"Tonight, we will be going to the Gathering," announced Reedstar at the High Rock. "The cats going will be, Heartstorm, Moorpelt, Beestripe, Rainfeather, Smallear, Mudclaw, Eelfrost and I. The others will stay at camp, continuing the clean up. Tonight I will want two extra patrols after we leave for the Gathering and there will be two guards at the entrance of camp at all times. Blacktail will remain here and she will give you all the necessary information and instructions." Eelfrost trotted over to Heartstorm and grinned. 

                "Great, possibly the most interesting Gathering that's going to happen yet, and I'm going," he said happily then shot a look at Deerflame who padded over. "Pity you can't come." Deerflame shrugged.

               "There's work to do here," she said simply. "Heartstorm, be careful alright?" Heartstorm nodded and Eelfrost made a weird face. Deerflame turned to Eelfrost. "And Heartstorm, look after Eelfrost. Make sure he doesn't do anything silly. I know he will." Eelfrost grunted and rolled his eyes but gave an affectionate lick to his mate. Deerflame smiled and swivelled around, padding away. 

                "This is going to be the best Gathering ever!" exclaimed Eelfrost. They headed for the camp entrance where the cats going to the Gathering were gathering. Reedstar stood at the front of the group, his eyes impassive and calm. He flicked his tail and they were off. Heartstorm ran after his Clanmates, feeling them striding beside him powerfully. He felt the cold wind brush his fur but he didn't care, he felt exhilarated. It felt good. He let his feet carry him on the path he knew so well right after Rainfeather and Reedstar. He felt Eelfrost running beside him and he felt a warmth in his body. It felt great. He couldn't explain his feeling. The moon rose in the sky, illuminating the night ground and his Clanmate's pelts. Finally, in the distance, the Four Trees stood. Heartstorm shivered at the sight for no reason. They arrived. In the clearing, ThunderClan had already gathered. The ThunderClan cats were still big, burly and strong but there was something about the way they stood, how tired they looked and their eyes that made Heartstorm think they weren't all that strong. RiverClan stayed together. Nobody went off to talk to anybody else. Reedstar and Frogleap were the only ones who headed towards ThunderClan's leader and medicine cat. Then there was a whiff of another Clan. WindClan. Heartstorm felt suddenly scared. What if ShadowClan really didn't turn up? What if they attacked RiverClan? What if he wasn't there? He thought about Silverdrop and his kits and an uncomfortable feeling rose in his throat. He grimaced. WindClan stayed together, huddled in their own little circle. Heartstorm barely glanced at them. They were skinny and underfed and they had a scared look in their eyes. Eelfrost sat beside Heartstorm. 

                "Woah, the WindClan cats look as if they haven't eatne for months," Eelfrost commented. Heartstorm nodded in agreement but the feeling of unease was spreading through him quickly. 

                "I er..., do you think ShadowClan is going to come?" asked Heartstorm. Eelfrost shrugged, still staring at the WindClan cats. 

                 "'Course," he said finally. "I mean, they wouldn't want to look weak." 

                  "But what if they...," Heartstorm trailed off, not wanting to say it out loud. 

                   "Oh," Eelfrost said, giving Heartstorm a knowing look. "They won't attack us. ShadowClan is also hurt. You know that. You told me that's what you told Reedstar." 

                   "I know but..., what if I was wrong? What if they just hid throughout the storm and they're totally fine and they're going to attack us.., tonight?" Heartstorm gulped. The Clans whispered amongst them, casting nervous glances to each other. Nobody mingled. 

                   "Heartstorm, even then, their camp would be ruined. They'd have to fix it, like us," Eelfrost said carefully. "The storm hit all of the Clans hard. Don't worry about ShadowClan Heartstorm." Heartstorm couldn't believe Eelfrost though. He had a bad nagging feeling. He wanted to run to Reedstar and tell him to go back to camp. He wanted to race to camp and check on Silverdrop. He needed to make sure the kits would be alright. That they were warmly tucked in beside Silverdrop. He needed to make sure Silverdrop was alright... He knew she still had the dreams. He could see it in her eyes. She'd look at Bumblekit in a weird.., sad way. Heartstorm wanted to talk to Silverdrop about it. But.., somehow, he didn't know how to. There was nothing he could do to stop her dreams and he didn't want them to be true. He didn't want them to mean that Bumblekit was going to die. So he didn't talk to Silverdrop about it. But, as he sat there, in the clearing, thinking about it, he regretted it. What if something happened to her? And he hadn't cared about her enough to talk about her nightmares.... He shivered involuntarily. He shakily got up, ready to head back to camp. Eelfrost eyed him and the others turned to see what he was doing. 

                 "What are you doing?" muttered Eelfrost under his breath, looking worried. 

                "I-I need to go back...," Heartstorm explained quickly. "I need to make sure she's alright. There's- there's something I haven't told her. And I need to tell her." 

                  "I'm sure it can wait," Eelfrost said with a frown. "I'm worried about Deerflame too... But- but they'll be fine." Heartstorm shook his head. 

                   "Look, I've got to go, just tell Reedstar for me, will you?" Heartstorm said. 

                   "Heartstorm, they're fine. ShadowClan is not going to attack tonight," Eelfrost said firmly, without a trace of doubt. Heartstorm was exasperated. Even if they were not attacking, he wanted, needed to make sure Silverdrop and his kits were ok. 

                     "How do you know?" asked Heartstorm.

                     "Because ShadowClan is just arriving."