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Tapping his paw softly as he recounted the story, the snowshoe responded with a small, wry smile. "Wingspan was getting into her usual near-death experience, so I jumped in to save her. I think I'll stay this time though, just to help out with the territory change and moving." He didn't want his mate to die a premature death, and speaking of premature deaths. . .
"I haven't seen Fourfears face to face in StarClan, but I have heard from other animals who saw him that he is up there. I can't guarantee that they saw him for sure, but with his heroic and righteous life, it would be difficult to imagine him being anywhere else other than StarClan. I'm sorry for your loss, although I am proud of how much you have grown."
He never really left WindClan, as he was constantly watching them when he was up in StarClan. Sure, there was no physical pain or aging in StarClan, but it pained him to see WindClan's members being captured or dying during times of war. Yet, it was necessary.
"I know that we're moving somewhere else, but after the moor regrows, is there a chance of us returning? The long system of caves have kept us safe for many moons, and the moor has always been our typical territory. Our ancestors have adapted through many generations to survive on the moors, and now that we're moving to a forest, there's going to have to be new training sessions devoted to tree climbing to learn how to hunt squirrels. As soon as we settle, it's going to be essential not to let one's guard down, as it is easy to when we're all exhausted after a long move. Patrols should be sent out daily to mark our new territory, make sure that we're not living unaware right next to a den of loners. Of course, these are only suggestions," he waved his noncommittally. Surely, she already knew these things.
"It'd be great to set up a training system more devoted and active for kits and apprentices. They don't have any real motivation, perhaps after learning a certain skill set such as hunting, they could receive a badge for that rewarded by their mentors. There should be a closer bond between mentors and apprentices, and you should make sure that each apprentice has a mentor so that they receive a proper education. There are still some mentorless apprentices running around, you should send out the message that having a mentor is a good thing as they can be a guide through life and a source of encouragement. Probro was the best mentor I could have possibly ever had. He was like a father figure to me, and he made apprenticeship fun and something I actually wanted to do, not something I dreaded to do. WindClan should have more warriors like that who are uplifting and enthusiastic.
I also noticed a lack of meetings and events in WindClan. Meetings are what a Clan always looks forward to, gathering around and listening to weekly news. A healthy, active Clan should at least have one meeting per week. Promote any welcoming, active newcomers so that you reward them for being active. It gets disappointing after a while if they don't get promoted and their efforts are not seen, so you should be sure to acknowledge the individuals so that they feel like they're noticed. New members should always get the attention. If they're not active, simply demote them. They can always re-earn their position once they're active again."
A lack of meetings in general was what he felt like was bringing WindClan's current mood and activity levels down. Animals had nothing to look forward to, and a meeting always kept them on their toes at the prospect of being promoted.
"A Clan is like a kit. You have to constantly feed it, nurture it, motivate it. Kits are often bored easily, and they like having a job to do. Kits like being rewarded as soon as they do something good because it shows that they are doing something right."
