Rain misted lightly from the gray sky. Fireheart sniffed the air, but it was difficult to catch wind of any prey in conditions like this.

"I see something," Silverthorn meowed, squinting. He brushed his tail against Fireheart's side to get his attention, then nodded down the hillside. "There's a rabbit."

Fireheart dropped into a crouch as he spotted it. It was a good distance away, but he could see the brown rabbit clearly among the yellow gorse flowers. "Hopefully this rain will keep it from smelling us," he replied.

Silverthorn nodded silently and crouched down. Together, they stalked slowly towards the rabbit. It seemed content to nibble at the plants where it sat. Silverthorn veered off as they approached it. Fireheart continued his advance, keeping his eyes fixed on his prey.

He was well-hidden among the tall grass here, but as soon as he took another step he would be exposed. I'll have to charge from here. He stiffened, bunching his muscles up.

Fireheart sprang forward, clearing the distance as quickly as he could. He raced towards the rabbit and leaped through the air, flying towards his quarry. The rabbit straightened up and tried to leap away—but it noticed him too late. Fireheart managed to hook his claws into a foreleg and dragged the rabbit back. He pinned it down with his free paw and sank his jaws into the rabbit's throat. It kicked the air for a few moments, but before too long, went limp.

Silverthorn padded out of the grasses, his tail lifted. "Good catch," he purred.

Fireheart released the rabbit and panted briefly before responding. "Thanks. Can we take a break for a moment?"

"Sure," Silverthorn meowed. The silver tom stretched, arching his back and sticking out each leg one at a time. Hard muscles rippled beneath his pelt. Both he and Fireheart had been far more active in WindClan than they had been in RiverClan, since hunting here required stalking long distances and high-speed chases.

Fireheart sat down and wiped his paw across his muzzle, quickly cleaning his face of any blood from the rabbit.

"Things in WindClan seem a little better ever since Russetstar agreed to help," Silverthorn meowed. He glanced at Fireheart. "I haven't heard any more cats thinking about running off."

So I wasn't the only one that heard that. Fireheart twitched his ear. "That's good," he replied. "We're lucky Tigerstar didn't get to her first."

Silverthorn nodded. He seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Fireheart," he meowed. "Do you still think about Sandstorm?"

Fireheart jolted, surprised by the question. Claws of sadness gripped his belly at the thought of her—but they didn't feel as sharp as they once had. He flattened his ears and looked away. "I don't know," Fireheart murmured. "I try not to."

"Sorry," Silverthorn muttered. He shifted closer, looking a bit apologetic for asking. "I just remember how bad it was when she left you. Sometimes I wonder if you actually feel better, or if… I don't know, if you're just pretending."

Fireheart blinked. His belly churned slightly, unsure of how to respond. "I've hardly had time to really think about her ever since we left," he admitted. "Mostly I just want to go home."

"Me too," Silverthorn murmured. "I miss the river." His blue gaze looked wistful. "I hope we get to swim in it before next winter."

Fireheart chuckled softly at the thought. He longed to sink into the cool waters, too. "I hope we get to eat another fish before next winter."

"StarClan, I almost forgot about the fish!" Silverthorn groaned. "I swear, if I don't get to eat another carp before the snows come, I'll gut Tigerstar just for that."

They both laughed quietly and shared wry smiles, but Fireheart's fell after a moment. "Do you think TigerClan will fall apart?" he asked. "I don't think we'll ever get to go home unless it does."

Silverthorn sighed softly. "I don't know," he admitted. "I really hope it does." He sat down. "I can't become a WindClan warrior, not really. If I do, then… then it means I'm giving up."

Fireheart glanced at him. Silverthorn's head was low now. He felt a pang of empathy. He reached out and touched Silverthorn's paw with his own. "I feel the same way," he meowed.

Silverthorn looked up to meet Fireheart's gaze, his own eyes a storm of emotion. "Promise?" he meowed.

"I promise."

"Okay." Silverthorn let out a soft breath. "You fit in better here than I do. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd been considering it."

Fireheart shook his head. "I like Ferretstar a lot, and I have some friends here… but RiverClan will always be my home." He felt a pang of longing in his chest. "We'll get back there, somehow." He realized his paw was still resting on Silverthorn's and drew it back.

Silverthorn twitched his whiskers. "I don't regret leaving, though," he meowed. "It wasn't right, what Leopardstar did."

Fireheart purred quietly. It was strange to think that Silverthorn of all cats would be his closest friend and ally now—their bitter rivalry as apprentices nearly turned deadly. But now, Fireheart felt at peace with Silverthorn beside him. "I'm glad you came," Fireheart meowed. "It would have been much harder to be in exile alone."

