Sage and Willow watched as the twolegs swarmed about, extinguishing the fire the next day. They were gone by sunhigh, as was any sign of their home. As far as they could see, all that remained was a smoldering black scar.

"I'm going to go back," Willow said. "Maybe Mama will be back there, too. You should stay here and rest, in case she comes looking for us here."

Sage nodded. "Be careful."

"I will. I promise to be back before dark." Willow clambered out of the shelter. Sage watched as her sister trotted across the scorched grass towards where their home used to be, before curling up and going back to sleep.

She knew her mother wasn't coming. Willow, even despite her tendency to be overly optimistic, probably knew it, too.

Sage soon gave up on any more sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the barn again, engulfed with flames. Her stomach rumbled as well- she hadn't eaten since the morning before. It had probably been just as long for Willow, too. Sage decided to go hunt, so that there would be something to eat ready when Willow got back.

Hunting turned out to be much more challenging than she had expected. After the fire, prey was scarce. What little prey there was seemed to be concentrated around the river, which made Sage nervous. She doubted she'd be able to get back out if she ended up in the swift-moving water again, and a distant roaring told her that she wasn't too far away from some dangerous rapids. Her nerves made her a sloppy hunter, and catch after catch managed to evade her claws.

Exhausted and frustrated, Sage flopped down on the bank of the river. The mice and voles here moved so quickly compared to the fat, lazy barn mice she was used to hunting.

A nearby mrrow of laughter jolted her from her thoughts. Sage leapt to her feet, tail bristling.

A fawn-and-white she-cat stepped out of the river grasses in front of her, a limp finch dangling from her jaws. She had a thin pink scar over the outside of her left eye. "Not much of a hunter, are you?" she chuckled, setting the bird on the ground.

Sage scowled. "I'm a great hunter. I'm just having an off day."

The stranger cocked her head. "I didn't mean to offend you. You just seemed so anxious not to get your paws wet that you missed a bunch of easy catches."

Sage's eyes narrowed. "Have you been watching me? Who are you?"

"I'm Robinfrost." The strange cat batted the dead bird over to Sage. "Here, have this. I don't really care for birds. The feathers tickle my nose. What's your name?"

"Sage," she said reluctantly, accepting the gift. "Why were you watching me?" She asked again.

"Oh, it's silly, really. We're supposed to watch for intruders when they cross into our Clan's territory. Don't worry, though. I'm not going to chase you off or anything."

Sage almost choked on her food. "Clan territory? Are you… are you JuniperClan?"

Robinfrost lifted an eyebrow. "Kittypets usually don't know about us. Where did you hear about the Clan?"

Sage's tail lashed excitedly. "I'm not a kittypet, I'm a barn cat. My father is a part of JuniperClan! You must know him!"

"No kidding! What's his name?"

"Smokewhisker. He's-"

Robinfrost's smile faltered. "Oh Sage, I'm so sorry. He died this newleaf."

The news hit her like a physical blow. How much was she going to lose? "What happened?"

Robinfrost's voice was gentle. "He got sick, and the medicine cats tried so hard to help, but the herb stores were so depleted after leaf-bare that they didn't have what they needed to save him. He was a good cat, Sage. You're lucky to carry such a strong warrior's blood in your veins."

Sage swallowed her grief. "Thank you. So… where's the rest of your Clan? Do you think my sister and I could stay with you for a while? The fire destroyed our home and now we have nowhere to go."

Robinfrost's shoulders sagged. "I'm afraid we're in the same boat, then. The fire got across the river and went right through our camp. I'm not sure how many cats even got out, let alone where they might be."

Sympathy tightened Sage's chest. This cat had probably lost just as much as she had. "Why don't you stay here with me for a bit," she suggested. "Once my sister gets back, we can all look together for your Clanmates."

Robinfrost purred cheerfully. "Good plan, Sage. I'm going to see if I can find us some more food. If you want, I can give you some hunting tips. I'm one of the best hunters in the Clan," she added, puffing out her chest proudly.

Sage purred. "I would like that. Thanks, Robinfrost."