Chestnut was riding on Fiver's back as they galloped through fresh, green hills in the country, Fiver imitating a horse making Chestnut giggle contentedly. Soon, they came to a stop, Fiver dropping down, rolling on his back and bringing his baby to his chest.

"It's wonderful to see you smiling, Prince Winter," smiled Fiver as he licked the prince's nose. "But Daddy has some news for you; because we've been split into three groups, you've endangered all of us."

Chestnut's feelings of freedom and happiness began to melt into painful guilt, fire on fire.

We each suffered a dangerous task and that means you've endangered Walnut."

Chestnut hopped off his father and tries to think of something to say but then his father quickly disappeared into thin air.

"Daddy?" cried Chestnut. "Daddy! I'm sorry! I only ran away so I wouldn't hurt you! Please don't leave me! Please!"

"It's too late, Child of the Seer," he turned to see the body of Larkspur glowering over him, smiling hungrily as if for his heart. "You've murdered innocent blood."

She nodded in a direction where Walnut was standing.

"Walnut?" said Chestnut hopping to him. "Run! Please! Before I hurt you!"

At these words, smoke rose in the air and took the shape of a very ugly, old, shrivelled doe who called, opened her mouth blew out a white-eyed weasel. Walnut just stood there as if in a trance as the weasel lunged at him and scratched him everywhere, Chestnut too afraid to fight it but screamed in terror as Walnut screamed in agony. Then the weasel shifted very slowly into a black wolf that simply devoured the rabbit who was just about to scream for his life. After a gruesome belch, it vanished as did Larkspur.

Chestnut just sat there sobbing, hers ears over this eyes as heat began to rise over him as if theValley of fire was opening to him once again.

"Chestnut? Chestnut?

Chestnut was resting on his front, his eyes covered by his ears as he felt a paw on his back. He opened his eyes to see Giselle over him looking concerned.

"You were dreaming," she comforted.

"Where's Walnut?" he demanded desperately.

"Outside the burrow."

Chestnut dashed outside in a rich to say good morning to anyone in his way, accidentally knocking Elderberry to the ground. Sure enough, Walnut was there outside the warren simply silflaying and unharmed.

"Walnut!"

He charged to Walnut and hugged him tightly, sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Walnut! I didn't meant to put you in danger! I know I'm dangerous but I could never dream of hurting you!"

"What on Earth are you talking about?" asked Walnut confused.

"I nearly killed you! We need to get out of here before it really does happen."

"Calm down," said Giselle gently as she put a paw on Chestnut's right shoulder. "Calm down, Chestnut. You just had a bad dream."

"It wasn't just a dream!" he wailed. "I had one just like it before we all met!"

And he informed them of the dream about Carnation's death and the Valley of Fire and how it all nearly came true before Great Aunt Larkspur told him to run away before the Valley of Fire opened to him.

"I gave up worrying about nightmares before I was born," sneered Elderberry.

"Sure you did," remarked Walnut. "I heard everything from you just last night when we all got back to sleep."

Replacing his voice in a high pitch, Walnut recited; "Oh, Mummy! I dreamed the Black Rabbit came for me before I was born! Oh, Mummy! I dreamed the carrot bit into my nose! Oh, Mummy! I dreamed I was too vain to flex my own chest muscles! Oh, Mummy! I dreamed I had a booboo on the backside!"

"You're dead, you sorry little - " began Elderberry advancing towards Walnut.

"Stop!" demanded River extending a paw in Elderberry's path. "Remember who we are."

Elderberry sighed but glared at Walnut

"You mention anything more about my mother and I will have the Black Rabbit onto you. Do you hear?"

In his first instinct, Walnut would have just shrugged but with the spark in Elderberry's eyes, he just narrowed his own.

"So what began all the fuss?" asked River.

Walnut and Giselle looked down at Chestnut who explained the dream again only to the Path of Frith.

"Sounds exactly like your father," said Periwinkle. "A strong feeling there."

"Very convincing," said Blossom.

"In which case," said River eying the sky, "we'd better move right now. Frith will never mend those who harm a second rabbit."

Chestnut gasped.

"Then let's go!" he wailed. "I just want to heal myself so no one will ever get hurt."

"Why did you not tell us this before?" Walnut sternly asked River.

"Seemed like a small issue until now," was the reply.