Silverthorn snorted softly. "Someone had to watch your back," he muttered, flattening his ears as though embarrassed. "Can't have RiverClan's favorite warrior getting eaten by a badger."

"Hey!" Fireheart protested. "If I remember correctly, I saved you from a dog!"

"And I saved you from Blackfoot," Silverthorn shot back, his eyes glittering.

Fireheart grinned. "Thank you for that, by the way," he meowed. "I always seem to run into him when fighting for WindClan."

Silverthorn chuckled. "You'll get him next time."

Next time… Fireheart frowned at that. Deadfoot was likely right when he had said that the matter with TigerClan wouldn't just resolve itself peacefully. There likely will be a fight, he thought. It could be another all-out war, like it was with ShadowClan when Brokenstar was leading… Maybe worse this time. It had been three-on-one back then—now, the Clans were evenly divided.

"We should probably head back to camp," Fireheart meowed. "This rabbit could feed a few cats."

Silverthorn nodded silently and stood. He glanced up at the sky, looking towards the moon. Though it was daylight, they could see the pale form far above. It was nearly full. "It'll be the Gathering soon," Silverthorn murmured. "Do you think Tigerstar will try something there?"

Fireheart frowned. "He might," he meowed. "We should probably prepare for the truce to be broken."

Unease crept up his spine as Fireheart turned to pick up the rabbit. Had it really been nearly a moon since Tigerstar had first invited the other Clans to join him? The past moon had gone by in a blur. All any cat had been able to think of was preparing for war with TigerClan—and then recovering from the invasion.

Before he picked up the fresh-kill, Fireheart glanced at Silverthorn. "Has the truce ever been broken at a Gathering?" he asked.

Silverthorn looked thoughtful. "I can't really think of a time. Graypool said that StarClan will cover the moon with clouds if they become displeased during a Gathering, like they're trying to shield Silverpelt from having to see us acting poorly. But I don't think there's been a time in many seasons since it was really broken."

Would Tigerstar dare? Fireheart wondered. He had no idea what to expect from the tom—but if he was willing to ambush a Clan in the dead of night while they slept, he was likely capable of anything. Silently, he picked up the rabbit in his jaws.

The rain had picked up by the time Fireheart and Silverthorn returned to camp. Silverthorn had managed to catch a mouse on their way back, and it dangled from his jaws by the tail. WindClanners were huddled by the edges of camp, sheltering from the rain. Many seemed to have disappeared into dens altogether—though rarely used, there were dens in the camp in case of a storm.

Fireheart padded towards the fresh-kill pile and dropped the rabbit. Deadfoot was sitting nearby and gave him a grateful nod. "Good catches!"

"Thank you," Fireheart meowed. "Anything happen while we were away?"

"All has been quiet," Deadfoot replied. "Thank StarClan for that."

Fireheart hesitated before he padded towards the deputy. "Are you worried about what will happen at the Gathering?" he asked.

Deadfoot blinked, but after a heartbeat, he frowned and reluctantly nodded. "I… am," he admitted. "I trust Tigerstar about as much as a wounded rat."

Silverthorn padded up to join them. "What is Ferretstar going to say at the Gathering?" he demanded.

Deadfoot shook his head. "I don't know." He hesitated, before adding, "Part of me is afraid this won't be a real Gathering." The deputy shifted his paws, his gaze filled with uncertainty. "I wouldn't put it past Tigerstar to break the truce, even if ShadowClan is helping us. His warriors are strong. They might try to force us to join TigerClan while we're all together."

Fireheart's throat tightened. What would happen if Tigerstar succeeded? Would we be exiled from all of TigerClan? Fireheart wondered. He tried to imagine all four Clans fighting under the full moon—it made him shudder. It'll be a bloodbath if it does come down to a battle, he thought.

Fireheart sank his claws into the grass. "I want to come to the Gathering," he meowed.

"What?" Deadfoot frowned. "Fireheart, that's risky."

"I know," Fireheart meowed. "But if you think Tigerstar might break the truce and start a war, I want to be there." He narrowed his eyes, determination flowing through him. "I want to do whatever I can to stop WindClan from being destroyed."

Deadfoot's gaze softened, and his eyes grew warm with appreciation. "Very well," he meowed. "I'll bring it up with Ferretstar."

"I'll come, too," Silverthorn added. He lashed his tail. "I'm not going to be left behind while Fireheart gets all the glory."

Deadfoot and Fireheart both snorted quietly at that. "Thank you both," Deadfoot sighed. He leaned forward and briefly touched his nose to Fireheart and Silverthorn's. "Whatever happens, you always be friends of WindClan."

Fireheart and Silverthorn shared a glance. The fierce determination in Silverthorn's eyes matched Fireheart's. They nodded to each other. They would face Tigerstar—and Leopardstar—together.