的皮毛。
“他们来啦！”狮爪喘着粗气喊道。
冬青爪转着圈跑着，根本停不下来：“风族已经朝湖的方向赶来啦！”
小狐和小冰迈开小短腿，走出了育婴室。
“他们到了吗？”小狐问道。
“影族猫也来了吗？”小冰的神情有些紧张。
“还没呢，”狮爪告诉他们，“不过看起来，这次整个风族都来了。”
“真希望我们也能参加啊！”小狐说。
“我们一定会度过一段开心的时光。”香薇云站在育婴室入口说。
“为什么我们必须待在营地里呢？”小冰哭叫道，“这不公平！”
“生活本来就是不公平的！”松鸦爪咆哮着大声说着，悻悻地朝巫医巢穴走去。我就是因为生活的不公平，才像幼崽一样，被他们限制在营地里了！
桦落和刺掌率先穿过荆棘通道，后面跟着各自的巡逻队员。松鸦爪闻到了猎物的可口气味。看来，每只猫都抓到猎物了。
“太棒了！”火星赞扬着他们，“今天不会再有猫挨饿了！”
山谷上方的森林里，传来一声吼叫。
“豹星来了！”狮爪说，“河族猫已经到啦！”
“我们也该出发了吧？”冬青爪插话道，“大会计划中午开始的。”
冬青爪参加首先举行的一场战斗比赛——看哪位学徒的战斗技能最好。同时，狮爪将在狩猎比赛中，与一位风族学徒一争高下。松鸦爪嫉妒得皮毛都有些灼热。
这时高石台上的石头哗啦啦响起来，火星跳到了空地上，而松鸦爪却钻进了巫医巢穴里，不想再听到刚刚迫不及待地从外面赶回来的武士和学徒那满怀期待的话语声。当火星对大家说“祝大家好运”时，松鸦爪恨不得堵住耳朵。然而，他依然能听到雷族猫冲出荆棘通道时，那咚咚作响的爪子落地声。
渐渐地，所有声音都消失了，一种诡异的静寂笼罩住了营地。
“松鸦爪。”叶池的声音从草药堆后传来，“你能帮我做一些药糊吗？”
松鸦爪努力排除掉脑海中那些阴暗的想法，来到叶池身边，开始咀嚼之前自己带回来的羊蹄叶。正当他们忙碌时，小冰和小狐打闹的声音从空地上传了过来。
“别忘了！”香薇云喊道，“你们都要给我带回来一只甲虫、一些苔藓，还有一只苍蝇。”
“我一定会赢的！”小冰说。
“怎么可能，”小狐回答，“我会第一个找到，我会是冠军！”
他们的声音在冷寂的营地里回荡着。松鸦爪顿时意识到，营地已经变得空空如也，就像此时自己的肚子一样。
为什么我总是被大家遗忘？
“我们准备的东西足够了。”叶池的话让他心里一惊，“要治疗所有四个族群的抓伤，这些就够用了。”
松鸦爪把最后一点儿羊蹄叶吐出来，坐回去，舔舐着爪子，把舌头上草药的味道清理干净。
“我要去大会会场了，一旦有猫受伤，他们会需要我。”叶池说，“另外，我要去观看冬青爪参加的战斗比赛。你跟我一起去怎么样？”
松鸦爪摇摇头。既然他自己不能参加，他是绝对不会去的。
“好吧。”叶池不想再多费口舌了，她安静地走出了巢穴。
只剩下了松鸦爪一个，他突然感到一阵失落。他听到武士们和穿越森林的学徒们兴奋的叫喊声从远处传来。松鸦爪真想向星族哭诉自己不公平的遭遇。不过，尽管常被其他猫当作幼崽看待，但他再也不会像一只幼崽那样做事情了。想到这里，松鸦爪开始默默地清理草药，把所有的叶子摆放整齐，包好做好的药糊，为可能受伤的猫们做好治疗准备。
