Axel is dropped off at the Gnarly Tree, with his tag-along 'follower', Kalvin the antlered lapi boy. He's greeted by Gammer Radish, the witch from neighboring Splotch, who blindfolds him and takes up through a secret and very confusing path to the top of Witches Rock.

Once there, he is introduced to Granny Flax, the senior witch from Trollhaven, who is both human and birdlike and frightens him to the extreme.

The ceremony is begun rather casually, and soon Axel finds himself faces the local spirit, You-Know-Who, who seems to understand Axel-Nadyenka's condition better than the boy does himself. Axel is allowed to pass through the spirit's territory so long as he doesn't hurt anyone or take anything belonging to the spirit.

When Axel asks if he can take Kalvin, the spirit agrees to let him go so long as Axel will perform a certain task: dole out life and death at an appointed place and time to be determined by the spirit.

Afterwards, there are cookies.