William

"You dare turn away fine warriors due to half-Clan blood, Tigerstar?! You're even more mouse-brained than I thought. [...] You'll live to regret this day, and that's my last promise to you and your filthy retched Clan!" - Darkshade to Tigerstar before being exiled with his family, *Thomasin's Hardships*

**William**, formerly known as ***Darkshade***, was a huge, thick-furred, black and brown tom with yellow eyes and torn ears. He had a scar over his left eye and a smaller one under his left ear, and gained a larger split one on his left hind leg shortly before turning rogue. He later gained a red collar upon becoming a kittypet before turning rogue again shortly after, and obtained several, larger death scars after being killed by his own son.

## Biographical Information

### Cause(s) of Death

Blood loss from wounds inflicted by Phillip

## Relationships

### Son(s)

Burt, Fowler, Phillip, Caleb, Jonas, Samuel (all deceased)

## **History**

### **Backstory**

William was born as *Darkkit* to Tigerstar and Carpstream of RiverClan alongside his sister Crowkit. The two were raised within the Clan to become noble warriors. Darkkit became an apprentice at six months, taking on the name of *Darkpaw* and getting the senior warrior Brownfang as a mentor. Two months later, Darkpaw participated in the battle against ShadowClan over the drinking rights to a large stream, as both Clans needed that water supply. He watched as Tigerstar's younger sister, the ambitious deputy Vixentooth, perished in the battle when a ShadowClan apprentice named Havenpaw accidentally pushed her into the stream and caused her to drown due to the wounds she'd inflicted. Darkpaw and his Clanmates were even more shocked when Barkpaw and Heronpaw, two RiverClan apprentices, jumped in to save Vixentooth, with Heronpaw drowning herself. After the fight ended, the two Clans reluctantly agreed to share the stream equally. All of RiverClan (except for Darkpaw himself) believed that Havenpaw murdered Vixentooth and Heronpaw, and remained angry with ShadowClan for a time. Darkpaw, however, later fell in love with Havenpaw, believing what happened during the fight was an accident.

At a year old, Darkpaw became a novice warrior with the name *Darkshade*. As a result, he began seeing Havenpaw (now *Havenclaw*) more often in secret, and the two bonded over wanting to unite their respective Clans. Eight months later, Darkshade and Havenclaw became mates and had six litters together: Horseleap, Houndfur, and Blackshade in the first, Flowerpelt in the second, Yellowflame in the third, Woodpaw in the fourth, Muddypaw and Blossompaw in the fifth, and Frostkit in the sixth. To make sure nobody knew just yet about the kits, Darkshade asked his mate to raise them all in ShadowClan and lie that their biological father was Oakstripe of ShadowClan, whom Havenclaw pretended to have a crush on at the time in order to prevent her Clanmates from getting suspicious. After hearing that Oakstripe had died fighting a fox when their kits had become warriors, Darkshade and Havenclaw thought their secret was safe. However, Crowflight soon learned the truth, and confronted her brother about it. She denounced him as a traitor to RiverClan for mating with the cat who'd "murdered" her aunt and cousin. Darkshade then attacked his sister with the intent of killing her to prevent her from spilling his secret, later leaving her for dead when he apparently succeeded. However, he was unaware that Crowflight had survived and was secretly being treated by Whiskerface, ShadowClan's medicine cat.

## ***Blackheart's Tale***

During her time in the Dark Forest, Blackheart is wandering around when she sees Darkshade watching her from behind a clump of dead ferns. She becomes nervous when he follows her, and defensively scratches him on the nose when he gets too close. Blackheart demands who he is and what he wants, to which Darkshade replies his name is William and he came to welcome a new resident. His eyes are noted to be glowing with curiosity. He is soon joined by Katherine, but both cats are then driven away by Tigerblaze, who has arrived to take Blackheart to StarClan territory for her trial. As Blackheart follows the ShadowClan deputy out of the Dark Forest, she glances over her shoulder to see William gazing coolly after her before he vanishes from sight.

He is mentioned again by Dapplestar during Blackheart's trial, when he informs her that Katherine, who was once a ShadowClan warrior and queen named Havenclaw, broke the warrior honor code to be with Darkshade, a RiverClan cat. Dapplestar briefs Blackheart on Darkshade's loyalty to his mate rather than his Clan, what resulted from the forbidden love, and the cat he became after the truth came out. Blackheart listens and realizes that she and Rippleflame could've trodden the same path had he not rejected her in favor of ThunderClan, reflecting that maybe he did her a favor and she was wrong to kill him. She tells Dapplestar and the other StarClan cats they're right, feeling and expressing deep remorse as she apologizes for her sins; she promises to never again do what Darkshade and Havenclaw did so many years ago. Blackheart thinks about Darkshade, or William, again as she wakes up in the living world, her spirit returning to her body.

## **Gallery**

William as a warriorWilliam as a rogue/kittypet after banishment