突然，一种奇怪的感觉从他的尾巴传来，瞬间便爬上脊背，令他身上的每一根毛都感到刺痛。各种诡异的景象充斥在他的脑海中，在他的眼前不断闪现。
他感觉自己被什么东西埋住了，被那些浸透了狐狸和獾臭气的干燥泥土呛得无法呼吸。他的意识被绝望的恐怖占据了。狐狸和獾们都在哪儿？松鸦爪等待它们的利齿随时咬入自己的身体。松鸦爪发疯似的四处张望，却只能看见破碎成块的棕色土壤。头顶上一道亮火闪过，但很快便暗了下来，更多的泥土塌倒在他的身上，迷了眼睛，填满了耳朵和鼻孔。他快被“淹死”了——不是被水，而是被土！
“救命啊！”他努力喊着，可嘴里也塞满了泥土。
松鸦爪绝望地拍打着四肢，想找到一条逃离的路。难道星族对他失望了，要活埋了他？他用后腿使劲蹬踹，努力挣扎。他的肺憋得要炸了，急需空气。这时，他看见有爪子在自己鼻子前乱摆。可它们不是自己那双带有斑点的爪子，它们的颜色很淡，比自己的要宽，爪子上的毛很厚，有些毛已经打结了。
原来，他之所以能看见，是因为他在用狮爪的眼睛看东西啊！
松鸦爪收起脑海中的这些景象，顿时意识到，他仍身处巫医巢穴里，四周是草药叶子的气味，外面空空荡荡的，一片沉寂。
现在狮爪在哪里呢？
一定是在参加狩猎比赛！
他会在影族边界周围搜索猎物。
松鸦爪闪电般冲出巫医巢穴，跑进森林。他像蛇一般在灌木丛里潜行，所有的感官都变得越发灵敏。他必须将这件事告诉狮爪，尽管他也不清楚接下来究竟会发生什么事。
冬青爪看着参加狩猎比赛的狮爪和风爪爬上斜坡，消失在森林中。狮爪脊背上的毛兴奋地竖立着。
一定要交好运啊！她想。
“冬青爪，准备好了吗？”一星问道。
冬青爪转了个身。石楠爪已经在滑溜溜的草地上等着了，她的身边，围满了风族武士和学徒们。冬青爪活动了一下肩膀，做好了参赛准备。
“上啊，冬青爪！”黑莓掌在蕨毛身边站着，催促道，眼睛里闪着光芒。
冬青爪听到了族猫激动的低语声。她此时感觉好像肚子里有鱼儿在游动。不过，她不想让其他猫看出自己很紧张，于是蹲伏在石楠爪对面，眯起了眼睛。
“爪子要收起来。”一星命令道。他的尾巴扫过草地，冬青爪顿时紧张起来。这位风族学徒的体形很小，不过冬青爪清楚，石楠爪的训练时间比她早两个月，而且她那富有光泽的皮毛下，隐藏着非常结实的肌肉。
“开始！”一星喊道。
石楠爪猛地跳起来，冲向冬青爪，把她撞倒在地。冬青爪感觉到石楠爪的牙齿咬住了自己的后颈，虽然没有咬破皮肤，却足以使她身体无法轻易摆脱。绝对不能就这么轻易被她打败了啊！可现在石楠爪像抓一只兔子一样抓住了她。
冬青爪的脑子飞快转动着。她低下头，用后腿猛地向外侧踢出去。她拖着石楠爪，向前翻了好几个跟头，把石楠爪压在了后背下。冬青爪摆脱了石楠爪的控制，突然向上跳起来，猛地转过身体，向石楠爪飞扑过去。然而石楠爪已经滚到一边，快速地躲开了。冬青爪落在空空的草地上。
她用余光看着周围，看到石楠爪又朝她冲过来。冬青爪爪子瞬间充满力量，一下子跳得老高。当石楠爪飞速冲到她下方时，冬青爪却从空中落到石楠爪的背上，把石楠爪搞蒙了。冬青爪用爪子死死地抓住石楠爪，把石楠爪掀翻在地，开始用后爪不断击打她。
