The Apprentice's Quest/Chapter 6

"You're a medicine-cat apprentice? You didn't say that when we met before."

— Needlepaw after hearing Alderpaw's mentor is Leafpool in The Apprentice's Quest, page 81

The Apprentice's Quest
Chapter number:	6 (of 24)
Page numbers:	77-89
Point of View:	Alderpaw
Chronology

Below contains in-depth information for chapter six of The Apprentice's Quest. If you are looking for a shorter summary of the entire book, please check the main article.

Chapter Number: 6 (of 24)

Page Numbers: 77-89

Chapter description

Alderpaw goes to the medicine cat den to see that Leafpool came back. She lets Cherryfall out by telling the ginger she-cat to rest for today. Alderpaw asks how Littlecloud is doing and Leafpool replies saying he had a touch of whitecough, and that she is still worried about him. The tabby she-cat tells him that he'll meet Littlecloud and the other medicine cats at the Moonpool tonight. Alderpaw is nervous and excited at the same time and asks what they'll do there. Jayfeather tells him he'll find out. After the gray tabby adds they are out of catmint, Alderpaw offers to get some from the abandoned Twoleg nest, and Jayfeather refuses. He growls that moles have been digging up the herb patches there and spits that he'll skin them all. Leafpool tries to calm him down, and Jayfeather grunts saying they're short of catmint and they'll need to fetch some from the Twoleg garden beside RiverClan. Leafpool and her apprentice head out by going around the lake, and they meet with a ShadowClan patrol. She asks a cat called Tigerheart how the prey was running, and he asks why she wants to know and if she wasn't hoping to steal any of it. Leafpool responds by saying he would know better than that.

Alderpaw is distracted a ShadowClan cat sliding up to him; he recognizes Needlepaw from the Gathering. Tigerheart finally lets the medicine cats pass, but tells them he'll be escorting them. Leafpool thanks him and both cats take the lead, with Needlepaw and Alderpaw behind the patrol. Needlepaw complains about Spikefur and mocks him by exaggerating his orders. Alderpaw, hiding back his laughter, tells her she shouldn't be talking about her mentor like that. She corrects him by saying Tawnypelt is her mentor and asks him what he is doing with Leafpool. The dark ginger tom tells her that she is his mentor and Needlepaw is amazed, remarking that he never told her that he was a medicine cat apprentice. He tells her that he'll be going to the Moonpool tonight and the silver-gray she-cat asks him if he knows anything more about the prophecy. The medicine cat apprentice tells her he did had a dream, but Leafpool interrupts to call to Alderpaw to walk beside her. They reach the border and Tigerheart gives them permission to cross back to ThunderClan territory. Needlepaw says good-bye to Alderpaw and hopes to see him again, with him not so sure if he was looking forward to that or not.

After coming back from ShadowClan territory, Jayfeather, Leafpool, and Alderpaw walk along the stream to the Moonpool. The apprentice is half excited and half afraid about leaving Clan territory. He asks how the medicine cats discovered the Moonpool and Leafpool tells him that she found it and Spottedleaf helped her. Later, climbing up a steep slope, Alderpaw hears water and the light brown tabby tells him they are nearby. They hear a cry behind them and they turn around to see the other medicine cats far behind them. The three ThunderClan cats wait for them and Alderpaw is introduced as a new medicine cat apprentice. Jayfeather impatiently asks whether they'll be standing all night and the group moves on up the slope. They reach the summit and Alderpaw's mentors push their way through the bushes and he follows them to see the Moonpool, which he thinks he had never seen anything more beautiful. The medicine cats walk down the spiraling path and reach the edge of the pool. Leafpool presents Alderpaw to StarClan with Alderpaw thinking he could see his warrior ancestors. She instructs him to drink from the pool and to touch his nose to the water; he watches the other medicine cats drink before lapping up a few drops and putting his nose to the pool.

The dark ginger apprentice finds himself walking with a large ginger tom beside a stream. Alderpaw realizes this must be Firestar and thinks he seemed familiar. He also wonders if this was the same cat he saw in his weird dream before. Firestar leads him to a pool where Alderpaw has a vision. The young cat sees a group of cats in a gorge, including a mottled brown-and-cream she-cat, a ginger tom, and a black-and-white she-cat partaking in a warrior ceremony. The tom watches as the cats gathered around the group let out joyful yowls and welcome the new warrior. After the ceremony, he notices a silver tabby talk to the Clan leader and then she appears to look up at Alderpaw. The vision fades and the young cat asks Firestar who those cats were and if they were part of a Clan. The former ThunderClan leader dips his head, but does not reply, and mist covers him up. Alderpaw wakes up and sees the medicine cats begin to stir. He is happy about his vision as it proves he is truly a medicine cat, however Alderpaw begins to have doubts whether it was important or not. Alderpaw decides to keep his vision to himself, until he is sure what it was about.

Characters

Major

• Alderpaw
• Leafpool

Minor

• Jayfeather
• Cherryfall
• Tigerheart
• Spikefur
• Needlepaw
• Sleekpaw
• Yarrowpaw
• Kestrelflight
• Mothwing
• Willowshine
• Littlecloud
• Firestar
• Leafstar
• Sharpclaw
• Unnamed SkyClan black-and-white she-cat
• Echosong

Mentioned

• Sparkpaw
• Sorrelstripe
• Tawnypelt
• Spottedleaf