Sparrowflight was sitting in camp, watching the kits play. Snakekit, Larkkit, and Timberkit were three moons old now, while Lilystem's kits were each four moons old. Snakekit never seemed to want to play with the other kits, and when he did, he would get too competitive and would snap at the other kits. He had a quick temper, and Tigerlily would have to calm him down by bringing him into the nursery and grooming his pelt. One day, Tigerlily had gone on a walk and Sparrowflight had promised to watch her kits, since he'd already sent out patrols. Snakekit was walking around aimlessly, not paying attention to where he was going. Sparrowflight frowned. He'd seen his son do this often, when he didn't want to play with the other kits. It was good that he was getting exercise, but he'd often crashed into other cats since he wasn't paying attention. Today he was walking around and Larkkit was following him. Timberkit was off playing with Lilystem's kits. Larkkit had his tongue stuck out in concentration as he hobbled after Snakekit on three legs. Snakekit suddenly stopped abruptly and Larkkit crashed into him, sending Snakekit face first into the dirt. Sparrowflight flattened his ears, guessing that Snakekit would not react well to this. He thought right, as Snakekit stood up, shaking dirt off his pelt "What was that for?" He asked sharply. Larkkit took a step back "N-Nothing, I was just walking." Snakekit glared at him "Well go walk somewhere else where you won't bother me!" Larkkit bristled defensively and straightened his posture a little "I can walk where I like." Sparrowflight decided he should intervene. He couldn't have Tigerlily come back to see her kits fighting. "Snakekit, calm down. Larkkit didn't mean to crash into you. You need to be more careful." Larkkit smirked "Yeah, be more careful." Snakekit flattened his ears "Shut up!" He hissed. Sparrowflight frowned "Come on, Snakekit. Follow me." He meowed, walking to the corner of the camp. Snakekit rolled his eyes "Fine." He muttered, trotting after Sparrowflight. Once they reached the corner of camp, Sparrowflight sat down. Since Tigerlily was gone, he thought he could groom Snakekit to calm him, hoping it'd have the same affect. But once he stuck out his tongue and leaned down, Snakekit leaped back, away from Sparrowflight "What are you doing?" He asked sharply. Sparrowflight tilted his head "I'm trying to groom you, like Tigerlily." Snakekit wrinkled his nose "Ew, no! Only Tigerlily can do that because she's my mother! Don't even think about it!" Sparrowflight frowned and dipped his head "Alright, I won't. But I want you to apologize to Larkkit." Snakekit shook his head "No! He bumped into me!" Sparrowflight sighed, honestly getting annoyed by his son. "But you snapped at him. You wouldn't want me to tell Tigerlily, would you?" Snakekit frowned and glanced down at his paws "Fine." He muttered, turning and walking back towards Larkkit. Sparrowflight watched them until he heard a voice call his name. "Sparrowflight! I'd like to speak to you in my den." Sparrowflight turned his head to see Blazestar and nodded, following the leader into his den.
The leader took a seat in his nest and wrapped his tail over his paws, looking at Sparrowflight. Should I tell him about Lilystem's kits? Blazestar cleared his throat before speaking "I've noticed that Snakekit is bigger than the other kits in Tigerlily's litter." He meowed. Sparrowflight nodded "He's a little bigger." He replied. "I think he should be apprenticed with Lilystem's kits." Blazestar told him. Sparrowflight flattened his ears "What? He's not old enough to be apprenticed with them, unless you hold off their ceremony." 
"He's a strong, ambitious kit. We need to take advantage of that so he can be made into a warrior for our Clan as soon as possible." Sparrowflight narrowed his eyes "Blazestar, you can't just do that. It's against the warrior code to apprentice kits before they're six moons old."
"It is also against the warrior code to disobey your leader, Sparrowflight." Blazestar growled. Sparrowflight frowned, knowing there was nothing he could do to change Blazestar's mind "You should at least talk to Tigerlily about it." Sparrowflight said, hoping Tigerlily could change the mind of her former mentor. Blazestar mulled over Sparrowflight's words for a moment before nodding "I'll talk to her once she gets back to camp." Sparrowflight dipped his head "Thank you, Blazestar." He meowed, turning and exiting the den. The kits had all gone into the nursery for their nap as Tigerlily padded back into camp. She smiled at Sparrowflight and trotted over to him. "How were the kits?" She asked him. "They were fine." Sparrowflight answered, smiling at her "Blazestar wants to talk to you." Tigerlily blinked at him in surprise "He does? Where is he?" Sparrowflight flicked his tail towards the camp entrance where Blazestar now stood. Tigerlily nodded in thanks and turned to walk towards Blazestar. Blazestar nodded at her "Let's go for a walk, Tigerlily. I have some things I'd like to talk with you about." Tigerlily flashed a confused glance at Sparrowflight before following him out of camp. "Uh, okay."