谁知石楠爪的身体却像蛇一样，滑溜溜的。她扭动了几下身体，就摆脱了冬青爪的控制。然后她突然用后腿站立起来，对冬青爪挥舞着自己的前爪。冬青爪也站起身。这两位学徒开始像跳舞的野兔一样，打得不可开交。
“把她干掉，石楠爪！”鸦羽大喊道。
“打倒她！”蕨毛也高喊着。
不然呢？你认为我到底要干吗？冬青爪心想。
冬青爪的鼻子开始痛起来。石楠爪刚才的那番攻击又狠又准，冬青爪不想再这样被动挨打。她深吸一口气，俯下身来，让石楠爪挥过来的爪子扑了个空。她从石楠爪的两条后腿间钻了过去，风族学徒的身体失去了平衡。紧接着，她一个转身，把牙齿猛地扎进石楠爪的后颈。她很有分寸，没让她的皮肤出血，但却狠狠地把她的下巴压在地上。石楠爪愤怒地号叫一声，拼命地挣扎着，但冬青爪已经把爪子扎进石楠爪身体两侧的泥土里，让她无法挣脱。
“到此为止！”一星说道，“冬青爪获胜！”
雷族猫欢呼起来，冬青爪放开了她。
石楠爪从地上跳起来。“真不赖！”她喘息着说，“最后那一招真是漂亮！”
“谢谢你，”冬青爪说，“你的表现也很好呢。”
“太棒了，冬青爪！”黑莓掌冲了过去，用尾巴轻轻扫过女儿的身体。
“她要是想击败我，可没这么容易。”旁边一个声音响了起来。
石楠爪眯着眼睛看了看影族的学徒藤爪。
冬青爪转过身说道：“想不想试一下呢？”
这时，一只爪子伸了过来，轻轻拍着她的耳朵。“赢一次就够啦。”蕨毛望着她的眼神里满是自豪。
冬青爪突然看到一个与众不同的灰色身影，如闪电般飞速穿过斜坡顶端。“松鸦爪，你刚刚错过了一场精彩的比赛，我赢了！”可是她的弟弟似乎并没听见。他直接冲进了森林里，朝影族领地的方向奔去。星族啊，他到底要去干什么啊？
松鸦爪沿着斜坡，向影族边界冲去，那狐狸和獾身上的臭气依然在脑海中挥之不去。他母亲曾讲过，影族边界那里有一处历史久远的獾巢，最早曾是一个狐狸窝。很早以前，大约是四个族群的猫来到湖边定居后不久，他母亲曾在那里帮着赶走过一只獾。
他把爪子用力扎进草地里，一路飞奔着。从湖的方向传来了清新的气息，然而松鸦爪全神贯注于獾的气味，他一路搜寻着，冲进了一片森林。无论是直觉和感官，都无法指引他快速地穿越这片陌生的领地。松鸦爪突然停下脚步，急切地嗅闻着，开始用胡须探索着前行。啊，星族，请让我能看见吧！求你们啦！我必须尽快找到狮爪！
忽然，他闻到了獾的恶臭味。闻起来似乎时间已久，而且其间还混杂着狐狸的气味。虽然看不见，但他依然四下张望，寻找着狮爪。接着他听到前方铺满树叶的森林地面上，传来急速的爪子落地声。
他闻到了狮爪的气息。
接着是风爪的。
再接着是松鼠的。
他们的身体上溢出的兴奋感，不断冲击着松鸦爪的皮毛。松鸦爪顿时感到一阵恐惧，他意识到，这两位学徒正在追赶一只松鼠，而且正向着獾的臭气传来的方向跑去。那里的地面很危险，泥土随时可能会把他们吞没……
“别过去！”松鸦爪的叫喊响彻整个森林。他上气不接下气地向前冲去，心也提到了嗓子眼儿。接着他忽然停下脚步，吓得说不出话来。
听不到任何爪子落地的声音，只有松鼠的爪子跳上树的“刷刷”声。整个森林一片死寂。
“狮爪！”松鸦爪向前冲去，爪子下的泥土突然变成了岩石，他差点儿绊倒。太阳出来了，片刻就烤热了他的后背。他来到一片被树木包围的空地上，眼前巍然耸立着巨大的石头堆。