"He explained why he was out here. How does that signify a small issue?"

"We'll argue later," said River. "Right now let's just journey."

They hopped through the fields for what seemed a whole day. Walnut offered Oaknut a back ride seeing he was the smallest but River once again berated the little kitten: "You spoiled, greedy, thing! We are the Path of Firth, not royalty! I'll calm you when I'm finished with you!"

Walnut and Giselle could not wonder why River would berate him like when he was obviously struggling on such a long journey. Giselle was appalled though did not say anything. All she wanted to do was find her Uncle Dandelion and be away from that suspicious character. She only kept in mind that her father said he was a lazy, arrogant rabbit but since they only knew each other as kittens surely Dandelion would have changed. Even Chestnut himself told her Dandelion's positive traits. Walnut on the other was suspicious at this more than her since River snapped at Oaknut yesterday evening when he was about too say what wish he would make if he could.

Chestnut was hardly paying attention to this suspicion; he only wanted to cure himself of this evilness in his mind, that way he can go home to Watership Down and live his life without worrying about anyone like he did with Carnation. He only hoped Frith would forgive him for taking Carnation's life. Dreams is one to never control in one's sleep.

They ventured through the world of green until nightfall came. They stopped at the edge of a forest only the trees were curved on the sides as though surrounding them and closing in. It made Chestnut shake but with the full moon over them he felt assured for safety.

"Behold Rabscuttle's Glade!" announced River, his voice zooming through the trees, the echoes of River's voice stretched far away from them.

Maybe this was why the moon was out. It was supposed to mean protection from elil, evil, even Great Aunt Larkspur and those scary soldiers Rawfinn Warren.

"When do we eat?" asked Chestnut. "I'm hungry."

He longed for a nice, juicy carrot. He remembered the first time he had ever eaten one; Daddy had brought one from Nuthanger's Farm and Chestnut sat there tucking right into it, fragments of carrot all over his face, much to his father's delight for he could tell how much he enjoyed them. Yes, he wanted something different from berries.

"We eat after the ritual," smiled River, thought it was a smile which Chestnut thought was rather uncharacteristic even though he had seen River smile many times.

"What's a ritual?" asked Chestnut feeling uneasy. He didn't like the sound of that word.

"We summon the spirits of Rabscuttle's Glade to fight the evil within you, Chestnut, Child of the Seer!"

"Oo! Oo! Oo! Oo!"

The other five were hopping up and down and dancing side to side making weird nosies making Chestnut feel even more uncomfortable. He looked up to Walnut by his right and pressed into him, holding onto him. Walnut must have felt the exact same emotion because did the same but he did not shake, he just boar a look of seriousness as he did most of the time since they had met at Rawfinn. Giselle hopped up to Chestnut and covered him to assure his safety.

"Oo! Oo! Oo! Oo!"

Now River had joined in, Oaknut was doing it but with a look of fear upon his face just like Chestnut. It was clear he didn't want to be doing this but was afraid of River's beastly, aggressive temper toward a small rabbit like him.

"It's nothing to be afraid of," replied Sunflower. "It summons the good to rid evil traits in mysterious ways."

"The Field of Frith's Miracles shall not open until such tasks are performed," explained Blossom.

"Only one way to find out," offered Forget-Me-Not.

Periwinkle, the three rabbits witnessing, had only now realised she was the only one out of the Path who had said nothing - next to little Oaknut.

"Stay close to us, Chessie," whispered Walnut to the small rabbit clutching onto him.

The Path of Frith all bowed in a line except River who was standing in front of them on his hind legs and rising his paws into the air.

"Ooooooooooooooooooooo!" he chanted.

"Ooooooooooooooooooooo!" followed the rabbits behind him.

"Rabscuttle - hay - haw - hina - havo - ho, ho!" River chanted in whisper. Sunflower, Elderberry, Oaknut, Periwinkle, Sunflower, Forget-Me-Not and Blossom were reciting this over and over as River continued;

"Hinko, hinko, hinko, hinko! Heema Harra Heema Harra! Dig, Listen, Run! Drain the black! Black must drain!"

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

They all howled like pack of wolves as Chestnut screamed loudly into Walnut's side.

The Path gathered together into a circled and hopped and danced making very eerie scary, whooping noises and screaming to the spirits.

