Sparrowflight had carried the body of his best friend back to camp. Tears fell from his cheeks, but he didn't feel them, as he was numb with grief. His paws had only been able to carry him back to camp out of memory, sadness was the only thing that filled his mind. Tigerlily, his best friend, and maybe something more, was dead.
When Sparrowflight eventually made it back to camp, he collapsed, dropping Tigerlily's body onto the ground. He laid next to her body, not bothering to look up at the many shocked expressions of his Clanmates. Sparrowflight stayed silent, pressing his nose into Tigerlily's fur, which was now cold. "What will I do without you, Tigerlily?" He whispered, a single tear falling down his cheek and splashing onto her blood stained, ginger fur.
Batfeather was the first cat to approach Sparrowflight "What happened to her?" She asked. Sparrowflight shook his head, holding back more tears "I...I found her like this.... I tried to help but..." He trailed off.
A loud gasp of shock came from the nursery "Tigerlily no!"
It was Snakekit. The brown tabby kit came running over, burying his face into his foster mother's fur "Tigerlily you have to wake up." He whimpered, taking her ear into his mouth, attempting to haul her back to her feet. The weight was too much for the small kit and her head flopped back onto the ground. Her two sons, Larkkit and Timberkit, padded over and sat down, behind Snakekit. "Mom..you can't leave us..." Larkkit whispered sadly. Lilystem's three kits also padded over, eyes round with sadness, but Snakekit seemed the saddest of all. Tigerlily was the only one who Snakekit loved, and now she was gone. Snakekit began to sob into her fur, while Goldenkit took a nervous step closer to him and Tigerlily's body "It's alright, Snakekit." She meowed softly, trying to comfort him. Instead, it had the opposite effect, and Snakekit turned around, neck fur bristling with fury "Shut up! It's not alright! She's dead and it will never be alright again!" He snapped, turning around and sobbing even more. This was the first time Sparrowflight had seen him cry, and it would probably be one of the last. The warriors soon gathered around Tigerlily's body, although no one dared to interrupt Snakekit's grieving. Watching everyone grieve made Sparrowflight realize how popular Tigerlily was within the Clan. Her mother, Icesplash, and her friend and fellow nursery queen, Lilystem, were both devastated. But Sparrowflight could not comfort them, for he couldn't even comfort himself. It still seemed so shocking that he almost didn't believe it was real.
After the Clan mourned for a while longer, Sparkstorm trotted out of her den to examine the body, but could not do so with Snakekit laying on top of it. "Snakekit, I need you to move." Sparkstorm told him softly. Snakekit stayed still, acting like he didn't even here the medicine cat. Sparkstorm narrowed her eyes "I need you to move." She repeated, her voice more firm. "I have to examine her body." When she brought up examining the body, Snakekit's head snapped up "No! I won't let you touch my mother!" He snapped. Sparkstorm's neck fur bristled and Sparrowflight decided to intervene "I'll take him, Sparkstorm." He muttered. This is my chance to finally be his father! But when Sparrowflight picked up Snakekit by the scruff and began carrying him away, all he did was protest "Put me down! I have to stay with her!" He protested, flailing his paws. One of the paws caught Sparrowflight hard on the nose, causing him to drop his son, but by then Sparkstorm had all the information she needed. "The scratches and bite marks clearly resemble those of a cat!" She meowed loudly for everyone to hear. Cats immediately began to discuss possible suspects. "I bet it was the rogues!" He heard Hareleap growl. "It could be a cat from another Clan." Lilystem murmured thoughtfully. Icesplash shook her head "Why would a cat from another Clan come here to kill her? She wasn't found by any borders." Lilystem nodded "True." Badgerstep took a step forward "Maybe it was someone in our own Clan." He meowed. Sparrowflight glared at Badgerstep, the cat who'd hurt Tigerlily. He looked more closely at him, specifically his eyes. He didn't look like he'd shed one tear over the death of his former mate! That foxheart! Sparrowflight's anger took over, causing him to think irrationally "You just want to stir up trouble! You don't even care about Tigerlily at all!" He meowed accusingly. Badgerstep narrowed his eyes "Of course I care. She was my mate." The striped tom then sniffed. "She was the mother to my kits." Stop faking, you foxheart! Sparrowflight's eyes blazed with fury "That's the biggest load of foxdung I've ever heard! You gave up the right to call them your kits a long time ago!" Batfeather padded up next to Sparrowflight. "Sparrowflight stop!" She whispered urgently, but Sparrowflight ignored her. Badgerstep smirked, realizing he'd gotten under Sparrowflight's skin. "You're just jealous that her kits aren't yours." At hearing this, Sparrowflight hissed in fury, and without thinking, he slashed his claws at Badgerstep, leaving a scratch mark on his cheek. The Clan gasped in shock and Badgerstep looked at him with wide eyes. Is that fear I smell? "Sparrowflight!" A deep voice called his name and Sparrowflight turned around to see Blazestar. "What do you think you're doing?" The leader growled. Sparrowflight glanced at Badgerstep and flattened his ears, realizing the severity of what he just did. I attacked a Clanmate! "I'm sorry Blazestar, I—" "Sorry isn't enough!" Blazestar hissed "I've been easy on you Sparrowflight, but I will do that no longer!" Sudden realization hit Sparrowflight: Wasn't Blazestar the last cat to see Tigerlily? He must know something "Blazestar, you were the last cat to see Tigerlily. Do you know what happened?" He asked. Blazestar bared his teeth, looking offended "You think if I knew I'd tell you?" He snarled, gazing around at the other cats. Sparrowflight was quarreling with his leader in the middle of camp, but at the moment, he didn't care. He just wanted answers "Well, did you just leave her out there? I'm your deputy, you owe me an answer." A crooked grin spread across Blazestar's face and he shook his head "Not anymore." Sparrowflight's eyes widened. What?! He's not letting me be deputy anymore? He trotted forward towards the leader "Please, Blazestar, reconsider!" He whispered pleadingly. Blazestar narrowed his eyes "Come to my den." He growled, turning around with the flick of his tail. Sparrowflight followed him in.
"If you want me to let you continue to be deputy, you must give me something in return." Blazestar meowed. "What do you want? I'll do anything." Sparrowflight pleaded. Blazestar thought for a moment "Who is the father of Lilystem's kits?" He asked. How does he know that I know that? Thoughts raced through Sparrowflight's head. He couldn't give away her secret, could he? If he did, would she give away his? Sparrowflight shook his head "I don't know, Blazestar." He answered, looking at his paws. Blazestar glared at him "Don't lie to me, you're terrible at it!" He hissed. You don't know what I've had to lie about, he thought, thinking of Snakekit. "You cannot lie to your leader." Blazestar reminded him with a grin "I have eyes and ears all around, Sparrowflight. So tell me what you know." Sparrowflight gulped. He couldn't lie again, could he? What would Blazestar do if he knew the truth? Sparrowflight sighed, in deep thought. Blazestar wouldn't harm kits. Besides, I've already broken the warrior code enough in my life. Sparrowflight cleared his throat "The father is a rogue. I don't know his name or anything about him, other than he's gray." Blazestar mulled over Sparrowflight's answer for a moment, before nodding. "Yes, that makes sense." He murmured, before going past Sparrowflight and out of his den, leaping onto the highledge. "All cats old enough to run the moor, gather for a Clan meeting!"

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