这时，从上方传来微弱的呼救声，松鸦爪吓得浑身的毛倒立了起来。
“救命啊！”
“星族，快救救我吧！”
松鸦爪发疯般探着路，吃力地往石头堆上爬。他们掉进什么地方了？是在自己附近吗？他爪子下的地面依然是坚硬的石头。地面很平，随后开始缓缓地下降。松鸦爪开始向前滑行。他感觉体内的血液都沸腾到了耳根。要是我也掉进去，那该怎么办？之前那诡异的画面又在他的脑海中显现——泥土填满了他的耳朵、眼睛，肺都憋得快爆炸了。松鸦爪的爪子不停地剐蹭着地面上的石头，连滚带爬地往下而去。
突然，他的前爪触到了沙地，感觉自己的身子开始下沉。松鸦爪朝后方跳起来，用后爪紧紧抓住一块石头。接着沙地居然开始动起来，松鸦爪感觉沙子在前爪下方不断地颤动，好像那儿有什么东西在蠕动。
原来，他们就在沙子下面！
松鸦爪用后爪继续死死地抓住石头，然后蹲下身体，用前爪开始挖沙土，速度越来越快。
“救命啊！”他哭喊着，希望有其他猫能听到，“谁来帮帮我啊！”
这时，他的后爪再也抓不住了，前爪渐渐陷入沙子里。“星族啊，救救我！”
松鸦爪让后腿站立起来，全身的肌肉都在拼命地用劲。他告诉自己绝对不能放弃！他又试着让身体再向前滑一些，继续挖着。他的后爪不停地颤抖，尽力支撑着，不让身体掉进流沙中。泥土压迫到他的胸脯和下巴，恐惧感占据了他全身。他脑海中的图像如此清晰，他感觉到沙土进入了喉咙，四周除了沙土，什么也没有。
突然间，松鸦爪的爪子蹭到了猫的皮毛。一丝希望的曙光在脑中闪现，他用爪子钩住它，使尽全身气力向外拽。皮毛蠕动了几下，挣扎着想要向上移动。松鸦爪继续奋力拽，终于把整个身体从沙土里拽了出来。
狮爪吐着沙土，嘴里发出噼里啪啦的声音，还喘着粗气。他从那松软的沙土里爬了出来，一下子瘫倒在石头上。松鸦爪再次把爪子扎进土中，风爪还被埋在下面呢。
“出什么事了？”鸦羽惊讶的喊声从他的身后传来。
松鸦爪根本没有停下来，一边挖，一边对风族武士大叫道：“狐狸巢穴塌了，狮爪和风爪都陷进去了！”
鸦羽立即跑到松鸦爪身边，拼命地刨着沙土，想要赶紧救出自己的儿子。
这时，他们身后的石头堆哗哗作响，有猫赶来了。“鸦羽？”石楠爪气喘吁吁地喊道。
“风爪还被埋在里面呢！”鸦羽大口喘着气说。
“风爪？”夜云受惊的声音从旁边传来。夜云是和石楠爪一同跳上石头堆的。夜云挤到松鸦爪身边，也开始挖起来。“哦，我可怜的孩子啊！”
接着，松鸦爪察觉到爪子下的土里有东西在动：“我摸到他了！”
鸦羽顺着松鸦爪的爪子，向深处猛刨。不一会儿，随着他一声怒吼，他把儿子从那憋气的沙土中拽了出来。当风爪的身体被拖出沙土时，松鸦爪感觉到，飞起的沙土溅得他满脸都是，眼睛也痛得厉害。他上前仔细聆听着风爪的呼吸声。但是，风爪的呼吸已经停止了。
“快找叶池来！”他尖叫道。
“我来啦！”叶池的声音响起来。松鸦爪顿时觉得，像是有一股暖风吹进自己的耳朵。
“你救救他们吧！”松鸦爪恳求道，“我已经拼命赶到这儿，可是……”
“狮爪还有呼吸，”叶池告诉他，“我已经把他喉咙里的沙土都清理干净了。”
