Aolo was completely confused. He hadn’t known this was a<i>theuting. </i>Why would they invite him, a complete stranger, to such an important event? He smiled and nodded at Maria the Head as she came – and then his heart almost stopped when everyone sat down. Alright, the young one she had touched was clearly a Sitter, but the rest? Some looked rather coarse, with worked hands and clothes no finer than what he had been given. His gaze darted around the room, the largest so far. Everyone sat.<i>Everyone. </i>What was this? The … well, not Standers, because they were clearly sitting, but the ones Aolo had taken for Standers did not even receive sharp glances. Then the food was carried in by the Plate Bearers (which had not been well chosen, he saw – some of the more well-built of the crowd were not among them, and they were much too clothed for this occasion).<br/><br/>Aolo blinked a few more times, then sat down. Maybe he was some sort of honored guest? But why? He had brought nothing of value to these folk who clearly had all the useful and pretty things they needed. Some of the food he knew, but still it was utter feast-day food. Everyone just ate. No Spiritfriend invoked the Ancestor’s protection against the Bird on which they were all feasting. No Plate-Bearers gave special attention to the Head, who<i>was </i>at least served by a young girl – who looked like a Sitter herself. Nothing made sense, and for the first time, Aolo was a little downcast. How could Man live among those he did not understand? Whose habits made no sense at all?<br/><br/>He shook his head to himself and began eating. The small birds were<i>Vouahtali. </i>Their taste was richer than he was used to – had they used some form of fat to cook them? – but as satisfying as anything he had ever eaten. The bread was another treat, much finer and free of the millstone grind often left in the Darkstone Valley bread. It was also sweeter and softer. The ale was stronger than he was used to, but clearly recognizable and much better than what Head’s Wife brewed up in her cauldron. Between bites, Aolo whispered verses to allay the anger of Bird. Maybe it was scared of the Great Aboveground Chambers? But caution was better, even if Aolo felt very, very safe inside these walls, as thick as two grown folk were wide.