Sage's full, fluffy tail waved above her as she walked along the top of the fence, balancing like a squirrel. Every day for the last eighteen moons- ever since her father had left, she patrolled the fence line all the way around the perimeter of the farm. In the beginning, she had watched eagerly for any sign of her father out in the grass and shrubs beyond her "territory." She still thought of him occasionally, but she knew better than to think he might return.
Sage had learned a lot from him, even if his presence in her life had been minimal and short-lived. She still remembered what he told her about being a warrior and living by the Code. It had stuck with her. Soon after he left for good, she decided that she would live by the Code as best as she could. She would be a warrior for her own clan- her family.
That's why she patrolled the borders every day. She didn't anticipate an attack, but she did like to know what was going on. It was her duty now to help take care of her family- and that meant defending their territory.
Sage jumped down from the fence under a big juniper tree, relishing in the cool shade. She would finish her patrol a little later. The late greenleaf sun was hot and sapped her energy like an evaporating puddle. The grass felt dry and brittle under her paws. There had been no rain for over a moon, Sage realized. She stretched out in the cool shade to rest and groom herself before finishing the patrol. Before she knew it, she had dozed off.
Sage awoke to her sister's pawsteps. She blinked and beckoned her over with a lazy wave of her tail. Willow settled beside her, licking her ear in greeting, but she seemed stiff and agitated.
"What's wrong, Willow?"
She huffed. "I saw Toby today."
Sage cocked her head. "I thought you really liked each other. Why are you so upset?"
"I do really like him. I… I don't know what to do, Sage. I think I'm going to have kits."
"What? That's wonderful!" Sage purred. "He must be so excited! You can start your own little family!"
Willow shook her head. "When I told him a few days ago, he…" she swallowed. "He said he didn't want a family. He said, 'We were just having some fun, Willow. I thought you knew that.' And he just walked away."
Sage didn't know what to say. She just nuzzled her sister's shoulder.
"And when I saw him today… he was with someone else. That pretty ginger cat from the next street over. They just stared at me. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just came back."
"Willow, I'm so sorry."
"What am I going to do? I can't do this on my own- I'm not ready to have kits! I'm probably going to be a terrible mother. And what will Mama say? She always says I walk around with my head in the clouds. She's right- just look where I've gotten myself!" Willow dissolved into heartbroken sobs.
Sage brushed her cheek against her sister. "Calm down. Everything is going to be fine. You're going to be an excellent mother. And you don't have to do this alone. You will always have me and Mama- you know that. It's not your fault that your mate didn't turn out to be the kind of cat you thought he was. Mama will understand that better than anyone."
Sage groomed her sister as she continued to cry. Poor Willow had always dreamed about finding the perfect mate and raising their kits together. Sage resisted the urge to stalk to Twolegplace right now and teach that Toby a lesson. She was confident she could win the fight fairly easily, but it wouldn't make a difference. What mattered most was taking care of Willow now.
After a while, Willow's tears stopped. "Why don't you join me for the rest of my border patrol. Then we can go back to the barn and find Mama and we can all hunt together," suggested Sage.
Willow nodded, but her tail still drooped as the sisters jumped up onto the fence. They walked along it in silence, until Willow stopped abruptly.
"Sage, what's that smell?"
Sage sniffed the air. It was strange, but vaguely familiar. It tickled her throat and made her want to cough. It seemed to be coming from the other side of the farm, from the direction of the barn.
Willow saw it first. She gasped. Sage followed her gaze. What seemed to be a massive black cloud was beginning to block out the blue sky. It was getting bigger… and closer.
Smoke.
Panic set her heart racing and she had a hard time thinking clearly. They were in danger. They had to get somewhere safe.
Sage turned around. "Willow, we have to…"
But Willow wasn't there. Panic rising, Sage glanced around for her sister. She had to keep her safe. She spotted her on the ground, running away. No, not away. Willow was running towards the fire!
With a terrified yowl, Sage leapt after her sister. "Where are you going? Come back!"
She managed to catch up and tackled her, pinning her to the ground. "What's wrong with you? We need to get out of here!"
Willow rolled out from under her, gasping. "Mama," she managed to say between breaths.