松鸦爪感觉风爪的身子动了动，有一瞬间他还以为这位风族学徒已经醒过来了。接着他才回过神来，原来叶池正在掰他的嘴巴。
“你的爪子最小，”她对松鸦爪说，“你把爪子伸进他的嘴里，清理里面的脏东西，越多越好。”
松鸦爪张开了爪子，强迫身体停止颤抖。接着，他小心翼翼地把爪子伸进风爪的嘴里。他能听到鸦羽的心怦怦直跳，鸦羽身后的夜云吓得一直发抖。他周围唯一一只依然保持镇定的猫，就是此刻全神贯注于风爪的叶池。他在心里告诉自己，以后也要像她一样。慢慢地，他把风爪喉咙深处卡着的沙土全掏了出来。
忽然，风爪咳嗽了一声，身子扭动起来。接着，他把堵在胃部和肺部的泥土全吐了出来。
“他会没事吧？”夜云轻轻地问道。
“是的，他没事了。”叶池安慰道。
“谢谢你，叶池。”鸦羽低声说。
“我愿为救你的孩子，流干我最后一滴血，”叶池温柔地对鸦羽说，“你是知道的。”
松鸦爪察觉到，他俩之间有种难解的情感，像即将降雨的天空一般，产生了一种莫名的压迫感。他往后退了退。
“幸亏有松鸦爪在，我们的孩子真是太幸运了。”夜云话里有话。
“松鸦爪？”狮爪哑着嗓子喊。
松鸦爪赶快跑了过去，在自己哥哥身边蹲伏下来，说：“刚才好险啊，你差一点儿就没命了！”
狮爪的呼吸依然很费力，但已经平稳了很多：“我还以为，我马上就要去见星族了呢。”
叶池的胡须轻拂着松鸦爪的脸颊：“有你在这儿，他们真是太幸运了！”
“我来得还不够快。”他回答道。
“不过你来得很及时，”叶池说，“你试图凭自己的力量把他们救出来，真是太勇敢了！”她用尾巴轻轻弹了一下他的肩膀，“我们走吧，带他们回石头山谷去。”
松鸦爪向狮爪伸出爪子，让他舔食自己爪垫上的罂粟籽。狮爪感激地全都吃了下去。尽管狮爪此刻安全地蜷在松鸦爪的窝里，风爪也在他旁边，可他的身体仍在颤抖。
狮爪是硬撑着，踉踉跄跄走回雷族营地的。冬青爪和松鼠飞在他身体两侧支撑着他，黑莓掌则跑去找火星了。
回来的路上，夜云像背幼崽一样，把风爪放在背上。风爪的后腿一直拖在森林的地面上，由于惊吓过度，他的身体特别疲惫，已没有力气再抱怨什么了。鸦羽在他的伴侣身边走着，想帮她一把，可夜云却一直没放开风爪，好像她会随时再次失去他一样。现在，夜云躺在风爪身边，温暖着他不停颤抖的身体，她的呼吸也跟随着他呼吸的频率，时起时伏。
“你快劝他们去睡一会儿吧！”叶池告诉松鸦爪，“我会去告诉大家，他们已经平安无事了。”火星、鸦羽、石楠爪、黑莓掌和松鼠飞等都在巫医巢穴外面，焦急地等待着。随着入口的黑莓丛沙沙作响，叶池走出了巢穴。
“我会让他们睡着的。”夜云说。松鸦爪听到，她的尾巴轻轻扫过两位学徒那满是沙土的皮毛，发出了动听的声音。
“你真是太厉害了。”冬青爪的呼吸让他的耳朵发痒。
冬青爪的这句话让松鸦爪有些不好意思，耳朵都变热了。为什么她要把自己当成英雄呢？在回营地的路上，鸦羽也是这么评价他的。
“你的行为像一位真正的武士！”夜云也说。
可松鸦爪却并不觉得自己是位武士。如果他跑得再快些，就能及时对狮爪发出警告了。就是因为他看不见，所以才不能跑得很快。
“如果我能再早一些赶到，狮爪和风爪就不会受伤了。”他对冬青爪说。
