Hello again folks, how are we doing today?

It's nice to see so many of you are enjoying this story, so thank you to everyone who's favourited and followed this, as well as the people leaving genuine reviews. It's nice to hear from you! So feel free to leave a review, as long as, of course, you're respectful. I do accept constructive criticism too!

Well, this one's a shorter chapter, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. It would have gotten too long if I hadn't split it up, but chapter four might be up soon so do not fret.

Now a review response:

Ivystorm: Glad to hear you're interested! In answer to your question, currently it is only believed that they can control things threatening them, but I'm sure if someone were to test their abilities enough they might find otherwise teehee haha ;;;;;;))))) but that would never happen I'm surrreee

Anyway, the lyrics at the beginning and end are from The Mind Electric by Miracle Musical, fantastic song if you've not heard it yet go listen to it. And uh, that's all I have to say!

Enjoy!

Resident minor, how do you plead?

We'll need your testimony on the stand (Service of the fee, fi, fo, fum)

Solemnly swear to tell the whole truth

So help you son now raise your right hand

Every eye in the camp turned towards them as Stagpaw and Foxpaw entered.

Both stopped, and Stagpaw took a deep breath as he surveyed the scene. All of the cats were out of their dens, apart from the kittens who were being ushered back into their nests by the Nursery Minders. Fernstar was stood atop the Leader's Den, next to Smokepaw. The two apprentices made eye contact immediately, and Stagpaw broke it quickly. Smokepaw's fur fluffed out as he turned back to the leader to say something.

He glanced at Foxpaw. She didn't hide her worry. To Stagpaw, that was better than her pretending everything was okay. She was with him.

It was uncomfortably quiet as they made their way into the centre of camp. People wanted to talk, but they didn't dare to just yet. Not in this unending silence of judgement and patience. Maybe Stagpaw shouldn't be showing his fear as openly as he was. Was that cowardly? Or was that winning the favour of the crowd?

StarClan, he realised with a jolt, I'm already trying to use my Clanmates as an advantage tactic for this…

I wish this had never happened.

He looked around, picking out the faces. There were the people he had been on patrol with today, there was his mentor, there was Leopardpounce, Smokepaw's mother, there were the other cats who'd had to face the Hallowlands and made it back themselves. What did they all think of him right now? Did they judge him for his cowardice?

He took a deep breath in preparation as Fernstar cleared his throat.

"Stagpaw," he began, his tone deep and serious, "Smokepaw here tells me that he believes you are a bayer."

"I know he's a bayer!" Smokepaw flared up, lashing his tail.

Fernstar's green eyes slid over to the apprentice at his side, "Hush now, Smokepaw, you've said your piece."

The grey tom hunched in on himself slightly, "...sorry, Fernstar."

The leader nodded and faced him again, "Well, Stagpaw, can you confirm this?"

He closed his eyes, "I can."

That was the breaking point for the gathered Clan. He kept his eyes closed tight as he heard an avalanche of chatter around him. He couldn't pick out full sentences, just words. "Bayer", "Hallowlands", "trial", "liar".

Liar.

That one stuck with him.

Fernstar yowled for quiet again and EskerClan fell silent.

"So, Stagpaw…Smokepaw also tells me you managed to fell a spiritslayer tonight?"

He opened his eyes and looked up. Maybe he wouldn't be able to save himself from a fate in the Hallowlands, but he could at least get a bit of petty revenge done, "Yes, Fernstar, Smokepaw snuck out of camp in the middle of the night to find the spiritslayer and Foxpaw went with him to keep him safe. I followed them to try and bring them back to camp."

Smokepaw's fur fluffed up and he turned back to Fernstar again, "I- he's exaggerating, I didn't sneak out per say, I-"

Another look from Fernstar shut him up immediately, and Stagpaw watched his sister's mouth quirk up in amusement. It appeared this incident had immediately severed their friendship.

"I'll deal with you later, Smokepaw, by giving this information you've confirmed you snuck out of the camp against the rules and put yourself and your Clanmates in danger already."

"...yes, Fernstar."

"Now, Stagpaw, if you may continue with your story?"

He nodded, "I caught up with them and tried to persuade them to come home when the spiritslayer found us. We ran away from camp, to the Falls, to see if we could lose it there. We made a bridge out of a weak tree to escape it, but I wouldn't get over in time, so I commanded it to stop, then to fall into the water."

Again the chatter broke out. It was to be expected; he'd just confessed that he'd managed to fell a spiritslayer. He, an eight moon old apprentice, with no magical training. He listened to the crowd murmur and gossip as Fernstar considered his next words.

"And Stagpaw…did you know you had these abilities?"

He paused, considering the answer. It would be easy to lie, but was it time for the truth to come out?

He opened his mouth, but the words caught in his throat. No, it wasn't the time just yet. He was called to the desire to lie and if StarClan punished him for it then so be it. He would apologise to those he kept in the dark at a later moment, when he was more mature and able to process what had happened…what he'd done.

"I…"

But he'd already confessed to Smokepaw, hadn't he? A feeling of doubt wormed its way into his stomach, but maybe there was a way to twist the truth.

He cleared his throat and tried again, "I suspected I may since…since Ambervox died. But I was unsure, and I didn't have any way to test if I was right or not."

He kept staring at Fernstar and not Smokepaw's blazing eyes. His leader nodded.

