The moonlit clearing grew silent. Moonfur, Dovestar, Minnowstar, and Rowanstar stepped forward. "The warriors you were are no more. You have the strength and nobility of a leader now," they meowed. "Now that you are leaders, you must build your Clans. Go find cats anywhere you can, name new warriors, set your boundary marks, and make your camp as livable as you can. After you have made a start to your Clans, we will tell you what to do next."

Spottedstar opened her eyes to see bright sunlight filtering through the makeshift den. The den was empty. She sat up, stretched, and shook herself. She padded out of the den. Cats were resting in the clearing, enjoying the morning sun. Mixherb lifted her head and sat up immediately when she saw Spottedstar. Spottedstar padded over to the fallen tree and climbed up to the middle branch.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their prey join here beneath the High Branch for a Clan meeting," Spottedstar yowled. The cats looked up, bewildered. When they saw Spottedstar sitting on the branch, they got up and gathered around the fallen tree. When they had gathered, Spottedstar continued. "I have now received my nine lives and my new name, as all leaders do. I am Spottedstar, leader of MoonClan, and we will bring the Clans back to the way they were before, way before our time." The gathered cats yowled in agreement. When the yowls died down, Spottedstar continued. "Now I have a ceremony to perform. Dew step forward," she meowed, as she jumped down into the clearing. Dew stepped forward, uncertainty showing in her amber eyes. Spottedstar raised her head, but kept it low enough for Dew to read what she was saying, for Dew was deaf. "I, Spottedstar, leader of MoonClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this cat. She will train hard to learn the ways of a warrior and your noble code. And commend her to you, as a warrior in her turn." Spottedstar fixed her blue gaze on Dew. "Dew, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life? Say, 'I do.'"

When Dew responded, her voice was shaky. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dew, from this moment you will be known as Dewdrop. May StarClan watch over you and light your path with every step." Spottedstar stepped forward and rested her head on the deaf warrior's head. "Now, lick my shoulder," she whispered. Dewdrop licked her leader's shoulder and stepped back to sit with the gathered cats. Spottedstar repeated her words over and over, renaming the cats that were in the clearing. She named the last cat and began chanting their new names. The cats joined in, calling each other by their new names. Mittens became Blackpetal. Cloud became Cloudfur. Tigger became Tigerfur. Khya became Patchface. Honey became Honeywhisker. Fang became Blackfang. Rage became Ragetail. Flame became Flameheart. Snow became Snowstorm, and Crystal became Bluestripe.

Spottedstar stared at the gathered cats, joy flooding through her. "Now we must go find cats that are willing to join our Clan," she announced. "Do you know any cats that you think would listen to you?" The cats looked down at their paws, lost in thought. After a few heartbeats of silence, the cats lifted their heads and nodded. "Then let's go find them. We need to build our Clan as much as possible right now."

Spottedstar padded through the forest, her group close behind her. There was one cat in particular in her mind. I wonder if that tom would like to join us… A familiar scent caught her attention and she raised her eyes from the path that she was following, to see the ginger-and-white tabby tom padding some distance away. He was following them! Hmm… If he's following us then he must be curious about why we're here. If I do go over there and talk to him, what would I say to him?! She sighed and raised her tail for them to stop. "Wait here, I'll be right back," she meowed, and bounded off towards the tom.

The tom noticed Spottedstar coming towards him and sat down, waiting patiently. Spottedstar caught up to him and sat down in front of him, thinking of what to say.

"What are you all doing out here in the forest anyway? You smell like you were with the twolegs," he meowed.

Spottedstar stared into his blue eyes. "Well, if you're so curious, then I hope you'll be interested in joining." The tom cocked his head to one side as she explained everything. When she had finished, the tom looked at her with interest, and something else that she couldn't figure out, in his eyes. He nodded.

"I'll join, and if you're looking for more cats, then I'll try and get my friends to listen," he meowed, his eyes gleaming.

Spottedstar nodded her thanks and approval. "Do you know where we stay at?"

He nodded. "I've seen you go in and out of there. I'll bring my friends there." He padded off through the trees.

Spottedstar stared after him. I forgot to ask him for his name! You're such a mouse-brain! She padded back to her group and they resumed the trek back to the twoleg dens.

Spottedstar let the group lead the way. They came to a few gardens with cats in them. Some of the cats they came to wouldn't listen, but they got some to listen and they're following them.

Spottedstar and her group padded into the camp to find the ginger-and-white tabby tom talking with a few other cats in the middle of the clearing. When they appeared, they all turned to look at them. The cats in her group fluffed up their fur. Spottedstar raised her tail, a signal for them to stop, and padded over to the group of cats in the clearing. The tom padded up to greet her.

