Aolo nodded at the eating gesture; he was hungry. Apparently, somehow, the Head – Maria – had understood his request to be their guest. He picked up his spear, carrying it upside down ostentatively, so they would know he was carrying the weapon, not bearing it. The first part of the way went by quietly. The path went through a forest hollow which didn’t allow him to see far; Aolo sang softly to Forest and to the beings within. Some of the strangers noticed and he stopped, for their looks were odd somehow. Maybe they feared Forest too much to sing to it. Aolo wasn’t fearful of it. Forest was a child of Earth, his best friend among the great beings.<br/><br/><br/>When they came out of the path through the hollow, Aolo was struck by the size of the fields these strangers tilled, stretching out before him – no wonder some of them had bulging bellies, no wonder the Head’s spearmen weren’t Aolo’s sort of strong, but large and meaty like<i>wisent. </i>Wisent was the strongest beast there was, the steers even stronger than Bear. They were like Wisent, Aolo thought. Not even his clan’s Head Ghova, a towering mean with the broadest shoulders Aolo saw, was as strong as these men…<br/><br/><br/>The admiration Aolo felt was extinguished as he turned his eyes forward again, following the path – and he saw the Holy Ring. Earthen ramparts, a ditch, and the largest stone walls upon them he had ever seen, towering on a low hill, smoke rising from the Holy Place. He stopped dead in his tracks. That was were they were leading him. He had come at the wrongest of times. Sea must hate him for crossing her. The man walking behind him bumped into Aolo. On instinct, he shoved the stranger roughly and ran the dozen steps back to the forest, placing himself high on the hollow. He brandished his spear at the strangers who were still acting innocently, as if surprised. Even the Head had turned back. _Help me, Earth!_ he thought desperately. He needed time to think, to plan his move, but there was none. “Skitaantelizi!” he yelled at them, still shocked and confused by so terrible a breach of peace. He was their _guest_, how could they take him to the Ring? It was so cruel, so unheard of. Had they no ancestors? “Eringe mihe trahar?!” He spat. No, they would _not_ take him to the Ring, not while he was alive! He did not know what beings they made offerings to, but he would not be one of them, rather be thrown in to the moor.