“不过，你是怎么找到他们的呢？”松鸦爪感到冬青爪的目光死死地盯着自己的皮毛，“他们当时在追一只松鼠——它有可能跑到任何地方啊。”
松鸦爪迟疑了一会儿，说：“我有一种预感。”他坦白道，“我看到了将要发生的事情。”当松鸦爪再次想到那窒息的痛苦、嘴里沙土的滋味，以及自己鼻子前方那双绝望地挥舞的爪子时，恐惧感再次袭遍全身。“我看清楚那双爪子的颜色时，我才意识到这不是自己，而是狮爪。”
“你看见了？”冬青爪惊讶地深吸一口气，吓了松鸦爪一跳，“你看到他的爪子了？”
“嘘！”松鸦爪突然有点儿后悔，觉得不跟她说这事就好了。如果星族认为自己是在炫耀，可能就会收回自己的这种力量了。因此，松鸦爪试着让姐姐听得明白些。“有时候我在梦里能看见东西，”他轻轻地说着，“很难解释原因……”他实在想不出应该用什么词来表达，停了一会儿才接着说：“就是跟平时的感觉不一样。”
他察觉到，冬青爪的脑中浮现出了一大堆疑问。不一会儿，这些疑问消失了，她的喉咙里发出了声音：“星族赋予你这种能力，一定是有原因的。我就知道你肯定会成为伟大的巫医的。”她蹭了蹭松鸦爪的脸颊，然后穿过荆棘丛，走了出去。
松鸦爪叹了口气。他很欣慰，冬青爪没有问什么不好回答的问题，不过，今后他的生活就这样了吗？会过着与世隔绝的、不被族猫们理解的生活？他们的身体出了问题，还要找他负责？
“松鸦爪！”黑莓掌的声音从荆棘外传来，“快到湖边去，大会要结束了。”
“火星要宣布获胜者名单了！”石楠爪兴奋地喊道。
松鸦爪撇了撇嘴，他一点儿也不想看其他学徒炫耀自己的战斗技能。他朝狮爪和风爪那边竖起耳朵。夜云果然像保证的那样，让狮爪和风爪都睡得十分香甜。松鸦爪有些无奈地走出巢穴。
“谁来照顾狮爪和风爪啊？”他问道，寻找着继续待在营地里的理由。
“我照顾他们。”叶池告诉他。
“快来吧，松鸦爪！”冬青爪催促道，“那里会很好玩的。”
“你应该去见见其他族群的学徒们，”火星说，“你还从来没有过这种机会呢。”
松鸦爪不情愿地跟着族猫们沿着湖旁的斜坡往下走去。鸦羽和石楠爪回到了风族的队伍中，火星去湖边跟其他族群的族长交谈了。黑莓掌在山坡上坐了下来，松鸦爪、松鼠飞和冬青爪坐在他的身边，一起等待着。
“从大迁徙结束到现在，我还从没见过大家这么无拘无束呢。”黑莓掌感慨道。
松鼠飞无比喜悦的心情，似乎让四周的空气都变得温暖了。“就连影族猫似乎也都很高兴。”她说道。
“不过你看，黑星正盯着大家。他傲慢得像只画眉鸟，好像他自己的学徒赢了所有比赛。”冬青爪插话道。
“树木与山川的子民们啊！”
松鸦爪听到了火星的呼唤声。所有猫都安静了下来，松鸦爪感到，大家的目光都聚集在雷族族长身上，他就像天空闪耀的太阳一样。
“所有的学徒今天的表现都非常好，”火星大声说，“他们在狩猎和战斗环节，都像真正的武士一样奋力拼搏！”
猫群的欢呼声响彻云霄。
“经过与豹星、黑星以及一星的讨论，我们一致决定，本次比赛不分胜负。”火星接着说，“我们每个族群都证明了，自己是对得起星族的信任的！”
“这不公平！”枭爪突然大吼道，接着影族所有的学徒都聚到他身边，低声表示赞同，“我是最优秀的狩猎者，狮爪和风爪甚至都不敢回来了！”