Chestnut no longer felt his grasp onto Walnut or Giselle's protective touch. Instead he founds himself in a forest where Dawn-Rah himself was attacking a one-eyed weasel. Up on a rock were Uncle Hawkbit, Uncle Dandelion and Pipkin's Owsla with a group of other rabbits he never met. The scene seemed to stretch from him as though being lifted into the air. But he was immediately standing in a black cavern, cold and dripping wet. There he saw Rosie's sister Cinny, curled in a ball sobbing as growling form a hole revelled itself. Yellow fangs and drooling saliva with a long snout poking through the gap tried to push through. He tried to call for for Cinny but she did not seem to here him.

"CINNY! CINNY!" he screamed. "GET UP!"

he tried to touch her but his paws just went through her.

He was instantly being pulled away only to find himself down a chamber where he saw Uncle Pipkin and Uncle Leo running in panic.

"UNCLE LEO! UNCLE PIPKIN!" Chestnut screamed. He wondered if he was invisible to them too when he saw the beast charging to him and opened it's jaws.

Chestnut screamed cowered and was immediately standing on the boulder above a bigger cavern. Down below, he could make out two brown dots. One lighter than the other; Uncle Hazel and -

"DADDY!"

He turned, looked up and was looking at Chestnut.

"Prince Winter!" cried Fiver happily. "Hold on! Daddy's coming to get you!"

He hopped up the flight of stones but suddenly stopped. Why did he? He was suddenly talking to Uncle Hazel and this was making him even more desperate.

"Daddy!" Chestnut wailed, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

"I won't be long, sweetheart!" Daddy called back. He spoke to Uncle Hazel for a moment and once again, he dashed for Chestnut who felt sudden relief. Fiver dived for his son but Chestnut was immediately pulled away and was facing the very same, evil, black, skinny doe cackling at him. Chestnut screamed out loud and found himself back in Rabscuttle's Glade, the Path of Frith in a bow, River still up front.

Chestnut was back to clinging onto Walnut and Giselle holding herself over him. He was convinced it was all the enchantment for a second when he realised something:

"They've been hurt!" he wailed. "Daddy and the other two groups looking for me have been hurt because I've dreamed of them."

"That's right," smiled River. "But that dance was to take you to the dangers you've caused in order to prevent it."

"And how exactly does that help?!" snapped Walnut. "You've freaked him out."

"All for good reason," said River. "The Path of Frith always have their good reasons to make someone realsie the wrong they created."

"Bollocks to good reason!" roared Walnut.

"Walnut!" Giselle sharply admonished for his moment of profanity in front the Child of the Seer.

"Forgive what I said but still, Chestnut has been through enough grief and you just have to convince it!"

"He's right you know, push-come-to-shove," agreed Giselle. "I think you creeped him out dearly."

"My daddy might be hurt," Chestnut worried.

"Welcome to life!" greeted Elderberry now stepping from the line and next to River. "Everyone gets hurt and killed - so get - used - to it."

"So would you have already adapted if I was to scratch your eyes out?" defended Walnut.

"I'm not afraid to take you on, you Hutch-Bred"

Giselle gasped in shock. None of the others reacted except for at least Periwinkle and Oaknut. Chestnut had idea what Elderberry meant by that. But when he looked at Walnut, sparks seemed to flicker in his eyes.

"What did you call me?" he asked in silent fury.

"You heard," said Elderberry.

"Don't push it, Elderberry," River warned.

"You clearly have no idea how the word works even if you are a kitten younger than me. About two years. I bet your father couldn't teach you a thing or two."

Chestnut gasped at this remark for Walnut had already told him of his father's fate.

Fire was now rising in his eyes.

"You insult my father again," Walnut growled now stepping forward from his two companions "and the Black Rabbit of Inle will be on his way for you."

"Papa was a Hutch-Bred just like your unmated mother."

"ARRRRRRRGHH!"

Walnut charged at Elderberry and took him down trying to scratch him with all his might.

"I BET YOUR PARENTS WERE MORE THAN WHAT YOU SAID OF MINE! COME HERE! SHRIVELLED LONG-EARS! SON OF A MUSHROOM!"

Everyone was making great effort to pull both of them apart. River only stood there watching the scene is some sort of delight and Chestnut stood back in fear of getting hurt as did Oaknut being the smallest.