"Hello, I'm sorry I didn't tell you my name before," the tom meowed. "I'm Ricardo." He flicked his tail for her to follow him and he padded over to his group. "This is Rabbit, Willy, Riko, Ghost, Swan, Badger, George, Phoenix, and Thorn," he meowed, pointing with his tail to each cat in turn. He turned to the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat in front of him. "They would all like to join," he added.

Spottedstar dipped her head in greeting. The cats that her group brought her were eager to join as well. She eyed George. He was a plump, elderly black tom with tiny paws. It didn't look like he was able to hold himself up! She turned and padded over to the fallen tree. She climbed up to the High Branch and sat down. There was no need to yowl, for all the cats were already in the clearing. "For those of you who have just entered this clearing for the first time, I welcome you to MoonClan's camp." She looked down at Ricardo. "Have you told them everything?" He nodded and she continued. "Then we will have a naming ceremony." Spottedstar named the cats that were new in the clearing. She finished the ceremony and they called out each other's names. Although, George had refused a new name. She didn't argue about it.

Ricardo became Flamestripe. Rabbit, the white she-cat, became Rabbitear. Willy, the white tom, became Wildclaw. Riko, the gray-and-white tom, became Graypelt. Ghost, the pale gray tom, became Ghostfur. Swan, the white she-cat, became Swanstep. Badger, the black-and-white tom with a missing eye, became Badgerfur. Phoenix, the long-haired ginger tom, became Phoenixfur. And Thorn, the black-and-white tom, became Blackthorn. The cats that came from twolegplace; Tiger, the long-haired ginger she-cat with black stripes, became Tigerblaze. Monty, the long-haired gray tom, became Wolfclaw. Sara, the gray-and-white she-cat, became Brightcloud. Marty, the black-and-white tom, became Blackclaw. Siren, the long-haired gray tom, became Squirreltail. Frosty, the gray she-cat with a white paw, became Frostclaw. Woody, the white tom with a ginger paw, became Redclaw. Oak, the reddish-brown tom, became Oakfang. Blaze, the ginger-and-white she-cat, became Blazetail. Flower, the pale ginger she-cat, became Blazestorm. Whitey, the white tom, became Snowstream. Alex, the ginger tabby tom, became Mistflame. Stone, the black tom, became Stoneriver. Oasis, the black she-cat, became Nightwhisper. Brownie, the brown tom, became Mousepath. Twig, the gray tom, became Stoneclaw, and Cassie, the dark gray she-cat, became Bluepaw, Honeywhisker's apprentice.

Spottedstar looked at the cats in the clearing. She noticed for the first time that two she-cats were pregnant, Blazetail and Rabbitear. She raised her tail for silence. "We need to build dens. Do any of you know how to make a proper den," she asked.

Flamestripe and some cats from his group raised their tails. She nodded. "Can you show us how? Meanwhile, we need to stock up the fresh-kill pile."

Honeywhisker had taken her apprentice and a few other cats to go hunting, while Flamestripe and a few of his friends stayed behind to show some of the others how to make proper dens and nests. Spottedstar watched intently. After the other cats started joining in on fixing up the camp, Spottedstar grabbed some moss that was already gathered in the clearing and padded towards the fallen tree.

She stepped into the tree and glanced around. With the light filtering in, she could barely see walls. There were bits of bark everywhere, and the way that the tree had landed, Spottedstar guessed, it had made the ground on the inside of the tree into sand. She set the moss down by the entrance and started clearing the bark out.

By the time Spottedstar had finished cleaning out the fallen tree and making her nest, Mixherb meowed a greeting. She turned to see the tortoiseshell tabby she-cat standing in the entrance, blocking some of the sunlight that was filtering through. Spottedstar padded over to her friend. "What is it?"

"Would you like to come see the medicine cat's den? It's really nice," Mixherb meowed.

Spottedstar nodded. "Sure! I just finished with my den."

Spottedstar followed Mixherb across the clearing. The warriors had already finished two dens and were fixing up another. Just as they reached the boulder at the other end of the clearing, Honeywhisker's hunting patrol came in with loads of prey. Bluepaw was carrying a squirrel that was almost as big as she was. Spottedstar stepped inside the boulder and looked around in astonishment. At the back of the den was Mixherb's nest and next to it was a crack in the side of the wall. She figured that's where she would be storing her herbs. On one side, it slanted slightly downward at one side of the den where a pool of water had formed. Water was dripping from the ceiling from some unknown crack. On the other side it slanted slightly upward where Mixherb had made a few more nests.

"That's where the injured and sick cats will rest," Mixherb meowed, pointing with her nose to the nests.

"Wow, it looks amazing," Spottedstar exclaimed.

A drop of water splashed on Mixherb's head. She shook her head violently, disgusted that she got wet. "Except for the water that drips from the top of the cave," she meowed, sounding irritated.

Spottedpetal stifled a purr of amusement. She flicked her tail and the two she-cats padded out of the dripping den.