“别说了！”一只影族母猫让他住嘴，“他们差点儿连命都丢了！”
黑星告诉枭爪：“没关系。就算比赛没分出胜负，可我们心里都清楚，真正的赢家是谁。回到营地后，我们会让你最先挑选猎物吃的。”
豹星抬高了声音：“河族学徒中，扑爪表现出了优秀的狩猎技能，我奖励她今晚享用我们捕来的最好的鱼。”
“石楠爪将会获得最肥美的兔子，”一星说，“因为她爬到了天空橡树的最顶端！”
松鸦爪的鼻子垂到了胸口。别的学徒表现再好，都跟他没关系。他再也听不下去了。
“该我们雷族了。”火星宣布道，“冬青爪可以第一个从猎物堆中选择喜欢的食物。因为她虽然还是一位新学徒，但在比赛中已经展现出了优秀的战斗技能。”
松鸦爪察觉到，冬青爪身上的毛自豪地竖了起来。同时，他又抑制不住自己胸中那讨厌的嫉妒之火了。“干得好，”他嘟哝道，“我回去看看叶池是不是要我帮忙。”
“别走啊，求你了！”冬青爪说。
松鸦爪摇摇头，转身走开了。他爬上斜坡，向森林奔去。这时，一星的声音从他的下方传来。
“今天，有一位学徒，他的表现尤其值得一提。”
松鸦爪没理会，继续向前走。
“他就是松鸦爪。”
松鸦爪忽然停下了脚步。
“今天，这位年轻的雷族学徒，以他非凡的勇气和敏捷的思维，赢得了所有猫的感激。”
松鸦爪顿时感觉大家都把好奇的目光投向他。他有些害羞地转过身，面向大家。
火星接着说了下去：“他救了两位学徒的命。他们爪下的一处獾巢塌陷了，害得他们差点儿窒息而死。是松鸦爪及时发现，把他们救了出来。”
猫群惊讶的议论声一下子变成了阵阵欢呼。大家都在为他喝彩呢！冬青爪和松鼠飞也凑了过来，用她们的皮毛蹭着松鸦爪的腹部。
冬青爪把鼻子紧紧地贴在他的脸颊上：“你是英雄。”
瞎猫还能成为英雄？松鸦爪想着，或许真的可能吧……
“今天的大会真不错啊！”等大家安静下来后，火星说，“它让我想起了大迁徙。我认为，这次大会标志着猫族迎来了在新家园度过的第二个新叶季。什么都在变，但作为真正武士的我们，一直都没变！”
真正的武士！松鸦爪一想到上次与影族交战时，自己有多么失落，心情就像掉进冰冻的水里一样难受。那时，他是多么急切地想看见东西，他觉得自己永远都不能好好地保护自己了，何况保护其他同伴呢！星族一定也知道了这一点，所以就决定让他成为巫医了。
然而，松鸦爪并不需要任何安慰，他是不想走寻常路的。他转过身，走向森林，朝营地的方向走去。就算所有的族长都称他为英雄，也不能说明什么。他不会成为一位真正的武士。
松鸦爪回来时，夜云还在风爪和狮爪身边熟睡着，叶池在自己的窝里打着盹儿。
“大会结束了吗？”看到松鸦爪走进巢穴，她睁开睡眼问道。
“差不多了吧。”松鸦爪回答，“我想，大家一会儿就回来了。”他聆听着学徒们低沉而缓慢的呼吸声，心情顿时放松了许多。忙了一天，他突然感到十分疲倦，真想赶快回到自己那熟悉的窝里，好好歇歇。不过他清楚，此时的狮爪和风爪，比自己更需要休息。
他走出巫医巢穴，用爪子拔了几丛草，又把它们铺在巢穴入口边的黑莓丛旁，给自己搭了一个临时的小窝。他扭动着身子爬进去，躺下才发觉，因为挖沙土太用力，爪子到现在还疼得厉害，而且上面还残留着点点沙土。他现在已经筋疲力尽，没法清理了。他躺下来，闭上了眼睛。