        Sparrowflight walked to the nursery to see Lilystem watching the sleeping kits. He decided he should talk to her about the father of her kits to see if what he thought was correct. "Uh, Lilystem? Could you come out here? I want to talk." The golden furred queen nodded and quietly stood up, leaving the nursery to meet Sparrowflight. "What do you want to talk about?" Lilystem asked him. Sparrowflight flattened his ears "Well, I wanted to talk about the father of your kits." Lilystem glanced away "I...I'd rather not say..." Sparrowflight decided to get straight to the point "It's the gray rogue, isn't it? The one we saw by the thunderpath." Lilystem glanced up at him and sighed, nodding "That's why you wouldn't fight him. You were his mate." Sparrowflight murmured softly. Lilystem flattened her ears "Don't make assumptions Sparrowflight!" She hissed "We were never mates." Sparrowflight's eyes widened "Y-you weren't?" Lilystem shook her head "No. I didn't fight him because I was scared, not because I loved him. He.....He hurt me Sparrowflight." Sparrowflight frowned "I-I'm sorry, Lilystem. I didn't know." Lilystem glanced up at him "Don't be sorry. I had to tell someone sooner or later. Just promise me you won't tell anyone." Sparrowflight nodded quickly "I promise." Do I? Should I tell Blazestar? Lilystem nodded "Thank you, Sparrowflight. I keep you're secret and you keep mine." She was referring to the fact that only him, Sparkstorm, Lilystem, and Tigerlily knew that Snakekit wasn't born in Windclan. Most had just assumed he was Tigerlily's kit. Once Lilystem disappeared into the nursery, Sparrowflight decided to send out the midday patrols. "Icesplash, Sunpelt, and Mudpool, I want you to patrol the Shadowclan border. Hareleap, Badgerstep, and Falconpaw, check the Thunderclan border." He ordered. Falconpaw stepped forward "Badgerstep isn't here." He told him. Sparrowflight tilted his head "Where is he?" Falconpaw shrugged. Sparrowflight sighed, shaking his head. He looked around for another warrior to join the patrol "Batfeather! Could you go with them?" His sister nodded and went to join Hareleap and Falconpaw. Sparrowflight looked around, realizing he'd sent most of the warriors on border patrol and none on hunting patrol. He shook his head. How stupid am I? He quickly looked around again. Things would definitely be easier if Blazestar and Tigerlily were back. What's taking them so long? Sparrowflight shook his head. They needed prey. He decided to go hunting on his own.
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Sparrowflight was out hunting on the moor, feeling the wind run through his fur. He glanced around, tasting the air for prey, when something caught his eye. A drop of blood stained the grass of the moor. Sparrowflight smelled the blood, realizing that it was fresh. He also smelled cats in the area. He slowly began to follow the scent trail, seeing another drop of blood, then another. The scents grew stronger and the drops of blood grew larger, the crimson red splattering over the grass. He began to pick up his pace, wanting to find what caused this bloodshed. Before he knew it, he was sprinting across the moor. He went faster and faster until he skidded to a halt. The blood trail led to the base of a tree, and at that base of the tree, was Tigerlily. Sparrowflight gasped in shock and was frozen, unable to move. Was she dead? Blood dripped from her throat, where it was clawed open. There was a large wound on her side and bite marks on her leg. But there was also dried blood on her fur. She put up a fight. Suddenly she coughed. She's still alive! Sparrowflight immediately dashed to her side, pressing his paw to her throat to try and stop the sea of blood that was exiting the wound. "Tigerlily? Who did this to you?" He asked Tigerlily opened her mouth, but no words came out. She closed her mouth and opened it again, barely having the strength to keep her eyes open to look at him. "T-take care of my kits Sparrowflight." Sparrowflight shook his head, his eyes beginning to water "Tigerlily no....you can't leave me.." Tigerlily lifted a paw and placed it on his cheek. Time seemed to stand still as he looked into her eyes. The light slowly faded from them and her paw went limp, brushing his whiskers as it fell to the ground. Sparrowflight buried his nose into her ginger, blood matted fur as he began to sob. Tigerlily was dead....