"I see. Although you could have confided your suspicions with me or another of my authorities, I accept your confusion."

A mix of relief and guilt rushed through Stagpaw as he nodded, accepting his leader's words. Someday he would repent.

I swear.

"Now, due to the tradition of the Clans of the Great Mountain, Stagpaw, I presume you understand what must happen next."

Panic shot through him, but he was quickly becoming too tired to argue. He nodded, gaze bleak.

"Wait!" Foxpaw called out though, "Wouldn't you already say he's proved himself? He killed a spiritslayer all by himself for StarClan's sake!"

Some of the crowd murmured in approval, but any hopes Stagpaw had were dashed by Fernstar shaking his head.

"No, the traditions of our ancestors state that any cat to discover their magical powers must make the journey through the Hallowlands and be accepted by StarClan. We do not want to incur our ancestors' wrath by simply excluding him from this ancient law."

"But-!"

"I will not let this happen any other way, Foxpaw, I am sorry."

She sighed, blinking away tears, and Stagpaw looked to the ground.

"Stagpaw, you have until sunhigh this coming day to prepare yourself before you begin your rite of passage through the Hallowlands."

"Yes, Fernstar."

"EskerClan, you are dismissed."

The Clan began to trail back to their Dens, buzzing with conversation. Stagpaw sighed to himself and headed to the Medicine Den, where Swiftbreeze quickly bound his bloody tail in a poultice and some wide leaves. He wished them good luck as they left, but otherwise did not speak. Stagpaw nodded gratefully and began to plod back to the Apprentice's Den, Foxpaw trotting alongside him.

"It's okay, Stagpaw, we can get some key tips, learn more about herbs, speak to some mages-"

"It-it's alright, Foxpaw," he broke her off, "I appreciate it, but I just want to sleep right now."

"I…I understand." she sighed, "Just get some good rest, okay?"

"You too. It's been a rough night and it's gonna be a rough day."

He settled into his nest, curling up tightly as the shaking in his body became more apparent. Foxpaw moved hers closer, and Smokepaw never came in that night. Stagpaw's guess was he was staying with his mother tonight. He had assumed it would take him ages to get to sleep, if at all, but from the exhausting events of the day, he was drifting off in heartbeats.

The same memories haunted his dreams that night.

He was backed up against the rock face behind him, screaming and crying for any sort of help. Somewhere in the distance he could hear agonised screeching and the sobs of fear from another kit just like him. Then, suddenly, paws thundered past him, a ferocious war cry bellowed from deep within the chest, only to turn into pleading and screaming just like the rest of them.

Stagpaw awoke, gasping and sweating, like he always did.

He was more than used to this by now, so all he needed was a quick glance around to reassure himself he was in a familiar setting, surrounded by familiar smells and the safety of camp. Then the memories of last night hit him and the same terror struck once more.

Tears came to his eyes as he took a deep breath and contemplated what would happen to him. He could easily die down in the Hallowlands; he'd heard how difficult it was to navigate when the trees reached up like claws to grasp at the sun and hide it away, and how there were fearsome beasts and nightmarish monsters around every corner. How the prey was sharper and faster than you, and poisonous plants disguised themselves as healing herbs. He could be killed by a spiritslayer, or he could get lost eternally and starve to death, or fall into a hole or river he hadn't seen. He didn't know where the nearest water sources could be, nor when it would be safe to sleep or go out hunting. He wasn't sure how many other cats would be down there, or if they would be sane or willing enough to help him. Willowdreamer, one of the Clan's elders and ex-mages, had once told him the horrifying story of how she'd encountered a cat who had been stuck down there for so long, plagued by hunger and bad hunting, that they'd turned to cannibalism. He shivered at the thought.

He sat up slightly as Foxpaw stuck her head into the den, her eyes brightening as she saw him. She bounded in, skidding in front of him and dropping what looked like a small bundle of herbs tied together with grass at his paws.

"You've slept in late, you lazy mouse-brain, though…I can't say you don't deserve the rest. Here, these are for you," she took a seat and nudged them closer, "I got them from Swiftbreeze."

He tilted his head, "What are they?"

"This here is marigold. It helps prevent infection in wounds," she pointed a claw to each of the bound plants in turn, "This one's goldenrod, it stops bleeding. There's horsetail there, which should work alongside marigold, and this is feverfew, which should help if you get a fever at all."

He stared at them all, mildly stunned, "Foxpaw, when did you get these?"

"I visited Swiftbreeze when I woke up this morning," she looked away, abashed, "I know you said not to fuss or stress but…I wanted to do at least something for you, so I asked him to prepare some for you in case you had any emergencies down in the Hallowlands. He explained them to me and then bound them so I could give them to you. You're allowed to take stuff into the Hallowlands if you like, so…I thought this might help."

"Oh…Foxpaw…" he looked at her and blinked his gratitude, smiling, "You-you really didn't have to do this, thank you so much."

"Of course I had to do this, you're my brother." her smile turned rueful, "You're my only family."

He nodded sadly and touched his forehead to hers.

"Well…are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

She fixed the bundle to his now much shorter tail and together, they left the Apprentices' Den for potentially the last ever time.

Father your honour, may I explain

My brain has claimed its glory over me

I've a good heart, albeit insane-

"Condemn him to the infirmary!"