“松鸦爪。”叶池的声音吓了他一跳。这位巫医走过来，俯身看着他。
“一切都还好吧？”他焦急地问道，开始想要爬出自己的窝。
叶池轻柔地把他推了回去，说道：“你不要起来。”这时松鸦爪才察觉到，有个温暖而柔软的东西碰到了自己的爪子——他闻到了新鲜老鼠肉的味儿。“我想你一定饿了。”叶池说道。
“谢谢你。”松鸦爪低声喃喃道。
“你今天表现得真棒！”她转身离开后，一种奇怪的感觉刺痛了松鸦爪的皮毛。刚才叶池对他说话的方式似乎有些异常，听起来好像有些警惕他。
应该不是这样的吧，自己一定是想多了。
他终于感觉到，自己要饿疯了。族猫们还没从大会会场回来，松鸦爪独自享受着山谷里的宁静。他不想多想，在享受完老鼠肉的美味之后，便再次躺下来睡了。
松鸦爪睁开眼睛。他不想再做梦了，不过他发觉，自己还是来到了一个陌生的地方——一座狭窄溪谷边的一片干涸的沙滩，两侧都是高耸的山峰。他头顶上的夜空，好似一条黑色的细长河流，星星在其中闪烁着。这里没有可以藏身的灌木，没有柔软的蕨草和猎物的气息，只有长着锯齿状叶子的灌木丛和周围的岩石投射在地上的圆形阴影，好似一个个水坑。这时，一股熟悉的气味飘了过来。
是火星。
松鸦爪向四周望了望，搜寻着这位雷族族长的踪迹。不过根本找不到。
突然，从溪谷深处的一堆树根处，传来了微弱的说话声。
松鸦爪被好奇心刺激得皮毛发痒，他循着声音走了过去。在一堆犹如巨大拱形的黑色树根当中，他看到了一个洞口。在黑黢黢的洞口处，出现了火星被月光笼罩的身影。松鸦爪赶忙在一条粗壮的树根后面蹲下身来。
“我不会失败的！”火星在说话。
他在这里干什么呢？他在跟谁说话？松鸦爪偷偷地看着。他此时只能辨认出一只年老的公猫，在树下的黑影里坐着。
“有时候，一只猫的命运，是不能代表整个族群的命运的。”这只老猫哑着嗓子说。
火星感到十分困惑。松鸦爪察觉到，他的脑海里一片混沌，像是被雾笼罩着一样。看到这只老猫又要开口说话，雷族族长的呼吸顿时加快了。老猫的声音突然变得不再沙哑，语气也平和了起来。
“你的族群里有三只猫，是你的至亲，他们掌握着群星的力量。”
松鸦爪觉得热血沸腾，脑海中浮现出一幅图景：自己站在狮爪和冬青爪身边，双眼和皮毛都放着光，浑身充满了无穷的力量。他非常肯定，却有些不祥的预感，他知道这只老猫要对火星说什么了。
他、冬青爪和狮爪就是预言中的那三只猫。
一股寒意让他的皮毛竖了起来，接着又深入到骨髓。而同时，他又感到极度兴奋。这就是他的命运——火星一直都知道的，只是他不愿说出来而已。可这是为什么？难道自己族群里有三只力量超群的猫，会让他感到害怕吗？
松鸦爪压制住想高喊出来的冲动。他心里清楚，绝对不能让其他猫看到自己。他猛然觉得，自己能不能看见东西，以及能不能参加比赛，都已变得无足轻重。所有这些东西，都比不上这个预言。因为它赋予了自己和同伴们更伟大的使命，比大家之前所梦见的任何事情都重要。叶池警惕自己是理所应当的。他所有的雷族同伴都应如此。不光对他自己，对狮爪和冬青爪也应如此。
总有一天，我们都会变得强大，强大到连星族都要听我们的指挥！
特别感谢凯特•卡里