Despite the rapidly increasing heat, a cold wave of dread rolled over Sage. Mama. Usually, June stayed in the barn and slept most of the day. She probably didn't even know the danger she was in right now.
Several things flashed through Sage's mind all at once. June, still in the barn. The growing wall of smoke, glowing orange near the ground where the flames were nearly visible. The river, not far from where she was now. Willow and the kits she was now carrying.
She made a decision.
"Willow, listen to me. Run. As fast as you can, that way." She gestured with a jerk of her chin. "Don't wait for me. I'm going back for Mama."
Willow got up from the ground where Sage had knocked her down. "No, I'm coming with-"
Sage didn't let her finish. "You have to think of your kits. Go, get somewhere safe. There should be a river, not too far that way. Get to the other side and wait for Mama and me there."
She looked like she was going to argue, but Sage didn't give her the chance. She shoved her. "Go!"
She hesitated just a moment more, but took off. Sage bounded in the opposite direction, running towards the barn. She could barely see it anymore, the smoke was so thick.
Her eyes stung, and she could barely breathe. "Mama!" she called out.
Her lungs burned, but she ran on. The heat was nearly unbearable. "Mama!" she called again.
The sound of the fire roared in her ears. She could see it now, racing towards her. The flames swallowed up the dry, brittle grass alarmingly fast. She wasn't going to be able to get to the barn before the fire did. She urged her muscles to carry her faster.
"MAMA!" she screamed. Her lungs filled with smoke, and she was forced to stop, coughing uncontrollably. Her eyes streamed, but she wasn't sure if it was tears of terror or from the smoke burning her eyes. Maybe both.
A horrible realization hit her. She wasn't going to be able to get to the barn. The fire was advancing too quickly, and she couldn't see even two fox-lengths in front of her. If she kept going forward, she would be consumed by the inferno. If she left, she wouldn't be able to rescue her mother.
Frozen with indecision, she called out again. "MAMA!"
She couldn't hear a reply, but she could see the barn now. The fire had reached the far side of it, and was quickly consuming the giant red structure. Sage took a step forward, but realized she was too late. She watched with horror as the flames climbed up the side of the building and reached the roof.
An ember drifted to her feet, igniting the grass right in front of where she stood. Sage leapt back, yowling in terror.
With one last glance at her home, she turned and ran. Tears ran down her face. Every step was an internal battle between fleeing for her life and going back for her mother.
Maybe June had gotten out on her own, she told herself. She could be okay. She had to be.
As she neared the river, she realized she had no way of getting across. Even with the dry greenleaf, the river was deep and swift. And Sage didn't know how to swim.
She didn't have time to think, though. Her fur was singed from embers leaping from the flames. If she slowed, the fire would surely engulf her. She had no choice but to jump into the water.
The flow of the river pulled her under as soon as she splashed in. Sage kicked furiously, praying that she was moving towards the surface and the opposite riverbank. The swift water tugged at her long fur.
When her head finally broke the surface, she gulped for air, but her lungs filled with smoke again. Sage swallowed back a cough and kicked furiously for the opposite bank. Her muscles ached, but she didn't allow herself to slow. She needed to get back to Willow.
After what felt like ages, she pulled herself up onto the far riverbank. She hunched among the reeds, too exhausted to move. She stared across the river, which glowed orange with reflected flames.
"Sage! You're okay!" Willow's voice came to her from a little upstream.
Sage turned and saw her sister running along the river towards her. "I saw you jump in the water, but you got swept downstream so fast I couldn't keep up. Where's Mama?"
Sage averted her gaze. "I'm sorry, Willow. I was… I wasn't fast enough. The fire-" she was interrupted by her own coughing fit. "Maybe… maybe she got out. She must have smelled the smoke. She's probably fine," she added unconvincingly, her voice hoarse.
"Come on… I found a safe place for us. A hollow in a rock, so the fire shouldn't be able to get to us there, even if it gets across the river." Willow's voice was thick.
Sage followed her to a sheer slab of rock. Several tail-lengths up was a narrow fissure, just wide enough for a cat to squeeze through. Willow leapt up, and Sage followed. Inside, the fissure opened up to a small, den-sized hollow. Sage immediately curled up and fell asleep.
