Sage's Arc

Chapter 3 of 3

For seven days Sage walked north. She slept little. Each night she stopped only long enough to cook a small meal, then rose and moved again. The fox trotted ahead, choosing safe paths. The winged deer followed close behind. On the seventh day, dark trees thinned, and the river lay before her. Sage stopped. The water was the darkest blue she had ever seen. It stretched wide, farther than she could throw a stone, and ran on in both directions without end. She stood at the muddy edge and felt her hope sink. "How do I cross this?" she whispered. She walked along the bank for an hour, searching for a bridge or a shallow place. She found none. The river only grew wider. She came back to where the fox waited and dropped her pack in the mud. Sage pulled off her boots. She waded in. The cold bit her legs at once. She pushed deeper, then kicked off and swam. Ten strokes out, the current caught her. It dragged her sideways. Her gown pulled heavy at her limbs. Water filled her mouth. She fought back toward the bank and crawled onto the mud, coughing, shaking. "I can't," she said. Her voice broke. "It's too much." The fox pressed its nose to her cheek. Then it turned and looked at the winged deer. Sage followed its gaze. The deer stepped closer. Its green antlers curved like her own. Its dragonfly wings caught the light and shivered. Gaia's words came back to her. He carries you when your legs give out. His wings are strong. Sage rose. Her hands trembled. She had ridden nothing like this before. She gripped the deer's shoulder and climbed onto its back. The fox leapt up before her and settled against her chest. She wrapped her arms around all of them and held tight. "Please," she said. "Take us across." The deer's wings opened wide. They beat once, twice, and lifted. Sage's stomach dropped as the ground fell away. Wind roared past her ears. Below, the dark river slid by, endless and cold. She pressed her face against the deer's warm neck and did not look down. The far bank rose to meet them. The deer set down hard on new soil. Sage slid off and fell to her knees. She was across. She had crossed the black river. She looked up. These woods were different. The trees stood taller, their bark pale as bone.