After fleeing the Midwinter dance, Ferneyclough becomes a hermit living in the Whispering Woods. Initially enjoying the silence, he communes with the insects, offering himself as a host to the ticks and midges, hoping to be accepted by the swarm. Exploring the forest one day, he hears comforting whispers emanating from the Cave of Voices and befriends the voice, resolving to become a ‘watcher in the woods’. On returning home he finds the gamekeeper,  Birdwhistle, has stumbled upon his hut and set fire to the bracken, killing the insects living there. In a rage, Ferneyclough grabs his axe and kills Birdwhistle, offering the body to the insects.